Welcome

You had never slept better. Rich people's mattresses were no joke. You definitely had to invest in one when you got money. Of course, assuming you found money on the street, as you were a broke college student. 

Ah...

'But it's so soft...' You rolled on to your back and sighed.

'How much can I sell a kidney for?' You wondered. Was it worth it? Well, you could pend time in the comfy bed after the surgery so there was that.

Usually, waking up in a foreign apartment resulted in a much more panicked attitude. Right now, you would probably be picking up your clothes from the floor, sneakily dressing and tiptoeing out of the door. However, that wasn't the case when the bed was empty except for you, your borrowed clothes were neatly arranged on a chair and the scent of fresh ground up coffee was filling your lungs. Ah! And to think you could have been in a cold cell now, waiting for a trial! Life was truly strange.

As you got up, you winced. The cuts still hurt. Jin had done a good job, but he was no miracle worker. 

Yet, as your toes got immersed in a very fluffy carpet, it seemed like it had been worth it. Seemed. You still had to see about that.

You put on the clothes Yoongi had, surprisingly, lent you last night. He was the closest to your frame so the pants were just a tad long. You were grateful for them being baggy, as the boy was definitely skinnier than you. The shirt was also nice, even though you were dressed way darker than you used to. But you were obviously not complaining. You didn’t have many opportunities to be this fashionable first thing in the morning. 

'I wonder why's that?'

Well, it’s not like you tried that hard. Usually, when you had courses early dressing up was the last thing on your mind.You shrugged it off and left for the kitchen. 

In front of the guest bedroom you had slept in was J-hope's room. Music could be heard from inside, so you assumed they didn't have anything scheduled for this morning. You would have gone and asked him if he was alright after fainting last night, but you assumed that was crossing way too many boundaries. Letting you sleep here had been more than nice from them. Talking to you didn't have to be included. After all, you could have been a killer with great storytelling skills for all they knew. J-hope was probably scared enough of you already, and you didn't want to give him any more reasons for that. Sure, yesterday he might have "dozed off", as he excused himself after Jin slapped him awake, but you didn't buy it. Whatever, meeting a mythological being who’s got killing someone as their goal would sound pretty disconcerting to anyone. 

You groaned loudly as you headed for the living room.

What would you do now?

You had to return to your own life. To your apartment, to your major, to your weekly kdramas. Yet, after everything that had happened yesterday, your daily life sounded awfully boring. This whole experience had passed like a dream... Or a nightmare, at times. But you couldn't deny  meeting your favorite band was neat.  And sleeping in their house. And talking to them. And wearing one's clothes. You hugged your form clothed in Yoongi's silky shirt. Damn! It was so soft! Now you had to invest in a new mattress AND a silky shirt. Not the same as this one, of course. It could probably buy you a whole bed.

 As you entered the living room, you saw Taehyung sitting on the floor playing on some console. His back looked incredibly good in the t-shirt he was wearing. Wow. Could you also invest in one of these? You inhaled deeply. You meant the t-shirt. Of course. Why not.

You really needed a boyfriend.

'And a hot one like him.' Your subconscious added. 

You shut her up. You didn’t have time to be pinning after a pop star right now.

The blonde didn't seem to notice you entering, but right when you wanted to announce your presence... 

"It's definitely not ethically correct, you know, as it's essentially cold blooded revenge. But the premise is that it's committed as a reaction to another unethical act: the kidnapping. Yet, that can't be considered an excuse. Like, it's still murder. Also, we have to take into account the vindictive nature of the nymph species. I read about that last night and-"

"Good morning." You interrupted him, smiling as if you didn't hear anything. 

Namjoon was rambling as he ate whatever Jin was cooking. The elder didn't seem to listen to him, likely being focused on the ingredients he was handling. 

"Good morning!" Namjoon exclaimed abruptly. 

You had surprised him. 

Sure, he wasn't gossiping. He was just analizing the situation... Yet, he still felt embarrassed when caught in the act. 

"Pancakes?" He asked, redeemingly. 

Your morning got a hundred times better with just one word. Sure, hearing the rapper judge your intentions was a step back, but pancakes! 

"I'll have another portion ready in a minute. Those are already cold." Jin complained, stopping you from accepting the other member's offer. 

You had never been this hungry. You gulped as you took a seat and waited for the promised goodies. You hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, before you left for the park.

Damn! 

The park! Your clothes!

You were definitely not getting them back anymore... 

Fuck!

Your keys! 

You really needed those! The landlord was in vacation for another week. And sure, you could stay at your step mother's, but it would turn out hard to explain how you lost your keys. You were usually very careful. And you were so tired of explaining yourself.

You started to panic. Your phone was inside your apartment! What if they called you about the job you had interviewed for 2 days ago?! God, you really needed the money for some renovations. That apartment was a dumpster... And your notebooks! You had courses on Monday! Really early! And the Prof was a prick!

