A/N: Hello I'm back with an update today's chapter is a light one. Which will introduce something important about Mero.
In the room currently occupied by Mero whom is sleeping in the bottom as the sun rays penetrate the surface of her pool forcing her eyes to open little by little and the alarm at the edge of the pool doesn't help either as it rings forcing her to wake up, even though she doesn't want to due to yesterday's incident being unable to sleep properly because of thinking about it no thinking not seeing him again, but nonetheless Mero didn't want to be a burden on her host more than she already was 'I should at least try to ease him a little after what I did' she thought as she forced herself up.
She continues with her morning routine and gets down the stairs via the stair chair while holding her folded wheelchair in her arms. After making it down she unfolds her wheelchair and gets on it then makes her way to the kitchen "Good morning Kihimoto" she says while trying to hide her exhaustion, but hears no response she opens her eyes to look around and finds no one, she panics "Kihimoto where are you?" she looks around the entire floor not finding her host "Oh no I hope nothing bad is happening" she prayed while having her hands on her chest as she breathes in and out 'Maybe he's upstairs' she thought hopefully as she once again had folded up her wheelchair and got on the stair chair and went up.
As she reached the upstairs and got on her now unfolded wheelchair, she first decided to check his room which had its door closed, curious Mero got closer she knocks lightly on the door "Kihimoto are you okay?" she asks but gets no response, a cold air suddenly hits her despite today being warm she leans forward on the door putting her ear next to the door to hopefully get something and she hears groans, the cold air once again hit her with much harder force than before as she swallows down a lump in her throat. She forces herself to calm down by breathing in deep and then let it out and opens the door open immediately fearing the worst might happen similar or event worst compared to yesterday's incident, after opening it she finds no one beside Kihimoto who is still in his bed covered by his blanket which makes her calm down a little but not completely as Kihimoto seems to be shivering uncontrollably, she uneasily and slowly approaches his bedside "Kihimoto are you alright?" she asks worried.
Kihimoto turns in his bed to her side pulling the upper half of his blanket revealing his hair and eyes "Ah Mero good morning" he says tiredly despite trying to mask it and his tired eyes give him away as well.
Mero breathes in again "Are you alright?"
"Ye-achoo" he tried to answer but sneezed in his blanket.
Mero is taken back and tries to approach her host but someone whom entered the room in a blur stops her in her tracks "Don't approach him rather I would like you to stay out of the room" the person talked looking towards Mero revealing herself to Ms. Smith.
"Lady coordinator may I ask what are you doing here? And what's wrong with Kihimoto?" Mero asked in concern.
The coordinator nods "Yes, first I'm here as your coordinator so I have to check up at least once a day on you. And second it seems he has caught a cold" she goes behind Mero and pushes her wheelchair out of the room.
Mero gets scared fearing for her host's safety "Is this thing called cold is dangerous?"
"It might as well be" a gasp is let out by Mero "Don't worry its common between humans but its also contagious so we can't afford you being infected and cause political problems" Mero nods bitterly knowing what Smith means "So until he's cured of it you'll need to be as far away as possible, you understand?"
Mero trembles a little in rage as her eyes are covered by a shadow hating her possession which is now forcing her away from him 'Wait why am I angry? He's my host staying by his side is the least I can do, that's all' she holds her chest with her right hand 'Even still why does my chest feel small and in pain? My gills aren't dry, so why?' after Smith snaps her back from her thinking she nods "Yes, I understand."
"Good don't worry though because I'll be with you all the way" Smith assured the mermaid.
Mero was a bit confused though "If I remember correctly, your possession is high in the exchange program, so why are you here? Don't you have a lot of work to do? I don't and I'm sure Kihimoto doesn't either want to be a bother and will be grateful if you let someone else concern themselves with us."
Smith laughs "No it's not a bother at all" Smith then got serious "Not to mention you're an important player in the exchange program we can't afford something happening to you again."
Mero looked down with a grim expression "How did my mother and siblings react to the incident?"
