Measure of a Friend, Part II

__ Measure of a Friend, Part 2 __
by Draiken Talkos


"So what is your shirt made of, anyway?" Hayashi asked.

"This? It's woven from a special seaweed that grows on the bottom of the lake. Durable, comfortable, and works rather well in and out of water," Zuumi explained. "Why? Are you disappointed that mermaids don't actually wear seashells to cover themselves, Hayashi?" she giggled.

"As if," he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Now my turn to ask a question. Why do you keep that charm on your oar?" the mermaid asked, referring to the shark-tooth pendant she rescued for Hayashi a week earlier.

"Because I don't wear necklaces," Hayashi said. "Besides, I like it on the oar better because I can actually see it as I row. Is there a problem with it?"

"I don't know, but for some reason, it... scares me a bit..."

Hayashi took a closer look at the charm. "Are sharks a natural predator of merfolk? Or is it that it came from a sea creature that was probably killed?"

"I... I don't really know," Zuumi replied, looking uneasy as she looked at the tooth.

Deciding not to press the matter, he changed the subject and asked, "Since I haven't asked, what'll you do if someone else sees you?"

"They won't," Zuumi replied, looking a bit more relieved as she turned away. "I'm too far away from shore to be seen."

"And if someone decides to come out in a boat like I do?"

"We'll see or hear them before they come too close," she replied. "Which is mostly why you're able to see me, in case you didn't know."

Every day in the last week usually started off like this: Hayashi rowing out to where Zuumi would sit on her rock followed by the two of them sharing information about their respective worlds.

"How do people not find you when you're in the water though? You know, like deep-water divers or something?"

"You make it sound like our existence is easily explained with human knowledge and tools," the mermaid smiled. "And you didn't even question my explanation for why I won't be seen?"

Hayashi shrugged. "And how would lying about that benefit you?"

"Because for all you know, you might look crazy talking to seemingly nobody in the middle of a lake."

"No one cares enough about me to even notice," Hayashi muttered. "What about you? What would other merfolk think if you keep coming up to talk to me?"

"They can think whatever they want," Zuumi responded quietly, her voice suddenly sharper as she turned away.

Not seeming to take notice, Hayashi asked, "Speaking of 'they', what did you mean when you told me that I was 'as horrible as the rest of them'?"

Zuumi looked a bit confused. "What?"

"You know, when we first met," he smiled. "Right before you splashed me and left. What did you mean? Who's 'them'?"

"It's none of your business," she snapped. "And even if I told you, why do you care anyway?"

"Hey, I was just asking!" Hayashi snapped back, anger creeping into his own voice. "If it bothers you that much, then don't answer."

"Fine! I don't want to talk about it, so don't ask again!" Zuumi shouted before diving into the water, her rock sinking after her.

Hayashi sat there for a moment, feeling stunned, confused, and angry all at once. Shaking his head, he started rowing, letting his thoughts sift and settle.

"Geez, what's her problem?" he muttered as he rowed. "If she didn't want to talk about it, fine, but she didn't have to yell at me over it. Do all girls act in extremes?" And did the topic really bother her that much? Hayashi thought. Sighing, he shifted his focus to his left arm, where his shark-tooth charm had scratched him. The scratch was along the length of his forearm and strangely hadn't healed yet. Hayashi didn't feel any pain, but it was still really strange to him...

"Hey, Hayashi!"

He turned to see Mori waving at him from the dock. Hayashi was surprised to see that he had subconsciously rowed himself back this way. "What's up, Mori?" he asked as he drifted in.

"Just wondering how you've been," Mori smiled.

"Uh huh," Hayashi said. "It's only been a week, you know."

Mori's smile widened to a grin. "What? You mean I can't worry about you this soon?"

Hayashi just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. What do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you don't usually 'just wonder' about me," Hayashi replied, crossing his arms after getting out of the boat. "Do you want to invite me for something?"

Mori threw his arms in the air in mock despair. "Oh, the accusations! Is this how you treat your only friend, Hayashi?"

"Yep," Hayashi smirked. "So what's happening that you want me to go to?"

Mori just looked at his friend, almost speechless. "Okay, who are you, and what did you do to Hayashi?"

