*Points upward and grin sunshine* Amazing poster by Ms Violetkecil ! Thank you so much.

*Note : any referring to the third gender below is not meant as a discrimination or making fun of of any kind. It's all for story writing purpose. 

------------------------------------------------------------------

After the initial shock of having a pet mermaid, Seunghyun calmed down and decided to just go with it. He and JiYong decided that bizarre are not, they "bought" the girls and they had full responsibilities about them. And before they knew it, they had to do something classified as UTTERLY HARD :

Parenting.

Let us start with the troubles of Choi Seung Hyun.

After a week or two, YooBin was beginning to show human characteristics. YooBin can breathe solely air and was getting all wrinkly like a prune when she was in water for too long, so every once in a while Seungh

yun has to drain the tub dry.. Her tail lost all of its scales and split into two long, tan legs. The only thing that stayed were her gills. Touching the side of her neck, Seunghyun smiled.

-I don't think you should stay in here anymore. Anima--wait, half-humans need sunlight too don't they ?

As if it became a common reaction, she reached out and held his arm endearingly. Shifting herself around in his enormous maroon T-shirt with a cartoon Minnesota mole on it, she was finally going to do it. She was finally going to get out of the bathtub to go live. Before YooBin could slide her arms around SeungHyun's neck for him to lift her out, he jumped back. After a small fight in his head, Seunghyun sighed in frustration, immediatly go red and pull out a small packet from his back pockets. Tossing it to her, he stuttered

- W Well, human or not, you are female and..... uh.... and ...... theseareunderwearyouhavetouhhhfigureitoutyourselfimsorrythisissoweird

With that, Seunghyun ran out, leaving YooBin innocently toying with the garment, occasionally plopping it on to her head, trying to figure out what it actually WAS...

 

 

( ~ ' r ')~

-----------------------------------------------------------------

After actually READING what the wrapper had to say, YooBin understood the functionality of underwear. Soon, Seunghyun came in to aid her.

- YooBin, are you ready ?

-Mhm....Mhm hmm.-She aswered shakily.

As said, Seunghyun lifted her up by the waist. Shutting her eyes shut, YooBin felt her legs leave the cold feeling of the bathtub. Seunghyun silently blushed as he felt her warm, smooth skin at the tip of his fingers.

And after a brisk while, she gasped as she opened her eyes,

"SeungHyun sure has one nice tank....."

YooBin allowed herself time to remember the warm, homey feeling of Seunghyun's house : the all white furniture along with a touch of baby pink and blue here and there, the soft scent of jasmine tea lingering in the air, the calming trickling sound of the water fountain sitting majesticaly in the center of a well taken care of garden. Without a second thought, YooBin turned to him and asked:

-Do you live with your mother ?

- No...Why'd you ask that ?

-Your home is a bit girly - And it hit her. Her eyes doubled it's size as she practically screamed - Oh My ARE YOU GAY ??????

- What the--YooBin ! Liking pink and calm things is not gay !

- Oh it's Ok I won't judge you. I've been fascinated by the third gender ever since I was a hatchling. Could you tell me about it ???

-YooBin ! I'm not gay ! - As deep in conversation as they were, Seunghyun placed YooBin down on her feet, forgetting that YooBin has never walked before. With a yelp, YooBin pulled Seunghyun down with her as she lost balance and fell. The strong feeling of the need to protect overwhelmed Seunghyun as he unconsciously shifted his weight to the side and wrap his arms around YooBin as he hit the ground underneath her, shielding YooBin completely from the fall. They landed with a skid, only stopping as Seunghyun sat up a little as his back hit the wall.

Looking down, Seunghyun felt out of breath. Sure he was glad they didn't hit anything sharp that lies who-knows-where around his messy house, but at the same time, deep down, he really like the feeling of YooBin in his arms. After coming back to his senses completely, Seunghyun loosened his grip on YooBin's waist. On the contrary, YooBin hugged him harder, until her whole body trembled.

