Mermaid Melody Fanfic: My 18th Birthday

5th Chapter (2/2): The Deal

Arrived 20 minutes after lunch, we left the bus when it reached the city. It was crowded, active and just disorientating, the opposite of what I was expecting since the hot springs spot had such a peaceful and tranquillizing energy. The noise of the cars and people’s voices and steps all accumulated in my head, causing it to hurt after. Kaito, on the other side, looked excited and healthy, completely overtook by the metropolis’ sight. The tall buildings, breaching through the clouds, the advertisements’ lights stick out from the glass windowed buildings and the reflex returned to me, painfully, distracting my vision. The air was dense and the sky above was darker than the light blue that we would see at home or in the hot springs stay. My lungs were confusing scents, between Kaito’s perfume and the thousands of citizens that would pass through me, then there were other smells that could form a guessing game: the garbage from the restaurant we just passed, the grilled Takoyaki from the food stands, the smoke from the cigarettes, even the cars gases that were pumped out of the old engines. It was a mixture of smells that I knew they were there even if I didn’t see them. It felt heavy. My lungs weren’t in peace nor my vision of the city’s dimension. The buildings, locked to others, visualized a wall for giants, divided with the roads of 4 lanes and more. I felt trapped under the cloud of smog that lengthened until the end of my vision. At least I wasn’t alone, I mean, I wasn’t the only one alone in this cramped place, the Japanese peoples were as well, including me and Kaito, but people didn’t notice it. They walked agitated to their destiny without considering no one’s well-being, except their own. I was being groped or pushed aside against other people, like everyone else, without defending myself. Kaito held my hand, strengthened with the sudden pushes to not lose me to the crowds. Where was he going I wondered, as he slowly advanced.

Was in these brief, yet long, moments I felt scared of losing him or myself for my life. I missed the hot springs’ environment while walking in the abrupt agitation. I missed home and the sounds of the bubbles breaking, the fishes’ complaints and the mermaids’ laments, the temperamental and clear water, the sparkly and luxurious palace, the moon and it’s light, the Pacific ocean and it’s calm and lonely atmosphere. I don’t belong here, I commented to myself as I walked a step further to the confusion. When does this end?

My senses were disorientated, but my body wasn’t. Kaito was guiding me to a “safe” place, so I didn’t need to worry. I remembered his voice pronouncing these words. I decided to look at his hand grabbing mine and focus on it, instead of the distractions in other directions. The later we stayed in those crowds, the harder it was to breathe and the stronger the headache. Was it sweat dripping from my forehead? I wasn’t even worried to transform into a mermaid in public, I probably would be left alone in the ground or stepped by the worn shoes.

Suddenly, I lost Kaito’s hand. My hand was empty. I looked up, trying to remain calm, and searched for his resemblance while walking in the same direction. Crowded by the city’s noises and walking obstacles, I screamed his name “KAITO!!!”. People passed me and looked annoyed and worried. They continued to walk past me and I couldn’t see nor hear him.

A glimpse, he was there. Right in front of me. I increased the speed of my pace and reached my hand to his shoulder. He turned his head to me and pulled me to his chest.

“I am so sorry”, he cried out, “I am so sorry”. I couldn’t feel anything else besides his presence. The crowd had distanced from us. Kaito grabbed my hand and opened the door of a close building and rushed inside.

The air felt fresher yet artificial and I was feeling myself alone and Kaito’s hand, the noises had decreased volume and the smell changed abruptly to a more sweeter aromatic scent. Kaito called my name in panic and after, grabbing to my senses once again.

“I am okay”, I answered to Kaito. I was alive after that experience. I looked at his worried expression and made the most forced smile. He knew it was and hugged me.

“I am so sorry. I was so distracted when I shouldn’t of, I am so sorry”, while he would apologize, his strength would increase, “I am glad you are alright, I am so sorry for losing you”.

“I am here, I found you so the rest doesn't matter.”, I hugged in response and my smile turned lighter. I was with him at last.

We stayed glued to each other, afraid of losing ourselves again, until we heard an unknown voice.

“Ah... I am sorry to inform you but you are blocking the entrance and making the other people feel uncomfortable.”

Instantly, I jumped to my normal self, the shy and respectful Luchia, away from Kaito, and apologized to the worker.

“Thank you for understanding”, he said after seeing us walk away from the entrance.

As we distanced from the entrance, we noticed our surroundings. The place was majestic and luxurious, like my palace back home, it sparkled and had a nostalgic feeling to it. What we assumed to be a Hotel’s Lobby, we captured a few individuals staring at us, before facing forwards. Everyone besides us were wearing suits and fancy revealing dresses, checking in or checking out at the Lobby’s desk with the employee we talked earlier. We sat on the white couch and held each other’s hand.

“We just arrived and went through a terrible experience. Do you want to return home?” Kaito asked disappointed in himself.

“Kaito, let’s stay here for a while and then we will go, but not home, I don’t want it to end today.”

After that experience, I realized how he guided me the way and how dependent I was on his figure. There are more depending on me. I can’t act selfishly. I looked into his eyes and set my objective. I want to protect the ones I love.

I need to become stronger and fight my cause. Make myself and my presence valuable to the world.

We left the hotel and the streets were still crowded, but it didn’t affect me anymore. Kaito still looked worried as he pierced the people in our direction.

After a while, he brought me to a park, open and carefully organized inside the city. The number of people decreased and as we walked, I felt once again, free, like in the ocean. I breathed the natural air inside and forgot my fears and objectives for a while. The green gave a new light to my eyes and it was love, the colours, the scent, and excluded sounds and the feeling of grass between my fingers. The city had this exiled space dedicated to create oxygen and dispose of the carbon dioxide, it wasn’t enough for the dimension of this metropolis and it was more than what they speculated. It was a place for people to create a bond with Nature. Weak or strong it was meant to be valued, to protect it. Nature gives us so much and humans don’t respect it, the forests, the mountains, the deserts, the oceans, to survive or to simply… gain power for them. I want to fight against those negligences and rebuild what they destroyed.

I am sorry Kaito but I am meant to save your world to save mine. To sacrifice what I love to do and modestly falling into reality it’s what means to be a mermaid. I wasn’t really supposed to be with you from the beginning that’s why I am not abandoning you. Now you are part of me and I can’t leave you. I just… can’t.

We sat on a wooden bench until the moon appeared on the horizon. I talked to Kaito as much as I could and before falling into silence again, I kissed him in surprise. His lips were mixed into mine, but I felt him so far from that bench.

Kaito balancing his forehead against mine.

“I love you so much”, he said in a whisper, staring into my eyes.

Before answering, a smile lifted my face, my eyes glued to his, my nose focused on his warm scent, my ears chilled from the cold air, my mouth moved at his words.

“I love you too. I am never going to leave you.”

That’s the dream I want to keep.

That’s how we abandoned the park and returned to the hot springs. We packed our things in the morning and left home.

I restored my confidence and dived into the world of environmentalism.

~~End Of Chapter 5 (2/2)~~

Well, this is the end of this fanfiction for now!
I hoped you liked it and reached to this chapter! Haha.
Thank you!