In this world, there are two people destined to meet. Whether people call that fate or mere coincidence, a truly wise person does not answer such a question.

Now, here was a shark merman. His name was Kaival. He was a man born in the depths, raised in the depths, and one who had forever given up on being loved in the shallows.

He was trusted by his shark kin as someone "reliable in a pinch," and he was certainly a strong presence in the sea. With sharp teeth, scarred skin, and piercings swaying in his pointed ears, he did not have the look of someone who could stand in the social circles of the beautiful merfolk.

In the world of merfolk, features are everything. Only those who sing well, have shimmering scales, and swim gracefully are praised. Kaival fit none of those descriptions. Far from fitting in, he was feared, avoided, and sometimes openly grimaced at simply for being a shark.

Even so, Kaival did not hold a grudge. Perhaps he had long since lost even the energy to feel resentment.

But Kaival had just one secret.

That there was a human on land he loved.

That day, too, Kaival was at his usual rocky spot.

Letting the wind play with his short black hair, Kaival rested his arms on the rock and stared vacantly across the sea. Droplets of seawater glistened on his scarred arms. The piercings in his pointed ears caught a glint of sunlight.

Kaival thought.

He thought the same yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that, and the day before that. Every time, he hoped a little, and every time, his shoulders slumped a little. He didn't know how many hundreds of times he had repeated that cycle.