Shrouded Seascape

Sparkle's reply came belatedly, "I've been feeling a bit tired lately. I came here for a change of scenery."

"Oh, is that so? Then, do what you've got to do. If you don't have a place to stay tonight, you can stay at the Governor's Mansion. It's empty."

With that, Dipp turned around and left. After walking just a few steps, however, he turned on his heel and asked in a concerned voice, "Is the Captain really okay?"

For some reason, Sparkle found the fishman to be quite annoying. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and Dipp vanished into thin air, landing in the sea just outside Hope Island.

Having driven away the noisy fly, Sparkle could finally enjoy a rare moment of peace. No one knew what Sparkle was doing at the station, but no one dared to ask her any questions; they were afraid of disturbing the rare beauty.

It wasn't just the men; even some women passing by stared straight at her. In the end, the road got so congested that a traffic constable had to come and ease the traffic.

Dipp had already swam out of the sea and informed the others not to disturb Sparkle, so no one asked the latter to leave, despite the traffic that she was causing.

Just then, a resonant school bell rang, signaling the end of classes. A large group of children rushed out of the school gate, and the traffic finally eased somewhat as the parents brought their children back home.

Sparkle turned and looked toward the students inside the school just next to the tram station. Sparkle's gaze penetrated the walls and the crowds, ultimately falling upon Nene, who had to stay behind to clean the classroom.

After a while, Nene ran out of the school, laughing and playing with her classmates. Sparkle floated over to her and smiled at her long-time friend.

"Ah!" Nene exclaimed upon seeing the woman's cross-shaped pupils. Her mouth was wide agape as she added, "You've grown so big, Sparkle!"

Nene then pounced on Sparkle; she wrapped her arms around Sparkle's fair legs and jumped up and down in excitement. Her good friend had finally come to see her, and she hadn't forgotten her, after all!

Sparkle bent down and picked Nene up gently before walking into the distance.

Nene was particularly excited to see her friend whom she hadn't seen for a long time now. As if to prove her excitement, she chattered nonstop, "Sparkle, you know the subjects in school are really hard—unimaginably hard.

"I had no idea that the world is complex, but if you had told me about all this back then, I wouldn't have believed you.

"The subjects are difficult, but I'm still studying hard. And it's because of the school's ranking system; there are rewards given for becoming one of the top students! They give out so many interesting toys, and I have to get one.

"Ah, right, you probably don't know since it's been a while since you last returned, but there's a new, interesting school on Skywater Island. It's a boys' school that teaches boys how to shoot guns!" Nene exclaimed.

Then, she realized that Sparkle hadn't said a word since they met, and she seemed a bit absent-minded as well. Nene reached out and held Sparkle's soft, delicate fingers, cautiously asking, "What's wrong, Sparkle? Are you not happy to see me?"

"I'm happy," Sparkle said. She put Nene on a nearby bench and sat down beside her.

Coming back to her senses, Nene reached into her school bag. She rummaged through it to find a round candy wrapped in red paper.

She handed it over to Sparkle and said, "Want to eat? This candy is so delicious, but it's too expensive. Mom only gives me one piece a day, but I can't bear to eat it."

Sparkle raised her hand, pushing it back.

Nene took out another piece of the same candy from her school bag, and her big eyes curved into crescents as she grinned. "I still have more! This is one from yesterday. I saved it just in case you came over; it would be a shame if you couldn't eat such a delicious candy." Ṝ₳NŏʙЕs̈

Sparkle's heart warmed up at the sight. She nodded gently, opened the wrapper, and put the candy into her mouth. A rich, milky fragrance instantly pervaded her mouth.

It was a typical candy with nuts inside. The innermost core was made of roasted nuts with a layer of sweet cream; the outermost layer was wrapped in delicious coconut shavings.

It would be strange if it weren't expensive based on its ingredients alone.

"It's a new candy from Harry Bears! How is it? Delicious, right?" Nene asked with her cheeks puffed up like a little squirrel. Her eyes sparkled with the light of anticipation as she stared at Sparkle.

Sparkle nodded quietly.

Nene smiled sweetly at that and exclaimed, "No matter how unhappy you are, eating candy will surely make you happy!"

Sparkle chewed the candy in her mouth while smoothing Nene's slightly messy hair.

The sea breeze in the distance blew across Sparkle's silky hair, making it sway slightly. This scene was so beautiful that it even made Nene stare at her in a daze.

"Sparkle, you're so pretty," Nene remarked.

Sparkle looked down at Nene and suddenly lowered her head to kiss her on the cheek.

Nene's face turned slightly red, and she covered her face shyly before giggling.

"Why are you laughing?" Sparkle asked. Then, she swallowed the candy in her mouth.

Nene was feeling shy, but she snapped back to reality at the question. "I'm laughing because I'm happy. It's been a while since I saw my best friend, so I'm happy to see her again."

The two sat on the bench and chatted.

After a while, the two found themselves staring at the fields of the World's Crown.

"Sparkle, what have you been doing these days? You look like you're working very hard."

"I'm helping my daddy. My job is to periodically sever chunks of Daddy's brain to ensure that he won't absorb too much knowledge and inadvertently lose his humanity."

"That sounds like a strange job."

"It's nothing strange. It's no different from cutting meat, albeit just a bit bigger than usual. My second job is to stay by his side as his family and remind him of his true identity. I have to keep reminding him that he is a human being.

"Actually, I think my second job is better at ensuring that he'll stay human."

"Oh..." Nene muttered, looking puzzled. She had a hard time understanding what Sparkle was talking about.

"I want to save him. I want to find a way to save his humanity. I've already lost Mommy, and I don't want to lose my last remaining family," Sparkle said.

At that, Sparkle's calm facade seemed to crack open.

"Where did your mommy go?" Nene's voice was a bit cautious.

A trace of heartache flashed in Sparkle's eyes upon hearing that. "She left for a place very, very far away. She's probably not coming back."

"Did she go out to sea? My daddy also went out to sea and never came back."

"Something like that. Anyway, I finally understand my mother's feelings at the time. If I were strong enough, would Daddy be forced to make such a choice?"

Upon hearing that, Nene clenched her fists to cheer on her good friend. "Fighting—keep fighting. Everything is going to be fine. You're the best, Sparkle, so everything is going to be fine!"

Sparkle smiled at Nene's adorable face.

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