Junhong has been around long enough to know the deep sea and wide skies like the back of his hand. He knows all the changing colors of the water, stormy hues or azure blues; loves it when it reflects the heavens, candy pink and orange filtering over the waves. It clears his mind, makes him wonder how changeable the world he knows really is.

However, he’s never forgotten his true color – that of the abundant algae that brings life to the ocean. Green filters between his fingers and runs through his very core. This life is where he belongs.

This is before Junhong knows the warmth of dusky brown eyes and gentlest smile in the world.

-----

It’s a good day.

Now that Junhong has grown older, his playground has expanded right to the ocean’s surface. Junhong’s head breaks through the water, wet myrtle hair catching in the sunlight as he shakes out the droplets. He smiles when the sun hits his pale skin, closing his eyes to fully savor the feeling.

A seal entertains itself by swimming around in circles beside the male, occasionally nudging its nose into Junhong’s arm. His laughter floats in the cool sea breeze as Junhong pets the slick body of the aquatic creature, diving into the waters once more. It’s a silent challenge to a race, to see who can reach their home at the bottom of the ocean first.

The animal wins by a hair’s breadth; Junhong tumbles helplessly into the seabed, rustling up a storm of sand particles. “Not again,” the sprite pouts. “What’s the point of growing taller if I still lose to you?” His competitor let out a guffaw-like noise, victoriously circling the other.

Junhong punches the sand in annoyance. However, his frown instantly fades into an expression of curiosity when he plucks out a soggy sheet from a tangle of weeds.

“Oh look, what’s this?” The water sprite thumbs his newfound treasure as his seal friend swims closer to investigate. The dull green ocean light is just enough for Junhong to make out some figures in it, but he can’t be sure…

“Himchan-hyung!” Junhong sends out a high-pitched call to his older and more knowledgeable brother.

Within seconds, the swimming silhouette of the named sprite appears. Himchan has a much sharper appearance than Junhong, whose features are still obscured by the innocence of baby fat. The elder is the definition of elegance.

“I found something. Isn’t this what appa calls a photograph?” Junhong wonders aloud as Himchan settles himself onto the seabed, flapping the paper about for emphasis. “You know, the thing that humans like to take?”

Himchan furrows his brows when he peers at the photograph. “Looks like it. There are humans in it, four of them.” Junhong gasps and rips it from his brother’s grasp, the latter tutting in annoyance. ”Hey, have some respect will you?”

“Wow! They look like a family, hyung. How interesting!” Junhong coos at the photograph, longing in his voice. “Do you think I could make friends with them?”

The elder sprite’s expression darkens. “Are you sure about that, Junhongie? You’ve heard the stories of our kind leaving and never coming back. It doesn’t help that humans are notorious for having no loyalty.” Himchan winds an arm protectively around Junhong’s shoulder. “We don’t want to lose you, you know that right?”

Junhong playfully shrugs Himchan off. “Come on, hyung. I belong to the ocean, like you and appa and umma. Why would I want to leave home forever?”

-----

His search for the owners of the photograph takes him to a sleepy fishing village just beside the sea where he lives, to a family who makes a living from whatever they can obtain from the ocean.

Junhong feels uncomfortable when he knocks at their wooden door, clutching at the picture in his hand. A middle-aged lady greets him, surprised with his mop of bright green hair and aquamarine eyes. She doesn’t kick up a fuss, especially when she sees the old photograph and cordially invites the sprite into their humble home.

The family of four consisted of a couple with two children, a younger girl and a boy about Junhong’s age. The father had lost the photograph fishing in bad weather a while ago, and did not hide his surprise at seeing it again.

Everyone seems fascinated with his appearance, and they offer him a meal consisting of freshly-caught seafood to thank him for his effort. Junhong feels bad for balking at the luscious spread of his underwater brethren, but their rather attractive son steps in to save the sprite from embarrassing himself any further.

“Are you perhaps allergic to seafood?” Junhong nods a bit too vigorously and apologizes, eliciting laughter from the whole family. The human boy named Youngjae adds in a hushed tone, “Even if you aren’t, don’t worry. I don’t fancy it too much myself, and I live next to the sea.” Youngjae grins and pulls over a basket of fried seaweed. “Will this be alright?”

