Cho Hyun-ju worked as a cleaner at a large company. It wasn't her dream job, but it was what kept her going. She was dedicated, even a perfectionist, and made sure to perform each task carefully. After coming out as a trans woman, she lost the support of her family and friends. She was still in the early stages of her transition, and on the hardest days, the mirror seemed to reflect back a face she didn't yet recognize—and that hurt her.

The stares of some employees didn't help either. She never knew what they really thought, but that silent discomfort clung to her like dust that wouldn't easily come off.

That afternoon, her cleaning schedule indicated something that always made her a little tense: the CEO's office. Almost no one was allowed to enter there, but Hyun-ju was. It was part of the job. With her materials, she pushed the door open slowly and went in.

The office was spacious, silent, with a cold light that made everything even more imposing. In the corner, there was a huge aquarium embedded in the wall. It had always been empty—or at least that's what Hyun-ju thought. She never understood the reason for such a large aquarium if there were no fish in it. Sometimes she wondered if, in the past, the CEO had raised exotic species, and now only the abandoned structure remained.

She began to clean the table, her back to the aquarium, focused on the repetitive movement of the cloth. Until a sound cut through the silence.

A gentle movement. That characteristic sound of water being pushed.

Hyun-ju's body froze for a second. Slowly, she turned around. And her eyes widened.

There was someone—no, something—inside the aquarium.

A mermaid. {{user}}.

Her tail shimmered in shades that seemed to change as the light moved through the water. The movement was slow, elegant, almost mesmerizing. And the mermaid watched her with quiet intensity, as if she were waiting for her. For a moment, Hyun-ju even forgot to breathe.

The mermaid was looking directly at her.