My Little Mermaid :: hyunin

chapter O1 :: raven hair.

2:19 PM, June 15th.

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"Are you ever going to stop fantasizing over the humans, Innie?" A presence joined the red haired merman, swimming slowly and with caution as he approached. The sun shined almost blindingly on the sand, water, and everything underneath of it. The red head didn't even need to turn his head to recognize the voice's owner. He didn't even need to see the turquoise scaled tail, or the head of light brown hair, or the pair of eyes pigmented deep brown, to know that it was none other than Choi Beomgyu.

"Why would I want to?" Jeongin responded to his friend's question in a dreamy state. The red haired merman, Jeongin, was leaning against a rock, chin resting on his palm, as he admired the humans swimming and playing on the sand of the nearby beach. The two weren't too close, but not too far from the humans. They were in no risk of being seen by tall adults or by the curious eyes of children. But, they could hear the echo of the human's conversations.

"Well, can we at least back up a bit? Being so close makes me nervous." Beomgyu asked as he lightly grabbed his friend's arm, pulling it lightly as he slowly attempted to start swimming back. Jeonging took his arm back with a look of shock on his face, and returned to his spot on the rock.

"Just because you don't like the humans doesn't mean I don't get to like them."

"Innie, it's not that. It's not because I don't like the humans, it's because we have rules. And I don't want to see you have to leave the group if or when you get caught breaking those rules." Beomgyu started, and Jeongin's head dipped down a bit. Beomgyu was right. And he knew it.

Beomgyu began again, "Besides, I'm trying to get used to them for you. Who's that one you like watching so much? Hyunmin?" Jeongin nearly cringed at the error, but noticed that it was kind of Beomgyu to put any effort into liking humans for his own sake. Instead, Jeongin smiled sweetly as he turned to his friend.

"Close, it's Hyunjin." Jeongin said, and Beomgyu's mouth spread into a half smirk.

"Awh, you're blushing Innie!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are!" Beomgyu said, pinching and squishing Jeongin's cheeks with this statement. Jeongin told him to stop, but Beomgyu couldn't find it in himself to stop playing with the now red-faced boy. Even when Jeongin raised his voice a bit, Beomgyu's silliness got in the way of him realizing that Jeongin was getting angry.

"Beomgyu! Stop it!" Jeongin yelled, and suddenly the chatter of the humans stopped. The pair looked at each other in horror, as the lifeguard yelled a question that sounded like "Is someone in danger?" Beomgyu peaked around the corner of the rock to see a stressed out lifeguard, and a handful of kids pointing in their direction.

"Jeongin, we need to go now." Beomgyu's voice dropped in fear, yanking the boy's arm, but the red head was frozen in place. Jeongin's eyes stayed on the beach's sand, even as Beomgyu pulled his arm again.

"What are you doing?" Beomgyu whisper-yelled, a look of pure concern on his face.

"I can't go, not yet-" Jeongin said sadly, reaching his free arm toward the beach, as the lifeguard began to get down from the tall seat where he once sat. People started to get out of the water, as they looked around frantically. None of them, however, looked as frantic as Beomgyu.

"That doesn't matter now! We need to go, Jeongin!" Beomgyu tugged the boy's arm with more force. Jeongin was caught off guard, and something in his head screamed at him that Beomgyu was right, they needed to go right now. The red head scrambled to gather his senses, and he forgot how to swim for a moment until he saw Beomgyu several feet in front of him. The blue tail moved wildly, splashing as subtly as it could. Unfortunately, Jeongin wasn't quite as graceful as he found himself flopping and splashing loudly. He looked behind him one last time, and saw the lifeguard entering the water, and a boy with a jet black hair looking in his direction.