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inkjam-moon · 1 month ago

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Red Sky (M) - Part Two

Summary: Jeongguk finally decides to let you help him search for a cure, but could it create more trouble than it's worth?

Pairing: Siren!Jeongguk x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Smut, Angst

Word Count: 14.5k (I STILL have nothing to say...)

TW: Sexually explicit content, mentions of suicide/death, physical altercation, drowning mentions, near death experience, drinking, verbal altercation, panic attack

The next morning when you wake up, you faintly remember Jeongguk carrying you to bed last night, and touch your cheek again as you think of it, smiling. You get up and change into clean clothes before heading out. As you open the door to your room, you smell… something? You look up to see Jeongguk standing in the kitchen and walk over to find out what he’s doing; surprised to find him cooking.

“Morning noona.” He greets without looking up.

“Morning. You’re cooking?” It’s more an observation than a question.

He nods. “Hyung taught me how to make a few things, it’s not much, but I figured rice and eggs would be okay?” He finally looks up at you and your stomach flutters for some reason at his smile. You beat the feeling down inside you before returning the smile.

“Sounds great.” You walk back over to the living room, wanting to pick up where you left off last night as you sit on the couch and pick up a few loose papers.

After a few minutes, Jeongguk walks over and places a plate full of food in front of you before sitting on the floor next to you. He watches you carefully for a few minutes as he eats before speaking.

“So, have you found anything yet?”

“Um, well, there’s about a million mentions of this cave? Someplace called… ‘Antrum Ventis’. Have you heard of it?”

“The Cave of the Wind? Of course.”

“Right, there’s supposed to be all kinds of things in there that might be able to help. We could start there?”

“I’ve already checked there.”

You purse your lips. “Well, maybe you didn’t know what to look for. We should try anyway.”

“There’s just one problem.”

“What now?” You sigh, thinking Jeongguk is being intentionally difficult.

“It’s at the bottom of a cave system, the entrance is in the ocean, and last time I checked, you can’t breathe underwater.”

“No, I can’t…” You admit, but perk up when you remember something. “But maybe I can.”

Jeongguk tilts his head in confusion. “How?”

Two hours later, you pull back up in front of the house where Jeongguk is waiting for you. The sun peeks rays through the cloud cover as you open the tailgate of the truck to show Jeongguk what you’ve got.

“Ta da!” You pull the equipment toward you.

“What… What is this?” He asks, reaching out to touch the tubes attached to the backpack.

“Scuba gear!” You explain. “Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. It hooks up to these oxygen tanks,” You tap the tanks, “and it’ll let me breathe underwater for a few hours.”

“Really?” His eyes go wide and you nod enthusiastically. “Okay, let’s go.”

After you change into your bathing suit, Jeongguk helps you lug the equipment down past the lighthouse to a narrow staircase that heads down the cliffside. It leads you to a dock where a small boat with an electric motor is tied. Jeongguk loads your equipment into the boat before jumping in and making himself comfortable next to the motor. You climb in with him, sitting down on the seat in front of him. When you’re situated, Jeongguk starts the motor.

“Are you ready?” He asks. You nod and Jeongguk unties the boat from the dock before you both begin to zip away into the water.

As Jeongguk drives the boat to the cave entrance, you busy yourself with readying the equipment you borrowed from Donghyun. You slide on the scuba jacket that you borrowed from Saki before setting up your tanks and checking your regulator. When everything is ready to go, you finally look up to see the island sinking away into the distance.

“How far out is it?” You turn and ask as the wind whips your hair around your face.

“About two miles. You’ll see the marker when we get closer.” Jeongguk states, his eyes focused on the horizon as he navigates without any equipment.

“How do you know where you’re going?”

Jeongguk smiles at this and points upwards. “The same way the sailors used to. The sky.” You look up at the cloud cover, your eyes drawn to the few rays that poke through, beaming down into the deep blue waves.

After a few more minutes, you start to see a shape sticking out of the sea in the distance, and as you get closer, you see it’s a large outcropping of rock. You point at it in question and Jeongguk nods. He was right; he knew exactly where he was going.

You pull up next to the outcropping, and Jeongguk anchors the boat before tying it to a hook jutting out from the rocks to secure it. Small waves lap at the boat as Jeongguk helps you into your scuba gear, clicking all the buckles shut and tightening them before securing your goggles on your forehead and testing your regulator to make sure the oxygen is flowing.

“Okay, everything’s good.” You state.

“Are you ready?” Jeongguk asks.

“Let’s go.” You nod.

Jeongguk stands and whips his shirt off over his head, dropping it into the boat. Your eyes go wide as he hooks his thumbs in the waistband of his shorts.

“Wait!” You exclaim, causing him to stop and look up at you before he can pull them down. “A-are you going to pop a tail or something?”

He smirks at this. “Are you afraid?”

“No.” You roll your eyes. “I just want to be prepared.”

“Guess you’ll have to wait and see.” With that, he turns away from you, exposing his ass to you as he slides down his shorts before diving head first into the water, splashing you lightly.

“Jeongguk?” You lean over the side of the boat, searching the water for him until he pops up right in front of your face, nearly scaring you half to death as you fall back into the boat. “Fuck!”

Jeongguk giggles, resting his arms on the side of the boat. “Are you coming?”

You smack him in the head with one of your flippers before perching yourself on the edge of the boat, pulling your goggles down over your eyes and sticking your regulator into your mouth before allowing yourself to fall backwards into the water.

It takes a second for you to orient yourself, pushing away from the boat as you look around. It’s pretty shallow here, maybe only 12 or so feet. You feel a hand on your arm and turn to see Jeongguk next to you. His hair floats in the water around him, his smile bright. Your eyes trail down his toned chest out of curiosity, and sure enough when you get to his waist, you see the beginning of it; Jeongguk’s tail. It looks to be a dark shimmery copper color with highlights of deep gold and amber fading into a dark brown and black towards the rather large tailfin. His tail looks absurdly strong, pure muscle rippling in the light of the waters.

“Is everything okay?” He questions, trying to get your intense gaze on his face instead of his body.

You nod, giving him the okay sign with your fingers. He motions for you to swim with him and you follow along past a large school of fish and over to a large gaping hole in the ocean floor.

“This is the entrance.” He holds out his hand to you. “It gets dark, and the current can be pretty strong. I’ll be able to see, but I don’t want you to get separated from me.”

You take his hand, nodding your readiness.

“Stay close, noona.”

You squeeze his hand in assurance, taking out your flashlight with the other and flicking it on as Jeongguk leads you into the darkness.

Jeongguk was right, the cave system is dark, and if Jeongguk wasn’t holding your hand, swimming against the strong currents, you would never be able to make it down here. You keep going deeper and deeper, turning several corners, you’re having a hard time getting your bearings, and you’re not sure how Jeongguk knows where he’s going as you start to feel a little claustrophobic, but he assures you that if it was easy to get to, it wouldn’t have what you need. You keep an eye on your air level, trying to calm yourself, knowing that if you start to panic you’ll use up your air a lot faster and you only brought two tanks. You’re already at only 50 bar; you’re going to have to surface, or change tanks soon.

How long have you been swimming? As you go to check your watch, your flashlight goes out. You squeeze Jeongguk’s hand twice, signaling a problem and he stops, you feel him grab your shoulders.

“What is it?”

You wave the flashlight in front of his face.

He smiles, “Close your eyes.” You give him the hand signal for Why? “Just trust me.” You do as he says quickly, not having much time to waste, and close your eyes. After a few moments he speaks again. “Okay, open.”

You open your eyes and realize there’s some sort of dim light illuminating the cave around you. It takes you a moment before you notice, it’s coming from Jeongguk. He’s… He’s glowing? His tail has some sort of bioluminescence that lights up the water around you. It’s so… beautiful, like the soft glow of fireflies at dusk. You float there, temporarily awestruck by him; amazed at the moment you’re in; the two of you swimming in a cave underground, practically chest to chest as Jeongguk lights up the area around you. “Come on, we’re almost there.” He grabs your hand again, wrenching you out of the moment as he pulls you further in.

Suddenly as you swim, you’re moving up, and up, the area around you growing lighter and wider. The walls of the cave are a dark grey now, and small fish flit about the corals that grow here, everything suddenly bright and colorful, strikingly beautiful the farther up you go until suddenly you pop up out of a hole and into what looks like a picturesque fish bowl, aquatic plants waving gently in some invisible current, sunlight streaming down through the water and shining on colored fish as they dash between plants. Jeongguk points up and you follow him, swimming upwards and finally breaking through the surface.

