Her Red-bellied Sea Slug

Someday, he would ask her to be his real family.

Timeline: After the 5-year timeskip, a little before the events that lead to Hikari's awakening in Episode 15. Chisaki visits Tsumugu's university.

The fluorescent lights blinked to life and illuminated the room in brightness. The credits rolled, meaning that the hour and a half-long film finally ended. At the front, the Film Studies professor reminded the class to turn in their essays by Friday, so they had one week to write their impressions about the film.

As students slowly emptied the room, Tsumugu remained in his seat, suddenly remembering that he had a paper due today for one of his major subjects, and rummaged through his backpack in search of it. Somewhere, A vague recollection of seeing that very brown envelope on top of the shoe rack in the foyer back at home flickered in his consciousness.

Tsumugu's brow furrowed just the slightest at the memory. "Have I left it at home?"

By home, Tsumugu meant Oshiooshi. It was one of those weekends that he spent in his hometown.

"Kihara-kun? Are you heading to the lab now?" Tsumugu's blockmate, Kazama Saitou, asked. He happened to be taking the same elective as Tsumugu.

Tsumugu opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a chorus of male voices, solemn and reverent, "O we offer you, o glittering sea..."

For the briefest moment, Tsumugu experienced a vivid flash of rainbow-colored flags being waved vigorously, of the dum-dum-dum of drums, of fishermen boats being tousled by the tumultous and violent sea, of plunging into its darkest depths...

"What's that sound?" Kazama wondered. He squinted his eyes and homed in on Tsumugu's backpack, then Tsumugu spiraled back into reality to realize that it was only his cellphone's ringtone.

Tsumugu picked up the phone without pausing to check the caller ID. He hardly received calls, so he did not recognize the ringtone immediately. There were also only very few people who knew his number.

"Tsumugu?" a gentle, feminine voice spoke on the other line.

"Chisaki," Tsumugu responded. He did not miss the curious look Kazama shot at him.

"I think you left your research at home. When is it due?"

"Yeah, I did. The deadline's today. I can't reprint it because I also left the soft copy there."

Chisaki took a while but Tsumugu could almost feel, hear her smiling as she said, "Oh Tsumugu, you can be forgetful sometimes."

Tsumugu was silent, so Chisaki took it as her cue to continue. "I just came back from visiting grandpa in the hospital. I was about to put away my shoes, when I found it lying on top of the shoe cabinet. I can bring it over to you, if you like."

"Are you sure? It's almost a three-hour train ride. What about your classes?"

Again, a smile. "I'm done for today. It's fine. I'll be fine. Besides, I still got the directions you jotted down for me, so you don't need to worry about me getting lost on my way there," she assured.

"...Alright. Take care, then. Text or call me when you arrive."

"Okay. See you!"

"See you."

As soon as Tsumugu hung up the phone, Kazama launched a missile of questions. "Who's Chisaki? Your girlfriend from your hometown? Is she coming to pay you a visit today?" He had a monkey grin plastered on his face.

"Chisaki's not my girlfriend," Tsumugu replied succinctly, as he replaced his phone in his backpack, shouldered the strap, and headed for the door. Kazama trailed after him eagerly and did not at all lay the topic to rest on their way to the lab.

"C'mon, Kihara-kun! Is that all you've got to say? I'm dying of curiosity here, man! Spill!" At this point, they were just outside the lab.

Tsumugu halted right before the door and as he laid his hand on the door knob, turned slightly towards Kazama and stated unwaveringly, neither face nor voice betraying any emotion, "She's family. That's all there is to it."

Kazama shook his head as he went in after Tsumugu. He was not convinced. Definitely.

There were already a few lab members inside. Tsumugu and Kazama's professor and adviser, Dr. Satoru Mihashi, glanced up from the materials he was studying. "Oh, good! You're here, Tsumugu-kun."

"Kihara-kun's meeting with a girl from home," Kazama announced smugly without preamble.

That was enough to stop everybody in their tracks. Natsuki Aihara, one of the senior members, turned away from the monitor and said, "So, there is a girl. No wonder you turned down so many meet-ups. You're going to break even more hearts once this gets out." Natsuki exhaled rather exaggeratedly.

