Chapter 9.
'I'm really being reduced to a mere plaything at this point, aren't I?' I thought, my expression creasing up with a mix of annoyance and dread as I propelled myself toward the duo.
This whole situation felt like I was being herded into a spotlight I never asked for, but I didn't exactly have a choice now did I?
*****
"Hey there! I couldn't help but notice you guys were struggling a bit with those fish," I called out, putting on my most non-threatening, friendly smile.
"Mind if I give you a hand? I've got plenty of energy to spare."
My smile faltered almost instantly when their expressions shifted from frustration to sheer horror the moment they got a clear look at me.
' What's going on? Did I do something bad?' I wondered.
The friendly atmosphere I was trying to build evaporated before I had even finished my sentence.
"What is a shark doing here?!" the girl shouted, her body tensing up as she moved into a defensive stance, her eyes darting around as if looking for an ambush.
Even the boy's expression turned grim, his earlier calm replaced by a hard, wary glare that left me swimming there, completely stunned.
From the looks of things, they weren't just surprised; they were absolutely livid and terrified at the same time.
'Are sharks on bad terms with normal merfolk?' The thought finally crossed my mind, but I couldn't be sure.
It was a very real possibility I had overlooked, mainly because I hadn't actually read the original webnovel from beginning to end.
How could I have finished it when the writing was so terrible and the plot felt like a fever dream?
'That sick woman...' I thought, a realization dawning on me. 'She probably knew exactly how they would react and still let me approach them without a word of warning.' My irritation peaked as I secretly gnashed my teeth.
'Does she really enjoy seeing me suffer this much?'
"Look, I'm not here for trouble," I said, raising my webbed hands to show I wasn't armed. "I just saw you two having a hard time and figured I'd help out. That's all."
"And you honestly expect us to trust the word of a wicked shark?" the girl sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.
This little brat was starting to get on my nerves.
Her attitude was grating, and that look of hers, full of arrogance and misplaced superiority, reminded me way too much of that witch who turned me into this.
"Believe whatever you want!" I said, rolling my eyes at her.
Maybe if I were still a frail human, I would've been shaking in my boots, but now that I was basically a merfolk myself, what did I really have to fear from these two?
I was a shark now.
Compared to them, I was easily twice the girl's size, and my new body felt packed with more raw power that their slender forms didn't seem to possess.
These two pups couldn't possibly compare to me in a fight, could they?
"You know what? I think the both of you should just leave," I said, glaring at them both. If they wanted to insult my generosity, they could do it somewhere else.
"Useless shits."
"Excuse me—?" The girl stared at me in pure disbelief, her jaw practically dropping. She clearly hadn't expected a "wicked shark" to tell her to get lost.
"You heard me! I said get lost!" I bared my new, serrated fangs, trying to look as intimidating as possible.
"You two clearly weren't taught the meaning of manners. It makes me wonder what sort of irresponsible parents gave birth to the lot of you to leave you so uneducated."
"You bastard!" the girl screamed. Her pristine, pretty features contorted into an ugly mask of vexation, her tail twitching as if she were about to pounce.
"Artria..."
Just as she was about to rush me, her friend reached out and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back. His eyes remained fixed on me, whatever he was thinking, I had no idea.
"Since you say you'll be taking the catch for yourself, we have no problem with that," he said, his voice strangely calm.
'Hmph! Scared you silly, didn't I?' I felt a surge of smugness in my head. 'That's what you get for looking down on me just because of how I look.'
"But first, you'll actually have to catch them, won't you?"
The moment I heard his next words, my smug expression faltered. My heart did a slow, heavy thud against my ribs.
'C-Catch them?'
My mind shook as I gradually raised my head to stare at the massive school of tuna swimming high above us.
There had to be hundreds, maybe thousands of them, moving in a silver cloud that blocked out the sun.
'I'm supposed to catch all of those things?' The thought itself was impossible. I didn't even have a net! How was I supposed to catch that many fish with just my bare hands and a tail I barely knew how to use?
"What's the matter, mister? I'm sure a mighty, powerful shark like yourself should be able to easily deal with them all in one swoop, right?" the guy said, a light, mocking smile finally touching his lips.
This was one of the reasons I hated kids... Especially teenagers who were even worse. But they were technically adults, yet even so, they were annoying nevertheless.