You spit out your regulator and breathe in the fresh air, taking off your goggles as Jeongguk’s head erupts from the water, his hair slicked back off his face.

“Welcome to Antrum Ventis.” Jeongguk smiles at you.

“Wow,” You gasp, looking around. There are several holes in the roof of the cave where sunlight shines in. The water leads to a small rocky shore, and on that shore, filling the cave from wall to wall, are piles and piles of treasures. It looks straight out of a pirate movie. Gold, silver, books, chests, furniture, paintings; anything you can imagine sits in front of you.

Jeongguk swims over to the shore and sits himself on the rocky edge, his tail dangling into the water below as small waves lap at him. You swim over, taking off your gear and handing it to him before hoisting yourself up on the ledge next to him, looking around the cave.

“What is this place?” You ask as you stand up.

“It’s sort of a… special place for Ineo.” Jeongguk explains. “It’s where they hide their treasure; old relics, things from the ships they sink, things they find.” You walk up to an old mirror and run your hands over the jewels hanging from it, listening to the way they clink against the glass.

“What if someone finds us here?”

“Impossible.” Jeongguk shakes his head, his tail flicking in the water.

“What do you mean impossible, if this place is so special-”

“I’m kind of the only one who knows where it is…” Jeongguk admits.

You turn and stare at him, blinking in confusion. “What?”

He sighs. “When Yeongsu went on his rampage, it wasn’t just humans he killed. He killed Ineo first. When he ran out of Ineo, that’s when he turned to humans. Aside from the elders, who are protected and never leave their thrones, I was the only one that was spared. New Ineo aren’t told where this cave is for at least twenty years, and those who lose their humanity forget about it, so I’m the only one who knows where it is.”

“Right… Well, are you going to come help me look?”

“You want me to get out of the water? I didn’t bring any clothes…”

Your face flushes hot at the thought of having to keep Jeongguk’s naked form out of view. You look around, finding a cloth tapestry and tossing it at him. “Use this, come on.”

You turn away, listening to Jeongguk get out of the water and waiting for him to wrap the tapestry around himself so you aren’t tempted to look as you begin searching for something that might help cure him.

“So what exactly are we looking for?” Jeongguk asks, strolling past you to dig through some chests. “Some sort of magical item?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” You wave him off. “One of the books said that there are written records. Records from the beginnings of the Ineo. They could have a cure in them.”

“So a magic book?” Jeongguk teases. You offer him only the most scalding side-eye you can muster before continuing to search the pile of books in front of you.

The two of you search for what feels like hours, but you’re unsure how much time actually passes. You dig through chests, trunks, piles of books, behind furniture, under piles of jewels, inside vases, and behind paintings. After a while, you sit down in a huff, worried that you won't find anything, and Jeongguk might be stuck like this, but as you push your hair out of your face and look up, you notice a hole in the wall, just above your standing eyeline, and if you tilt your head just right, you think you can see something inside it.

“Jeongguk,”

“Hm?” He pops up from behind a pile of gold coins. He watches as you stand and make your way over to the wall.

“Grab me something to stand on.”

Jeongguk grabs one of the now empty chests and drags it over to you. “What is it?”

“There’s something in there.” You point at the hole before climbing up on the trunk.

You stretch and stretch, but it’s still out of your reach. Jeongguk jumps up next to you and tries as well, but he can’t get to it either.

“Let me lift you.” He says, holding his arms out to you.

“What? Are you crazy?”

“Do you want to see what it is or not? Don’t you trust me?”

“Fine.” You spin toward the wall and Jeongguk grabs your hips, lifting you into the air with ease. You reach your arms up again. “Just a little higher…” He puts you down again, this time wrapping his arms around your legs and then lifting you higher than before. Your fingers are just able to graze what’s inside, quickly dragging everything you can to the edge of the hole and grabbing hold of it all. “Got it!”

Jeongguk carefully lowers you until your feet are on the trunk with him again, and then you both jump down onto the floor. You take everything over to the table and spread it out; two scrolls, a hand mirror, and a book. Jeongguk opens the scrolls to find both are paintings, and you blow the dust of the book to reveal an old, handwritten title; Ineo: Oceani Immortalitate.

“The Ocean’s Immortality. Jeongguk,” You look up at him. “This is it.” You walk over to one of the beams of sunlight and sit on the ground, cracking the book open as Jeongguk looks over your shoulder. You skim through page after page, telling tales of the Ineo’s beginnings and why the ocean created them, until about halfway through the book you get to the section you’re looking for titled Oceanum Maledictionem. The Ocean’s Curse. There’s only half a page of scrawled handwriting beneath the title and you take a deep breath, hoping it will tell you something useful.

Though the ocean’s curse is strong, there is a way to defy her gift. One must find that which we Ineo do not naturally come by. Though the allure of our voices is irresistible, in order to return from whence we came, an Ineo must find someone to redeem them of their sins; someone that wants them beyond their enchanting voice. That is to say, an Ineo could fully regain their humanity, if a human were to truly love them, but aside from the fact that human fraternization is forbidden by the elders, no matter how we’ve tried, no one can see beyond our voices. It is a useless venture for any Ineo to take upon themselves. It will only end in the despair we are so used to…

“What does it say?”

“It says… love.”

“What?”

You read him the words. “An Ineo could fully regain their humanity if a human were to truly love them.” You point to it and Jeongguk takes the book from you, reading over the paragraph for himself.

“It says it doesn’t work.”

“We don’t know that-”

“It says it right here! It will only end in despair!” Jeongguk slams the book shut and stands up. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try.” You point out.

He scoffs. “Who? Hm? Who on this fucking island is going to love me, huh? Name one person who doesn’t already hate me for being what I am!”

“Well, maybe we can go to the mainland and-”

“I can’t leave the island. It’s part of the curse, I can’t leave the water for that long I’ll die.”

“But we can try and find another way. W-we could always-”

“Just face it, Y/N.” Jeongguk stops you, standing on the edge of the rock. “I’m stuck like this.” And with that he jumps into the water, the tapestry floating up to the surface where he dove in. You stand and walk over to the edge, searching for him. As you retrieve the tapestry.

“Come on,” He pops his head back up above the surface. “We should head back.”

“Jeongguk-”

“Please.” Jeongguk says softly. “Let’s just go home.”

You nod. “Okay…”

You grab your waterproof bag and stuff the book, the mirror, and a few other things into it before sealing it back up. Jeongguk floats in the water, staring up at the holes in the roof as you switch out your oxygen tanks. When you’re done, you slip the tanks on and jump back into the water, tightening the buckles before sliding on your goggles and checking your regulator. You take one last look at the cave for your memories and then signal to Jeongguk. “Let’s go.”

Jeongguk takes your hand and you head back down into the entrance to the labyrinth below. Jeongguk’s bioluminescence is dim this time, making it much harder for you to see, so you allow Jeongguk to just tug you along with him as he navigates the tunnels. Your mind is preoccupied anyway, thinking of ways you could break Jeongguk’s curse.

It isn’t until your oxygen meter beeps at you, signaling that you’re low on air, that you’re pulled out of your thoughts. You must be traveling a lot slower than you were on the way in. You squeeze Jeongguk’s hand twice and he stops. You show him you’re already at 30 bar and signal to him; that’s less than ten minutes of air.

Jeongguk’s eyes go wide, seeing the panic on your face, he grabs you with both arms, wrapping them around you as his tail whips behind you, sending the two of you off faster than you’ve seen him swim before. He holds you tightly as he navigates the tight corners of the tunnels, hurrying to get you to the surface. You can only sit, your face tucked into Jeongguk’s shoulder as you watch your oxygen meter slowly decrease.

25…

20…

15…

10…

Soon the readout just says ‘low’; you take short, measured breaths, trying to conserve your oxygen. You take your last breath before you run out of air, squeezing Jeongguk tightly.

“Noona! Hold on!” Jeongguk swims as fast as he can, the tunnel growing lighter as things start to go fuzzy.

Suddenly Jeongguk erupts from the entrance to the caves, rushing to the surface as you start to go limp in his arms, your regulator floating beside you. He bursts up through the water, holding you against him as you gasp, inhaling deeply and filling your lungs with sweet, sweet oxygen.

