"Good morning."

"Oh, hey, Minho. I'm surprised, aren't you here a little early today?"

"Class was cancelled."

"What a lucky guy you are. For how long will the professor be gone?"

"Just for today."

Chan leaned back in his office chair, the abused seat creaking on it's way back. He sighed, "Then since you're free, I need help moving some inventory around to their proper storage rooms."

"It moved?" Minho shuffled over to the receptionist desk, hoisting himself up onto the surface to sit with his back to Chan and legs dangling over the side. He ran his hand over uneven scratch marks each dug violently into the thin gray coating as he waited for any sort of response from the overworked male. The chair creaked again behind him, prompting him to toss his head over his shoulder to glance at the older.

"Some genius got the idea to shuffle it around last night and the person that takes inventory is on break," Chan sighed again, rubbing his face furiously with his hands over and over again. With one final huff of exasperation he covered his eyes and slouched down into the squeaky chair, "I have my suspicions of who keeps moving it. Especially the food."

"Seungmin?"

"He threatened to fatten up the penguins and take them home," The older scoffed, rolling his eyes as he spun himself around in the chair, "Boss is a scary guy so he hasn't done it yet."

Minho carefully removed his rain soaked jacket, making sure not to drip anywhere but being preoccupied with mulling over what the other had said. He laid it across his lap with a hum, "I'm sure Hyunjin loves that."

"He's probably in on it too. Those two will be the end of my career I swear," Chan paused. He sat upright in his seat, laying his head off to an odd angle to stare out the large floor to ceiling windows that put the outside world on display as cars of all shapes and sizes rolled on by. They came and they went as time went on. Without much thought his foot gently bumped the side of the drenched rubber duck umbrella that he kept on his half of the desk. It was raining that day, once again, as it had been for the past few days but soon they'd all miss the cool air that was replaced by the sweltering sun of the summer. For now, all the two could do was wait patiently inside for that change to come.

The receptionist smiled, "It must be nice."

"Hm?"

"I don't know, just thinking about those two. How nice it must be to be so in love with someone that you'd give up everything for them," Chan spun again in his seat. He let his let loll around with the harsh momentum of his chair as he twirled one way, breaking hard by stomping his foot down and pushing off the other way, then a few times back his original direction, and back around for a few more turns, before switching one more time.

Minho gazed down at his hands, unresponsive as he heard the older go in circles like a young child. He picked at his uneven and bitten down nails, mumbling to himself as he picked at the corner, "I've thought about that too."

"No kidding? You don't exactly strike me as the hopeless romantic type," Chan laughed, "I don't think I'm much of one either though so, who knows?"

"Yeah," His lips pressed into a thin line as he repeated, "Who knows."

The sliding doors of the aquarium pressed open. Chan turned his head in the direction of the noise, mouth opening in preparation to lecture whoever came in for the fact that the aquarium hasn't been opened yet only to shoot from his seat. His shoulders tensed. Minho followed his line of sight and let his eyes land on the approaching group, each one more done up than the last, careful suits and ties escorting someone who directed their focus to the young university student. As if he developed tunnel vision, his gaze trained only on Minho.

He came to a stop in front of the aspiring scientist, a kind eye about him as he questioned,"Minho, I would assume?"

"Boss—" Chan started before swiftly cutting himself off. His gaze dropped to the desk as he leaned closer to the puzzled Minho, telling quietly, "This is the owner of the aquarium, Mr. Park. He's the one letting you research Jisung."

Minho let his jaw temporarily slack into a shock, before straightening himself up. This was, after all, the person he was supposed to be working for. Although, the cleanliness and polish to his suit, his overall appearance, made him seem more as if this man was the owner of a corporate enterprise and less of an ocean life enthusiast. Somehow, Minho had the smallest inkling the former was more of the truth than anything else. Regardless, he dipped his head out of respect and articulated, "Thank you for the opportunity."

"Come with me," The owner simply turned on his heel, motioning for Minho to scurry after him as he began to leave the lobby.

He hesitantly followed after, but not before exchanging a concerned glance with his friend behind him. With light steps, Minho chased after the corporate bigwig who never checked to see if he was being followed, never looked back, as if he knew beyond all else that the other simply would not be able to deny the invitation. Whether that was because of his own inclination or if it was because of the slight fear growing in his veins, no one would have been able to tell but Minho himself. The owner hardly said anything as they trudged along. With his hands laced behind his back, and a chin tilt that told anyone who dared step in his way that he was not to be fumbled with, the man in the suit led Minho through the aquarium. Though the latter had quickly forgot what his name was.

