The following day started cooler than usual but that was only a minor inconvenience. As the school bell rang, signaling students to report for school, Kiyoni stood in front of her shoe locker contemplating the small gift she had in her hands.

Ugh. I really don't want to but…karma is such a…

In classroom 3-A, Kuronue leaned against a wall with his arms crossed, still salty over what happened yesterday. Shuichi on the other hand was cool about it, casually sitting at his desk looking out of the window where the school's track was located.

"You're cool today." Kuronue noticed.

"Hm? Maybe."

"Maybe? Dude, you took a knee to the nuts yesterday. The least you could do is be upset."

"I'm not and FYI, I was struck in the abdomen thankfully. I have other things on my mind anyway."

"Oh, yeah? Like what? Oh! Did you find Ikeda's Instagram page?"

"I did. Her TikTok as well. Was there a reason for me to do that?"

"I don't know. Maybe…you wanted to get to know her or something."

"I take it you have?"

"Tried," Kuronue sulked. "I've sent her five requests and she's denied every single one. Blocked me too."

"Rightfully so. What was the goal anyway?"

"Dude, I wanted to see if I could surprise her with something. Anything! Girls like it when guys surprise them with random stuff."

"Stalker mentality is precisely why I block creeps like you." Kiyoni stated.

"Ah! H-hey…"

"Hi."

"Good morning, Ikeda," Shuichi welcomed. "Thank you for accepting my friend request."

"Well, it was the least I could do. It's actually part one."

Both boys repeated, "Part one?"

Kiyoni bashfully sighed, "Yes. My parents found out about what I did and after discovering the money I had and scolding me to death, they both suggested that I perform a proper apology to you."

Kuronue teased, "So you didn't go out and buy manga?"

"No. Instead I used the money along with my allowance to buy some supplies to make this." Upon bowing to Shuichi, Kiyoni presented a small, cherry red gift box, "Please accept this as a token of my remorse."

"Oh." Shuichi accepted, "What is it?"

In the box is a beach themed charm bracelet complete with starfish charms, shells, and pearls. Kuronue chuckled at the trinket.

"Seriously? Eh, you know boys don't wear bracelets like that, right? That and there's the 'no-jewelry-at-school' policy. A watch would've been better."

Shuichi studied the piece of jewelry while Kiyoni educated Kuronue on the intricacies of gender norms. The bracelet reminded Shuichi of the dream he had yesterday and the images that stood out. He also remembered the video of Kiyoni dining on the beach with her mother. He had no choice but to honor the gift.

"They do now," Shuichi proclaimed as he wore the bracelet, hiding it within a sleeve so as to not get caught. "Many thanks, Ikeda. It's very nice. Did you make it yourself?"

"It's a hobby I don't talk about much," Kiyoni bragged, "That and it's inspired by my faith."

"Yemoja, yes?"

"...Yeah. You…?"

"I watched a few of your videos, yes. Yemaya, orisha of the sea and oceans."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's right," Kiyoni beamed.

"Cool. Well, thanks again for the gift."

"So…does this mean we're cool now?"

"I think so, yes."

"Cool, great," Kiyoni bowed again. "Thanks."

"Ikeda?"

"Yes?"

"On second thought, we're not even just yet."

"Eh?"

"I'll accept your apology on one condition."

"That is…?"

Kuronue smirked, Haha! Time to make her pay.

Shuichi offered, "The national tournament's qualifying round is tomorrow. I'd be honored if you could attend."

"Wait…" Kiyoni recalled, "you're asking me to come to your swim meet?"

"Yes. That is…if you're not doing anything."

"Well…okay. I'll be there."

"I'm not finished. When is your next game?"

"Game? Volleyball? Eh…in two days? It's a home game."

"Excellent. I'll be there. Just to be fair."

"Cool. I appreciate it."

Classes were about to begin but Kuronue couldn't shake what just happened, "Hold on. What just happened? What was that all about?"

"Mending fences, building bridges. Not only that but…I think we may have a common interest that I'd like to investigate." Shuichi admitted while fidgeting with his bracelet.

Kuronue didn't buy it for a second, "Riiiiiight. Common interest."

It was the final swim practice before the tournament which meant that every member of the team had to get serious. So serious that practice started with what was called "suicide by water". Done relay style, each member of the team had to complete a full lap back and forth twice before emerging from the water. When it was Shuichi's turn, he went in full force. The first lap went well. However, at the beginning of the second, his mind started to wander. It started underwater. Even though Shuichi wore goggles and could see that he was in a pool, flashes of an underwater world graced his sight.

What…? Is this an illusion?

Part two were the voices. The sounds of his teammates were replaced by a feminine voice. The same one from his dream.

"...Kurama…"

Directly in the middle of the pool, Shuichi stopped swimming, furiously looking around for the source of that noise. A couple of whistle blows brought him back to reality.

"Oi, Minamino," the coach called. "What do you think you're doing? Keep it moving!"

Shuichi kept swimming, "Sorry, coach!"

