Kurumu could not stop shivering. She clung tightly to Manami beneath a heavy, black blanket they had pulled out of the closet. They were seated on a second blanket since the floor was too cold to have bare skin against for too long. Little white clouds escaped their lips with every breath.

Manami was in her human form. The girl was gently running her fingers through Kurumu's arctic blue hair. To make things warmer, both of them had parted with their swimsuits.

"So cold."

"I know. The temperature down here rarely gets over four degrees."

Kurumu rubbed her cheek against Manami's bare chest.

"How are you not freezing?"

"I thought you went to Yukimura. Surely that was colder."

Kurumu whimpered, recalling her trip to Mizore's frigid town.

"But I had clothes."

"Our swimsuits should have dried out by now."

"That's not clothes."

"Do you want to put your gear back on?"

Kurumu grimaced, not daring to lift her head from the warmth of Manami's body. But Manami was right about the gear being warm. That kappa had called it an ADS capable of withstanding the pressure at depths down to two thousand meters. It was superior to the ones made by humans and had been worn by Fairy Tale workers during the construction of the dome about Umiman.

"What time is it?"

"Almost seven thirty."

Kurumu relaxed her grip on Manami, shifting back to sit more squarely on her rump. The blanket parted, allowing the chill of the room to invade their warm place. She whined when Manami tugged the bit of blanket off her head, exposing her to the room.

The lighting in this room was provided by plants. This glowing foliage was behind slits of glass set into the ceiling. It was not particularly bright but it was better than the abyss outside.

Her eyes settled on the digital clock framed in the far wall. Seven two seven. She had survived her first night in Aranami, though her sleep had been sporadic. She had woken up at least five times with most of those times being in a panic. Manami had to soothe her back to sleep as she irrationally cried over her situation. The one time she had not been distraught, she had desperately needed to empty her bladder. Thinking about that now, she wondered how that toilet even worked.

She glanced to her right, noting the nearest panel was still open. They had found these blankets in sealed packages stored in the middle panel closet. The last panel was for the small pantry. Dinner last night had been stale rice crackers with tea. Not that she had been in any mood to care.

"Is Tarumi coming back?"

Kurumu shuddered when Manami stood up beside her. The nude girl pranced across the room to where they had left their swimsuits. The diving gear was stacked off to the side closer to the hatch.

"No idea. But we should eat something and head out ourselves. I'm sure that my parents are expecting you at some point today."

Kurumu grabbed the edges of the blanket, pulling the coarse fabric tighter about her shoulders. She shifted her legs beneath her, slowly getting up as Manami donned her bikini bottoms. Shivering, Kurumu shuffled across the room. She whimpered when her feet touched the icy floor.

"You have to stay with me."

Manami giggled, tying her bikini top about her torso. She adjusted the fabric to cover her dark nipples.

"Are you sure that Ms. Shuzen wasn't just trying to scare you?"

Kurumu whined as she stopped an arm's length away from the undine.

"She was but that doesn't mean her visions aren't true."

Manami snatched up Kurumu's swimsuit. Twirling about, the undine presented it to Kurumu.

"Come on. Get dressed and we can eat something."

Steeling her nerves, Kurumu let go of the blanket. She shuddered as the chilly air embraced her exposed skin. Her nipples instantly hardened into fat, pink erasers as she took her swimsuit from Manami. She stumbled in her haste to thrust her legs inside the fabric but Manami grabbed hold of her shoulders to steady her. Murmuring her thanks, she hastily finished the task of covering her thighs and ass.

"What else is there to eat?"

Manami shrugged, letting go of Kurumu as the succubus pulled the one piece swimsuit up to her tits. Kurumu slipped her head and arms through the appropriate holes in the fabric as the undine sauntered over to the pantry. Manami pushed the inset that sprung the panel free, moving it aside.

"There's another package of rice crackers in here. Seaweed chips. Oh! Takoyaki!"

Manami pulled out a bag with a wide smile, presenting it to Kurumu. Kurumu managed a smile, darting over to her gear while adjusting the upper hem of her swimsuit.

"I suppose that is good. Help me get this on first."

Manami sounded an affirmative, dropping the bag on the floor. As the undine approached, Kurumu frantically shifted the gear about to find the opening. She stepped into the suit as Manami hunkered down to help. Bending over, Kurumu wiggled her foot deeper into the gear's leg. With Manami's help, they quickly got her foot into the heavy boot.

"When I get back, I have to tell Yukari about my trip to the moon."

"You're going to the moon?"

Kurumu whimpered piteously as she struggled to get her right foot into the other leg of this gear.

"Don't you think this gear looks like a spacesuit?"

"Still making jokes about that."

Kurumu could not recall if she had participated in those jokes yesterday. It was not like there had been that much time between putting on the suit and starting their journey. Takanuma had been the most vocal about the absurdity of the gear, teasing Akenuma for his ignorance over his uncle's clientele needing such suits. Akenuma argued it was not like he knew every detail about his uncle's business.

"Do you want to use your hands or shall I feed you?"

Kurumu shivered as they finally got the suit up over her hips. She was freezing but she also understood Manami's query. The thick gloves at the end of the arms of her gear were not great for precision work. She flexed her fingers, unsure how much feeling she had in her digits even now.

"I should put the whole suit on. How are your hands not freezing?"

Manami giggled as Kurumu leaned forward to grab up the suit. She wiggled her hand into the left sleeve as Manami stood up to help.

"Probably because I'm an undine. I'm used to this."

Kurumu frowned as she wiggled her hand deeper into the chilly sleeve. Her aching fingertips were finally in the glove at the end. With a little more effort, she had her fingers in the correct slots.

"Nagisa is an undine and she refused to go to Yukimura because it would be too cold."

"Ms. Taniguchi is from Ikinakawa. She complained about the water in Umiman being too cold and that's easily ten degrees warmer than the water outside the barrier."

Kurumu lacked the will to argue against that, having no idea what the conditions in Ikinakawa were like. She hauled the suit up over her bosom, worming her right hand into the other sleeve. The diving suit was already starting to warm up from her body heat when she succeeded getting her fingers into the other glove. Manami slipped behind Kurumu, securing the suit seams on the back.

"That feels so much warmer."

"Hopefully you don't have to pee."

Kurumu trembled as she felt the suit tightened up in the back.

"No. I'm good. If anything, I'm thirsty."

Manami giggled, prancing away from her. The undine reached into the open pantry.

"Well we have tea and tea."