“Are you alright?” you nod, slipping out of Jeongguk’s grip and sinking back below the waves for a moment until he catches you and holds you out of the water again. He carries you over to the boat as you splutter, helping you into it. You close your eyes as you lay in between the seats, trying to calm your breathing as you hear Jeongguk climb in beside you. “Noona, I’m sorry.” You open your eyes to see Jeongguk leaning over you, tugging his shirt on. “I wasn’t paying attention to the time.”

“It’s okay.” You wave him off as you sit up.

“No, it’s not. I was careless, you could’ve died!”

“Hey, I’m right here.” You put your hands on his shoulders to help calm him down. “It’s alright.” You unbuckle your tanks and let them fall into the boat before unzipping your scuba jacket. “But let’s not do that again.” You add.

Jeongguk nods as he moves back towards the motor. You twirl the medallion of your necklace in your fingers as Jeongguk pulls up the anchor and unties you from the rocks, starting the boat and steering you back towards shore.

You’re exhausted as you walk back up the steps of the cliff, trudging your way back to the house. Jeongguk leaves your gear on the front porch as you unlock the front door. You grab the waterproof bag with your new items in it and are just about to cross the threshold when you hear something.

It’s that voice again. The melodious song fills your ears and Jeongguk’s eyes go wide as you look at him.

“You hear it too?”

“Get inside.” Jeongguk shoves you over the threshold and slams the door shut behind you.

“Hey, what the hell?” You rub your shoulder where he pushed you. He doesn’t respond. He’s too busy turning on the tv and increasing the volume to drown out the singing. “Jeongguk, what is that?”

“It’s bad news.”

“Wait, is that another Ineo?” You ask as you kick off your shoes.

“Don’t listen to it!” He exclaims, dragging you away from the front door.

“I don’t think-”

“Just go to the bathroom. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out.” He starts pushing you toward the bathroom.

“But I already-” You turn to face him, forcing him to stop pushing you.

“Y/N- you can’t ever listen to it. You can’t ever speak to them. They’ll kill you.”

“Will you listen to me for a second?” You smack his shoulder. “I’m trying to tell you I've already heard this.”

He’s listening now. “When?”

“Yesterday, I was down at the docks getting gas and-”

“You were alone??”

You roll your eyes. “Yes, and look, nothing happened.”

“Wait,” He pauses, looking you over. “You remember it?”

“Um, yes?”

“Noona,” He leans closer to you, now looking very obviously at your chest.

“Um-”

“Where did you get this?” His hand reaches out and he grabs the necklace nestled between your décolletage, rubbing the medallion between his fingers.

“Hogeun sent it to me.” You explain. “A few weeks before he died. He told me he found it when he was fishing one day.”

“I gave this to him.” Jeongguk states, his thumb twirling the gold metal.

“You did?”

“It was my mother’s. It’s from the Cave of the Wind too; it’s like an Ineo relic. ” Jeongguk lets it go.

“Really?”

“Were you wearing this yesterday?”

“Of course.” You nod. “I always have it on.”

“That doesn’t make sense…” He whispers, dropping the necklace as he thinks out loud. “Then you shouldn’t have…”

“I shouldn’t have what?”

He looks back up at you. “The other night, when you walked in on me in the shower, were you wearing it then?”

“Hm? Oh, um…” You think back. “No, I took it off and it fell on the floor. I remember picking it up before I went to bed.”

“So it really does work.”

“Will you tell me what’s going on?”

Jeongguk sighs. “That singing you heard just now, and yesterday, that’s an Ineo. They were trying to lure you into the water.”

“W-why didn’t it work?”

Jeongguk points at your chest. “The necklace. It’s meant for protection. It’s supposed to make it so the wearer isn’t affected by an Ineo’s song.”

Your hand moves to grab the necklace automatically. “I-it is?”

“If it didn’t work and you really did hear that yesterday, you… You would be dead right now.”

You swallow hard. You hadn’t realized how much danger you were in already. “Wait, so that night in the shower?”

Jeongguk hangs his head. “I didn’t think you could hear me. I thought I was being quiet enough.”

“What would have happened…?”

“Nothing!” Jeongguk moves to reassure you. “I wouldn't have done anything, I promise.”

You eye him with caution, but you see the sincerity in his gaze, and above all else, after today; you really do trust him. You place the waterproof bag in his hands. “I’m going to take a shower, add this stuff to our collection and see if you can find anything else out of that book.”

“Right.”

“I’ll make dinner when I get out.” You call over your shoulder before shutting the bathroom door behind you.

You take a second to rest back against the door, letting out a long sigh before you start up the shower. As the water heats up, you look at yourself in the mirror; hair waved from the combination of salt and wind, skin slightly tanned from being out in the sun; necklace dangling from your neck. You lift the necklace and study it, knowing now the origins of such a beautiful piece. It’s a gold chain, a golden medallion with the imprint of a mermaid, or you suppose an Ineo, hangs from it, and a single large pearl dangles from the medallion. It belongs with the rest of the jewelry inside that cave and yet here it rests in your hands.

You leave it on, stripping out of your swimsuit before stepping into the tub and under the warm water of the shower. He said it belonged to his mother. You wonder what she was like. If she meant to bring a child into such a harsh world, if she knew what would happen to her mate. Would she like you? Would she agree with what Jeongguk was trying to do in finding a cure? What would she think? You can only imagine what your own mother would think if she found out everything your uncle talked about was real. You know exactly how she would react to Jeongguk, and what she would say if she found out you had been living alone with a strange man since you arrived here.

You find your mind wandering to Jeongguk today; how he trusted you enough to show you his true form, tail and all. He was even more graceful and beautiful in the water than you could’ve imagined. Your mind flashes to the image of him jumping out of the boat, his bare ass facing you, and you giggle. Even like that, he was gorgeous.

You’re torn. You know you’re going to have to leave the island eventually and go back to your real life, no matter how much you don’t want to, but even then, Jeongguk can’t leave the waters around this island for very long. What will he do once you leave? Will he be able to find another cure? Will he be able to survive out here on his own? On land? Will the islanders be kind to him? You can’t help but think of the night of your uncle’s memorial, how cruel that man was to Jeongguk. Even Donghyun and Saki, while they’re kind to him, you can tell they don’t really know what to do about him.

And honesty, neither do you…

When you’re finished you turn off the water, stepping out of the tub and drying yourself off. You dry your hair quickly before wrapping a towel tightly around you and leaving the bathroom. You see Jeongguk on the couch as you walk to your room; shutting the door and changing into some comfortable clothes before heading back out. You hang the towel up in the bathroom before padding into the kitchen, trying to decide what you want to eat, but you notice the stove is hot, and something smells like cooked food.

“Jeongguk did you-” You stop short when you look over at him to see he has two warm bowls of stew set on the table in front of the tv as he waits for you. “What- You cooked again?”

He nods. “I used one of hyung’s old recipes. He taught me how to make it.”

“Really?” You ask, taking your seat next to him on the couch to see what looks like kimchi stew in the bowls.

“I wanted to apologize again, for being so careless today.”

“Jeongguk please-”

“I really am sorry.” He takes your hands in his. “I was just so upset about what we found.”

“I know, Jeongguk. But thanks to you, I’m still here.” You point out. He smiles softly in acknowledgment before picking up his bowl.

The two of you eat, silent except for the sounds of the tv in front of you. When you’re finished, you place your bowl back on the table and notice the book and the hand mirror laid out next to your bowl.

“Did you find anything else in the book?” You ask, grabbing it off the table and cracking it open in your lap.

“Not much, just some stuff about this mirror.”

“Oh? Is it special?”

He nods. “It’s supposed to show you your future, but I think it’s broken.” He picks the mirror up. “I can’t get it to work.”

“Wait, it shows you the future?”

“No, just specifically tailored to you. Here,” He puts the mirror back down before taking the book from you. He flips through several pages until he finds what he’s looking for. He points to the paragraph and reads, “The Mirror of Sinjike is intended to show the user that which they cannot see. The mirror is enabled to describe the near or far future pertaining specifically to the lifeline of the user, they need only ask the right question.”

“What’s the question?”

“I’m not sure… It doesn’t say anything else about it.”

“Huh…” You pick the mirror up and turn it over in your hands. It looks like an ordinary mirror to you. “Well, we can look at it more tomorrow. I’m exhausted.” You stand up, grabbing your bowl and taking it over to the sink and Jeongguk follows. You rinse it out before heading back towards your room.

