Ryoma stared up at the clear night sky, the stars twinkling brightly, free of any light pollution. The moon was full tonight, the soft light reflecting on the ocean's surface in front of him. The waves gently crashed together, spraying water in the air. The summer night temperature was cool, the salty sea breeze blowing past him.
The small boy was sitting on the rocks in front of the water, idly chewing on a sugary candy cigarette. A larger rock sat behind him, allowing him to lean back.
This was something Ryoma never thought he'd be able to experience again. Then again, he never thought he'd be able to experience any ever again.
Ever since he was scouted by Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Tennis Pro, the prison he was held in allowed him to attend and stay on campus for those three years, but with some restrictions. He couldn't go anywhere outside school grounds without someone with him, and he had to go back to prison once he graduated.
Getting himself tangled up with a mafia over a rigged tennis match, winning the match, losing his loved ones by the hands of said mafia, his blood-soaked revenge... All of this has led to his death row conviction.
The future has vanished before him, and he had become a killer.
But then, the prison received a letter from Hope's Peak. They wanted him to attend, despite the fact that he had given up tennis for good after his crime. He was reluctant at first, but with some convincing from some of the nicer prison staff, he enrolled.
Things were a little different right now. It was currently summer break, and his class was currently spending their vacation in a beach house near the city. He was allowed to go with them, or rather, he was dragged there, as long as he didn't leave their sights. And since he was technically still enrolled in Hope's Peak, he didn't have to go back to prison for the time being.
All of this was his classmate Kaede's idea. The Ultimate Pianist was essentially seen as the leader of the class, encouraging everyone to do their best and giving them confidence. She suggested that they spend more time together as a class, and the beach house idea came up. Pretty much everyone agreed, although some like Himiko didn't really care, and much like him, Maki was only dragged along by Kaito. Kirumi picked the location, the maid intending to serve everyone during the vacation.
Despite being here, Ryoma opted to avoid interacting with them as much as possible. Some of them like Kaito, Kokichi, and Miu were noisy and rowdy. But most of all, he didn't want any of them associating with a murderer like him.
As much as they, and other students from Hope's Peak, tried getting him to open up, he never budged. He never liked having too much attention on himself, and his status as both a prisoner and an Ultimate made people nosy. Either asking him about tennis or how he killed the mafia with just his tennis skills and an iron ball, he didn't oblige.
Ryoma found that nights were the best time to avoid everyone. They were all asleep, therefore no one would bug him. It was quiet, and it was easier to hear himself think. He couldn't do this on campus, since he needed an escort to be outside at night. It was possible here, as his classmates were more trusting of him on his own. He didn't know why, he would think that they would be more cautious of him. What an odd bunch.
The scenery was pleasant, however, the moonlight glittering on the water's surface. Maybe one of these nights he should just stand and wade in the shallow water, since swimming at night like this would be pretty risky.
Ryoma looked down at some water lapping at his boots. High tide must have been coming in, so he decided he should move somewhere else. The waves crashed up against the rocks, seeming a little more forceful than usual.
He opted to go sit on the larger rocks from across the ones he was sitting on, being higher above the ground.
Before he could stand up and leave, a larger, stronger wave formed, and crashed over him. Flailing, the strong current swept the prisoner out into the sea, pulling him underwater.
Ryoma floundered as he tried swimming back to the surface. His clothes proved to be too heavy when soaked, so he simply sank. He hardly had the chance to hold his breath as the wave pushed him down. The nighttime water was a dark azure, and he could hardly see anything around him but the surface. He swiftly looked downward, only to see an empty, black void below him.
The former tennis pro didn't know what to do. He couldn't get out of the water, and he was losing air. Was he really going to drown? His classmates were asleep and had no idea this was happening. They wouldn't even notice he went missing until morning came.
Although he was on death row, dying before his execution date wasn't something he thought would even happen. And what would Hope's Peak Academy do when they found out about this? The prison he was housed in? It was all too much for his oxygen-deprived brain.
A sudden noise froze his train of thought, movement being heard in the water. Ryoma's hearing was muffled, but he swiftly turned his head towards the sound. He heard his heart beating in his ears.
Something was in the water with him.
He wasn't the type to get scared or intimidated easily, but something lurking beneath the surface while he sank helplessly in the sea was making him uneasy. His round eyes were wide, struggling to see what it was in the darkness. It couldn't have been any of his classmates, and there were plenty of sea animals he knew that could potentially attack him. He hoped to some higher power, maybe even Angie's god, that it wasn't a whitetip reef shark.
Aside from the ambience of the ocean, it was quiet for a moment. He'd hoped that he was just hearing things, and that there was nothing around.
As if on cue, he felt himself swiftly being grabbed from behind, arms wrapping themselves tightly around his torso.
Ryoma cried out in surprise, air bubbles leaving his mouth. He squirmed to get loose, kicking his short legs at whatever had him in their grip. His heart raced even faster, feeling seawater making its way into his lungs. The hands he tried to pry off of him were smooth and scaly, and had a strong hold on him. He tried moving his arms behind him to smack them, but they moved one of their arms from around him to grab his wrist instead.