-I'm sorry, I' sorry, I didn't mean to upset you..... Please don't hurt me.....

Patting her back, SeungHyun smiled:

- Oh it was just an accident, I didn't mean to drop you or anything..... Besides, it won't hurt that much if you fal--

-Yes it will ! -YooBin yelled-...yes it will.......

-...

-...

And then it hit him, YooBin has always have these stripe like bruises along her when she was a fish. Seeing her playful ways, always hitting this and that in her small fish bowl, he never put much thought to it. But now, he started to get a feeling that those faint but large bruises meant something more...

-What happened to you ?

-... I lived in the Atlantic Ocean, near Carribean Sea. Though the Atlantic seemed calm, with nothing with blue waves and peach pink cloud, deep under the harmless covers, the Atlantic was lively, and was anything but 'calm'. Whenever the schools of fish, especially tunas, decide to migrate from north to south, they can be really noisy, I mean like REALLY noisy. 

YooBin smiled a bit, finally relaxing. She let go of Seunghyun, shifted into the small space between SeungHyun and the white wall, seeking refuge and warmth, crossed her feet and sat across him. He turned to her, eyes lighting up with excitement like a little boy being told a splendid story.

- I don't get it. -Seunghyun said- Isn't it odd ? How do merpeople like you live unoticed ? The Atlantic was researched inch by inch, sure since the Titanic sunk there,.....

- Because you people are silly and ignorant !

 

 

*Awkward silence*

 

 

- Excuse me ?

- Oh wait you’re a human. Pardon me. You don't see us because you don't truly wish to see. Most of you smarty pants scientists all think that you're mighty smart, knowing everything there is to know about our ocean. But.....

YooBin leaned towards Seunghyun and whispered :

-I'm not supposed to tell you this, but since your my master and I love you so.... About 2 000 miles from  the shores of Caribbaen, under the stone gate between two long walls of  Winter Anemonies, there is a small vortex that can be opened by song. If the song sang is incorrect, the anemonies would hide the gate and sting you. The gate is something like a wormhole, opening up into a parallel universe...

- Is that the entrance to.....

-Yes. Our world. We don't have a name for it. It wouldn't be so hidden if someone accidentally knows the name right ?

Seunghyun nodded as YooBin continued, completely ignoring the fact that they were still on the floor after the 'crash landing'

- Once in a while, us merpeople would swim up to the ocean face in fish forms- like the form I was in when you got me. We are very careful to keep away from people's sight. To be sure, we nearly never go above water surface. The royals would sometimes be escorted by dolphins for protection even ! The dolphins would misguide the boats or anything away from us. Smart huh ?

-I'v always thought dolphin were 'fishy'.

YooBin giggled and punched Seunghyun's arm lightly. But then her giggle died, replaced by a grim look.

- W- What's wrong ? Was what I said offense ?

- I just wished I brought from dolphins that day....

- But didn't you just tell me that only royals....unless... YooBin, you're a princess ?

YooBin smiled bitterly :

- More like a prisoner... My parents passed away in a shipwreck. They...were stuck between two ships. Being the only heir, I was brought up to be a queen. But my uncle had other plans. He'd rather rule himself. And for 20 years have I lived like a puppet, a shadow as my uncle ruled with me as a blindfold of my people.... One day I had enough. I swam out the windows of my bedroom and surfaced. I needed someone to cry to, and the moon seems eligable. And so I did. I was sobbing while I heard screams. And before I could make a swim for it I was caught in a school of red snappers running away from night fishers. And then...

YooBin yelped and clutched her head, close to tears. The memories, the nightmare, the fear............ Seunghyun patted her back.

- Don't tell me if it hurts.

