"A date," Kuronue shouted on the way to school, "You asked her out on a date?!" He was informed of yesterday's activities by Shuichi and couldn't believe the response. His best friend is on the verge of dating.

Meanwhile, Shuichi wasn't too keen on the idea, "I was sorely convinced she'd say no. Then again, I wasn't too serious when I asked. I wouldn't say it's a date exactly. I had no idea what came over me. It just…slipped?"

"Dude, you simply asked Ikeda if you could spend some time with her this weekend. That's a date, bro."

"It's not a date," Shuichi insisted, "Besides, she had some…stipulations."

"Stipulations. Ugh, what is up with these girls and their rules? Like yesterday. You followed Ikeda's rules and that still wasn't enough. Now there's more? What are the stipulations?"

"Well…that's where you come in."

"Eh? Me?"

"Due to my faux pas yesterday, I'm afraid she's lost some trust in me. Thanks for telling her by the way. Playing the instigator role in that regard should not become you. Long story short, she won't go out with me unless we make it a group thing so…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…whoa…whoa. Number one, you were the dumbass who lied in the first place. So this isn't a date, number two. Three, if we do this, how is it going to work out?"

Inside the school, Kiyoni delivered her spiel to her friend and teammate, Mei. The girls are in different classrooms but Mei met up with Kiyoni in the girls bathroom to talk and make some adjustments. The former shuffled through her partially damp, pink, pixie cut hair, applied and adjusted her darkened, bob-cut wig for school, crossed her arms, and rolled her eyes over what she just heard.

"So let me get this straight. You need me to go with you on a double date with Minamino…and Misaki?!"

"I know, I know. It's ridiculous…" Kiyoni assured, "but there is absolutely no way I'm going on a…date with Minamino alone. He has to earn my trust from me."

"Trust? What did he do?"

"He lied to my face when I asked him about a dream he had, knowing that that's kinda my thing…with him."

"And you think hanging with a jerk like Misaki will do the trick? Kiyoni, what were you thinking? Do you not know how dates work?"

"First, I will not in any way consider this a date, okay? Second, that's where you come in. Look, my plan is this. If things…go wrong, you or I can come up with a stupid excuse to get away and then…get away. We can be each other's scapegoats! Mei, please? Please? I don't want to do this alone. Please, please, please?"

Mei was in total disbelief. She was happy for Kiyoni and her budding love life. That was a good thing. The bad thing was the conditions involved.

"I'll say this, Ikeda," she declared, "If for any reason, any reason this doesn't work out–"

"Deal," Kiyoni agreed, "You have a deal. Any reason, we'll leave. Is this a yes?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kuronue answered, "That is if Ikeda can find someone to go with her. What's the plan?"

"I was thinking of the local aquarium," Shuichi answered, "She suggested the activity center down the street."

"Mushiyori Fun World?! I'm in! Laser tag, giant trampolines, arcades galore, go-kart racing. I'm in. I'm so in. Wait, what brought this up? [Gasp] You do like her! You like her, you like her!"

Shuichi quickly denied it all, "No, no. I'm not saying that at all. I just…want to make sure we're on common ground. Life is more than just ocean dreams and conversations about spirituality."

"You like her," Kuronue teased, "I can see it."

"If that were true, wouldn't you be upset about it?"

"...Nah. I gave that up after that punch to the face. Last night I thought about what she said and looked up some TikTok videos about it. Dude, girls like her have it rough, man. It's more talked about in America due to the population but in a country like this one? I caught a video of someone like Ikeda saying that she would rather be bullied here than in America because at least she's more culturally Japanese here. Same with Ikeda. Besides, the two of you mesh better. I should've noticed it when she gave you that bracelet, sat through the swim meet…"

"Punched you in the face…"

"Punched me in the face–Hey! Okay, I'll admit it. I was a jerk! You will never let that go, will you?"

"Sadly, no, Misaki." Shuichi smirked, "I will carry that memory with me long after I leave this earthly plane."

"...Jerk."

During class break, Kiyoni sent Shuichi a text confirming her end of the deal. The double date is set. It'll be Shuichi and Kiyoni with Kuronue and Mei. The activity center is the first stop, ending the day at the aquarium. At least the former pair will get what they want out of it. Shuichi is nervously dreading it already but he was the one who asked for it. Kiyoni, however, was unsure about everything. If this wasn't a date, then it's a simple outing among friends, right? Right?