Kurumu smirked, shuffling towards Manami as the undine presented the bottled drinks. Her body felt heavy and her movements were sluggish, but at least she was warming up. Her face was still cold.

"Considering how much we were warned about squishing, I'm surprised he has bottled drinks here."

Manami shrugged, bending over to fetch the bag of takoyaki.

"Mr. Akenuma must have these things brought here in a pressurized container. Drink?"

Kurumu held her gloved hand out but did not try to grab the tea. She lifted the glove up to her face, trying to judge if feeding herself was even possible. She lowered her hand.

"You'll have to take the top off for me."

Manami nodded, twisting the cap off. She presented the drink which Kurumu awkwardly took. These gloves were so thick that it was hard to tell if she had it securely in her hand without looking. Bringing her other glove beneath, she lifted the bottle carefully up.

Some tea splashed on her face, causing her to flinch. The liquid was as frigid as the rest of the room. She angled the bottle and her mouth better to feel the plastic against her lips. She gulped down three hearty swallows before lowering the bottle.

"Better?"

"Can we sit down?"

Manami snickered, lowering onto her knees in an instant.

"Can you?"

Kurumu pouted, knowing that would be hard for her.

"At least take my drink first."

Manami acknowledged her request, sparing her the trouble of getting down with the drink. It took some effort but Kurumu eventually ended up on her rump against the wall below the clock. She murmured her thanks when Manami handed back her drink.

In relative silence, they enjoyed a simple meal of takoyaki and tea. Mr. Ranryuu had not been joking about getting a hot meal in before heading out. This was going to be a very long week.

Kurumu popped the last takoyaki into her mouth, chewing slowly as Manami balled up the plastic bag. After swallowing, she brought the bottle up to her lips to take another sip of tea. Her stomach grumbled in protest but not out of hunger. Like the rice crackers, these takoyaki balls tasted stale.

"After we visit your parents, do we have anything else to do?"

Manami shrugged, crushing her empty tea bottle.

"We could do a tour of the town."

"It's pitch black out there."

"I know. But I want to at least show you our school."

Kurumu drained her tea before handing the empty bottle to Manami. She swallowed with a gasp.

"Guess we could check out that grocery and novelty store you guys mentioned yesterday."

"Yea. Maybe we could even play a game of nipping tails."

Kurumu grumbled, leaning the back of her head against the wall.

"I should have done a weekend instead of a whole week."

"I'm sorry there isn't much to do down here. I'll hang out with you as much as I can."

Kurumu glanced up, lacking any desire to move.

"What time is it?"

Manami shifted forward, cocking her head.

"Almost eight. Want to head out?"

Kurumu groaned with indecision. As much as this room felt like a prison, it was safe. She patted the breast pocket of her suit, confirming that the key to her locker in Umiman was still present.

"Yea. Help me up?"

Manami hopped to her feet, holding her arms out. Kurumu grabbed the undine by the forearms, letting the slender girl lift her off the floor. She staggered upright, letting go of Manami's arms. Once free, the undine bounded over to the hatch, pressing the button to summon Mr. Akenuma.

"Want your helmet?"

Kurumu smiled as Manami bent over to pick the heavy thing up.

"I won't need that until he fetches my oxygen tanks."

Manami nodded, hefting the helmet into her arms. She sauntered over to the door for the adjacent compartment with the equipment.

"Do you think we can get that ourselves?"

The whir of an engine sounded from the compartment, drawing Kurumu's attention to the hatch. She glanced at the digital clock, watching two full minutes pass before the whir stopped. The squeal of the wheel sounded as it was turned on the other side, coming to a clanking stop. The metal hinges groaned as the hatch swung into the room, revealing two figures in the small antechamber.

Mr. Akenuma stepped over the lip first, wearing that tight black fabric about his loins. As he was in his true form, his coral pink eyes were huge with a narrow gap between them. His scarlet locks dripped down to his shoulders. His leathery skin had a muddy green hue.

"Looks like you are already dressed. I assume you want your equipment."

Kurumu nodded as the other figure entered their room. This slender undine had wavy, scarlet locks and the same coral pink eyes. Black strings tied about the lithe torso were supporting deep red triangles of fabric which covered a slight bosom. A matching triangle of fabric was secured between the legs of this presumably female undine.

"Who is this?"

Mr. Akenuma motioned for Manami to move away from the door.

"That's my baby girl, Hiyori."

The latch loudly complained when he tugged it. The door hinges creaked as it swung open.

"She'll be taking over this hotel when I retire since none of her older siblings wanted to."

"I never promised that."

Mr. Akenuma chuckled, disappearing into the adjacent compartment.

"She'll be going with you to Yokai Academy."

Manami giggled as the man shifted something with a clatter.

"Kurumu will be leaving sooner than that."

"Maybe I should send her to school early. Get her used to the environment on the surface."

"Fine by me. Nothing to do in this dead town."

Mr. Akenuma staggered out of the adjacent room, holding the oxygen tanks in his arms.

"Feeling any better, Ms. Kurono?"

"She must be. We've been up for almost an hour and she hasn't been crying like before."

Kurumu blushed, turning about as the chuckling owner approached. She fished her arms through the loops of the harness for the tank.

"That's good to hear."

"Why would you be crying?"

Kurumu whimpered at the daughter's genuine confusion.

"It's terrifying down here. Everything is dark and I wouldn't even be able to breathe without this suit."

The girl cocked her head, reminding Kurumu how poorly suited an undine's face was at conveying emotions. Those huge eyes and thin lips about a mouth riddled with jagged fangs were better at causing fear than any sort of empathy.

"Then why even come here?"

"Ms. Kurono is dating my brother."

Kurumu heard a hiss when the oxygen tank was connected to the nozzle on the back of the suit. The hotel owner continued to tighten the straps of the harness about her waist and shoulders.

"You should put your helmet on now. I'm assuming old man Dorohiki told you about the alarm?"

Kurumu nodded as Manami came over with the helmet.

"Yea. He said if I heard the tank start to beep that it meant I only had a half hour left in the tank."

"That's correct. A half hour should be enough time to get back here if you stay close to the town."

Kurumu shuddered, hunkering down as Manami lifted up on her toes. She brought her hands up to help hold some of the weight as the undine guided the helmet over Kurumu's head. Manami lowered the rim down, shifting until it fit in the collar groove of the suit. The helmet was twisted so the glass panel was directly in front of Kurumu's face before Manami started securing the collar latches.