-.......I think it's better out than still in right ? - After wiping away a few droplets from the corner of her eyes, YooBin smiled a bit. Taking a deep breath, she continued :

- I was caught. Inside the net I thought I could still get out, and I did something stupid. - Bitter laugh- I turned mermaid. I thaught I could rip the net open just enough... But before I was done, I could feel my gills tighten. A large crash was heard as the net hit the cold, metalic boat floor. Before, I couldn't understand what the fishermen said, but I did remember them.... kicking and touching and.... *sniff* I'm ok I'm ok.... They knew I was real, and decided I wash cash. You call money cash right ?

- *nods*

- They threw me across the boat, into an old, dirty fish tank and tied me there for days......It was dark, and cold, and by the way very stinky !! Then, one day, I saw daylight again.- YooBin smiled and hugged her knees- Mommy. She was a petite, wrinkly but very kind savior. She told me that once, when she was fishing in the Sargasto Seas, she heard the people talk about me, and so she decided to travel to the Caribbean and buy me off those men--

-Wait a minute, an old lady such as herself travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to go fishing ?

- Yes, she swam across. Impressive right ? Mommy could do amazing things. Once she lifted a yak off a man to save him ! Or so she told me....

- .......Continue.

- I'm coming up to the end now, hush hush . She gave me a spell to heal from the incident quickly, in return, I couldn't transform quickly between my human-fish self. The medicine stopped the process of transforming, only letting that process start again with blood from a human. Although the medicine didn't erase the scars and bruises completely, it stopped hurting. I spent 2 years with her. She took great care of me, saw me as if I was her own. Though I find most of the time I get worried for her.  A woman her age to be in the Himalayas 3 times a year is frightening ! And after, she told me I was ready to leave the shop. That's when she threw our shop on a wagon and pulled me to Korea. And then I met you !

YooBin smiled tenderly, wrapping herarms around one of Seunghyun's. Seunghyun's heart did a little backward flip. Although, tecnically, he was supposed to take her as a pet,an animal kept for entertainment, he always saw her as something more. A person to look for keys, a comforter, an admirer.........

 

A...........sister !

-Come on, we still hadn't had breakfast yet, let's go eat. -He said, breaking eye contact and placing his hands under her elbow for support. YooBin cringed, straining her legs against the floor and wrapping her arms firmly around his neck.

He felt a chill riding up his spine and a wave of sympathy collapsed on him. How could those horrible things happen to this small, fragile girl, to make her fear the world as such ? And yet, despite it all, she remained sweet and gentle, like a lisianthus - beautiful as a rose, but as harmless as a daisy. To not come to hate the world that was so cruel to her took courage, and he respected her fully for that.

- You’re brave. You can do it.

-........mmh.....- After a while, YooBin loosened up and fell backwards against the wall behind her. Still wrapping her arms around his strong, protective shoulders, inches apart from him, she finally felt something she had yearned to feel for a long time.

She felt safe.

- How about we take baby steps then. Let's start with getting you off the ground.- That being said, Seunghyun placed his arms under her thigh. Before YooBin could protest, Seunghyun had already picked her off the ground. She coiled into a small ball in his arms, eyes shut tight from fear.

-It's ok, I'm here.

 

 

And that's all it took for her to figure out that everything will be alright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now to the troubles of Kwon Ji Yong.

- No don't do that.

- Don't touch that. That is very rare ! *smash*

- What happened to the wallpaper ?

- Wher's my donut ?

- Stop that !

Since that burden Ahn So Hee arived, Ji Yong hadn't have a single moment off his house-security-guard job.

- Here, donut. Can you PLEASE sit still . - Ji Yong said, out of breath after chasing her around. So Hee stopped clawingthe orange and black wall paper, turned to him, fixated her enlargened eyes on the glossy, pink donut, twitched her ears violently and in a flash, she was already infront of him, sitting on her legs obediently. Ji Yong sighed and gave her the donut, sitting down himself.

- Seriously, being half cat doesn't mean you have to be half wild.

- *chew*

- Can't you stop running around ? Does sitting still affect you like stop laughing affects hyenas ?

-*chew*

- Does your race act exactly like you ? Or are they more active.

