Chapter 102: The Dolphin and the Seagull

"Let's go on a day trip tomorrow—just the family."

Dad, freshly back from overseas, declared this right after exchanging New Year’s greetings. It was one day near the end of winter break.

"Now that you mention it, it's been a while since we traveled together as a family... I think it's a great idea."

"I'm in too!"

Just like that, the majority of the family was on board.

Not that I had any objections either. I still had some homework left, but… if worst comes to worst, I can always beg Yuna for help.

"And I was thinking Alicia could choose tomorrow’s destination."

『Uh, um... me?』

Alicia looked flustered at the sudden mention of her name.

"Yeah, it'll be our first family trip with you, after all."

"If it’s just a day trip, we’ve probably already been to most of the places ourselves, so don’t hold back," Mom added, building on what Dad said.

"I brought a tourist guide! Let’s look through it together and pick something!"

Without us noticing, Yuna had brought over a travel magazine. She pulled her chair up next to mine, spread open the pages, and we began looking together.

『Wow—wow! Everything looks so fun!』

Flipping through the guide, the pages were filled with photos of sightseeing spots, attractions, local specialties, restaurants, and more—bright and colorful.

She skimmed the text on each page before flipping to the next. With every turn, Alicia’s delighted exclamations burst out, and we couldn’t help but smile along.

『Ah…』

But when we reached a particular page, Alicia’s reaction was clearly different.

There were pictures of aquariums, fish, dolphins, penguins…

『I want to go here… to the aquarium!』

And with that one excited voice, our destination for tomorrow was decided.

The next day, we set off in Dad’s minivan. The aquarium was about three hours away via expressway.

I was sitting in the passenger seat, watching the scenery pass by. Every time we passed a town or building, Alicia would excitedly explain what it was, keeping the ride from ever getting dull.

She’s always tearing through books of all kinds, and her knowledge—especially random trivia—completely surpassed mine.

『A service area, huh… It reminds me of the post towns we stopped at during our journey. There’s something unique about places where travelers headed in different directions all gather.』

At the service area where we stopped for a break, we browsed through an unexpectedly wide selection of local souvenirs and picked up some snacks for the road.

...They were pretty tasty. I’ll grab some for Souta and the others on the way back.

And just like that, the trip flew by, and we arrived at our destination before we knew it.

『Whoa! It’s huge!』

The aquarium—built right up against the sea—was the largest facility in the area. From the entrance, the towering building stretched across our view in both directions.

We checked in at reception and entered the facility, following the designated path.

『There are so many fish…!』

Alicia, who used to offer prayers at the lake’s altar every day, seemed to have a deep connection with aquatic life.

As we walked down the dim corridor, she shared stories—about friendly fish that would tease her during her prayers, and about a time she saved a water spirit from an attacking aquatic monster.

『This world really has all kinds of fish, doesn’t it? Tropical fish are so colorful and pretty, and deep-sea fish… their eerie vibes kind of grow on you…』

Eventually, we arrived at an open space featuring a massive wall-sized aquarium, about three meters tall. It was the largest tank in the facility—one of the main attractions of this aquarium.

『…Wow, it really feels like we’re underwater.』

I’d been here a few times before, but the sight always overwhelmed me.

A shark, about the size of a person, slowly approached as a school of small fish shifted direction in formation. A large stingray flapped its body as it glided past, and a lone fish lounged under a rock, unconcerned with the others.

『It’s really amazing…』

It was a vivid, dynamic display, full of life—and yet, wrapped in complete silence. The strange contrast captured all of us completely.

『Alicia, do fish in your world look the same as the ones here?』

Dad spoke to Alicia via telepathy. In a quiet place like this, it was the perfect way to talk.

『Let’s see… I haven’t seen that many types before, but I think the basic shapes are more or less the same.』

『I see… If creatures that evolved independently in another world ended up looking like the ones here, that’s something that’d blow a biologist’s mind.』

『Yes, although in my world, there are also creatures like monsters and magic beasts that don’t exist in this world.』

『That might be tied to the existence of things like magic and blessings, which don’t exist here either.』

『Even so, this world has legends of creatures that sound a lot like monsters and magic beasts… So maybe, long ago, there was magic here too.』

『That’s a fascinating thought. But if that’s the case, then something must have caused magic to disappear from this world…』

Dad seemed lost in thought after that.

Around halfway through the route, it was lunchtime, so we decided to eat at the restaurant inside the aquarium.

The restaurant, built into the tiered roof of the facility, had glass walls and offered a panoramic ocean view. The upper roof area was a spacious balcony with outdoor seating, but understandably, nobody was dining outside in this season.

As one might expect—though it's hard to say if it’s really obvious—the specialty was seafood. I ordered the seafood pasta.

