Work Text:
Crystal Clear
This is a story when Kim Dokja saved a merman that was wounded on the shore he was walking on, he was startled to see a mythical being up close but his conscience then consumed him and took the unconscious merman back home to tend to his wounds; luckily his house already had a built-in aquarium that can fit one merfolk inside. Kim Dokja waited patiently for the merman to wake up inside the aquarium, he gazed at the beautiful creature with a mesmerized gaze visible on his eyes while crouching down on the floor to look at the mythical creature;
The merman was starting to stir awake as its beautiful round black eyes peeled open, the merman looked around trying to grasp the environment he was in; his gaze then fell on Kim Dokja who was still staring at him without saying anything “who are you?” the merman spoke after waking up while glaring at Kim Dokja’s calm expression “let’s just say I’m the one who rescued you and treated your wounds” he replies softly before standing up from his crouching position; the merman then looked up at him with a confused and cautious expression “relax, It's not like I’m going keep you here forever. I just want to treat your wounds that’s all” he smiles at the merman before turning his back on him and took a bread from the nearest table;
“Here, take a bite… you’re probably hungry” he smiles before extending his hand that was holding the bread out to him the merman then slapped his hand away from him with a scowl on his face “I don’t need your petty food, you human” he hisses before moving away from the glass, Kim Dokja can only smile awkwardly as he watches the bread sink at the bottom of the giant aquarium “I guess merfolks don’t like bread?” he chuckles before coughing “please excuse me…” he mumbles before going upstairs to his room
“You better release me from here you human!” the merman yells before using his webbed hands to caress the bandaged wounds on his tail “there’s no way humans would be kind to merfolks…” he thought to himself before curling himself into a ball on the aquarium and relaxed, as Kim Dokja ascended to his room he plopped down on the bed and sighed “I feel like this is a bad idea… maybe I should release him already” Kim Dokja thought before looking at the picture frame hanging on the wall; it was a picture of him when he was young and his grandfather.
The next day, Kim Dokja went down to see if the merman was healing well, when he came back down, he saw the merman’s back face against the glass of the aquarium while sleeping peacefully. Kim Dokja couldn’t help but smile at the rare sight. He didn’t bother waking the merman up and let him have a good rest, while Kim Dokja was preparing some medicines for the merman’s wounds, he couldn’t help but wonder why he was hurt in the first place, was he captured by humans? Or encountered something at the sea… he doesn’t know and definitely does not want to know.
He didn’t realize that the merman was already awake and staring at him, observing his every move and engraved them into his mind “what are you doing human?” the merman asks as he placed his webbed hand on the glass making the busy man look at him “oh I’m preparing medicine for your wounds, don’t worry” he replies which made the merman scoff and cross his arms “how could I know if those are poisons?” Kim Dokja sighed at the stupidity of the question and looked at him with an expression that clearly said ‘are you hearing yourself?’ “If it was poison then you would've felt something long ago when I first used them on you…” he grumbles before placing the rolled bandage on the table and grabbed some bottle of antiseptic from a cabinet nearby, he then took the items and went upstairs and stared down at him “can you… swim up here so I can take care of your wounds?” he asks as he places the bottles down at the floor and sat there patiently;
The merman couldn’t help but obey his pleas and went up to go outside the aquarium “don’t take too long” the merman demanded before turning his head to the side, Kim Dokja then went ahead and replaced the bandages; the merman flinched slightly when Kim Dokja accidentally touched his sensitive part “o-oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to touch that” Kim Dokja whispered in an embarrassed tone; Kim Dokja continued to clean and dress his wound with some bandages while the merman only looked at him “I never asked you your name… My name is Kim Dokja and you are?” he asked nicely with a smile which made the merman irk a bit “My name… is Yoo Joonghyuk”;
Kim Dokja blinked a few times before wondering ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’? isn’t that a Korean name? How did a merman obtain such a name? “Oh… well nice to meet you, Yoo Joonghyuk” Kim Dokja didn’t bother questioning the merman where he got his name from “so, in a few days I’ll let you leave… I would be guilty if I let you leave with such wounds, how did you even get them?” asked the raven-haired man curiously “humans… They caught me in their net” he mumbles before glancing at Kim Dokja “you humans are dangerous, how can I ever trust you?” he hisses before going back into the aquarium making Kim Dokja smile awkwardly.