On the other end, rival Karasu emerged from the pool smirking over Shuichi's faux pas. Since when did Shuichi become a daydreamer? Approaching the second half of his second lap, Shuichi got back in the game. Unfortunately, his mind turned dark once again. This time came in the form of his shadow. Normal, one second. Piscine the next.

Huh?

Things only got worse from there. Upon looking at his lower body, Shuichi noticed that he had legs but his feet were replaced with fins, fins in shades of aqua green. The shock forced him to jump from the water just before he finished his lap.

The coach blew the whistle again, "Oi! Minamino! Out of the water, now!"

Shuichi left the pool as quickly as he could, "Yes, coach."

"What the heck is wrong with you? Huh? What's gotten into ya?"

"Coach, I know it may sound crazy but something happened while I was in there."

"I can see that. You're not as focused as you used to be. What's going on?"

"This!" Shuichi directed, "This! Look at this!"

Everyone within earshot looked down at Shuichi's legs, wondering what he was screaming about.

"What about them?" the coach asked.

"They're…they're…" And there it was. Upon looking down, Shuichi noticed he was normal from head-to-toe, "What? They were…they were fins just a moment ago."

"Alright. That's it. Go home, Minamino."

"Coach, I swear! I had fins! I can prove it!"

"Given the stakes, there's no way in hell I'm risking any chance to miss out on the tournament. You're one of the best swimmers I got and I need you to be in top shape so go home."

"But coach–!"

The whistle was blown the loudest after that. Coach will hear no more protest. Shuichi took the hint, returning to the locker room to change. Alone, Shuichi gave it some thought and concluded that the coach was right. Shuichi was off his game today and with less than twenty-four hours until the tournament, perhaps some time off is necessary.

"What's happening to me," he whispered to himself.

"Nervous are we, Minamino?" Karasu teasingly questioned, startling Shuichi.

"No. Not at all. Why would I be?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the 'Help me, help me! I'm growing fins' line you just delivered."

"Knock it off. I'm fine," as was proven by Shuichi getting his hygiene products in order.

"Riiiiiiiight. Keep thinking that way. I'll be glad to take the reins once you fall. It'll be my honor to lead this team to victory."

"If you say so," and with that, Shuichi headed for the showers.

Afterwards, loyal friend Kuronue waited for Shuichi out on the school's courtyard. Shuichi was not happy and Kuronue was nervous to ask why. He asked anyway.

"Hey, man. What's up?"

"I blew it during practice today."

"What? You? I can expect anyone else but…not you. Why?"

"If I told you, you would think I'm crazy."

"This coming from someone who got their ass kicked by a girl only to become friends with said girl…yeah, you may have a point. Tell me anyway."

And Shuichi did every detail. Making sure to insert bits of his dream for context. After a moment, Kuronue came to a conclusion.

"Really? That's it? Dude, you had me worried for a moment."

"Eh?"

"Duh. You're just worried about the tournament. That's all that is. I have dreams like that too. Of course, none of them involve water but… Remember that math exam last week? I had dreams where I was caught in a bamboo trap in the middle of a forest except the bamboo stalks were all ones like the number one and when I bled out, it was nothing but numbers. I hate division with a passion now."

"So you think my dreams have something to do with the tournament?"

"Yeah! You're just feeling the pressure that's all. Coach was right to let you out early. You sound like you could use it."

"Could be." In the corner of Shuichi's eye, he caught Kiyoni exiting the school alone and on her phone, "Say, Kuronue…?"

"Yeah?"

"I…I'll catch you later," and with that, Shuichi headed for Kiyoni.

"Huh? Hey! Wait, what are you–? Ohhhh."

"Ikeda?" Shuichi gestured while on a light run, "Ikeda?"

"Hm? Oh, hey, Minamino." Kiyoni noticed.

"Alone today?"

"It's no big deal. What's up?"

"Nothing much. I was…just wondering if I could…walk you home?"

"Are you sure? It may be out of your way."

"Worth a shot. Do you mind?"

"Hold on," Kiyoni stepped closer, gazing into Shuichi's eyes.

Out of fear, Shuichi took a step back. No way was he going to experience another beatdown from his classmate.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you this time." Kiyoni assured.

"Then…what are you doing?"

"My mom always told me that I have a high sense of intuition. Said intuition is telling me to use it on you."

"What do you mean?"

"Stand still. Let me see." And so, Kiyoni did. What she found was a bit confusing but it was enough to initiate a conversation, "You're worried about something."

"Me? No, I'm not worried about anything. Nothing at all. Well, unless you want to count the tournament tomorrow, then, maybe."

"No, it's not that. It's something else. Something bigger."

Shuichi attempted to deflect, "Oh, so you're a psychic now? Well, that makes three things I know about you."

"Come again?"

"One, you're the vice captain of the volleyball team. Two, you're into making jewelry. Three, you're a psychic."

Kiyoni relented, beginning to leave, "Nevermind."

Shuichi protested, "No, no, no, no, no. Don't…don't walk away like that. Please? I apologize. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot after the trouble you went through. I apologize for that. Start over?"