Hayashi's smirk was soon replaced with a slight glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You made some semblance of a happy expression, and you asked what I was inviting you for," Mori replied, most of his earlier jest absent in his voice. "You sure you didn't spend too much time in the sun? Okay, okay. Just cut out the glaring," he said quickly as Hayashi's expression become less and less amused. "My dad wants to throw a party for the summer solstice two weeks from now. You don't have to talk to anyone or anything, but I'd at least like you to show up."

"I'll think about it," Hayashi said, putting his hands behind his head. "Summer solstice, right?"

"Yeah... You sure you're okay? Did something happen to you this week?" Mori asked.

"Cut it out with the jokes, Mori. They weren't funny the first time, and they're not funny now."

"I'm being serious here!" he replied, exasperated. "It's great that you actually give a fish's tail about these things for once, but within a week?"

"Could you relax? I'm giving it a chance, okay?" Hayashi said.

"If you say so," Mori sighed. "By the way, what happened to your arm?"

"You mean this?" Hayashi asked, holding out his left arm. "Scratched it pulling the boat in the other day. Should be fine in a few days," he lied.

"Sure hope so. For a scratch, it looks like it could get a lot worse," Mori said, shaking his head. "Well, I'm heading home. See you around, Hayashi," he waved, walking off.

Hayashi had to admit that he was a little surprised with himself too. Maybe hanging out in the lake didn't seem as great of an idea as it was when summer vacation started, but to bother to ask what would be going on... Well, the change of place couldn't be too bad, Hayashi told himself. If anything, it'd be better than suddenly shouting with a mermaid every few mornings.

As he walked back to his house, Hayashi couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. It frustrated him that he was unable to pinpoint what was wrong, but Hayashi just couldn't shake off this burr of a bad feeling.

---

"What were you doing today?"

"I was watching the sunrise, Father."

"You know I don't like it when you go up there.. What if someone catches you? You can never tell now with all of this 'technology' that humans use now."

"I'll be fine, Father."

"Don't be deceived by humans. They'll try to gain your trust and then trick you once you're vulnerable."

"As you've warned me before."

"Mizuumi-ko, if something happened to you-"

"I said I'll be fine! What made you concerned all of a sudden?"

"Now, calm-"

"If you actually cared, then where were you all those years ago when I needed you? When Mother needed you."

"There's nothing I could have done for her!"

"But there was something you could have done for me, and you didn't. Did you spend so much time worrying about the city that you forgot about the daughter you left to the side and abandoned? I'm sure that for you, everything was okay as long as your precious city was running smoothly!"

"Now you've gone too far!"

"Not yet, but I will now. And I'm sure that everybody will be happy that I'm gone."

"Mizuumi-ko, wait! What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you don't know? Why don't you ask them to find out?"

"Mizuumi-ko, come back! Mizuumi-ko!"

----

"Hayashi, a letter from your father came in today by hawk."

"Oh?" he asked. "What does it say?"

"Something came up that he needs to return for, so he'll arrive around the time of the solstice," his mother said. "Speaking of the solstice, Mori came by and asked if we would like to go."

"Yeah, I saw him when I came back from the lake," Hayashi said. "Do you want to go?"

"Well, I haven't gone to a large social event in a long time," his mother replied, "but what about you? What are your plans for that day?"

"Nothing really," Hayashi shrugged. "I guess I'll go too if you want to go."

"Do you have your eye on somebody, Hayashi? Is that why you're going?" his mother smiled.

"No, Mom. I'm just going for the change of scenery."

Sighing, his mother just said, "If you say so," but the twinkle in her eyes thought otherwise.

Hayashi rolled his eyes as he walked to his room. Girls? Really? He shook his head as Zuumi's angry expression came to mind. Now what in the world did he think about that for? "Brat," he muttered, but the uneasy feeling from earlier returned. He looked out his window, watching the water shimmer as wind blew across the lake's surface. "Is everything okay?" he whispered to no one.

---

"Hey, you came!"

"Yeah, I did," Hayashi said with a small smirk. "Now quit gawking, or I'll leave!"

"Just never thought I'd see you come on your own," Mori said. "What brought this slight change of heart?"

