Haikyuu Creature Collection

Return to Me 2 (Takehito Sasaya)

Merpeople have a very special tradition that few humans are blessed enough to know of. Whenever a mermaid or merman is born, a bracelet made of shells is crafted in a color that matches the color of the tail that they were born with. They wear it at all times. Once they come of age and meet the one that they wish to be with, they offer their shells to them. If the other accepts, then they give their shells to the other in return.

That's the story the old woman told me, at least. Supposedly there were some merpeople in the past that wished to be with humans, so they gave them their shells and received nothing in return. It's sad to think of it that way, but humans rarely understand another kind's sacred traditions.

Sighing, I looked at the string of shells in my hand. That old woman had told me that my rescuer would come back for them, so I'd waited on this old dock every day for the past three weeks. From sunrise to sunset, I waited... but no sign of him.

Giving yet another sigh I stood up and turned back to the beach. With every passing day, it was becoming clearer that he wasn't going to come back. I gave one last glance over my shoulder, hoping that maybe I could see him in the distance, but there's nothing there.

I couldn't keep waiting forever, though I really wanted to wait for him to return to me. If he hadn't come back by now, then he probably never would.

Sliding the bracelet onto my wrist, I began to wonder if this was really as important as the old woman had said. If it were really that special then surely he would have come back for it by now.

My gaze moved to the shells. That beautiful jade color was the same as my savior's tail... I wish that I could have met him again... even if only for a moment. Just a moment would be all I needed to get his name and to thank him... If I could only see him one last time, that one moment would be enough.

When I look up, I'm not back at the old woman's home. I'm not even at the dock. This was the place where I had met him. It looks a little different all tinted in orange from the setting sun, but I'm sure that this is it. It had never really occurred to me to try waiting for him here, but then again I had never really known how to get back here. I doubted that he'd even show up anyway.

There's a gentle breeze as I knelt down in the sand. Why did he even save me? I can't say it was because of my looks, because I'm pretty sure that I'm only average looking at best. My singing is tolerable, but not spectacular. I've never encountered any of his kind before, nor have I done anything to warrant a favor from anything living in the sea. In truth, I'm just a kind and somewhat reserved girl. Nothing stands out, neither in a good way or a bad one.

"I should have known... He wouldn't come back..." I sighed as I looked down at the sand at my feet. It was foolish of me to even consider it. But... what do I do now? It would be wrong of me to keep it, but I couldn't just leave it laying on the sand... anyone could find it and take it!

"You came back." A familiar voice pulled me from my thoughts. That was his voice! Immediately I looked up and saw my rescuer there on the sands in front of me, the setting sun shining behind him. Never in my life had I seen a sight more beautiful.

Removing the bracelet of jade shells from my wrist, I offer them to him. "Of course... These are yours, aren't they?" There was a brief look of surprise on his face before he took them from my hand.

"I've been looking everywhere for this..." A smile formed on his face as he turned the shells over in his hand.

"It broke and you dropped it that day you rescued me..." I explained, looking away shyly. "I fixed it and I've been waiting for you every day so that I could return it to you... and find out your name..."

"Takehito." His eyes shift back up to meet mine. That name suited him well, as I was sure his name would. What I never would have expected though, was for him to take my hand and slip the jade-colored shell bracelet onto my wrist. "Come back here tomorrow," he told me, his gentle gaze not leaving mine. "Take this as my promise that if you come back here, I will return to you."

It's about all I can really do to nod my head. "I promise."