What to do?!...What to do?!

"What's up?" A deep voice could be heard above your internal yelling. In the seat next to you sat Taehyung, with his head resting on his arm. He was eyeing you from below his long eyelashes. V-neck shirt Taehyung.

"Fuck." You muttered, too absorbed by your crisis to think about how good the boy looked. You really couldn't have left a pair of keys under your entrance mat or anything?! How could you have been so stupid?

"You look worried." He continued, furrowing his brows. 

At that, you woke up. There was an idol in front of you, TALKING to you, and you were rather condemning your own stupidity than acknowledging anything he was saying. You really had to get your priorities in order.

"Did you not sleep well?" 

Was he an actual angel?

"Oh, no, no, sorry. I slept really well, thank you! It's just, I left my keys in the park and I really don't know how I'll get in my apartment. And I don't want to bother you guys anymore really, you were very kind anyway." You rumbled. He looked amused. Namjoon also had a soft smile on his lips as Jin sent him an indecipherable look. 

What was that about?

Anyway. You had our own conversation to focus on.

"I'll go look for them, right after this." You pointed at the pancakes Jin was placing with dexterity on a large plate.

You hoped you weren’t salivating.

"It’s not like I have other options...” You continued under your breath.

You really didn't. At least, not any worth considering. 

"I mean, even if someone stole my clothes, maybe they left the keys?"

You finished in a quiet note. Ah. You definitely weren't going into that apartment this week. You had to borrow a phone to call your step mother. At least announce her you were a failure before turning up at her doorstep.

"I'll come with you." What?

"What?" 

You weren't expecting that.

"To look for your keys. It's better in two."

Don't think about something naughty. Don't think about something naughty. Fuck! You thought. Well, the low tone in which he said that definitely didn't help. So, not your fault entirely.

You were clearly staring at him by now. 

You looked up, feigning  unaffectedness.

"Oh, sure. That's nice of you, thanks!"

You managed to get all of that out without your voice cracking. You clearly deserved a prize. Oh! Maybe your prize was going with Taehyung to the park... That sounded about right!

 Jin put a plate of pancakes in front of you and you thanked him. As you devoured the sweet breakfast, you were grateful. You were truly grateful that now, with your mouth full, you didn't have to talk anymore and risk saying something stupid. 

"You should change, though. I will give you a shirt. That one looks good on you, but it's quite transparent."

You choked. 

 Taehyung was amused. He was bored and you amused him. 

Easy. 

However, the logical part of his mind reminded him, at times, that yesterday you said you had to kill a man. 

Also, a you were a fish. Sometimes. 

... 

Oh...well. Nobody's perfect. 

And you were pretty and cute. 

And he had just volunteered to help you search for your keys, yet Namjoon and Jin were very obviously frowning at him. 

He sent them a look that meant "It's fine, I'm just playing."

They did not seem convinced. 

Taehyung sighed and got up from his seat. 'What happened to the "You're all grown men!" Jin resorted to when they didn't wash their dishes?!' he wondered. 

"We're free today, right?" He asked his elders.

They answered "yeah" half heartedly, watching the younger man leave. 

 "Come." Taehyung said, already in the hallway. 

You shoved half a pancake in your mouth, thanked Jin for the food and huried after the blonde.

Oh,  you had eaten way too fast.

As you took a turn, you saw him calmly walking towards his room. You followed and noted that he had a very nice back. And bottom. He was over all, very nice. Indeed. And, for a short moment, you felt awkward in this gorgeous apartment, walking behind this gorgeous man. Yesterday, you were  fan. Last night, you were an intruder. Now, you were walking to a member’s room without having washed your teeth.

But then it passed, and you were back at staring at his ass.

 However, despite how pleasurable this whole experience was turning out to be, you were curious. Curious why Taehyung was doing what he was doing when around 9 hours ago he heard you say you wanted to kill a man. It truly intrigued you. That whole storytelling thing worked out better than expected, as they pretty much pitied your situation. And it was clearly better than calling you crazy.

After J-hope fainted, some shocked faces didn't seem like that bad of a reaction, really. Sure, you weren't paying that much attention to them: You were too busy shaking the passed out boy. So, maybe their expressions were worse than you glimpsed.

"That's a joke, right? It's not very funny." You remembered Jin pointing out. He seemed dead serious, so you did whatever someone in your position would have done.

"Yeah, it's a joke. Hahaha. Can't believe you guys fell for that." You laughed, unconvincingly. It was a stupid thing to do, you weren't denying that. You could have actually tried to pass it off as a joke. Yet, you didn't feel like lying to them. They had been civil with you. Mostly. 

"You sure?" Yoongi asked, as you predicted he'd do. 

