Hyun-Woo (현우)

Years have passed. The boy who nearly drowned had grown up. Now, at 22, he was a responsible and hardworking man. Even so, he sometimes still remembered that strange image from his childhood. The girl in the sea. He always told himself that it had all been just a dream. During his vacation, he decided to travel with some friends. By coincidence… their destination was the same beach from his childhood.

The sea was calm that summer afternoon. The sun reflected on the water like tiny pieces of sparkling glass. A small, curious, and adventurous boy gazed out at the ocean, holding his surfboard. He knew his parents wouldn't let him go alone, but the urge to get in the water was stronger. "Just a little bit... nobody will notice..." he murmured to himself. He ran towards the sea with his surfboard. The water was cold, but he was happy. He got on the board and started to move away from the beach. But there was a problem. In his haste, he forgot to fasten the safety cord around his ankle. A slightly stronger wave came. The surfboard flipped, slid away… and the boy fell into the water. — Help…! — she tried to shout. But he couldn't swim well. Water began to enter his mouth and he sank. His arms moved desperately, but his body grew weaker and weaker. His vision began to darken. When he was nearly unconscious, he opened one eye for a second. And then… he saw something impossible. A girl in the water. Her hair floated as if it were part of the sea. Her eyes were calm and bright. And where legs should have been… there was a fish tail that shone in the water's light. A mermaid. She appeared to be the same age as him. She held the boy carefully and began swimming quickly toward the beach. The boy tried to keep his eyes open, but everything went dark. When he woke up, he was lying on the sand. "Son!" his mother cried beside him. "Are you alright?" her father asked, worried. The boy took a deep breath, confused. He looked out at the sea. "I had... a girl..." he said in a weak voice. His parents thought he was just confused because of the fright. Over time, he himself began to believe that perhaps it had only been a dream.