Agnes smiled, clapping loudly and continuously as she watched Islaw walk slowly across the living room. He paced back and forth several times without falling, unlike yesterday when he was like a three-year-old just learning to find his balance. Agnes hadn't expected that in just one day and a few hours of practice, the merman would learn so quickly.
Islaw wore a wide grin as he ran toward Agnes. Since he wasn't yet fully used to walking, he tripped and fell into her arms, hugging her as they went down. Their cheeks pressed together, and she felt a sharp sting from the impact. But it was Islaw who seemed more hurt; he pulled away with a blank expression before suddenly bursting into tears.
Agnes couldn't blame him; the impact of their cheeks colliding was quite hard. She felt as if her cheekbone might break, and they would likely both have bruises later. Ignoring the numbing pain in her own face, she immediately comforted the crying merman. With his furrowed brows and wailing mouth, he looked exactly like a child.
"Hush now, Islaw," she said worriedly, stroking his broad, muscular back.
Her worry deepened when, instead of calming down, he wailed even louder. Tears streamed down his face incessantly, eventually hardening into pearls. A sense of dread washed over Agnes; Islaw had wasted so many tears, and she knew the grave toll it will take on his life. She feared that at any moment, he might stop breathing because of her negligence.
"I-I'm sorry, Islaw. It's my fault you got hurt. I'm so sorry," she apologized tenderly and with pure sincerity, but he wouldn't stop crying.
"H-here, sit down for a moment."
She pulled him toward a chair and made him sit, no longer paying attention to the pearls falling and rolling across the floor. To her, Islaw was the priority; even if a single small pearl was worth thousands, Islaw's life was priceless. she would put the merman above anything else.
"Islaw, please stop crying," she pleaded, clasping his hands in hers.
"Crying is bad for you."
Agnes tried every sweet word she knew, but he continued to sob. She held his hands, hugged him, and even placed her palm against his reddened cheek, stroking it gently to make him feel better, but nothing worked. She didn't know what else to do.
She let out a deep sigh, deciding on the one last method she knew to stop someone from crying. When she was a child, her parents would stop her tears with a kiss whenever she got hurt. She leaned in to kiss his face. The moment her lips touched his cheek, he stopped crying instantly. With blushing cheeks, she pulled back slightly.
Their eyes met. Neither moved, not even to blink. But then, Islaw smiled wide—no! He wasn't just smiling; he was smirking, and the mischievous merman even let out a giggle. Agnes's eyes widened in shock when Islaw cheekily stuck his tongue out at her as if he were teasing her.
"W-where did you learn that?!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at him with wide eyes.
Suddenly, Cholo emerged from the kitchen holding a fried chicken leg. He walked over to Islaw, giggling, and the two shared a high-five. Agnes stood there, stunned, watching the two mischievous males who seemed to have formed a bond. They looked like two friends who had just successfully pulled off a prank.
It was only then she realized that the "innocent" Islaw she was facing earlier wasn't so innocent after all. He had faked his loss of balance and pretended to be in pain just to get a kiss. Why hadn't she noticed? A simple bump of the cheeks wasn't enough to make someone wail like that. She could endure the slight throb in her cheekbone, yet Islaw had cried immediately.
He just wanted a kiss from her.
"You're great, Big brother! Just listen to my teachings and many girls will fall for you!" Cholo said proudly, making Agnes knit her brows.
She gave him a sharp look and flicked his forehead.
"Ouch!" Cholo touched his forehead.
"Do you want me to kick you both out of my house?" she asked, hands on her hips.
"Oh, please. You're just jealous, Big sis," the mischievous boy teased.
"Why would I be jealous? I'm the one your big brother likes, right?" she retorted, turning away as her cheeks reddened.
Agnes looked back when she noticed Cholo whispering in Islaw's ear, seemingly explaining what she had just said. Her cheeks burned even hotter when Islaw looked at her with a flirtatious smile. She was about to give him a piece of her mind, but before she could speak, he pulled her into a tight embrace that sent a tickle through her entire being.
They were both so flirtatious.
