Chapter 11
What was funny was that despite those worries, the thought of spending time with Sharkrof didn’t feel unpleasant.
Maybe it was because all the commotion Sharkrof caused when he barged into her everyday life felt more entertaining than she had expected.
The next day, as planned, Sharkrof came to visit.
He said he couldn’t wait and had arrived a little earlier than their agreed time.
“I’m going to work hard today,” Sharkrof said.
“Work?” I asked.
“Finding the perfect decoration that suits the shop best. I’ve never done it before, but I think it must be similar to choosing the most tempting prey and chasing it. And I’m good at that.”
“You sound serious.”
I smiled as I said it.
“I am serious when it comes to hunting.”
Sharkrof nodded. His face was solemn—far more serious than one would expect for a simple stroll around town.
Soon we headed into the city.
A general store was always the kind of place enchanted with a strange magic that made you want to buy things you never intended to purchase.
We were wandering around the section filled with small props and interior decorations.
Sharkrof had fixed his gaze on a shelf filled with artificial flowers and fake fruit models.
Sunflowers, hibiscus, and large but incredibly light model coconuts were lined up in front of him.
“Why do land people like flowers so much?” Sharkrof asked, sounding puzzled. His eyes were still fixed on the shelf.
“They’re pretty, that’s why. Do sea people dislike flowers?”
“I don’t know about the others, but I wouldn’t say I dislike them. The smell of cut plants is a little irritating to a sensitive nose, though. I just don’t understand the strange obsession land people seem to have. Does everyone like flowers that much?”
“Probably most people do. They’re commonly given as gifts. Especially between lovers.”
“Between lovers? Then I suppose hunting various flowers and presenting them as gifts must be the courtship method of land people.”
“Hunting flowers… that’s a phrase you don’t hear every day.”
“I don’t really understand the appeal of flowers, but it’s useful information anyway. I’ll remember it. I thought the emotions of land people would be vastly different from those of sea people, but actually it’s not that different. After all, it’s about showing off the trophies you hunted. I like that—it’s a field I’m confident in.”
Sharkrof spoke with strange enthusiasm.
How did the conversation end up like this?
Was Sharkrof going to give me flowers someday?
The combination of Sharkrof’s eyes—cold like the deep sea—and something sentimental like a bright bouquet seemed completely mismatched when I imagined it.
That aside, our attention couldn’t help but drift elsewhere.
It was because of yesterday’s conversation.
Sharkrof had insisted that the best decoration would surely be a shark model.
Just like Phineas, I didn’t really agree that a shark was the best decoration.
Still, I couldn’t help imagining shark decorations in my head.
And Sharkrof’s prediction turned out to be correct.
He had said that if stores could pile up fake shark-tooth necklaces like mountains, there was no way shark-shaped decorations wouldn’t exist.
And indeed, they did.
There were plenty of shark-shaped decorations.
But they weren’t the kind Sharkrof had expected.
“This… is supposed to be a shark?”
Sharkrof muttered, looking shocked.
“Why? It’s definitely a shark. Honestly, when you said shark models would be the best decoration yesterday, I didn’t really agree. But now that I see them in person, I kind of want one. Don’t you think it would look nice decorating the counter? It’s small and cute…”
“That’s exactly the problem. Small and cute.”
Sharkrof firmly picked up a shark plush toy.
It had its mouth open foolishly and round, adorably vacant eyes.
With a grave expression, he said,
“Sharks do not look like this. A shark is the ultimate creature that embodies both the ruthless power of the ocean and the elegance of endlessly surging waves. If I had to choose, I’d say it represents ruthless power especially well. I’m not saying this just because I’m a shark-man. It’s truly the case. They look terrifying and powerful.”
Sharkrof said this in a tone that very much sounded like he was defending sharks.
“But what is this? These stupid-looking round eyes and these soft, cotton-stuffed teeth? So land people have been looking down on us like this. I feel mocked. I feel like I’m sinking into a sea of sorrow. The only sea a shark cannot escape from, no matter how well it swims. I’m in despair. Land people are masters of ridicule and humiliation.”
