Throughout the day, Wakasa had bugged the young adult about his secret plan. Wether it be an annoying whine or poke to the side, the merman had brought up the topic. With every plea, Tatsumi simply declined to tell. The boy has a younger sister so he was pretty much immune to those childish antics. Tatsumi had taken the grouse man to a local antique store, a bookstore, music stores, another park, more isolated than the first one, and a pastry shop he and his sister would frequently visit.

The pastry shop was by far Wakasa's favorite destination. Sweet Tooth was the name of the establishment. His face was glued to the glass case as he stared at the chocolates and cakes for what seemed like hours. Tatsumi was compassionate enough to purchase a strawberry cake for the merman if he stopped whining for the rest of the evening.

It was just past 6 O'clock when Wakasa decided to take a nap. Just what Tatsumi had intended would happen. He hurried to a nearby train station, bough their tickets and raced to the track. He managed to get himself and the sleeping blond into the packed train. He should have known that most of Japan would crowd the public transportation system on this day. He found himself troubled by the myriad bodies and the drastic heat. Though he was able to pull through. All for his sleeping friend. He had also found Wakasa to be an extremely heavy sleeper...

When the blond awakened, the sun was replaced by a crescent moon and a dark blanket. Tatsumi took the merman to the edge of the boardwalk. Facing a rough sea. The air had grown significantly colder since the evening. Wakasa was confused as to why Tatsumi had taken him to the ocean front with a hoard of people behind them. The teen had been too exhausted to answer after pushing and rushing the merman everywhere. However, his efforts payed off when he was able to get the best spot on the boardwalk. As shady as his action was, he used the old 'best friend is in a wheelchair' trick to get to the front of the pier. Suddenly, the first firework exploded from the sky.

For the first time since they left the house, Wakasa didn't speak. He couldn't. The fireworks display was nearly hypnotic to him. Silenced by awe. The fiery sparks showcased brilliant and dazzling colors. Gold soared into the sky, red exploded into rubies, and streams of pearls fell onto the ocean. Magnificent blues collapsed from their mineral shells. The crowd chanted "ooh" and "ahhh" with enchantment. The sudden bangs thrilled the children as they gasped and flashy sapphire color reminded the teen of someone he knew.

Tatsumi set his eyes on the blond in front of him. Sapphire eyes widened with awe like the children next to him. His golden hair brushed against his lashes and erubescent cheeks with the cool air. His face lit up with each blast and his hands shook with excitement. Wakasa's smile gave off a warm and loving glow. Brighter than the fireworks in the distance.

Wakasa felt a heavy set of eyes ogling him. He managed to catch Tatsumi staring at him. The two locked eyes for a few moments. Wakasa's eyes reflected against the shimmers of the sparks. The teen quickly turned away, his face flushed.

"Tatsumi! Is this what you wanted to show me from the beginning?" He exclaimed. His excitement showed in his tremulous voice.

"Y... Yeah."

"Wow... They're even more beautiful in real life than on the t.v! And so much louder!" He asked, "Aren't they amazing?"

Tatsumi muttered something under his breath.

Wakasa cupped his ear." What was that?"

"They're lovely!"

A brief silence filled the scene before the crowd applauded. The people had begun to disperse and headed back to their automobiles. The two waited until they had enough room to properly move.

Tatsumi felt a tug on his sleeve. "W-What it is?" He asked.

Tatsumi turned his head to see Wakasa motioning his index finger to come closer to him. He leaned in his head and expected Wakasa to say something trivial, but saw that his mouth hadn't moved. Not a single word uttered from his lips. Instead, Wakasa slowly closed his eyes and leaned in toward his face. Like a stature, Tatsumi stood froze. The merman's pale pink lips puckered. His eyes widened with disbelief. His mind was as blank as a sheet of paper and color left his face. Delicate to the touch, their lips made contact with one another. An abrupt firework exploded in the distance.

A stray firework perhaps?

Wakasa slowly pulled himself away from the puzzled teen. "This is the most gracious thing anyone has ever done for me. You've made me truly happy, Tatsumi." He leaned in again and planted his lips on Tatsumi's pale, cold cheeks. They weren't cold for so long.

Tatsumi pulled back and cupped his hot cheek with his hand. "W-W-What was that f-for?"

Wakasa tilted his head slightly and asked, "Isn't that how humans show gratitude?"

Knowing the merman, he probably confused this gesture from one of his t.v dramas. He probably got kisses mixed up with handshakes. That had to be the reason. Obviously this wasn't a gesture of some hidden passion. He could have just made a mistake.

He couldn't have.

Could he?

It was then that he heard kids next to them making noises as if they were about to vomit.

"What's the matter? Did I do something wrong? Say something, Tatsumi!"

Foreign eyes glared at the two. The teen felt as if hundreds of eyes were focused on him. Waiting for a response. Displeased expressions scattered across the boardwalk. Wakasa's puzzled face only left the teen to feel more perturbed. Tatsumi felt like plunging into the bottom of the ocean...

"Help! Help!" A woman cried at the edge of the dock. "My son fell into the ocean! He can't swim! Help him!"

The frosty temperatures of the water below could turn a person blue in a matter of seconds. Even so, that didn't stop Tatsumi. He removed his scarf and jacket before jumping off the wooden ledge. The ocean felt like waves of shattered glass dug into his body. The harsh and ravenous water was numbingly cold. He trudged his arms through the dark waves and kicked his legs against the freezing water. Each breath came a sharp pain in the teen's throat. The child was going farther and farther out to sea, carried by the waves. The child's frantic splashes and cries helped Tatsumi locate was able to grab hold of the child's collar and allowed him to wrap his arms around his neck. Tatsumi carried the child on his back as he swam back to the pillar. Once he made it, he stretched his arm and grabbed the black metal pole from the side and preceded to climb the ladder. Bone chilling air wrapped his soaked body. The mother managed to pull the crying child back up onto the pier. Wakasa extended his arm toward the teen. Just as Tatsumi was about to grab his friends hand, his foot slipped from the pole. Their fingers just centimeters apart before he fell back onto the icy water.

Drowning isn't the same as depicted in the movies. It's quiet. Dead, painfully silent. No shouts, dramatic flailing of arms, or crowd of bubbles. Tatsumi's body froze from the shock of the frigid water as he sank deeper and deeper. His efforts to move a single muscle was fruitless. His arms and legs gave into fatigue. He was left in a haze, dizzy and uncomfortably calm. His last breath choked out of him with a haunting stream of bubbles. The teen's mind was brought to a pair of sparkling sapphire eyes. His mind went blank as his vision had begun to go as dark as the abyss below.

From above, a silhouette began to take shape as it swan closer to the teen.

Was it a shark?.. He thought at first. An arm began to appear on the figure's sides. Stretched out to him, waiting for an embrace. He caught the same pair of sapphire eyes staring into his.

No... An angel...

A shot of warmth flowed throughout his body before he blacked out.