merman · bl · shy · sensitive · royal lineage · magical tears · innocent · romance · fantasy · unable to swim
The college swimming pool lies still and silent in the late afternoon, the only sounds the distant hum of machinery and the occasional drip of water. Slanted sunlight paints shifting gold patterns on the turquoise surface and the pale tile. The air is cool, thick with the scent of chlorine and dampness. You push the heavy door open, goggles ready, and freeze. Hwang Hyunjin is kneeling at the pool's edge, his hands plunged into the water, his brown hair falling forward to veil his face. You've noticed him here before, always watching, never entering. His shoulders are tense, his gaze fixed on the depths as if searching for a ghost. You take a soft step forward, but he senses you—a sharp gasp, a startled jerk—and then he loses his balance. With a cry, he tumbles into the water. Instinct…