THE OTHER SIDE. aa

ein.

note: there will be MAJOR SPOILERS from the manga throughout this book. 

     THE SALTY SMELL of the seawater immediately wafted through your nose once you stepped out of your car. the cold windy air that the sea exhaled nipped at your goosebump-covered skin, causing you to snuggle deeper into your thin jacket. you walked down the concrete path and towards the beach, sighing in relief when you felt the sand under your bare feet after removing your shoes. the full moon up above shone brightly, beating the thousands of stars that decorated the night canvas. you made use of its light, trotting your way near the rushing waves that receded from the shore every few seconds.

     a bright smile was plastered on your lips despite your sunken eyes and tired look, looking around the beach for any sign of human life. there was none and you were all alone, but you find comfort in that. who would walk around and visit the beach when the sun wasn't out? only you, of course. you were the only sane person who would think that walking at the beach during the night was calming and good for your 'health'. everyone in your town was too scared to even walk alone in the dark in fear of criminals or any supernatural beliefs but you were too stubborn and curious for your own good. your friends even told you that those two aspects of yours could get you hurt someday.

     you settled down on your favorite spot, somewhere far on the side of the beach where you can see the vast ocean without all the light pollution coming from the buildings and lampposts nearby. you heaved a sigh and placed your bag and shoes next to you on the sand, staring deep in the sea as you pulled your legs to your chest. you tucked your chin on your knees, letting out another tired sigh. another gust of the cold wind ruffled your already messy hair and you let it be, too lazy to fix your appearance.

     though it was silent, the crash of the ocean waves served as a lullaby to you. you didn't notice how tired nor sleep deprived you really were until you caught yourself almost falling asleep because of the tranquility. you rubbed your eyes and pinched yourself in an attempt to wake yourself up; the beach wasn't the best place to fall asleep. you turned to your bag and peered in, smiling when you caught sight of the familiar book. you took it out and ran your fingers against the smooth hardcover, squinting your eyes to read the title you already memorized in your head.

     the book of every marine creature.

     you grabbed your phone from your pants pocket and opened the flashlight, shining the light on the first page. this was your diurnal routine after a stressful college day and a tiring part-time job; visit the beach and read your favorite book by the ocean to end the day on a relaxing note. it was simple and not common but it eased your chaotic mind; learning new things about the world always amazed you. especially if it's about the ocean and its creatures; who would've thought that the world was bigger than it seems? species still undiscovered, the deepest depths of the ocean still left untouched by humans. how could you not be curious about ocean life? it was why you chose marine biology as your course, to find out more about ocean life and find new species you could name after yourself, and save each animal from extinction.

    your eyes skim over the words of the book, concentrated on the picture of a rare fish displayed on the current page. you let your mind fly, distracted by the facts and information that you didn't notice someone was creepily standing behind you.

     "y/n." a deep voice mumbled, startling you out of your thoughts. your heart drummed against your chest and slowly, you turned around in alert. "i knew you'd be here." he let out a familiar heartwarming chuckle and despite getting scared out of your wits moments ago, you smiled.