A sharp pain was felt on his left forearm, as if teeth were piercing the leather from his jacket and sinking deep into his skin, unknowingly drawing blood.
Ryoma let out a muffled scream, more bubbles leaving him. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain, his wounded arm stinging with saltwater mixing in. His chest burned from the lack of air, and he felt lightheaded. His thrashing was starting to weaken, using the last of his energy to try and fight off his assailant.
Strangely, whatever they were let go of him. With his fading consciousness, he heard them leave, abandoning him to sink into the depths. His remaining air left him in small bubbles. His already dark surroundings became even darker, the surface drifting away from him and disappearing completely.
...
... ...
... ... ...
... ... ... ...
One of the last things he was expecting was to wake up.
...Huh...?
The pain in his left arm still throbbing, Ryoma slowly opened eyes, his vision blurry as he took in his surroundings.
...Where was he...? He was alive...?
He rubbed his eyes, his environment becoming more clear to him.
One of the very last things he was expecting was to wake up underwater.
He sat up and involuntarily gasped, realizing he was lying in the soft sand under the sea. He expected water to enter his system again, filling his lungs and choking him to death.
To his confusion, nothing happened.
Ryoma risked it and took a deep breath.
One of the very, very last things he was expecting was to wake up with the ability to breathe underwater.
No matter how much he inhaled or exhaled, it was as if he were breathing on land like normal.
Not only that, his eyesight seemed much brighter and sharper, being able to see despite it being dark in the ocean. His hearing wasn't muffled either, being able to hear the swell of the water around him more clearly.
And now that he thought about it, didn't his hands feel a little different when he rubbed at his eyes?
He didn't get it.
Ryoma reached with his uninjured arm to scratch the back of his head out of more confusion...
...only to feel something sharp and pointy digging into his scalp.
The former tennis pro winced and quickly retracted his hand from his head. His nails weren't that long... he always kept them short. So why...?
Ryoma looked down at his small hand, and discovered an unbelievable sight.
He couldn't tell if it was from being underwater, but his skin was now a dark blue color. His nails were now long, sharp claws, and in between his fingers, there was webbing. He moved them around, the webbing stretching out as he splayed his fingers.
What's going on...?
Ryoma rapidly started touching his face. As he thought, his skin felt different. It felt... scaly? It was almost fish-like in a way, being smooth and a little tough.
The more important thing that he noticed was that his entire face had changed. In place of his button-like nose, he had a short snout. His ears had become fins, his cartilage piercing still resting in his right one.
After inspecting his face, Ryoma simply stared down at his hands again in utter disbelief.
What the hell happened to him?
The last thing he remembered was being attacked and bitten by something, and passing out. Did whatever that was cause this? He didn't believe in myths or the supernatural, but that had to be the only explanation. He ran his fingers over his left arm, feeling the holes in the leather sleeve where he was bitten. It was like he had become some sort of monster, running his thumb over the smooth claws on his fingers.
Ryoma looked around. To the left of him in the distance, he could see a small kelp forest, and behind it sat an entrance to a small cave, surrounded by coral. The part of the seafloor he was at was mostly rocks, although there was coral and other aquatic plants littered about. He craned his neck upwards, looking up at the surface above him.
It didn't look that far away from him, despite what he thought earlier.
Could he even swim back to the surface? The whole reason why he was even here was because the high tide swept him out to sea, and his clothes prevented him from escaping the water. Maybe it would be easier now that he looked like this...
This was all so strange, but it was worth a shot. He couldn't stay stuck down here forever, after all.
He sighed, a few small bubbles leaving the nostrils on his snout.
Ryoma stood up, and with all of his strength, jumped up and tried to swim.
To his surprise, he felt weightless, his clothes and not even the metal shackle around his left leg were slowing him down. He breathed a small sigh of relief, something he never thought he'd be able to do at the moment.
Not wasting a minute longer, he began swimming upwards, his now-webbed hands making it easier to paddle. He felt something swaying from side to side near his back.
...Did he have a tail, too?
The former tennis player wondered how much of his body had changed. Did he have claws and webbing on his feet, too? Was his hair different? All of this might be figured out once he was in front of a mirror.
Eventually, he breached the water's surface, not needing to take a breath at all. From where he was, he wasn't that far offshore, though he was a sizable distance from where he was originally swept into the water.
Making it to the shoreline, he took off his wet jacket and looked at the sleeve on his prison jumpsuit. As he suspected, it had blood on it from the bite, the holes in it identical to the ones in his jacket. He'd have to look at the wound when he got back to his room, he didn't want it to get infected. Ryoma wondered if whatever attacked him was the same monster he had seemingly turned into, the hand he touched trying to fight them off feeling the exact same way as his skin.
Being as quiet as possible, he made his way up the steps of the beach house.
