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It’s the first day of summer and Jimin aches to visit the beach.
He’s back from his first year of college, the fresh air of Busan welcoming him home with open arms as if he never even left.
Seoul is so much different. There’s always noise, people always on the go, and school is hard. As smart as Jimin is, as talented as he is, school took a lot out of him. He’s grateful he didn’t have to take summer classes because he gets to come back home.
He’s missed the beach. Seoul had been too dry for his tastes and now that he’s back where he belongs, he wants to dive right into the ocean and swim in it for a few hours. The saltwater would slap him awake from the daze school put him in, he’s sure of that, but instead, he finds himself at his father’s store, stocking inventory in the backroom.
His younger brother is at the cash register, ringing up customers while Jimin’s back here. Soon he’ll have to go out and restock shelves, but it’s cool and damp back here. The store is kept a few degrees cooler than the temperature outside, but Jimin’s still sweating buckets. He feels a little gross and his brother’s teasing doesn’t help.
At least Jimin doesn’t have to stay here as long as his brother does. Jimin gets off in the afternoon while his brother gets off in the night, only their father and uncle left to close up the store. Jimin looks at the clock and realizes he only has two hours left and throws himself into his work, not wanting his father to think he’s slacking off and keep him here longer than Jimin wants to stay.
It’s not that Jimin’s lazy or that he hates to work. He just really wants to see the ocean. He wants to watch the waves for awhile and listen to them crash against the shore. He wants sand underneath his feet and the waves lapping at his toes. Jimin wants to chuck off his shirt and shorts then throw himself into the cold saltwater.
Ever since Jimin was young, he’s had an unexplainable connection to the ocean. His grandmother used to tell him about mermaids stuck in human bodies, their memories erased and bodies rebooted so that they would never even know they were actually mermaids. She told him of sirens, of their voices and the insanity they struck within men. She told him of heartmates too, how mermaids are given shell necklaces at birth that are meant to represent their souls. When two mermaids meet and their necklaces fit together evenly, then they are pronounced heartmates and wed within the week. She’d given him a shell necklace not too long after that and always smiled whenever he asked her if he happened to have a heartmate like the mermaids as well.
Jimin’s grandmother isn’t with him anymore, but all her stories have stayed with him for a long time now. It’d be difficult for him to somehow forget anything she said. He’s always been fascinated with what the sea happens to have in its depths, what kind of life it may be hiding or protecting. He learned how to swim when he was about five and taught his brother when he was old enough, and together they used to haunt the cove on the north side of town, only becoming spooked when they found a cave hidden away from prying eyes.
They’ve never told anyone about the cave, not knowing at all if it’s common knowledge in their town, but they know there’s something strange about it.
Jimin’s never told anyone, but after he and his brother found the cave, something began to follow him.
It was never a threat, has never made Jimin feel unsafe at all, but it’s always lingering in the water. It kept itself out of sight and just barely out of mind. He felt like he was being watched every time he came to the beach, but it never scared him and more than once, Jimin was sure of the fact that he'd seen gold glimmering in the water. Jimin doesn’t know what it may be or if he’s just been imagining it his whole life, but when he left for Seoul, it didn’t follow him. He felt alone without it, too exposed and itchy half the time.
Now that he’s back, he intends to finally find out what it may be. He only hopes that it's still waiting for him after he's been gone for so long.
❧
The sea is singing.
The sun is still shining and the seagulls are loud above him, but the sea demands his attention and so Jimin’s attention is what it gets.
He’d just left the store, running all the way to the cove, glad to see that no one was present. He’d sat down on the sand and waited, kicking his shoes and peeling his socks off while he did.
The sea is still singing, overjoyed by his return, but it isn’t the reason he looks up from the sand he was playing with.
There’s a man in the water, hair as bright as coral. He floats where Jimin knows the water could very easily drown him if he didn’t know how to swim.
Jimin’s never seen him before, but he feels familiar. Not knowing him should be strange because Jimin knows almost everyone in town, but he could be new so he gives him the benefit of the doubt. There’s something about the man that makes Jimin want to swim out to meet him though, something he can’t quite put his finger on just yet. It’s important though, whatever it is.
He plays with his shell necklace as he watches the man, only a little startled to find that the man is already watching him. Maybe it should feel weird or creepy, but this feels familiar. It feels like Jimin should know who this man is.
