Chapter 16: She Told Me Under The Aquarium Lights

I woke with a sharp inhale peeling myself out of the sleeping bag that had somehow welded itself to my back overnight.

Izumi was sitting cross-legged on the bed—my bed—fiddling with the ends of her hair.

“You’re awake," she said. “Are you well?”

I glanced over at her. She was turned slightly away her face in profile light from the window catching the edge of her cheek.

She looked… softer today. Not weaker. Just gentler. Like she’d finally stopped bracing for something to go wrong.

“Yeah,” I said. “Just surprised.”

“I am a little anxious,” she admitted, nodding once as if sealing the confession. “But I am well nonetheless.”

Right. Same.

Today was the day.

The day was finally here. Fish Park day as Izumi and I have started calling it.

She leaned closer sniffing delicately at her sleeve.

“These clothes,” she said frowning. “They are beginning to smell Keizo.”

I opened my mouth to argue then stopped. She wasn’t wrong.

Eiji had gotten us aquarium tickets for the afternoon. I figured we could kill time at the mall first—get her something different to wear that didn’t look like it had survived a magical extradimensional prison.

I pulled up the train schedule on my phone and showed it to her.

Her eyes widened.

“You mean… we are going to the market?”

“Sure,” I said. “Market. A very very big market.”

She seemed satisfied with that.

The station was already busy by the time we got there. Izumi drew looks—not hostile ones just the usual double takes people gave when someone dressed like her walked through modern Japan without irony.

She didn’t seem to notice.

Her expression said fret not Keizo I have seen this look a thousand times before which somehow made me relax a little.

When we sat down she closed her eyes and took a few slow breaths.

“You good?” I asked.

She nodded then reached out and gripped my hand with both of hers just as the train lurched forward.

Her grip tightened.

A lot.

I didn’t comment.

By the time we arrived she was staring straight ahead like she’d just survived a test of courage.

Outside the mall loomed—glass domes arching overhead sunlight refracting off steel and signage in a way that felt almost unreal.

Izumi stopped dead.

“What is this place?” She asked, carefully.

I leaned in close enough to answer quietly. She smelled faintly of flowers and sunscreen. With skin like hers you had to be thorough.

“Welcome to what we call a shopping district.”

She turned slowly eyes wide.

“A district,” she repeated. “Dedicated entirely to shopping.”

“District’s a weird word for it I’ll admit. But yeah. Biggest shopping center in Japan. If you want something new something nice—this is where you go.”

She hesitated then nodded once.

“I will… attempt it,” she said. “Lead the way, Kei.”

She laughed nervous and bright and for a moment I worried this was all too much too fast. But she kept pace eyes darting everywhere taking it all in like she was afraid she’d miss something important.

The information board outside was massive. I scanned it and pointed.

“Beverly’s Boutique. Let’s start there.”

Her expression lit up.

“Oh! We are meeting someone?”

It took me three tries to realize she thought Beverly was an actual person.

Inside the crowd thickened. Escalators hummed. People flowed past us in practiced patterns. 

Izumi froze at the base of the moving stairs watching them rise and vanish.

“They move,” she whispered. “On their own.”

“They’re safe,” I said quickly. “Mostly.”

That didn’t help.

We made it into the boutique eventually. Izumi stood just inside the doorway overwhelmed eyes tracking everything at once—racks of fabric mirrors mannequins frozen in uncanny perfection.

She bowed automatically to a confused sales associate.

The woman blinked. Bowed back.

This was going great.

Izumi hovered near me lowering her voice.

“Keizo… when does Beverly arrive?”

“That is Beverly,” I said pointing vaguely at the store itself.

She stared. Then nodded slowly.

“She is a building.”

“Sure ” I said. “Let’s go with that.”

She gravitated toward a simple summer dress fingers brushing the fabric like it might vanish.

“I believe this would be suitable,” she said.

“How many would you like to try on?” the associate asked politely.

Izumi stiffened.

“…How many,” she echoed.

“One,” I said quickly. “Just one.”

In the changing room she emerged a minute later standing very straight hands clasped.

“Well?” she asked.

I swallowed.

“Yeah,” I said. “That works.”

It was only when we reached the register that reality caught up with me.

The price stared back like a threat.

I felt my stomach drop.

Izumi noticed immediately.

“Keizo,” she said quietly “have I misstepped?”

“No,” I said. “Just—hang on.”

I hesitated then sighed.

“I don’t… really have the money for this.”

Her expression softened not disappointed—thoughtful.

“Oh,” she said. Then after a pause “May I contribute?”

Before I could answer she reached into her pouch and produced a gold coin.

Not shiny. Not new.

Ancient.

The cashier stared.

I stared.

