Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 217, Section 19: "I Want to Be a Jellyfish"

Haiyue sometimes thinks: If, although it's unlikely... but, if back then at the aquarium, her mother had seen through her thoughts and bought her that jellyfish doll.

Will my life be different from now on?

At night, Haiyue would occasionally sit in her room, hugging her knees, contemplating this dreamlike hypothesis.

"Assumptions are meaningless; people can only move forward by letting go of the past."

The way she said it made her look beautiful and mature.

Even after entering junior high school, Shao remained the same.

Despite having the drawback of being "too controlling of friends," the shelf life of each friendship is extended.

With outstanding looks and excellent athletic ability, she joined the wind band and is one of only two double bass players. She is very popular both within the band and in her class.

Being able to become friends with Shao is something to be proud of.

Moreover, compared to some domineering "queen-type" characters, her shortcomings seem mild and not unbearable.

Haiyue, on the other hand, is described as "a strange girl who is only pretty but has an odd personality and is difficult to get along with." She is not deliberately ignored, but everyone still subconsciously avoids her.

Only a very few people have heard her beautiful voice, which is so moving.

"Those people simply don't understand the allure of Haiyue."

The wind blows across the quietly flowing Kinokawa River, the water murmurs, and a figure leans out from the bridge railing to speak.

"Haiyue sang very well at the sixth grade performance, didn't she? Why didn't she sing anymore?"

Not quite understanding, under her direct gaze, Haiyue clasped her hands together and looked at the water as if trying to escape her gaze.

The Kinokawa River was pitch black after sunset, making it impossible to see anything clearly. The thing that Haiyue thought looked like a stone pillar standing in the river suddenly spread its wings and flew away.

It turned out to be a water bird.

"I'm sorry, did I make things difficult for Haiyue?" Shao immediately apologized.

"It's alright, Haiyue can just do what she wants."

"My...thoughts?"

"Hmm, what's Haiyue thinking? Is she going to sing it for her friends?"

"Well……"

Haiyue seemed to have something to say, but she couldn't organize her thoughts into words, her lips opening and closing several times as if she wanted to speak but then stopped.

Finally, she closed her lips.

◇

Starting in the third grade, the school began to distribute "Pathway Hope Survey Forms".

Do you wish to attend a full-time high school, whether you want to study general education, arts, or something else? Are you considering attending a vocational school?

Although not as formal as a high school career path survey, it is still the first time these teenagers are facing a choice about their future.

When the first batch of documents was issued in April, Haiyue submitted a blank sheet of paper, but fortunately, everyone else did too.

For a jellyfish without a destination, it's enough to just go with the flow and follow in the footsteps of others.

However, everything changed after entering the third year—there were students attending cram school to get into their ideal high school, and athletes training hard to get recommendations.

Gradually, only Haiyue herself remained unresolved.

Jellyfish, which have no heart and cannot swim, will eventually have their useless side exposed, even if they drift with the current.

"Hanakawa-kun."

The school corridors are bustling with people coming and going.

The teacher called out to her, and Haiyue turned around to see the teacher approaching with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Why did you only fill in your name on the 'Pathway Hope Survey' form?"

The moon is silent.

The female teacher sighed with a troubled expression, then smiled gently: "Fill it out carefully before next week and hand it in to me, okay?"

"Ah."

"Also, the three-way talks next week..."

◇

"I'm so sorry, teacher, it's all my fault for not supervising her properly."

During the three-way conversation, Haiyue's mother leaned forward, expressing her apology in a solemn manner.

"Ah, it's alright, you don't need to worry about it. The purpose of this three-way talk is to help students who are unsure of their future paths to think about their future."

The teacher spoke up to ease the tension between the mother and daughter in front of him.

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you," Haiyue's mother said with a heavy heart, "This child... has always been a strange child..."

"No, please don't say that. I think your daughter is at an age where she must feel confused about the uncertain future, and I hope you can understand her feelings."

