The night was young, and Jericho Jadwin was bored. None of his regular customers was causing problems, there was nobody to blackmail, and Dawn did not contact him apart from that one message from a few days ago using some random person’s phone. He did some digging and learned how Ricardo finally pulled off the coup d'etat. Some said that Dawn died, but no bodies matched his best friend’s description for obvious reasons.
Drumming his fingers on the bar counter with acrylic nails clacking rhythmically, the gay man sighed. He polished all the glass that needed polishing, and there weren’t many customers that needed serving. None of these new faces was his type either, and the bar mama felt restless. Why hasn’t Dawn contacted him yet? Was he still in danger?Ever since they were young, Jericho had always been the more cautious of the two. They grew up together but lived apart when Dawn was determined to take over his family business. The stupid mafia boCringing at the nickname, Dawn almost spat out the drink in his hand. He didn’t hate Jack Daniels, but the joke was getting old.“Aren’t you getting tired of it?” he asked. “That horse is dead.”The horse might be dead for many years, but it wouldn’t amuse Jericho any less. Dawn might have learned how to relax his dress code, but his personality was still as stiff as ever.“The horse might be, but not the man. You were supposed to be dead.”Closing the door, Jericho let his mischievous side fall. There was still a small twinkle in his eye, wanting more details about Dawn’s supposed death. Judging from that reaction, the gay man had already caught wind of Ricardo’s betrayal. Dawn put the whisky glass down with a sigh. Jericho wouldn’t let him go without getting all the information he wanted.“How much do you know already?” the mafia boss asked.Not in a hurry, the bar own
With new keys and access cards, Dawn returned to his car. The bouncers only nodded at him, but the mafia boss refused to acknowledge their presence. The first thing he would do after getting to his hideout was to take a long shower. He had to get rid of his best friend’s perfume immediately.“You’re back!” Aqua greeted brightly, curled up on the passenger seat while listening to the radio at full volume.Dawn climbed in and nodded. The keys and cards were in the hoodie of his pocket, where the pistol was too. He started the engine and reduced the music volume before realising he had forgotten to tell Jericho about the sushi he got from Ishi-san.“Whatever. He can figure it out himself,” Dawn reasoned and strapped up.Aqua quickly followed Dawn’s example and replaced her seat belt, not wanting to become fish paste on the windshield as the car started to move.After driving out of the nightclub district, Dawn zoomed pa
The penthouse interior was designed similarly to a minimalist state-of-the-art mansion. Dawn did not have a lot of input on the design. He only wanted a space to live in safety and work from. Almost everything else was decided by Jericho. Luckily for him, the gay bar owner had very refined lifestyle choices.Aqua was instantly enamoured by the spacious interior and sparkly chandelier when they stepped into the penthouse. Dawn decided to place her on the large custom-made sofa and searched for the remotes for his new home.While Dawn figured out how everything worked in his smart home, Aqua bounced on the sofa. It was bigger, softer and bouncier than the seat in the car! Aqua did not know what everything was, but she could recognise some things. Everything was smooth and shiny in Dawn’s home with interesting colours. She wondered if it would be alright to touch them.“Found it,” the mafia boss sighed at last. “Here.”Holding out two r
It was a house tour for both Dawn and Aqua. The mafia boss did not know where many things were in this penthouse, even though Jericho helped him make it comfortable. The penthouse was considered small compared to his family’s house on private land. However, it was comfortable and had everything he could possibly need in a city.Aqua was amazed. She knew that the things humans created were very interesting. Once, her mother showed her a human ship that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean as it was broken. It was home to crabs and fishes that loved to hide inside the enormous structure as it was full of algae. However, Aqua loved exploring the ship because there would always be something in there to learn about. Her mother had little idea what most of the trinkets she found on those shipwrecks were. However, it was still fun to think about how humans would use them.Aqua knew for a fact how humans had to wear clothes because they did not have scales to cover their skin
Despite the rosy adventures in the last few days, Dawn hadn’t forgotten about his responsibilities. He was still a mafia boss, and Ricardo was still out there somewhere. He couldn’t possibly let that traitor go scot-free. More importantly, he wanted to find out more about what happened to the remaining members of his family and the allies. Jericho was working on finding information as he spoke, but the bar owner would take some time to get everything for him. Not to mention, Dawn owed his friend some payment. He had to make some money now that he was technically a bum. How humiliating.The phone and laptop in the safe needed charging before Dawn could use them. They were an older model but good enough to make money with. Jericho was the only contact on this untraceable phone, and Dawn’s laptop had been installed with VPN. The bar owner was an expert in these things, so the mafia boss let his friend have his way with them. He only needed his phone for calls and