The owner eventually came to a stop in front of the otter exhibit. When Minho hung back, he gestured to the spot next to him and implored to be joined at the exhibit. Reluctantly, the young scientist stepped forward and the owner began, "I apologize for not stopping by. I wished to check your progress a lot sooner, but there were issues within the company I needed to sort."

Next to him, sensing that he shouldn't do anything but in that moment, Minho stayed quiet. The owner's gaze was completely focused on the otters. Scrutinizing them.

He turned back to the other, shifting awkwardly as he waited,  "How is the creature?"

"Jisung?" Minho clarified. His gaze shifted up, still hesitant to interact with someone who was supposedly above him in every aspect of their lives, "He's well and has been cooperative with my research."

"He seems to have taken quite the liking to you."

"I wouldn't... Say it like that."

"Although the other members of my staff, people who have been trained to handle animals in all shapes and forms, were not able to do the same that you have done? He has taken a liking to you. I should only hope you haven't reciprocated that feeling and haven't gotten attached."

"No," Minho's head shook. Although he felt the way his heart constricted with an undeniable guilt in protest to his words, he ignored it as best he could. I'm not here to get attached, Minho reminded himself to ease the intensity of that destructive feeling pressing and weighing him down at every moment. His teeth gritted together, pulling himself back from the ache with the slight pain in his jaw, as he confirmed, "I'll leave when my research is done."

The owner directed his attention back to the otter exhibit, "Why not stay? We could pay you well for your mind, and offer an exclusive deal to continue working with the creature. We would ask for results, of course."

"I'm sorry," Minho quickly tried to deny, head dropping in an apologetic bow that he hoped would void him of any further responsibility where he would have to lie, and lie, and lie, and desperately pray to any known gods that the merman would never find out why he was there in the first place. He told, "I want to finish my doctorate first."

"University is expensive to manage along with living costs, and it seems you're taking care of family friends, are you not? We could sponsor you to finish your years and for the research needed for your thesis. We could offer you a high price for the information you provide. You wouldn't need to worry about expenses," The owner countered, a careful eye about him. The eye of an entrepreneur. There was something he was trying to gain from this too.

And despite knowing that, Minho tongued at the back of his teeth as he weighed the costs in his mind. His gaze hardened, "What kind of results do you want?"

"Continuing to conduct research on that creature. We wish to know more of his kind, and if he really is the only one. If so, we wish to know how he mutated in such a way and if not, we want to know where they exist. Do you think that is something you can manage along with your degree?"

"I'm not qualified for heading that kind of project."

"We can handle the qualifications when it comes to press articles."

Minho went quiet as his eyes scanned over the exhibit in front of them. Scanning for the easiest answer. And seeming to forget every moral he ever carried on his conscious, he nodded, "Please let me think about it."

"Very well, I will wait for your decision," The owner stepped away from him, a pride hiding behind his features that radiated the fact he knew how tempting every word of his offer was. His features suddenly relaxed, as if he remembered something. He questioned,  "And Minho, is there a possibility of the creature showing aggression to you or any of the staff members beyond avoidance?"

The university student furrowed his eyebrow but didn't press the question, simply offering the answer of, "No. He doesn't seem like he'd hurt anyone."

"If he does, let the staff know. He is, after all, a wild animal. We can't risk having any hazards in this aquarium."

Again. This is the second time someone has said this. Minho froze, and ultimately, knew that if he ever mentioned anything that could even vaguely be taken as 'aggression', it would be the means to an end for them. And Jisung... 

He shook his head and rid the thought from his mind.

"It appears I need to be leaving," The owner, and possibly one day his boss, laid an oppressive hand on the student's shoulder. Minho fought the urge to flinch against it as the owner stated, "I look forward to further correspondence from you."

"Thank you sir," Minho bowed his head as he watched the pristine shoes of that business man leave him in front of the exhibit.

When he was gone, Minho  braced a hand against the cool glass behind him and leaned his forehead on the barrier his arm provided from the reality of the situation. His knees went weak.

Jisung...

What should I do?

∴∷∵