Aqua Terrarium (Nagi No Asukara)

Chapter Thirty-Five

The dejected look on our faces spoke volumes when we all got into the train.

From all of us, Miuna was the one who looked completely devastated. Next to her, Hikari had a look of frustration on his face, his lips pursed as if trying to fight back the urge to curse.

"Do you think they sell shells at Saya Mart?" Manaka tried to remain positive but her words only served to deepen the dent of disappointment that hammered at us during our silent train ride home.

"I don't know... There has to be somewhere we haven't searched yet." I shook my head, trying to be hopeful for everyone but all to no avail.

There just wasn't anything more we could do. We searched high and low but we just couldn't find a replacement for the necklace we saw at the department store.

"Fish scales." Out of the darkness of our thoughts, our heads lifted up to look at Tsumugu when he spoke.

"What do you mean by that?" Chisaki asked him.

Tsumugu looked away from the scenery to face us. "When I was young, I gave my grandfather some fish scales I saw by the beach. He asked me what they were for but until now he still keeps them by the shelf back home."

It took me a moment to process his words, wondering why he would tell us such a story at this very moment. It wasn't until a few minutes that the reason had clicked, my eyes widening in realization at what Tsumugu wanted to convey.

"It doesn't matter-" I murmured, earning me several confused looks. It was only Tsumugu who understood what I wanted to convey, a knowing look settling on his face as if urging me to continue. "As long as it's something you chose, Miuna! No matter what it is, so long as it came from the bottom of your heart then I'm sure Akari-san would love it."

My explanation was enough for both Hikari and Miuna to get the gist of what I wanted to say, their eyes widening as if they were struck by an idea.

"Of course! The thing you love the most!"

--*--

"This one looks too old and gray. It wouldn't match her eyes..." I commented before passing an apologetic frown when Chisaki and Manaka sighed and returned the shell back on the sand.

The sun was dipping on the horizon now, the orange sky covered with patches of purplish-blue to signal that night was falling.

We had yet to find the perfect shell that Miuna would use as the pendant for Akari's necklace. We were so certain that going to the beach would provide a fruitful result yet, with how everyone was starting to look, it was slowly no longer going to be the case.

"Maybe we should try searching the deeper parts of the sea? I'll bring a bucket and then we can let Miuna choose from those we bring back up?" I suggested when we rendezvoused with the boys, my voice trying to sound hopeful for Miuna's sake.

"It sounds like a plan. I'll be staying here with Miuna to search more areas we might've missed."

"There's a patch of water not too far from here where we catch clams and oysters when the tide brings them over," Tsumugu suggested after Hikari had spoken. "You can search there while Hiradaira-san and Mukaido-san search the waters by the shore."

"Alright. We'll split up again and see if we find anything." We all nod at the plan before separating from each other again.

To be so invested for Miuna's sake, I can't help but be surprised at myself. But then again, maybe it's because her plight resonated with me so well. Her apprehension to accept Akari-san at first reminded me of when I first met Mr. Shin and the implications Manaka gave between him and my mother.