That question will soon be answered when the day arrives. Seasonal changes from summer to autumn mean temperatures are likely to fluctuate. On this day, the temperature was pretty comfortable with clear, sunny skies. Details like that are unimportant considering that the quartet of teens who were out on a "double date" are going to be inside for most of the day. The girls arrived at the local fun center first where three stories of fun were all waiting to be taken advantage of under a bright, wacky-lettered, multicolored sign giving away the building's name. Families who had the time were seen entering and exiting the building with children excited to burn some energy or exhausted from all the fun. On a bench underneath a shady tree, both Mei and Kiyoni devise escape plans in case things go wrong. Excuses from stomach ailments to menstrual problems are all legitimate options that misinformed teenage boys would gladly allow to slide. Mei wore a hot pink tank top underneath a long-sleeved, sheer white top, a pair of dark wash jeans, and a black hoodie jacket in case the weather turned with her hair as pink and free as can be. Kiyoni's look was a bit tomboyish as she wore a simple white T-shirt underneath tangerine orange overalls and matching, low top Chuck Taylors with a bucket hat. Even her braids were taken care of, orange scrunchies holding a pair of twin tails. The only "girly" things she had were a purplish cross bag purse across her torso, a bubblegum pink hoodie with the face of the Sanrio character, My Melody on it tied around her waist, and cat-eye style eyeliner.

"I thought you were gonna wear a skirt today," Mei assumed.

"Considering all I wanna do once we get inside, a skirt is unnecessary. Second, ew. The last thing I want is for anyone to see my underwear. Third, I really didn't feel like dressing up."

"Makes sense. So what do you think is going to happen today?"

"I don't know about you or the boys but I'm going to have some fun. That is my only goal."

"Are you sure you don't wanna…flirt with Minamino?"

"This is not a date, Mei."

"So why do you think he allowed us to come here?"

"I don't know! Maybe it's because he wants to be friends with me? I did suggest this place. I can't read minds."

"This coming from someone who predicted her way into our team captain confessing about her boyfriend."

"Intuition and mind reading are two different things, Mei. Please let it go."

"Girls," Shuichi called as he and Kuronue approached the campus.

"Hey," Mei waved.

Casual was the theme for the pair of young men as they both showed up wearing medium wash jeans and sneakers. Shuichi accompanied his pants with a simple white graphic tee with a photo of a whale on it accessorized by a partially-zipped, cherry red hoodie jacket, and red and white Adidas. Kuronue wore his pants with an overly large black graphic tee that displayed an image of a dragon outlined in white with only the front tucked in. While Shuichi had his hair down, Kuronue had his in a ponytail that draped a bit past the shoulders.

"You made it," Kiyoni commented, "And with a couple of minutes to spare."

"Hey, that only means we're on time," Kuronue confirmed. "Okay. Minamino told me not to say anything but as his best friend, I have to. I don't know about you but I'm only here out of support and to have some fun. That's it."

"Oh, cool," Mei followed, "Same here."

"Unnecessary for either of you to say," Shuichi stated, "This is only a day of fun and friendly bonding. Emphasis on 'friendly'."

"You keep telling yourself that, buddy," Kuronue digressed with a couple of pats on Shuichi's shoulder.

Kiyoni immediately had enough, "Ugh. Let's just go."

Mushiyori Fun World is the city's number one place to go for all around fun for all ages. Indoor mini golf, arcades, go-kart racing, a trampoline park, laser tag, karaoke, and bars for kids and adults were all available for anyone to participate in. Once the group paid their admission and received their all-access wristbands, the games were on.

"What are you going for, Kiyoni," Mei asked.

"Mm, go-kart," she answered.

"Race you," Shuichi challenged.

"Oh-ho! Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Very. I think I can take you."

"Look, dude. Competitive swimming? That's your thing. However, go-kart racing? Driving? That's all me."

"Recognition is acknowledged but what you fail to realize is that go-kart racing could require just as much coordination as competitive swimming especially when it comes to the backstroke. Navigating through water, navigating through a set track. Same thing."

"BS. You're not even gonna touch me."

Shuichi displayed a confident smirk, "We'll see about that."

"I don't know about you but I kinda wanna watch," Kuronue admitted to Mei.

"Me too," Mei confessed, "Let's go."

The swimmer and the volleyball player join a group of seven in anticipation for the race. Kiyoni wiggled in her seat feeling confident in her victory. As she adjusted her golden yellow helmet, Shuichi pulled up next to her donning a solid blue helmet.