It was true he did not join meet-ups and group dates and when he did, he acted like the perfect gentleman but nothing more. He never exchanged numbers, so second dates did not happen. Tsumugu did not tell much about himself, only that he hailed from one of the coastal towns. He was a stoic but earnest young man who showed vast knowledge about the sea villages, because apparently, he heard a lot of stories from the seafolk themselves. These facts aside, Tsumugu was a complete mystery.

Lab work was dropped for the moment in favor of Tsumugu's "love life" which they truly found of more interest. Another senior teased, "Is she coming to the university? Introduce her to us! Eh, eh?"

The others chimed in agreement yet Tsumugu disregarded them, only crossed the room and faced the professor nonchalantly. "You wanted something, professor?"

The professor looked amused. He was intrigued too and sorely tempted to continue what Kazama sparked, but against better judgement, decided to focus back on the more serious matters. "Ah, yes. Tsumugu-kun, I want you to have a look at these. It's the last five years' comparative record of the deep current patterns of the bodies of waters surrounding our islands. The data was transmitted from different research labs throughout Japan."

Just like that, Tsumugu and the professor slipped into a serious discussion. The rest of the lab members exchanged looks. Never before have they seen the professor so keen on having an assistant participate in his research. The significant and drastic climate changes happening in concurrence with the hibernation of all sea villages across continents was unprecedented, without a doubt. In the beginning, scientists and researchers studied them as two separate phenomena but eventually, they began to question. Did the acceleration of the ice age cause the seafolk to undergo a state of deep sleep or vice versa? The scientific community began to invest a deeper interest in the sea people and the phenomenon surrounding their habitat.

However, substantial information on the sea villages (The total population of purebred sea people who lived on land only amounted to a few thousands. There was plenty more of diluted blood.) was scarce, mostly anecdotal, without much scientific proof. In fact, there was an ongoing debate whether Seafolk Studies should belong to the natural sciences as part of Marine Biology or integrated into Anthropological Studies, as a social science. Professor Mihashi believed it should be a little bit of both approaches. Although his dilemma was not the lack of resources as much as the lack of people who shared even half of his idealogy, his passion. But with the involvement of Tsumugu Kihara, a promising freshman, he was finally making some headway.

For merely a few seconds, Tsumugu's eyes flitted to his wristwatch. 11:15am. Chisaki would probably arrive around half past two in the afternoon, including the travel time from train station to university. She would likely take her lunch during the train ride.

Tsumugu shifted in his seat to be more comfortable while sifting through the professor's data. The professor was fully occupied with some dossiers that he had been immersed in his own little world for a while now. This was much of how Tsumugu's college life was defined. He attended about three hours of classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. The time in between was spent in the lab. The professor, who only taught two classes, Tsumugu's and a graduate class, spent an even greater deal in the lab. Kazama suspected he slept a lot in the lab, seeing that the closet contained more than coats and jackets.

Today, however, was a bit different for Tsumugu. He was unaware that he had been stealing subtle glances at his watch every other minute until he caught himself checking the time and it displayed, 2:30pm. As casually as possible, he fished out his phone and placed it on the table.

"Tsumugu-kun, you're from Oshiooshi, right? It's close to the sea village, Shioshishio. I was thinking, it would be the perfect opportunity to do some field work there, since it's the nearest one from here," the professor was telling Tsumugu.

Tsugumu was staring at the phone, half listening to the professor, when his phone went brrrrr-brr, dancing a few centimeters closer to the edge of the table. Like a taut fishing line, everybody latched their eyes unto the source of the sound, Tsumugu's head bowed over his phone as he quietly read the text message.

"Tsumugu-kun?"

"Sorry, professor. I have to go out for a bit." Tsumugu pushed back his chair to stand up.

The professor blinked, taken aback. "Okay..."