The next day, Kim Dokja went out to buy some ingredients for food. Yoo Joonghyuk was left in the aquarium all alone, he kept observing the room looking for a way out; he then noticed a button on a wall and became curious. When Kim Dokja came back home, he took a peek of the aquarium and saw that Yoo Joonghyuk was still there, although he didn’t mind if he escaped, he really didn’t care since he wasn’t his slave or anything; Yoo Joonghyuk heard his footsteps on the wooden floor indicating that he was finally home, he saw Kim Dokja go down on the lower part of the aquarium in the room basement “I’m surprised you’re still here, I thought that you have already left” Kim Dokja chuckles before leaning against the aquarium glass “you don’t want me here?” the merman asked in a slightly sad voice before turning away from him, what was he thinking?
“Huh? What’s with the sudden question?” Kim Dokja asked the merman while looking at him with a confused expression “I mean it’s not like I don’t want you here… It’s just that you’ll be safer back in the ocean where you belong” he adds with a low voice before walking over to the button Yoo Joonghyuk noticed earlier, Kim Dokja then pressed the button and the floor part of the aquarium then opened, it then revealed a passageway making the merman confused and curious “that passage leads to the ocean, you can safely swim there to leave… I’ll keep it open for you” he spoke before leaving the merman alone.
It's been a few weeks since the merman decided to stay in the aquarium in Kim Dokja’s house, he didn’t bother asking why he was still there with him but he felt relief to have some company once in a while; Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to be a little chatty now whenever Kim Dokja is around and near the aquarium. “So, this house was originally your grandfather’s house?” asked Yoo Joonghyuk with a curious expression while tilting his head to the side waiting for Kim Dokja’s response to his question “yes… this was my grandfather’s house” Yoo Joonghyuk then nodded at the confirmation and then looked around the room once again;
“Why does it have an aquarium like this?” he asks which made Kim Dokja gulped, as if it was something that he shouldn’t tell him, but he can’t hide it forever since it’s not something bad “it has an aquarium built in because… my grandfather also found a merfolk injured in the shore of this beach where the house was built, he didn’t know where to place the mermaid so he made an aquarium for her, since the aquarium already has a passage like that which he never told me how and why it was connected to the ocean I assume it was for the mermaid so she can use it to go back to the ocean… my grandfather and that mermaid developed feelings for each other but the mermaid needed to go…” Kim Dokja’s breath hitched as he continued to tell his grandfather’s story to Yoo Joonghyuk.
“Then the mermaid never came back, my grandfather waited for years for that mermaid to fulfill her wish and return to him but she never did” Kim Dokja then released a heavy sigh, like the story was heartbreaking for him “it was the first and last story my grandfather told me before he died” the merman then mumbled an ‘oh’ when he heard it was the last story his grandfather told him “I’m sorry for your loss, I didn’t know” Kim Dokja then smiled at him to reassure him “It’s fine don’t worry, I just never had someone to re-tell my grandfather’s story; I’m glad you paid attention and listened”
Yoo Joonghyuk realized that he felt something odd whenever Kim Dokja smiled at him, he never understood human emotions… only hatred and anger towards the cruel ways of humanity but it was none of those he was feeling right now… it was something else, much stronger than his hatred for humans. What was it?
History does repeat itself…
It’s been several weeks since Yoo Joonghyuk decided to stay by Kim Dokja’s side, he never left and patiently waited for him in the aquarium whenever he was away to run an errand or simply out to buy something. Yoo Joonghyuk felt so attached to him he didn't know what to do at this point… “Kim Dokja… tell me, do you believe that beings can reincarnate once again?” the merman asks as he looks at the man’s eyes in front of him “I think… I mean there’s no harm in believing right?” Kim Dokja smiles as he focuses on what he was doing earlier, Yoo Joonghyuk pondered about something for a while before shrugging it off.