Sometimes Sharkrof’s sea-scented metaphors made me want to laugh.
Considering how serious he was, I almost felt guilty for wanting to laugh.
“I don’t think they made them to mock sharks. They’re just cute.”
I said playfully.
“No… sharks are not cute…”
Sharkrof muttered miserably. My words seemed to push him deeper into his sea of sorrow.
But Sharkrof didn’t understand.
It was already far too late for him to be accepted as a terrifying ocean predator.
From the very first day we met, Sharkrof had already looked like a clumsy, adorable baby fish.
I said,
“Actually, I still remember when you washed up on the beach. You looked pretty cute back then too. Your round eyes made it hard to believe you were the same kind of fish as the man-eating sharks you see in movies.”
“That… that was when I was young. And youth is synonymous with weakness. Every creature is extremely vulnerable when it’s young. And weakness is synonymous with terror. It’s a fatal trait that could send you sinking forever into the sea of death. Anyway, sharks are absolutely not cute.”
For a shark, Sharkrof was remarkably talkative.
Regardless, I was going to buy what I wanted.
“Anyway, I really like these decorations. I want to buy them.”
“Miss Marina…”
Sharkrof looked at me with eyes that seemed almost betrayed.
Feeling mischievous, I asked,
“Do you want one too?”
“What? Absolutely not.”
Sharkrof shook his head firmly.
As he looked over the display filled with plush toys and cartoonish shark characters with adorable faces, he seemed to lose more and more hope.
When I placed the small shark ornament I had just bought next to the counter, his hope seemed to fade even faster.
“I absolutely cannot accept this kind of depiction. I really hate it.”
Sharkrof muttered, his gaze fixed on the decoration.
He stared endlessly at the caricature-like shark made of translucent colored glass with its foolish smile.
“If you stare at it that much, you’ll end up growing fond of it.”
I joked.
Sharkrof hadn’t taken his eyes off the ornament for a moment.
As if the tiny glass shark might suddenly start moving.
I stepped closer and spoke again.
“You’re staring at it so much. Don’t you actually like it? Why not just take one? I bought two just in case you changed your mind. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you refuse earlier.”
“No. I will absolutely not change my mind.”
“But if you stare at it that intensely, it really looks like you like it.”
“I’m only staring at it to strengthen my determination to leave the land as soon as possible. This is the greatest insult land people have given me.”
“Strengthen your determination?”
“Yes. The reason I came here was to win your love, Miss Marina, and return to the sea kingdom together. If I don’t obtain that love quickly and return to the sea, I’ll have to keep seeing tragic sculptures like this. I’m just reminding myself of that. So I won’t forget my original purpose.”
Sharkrof delivered a very long explanation.
Meanwhile, Phineas seemed to quite like the new decoration…
Though it wasn’t purely for aesthetic reasons.
After hearing what happened at the shop, Phineas burst out laughing at the sulking Sharkrof.
Sharkrof looked furious, but for once he couldn’t properly retaliate.
Normally he would have said something like, “As expected, the humor of land shrimp is as small and incomprehensible as the shrimp themselves.”
“I have to admit you were right for once, Sharkrof. A cute shark decoration really is the perfect item to brighten up this shop. I opposed it without knowing anything. It’s truly terrifying. If I could eat an ice cream sundae in front of that thing, I’d have no regrets.”
Phineas added teasingly.
“Sharkrof, if you really can’t stand that decoration so much, why don’t you just give up on your plan to work here?”
“I can’t do that. I have to win Miss Marina’s love.”
Sharkrof answered gloomily, then continued.
“Now I finally understand properly. Land people have been looking down on us to an insulting degree. Those idiotic marble-like eyes are the greatest mockery.”
“Well, sometimes people don’t underestimate sharks. Most people think sharks are extremely dangerous predators. Like in that shark horror movie I watched recently.”
Phineas said with a grin.