Pocketing his phone, he made his way out, followed closely by watchful eyes. "He's off to meet with her, isn't he?" his ears picked up before the door clicked shut. He exited the science building and walked at a steady pace in the direction of the main university lane. As soon as he reached the long stretch of pavement lined with white-dusted maple trees, he began to slow down to a crawl to scout carefully for a shade of cobalt.

"Tsumugu," floated off a very soft voice from behind.

At the sound of his name, Tsumugu twisted around and there she stood, smiling. He retraced his steps as she moved to meet him halfway.

"Sorry to make you come all the way here."

Chisaki shook her head lightly, mouth still turned up. "It's okay, really. It's been a while since I've traveled to the city, so this is like a breather for me."

"We used to go together," Tsumugu commented so quietly. He was staring at empty space, almost as if he was only talking to himself.

Chisaki inhaled shallowly, eyes veering to the side and up, then she loosened her breath, eyes falling to the ground. "It can't be helped. You're learning about oceanography all the way here, while I'm staying at home, studying nursing and taking care of grandpa. Of course, I would have to learn to be on my own for some of the time."

Chisaki lifted her gaze to find Tsumugu studying her intensely with those aureate eyes that could pierce the soul.

"Tsumugu? Something wrong?"

A few more seconds passed, then Tsumugu turned away from her. "No, it's nothing."

Chisaki knew not to insist any further, so she just handed over the envelope. "Here."

"Ah, thanks," he murmured, taking a quick peep at the contents. "I have to go submit this, but I might take more than an hour because I still have one more class. Do you want to wait at my dorm? I can take you there."

Chisaki fidgeted in her place and bit her lips inwardly a little. Then she met Tsumugu's eyes like she had made up her mind, admitting sheepishly, "Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to see your lab."

Tsumugu's eyes widened very subtly. But eventually, he conceded. "I don't mind."

"He's taking a while," remarked Kazama, not for the first time.

Natsuki waved a dismissive hand, eyes still trained on the monitor. "Settle down. It's only been like ten minutes, Saitou. The campus is quite big, you know. If I knew any better, it's almost like you're expecting Kihara to bring over his visitor. By the way, when are you going to make yourself useful and do research on oceans, not on your neighbors?"

"But aren't you burning to-"

Ka-chak sounded the door as it spread open. All eyes snapped in that direction but interest quickly evaporated, when it was only the professor coming back from finding relief.

"You were saying, Saitou?" Natsuki raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Nothing! Let me help you out on that, Miss Aihara!" Kazama bellowed soldier-like all of a sudden, catching everybody off guard. Dr. Mihashi, who was about to sit down, doubled over and almost missed his seat by an inch.

"I will work hard to meet your expectations!" continued Kazama. He was so into the mood he did not hear someone entering the lab, that when he revolved, both parties recoiled in surprise.

"Whoa!" Kazama yelped, his reaction part surprise, part awe when the most beautiful cerulean-haired woman wearing a white, knee-length sundress walked in, commanding the attention of the entire room.

Chisaki stared confoundedly at Kazama while Tsumugu instinctively placed himself bodily in between Chisaki and Kazama, if one was observant enough.

Kazama switched moods as quick as a finger snap. "May I have the pleasure of knowing who this lovely woman is?"

"Chisaki Hiradaira," the stoic Tsumugu introduced grudgingly or did Kazama just imagine it?

Tsumugu added, in a take-it-as-you-may manner, "She's living at my grandfather's house in Oshiooshi."

Chisaki stepped sideways and forward, bowing at the waist. "Nice to meet you."

"Professor Mihashi," Tsumugu said. "I need to go to class. Can Chisaki stay here in the meantime?"

From his chair, the professor nodded and smiled. "Of course. It's no problem at all. Hello there, Chisaki."

Sensing she was welcomed, Chisaki returned the greeting. "Hello, Professor."

Kazama cleared his throat, at which, heads turned. "Allow me to introduce myself." He gestured grandly to himself. "My name is Kazama Saitou-"

Bop!

"Ow!"

"Please excuse this fool. He doesn't know when to quit, so he always needs reminding," intervened a tall redhead. "I'm Natsuki, by the way." She shook hands with Chisaki.

