⋆ 11 ⋆
Following up on his invitation, later that Thursday, Jisung slips into his diving gear and meets up with the mer by the lagoon.
Since they can't exchange many words once Jisung's underwater, they take a few minutes to chat with each other.
The lagoon is alive with the gentle sway of the tide, the moon glinting off the surface of the water like a million tiny diamonds. The mer rests its elbows on the sandy edge of the lagoon, staring at Jisung with its piercing blue gaze and contrastingly soft body language.
"You came," the mer beams, reaching up to caress Jisung's cheek. "Glad I didn't scare you off," it speaks sweetly, with that same lull that enthralled Jisung in the first place.
"You couldn't," Jisung reassures, and the mer tenses for a moment. Did I say something wrong? "I–I mean, you were just so kind after I almost killed you."
The mer giggles, lapping a tongue over its lips. "I tricked you into nearly drowning and almost killed you," it counters, referencing their first encounter and their most recent. "My kindness is the bare minimum, you deserve it."
"I deserve it?" Jisung raises a brow.
"You do," the mer insists, its cheeks flushing pink underneath the moonlight. And in a smaller voice, it mumbles bashfully, "for giving us a chance... for giving me a chance."
Jisung's heart nearly leaps out of his chest. It must be hard, so hard for merpeople to exist in Arcana Isle's waters, despite its waters being their natural habitat. Every day the mer comes to the lagoon, it's a major risk—not nearly as much of a risk as Jisung diving in 'diver-restricted' territories.
Jisung may be forbidden from diving in the lagoon, but his mer friend is forbidden from existing as a species alongside humans.
Jisung takes the mer's hands in his own and squeezes them lightly. "I'm glad I did," he says, his voice as soft as the calm lagoon tides against the mer's skin.
The mer leans forward, coming up from the water and pressing its forehead against Jisung's.
"Me too," it murmurs, and Jisung can feel its cool breath against his face. It's a comfortable closeness, even with the icy lagoon water dripping all over Jisung's diving suit and exposed skin.
They share a comfortable silence, one that the mer breaks with a whispered question: "Do you want to go on a swim with me?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Jisung grins, yelping when the mer aggressively drags him into the water.
SPLASH!
It takes the mer's help and some fumbling of equipment for Jisung to fasten the snorkel over his head and the oxygen tank onto his body. Once he's ready, Jisung follows the mer into the depths of the lagoon, giggling with the polychromatic fish breeds and weaving through the coral arrays.
The mer gracefully navigates the waters, leading Jisung to the most beautiful sights he's ever seen. Sea plants sway in the current, and the vibrant colors of coral and sea life sparkle in the moonlight.
The mer stops for a moment, turning to Jisung with a mischievous grin. "Ready?" it asks.
Jisung nods, and the mer takes off with Jisung's wrist in hand, swimming faster and faster until they reach the very edge of the lagoon.
Jisung gasps when he sees the deep abyss that lies beyond the lagoon's edge, seeping into the sea, the light of the moon barely reaching its depths. They'd swum past the deep void the night before, heading full-speed ahead for mer civilization.
The mer takes Jisung's hand, leading him down until they reach the murky depths and into an underwater cave of sorts—beautiful jewels glowing off underwater rocks and creating a luminous tunnel for them to pass through.
Jisung is in awe, and the mer laughs, swimming circles around Jisung, its purple tail glimmering in the faint light.
"It's pretty, right?" the mer asks, large eyes scanning their surroundings as if it's also the mer's first time being down here. "We call it the treasure cove, because usually it collects and attracts treasures lost at sea."
Jisung's eyes widen. Since he can't speak, he holds up a thumbs up, and the mer grins. It takes Jisung's hand and leads him further into the depths of the cove, pointing out little treasures here and there.
They drift in the current, lost in the moment, until they reach the heart of the cove with a giant pale blue jewel illuminating it at the core.
"This is among my favorite places in the Phoenix Sea," the mer says, its gaze trained on Jisung's face. "I think it's pretty romantic sometimes."
Jisung chokes on his mouthpiece, eyes wide with shock. The mer notices this, and goes red at the implications of its words.
I think it's pretty romantic sometimes, rings in Jisung's brain, and no, it doesn't mean anything, but it sure seems that way.
"I didn't mean it... like that," the mer clarifies, covering its cherry-red face with its webby hands. "Come on... uh, let's keep exploring."
With the mer's words still ringing in his ears like a torturous echo chamber, Jisung follows close behind as they drift further into the depths of the cove. The water is cold and salty, but it is also strangely comforting.
The mer gracefully weaves through the water, its tail trailing behind it like a beautiful purple veil. Jisung watches in awe as it moves, captivated by its graceful movements and the way its tail glitters beneath the pale jewel lights.
