Chapter 18
“By the way, it’s really fascinating. The more questions I ask, the more things I want to ask. An underwater civilization that started from roots completely different from humanity… it sounds like something straight out of a novel. I can’t even imagine what that world looks like or how it functions. It feels like a subject with endless possibilities for exploration. I’m really curious about the ecology of the sea people too.”
“Wait. ‘The ecology of the sea people’? You’re talking about them like they’re some strange animals in a zoo.”
Sharkrof snapped sharply.
“I absolutely didn’t mean it like that, Mr. Sharkrof. I’m sorry if it offended you. But… since you mentioned animals in a zoo, does that mean the Sea Kingdom also has zoos?”
“What?”
“Are zoos considered separate from aquariums? Or… since it’s the sea, everything is basically a giant tank already. Maybe I should ask first whether aquariums even exist there.”
“Damn it. I said that to end the questions, but I just created another one.”
Sharkrof collapsed onto the counter in despair. Just this morning he had been afraid a harpoon gun might come flying at him, but now he was being attacked by questions far more relentless than any harpoon.
By the time Arthur finally left, Sharkrof looked completely worn out—like a strand of seaweed tossed onto the beach.
“It feels like I got stung by a swarm of jellyfish hundreds of times. No—an actual jellyfish swarm wouldn’t sting this persistently. I hope he never comes back.”
Sharkrof muttered with visible exhaustion.
Unfortunately for Sharkrof, Arthur’s curiosity about the Sea Kingdom didn’t fade that quickly.
He ended up facing Arthur’s relentless barrage of questions several more times afterward…
A few days later.
I woke up earlier than usual because of the sunlight. The weather was getting hotter by the day.
Cold water had been sprinkled over the white stone road near the shop to cool the heat.
I only found out because Sharkrof walked over to the person spraying the water with a hose and sincerely praised them, saying it was nice to see someone still doing good deeds on this dry land.
I had to agree that sprinkling water on the pavement was indeed a good thing.
The shining stone walkway was already slowly drying, giving off the damp, peculiar smell unique to wet stone.
I was absentmindedly looking down at the pavement when it happened.
From afar, a gleaming car slid up along the road and slowed down.
Then a familiar person stepped out after opening the door.
Arthur got out of the car and slowly walked toward the shop.
He entered with the same smile as always and greeted me.
I greeted him back.
“Arthur, you said you’d come often, and you really meant it. I’m glad to see you again. What brings you here today?”
I asked.
“Just here to idle around like usual.”
Arthur replied with a smile.
Just then, we heard the sound of someone running down the stairs.
Sharkrof had been extremely enthusiastic about greeting customers lately, determined to become a “helpful shark.”
Unfortunately for him, this particular customer wasn’t someone he would be happy to see.
The moment Sharkrof recognized Arthur’s face, he immediately raised his eyes in suspicion.
“So it’s you again. What do you want this time?”
Sharkrof growled.
“Nothing special. I just came to see Miss Marina like usual.”
Arthur answered calmly.
Sharkrof simply glared at him with extreme hostility.
His expression clearly said disappear immediately, but it didn’t last long.
Once again, Sharkrof ended up falling for Arthur’s clever tactics—like a beast tamer handling a wild animal.
“Mr. Sharkrof, it seems you really don’t like me. I actually want to get along with you.”
“Of course I don’t like you. I still don’t believe that nonsense about you and Miss Marina not being involved with each other…”
“That’s why I brought a gift for you today, Mr. Sharkrof. As a gesture of goodwill. I’m not sure if you’ll like it though.”
Arthur said this while handing Sharkrof a bundle wrapped in brown paper.
Sharkrof had already been eyeing the item suspiciously the entire time.
He carefully unwrapped the paper as if he were dismantling a bomb and peeked inside.
It was a serving of fried fish neatly wrapped in greaseproof paper.
Sharkrof’s eyes immediately sparkled at the rich smell of fish meat rising from it.
