Did You Fall for My Face?
Yu Sungwoon, who had been following behind me, tugged at the hand I'd grabbed not long ago.
"Hold on. What do you mean, you know where Doyun is?"
I finally stopped and turned around.
He wore the expression of someone demanding an answer this very second.
Clearly, dragging him along like this wasn't going to work.
"I mean exactly what I said. I know where the Park Doyun you're looking for is."
"Then tell me where he is."
I hesitated for a moment, then raised a hand and pointed at myself.
"He's right here."
Yu Sungwoon's gaze traveled up from my fingertip to my face.
He just blinked for a while, and then his expression gradually turned strange.
"...What on earth are you saying right now?"
Yeah, no way he'd believe it in one go.
"It's me. Park Doyun."
Yu Sungwoon let out a hollow laugh.
His face had stiffened even colder than before — he clearly thought I was pulling some kind of prank.
"I'm really not in the mood for jokes."
"I know. That's why I'm going to prove it."
What would convince him beyond a doubt?
After a moment's thought, I landed on something only the two of us knew.
"Remember in second year of middle school, when you picked a fight with the kids smoking behind the school and ended up surrounded by three of them?"
"What?"
"I led you out and we ran together. And when you were climbing over the wall, you ripped your pants."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I was right there, obviously."
He couldn't manage a single word.
"I'm not asking you to believe me on the spot. Let's talk about the rest at home."
"Home?"
"The place we live together."
At my words, Yu Sungwoon's eyes went wide.
I didn't bother adding anything more.
After staring at me for a moment, he raked a hand back through his hair.
"This is driving me crazy..."
"Same here. Let's just go for now."
By the time I'd led him almost out of the beach, my outfit caught my eye.
A swimsuit.
It hadn't bothered me back there, but I couldn't very well ride around in a taxi like this.
I looked at the shirt of the guy walking beside me.
"Sungwoon. Lend me that until we get home."
Following my gaze, Yu Sungwoon glanced down at his own clothes, then checked what I was wearing.
"Ah..."
He hesitated briefly, then pulled off his shirt and handed it over.
"Thanks."
The moment I slipped it on, it hung loose — far too loose, actually.
Part of it was that Yu Sungwoon was bigger than me, but my original body wouldn't have left this much room.
Just putting on a single shirt made the changed body feel real all over again.
A little later, I instinctively reached for my phone to call a taxi, then belatedly stopped myself.
"Oh, right. I don't have my phone right now. Did you happen to grab mine too?"
"Doyun's phone and clothes are both packed in my bag."
"What a relief. You call the taxi then."
Yu Sungwoon stared at me for a beat, then silently pulled out his phone.
He didn't fully believe me yet, but at least he wasn't as wary as before.
Soon the taxi I'd called arrived, and when I climbed into the back seat, Yu Sungwoon sat down beside me.
Even after the taxi pulled away, he stayed quiet for a while.
Then I felt his eyes on me.
"What are you staring at me like that for?"
"I just can't wrap my head around it yet."
"Oh, look at you, dropping the formalities. Anyway, I'll explain everything once we're home, so just hang on."
He had the face of a man bursting with questions, but mindful of being in a taxi, he held them back.
I turned my head, leaned against the window, and watched the scenery slip past.
Before long, the taxi stopped in front of a familiar building.
After getting out, I walked into the building with Yu Sungwoon.
At the front door, I stepped up to the keypad first and punched in the passcode.
Beep-beep-beep.
The moment the lock released, Yu Sungwoon's expression, as he watched from behind, shifted subtly.
I opened the door and went in first.
"Come on in. I'll explain everything now."
Inside the apartment, Yu Sungwoon and I sat facing each other across the living room.
After a moment of wondering where to start, I began telling the story from the moment I'd fallen into the sea, step by step.
That I'd rescued someone from drowning, lost all my strength, and drowned right there.
That when I opened my eyes again, I was in the Dragon Palace, where I met the Dragon King and received a new life — reborn as a mermaid, a female of the species.
I also explained about the hours I could spend living as a human.
"So from six in the morning to six in the evening, you're human, and after that you turn back into a mermaid?"
"Yep. And apparently I can turn into a mermaid during the day too, if I want."
"Then in a little while, you'll become a mermaid again?"
"Not today. I drank a whole bottle of the human transformation potion at the Dragon Palace, and on the day you drink that, your human form holds even at night."
Since I was on the subject, I opened the small bag I'd received at the palace and showed him.
Inside were ten bottles of the human transformation potion and two bracelets made of beads.
"The potion can only be used ten times a month. But the one bottle I drank at the palace doesn't count toward that."
"And these bracelets?"
"They said they're for when I need to go to the Dragon Palace. Break one and scatter the beads anywhere there's water — sea, river, lake — and the mermaids will come find me."
Yu Sungwoon picked up a bracelet and turned it over in his hands, examining it with curiosity.
I went on to explain that mermaids have a spawning season, and that when the time drew near, I'd have to visit the Dragon Palace again to hear the details.
Lastly, I told him how my tail had turned into legs as I rose toward the surface and approached the shore, and everything that had happened right up until the moment I ran into him.
When I finished, he pressed a hand to his forehead, his face a tangle of emotions.
"So you really are Doyun."
"I've been saying that since a while ago."
"How is anyone supposed to hear all that and just believe it?"
That was fair, and I had no comeback.
If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't have believed it right away either.
"Hey. I'm gonna go wash up first."
"Sure."
I took off the borrowed shirt, tossed it into the washing machine, and headed straight for the bathroom.
There, warm water washed away the leftover salt and sand from the sea.
My hair keeps sticking to me. So annoying.
It was only natural, having lived my whole life with short hair.
