TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 1

Deep Sea.

Behind the dark rocks, something stirred, causing the surrounding currents to split into two streams. A few bubbles quietly rose toward the surface.

This was an extremely quiet place, secluded and vast, perfect for both chasing and hiding.

In the deep sea, a white, delicate hand gracefully waved, sending two small creatures that had been secretly following it back to their original spots. Then, the large golden tail elegantly swished, and the slender body slid several meters backward.

The sounds of the surrounding currents echoed softly. Yu Su had not moved very far when two northern sea butterflies followed him again. The pursued creatures, not paying attention, nearly had their tails sent away once more.

Only the simplest creatures would dare chase a mermaid. Their species, naturally harmonious with the ocean, were born hunters.

Yu Su showed his small sharp teeth symbolically to scare off these clingy creatures, but… it had little effect.

As a male mermaid who was even more beautiful than the females, Yu Su had maximized his species’ natural affinity, but the word “hunter” had nothing to do with him. Unlike his kin, his nails weren’t sharp enough, his teeth weren’t sharp enough, and even when he tried to catch a fish and bite it, he had to chew longer than others before swallowing.

Yu Su’s most prominent advantage was probably his appearance—he was at the top of the pyramid even among his own kind.

The deep sea was perpetually without sunlight, but even in this environment, it was clear that Yu Su was an exceptionally beautiful mermaid.

He had a golden fish tail without a trace of any other color. His tail fin was adorned with delicate white gauze, and the translucent fin fabric repeatedly rose and fell in the water, making his whole body seem as though the creator had showered him with love.

These two little sea butterflies were clearly entranced by this overwhelming beauty and allure.

Yu Su helplessly waved his hand, creating a small current to carry them out of sight.

“Go home quickly. In this place, the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it is.”

---

“Yu Su! You’re finally back! How was it in the north? Was it fun? Bring me next time! I can protect you on the way!” A mermaid with a green tail swam around Yu Su.

Yu Su became dizzy from being swirled around and finally swished his tail to stop his friend. “The north… it’s alright, but it’s too cold. There wasn’t much food, and it wasn’t really suitable for mermaids like us who live in temperate seas.”

A Ning laughed heartily. “Were you frozen? Ah Su, you’re so fragile, not at all like a male mermaid! How are you ever going to find a mate?”

Yu Su blew two bubbles and responded sharply, “I don’t need to find one.”

“Ha?”

“Someone like me, they come to find me.”

A Ning glared at Yu Su, from his small face all the way down to the tip of his tail, and then complained, “So unfair!”

“No choice,” Yu Su said casually, flicking his translucent fin. “Look, the ‘sea god’s gift,’ a once-in-a-lifetime blessing, has fallen to me.”

A Ning was speechless. Not every mermaid was born with such good luck, and not every one of them had a fin like Yu Su’s.

Their entire species is quite obsessed with beauty, and in this environment, a young merman with outstanding looks, combined with the legendary courtship item—his fin fabric—will definitely attract a line of eager little females when his mating season arrives. Once that happens, those fierce and passionate females will be lining up to recommend themselves… And if, by accident, he meets a true love who reciprocates, given his friend’s personality, it would be hard for him not to romantically gift a piece of his fin fabric as a token of his feelings.

I heard that cutting this stuff is quite painful…

A Ning was bitter about it, but the “father” mentality kicked in. He patted Yu Su’s soft hair, sighing, “Such a small fish, always dreaming of becoming a big strong merman. But in the future, he might have to rely on his partner’s pampering instead.”

“Ah, forget about that. Aren’t you the type who likes to stir up trouble? I have something fun here, related to the next generation’s reproduction. Want to join in?”

The friend clearly knew Yu Su’s hidden enthusiasm for being the little helper of the sea.

Mermaids are naturally cold by nature, living alone in their beauty, and only show their wild protective instincts when dealing with their partners or their own kin.

But Yu Su was an exception. He was as lively as a fake mermaid, and for him, the creatures of the sea were simply split into two categories: food and friends.

Sure enough, Yu Su’s eyes lit up, but he hesitated slightly and asked, “Is it close to the shore?”

A Ning winked at him, “I know you too well. Your Uncle Yu was strict with you when you were little, but I’ve calculated the timing. The sea tides won’t be too strong lately. If you accompany me to the white coral reef and come back, it will be fine. You can get some fresh air too.”

For mermaids in this area, the white coral reef was a cautionary line. Crossing it meant entering the shallow sea, where they would need to be wary of fishing boats and the shallows.

Yu Su fell into thought, remembering his parents, who often disappeared for private moments.

Maybe with more training, he could become a strong, reliable male mermaid like his father, able to protect his partner in the future…

A Ning gave him a gentle nudge, bringing him back to reality. “Hey, Su Su? Su? Little Fish?”

Yu Su suddenly reached out and slapped A Ning’s tail, but due to the water resistance, it only made a dull “plop” sound.

A Ning: “…An itch?”

Yu Su clenched his teeth, filtering out the annoying words. With a deep breath, he said, “I’ll go!”

–

One of the reasons Yu Su went to the north was that his father had once been a mermaid from that area. The climate there was harsh, with frequent storms and turbulent seas, and the underwater environment was less peaceful. Over time, the mermaids from the north had evolved to be stronger than those from other regions.

Mermaids also had a strong sense of territoriality. Generally, they wouldn’t move from their habitats in their lifetime, but there were exceptions.

Yu Su swam behind a group of sea turtles, distracted by the peaceful, colorful seabed around him.