They continue to stare at one another, waves moving of their own accord as the man continues to stay where he’s at. His hair shines in the sunlight, skin a warm honey bronze that Jimin thinks is beautiful. He doesn’t say anything though and the silence is beginning to feel weird to Jimin.
“Hello,” Jimin says, the first one to speak up as he smiles politely at the man. “My name’s Jimin.”
The man doesn’t say anything. He mouths Jimin’s name, brow furrowed, but says nothing. Jimin’s just decided that he’ll try again when the man dives into the water and disappears from sight. Jimin gets up onto his knees, concerned over how long the man can hold his breath and where exactly he expects to go when he’s completely surrounded by water.
Jimin stands and takes a step towards the ocean, almost falling back when the man pops up again, much closer now. Jimin has a better view of his face and his breath catches in his throat as he stares at the man, mesmerized by his beauty. His fingertips tingle, toes curling in the sand as the man swims closer, only pausing when Jimin gasps.
His mouth is heart-shaped, hair curling around his thin eyebrows. His cheeks are the slightest bit round and soft-looking, a curve to them that makes Jimin want to touch his face. The man’s eyes are the only indicator that he isn’t human though, pupils similar to those of a cat, and Jimin almost can’t believe how right his grandmother might have been now that he has something of the supernatural right in front of him.
The man swims closer until the water should be at his waist, but all Jimin can see is everything from his shoulders and up. Jimin tilts his head and clears his throat, deciding to ask a question.
“What’s your name?”
The man smiles at him, teeth glittering from the ocean and sunlight alike. “Hoseok.”
His voice is scratchy and rough, as if from misuse, but Jimin can’t be all too sure. All he can really be sure of is that Hoseok is slowly rising out of the water, bit by bit until he stops at his chest. Jimin’s eyes trail down the elegant slope of his neck and across his shoulders and clavicles, only stopping once he reaches his sternum.
There, nestled in the center of his chest, is a shell necklace similar to Jimin’s own. Jimin reaches up and touches his, mouth parted in surprise. He kicks off his shorts and lifts his shirt off over his head, walking slowly into the water until he’s only a few feet away from Hoseok.
Something is glittering from underneath him, catching the light underwater and creating sparks of light that catch Jimin's attention at every turn. He takes his shell necklace off and hands it out to Hoseok, relieved when he takes off his own necklace as well. Hoseok grabs Jimin’s hand, his touch ice-cold but not unpleasant either, and holds their necklaces up for them to see.
Very slowly, he pushes them together, the curled parts of the shells slotting together effortlessly.
Hoseok smiles and rises a bit more out of the water. Jimin looks down at his waist, expecting to find a V-line to drool over but discovers gold scales instead. Suddenly, memories begin flickering through his mind, making his heart twinge with pain as his legs begin to burn.
He and Hoseok as children, chasing seahorses and tiny crabs. Hoseok hugging him and pressing a kiss to his temple, their shell necklaces floating towards each other in the water. Hoseok taking his hand and vowing to love Jimin always in front of their friends. Jimin vowing to love him in return, to always hold him dear to his heart.
And then Hoseok and him fighting. Jimin wanting a break and approaching a sea witch. Jimin getting cursed. Jimin shrinking and having trouble breathing until he blacks out, feeling like his lungs are on fire. Jimin’s grandmother finding him as a human baby upon the shore and taking him home, giving him to his parents, and then keeping his shell necklace for safe-keeping until she gives it back to him, hoping it’ll help him get back home ー get back to Hoseok.
It isn’t until the tip of Hoseok’s tail flicks across Jimin’s new tail that he realizes his grandmother was telling him tales of his people instead of just silly fairy tales as he always thought.
He can’t believe it took him this long to find Hoseok again.
“I’m sorry,” Jimin murmurs, tears stinging his eyes, blinking them away so his view of Hoseok will remain unobstructed.
But Hoseok only smiles and swims closer, putting Jimin’s necklace back over his head. “It’s okay. I missed you.”
Jimin sniffles, his saltwater joining that of the sea. “I missed you too.”
Hoseok cups his face, and presses their foreheads together, cooing to Jimin as he continues to cry, something he didn’t know was missing inside of him sliding into place.
Jimin's home.