NCT Imagines (Requests Open!)

My Other Half (Chenle)

You sighed as your mom slapped some sunscreen on your back.  You rubbed it into your skin, hoping the scalding sun overhead wouldn't burn you too much.  Every year, your family went to the beach for a week, and every year, they tried to see who could earn the weirdest tan lines.  One time, your twin brother Jisung fell asleep, so you had written "Jisung Pwark" in sunscreen on his chest, and let's just say that everyone knew his name at all his swimming competitions.  

"Last one in the water is a rotten egg!" Jisung hollered, and you bolted for the surf.

The waves glistened under the sunlight, and the sand was burning hot under your feet.  You loved everything about it.  You dove into the warm water, splashing in victory as you realized Jisung was the rotten egg.

Suddenly, a wave crashed on top of you, and when you opened your eyes, there was a mass of bubbles swirling in front of you.  For a few seconds, you couldn't tell which way was up.  You flailed your arms, desperate for a breath of air when your arms smacked something kinda hard.  You realized it was a boy, and the next thing you knew, you were lifted out of the water.  You breathed heavily, taking in as much air as you could.  A boy surfaced next to you, pushing his blonde bangs out of his eyes.  

"You just saved me," you stammered.

The boy said nothing.  He just stared at you before quickly disappearing under the water's surface.  You furrowed your brows in confusion.  Where did he go?  Quickly, you stuck your head underwater, trying your best to force your eyes open and look around, but all you saw was miles of blue.  When you came up for air, your eyes stung from the salty ocean water.  He had simply disappeared.  

You looked for the boy the rest of the time you spent at the beach, but soon, it was time for your family to pack up and head back to Seoul.  You loved the water.  Everything about the ocean was calming to you.  You hated that it was already time to go back to your regular, boring life.  

"What are you thinking about?" Jisung asked.  "Ever since that one day, you've been kinda weird."

"Weird?  Me?  Aren't I always weird?"

Jisung thought for a second before nodding his head vigorously.  "You're right!  Acceptance is always the first step to improvement."

"You want to sit in the trunk with the suitcases?" you asked, and smirked when your twin brother rolled his eyes and pushed his earbuds in.  

That night, you went for a walk along the Han, staring at the reflection of the city lights in the water.  By the beach, there weren't that many lights, so you had been able to see the stars.  They lit up the night sky and made you realize how under-appreciated nature was.  You leaned down to stare at your own reflection when you saw the water in front of you shift, and you  backed up in surprise.

A boy stepped out of the water, yet he was completely dry.

"Are you related to Percy Jackson?" you asked, and immediately, you regretted asking.  He was the boy with the blonde bangs who had saved you at the beach.

"No, I'm not related to Percy Jackson, but I am a fan," he smiled softly.  His smile was so pure and innocent, it made your heart melt a little.  He stepped closer to you, and you felt yourself back up on instinct.  "I'm not going to hurt you," he stated.  "My name is Chenle."

"Chenle?" 

The boy nodded.  "You won't believe how much courage it took me to follow you this far."

"Wait what?  You stalked me?" 

Chenle shook his head.  "No, but um, sort of?  So, I'm actually not what you think I am.  I'm part human, part dolphin."

Your eyes widened, and you almost choked on your own saliva.  "You're what?"

Chenle laughed.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to scare you.  I'm from China, and the recent typhoon churned up the waters, and I ended up at the beach here in Korea.  I need your help to go back home."

"Why would you want my help?  I can't even do my own laundry.  I think you have the wrong person."

He stepped closer, taking your hand, and as soon as his skin touched yours, a region on your wrist tingled.  You looked down at your arm and realized the little mark you always thought was a birthmark was not just a birthmark.  It was glowing.  

"Why is it doing that?!?!?" you exclaimed, and Chenle let go of your arm, laughing lightly.

"You're my other half.  Each dolphin-human hybrid has a human that can help them in any situation.  I don't know how it happens and why it's you, but destiny brought us together.  You're the only one who can help me get back."

You scratched your head in thought.  "How am I supposed to help you?  What do I need to do?" 

"I have a map, but it has no places on it.  Only you can make those places appear.  When you touch the map, my home will light up.  But I've heard that sometimes, the place that lights up may not be the ocean or the sea where I'm from.  It could be somewhere on land, but that will be my new home."

You suddenly felt like there was a lot of pressure riding on your shoulders.  Chenle pulled out an ancient-looking scroll, and instead of questioning the scenario you were in, you were wondering how that paper scroll thing had survived underwater.  

"Anything I touch stays dry underwater," Chenle explained, reading your mind.

"So all I have to do is touch the map?" you asked with uncertainty.  Slowly, you reached out your index finger, letting it brush over the old scroll's flimsy surface.  Sparks flew under your fingertips and fizzled outwards in a spiral before leaving a glowing dot on the map.

Your jaw fell open.  "Your new home is right here in Seoul!" you exclaimed.

"I guess it really is destiny," Chenle winked.  "By the way, what's your name?  I never got the chance to ask."

"Percy Jackson," you answered, and when he didn't laugh, you quickly replied with your own name.

"Well, Y/N, you're definitely interesting.  I'm a fan, though."

You shook your head in disbelief.  "So you're like half whale, half human or whatever, and I'm  the interesting one?!?!?!"

Chenle smirked.  "You know, I can really get used to you being my other half."

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A/N:  Thanks @BecuzOfKwon for requesting this!!  I haven't written fantasy like this in a while, so it was super fun to go back to it and combine fantasy with my usual fanfiction style!

Question of the imagine: Have you ever met someone you didn't think you would get along with, but you two ended up being really good friends?  Recently, I met someone, and I thought our personalities were kinda different, but we get along so well, and I'm just really happy I made such a cool friend!