11th Wave - A Brand New Melody [2]

Tomi Seina had seen many things throughout her life—especially considering how long she had lived. Therefore, it was fair to say that life had a very bland and bleak prospect in her eyes at times. Lacking excitement.

That said, from time to time, the old woman had the pleasure to witness things that managed to surprise her.

Which included the scene unfolding right at her dining table.

「How have you been?」

「Good. You?」

The boy gave a nervous nod in reply.

It had been over six minutes since Okirin, being a good boy, jumped at Eirin and pulled down the oversized trousers. Six minutes since the mermaid princess had changed from those wet, stolen clothes to the new dress Seina bought.

It had also been over six minutes since boy and girl had been sitting at that table, faces red as berries, without being able to maintain a fraction of eye contact.

A few moments passed before the boy grabbed his notebook.

‘Legs. How?’

She was startled at first, spotting the familiar symbols on the paper. 

“Ah…I bought a potion from a Sea Witch,” she spoke, the shyness not only in her voice but also her eyes.

He only knew the words for ‘bought’ and ‘sea’.  Not knowing how to respond, he wrote another question.

‘Why?’

If her voice was weak and flustered before, her next response could barely be heard.

“S-so I could see you…”

Okihiro understood only the last two words, and they were more than enough to make his heart overwork itself and start beating so loud and fast, he could hardly hear his own thoughts.

Tomi Seina held back a chuckle.

Ah, to be young...

Who would guess how fate seemed to be favoring those two? Not only had the mermaid arrived at the right time and place, Seina had spotted her before things could’ve gone wrong.

Especially with the expedition.

Tomi-san had no rush. Watching those two fidget in their seats as the anxiety grew in their eyes and the blood rushed to their faces…it was a true delight. So she kept observing them, drinking her tea while hiding her smile.

The same calmness was nowhere to be found in either of the youngsters’ minds.

On one side of the table—

Kojin Okihiro could barely glance her way without recalling their previous incidents.

How the wet clothes were sticking to Eirin’s skin, her long silver hair mercifully covering her chest.

How he did not even think of helping her stand, and instead made a complete fool out of himself by speaking her name while still being on top of her.

How his own dog had betrayed him and charged at her the moment she stood up, not only pulling down her clothes but also making her fall a second time on top of him, making his body reach temperatures it never had before.

While on the other side—

Princess Eirin’s mind was in complete turmoil as she, once again, found herself in a fierce battle against herself.

He said my name, didn’t he? I know I heard him say my name. We couldn’t speak before, so how come I understood him?

Which is great! I found him, just like I knew I would, and now, now I simply need to ask him more about his shiny thingy, explain how I need it, and end this once and for all.

But he said my name. Risei explained later that humans don’t speak our language. So…does this mean he learned just so we could talk? He tried to learn it…for…me?

Yet why should this even matter? I’m here for the trinket. If we can speak now, instead of doing those silly gestures, things will be over even faster.

Still…I was having fun. Creating the signs together. Learning together.

Well, I do have five days with this transformation. Might as well enjoy.

Yes…I can enjoy—no, I should!

“All right, then, I think anymore than this and you will both open holes on my floor.”

Tomi Seina broke the silence, placing her tea on the table. The motion pulled Okihiro’s gaze as he felt the table slightly vibration.

Seina leaned closer to them, exchanging glances with both before she turned to Eirin.

“I’ve been teaching the merfolk speech to this boy, here, per his request.”

It was impossible not to see how the mermaid’s eyes lit up, even if for a second. “Do you know why?”

Tomi shrugged. “You can ask him yourself, if you are curious. Now, your transformation is only temporary, right?”

At first, Eirin was surprised by the extent of the woman’s knowledge. But then she recalled the brief conversation they had while Seina helped her get dressed.

Tomi Seina explained how her parents had been famous researchers years back, and how she had accompanied them on many excursions and studies—especially ones related to the merfolk.

They even researched Sea Witches…

Those humans can be quite thorough.

“And what do you want to do meanwhile? Why did you come here, exactly?”

Though Eirin would often lack some common sense, she had just enough to realize it was not wise to explain the exact purpose of her visit.

So she lied instead.

“I wanted to do some sightseeing—I’ve always been curious about the dry land!”

And Tomi Seina immediately knew it was nonsense.

“Oh, is that so? We are honored to have a member of royalty visiting our small city. Do you have a place to stay?”

Eirin opened her mouth, confident in her reply—

Only to realize she did not, in fact, make any plans regarding securing a placement.