Some explanations later—and a very uncomfortable visit to the jeweller next door—the coin tested real. Very real. Worth more than enough to cover the dress and then some.

Izumi watched the entire process with academic interest.

“So this,” she asked afterward, “is what you mean by currency exchange.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Pretty much.”

“I see.” She nodded. “A fascinating ritual.”

By the time we stepped back outside bags in hand Izumi looked lighter. Calmer.

“I am glad,” she said. “I did not wish to burden you.”

“You didn’t.” I said automatically.

She smiled anyway.

We hurried back outside and made our way down just in time to catch the next train to Fish Park.

Izumi had adapted quickly to train travel this time. In fact she was quite comfortable with it.

She spent most of the trip watching other people but now and again she’d turn to me with a smile or tilt her head.

"Keizo! Izumi! You both made it!" I heard Eiji's voice from inside the train as it ground to a halt.

He rushed out to meet us and grabbed both of us in quick hugs he was dressed like an Australian tourist camera floral shirt the whole deal.

"Eiji got all of us front row seats and all-access!" Mika peered out behind him. "There's even a snack bar so don't worry about food!"

I looked beside me.

Izumi was buffering trying her best to process everything.

I say that as if she were a robot. That's the wrong way to put it.

I explained everything to her as the four of us made our way through fast lane.

Izumi listened intently. When I finished explaining she frowned thoughtfully.

"Is this why you wanted to come here today?" she asked.

Yeah I said. "But I also did this for you."

"Me?" She gave me a look of complete bafflement.

"Yeah. To get us out of the house."

That seemed to bring her back to earth a bit.

"I see…" she said looking away and biting her lower lip in concentration. I knew better than to interrupt whatever train of thought she was having—she'd explain when she was ready which probably meant a while.

After another long moment she continued. "You said this place has a different aesthetic unlike any other. When can we see it?"

Eiji overheard this and jogged back to her smiling like it was Christmas morning.

"Now!" he said excitedly. "I got a whole day planned for us."

Mika nodded effectively punctuating him.

He really is something when it comes to being outdoors in any capacity that is.

I chuckled mirroring Eiji's jog. Izumi blinked at us clearly puzzled then shook her head and followed.

We doggedly followed behind Eiji's lead down across exhibit after exhibit.

Izumi mentioned to me that her world had a similar place where animals roamed in their enclosures as well as the various creatures she called 'adoptable familiars.' My face must have given me away because she laughed.

Yes it sounds terrifying she said. "But it's not. It's quite calm like here. You make things calm Keizo."

That earned an 'aww' from Mika who was already busy examining the sea lion who barked and stuck his tongue out at us.

Mika mirrored the sea lion.

Izumi joined her.

At least they're getting along I thought. Maybe… maybe this isn't such a bad idea.

The next stop was the overhead aquarium experience.

Not to get all sales-pitchy but it was pretty damn remarkable.

The lights. The colours. Izumi. My friends.

"Wow," Izumi breathed leaning forward over a glass tank full of sea life. 

The tank wasn't large but the space above filled up easily. Bright fish swam past colorful and playful and a gentle sea breeze floated through the room.

The fish looked beautiful moving in graceful arcs twisting through the water before turning sharply and diving back down.

Mika and Eiji went over to one end snapping photos.

They took a selfie together. That was the closest they've ever gotten to each other.

They broke the touch barrier for crying out loud!

I didn't have time to dwell on it because a gentle tap on my shoulder pulled me out of my head.

I turned and saw Izumi looking nervously at the floor.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes when she spoke.

Keizo she said hesitantly "You are... I... you are the most important boy ever."

My face instantly flushed.

"W--what?"

She opened her eyes a shy smile gracing her lips.

"I still can't believe us." She gestured around. "All of this."

I felt like saying something but I could feel more from her was coming. She paused taking a second to collect herself.

Do you remember she murmured almost to herself "when you helped me refuse death?"

My mouth hung open.

"You stayed when most would run. Our tether became more powerful that day." She closed her eyes again red cheeks were beet red. "I will always love you for that."

She... Loves me?

“Izumi… I don’t know how to say things the way you do.”

I swallowed.

She was looking at me expectantly silently urging me to continue.

I took a deep breath. And let it out slowly.

I closed my eyes and tried to find the words.

Finally I looked up.

“What I want to say is,” I began. 

“I stayed because I wanted to. And I keep staying. And I don’t want to stop.”

And that wasn’t a lie. I truly believed that.

Because in the end I knew no matter what happened there was one thing—one person—that will be tethered to me.

“Izumi… you’re—”

I stopped exhaled. “You matter. More than anything.”

Her gaze fluttered down for a moment a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

"I don't want to imagine a world where we aren't connected," I continued. "And when you decide—if you decide—to move onto your next adventure I'm going to be right behind you..."