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It was a long ride to the seaside.
Seated in the back of a car, Makoto looked out of the window and stared at the clouds as they moved glacially across the sky. It has been two years since he had seen Kaito and Luchia. He thought about them from time to time, but today he missed them more than ever.
On his lap, a slightly worn book lay open: "Legends of Mermaids". He thought about Luchia-oneechan; the first time he saw her as a mermaid, the first time he accidentally walked in on her changing, and how she saved his life from the demons. Makoto closed his book; his eyes hurt.
"Makoto-kun, next time, let's play together!"
"Are you doing okay, Makoto?"
His dad looked at him through the rear mirror.
"Yes, father, I'm okay."
"Oh? Well, we still got a while before we get there. How about you take a rest now?", his dad suggested.
His mother chimed in, "I wonder how Kaito-kun is doing in Hawaii?"
"I hope he will be more careful with himself this time- surfing is such a dangerous sport... Who knows how he got lost at sea?", his father mused.
"He will be alright. Anyways, Makoto, you should rest now, it will be a while before we get to Kaito-kun's place."
"Yes, mother."
Makoto shifted his body away from the window and closed his eyes.
---
The sun set over the Pearl Pier Hotel, reflecting off its simple pink exterior.
"Waa- Noel, these problems are too difficult!"
"It's okay Seira, we can take this one step at a time-" Noel gently encouraged.
"Gee, Neesan, we can let the poor girl rest for now, it's been nearly two hours with the books-"
"Absolutely not! Seira needs to study hard to have a fighting chance to get into the school near here!"
Seira lifted her head and let out a sigh of exasperation. Coco, Noel, and Karen have been fussing over her for a good part of the spring break, and they do not seem to be letting up anytime soon.
"You girls! Dinner is nearly ready, I would like some help around here!", Nikora hollered from the kitchen.
“Yes!” chimed the Mermaid Princesses.
---
After dinner, the Mermaid Princesses, Nikora-san, and Taki-san lounged in the dining room. Taki-san mumbled as she peered intensely into the crystal ball.
"What do you see?"
"Hmm... Hmm... I see it, I see it! A bright, yellow light shines upon your kingdom. It is well."
"Taki-san, that’s my dress."
"Hmm? Ah, in any case, your kingdom is well."
"I asked about my love life!"
"Hmm, is it so? Hmm... I see a bright, yellow-"
Coco clenched her fist as her eyes flashed with a burning flame, "YES! My love will be bright, yellow flame. I will find him soon!"
Noel looked up from her book, "Coco, isn't it a lot of trouble if we fell in love with a human?"
"If Luchia, Hanon, and even Rina can find their true loves on land, I will find mine too!" she replied, determined.
Karen shrugged her shoulders, "There are only women in the sea. It only makes sense to come to shore to learn about love."
Seira, who has been observing this conversation this whole time, looked longingly into the distance. Learning about love...
"Seira! What is this feeling you're feeling now?" Karen teased.
"No way...! I am not doing that again!" Seira groaned.
"Aww come one! One more time." Coco pleaded.
"No!"
"Please, Seira?" Noel chimed in.
"Awww..."
Seira relented. This is the last time, she’s already 11 for the seas’ sake. "This is the feeling of searching for the one you love."
Noel, Karen, and Coco immediately burst into laughter. This joke never gets old for them. Seira laughed along, but then stopped.
"...searching for the one you love...?"
"Dad, mum, I'm home."
"Ah, Makoto, a letter just arrived addressed to Kaito-kun."
"Eh? Kaito-niisan?"
Makoto walked to the sofa, where his mother was seated. She handed him an envelope.
"Could you send a reply letter to Mitsuki-san? Tell him that Kaito-kun has moved to Hawaii."
"Ah, but we don't have his address, do we?"
"It is polite to reply anyway. Tell him we'll find out his address and get back to him."
Makoto walked back to his room. Plopping down his bag, he went to his table. Opening the envelope, he noticed that there was a photograph along with the letter. He took a look at the photograph.
An adult smiled, standing next to a rock with a bronze statue of a mermaid, with one hand touching the rock the statue was on.
Makoto read the letter. The handwriting was neat and elegant.
"Doumoto-kun,
It has been months since I left for Germany to study music, and I thought I should catch up with you. I heard that you got into an accident in Hawaii: I'm glad you're back since then. Have you recovered? Do take care of your injury, I wish for you to get better.
