Notes From The Sea ✓

3

Making his way over towards the place he was so intensely staring at, Jeongguk put one hand above of his eyebrows, preventing the rain from coming into his eyes.

People hurried to get home, no one wanted to stay outside in this kind of weather.

Everyone, but Jeongguk.

Instead of going back to his dreaded apartment, he carefully climbed onto the slippery rock, making sure not to fall. He stared ahead of him, his breath somehow stuck in his chest and eyes twinkling with hope.

Much to his disappointment, he came to the conclusion that whatever he saw, was gone now. There was no point in standing there in the pouring rain like an idiot trying to get sick.

Deciding to go back to those lonely four walls and a roof, he athletically jumped off the rock. Some wet sand sticked to his pants at the action and water invaded his shoes, his socks now drenched.

He promised himself mentally that when the weather has cleared up, he'll come back.

With that thought, he trotted back towards the street, internally cringing at the feeling of his socks squishing with every step he took.

However, there was no way for him to know that his note actually has been read after all.

────🐚────

Whilst drying his hair with a towel, the eighteen-year-old walked towards his desk. He re-read his email he wrote an hour ago, worries flooding in. He was yet to actually send it towards the company that provides those online tests, but he wanted to make sure that whatever he wrote sounded professional.

He tapped his foot anxiously on the ground, not quite sure if it would give him what he hopes for. He kept staring and re-reading it over and over again.

Eventually he groaned, slumping into his chair. He really wants this job. It has been his dream ever since he was little. But now, there was double the amount of pressure; not only would he be unbelievably disappointed if he couldn't get this job, he would also need to continue worrying about his monthly rent and other bills. This job pays off a thousand times better which means he wouldn't have to skip meals anymore.

Encouraging himself, he hummed, watching the screen load as he sent it.

"I need more coffee." He stated plainly, a blank expression on his face. However, his nerves were killing and eating him up from the inside.

While making himself another cup of the hot liquid, he looked outside of the window. A few hours had passed since he met up with Seokjin, now the sun was beginning to set.

He sat down on the couch, boredly switching between the channels. The news usually doesn't bother him any bit, so he was about to go past it but the news reporter's words prevented him from doing so.

"BREAKING NEWS

𝗔 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀.
𝗛𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗮 '𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿' 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮. 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹."

Jeongguk shook his head, switching the TV off.

After finishing his coffee, he made himself ready to go outside, locking the door behind him.

Heading back towards the place that's so special to him for no actual reason, he sat back down on the familiar rock, watching as waves calmly washed up shore.
He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his head on his kneecaps, sighing.

The news he heard from the TV lingered in his head for quite a while.

The man could've suffered from mental illnesses but there is a possibility he actually saw something, right?

But, Jeongguk knew, he could've mistaken what he claimed to see for a very large fish or something as such.

His face paled at the thought that he swore that he himself, saw a tail go back underwater. Of course he won't ever consider telling anyone, if he would, people would think he's crazy and he'd end up just like the guy from TV.

So, he reasoned that it was nothing, suppressing the urge to believe his imagination reluctantly.

He managed to keep that mindset up for five minutes. His thoughts getting the best of him, he dug his hand into his pocket fished out his waterproof marker and a plasticised piece of paper.

His lips curving up in a small smile, he tried to write in the tiniest letters ever.

'Heard you've spooked the hell out of someone today. Are you actually out there? I hope you are.'

Cracking a small chuckle, the male stabilised himself with one hand on the rock and stuck his other hand in the water, letting go of the note. He wiped his hand dry on his pants and watched as it drifted away ever so slowly.

He lingered there for about an hour. It became dark and stars popped up one by one. Everything was peacefully quiet. The only sounds coming from the waves.

Closing his eyes, Jeongguk took a deep breath and when he exhaled, he felt calm. He felt like a weight was lifted off from his shoulders. He felt free. Without any worries, problems, away from all of the little errors in his life, away from everyone.

Grinning in utter content, he gazed along the depths. He stood there for another set of fifteen minutes, as he kept on procrastinating the fact that he needed to go back to his lonely and silent apartment.

Eventually, he slowly turning around and walked away, leaving all of it behind him for another day. Along that, whatever was in there possibly hiding, aswell.