"You still have time to back out, you know," he teased.

"That's exactly what losers say before they lose," Kiyoni countered.

Three…two…one. The race was on. By the first turn of the course, Kiyoni was in a slight lead with Shuichi a close second. Prior to the race, every driver was warned about the hairpin turns to look out for. While Kiyoni and a couple of other competitors ran into trouble, Shuichi handled it very well, taking first place.

I warned you, Ikeda.

Was Kiyoni going to let her chance at victory slip that easily? No. After her reset, she's back on the track, cruising through the rest of the ride. Shuichi may be the better swimmer but according to Kiyoni, he was not going to be the better driver.

Not this time, Minamino.

The race endures for three more laps before the teens catch up to each other again. Tied for first for the last half of the race. However, only one could and was going to win.

Lunchtime and the teens were hungry. Fortunately, the kiddie bar and restaurant was the perfect spot to relax and unwind after such a vehicular battle. The music provided the perfect mood as a hit single from popular group, BTS, blared through the speakers. Mei and Kiyoni were feeling great considering that Kiyoni won the race. The girls danced in their seats as the boys sat in theirs, feeling salty.

"Run, bulletproof, run. Yeah, you gotta run," Kiyoni sang along, moving her hands as if she was revving up a motorcycle.

"Woo-hoo," Mei cheered, "That was intense! BUT at least we know who won…!"

"Haaaaaaa, haaaaaa," Kiyoni breathed between her cupped hands as if a crowd was cheering for her, "The crowd goes wild! Ikeda with the gold! Haaaaaaa! Haaaaaa!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kuronue declared, "Rub it in, why don't ya."

"Okay, okay. I'm not gonna gloat that hard. Minamino, you were just as good too. You almost caught me on the last turn."

"Agreed," Shuichi said, "I honestly thought I had you. However, that wasn't the case. I lost fair and square."

"I hope you've learned by now not to challenge me. That's the second time I had to prove myself to you. Not everything can be solved in a pool."

"Point taken. I humbly concede."

"You should've won, though," Kuronue commented, "Someone should take her down a peg."

In a teasing manner, Kiyoni held her nose and said, "Well, it's obviously not going to be you."

Everyone but Kuronue found that funny. Before he could say anything, a waitress stepped up to take orders.

"A pitcher of ice water and coke. Pizza for all," Kuronue claimed, "One quarter shrimp for me."

"I'll take teriyaki chicken," Mei stated.

"Mushroom, please," Kiyoni requested.

"Anchovies for me," Shuichi declared.

"That's a pitcher of water, a pitcher of coke, and a pizza split four ways with shrimp, teriyaki chicken, mushroom, and anchovies," the waitress summarized, "Got it. Thank you."

"Dude," Kuronue indicated, "Anchovies? You like anchovies on your pizza?"

Shuichi defended, "It's my favorite topping! You didn't know?"

"Dude, my name is Misaki Kuronue and I was today years old when I found out that my best friend's favorite pizza topping is anchovies of all things."

"Shrimp is just as good."

Kuronue, Mei, and Kiyoni all say, "But it's better than anchovies!"

"Like ew," Kiyoni opined, "Fish on pizza? Never."

"Not to mention the stink factor," Mei followed.

"Oh, so are we to ignore the sight of fungus on a pizza," Shuichi countered.

"At least it's delicious," Kiyoni argued, "Don't believe me? Argue with the entire country of Italy."

"Timeout, timeout," Kuronue pulled Shuichi away from the girls, whispering, "What are you trying to do? Push Ikeda away?"

Shuichi questioned, "Eh?"

"Anchovies on a pizza? Unless you have some breath mints on you, things are not looking good for you."

"Kuronue, I thought I made it clear that this wasn't a date. This is not a date!"

"Oh, yeah? Then why are we going to the aquarium afterwards? That's a spot for dates!"

"It's not a date and number two, we're going because I requested it. She suggested this spot, so I named the second. It's called equality."

"Riiiiiiiight. And when all is said and done, Ikeda is going to have the same dreams you have if you keep overwhelming her with all this fish stuff."

Shuichi peeked over at the girls who were taking selfies as they were served their drinks, "At least we'll have something else in common to talk about. She's quite interesting to talk to. Excuse me."

As the boys returned to the table, Mei came up with an idea, "Oh, good! So, this is what I thought of. Misaki and I have common pizza toppings–"

"Mushroom is a common topping," Kiyoni clapped back.