Along the way, the mer fills up the silence with a soft hum, similar to the melody it hummed when they first met. It reverberates throughout the cove, vibrating through Jisung's skin.
At the end of their journey, they reach the surface and the lagoon. The moon is now a crescent, a distant twinkle in the sky. The mer lingers in the water a bit longer, its tail flicking against Jisung's shin.
"Thank you for coming," the mer says, its voice a little more subdued than before. "I... I had a great time."
"Me too," Jisung responds. He smiles, his heart beating a little faster than usual. "I–I have a question though."
"Oh," the mer's pretty lips part into a soft, downturned, open pout. Its eyes are mixed with a cloud of undeterminable emotions. "What is it? Ask away!"
Here goes nothing, Jisung draws in a breath.
Minho and Chan need to know this information for their research, Jisung needs this information to know he's not cursed.
"Why did you... y'know... why did you choose me?" Jisung asks, voice barely audible over the soft howls of the midnight winds.
The mer looks away, its gaze lingering somewhere over the horizon. It takes a few moments to answer, and when it does, its voice is soft and steady.
"Because," it starts, lapping a tongue over its lips. "I think you're cute~!"
What?
"I— what? —you—," Jisung splutters, his face turning a deep shade of red. The mer laughs, its laughter like the sweetest of bells.
"Goodnight Jisung~" the mer singsongs, barely giving Jisung a chance to respond before succumbing to the dark waters of the night.
Its purple tail glistens prettily under the moonlight as it swims away, its laughter ringing through the expanse of the night.
And when Jisung returns home with the mer's words on his mind, the only thing to pull him out of his 'mer-fantasies' is an unexpected, expectedly late text from Minho:
☾ Today, 00:56:07 AM ☽
Minho
Han Jisung
I'm really sorry for leaving so abruptly today.
My condition was acting up, and I didn't want to cause a scene.
Jisung
it's okay :)
hope you're doing okay!
Minho
Yes, yes I'm fine.
Minho
How was the meeting with the mer?
Jisung
pretty fun!
it said it 'chose' me b/c i'm apparently cute
lolol
Minho
You are.
It isn't wrong.
Jisung
hahahahaha
thank you
:')
Minho
^_^
So, what has you up so late?
Jisung
just got home
you?
Minho
Reading
It's a romance novel called...
'A Heart's Embrace' by Yoon Mirae
Jisung
oou
didn't see you as the romance type
:o
Minho
Ha Ha
Believe it or not, I don't read research novels all day
I love Romance, Thriller, and occasionally Fantasy
Jisung
so
what's the book you're reading about?
Minho
In the simplest terms
Two lovers who try to make their love 'work' despite being polar opposites.
Jisung
sounds interesting :o
Minho
It is.
I can share my favorite line if you'd like
Jisung
go ahead!!
A few minutes pass with Jisung staring at an unmoving screen. Under the assumption that Minho fell asleep, Jisung prepares himself to sleep also.
That's until, as soon as he shuts off his lamp, his phone buzzes to life with a new notification:
Minho
[ voice message – 12s ]
"Love is like a puzzle," Minho reads, his voice a delicate symphony. "We try to put the pieces together, but sometimes, even if it's not perfect, it's still beautiful."
Jisung
it's pretty
the line! and your voice
i'm falling asleep
in a good way :)
Minho
[ voice message – 1m 37s ]
Goodnight Jisung ^_^
Jisung didn't expect another voice message from Minho, especially not one so long.
Especially not one where Minho is sweetly singing some radio-popular romance song from off the top of his head.
Minho's singing voice is enchanting, beckoning Jisung in with its gentle yet powerful notes. His pitch is perfect... too perfect, never wavering as the melody rose and dipped.
His vibrato is soft, wrapping Jisung in a cuddly blanket of comfort as he croons the romantic lyrics. Jisung closes his eyes, and he can feel Minho's voice pulsating throughout his body.
His singing is passionate, conveying the longing and emotion of the song with each syllable. As the song progresses, his voice grows in strength and intensity, as if he is singing directly to Jisung, his love pouring out through the notes.
By the end of the voice message, Jisung is left feeling like he's in the presence of something inhuman, struck by the sheer beauty of Minho's voice.
Jisung's heart drops when the puzzle pieces string and fit themselves together. Perfectly.
There's an ominous familiarity in Minho the same way there is in Jisung's new mer friend.
The same voice that had been calling to him from the depths of the sea... was Minho's.
author's note.
thank you for reading the tenth chapter
of 'once upon a curse'!🌊🐠🩵
well, that's an interesting way to leave things off...
let me know ALL your thoughts,
and i hope you enjoyed!🦀⛵️🌟