Hell's Princes, Earth's Kings - ATEEZ Reader Inserts

The King of Water - Mingi

Season pass holders always fit into two demographics: families with young kids who absolutely loved the aquarium, and elderly people who were bored out of their minds on weekdays. While it made for a pretty chill work environment, it wasn't exactly the best way to meet guys at work. Until Mingi started showing up.

I think he's on his fourth or fifth pass cycle. And he sure gets his money's worth. He comes in here every single day. He must not have a job, or school, or any obligation for that matter. He's shrouded in mystery, and I'm mesmerized by his existence.

First I worried that he was a little on the crazy side. I'd never seen an adult enjoy these exhibits so much and not act like a biology nerd. But after I talked to him once or twice, he seemed to just genuinely enjoy the beauty of it all.

I love having him here so often. The same can't be said for my coworkers. At one point, they even went as far as to call him a security threat. He'd never done anything to hurt anyone, but they didn't think it was normal for a man like him to spend so much time alone at a place frequented by kids.

I can admit he didn't exactly look like the kind of person that would enjoy such innocent entertainment. But he didn't look threatening either. He always wore some combination of black, blue, and silver, some days those ratios made him appear more menacing than others, but never scary. His hair was always fluffy and ranged in color from light brown, to a heavy gray. His face alone was enough to take away any hint of intimidation he may exude. Even when his eyes were full of sorrow, he was welcoming.

The aquarium was always pretty empty during the week this time of year. There weren't any school groups or clubs today, which meant I got to walk around the building in search of Mingi.

I found him alone, gazing into the "Kelp Forest" exhibit. The light breaching the surface of the water illuminated his face through the tank in the dark room. A soft blue coated his skin, and the stipes of kelp swaying in the artificial currents added a hint of green. His reflection on the glass was clear, as it always was. And his empty expression was just as easy to make out.

"Hey Mingi, how are you today?"

He snapped out of the trance of the water and peered down at me, "I'm alright. How are you?"

"Same as always." I shrugged. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Mhmm."

"Not feeling very talkative today?"

"Oh. I'm sorry. Was that rude?"

"No. You're allowed to not feel like talking. I just wanted to make sure you're ok."

"I'm fine. I'm sorry if I've concerned you."

Every time I get the chance to ask him if he's alright he says he is. But he never looks it.

"You've just always got such a sad look in your eyes."

"Is that bad? Do you not like the way my face is?"

"No, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just checking on you."

"Oh. Thank you."

Some days my conversations with him felt more promising than others. Some days my goal wasn't to snag a date with him. Some days I just wanted him to smile.

"Mingi, why do you come here so often?"

"Am I not supposed to?"

"No, you're allowed to come as often as you want. But I was just curious. What makes you like it so much?"

Without pulling his eyes away from the water beyond the glass, he sighed and spoke gently, "It's like I get to catch a glimpse of another world. A world saturated in water. It's comforting. I'm not from a place with a lot of water."