Hayashi shrugged. "I don't know. Needed a change of scenery, maybe? Or maybe because I might feel better when you don't drag me to these places."

"And the long sleeves?"

"This?" Hayashi asked, looking at his long-sleeved shirt. "Keeps the bugs off of my arms, you know?"

"I still think you have your eye on somebody, you know," Hayashi's mother chimed in, winking at Hayashi before walking off towards the refreshments table.

"Now that would be even harder to believe," Mori laughed as Hayashi rolled his eyes. "I'm going to see where my dad is. I won't make you talk to anybody, but try to lighten up so you don't scare the guests, 'kay, Hayashi?"

"Ha ha," Hayashi muttered sarcastically as Mori walked off, but at the same time, he couldn't resist a small smirk. It didn't last for long though; a few things came to mind that have been bothering him for the past two weeks.

First, the real reason for the long sleeves: the scratch on his arm still hadn't healed. On the contrary, it looked like it might have gotten worse in some respect, the scratch more like a blood-red line along his arm than an injury.

Then there was Zuumi; the mermaid was nowhere to be seen when Hayashi rowed out after their recent argument. Could something have happened to her? He didn't miss the shouting, but her two-week absence was starting to worry him. If she was ignoring him, then surely, Zuumi would have been over it after a few days, right?

He considered that maybe she was on the other side of the lake where Hayashi would be unable to see her if she really couldn't be seen outside of a certain distance. Yet how could Hayashi have seen her when he went out to look for his charm at the beginning of the summer? He must have been too far away before he drifted towards her, Hayashi thought. Could merfolk simply "turn off" their cloaking ability?

Sighing, Hayashi got himself a cup of water and looked at his shark-tooth charm, which was now hanging off of his right wrist. His mother left a note on their door for his father, inviting him to come up to the summer solstice celebration, so his father should probably arrive at the celebration in an hour or so, Hayashi estimated as he took a sip from his cup. Why did he still have a bad feeling about something though...?

His thoughts were interrupted when Mori ran over to him. "Hayashi," he panted, "someone's seen your dad on the path. He's on his way here."

"Already?" Hayashi asked, surprised.

"Hey, look happy already," Mori grinned. "You haven't seen him in months, right?"

"Y-Yeah," he stammered, "but I didn't think he'd be here so soon."

"Well, I guess he's ahead of schedule then," Mori said, still grinning. "I hear that he's carrying something here in a net. You think it's some big catch from his trip?"

"Who knows?" Hayashi said. "Considering Dad, it could be just about anything. Maybe he has something for everyone and only had a net carry them in."

"Hayashi, you okay? You don't look too well."

"I'm fine," he said quickly. "Maybe I just need some fresh air."

"We're outside," Mori replied, looking concerned. "I bet you're not used to the whole celebration thing. Why don't you sit down for a bit?"

"M-Maybe. Thanks," Hayashi said, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself as Mori led him to a seat.

"Hey, if something's up, let me know. We're friends, right?"

"Excuse me? I don't know where you got 'we'. As far as I remember, you're the one who chose to stick around," Hayashi replied, managing a small smile.

"Now that's more like the Hayashi I know," Mori chuckled. "If you need me, just come find me."

"Not too hard when you wear that goofy grin wherever you go," Hayashi said, bringing a few more laughs out of Mori as he walked towards some classmates. What's the matter with me? Hayashi thought to himself, gripping the shark tooth on his wrist as he drank some more water.

"He's here! Nustima has returned!"

Everyone turned towards the road, waiting for Hayashi's father to arrive at the celebration. A few minutes later, a tall, muscular figure walked into the clearing, holding a net over his shoulder.

"Nustima! Welcome home," Mori's father said, walking towards the newly-arrived guest. He stopped short and let his gaze join the others at what Hayashi's father brought in the net. "Goodness... Is that..." he gasped, his eyes widening.

Everyone stopped what they were doing; some even dropped whatever they had been holding at the sight. Hayashi dropped his cup as well, time seeming to stop around him as a chill passed through his body.

"Aye, folks, it's a mermaid," Nustima said, stepping back to give everyone better view.

"Zuumi," Hayashi mouthed, unable to believe his eyes.