Scientist Rui Kamishiro - Merman Tsukasa

For centuries, humans had wondered whether the creatures described in old sailor stories actually existed. Mermaids, sirens, sea spirits—most scientists dismissed them as myths, especially because there had never been any reliable evidence.

Then Tsukasa was found.

He was a young merman with a bright orange tail, unusual features, and a personality that made his capture almost inevitable. He had been warned not to swim too close to human territory, but curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to explore, and after wandering farther from home than he should have, he was spotted by a fishing boat and eventually captured.

Now he was being kept in a large research facility, inside an enormous glass tank filled with seawater. The researchers were fascinated by him, but none of them had managed to properly communicate with him yet.

Rui was one of the scientists assigned to study him. Rather than immediately treating Tsukasa like a specimen, however, he spent most of his time sitting beside the tank, taking notes, showing him pictures, and trying different ways of communicating. He had already learned a few things about him, including that Tsukasa was intelligent, stubborn, and apparently very fond of ignoring warnings.

That afternoon, Rui approached the tank with his notebook and crouched beside the glass. He watched Tsukasa for a moment before holding up a small card with a simple drawing of a fish on it.

“Fish,” Rui said slowly, pointing at the picture and then toward Tsukasa. “Do you understand me?”

He paused, studying the merman’s reaction before adding with a faint smile, “Or have I been embarrassing myself for the past three days?”