JUST US: Part One

Title: Just Us

Status: Completed

Genre: Teen Fiction (featuring mermen and mermaid)

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Everyone is jealous of my birth,

No one knows that I'm, in fact, lonely,

I regard my life as disgusting as dirt,

Yet you're the only one who can genuinely see.

<<<<<<<~*~*~*~*>>>>>>>

"I'm so sick of this life," cried a little boy in jet black hair and wide-set pairs of eyes that matched with the color of his hair. His irises were pure and innocent as those of the newborn does. However, crystal droplets seemed to keep lingering inside them, hindering the beauty from reaching its full potential.

"How could grown-up be so complicated?" Tears trickled down his snowy white cheeks, rolling on the perfect angled high cheekbones and trailing down to the chin that formed into the overall oval face shape.

His hair was a mess, and so was his face. Nevertheless, the untidy hair that goes wherever the breeze guided it and the tear-stained face weren't enough to hide a picturesque sight to behold along with the beach scenery.

"I don't understand. Why is life so hard?"

The sobbing sounded weak and powerless, showing how physically and emotionally vulnerable the poor soul was. Even nature wasn't on his side, for it kept blowing constant sea breeze, causing enormous waves after waves to come ashore. The bomboras splattered briny water against the hard rock, leaving only broken splashes and wetness behind.

Silently and painfully, the boy began to calculate the day that he, too, would soon be shattered just like that.

"How I wish to be sea creatures. Then I can swim freely with no worries. Though it sounds clamorous on the surface, I bet underneath will be full of calmness." Xian murmured as he sat on the tallest rock and looked far away at the horizon where the sky and water meet.

"Not likely." A voice that sounded distant yet not that far away reverberated as if wanting to communicate with the last sentence.

"Who is speaking?" Xian wiped the tear away with the back of his hand. Widening his eyes in surprise, he started looking around, searching for the voice's source.

However, he found none. This area had never been occupied by anyone else but him.

"Hey, are you a ghost?" Xian asked again.

There was still a pause of silence, but this time, the voice finally replied. "No."

"Then why can't I see you?"

"Because you can't."

"But I can hear you."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Before the voice could say anything, Xian cut it off. "Oh, I know."

"What do you know?" The voice sounded hesitant, confused as to what Xian knows about.

"You're my imaginary friend!"

The anonymous voice had no idea what an imaginary friend was. Still, he didn't care. He was too busy losing himself in seeing a smile that plastered all over Xian's face, replacing the frown and sorrow not long ago. The sight left him enthralled that he lost his voice, forgetting to say anything back in return.

Never in his life had he encountered a smile as beautiful as this.

"You're here because you know I'm sad, right? You're here to comfort me. To listen to my problem." Xian continued, clapping his hand enthusiastically.

"Well..."

"I'm right, am I not?"

If that were what you wanted, then I would grant your wish. I'd do anything to keep seeing that smile on your face. The owner of the anonymous voice thought to himself.

"Hmm. I'm who you said I am."

"Yay! I finally have a friend. My name is Xian. So happy to have you, Mr. imaginary friend. Oh, wait! I should give you the name. Even though you're not real, you still deserve a name. Hmm... let's see which name suits you." The boy tapped his chin lightly and stared up into the sky as if the vast space had his answer. "How about...Yanyan?"

Though he didn't like this name one bit, he still went with the flow. "Okay. Yanyan, I am then."

"Yay! Nice to be your friend, Yanyan." Xian smiled for the first time today, forgetting all about his worry and complication.

Sadly, the enthusiasm didn't last long.

The whole sea started to reflect orange instead of the usual sky-blue color, indicating that it was time for him to go.

"Hey Yanyan, it's time to shoot now. The crew must have arrived already. I had to go back and make myself presentable." Xian got up, dusting the dirt off his shorts. "You'll come with me, right?"

"Sorry I can't."

"Huh, but why? Aren't imaginary friends supposed to follow us everywhere we go?"

"Sorry, but not this one."

The answer made Xian pout in disappointment, feeling down again and dealing with his fake life alone.

"But I'll always be waiting for you. If you come here," said the anonymous voice.

Xian's face lightened up with a smile almost immediately after hearing these words. "You will? Promise?"

"I promise."

"Then I'll be seeing you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"And the day after too?"

"Hmm."

"Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow, Yanyan. Xian leaped off the rock and ran back to his house. "Don't forget our promise!" He shouted over his shoulder as he kept waving goodbye with his back to the rock he had just sat on.

Though he pretended not to show, the voice was sad to part with Xian. But he knew it was inevitable. There was no hello without a goodbye.

When the footsteps' sound disappeared, indicating that Xian was there no longer, the anonymous voice stepped out behind the rock. The lower half of his body was hidden underwater, revealing only the upper part that was completely naked. The reflection of a sunset against the small frame hid most of his features; however, judging from what one could see, he should be around Xian's age.

"Prince Bo-di, what're you doing here?" A slightly deeper voice reverberated, making the addressed person turn around to find a boy who seemed to be a few years older was behind him.

"Yang."

"If the king found out that you come to the surface again, he'd be mad, and you'd be punished."

"Yang. I made a friend today."

"Prince Bo-di, what're you talking about? Please don't tell me you're befriending a human?" The last word was emphasized with disgust.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Bo-di's brows furrowed as he perplexedly asked his personal attendant.

Yang sighed before carefully picking his words, making sure the prince got his message. "Had you forgotten what happened to the Queen and your brother?"

Bo-di's face turned grim instantly at the mention of his family. The event happened not long ago. Too fresh to call it a memory. And the pain was parlous.

"Enough." His voice no longer sounded like a boy but entirely in a princely tone.

"Forgive me, my Prince." Yang lowered his head, dared not to look at his prince.

"Let's go back."

Before Yang could say anything, Bo-di dived into the water. With his upper body submerged, his lower body emerged for a split second, revealing a big, shimmering, azure fishtail, before it too, swamped by the splashed water it had created.

"My Prince, you should know that nature already tries to distinguish us. One is to live above water, whereas one is to live under. We, mermen or mermaids alike, will never be able to mix race with humans. That is one absolute law," he murmured before divulging a pearly white fishtail as he delved to the depth of the sea.

<TO BE CONTINUED>