“Goodnight, noona.”

You turn and smile as you move to close your door. “Sweet dreams Kook. Thank you for saving me today.” And before he can apologize again, you shut the door.

You went to bed super early last night, so it's no surprise that you wake up before the sun rises. You sigh, knowing you won’t be able to fall back asleep with how wide awake you feel, and sit up, checking your phone to see a text from your mother, asking when you’ll be returning home. You don’t open it, not wanting her to know you’ve seen it, or she’ll just keep bothering you. Instead, you put your phone face down on the nightstand and climb out of bed, slipping into some clothes and heading out to the living room.

You don’t feel like watching tv… or anything really. You spot the book where you left it last night and walk over to grab it and the mirror, deciding to go for a walk.

You stuff both items into your bag and slip on some shoes, grabbing a flashlight and a sweatshirt before walking outside. It’s dark as you shut the door behind you, the dawn still a ways off. Just below the cloud cover, between that and the horizon, you can see a layer of stars shining brightly. You slide the sweatshirt over your head as you begin to walk towards the lighthouse, taking your time and enjoying the early morning sounds of crickets and birds just waking up.

You walk along the cliffs for a bit, following the path down through the forest, listening to the waves crash below you as you wander. You should’ve brought your phone so you could take pictures, but you didn’t think about it. You feel the weight of the book in your bag and take it out, flipping aimlessly through the pages. You circle back to the lighthouse just as dawn begins to break over the sea, casting a bright orange glow over the grass as it rises. You climb the lighthouse stairs to the very top, seating yourself on the observation deck as you take out the mirror.

It’s a simple round mirror, laid in silver filigree that traces over the backside and then down along the handle. You study it closely in the dim light of the rising sun; searching for any sort of word or clue as to how it’s supposed to work, but nothing catches your eye.

You open the book once more, searching for the page Jeongguk showed you last night. You finally find it and delicately flatten the frail page with your palm. It shows a detailed drawing of the mirror at the top, with the name printed in a script different from that of the curse page, showing that this was added by a different person. Unfortunately, the words Jeongguk read to you are the only other thing on the page.

“they need only ask the right question…” You mumble to yourself. It’s supposed to show you the future, right? It can’t be that simple, can it? You pick up the mirror and hold it in front of you, to look inside it. “Can you show me the future?”

Nothing. Figures. You try all kinds of questions, changing the vernacular around to try and get it to work. “Will you show me the future? What does my future look like? Can I see my future?” Nothing seems to be working. You reread the passage over and over, searching for some sort of clue in the wording as the sun finally begins to peek over the horizon.

The Mirror of Sinjike is intended to show the user that which they cannot see.

Wait a second. Hmm… You wonder.

You hold the mirror up again, taking a deep breath. “Sinjike, will you show me that which I cannot see?”

Suddenly, your reflection changes in the glass, turning into fog that swirls around in a circle, as if it’s waiting for you to say something else. You read the passage again.

The mirror is enabled to describe the near or far future pertaining specifically to the lifeline of the user, they need only ask the right question.

“Near.” You say to the mirror.

The fog vanishes, and it’s replaced by an image.

It shows you, sitting in the lighthouse where you are now, but it zooms out, showing someone else climbing the stairs to the observation deck to join you as the sun fully crests the horizon; Jeongguk. And then the image fades away, and you’re staring at your reflection again.

You’re ecstatic. You finally got it to work. You want to try it again, to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke, but you don’t know if there’s a limit to how many times per person, or per day, that it works. That’s when you hear the soft crunch of bare feet on grass. You look to the horizon to see the sun cresting over the sea, bathing the sky in bloody shades of red. Your heart thunks in your chest, you know that a red sky has an ominous, foreboding meaning behind it. Those who live on the sea have always agreed that skies that turn red in the morning hours are sure signs of impending troubles.

You hear Jeongguk behind you and turn to greet him, but his eyes are also trained on the warning signs of the sky.

“Red sky…” He comments, turning to look at you. “Storm’s coming.”

You nod, “I have good news though.”

“Oh?” He sits down next to you, observing the things in your hands and perks up. “Wait, did you figure out the mirror?”

“Mhm! Here,” You hand it to him. “You have to ask to be shown what you can’t see, and then you have to choose the near or far future.”

“What did you see?”

You chuckle. “I chose near, and it showed me you just now walking up here to find me. You should try now!”

“Right, right okay.” He holds the mirror up in front of him, taking a deep breath much like you did before. “Show me what I cannot see, far.”

The mirror swirls again, fading quickly this time into an image of Jeongguk what looks to be a few years from now; out on a boat with someone. He’s smiling and laughing. He jumps in the water without taking his clothes off, and a few moments later, he pops up, floating in water, swimsuit still intact, no tail in sight.

“Oh my god…” He whispers. “I-I’m cured?”

“It looks like it.” You agree. The image stays on him playing in the water for a few moments before it swirls away and shows his reflection again. “See, I told you we’d find a cure.”

Jeongguk smiles before suddenly wrapping you in his arms, squeezing you tightly. “I can’t believe I’m going to be normal; finally. Thank you, noona.”

“Of course.”

“Did you look at your far future?” He asks, pulling back.

“No, not yet.”

“Don’t you want to know?”

You do, but you’re also afraid. Afraid it will show you working under your father for the rest of your life.

“I won’t watch if it makes you feel better.”

Might as well know now. “Thanks.” Jeongguk hands you the mirror, and then looks away as you repeat the phrase. “Show me what I cannot see. Far.”

The mirror swirls before showing a picturesque scene on top of a hill. It shows you running, laughing in the light of a summer sunset as you hold up your camera to face what’s coming after you, then in the corner of the frame it shows a familiar frame chasing after you with bare feet.

Jeongguk.

You gasp, watching intently as he catches up to you, the lighthouse you’re sitting on appearing in the frame as he wraps you in his arms, picking you up and swinging you around as you squeal in delight. He places you back on the ground, and leans down, capturing your lips with his when suddenly a child appears in the image, walking up to both of you, arms open wide. Jeongguk picks her up, and you both place a kiss on her cheeks as you walk back toward the house. The child, a spitting image of Jeongguk.

And then your reflection is staring back at you, a tear running down your cheek. You quickly move to wipe the evidence of tears away as you put the mirror down.

“Well?” Jeongguk waits impatiently for you to tell him what you saw, but you can’t look at him, staring out at the sky as it fades from red to oranges and pinks. “Noona? Is everything alright?”

You nod. “Of course, just something I wasn’t expecting.”

“A happy ending at least?”

“Very happy.”

“Good. I’m glad we both get what we want.” He smiles at you and your heart flutters. “Are you hungry?”

The two of you make your way back to the house and Jeongguk makes you a quick breakfast while the images from the mirror shine in the forefront of your mind. Was the mirror trying to tell you something? Do you need to actually admit the feelings that have been growing that you’ve been repressing for several days now? Are you… the one that can free Jeongguk of his curse? But how? Do you really end up together?

So many questions run through your mind that when Jeongguk places a plate in front of you on the table, it makes you jump. He eyes you suspiciously, but doesn’t say anything, choosing to simply sit down and eat instead.

After breakfast, Jeongguk sits himself down in front of the tv. You try doing the same, picking up the book to read through it again, but you can’t sit still, too much on your mind. You decide to busy yourself with sorting, but that doesn’t do anything to soothe you either. You decide you need to get out of the house. You tell Jeongguk you have to run out for a bit, and he offers to come, but you tell him he should stay this time. He seems hurt, but listens, waving as you walk out the door and asking you to pick up more sweet cakes if you go to the store.

Dark clouds are gathering out over the ocean, still a ways off as you haul your borrowed scuba gear into the truck before climbing in the driver's seat and starting it. Might as well bring this stuff back while you have the chance.

You pull up in front of Donghyun and Saki’s house, putting the truck in park before grabbing the gear out the back. The rain is looming closer as you walk up to the door and knock, but no one seems to be home. You leave the gear on the porch and start to walk back to the truck when someone calls after you.

“Evening missy!”

You look across the street to see a figure walking toward you. Oh god, not the crazy guy from the bar. “Hello.” You wave politely as you open the door to your truck, trying to get away from him as quickly as you can.

“How the fish boy treatin’ ya?”