"Do you two need some space?" Cholo teased, and she just glared at him.
She was about to pull away when she suddenly froze, then hugged Islaw back tightly as he suddenly lost consciousness. After a few seconds, he woke up and gave her a weak smile. This was exactly what she had been afraid of. Crying really did have a bad effect on him. His tears were equivalent to his life.
Minutes passed as Islaw rested. It was now exactly six o'clock; they needed to get ready to leave. Today was Islaw's first day at the Preschool Center. Everything was prepared, and only Islaw was left to get ready. However, when it came to paperwork like a birth certificate, he had none. Islaw had no official identity, and she didn't even know his real background.
Agnes didn't know which part of the sea he came from, if he had a family, a lover underwater, or even a real name. She wasn't sending him to school to become highly educated or a professional; she just wanted him to learn how to speak, how to socialize, and how to live as a human.
"Good boy, Islaw. You finished your food," Agnes praised, patting him on the head.
"Of course! You're a great cook, Big sis. Did you like it, Big brother?" Cholo asked.
"Hmm," Islaw replied with a nod, making Agnes smile secretly.
"Wait, aren't we going to give him a bath?" Cholo asked, making her pause.
Agnes didn't answer right away. She looked at Islaw, who was staring at her blankly with his head tilted. She scanned him from head to toe and realized he did look unkempt. He was quite dirty, and the fishy scent of his body still lingered, though it wasn't as strong as before.
"He'll be spending over an hour with my teacher and classmates, Big sis. He should look neat and smell good."
"You're right, Cholo."
She sighed, deciding she had to give Islaw a bath. She sent Cholo to borrow some clothes from his father since she had nothing else for Islaw to wear. She led the merman to the bathroom and, with burning cheeks, gathered her courage to undress him. For a moment, her eyes were fixed on his handsome and fit nakedness, but she quickly looked away out of deep respect for him.
Islaw sat in a large basin. She started pouring water over his head, applied shampoo to his hair, and finally began soaping his body. She carefully avoided his private parts, teaching him briefly how to bathe so he could clean himself and learn to do it alone next time.
"Hmm?"
Agnes froze, her heart pounding loudly when Islaw touched her thigh. Her skirt was pulled up as she stepped into the basin to bathe him properly. She felt breathless as Islaw's palms gently stroked up and down her round, tanned thighs.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm?"
Islaw seemed consumed by curiosity, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at her legs. He tilted his head back and forth while gently caressing her skin. She just stood there, staring at his handsome face, which was so serious about stroking her soapy thighs.
Agnes knew she should stop him, but she didn't know why she felt a sense of pleasure in his touch. A warm feeling deep inside told her to let him continue because she liked the sensation.
"I-Islaw!"
She gasped as he leaned his face toward her other thigh, and she felt his soft lips touch her skin. She cleared her throat as his lips brushed against her. She was paralyzed, unable to do anything but watch him until Cholo arrived with the clothes. She quickly distanced herself from the merman.
"Big sis, here are my father's clothes."
"T-thanks, Cholo."
"Are you okay? Why do you look so pale?" the kid asked, making her swallow hard.
This Islaw is just too playful.
"I-I'm fine. You help Islaw get dressed so we can go."
She turned to leave, but before she stepped out of the bathroom, she stole one last glance at Islaw. Her observant eyes caught the wide grin on his face as he stared at her. The thought immediately crossed her mind: this merman was slowly learning things—mischievous things.
It looked like he was truly learning how to live as a normal man.
After bath, Agnes makes sure Islaw was dressed neatly in the clothes Cholo had borrowed. She tried to reassure him with gentle smiles, but as they left the quiet safety of her hut and headed toward the bustling center of town, she felt Islaw's posture change.
The curiosity he had shown in the bathroom was gone, replaced by a growing sense of dread as the noise of people and vehicles grew louder. By the time they reached the gate of the small building, he was no longer the playful creature she had bathed earlier.
Islaw held Agnes's hand tightly—so tightly that Agnes couldn't help but wince. She could clearly see the intense fear written across the merman's gentle, handsome face. She couldn't help but feel worried for him, especially as she felt his hands trembling and turning cold.
