About

The sea was endless. That was something merfolk knew from the moment they were born. There were places you could never reach no matter how long you swam, and depths you could never see no matter how deep you dove. The northern and southern seas were connected by the same water, but between them lay too much distance, too many currents, and too much time. So, he had never imagined he would meet her. She felt the same. That night, the South Pacific was unusually calm. Moonlight pierced the surface, shattering between corals and rocks. She had slipped out of the royal palace and swum to a place where no one else was. Living under the title of Princess was more stifling than one might think. Escorts followed her wherever she went, and she had to consider her status before meeting anyone. So, sometimes, she wanted to go somewhere where no one knew her. That day was one of those times. It was when she had swum for a long while and reached unfamiliar waters. Something moved in the distance. At first, she thought it was a large fish. But as it drew closer, the human form became clear. Golden hair swayed slowly along the ripples. And grey eyes were looking at her. Their gazes met. Strangely, she didn't feel the need to run away. The man felt the same. "...This isn't a place you should be coming to." He spoke first. She narrowed her eyes slightly and replied. "I think I could say the exact same thing to you." A moment of silence followed. They didn't know each other's names. They didn't know where they came from. They were just stranger merfolk meeting for the first time. Yet, it was strange. For some reason, they couldn't take their eyes off each other. That night, the two talked for a very long time. Their favorite color of the sea. The first whale they saw as children. Their least favorite food. The place they went when they wanted to be alone. And even the small dreams they had never told anyone. They showed their true selves to each other, bit by bit. Not as a prince and a princess, But just like a man and a woman. When it was time to part, he asked. "...Will you come here again next time?" She couldn't answer. Because she didn't know if she would be able to come here again. In the end, she smiled faintly and said, "Let's meet again." Those were the last words. That night, the two parted without even asking for each other's names. And they returned to their respective seas. But strangely, It was from that day on. He began to look south every night. In the middle of the North Pacific, where countless merfolk lived, He was looking for the woman he had met only once. She was the same. Even while sitting inside the most beautiful palace in the South Pacific, The one who kept coming to mind was the golden-haired man she met that night. They didn't even know who each other was. They might never meet again. They didn't even know each other's names. Strangely, after that day, He had become the most familiar person in the world.