Wait a minute. He might not actually be crazy. You wonder if he could know anything helpful. “You’re, Hajoon, right?” You ask, turning toward him.

“Aye, that’s me.” He nods as he walks up, leaning against the bed of the truck. “You heard stories ‘bout how crazy I be yet?”

You rub the back of your neck, light shame dusting your cheeks pink. “Something like that…”

He chuckles. “It’s alright missy, ain’t nothing I ain’t already heard.”

“My name’s Y/N.”

“Oh I know. Hogeun used to talk ‘bout ‘cha all the time.”

“Did you know my uncle well?”

“Of course. I was the first one to hire him. Worked on my boat fer five years.”

This is news to you. “Did you guys ever talk about… uh, well…” It’s still strange for you to say it outloud.

“The merfolk? Who do ya think gave him all them books?”

“How do you know so much about them?”

Hajoon takes off his hat and holds it over his heart, smiling fondly at some sort of memory. “I fell in love with one once, a long time ago.”

“Really?”

He nods. “She meant the worl’ to me.”

“What happened?”

His eyes go dark. “Her people found out she was seein’ me, they took things into their own hands, an’ had ‘er killed fer meetin’ a human.”

“I’m so sorry.” You bow your head, your mind immediately moving to Jeongguk; what if he’s next?

“You best hold that boy tight missy.” He puts a hand on your shoulder. “Don’t let ‘em take him from ya.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“I read something the other day that said ‘an Ineo could fully regain their humanity, if a human were to truly love them’. Do you know how to do that? To… to make him human? Did you ever try it?”

He smiles bittersweetly. “I do, but ya don’t want the answer.”

“Please, I do. I want to help him.”

He looks down at the ground before looking off into the distance, avoiding your gaze. “I’ll give ya a hint. The ultimate show of love for one of ‘em… Is a sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice? What-”

“Think of what you would give up to be with him. That’s your answer.” He starts to walk away. “Better spend as much time with him as ya can, missy. I seen ‘em around the docks; they’ll be after ya’s soon enough.”

It’s silent as you mull over his words, wondering what exactly he means as you watch him turn the corner and head to the bar. You climb into your truck, sitting for a moment before his last words hit you like a brick to the face. They already know. It’s only a matter of time before they try to take him away.

It’s time to admit your feelings to Jeongguk.

It’s just started to rain as you start the truck up, driving a little bit faster than you probably should as you head back to the house, working up the courage and thinking of what you’re going to say as you drive. The tires skid as you pull up and park, the rain falling in sheets as you yank the keys out, rushing out of the truck to get to the front door, the downpour soaking you in the short walk to the house.

“Jeongguk!” You call out as you open the door and kick off your shoes, searching for the only person you want to see as you shut the door behind you.

He emerges from his room, his eyes widening at your soaked state. “Noona, you’re back already?”

You forget every single word you thought about in the car as you hurry over to him. You gaze up into his warm brown eyes, as wide as the sea is vast, before you lean forward, wrapping your arms around his neck as you press your lips against his for the first time.

He’s unsure how to react for a solid minute until he relaxes into your hold, grabbing your waist and pulling you closer to him as he finally returns the kiss. You’re greedy, hands finding his hair and tugging gently, eliciting the most delicious sounds from the back of his throat. You push him backwards, guiding him into his room until his knees hit the bed and he falls back. You waste no time climbing on top of him, pulling your sweatshirt off over your head and tossing it to the side as you straddle his waist.

Jeongguk sits up, pulling you back to his mouth, he tilts his head this time, deepening the kiss as you flick your tongue against his bottom lip, begging for access, which he grants, surprised by how eager you are as your tongue finds its way into his mouth, flicking against his own as he groans softly against you.

His hands slide along your back up under your shirt, caressing your skin gently as you pull him closer to you, loving the way his lips feel on yours, your body growing hotter by the second. You slide your hands under his shirt, tugging on it until he helps you slide it off of his body and onto the floor. Before he can return to your lips, you yank your own shirt off with haste, wanting to feel his bare skin against yours as soon as possible. You pull him back to you, your lips latching onto his neck before tracing their way up to his jaw, pressing light kisses against him as you find your way back to his mouth.

Jeongguk’s kiss is more aggressive now; he pulls your hips down against him as his tongue slips past your defenses, making your body shiver with pleasure as you feel the beginnings of his erection against you. You press your torso against his, feeling the unusual coolness of his skin against your feverish, desperate warmth.

His hands follow the curve of your spine up to the clasp of your bra, fumbling with it for a moment until it comes undone, he moves his mouth to follow the strap down your shoulder, leaving hot kisses in his wake as he tugs the garment off of your body. He deposits it on the floor, your bodies still pressed together as he looks up at you, his hands squeezing your waist again.

“Noona, I-”

“Shhh…” You quiet him with another simple kiss before mumbling against his lips. “You don’t have to say anything.”

His mouth returns to yours as he flips you underneath him, and then it begins to wander, across to your jaw, down your neck and shoulder, before sliding down your chest to your breasts. Jeongguk’s hands move up to cup them, rubbing his thumbs over them gently and then leaning down, flicking his tongue across each nipple, gauging your reaction as you moan softly in response to his touch. His kisses continue south, across your abdomen until he comes to the waistband of your jeans. You watch him, breathless as he pops open the button and then tugs the zipper down.

He grabs your jeans and underwear, slowly tugging them both down your legs, kissing them all the way down, before dropping the clothing on the floor with the rest. His mouth traces back up your legs, just barely brushing the insides of your thighs as he slides one of his hands up and around the backs of them, squeezing your ass tightly as he gently spreads your legs with the other, situating himself between them as he climbs back up your body, kiss by kiss, touch by touch, until he finds your lips again, connecting to them with a sort of urgency.

You’re already a mess, you can feel yourself dripping onto the sheets beneath you as you wait. His teeth graze the spot beneath your ear, and your hips buck up into his waiting hand. He cups you gently, his long, slender fingers sliding between your folds in an exploration, wanting to know what spots have you coming undone the fastest. Your hands grab onto his shoulders as he circles your clit clumsily, constantly rubbing across it when his fingers slip in your wetness with inexperience, causing you to whimper into his hair.

Finally, finally you feel his fingers wander lower, searching for more spots. He traces over your entrance, collecting your juices before the tips of his two fingers slide into you. He quickly pulls them out when you moan, checking to make sure he didn’t hurt you, but when he sees the flush adorning your face, he quickly understands, finding your entrance again and purposely slipping his index and middle fingers back inside you, as deep as they will go, following the curve of your core.

“Fuck…” You whine, gripping his arm and trying to move it. “L-like this.”

He learns quickly, but moves slowly, pumping his fingers in and out of you at an agonizing pace, but even so, it feels so good, too good. He watches your face twist with pleasure, relishing in the sounds you make as he presses his hips against your side, searching for relief of his own. You slide a hand down his body, brushing against his hard length to locate it and then squeezing the tip.

The sound that leaves Jeongguk’s mouth has you tightening around his fingers as he buries his face in your neck. You can feel the desperation in his movements as he thrusts faster inside you, but it’s not enough. Your body aches to feel him fill you.

“J-Jeongguk~” You whine, pawing at his sweatpants, silently begging him to take them off. He sits up in question, his hand stilling between your legs. You smile up at him, grabbing his arm and pulling his fingers out of you, bringing them up to your face and sucking them into your mouth so you can clean up your mess.

He can’t resist, leaning down and kissing you, fingers and all, both of your tongues flicking out to grab a taste of you. You tug at his pants again, and he seems to get the message, using his now clean fingers to remove his sweats. You’re surprised to see he has no boxers on, watching his cock spring free as soon as his sweats drop to his knees. Your mouth waters at the sight of his pleasant thickness.

When his pants hit the ground, he looks back up at you, suddenly shy as his hands move to cover his indecency. You smile warmly, guiding him back between your legs and pulling him down for a soft kiss as you reach a hand between your bodies. Your fingers brush against him, making him gasp softly in your ear as you hold his dripping tip, lining it up with your entrance.

“N-noona-”

“Just push your hips forward.” You guide him.

You feel his heat press against you and use your free hand to press his lower back, urging him forward until he slowly slips inside you, the most delectable moan falling from his lips as he inches further in, wanting nothing more than to feel your warmth fully envelop him. He’s a stretch, that’s for sure, but your body doesn’t show it, greedily pulling Jeongguk in, begging for more.