"No." A pause. For good luck. You were going to be honest with them. And for that, you needed luck. A shot of vodka would have done the job too, but it was quite inappropriate to ask for one now. 

"I don't really know what I'm going to do." You confessed.

"I don't want to kill someone. Of course I don't, I'm not a psychopath." 

You hoped they believed you.

"But I feel like I should avenge my mother in some way. I don't know if that's what she would want. You see, I didn't know her that well, since I was five when they took me away. Yet, a part of me, that feels kind of foreign, is screaming revenge. And I think he deserves it and I can't stop but feel guilty about actually wanting to hurt him. And there's just me, who cried for 3 hours after accidentally stepping on a cat's tail."

You sighed. 

They stared. 

You felt uncomfortable as fuck. 

They kept staring. 

Maybe you should have just let them think you were a psychopath.

You sighed. 

Still, silence. 

Oh, well, you checked sharing your feelings off this lifetime's bucket list. 'There goes something I won't do ever again.' 

And then, Namjoon got up. He took the wet cup from you and held your hand in his large ones.

"It's alright." He mumbled.

He took a deep breath, looked right at you and continued.

"I don't want to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. It's just... What happened to your mother is not your fault. At all. So by trying to hurt him, try not to hurt yourself more.Don’t force yourself to be someone you aren't." 

And then, he half hugged you and you felt fucking blessed. His words had touched you pretty deeply. Sure, hadn't convinced you. You weren't blaming yourself for anything. Even if he'd been genuine, he was a bit off the mark. You weren't blaming anyone but your father. And fate. And the other factors... 

'At least I think not.' you mused. 

Also, you didn't want to cry and shit. You liked your almost badass vibe.

But, at that moment, Yoongi offered you some clothes to sleep in and to wear the following day and something inside of you cracked. 

Why were these guys so damn pure? 

 And all that brought you to this point, inside of Taehyung's room, leaning awkwardly on the door while he was looking inside his closet. 

"Hmm... Maybe this will fit?" He was thinking out loud, and you would have deemed it cute if he wasn't holding a very lacy shirt.

"I don't think that's meant to be worn in the park, while I'm fumbling in the grass for my keys." You indicated, sarcastically.

He sent you a very sharp look.

You raised your hands defensively.

"No offense, though!"

He raised an eyebrow. 

"Then I'll wear it." He said, as an ultimatum, before he reached to take his t-shirt off. 

'Yes!' Something inside of you screamed. 

"Wait!" You told the blonde before he could undress himself.

He sent you a questioning look. 

You turned around and heard the clothing roll off his body and fall to the ground. What was this? Sure, you didn't mind the show, but yesterday you would have been just another crazed fangirl. Now he was undressing in front of you? This was going from 0 to 100 real quick. It didn't seem natural. 

"At least let me turn around, God... " you mumbled, facing the door. You heard him walk towards his closet, probably shuffling for pants. 

"Does it bother you that much?”

You wouldn’t say bother, but still. Yet, he didn’t let you answer.

“It wouldn't be the first time you see me taking my shirt off though, would it?" 

Huh? What was he-...?

Oh!

Ohhhh....! 

So that's what it was all about. 

"I was a fish! You changed in front of me!" You retorted. 

As you heard him zipping, you guessed, his pants, he stepped closer to your form.

"But you watched." His deep voice vibrated close enough behind for you to feel intimidated. And a bit hot. 

You felt his warm breath prickling at your skin. 

Okay, maybe a bit more.

You couldn't deny Taehyung gave off an awfully sexual vibe. Particularly when he used that tone of voice. And you couldn't deny it did things to you. He seemed like the perfect person for a Naiad with a high libido. But you had to remind yourself who each of you was. He, an idol from one of the biggest k-pop bands of the moment. He held concerts, photoshoots and had people paid to fan him when he got hot. You, one of the people who had him as your phone's wallpaper. The conjuncture never resulted in these two people saying more than some passing words to each other. Yet, here you were. And you knew he was untouchable. 

You didn't know, however, what to say back right now. Or if he wanted you to. 

You heard him move away and, next, the atmosphere was shattered by a shirt landing on your head. You heard a chuckle and instantly turned around to see him sitting on a very comfortable looking bed. He winked, with a smirk on his face. 

"Just kidding. Don't get so worked up." 

... 

'Tease!' 

 Namjoon sneezed. Jin looked at him worryingly. Something bad was happening. 

 The weather was...good. The park was...nice. You felt... really uncomfortable. 

There was something about walking next to an idol of Taehyung's popularity that made you nervous. Maybe it was the eminent vibe he was giving off even with his face covered by a face mask and cap. Or maybe it was his height. Who knew? You looked behind to see he had stopped on the bridge above one of the fish ponds.

Whatever.

Point is, something about him intimidated you.