While Dawn worked through the night, Aqua found herself drifting off in the jacuzzi. She had no idea when her nights became days, but it wasn’t terrible. Sleeping with a tail and waking up with legs became her new norm. Now that she wasn’t in the ocean and at risk of getting eaten when she transformed into a human, Aqua rested better. If anything, she preferred being awake when she had legs because there were more things she could do with her legs than with a tail.Dawn did not know when the sun rose. He worked through the night, and the dark circles beneath his eyes were evidence of his effort. He kept it up for a few more hours to ensure his locked-in trades were moving in the right direction. Thankfully, most of his trades closed on a positive note, raking in big money to remove him from the ‘peasant’ equation. The trades that did not move favourably, Dawn closed them as quickly as possible to minimise the losses he made. On the whole, he was five mil
The gimbap arrived within thirty minutes, thanks to the power of money earned from a night’s worth of work. Dawn thanked the security guard who came to deliver the delivery on behalf of the delivery personnel. It was one of the special services that set his luxury apartments apart from others. No unauthorised personnel were allowed inside, and only verified security members were allowed to conduct house visits.“The food is here,” Dawn called out to Aqua, who had her eyes glued onto a children’s show. It wasn’t something a regular eighteen-year-old would be interested in, but it was perfect for Aqua as the mermaid was already starting to use the newly learned vocabulary.“We should order starberry next time,” she peered from behind the sofa.“It’s strawberry. We can order the fruits you want to try, and if you can’t finish them, we can turn them into fruit smoothies.”“What’s a smoothie
Dawn’s growling stomach woke him up several hours later. The mafia boss went downstairs and found his penthouse in disarray. Aqua was like a fish in water, even without her tail. When he told her to make herself comfortable, the mermaid took the chance to reorganise his furniture in a strategic way so that she could easily access the snacks in his kitchen.“Did you find a way to get to the bathroom?” he asked out of curiosity.From the sofa, Aqua turned and hung her head over the armrest to greet Dawn. She giggled at his messy hair and gave him a victory sign. Aqua definitely fitted in with the human culture faster than he imagined, thanks to the influence of the media.“It was difficult to move the wheel-chair, but it was worth it. Why didn’t you tell me about them? They make perfect legs for moving around, except for going up the stairs!”Honestly, Dawn didn’t even think about it. Aqua was using his office chair like an
“So you’re telling me that she isn’t human and you knew about it?!”Nobody spoke. There were two patients in the room and a storm outside that rivalled Jericho’s rage.After discovering the crazy scene, Jericho dragged and tossed Ricardo’s body over the cliff while his dhampir boyfriend prevented Dawn from hurting anyone else. The gills grew on the side of Dawn’s neck and the bullet wound started closing up, so Melvin dug his nails in to remove the bullet.According to the legends, mermaid flesh was able to grant semi-immortality due to its rapid regeneration abilities. Many merfolks were hunted in the past for their flesh by humans who kept them as pets. As a result, merfolks chose to live in deeper waters, concealing their presence from everyone until they were merely a myth. Only those who lived long enough to remember those times knew about merfolks. Melvin was saved by one of Aqua’s kind long ago and knew a few secrets. Imagine his surprise when he learned how a
The crimson liquid oozed out of his hand, and colour left his face with his brows knitted in agony. Dawn could faintly hear Aqua running over. He made sure to shoot Ricardo somewhere vital when he saw the man look to the side. He knew he was losing blood too fast, even if the bullet missed a vital organ. The closest hospital was about an hour away from this resort. He wouldn't make it even if Jericho arrived within the next minute.“Dawn!” Aqua collapsed beside Dawn, scrapping her knees on the stony ground, but she couldn’t feel the pain.Supporting the man and bringing him away from the dangerous cliff edge, Aqua cried under the waxing moon. Why wasn’t it a new moon? She could be saving him with these tears that fell endlessly.Lying on Aqua’s lap, Dawn studied his beautiful saviour. Now that Ricardo was dead, he was finally a free man. They had to remove the evidence and body before the authorities arrived. It sucked to leave everything
Looking down into the whirlpools beneath, Dawn stopped. He ran to a place without witnesses in the area deliberately. It was only a matter of time before Ricardo caught up with him, and thankfully, Aqua wasn’t around. She would have jumped off the cliff and taken their chances with the deep blue sea instead of giving him a chance with the devil.Now that his heart was out of the picture, Dawn pulled out that pistol he always hid with him. It was a customised pistol made from printed plastic that could only hold one bullet. However, that was enough. After all, there was only one man he wanted to kill. Judgement day came at the wrong time, but it might be for the best. Dawn could only truly live his life like a civilian with Aqua once Ricardo was dead.For the longest time, Dawn waited for this day. He never skipped a day at the gym and continued to polish his martial arts skills because he knew that while Jim was satisfied with the raid, Ricardo was never confirmed de
