Some time has passed since the journey to Tsuran City. True to the teens' word, Shuichi and Kiyoni managed to make it back home just in time to continue their studies. Once home, they couldn't stop reaching out to each other just to debrief and connect on a personal level. In fact, the bond between them was so apparent, they secretly started a relationship. However, much like most adolescent pairings, it didn't last. School and sports became the reasons why.

On an academic break, Kiyoni was making her way towards a local bookstore to check out a few study materials. Unbeknownst to her, Kuronue caught her via a window. Since high school had become so demanding, Kuronue was virtually left to his own devices while his best friend and former schoolmate did their own thing. It was surprising to see Kiyoni dressed so down but in a put-together kind of way. The combination of a black, midriff hoodie over an aegean blue tank top and medium wash jeans was definitely deviant of the school uniform of the recent past. With Kiyoni parked within the space of the storefront window and two bookshelves, there was no way Kuronue was going to pass on an opportunity to play catch-up.

"Studying hard or hardly studying," he joked, startling Kiyoni.

"Ah," Kiyoni shrieked, quickening the removal of her headphones, "Who th–? Misaki?"

"'Sup?"

"Eh, hi. Hey. You…you got a haircut."

Indeed, Kuronue did, going from shoulder length to short as a part of his fresh start for high school. It didn't look too bad as he brushed his hand through it. His style changed a little as well. A deep wash denim jacket over a white shirt was accessorized by a pair of greenish gray, corduroy pants and denim colored Chuck Taylors. Across the torso was a camera bag in case Kuronue wanted to take some pictures around town.

"Yeah," Kuronue awkwardly confirmed, "There's a girl I have a huge crush on and she likes guys with shorter hair so chop chop. Still team 'no braids' for you?"

"Yeah," Kiyoni confirmed, sheepishly picking at the small afro on her head. "Nothing in the school dress code said anything about having my hair a certain way and those products my mom bought are kinda working. Anyway, is there a chance?"

"...Maybe? She doesn't even know I exist yet."

"Oh, no. I'm sorry. Wow, it's been a while. I thought you'd be around Minamino."

"Y-y-yeah. I thought so too but he's been so caught up with swimming, he's unreachable. Haven't spoken with him since you guys came back."

"Oh…" Kiyoni realized, "yeah…s-s-sorry about…about that. I'm kinda to blame."

"Eh? Why you?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what–ohhh my god. You dated."

"Shhhhhh," Kiyoni warned, feeling the heat rush to her face, "Yes. Yes, we…were together for a bit."

"I knew it! I knew something would happen between you two. Wait, 'dated'? You're not…"

"No. We…we broke up after about a month."

"You don't seem too upset about it."

Kiyoni took some time to get her wits in order, sniffling and bouncing on the balls of her feet, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry about it. Looking back, it was probably for the best anyway. I mean…he has more on his plate than I do so it is what it is. Besides, we're kinda on friendly terms now and it's kinda better this way. I know this because he still has the bracelet I made for him and he gave me this ring as a thank you gift. So no hard feelings."

The ring in question was a purple, heart-shaped stone nestled on a silver or platinum band that Shuichi had acquired from the marketplace of Tsuran City. Once it was cleaned up, the light that the ring reflected was quite impressive. It's been around the middle finger of Kiyoni's left hand ever since as a reminder of her most unforgettable moments with the ocean prince.

"Okay, look," Kiyoni offered, "I'm pretty much going to buy this book so…mind if we go somewhere to catch up?"

And so they did. Making a pit stop at a nearby dining place for an impromptu lunch. The restaurant was a bit small but was full of character. It had the style of a bistro mixed with a food court atmosphere. Kuronue had the special of the day which was a mini sushi sampler. Kiyoni's plate was an individual-sized spinach and cremini mushroom pizza sliced into four, equally-cut servings.

"Let's start from the top," Kuronue suggested, "Like as-soon-as-you-left top."

"Well…" Kiyoni cautiously arose from her seat to show off her midsection where a thin, two-inch scar was seen from the left, "My parents were right to be concerned about me and ocean safety. Getting there wasn't all sunshine and rainbows."

"Holy shit," Kuronue noticed, "Where did that come from?"

"A barracuda. Completely caught us off-guard. Got Shuichi on the shoulder too."

"Seriously? It looked like it hurt."

