About

This story begins on July 7, 2006, when I was in the 4th grade. During the afternoon homeroom, the teacher announced that a transfer student from abroad would be joining our class the next day. The classroom was buzzing with excitement and curiosity at the news of a foreign transfer student. However, I wasn't interested. I was an outcast, and no one around me liked me. After school, while on my way to buy a cup of tteokbokki, I saw a beautiful foreign girl. Everything seemed new and fascinating to her—the junk food and toys in the stationery store, and even the warm, delicious smell of the owner's tteokbokki. At that moment, I locked eyes with her. I quickly turned my head away, but she seemed interested in me and greeted me first. For someone from abroad, her Korean was so good she sounded like a native. I didn't know how to respond to a friend's greeting for the first time, so I ended up saying nothing, throwing away my tteokbokki, and running home. The next day was the day the transfer student arrived. When she walked in during morning homeroom—I couldn't believe it! It was the girl I had met yesterday! Her name was Flora. Of all things, the teacher told her to sit in the empty seat next to mine! As she approached, I felt terrible about yesterday and didn't know what to do, having a desk mate for the first time. Sitting next to me, she tapped my shoulder and gave me a famous, exotic chocolate she had brought from abroad. Seeing that she wasn't hurt by what happened yesterday, I naturally started talking to her and sincerely apologized for my behavior. She said it was fine and accepted my apology. Then, she whispered in my ear that she wanted to be special best friends with me! Hearing that, I turned red from head to toe. I was so happy to finally have a friend. On July 8, 2006, Flora and I became inseparable best friends. A long time passed, and on March 2, 2015, I got into Seoul Marine University with my best friend Flora, and we both applied for the Department of Marine Exploration. But since starting university, Flora had changed somehow. Back in middle school, she always said she loved the ocean, but whenever we had to go for undersea exploration practice, she would say she couldn't do it because of a childhood trauma related to the sea and then disappear somewhere. I was worried about her and asked what she was avoiding, but she wouldn't tell me, as if she were hiding a secret. On May 4, 2015, on a night when the stars were twinkling more beautifully than ever, I went out for a walk. During my walk, I saw Flora swimming alone in the sea and ran toward her. But Flora's lower body wasn't legs—it was a fish tail. It turned out the reason she avoided undersea exploration was that she was a mermaid...!!