Yet, that feeling was quickly gone when he leaned over the handrail to look at the fish swimming underneath. How could someone go from cool to cute this quickly? He looked at you, smiling with his eyes and beckoned you to come closer. As you joined him on the bridge, you thanked God he did not actually wear that lacy blouse to the park. People would have been staring. And you liked your diy disguise. It made you feel like an important person, a celebrity even. These days you had to make up a famous persona. 

Truth is, both of you were pretty unrecognizable. You had borrowed a face mask and some sunglasses from Namjoon, who still didn't look entirely happy Taehyung was coming with you the park. And even if the blonde exuded nobles through every pore, you looked like an average couple taking a stroll. A couple that didn't like the sun very much, sure. 

"Aren't they beautiful?" He was attentively following the koi fish’s below fluid movements. 

You had almost forgotten this man was a singer, but you were reminded every time he opened his mouth. His deep voice was weirdly both soothing and erotic at the same time, a combination you never thought you'd be into until you met him.

"You like fish?"

Way to go. He had just told you they were beautiful! 

"Assuming I tried to buy one but ended up with you." He chuckled. You felt mildly offended. 

He must have seen your presence waver, because he continued. He took his face mask off so you could hear him better.

"Just kidding. You don't meet a Naiad everyday, so you're more interesting than a fish. Do you have any pets?" 

Okay. Normal conversation. Don't fuck up.

"I used to. I mean, I grew up around lots of animals. Fish, turtles, so many birds..." You were looking at the people passing by, hoping they wouldn’t recognize Taehyung and interrupt your conversation.

"But once I came to Seoul I was way too rebellious against the people that took me from my mom to be thinking about anything else. After my dad left I wanted a dog, but my step mom is allergic. So I guess I never really had a pet. You?"

He lifted his gaze from the water and his eyes meet yours. Their tenderness surprised him. You hoped he didn't pity you. Sure, pity had saved you the last night, but you weren't a fan of it.

"I have Yeontan. He's a pomeranian and so tiny." He lifted his hand for comparison. 

"He's just a bit bigger than this." 

Taehyung's hands were the size of a small dog. You didt’t know what to make of that piece of information. It was kind of amusing that he could pet the dog in just one stroke, though. 

"I don't see him much these days since we're pretty busy. This weekend our manager let us relax, but usually we aren't home that much. We also have tours or periods with lots of concerts when it's hard to take care of a dog. You can barely take care of yourself." 

He was charming even when he talked about his dog. Good God. 

"Why don't you hire someone to look after him? That way you could see him more often." It seemed only logical, they definitely had enough money. 

"I don't like the thought of leaving him with a stranger, you know? So he's at my parents'. Actually, that's why I wanted a fish. It's easier to take care of. Sure, you can't pet it, but hotel rooms get lonely at night."

He sounded kind of sad and it almost broke your heart.

Now you started to understand what these boys' lives were like. Yeah, they were filthy rich. However, they couldn't commit to anything. Their schedules didn't allow it.

You couldn’t imagine how living with so limited freedom was like. It definitely wasn’t your type of lifestyle. And they were so young when they started this... Did they even realize what they were signing up for? Was all the Gucci worth it? 

Yet, just when you wanted to ask Taehyung that, he smiled and locked his eyes in yours. Then, he whispered. 

“But, you know, fish are very pretty.”

Then, he winked. And you forgot what you wanted to say.

A/N: hey guys! sorry for the wait! i started school and waking up at 6 am is driving me crazy. i just nap all day. anyway, tell me what you think about the chapter! 

"Guys, you called security for a prank?" 

Currently, BTS's living room looked like a kindergarden class. 5 of the 7 members were sitting on the carpeted floor, in a semicircle. Namjoon and Jin were seated on chairs, completing the circle. Jin was holding the aquarium bowl with the fish, while Namjoon held a lecture.

Yoongi glared at the leader. 

"We just told you everything that happened and you still don't believe us? Do you think I would actually agree to make something like this up?" He grunted. 

Namjoon didn't seem convinced. 

"Alright. If it wasn't a prank, what happened to the girl? Did she disappear or turn into a fish? At least settle on a story." He retorted. 

At this, every member spoke up, answers getting lost in the jumble.

"Not at the same time." Jin punctuated.

The elder wasn't on the mood for this. It was already pretty late and he just wanted to watch a movie or play some guitar. If it was all a big joke, he would definitely be locking up the PS4 for a week or two. 

"Let's vote." The voice of reason, Hoseok, spoke. You could tell from his tone that his mind was somewhere else. He was looking through the tall windows at the dark sky. All of them were tired, but the situation seemed to drain the always cheerful Hobi. He was already spooked by what had happened earlier in Taehyung's room. 

 So, they voted. However, one part seemed displeased with the result. 

"I can't believe you think she simply disappeared out of existence." grumbled Taehyung. Jungkook mumbled in approval. 