“I really want to understand her feelings, but this child just can’t communicate properly with people. No matter what I say, it’s all in vain.”

“Yes, you’re right. I also have a daughter going through puberty, so I can really understand how you feel,” the teacher said softly.

"Therefore, at this time, teachers and parents, as educators, need to work together to help the children."

"Education is not about interference, but about helping them become independent."

After saying this phrase, which could be taken as a motto by educators, the teacher smiled gently and reached out to place her hand on Haiyue's shoulder.

"Hikawa-kun, tell your teacher, what kind of person do you want to become in the future?"

"..."

The girl, whose eyelashes had been lowered, slowly raised her face, her lips slightly parted, and she uttered a weak murmur:

"I want to...become a jellyfish..."

◇

"Ah~ no matter how many times I see them, jellyfish are always beautiful."

Having visited the aquarium countless times since childhood, Sho and Kaigetsu whiled away their time after school.

What Haiyue once thought was an incredibly large aquarium is actually a small and simple aquarium for the general public, which can be visited in just over ten minutes.

The souvenir shops I frequented as a child have long since closed down.

The jellyfish doll I longed for is no longer available.

"I'm sorry... Sho..."

The environment, which should have been the most relaxing for her, was instead shrouded in a faint shadow on Haiyue's cheeks.

"Ok?"

"I asked you... to come here with me..."

"Huh? What's there to apologize for?"

Haiyue carefully observed her expression: "You also have... training in the wind band..."

"Oh, you mean that? It's okay."

She smiled as if to reassure her: "Because Haiyue is my friend."

"I've said it before, I'm the type of person who treats my friends' affairs as my most important thing."

Although Shao rarely confided in her about his family, Haiyue had a vague sense of something.

Shao dislikes her family, and because of this, she needs to be more mature than her peers to prove that she can be independent even without her family.

But that's not enough; she also wants to take good care of her friends.

Haiyue nodded.

"Besides, since the club won a scrap gold medal in the Kansai tournament, there's no urgent need for practice this year, and club activities have been quite easy lately."

Although Kozue said it in a nonchalant tone, Haiyue could sense a feeling of "unwillingness" in her well-hidden eyes.

Jellyfish may give the impression of being weak and clumsy, but in reality, they are incredibly sensitive to changes in light, temperature, water flow, and chemicals.

The same goes for Haiyue.

She hides herself with her harmless, natural appearance, observing the world around her like a sensitive jellyfish, cautiously extending her tentacles only to immediately retract them.

Unaware of the complex emotions swirling within her friend's heart, she continued:
"Most of the third-year students have retired, but I'm still shamelessly staying in the club. It's a little embarrassing to admit, but it's because I can't bear to leave and want to continue 'taking care' of the useless juniors in the section..."

Turning her head, she suddenly saw Haiyue's expressionless face, and her words came to an abrupt halt.

"Sorry, I was just talking to myself."

"No...after all...I don't really have much to talk about with Kozue..."

"Ah~" Shao changed the subject and asked, "By the way, what's Haiyue's plan for the future?"

"I haven't thought about it yet."

"Huh? Didn't the teacher urge you?"

"Hurry up."

"Have you not thought about it?"

"Ah."

Haiyue nodded and asked, "Shao...would you like to be a double bass player?"

"How could that be?" Shao denied without hesitation. "My talent is nowhere near the point where I could make a living from music."

Haiyue's gaze shifted to the sink, where Shao's fingers rested. There was a thick layer of calluses on her fingertips, proof of Shao's diligent practice of the double bass.

"This is really difficult. If you don't think of a solution soon, it will be too late. Let me help you think of something."

He closed his eyes and thought for a long time, then suddenly opened them:

"I've got it! How about Haiyue and I go to the same high school?"

"The same...high school..."

"Yeah, let's go to Tachibana High together. That way, while I'm in high school, I can continue to 'take care' of Kaizuki."

◇

"Does Hanekawa want to attend Tachibana High School?"

In the office, the teacher looked at the new progress expectation survey form submitted by Haiyue and gave a troubled, bitter smile.

