Tails and Toes • Jikook Mermaid AU

Chapter Eight

Sleeping was what Jungkook loved to do best, but he was fully awake and his mind was busy, so he couldn't sleep anymore. He sat alone at the dinner table, not doing anything. He was just thinking, he had plans. The black-haired boy still couldn't believe that what happened last night was real. His late night conversations with Jimin while standing at the beach was something Jungkook wanted to remember forever. He wanted to do something fun with Jimin, but he didn't knew what. What he did knew, was that he wanted to suprise the mermaid. He loved to see Jimin excited and the red-haired boy always got that huge smile on his face when they did something that involved humans. Jimin had once mentioned to Jungkook that he wanted to visit a big city. Busan was really close to the little beach town where Jungkook lived, so they could go to Busan. Jungkook had went to Busan so many times that he lost count, but that was literally the only city he would go to. He once went with Taehyung to Busan and they visited the temples and the aquarium, what they both found fascinating. Jungkook decided to ask Jimin first. The boy stood up from the chair and walked out of the dinner room into the backyard. Jimin floated on his back across the pool, while he enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine. ''So, I was thinking.'' Jungkook said while he sat down at the edge of the pool. ''About what?'' Jimin asked him curiously and flipped over in the clear water. He peacefully swam towards Jungkook, his blue tail moved slightly underwater. ''Well, you said once that you wanted to visit a big city. I thought about visiting Busan today, together.'' Jungkook explained and smiled when he saw the sparkling eyes of Jimin. ''Busan? Ah, I always wanted to visit that place! I've heard from Seokjin-hyung that the temples there are extraordinary!'' The mermaid said excitedly and splashed water up with his tail, like everytime he did when he was excited about something. ''Well then, that's decided. We're going.'' Jungkook smiled and Jimin clapped his hands happily. ''Hey, Jungkook?'' Jimin said his name with hesitation and it immediatly made the black-haired boy feel a bit nervous. ''Hmm?'' Jungkook hummed and focused his brown eyes on his hands that were intertwined with each other. ''I just want to say that I'm really thankful for everything that you do for me. From buying pizza for me to going to a beach party, even though you didn't want to at first. You did it for me. You want to make me happy and I can't thank you enough for that.'' Jungkook wanted to say to Jimin that it wasn't a big deal and that he just cared really much about him, but the mermaid wasn't done yet. ''You are so sweet to me and I love the fact that you want to do everything for me, so that I can be happy. You deserve the world and beyond, Jungkook.'' Jimin was finally done and Jungkook felt his hart beating faster with every second. He was sure, he was so sure. Jimin was the one. ''I don't know what to say.'' Jungkook answered with a soft voice and the mermaid chuckled in the same soft tone. ''Then don't say anything. Hold my hand, please.'' Jimin said and Jungkook immediately laid his hand in the one of Jimin. When they were compared, the hands of the black-haired boy were much bigger than those of Jimin. Jungkook wasn't sure if Jimin had such small hands or that he had such big hands. It didn't matter, Jimin's touch was enough to calm his mind and his heart. The touch of the mermaid felt just as soft as his voice. Jungkook didn't want to ruin the mood, but a question that haunted his mind as soon the two met each other, came up again. ''I'm sorry for asking you this, Jimin, but I need to know. What happened when Seokjin came on land?'' Jungkook was relieved he finally asked Jimin the question and that it was off his chest, because it was always on his mind. He was concerned about Jimin's friends, especially Seokjin. Jungkook didn't knew them, but he already cared about them. If they were so nice to Jimin, he immediatly liked them. ''Ah.'' Jimin said and the smile on his face faded, leaving a sad expression. ''I was expecting you to question me that sooner or later. Humans are curious creatures, I've noticed. Mermaids are just on their own, minding their own buisness. But ofcourse, you wouldn't be a human without some curiousness.'' Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't say anything. Instead, he focused on Jimin and Jimin only. Like he did everyday. ''Okay, let me tell you the whole story. It was about a year ago when Seokjin started to get curious about the land. Ofcourse, we all were. But something in his mind told him to go there, the moment was right. He was the first to ever leave for a while and I took it a lot better than Hoseok. He was a bit angry, he didn't understood Seokjin's actions to get closer to the shore. We all swam a lot deeper and further away from the shore, avoiding ships and humans. But when Seokjin got his mind on something, he dragged us in. We came closer to the shore and saw a lot of humans on the beach. That was our first time we saw humans in real life. Seokjin had his eye on one particular human. He always sat at the beach, writing in his little notebook. The boy with the blue hair. Seokjin had never acted so strange before and I could feel his desire to get closer to the human. When Seokjin finally said to Hoseok and me that he would leave to the land and not come back for a while, Hoseok finally accepted it, I did too. Hoseok saw what love did to his best friend and he didn't want to be selfish, so he approved. Seokjin left Hoseok and me behind, to meet the boy he would love with his whole life. When they met at the beach, Seokjin struggling with his legs but not with his words to the blue-haired boy, I knew I wanted something like that too. But what Hoseok and I both knew, was that the two were perfect for each other. The blue-haired boy