Instead of turning into a bubbling mess from nervousness, Aqua rejoiced at the opportunity to talk to other humans. Apparently, the smart mermaid learned how to use Seeree to learn more about food. It started with cooking basics but quickly turned into a gastronomic adventure. Now, she couldn’t wait to try shrimp wontons.
“Remember to request the chilli sauce separately,” Dawn reminded her after rehearsing how to order. “Get me twenty fried dumplings with extra vinegar dip. Do you know how to forward the order confirmation to my phone?”…After listening to Aqua’s blubbering, Dawn decided to head over to see her instead. It might be risky, but he wanted to link his credit card to her phone so she could use it to make purchases. He could call the bank to set a credit limit later for that card and request a different one for his personal use.Heading downstairs, the former mafia boss found his mermaid in the living room wiWhen was the last time Dawn lost track of his time? Living in the world that he did, the former mafia boss was trained to be time-conscious even without a watch. Time was crucial for anyone working in a high-risk environment. Knowing how much time has passed could result in a life-and-death situation, especially when blindfolded and kidnapped.Aqua finally made progress and stood without holding onto any support for a minute before she grew tired. Kicking her legs helped to build muscles, and holding onto the walls helped her to get used to the balance. She said the new limbs felt heavier than her tail, even if she weighed more as a mermaid. They spent more time practising balancing and walking after dinner at her insistence and took a shower after the sweaty workout.By the time she was ready to relax for the evening, many hours had passed.On the bright side, Jericho was definitely up by this hour and busy opening his bar. Dawn decided to call his best friend and fi
It did not take Dawn long to learn what motivated Aqua. The mermaid was making good progress with walking when he was around. However, she wasn’t diligent enough to prioritise walking over watching documentaries. It took the casual reminder of a commercial on the television to remind Aqua about the Taco Bell promise to motivate her completely.“Don!” Aqua exclaimed when she saw him emerging from his home office to get the food delivered at the door. “Taco Bell’s spicy tacos will be finished in three days!”It took the former mafia boss some time to recall why that was important. Aqua’s panic was evident, and the teacher in him decided to use this as an opportunity to see how far Aqua would go for something she wanted.“I guess we’ll just have to miss on this promotion then,” he told her, keeping his expression neutral. “We can’t go until you can walk without help every two steps. Normal humans don
Dawn couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun. Had he ever played to his heart’s content and acted in such a silly manner before? He couldn’t remember. Sure, he had his reckless moments, but this was different. With Aqua, he felt as if he had regressed into a boy. She was an expert in bringing out the missing part of his childhood whenever they were together.By the time Dawn finished his shower, Aqua was already asleep at the bottom of the jacuzzi, gurgling away. No matter how often she transformed into a mermaid, the sight was still bizarre. Aqua was curled up in a fetal position hugging her tail on her side as she slept underwater. Without thinking, the former mafia boss whipped out his phone and snapped a photo of the sleeping mermaid. He looked at the picture guiltily, feeling slightly crept out by his behaviour. Yet, who would ever find out? Shoving the guilt aside for acting in such a creepy manner, Dawn saved it as his phone’s wallpaper
Bleary-eyed, Aqua woke up and realised how much her legs were aching from all that walking yesterday. Little dark patches could be seen on her skin where she had fallen yesterday, and they were painful to touch. Aqua wondered what that was. Maybe Dawn could explain it to her.Draining the jacuzzi tub as she had seen Dawn doing, Aqua scrub it well so that she could use it again tonight. Then, she hugged the edges of the wall and made baby steps all the way to the showering stall, where she leaned against the cold wall tiles in an attempt to balance on two feet while doing other things.Living as a human was a lot easier than living as a mermaid, even if there were many things to do apart from hunting, swimming, eating and sleeping. Compared to her life in the ocean, Aqua slept worry-free and did not need to worry about not having anything to hunt for her next meal. The water was always warm, and the only thing Dawn asked of her was to master the use of her legs. Aqua
There were only a few things that Aqua would prioritise over her grumbling stomach. Saving Dawn was one of them, and comforting Dawn was another. Dawn seemed to be the only exception to the rules of survival her mother taught her.As they lay on Dawn’s bed, huddled with rumbling stomachs, Aqua listened carefully to the hushed troubles Dawn shared in little pieces. She couldn’t fully grasp Dawn’s situation, but she knew how much he was hurting from the people he had lost.“They must be dear to you,” she concluded. “You must have been family to them as well.”Dawn didn’t reply. He cried too much to have any tears left, even if his heart was still hurting. Aqua’s warmth by his side was the only reason why he wasn’t drinking and chain smoking to numb it. Every single name and memory he shared with her about those who laid down their lives for him became more vivid in the darkness. Once he started talking, he coul
The drive to Taco Bell took about fifteen minutes at best because there wasn’t much traffic at this hour. Dawn parked his car in the closest lot to the restaurant because he didn’t want Aqua to walk too much and risk falling over. After all, she was wearing sneakers for the very first time.Walking over to open Aqua’s side of the door like a gentleman, Dawn carefully escorted Aqua to the fast food restaurant like he was taught to treat all ladies. From an outsider’s point of view, they looked like an odd couple, with Aqua toddling unsteadily and Dawn behaving like a prince in street fashion. Neither of their demeanour matched their appearance.“Hi, welcome to Taco Bell. How can I help you?” the teenage girl at the cashier greeted lazily.It was late in the afternoon before the dinner crowd and there was nothing to do. She took orders on autopilot and only looked up from her order kiosk when there wasn’t an instant reply.
Dawn informed Aqua about where they were heading after the meal as they ate. After making their late breakfast, he texted Jericho that he would introduce his saviour briefly at the shop. First impressions were important, and Jericho didn’t know how to turn down gossip.“We will visit my friend at his shop,” he told Aqua. “His name is Jericho, but you can call him Jerry for short. Be careful not to bring up your secret, he’s very good at digging for secrets so don’t answer any questions that sound strange.”Blinking as she slurped on soda, Aqua nodded. Then, she burped softly and asked, “What is a friend?”…How to explain it? Dawn, he had more acquaintances, business partners and subordinates than friends. Jericho was possibly the only friend he had but even so, the man was more of his close aide or informant than a friend he hung out with for fun. His definition of a friend was too different. Aqua&rsqu
The bar wasn’t quite what Aqua was expecting. It was small on the inside, although it looked big on the outside, was rather quiet and was overall a little scary without Dawn around. The two men in front of the shop wearing black glasses that covered their eyes were big, much bigger than Dawn. They also looked very fierce, reminding Aqua of whales.Thankfully, nothing happened, and the ‘bouncers’ let them pass after they saw Dawn. After entering a new door, Aqua and Dawn were shown inside the bar to a different room. That explained why the bar looked small after they entered. It wasn’t the main room!However, even after following the part-timer to the room they were going to wait in, Aqua still could not understand why this place had so many walls and rooms. It was like a maze. Without the guide, Aqua would have a difficult time finding anything.“Is there anything you’d like to drink while waiting for the master?” the part-tim