"Can I go with them?"

"I thought you were going to help me today."

"She's your only guest this week. What would I even help with?"

Mr. Akenuma chuckled, stalking back to the open compartment.

"I suppose you can. I'll get that scooter of yours."

Kurumu smiled, gesturing at the girl in the father's absence.

"So Hiyori. Are you planning to join the gymnastics club with Manami and Tarumi?"

The girl gave no response, confusing Kurumu. Manami tapped her shoulder, drawing her attention. Her friend had already shifted back into her true form.

"Don't forget that we can barely hear you when you talk inside that suit."

Kurumu took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. Mr. Akenuma stepped out of the adjacent chamber with her motorized scooter in hand. He pushed the heavy door shut, tugging on the lever to secure it.

'Can you hear me now?'

The girl backed off, turning to face Manami.

"Did she just speak directly into my mind?!"

"Mhm. It's one of her special powers."

Mr. Akenuma chuckled, handing Kurumu the motorized scooter.

"Pretty useful considering most predators down here hunt by sound. Too bad this scooter isn't quiet."

Kurumu grunted when the full weight of the scooter settled in her gloves. This thing was heavier than the helmet. Between the two black handles was a panel with buttons that turned on the fans and the central light mounted on the front. There was also a dial which controlled the scooter's speed though this was no match for her undine friends even at the highest setting. Beneath the panel were two fans enclosed within a cylinder mesh to prevent debris from damaging the blades.

'You have predators down here?'

Mr. Akenuma smirked, motioning for them to follow as he made his way to the open hatch.

"Of course. Though most recognize our undine scent in time to avoid contact."

He stepped over the lip and gestured again, prompting them to join him.

"But our hunters have ways to mask their scent so we don't go hungry."

Kurumu grunted as she lifted her foot over the lip, following the daughter into the antechamber. She hefted her other foot to this side of the barrier, drifting away from the opening to make room for Manami. Once the girl was inside, Mr. Akenuma leaned out to grab hold of the wheel. The door hinges squealed when he pulled the hatch back, casting the room into complete darkness. Kurumu felt about the panel to turn on the light as the man spun the wheel to secure the seal.

'Your nephew said that you have two of these rooms.'

Mr. Akenuma nodded, opening up a panel. He pushed a button which caused a device to whir. Water started to pour into the room around their feet.

"That's right. Fairy Tale compensated me quite handsomely to open up this hotel for them back in the eighties. Before that their only communication with Aranami and Suichuutoshi was through people able to make the swim from Umiman."

Kurumu thought that sounded familiar as the water level reached the scooter in her hands.

'Suichuutoshi?'

"A huge mermaid settlement. It's another three hours from here so surface folk have to use my hotel as a replenish station to get there."

Kurumu remembered now as the water reached the top of the room. The loud whirring continued as the pressure about them was increased.

'So they have a similar hotel there?'

"Operated by Shirahadou, a guy I met during the short time I worked for Fairy Tale. We helped with the construction of the dome about Umiman."

'An undine?'

"From Umiman. We had a lot in common. Neither of us had attended high school and we both had joined Fairy Tale with the hopes of getting out of our home towns. But after I met Hiyori's mother, I changed my mind. Fairy Tale agreed to let me out of their ranks if I opened up this hotel."

Kurumu shuddered as the weight about her became oppressive. She hated this sensation.

'So this friend of yours opened that hotel to get out of Umiman.'

"Mr. Shirahadou is a sleazy womanizer. He only went to Suichuutoshi to sleep around."

"Well mermaids aren't known for their intelligence. And since mermen tend to be volatile and barely sentient, Shirahadou has no shortage of ladies willing to mate with him."

Kurumu felt like she knew the answer before asking. Mermaids were very similar to harpies in that their communities were almost entirely female. Unless this Shirahadou wanted to marry, he would never be pressured to.

'Does he have kids?'

Mr. Akenuma chuckled, drifting by them to seize the wheel of the other hatch. He grunted, giving the wheel a turn. It squealed as he succeeded rotating the locking mechanism.

"Who knows? Mermaids tend to eat any babies deemed weak or imperfect. He's been there about fifteen years so he might have one or two teenage daughters whom survived the weeding out process."

Kurumu grimaced as the hinges groaned in protest. She was familiar with what he was talking about. Not long ago, the older mermaids at Yokai Academy had found a merman to breed with. Then these seniors decided to kill most of the first years. The two survivors would be third years soon.

"This way."

Mr. Akenuma motioned for them to exit the small chamber, securing the hatch open. His daughter was quick to head out, drifting out of vision. Kurumu hopped up from the floor, kicking her legs as she held on the scooter. She lazily exited the chamber with Manami keeping at her side.

On her left was another open hatch with a small antechamber beyond. Surmising that was for the other special room, Kurumu continued down the murky hall. There were more open doors along this hall, giving access to flooded rooms. She counted three on each side but there may have been one more on her right that she had not noticed.

The hall opened up into a lobby which was decorated by glowing plants. A stone or metal counter was on her right with an opening behind it. The rest of the room was vacant.

Motion caught her attention. A door had been pulled back near the spot the daughter was waiting. A familiar undine slithered through the opening. The fanged mouth parted below the huge peridot eyes as the undine waved a webbed hand.

"Morning, Kurumu."

Kurumu snorted at Tarumi's greeting as she drifted over to the undines without turning on the scooter.

'As if anyone could tell this is morning.'

"You seem in a better mood."

"I'm still freaked out that she can talk directly into my head."

Tarumi laughed at Hiyori, treading backwards through the open door.

"Yea. That's kind of cool. This is Hiyori."

"She was already introduced."

Tarumi motioned for them to join her outside.

"I know. I was about to say that she would be coming with us to Yokai Academy."

Kurumu laughed as she drifted through the opening with Manami still at her side.

'I was told that too. I was going to ask her which club she was joining.'

"I haven't thought too much about that. I'll just join whatever club Kiwi joins."

'Kiwi?'

"Takikawa. She has a superiority complex since her grandfather is one of the three town elders."

Manami giggled, waving her hand dismissively.

"She's no worse than Ms. Masataka. A little snobbish but not insufferable."

"You two just say that because Kiwi is smarter than you both."

Tarumi shrugged indifferently.

"I won't deny that. So where are we heeded?"

There was barely anything to see within the range of the scooter's light. Unlike the three girls whom were floating in the darkness, Kurumu's feet were planted on the rugged ground. Behind them was the smooth wall of the hotel. The structure had no windows. Hiyori must have closed that door during the conversation. Another glance about confirmed that it was the only structure in her vision.

