Agnes could only smile whenever she watched Buchukoy, who kept staring at the merman lying in her bed. Just the other night, the child had discovered her secret of hiding a merman in her house, and she was deeply grateful that he hadn't told anyone, not even his parents, who were intent on capturing one. Besides being asked to keep the secret, Buchukoy was a good person, so he had kept it to himself.
Moreover, Buchukoy was too friendly and made friends with everyone he met, so it was no surprise that he wanted to be friends with the merman. However, that wasn't the case with the one she was taking care of. When she first met this creature, she knew it was filled with fear, but when it first encountered Buchu, its brows furrowed, and she immediately knew the merman didn't like the kid.
In fact, Buchukoy had been hanging around her house all day because he was entertained by watching and talking to the merman, even though he didn't speak, and didn't even bother listening to him. Buchu had tried several times to approach and touch the merman, but it never gave him the time of day. The merman seemed like a grumpy child upset with his playmate.
She chuckled softly at her thoughts.
"He is so annoying, Big Sis. He's nice to you, but he's grumpy with me," Buchu said with a frown, which Agnes just laughed at softly.
"Don't worry, he'll be nice to you eventually. He just doesn't know you yet, so he probably doesn't feel close to you yet."
"Is that so? Will he be nice to me tomorrow? Will I be his friend by then?"
"I don't know how long he'll stay grumpy with you, but just keep trying," she replied as she continued cooking their dinner.
For now, the dish she was preparing was delicious because Buchu had brought some meat for her. Also, Buchu was staying over because he wanted to befriend the merman.
She didn't mind because he had stayed at her house many times, and she treated him like a real sibling. Furthermore, his parents trusted her completely, so it was fine for him to sleep over tonight.
"The food's ready. Let's eat, and after, I'll feed the merman," she said as she set the food on the table.
"Big Sis, why don't we just feed him together? It's sad eating alone," Buchu suggested.
"Sure, if that's what you want."
Buhchu helped her carry the merman to the kitchen, and he sat on a chair while chewing on small fish. Every day, Agnes searched for something to feed the merman, but she was running out of options, and the merman ate quite a lot. She was even worried about what to feed him tomorrow.
"Eat as much as you want," she gently patted the merman's head, making hum hum in delight.
"Big Sis, I noticed you don't call him by his name. What's his name?" Buchu suddenly asked, making her pause.
What was the merman's name?
"I don't know his name either. I don't even know if creatures like him have names," she scratched her head and replied.
"If he doesn't have a name, why don't you give him one?"
A name? She smiled at Buchu's suggestion.
"You're right, I'm the one taking care of him, so I'll give him a name," she said.
"Islaw. I'll name him Islaw."
She smiled wide as she looked at the merman, she stroke his hair. She could see the joy in his eyes, as though he liked the name. She admitted that the name sounded a bit odd, but it was the name she wanted for the merman. He didn't seem to mind, though, as he smiled at her.
"It looks like he likes the name you gave him, Big Sis."
"Yeah, even I like it. It may sound funny, but it suits him."
She happily continued talking with Buchukoy until they finished their meal. Afterward, they returned the merman to the bedroom, and she left the two alone while she cleaned up and washed the dishes.
Later, she would go out to find some sea creatures that had washed up on the shore. She was worried there wouldn't be enough food for Islaw, or even for herself. Life was really tough when you were poor.
As she had planned, she went outside into the dark night to search for food. While walking along the beach, she couldn't help but stare at the ocean where she had once planned to take her life. If not for Islaw, she would probably be buried by now. She was glad the merman had saved her.
She admitted that she wasn't in her right mind when she attempted suicide. At that time, she was deeply hurt by Erick's betrayal. She had thought he was the only remaining family she had, but she was wrong. The person she had trusted and loved had been the one to break her heart. But then Islaw appeared and gave her a reason to live. She was immensely grateful to him.
