Mermaid Melody Fanfic: My 18th Birthday

3rd Chapter: Cozy Water

It was finally time to try out the hot springs. Even if it wasn’t in public I was still nervous to relax in my birth form. Kaito, the times he noticed my concern, he would just grab my hand and say “don’t worry. It’s only us”. I would be more relaxed if the hot springs were in the bathroom of my house because there’s no risk of being caught by strangers that just randomly walked into our room and being seen by Kaito in my mermaid form.

I don’t know what happened to me all these years… I thought that I would become less conscious of his presence while transformed into a fish but instead I am a shy girl… It’s funny how it was other people’s perspectives about mermaids that made me feel insecure and weak in my own opinions and feelings. I just hope that I can change, humans change and the world changes for the best while I am here.

Kaito reached our room and opened the door. We entered breathing in that peaceful atmosphere and before I could ask anything, Kaito intervened.

“Are you ready to relax in the hot springs?”, he looked at me and knew the answer was no,” Well, like I said many times already, don’t worry, it’s going to be only the two of us”.

I kept my worried expression and asked myself “how does that comfort me?” and “What’s in it for you?”

I sincerely thought that while I would be relaxing in the hot springs, he would open the curtains and hug me, touching inappropriate places. Maybe I am overreacting but I can’t keep my guard down when I know him so well and what he is capable to do, especially when I am from another species.

“You are already red like a tomato and we aren't even under the hot water”, he laughs while playing with my nose, “Are you thinking of perverted things?”, asked with a flirty smile.

“No, I am not!”, I lied, slapping his big hand from my nose before he could squeeze it. “I was… just wandering about…ah… how you are an idiot with no brains!!!”. I screamed embarrassed, completely ignoring the point of the conversation.

“That was mean Luchia”, he said, “here I am working so much for you and you treat me like this”. I could sense that he was hurt but at the same, It felt so fake.

Staring down, like I usually do to hide of the embarrassment, I grew courage to face him. He had that cheeky smile again, looking down at me, “I am just kidding, sorry for making you uncomfortable”. I smiled back at him and wondered why does he love me so much… A question I’ve been wondering its answer for three years. We are so different but yet we love each other so much. Why do I love him anyway? Love is such a mystery… I thought as I smiled him.

Kaito grabbed my hands in response to my smile and balanced my hands like a swing.

“I know you are scared that someone walks in while we are relaxing and find out that you are a mermaid, but do you really think someone can just enter through a locked door? If I knew anyone was able to just enter, do you think I would’ve booked this place?”, he gave me some time to respond, but nothing interrupted the silence, “See? There’s really no reason to worry. Your secret is safe between these walls, our secret.”.

Finally, his words gave the impact that he wanted them to have. I shushed and agreed to undress. I used the small gaps in the changing room, that leads to the hot springs, and wore a simple towel to cover my naked body. I walked into the outside and, like I thought, it was a bit chilly. I looked at my left side and captured a glimpse of Kaito. He was also wearing nothing but a towel, or what I assumed, and he smiled at my appearance when he caught me staring.

“You look so sexy with that clothing.” he complimented with the same perverted smile, that annoyed me the most, always causing me to turn into a giant ball of shyness. I hid behind the curtains before he could say anything else about my looks.