"Yeah but we all know mushrooms don't even come close to either shrimp or chicken. Anyway…Misaki, join me on this. Let's have Ikeda try a piece of Minamino's pizza and vice versa."

Both Shuichi and Kiyoni declared, "Absolutely not!"

Kuronue laughed, "Absolutely yes! That's a genius idea!"

"No way am I enduring the taste of fish and cheese and tomato sauce," Kiyoni affirmed, "I might as well have a fish sandwich from McDonald's with ketchup."

"The same goes for fungus and cheese," Shuichi added.

"Refer to my favorite topping as a fungus again…"

"I take it you took a leave of absence from biology class when the subject of fungi was discussed. I'm pretty sure mushrooms were on the top of that list."

"All the more reason to do it," Mei confirmed, "It's just one piece. What harm could it do?"

Both Shuichi and Kiyoni reply, "Plenty!"

"No, no," Kuronue mockingly argued, "Shuichi, you said you wanted to be fair and equal, yes? I think Kaguya's idea is all about equality."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but thank you," Mei replied.

"Certainly. Besides…" Kuronue whispered, "should things get personal, at least they'll both have the same breath."

Mei laughed even though Kuronue was simultaneously right and wrong, "That's kind of the point."

"There is absolutely no way I'm doing it," Kiyoni proclaimed, "No way."

"I second that notion," Shuichi concurred.

"Oh, you're doing it," Kuronue expressed as the pizza was placed on the table, "Because we'll…let me turn that for you…help you. Bon appetit!"

The pizza was shifted so that Kiyoni's corner faced Shuichi and Shuichi's corner faced Kiyoni. Both were instantly turned off by the smell. Meanwhile, Mei and Kuronue went to town on their own shares.

"This is absolutely humiliating," Shuichi voiced behind the hand on his face.

Feeling bold, Kiyoni removed one pie-cut slice from the serving tray and placed it on her plate with a knife and fork at the ready.

"Wait," Kuronue paused, "You're actually going to do it?"

"I am," Kiyoni professed, "Equality, yes?"

"Wait, Kiyoni," Mei halted, "You really don't have to for that reason."

"It's on my plate. I'm doing it."

Not willing to let Kiyoni be alone, Shuichi did the same for himself, "Alright. Let's do this."

"Hold up," Mei stalled, pulling out her phone, "Time for TikTok."

"Instagram too," said Kuronue.

Shuichi and Kiyoni glanced at each other before staring at their plates. As much as they wanted to switch, they decided culinary solidarity would be the way to go. On Shuichi's end, if he could tolerate Kiyoni's favorite pizza, it's likely that she would see him in a better, more forgiving light. They each cut a corner of their respective servings, making sure to get the cheese and chosen topping. One bite and…

"Mm…" Shuichi proposed, "this is…this certainly has… Where's that water?"

Kiyoni's reaction was much worse, "Mm! No! No, no… That was the most disgusting thing I've ever had in my entire life."

Kuronue and Mei found it hilarious as Shuichi and Kiyoni tried to clean their palates with water and coke.

Shuichi and Kiyoni grilled each other, "How could you eat that?!"

"Yemoja may be my goddess…" Kiyoni concluded, "but I will never eat her creation on pizza ever again."

"How could you eat something so tasteless," Shuichi probed, "What kind of mushroom was that?"

"The most common one for pizzas. Shiitake."

"Then I guess that makes us even. Mushrooms on pizza should never be a thing."

"That was the funniest thing I've ever seen," Kuronue mentioned, "Tell me you got all that."

"Yep," Mei chronicled, "Every second caught on camera."

"May I have my pizza now," Shuichi requested.

"Have at it," Kiyoni offered, "I want mine in exchange."

One bite in and everything became right with the world. Thank goodness.

About a half-hour later, all four teens decided to burn some calories by making use of the trampoline park. With techno music in the background, neon colors providing pathways for the course under a blacklight, and fun to be had, the teens jump to their hearts' content. Shuichi and Kuronue play the roles of Mario and Luigi, jumping as if they're in the game hunting for stars and power coins. Mei and Kiyoni attempt to bring out their inner cheerleaders, practicing the same jumps cheerleaders do such as the herkie and the hurdler. Kiyoni did a perfect toe touch which caught the boys' attention.

"Trying out for high school cheerleading," Kuronue queried.