"I should swing by my house first and see what my parents have planned."

The other girls agreed with Manami's suggestion, starting off. Manami lingered, beckoning for Kurumu. Kurumu managed a smile, jumping off the ground. She touched the control panel to turn on the scooter, twisting the dial to speed it up. She swept her legs up as the device hummed beneath her, propelling her forwards. Manami effortlessly kept up with her.

They progressed in silence for roughly a minute. Nothing of importance came into Kurumu's view. It was just like the long journey to Aranami. She saw her companions and the rugged ground below. If they had also been wearing these suits, it would have really felt like she was on the moon. It was like they were the only living beings in this bleak, desolate world.

The shape of a wall coalesced ahead of the two girls in the lead. Both stopped, waiting on Manami and Kurumu to arrive moments later. Taking the hint, Kurumu turned down the dial before pushing the button to shut off the fans. Her feet settled to the ground as Manami drifted over to a door.

"I'll be back in a moment."

Manami tugged the door open just enough to slip inside. The door closed behind her.

"Father wasn't kidding about that thing being noisy."

Kurumu smiled softly, holding the scooter closer to her.

'Really? Sounds as loud as your voice.'

"Well we are in undine territory. It's not like my voice will scare food away."

Tarumi pointed a talon at the darkness.

"You can see my house over there."

Kurumu glanced, seeing nothing but the abyss.

'I only see black.'

"But that light is so bright. I can see most of the town."

"Obviously she lacks the same vision as us. See how small her eyes are."

"Oh yea. That must suck."

Kurumu laughed softly within the crushing darkness. As she regarded the rugged terrain beneath her, a thought popped into her head.

'How far can you see?'

"With your light, pretty far. Glowsticks tend to be good enough to avoid things but we can use our sonar if we decide to swim without any light."

'You can swim without light?'

"Of course. Unlike Ms. Yukawa, pure blood undines don't need light."

Kurumu frowned at Tarumi's answer.

'How do you not get lost?'

Tarumi giggled with a shake of her head.

"The trail between Umiman and Aranami have folks like my father commuting along it regularly. The path is so obvious that you'd have to be intentionally swimming away from it to get lost."

That did not help at all.

'Are there obvious landmarks along the trail that your sonar picks up?'

Tarumi paused, cocking her head.

"I've never thought about using my sonar along the trail."

"It's scent, Ms. Kurono. My father mentioned it earlier."

Kurumu gasped in realization.

'You can tell the path because other undines often go that way.'

"That's what I just said."

Hiyori snickered, turning her head aside.

"She was still thinking in terms of sight and sound. Our scent also keeps that trail between Aranami and Umiman safe. Only desperate predators were dare try to fight against an undine."

Kurumu felt slightly better hearing that. Now she only had to worry about the hostile environment which was able to destroy her in the blink of an eye.

'How many kids from Aranami graduated with you this year?'

"Nine. Same as last year."

"I bet she's more curious over how many will end up at Yokai Academy."

The younger undine paused.

"I know Kiwi and Kaiko are. Obviously Mako is.

'Mako?'

"Urafune. His grandfather is another one of our town elders, making him Kiwi's rival."

"Idai must be going to Yokai Academy. It would be weird if he didn't after his sister just graduated."

"I have no idea about Idai but Naiki will most likely stay glued to Mako's side."

Kurumu was about to ask whom these kids were when the door shifted. Manami slithered out from behind the door, pushing it shut. She drifted over to them.

"My mom won't have things ready for a visit today and Dad has something planned for tomorrow. The earliest you could come over is Tuesday."

Kurumu frowned at the revelation.

'Did they not know I was coming?'

"Mom knew but Dad didn't. I guess Dad hasn't been home in weeks."

'I thought both of your parents protested my request to come here.'

"I don't know, Kurumu. Dad said I should show you around the town while they have a serious talk with Nijiro about this. I'm to be home by dinner and will be leaving tonight. Dad wants to spend a day in the human world with us. We won't be back until Tuesday morning."

Kurumu digested the explanation, guessing that the father had made plans unaware of her arrival.

'Okay. Tuesday is fine with me. But Tarumi will have to keep me company.'

Tarumi's lips pulled back in a sinister grin as the undine held the talon of her thumb up.

"You can count on that. Where should we take her first?"

"I was thinking that we should start with the school since its farthest from the hotel."

Tarumi nodded at Manami's suggestion.

"Makes sense with her being on a time limit. It's this way."

Tarumi twirled about and started swimming away. Hiyori was quick to follow, prompting Kurumu to kick off the ground. She quickly turned the scooter on, twisting the dial to the max. She shot forward, trying to keep the girls in sight as Manami gliding through the thick water beside her.

Kurumu appreciated the fact that Tarumi was swimming along a row of structures on the right. Figuring that these were residences, this made Kurumu feel like she was in an actual community despite her inability to see more than one home at a time. They passed by dozens of homes which were spread out more than the structures of the human world above.

It was at least five minutes before she reached what must have been the end of the residential area. Her light was unable to penetrate the darkness about her for a stretch of two or three minutes. She shivered at the fear of the unknown, relying on her friends to save her.

A smooth wall materialized at the edge of her vision. Noting that the undines ahead of her had stopped, Kurumu twisted the dial to slow her scooter as more of the wall came into view. Just like the residences before, it was difficult to say how tall the structure was with how quickly it slipped into darkness.

"Go ahead and turn that off. We can help you around if you need it."

Kurumu complied with Tarumi's instruction, letting her momentum carry her the rest of the way. Before her feet could settle down upon the uneven terrain, Manami grabbed hold of her side and steered her towards a huge opening in the smooth wall.

"You'll probably be disappointed. It's nothing like Yokai Academy."

Ducking through the opening, Kurumu immediately noticed the glowing plants lining the upper corner of the wall and ceiling. The light of her scooter drowned out the natural luminescence, revealing doors on the left side of this hall. Kanji was etched in the metal sign by the first door, identifying it as the admin office. The next door down was for the teachers' lounge.

Tarumi darted down a hallway which opened up on their right. Hiyori followed close behind, gesturing at them. Kurumu angled with Manami's coaxing, helping the undine steer her into the corridor.

Like the first corridor, the upper corners were lined with the glowing plants. After a short stretch, they passed by a set of heavy, closed doors. The sign for the door on her right declared the room was for the first grade while the one across the hall was for the second grade. Another set of doors a little further down the hall was for the third and fourth grades.