It was going to take some time to adjust, apparently.
After my shower, I toweled off my body and hair and went into my room.
Then I opened the closet, pulled out a white T-shirt, and put it on.
The shirt still hung loose around my frame.
"It's my own shirt, though..."
Come to think of it, I still hadn't seen what I actually looked like now.
I walked straight over to the full-length mirror and studied the reflection staring back at me.
Whoa. That's a seriously gorgeous woman.
Underwater I'd only caught glimpses of my hair, so I hadn't known the details — but up close, the color turned out to be dazzlingly vibrant.
And the moment I saw my face, admiration spilled out of me before I could help it.
"It doesn't even compare to my old looks, does it?"
As a man, I'd been completely ordinary.
The kind of face you could find anywhere.
After living my entire life with that face, looking at this pretty woman's reflection gave me an odd sense of hitting the jackpot.
The most striking feature, of course, was the full, ample chest attached to the front of me.
I'd never once dated a woman in my life, and now here were two big melons sitting right in front of my eyes — and a sudden curiosity stirred in me.
"Should I touch them a little...?"
I hesitated a moment, but eventually brought my hands up to my chest.
And slowly gave them a squeeze.
"Hnngh...!"
Startled by the moan that escaped me, I slapped a hand over my mouth.
What? Why is my body so sensitive?!
A sensation I'd never once felt in my life washed over me, and bewilderment flooded in.
"Wait — how on earth did I shower earlier, then..."
Back then I'd been so freaked out that all I could think was to scrub myself clean as fast as possible, but now, recalling the act itself, I felt inexplicably embarrassed.
When I checked the mirror a moment later, my face had already flushed deep red.
"......"
Yeah, this was going to be hard to get used to for a while.
I dragged a hand down my face and headed to the living room.
When I came out, Yu Sungwoon was sitting on the couch.
He flinched slightly at the sight of me, then looked me up and down.
"What?"
"Seeing you in those clothes is genuinely creepy."
"They're my clothes. What's creepy about that?"
Yu Sungwoon didn't answer, just stared at my face again.
He must find the new look jarring. If even I do, imagine how it is for him.
Thinking I should maybe lighten the mood, I flashed him a mischievous smile and said,
"Hey, did you fall for my face by any chance?"
"Are you insane?"
At the instant comeback, I leaned my face in closer, and Yu Sungwoon recoiled in horror, scrambling backward.
His reaction was so satisfying that laughter slipped out of me before I knew it.
"Why are you backing away? I just saw myself in the mirror — this face is gorgeous."
"Hearing you say that with your own mouth makes it even worse."
"I'm a woman now. You can't call me gross anymore."
"Crazy. There's no way I'm seeing you as a woman."
He said that, but Yu Sungwoon still wore an odd expression, as if he hadn't gotten used to any of it.
Honestly, I found it just as awkward, exchanging this kind of banter with him.
Then, out of nowhere, my stomach growled.
"......"
Yu Sungwoon's gaze drifted naturally down to my belly.
"You hungry?"
"...Yeah. I haven't eaten anything all day, remember?"
"Want me to boil some ramyeon?"
"Obviously. Make two."
"Two? You'll eat that much?"
Yu Sungwoon gave my body a once-over, looking surprised.
I gave a casual shrug.
"Don't make it weird. I've always eaten that much."
"I figured your appetite would've shrunk now that you're a woman."
"No idea. Haven't tested it yet. Just hurry up and cook."
"Ugh, fine."
Yu Sungwoon shook his head, got up, and headed for the kitchen.
A little later, the smell of ramyeon spread through the living room.
I moved to the table and waited for it to finish cooking.
A few minutes later, Yu Sungwoon brought the bowls over and set one down in front of me.
"Eat."
"Thanks for the food."
I picked up my chopsticks and went straight for the noodles.
The moment I slurped down the hot noodles, it finally hit me that I was truly alive again.
We ate in silence for a while, and then my outfit caught my eye once more.
Looking at it, I decided the first thing on my list was new clothes.
The pants I used to wear obviously wouldn't fit this body, and I'd need new shoes too.
Beyond that, there was no shortage of things I needed right away.
"Sungwoon. I need to go shopping for clothes tomorrow."
"Sure, whatever."
"Come with me."
His chopsticks stopped mid-air.
"Why me?"
"It'd be awkward going alone."
"You've always shopped just fine by yourself, and now suddenly—?"
"Circumstances have changed. I have to buy women's clothes now."
Yu Sungwoon looked me up and down once more, then finally let out a sigh.
"Fine."
"What would I do without you, honestly."
"Don't make yourself a nuisance tomorrow."
"Got it."
With that, the conversation ended and I went back to eating.
Hungry as I was, my chopsticks moved fast.
By the time I'd finished every last bit of ramyeon and emptied my bowl, the fatigue of the entire day crashed over me all at once.
I carried the empty bowl to the sink and stretched with a long groan.
"I'm turning in."
"Sure. Sleep well."
"You too."
I went straight back to my room and flung myself onto the bed.
My body had completely changed, but at least the place I'd come home to was exactly as I'd left it.
As I replayed the day's events one by one, my head started to spin all over again, so I pulled the blanket up over myself.
Suddenly curious about the time, I turned on my phone and found it was already past seven in the evening.
I took my eyes off the screen and gingerly stretched both legs out from under the blanket.
"Still the same."
Past six in the evening, and there wasn't the slightest sign of me turning into a mermaid.
Apparently the potion's effects were holding, just like the Dragon King said.
That reassured me enough to tuck my legs back under the blanket.
"The rest can wait until tomorrow..."
With the tension finally draining away, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
As I lay there with my eyes closed, my consciousness slowly drifted off.