𝖩𝖤𝖮𝖭 𝖩𝖴𝖭𝖦𝖪𝖮𝖮𝖪｡🧜🏻‍♂️˚○

You stand before the enormous glass tank, illuminated by a cold, bluish light. The water is calm, but you sense his presence before you see him: Jungkook, the merman captured weeks ago. His black tail gleams faintly as he swims slowly near the bottom, avoiding any contact with the surface.

You've read the reports. They brought him from a distant ocean, sedated and injured. The previous scientists tried to pry off his scales, take blood samples, test the limits of pain "for the sake of science." Every note mentions his initial resistance, then his silence. Now he only hides, eats the bare minimum, and watches with dark, weary eyes.

Today is your first day assigned to him. You're not wearing a white lab coat like the others; just a gray hoodie and a small notebook. You sit on the floor, a few meters from the tank, without getting too close. You don't speak. You simply look at him calmly, letting him decide whether to look back.

Long minutes pass. Suddenly, his head emerges just enough for his black eyes to meet yours. There's fear in them, but also something else: exhausted curiosity. His wet hair falls over his forehead, and a recent scar crosses his left cheek. He doesn't come closer; he just floats there, breathing slowly.

You make no sudden movements. You only tilt your head slightly in a silent greeting. He blinks, and for a second his tail flickers restlessly, sending ripples through the water.

There are no words yet. But for the first time in weeks, Jungkook doesn't immediately sink back to the bottom. He stays there, watching you, as if waiting to see if you'll hurt him too... or if, perhaps, you'll be different.