He keeps pushing until he realizes he can’t go any further, pulling his face out of your shoulder to look down at your flushed cheeks, the way your lips part as soft pants leave them. Very tentatively, he pulls back, groaning at the feeling of your walls squeezing him before he pushes back in.

“Y-yes~” You whimper. “Just like that~”

Jeongguk huffs, repeating the motion over and over, setting a slow rhythm. The pulse of your walls is steady around him. He feels so good, but you need more.

“Faster…” You mumble in his ear, wrapping your legs around his waist and encouraging him to go deeper. Jeongguk grunts in agreement, thankful for the permission as his hips increase their pace, thrust by thrust, the new angle allowing him to fill you entirely, his hips slapping against you with a satisfying smack.

“Oh god~” Jeogguk whines. “I- Fuck…” His eyes are fixed on your face, watching it closely as pleasure fills your body in waves, your chest burning red with embarrassment. You pull him down and lock your lips with his, anything to get away from the intensity of his gaze. Jeongguk pants heavily against your mouth as he thrusts into you harder, your head spinning from the pleasure, but he’s still lacking experience, and his increase in pace causes him to slip out.

The second time it happens, you kiss him again before pushing him away. As he begins to protest, you silence him by flipping him onto his back and crawling on top of him, straddling his waist once more. He watches, enraptured by you as you slide back down onto his length, letting him fill you to the hilt and holding yourself there for a moment to adjust, satiating the burning need between your legs. When you’re ready, you brace one hand on his abdomen before slowly lifting your hips and then dropping back down onto his length.

Jeongguk groans, his head falling back against the pillows, but his eyes once again stay focused on you as you bounce yourself in his lap, setting a quick, but heavy pace, allowing him to fill you completely each time before lifting your hips again and again. When he grabs your hips, you lean forward, bracing both of your hands on his chest as you move faster, the feeling of your high bubbling up inside you more easily than you thought it would. You can tell he’s getting close too; the way his eyes seem a bit unfocused, the way his chest heaves beneath your touch, and the way his hips have started to chase after yours.

You’re so close you can practically taste it, you just need that final push. You take one of Jeongguk’s hands off your hips and bring his fingers to your mouth, wetting them for him before guiding his hand between your legs. He looks up at you, intrigued by your movements.

“Touch me~ Like this…” You move your fingers against his in the way that you desperately need him to, showing him how to take you over the edge. He follows your instructions to the tee, deftly circling your clit again before squeezing the bud between his knuckles and dragging the pads of his fingers across it in turn.

“Ah~ Yes!” You throw your head back, your high rapidly rising to the surface. Jeongguk’s fingers slide along your folds in sync with his thrusts, and before you know it, your walls clamp down on him, earning a strangled moan from his throat as you fall off the edge and into bliss. “Jeongguk~!” You cry out his name as your core contracts wildly around him, seeing stars burst behind your eyelids as the sensation overflows into your every nerve ending, pulsing with satisfaction, unlike anything you’ve ever felt before.

Jeongguk doesn’t fare much better, the spasming of your center too much for him to handle as he buries himself as deep inside you as he can, milking the feeling of his own high as long as he can. He whimpers beneath you, his eyes squeezed shut with ecstasy as he fills you with spurts of his hot release.

Your body gives out and you collapse against his chest, your breathing coming in shallow pants, his cock still inside you as your skin sticks to his with sweat. The two of you lay entwined together for a bit, neither of you wanting to disturb the moment you’ve created.

You press soft kisses all over Jeongguk’s face, watching as he smiles before you get off of him, grabbing tissues off of his nightstand to clean the both of you up. When you’re finished you lay back down with him, slipping under the blankets as you lay your head on his chest, listening to the sounds of rain and distant rolling thunder coming from his open window, enjoying the occasional breeze blowing through the room. Jeongguk holds you close, not seeming to want to let you go now that he has you.

And boy, does he have you.

Jeongguk takes the chance to admire you up close, watching your fingers absentmindedly tracing shapes across his skin while you hum to yourself. He brushes your hair out of your face, enraptured by the way you look, the way you smell, the way you taste. He didn’t know it was possible to feel like this, but looking at you here, now, in this moment, he’s captured by you. He is nothing but a terrified creature, tangled in your nets as you smile up at him in a way that makes his chest flutter with excitement and agony and desire all at the same time.

“Is this what you saw?” He breaks the serene silence, his curiosity getting the best of him. “In the mirror?”

You giggle, sending vibrations through his body as goosebumps erupt on his arms. “Not exactly.” Your eyes flash up to meet his before you look away, a light blush adorning your cheeks as you think of the future that played out on that mirror. God you hope that mirror was right. “But something like that. It encouraged me to finally tell you.”

“Tell me what?” He cups your cheek, rubbing his thumb across it gently, as if afraid he’s going to break you.

You scoot up his body, pressing your lips to his in the softest kiss, resting your forehead against his for a moment before answering. “How I feel about you, silly.”

“How do you feel?” He tilts his head, waiting expectantly.

He’s going to make you say it out loud. He can’t just read between the lines? You take a deep breath, steadying the nerves rolling in the pit of your stomach. “Jeongguk I-I really like you. And I think I might… I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Jeongguk’s eyes light up and he breaks into a wide smile, his nose crinkling up. “Is that what this feeling is? Is it love?”

“It’s different for everyone, but it could be.”

“I like you so much; I think I love you too, noona.”

Your heart swells at his words as he wraps his arms around you, pulling you close. He seals your exchange with a peck on your forehead, and the two of you lay together in Jeongguk’s bed, tangled in each other’s limbs, exchanging soft kisses and caresses until you drift off, safe in his embrace.

The next day you wake up to the sound of Jeongguk snoring softly in your ear. You smile to yourself, shifting back into his arms. You think back to yesterday; after the two of you woke up, you made dinner and then quickly jumped back into bed, too wrapped up in each other to keep your hands off of the other’s body for longer than a few minutes. Jeongguk is eager to learn how to pleasure you, and you have no problem teaching him exactly how to do just that.

You turn over in his hold, reaching a hand up to run your fingers along his cheek, enjoying how serene he looks when he sleeps. Your touch must disturb him, because it isn’t long before you feel his hand squeeze your waist, his eyes fluttering open as he stirs.

“Noona…?” He gazes at you in awe, still half asleep. “You’re still here.” He smiles at the observation.

“Of course I’m still here.” You giggle. “Where else would I be?”

He presses his lips to yours as his hand wanders down lower, finding your ass and grabbing it roughly. He pulls your body flush against his as he buries his face in your neck, inhaling deeply.

You both crawl out of bed; Jeongguk throws on some sweatpants and you slip into your discarded underwear and shirt before heading out to the kitchen to make breakfast together. Jeongguk is practically attached to your hip the entire time, his hands never really leaving your waist unless it’s to reach over and help you hold something; his face in the crook of your neck and shoulder, pressing light kisses to your skin.

After you eat, you both settle down on the couch in each other’s arms, turning on something mindless as you enjoy just being together. Thunder rolls long and loud outside, carrying a warm spring breeze through the house as rain falls in spurts. You lay with your back against Jeongguk’s chest, settled comfortably between his legs as his hands trace over your exposed skin.

After a few hours, Jeongguk gives your waist a squeeze. “Noona?”

“Hm?” You look back at him over your shoulder.

“Does this mean… Are you going to stay here?”

“Stay?”

“With me?”

“Oh, um, I haven’t really thought about it.” You admit. It’s true, the only thing you’ve thought about was telling Jeongguk, not what would happen after you did.

“Do you want to?” The hope in his eyes has your heart stuttering.

“W-well, I do, but-”

“But?”

You think about your life back in Busan; your friends, your family, your job, all the things you would be leaving behind. “It’s complicated.”

“How? We want to be together, so we should be together.”

“I know, but my entire life is back in Busan. I can’t just drop everything because of how I feel.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” You sigh. “The human world is… things are harder. I can’t just disappear.”

“It can’t be that hard.”

“Jeongguk,” You sit up in his lap, turning your body to face him. “I’d have to quit my job, and leave my family and friends behind. I’d need to quit school, get out of my apartment lease and move all of my stuff here. Not to mention finding a job here, or all the paperwork I’d have to do if I wanted to move. Plus my father’s business… He’s counting on me to take over for him.”

“Noona, you know I can’t leave this island, right? Not as long as I’m still this. Besides, you told me you didn’t want any of that.”

