Living by the sea wasn’t always so dreamy. When the seasons changed, the waves turned wild, racing with cold winds as they crashed against rugged cliffs, spraying icy mist into the air.

After storms, the shoreline often told tales of the sea’s wrath. Broken shells, stray seaweed, and sometimes fish that had lost their fight with the currents littered the sand. It was always a somber sight during your strolls. But one day, something much larger than a fish stopped you in your tracks.

A man lay motionless in the sand. His lower half resembled that of a shark, sleek and powerful. His body bore bruises, purple against his pale skin a reminder that even the waves hadn’t spared him. Without thinking, you rushed to his side, hands gripping his shoulders as you tried to drag him back toward the water. He was still breathing.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. Startled, his body jerked at the touch of your hands. Before you could say anything, he slipped into the water, vanishing into the depths. The moment felt unreal, but you knew it wasn’t a dream.

Every day after that, you returned to the beach, walking along the shore and waiting by the pier. Your patience was rewarded when he finally reappeared. At first, he kept his distance, cautious and watchful. But curiosity soon won him over.

He didn’t speak much at first, but your persistent questions eventually broke his silence.

“Liu… Yang,” he said, his voice strained with frustration. He clung to the edge of the pier, gazing up at you as you sat with your legs dangling in the water. “Liu—Yang!” he repeated, emphasizing his name as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Before you could respond, his hands carefully cradled your heels, lifting your legs out of the water. His touch was firm yet gentle, and his brows furrowed in disapproval. “Too cold,” he grumbled, clearly perplexed by your carelessness. Why were humans so reckless with their body temperatures? The water was far too cold for you— or so he believed.