Wave (Sanhwa)

Chapter 2

The next day Seonghwa was waiting eagerly on the deck for San, he had a bowl of oranges sitting next to him, telling his parents that he was going to feed some fish and seagulls when they asked him why he needed so many oranges. Seonghwa still couldn't believe that he made a friend with a mermaid, the seven year old believing that it was all a weird dream. Seonghwa swung his legs as he looked out into the water waiting to see San's pink hair pop out of the water. There was a light breeze in the air, the smell of salt water comforting Seonghwa as the sun shone high in the sky warming up the males golden skin. Seonghwa smiled when he saw San's head pop up swimming towards the male. "Hi!" Seonghwa greeted enthusiastically, San smiled back, "Hi!" he giggled staring up at Seonghwa. Seonghwa stood up all of a sudden, "I have an idea" he said quickly before running off the dock with the bowl of oranges. San watched him leave confused. "Over here!!" Seonghwa shouted, waving his arm in the air. San turned to where the voice came from. Seonghwa was standing on the small strip of sand that connected his grassy backyard to the vast sea.

San dived down quickly swimming over to the young male, popping his head back up shaking it a bit to dry it off. Seonghwa sat down on the sand, the cool water lapping at his feet. "I thought this would be easier for us to talk, so you don't always have to look up at me" the boy explained as he handed San an orange before placing the bowl within a reachable distance for the both of them. San took the orange peeling it like he learned the night before, "thanks!' he said before shoving the orange in his mouth once he finished peeling. Seonghwa chuckled at San's puffed out cheeks as he chewed the fruit, his own hands busy peeling his orange. "So what are some things mermaids do for fun?" Seonghwa asked before slipping a piece of orange in his mouth. San thought for a second, humming to himself as he thought. "We'll I like to explore caves, chase the school of fish, and collect pretty seashells" he explained, reaching for another orange. "That sounds fun, do you do all that by yourself?" Seonghwa asked curiously as he ate another piece of his orange.

San nodded, "I don't have many friends to play with, but I don't mind being alone" the mermaid spoke softly before shoving the newly peeled orange into his mouth chewing happily. Seonghwa nodded, "me too, I guess that makes us alike" he giggled as he finished half of the orange, San already grabbing his third one. "What do you do for fun?" the mermaid asked him, his golden eyes shining curiously. "We'll I like to swim, I like to go fishing with my dad, I like collecting cool things, and I like reading especially fun adventure stories" the seven year old explained. San gasped, "I like adventure stories too! And swimming!" shouted excitedly completely forgetting about the half peeled orange in his hand. Seonghwa giggled, "you know about adventure stories?" he asked, not believing the mermaid. San nodded, "my mom tells them to me all the time, my favorite ones are about the pirates" he smiled before finishing the orange he peeled, shoving it into his mouth. Seonghwa shoved the rest of his orange in his mouth, chewing it as he reached for his second one.

"Pirate stories are my favorite too, you know my dad is kind of like a pirate" Seonghwa crossed his arms bragging. San's eyes widened swimming closer to the human until his upper body was out of the water resting on the sand. Seonghwa saw San's tail softly swishing back and forth in the water, the pretty light pink and golden scales shimmering in the sunlight. He was brought out of his admiration for the mermaid's tail by San's voice. "Is he really a pirate?" San asked his body basically vibrating with excitement. Even though his pod, more specifically his father, has warned him about pirates and how dangerous they are to their kind he still loved the stories his mom told of pirates fighting, exploring, and getting treasure. Seonghwa blushed a bit shy, he scratched the back of his head, "we'll not exactly, but he does travel around the world in a boat and he does find cool treasures" he explained to the mermaid. San gasped again living himself up a bit with his hands, "that is soooooo cool!" he giggled. Seonghwa smiled giggling too, "I know, he came back last night and told me all about his trip, and he brought me this cool necklace, I will show you next time" Seonghwa explained the boy always got excited when he talked about his dad.

San pouted settling back onto the sand on his elbows, his chin resting in the palm of his hands. " My dad isn't that cool, but he is the leader of our pod so he does important stuff" he explains a bit sad that his dad isn't as cool as Seonghwas. Seonghwa reached over patting San's head softly, surprised about how soft it really was almost like cotton candy. "It's okay, your dad being a leader is cool" Seonghwa smiled genuinely, the mermaid smiling back. Seonghwa retracted his hand from the mermaids hair resting them on the soft sand. "How big is your pod?" Seonghwa asked, wanting to learn as much about his new friend as he could. San reached for another orange, peeling it as he spoke, "there is me, my mom, my dad, and my big sister and then there are other families that are with us, but our pod really isn't that big, there are maybe around twenty of us" San explained before shoving the orange in his mouth, he thinks that this fruit might be his favorite human food even though he hasn't tried anything else.

"What about you? What's your pod like?" San asked, his question making Seonghwa giggle. "Humans call pods families, and mines is just me, my mom, and my dad" Seonghwa explained, smiling softly at the thought of his family. San smiled too, he could tell Seonghwa loved his family just like how San loved his pod. Seonghwa heard his mom calling for him letting him know that lunch was ready, the boy shouting back that he would be there in a bit before looking to San. "I have to go, and I won't be back tonight because my family and I are going out to celebrate my dad coming back him, but i'll see you tomorrow" Seonghwa spoke softly. San nodded smiling, "okay!" he giggled before his eyes went to the bowl of oranges, only two left. Seonghwa noticed the mermaid staring at the bowl, picked up the bowl handing the two fruits to San, "here you can have them" he smiled softly. San smiled back a small 'thank you' leaving his lips as he took the oranges. Seonghwa waved bye to the mermaid as he ran back to his house, San sighed softly as he slipped back into the ocean holding the oranges close to him as he swam back home.