into the unknown |t.k|

five

The temptation to see the shore at night grew. Jeongguk wanted to see the surface once more as a mermaid, wondering if he'll be able to enjoy the view the same way he's enjoying it as a human. 

Soon enough he'll be walking on the sand feeling the little rocks between his feet as Yoongi told him they were called, feeling the seaweed tangle on his legs. 

Legs, Jeongguk giggles to himself.

In the far distance, he notices that there is a restless human riding the waves. Curious, he swims near the human who is out when the moon is at its zenith.

Jeongguk can see the clouds rolling in. There's going to be a storm. 

Does the human even notice?, he thinks.

Jeongguk tries to get in closer, wanting to get a better look of the stupid human who doesn't seem to notice the weather. He's a few meters away.

The human is the one he's been pining over and the one he watches every single day. He seems to be lost in his thoughts. He's sitting on the instrument that guides him through the waves. 

He seems serene.

Jeongguk wants to swim closer to him, but the seas are starting to tremble vigorously.

He looks beautiful. Jeongguk is gazing at the human rocking back and forth on top of the active waves, until the dim illumination of the moon, slowly getting covered by the clouds, disappears. 

This must be his father's doing. He must have realised that he wasn't at home. 

Jeongguk gnaws on his bottom lip hoping that the human won't be hurt or in danger by the impending state of anger his father is in.

Jeongguk wonders what's going on in the human's mind as he sits in the middle of the dark, stormy ocean in the middle of the night. 

He's wearing a white shirt concealing his arms and long black pants. 

Jeongguk is even more confused, he doesn't wear this when he's in the ocean. Soon the waves start to get bigger. The sway of the water becomes more agitated.

Jeongguk can hear his name being shouted through the gusts of wind. His father is furious, but he heeds it with no care. A huge wave comes, but the human doesn't move from his place in the middle of the ocean. Jeongguk watches with his mouth agape. 

"Does he have a death wish?", he questions.

The waves wash over him, completely engulfing him, dragging him down into the bottomless blue.

Jeongguk dives in quickly to get to the human he's admired for so long.

The human is sprawled out as he slowly sinks into the ocean. 

His eyes are closed, almost as if he's sleeping peacefully. Air bubbles quickly escape his nose and mouth. 

Jeongguk grabs the human around his shoulders keeping his hold firm as he tries to haul them up to the shore.

Jeongguk feels guilty. He did have a plan of making this happen in the first place, but he didn't want it to be like this. 

Humans can't breathe under the water.

Jeongguk finally brings them to the shore. He heaves slowly, falling beside the human on the seashore. 

Jeongguk props himself up on his elbows, attempting to sit on his rear.

He sits beside the human. He gazes down at his face, his hands tracing every single part gently. He was even more handsome up close. 

Jeongguk cups his cheek, smiling down at him tenderly. This human is too perfect, even for him.

Jeongguk gasps, he hasn't checked if he was breathing. He places his hand on the human's chest. 

He vaguely remembers Yoongi saying that humans are dead when you can't feel their chest moving up and down.

The human's chest was moving, barely. Jeongguk was greatly concerned. 

Jeongguk didn't know what to do. He tries to think of the moments when he was looking at humans who have been attacked by the waves. 

What did those humans in red do?, he thinks.

Jeongguk recollects that they were pumping their chest with two hands. He tries to imitate what he saw, so he can save the human but he's unsure of himself. 

He pushes down on his chest three times and checks if there's air coming from his nose. 

There isn't.

He tries again several times until the human splutters, coughing out the seawater from his mouth. 

Jeongguk gives him some space, sitting like he was earlier, flipping his tail. 

He watches as the human slowly opens his eyes. One, then the other. 

It was his first time being able to see him up close.

The human coughs. 

"Did you save me?" 

His voice was nothing he's ever heard in his life. Deeper than depths of the Mariana Trench. 

Jeongguk didn't know how to respond, he just nodded his head instead, droplets of water from his hair splashing them both.

"Thank you.", the human said. 

He throws his arm over his forehead, closing his eyes once more. 

"You didn't have to save me though. I wanted to-"

"Dying isn't good! I don't even know your name, yet."