Captivating Presence.

Chapter 4

A day had gone by ever since Cale got sick.

Jung Soo was frantically fretting over the absent redhead while cursing himself at the same time, he was the one who made the redhead fall into the pool by pulling him, it was supposed to be a joke! Then it proceeded into a friendly-yet-intense banter between them with Cale mostly getting splashed alot while Jung Soo gets pinched and flicked painfully by the former.

Jung Soo was a merfolk, an aquatic half human. Water is something so natural for him to be acquainted with. As for Cale, he is human, a being from land. Getting drenched by either rain or getting splashed alot will result in him getting a cold.

Humans are weak and fragile creatures compared to the merfolks and other races.

And because of that fragility, Jung Soo is slumped lethargically on the edge of the pool, he's very anxious. Ellis, on the other hand, is very worried for the merman. He remembered how the merman bombarded him with questions regarding Cale's wellbeing when the brown-haired scientist had came upon a sick redhead and a very worried merman.

He tried to assure the panicking merman to no avail, but when Cale spoke to the mermaid that he'll be fine, Jung Soo calmed down a bit. But Ellis still remembered the panicked and immense worry that was present within Jung Soo's eyes.

'He must have cherished him so deeply.'

In Ellis' eyes, Jung Soo and Cale's relationship is sweet. Even though he... unintentionally saw their intimacy, he could tell how much they revere each other. The subtle changes with Cale was already proof, the usual scowling, alcoholic, Cale was smiling more and is giddily laughing along with the merman. It was as if the trash, Cale, was nowhere to be seen, instead, Ellis saw a youth that he doesn't recognize.

A youth... that has found light in his dark world.

A sigh escaped from his mouth as continued to be lost in his thoughts.

Jung Soo, on the other hand, is still slumped on the pool's edge. He feels so restless, he wants to go to where Cale is! But he sadly could not do so, because he's a merfolk, an aquatic creature, not a human.

'Agh! If only I have legs!'

The merman mentally yearned, he strongly desired to have one so he could run to wherever Cale is and check his wellbeing. Jung Soo felt so uneasy and the only way to get rid of the worry-filled feeling is by checking on Cale. He needs to know if the redhead is getting well, he needs to know if he's okay, he needs to know...!

Jung Soo's yearning to see Cale further increases. Just then, he felt something... tingly? He looked down to his lower body, where his mermaid half is and the source of the sudden tingly feeling is. His eyes widen in shock, what he saw was his tail... slowly morphing... into something else, his mermaid scales started to slowly dissipate and turned into limbs, legs to be exact. The merman stared at his used-to-be mermaid tail in astonishment. He slowly moved his new... human legs and they followed accordingly to his will, he also looked towards his back and shoulder when he felt a bit lighter and when something closed, his dorsal spine was nowhere to be seen and his gills as well but his ears were still fins, It was as if he... became a quarter merfolk.

The merman was silent before mentally screaming jovially and in gratefulness.

'MOTHER OF THE SEA, THANK YOU FOR THIS BLESSING!!!'

Jung Soo clasped his hands together in gratitude once again for a brief moment, he then tried to get out of the pool. Ellis, who noticed what the merman is doing, snapped out of his thoughts and ran out of the small observation room to the pool center.

"J-jung Soo!? What are you-"

Ellis stopped talking midway when he saw the merman suddenly have legs! He gaped in disbelief, how did Jung Soo get himself some legs!?