welcome to the dark side

He couldn't have fallen in since he was the one to push her in, so...?

Mira dipped back underwater, looking around just in case she was wrong to assume he didn't fall in — absolutely no sign of him. She blinked in less anger and more confusion than anything.

What the hell...

Well...he was gone now. Where he went wasn't of any concern to her. She'd give him an earful another time. So, she swam forward with a flick of her tail and made her way deeper into the sea, looking for the perfect spot to rest peacefully in for the night. She relied on herself to wake up before sunrise.

*******

"He didn't come back?"

It's bright and early. Mira had made her way downstairs, ready to clock in to work when she saw the detective and started making a bit of small talk. She was curious to know if he'd seen Ota since last night.

Apparently, though, the artist hadn't returned to the hotel and she might've just been the last person to see him.

"I mean, it's not uncommon. He has his own place 'nd all, it's not like he has to spend every day here." He took a long drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke outside the window where he sat as usual.

"Did you see him...at all, yesterday?" She questioned, combing her hair with her hand before tying it up in a low bun.

"Nah. Don't think so."

...Odd. Maybe he did go back to his own studio or something. She just...didn't have the greatest feeling.

"Alright then...I'll be off now. Have a good day."

Closing the penthouse doors, she suddenly found herself face to face with Soryu's sharp gaze.

"Oh, um...hello." She dipped her head in a polite bow.

"Good morning. Have you seen Kisaki?"

...Huh? He was looking for him too?

"No, actually...I asked Kishi about him, and he said he hadn't even seen him at all yesterday."

"Are you looking for him?"

"Not really, I just wanted to have a civil chat with him." She crossed her arms, remembering the stunt he pulled last night.

"That means you're looking for him."

"I'm not specifically going out of my way to talk to him, so no. I'm not."

The mobster studied her with a firm gaze. She almost felt suspected for something she hadn't done. Maybe something she'd love to do though.

"...Do you want to interrogate me? I have to go to work, I'm running a little late." She averted his gaze, which somehow made her feel even more guilty for looking like she was intentionally avoiding the man.

"...No. Just let me know if you see him." Before she could even blink, he stepped aside and pushed the door open, heading into the penthouse. She did want to ask him why he was looking for the artist, but...

Ugh...I really have to focus more.

*******

Another day at Tres Spades meant another day repeating the exact same work as the previous days. It honestly felt like she was reliving one day every single day, what with the manual labor, following the schedule and running into Erika with the rest of her musketeers. The doozy set of characters surrounding her all day made her feel like Alice in Wonderland more than a hotel maid...

As much as she settled in this new life, she was slowly getting more bored and tired of doing the same thing everyday. She was a mermaid. Mermaids aren't fit to do manual labor everyday, on ground nonetheless. Once again she's reminded of how different she and Eisuke are from each other. She still can't believe she's doing all of this just for a chance that he'll help.

Heading up to the penthouse to clean and finally be done for the day, she passes by the private pool she and Eisuke had a quick getaway in a little while back. On any other day she wouldn't have stopped in front of it, but today, she heard the faint sound of splashing water against tiles.

Someone was in the pool tonight.

Stepping a tad bit closer to listen carefully, she heard no voices accompanying the splashes, so she assumed whoever it was must've been alone.

And that someone was probably Eisuke.

That would mean he'd recovered in just a day's time. Either way, she couldn't join him not only because she was supposed to be working, she also still hadn't seen him since the full moon. She also had no access to the private pool since it required either a key or a passcode. So she'd have to settle for now.

She did wonder what would've compelled the man to take a trip to the pool in the "cold and darkness" he seemed so avoidant of, but perhaps he had moments of rough times too and needed to relax.

It was time to go back to work.

Walking down the rest of the hallway and making her way into the penthouse, the sight of Mamoru and Soryu caught her off guard for a split second before she caught their attention as she closed the door behind her. It was rare to see these two all alone in a confined space.

"...Good evening?" She managed to mutter.

Soryu nodded his head in acknowledgement, taking a seat a little ways from Mamoru.

"Hey kiddo."

Kiddo...?

