After the bonfire on the beach, something inside Katsuki had calmed down, but at the same time a new desire emerged. The following days passed in a strange calm, almost as if the sea had calmed the internal turmoil that had agitated him for weeks. But there was still an unresolved question, a question that continued to pound in his head: what did that meeting mean, and, above all, what did that creature really represent for him?

Kirishima was probably right: maybe it would have been better to let it go, before regretting it, before feeling too bad about it...

Two days later, however, with his thoughts still turned to that night vision, Katsuki decided to return to the beach. But this time he didn't take the surfboard.

The sea wasn't calm at all, but that wasn't the reason he felt the urge to go there. He headed towards the rocks, a more isolated part of the coast, which few people frequented. He knew that there he would find the solitude he needed.

Arriving at the rocks that late afternoon, he began to climb them calmly, the rocks was cold and wet under his hands. The soles of his sneakers sometimes slipped where the rock was wettest. The breeze blowing from the sea was biting and goosebumps formed on his exposed arms, but Katsuki paid it no mind. There was something relaxing in that cold, in that feeling of being alone with the sea, far from the worries and thoughts of everyday life.

He found a fairly high and safe spot, where he sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, his eyes fixed on the horizon. The sea rippled beneath him, the waves crashing against the rocks in an ancient, steady rhythm. Katsuki let himself go at the sight, taking a deep breath of the salty air. He had decided to wait. He didn't know exactly what, but part of him hoped that the sea would respond, once again.

Minutes passed, and the sun got closer and closer to the horizon. Katsuki didn't move from that almost curled up and comforting position, his mind completely free and his eyes full of the wonder of that sunset. He was almost about to give up, to believe that this day would be just another one where the sea remained silent, when he noticed a movement in the water beneath him.

The merman emerged slowly, almost as if he was assessing the situation before approaching.

Katsuki held his breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked at that figure he had hoped to see again.

The merman approached the rocks, swimming gracefully, and positioned himself on a low rock, right next to where he had been sitting.

For a moment, the two were silent, the loud lapping of the waves filling the air between them.

Katsuki looked at him, trying to capture every detail of that creature that seemed so different and yet so similar to him. The merman's green eyes stared at him intensely, and he felt that something was different this time. A bond that had deepened, a silent understanding that went beyond unspoken words.

He moved, carefully descending to get closer to him, while the creature watched him with insistence and curiosity.

«I can't stop thinking about you.», Katsuki finally confessed, when he sat practically in front of him, his voice lost among the sound of the waves. «Since we met... you haven't left my thoughts...»

The merman listened, and for a moment Katsuki feared he wouldn't understand. But then, the creature nodded and made a gesture indicating first the blond, then himself, a slow and deliberate movement, as if it meant that for him the sensation was the same.

That simple gesture affected Katsuki more than he would have ever imagined.

It wasn't just a sea creature, it wasn't just a fleeting vision.

The merman had thought so, the same way Katsuki had. Despite the differences between their worlds, it was as if there was something that connected them, something that pulled them towards each other.

«You know...», Katsuki continued, his voice a little more confident, «I've never been one to really believe in certain things... romantic shit, you know, right? But with you it was... different . I don't know why, but I feel like there's something special about it. Something I can't ignore.», and he pointed to his chest. «Here.».

The merman stood still, eyes fixed on Katsuki. There were no words between them, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. He was full of understanding... of an understanding that went beyond language.

The sea, the wind, everything seemed to contribute to that moment, making it unique and perfect.

Katsuki wasn't one to let his feelings go easily, but in that moment he felt that he could no longer hide behind the usual gruff facade he used with everyone. There was something extraordinary in that meeting, something that pushed him to be honest, to drop all defenses. And he knew that the creature, somehow, felt the same.

And he knew it when the merman copied his gesture, opening his pale, webbed hand against his chest.

«You too?», and the creature nodded, with a faint smile, his cheeks becoming darker, his eyes brighter.

They stood there for a while, in silence, simply enjoying each other's company and the sunset over the choppy water: the sea continued to murmur around them, like a constant background, while the sun began to dye the sky orange and pink. Katsuki felt strangely at peace, as if the whole world was right in that moment.

Finally, the merman threw some water at the human to attract attention, and then moved, because it was time for him to return to his world beneath the waves. But before he left, he stepped a little closer, his webbed hands gently skimming the surface of the water. Katsuki watched him, his heart gripped in a bittersweet sensation, knowing he would have to let him go again.

The creature looked at him one last time, its eyes reflecting the light of the setting sun, before slowly submerging. Katsuki stood there, staring at the spot where he disappeared, his heart still full of emotion from that brief encounter.