“I know, but just because I’d rather be here doesn't mean I can just uproot my life. That’s not how things work.”

“But you’d be with me.” He offers. “Isn’t that enough?”

You know what he wants to hear, he wants this to be a fairytale, and so do you, but you don’t know how to explain to him that real life isn’t like that. Yes, every fiber of your being wants to stay on this island for the rest of your life and spend every waking moment you have with Jeongguk, just like the mirror told you that you would, but is it really that simple? “I…” You hesitate, and he takes your hesitation the wrong way. You know he does. You can see the shift in his eyes the moment it takes you too long to respond.

He chuckles; for a moment you think he’s going to brush it all off, but he stares at you with a dark gaze, hurt evident on his beautiful features; not exactly the reaction you were hoping for. “I see.” He lets go of you and stands, walking over to look out the window in the kitchen.

“Jeongguk, please.” You follow close behind. “I love you. I want to be here with you, it’s just-”

He shakes his head. “Y/N, I-” He sighs. “I want to believe you, but how do I know you aren’t just saying that because it’s supposed to be the cure.”

“What?” You haven’t shown him any reason to doubt your feelings until now, and the distrust stings. “Jeongguk, I've never lied to you.”

He takes a deep breath before turning to face you. “If you hadn’t learned what the cure was, would we even be here? Would you have said you liked me?”

“Of course!”

“Really?”

You scoff. “Eventually.”

“Right.” He just shakes his head, walking away from you toward the bathroom. “How am I supposed to know you really love me?”

“Until last night you didn’t even know what love was!” You point out, trailing him. “And I’m supposed to believe that you love me? How do I even know you’re capable of love?”

“Capable?” He whips around, his eyes ablaze with fury at your words. “Because monsters like me couldn’t possibly have feelings. That’s all I am to you, right? A horror story?”

“You’re everything to me! Can’t you see that?” You raise your voice, you don’t want to but it’s all bubbling up over the sides, erupting out of you with force. “Why do you think I’ve stayed here as long as I have?”

“And now you want to throw all of that away!”

“I didn’t say that! I said it’s going to be complicated! We can’t all just run away from our lives when things get hard!”

“You know exactly why I left… And now I’m supposed to believe you?

“I’ve never given you a reason not to trust me! I’m not the one who lied about who I am!”

“I lied because I knew this would happen!” He finally yells back. The house is silent for a moment before he takes a deep breath. “I knew this was too good to be true. It always is.”

“I don’t know how to make you believe me…” You whisper, trying to force back the tears that have started streaming down your face.

There’s a long pause. “I don’t know if I can…”

You look up at him, meeting the gaze you had fallen so hard for, before turning and walking away, crossing the threshold to your room in a huff.

“Y/N…” He calls after you, but you ignore him, tugging on some jeans before slipping right past him to the front door, sliding into your shoes and raincoat before grabbing your keys. “Where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here.” You hiss, opening the front door and stepping out into the rain.

“Noona, don’t leave!” He runs after you, grabbing your arm, but you shake him off, hopping into the truck and starting it, giving him one last look before backing out.

“Fine, now who’s the one running away!” He calls after you as you begin to drive away.

You manage to make it all the way to town before you shatter, having to pull over into an empty parking lot, not able to see the road through your tears. This is so dumb; a stupid thing to fight over, and yet here you are.

Alone.

After a solid half hour, your tears begin to subside. You feel as though your heart has been rubbed raw inside of you as you try to figure out what to do next. You look up to see the bar and decide it’s better than sitting alone in your truck. You drive the short distance and park in front of the bar, hopping out and striding up to the door.

The bell jingles a familiar ding as you open the door and you look around to see there’s no one in here, which isn’t surprising seeing as it’s only about two in the afternoon. Even the bar counter is empty as you walk up and plop yourself in a chair, desolation obvious on your face as you lay your head down on the counter. You hear the shuffling of feet, and then something heavy is placed on the counter next to you before you hear a familiar voice.

“Y/N?”

You barely lift your head to look up, seeing Saki standing in front of you, a crate of beer next to her on the counter. “Hi Saki.” You mumble, laying your head back down.

“Thought that was you.” Her lilting accent soothes you immediately. “What’s brought you in here honey? Are you alright?”

You sigh, forcing yourself to sit up and make eye contact. “I’ve been better.”

“Hm, I know that look.” She takes a clean glass out from under the counter and pours a generous amount of brown liquid in it before placing it in front of you. “Relationship problems?”

You take the glass, happily swigging the drink, your face twisting from the strong burn of the alcohol. “How could you tell?” You grumble, placing the empty glass back on the counter. She shrugs, refilling your glass. You sigh, quickly downing the second drink before pushing the glass away from you. “Saki, what would you do if you knew you had the power to change someone’s life. Like, permanently.”

“It depends.” She takes your glass and puts it in the sink before handing you a small bag of chips to even out the liquor now swirling in your stomach. “What does this person mean to you?”

“Everything…”

She watches you as you crunch down on a handful of chips. “Then I think I'd do anything I could to help them.”

You mull over her words. You know you would do anything to help Jeongguk, you just don’t know what the ‘anything’ is that he needs. “How much do you know… about Jeongguk?”

She shoots you a knowing glance and you raise your eyebrows in surprise. “So it’s the local fish giving you trouble, then?”

“You know?”

“I know a lot of things.”

“He doesn’t want to be… well, that anymore.”

“Your uncle used to come in here all the time, talking about that with Donghyun after a few drinks.” She nods, looking around as if to assure you both the bar is still empty and you can speak freely, yet leans on the counter to get closer to you anyway, whispering. “Have you found anything out?”

You run your hands through your hair, frustrated. “The only cure we found is ‘love’.”

“Love?”

“It said he could fully regain his humanity, if a human were to truly love him.”

“And you…?”

You nod. “I confessed.”

“And nothing happened?”

“Nothing.” You confirm. “And we got into this huge fight this morning about it. He said he doesn’t believe me, that I just said it to try and lift the curse.” She smiles softly at you, placing a hand over yours in comfort as you shake your head. “If I don't love him, then why does this hurt so much?”

“I’m not the one you have to convince.” She reminds you.

“He doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“Aw honey. If only you could see how much he loves you.”

You sniffle, looking up at her. “What do you mean?”

“The way he looked at you the other night at the memorial? Anyone could see the way he felt.”

You were so focused on everything else that night, you didn’t stop to focus on Jeongguk. “Saki, when did you know you were in love with Donghyun?”

“Hmm…” She pauses to think. “The first night he took me fishing.”

“What?” You snort, that wasn’t the answer you were expecting.

She laughs with you. “I fell out of the boat that night. He jumped in after me, sacrificing his life for mine. It was the first time he saw me as I truly was, and seeing me like that… It didn’t change how he felt.”

You think over her words before you realize something. “Wait, Saki are you…?”

She only smiles. “Go find Jeongguk before it’s too late. You’ll figure it out, honey.”

You nod, standing up and saying goodbye before heading back out to your truck. You make the drive back, parking the truck and running toward the house.

“Jeongguk!” You call out as you open the door, but the house is dark. Is he gone? You search every room, but there’s no sign of him. You head back outside, and are about to walk to the lighthouse when you hear that low melodious sound ringing in your ears once more. It’s coming from the cliffs. Could it be him trying to get your attention?

You walk over to the edge of the cliffs, rain pelting your face as you look out into the ocean and see a face. It’s familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time, like something you’ve seen in a dream you can’t quite remember. Suddenly there’s a voice right in your ear.

“You want to save him…” It’s like a whisper in the wind. You look around to see that there’s no one around you before looking back down at the face to see it’s moved closer, now in the water directly underneath your feet. You watch their lips move as they repeat. “You want to save him?” It’s a question this time.

You think back to Jeongguk’s words of warning; You can’t ever speak to them. They’ll kill you. Though every nerve ending in your body is screaming at you to run away, you can’t bring yourself to listen. What if they know something you don’t?

“Yes.” You reply. “I want to save him.”

“Even if you will lose everything?” The voice is grating and beautiful at the same time, as if two people are speaking.

You nod, getting down on your knees and leaning over the cliff to look at them. “What do I have to do?”

“Love requires sacrifice.” The Ineo hisses in your ear.

“What’s the cost?”

“One human life for another.”