"I can't believe you actually think she turned into a fish!" Yoongi snapped. 

"Oh, yeah? Then explain how the fish appeared out of thin air, when it was gone from the plastic bag on the counter! And how does someone unwelcome even get inside? Security would have seen her on the cameras placed in every corner of this house." 

Silence fell over the room. 

They all shifted uncomfortably. Nobody liked the tension created by fights between the members. They didn't like having to side with one or another. Especially not in this case, when both options sounded so ridiculous. An agreement had to be reached, though. 

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Namjoon started, caution in his voice "but the fish turning into a woman then again into a fish seems more logical." He finished, internally doubting his own sanity. Yoongi scoffed. 

"And I'm saying this mostly because the security here wouldn't have let a woman just slip by and go inside." 

Jin nodded. Their manager himself had made sure nobody could get past those officers. 

"Okay, then it's settled?" Jimin asked. And I can go to sleep? His mind continued. 

He received a funny look from Taehyung and supposed the answer was no. 

"Then, what are we doing with the fish? We can't just let a woman, even if she's a fish, live here." Yoongi affirmed, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"I have to agree with that."

"But we can't just throw her away, right?" 

"I'm still not convinced by the whole woman-to-fish explanation, so why not?" 

The bickering of the members was giving Taehyung a headache. What had he done wrong for everything to turn out like this? He just wanted a pet to keep him company. Was it illegal for a man to miss his dog?! However, he was feeling a bit guilty, as well. If it wasn't for him and Yeontan's absence the fish wouldn't even be here. And the guys wouldn't be so stressed out. So, when all of them started proposing alternatives, he realized it was part of his responsability to decide what had to be done with the scaly guest. 

"And if you saw it with your own eyes? Would you believe it then?" He asked Yoongi. 

The answer came instantly:

"Sure, if you can make it happen."

 "Then Taehyung should make her turn to a woman and we'll see what to do with her after that."

That sounded as absurd when Jungkook said it as when Taehyung thought it. 

And why him? Jimin was obviously the better option. He was way better at convincing people...

Hah. In retrospect, it was pretty silly Taehyung actually believed the fish was human just because it did a flip when he told it to. 

But in a situation like this, that had to be proof enough. Right? 

"Why me?" 

"Isn't it obvious? You brought it here!" He expected that response. Taehyung looked at the fish. It seemed to be fascinated by a fake algae inside its aquarium. There was nothing human about the little creature. 

Could he really untangle this whole mess? 

 Did their quarrels ever stop? You hadn't expected the pop singers to be like this in real life. Well, they seemed pretty anxious and what not, so maybe that was why. After all, not everyday you come face to face with a mythical being. Even if they didn't know that's what she was, yet. It sure was pretty distressing, you had to give them that. 

Honestly, the aquarium wasn't so bad. It was pretty cozy, the water wasn't very cold and it had nice decorations. Also, you were centimetres apart from the visual legend Kim Seokjin. You wouldn't say you disliked your position. On top of that, Jungkook came near every few minutes and thumped on the glass with his finger. You entertained him and moved towards his finger. Life was so nice and simple as a fish. Too bad you had classes very early on Monday, otherwise you'd had just waited for all of them to leave and then transformed. However, with how the events were progressing, you were mostly sure they wouldn't leave you alone in their house anytime soon. Actually, they wanted you out of here as fast as possible. Oh, well.

One might wonder about how you were so calm in this position. The answer was pretty plain: the initial shock had numbed you down so much you weren't fully aware of everything that was happening. All of their discussion about you turning human to prove a point flied over your head, really. This fake algae was so pretty, too! 

Taehyung's thumping on your aquarium brought you back to reality. His eyes searched for anything resembling human conscience in yours. He looked annoyed and embarrassed for what he had to do next. You felt pretty bad for him. 

"Please turn back into a girl. We swear we won't yell at you, nor call security, but you have to explain this whole situation."

If the atmosphere wasn't so tense, you bet one of them would have snickered at the fact that the blonde was talking to a fish. You probably would, if fish had vocal chords. 

Yet, they were all still. Nobody moving, nobody talking. And definetely not laughing. They were waiting. 

You stopped to consider everything that had happened up to that point. 

Hmm...

Yes, a fine mess indeed. That's what it all was. Therefore, it seemed almost logical for you to follow Taehyung's instructions and nicely tell them everything about your presence in their house. That implied explaining your origins and powers, though. Ah! But that was exactly what you didn't want to do... 

"I told you. Just a fish. Can we flush it and go to sleep now?" 

Damned be your complicated lineage. You had to tell them. 

So, after the decision was taken, the next step hurt way more. As earlier pointed, transforming in an aquarium definitely hurt more than in a plastic bag. Hence, if in another circumstances you would enjoy standing in front of Taehyung naked and wet, the blood was kind of a turn off. 