It was only in the past few days that she realized she shouldn't end her life over someone so unimportant. She still had a purpose, and she felt it was to care for the innocent Islaw. Besides, if she had died, it's likely that Erick and the Acostas would have rejoiced instead of mourned. But for now, she just needed to return to the pretentious Acosta family. Once she had enough money, she would leave them behind.
"Big Sis!" Buchukoy cried, running toward her when she returned.
She hadn't realized how close she had gotten to her house until she saw him, frantic and out of breath. The look of fear and worry on his face told her something was wrong. She ran toward him.
"Buchu, what's wrong?" she asked immediately.
"It's Big Brother, Islaw!" he gasped.
"What happened to him? Where is he?" she ran inside the room in a panic. She found Islaw leaning against the bed, taking up the entire space as if he didn't want to give any room for Buchu.
Islaw smiled at her.
"Why did you scare me like that, Buchu? I thought something happened to Islaw!" she exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Why were you crying?"
"He won't let me lie down on the bed," he replied, pouting.
Agnes paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Big Sis, there's nothing funny about it!" Buchukoy burst into tears, and she quickly comforted him.
"Buchu, calm down."
"Big Brother, Islaw, is so selfish, he won't let me lie next to him."
"Let him be for now. You can sleep next to me. Besides, Islaw smells too fishy, and even the room stinks. You might get sick from the smell."
"I don't want to! I want to sleep next to him."
"Alright, I'll handle Islaw." she sighed.
She carried him to where Islaw was.
"Islaw, don't be selfish with the bed. Share it with Buchu, you're both sleeping together tonight."
She was about to lay Buchu down on the bed but stopped when Islaw turned his back and made it clear he didn't want to give space. She sighed and shook her head, but she couldn't help but smile.
It seemed like Islaw was starting to understand her. She gently placed Buchu on the bed before sitting beside him. Islaw looked at her with a smile. It seemed like Islaw was kind to her, but not to Buchukoy.
"Islaw, is it okay if I sleep next to you?" she asked, making a gesture to help him understand.
The merman smiled, signaling his consent.
"That's unfair," Buchu muttered.
"Islaw, why is it okay for me to sleep here but not for Buchu?"
As expected, he didn't answer and just furrowed his brows, turning his head away. She brought Buchu closer, but before he could sit on the bed, Islaw blocked the way, making it clear he didn't want the child in the bed. She sighed and stood up. Although it hurt her to scold Islaw, she knew he needed to learn better manners.
"Alright, Buchu, sleep now." she tucked him in next to Islaw.
She felt Islaw's gaze on her while she arranged Buchu's blanket. The merman's lips were slightly pursed, and his eyes were soft. She had scolded him, so he was probably sad. She didn't want to have to scold him, but it was necessary since he was living in her house. And she couldn't let him push away Buchu, who was trying so hard to befriend him.
She stood quietly at the foot of the bed until Buchu fell asleep, then briefly glanced at Islaw's sad eyes before turning her back to him. She heard his movement, so she looked back. He smiled at her, as if just by her looking at him, she had made him happy. He raised one hand, and she knew he wanted to hold hers. She sighed deeply before reaching out to clasp their hands.
"Islaw," she said, sitting beside him.
"I didn't like how you acted earlier," she said firmly, and it seemed to frighten the merman.
"This is my house. Buchu is welcome here because he's like my sibling, and you should treat him the same way."
"Islaw, I don't want this to happen again. I want you to accept Buchu because he's a good kid and he wants to be your friend."
He just stared at her, causing her shoulders to slump. Why was she even talking to this merman? She looked at him with dimmed eyes, their gazes meeting, and for some inexplicable reason, it felt like sparks were flying between them.
She swallowed hard as Islaw's expression grew serious, and slowly, he leaned in closer, her heart racing as she noticed his gaze drop to her lips. Was he going to kiss her?
Their faces were so close now, almost touching, but before that could happen, she gently pushed him away. Her cheeks were burning, her face hot as she stood up, about to leave, but froze when he grabbed her hand. Her heart pounded loudly as she saw the dim look in his eyes, perhaps hurt that she had stopped him from kissing her.