-*swallow*

Ji Yong heaved a mental sigh. Ahn So Hee was never a person of many words. After the first day she transformed, she never spoke more than a syllable.

- You've got something in your hair.

- Uh ? -- *reach**finds nothing*

And that was the closest he's got in atempt of making her speak.

Someone once said that if you want to take, you've got to give. In this case, if JiYong were to get something out of SoHee, , he's going to have to start talking. And so he did. A lot.

JiYong smiled and took SoHee's palm. She was a bit taken aback but went with it anyway.

-Do you believe in fortune telling ?

SoHee glanced up and arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Ji Yong smiled.

- So I guess your slightly interested, OK.

He breezed his finger down SoHee's palm lines. Her eyes widen, she tensed up instantly.

- Let's see, this tells me that you're brave . This shows you enjoy eating. This tells you have a complicated love life. And... oh wow your life  line splits in nine ! But three of them are faint. Did you use them u--

Before he could finish, SoHee stood up, yanked her hand off and ran straight ut to the garden.

" Well, that failed..."

Nevertheless, JiYong remained persistant, taking things to new limits to talk to  his little kitten. Over and over again, she'd do something that was wrong, he'd get her a raspberry donut and try to talk to her. And every time, SoHee would turn and walk away, straight to the garden.

It wasn't that she wanted to leave, though.

SoHee was a werecat, a high breed. She saw very much of her ego. From birth, she was told to look lowly upon human- slaves. She was told that people like him were beneath her and any communication between them where purely to give orders. Rewarding something would be unecessary and extra nice on her behalf. And as the proud feline she'd never admit it.

 

She’d never admit that she feels safe around him.

 

Whatever SoHee did, JiYong forgave her unconditionally. He never scolded her more than a few sentences. On the contrary, he’d spend much more attention on whether she’s hurt or not. All the things that came out of his fast mouth were from pure care. SoHee didn’t understand that. And to Be honest, all the wrecking she ever did was to get his attention.

She was a girl who was afraid to except the truth.

He was a boy who was patient in approach.

But, fright has a habit. It takes over.

And there’s something patience does. It wears thin.

SoHee threw a teapot on the floor once she knew how hot it was. JiYong gasped, hurridly put down his tea cup and ran to check if she’s ok. SoHee stood still, glaring at the teapot pieces lying on the ground.

-SoHee, you could’ve just put it down ! These ceramics are tiny, what if you stepped on a piece ? You’re lucky enough I’m here to clean this for you. Don’t you do it again ! Now come on, let’s go put some toothpaste on that burn…

JiYong grabbed SoHee’s wrist and pulled her towards the toilette to get something for her small finger burn. In a split second, SoHee gave him a hard shove, pulling away and ran out to the garden. Normally, he’d let her go, but since she’s hurt, JiYong ran after her.

The view passing him became blurs of green and white as he chased after her.

A scream was heard followed by violent rustling noise.

Sound of footsteps stopped.

 

That can’t be good…

 

Something took over. JiYong began to run with inhuman speed across towards her voice, jumping over a few fences in his way. After a few rough turns and breaking two flower pots, JiYong came to a screeching halt in front of his red and white Dresden Doll rose bed with SoHee in the middle of it. And the gardener wasn’t lying when he said that Dresden Dolls where one of the thorniest species of roses…

-SoHee !

She tried to sit up a bit, but regretted immediately as the thorns that were already piercing her started to scratch further. Warm crimson blood oozed out rapidly. SoHee wanted to cry, and was about to cry, but for the sake of it, she wouldn’t in front of him.

JiYong hastily walked over, bent down to get the branches out.

-Are you ok? Are you hurt? Wait don’t answer that, I know you’re hurt. Can you stand up? Don’t do that either, I’ll come to get you…- JiYong stepped closer, reaching out to hold SoHee. Despite the pain seeping through his skin, JiYong grabbed hold of SoHee’s waist.

SoHee leaned away and gave JiYong a hard push, making him fall back harshly onto the hard brick path.