 The boys reacted all at once. Some screamed. Some got up and ran for the first aid kit, the sight of blood enough to move them from their spots on the floor. Jin, from under you, just yelled and quickly got up from his chair, almost throwing you Taehyung. Some, like Namjoon, paralysed in their places and didn't open their mouths until much later. 

Taehyung was, however, probably the most alarmed. Not even he knew what he expected. Did he believe 100% a girl would appear in the middle of his room? Not at all. So, when she did, he was curiously surprised. Her being naked would have counted as a bonus if the context was any different. And she would have definitely preferred her dressed than bleeding from a lot of little cuts.

The aquarium had broken close to him, so a few shards of glass had bounced off his clothes when he quickly jumped to help the girl. She looked worse than the first time he had seen her, for sure. Nevertheless, even in this moment, Taehyung had to stop and consider she would have been very pretty if not for that pained expression on her face.

"Ouch."

Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts. What was he doing? This girl was bleeding all over and he was thinking about how pretty she was...

"Are you alright?! I'm so sorry! I Should have thought about this... Did any glass get in your eye?!" The blonde was talking fast, his back turned to the girl. He was hurriedly searching for something to cover her with while mentally kicking himself for being so dumb. Couldn't he have taken the fish out of the bowl?! What if they had to go to the hospital?! Where were those fluffy blankets when you needed them?! 

Fortunately, responsible and quick thinker Jin was already back with the first aid kit, taking the mysterious girl to one of the bathrooms. His pants were all wet from holding the once full of water, now shattered bowl, but he didn't seem to notice. 

Yoongi, still on the floor, appeared to have turned to stone.

Taehyung sighed. They weren't going to sleep anytime soon.

 It was around one in the morning when you and Jin emerged from the bathroom with a handful of bloodied gauzes. Most of the members where in the living room and, luckily, this time you were meeting them dressed. You asked Jin where the trash was and quickly went to throw away the used compresses and extracted shards of glass. Your body hurt all over and you could feel their eyes following your every move. Jin was making tea. You hoped he had enough tea bags for everyone. They sure would need the liquid very soon, if they didn't already. 

You had actually bonded a little with the eldest in your short time together. Well, not as short as you would have wished, as he was taking glass out of your skin and all. But you had to give him some credit, he did a pretty good job for not having any training. And he didn't ask anything too intrusive either, like "Are you a demon?", "Are you hunting us for saying ghosts don't exist, on vlive?", "Did you poison our food and you're just a hallucination?". He was pretty sweet for a person in his position... Ah! The painkillers were probably kicking in. Well, at least they made you relax a little. And you more than required that for what you had to do next. You sighed loudly, breaking the silence in the room. 

"Are you alright?" Yoongi inquired, making an effort not to sound too rough. 

Hmm. That actually took you by surprise. He had been so harsh since the beginning, you definitely weren't expecting his first words to be those. You appreciated him trying to act polite even in this situation. 

"Yes, thank you. The cuts still hurt but the painkillers will do their job." 

Yoongi seemed to be pleased with your answer. 

"Since when do you know how to remove glass from skin, Jin?" Jimin asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere. 

You cringed a bit at the tone in which the boy asked the question. Ah... Why does it have to be so awkward? You didn't even wait for Jin to answer. You had to clarify everything and give these guys a rest. 

 "Okay, everyone. I will tell you how I got here in the first place. I only ask of you to listen and believe me. Also, I have to say, again: I'm very thankful to you not calling security and treating me like a thief."

The men shuffled awkwardly in their spots, remembering how their first interaction with you. 'We definitely treated her like a thief.' the 5 members who had been there thought. 

"Anyway, I would probably have reacted the same... So... It's alright." You finished.

For the first time in an hour and a half, Namjoon opened his mouth. Everyone waited. Eventually, like a true leader, he spoke:

"Tell us everything."

 You never expected your first pyjama party to be with an international idol group, in their apartment from the richest area in Seoul, sipping fruity tea. Everyone had made themselves cozy and were politely waiting for you to start your explanation. It surprised how fast they went from looking at you like you were a crazed fan girl to curious and shy gazez. You assumed it was because the eldest seemed to trust you, more or less. Or at least not deem you suspicious enough to call security and tell them you were a weirdo that dangled in black magic. That was all. Jin trusted you and they trusted Jin. They definitely didn't trust you. A glance at Yoongi and his constant frown coould tell you that much. Or maybe they just pitied you. 

Anyhow, there was no turning back now. 

"Do you know Greek mythology?"

 "You're a... What?" 

"A Naiad."

"Oh."

"For real?" 

"Yes."

"So everything from mythology has actually existed?"

"I'm not sure but I would rather say no."

"But Nymphs do?" 

"I'm pretty sure I exist, yes."

It could have been going worse. Or better, sure, but it could also have been going worse.

