It's already been two weeks since I met Jeonghan. And today is the weekend. But the weekend doesn't feel like the weekend to me because I have to study while my mom watches. She was sitting on the sofa, looking down at me as I studied, and I was sitting on the floor studying. Kim Min-gyu came out of his room into the living room and watched me study.
My scheduled meeting with Jeonghan was drawing to a close, but I had to finish my studies by now. Kim Min-gyu must have noticed my nervousness, so he helped me escape to my mother.
"Mom, he has to go out now."
"I said I had a study appointment with my friends."
"Then go out and solve all of this."
"Then I'll send it to you."
"Yes, I understand."
***
I finally stuffed my bag full of workbooks and went between the large rocks on the beach. Jeonghan hadn't arrived yet, so there was no one there. Relieved, I took the workbooks out of my bag and began solving them one by one.
With only five questions left, I sensed Jeonghan's presence. Startled, I let go of the mechanical pencil I was holding. It splashed into the water. And then, as if I hadn't noticed (my head was dry), Jeonghan went into the water to retrieve the mechanical pencil I'd dropped.
After a while, Jeonghan came out of the water and handed me a mechanical pencil.
"What are you doing?"
"What is this text?? "
"Oh, there's nothing like this in the sea..?"
"Yeah! We don't have anything like that."
"Ah, I can't use paper because it's underwater."
"It's called math, but it's just complicated calculations..."
" huh? "
"Ah... no. I'll be done soon. Just wait a moment."
"Yeah! Take your time."
I finally managed to solve the problem, covered it, and stuffed it back into my bag. Then I approached Jeonghan, who was halfway underwater. I kicked off my shoes and socks, pulled my pants up to my thighs, and stepped into the water.
"Will you play in the water with me?"
"Yeah, I'll stop here for today."
"I didn't bring any clothes."
"Can't you just take off your clothes and come in?? "
"Our mermaids don't wear that kind of stuff. It looks really uncomfortable."
"We humans dress differently than mermaids. We catch cold easily. And it's a bit embarrassing if we don't wear clothes."
"Embarrassing..? Oh, I guess so."
"So don't get my clothes wet. Okay?? "
" of course! "
After playing for a while, we emerged from the water just as the sun was setting. As we emerged, our stomachs began to growl. Jeonghan burst out laughing at the sound. As he got hungry, a thought occurred to him. Next time, I should bring some delicious food to share with Jeonghan.
I waved to Jeonghan, who was still sitting outside the water, and ran home. I hadn't brought my phone with me, so I couldn't check the time.
When I got home, my mother wasn't there. Instead, Kim Min-gyu was sitting on the sofa waiting for me. He frowned at my still-wet legs, then grabbed a towel from the bathroom and handed it to me, who couldn't come inside.
"What, did you come from playing in the water?"
" no. "
"Then why is it wet?"
"Have you been to the beach by any chance?? "
"No. What about Mom?"
"He went out to meet a friend. He'll probably be back in two days."
"Have you finished studying?"
"Oh, don't ask. What does it matter?"
"I sent you out, why are you reacting like this?"
"Oh really!! Stop it!! "
"Don't come in!!"
As soon as I got home, I was so angry at Kim Min-kyu for nagging me that I slammed the door loudly. I closed it and locked it, afraid he'd come in and nag me more, asking why I'd locked it like that. Sure enough, it was Kim Min-kyu yelling. I put my earphones in and just listened to the music playing.
***
Every Sunday was the only day my mom wasn't home. I sneaked out of the house without telling Kim Min-gyu. Clutching my wallet, cell phone, a change of clothes, and a towel, I entered a nearby convenience store. As I was choosing something to share with Jeong-han, I heard a familiar voice.
The voices belonged to the most popular boys in our class. I'm known for being quite quiet at school, so I simply calculated my expenses and slipped out the side door, avoiding them. Leaving the convenience store, I headed straight for the beach without hesitation.
***
I arrived at the beach, sat down between the large rocks, placed the bag of snacks and drinks I'd bought at the convenience store next to me, and entered the water. I'd gotten used to the cold, and swam to a fairly deep depth. I'd learned to swim as a child, so I wasn't worried about swimming.
Just then, Jeonghan's tail appeared above the water. I swam toward him. Seeing me, Jeonghan poked his head out of the water and swam quickly toward me.
"What, what, why did you come so quickly?? "
"You came all the way here waiting for me?? "
" huh! "
"But the speed is really fast..."
"This is the basic speed for a mermaid."
"Want to grab my shoulder?"
" huh..? "
"Waaa ...
When I placed my hand on Jeonghan's shoulder, he began to swim even faster than before, occasionally emerging from the water to let me breathe. The beach was deserted, so I could enjoy the ride without worry. I even hugged Jeonghan's neck and began to enjoy the speed.
The underwater beauty seen from Jeonghan's back was truly indescribable. The depths were quite frightening, but Jeonghan was there, making it all the more comfortable. I saw small fish swimming in groups, and others hunting alone. It was truly breathtaking.
***
After playing with Jeonghan for a while, I climbed up between the rocks. Drenched, I dried myself off with a towel. Then, I took the snacks and drinks I'd bought at the convenience store out of the bag and placed them in front of Jeonghan. Jeonghan stared at them with bright eyes, as if he'd discovered something new.
"Is this your first time seeing this?"
"Yeah! But I've seen things similar to this."
"Huh? Where?? "
"In the sea! It's floating around? Is that right?!!"
Jeonghan spoke so cheerfully that something bothered me, but I didn't show it on the outside. I put the bag of chips in Jeonghan's mouth, and after a few chews, he said it was delicious and asked if he could have more. I nodded as if it were obvious. Then, afraid that he might choke, I opened the cap of the drink I'd bought with him and gave it to Jeonghan. After I showed him how to drink it, Jeonghan began chugging down the drink.
"Wow, this is so delicious!"
"Actually, I've seen humans eat this a few times... I wanted to try it, Dawon, thank you!"
"It's nothing special..."
Oh yeah... the end... I like it haha
Please forgive me if there are any typos while readingㅠㅠ