They were currently standing in front of the door of the Preschool Center where Islaw was to be enrolled. All the future classmates and even the teacher were staring at him, which only seemed to add to his terror.
Agnes couldn't blame him; this was the first time he had faced so many people. It was also his first time in the town, a place teeming with more people than he could count.
"Islaw, come on, let's go inside," she said softly.
She tried to take a step forward, but she stopped when Islaw remained rooted to the spot. No matter how much she tried to coax him in, he resisted. She and Cholo worked together to pull him inside, but he only shook his head and whined. In fact, he was the one pulling her away from the crowd.
The innocent Islaw was absolutely terrified.
"Good morning, Agnes. It looks like the young man is very scared," said the elderly woman who would be Islaw's teacher as she approached them.
"You're right, Mrs. Rico. This is his first time facing a crowd. I hope you can be patient in teaching him."
"No problem at all. But I think you need to encourage him and put his mind at ease first," the teacher suggested with a smile, and Agnes nodded.
Instead of dragging Islaw into the classroom, she decided to lead him to the garden behind the building. Cholo, meanwhile, went straight inside to attend class. As soon as Islaw saw the peaceful garden, he clapped his hands and walked around with a wide smile, picking leaves from the branches of the trees.
"Islaw, come here," she said, gently patting the seat of a swing.
There were two swings hanging from the branch of a large tree. Islaw immediately approached her, tilting his head as he stared at the seat she had patted. Agnes placed her palms on his muscular shoulders and pushed him down gently. He sat on the swing, which moved slightly, causing him to quickly wrap his arms around her waist. If he hadn't held onto her, he surely would have fallen to the ground since he didn't know how to balance on a moving swing yet.
"This is called a swing, Islaw," she explained, sitting on the one beside him.
"Swiii—swiii—swiiii!" Islaw whispered softly, as if studying the word she had just spoken.
"That's right, Islaw. I want you to learn to speak so we can understand each other," she said, holding his hand as Islaw gripped the chain of the swing.
"Islaw, do you want us to understand one another? Do you want to live as a normal human like me?" she asked, using hand gestures to help him understand.
The merman nodded slowly.
"If that's the case, you need to find the courage to face your teacher and classmates. This is for your own good, Islaw."
"I know you are brave. You gambled with your safety just to see me. Even though you knew stepping on land wasn't good for you, you did it anyway for me. Because you are brave. And because you are brave, you can face them too, right?" She placed her palm on his cheek before leaning in to press her forehead against his.
She didn't know why she was being so tender with him, especially since she had been trying to distance herself to avoid leading him on. She didn't want him to think of her as his wife when she wasn't. But the tides seemed to have turned. She didn't know why, but she felt like she wanted to accept everything that was happening—even the truth that Islaw was her husband was something she was beginning to want to accept.
"Come on, you have to study," she said, pulling back and taking his hand.
Islaw nodded and smiled in response. Hand in hand, they walked back to the front of the building. They finally entered the classroom and sat beside Cholo. The three of them were at the back because they were quite tall and large compared to the children. She couldn't leave Islaw alone because he became distressed whenever she was away.
The class lasted over an hour. Truthfully, the teacher didn't teach much except how to be friendly. However, she noticed that Islaw learned a little; even if he didn't fully understand their language, he listened intently to the teacher at the front.
It helped that Agnes was beside him to explain what the teacher was saying.
"These two aced the first day of class," the teacher commented with a smile once the other children and parents had left.
"Did you hear that, Big brother? I heard it too, but I don't know what it means," Cholo said with a shrug, making Agnes and the teacher laugh.
"It means both of you were excellent. You did a good job today. You both worked very hard," she said, ruffling both of their hair.
"Are we going home now, Big sis?"
"Not yet, Cholo. Though you both started late for your age, Islaw is a special case, so the teacher will be giving him personal lessons on how to speak. Islaw will stay here for another hour so Mrs. Rico can teach him how to pronounce words," Agnes explained to the kid.
"Let's begin." the teacher said.
