into the unknown |t.k|

six

The human lifts his arm up slightly, to look at his saviour. 

"I wasn't trying to die. Don't worry, and why do you need my name?"

Jeongguk is at a loss for words. He didn't know how to answer.

"Tell me your name first.", the human says. 

"Aren't you a little reckless to be swimming around in this weather, you could have died."

Jeongguk pouts. 

"I could say the same to you! You were the one who sat in the middle of the ocean with your wave riding board thing waiting to die! And I'm Jeongguk!"

The human laughs. 

"It's called a surfboard. I was simply admiring the ocean during a storm. Okay, Jeongguk. I'm Taehyung, the one you didn't have to save tonight."

Jeongguk has to hold back from screaming. This Taehyung person was irritating. He has a pretty face but his personality is horrendous. 

"Fine! Be that way! Can't you just say thank you? You looked like you drowned!"

"Okay. Thank you Jeongguk for saving my life. I thought I could swim against the ocean currents, and be safe, but I guess I thought wrong."

"You're welcome!", Jeongguk says with an annoyed voice. 

"See that wasn't hard was it?"

Before Taehyung can say anything else, Jeongguk sings a spell on Taehyung making the latter fall into a deep sleep. 

Taehyung will be fine, the rains will stop as soon as Jeongguk returns to the kingdom, and Taehyung won't be freezing to death.

Taehyung should be thankful Jeongguk also put a spell that would protect him from any dangers from the ocean for the next twenty-four hours like, maybe being swept up by the current in his deep slumber, or getting attacked by crabs. 

Taehyung should consider himself lucky that Jeongguk still likes his face, even when he's the most insufferable person he's ever come across.

Jeongguk sighs. He realises he shouldn't judge from this.

Jeongguk swims back to the kingdom under the cerulean sea with his mind full, and heart confused. 

He ignores all the looks the merfolk give him as he passes through the seaweed gates.

Yoongi quickly swims toward him with a worried look on his face. Jeongguk doesn't say anything, he just wears a pout on his face. 

"We were worried where you ran off to, again."

"Yoongi are all humans so weird." 

Yoongi tilts his head, slightly frowning. 

So, this is what it was, he thinks.

"Well, not every human is kind. Some are different than others, just like how some mermen are different from another. It's the same for humans."

"I went to the surface. He was sitting there all alone in the middle of the sea. He was so," 

Jeongguk pauses for a moment. 

"Breathtaking. I felt like I didn't belong there."

"Because you don't." Jeongguk swats Yoongi away.

"No, not like that. I felt like I was intruding on an intimate moment. I felt like the storm was coming from him instead. It was- it was like how he controlled the crest of the wave, Yoonie. I felt it coming from Taehyung. At first, I thought it was father who did the storm, but it didn't seem like it."

Yoongi is perplexed. 

"Taehyung? Who is Taehyung?" 

Jeongguk twiddles with his fingers, looking everywhere but Yoongi's eyes.

"What is it, Jeongguk? Don't tell me you had contact with the human-" 

Jeongguk still doesn't dare to look at Yoongi.

"I thought he was going to drown! I had to save him! The waves were higher than the usual at high tide! It was insane! The clouds were so black, I was actually terrified." 

Jeongguk confesses all at once. 

He didn't know how to stop. He just wanted to defend himself.

"So, instead of running to safety you just went and saved the human."

"It's not like I'll be hurt! The water protects me, but the water doesn't favour humans! He was in pain, he just fell into the sea. He was toppled over by the wave. I had to help him! But then I realized he was a big moody human."

"Jeongguk, why did you do that? Didn't I tell you not to have contact with him before you become human? What if he remembers you tomorrow what are you going to do? What's your excuse?"

Yoongi gives him a stern look. 

He's been taking care of Jeongguk all this time, and he still doesn't know how to deal with this child well.

"I used a deep slumber spell on him before he could move! I made sure that he didn't get up. He only saw my face because after that he refused to look at me. He turned away.", Jeongguk frowns.

Yoongi pats Jeongguk on the hand. 

"There are other fish in the sea." 

"What? I don't want a fish!"

"It's a human saying. It means that there are other potential mates for you."

Jeongguk shakes his head vigorously.

"I don't want anyone else, Yoonie. I want to understand Taehyung. I want to know more about him, and why he was sitting in the middle of the ocean when a storm was brewing. I want to know, Yoonie."

Yoongi envies Jeongguk for his determination and his strength. 

If only he had those years ago, maybe everything would have ended differently.

"Alright. We'll go see the sea witch tomorrow."

Jeongguk beams at Yoongi. He grabs his hands twirling their tails together in circles, then pulls him into his arms and gives him a big hug.

"You're the best!"