'One room per grade.'

"Mhm. I think the largest class has been eighteen with my brother's class being one of the smallest since it only had seven."

They passed by doors for the fifth and sixth grades but the hall continued to one more set of doors.

'Sounds like yours was not that much bigger.'

"We had thirteen."

Kurumu frowned as they arrived at the end of the hall. The door to the right was labeled as the art room while the other door was for music.

'But I was just told your class only had nine.'

Manami laughed, catching the attention of their companions.

"Tarumi meant junior high. Not everyone goes to junior high."

Kurumu balked at the notion that parents would discontinue a child's education before junior high. But then she remembered girls talking about junior high pregnancies. She supposed it would make sense in some cases but it still felt wrong. She still had no idea what she would do with her life. How could kids whom were not even teenagers firmly declare having no interest in furthering their own education? And even if they did, why would any adults respect such an uneducated, life changing decision?

'Does your music room have instruments?'

"No. We just sing here. The junior high has several instruments that can withstand being submerged."

Hiyori nodded at Manami's answer.

"Yea. Band is actually pretty popular in our junior high. Kaiko said she was taking band as her elective."

Kurumu drifted slowly back down the hall.

'Is this Kaiko related to Ms. Chousei or Mr. Kawakuchi?'

"You know those two?"

"Kurumu did an article on the band so she must have met them."

Kurumu grinned at Manami's explanation.

'Yea. If I remember correctly, Ms. Chousei is engaged to an older brother of Mr. Kawakuchi.'

"That's right. But I'm guessing you didn't know that Mr. Kawakuchi's grandfather is the third town elder."

Manami giggled at Hiyori's statement.

"I doubt that Kurumu is interested in our town's politics."

Kurumu paused, gesturing at the door for the third graders.

'Can we go inside one of the classrooms?'

"Of course. Let me open it."

Manami drifted away from Kurumu, grabbing hold of the door. She tugged firmly, causing the portal to slowly open. The undine let go of the door which remained half open. She gestured for them to follow before slipping out of sight.

Kurumu kicked her legs ineffectively before Tarumi grabbed hold of her. The undine steered her through the opening. The room beyond had the same lighting nestled in the corner of the ceilings. Five rows of five pillars jutted up from the smooth floor, supporting a flat rectangle surface. These stands faced a single stand centered near the front of the room.

'No desk?'

Tarumi giggled, letting go of her.

"It's not like we have to sit down. Most students hover by their workstations."

"The junior high in Umiman has the same classroom design. I remember thinking the junior high was big since we had four classes per grade level."

"Yokai Academy is bigger?"

Manami and Tarumi nodded in unison.

"Twelve classes per grade level with most classes having more than twenty students."

"Wow. I didn't think it would be that much bigger than Ishou Academy."

'How big is Ishou Academy?'

Manami's lips pulled back in a fierce grin.

"They have six classes per grade level with roughly thirty students per class. Since there is a jump station from Umiman to Kuminagawa, it was a lot easier to visit their campus."

"Yea. Some Umiman locals whom want to save money on housing will go there instead of Yokai Academy even with the out of prefecture tuition costs."

Kurumu nodded at Tarumi's input. She glanced back at the open door.

'Is there anything else to see in the school?'

Manami swum back to the door, resting her hand on the edge.

"There is a small theater where kids put on shows for their parents. But that's it. We don't have a library or a gym and since kids are supposed to bring their own lunches, there isn't a kitchen or a cafeteria."

"Didn't have any of that in junior high for that matter."

'No junior high sports?'

Tarumi shrugged.

"Not like those are required. Did you want to see that theater?"

Kurumu hopped towards the door which prompted Tarumi to grab hold of her.

'Not in particular. Where she would go next?'

Tarumi steered her out of the room with Hiyori following them out moments later. Manami pushed the heavy door back to its original position.

"Unfortunately there really isn't much else to the town. We could visit some friends at their homes or check out Mr. Umiyuri's novelty store."

Tarumi nodded as she guided Kurumu back to the first hallway.

"We could also pay the grocery store a visit. I bet that Idai is helping his family right now. We can ask him if he is going to Yokai Academy this year."

Kurumu smiled as they reached the end of this corridor. She glanced to the right, imagining the theater was somewhere nearby. Further down the hall, she could see a pair of double doors but could not read the sign flanking them from this distance.

'Which is closer?'

Tarumi tugged her in the direction of the opening which lead outside.

"The novelty store."

'Then we can go there first.'

Tarumi let go of Kurumu the moment they exited the school. Taking this as her cue, Kurumu turned the scooter back on. Twisting the dial to maximum speed, Kurumu zoomed after the undine. She had only gone a few heartbeats when Hiyori and Manami caught up with her.

In moments, the only things that Kurumu could see were the girls and the ground below. Hating this stifling darkness, Kurumu seized upon a thought. She reached out with her consciousness, touching the girls about her. She kept her intrusion shallow, only wanting to see this world as they did.

Her sudden awareness of her environment was jarring. It was like trying to look into a mirror that she was holding while running. She tightened her grip on the scooter's handles to anchor her perspective within herself while processing the enhanced view from her friends.

Her light did expand their view. They were swimming down a common path in the void between two rows of identical, windowless structures. These single level structures had one door centered in the smooth rock. A passing thought from Tarumi identified one of these places as her cousin's residence.

'How many homes are in Aranami?'

Still connected to their minds, Kurumu was aware of their uncertainty and contemplation.

"I'd say about a thousand."

Hiyori scoffed at Tarumi.

"As if. We probably don't even have a thousand residents."

"She asked homes, not families. They built more homes than they needed."

They turned left, cutting down a path defined by a thick, musky scent. Having slept with Nijiro, Kurumu was familiar with the odor but had never experienced it so strongly. The undines either had a much stronger sense of smell or this aroma was more pronounced in water.

Despite having a better feel for the area, there was not much to see. The space between these simple structures was about the same as the height of the smooth walls. The width of this path between the row of structures was easily twice that height. Everything was orderly and boring. Deciding there was no point to remain in their minds, Kurumu withdrew her awareness. The darkness instantly swallowed up her surroundings.

'They made all these homes?'

"Carved this town right out of the seabed. That's why the whole village is relatively flat."

"Though that was decades ago. Father's hotel and the school were part of the last expansion. Since then, the town population has been on the decline."

