"I have no memories, I have a terrible temper, and my previous owner said I'm the laziest merman in the world. She tried raising me for almost a year and couldn't tame me, so she passed me off to you. Shouldn't you continue tormenting me? Why are you being kind instead?"

I smirked.

"I'll be far worse than she ever was. Once you heal and your tail splits into legs, I'll send you to the factory to work. All your wages go to me. You'll do all the housework, and you'll still have to go shopping and try on clothes with me."

Malcolm blinked. "Isn't that... what a husband is supposed to do?"

I pretended not to hear him.

After a month of caring for Malcolm, things started to feel off.

His injuries had long healed. His tail fin was slowly disappearing, and the shape of his legs was becoming clear.

But the rest of him was restless.

His skin had a strange pink flush, and his breathing was heavy, like he had just run a marathon. He even dragged out my old, worn T-shirts and bedsheets, piled them together, and curled up inside like a nest. Then he just stared at me with wet, intense eyes.

I asked in the merman owners' group chat.

ColdBriefs: [My fish is acting up.]

NoCilantro: [What kind of symptoms?]

ColdBriefs: [Turning pink... and nesting.]

YellowFaceGirl: [Ah, he's in rut. First time?]

I glared at the twisting bundle on the bed.

"Have you ever felt like this before?"

Malcolm let out a soft, quiet hum. It was only a sound, but it lingered in the air for a long time.

"Doesn't... seem so."

ColdBriefs: [First time.]

YellowFaceGirl: [That's going to be tricky. The first time is especially intense.]

NoCilantro: [Those of us who understand, understand. Make sure you have protection ready. Mermen in the beastman world are... well, famous for it.]

My hands froze over the keyboard.

ColdBriefs: [There's really no other way?]

YellowFaceGirl: [There is. The pharmacy has suppressant injections, but I wouldn't recommend it. The first time is extremely important for both sides.]

NoCilantro: [Even if you suppress it now, the next one will be worse. And if a merman dislikes you, he won't even enter this state.]

So that meant... Malcolm liked me?

His tail fin began to dissolve little by little, the shape of his legs slowly taking form. Before long, a pair of long, straight legs had fully emerged.

Malcolm felt like a completely different person.

The look in his eyes was like a predator zeroing in on its only prey, filled with an undeniable possessiveness.

I felt totally vulnerable, like I was about to be devoured. I grabbed my coat and bolted for the door, locking him in the bedroom on the way out.

-

The suppressant injection cost five hundred dollars, and my account was so empty I couldn't even afford instant noodles.

I had no choice but to shamelessly borrow money from a coworker. When I mentioned the reason for it, she sounded surprised.

"Grace, didn't you get a merman so you'd have a companion? He's right there. Why are you running?"

Even though she said that, she transferred the money over.

"You've been alone too long, and you've forgotten how to be close to someone. The injection would hurt him. He'd feel rejected."

On the way back, I kept thinking about whether I should give him that shot.

I'd spent too many lonely days on my own, and deep down, I wanted someone to share meals with, someone to lie down beside at night. I wanted someone I could lean on to talk about what was on my mind, or just let myself cry in their arms without holding back.

Malcolm had shown me all his secrets, and I had been hiding mine.

All he knew was that I was a broke, working-class woman.

-

When I pushed open the door, the lights were off.

He had wrapped himself in the blanket, leaving only the top of his head poking out.

He called out softly, his voice hoarse. "Grace... It's so hot..."

His body was scalding hot.

I had just sat down at the edge of the bed when he wrapped his arms around me from behind.