Junhong blushes and nods again, shoving a handful into his mouth.

-----

The human family is close-knit and friendly, and the water sprite realizes that he likes them very much. In particular, Youngjae and the usually quiet sprite match together well, with nary a silent moment. Junhong can’t seem to get enough of Youngjae’s clear brown eyes, nor the cute dimples on his cheeks whenever he smiles at something Junhong says. He thinks that Youngjae is beautiful in a way the ocean can never hope to become.

Before he knows it, dusk has fallen and Junhong hastily peels himself from his seat in order to excuse himself. The family’s young daughter huffs and tries to keep him down, still in the process of tying Junhong’s hair into tiny braids. “Hush, Junhongie, I’m almost done!”

Youngjae is repairing a fishing net, his fingers working deftly. The brunette seems to take a moment’s pause to survey his sister’s handiwork. He makes eye contact with Junhong and breaks into a humorous smile. The bright-haired male feels his cheeks warming and quickly looks away.

-----

It’s nightfall, and the sprite finds their little hut a little too drafty for his liking. He easily helps fix the gaps in the thatched roof that the family isn’t able to reach.

Junhong is pretty sure it is a valid excuse for his reluctance to leave.

-----

On some of Junhong’s visits, the sprite ends up helping Youngjae in his daily tasks. On other, less busy days, they do absolutely nothing but lie on the beach and make trivial conversation. Despite his occasional secretiveness, Junhong feels fortunate that the human boy seems to like his company as much as he does.

Youngjae now basks languidly next to Junhong, ivory sand tickling their toes. The beach is almost empty, despite the beautiful sunset glazing over the lapping waves. Youngjae’s eyes are half-lidded in his relaxed state, and the sprite numbly thinks that it would be a perfect moment to lean over and join their lips together.

The green-eyed male jumps when the brunette suddenly rolls over in the sand to look at Junhong inquisitively. “You’ve got pretty cool hair and eyes, you know,” Youngjae comments lightly. “I mean, I’ve never seen such a vivid green on anyone before. What kind of hair dye do you use to get that color?”

“Hair dye?” Junhong tilts his head to the side and blinks, confused.

At his reaction, Youngjae barks out a laugh and slaps his friend’s shoulder. “C’mon, you’re so secretive. I promise I won’t imitate you.”

The taller boy sifts his fingers through the sand and smiles shyly, looking down. “You definitely shouldn’t. Your hair is nicer than mine will ever be.”

-----

Youngjae offers Junhong a single black pearl attached to a wrist cord on his not-birthday. It comes totally unexpectedly – it being a date Junhong had randomly picked when asked and had promptly forgotten about.

 “I found this pearl while de-shelling oysters the other day. Nifty, isn’t it?” Youngjae grins, obviously proud of his find. It’s a small ornament, slightly misshapen but no less charming. The pearlescent grey sheen stands out nicely in the brunette’s coarse palm.

Junhong brushes the boy’s fingers by accident when he happily accepts the gift, and the touch sends tiny sparks up his skin.

Mischievously, Youngjae then brandishes a small woven pouch. “I also nicked this from sis earlier, so you’ve got somewhere to pop it in so the bracelet doesn’t go missing. I’m good at this, aren’t I?”

Junhong chortles as he moves to hug the brunette affectionately. “Thanks a lot, Youngjae-hyung.”

-----

Himchan is shuffling about on the seabed, gathering seagrass in a basket in preparation to make dinner. Junhong meekly drapes himself over a large piece of coral, watching his brother lazily. “Channie-hyung, have you ever tried fried seaweed? It sounds weird, but it actually tastes really, really good.”

His comment makes the elder sprite halt in his movements.

Himchan’s expression is unreadable when he swishes a blade of grass at Junhong’s cheek. “Probably tastes better than the stuff I make, right?”

“Hyung, you know that’s not what I meant.”Junhong momentarily panics, not knowing what to say to soothe the other. He is silenced anyway when Himchan suddenly pulls him into a tight embrace.