"It did. Felt like a knife or sword cut. It came so fast, we weren't sure what to do. Not only that but we both bled a little too so we had to look out for sharks and anything else."

"Did you see any?"

"Yeah but fortunately, our injuries were healed and we were able to swim away far enough for them to notice."

"So what happened after that?"

"Well, we learned some things. Like, get this. When you think about how mermaids swim, what comes to mind?"

"Eh…well, I would imagine they use their tails a lot, right?"

"And that part is true but here's the kicker. That's for short distances. Ningyo, on the other hand, can body surf like dolphins."

"Body surf?"

"Yeah! Like…remember the scene from Finding Nemo? The eh…eh…the scene with the turtles?"

"What about it?"

"That's how a ningyo can swim long distances."

"Like turtles?"

"Ningyo are able to see currents normal humans can't. When they catch one, it's a mini rush."

"So wait, you don't flap your tails all day?"

"Nope. As a matter of fact, I think we caught that big one. That eh…Australian current thing. It was so much fun. We saw the turtles and actually spoke with a few of them."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Mhmm," Kiyoni beamed, "Who knew?"

"So what else happened?"

Kiyoni continued her story describing everything she could remember. She talked about the wild ocean storm that was so difficult to navigate through, she and Shuichi had no choice but to look for shelter which they did in a random cave. The fear the teens had during that moment was real. To keep themselves safe, Shuichi managed to dig a plot deep enough for them to sleep in, using Shuichi's baby blanket, the sand, and their own body heat to keep warm and comfortable. Kiyoni hated it all, developing regret as she and Shuichi made it through the night. Shuichi was just as remorseful, completely underestimating the reality of life underwater. Then there was talk of creatures that were seen but unidentified by the scientific community such as crustaceans that could put fear into an elephant or octopi-like sea tenants with more legs than anyone could count. It was quite frightening.

Then came the subject of nourishment. It was assumed that in order for ningyo to eat, hunting for food was necessary. That meant savagery had to come into play. Neither Shuichi nor Kiyoni had the heart to tap into that side but there was no way they could make it to Tsuran City on an empty stomach. While searching for anything edible, the pair came across a dying shark that was recently attacked. With hunger taking over compassion, Shuichi managed to put the creature out of its misery without Kiyoni seeing it. Using their claws and whatever sharp objects they could find, an impromptu feast was had.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kuronue challenged, "You ate a shark? Like an actual shark?"

"There was no other option. It was either the shark or starvation."

"So…how did it taste?"

"Ehhh…I can't describe the taste but it was definitely chewy. I probably didn't pay much attention to the taste because I was so hungry. I know we ate some of the meat, I think some guts…"

"Oi! If you don't mind, I'd like to finish my meal here."

"Sorry," Kiyoni grinned, "Oh, wait! Sea urchins! Shuichi knew we could eat those so we did. Plenty of them. Picking them apart was kinda tedious and painful but once we cracked them open, they were actually pretty good."

"Painful" is a reference to a lesson Kiyoni learned trying to crack open a sea urchin as if it was a coconut. Her brilliant idea of using her hair as a hammer or wrecking ball resulted in one doozy of a headache that Shuichi had no choice but to laugh at initially before offering aid. The lesson: tentacles have nerve endings. Sea urchins, 1; newly-minted, temporary mermaid, 0.

"We also ate some shrimp, sea tulips, and seaweed. Pretty standard. Now where was I?"

The two young ningyo were about halfway through their journey, traveling for seemingly countless days. They were so focused on everything that surrounded them, it was easy to lose track of time. It was admirable and astonishing just what the earth looked like underwater. Yes, they saw old seacraft nestled within the rocky terrain of the ocean as well as some scientific, submarine exploration taking place. Yes, they managed to catch a freight boat making their way to whatever its destination was. Yes, they met up with other ningyo, some of them very interesting. It turns out the stories surrounding sirens are actually true. Kiyoni could recall one night when she and Shuichi met up with a couple of ningyo who loved nothing more than to poke fun at humans who dare to cross the ocean with their larger-than-life boats. The song those sirens sung was quite terrifying. It was nowhere near the Elysian or mellifluous melodies, the Greeks or other nautical maniacs described in their poetry and stories. They were more on par with an ocean banshee, no rhythm, no lyrics, no specific set of notes. Just incessant wailing and screeching. The siren call of the Talokan sounded better, as creepy as that was. These petty ocean nymphs found it playful whenever humans would try to find the source of the noise using their searchlights. Whenever Shuichi or Kiyoni would try to explain what was going on from a human perspective, the sirens scoffed at it, referring to humans as unintelligent, gullible creatures that are so much fun to play with. Sensing nothing good coming from this exchange, the teens moved on.