Far behind him, a pair of eyes were silently watching him from the sea before slipping beneath the waves, leaving bubbles in their wake.
The wooden house itself wasn't too large, but it wasn't too small, either. It was low to the ground, and the front porch had a windowed sliding door, giving a good view of the sea. There were a few smaller porches on the sides, also facing the water.
The rooms were big enough for at least two people each. The boys only stayed with the boys, and girls only stayed with the girls. He, Maki, Korekiyo, and Kirumi had rooms to themselves, as the extra company would bother the formers, and Kirumi simply had one by those circumstances.
Ryoma chose the room at the end of the hallway, trying to keep his distance from the other students, especially the louder ones.
Swiftly going to the bathroom to grab a towel and first aid supplies, he headed down the hall.
He slowly opened the door to the room, having a simple bed, nightstand, closet, and TV. He didn't bother turning the lights on, since he had his newfound ability to see in the dark.
Quietly shutting the door and placing his soaked jacket onto the towel, he picked up some peroxide and cotton balls from the first aid supplies he grabbed. He rolled up his blood-stained sleeve, ready to clean the bite wound.
Ryoma's round eyes widened.
To his complete shock, the wound was gone.
It was almost like it was never there, his skin being completely unscathed.
What...? He found himself thinking. Where did it go? It simply vanished, not even leaving a scar. It was nowhere to be seen, no matter how much he turned his arm around to look for it.
He just stared at his arm, mouth slightly agape in confusion.
He didn't know what to think anymore.
It was one strange thing after another, and he couldn't process any of it.
Ryoma grimaced and slowly shook his head, rolling his sleeve back down. He began to change out of his clothes, removing his pointed beanie to dry his face and hair, where he felt another fin on top of his head.
The next thing he took off was his shoes.
Like he thought, the claws and webbing on his hands were on his feet, too. Not only that, they looked kind of like paws, having three toes. Sighing deeply, he dried himself off, his entire body now being covered in fish-like scales, and changed into a new jumpsuit he grabbed from his closet next to the dresser. He couldn't shower right now, he'd have to do it when he was sure no one was around.
Unsure of what to do about his wet clothes, especially his shirt with the bloody sleeve, the former tennis player wrapped them up in the used towel and placed them in the closet. He hid the first aid supplies in the closet as well, planning on putting it back in the morning. Aside from the shirt and pierced jacket, he'd put everything else in the laundry.
Closing the closest door, he looked into the mirror next to it.
Ryoma finally understood why his eyesight was so good in the dark. His charcoal-colored eyes were glowing, a soft cyan color taking its place.
His beanie off, he could see the fin on top of his head, sitting in his pale red, cropped hair, which didn't change. And strangely enough, his cheeks were still that pink, rosy color as well.
Curious, he checked his teeth. They were short, but sharp. He ran his tongue over the small canines, feeling how pointy they were. He could see his tail behind him in the mirror, also sporting darker blue fins. He had a hard time dealing with it when he was changing his clothes, struggling to fit it through his jumpsuit.
Ryoma stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror.
What was he going to do about all of this? His classmates couldn't see him like this, they'd freak out. Even if he tried to hide, they'd look for him eventually. What would he do when he returned to Hope's Peak? They'd freak out, too. He'd have to explain everything, and worst of all, everyone would be looking his way. Staring, questioning him, trying to see what changed about his appearance.
It made him anxious. His mind was racing, unable to think of any possible solution to this outlandish turn of events.
Was he going to stay like this forever? Whatever bit him supposedly turned him into this... thing, and he didn't even have close to any ideas on what to do about it. It was something straight out of a storybook, and he couldn't shake the fact that this was even real. This all felt like a bad dream, and he wasn't waking up from it.
Ryoma placed a clawed hand on his head and sighed. All he could do right now is sleep on it. Maybe he could figure out a game plan in the morning, since he always woke up at dawn before most of the others. Kirumi would likely be awake, as she always prepared breakfast for everyone. He'd have to avoid being spotted by her so he could sneak by.
With that aside, the prisoner turned away from the mirror and dragged himself to his bed. Pulling the covers over himself, he tried to hide under the sheets as much as possible in the unlikely event that someone came in. His glowing eyes peeking from under the covers, he lay for a while, staring at the night sky outside of the window of his room.
Now that he looked like this, what other kinds of things would change in his life? He could breathe underwater, his swimming ability was better, and he could see in the dark. He had claws and fangs now. But what was he supposed to do with any of that? There didn't seem to be any use for it. The claws made it hard to touch any part of his body without accidentally pricking himself, and the tail was just annoying to fit through his clothes. Swimming would be easier, yes, but what exactly did that do for him?
Ryoma closed his eyes. There were so many questions he had, and yet, there was no answer for any of them. It was making his head hurt trying to find them, his confusion simply increasing.
He tried to force himself to sleep, pushing his thoughts in the back of his mind.
Because the biggest question on his mind was...
...Why did any of this have to happen to him?