Mrs. Rico had Islaw sit in the chair across from her desk. Agnes took Cholo's hand and prepared to leave the room, but she stopped when Islaw suddenly hugged her from behind. She let go of Cholo and turned to face the sad, frightened merman. He let out a soft whine, like a child afraid of being left by his mother at school. It seemed his fear hadn't completely vanished.
"Islaw, it will be better for you to have a one-on-one conversation with your teacher."
The merman shook his head repeatedly.
"We'll just be outside, Big brother," Cholo chimed in, holding onto the hem of Islaw's shirt.
"It seems he isn't ready to be alone yet," Mrs. Rico noted, which made Agnes sigh.
Agnes decided to stay by Islaw's side while Mrs. Rico taught him how to pronounce letters. Over half an hour passed, but Islaw didn't manage to utter a single letter, though she knew he was listening. They went home exhausted, and it was nearly afternoon by the time she slumped into a chair. Within minutes, she began cooking dinner; tomorrow, the routine would repeat.
"Thank you for the delicious food!" Cholo exclaimed when they finished eating.
"Hmm!" Islaw nodded with a smile, seemingly agreeing with Cholo.
"I'm leaving now, Big sis. I only stayed this long to eat here," Cholo said, standing up with a giggle.
"Alright. Get home safely. Don't run, you just finished eating."
"Noting, Big sis."
"That's 'noted,' Cholo," she corrected.
"Same thing. Bye!"
Agnes walked Cholo out and watched him until he disappeared from view. She exhaled as his waving hand vanished in the distance. Staring into the dark outside, she felt the weight of her exhaustion from spending the whole day at the Preschool Center.
Suddenly, she startled when she felt something heavy in her skirt pocket. She remembered she had tucked away the pearls Islaw had cried earlier. She hurriedly took them out to check if any were missing. She breathed a sigh of relief to find all four pearls were still there. She had to treasure them, as they were her only source of money for her and Islaw's life now.
But she didn't want to waste the pearls—born from Islaw's magical tears—on useless things. Even though they were poor, she wasn't going to buy everything she wanted just because she had money now. To her, Islaw's life was far more valuable than a luxurious lifestyle.
She didn't know it yet, but she was becoming deeply drawn to Islaw.
She sighed again while staring at the shimmering pearls in her palm. She couldn't help but worry whenever she remembered Islaw's pale face after he cried. What if his body gave out tomorrow or the day after? Her chest tightened at the thought, which she quickly tried to brush away.
Perhaps she really was falling for the merman.
Agnes stood by the open door for a long time, lost in her thoughts while the cool night breeze played with her hair. The only sound was the distant rhythm of the waves hitting the shore. She was so deep in her own head, questioning the strange fluttering in her heart, that she didn't hear the soft, barefoot footsteps approaching her.
"Hmm." A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind, making her jump.
It was Islaw, his arms encircling her.
"I-Islaw, it's just you," she said, turning to him with a smile.
"Hmm-hmm," he replied with a nod.
"Islaw, I wonder when you will be able to speak. When will you learn to say my name?"
She asked the innocent Islaw with a slight pout. He only tilted his head, his brows furrowing slightly. Not expecting any further response, she moved to pull away from his embrace. She took his hand, intending to lead him inside, but she froze when he hugged her again.
"A-Agnesh."
Agnes felt like she was nailed to the spot. Her eyes widened as she faced the merman who was still holding her. She was speechless, unable to move after what had just happened. She had heard Islaw speak. She heard his beautiful, baritone voice clearly. And most wonderfully, it was her name he had uttered. She wasn't mistaken, was she?
"Was that you? Islaw, y-you spoke, didn't you? You said my name, right? That was your voice I heard?" she asked, bubbling over with joy.
He nodded, making her squeal.
"A-Agnesh," he said her name again, which made her scream even louder with delight.
It's not perfectly pronouned but it is clear.
"Yes, Islaw! I am Agnes. And you are Islaw!" She jumped up and down, hugging him tightly.
"Agnesh, Ishlaw," he whispered softly, returning her embrace.
At last, the merman had found his voice.