"Wait, so you mean to tell me that they think we're just as dumb as we think they are," Kuronue asked.

Kiyoni affirmatively bobbed her head, "I'd say that's a little harsh. It's obvious we humans don't know much about what lies beneath. At the same time, they don't know much about what exists above. Nonetheless, it doesn't stop either side from piquing their curiosity. Remember Lady Botan? Ignorance can be blissful and detrimental to anyone. It's kinda like…you're right but…they're also right especially when it comes to survival and defense because whether on land or underwater, it's survival of the fittest for all species."

As they continued on, Kiyoni wondered just how much longer would the teens have to swim. Encounters with other ningyo and sea creatures were nice with some of them providing assistance with directions. However, none of that stopped Kiyoni from worrying. Did Shuichi's message reach Tsuran City in time? What would happen once they get there? Would they be met with resistance even if Shuichi could prove his imperial status?

"I couldn't hold it in any longer," Kiyoni proclaimed, "Reality kicked at that point. I was really starting to question Shuichi's motives and when I did, I was met with, 'No need to worry. We're almost there.' and 'I'm sure we're on the right track.' Bull."

"Obviously, he didn't lie because eventually, you made it, right?"

"Well, yeah but when we did…"

It turned out, Shuichi's message did reach Tsuran City in time. So much so that a royal escort was out searching for its prince about the same time the prince was searching for them.

"How did that come about," Kuronue questioned, finishing the last of his sushi.

"Well…"

The royal procession included four of Tsuran City's toughest and bravest soldiers surrounding the largest manta ray anyone would ever see, spanning as far and wide as a small aircraft. The teens were about as elated to see that as a person discovering an oasis left stranded in a desert.

"It was amazing," Kiyoni opined, "I've never seen a sting–manta ray that big. Shuichi said those things were used the same way we use planes and trains."

"Waaaaa?! Wait, so ningyo can body surf and ride on manta rays?"

"Yep and when we did, it was like riding a bullet train. Apparently when Shuichi was talking to the guards, they got the messages mixed up because they thought they were looking for their prince in another kingdom and were on their way there. They never even thought to check the surface, proving my previous point. It wasn't until Shuichi presented the blanket to them, that they were convinced. One of the guards was actually at Shuichi's mom's funeral and he remembered seeing that blanket that day."

"Score one for Shuichi's two moms," Kuronue commented.

Kiyoni snickered, "Exactly what we said. Ugh, Misaki…I wish you were with us."

"Why?"

"Tsuran City is… I thought it was something amazing while in Dreamland but in reality…ay, Yemoja."

"That great, eh?"

"I can't put it into words. It really is one of those you-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it type of sights. Like take the most…eye-catching city you could think of and… I-I really can't describe it. It was worth the trip. I'll say that."

"Well, try. You and Minamino seem to like talking about it so much, I wanna be in on it too."

Kiyoni considered Kuronue's feelings as she cocked her head to one side. Looking back, both she and Shuichi were a bit braggadocious about mermaid life but…

"Did you and Minamino fall out," she prodded.

"You tell me," Kuronue gestured, pulling out his phone to show a recent Instagram post, "You see that?"

"Yeah. You looked like you really had a good time. Where were you?"

"Obama in the Fukui prefecture just northwest of here. See the date?"

"Yeah. I left a comment."

"Yeah, that too. That's the last you said or did anything. Take a look at this," Kuronue displayed a photo of his school that was taken quite a while ago, "Look at the date."

"Yeah that's around the time we got back."

"See this? That's the last comment Shuichi left."

"What?! That long?! That was like two months ago!"

"Yeah. Again you tell me if that's a fall out."

"Aw, man. At least I keep in touch with Kaguya every now and then. Even so, there's no need to worry about it. You said it's happened before, right?"

"Yeah, so…Tsuran City?"