Smith took a deep breath and tried to put her thoughts into the right words "Well of course they got scared, your older brothers demanded that you return immediately to them and threatened to tear the exchange bill, your baby sister continued crying like no tomorrow" the coordinator swallowed the lump that formed on her throat "And your mother was worried just a little and after calming down asked and I quote 'How did it feel being in a tragic story and not seeing your lover again' is what she said" the coordinator said that last bit with a bit of venom as she can't fathom how a mother seems more concerned about a tragic romance experience than her own daughter her flesh and blood safety.
Mero shifted uneasily in her wheelchair hearing what had been said and after a while decides to speak her mind "Tell my brothers I'm not coming back not yet and that my host is a brave person who risked himself to save me, tell my sister the same thing and that I won't let her cry again" she then took a deep breath "As for mom assure her I'm fine and tell her the experience wasn't as magical as she and I once thought" she said the last bit with a bit of rage.
Smith smirks to herself about the development of the young mermaid in such a small while "Also maybe it'll be more magical under better circumstances" Mero said nervously "Maybe" Smith sighed it seems the development isn't as complete as she thought it was and there's still more room for improvement.
Smith recovered and continued "So until the cold is dealt with, I'll be here on a vacation."
Mero's face adopted a deadpan expression "I see is this your primary reason lady coordinator?"
Smith laughs nervously "Of course not, not at all."
Mero was about to say something until a roar from her stomach is heard, her face reddens in embarrassment as during all of this she forgot to eat breakfast and it's made worse when Smith laughs at her expense causing her face to redden more "Alright let's eat" Smith said. The rest of the morning, the afternoon and the evening went without a hinge.
Then came night as the coordinator fell asleep in the couch and is snoring loudly, Mero looks towards her then towards the upstairs complementing about something that she's been struggling with ever since yesterday's incident 'It was all like a tragic tale and yet I didn't like it' she sighs 'Why did it feel wrong? Didn't I come here to experience my dream of a tragic tale? Maybe it was the setting that was wrong if I use a different one it will work' she gazes at the upstairs with a smile 'This cold thing is contiguous and it's effects on different species is unknown, so maybe just maybe if it causes my death maybe I'll experience a true tragic romance' she squeals 'I can already imagine it.'
Mero's imagination
Kihimoto whom face is filled with tears is looking towards the bedridden Mero and holds her hands tightly "I'm sorry Mero it's all my fault I should have been more careful and effect you with my own cold" as looks down crying.
Mero coughs "No it's alright I wanted to be by your side all the time and ended up catching this illness" she coughs a little more and a bit harder then continues "I never would have thought that a common virus that effects humans regularly would cause death to different species."
Kihimoto gets up holding her hand tighter "No Mero please hold on until we find a cure, I beg you please don't go to the other side."
Mero smiles weakly to him "I can't *cough* thank you for everything" as she closes her eyes and death claims her.
Kihimoto not feeling the heat from her body anymore panics "Mero what's wrong?" no response "Mero please answer me" still no response "MEROOOO NOOOO WHYYYY?" he breaks down crying.
Back to reality
Mero's eyes are closed while her smile widens and saliva falls from her mouth and hit the floor 'Yes, I'll do it' she sneaks behind the coach making sure that the sleeping coordinator is not waking up anytime soon and after indeed confirming it via her not reacting to Mero touching her, the mermaid goes to the stair chair and rides it upwards after reaching her destination she gets off and moves her wheelchair towards the room of her host while avoiding the straps that were made near it.
She opens the door slowly without making a sound as to not alert her host or waking him up she leans forward jumping into his bed and stood atop of him, she removes the blanket revealing his face which hurt, red and hot. Upon seeing this Mero was taken back and started having second thoughts regarding her plan 'No I'm determined to do this no matter what' she leans in and kisses his lips in an effort to effect herself with the cold. Suddenly Mero found herself being taken over by her own tiredness and sleeps while their lips remain in contact.
Mero's dream
The mermaid found herself swimming through her old palace at home then a huge light shined out of nowhere, curious Mero swam towards it and it shined brighter making her raise her arms in an effort to protect her eyes from going blind and after it died down a shadow silhouette which Mero recognized appeared, not wasting time Mero immediately swam as fast as possible to it and as she got as close as she could be she saw the person in question being an adult huge merman with a friendly expression on his face which is mostly covered by his blue beard and long hair dressed in royalty uniform.