"Yeah, I want to go."

"It's rare for Hanekawa to have her own ideas, but..."

"How about selecting a few more schools?"

Teachers should choose their words carefully and persuade others as tactfully as possible.

Ju Gao is one of the top-ranked high schools in the prefecture, with a strong focus on college entrance exams. Normally, it's not within Haiyue's academic range that she could get into.

"...Oh, that's what Asama-sensei said."

During lunch break, Haiyue and Shao ate their lunch boxes together in the fire escape staircase of the old school building.

The blue jellyfish-shaped chopsticks picked up the willow leaf fish from the bento box, and Haiyue frowned almost imperceptibly before putting it down.

He casually picked it up and put it in his mouth, the texture of the fish roe spreading in his mouth.

"So, how's the music program?" "Music program?"

“That’s right, Haiyue sings so well, she should just study music.”

◇

"Music Department, are you kidding me?"

With a gloomy face, Mom asked, "Have you thought about your future prospects after graduation with that kind of career path?"

"Well……"

The heat faded from her eyes, and Haiyue, at a loss, quietly lowered her eyelashes.

"There's... a little..."

"So what? Friends can't take care of you for a lifetime."

The mother remained unmoved: "I've already thought it through for you. Haiyue will go to a correspondence high school."

"That is……"

“High schools that use mobile phones and computers for teaching don’t require students to go to school; they can just stay at home. This should be a good thing for Haiyue, who isn’t good at interacting with people, right?”

"Mom went to the school's information session, and it's a really great place. Many kids who can't fit into the class choose this school."

"Ah."

Looking at her daughter, who was now almost as tall as herself, the mother opened her arms and hugged her as if to embrace her troubled feelings.

"Haiyue, you are the child that your mother raised all by herself without relying on anyone. So if you can't make up your mind, leave it to your mother to decide."

"Think about it seriously, this concerns your future."

pat-

A sound like something being shattered rang out.

Indeed, for jellyfish, the process of establishing and maintaining their individuality is fraught with difficulties.

Haiyue nodded ambiguously.

"understood."

◇

"Sorry, Haiyue, I only just got home because of club activities."

Through the phone, Haiyue heard the voice of her childhood playmate, Shao.

"……It doesn't matter."

"How could it be unrelated? This is precious time with friends."

For Haiyue, who is now in high school, a palm-sized phone is just right, enough to hold her whole world.

Take classes, watch videos or play mobile games to relax, and chat with your only friend.

Everything about her revolves around her mobile phone.

"What have you been up to lately? The brass band?"

"Oh, no, I joined the light music club in high school and now I play in a band."

"...The band, the violinist?"

"No, no, it's the bassist."

"You...can play bass?"

"Yes, it's similar to the double bass, so it's quite easy to learn."

"so."

"What's Haiyue up to lately? I heard that correspondence high schools also have clubs."

"Hmm...it seems so..."

"Has Haiyue ever thought about joining any club?"

"No."

"Ah~ that's true. Anyway, in regular high schools... in full-time high schools, there are also many members who go home and don't join any clubs."

"Ah."

"Oh, right." JK's startled voice suddenly came from the phone.

Sho is not an overly energetic or lively person; on the contrary, she usually displays a composure beyond her years, except when she is with Kaigetsu.

For Haiyue, Sho is like a Pacific sailfish that is good at swimming, with the ability to rise and fall freely in interpersonal relationships as if in water.

She acts this way when facing her own less outgoing self, perhaps trying to use this liveliness to infect Haiyue, who seems too quiet.

"Our light music club is going to have a live performance at the gymnasium this Saturday's cultural festival. Uizuki, come and watch!"

"Cultural Festival...Live..."

"That's right, the cultural festival at Tachibana High School is super~ lively!"

◇

The day after the Tachibana High School Cultural Festival ended was a weekend.

Haizuki was invited by Kozue to go to Wakayama City with the girls from the Light Music Club.