"No," Kiyoni said, "I'm just flexible. Why don't you try?"

"...Alright," Kuronue did only to stumble upon landing on solid ground.

The girls found it funny while Shuichi helped him out. He was challenged as well only to show off a couple of flips he taught himself to do while swimming. Kiyoni was instantly impressed with his athleticism.

"I wanna do that," she wished, "Teach me that, please?"

"A flip," he affirmed.

"Yeah! Please?"

"Eh…"

"Please…please…please…" by now Kiyoni is bouncing around Shuichi like a child.

"I would if you stop…bouncing…around me."

"Catch me!"

"I thought you wanted to learn how to do a flip."

"Catch…me…!"

Mei rallied, "Go Kiyoni!"

Kiyoni initiated a chase with Shuichi not far behind with the trampoline park as their playground. Soon after, Mei and Kuronue joined in on the fun. Indeed it was fun. So entertaining that Kiyoni's original request was quickly forgotten about. Unfortunately, the diversion wasn't destined to last long. As Shuichi and Kiyoni tried to bounce from one trampoline to another, Shuichi developed a hard time breathing. So much so that his speed drastically decreased, leaving him to stand on all fours.

"Shuichi," Kuronue urgently called, "Dude, are you okay? Shuichi?"

"Oh, no," Mei noticed, "Is he okay?"

Kiyoni stopped when she felt the vibes change, "Oh, crap! Minamino! What happened? Is he okay?"

By now, Shuichi was hyperventilating and getting worse. Kuronue turned him on his back to assist him.

"Shuichi? Shuichi? Just breathe, breathe. Dude, what happened?"

Shuichi couldn't speak as he fanned his face while gasping for air. As if by nature, he mouthed the word, "Water."

"Wa…wat–water," Mei interpreted, "You need some water?"

"Let's get him to the bathroom," Kuronue suggested.

"Why would he need water if he's having trouble breathing," Kiyoni wondered.

"Who cares," Kuronue shouted, "Just help me!"

In the mens bathroom, Kuronue splashed water on Shuichi's face with little assistance. Once that same sink was filled, Shuichi was dunked in soon after. With one big inhalation, Shuichi was able to breathe again…just underwater. Once he got back up, underwater breathing was quickly replaced by air breathing. Hair and clothing soaked, Shuichi finally managed to come back.

"Shit," Kuronue watched, "Are you okay?"

Shuichi coughed a couple of times before saying, "I'm…okay…Sorry about that."

"Dude, what happened? Even the girls were scared."

"...I don't know. One minute I was fine, the next…I had lost my breath."

"I mean…granted those trampolines are exhausting but…I don't know, man. It was serious with you. Look at you. You're soaked."

"...Thank you."

"No problem. So you can breathe underwater now or something?"

"I don't know…"

"I guess in that case, we can leave if you want. We don't have to stay here if you don't want to."

"...Sure."

By the time the boys stepped out of the bathroom, the girls were legitimately worried. Kiyoni was the worst of it considering her initiation of the chase.

"Minamino, are you okay," she inquired, "I'm so sorry. It's my fault we–"

"It's alright," Shuichi exhaustively replied, "I'm fine."

"Your clothes say otherwise. Are you sure you're okay? We don't have to go to the aquarium. We can call it a day from here if you–"

"I still want to go to the aquarium. It's a nice change of pace from here."

To the aquarium it is. The place itself was different from the activity center in terms of style, scenery, and ambience. At this aquatic zoo, patrons can spend the day strutting through the halls as if they were walking on the ocean floor. The walls and some of the individual aquariums were decorated in manmade coral and the vinyl flooring was the same color as the actual ocean floor with ridges that provided not only a guideline for pedestrian traffic but to mimic the currents an actual ocean can make. Angelfish, clownfish, rainbow trout, goldfish, jellyfish, eels, stingrays, sharks, anemone, octopi, squid, crabs, and anything else that may fit the theme were all in attendance. By the time Shuichi and Kiyoni walked through the crab section, a giant shriek was heard from all over. Turns out it came from Kiyoni as she was frightened by the sight of a spider crab in the distance. A few found her scare amusing including Shuichi who shielded Kiyoni away from the creature. How can someone with a self-created hard shell possess such a soft personality? That's exactly what Kuronue wanted to know.

"Hey…" he whispered to Mei, "have you ever noticed something about Ikeda?"

"What do you mean," she asked back.