According to Kiyoni, Tsuran City did look like an underwater, metropolitan city but once she and Shuichi got settled, they learned that Tsuran City was about as communal as a residential neighborhood. Yes, there were bright lights but that was because of the fish and other glow-in-the-dark sea life but as far the citizens are concerned, the place was rather primitive, simplistic compared to a major human city. One reason why was the lack of technology. No cell phones or tablets. No vehicles whatsoever. No paved streets or sidewalks. No power lines or cell phone towers occupying the skies. Definitely reminiscent of the old, pre-globalization days.

Other than the border wall, just about every "building" or home looked cavernous, much like the planet Tatooine of Star Wars or the old huts of the indigenous and pre-colonized Africa. The residential towers of the city could be compared to any of the high-rise buildings seen in a major human city. And then, there was the tower Kiyoni wanted to see. The tower of firefly squid, the jewel, the star and "sun" of Tsuran City. Like the sun, the tower marked the passage of time. During the day was when the tower shined its brightest. At night, like gnats to an illuminated street light, countless sea monkeys would flock to the brightest areas of the dome, making the entire thing resemble the moon. Inside, thousands of firefly squid made this spot their home whether it was by their design or ningyo. It was like looking at a colossal aquarium seen at a hospital or fancy mall.

Nevertheless, that was only the "surface". What the young merpeople discovered was that the heart of the city was found underground much like a magnificent ant colony within a gigantic clam shell. Seemingly-polished, illuminated, pearlescent walls and walkways and elegant staircases provided opulent views from above and below with vegetation within every pedestrian artery. This was where ningyo could put their fins to rest in place of legs. This is where ningyo can escape from the bright lights of their surface world or hide from hidden terrors or danger. This was where families felt secure and intact. This was where true community was built. Down there, ningyo worked as fishermen and animal trainers, miners, teachers, historians, community chefs, shaman doctors and nurses, blacksmiths and weapon makers, seamstresses, engineers, hair stylists, dentists, jewelers, tattoo artists, and morticians. Children played amongst each other while teens and young adults congregated in cliques just like human teenagers. There were ningyo who wore loosely-fitted but interesting clothing similar to the Greco-Roman days. Pearlescent teeth and skin was a beauty trend, if not, the standard. Kiyoni was able to experience that part. Younger ningyo were intrigued to learn about the ways in which humans define beauty using makeup. By the time Kiyoni learned how to apply ningyo makeup, she developed a newfound appreciation for highlighter, bronzer, and metallic eyeshadow. To Shuichi and Kiyoni, Empress Botan had a lot of explaining to do starting with why this part of her world was never explained other than the imperial museum. Despite that, they did learn that Tsuran City had its fair share of human transplants and therefore enough knowledge of human technology to build and civilize themselves with.

"Whoa," Kuronue marveled, "That sounds cool."

"See? If only I could take pictures. Then again…"

"You'd be doing the same thing Kaito wanted to do."

"Uggggghhhh," Kiyoni shuttered, "Thanks for the reminder."

Another thought that was promptly debunked was the way father and son would reunite. Instead of the reunion taking place at the palace, it took place in the underground city center in front of everyone in attendance. Kiyoni nearly passed out upon seeing Emperor Yoko in (mer)person. The man was really as godly hot as Kiyoni said and both Yoko and Kiyoni could see some of Yoko's features in his son. By the time Yoko got a hold of Shuichi's baby blanket, it took everything Yoko had to keep it together. It was just as he remembered it the last time he held his young son. With those clues alone, Yoko officially welcomed his son home to the delight and shock of everyone around. Their very own, Prince Kurama, who had spent a considerable amount of time living among the humans, learning their ways, had finally come home and on his own volition. He's definitely a brave one according to the mer. Humanity was believed to be responsible for the death of Empress Botan and most thought that Prince Kurama had suffered the same fate. Now that he's home, the people of Tsuran City had to know how Kurama did it.

"He was hailed as a hero," Kiyoni claimed, "Everyone down there had the belief that humans were the worst and in some cases, they were right. To survive up here for over fifteen years was practically unheard of according to them. The only things they wanted to know were what humans were like and why humans don't treat the waters with as much respect as ningyo do."

"Oi. We do our best," Kuronue argued.

"It's not enough according to them. To them, nature should be allowed to live how it wants to live. They believe their goddess created their world in her image and therefore has the final (and only) say in how to run it with the ningyo in charge of maintenance. Toxins, garbage, whatever else doesn't count. Not only that but some of the elderly still remember when their world wasn't so dark, meaning the days they lived on higher ground."