I recently visited Denmark to find the statue of The Little Mermaid. I've heard it is one of the Three Major Disappointments of the World, but perhaps not surprisingly, I was filled with emotions when I saw this statue. The statue itself is small, there are factories on the opposite shore and there are many tourists around. But during the evening, the orange glow across the sky reminds me so much of the past.
I am happy for you, Doumoto-kun. Send my regards to Luchia-san and the others. I look forward to your reply.
Best Wishes,
Mitsuki Tarou"
---
"A letter from Mitsuki-san?"
"It sounds like trouble", Karen dismissed
"Should we read it, at least?", Noel suggested.
Coco replied: "But it's addressed to Luchia, Hanon, and Rina!"
The three Mermaid Princesses quibbled over an envelope on the table. Seira looked over them while enjoying her favourite dessert.
"Why not send it to Luchia?", Seira asked.
"Seira, paper crumbles underwater," Karen replied.
"Yes, human paper turn to mush when it touches water. We can't send it to Luchia, Hanon, or Rina.", Noel agreed.
"Yes! We shall read it then!", Coco started tearing the seal of the envelope.
"Say, it's only a letter, why is everyone so worked up about it anyway?", Seira asked, innocently.
The Yellow, Indigo, and Purple mermaids slowly turned to look at Seira. Seira looked back, puzzled. Then, it clicked. The three of them laughed hesitantly.
Seira had not been born yet when they saved Mitsuki.
"Awh, are you all keeping something from me?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that...", they said in unison.
"Hmmph...", Seira scowled. "In that case, I'll go wash up first." She stood up and left.
The three girls said goodnight as Seira walked out of view. Once she left, they huddled together over the letter. Coco tore the seal of the envelope apart.
"Say, Neesan, do you think if we prayed, Luchia will arrive?", Noel asked.
"Now that you say it, since Luchia is Aqua Regina, she should be able to hear us even from here, right?", Karen mused.
"Aw, come on, I was about to read the letter!"
"Coco, think of Luchia as you read it", Noel said.
“I got it!” Coco replied.
Hearing this, the Yellow Mermaid Princess turned to look at the letter and started to read intensely. The hotel fell silent.
Luchia stretched up and yawned. It had already been two hours on the throne, and she's heard countless appeals from mermaids far and wide in her kingdom. Kaito sat by her side.
"Ahh, Kaito, the life of a princess is hard." Luchia stretched and yawned.
"Say, Luchia, we could take a break for now. Rest up more for later."
She turned to him in protest. "No way! There's so many people waiting to be heard, I have a duty to hear them."
"You were nearly dozing off just now."
Luchia was embarassed, "Was I! I- No way..."
"It will be better to hear them when you're more awake, right?", Kaito winked.
Luchia looked up at him. Dressed in his Panthalassan regalia, seated with his hands on the armrest of his throne, he never looked more handsome. No, he has always looked this handsome. She looked at him and smiled.
"Mm! Let's take a break."
Suddenly, Luchia heard Coco's voice. It sounded faint at first, but she was sure she heard her.
"Coco?"
"What's wrong, Luchia?"
"I hear Coco."
"Is she in trouble?"
"No, she sounds fine."
Luchia closed her eyes, listening intently.
---
In her room, Seira lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She thought of Luchia, how her first faint memories of the world existed in Luchia's dreams. She remembered how even through the hardest times, Luchia kept Seira's pearl safe by her side. She remembered the day when Luchia became Aqua Regina.
"Will I fall in love?"
"Yep!"
"For sure?"
"For sure."
"I'll give it my best!"
Seira sat up and walked to the window. Coco, Noel, and Karen are like family. No, in fact, they are family. But she missed having Luchia, Hanon, and Rina around, sisters who are closer to her age. She wanted to ask them all how they met their loved ones and hear their advice on love.
"I miss you, Luchia."
---
"Ah! Mitsuki-sensei sent us a letter."
"Mitsuki-sensei?"
"Mm! He's in Denmark now, he took a really pretty picture of the Little Mermaid statue there."
"Oh?"
"He also says that he sometimes thinks about how amazing it was to have taught three Mermaid Princesses in his own class. Teaching music to mermaids who literally use the power of music to save the world," Luchia laughed.
"You never did quite well in Mitsuki-sensei's class, did you?"
"Geez, Kaito, mermaids don't use music scores to sing. And besides, the notes all look like numbers after a while so it was hard to keep up."