-Stay away from me !

JiYong stopped moving. She spoke? She actually spoke ? All the time they spent together, she chose to speak now, and that’s what she wanted to say ?

 Something inside JiYong snapped.

He was mad.

-I can’t believe that was something you’d say to me .- He whispered.

Raising his voice after every word, Kwon Ji Yong roared :

-WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU ? All I ever did was to care for you, to look out for you, and you only had a threat to word ? Cut the crap Ahn So Hee ! What are you trying to prove !

-That whatever you do for me you’re going to get hurt ! – SoHee cried at the top of her lungs, hot tears spilling against her pale cheeks.

-I don’t deserve what you’ve done for me. I don’t deserve to be treated so nicely. I don’t deserve to live so comfortably-as a thing somewhat like me-how could I ever deserve you !

JiYong stopped and stared at her.

SoHee started to tell a sad story called her life.

SoHee was a werecat, that he knew. What he didn’t was that she was an orphan. SoHee had the hard life, fighting and living for herself and herself only. She did whatever it took to stay alive. Stealing, robbing, pick-pocketing, mugging… you name it, she did it. The woman at the pet store caught her at her act once, and instead of reporting her, she decided to befriend SoHee. And as their friendship grew deeper, SoHee moved into the pet shop, like a fine piece to a collection of daughters.

Although SoHee was on the road to redemption, she still thought of herself as a criminal. Being treated ever so gently by JiYong was to her, something precious but undeserving.

JiYong heaved a mental sigh. But he was acting angry, he couldn’t just go back to being tender and caring now, could he ?

JiYong had one choice, which was to continue his mean act.

He pulled his sleeves up, grabbed a branch of Dresden Doll and slapped it against his forearm. A bit of red liquid, not much, dropped against his fingertips. Despite his attempts of concealing, JiYong’s face twisted a bit.  SoHee’s eyes went wide, her lips started to curl in to a yell when he yelled instead:

-You stupid cat ! I can do enough damage to myself, I don’t need your help ! Bringing you in was my choice, my option. And whether you like it or not, I practically own you. And that mean’s I can do anything I want with you as long as it’s not abuse ! You wanna make it up to me and make my life just a bit easier ? Fine, obey !!!

SoHee was at a lost for words. She quietly looked down and close her eyes and mouth for a while. He had a point. The best way of repaying him was to be a good little girl.

-*sniff*

JiYong pulled his sleeves back and wrapped his arms around her :

-See ? Isn’t this better ? Can’t you always be this obedient ?

SoHee went histerical with her tears.

SoHee was never a person of tears and softness. But somehow, she felt like she could just sit down and go ahead and bawl her eyes out in front of him. She could just be whoever, or whatever, she wanted around Kwon JiYong, no matter how naughty or wacky it might be. And now, she was just gonna sit there in the middle of a rose bush, hug him and cry. Yep, that sounds nice.

JiYong placed one of his arms under her thigh and the other around her back as he lifted her up. With a calm and slow pace, he started back to his house, not even noticing the pain in his right arm.

“She’s warm.”

SoHee, too, forgot all about the rose thorns. Resting against his chest, she fell asleep.

 

That was the best sleep she’s had for a very long time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss me ?

I missed you guys. And to think I was trying to finish this as a Lunar New Year special makes me all that more guilty Ọ.Ọ….. I was typing away, honest, but the finals came and everything, so that’s why I’m 3 months behind !

In an effort of making it up to you guys, I decided to make this chap the size of 3 chapters combined ! A little something sweet for TooBin lovers. Though the HeeDragon part was intended to be intense, I didn’t expect it to be that painful… Sorry for imaginatively hurting SoHee and JiYong !!!

I might update more frequently since it’s summer vacations for me now.

Till next time.

Fluffy and love,

M.I.A

P/S : Do you guys like this format or the format of the previous chapters ?

P/SS : Spoiler : YooBin and SoHee’s meeting next chapter. Wait and see.