"That's weird."

"Can you turn into a mermaid?" 

Hmm... Could you? 

"I don't think so, but that would be pretty cool. However, I'm a Naiad, so a nymph of fresh water. Mermaids are sea nymphs."

 Telling them about your trip from the pond in the park to the petshop and, then, to their apartment had taken less than you imagined. They seemed to believe you more after Taehyung intervened to tell his part of the story and it worked with yours. He agreed that the vendor had a weird mustache. 

However, they had a hard time believing you could be so stupid as to turn into a fish in a public park. 

"And you just left your clothes there?" 

"Yes. The keys to my apartment too. I don't even know how to get inside since the landlord is on vacation." 

Jungkook facepalmed. 

"And you can't ask another nymph where they go swim in rivers?"

"I don't really know other nymphs..." You laughed. 

"You don't really know much about any of this, do you?" 

At that, you felt offended. 

"Well, it's not like I had some mythological teacher or anyone else to tell me about these things. I just read everything I found on the Internet and hoped for the best." 

The multitude of questions and comments stopped abruptly. All of them wanted to ask the same thing, but didn't know how. At last, Namjoon probed, cautiously:

"What about your parents?" 

Oh, well, you expected having to tell them about this too. 

"This story's a bit longer. Can I have some more tea?"

 It wasn't necessarily long. Just complicated. Also, first you had to tell them some more myths, so they could better understand your family's mechanics. Fortunately, the leader already knew quite a bit about this stuff and helped you fill the gaps in the others' classical mythology knowledge. 

"Sometimes, nymphs are bound to their source of power or their life source. These could be a certain river or stream, a mountain, even a tree or a rock. Long ago, there was a nymph named Calypso who was bound to an island called Ogygia, where she lived. She couldn't leave the island or she would die."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, but that's just a legend right?" One of the guys asked worryingly. 

"That's pretty hardcore..." said another. 

"It might have been true, we can't know for sure." And it definitely wouldn't be the weirdest thing in mythology, you added to yourself. 

"Anyway, my mom was also a Naiad. A pretty powerful one at that. She was bound to one of the biggest fresh water lakes in the world, the Aral Sea. However, as it is with these massive natural elements, their nymphs can't leave them."

You stopped to breathe in deeply. What you heard next was not a question you expected at all. 

"But then how did she give birth to you?" 

You laughed as all the guys looked at Jungkook curiously. 

"What the heck man!?" Taehyung exclaimed. Jimin giggled. 

"No, no, it's a good question!" You said, still chuckling. "She could leave the water, sure, and go to nearby villages to buy food, stuff like that. She even had a little cabin near the lake where she spent most of her time."

A pang of nostalgy hit you. Memories from distant and simpler times had taken a hold of your story. You remembered singing and dancing in that same little cabin with your mother as a kid. Just the two of you, happy. You used to braid her long hair and then go swimming in the lake, where she truly shone like a star. She emanated power, rightfully so when you looked at the big body of water, and benevolence, as you were certain you would never meet someone as kind as your mother. Still, the flashbacks were fuzzy with grief and the passing of time, as it had been more than 15 years since then. And the only thing you had to remind you of her was a lovely earring whose pair you had destroyed some time ago. But that was another story... 

You sensed the boys had noticed your change in demeanor and quickly shook off the melancholy that you had immersed in. Mourning those times right now made no sense!

"Anyway, where I was going with the story?" You giggled nervously. The members' faces were plainly displaying that they predicted something bad would be happening next.

"One day, a mysterious stranger came by to fish in my mother's lake. That wasn't a problem, as many people came to do that and my mother let them, as long as they were respectful and didn't take young fish. After all, it's nature's cycle of life. However, this one man was a nuisance. He had come with a big boat that was easily distressing every living creature in that lake. Therefore, mom had planned to come out at night and spook him, so that he would leave."

You were a good story teller, but the next part was always a hastle to count. Too many painful feelings were involved for you to simply detach yourself from the action. You tried to shorten it.

"What she didn't expect was for him to be so handsome..." You sighed. Nymphs and their impossibly high sex drive!

"So she didn't make him leave. The next day, when the sun was shining brightly and he could see her clearly, she came to him and they started talking. Of course, he was surprised to find out about her ancestry, but her beauty overpowered the logical part of his brain. So, they started hanging around the lake together. Every day, they were slowly falling in love. Those were happy days. However, as the man had been in a vacation until then, he soon had to return to work. He tried to convince mother to come with him, but couldn't. However, he loved her so much he promised to return as soon as he could."

The boys were quietly listening to the sad story you would rather not be telling. 

"He visited for every 3 or 4 free days he had from work. Every time, he begged her to come with him. And even if at first he truly believed that she couldn't leave, over time he started doubting. He left one last time, bitter and thinking she didn't love him as much as he did."