She quickly pulled her hand away and hurried out of the room, as if someone were chasing her. She leaned against the wooden wall, her hand pressing against her chest where her heart was pounding.
What she did was right, right? She shouldn't have let that merman kiss her. Just because he thought they were married didn't mean she should let him do something like that.
Besides, it was only right that Islaw knew from the beginning that she didn't feel any love for him. Everything she showed and did for him was out of pity. Yes, it was right to reject his kiss, so he wouldn't get any false hopes that she loved him.
She knew the day would come when they'd part ways—she was human, and he was a merman. They didn't understand each other, and besides, mermans weren't her type.
Her shoulders slumped as she lay down on the hard chair, closing her eyes, but she immediately opened them again when she heard a soft sound. No, it wasn't just a sound—it was the merman crying.
She tried to close her eyes and pretend she wasn't affected, but every time she heard Islaw's sobbing, it hurt her too. Weak if weak, but she couldn't stand it. She stood up and went back to the room, stopping Islaw.
Her chest tightened when she saw the sadness in his eyes, his eyes slightly reddened. There were no tears, but she could tell he was crying. She approached him, wrapped her arms around him tightly, and kept apologizing over and over. To her, Islaw seemed like a fragile being that she needed to protect, so she needed to be careful with his feelings too.
"Sorry, Islaw."
She gently kissed his forehead.
(FASTFORWARD)
Agnes stared straight ahead at the crowded street, surrounded by vendors trying to pull her into their shops to offer their goods. As much as she wanted to buy some delicious food, she couldn't because she only had three hundred pesos, and prices were high in their town, especially since Sir. Morris himself set the prices.
She was grateful that despite the small wages she earned working for the arrogant Acosta family, she had saved enough to get by now, especially since she no longer had a job. The Acostas still hadn't returned from their business trip, and she couldn't reach Brianna because she was always out. For now, all she could do was wait.
"Agnes, will you buy some fish?" an old woman selling fish asked her.
She often bought fish from her for meals.
"Yes, just half a kilo of small fish."
"Alright, just a moment." The vendor quickly prepared her order and handed her a bag.
"Thank you."
"Wait, don't you have a handsome and rich boyfriend?" the vendor asked, stopping her.
She guessed the vendor was referring to Erick.
"Why do you ask?"
"I saw him the other day with another woman. Be careful, he might be cheating on you. You're beautiful, you shouldn't waste yourself on a man who's deceiving you," the vendor added.
Agnes smiled faintly, though she knew the sadness and pain were visible in her eyes from what she had just heard. She thanked the vendor and left.
For the past few days, she had been doing better and hadn't thought about her deceitful boyfriend as much, but hearing this again brought the pain back. No one could blame her for still loving that scoundrel; after all, they had been together for years. It wasn't easy for her to forget.
In short, she still loved that jerk.
Her shoulders slumped, her eyes dim, and her chest felt heavy as she continued walking. She needed to go home now since Buchukoy was the only one left with Islaw at the house.
Agnes had walked quite a distance when she reached the plaza. She was about to take a different path when her gaze caught sight of a familiar figure—the man who had been on her mind all this time. Erick was sitting on a bench.
For some reason, she walked toward him. She knew she shouldn't, but she wanted to hug him. It had been weeks since they'd had any connection, and now that she saw him again, all the love she felt for him returned. She had once told herself not to go back to this cheater, but now she wanted to take it all back.
She regretted everything she said.
As she got closer to him, a woman suddenly appeared, causing her to stop. Before Agnes could approach Erick, the other woman had already reached him, and it was Brianna. She quickly turned around, making sure they didn't see her.
From a distance, she observed the two, noticing Brianna's bad mood and how Erick was comforting her. It reminded her of how it used to be with them. Every time they had a fight, he would comfort her even though he wasn't the one at fault.
"It hurts," she whispered to herself, fighting back her tears.