“Well, no need to worry about that now! You are free to stay here for the next days, dear,” Seina said, motioning to the teacup resting in front of Eirin. “Also, drink it up, dear. I made yours with seawater.”

Do humans drink another kind of water?

As she drank the tea, the woman turned back to the young man.

“So, what do you want to do, boy? Your princess found you first. She will stay here with me for the next few days.”

What do I want to do…

Okihiro recalled the answer he gave Tomi-san, when she asked if he liked the mermaid. The thing he wrote in his notebook and had shown to the old woman, prompting her to offer him a chance to learn the merfolk speech.

‘I want to get close to her’.

That was the one thing Okihiro was certain of. The thing he knew he truly wanted. So he searched back in his notebook, presenting the same sentence to Tomi-san.

The woman laughed. “Oh, I’m sure this hasn’t changed, boy. But how do you want to do this, now that she is here?”

Others would think she had just asked him the real purpose of life, or to give her the answer to the universe by his expression alone. And before he could melt his own brain by overthinking, Seina tapped the wood in front of him.

“Why don’t you give her a tour? You can take her for a meal, show her some interesting spots.”

Okihiro relaxed his shoulders as the plan began unfolding in front of him. Yes, he could do that. Show her the city, take her for a nice meal, try to get to know her better, the perfect date.

…a…date?

As the man’s face became a shade to shame a perfect red rose, Tomi Seina turned back to the princess.

“Great news, dear! The boy here offered to take you sightseeing. He knows this place better than his own shadow—I’m sure you will have a great time.”

The princess stopped scrubbing Okirin’s neck and ears, the smile frozen on her face while the dog wagged his tail.

“Oh! This…this would be perfect.”

Perfect to get closer to him, so I can later ask for the trinket.

…perfect to spend some time with him, as well…

Eirin purposely ignored the second thought.

Tomi smiled, standing up. “Wonderful! I will prepare more tea before you leave, and some containers so you won’t dry out before the day ends.”

As Okirin followed her, soon Okihiro and Eirin were alone.

They exchanged glances twice before the princess started signing, the movements shy and short.

「My name. You spoke it. Right?」

His face grew redder as he nodded, unsure [afraid] of what she was going to say.

「Can you…say it again?」

Okihiro blinked, his mind going blank for a few seconds.

How many times had he practiced in front of a mirror, bothering Tomi-san to hear and check his enunciation and its sound?

How many times he rolled that single word, that single name around his tongue, while gazing at the open sea?

“Eirin.”

Once again, her heart stopped. The beautiful sound she once could only associate with a laugher gaining a new variation, a new form. One that reflected another part of herself—her name. A sound, a voice, so pure and clear, it could be nothing but a precious sound.

Without thinking, without caring to stop herself, she moved her hands.

「Your name. Say it for me.」

His heart faltered for a second, as if he had seen her gestures incorrectly, or remembered them wrong. Yet as he met her eyes again, seeing how her gaze sparkled with life and a keen determination, his lips moved on their own.

“Okihiro.”

He only spoke it once.

The princess closed her eyes, letting her ears absorb those notes, those sounds. The unfamiliar rhythm of a word that had never been part of her world.

…oki...

...hiro…

She let those sounds echo again and again in her mind, tasted them in her mouth, before she met that green gaze again. The eyes that never once looked away.

“…Okihiro.”

When she spoke, even if Eirin herself was not aware, the word became precious to her as well. Something that, in that brief moment, found a place within her heart, a place where it could be cherished and admired.

And when she spoke that word—his name—Kojin Okihiro felt something he hadn’t felt in a very long time: regret.

For never once did he wish to hear a sound, a voice, as much as he did right then.

                                                                 𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼

A tall man gazed at the port with a spyglass, the tool pointed toward a very particular spot.

“My lord, according to the captain, the wind is very favorable to us! We will reach our first destination ahead of schedule.”

The nobleman did not retract the spy-glass at first.

“Say, did any of the men notice that glow?”

“Some did, my lord.”

“And what did they make of it?”

The sailor scratched his eyebrow, not sure why such a powerful man was being bothered by the thing.

“‘Tis merely the sun’s reflection, my lord. Likely reflecting on some glass.”

He put the spy-glass into his pocket, his gaze still leering in that same direction.

“I see. I will retire to my quarters, so the captain is free to call me if needed.”

“Won’t you have your meal with the others, my lord?”

“Bring it to my quarters instead.”

And without saying anything else, the nobleman turned away and left.

Never once letting the strange glow fade from his mind.