While we waited for our food, I looked out at the ocean and saw a flock of white birds flying above the water.

『Such beautiful birds…』

"Those are seagulls. They migrate here from northern countries to escape the cold," Dad explained to Alicia.

"Speaking of migratory birds… Didn’t you say you used to see them at the lake near your temple too? I think it was…"

Trying to recall something Alicia had told me before, I spoke up.

『The Migrator. It’s a migratory bird with white wings, much like a seagull. Every year, when the Migrator arrived at the lake, I could feel the beginning of winter. And by the time spring came, they’d always disappeared before I even noticed…』

There was a subtle sadness in Alicia’s voice.

She had grown up alone at the temple, with no family. Maybe those birds, flying freely through the vast sky, meant something to her.

"Thank you for waiting! Special seafood pasta for one!"

Just then, a waitress came over with our food.

The dish placed in front of me was a creamy pasta, generously topped with shrimp, clams, and more.

『It’s delicious!』

Since it was a restaurant attached to a facility, I hadn’t been expecting much—but the food turned out to be surprisingly good, and we all couldn’t help but dig in with delight.

After finishing our meal and taking a short break, an announcement came over the intercom letting us know that a dolphin show was about to begin. Naturally, we decided to go watch it.

When the dolphin trainer gave a signal, the dolphins leapt through hoops and performed tricks with balls.

『Dolphins are so smart…』

Alicia, who had never seen a large aquatic creature like a dolphin outside of magic beasts, was amazed and clapped excitedly at their performance.

Next was a hands-on session with the dolphins, and we got to touch them.

『They feel kind of slippery…!』

The dolphin's skin had a strange texture—like wet rubber.

After that, we went to see waddling penguins, circled back to the main tank, and fully enjoyed everything the aquarium had to offer.

Lastly, we wandered around the gift shop inside the building, checking out the various trinkets.

『Wahh! It’s a dolphin plushie! It’s huge!』

What caught Alicia’s eye was a dolphin plushie almost as tall as I was.

『Ikuto-san, could you… um, could you hug the plushie for me?』

『Ugh… okay.』

I flinched for a moment, imagining how I’d look hugging that thing, but I didn’t want to refuse Alicia’s request.

Bracing myself, I picked up the dolphin plushie and hugged it tightly with both arms.

『Fwaaah… it’s so fluffy and soft…』

The dolphin was just the right size to wrap my arms around. I stood there for a while, savoring the feel of it.

"Oh, Alice. So you like that one?"

Before I knew it, Dad was watching me and grinning.

Startled, I quickly put the plushie back on the shelf. Alicia’s lingering voice echoed in my mind.

"This—this was Alicia’s idea! Not mine…!"

"No need to be embarrassed. You looked absolutely adorable hugging that plushie."

Dad said it with an amused smile.

"…I’m gonna rebel."

"Just joking. Well then, as an apology, how about Dad buys it for you?"

『Really!?』

"Wha… I-I mean…!?"

A plushie like that would make my room look totally like a girl’s!

My room had already changed a bit—with a full-length mirror added, some accessories and clothes swapped out—but at a glance, it still didn’t look too different from before. But if that cute plushie were in there, the vibe would instantly become way more girly…

"A present for Alicia… Or are you against it, Alice?"

『…Do you dislike it, Ikuto-san?』

『…No, I don’t.』

But with Alicia wanting it this much, there was no way I could say no.

『Thank you so much! Ikuto-san, Father!』

“…Thanks, Dad.”

We paid for the stuffed animal, and I chose not to have it bagged. I carried it in both arms just like that.

I figured… that’s probably what Alicia would’ve wanted.

I buried my face into its soft plush body, hugging it tightly—something I couldn’t do with a real one.

Honestly, it felt so comforting like this. So soothing.

Not just my family, but I could sense the gazes of the people around us becoming gentle, warm.

If I just used the dolphin to block my view, I could pretend not to notice.

…Yeah, let’s go with that.

On the ride home, I swapped places with Mom and sat in the back seat, still holding the dolphin.

I was starting to feel sleepy after all the excitement.

Once the car started moving, the gentle rocking felt like I was in a cradle. My thoughts began to drift, and my memory turned hazy.

『Yaaawn… I’m going to rest for today.』

Alicia told me she was ending our synchronization earlier than usual.

She must’ve been tired too… Probably stayed up late last night even after cutting the sync, reading through the tourist guidebook again and again from memory.

“Alright…”

『Good night, everyone. Today was so much fun—thank you all so much.』

“Good night, Alicia.”

My family all replied to her.

I could feel the connection fading—then yawned.

I was at my limit too.

At a service area along the way, I asked Mom to pick up souvenirs for Souta and the others, and then, hugging the dolphin close, I surrendered myself to sleep.