Everyone sipped from their tea, feeling the narrative was taking a turn. 

"When he returned, after 2 years, he brought a woman with him. He had found another love and forgotten my mom. They were on their honeymoon and the location was truly beautiful for a lovers' escapade. But, one day, when passing by the lake, they saw a toddler running through the wild flowers growing there."

"That was you, right?" 

"Yes." 

"But then how come-" 

"Shhhh! Listen to the story." 

"I had my father's Korean traits, so there was no question of him being the father. He instantly recognized the kid as his. However, they didn't stop and continued their journey. Father didn't say anything to his new wife about his ex lover. My mother saw them, but didn't think much of them passing by that place. Of course, she was sad that the man he loved had found someone else, but she had a daughter she loved very much. She thought they left never to return again."

"So that man was your father?" 

"Yes. He is."

"But, then, why are you living here and not with your mother in-"

"God, Taehyung, shhh!"

You chuckled, despite the tragedy you were counting.

"My father and that woman had tried to have a baby, but they couldn't. So, 3 years after their honeymoon, he got an idea. He was still furious that my mom didn't come with him to Korea and believed he had the right to raise their kid. Also, as rich as he was, for him the cost of a dirty deed was nothing compared to how sweet revenge would taste. So, out of spite and bitterness he hired someone to kidnap his kid."

The guys' mouths fell to the floor and their eyes opened wide. The room filled with protests. 

"Don't tell me!"

"He didn't!"

"Is he crazy?"

"Oh my god! Have you told the police?!"

Ah. You expected this. It reminded you of how you reacted when your step mother told you everything. Of course, you had been way more violent.

The guys were, still, very much shaken. You nodded sadly.

"It is what it is."

"But didn't your mom do anything when she realized you were missing? How did they even take you in the first place?" Jimin asked. 

"You see, my mom was respected and feared by anyone who lived close to the lake. Nobody from those lands would have done anything to upset her. Therefore, I liked strolling around without a care in the world. Sometimes, I got so far from the lake she couldn't see or sense me." You were a dumb kid. And your mom had been pretty naive, but you couldn't hold that against her. Who would have expected their ex to hire kidnappers and take their daughter? Definitely not your kind mother. 

"But didn't she do anything when you didn't return home?" 

"What could she, if she couldn't go far from the lake?" Namjoon jumped to her defense. 

"Hmm..." 

They had finally realized how messed up it had all been. A mother who couldn't search for her child because it would kill her. 

"So you haven't met your mom since then? You're an adult now, right? You can go find her!!" Jin chimed in, full of hope. 

"I'll pay for your plane ticket!" Hoseok volunteered with enthusiasm. 

Ah. Right. That part.

"I can't. She died."

At this, silence fell over the room again. You felt responsible to finish the story you had started. 

"She left her lake. People from the villages nearby helped her with money for transport since they all pitied her situation. Also, with her heart crushed by grief, the lake started drying. And it was the principal source of food in the region, so people had their own interest at heart, as well. 

Anyway, she had actually reached Seoul, but without knowing our address she could just wonder the city in hopes of finding me. Then, by fate's work, my step mother came across her as she was returning from work. When she saw in how much pain my mother was, she knew she had to give me back. However, before they could reach home, mom had a heart attack. As I told you, she couldn't leave her lake for too long."

You finished the story with a strain on your voice. Everyone was silent and still. You sipped your last drop of tea and got up to wash the cup. 

As you turned towards the kitchen, a question stopped you in your tracks. 

"And all this time? You grew up with your father and step mother? In a family that stole you?" 

You couldn't quite put a name on the expression Yoongi had when he asked you that. Sadness? That's what it looked like on him? 

"Ah, no. My father left my step mother as quick as he left my real mom. I grew up and discovered my step mother was a pretty decent woman, honestly. She had just made some mistakes and fell in love with the wrong man. She told me she didn't agree with my father kidnapping me, as she wanted to adopt. Also, she was kind to my mother before she died. I forgave her, eventually. Even now, she regrets what she's done, and I think she actually loves me a lot." it was the truth, even if getiing over your deep rooted vindictiveness had taken years. 

"So your father left?" 

He did, luckily for him. 

"Yes, one day he and his name were completely gone. I think he actually changed identities."

After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Moreover, he had two alive women and the spirit of a nymph after him. 

You weren't the revengeful type, really. Usually, you'd forget an argument right after it took place. However, in this case, a strong wish of avenging your mother had grown deep inside you over the years. 

 "But it's alright. I'm looking for him." Taehyung must have caught the dark tone that enveloped your voice as you said that, because next he asked:

"Why?"

They all listened curiously. 

You took a deep breath. 

"I will kill him." 

 You turned to the kitchen and left the room. As you washed your cup, over the water jet you heard:

"I think J-hope just fainted."