Tarumi giggled, veering off to the right.

"Of course it's on the decline. Anyone that's been to Umiman realizes how boring Aranami is."

Kurumu followed the undine and a structure soon came into view. Tarumi stopped at the door, grabbing hold of the portal. Taking the hint, Kurumu twisted the dial to slow her scooter.

"This is Umiyuri's shop."

'Looks the same as these other homes.'

Tarumi grinned broadly, tugging the door open. She motioned for Kurumu to enter.

"Because it is his home. Come on in."

Kurumu turned the scooter off. Before her feet could touch the ground, Manami grabbed her by her shoulders. With a surge, they zipped through the opening.

Just like the school, glowing plants had been arranged along the ceiling to illuminate the space. Shelves lined the walls, stacked with various goods. Much of it was stone and glass carvings but there was also a display with dyes and canvas. Kurumu was mildly curious how that worked as Manami steered her over to the counter in the center of the store.

An undine with a broad torso and jet black locks regarded their approach. A thick ledger was held in his webbed hands. Open bins filled with goods rested on the counter. Kurumu could not tell if those spheres in that bin nearest the undine were candies or marbles.

"Morning, Mr. Umiyuri. This is Kurono Kurumu, a classmate of mine."

The undine regarded her with an unreadable expression.

"What's a surface dweller visiting Aranami for?"

Manami giggled as the other girls joined them.

"She wanted to see my home. I'm showing her around the town."

The man huffed, turning his head slightly.

"Not much for her to see."

"Is Naku here?"

The man regarded Tarumi.

"He went to the grocery store with Saya. Taking his time since he doesn't want to help."

"Not much to help with."

"I can find something for him to do."

Kurumu glanced about but all she saw were more shelves with more trinkets. The only door was the one they had come through.

'You live here?'

The undine flinched, easing back from her.

"What did she just do?"

"She sent you a thought, Mr. Umiyuri."

The man cocked his head at Manami's explanation.

"Never heard of a monster that could do that. What is she?"

"A succubus."

The undine paused for a long moment.

"Thought those were just stories made up by humans."

"She's definitely the real thing."

"And super sexy too. She's dating Manami's brother."

Mr. Umiyuri huffed.

"Wouldn't be bragging about that, little one. Mixed breeding only makes weak children. Weak children have a hard time living down here."

"As if anybody wants to live down here."

Mr. Umiyuri's lips pulled back in a sneer as he regarded Hiyori.

"Aranami is safe from silly humans and the other monster races. I concede that it can get monotonous which is why I opened this shop. Even adults need ways to entertain themselves."

Kurumu took in a deep breath as she pushed out another thought.

'I was told that you live here but I only see this room. Where do you sleep?'

The undine chuckled heartily.

"I see. You clearly haven't been in any homes yet. Each of these homes have a below level with three personal rooms. One is for the parents while the other two are split between daughters and sons."

"And he literally means personal rooms. We don't have beds. It's just a room where we sleep and keep our possessions."

Kurumu smiled at Manami's clarification.

'So there must be a floor hatch somewhere.'

"Correct, young lady. Though I would discourage you from communicating your thoughts like this."

'Why?'

"It's unsettling. I'm surprised that your father didn't give this girl the customary pen and tablet that our surface guests use during their visits."

Hiyori shrugged at the undine.

"He probably didn't think she needed it with her ability."

"You should go back and get it before she frightens someone less understanding of her ability."

"I guess we can."

"But we really only have one more place to visit."

Manami nodded at Tarumi.

"Yea. And I doubt that Mr. Nurasume will have an issue with Kurumu's ability."

"Sounds like you're heading to the grocery store. If you see my son, tell him to get back here."

The girls sounded an affirmative in unison. Manami grabbed hold of Kurumu, pulling her backwards as the other girls swam back to the door. Kurumu clutched the scooter to her torso, waiting for Manami to guide her out of the novelty shop. In moments, she was back outside.

'How old is his son?'

Manami let go of Kurumu as Tarumi closed the door.

"Naku is a year younger than Hiyori."

"So is Saya. Those two are probably making out in a corner of the grocery store."

Hiyori giggled, shaking her head.

"As if. Those two still get flustered over holding hands."

"But they officially started going out right after we graduated."

Hiyori shrugged at Tarumi's protest.

"Doesn't mean they've decided to make babies. Naku still doesn't know if he wants to take over his old man's shop. And that's assuming both of his older brothers refuse to do it."

Kurumu smiled as the girls started to swim away. Turning her scooter on, she twisted the dial to speed it up before the girls slipped out of her limited vision.

'Your father mentioned that you had older siblings.'

Hiyori twirled about, swimming with her back to the ground.

"Two older brothers. Wakame graduated from Yokai Academy three years ago while Hajime graduated back in 99. Both went to college with no plans of coming back. Last I heard, Hajime is living in Osaka while Wakame still has one more year of college."

Kurumu chuckled when the girl twirled back around. She continued through the darkness with the girls maintaining a pace that her scooter could match.

'Hiyori. Is that in hiragana or kanji?'

"Kanji. Scarlet Minnow. Do you use hiragana?"

'Mine is also kanji. Dream barbarian.'

"And I'm Sagging Water."

"You wish you had something to sag."

Tarumi gasped at Manami's teasing.

"I can't help that, Ms. Pause Wave."

Kurumu giggled, thinking about Nijiro's name. Rainbow Son. Such a colorful name for a baby born into a colorless world.

It was minutes and two turns before Tarumi slowed down. Kurumu lowered her scooter's speed as a large structure materialized from the darkness. Before Tarumi arrived, the door pushed open and a familiar undine drifted out with a plastic bag.

"Hey, Ms. Uta. Have you seen Naku?"

Uta turned slightly, gesturing through the open door as Tarumi grabbed the portal by the edge.

"He's inside with his girlfriend. I see that you brought Ms. Kurono with you."

"Yea. We're showing her around the town."

"Doubt that will take long."

Kurumu turned off the scooter, feeling her feet settle on the ground.

'What kind of goods do they sell here?'

Uta shrugged, pulling a package out of her bag.

"Mostly stuff that won't spoil within a week. They can't bring jarred goods down here because they'll just get crushed. They put a hole in everything else to equalize the pressure."

'But everything would get wet.'

Uta cocked her head.

"Dried goods are a luxury down here, Ms. Kurono. And since nobody has a stove or microwave, you can forget about having a cooked meal. Hopefully you don't have an issue with eating raw fish."