“Junhong-ah… You’ve spent so much time out of seawater that your hair and eyes are darkening. I know you are aware of this,” Himchan murmurs into his ear, tone urgent and undeniably worried. The younger sprite feels his stomach lurch. The bracelet he’d kept on since that day feels as if it’s cutting off the circulation in his wrist.

“Soon, you will no longer be one of us. Once you leave the water, you’ll lose all your powers and never be able to come back home. You’re drifting away, Junhong, and hyung can’t do anything about it.”

“Please, Junhong, wake up from your fantasy and come back to us.”

-----

“Youngjae, I have something I need to tell you.”

Junhong’s looking at the dirt floor as the brunette boy roasts cockles over a spit. Youngjae doesn’t reply straight away, beckoning instead for Junhong to turn over the skewers to keep the flesh from burning. His mind is racing a million miles an hour, but Junhong does the task obediently while Youngjae moves back to the bucket of shellfish. The smell and heat is tantalizing – the sprite admits that he actually can appreciate bits and pieces of seafood.

The water sprite hates himself.

Lost in his thoughts, Junhong doesn’t expect the warm strong arms that wrap around his waist, or the face of his beautiful human nestled in the crook of Junhong’s shoulder.

“You smell like the sea,” Youngjae breathes, nuzzling his neck and planting light kisses over the pale expanse of skin. The green-eyed sprite shivers, giving in to the pleasurable feeling. “So pure, and free.”

Youngjae continues thoughtfully, as if he’s been waiting for this day to come.

“I know what you are. We knew what you are from the very moment you walked through our door. It’s selfish of us, but the legends say your kind will bring us luck. So we were as nice as we could, hoping you’d leave them to live with us. Please don’t misunderstand – even if our intentions were not the best at the beginning, our affection for you is real. My affection for you is real.”

Junhong feels a sob tear out of his own chest. Salty droplets roll down the sprite’s face like torrential rain – The humans he loved so much were using him for their benefit the whole time. Himchan’s words come rushing back to taunt him.

Humans are notorious for having no loyalty.

Wake up from your fantasy and come back to us.

His hold on Junhong tightens when the sprite tries to wrench himself out of Youngjae’s grasp. “Please, hear me out till the end,” he pleads to the sprite sobbing brokenly in his arms.

Youngjae’s hands travel to wipe at Junhong’s pallid cheeks, almond-brown eyes filled with his own tears. The human boy closes his eyes, leaning their foreheads together. He whispers, “I don’t want you to leave, but if you must, then go back to the comfort of the family and life you’ve always known. Go home, Junhong, and please be happy.”

“I don’t care what the others think anymore, okay? I won’t allow you to be tied down want to a future that you will regret.” Youngjae places a kiss on the sprite’s forehead. “And take my heart with you back to the sea, because it belongs to you now.”

He suddenly chokes out a laugh. “Well damn, that was corny.”

Youngjae, with his raucous laughter and dry jokes and gentle kisses – the human boy Junhong has grown to love with his heart and soul, isn’t holding him back.

 “It was really nice to meet you, Junhong.”

-----

Junhong’s waist-deep in the sea, facing the beach and watching the waves lap against the shore, leaving sea foam, little sticks and pebbles in its wake. Seagulls soar above as he jumps back into the shallowness, his form fluidly parting the water. The sun is shining at its brightest – the sky is a vibrant blue, and so is the ocean.

The male’s head soon breaks through the water’s surface, and he smiles at the sensation of the warm sun on his face. He shakes out the water in his hair. It’s no longer green but jet-black, just like his eyes.

The photograph he’s tied to a stone with a reed is barely visible as it sinks into the depths of the water. There are five figures in it this time. Junhong had left a message on its back in a hasty scrawl.

I’ve found a new home now, but I will always love and miss you all.

I’m so sorry, hyung.

Junhong

He’s is a lot tanner now than he used to be thanks to the sun, and much stronger. Junhong easily drags a half-filled crab net with him to the shore, kicking at the paddles lying abandoned on the sand. He spots Youngjae repairing a hole in his father’s wooden boat at a secluded corner of the beach and moves over.

“I’m back with the day’s spoils, Jae.” Junhong smiles cheerfully when his soulmate comes over to hug him.

Youngjae grins even wider, peppering the younger, now-human boy’s face with kisses. “I’m glad.”