Haikyuu Creature Collection

Return to Me (Takehito Sasaya)

The moment I hit the water, I knew it. Deep in my heart, I knew that this would be the end for me.

It's cold and dark as the surface drifts farther and farther away. The waves were high and rough. Not even the most experienced swimmers could even stand a chance, let alone someone like me who struggled even in the shallowest pools.

No matter how much I struggled, I knew that it was hopeless. I couldn't even count on someone to jump in after me; the storm and the sea would just swallow them up too. The last thing I felt was the iciness of the water and the fear of knowing that I was about to die.

My eyes fluttered open slowly only to clench shut when met with a bright light. They say you see a light when you're dying, so did that mean that I was dead? Slowly I opened my eyes again, this time making sure to look away from the light.

A bright blue sky, hot sands, and rolling waves... a beach? I raise my hand up to my head as I carefully shift into a sitting position. This area doesn't look familiar, so I'm sure that I'm dead.

"About time you woke up," a male voice interrupted my looking around, startling me. I spun around to see a man leaning against a rock, or rather, a merman. "I was starting to think you didn't make it."

I looked him over very carefully. He looked a bit older than me, probably mid-twenties if I had to guess. His hair was sort of spiky, which was strange to see on a mermaid- I mean, merman. He was quite handsome really, especially with that tail of his. It was a beautiful dark jade color, which honestly suited him quite well.

As I stared at him, I said nothing. I couldn't seem to find my voice. But as I stared, his word finally sunk in. I was alive. I was completely alive. I had absolutely no idea where I was, but I was alive.

"You... you saved me?" I asked cautiously. There was no way any human could have survived that ordeal on their own, not even by a miracle. But if one had the help from a mermaid or in this case a merman, then there was a chance. A slim chance, but a chance all the same. If this guy had been waiting here with me, then it was only logical that he'd been the one to rescue me after I'd fallen off the boat.

My savior nodded and made his way closer. He was remarkable fast on land, for someone with only a pair of hands and a fishtail. Though I guess he would have to be pretty fast to avoid being caught by a human. Even if most creatures were accepted in regular society, it didn't necessarily mean that there weren't people who would do awful things to a beautiful creature like him. It was only natural to be cautious.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but quickly closed it as a voice was heard nearby. Not even hesitating, he dove into the sea and was gone before I could ask his name.

A moment later, a familiar face appeared. "Sis!" my younger brother called out, running up and tackling me in a hug. With him is an older woman who I've never seen, though I can already tell she's quite wise.

"The merpeople must have felt merciful," she says, a knowing smile on her face. "Someone must have noticed your kind heart and thought you too precious to lose, young lady." The woman chuckles a little. "Though I wonder who it could have been?"

As she speaks some more, my eyes spot something partially buried in the sand. I pick it up to discover some jade-colored shells on a string. The end of the string was frayed, suggesting that it had been broken.

The old woman sees the shells in my hand. "Well now, it's been some time since I've seen one of those not attached to their wrists," she chuckled, turning around and motioning for us to follow. "Come, I shall tell you the story behind the shells if you wish to listen and how to fix them. He'll be wanting them back, I'm sure."