Bringing fried fish as a gift had clearly been a deliberate choice.
Arthur already knew about the various incidents Sharkrof had caused.
For example, the time Sharkrof couldn’t resist the irresistibly tempting smell coming from a fish stall.
Sharkrof himself had confessed those things in despair after his identity had been discovered.
Arthur must have gotten the idea of bringing fried fish from that conversation.
He had instinctively known Sharkrof would never be able to refuse such a gift.
And Arthur had been absolutely right.
Sharkrof accepted the bundle of golden-brown fried cod and fries, completely forgetting to yell at Arthur to get lost.
“I thought you’d like it.”
Arthur said with a smile.
“I never said I liked it.”
Sharkrof snapped irritably.
“Really? Then once you try it, you might change your mind. You should eat it now. They say it tastes best when it’s fresh.”
Arthur said calmly.
Sharkrof glanced cautiously at us, still a little suspicious.
But that didn’t last long.
Unable to resist the temptation, he eventually snuck behind the counter with the fried food.
I had to struggle not to laugh at the sight.
Just then, Arthur placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered,
“Looks like we can talk alone now.”
“Is there something you need to talk about in private?”
“Not necessarily… but I’m actually quite shy despite appearances. It feels less awkward when it’s just the two of us.”
Arthur continued with a meaningful look.
“To be honest, I lied to you earlier, Miss Marina.”
“You lied?”
“I didn’t come here just to idle around today. I actually came to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“Well… could I say I came to ask you on a date?”
I turned toward Arthur in surprise.
“A date?”
I asked.
“Or… maybe that’s too exaggerated a way to put it. Just kidding. I only meant I wanted to spend a pleasant evening together. I might have phrased it a bit grandly.”
Even though he said it was a joke, Arthur wore a strange smile that made it impossible to tell whether he was serious or teasing.
He was completely different from Sharkrof, whose thoughts were as transparent as shallow water just by looking at his face.
In the end, Arthur changed the topic without clearly explaining what he really meant.
He asked whether I had time next week at night.
“The shop will already be closed by then, so I should be free. Are we meeting at night for our first date?”
I asked playfully.
“There’s somewhere I’d like to take you. You know the festival that happens around this time every summer—the one when the lantern jellyfish return.”
“Oh, that. It sounds like fun.”
The festival Arthur mentioned was something I already knew about.
Every summer, lantern jellyfish drift toward the shallow coastline in enormous swarms.
Lantern jellyfish naturally emit a bright glow like stars of the sea, but they also have a habit of gathering toward even brighter lights.
The jellyfish festival takes advantage of that behavior.
At night, boats light up their decks with bright lamps.
Drawn to the light, the lantern jellyfish gather beneath the boats and glow brilliantly, as if responding to the lights above.
Then all that remains is to admire the magical spectacle they create.
When people imagine the scenery of a night sea, they usually think of something like the reflection of a full moon on the water.
But on nights when the jellyfish gather like that, the ocean reflects not the moon—but what looks like the entire universe.
To visitors who only come during the summer, the nature of this resort might seem like paradise.
But when you live surrounded by beautiful scenery all year long, eventually you stop feeling anything special about it.
I was the same.
The breathtaking views that travelers admired and took photos of had long started to feel as ordinary to me as streetlights or parked cars.
Even for me, however, the shining sea on festival nights felt fresh and moving—as if I were seeing this place for the very first time.
No wonder so many tourists flocked here.
Especially since, while people admired the star-like waves, the ship’s deck transformed into a grand banquet hall.
Typical party foods were served, cheerful music played without a care in the world, and punch and cocktails mixed with tropical fruits were offered all night long.
Honestly, watching the festival of lights together, having dinner, and drinking cocktails in a place like that clearly carried a romantic meaning.
Even someone as dense as me could understand that much.
But Arthur was the kind of person who could suggest something like that as if it were nothing special.
And he had a way of making even such an obviously romantic situation feel strangely ambiguous.