"Miss Natsukiii!" whined Kazama, nursing the tiny lump that had formed on the back of his head.

Natsuki had taken to scrutinizing Chisaki's face. She shuffled nervously until Natsuki realized it and smiled apologetically. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just, I can't help notice that you have such pretty eyes. They're the color of the sea."

Chisaki blushed faintly. "Thank you."

"Sea-blue eyes..." Natsuki trailed off. "Could it be...?"

"A seafolk!?" interjected Kazama. "Kihara-kun's seafolk!"

"Wha-!?" Chisaki could feel her cheeks growing hotter. "T-tsumugu's seafolk?" she stammered. The people started swarming around her like enchanted bees flitting and buzzing that she was much too overwhelmed.

"Wow, I've never met a seafolk before!"

"How do you breathe underwater? Doesn't the water come into your mouth when you open it?"

"Do seafolk ever drown? I heard that babies can swim from the moment they are born."

In a short instance, the room transformed into one of full-fledged sea village enthusiasts, the professor being the biggest one, apparently. "I see. So this explains how Tsumugu-kun knows so much about the nature of sea folks. He didn't mention he was living with one!"

At that moment, Chisaki's eyes skimmed through the circle of people to discover Tsumugu standing on the very outskirts, an unreadable expression on his visage.

"So, your ena really does sparkle! Can I touch it?"

Chisaki's attention was reeled back to the center as the sudden feel of somebody running a finger down her arm made her flinch, then stiffen visibly. The ena on Chisaki's arm glinted like the wink of precious gemstones, like brilliant diamonds suffused in light. It made one hold his or her breath to witness.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The perpetrator, one of the younger lab members, bowed profusely at her misdeed. "It was so tempting to touch it. I'm so sorry, really!"

"It's okay." Chisaki held up her hand to placate the girl.

"But let me say, your ena's very beautiful. I wish I had those."

Chisaki relaxed. "Thank you."

Right then, Professor Mihashi seemed to have jolted awake like a dormant engine rumbling to life. "Oh my! Where are my manners? So rude of me to make our guest stand so long. Please, I insist! Do make yourself comfortable." Screeech went the chair as it scraped the floor. The professor pushed Chisaki towards it. "Please sit down!"

"Oof," grunted Chisaki a little, plopping forcefully on the seat as heavy hands pushed her down. She craned her neck and caught a glimpse of Tsumugu between a gap in the crowd. His baleful eyes never strayed away from her. He grew to become a presence that had been so constant in their five years together. Others would probably not notice it, but there were telltale signs of the corners of Chisaki's mouth forming the slightest 'u' of a smile, meant for Tsumugu alone. She mouthed three syllables, "I'm okay."

However, its effect on the quiet man was adverse.

Tsumugu was transported to that day in Spring when he left for the city. Chisaki had accompanied him to the train station. After having purchased a ticket, Tsumugu hefted the duffel bag higher on his shoulder and inserted the card into the slot to pass through the turnstile. A few steps in and he halted, spun about to take a look at Chisaki standing on the other side.

Tsumugu was a man of few words but five years taught Chisaki to read him - his thoughts, emotions, actions. She was not omniscient everytime and there was still much she needed to decipher, but she could at least understand when he was thinking of her. This was one of those.

They exchanged stares for several moments until Chisaki broke away first, saying tenderly, "Don't worry. I'm okay." She waved at Tsumugu with a smile that felt a little hint lonely, almost like her words really meant, "Don't go away."

1 of 2 / End

Wow. Last time I wrote a fanfic must have been 2005-ish, so I'm quite rusty, pardon me, lol. I just got into Nagi no Asukara so much. I was especially drawn to Tsumugu and Chisaki's relationship. That five-year gap leaves so much to the imagination. There's plenty of Japanese fan-written stories compared to English, so I wanted to write something, a drabble or oneshot, at least, but before I knew it, I've reached eight pages typing little bits of paragraphs whenever I have spare time and I'm still far from the point where I want to conclude the story. So, I've split it into parts. Hope you enjoyed part one! Reviews are very much appreciated and might inspire me to write more. :)