His mother grew up in this safe sea region, and it was only when she wandered too far as a child that she met his father in the north. Afterward, the strong male mermaid changed his lifestyle for decades just to be with her. Then, when Yu Su, the “late bloomer,” was born, they settled here permanently.

“Ah, so the fish egg really was an accident…” Yu Su thought, a small silver fish hitching a ride on his head.

Ahead, the white coral reef was becoming visible, and the sun, finally no longer stingy, was casting its light down through the surface. Some of the sunlight reflected off Yu Su’s unique tail, making him seem all golden.

As they neared the coral reef, it wasn’t just the little silver fish following him anymore. Some bolder shallow-water fish had started to play under the gauzy fin fabric, occasionally getting a gentle pat from Yu Su’s fingertips, which caused the little creatures to flap their fins in excitement.

Mermaids were truly the darlings of the sea.

The majority of the sea turtles had already crossed the reef. Yu Su surfaced quickly to observe the shore, squinting slightly under the sunlight that he wasn’t used to.

He could already feel the waves pushing him toward the shore, and in the distance, the golden line was the coastline.

That was the human world, completely different from theirs.

“Alright, this is where I leave you guys. My dad said I shouldn’t get close to the shallow waters. I’ll come pick you up after you lay your eggs.”

Yu Su dove back into the water, tapping the turtle at the back of the group, “Your shell is sturdy, so be careful when you get on land. Reproduction isn’t easy, so take care. I hope everything goes smoothly.”

After a while, when the turtles were almost out of sight, Yu Su broke off a piece of the white coral as a token to bring back to A Ning.

But before he could swim two meters, he suddenly stopped.

The sea was unusually quiet. Most fish only breathed with their mouths open, and only a few creatures made any noise. In such an environment, even the slightest movement could be detected by a sharp mermaid.

Something big was coming.

Yu Su’s pale blue eyes narrowed, and he quickly ushered the smaller fish into the coral crevices. Then, he flicked his tail and swam upwards. The moment he emerged, he saw a group of sharp fish fins cutting through the water, heading straight for the turtle group.

Sea turtle shells were tough and hard to catch. These creatures were likely just trying to play around, but since many of the turtles were in their mating season, Yu Su was worried that the frightened pregnant ones might not be able to handle the stress.

The sunlight slanted through the surface of the sea, and Yu Su moved swiftly, skimming just below the surface. Although his back seemed slightly frail, his movements caused two distinct water trails to spread behind him. In an instant, Yu Su met the shark pack head-on.

The water ahead was turbulent, with waves crashing.

A graceful and beautiful golden tail broke the surface with a splash and then crashed back into the water. This time, without the water resistance, the surrounding water splashed out with the sound.

The troublemakers, pressured by the natural dominance of the mermaid, scattered in all directions. A small portion of them returned the way they came, while others fled frantically toward the coastline. Yu Su hadn’t fought fish in a while. Without even looking, he flicked his tail and chased after them.

Beneath him, the white coral reef had already been left far behind by the fast-moving merman.

However, immersed in his hunting practice, Yu Su didn’t notice that these cunning creatures seemed to realize ahead of time that they were heading toward a dead end. They suddenly reversed direction, swimming back. Yu Su, caught off guard, almost collided with them. He quickly dodged to the side, and within a few breaths, the shark pack had already vanished, sinking back into the depths.

After calming down, Yu Su lost the urge to continue chasing them. He glanced at his tail and prepared to head back, but suddenly, the water around him became murky.

…What’s going on?

Yu Su slowly lowered his head and saw that his proud large tail was half-buried in the soft sand.

This was a dangerously shallow depth.

The mermaid gasped sharply, then leaped out of the water. The once distant golden coastline was now clearly visible, and he could even see the neighboring fjords, with the sea turtle group gradually making their way ashore.

“Uh-oh—” Before Yu Su could finish his sentence, a wave crashed over him, splashing him in the face. The beautiful little merman wiped the water from his cheek with a grim expression, crouched down, and tried to pull his tail free.

Unfortunately, this posture wasn’t the most stable, and with wave after wave hitting him, Yu Su lost his balance and fell backward. However, this fall actually helped him; his tail finally slipped free from the sand.

But Yu Su hadn’t considered one important fact—he wasn’t like his father, the top-tier male merman, nor was he built like A Ning, with a normal-sized physique. Plus, being so close to the shore, a wave just one and a half meters high was enough to push him further ahead.

The piece of white coral he had been carrying also slipped from his grip in the chaotic situation and sank into the sand. Yu Su finally panicked, desperately flapping his tail to try to swim back, but the shallow waters were different from the deep sea, and there wasn’t enough current for him to use as leverage.

The environment around him didn’t give him much time to catch his breath. A few small waves merged ahead to form a giant one, about a meter high, and it crashed directly at Yu Su.

The panicked merman’s pupils contracted. The sea that normally kissed him gently was now merciless, and he felt himself being tumbled around several times by the force of the waves. When he finally opened his eyes, the surroundings had transformed into a half-dry, half-wet beach.

It felt as if time had paused for a few seconds.

Yu Su instinctively curled his fingers into a fist, but all he managed to grab was a handful of dirty sand. Even his usually carefully maintained golden tail was now streaked with murky water.

Without the sea’s surface to buffer him, the sunlight poured down without restraint. Yu Su coughed twice and suddenly realized that his tail was starting to feel a bit sore from the sun.

So…

He had somehow, inexplicably, stranded himself??!

Feel free to donate for earlier/bonus chapter releases! Thanks for supporting me and enjoy reading 😀