Sink Or Swim With Mr.Gorgeous

Sana was in the middle of a very unflattering snore, sprawled diagonally across her bed with one leg dangling off the side. Drool threatened to escape the corner of her mouth as she mumbled something incoherent about "buying cheaper noodles."

Splash.

Her eyes twitched.

Splash.

"Ugh…" Sana groaned, still half-asleep. What is that noise? It sounded like someone trying to breathe underwater–erratic and bubbling. Annoyed, she squinted at her clock. 5:48 a.m. On her day off.

She groaned louder, slapping her pillow over her head. But the noise grew louder, now accompanied by what sounded like frantic splashing.

Her heart skipped a beat. Did I leave the faucet running? Did a pipe burst? Worry crept in as she rolled out of bed, her hair a mess of tangles. She cautiously shuffled toward her bedroom door, rubbing her eyes.

The noise was coming from the living room.

She tiptoed, her anxiety climbing. What if it's a rat? Or even worse... a burglar? Mustering up some courage, she threw the door open.

And froze.

Her jaw nearly dislocated from how far it dropped. Water was everywhere, pooling on her floor and glistening in the dim morning light. Her beautiful, meticulously set-up fish tank was in ruins, plants toppled over, castle ornament knocked sideways.

But the chaos wasn't the strangest thing.

There was a person–yes, a person–in the tank.

"WHAT THE HECK?!" Sana shrieked, her voice nearly cracking. Her brain was a slideshow of confusion, flipping through frames at lightning speed. Who? What? How? WHY?!

Whoever it was seemed to be flailing weakly, gasping for air, their head barely above water. Without thinking, she bolted to the tank and grabbed the figure by the shoulders, yanking with all her might. They tumbled onto the wet floor together, the stranger coughing and sputtering.

Sana scrambled back, her heart hammering in her chest. "Who are you?! Why are you in my house?! IN MY FISH TANK?!"

She clutched her head, trying to process the scene. The stranger was... absolutely drenched, with water dripping from stark blue hair that clung to their face. Their skin was pale, almost luminous, and their lashes–wait, why are his lashes so long?–fluttered as they struggled to catch their breath.

When he finally lifted his head, Sana forgot how to breathe.

She clutched her face, her cheeks burning. This isn't real. This is a fever dream. It has to be. There's no way someone can look this... this... UNFAIRLY BEAUTIFUL! His blue eyes, wide and glowing, locked onto hers. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. He just stared, his face pale from oxygen deprivation but slowly flushing red as he regained his breath.

And then it hit her.

He was naked.

Sana let out a strangled squeak, slapping her hands over her eyes–well, mostly. One eye peeked through her fingers, unable to resist. Oh no, this is worse than a fever dream. This is one of those embarrassing rom-com scenes.

"W-who are you?!" she stammered, her voice climbing an octave. "Why are you... um... like that? And... IN MY FISH TANK?!" She tried to shield her eyes more properly, her brain screaming at her to focus.

The stranger didn't respond, just looked down at the floor, still gasping quietly.

Sana's panic gave way to bewilderment. Why isn't he saying anything? She crouched cautiously, keeping her distance. "Okay, uh, maybe you don't speak Korean? Or... human? Can you talk?"

Nothing.

She waved her hand in front of his face. He flinched but didn't speak.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something else.

The fish.

Or rather, the absence of the fish.

Her heart stopped. She scanned the room. No shimmering blue scales. No glowing eyes. No sign of her ridiculously expensive fish.

Her gaze flickered back to the stranger. His hair–vivid blue, dripping like it was still underwater. His eyes–bright, gem-like, eerily familiar.

"No," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "No way. That's insane. That's impossible. That's..." She trailed off, staring at him harder.

The resemblance was undeniable.

She pointed at him, her hand shaking. "Y-you're not... you couldn't be... the fish?"

The stranger tilted his head slightly, finally making eye contact.

Sana let out a nervous laugh, clutching her forehead. "Oh, God, I'm losing it. I need coffee. Or therapy. Probably both." She looked at him again, and her cheeks flamed. HOW can someone look like this? It's not fair! It's illegal! This level of attractiveness shouldn't be attainable!

"Well," she said finally, her voice shaking as she forced a grin. "If you really are the fish, uh, welcome to the human world, I guess. Pro tip: clothes are a thing."

