rapture of the deep ; seodo

★ chapter 5 ★

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Under the sun, Geonhak believed the scale looked even more splendid, with fine, microscopic lines streaking the robust surface in rainbow glitter. He had decided not to show it to Keonhee and therefore he had kept it hidden until they had landed the boat.

Now, Geonhak was strolling along the seaside and taking the time to admire his finding as well as dwell on the past days’ events – rocks and cliffs protruding from the water and building natural walls that granted Geonhak the much-needed privacy.

The sand under his soles absorbed his bare feet with every step, shoes in one hand and in the other hand, the deep turquoise platelet that felt so unfamiliar and foreign in his hand, and yet as precious as an ancient artefact because it was the only thing that glued Geonhak’s obscure memory to the real world.

“Where are you?” Geonhak mumbled over a sigh and slid the walnut-sized scale into the pocket of his shorts. He roamed further over the warm ground until he reached the end of the beach and moved to balance on the rocks along the crest of the cliff.

Deep in thoughts, Geonhak barely registered something being thrown right in front of his feet.
He jumped a step back in surprise and looked around when the synthetic object collided with the rocky ground, the sound of splashing water resonating right after.

It didn’t take him long to recognise the object that was now laying centimetres away from his feet – his mask bore signs of wear and tear, but it had accompanied him for many years and served him well, hence why he couldn’t deny that he had felt a little sad after he hadn’t been able to find it no matter where he searched and who he asked. And now it seemed to have materialised out of the blue.

Full of hesitation, Geonhak picked the mask up from the dusty ground and inspected it; though, never leaving his surroundings out of sight as though in a silent request that whatever was responsible for making his lost possession appear revealed itself alike.

He heard another splash and plunge of water that came from somewhere hidden behind the rocks.
Could it be…? Icicles ran down his spine; there was blanc fear rushing through his veins, and his entire body was poised to run, but at the same time, a part of him felt reckless and bold at the thought of chasing after his discovery – bringing back his missing mask might have been a kind of peace overture; or it was a trap, but Geonhak decided to dismiss that possibility and take a few steps towards the cliffs.

There was less than half a meter separating the misshapen rocks and the crashing waves, and Geonhak followed the spur of rock around the corner, heart rate accelerated and hands shaking in anticipation as well as fear of what he would come upon. Cold sweat was drenching the tips of his bangs as he was drawing nearer to where the splashing had fallen silent.

And despite the last ounce of common sense that Geonhak had left screaming at him that this was a stupid idea and that he had to see to how he could get away as quickly as possible, Geonhak crouched down, clenching the strap of his mask and his plastic slippers tightly, and carefully leaned over the edge.

It was a calm afternoon with the sea adjusting to the peaceful atmosphere, and yet droplets of water from the breaking waves were splashing into his face, and Geonhak blinked the ones that had jumped into his eyes away, but as soon as his pupils focused again, he saw a face emerge from the blue underneath him. Geonhak choked on a breath and fell back on his butt.

As though on autopilot, Geonhak promptly stumbled back on his feet and pressed his back against the rock-ribbed wall that was rising behind him, leaving him with slow slow balancing on uneven rocks as his only escape.