'I can manage that.'

"Well I shall leave you to your tour. Mom wants her plums."

Uta pulled out a can from her bag which had been perforated at the top.

"Hold on, Ms. Uta. Do you think you could round up some kids for games tomorrow?"

Uta frowned at Tarumi's request.

"Maybe. I'm assuming this is for Ms. Kurono's sake."

"Manami's family plans to be gone all of tomorrow. Kurumu will be bored out of her mind if she has to stay cooped up in that hotel all day by herself."

Kurumu shook her head vigorously.

'I am not to be by myself. Someone would have to stay with me even if I do stay in the hotel.'

"Even more reason. There is no way I'm spending all day in there."

Hiyori giggled as Uta fussed with her bag of goods.

"I can ask around but no promises. I'm guessing you want to meet up at the playground?"

'Playground?'

"It's a gathering place for the youth outside the city limits. Relatively safe."

Kurumu grimaced at Uta's response.

"Sounds good. We'll see you there after lunch."

Uta sounded an acknowledgment before swimming off. Manami grabbed hold of Kurumu, hefting her off her feet as the undine moved towards the opening.

"You'll like Mr. Nurasume."

The interior of the grocery store was very similar to Mr. Umiyuri's shop. The glowing plants were lined up in rows along the ceiling, defining aisle between shelves laden with goods. Though the depth and height of the interior was roughly the same, the length was outside the range of her vision.

'Was this built with the last expansion?'

Manami laughed, steering her down an aisle of canned goods ranging from fruits to fish.

"No. Mr. Nurasume and his brother were neighbors and the other home was vacant. They tore down some walls and made it into a single structure a few years before I was born."

"I found them!"

Manami tugged Kurumu in the direction of Tarumi's voice. They slithered down another aisle before Kurumu saw Hiyori and Tarumi hovering by a trio. Two were topless but the last had on a black bikini. This girl had salmon pink eyes and mint green tresses streaming all the way down to her rump. One boy looked very similar to Mr. Umiyuri, having short, jet black curls and indigo eyes. The other had greenish blond, shoulder length locks and baby blue eyes.

"This is Kurono Kurumu. She's from Yokai Academy. And this is Nurasume Idai, son of the owner of this fine establishment."

Kurumu giggled at Tarumi's introduction which prompted the greenish blond haired kid to bow.

'Are you planning to attend Yokai Academy?'

The boy looked up with a jerk while his two companions also flinched.

"Ms. Kurono can project her thoughts. It comes in handy since we can't hear her speaking in that suit."

"That is so cool. My parents already enrolled me in Yokai Academy, so I hope to see you there."

The girl nodded with an eerie grin.

"I'm Shiosoudai Saya and this is my boyfriend, Umiyuri Naku. I'll go with him to Yokai Academy if that is where he wants to go."

The young man laughed nervously, glancing away from his girlfriend.

"It's embarrassing to hear you say that."

"But it's true. I'll do anything you ask me."

Tarumi smirked as the young man backed away from his girlfriend.

"Your old man told us to send you back to help with the shop."

"That might be safer."

His girlfriend cocked her head, regarding him.

"What do you mean by that?"

Though they could not hear her, Kurumu laughed with them.


"How is the meal?"

Kurumu smiled at the frail woman with shoulder length, mint curls and peridot eyes. Watakoma Saya was not much taller than her daughter but her bosom was more defined. A black bikini top held her breasts securely as the woman favored Kurumu an unnerving, fanged grin.

"Surprisingly good. I've never had fish like this."

Watakoma Kujira chuckled heartily, sporting a sleek, black speedo. His short indigo locks were parted by the crest sprouting from his head. His large, deep blue eyes failed to express his mirth.

"One of the benefits of the deep. Humans don't even know this species of fish exists."

"It is very tasty. I keep telling my boy that his stomach will suffer if he leaves Aranami."

The speaker was Amesuki Uni, Manami's uncle. His short, dark hair had a faint blue hue which was also present in his inky black eyes. The young boy with mint curls and peridot eyes whom was sitting on the floor between Tarumi's father and Mr. Amesuki was Buchi, Tarumi's little brother. On the other side of Mr. Amesuki was his son, Minato. The young man had long dark hair with a swath of it pulled to the side and braided up.

"I want to go to school."

"You're barely passing, boy. It's a waste of money."

They were gathered in the Watakoma family home, enjoying a late lunch. Tarumi's aunt, Mrs. Tanigawa, had emptied the water out of the home. The woman with coral pink, shoulder length curls was over by the door with her daughter, Nabiki, taking this as an opportunity to teach the graduate this useful skill. Many undine mothers preferred to give birth and keep their babies in bubbles until it was certain that the baby could survive the harsh environment.

"I said the same thing about my daughters. But I lacked the heart to deny them."

Mr. Tanigawa had short, mint curls and teal eyes. His daughter looked nothing like him, inheriting her coral pink hair and silver eyes from her mother. He was the older brother of Tarumi's mother and had two more children older than Nabiki.

"Open up."

Kurumu blushed when Manami presented her a morsel. She acquiesced, quickly closing her mouth on Manami's fingers. It was very good fish but it was still embarrassing.

"The lass should take that silly suit off and feed herself. After all, Mrs. Tanigawa is going through all this effort for her sake."

That was Mr. Takikawa, son of the town elder. He had short, dark hair and clear blue eyes. The thin lady snuggled up against his side was his wife. She had luxurious turquoise tresses spilling down to the floor and bright peach eyes. A tiny girl roughly with short, turquoise hair was on his other side, possessing the same peach eyes. That was their daughter, Kiwi.

"Kurumu isn't cold blooded. She'll start to freeze if she takes that suit off."

Hiyori nodded at Manami's declaration.

"Yea. I hung out with them when we went back to fill up her oxygen tanks. Within minutes we had to break out the blanket for Ms. Kurono."

Tarumi giggled, poking Kurumu's side.

"Her lips are still blue."

Kurumu swallowed down the rich food, pouting at her friend.

"It's cold. I can't help it."

Tarumi grinned devilishly.

"Bet you have other reasons why you don't want out of that suit."

Kurumu refused to comment on that. Her latest interaction with Mr. Akenuma had confirmed something that she already suspected. A woman of her curves was very rare in Aranami. And even if these guys made regular trips to Umiman, the only girls even close to her voluptuous physique were kappas. While her body naturally craved male attention, Hiyori's father had adequately sated that need for the day.

