Can't Believe it's a Human

Nipples

It was Sunghoon’s fifth try following Jay and he was not making any progress. There was just something, a weird turn round the rocks or a quick move in a different direction, that had Sunghoon losing Jay in the exact same spot over and over. The last two times he’d gone up to the surface to try and find Jay like that, but he was afraid he’d meet the human again. So, logically, he hesitated this time. He didn’t think it’d be very likely for him to be there, how often did the human just go to that rock? What even for? Sunghoon couldn’t come up with an answer, but he didn’t know humans very well, so he couldn’t trust his knowledge. 

Also, he got lost in the same place thrice already, he couldn’t judge; not even a human.

Semi against his will, Sunghoon swam up to the surface with caution. This time he looked before coming out and climbing the rock, just to check no human was near. There was no human in sight, neither someone random nor the one he’d met before. A light sense of disappointment seemed to settle at the back of his mind, but Sunghoon chalked it up to being mad at not finding Jay. No, seriously, where was he even? How had he swum so fast and so far? Sunghoon should be able to at least spot him moving under the water from where he sat, it was annoying.

Then the human from the previous times showed up, but he didn’t scream this time. He looked down at Sunghoon and sharply breathed in, staring almost in fright. Sunghoon was quick to disappear, like he always did, though maybe he took a second or two longer than usual. He’d been taken by surprise by the human, and his unexpected reaction had Sunghoon stuttering in his movement. Still, he swam away before the human could do or say anything. He wasn’t taking any chances.

That was, of course, unless you counted following Jay again, twice after that. Both times he met the human at the exact same rocks. After the second time, Sunghoon should have considered stopping at some other rock, maybe climbing the ones a little further ahead, somewhere the human didn’t frequent. After the third time, Sunghoon should have given up or tried a different strategy. To be fair, Sunghoon wasn’t the smartest, and maybe he kind of wanted to see what this human would do. Not once did the human do anything to try and harm him, but Sunghoon hadn’t ever given him the time to. Though, he never even tried to follow him, so Sunghoon was a little intrigued. 

He was also extremely pissed and his patience had run thin. Honestly, he just wanted to know where Jay was going or at least what he was doing when he went away.

“I can’t keep going like this, I’m going to go insane,” Sunghoon whines at Wonyoung, probably the only mermaid he could trust with this. 

He loved Jake, but he didn’t doubt he’d either try to join him in stalking Jay and give both of them away, or he’d tell Jay straight away. Minjeong was cool, but they weren’t close enough for him to vent like this. Besides, Wonyoung was special. Most other mermaids didn’t come near her out of fear, though Sunghoon thought they were stupid. Wonyoung was what everyone called a sea-witch, and with the name came a terrible reputation. But, and Sunghoon would defend this with every fibre in his body, Wonyoung wasn’t evil. Hell, she was barely even mean when the other person deserved it.

As much as Sunghoon hated the prejudice against her, in times like this it was helpful. He could say whatever was in his mind and knew no one would suddenly interrupt them. What’s more, since no one ever came close to her, there was no way anyone would even listen in from nearby. Sunghoon had asked her if she was ever lonely, but she told him she had her ways to meet others. Others who didn’t know about her powers and a couple who accepted them. It was obviously a sensitive topic, so Sunghoon didn’t ask much.

“Have you considered talking to Jay about it?” While she didn’t seem to be paying much attention to Sunghoon, she was obviously amused.

“He’ll deny everything, or he’ll say I’m in the wrong for following him— don’t look at me like that, I know it’s wrong, but I still want to know!” Sunghoon defended himself, sort of. At least, he was self-aware.