She turned and quickly walked away. She had almost embarrassed herself in front of Erick. If Brianna hadn't shown up, she would've rushed to him, but he definitely wouldn't have liked that. It was clear that he was already happy with Brianna, and that was the truth. It hurt, but that was the reality.
They were monsters!
"Big Sis! Big Sis!" Buchukoy called, running toward her.
She hadn't realized she was so close to home. Her brow furrowed as she saw Buchu running towards her, panic on his face. She immediately ran to meet him.
"Buchu, what's wrong?" she asked urgently.
"It's Big Brother, Islaw."
"What happened to him?"
"He suddenly collapsed and couldn't breathe."
She didn't have time to say anything else and rushed inside. She found Islaw lying on the floor, his face and lips pale. Their eyes met, and even though he was struggling to breathe, he still managed to smile at her. She teared up because it was clear he was happy seeing her. The pain from Erick faded, but it still hurt, and it was because of Islaw.
"Islaw, what's wrong?" she asked, kneeling beside him, worry written all over her face.
"He's been like this for a while now," Buchu said.
Her hands trembled as she placed them on his firm chest. She didn't know what to do. But she froze when she saw tears falling from his eyes, dripping down to Islaw's lips. She quickly stood up, asking Buchu for help to carry Islaw to the bathroom and submerge him in a large plastic tub. She felt a little relief when Islaw seemed to recover a bit.
"He just needed water!" she sighed, feeling a bit lighter.
"But, why does it feel like he's still not getting better?" Buchu asked.
"Because of the water, he needs to be submerged in the sea," she replied, her voice heavy with concern.
Exhausted, she leaned against the bamboo bathroom wall. Right now, she couldn't leave Islaw alone or abandon him, not when he was still so weak and struggling to breathe. As she stood there, she watched Islaw submerged in the water, his eyes closed. She couldn't help but marvel at him.
"What a beautiful creature," she whispered.
Islaw stayed in the water for more than an hour before she helped him out. She quickly dried him off, dressed him, and returned him to the room. For now, there was nothing more she could do for him except feed him, tend to his wounds, and keep watch.
Once he was fully healed, she would have to take him back to the sea, and when that day came, she would never approach him again so that he wouldn't keep chasing after her. Not because she didn't care for him, but for his own safety.
"Big Sis, how long will you hide him from the people?" Buchu suddenly asked.
They were in the room, and Islaw was cuddling her again. She let him do as he pleased since he seemed to only want her attention. She couldn't help but feel guilty. It seemed like he considered her family, but she couldn't bring herself to consider him the same way. She couldn't see him as a husband because they were so different, especially since she didn't love him.
Their marriage would be meaningless.
"When his wounds are fully healed, I'll take him back to the sea, where he truly belongs."
"But he could stay here with us."
"Buchu, he doesn't belong here. We humans belong on land, and he belong in the water."
"Even so, we could teach him and train him to live here on land."
"Buchu, you don't understand. He would be in danger if he stays here. You know how much people in this town want to capture his kind. Even your father dreams of getting a large reward, so he wants to catch a merman." She said this with such conviction that Buchu couldn't argue anymore.
She sighed as she saw the child slumped with his head bowed, and without warning, he started crying. Buchu was too friendly; even though Islaw snapped at him, he still wanted to be with the merman.
Agnes felt sad too, but she pulled the kid into a hug to comfort him. She gently stroked his hair, but stopped when Islaw squeezed between them.
"What are you doing, Islaw?" she asked, frowning.
He pouted at her in response, then turned his gaze toward Buchu. The boy froze, and Islaw shot him a fierce look. His eyes were narrowed, but after a moment, he smiled again and turned back to Agnes. Islaw hugged her and grabbed one of her hands, bringing it to his head. He guided her hand to stroke his hair.
It seemed merman could think too.
"Big Sis," Buchu laughed.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I know now why he is so grumpy with me."
"Why?"
He leaned closer to her and whispered.
'What? The merman is jealous?'