"I'm not a kid..." She grabbed her supplies, ready to finish off the day. It was getting harder to not miss her bed day by day.

"Have you run into Kisaki at all?" The mobster's gaze found hers. Right. The artist had slipped her mind completely amidst the work. Was he still missing?

"No, not at all." She began to mop the floor, keeping eye contact with the man to make up for how suspicious she must've looked in the morning. "Why are you...looking for him?"

"It's none of your concern. We need to discuss something with him before the next auction." Mm. Cold, but that's to be expected.

"When and where did you see him last?" ...Ah. The inevitable question she couldn't avoid.

"Yesterday evening, out by the sea...we were talking on the shore before he suddenly grabbed me and pushed me in the water." She pushed the mop a bit more harshly than usual against the floor, recalling her anger. Now she was taking it out on the poor thing. "I tried to look around for him, but he was nowhere to be found."

The two men went quiet, prompting Mira to look back up at them.

"What?" She questioned.

"He pushed you?"

"...Yes? Is that so surprising?"

"Nah. That angelic artist is anything but angelic." Mamoru chimed.

"Is he that important to the auction thing...?" She continued mopping the floor innocently, hoping to figure something out. What was wrong with him, maybe.

"He puts the prices on many of the items we auction off." Looks like the only redeeming quality of his is that he's an artist. He must be well versed into the art world if they trust him to put value on such precious pieces.

"...Alright. Well, that's all I know. Hope it helps."

She bids them both goodnight when she finally finishes her work for the day, retiring in the room she's been missing so dearly lately.

*******

It's quiet.

Maybe a bit too quiet. The only surrounding sounds are of water echoing around him in the glowing pool.

His head lays on his arms as he gazes at nothing in particular. The tail behind him floats lazily in the depths. His weird, webbed ear twitches at every sudden, inconspicuous noise. He couldn't fully relax, but when was that ever possible anyway?

His heart nearly jumps out of his ribs at the beeping sound of the door opening, quickly catching his attention as he whips his head around to look at the culprit. He grunts to himself.

"Eisuke...what are you doing here." The door automatically closes behind the mobster. Eisuke takes that as his cue to settle back into his own arms.

"Nothing. What are you doing here?" He mutters out, closing his eyes. He hears Soryu sigh behind him and the shuffling of fabric before he makes his way over to where he's trying to relax.

"We still haven't found Ota." That prompts Eisuke to turn his gaze back to the man, catching the way he loosens the tie around his neck.

"Then you're not looking hard enough." Eisuke huffs, slowly swishing his tail left and right. He looks at Soryu out of the corner of his eye as he lowers himself to the floor and sits a little ways from him.

"What about you? Are you feeling fine? Nothing to call Luke about?" Ugh. He's too worried.

"I'm fine. I was stuck to that IV for half a day, I'd kill him if it did nothing good." He joked halfheartedly.

"Then what brings you out here?"

"You're asking too many questions."

They both go silent, waiting for the other to speak first. The silence was nice enough. There was just something bothering the CEO.

"You look after me too much, putting your own work aside in the process." He finally manages to get out. This has been happening for more than a decade ever since Soryu found out about his strange ability.

"Is that a bad thing?" Soryu looks at him with a sharp gaze. "I pick up the pieces when you can't. So do you for me when I need it most."

...I suppose that's true.

"It feels like you take on responsibility for something you were never meant to take care of." Eisuke's eyes drifted over to his scarred arm. Recalling the amount of times he could've hurt him again but how careless Soryu was during every full moon.

"You made it my responsibility the moment you dug your claws and fangs into me."

"I most certainly don't think I did that." He grimaced. "Sounds like you took that on your own accord."

"And I'm fine with it. If I'm the only man able to tolerate you and calm you down, even if it ends in bloodshed, I took it as my responsibility and mine alone."

...Hm.

Eisuke finally looks up at the man again, locking eyes with him. Neither of them make an attempt at avoiding the contact.

"So why did he collapse?" Mamoru walked past him and looked back at Mira, silently inviting her in, too. Soryu closed the door behind them.