"That. What happened just now. One minute, she's full of attitude and bravado. The next minute she's like the damsel in distress or a wannabe saint. What's with that? Why can't she pick a side?"

"That's just how Kiyoni is. She acts that way because she doesn't want anyone to think she's a pushover. I mean, we are on the volleyball team together. She also kinda has a hard time trusting guys. A couple of them picked on her in elementary school and she hasn't been able to let it down since. It's not too bad, I don't think. Once she's comfortable with you, she can really be a girly girl."

"I see," Kuronue rubbed his nose, "I guess I did have that coming."

"You mean when she punched you in the face or the time she flamed you with her words? Yeah, she told me about that. And yeah, you had that coming both times. Minamino had that knee-to-the-gut coming, too. Act like a jerk, get treated like one."

"Noted."

"Are you feeling any better," Kiyoni questioned Shuichi.

"Yes. Better than earlier," he answered, "Sorry if I worried or scared you."

"Yeah…you did actually. I still feel salty though. Does that happen often?"

"Truthfully, no. First time."

"Really?! How did you handle it? Don't tell me Misaki gave you mouth-to-mouth."

"Fortunately, for the both of us, no. That never happened. I recovered with…water."

"Water," Kiyoni repeated, "How?"

Shuichi looked to the left of him to notice a hammerhead shark swimming by, "I was able to breathe underwater."

"Whoa. Seriously? Without drowning?"

"Yes. Without drowning. I can't explain it but…it's happened before."

"Wait, wait. You mean that incident some time ago."

"How did you–?"

"Misaki told us about it the day of your swim meet. 'Talked about how your parents freaked out about it. What happened?"

"Most of it is a blur but…I remember choking underwater then…breathing. Being that I was a child, I wanted to see how much further I could go before anyone would find me."

"Did you?"

Shuichi shook his head, "No. I was pulled out of the water before I had a chance to. Been attracted to it ever since. But no, that's not what I was referring to."

"There was another time?"

"Yesterday. Remember when I first talked about my transformations? They're becoming more advanced."

"How?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous, Ikeda, but it's the truth. I stood underwater in that pool like a human but I was breathing like…like…any one of these residents here. If I was to stay in that water any longer, I probably would've looked like the thing that I was in my dream. A ningyo."

Kiyoni stood silent but dumbfounded, "...Wait, why are you telling me this? Misaki is your best friend, right? Why doesn't he know?"

"Because he would find my story to be absolutely absurd. Another reason is because…well…you're the only one I trust to know."

"So…what are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"What are you? Are you a man or a fish?"

Shuichi silently laughed, "I'm not sure at this point. What do you think I should do?"

"...I honestly don't know. Not until you do."

"May I ask you another question?"

"You just did."

"I meant besides that."

"Sure."

"Why…why do you…? What's with this personality of yours?"

"What personality?"

"This. Don't get me wrong, I respect your aggression in a competitive sense but outside of that is unnecessary at times. You want to act like no one can bully you but–"

"Let me stop you right there because you're not the first to ask me that, okay? A part of it comes from my mom. She's Nigerian-American so there's not too much BS she's going to take from people. Neither will I. Another part is the past. In elementary school, I was bullied simply because of how I looked. I wore beads and shells in my hair to school one time and was made fun of for it. Nearly kicked out of school right then and there. Didn't stop me from kicking their asses in academics. That basically became my personality from there. Like, don't get me wrong. You're cool and the things we talk about are…interesting. It's just…I don't like it when someone comes up to me thinking they're somehow better than me or assumes that I'm automatically somehow in the wrong based on how I look. Especially if they don't know me. Come to me with respect, get respected in return. Simple as that."

"I see. Which makes our encounters…"

"Completely justified in a way?"

"Indeed."

"Minamino?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for the offer…to do this today. It was fun."

"I'm glad. Glad you had fun."

"So are we all back to normal now," Kuronue offered with Mei in tow.

"Where did you two go?"

"Oh, we checked out the skeleton exhibit. Have you ever seen the jawbone of a shark? Ridiculous. No wonder the teeth are sold as necklaces."

Mei quietly checked in with Kiyoni, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said, "We're cool."

Things ended the same way within the quartet as they continued their aquatic explorations. By the time they departed for home, Kuronue was seen in a more positive light much to the surprise of everyone with him. By bedtime, Shuichi and Kiyoni ended the day with a facetime phone call sharing their reactions to everything that happened today. Things are looking up for these two…hopefully.