Kiyoni kept it moving, "...Okay. What's up?"

"I…wanted to ask you more about Yemoja, if I may."

"What about her?"

"Well, that's what I'm asking you."

"You seem to know the basics already. She's an orisha, a goddess. The oceans and seas are her domain however, she can also be associated as a fertility goddess. You know, since water helps in growing plants and nourishing animals and humans and stuff. The Shinto god, Suijin, would be her Japanese counterpart, I think."

"You seem to know her well."

"Well…I guess you can blame my mom for that. Blue is her favorite color and since she's of Nigerian descent, she decided to reconnect to her roots and convert to Ifa. She's currently training to be a babalawo under Yemoja's discipleship. Raised me on it ever since. It's kinda inspirational in a way."

"How so?"

"Well, even though there are others like me in Japan, Yemoja reminds me of how…divine, confident I can be in a sea full of…those who don't look like me. Especially in a country like Japan."

"I see. So what led you to making jewelry like this?"

"Yemoja. I mean, she's dripped in stuff like that and makes it look flawless. I had this wild idea that when my boobs come in, I'm gonna wear starfish shaped pasties just like her. I'll have a crown made of crystalized sand adored with the most beautiful stones I can find, wear necklaces full of shells, and just…ahhhh. I can't wait."

Shuichi found Kiyoni's dream humorous, "Sounds like quite the plan, like you wanna be just like her when you grow up."

"I do! If she can be herself and have people worship her, then so can I."

"And she's…a mermaid?"

"Well she's kinda like a shapeshifter. She can be a mermaid if she wants to. Something like a ningyo over here."

"A ningyo…"

Kiyoni took a quick peek using the corner of her eye; her claircognizance kicked in again, "And there it is."

"What?"

"That feeling again. It's come back."

"What feeling?"

"You. Remember when I said you look like there's something big on your mind? It's that."

"Alright." Shuichi admitted, "Maybe…there is. It may seem a little ludicrous but…would you mind if I…share something with you?"

"Eh…I guess so if it'll help you feel better."

"Promise you won't think I'm weird?"

"You're on my good side so far so…sure."

For the better part of the trip, Shuichi confessed everything he possibly could to Kiyoni. His dreams, his feelings, his assumptions, and the responses he had received from everyone he's shared his news with. Kiyoni, being the understandable friend she wanted to be to Shuichi, was going to be added to that list. Despite that, her reply gave Shuichi a sliver of hope.

"I can't believe I'm saying this…" she acquiesced in a whispering tone while riding a commuter train, "but I kinda agree with Misaki on this. Initially. Your dreams could be a response to the stress you feel about the tournament. That's on the surface though. No pun intended. Underneath that…maybe…there's a part of you that hasn't been reached yet."

"A part of me?"

"Yeah. You keep talking about a light at the end of the tunnel and that usually means that there's something waiting for you on the other side or there's something worth reaching, achieving."

"Okay but what about the faceless woman? The name she gave me? The illusions?"

"Don't know about the woman. Yemoja has been seen with and without a face so… That'd be cool if it was Yemoja though. Like I said before, the orisha chooses their worshippers and can do so in simple or elaborate ways such as a dream. As far as the name or illusions…anxiety?"

"Anxiety?"

"Yeah. Perhaps you're thinking about tomorrow so much that these illusions are your mind's way of escaping reality just to keep it from going insane. A defense mechanism. When your coach kicked you out, the body followed. Or maybe, with the name thing, it's your mind wishing you could be someone else. Do you wish you were someone else?"

Shuichi thought about it, "Actually…sometimes…I feel like I'm something else."

"Something else?"

"It's strange, I know but…perhaps… At times, I feel like I belong in another world, different from this one."

"So your brain created an imaginary scenario for you where you are in a different world and since you're a swimmer, you're a…merman in that world."

"That…makes a sufficient amount of sense. How do you know so much about stuff like this?"

"Well, for one, Yemoja kinda rules the house I live in so things related to water are all I see. Reason number two is that I own a dream dictionary and reason three is that I kinda want to go into psychology after high school."

That was a surprise, "Ah. Impressive."

"Looks like my stop is coming up. What about you?"

"Actually, I'm two stops after you."

"Oh, okay. I'll tell you what. I'll bring my dictionary with me tomorrow so you can look at it the next time you have that dream again. Might give you some more answers."

"That would help me out a lot. Thank you."

The train opened its doors after stopping. It was time for Kiyoni to go.

"Cool. I'll see you tomorrow then. Later."

"Later. Thanks again."

With a smile and wave, Kiyoni departed feeling intrigued over what just happened. Shuichi stayed on board feeling the same way. While all of his questions weren't met with answers, some of them were and that was enough to ease Shuichi's apprehensions. Arriving home, Shuichi reported to his room to study and think about his conversation with Kiyoni. Bottom line, he made a new friend today. An intellectual, athletic, and kinda cute one at that. Things can only go up from here.