"Something about being malnourished, Luke's not completely sure yet."

"Malnourished...?" Mira found her voice to chime in.

"I don't know anything either. He's never had a problem like this..." His gaze wandered off to the bedroom door.

Malnourished siren...

"You wouldn't possibly know why this would happen to him, would you?" The mobster's sharp eyes found her own. He looked intimidatingly concerned.

"I...might have an explanation."

She took in a breath, about to explain her theory, when the door behind them opened with a 'click', a tall man emerging from the bedroom.

That must be Luke...Eisuke's childhood friend, she thought to herself as he approached the trio.

"He's stable now, and he'll probably wake up soon." He explained. "Seems he was just malnourished and the moon last night affected him somehow...what happened again?"

Soryu looked at Mira. Mira looked at Soryu. Luke's eyes also fell on her.

"...And who are you?"

"It's a long story..." Mira looked away from their intense gazes. "But I think I know what happened to him."

She was met with silence, all three of the men waiting for her to explain.

"I mentioned before how sirens preyed on humans...humans are their main food source," She saw Luke blink in confusion, "Or, well...they used to be their main food source. They're going extinct for a reason, after all..."

"...Eisuke is a siren?" The doctor asked, all but bewilderment evident on his pale face.

"He is."

"How do y—"

"Soryu will explain later." The mobster gave her a particular...look.

"...Eisuke has been around countless humans ever since his transformation 15 years ago, something sirens aren't genetically fit to be. They prey on the first human they lay their eyes on. That's their nature."

"Yet being around so many humans, not ever feeding on them and being forced to live among them because he himself is still human at his core...I'm surprised it took this long for him to collapse from hunger."

"Hunger?" Soryu chimed in, looking at the doctor.

"The doctor is right...he must've been really malnourished in the sense that he's never attacked a human..." She trailed off, remembering how Eisuke told her that he'd attacked Soryu once.

"...Right." Soryu nonchalantly looked off to the side. "Then what was it about last night that tipped him over the edge?"

Mira hesitated.

"...It must've been my presence. Maybe it was him being possessive of his territory, or maybe it was the fact I'm not only a human, but also a mermaid. I'm not sure."

Luke's eyes went wide at her statement.

"You're a...?"

"Yes, I'm a mermaid. Born at sea, not transformed." She awkwardly scratched her neck. "I'm Mira."

"...Mira..." He repeated the name to himself. "Nice to meet you, Mira. I'm Luke, Eisuke's and Soryu's old friend."

"I know—"

"Huh?"

Oops.

"N— Nothing."

"..."

"...Anyway," Soryu interrupted, "So he's fine now, right?"

"...Yes. He should be alright. Just keep an eye on him when he wakes up." The man slipped his gloves off. "I'll stay until he does wake up just to make sure I didn't miss anything."

"Alright, thank you." The mobster exhaled and turned to Mira and Mamoru again.

"I'm outta here, then. You two take care of him." The detective turns around, opening the door and walking out. She's not sure he's in much of a hurry like she is.

"I'll...get going as well. I'm running late as it is." She looked up at Soryu and paused, remembering her practiced speech from earlier. "And, um, Soryu...thank you. For last night."

The man blinked in confusion for a moment before it struck him what she was talking about.

"It was nothing. I'm glad I got there in time." He awkwardly scratched his own neck. "I apologize on Eisuke's behalf."

"Oh...no worries, he has it pretty rough right now...just take care of him and yourself." She steps backwards until she's out of the suite, still looking at the two men. "Have a good day, both of you."

With a polite bow, she closes the door and a sigh escapes her lips. Now isn't the time to get distracted. She was running really late.

Bidding a quick farewell to Mamoru smoking away in his usual spot, she dashed out of the penthouse to finally get to work.

*******

"He WHAT?!?!"

Mira laid on her stomach, back in her comfortable bed after a long day of chores and Erika's belittling. Her phone was next to her with Baba's voice on speaker, her head buried in her pillow. They'd been talking about how their day went very casually, before she suddenly dropped the bomb on Baba about Eisuke.