“One life…” Your eyes widen in understanding. “I have to-” You swallow hard, staring down at the swirling waters below. The same waters that took the life of your uncle. “But the mirror-”

“The mirror of Sinjike’s predictions can differ if the future is altered. You only have one choice left: his life, or your own.”

“I…” You stop, sitting back on your heels. Could this really be the only way? Can you give up the beautiful life you would have with Jeongguk just to give him his humanity back? You can’t imagine a life without him, and you need him to know how much you love him. You need him to believe you. He should be coming back from the lighthouse any minute now…

“His.” You whisper. “I choose his.”

“Take off the necklace when you are ready. You won’t feel a thing under the trance of my song.”

The Ineo begins to sing again, their voice filling the air, loudly and clearly as you stand up, looking once more at the ocean below you. You think of the life you’ve had; your mother and father waiting back home for you in Busan. How they’ll react when they receive the news. The way that they’ll have to compartmentalize your life into boxes after all, going through all of your things, and thinking of everything you could’ve been, everything you tried so hard to be.

You think of your friends back home, of Donghyun and Saki here, how kind they were to you, of them holding another memorial in their bar, this time for you. Who would show up?

You think of your uncle, how he stood here in this same spot, contemplating the same things you are now before he made that final leap of the edge, seeing the world one last time before he stopped breathing. Was it painless? Did he regret it as he jumped? Did he know, somehow, that you would be right here with him, committing the same act purposefully.

Mostly you think of Jeongguk. You think of how much you love him, how full your heart feels when you’re with him. No matter what, at the end of every road, he was good to you. You’ve always been afraid of growing old, of being alone, you've been worried for your soul, where it would end up; but Jeongguk, he puts all those fears to rest. You’re closing every door you’ve ever opened, sick of always wanting something more, something different. He’ll understand, right? He’ll know that you’re sorry. That you did this for him, so he could live the life he’s always wanted. You feel so scattered, not wanting to leave Jeongguk on such a sour note, but even an apology can’t save you now. You can only hope he’ll get to you in time…

Thunder cracks above your head, rain falling harder as you faintly hear your name being called from behind you. You turn to see Jeongguk emerging from the treeline by the lighthouse. You see it on his face, the exact moment he hears the song echoing through the air around you, as though the ocean herself is calling to you.

“Y/N, what are you doing?” He starts to run towards you.

Your heart aches as you look at him, but all the same, you reach up and unclasp the necklace from around your neck, letting it drop to the ground as you make peace with your decision; tonight you’ll make your bed at the bottom of the sea. Your senses are immediately taken over by the Ineo’s song, your vision going black as you’re filled with a desperate need, your body turning toward the cliffs.

Jeongguk sprints with all his might, desperate to reach your side in time as he watches you step closer and closer to the edge of the cliffs like it’s happening in slow motion. He’s so close, he can smell your perfume on the wind, his legs carrying him as fast as they can in his panic induced rush. Not again. He can’t lose you; not here, not now, not ever. He’s loved you since day one; you are everything to him, and he’ll be damned if he lets another Ineo take that away from him. Your toes dangle over the edge as you pick up your right foot, taking one final step and not finding anything to catch your body as you begin to drop through the air. Jeongguk lunges, using everything in him to push his body forward as he leaps, grabbing for you.

“No!” He screams, feeling your shirt slip through his fingers.

By a breadth of skin, he manages to grab your wrist, landing harshly on his stomach as he grips you tightly, the momentum of your body falling yanks him forward through the dirt, but he digs his feet in, using his other hand to grip the edge of the cliff as he attempts to support you.

“Jeongguk, let me go.” He hears your voice, but he knows it isn’t really your voice. He looks down at you to see your eyes have gone black. “It’s okay.”

“No!” He yells again. Sensing Jeongguk’s stubbornness, the Ineo makes you wriggle in his grasp, the song filling your head telling you to do everything you can to plunge yourself into the dark water below where a clash of teeth awaits you. Jeongguk struggles against you, but manages to ignore the scratches you dig into his skin with your free hand as he tugs you up over the ledge. He pulls you back with him, away from the edge as he pushes you face down into the dirt, ignoring your cries and pleas as he grabs your arms together with one hand, reaching for your necklace with the other.

Jeongguk takes the chain, holding the ends together, and drapes it over your head, letting it sit on your neck as he prays to whoever is listening, begging them to bring you back to him.

After a few moments, you stop struggling. He remains on top of you, holding his breath as he waits,

“J-Jeongguk…?” You mumble, face still half in the dirt.

“Noona?” You lift your head and he tilts your chin toward him, seeing your beautiful, familiar soft eyes once more. He lets your arms go, taking a second to fasten the necklace around your neck before he crawls off you, allowing you to sit up.

“What… What happened?” You rub your head, looking around to see you’re sitting on the edge of the cliff. “You saved me?”

“Y/N!” Jeongguk tackles you back to the ground, wrapping his arms tightly around you as he begins to sob softly. “I thought I was going to lose you! Noona, why? Why would you do that?”

“Love requires sacrifice.” You repeat the words the Ineo told you. “And I love you, Jeongguk.”

“I-” Before Jeongguk can say anything, a ray of sunlight suddenly breaks through the clouds, shining down through the rain and landing directly on where the two of you sit.

A rainbow reflects from the raindrops and you watch as the rays seem to pierce Jeongguk directly as he clutches his chest. His body emits a faint glow as the rain and clouds suddenly disperse all together, leaving just that single ray of light, shining brighter than the rest. You watch closely as Jeongguk’s breathing slows, his body shining in the light as all the raindrops evaporate from his skin and clothes, his body warming from the inside out.

When it’s done, the light recedes with the rapidly moving clouds, leaving you and Jeongguk sitting on the cliff, staring after it.

“What the-”

“Jeongguk,” You reach out a hand to test your theory, placing it on his arm to feel his normally cold skin is replaced by a warmth you can only describe as being distinctly human. “You’re warm…”

“I am?” He looks down and touches his chest, feeling the warmth of blood circulating through his body. “I am.” His hands shoot up to his face, feeling himself with ecstatic anticipation of what this means.

“You’re human.”

He looks up at you, his eyes wide with wonder. “Y/N… You did it. You- You cured me. You saved my life.”

“And you saved mine.” You stand, pulling him up with you. “Like I knew you would.”

“Noona… Don’t ever do that again.” He scolds. He wraps his arms around you, pulling you into a sweet, warm kiss. “I don’t know what I'd do without you.”

“I love you, Jeongguk.”

“I love you too, Y/N.”

“Hey! Wait up!”

You hold your camera up, snapping a quick picture of him as he chases after you, wanting to capture the beauty of the setting sun reflecting off his features. He reaches you just as you pass the lighthouse, quickly wrapping his arms around you, picking you up and spinning you around as you squeal with delight. He puts you back on the ground and pulls you close, leaning down to place a soft kiss against your lips.

“I told you to wait for us.” He chides.

“You were going too slow!” You point out playfully as you start to get lost in his eyes. “Can’t take pictures of the sunset if the sun has already set.” You hold your camera up, snapping shots of the sun bouncing off the windows of the lighthouse.

“Appa!” Yumi’s voice rings out, her arms open wide as she toddles into your husband’s arms.

“There’s my girl.” Jeongguk smiles, and you both lean in, planting kisses on her cheeks, making her giggle before he turns to you. “Are we still going to Donghyun and Saki’s tonight for dinner?”

“Oh! That’s right I almost forgot!” You nod as you both begin walking back toward the house. “We should probably get going soon.”

Jeongguk puts Yumi down when you reach the front steps. “Go get dressed sweetie!” He encourages, watching her toddle off to her room. “God, I can’t believe she’s four already.” He sighs, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind.

“Time’s moving fast now that you’re not immortal, huh?” You tease.

He spins you around in his embrace. “Time always stands still when I’m with you, my love.” He smiles before leaning down, pressing the sweetest of kisses to your lips.

“You know,” You whisper, leaning back against the door frame. “This is it.”

He tilts his head in confusion. “This is what?”

“This,” You point towards the lighthouse and the sun as it sets the sky on fire in shades of red. “This is what I saw in the mirror that day.”

“This?” He repeats. “You… You saw Yumi?”

You nod. “I saw all of us. That’s how I knew you’d save me in time.”

Jeongguk smiles brightly, pressing another kiss to your forehead. “I’m so glad you did.”

“Me too.”

“I love you, noona.”

“I love you too, Jeongguk.”