named Namjoon took Seokjin under his wing and cared for him. He didn't knew Seokjin was a mermaid, maybe that was better for him. They had the romance of a lifetime, it was like a fairytale. They visited places from far away, did adventurous things like riding rollercoasters and going to clubs, and they always slept next to each other, what Seokjin found a bit scary at first. Ofcourse, he wasn't familiar with anything in the human world as a mermaid with temporarily legs. But Namjoon taught Seokjin eveything he needed and wanted to know. When they first kissed, they knew it was real love. They became a couple, and kissed and held hands daily. Seokjin never had a boyfriend before, but he was so glad that he had Namjoon. His happiness was Namjoon, the boy was his everything. Everything he wanted in someone. When the time came for Seokjin to go back to the ocean, it went downhill. He hadn't told Namjoon that he had to return to the ocean and that was the problem. Their hearts got broken and Namjoon held onto every memory of Seokjin when he left. I remember when Seokjin came back, Hoseok and I were relieved to have him back but we immediatly saw something was wrong with him. He was supposed to be happy, we thought. Then why was he looking sad and didn't want to speak to the both of us? Then he told us everything, while crying and screaming that it felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest, because he missed Namjoon so dearly. Hoseok and I were so concerned about him and we tried to think about making it possible for them to be together again. But Seokjin couldn't come on land again and Namjoon couldn't become a mermaid. We tried everything to comfort our hyung. But he was broken by the heartwrenching pain of missing his soulmate. He didn't want to come out of his cave for a whole week and didn't do anything. He didn't ate, he didn't talk, he didn't interact with Hoseok and me. Two weeks passed and then something suddenly changed. Namjoon went searching for us, especially for Seokjin. He used a little boat to go onto the sea, he needed to see Seokjin one more time. He missed him too much and was just as heartbroken as Seokjin was. It cheered the mermaid up to see his boyfriend once again, but he didn't expect that Namjoon dived into the water to be with him in the sea. But the problem was that Namjoon was a human and Seokjin a mermaid. Namjoon accidentally got seawater in his lungs and he slowly started to drown. When Seokjin started to save him by lifting him up to the surface, Namjoon refused and held onto him. He cried, even though you couldn't see it in the water. 'If I have to die, then I want to with you by my side. I can't live without you' Namjoon said to Seokjin. They hugged each other and held onto dear life, I cried heavily while watching it from a distance with Hoseok. 'I love you' were the last words Namjoon spoke before the last bubbles escaped from his mouth. He didn't fight when he died, he accepted it. Because he was with Seokjin, his boyfriend held him save. When Namjoon died, Seokjin collapsed. It was the most painful moment of my life to see him so sad and to see the floating dead body of Namjoon that Seokjin was holding onto. Seokjin didn't accept the death of Namjoon, because he blamed himself. He never accepted it. He laid the corpse in the little boat and send it back to the beach, for people to find, so that Namjoon could have a well-deserved funeral. Seokjin didn't went to the funeral, because he couldn't. He tried to go on land several times, despite the fact that mermaids can go on land and get legs for one time. Unfortunately, it didn't work and he was almost seen by a human, what could have led to the exposure of our world. Seokjin didn't even think about the dangers of his actions, he wanted to try everything to go back. It isn't in the nature of a mermaid to fall in love with a human, we are creatures that once we are exposed to romance, we're sold. It doesn't matter at first to fall in love with a human if we are on land, but it doesn't help if we need to go back. But about Seokjin-hyung, he is depressed. Hoseok and I try everything to cheer him up, but he will never be the same as before Namjoon's death. He doesn't laugh or smile anymore, he is just heartbroken and he always will be. I feel really bad for him and everday I wish him to be happy again, but it doesn't work. It hurts my heart to see him like that, but Hoseok and I can't change it.'' Jungkook listened to the story Jimin told and felt a pain in his chest by just thinking about the fact that the same thing could happen to him. He felt so sorry for Seokjin and also for Jimin and Hoseok. He couldn't imagine the pain they all had to deal with. "I'm so sorry for all of you, especially Seokjin. If you see him again, please tell him that I hope that he finds happiness again, because he deserves it." Jungkook said to the mermaid who looked extremely sad. Jimin just nodded with his head as an answer to Jungkook's words. The black-haired boy hated to see his friend sad and squeezed his hand lightly. It made Jimin look up, right into Jungkook's eyes. "I know it's sad, Jimin. But let's focus on happier things now. We're going to Busan today. You will finally be able to see the city." It wasn't that wide as usual, but a smile appeared on Jimin's face. "You're right, I've admired that city for ages" . "Well, today is your lucky day, little mermaid." Jungkook answered and smiled when he saw the suprised look in the dark brown eyes of his best friend. Jungkook had never given him a nickname before, but Jimin liked the idea of it, even though he didn't think of himself that he was little. As for Jungkook, he thought Jimin was quite small. He was shorter than him, but Jungkook actually loved that he was taller than Jimin. Also because he found short people cute. Jimin was in general really cute and it was one of the many things Jungkook loved about the mermaid. He just hoped Jimin loved him too.