"Well, it's not like we don't try."

"Yeah but it's hard to convince those who refuse to see the other side of the argument. Other than that, Shuichi was practically the merman down there. Matter of fact, once word got out, just about every ningyo, young and single, lined up for a shot at him. Male and female."

Kuronue was dumbfounded, "Male and female?"

"Ningyo are…what's the word…I guess…non-binary when it comes to relationships? Like same-sex relationships are a thing down there but…when it comes to the throne and the home, only females are allowed to rule unless there isn't one. So basically the females lined up to be the next empress while the males spruced up their homes to…possibly produce the next empress."

Kuronue couldn't help but laugh, "No way! So he was no different than he was in middle school. Except it was from both sides."

"I guess."

"Ohh, I can see it…wait, maybe I don't wanna see it. Shuichi with another… How does that work?"

"You really want to know?"

Kuronue grew cautiously bug-eyed, "Do I wanna know?"

"Do you?"

"You wanna tell me, don't you? You look like you wanna tell me."

"More like show you. It's like this. It's so weird. Okay, so this is pretty much why gender doesn't matter like that according to ningyo. Okay, so say this [right] hand is their belly button. From there, we'll take this finger from this [left] hand and stick it out like this. Like, it's really gnarly and like, from this thing comes these little feeler-looking things. So when two ningyo get together, their…appendages come together like…like two people making a pinky promise."

Kuronue was disgusted, "How in the world do you know that?"

"While I was checking out the palace, I saw a couple getting it on in secret. That's one way. Another was…well…I guess you can say…was one of the reasons why Shuichi and I got together in the first place."

"Eh?"

Taking some time to decompress from all of the fanfare surrounding Shuichi's return, he and Kiyoni spent some time alone in a discreet area of the country. It wasn't the same cliff as the one from their dream but it was just as inconspicuous. From there, Shuichi managed to confess his initial feelings about returning home, the journey getting there, and his feelings towards Kiyoni. He wanted to do that last part due to the kiss he received from her just before the two took off. Kiyoni dismissed that notion but knowing that was a lie, she came clean as well. She liked Shuichi too and it came about long before he even knew what he was. Those feelings romanticized their trip. Just before the teens leaned in for another kiss, Kiyoni noticed something coming out of Shuichi's navel. The appendage was no larger than a lengthy fingernail but the feelers added a specific flare. Remembering what Kiyoni learned from health class and her parents, Shuichi's feelings may have been out of both emotional and sexual attraction. One of those things were mutual as a few feelers were seen sticking out of Kiyoni's own navel, embarrassing both parties.

"Ohhhhhh," Kuronue gawked, "Oh, that's…that's…that's weird."

"What's weird to you is natural to them. One of the major lessons I learned from being down there. I don't even want to think about how childbirth is done. Other than that, we had a great time. Shuichi learned what it's like to be a prince, I learned what it's like to be a mermaid. Surprisingly, not too many ningyo wondered if I would be the next empress. They felt that role should go to a native which I understood completely. They were delighted by my gifts though. My hair and the way I glow. Actually, being down there made me feel somewhat thankful for the way I was raised. Once my humanity was known, those who spoke to me either gave me really disapproving looks as if there would be no way the title of Empress would go to me or were genuinely curious about what it means to be a human. And instead of taking offense to that, I felt…a bit indifferent but seen? Like…for the first time ever, I was referred to as human. Not a hafu, not mistaken for a foreigner, not…a black girl. A human. And in that moment, I even had to question what humanity means. When I couldn't find an answer that satisfied everyone, I think they were more confused than ever. As if why does humanity exist at all."

"You could've just asked them what it means to be a ningyo as a response. You know since you like to…match energy?"

"I could've but remember I was a guest and like my dad said, there's a time and place for everything. Meaning it was best for me to keep my mouth shut when coming from a place of curiosity and intrigue. I went down there in search of…how it feels to be treated like a human, like everyone else who doesn't look like me. And even though it sucked in some ways, it was an eye-opening experience. Like here it's like 'She's black but let's cut her some slack since she's culturally Japanese' and down there it's like 'She's human but let's tolerate her since she's a) a guest of the throne' or b) 'it could be possible that she's looking to stay with us.' It's like I'm…a walking asterisk…"

"Hahaha! A walking asterisk."

