The next chapter after this one will be the last. I will upload it as soon as I'm finished with it!

Chapter 18 - The End Part 3

Rin got back into his car and started driving towards the research facility.

"I'm really sorry Minako, but I've got to go."

"Would you mind if I came with you?"

"That's fine, I guess," I said as the both of us hurried to my car.

It didn't take us too long to reach the research facility. Rin and the others had already arrived and was standing together with Gou, my father, Dr Hamada, some security guards and two suspicious-looking guys in suits. All of them had noticed my arrival and was looking my way as I parked my car and got out. A look of surprise appeared on everyone's faces as Minako stepped out of the car.

"You are Makoto, correct?" One of the guys in suits asked me.

"Yes, that's me," I answered.

"And who is this woman?"

"Oh, she is…" I started but Minako interrupted me before I could finish.

"My name is Minako Kuroyama," she said and smiled.

"That's impossible!" Dr Hamada suddenly shouted.

I turned to look at him.

"What is it?" I asked him with anger in my voice.

"She can't possibly be Minako Kuroyama! She's dead!"

"And how would you know?"

"Well technically it's not impossible for her to be alive but if she was she would be over a hundred years old!"

"What are you talking about?" The other of the two suit-wearing guys asked him.

"Hiroshi Kuroyama was the name of the man my great grandfather worked for! And in his journal, my great grandfather wrote that the name of the mermaid Hiroshi Kuroyama fell in love with and later married was Minako!"

Everybody gasped and turned to look at Minako.

"While mermaids do have eternal life, Minako gave up her immortality when she became human so there's no way that woman is Minako Kuroyama!" Dr Hamada shouted while pointing at Minako.

"Unless… She's a ghost!" Nagisa said.

"Don't be ridiculous Nagisa!" A voice said from behind me. I turned around to see Rei standing behind me.

"Rei-chan!?" Nagisa said in a surprised voice.

"There are no such things as ghosts!" Rei said and looked at Minako.

Minako laughed a little before opening her mouth to speak.

"Well, Rei was it? I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked her.

"I mean that I am indeed not alive anymore," she said and smiled.

"Eh!?" Everyone said with one mouth.

"You really are a ghost?" I asked her.

"Well, like I said, I'm not alive anymore but I wouldn't really say I am ghost."

"Come on! This is madness!" Rei said in a loud voice.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that… When I shook her hand before I noticed something was weird but I couldn't put my finger on what it was," I told him.

"You really expect me to believe that this woman is not alive anymore? That she's dead!?"

"Calm down Rei-chan! Let's just listen to what she has to say," Nagisa said and took a hold of Rei's arm.

"Fine," He mumbled.

Everyone turned to look at Minako again.

"I guess it's time for me to explain myself," She said.

"That would be helpful," One of the men in suits said.

"Excuse me but who are you exactly?" She asked him.

"My name is Mr Tanaka and this is my partner, Mr Yoshida." Mr Tanaka said and pointed at his partner.

"The government has sent us to collect this man," he said and pointed at Dr Hamada.

"He has broken the law by catching and imprisoning an illegal animal."

"Animal?" Minako said and gave Mr Tanaka a … look.

"Well…," he started and looked at his partner, who nodded.

"A merman," he finished.

"So the government knows about the existents of mermaids and mermen?" I asked Mr Tanaka.

"Yes, but never mind that. Weren't you going to explain why you are here even though you are dead." Mr Tanaka answered and looked at Minako.

"Right. Let's get to it then," she said and smiled.

"I was called here."

"Yeah, you told me you had gotten a call from an old friend and that you hadn't been back here for a really long time but that you had gotten the chance to return three…" I stopped mid-sentence and stared at Minako.

I now started to suspect why she was here and I opened my mouth to speak again after a few moments of silence.

"Three weeks ago… You said you returned here three weeks ago!" I burst out in a louder voice then I had intended.

"Yes, indeed I did. I have been here for three weeks and I have been going with you to that place everyday but you haven't noticed that I was there because I hid myself from you. Today when I said you noticed me "because I let you notice me" I really meant it. I showed myself to you because my time here is about to run out. I have spent these three weeks studying you and trying to think of a way to approach you. Anyway, enough about that. I was called here, not by a friend but by a voice."

"A voice?" I said and gave Minako a questioning look.

"Yes, a voice."

"What did it say?" Nagisa asked with excitement.

"It said; Please, help me. Like that mermaid so long ago, turn me into a human so that I can see that smile again. That smile that saved me from the depths of despair… Makoto, I want to see you."

Everyone turned to look at me. I could feel the tears stinging in my eyes as I tried to hold them back.

"Makoto are you okay?" My father asked me.

I didn't answer and turned to Minako again.

"Haru… called for you?"

"Yes," she answered and looked into my eyes.

"Haru wants to see me…"

"Yes he does. Now I have a question for you."

"What?" I asked and gave Minako a questioning look.

"Do you want to see him?" she asked me.

I didn't even have to think for a second.

"Yes, of course I do!"

"Good. Then I just have two more things to say to you."

Everyone looked at me and Minako.

"Be patient and have faith," she said and before anyone could question her words or say anything, she had vanished.