"Has Kaito mentioned anything about his boy having a surface girlfriend?"

Manami's uncle shook his head at Mr. Takikawa's inquiry.

"My brother barely visits his own family, let alone mine."

"You don't check in on your brother's wife?"

Manami tensed up as her uncle huffed.

"Rio doesn't want me around her house. She's hated me since we were kids."

Manami murmured at Kurumu, presenting another morsel. Kurumu obediently opened her mouth, allowing Manami to feed her.

"Is it really that big of a deal that her brother is dating Ms. Kurono?"

Mr. Tanigawa chuckled as Mr. Takikawa's lips pulled back in a fanged sneer.

"Youngsters don't understand the issues with mixed breeding."

"True but that is only a real concern if they live in a place like Aranami."

Mr. Takikawa shot his colleague a look.

"Are you letting your Nabiki sleep with whomever she pleases?"

"We are giving her the year to find someone in the village and if she doesn't, we will register her with Fairy Tale like we did for Kiyosumi."

Mr. Takikawa huffed as his wife continued to snuggle against his side. His daughter daintily picked at the fish chunks resting upon a slap across her lap.

"Sending your daughters off to bolster other undine communities does ours no favors. You should at least barter for a wife for your son, Shouji. He's almost thirty and still living on his own."

"Let me be content that he at least came back after graduation. Some of our kids don't."

Mr. Takikawa sighed, reaching over to toy with his daughter's hair. The girl ignored the gesture, fixated on finishing her meal.

"Too many leave. Your nephew is very promising. Mr. Watakoma told me about him getting elected as the student council vice president."

"Now that I have heard about. I'm guessing the main reason why we haven't heard about Ms. Kurono is because of how that makes my nephew's return to Aranami very low."

Hiyori snickered at Mr. Amesuki's comment.

"No kidding. Ms. Kurono is super sexy because she's a succubus."

"Succubus?"

Kurumu flinched when both men looked at her with renewed interest.

"You mentioned meeting this girl, Kujira. Did you know about this?"

Mr. Watakoma shrugged indifferently.

"My Tarumi didn't go into the specifics about Ms. Kurono's true form. All I know is that Ms. Kurono is a very lovable and popular girl at Yokai Academy. Their relationship might have even contributed to Nijiro winning the election."

"Like a trophy wife."

Kurumu had to laugh at Mrs. Takikawa's sudden quip.

"I wouldn't say that. Nijiro is very admirable on his own."

Mr. Takikawa regarded her with that unsettling smile. She would never get used to an undine's mouth, thankful that Nijiro would only kiss her in his human guise. On the few occasions that he did kiss her.

"Perhaps there is value in this relationship. Only time will tell. It's too bad my son's ambitions took him down a less useful path."

"What happened to your son?"

Mr. Takikawa sighed, moving his hand away from his daughter to caress his wife's hair.

"Kazuhiko thought some disciplinary club at Yokai Academy would look good on his resume. It was run by some kitsune with strong ties to Fairy Tale."

Kurumu shivered in the man's pause.

"Unfortunately the club fell apart after a school investigation which resulted in the deaths of some of the members and the dismissal of that kitsune club advisor. Kazuhiko insists that he had nothing to do with the corruption going on within the club but since he was not in on the investigation, he got expelled with the other surviving club seniors."

The mother sighed heavily.

"Such a shame. The allegations of his wrongdoing prevented him from being accepted into another high school. He was unable to graduate and Fairy Tale refuses to take him in."

Mr. Takikawa huffed.

"That is a good thing. He should stay here with his own kind. We'll find him a good woman to settle down with in a year or two."

"Kurumu was part of that investigation, right?"

Kurumu turned wide eyes upon Tarumi, shaking her head vehemently.

"No! That was Lady Hineri and the student council. We just got mixed up in their mess."

"You were involved?"

Kurumu sighed at Mr. Takikawa.

"Sort of. That kitsune you are talking about took an interest in one of my friends. He arrested him under some garbage pretense and we decided to go rescue him. Lady Hineri and the student council used us as a distraction to pull off whatever it was they were doing."

Mr. Takikawa nodded solemnly.

"Yes. I've heard about this Lady Hineri. Kazuhiko said she was an underhanded schemer that betrayed everyone because that kitsune shut her boyfriend's broadcasting club down."

Kurumu let out an abrupt laugh, drawing several curious looks. She blushed slightly.

"Well… I'll admit that Lady Hineri is a schemer. But I don't know if that was all done for Tashikana's sake. Sure they are probably going to marry soon but that's because he was pushing for that."

"Yea, and Kurumu is taking over that broadcasting club."

Kurumu sighed at Tarumi's comment.

"Because Tashikana talked me into it. He's as much of a schemer as Lady Hineri is."

"Have you met my son?"

Kurumu smiled at Mrs. Takikawa, shaking her head.

"I doubt it. I barely knew any of the PSC members back when Kuyo was running it."

"Pity. I was hoping you might be able to help clear his name."

"He doesn't need his name cleared. He will have a fine life here in our village."

Kurumu felt slightly guilty. It was not like she had seen any of the evidence that Lady Hineri had gathered which had resulted in the expulsion of the other third year PSC members. And knowing now that the student council president, Kaneshiro, had everything to gain in getting rid of them, it felt possible that some lies may have been told.

"Do you know Taniguchi Nagisa?"

Kurumu snorted at the query from Minato.

"Yes, I do. I understand that you have a crush on her."

"An unhealthy crush. Boy even grew his hair out to look like her."

The young man scowled at his father.

"I am displaying my love for her!"

"Even if that girl gets put into the Fairy Tale system, her parents would never allow her to marry you. She's too important to Ikinakawa."

Minato hopped to his feet with his fists clenched.

"Then I shall win her over with my devotion!"

"That's the spirit, young man. We need fresh blood in this town."

Mr. Amesuki waved a dismissive hand at Mr. Takikawa.

"Don't encourage the impossible."

"I am starving."

Mr. Tanigawa laughed heartily at his daughter's weary protest. He pushed up onto his webbed feet.

"Sounds like my Nabiki is at her limit. If Ms. Kurono is finished with her meal, then I suggest for her to put back on her suit."

Kurumu sighed, glancing at her helmet which was resting on the floor behind Manami. She supposed it would be rude to make the Tanigawa women wait much longer for the meal. Even so, she was not in any hurry to spend the rest of her day in an empty hotel room.

"One more bite."

Kurumu took her time savoring the final morsel.