"I'm serious. Like no matter what I do I'm always going to be seen as an exception to a rule. However, I'm not going to let that get to me. There are plenty of mixed-race people in this world who make that their personality. Not me. Judge me by character not by physical appearance. The school I'm a part of now is going to help me see that, hopefully."

"How did you get back?"

"The same way we got there. A manta ray. We were escorted towards the outskirts of the mainland and dropped off. I don't know whose idea it was to leave our clothes waiting for us where we left them but thank you."

Kuronue raised his glass, "You're welcome. That was the first thing I thought about after you left. I'm sure none of you wanted to walk around naked and I'm sure those power banks Mrs. Minamino left behind came in handy. I think Shuichi's phone had roughly thirty percent power left by the time you guys left."

"Thank you. We found them in a bush behind a giant rock."

"Exactly where we left them. But wow. You guys really did go on a journey."

"Yeah…" Kiyoni reminisced, "we did. We really did."

"Would you go back?"

"...The immediate answer would be no but that's only because I'm still debriefing over everything. Like it's crazy about how much of the ocean we really don't know. I firmly believe that Olodumare was in charge of creating life and the earth and that Yemoja had a hand in it but what I saw down there would make me question what the hell those two were thinking. Like…the nightmare fuel… Not only that but getting there was somewhat hell though…I really don't know. I was talking about this with my parents and like the entire time I was speaking, I could see my dad's face just waiting for me to say, 'You were right dad. The rest of the world sucks. I wanna spend the rest of my life in Japan now.' And that was never the case. Like one moment outside of Japan isn't going to ruin my plans. I'm mixed. Because of that, I believe it's in my nature to not only embrace what I am but embrace the world for what it is whether it's under the sea or on land. I said this to my parents, I like being Japanese. I like being black. I liked being a mermaid! So if I was given the opportunity to go back, it's a possibility. I think we both know Shuichi will."

"Probably has. Would explain why he's been so distant."

"I doubt it. By my best guess, it took maybe a week to get there. That's a lot of ocean to cover even with a current or two. Not only that but given the depth, the water down there was colder than up here. Then there's school and athletics. I'm sure Shuichi has his reasons but I don't know what they are and I'm not going to speak for him in that regard. You know where he lives. Why don't you stop by?"

"Are you kidding? What do I look like? A stalker?"

"Wouldn't be too far off considering how you were with me."

"Ha-ha. I've changed since then, you know. Why do I have to make the move? Why can't he?"

"I don't know! I'm not a mind reader. Look, I don't know what more I have to say or do about Minamino. He's his own person. I mean, we haven't been speaking like that either. The last time we did was about two weeks ago. He's still getting used to what he's becoming so I guess he's going to need some time to…put it all together. We just have to let things be."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right. No wait, how did you manage to speak to them? Everyone speaks Japanese down there or something?"

Without putting a solid sentence together, Kiyoni managed to phonetically speak the language of the mer, "Meneshki ologwo ne'nela menu bobolino megeski momo bybele tero."

"What the hell was that?"

"The answer to your question. No, the ningyo does not speak Japanese. Well, partially anyway. I think a few of those words were of Yoruba origin from what I learned from mom. Maybe some Japanese but it's probably a different dialect."

"It's crazy how you remember that."

"Yeah…" checking the time, Kiyoni began to gather her things, "Well, I should be going. I have an exam to study for. It was nice catching up with you."

"Yeah, no, thanks for meeting up with me. I really appreciate it."

"Hey, eh…I'm sorry about your situation with Minamino. As far as I know neither he nor I have changed our numbers or addresses so…give it another shot. I'm sure he'll come around."

"Thanks, Ikeda. I appreciate it."

With a fist bump, Kiyoni made her way out, "Anytime. See ya." Along the way, she sent a text message reminding Shuichi of the existence of his best friend.

Left behind, Kuronue contemplated his next move. In short, he could make a surprise appearance at the Minamino home but to do so without a head's up would be a tad bit rude. With his things together, he made a phone call instead.

"Yo, Minamino! What's up, buddy? Haven't heard from you in a while. I just ran into Ikeda earlier. …Oh, you did? …Yeah! …Sure, I have nothing to do. I'm on my way."