"Is that so? Well, did he say anything else?"
"Mm! He says he's looking forward to a reply. He sends his regards to everyone, including you, Kaito."
"Hmm, it's best to reply to him soon then."
"But we can't write underwater!"
"How about asking Coco to help?"
"Seems a bit insincere...", Luchia frowned.
"Hmm, how about Hanon and Rina?"
"Hanon? Rina?", Luchia paused. Then she smiled, "Oh right! It completely slipped my mind." She frowned again, "But, they're all in the Atlantic though."
"Aren't you Aqua Regina? You can call Hanon and Rina like how Coco called you, right?"
"Right! I forgot!", Luchia stuck her tongue out and chuckled, embarassed.
"Geez, this is why you need me around here," Kaito grinned.
The pink glow of the sun shone across the morning sky. At Makoto's place, the door unlocks.
"I'm off!"
"Stay safe!"
"Yes!"
Makoto stepped out of the house. Holding in one hand the reply to Mitsuki-san's letter, he looked around.
"Aah... I don't know where the postbox is."
Makoto wandered a little down the street from his house, reaching the coastline. There, he walked along the road that travelled right next to the beach. In the distance, he spotted a girl walking towards him.
It was Seira walking along the coast towards Maki-san's beach house.
"Um, excuse me..."
"Eh, what is it?"
"Do you know if there is a postbox around here?"
"Postbox? Now that I think of it..." Seira put her finger to her lips, "There's one near Pearl Pier Hotel."
"Pearl Pier?"
---
It was a quiet Sunday morning, and the Yellow Mermaid Princess walked down the stairs, yawning. There was some lively chattering from the entrance of the hotel.
"Who is it on such a quiet day...", Coco said, opening the door.
Just as she opened it, she quickly closed the door again. She called for Noel and Karen.
"Noel! Karen! Come quick!"
They ran to where Coco is.
"What is it Coco, what happened?"
"Is there something wrong?"
Coco side-glanced at them, "Hear that?"
"Isn't that Seira?"
"And... a boy?"
They creaked the door open, spying on Seira and the unfamiliar boy.
"Thank you, Seira-san!", Makoto waved.
"Come by once in a while!" Seira waved back, beaming.
"I will!"
Coco squealed, "Quick, she's coming!"
Seira opened the door to see the three women looking at her.
"Eh, why is everyone here?"
Everyone chattered at once. "Who is he?" "Makoto-kun?" "What was he doing here?" "Where did you find him?" "He looks cute." "He’s too young for you!" "Just right for Seira!"
"It's nothing like that!" Seira shouted.
"Awh... What's with you?", Coco asked.
"There's nothing going on between me and him!" Seira protested.
Noel chirped, putting her hands together, "We can start something!"
"Thanks but no thanks, that boy is too plain for me, I'd rather someone cooler,” Seira scoffed.
“Like Kaito-kun?” Karen teased.
“Maybe?” Seira dismissively replied.
"Say, aren't you afraid we'll tell Luchia that?" Karen laughed.
Seira side-eyed them and pouted, "You know I'm not being serious." She let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm going for a walk!"
"Don't come back too late!"
"I won't," Makoto replied, as he walked down the street from Kaito's place.
He thought about Kaito, remembering how he told him about mermaids.
"Well, they're real."
"How do you know that?"
"I met one myself."
"Really? Tell me more!"
"I'll tell you when you're older."
Luchia is Kaito's; there is no doubt about that. But, Makoto felt that he could still find his mermaid. This is the town filled with the presence of mermaids, he just knew it.
He walked along the coast, hoping to catch a glimpse of movement in the waters. The sun already set, and the sky glowed a dusky orange. To find Luchia-oneechan is a start; there are many things he wanted to ask about mermaids from her. Suddenly he remembered her goodbye kiss. He blushed.
"I wake up, hearing my name in someone's voice.
Floating above the blue waves within the sea's cradle
I dreamt."
That voice!
"From the fragments of a beautiful wish of the sea,
There are feelings of wanting to be born, embracing light.
In the orange sea, blending into the sunset
the tears of the world sleep."
Makoto ran towards the voice. This is where I first saw Luchia! He peered from behind the rock.
A mermaid, as beautiful as the sunset, singing into the ocean. She swished her orange tail lightly upon the waters as she sang.
He watched, mesmerised, as the stars began twinkling in the evening sky.