He blinked at her, still silent, his expression unreadable.

"Oh my.." she muttered, her hands covering her blushing face. "What am I supposed to do?!"

Sana sat down in front of him, her head tilting as she observed his silent, wide-eyed expression. Does he even understand me? she wondered. Then another thought hit her like a lightning bolt.

Wait... if he's still a fish on the inside, does that mean his brain is a fish too?

Her lips curled into a devilish grin as her imagination went wild.

"Hmm... so, if you're as dumb as a fish..." she murmured, her voice taking on a scheming tone. A cartoonish image flashed in her head: him in chains, sobbing pitifully while she held a whip, dressed in an evil overlord outfit.

"Oh yes," she muttered, rubbing her hands together with a fake evil laugh. "I can only imagine how much the top modeling agencies would pay for you! That's right! This perfectly sculpted face and flawless body would earn me millions! The smell of money... the smell of rich!"

She burst into a fit of dramatic laughter, throwing her head back as though the room had suddenly transformed into her villainous lair.

And then she slapped herself. Hard.

"Snap out of it, Sana!" she scolded herself. "He's a human now... even if he was a fish. You can't do that. At least... not yet." She giggled evilly under her breath but quickly straightened up.

Her rational brain fought to take over. Maybe I should call the authorities? That's the responsible thing to do. They'd know how to handle this... situation. But as soon as the idea crossed her mind, another one followed, far more chilling.

Her body froze. What if they... experiment on him?

She pictured a horrifying montage of scientists in lab coats poking and prodding him, attaching wires to his glowing blue hair while he cried out in pain.

"Noo!" she whispered, clutching her arms and shivering.

Her imagination didn't stop there.

And what if they think I'm the crazy one? She could already see herself in a courtroom, trying to explain to a judge how her expensive fish magically turned into a naked celebrity overnight.

"They'll never believe me," she muttered, her eyes wide with paranoia. "They'll throw me into a mental hospital while he gets pampered for being gorgeous. Pretty privilege is real. They'll call me a monster, and burn me at the stake!!"

She shuddered, brushing her arms as though she could shake off her own absurd thoughts. Then her gaze returned to him. He was sitting awkwardly on the wet floor, dripping water and still eerily silent.

Her lips twitched. Why is he so cute, though?

She turned her head, suppressing a grin. Alright, let's deal with the basics first.

She walked to her bathroom, moving in a comically exaggerated way, as though she were in a spy movie. Grabbing her bathrobe, she marched back, only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight of him.

He was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.

Mouth open. Mouth closed. Mouth open. Mouth closed.

Sana froze, then clapped her hand over her mouth. A muffled laugh escaped before she broke into full hysterics.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my god! What the heck?! HAHAHA!" She doubled over, clutching her stomach. "You... you're doing the fish thing! You really are a fish to the bone!"

Her laughter echoed through the room as she pointed at him. He blinked in confusion, his lips still opening and closing mechanically.

"Oh no," she gasped, wiping tears from her eyes. "You're killing me here! I can't–HAHAHA!"

Still chuckling, she managed to drape the bathrobe over his shoulders. "Alright, Mr. Fish Model, let's get you covered up before I lose my mind completely."

She stepped back to look at him. The oversized bathrobe hung awkwardly on his lean frame, making him look even more out of place. His expression remained blank, though he tilted his head slightly in what might have been curiosity.

Sana burst into another fit of giggles. "Oh, man! You look so funny right now. I can't believe I spent a fortune on a fish that turns into this."

She crouched in front of him, resting her chin on her hands as she admired his ridiculously symmetrical face. "Alright," she said, grinning mischievously. "Let's see if we can teach you some human basics. Like, uh, closing your mouth."

She placed a hand under his chin and gently guided it shut. Then she exaggeratedly closed her own mouth, motioning for him to copy her. "See? Like this. Mouth closed. Easy!"

He blinked at her, then slowly mimicked her.

When his lips finally stayed shut, she let out a dramatic gasp. "You did it! Oh my god, you're a genius!" She leaned back, pressing her hands to her cheeks as she admired his now much less goofy face.

And then she sighed dreamily. "Should I just keep you? I mean, I did spend a lot to bring you home. No way I'm getting scammed!"

She squatted, grinning at him as her mind filled with more wild possibilities.