"Yeah, he just collapsed out of the blue." She turned her head to the side. She hadn't gone to check in on him, knowing Soryu must be with him — she didn't even know if he was awake already.

"But why??? Is he okay now?"

"He should be. Should I go see him?" She rolled over and onto her back, staring at the dancing lights on the ceiling. It was beautiful. It reminded her of the sea.

"Maybe let him rest for now...but again, why did he pass out?" Baba's bewildered voice turned into one of concern. How nice to know your friend cares about you so much.

"It's a long explanation, but to keep it simple — his siren nature was starving, the moon and my presence last night affected him in a way that made him collapse." She answered, closing her eyes. She needed a swim after all of this.

"...That's quite the shortened version of the story."

"Well...that is what happened. You can ask Soryu for details." Her mouth opened in a yawn. Her body was succumbing to the exhaustion.

"Alright then. You must be tired, I'll get out of your hair now." She heard him chuckle on the other end. "Sweet dreams, Pretty lady!"

"Good night, Baba."

The line goes dead, and Mira lets out a sigh.

This bed was comfortable, warm. The silence was comforting. She could doze right off just like this, but something in her was aching to be in the water again. She didn't have access to that private pool area, though, and she wasn't going to bother Eisuke about it, especially since he was unwell.

What other options are there?

She sat up and gazed out the window, her eyes focusing on the horizon line way beyond the shimmering lights of the city.

...It really wouldn't be a bad thing to swim right now.

The ocean was practically beckoning her. Who was she to decline the invitation?

*******

She watched as the water rocked against the shore every so often with each wave that came, the moon glistening on the restless sea.

She missed this. The sounds of the waves, the cool breeze, the salty scent lingering in the air — she missed all of it.

Carefully approaching the water, Mira cautiously looked around her, making sure nobody was around to see her dive in and disappear. That...certainly would cause some headlines to appear the next morning.

While looking around though, she would have never expected to see a certain angelic artist staring right back at her. She squinted her eyes, not believing it was actually him — but it was.

"...What are you doing here???" He exclaimed, nearly yelling it out. Mira almost laughed at the accusatory tone of his voice.

"...Helloo? I'm a mermaid that's been gone from my home for years, what do you think I could possibly be doing here, out by the sea???"

Ota blinked, giving her enough time to counter again.

"I should be the one asking you what you're doing here." She crossed her arms and looked at him with a stern expression. She saw him falter for but a split second before he looked away from her.

"It's nice out here. I come by when I need creative inspiration...and there's usually not an annoying mermaid here, talking my ears off."

Ah. She grimaced with an urge to throw sand at his face. Looks like nothing's changed.

"Ever so short-tempered, aren't you?"

"Only when it comes to you."

"That makes me feel so special."

"Don't let it get to your head."

"What a shame. I planned to run with it."

They glared at each other. Mira wasn't one to back down so easily. It looked like Ota wasn't, either.

I really must've done a number on him that day.

"What do you want from me?" The artist finally broke the silence, making Mira nearly stumble from the sudden gravity of the question.

"...What do I want from you?" She repeated back, her gaze drifting up to the dark sky scattered with stars. "I don't want anything from you. I just need Eisuke's help."

"You can't be serious. You wouldn't leave me alone no matter what I said to you that day!"

"It's not that I want something from you..." She took a few steps forward, standing face to face with the man. "I can just feel that you're hiding something in there, behind that oh so angelic face of yours."

She poked his chest and felt Ota freeze up. "I don't know what it is, but you've been acting weird not only around me, but the others, too."

Ota's glare never faltered as it dug into Mira's eyes.

"If I'm the cause of discomfort, don't you think I should be aware of what I'm doing wrong?"

She waited for a response for what felt like hours.

"You're really annoying." She raised an eyebrow at that.

"...That's it? That's your cause?"

"No. I'm stating facts." Suddenly, he grabs her wrist and begins walking towards the water, pulling Mira along.

"Hey!! What are you doing?!" Trying to yank her arm away, she felt the water around her feet, but Ota kept going in deeper and deeper until their legs were fully submerged. "Hey!! Kisaki!!!"