Sea Me - BTS mermaid

Chapter 8

 Jin woke up under the covers of his satin bedspread to see his son sitting on the edge of the bed near his feet, bouncing his knee anxiously. Seokjin blinked as he adjusted to the sun shining on him from the skylight. The heavy rays were concentrated in the direction of Jin's bed, leaving the rest of the room dim and shadowy.

Jin reached for the remote that controlled the blinds so he could block out the irritating sun. As he did so, Jungkook jumped slightly and then smiled. "You're awake," the boy exclaimed.

"I am! Jungkook, do you mind turning on the light for me?" The walls had grown considerably dark after Jin covered the skylight. The boy nodded, getting up to find the wall.

=Thank you, son," the man said when he could see Jungkook again. Knowing he was weak after his soul being pulled by a God, Jin did not try to stand or even move to a more upright position. Jungkook sat down in his previous spot.

"Dad, what happened? Are you alright? Did you not eat breakfast this morning?" worried Kookie. Jin chuckled and confirmed that he had forgotten his breakfast, a recurring theme among the characters of this story.
The two hugged, and Jungkook decided to leave his father to rest, forgetting to turn off the lights. Jin laughed and called Kookie back in. "Kookie, can you turn off the lights for me?" he asked with a smile. Jungkook hummed a yes, but Jin was already sound asleep by the time the boy's hand found the light switch.
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Tae had been creative in his way of avoiding walking Jungkook home. He had pretended to fall asleep while cradling Kookie, causing the land boy to attempt to exit his arms without touching and disturbing the 'sleeping' Taehyung.

He splashed through the waves with ease and excitement on his way home. Everything is perfect, he hummed in his head. Everything is wonderful: Jungkookie, the beach, the water's temperature, Jimin's forgiveness... did I already mention Jungkook? The merman smiled to himself.

He couldn't wait to finally have someone to talk to about Kookie, so he flicked his tail at top speed to reach Jimin. Everything blurred around him until he halted the best he could in front of their caves' entrance.

"Oh Jiiiiminiiieee," Taehyung called through the stone tunnel. He could hear the reverberation inside but no response. Tae frowned. He tried again, this time a little louder.

"Jiiiiiminiiieeeee!" Still no reply. Taehyung pouted and decided to look for his friend inside. He knew Jimin was home, for the boy had left the fish bones from breakfast in a waste basket (Jimin always took any trash out with him to be discarded when he left home).

"Jiminah! Where are you? I have a lot to talk about," said Taehyung, checking all of Jimin's favorite hiding spots as he spoke. Unfortunately, Chimchim was in none of the obvious places.

Taehyung went to Jimin's room, concluding that the mer must be in his private cave again. He called into the entrance but could not see or hear any sign of his friend. This made Taehyungie nervous.

His hands started fidgeting as he stopped to think what to do. Maybe he's catching a late lunch. Maybe he's collecting a coral bouquet... What if he's lost? What if father finally found us? Worried Taehyung, his eyes starting to get red.

He called his friend's name one more time, then went to search the nearby reefs for Jimin. Tae grew exponentially anxious as more time passed without Jimin, and he eventually sat on a rock to cry.
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Taehyung was not the only one crying at the time. As Jimin had calmed down in his secret caves, he'd decided he should go back to meet Taehyung when his friend came. On his way back, he realized his previous upset state had caused him not to carefully note the way he went. Jimin confused every passage with another, doubting himself at every turn he made.

It was like trying to swim against the current: for every stroke he moved forward, he was pushed two strokes back. Eventually, the boy stopped swimming, terrified of becoming more lost and never finding his way back. He cried until his head felt dizzy and the glow of the algae pained his head.

Slowly and calmly, he sunk to the cave's floor, falling unconscious in a confused and drowsy state.
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Jimin woke surrounded by dim open ocean. He turned his head around, moving barely as fast as a sloth. There was nothing in sight for miles.

"Bow before your God," came a strong, powerful voice. Jimin did so, not wanting to disobey whatever deity was peaking to him. When the merman rose, his eyes widened at the sight of the Almighty Poseidon seated in a marble throne. The God was frowning.

"It was childish of you to enter those caves without any knowledge of your path. You were upset, yes, but that is no excuse to carelessly roam unknown waters," Poseidon reprimanded. Jimin bowed his head and silently nodded, scared to the bone of speaking out of turn.

"I would normally have left you to sort out the matter yourself, but you are necessary for protecting High Prince Taehyung. You are lucky in this way," spoke the deity. He peered sternly at Jimin. "Be grateful I saved you. Never mention this meeting to anyone, or I will curse your mind and soul."

Jimin gulped and nodded in blatant understanding. This satisfied Poseidon, and he sent Jimin to sleep with a small flick of his hand. Endless water faded into darkness.

The boy woke up in his bed, exhausted to the point of not being able to swim. He could barely speak above a whisper, falling asleep mid-way through a weak cry for Taehyung.