“Stay close to me,” Dawn commanded, grabbing Aqua’s hand tightly. “We’ll make it out of here alive.”The commotion below died in a few minutes, and Dawn peeked at the lobby. Apart from the establishment staff lying on the ground with their hands behind their head, most customers fled the restaurant. It was unlikely that this was a robbery. A resort with such luxuries must also have a great security system. It would only be a matter of time before the security arrived. All Dawn had to do was buy time. The shooter came alone. He could take that person down with force if needed.“Where is he?!” the crazed gunner yelled at the head waiter. “I know he’s in here somewhere!”When they heard the voice, Dawn turned to Aqua immediately. For some reason, he knew that voice. Although it sounded much more unhinged than the refined, sleazy confidence in his memories, there was no mistaking who the shooter was.R
The sun and beach were not for everyone. Dawn and Melvin learnt that the hard way when they accompanied their overly enthusiastic lovers for a day out in the sand. While Aqua enjoyed the sun through her golden locks and seawater on her skin, Dawn suffered from heatstroke and a terrible sunburn that caused his skin to turn red, peeling in a few days. Likewise, Melvin spent most of his time under a shelter, wearing a copious amount of sunblock. The pale man was often sluggish, even when he hid under his umbrella. According to Jericho, the big man had some sort of allergy to the sun and heat.While the two men spent most of the day indoors, Aqua and Jericho had a blast at the beach. Thanks to the hectic and physically demanding nature of their work in the service line, they had no problems picking up physically challenging sports like jet skiing or scuba diving. Aqua was a natural, and Jericho picked up the skills quickly. They spent a lot of time surfing and eating street food to
Although it wasn’t Aqua’s first time travelling to an ocean, it was her first time travelling to a beach that had sand. She was thrilled when Dawn told her about the holiday idea to travel with Jericho and Melvin. After finding out where it would be, the mermaid started marking her calendar and counting the days. It would be their one-year anniversary as a couple, making this trip more meaningful than all their other vacations.The weeks rolled by as Dawn and Jericho finalised their preparations for the holiday and proposal. Aqua remained blissfully oblivious to her boyfriend’s shifting mood as work occupied her. They had less physical contact during the period, which bothered the mermaid a little. However, Dawn prepared sweet surprises for her regularly, whether showing up during her work, sending her flowers or buying her little gifts. The colleagues around Aqua swooned with envy at the romantic gestures. Even after nearly a year together, the mermaid still
It was nearing a year since Aqua and Dawn officially became lovers. More surprisingly, Jericho snagged himself a cute boyfriend a few months ago. Nobody knew where the bar owner picked his lover from. However, that man was rather odd. Jericho was surprisingly secretive about him as well. All they knew from the gay bartender was his name.“Melvin said this restaurant by the cliffside is famous for its seafood. Aqua likes escargots, so you should book a reservation in advance if you plan to propose. Do you need help with the rings?”Shaking his head, Dawn looked at Jericho’s tall but pale-looking boyfriend. Melvin’s hazel eyes darted to the side as he slouched a little under the ex-criminal’s gaze. It was still difficult to believe Jericho was dating such a wimpy man. Apart from his good looks, Melvin resembled a scared puppy whenever they met up. The two men had been dating for a few months now. However, Melvin had never spoken with anyone else
Dawn had finished about half the bottle of aged whisky that Jericho had brought in. However, the nerves did not disappear, and he was still very sober. Time passed very slowly when he was alone, and the tempo of the music playing did not match his heartbeat.Two almost inaudible knocks were at the door, but Dawn heard it in his hyper-vigilant state. The CEO glanced at his watch and noticed it was about time. Straightening himself, he stood up and opened the door.“Hey,” he greeted, turning into putty when he saw Aqua holding the bouquet he bought. “Did you like the flowers?”Blushing hotly, Aqua nodded. She rushed to get dressed and braided her hair for the date after the accident in the kitchen. Jericho had so many fragrances to borrow from, and Aqua picked something that smelled like flowers. It wasn’t the most original choice, but it was the safest. After all, it was probably better to choose ‘Floral Fantasy’ over ‘Bl
Staring at the two words in Dawn’s chicken scrawl, Jericho inhaled deeply. He didn’t know if he should dropkick his dumb friend or strangle the life out of him. Either way, it was good that Dawn came to him before he could present this bouquet of unique flowers to Aqua.“Have you completely lost all your brain cells?” the gay man hissed. “Be mine? You couldn’t come up with better words? Are you a Neanderthal?! You’re so lucky you showed me this before giving it to Aqua. This is no way to confess to a lady!”As expected, Dawn received an earful from Jericho, who looked like he was an inch away from jumping over that counter and stabbing him with an ice pick. However, the millionaire refused to believe reciting Shakespeare’s poetry would impress the mermaid, who had just finished learning long division.“Then what else would you have me write? She can barely do elementary Math. Her reading skills are slightly a