Mero's eyes became filled with tears as she swam towards him and hugged him as hard as possible "Father I'm so glad to see you" she said between sobs.
The merman laughed "Yes, me as well my little angelfish me as well."
Mero then takes in her surroundings "Is this the afterlife?" then she gasped "Oh no I couldn't say goodbye to Kihimoto and have a tragic romantic goodbye."
The merman sighed "Mero do you really want to break that man's heart?"
Mero looks uneasily to her hands that are wrapping around each other's "Yes, I…I. I mean this's the kind of tragic romance you and mother desired and had."
The merman sighed again "Maybe it's true that we desired it but that doesn't mean everyone does and I'm certain that this human is not one of them his gault will consume him" he points his hand in the space "Look."
Mero looks and see's that if her plan is successful Kihimoto will have a terrible life due to the sadness of losing her had consumed him to the point he doesn't want to do anything let alone necessity's like eating, drinking and sleeping to escaping to drugs and alcohol to escape his sadness and eventually getting arrested and executed. Mero seeing this felt her chest getting small again "It's that feeling again and it's harder than before, what is it?"
"Depression" her father answered, "It's an emotion that one feel's when something bad and terrible happens to them or someone they care about and could have done something to stop it but didn't for one reason or another."
"Take it away" she cried "I don't want to feel it anymore or ever again."
Her father shakes his head "I can not do that" he looks her in the eyes "Isn't it what you desired? This's the fate of tragic romances."
"I don't want tragic romance" she screamed "If this feeling is what comes with it, then I don't want it."
Her father smiled and approaches her cleaning the tears away from her face "Then don't do it and have a happy life."
Mero nods and the light shines brighter than before.
Back to reality
The morning of the next day arrived and Kihimoto woke up with the strength of one thousand men as if he never were sick in the first place but feels something delicious and soft on his lips, curious he opens his eyes and see's Mero kissing him earning a picnicked scream which wakes the mermaid up "Uh is it morning already?"
"M-M-Mero what are you doing here? And what were you doing?" Kihimoto asks panicked.
Before Mero could answer the door of the bedroom is slammed open and Smith enters with a gun in her hand, she looks around and finds the two of them in the bed "What? Mero, I thought I told you not to interact with your sick host?"
Kihimoto raises his hands in defence "I'm fine now there's no need to get angry."
Mero gets up and adjusts herself then kneels "Lady coordinator please do not blame Kihimoto for this it was my fault for ignoring your warnings and" she bites her lips a little "And for causing Kihimoto the cold in the first place."
Kihimoto looks confused towards his homestay as if she grew another head "huh? What do you mean Mero?"
Mero sighs while adjusting herself to her host and Prostrates to her host "It is as I said Kihimoto I caused you this sickness when I was kidnapped, and you fell into the water" se shifts uneasily "Please forgive me."
Kihimoto waves his hands dismissingly "Nah it's not your fault at all" he sighs a little "I'm as much to blame to when I jumped in headfirst not taking the consequences into account."
"No if you di- "she was going to argue but Smith stopped them in their tracks.
"Okay all of us are to blame so let's not drag it on further, deal?" the two of them nod "Good now Mero please let the doctors check you to ensure you didn't get the virus."
Mero nods and thankfully she wasn't caught with the virus and was released, after that they returned to their everyday life but something caught Mero of guard something that Smith or rather the doctor told her is that Kihimoto was expected to be in cold for at least a couple more days but something speeded up the process 'No use to think about it now, it's better to just live our lives now'.
"Mero are you okay?" her host asks her serving dinner "You seem to be caught in deep thought."
Mero adjusted her expressions "No nothing at all don't worry."
"Alright if you say so" what the two of them didn't know is that Mero's skin was flashing blue lines during their kiss.
A/N: Done this chapter was to fully make Mero give up on tragic romance and embrace an actual one. I hope you like it and thank you for reading. Have a nice day.