Song's Unwanted Note

Chapter VIII

Blue-feathered sailor

—Oh… –I muttered reluctantly as I looked at the time the alarm clock was ticking on my bedside table. It was already daylight, school had ended a few hours ago, and Lukia should have returned from her meeting at Kurosuna's house not too long ago. –Well, nothing special was going on today. Although... I would have liked to have been able to accompany Lukia and see the house of the little princes. I could tell that the black prince was a real mermaid freak. –I sighed at my thoughts. –Meh, I'll still be able to laugh at my sister and how she got drunk on a simple fizzy drink. –I laughed internally at what I said.

Without waiting any longer, I got out of bed and went to get dressed. I did not plan to spend the rest of the day in pajamas (although I would have liked that).
I couldn’t. There were more important things I had to do now that I had free time. Like...

—A penguin! –Exactly. "Discovering" the existence of Hippo. –A penguin in sailor's clothes! –I exclaimed with apparent surprise as I came out of my room already changed.

Quickly, the bluebird turned in my direction, he had his back to me as he was putting on his hat. And without wasting a second, he himself became a bundle of nerves.
His wings were flapping up and down frantically, his head was moving from side to side, and his body wouldn't stand still. You could see from a distance how being discovered was a problem for him.

—What's such an adorable penguin doing in my house? –I asked with false ignorance, approaching him. –And blue on top of that! –I pointed out what was most obvious to the eye.

—I-I'm not adorable! –He demanded in desperation. –I mean... Peep, peep? –Realising his mistake, Hippo began to sweat strongly.

—He's talking, but what a beautiful thing! –And without waiting for an answer from the contrary, I rushed at him to embrace him.

I can't lie. I've wanted to do this ever since I got here. His participation in the sequel may be nil (at least as far as I could read), but I can't deny that he still looks just as cuddly as he did in the original manga.
It's a shame I have to pretend not to know him. But I hope they'll take more notice of me and won't hide so many things from me, even though it is inevitable. Still, now they won't be able to hide Hippo's existence from me and I'll be able to hug him more often.

—What’s going on here? –Luchia’s voice sounded behind me. –Hippo, Y/N?! –The surprise immediately came when she saw me next to the transformed hippocampus.

—Mum, look! A blue penguin dressed as a sailor, and he talks! Can we keep him? –I asked her with overflowing enthusiasm as I turned in her direction and showed her Hippo, who was disoriented and dizzy in my arms. –I'll take super good care of him, I promise! –I added, still holding the bird in my grasp.

—Y/N, put him down! –The chestnut exclaimed as nervously as the little penguin, to which I listened and positioned Hippo on the ground. –Look Y/N, this is Hippo. He's a penguin I had as a pet when I was young. He accompanied me when I first came here. At that time I didn't know the place very well, so Hippo helped me. Since we're back, I thought it would be good if there was someone who could keep you company so you could adapt to the place better, like I did. –She explained quickly, causing me to get lost in her explanation from time to time..

—Yeah, like I'm going to believe all that. –I thought internally after she finished her long monologue. –But... How is it that he can talk? –I couldn’t help but ask that question that any normal person would make.

—I’m back! –Kaito’s voice rang all over the house interrupting our conversation.

—Saved by the bell. –I said to myself as I watched Luchia walk cheerfully towards the entrance, dodging my question, pretending that nothing had happened. –Well, now it’s just you and me. –I started talking to the little animal next to me. –Hey, don’t try to run away from me! –But before I knew it, Hippo was already running in the opposite direction.

—I'm sorry Miss Y/N, but I'm busy right now! See you later! –He shouted from a distance, leaving me all alone.

—He will be miserable... –I sigh trying to forget how both my mother and Hippo had (literally) run away from me. –Well, what else should I do. At least I could hug the adorable magic penguin. –I thought with joy as I returned to my room. –Although now that I think about it... What will Hippo's human form be like? I don’t think it’s the same as before, I mean, in the original manga he had the appearance of a boy about ten years old. Realistically, he would have to be a young adult, roughly the same age as Kaito and Luchia. –I whispered as I closed the door, being alone in my room again. –Shit. All these questions keep popping up, but no clear answer. I should ask Kairi about this. She might know something about Hippo... Or not, who knows? –I said to myself as I sat down on the mattress of my bed. –Huh? A music box? I don't remember leaving it here. –I started mumbling as I winded it up.

It was round and small, of a light blue similar to the clear sky. It had golden reliefs of shells and ripples on the lid.
It was noticeable that it was already some years old, because it had some discolored parts and you could see slight scratches all over the surface, but still retaining its charm.

—Oh... This music brings back a lot of memories. –The melody of the object enveloped me in a short time. –Gliding through the waves, the white yacht looks just like origami. Where will the calming wind carry it? It becomes small. –And without realizing it, I found myself humming a song that I thought I’d never hear again.