It has been exactly 3 weeks since Yoo Joonghyuk chose to stay with this human, he finds himself more curious and intrigued about the human who saved him… even though he found his kindness still odd he still wants to learn about him a little more, but the more he stayed the more he noticed how lonely this human was… that was the odd thing he was feeling from him. As he kept staring at Kim Dokja’s features he couldn't help but notice the gloomy void he had in his eyes… he never knew why because he was afraid that he might be overstepping something.
“Kim Dokja, I have been pondering over this silly thought of mine… why do you look so gloomy whenever I lay my eyes on you?” the merman finally asks which made the man startled and looked away hastily “so you noticed? I never knew you were so observant” he spoke accompanied by a chuckle “I’ve always been like this, don’t worry” he adds before smiling at the merman “who said I was worried? I was simply asking a question” Yoo Joonghyuk retorts before crossing his arms over his chest;
“Maybe it’s time I tell you?” Kim Dokja spoke which piqued Yoo Joonghyuk’s curiosity “what do you mean?” he asks as he placed his webbed hand on the glass of the aquarium “your mother, did she ever mention that she went to the surface like you did?” Kim Dokja asked making the merman gulped at the question “yes… why?” the man then sighed and faced the merman with a stern expression “I don’t think this is just a coincidence, remember the time when I asked your name and told you about my grandfather’s past? I think at some point you’re connected with the mermaid he rescued back then” Kim Dokja explains “and you look familiar… I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere as well…”
“Were you perhaps the merman that saved me when I almost drowned here in this beach?” Kim Dokja’s words struck the merman with shock his deduction was somewhat accurate but he never knew that he was the child he saved back then “I did save a child back when I was young together with my mother, I never actually thought it would be you” he mumbled lowly “does that mean my grandfather was also the one who named you?” Kim Dokja then placed his hand on the glass of the aquarium while looking a him with a stern expression;
“A merman like you can never have a Korean name, aren’t your kind supposed to be mythical and have some mysterious names? Maybe that’s the reason, my grandfather and your mother are connected after all…” Yoo Joonghyuk never thought that this guy would unravel the secret he was trying to solve as well back then, not just that but his deduction was also accurate.
Another week has passed since they have unraveled the truth behind themselves, Yoo Joonghyuk has noticed that he was starting to feel attached to this mysterious man; the lingering feelings when he first saw him underwater that night came crawling back to him… ever since the confrontation happened a week ago the merman noticed that Kim Dokja seemed to go down and visit his aquarium less, it made him wonder why but he chose to let him be to give him space.
“Kim Dokja, what does love feel like?” the merman asked the human a question not every human can answer, Kim Dokja thought hard ‘what does love feel like?’ “It feels… warm, whenever someone gives you love, it will feel warm… It can also make you feel safe and happy” Kim Dokja answered simply as he looked over to the merman that was inside the aquarium “so… then why do I feel loved by you?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked as he looked at Kim Dokja’s shocked expression “you make me feel safe, I feel warm and happy whenever you choose to visit the aquarium… that means it’s love right?” Kim Dokja inhaled sharply and smiled “yeah, it’s love…”
It was clear as crystal that these two have found warmth in each other’s presence, maybe one day if he was human they would meet again in another life when the two of them can permanently be together. He didn’t know where the merman went, maybe he finally left? No matter, he will stay hopeful that one day he’ll come back to him.
He was now walking around the beach when someone called out to him “Kim Dokja?”
“Yoo Joonghyuk, it’s nice to see you again. Are you getting used with your new appearance?”
“Yeah… but why can’t I see your face?”
“It’s because you’re adjusting to being human”
“Oh, is that so? I wish to see your face again, I guess I failed in this life as well, did I?”
“You’ll find me in another life, I promise”