"Eh? This must be Hanekawa-san."

"So cute, with such fair skin, as delicate as a doll."

"She's tall, has a childlike face, but her chest is excessively large. That's unfair."

"Well……"

Surrounded by a torrent of praise from the girls, Haiyue wanted to accept it frankly.

But when she thought of her unpleasant past experiences, she could only try to float gently like a jellyfish, pushing them aside.

"So aloof, is she an ice queen?"

"It's just a natural trait, Hanekawa-san is really cute."

"Hey, Hanekawa-san, can we call you Kaigetsu like Kozue does? It's such a cute name!"

The outgoing girls kept bringing up friendly topics, but Haiyue, who had unknowingly become out of touch with the school environment, was somewhat at a loss.

"Hey! Let's have some fun today!"

It was as if the tip of the tongue was trying to interrupt Haiyue's sorrow with a loud, high-pitched sound.

Shopping in the shop window, they excitedly chatter and make noise while looking at the pretty dresses.

We tried our luck at the gashapon machine, bought cheap ice cream together, and had lunch at a chain restaurant that couldn't open a branch in Kinokawa.

Then I found a karaoke bar near the station where you could sing for free for two hours if you bought a drink.

"That's amazing, Hanekawa-kun."

"I was completely blown away."

"Your voice is so beautiful."

"Am I right? Haiyue's singing has the power to touch people's hearts."

"Alright, it's about time to head back to Kinokawa," Shao said.

"Huh? Now?"

"Of course, especially Haiyue. I promised her mother that I wouldn't let her go home too late."

Watching the sun gradually set, I felt a sense of loss as the day drew to a close.

She spent a typical holiday like any other 15-year-old high school girl.

A life far removed from that of the jellyfish girl.

◇

second grade.

“Yang Kui will be attending tutoring classes starting next semester, and our band is now without a lead singer, which is a real headache.”

"Does a band... necessarily have a lead singer?"

“Of course,” came a soft laugh from the other end of the phone. “Unless it’s instrumental rock.”

"..."

For some reason, the sound seemed as distant as if my ears were plugged.

"...Haiyue? Are you listening to me? Are you sleepy? Did you use the jellyfish eye mask I bought you last time?"

"Shoot".

"Ok?"

"I want to...sing..."

◇

On the soft seats of the tram, elementary school student Xiao Haiyue was flipping through a book about marine life. Her legs couldn't touch the floor, so she simply swayed back and forth like a jellyfish.

"Jellyfish stranding is a common phenomenon in the ocean."

"Ocean currents and strong onshore winds push jellyfish toward the beach. Because jellyfish do not have strong enough independent swimming ability to resist the strong currents of the receding tide, jellyfish that remain in shallow waters or nearshore waters are left on the sand or rocks when the tide recedes quickly."

"Stranding is usually fatal for jellyfish, and the damage is irreversible."

"Their bodies are mostly composed of water, and when exposed to air and sunlight, they quickly dehydrate, dry out, cannot breathe, and eventually die."

"Even if it is washed back into the sea, the physical damage it suffers during the stranding process may make it unable to survive."

◇

ended.

What I've accumulated so far is like a jellyfish stranded on the beach, dried out and unadorned.

The memories Haiyue doesn't want to recall end here.

After graduating from a correspondence high school, Haiyue lied to her mother.

"Going to Osaka to find a job? Absolutely not, looking like Umizuki... Hmm? Is Kozue here?"

"Ah."

"...In that case, it should be fine, right?" Mom muttered to herself, and after convincing herself for a while, she added, "When you share an apartment with Shao, you absolutely cannot cause him any trouble."

"Ah."

"As for the money, I'll give you 50... You must use it sparingly, or you can give it directly to Shao to manage for you."

"understood."

And so, without telling her mother, the lonely jellyfish embarked on her journey.

Why would someone act so impulsively and irrationally?
Perhaps, Haiyue simply wants to be found.

She simply wanted to be found by someone who could truly understand her.

(End of this chapter)