The Little Mermaid Princess (1)
Shooting was ultimately halted.
Aqua was kicking idly at an innocent kimchi jar with her foot. Her puffed-out cheeks suggested she was upset too.
Camera fright, maybe?
Just last week, she'd tricked me with her acting while we watched a drama, fooling me completely. But seeing her flail around like that now made me feel sorry for her.
How should I cheer her up?
After a moment's thought, I scooped her up in my arms.
[Eek?!]
"What's with the long face?"
I gave her a piggyback ride. Aqua grumbled in a sulky voice.
[Still... I thought I'd do well!]
"Nobody nails it on the first try. This was your first time standing in front of a camera properly, right?"
[I don't need your clumsy consolation!]
Prideful as ever, Aqua rejected the comfort.
"Oh yeah?"
A mischievous glint returned to my eye as I teased her wickedly.
"In that case, teach me your foot-acting skills, Professor Aqua."
[Eek?!]
"With footwork like that, I thought you had four feet instead of two."
[How dare you say such a thing!]
"Lucky it's a digital camera. If it were film, we'd be out a fortune by now."
[You rotten spirit user! Hmph!]
Aqua smacked my forehead with both hands—smack smack. Being made of water, her palms didn't hurt; they just felt refreshingly cool.
"Ahahaha."
I laughed and bounced her gently on my back. Her mood seemed to lift a bit as she rested her chin on my head. I could feel her tense body from the shoot relaxing atop me.
She's so natural now.
If we could capture this effortless side, the promo video would be a hit. An idea brushed past as I thought it over.
"Aqua. Wanna just play around?"
[What do you mean?]
"Let's film us having fun. Wouldn't that feel natural?"
[We're supposed to be shooting a promo video, not playing. Have you forgotten?]
"Promos work best when they're organic. Overdo the product placement, and it flops."
Half of that was sincere. The other half? I just didn't want to see Aqua sulking over her foot-acting flop.
[Oh? Is that how it works?]
"Yep. Viewers will enjoy it more if we're having a blast, right?"
[Hmm... I see!]
A smile crept onto Aqua's lips.
[If it's playtime, I'm confident!]
* * *
We headed to the beach. The sun poured down warm rays, but with Aqua on my back, her cool body temperature kept me from feeling the heat.
"Whoa, is that a spirit?"
"Wow, my first spirit sighting."
"Mom, look! It's an undine!"
As we crossed the beach, countless eyes turned to Aqua. She'd materialized fully for the shoot.
Should we play in the water?
But that'd make filming tricky. I scanned the beach. Kids were building sand dams nearby.
Sand dams, huh.
Come to think of it, as a kid, I'd have fun with just sand. My neighborhood friends and I once spent hours digging to build a dam that "would never break against the tide."
That memory sparked a question.
"Aqua. Wanna play in the sand?"
Aqua's gaze shifted to the beach. Kids on one side were piling up a sandcastle.
[Oh ho. You mean gnome-style play? Excellent!]
I took her near the water, to a spot where the sand was dark and damp, and set her down.
[What do we do?]
"Let's build a dam."
[A dam? What's that?]
"A wall made of dirt."
[A wall! How tall?]
"About this much?"
I held my hand to her waist height. A smile flickered on Aqua's face.
[That puny thing?]
Aqua swung her hand. Rumble rumble—!
A wall of sand rose from the ground, her control weaving the seawater between the grains. The two-meter-long barrier towered past her head to my waist.
[Now that's a wall!]
"Whoaaa!"
Exclamations from nearby tourists—especially the kids.
I tested the wall, pushing a few times. Solid as rock.
[What's next?]
Aqua's eyes sparkled. Watching them, I started getting genuinely excited too.
"We gotta claim it as ours!"
[How?]
"Like this!"
I jabbed my finger into the wall like a woodpecker, carving "H.W." initials.
"Gotta sign it!"
[Aha!]
Aqua eagerly scribbled her name, twirling water from her finger like a drill. I stuck the selfie stick in the dam and started recording on my phone. We finished signing and began doodling.
Childhood innocence kicked in; I competed with Aqua, piling on more sand.
"Um..."
A voice called. Someone was hailing us.
"Could our kids join the fun too?"
A family approached. Siblings peeked from behind their mom, stealing glances at Aqua. She planted hands on her hips.
[Of course!]
The mom bowed gratefully and nudged the kids.
"Go play. Don't forget to say thanks."
"Thanks."
"Thank you!"
The siblings hesitated, then latched onto the dam. The girl drew pictures on the wall; the boy thickened it by scooping dirt.
[Just like gnomes!]
Aqua laughed merrily at the sight.
"Hey, can our kids...?"
"I wanna play too!"
"Looks fun! Can I join?"
Starting with those siblings, kids from the whole beach swarmed in. Standing room only.
[Space is tight! Shall I make the dam bigger?]
"How about a sandcastle?" I suggested.
[Sandcastle?]
"From that Summer Kingdom movie we watched. The queen's palace."
[Hmm... something that huge might be...]
I realized it too late. Aqua was a water spirit, not earth. She'd used moisture in the beach sand for the dam—that was her limit.
"Don't worry. You've got plenty of helpers here."
[Helpers? Who...? Oh?]
Aqua looked around in surprise. The kids stared back with eager, determined eyes.
"What next?"
"Building a castle?"
"We're making a castle!"
They were raring to go. Aqua grinned at their spirited gazes.
[Yes! Let's build it together!]
Rumble—! Aqua manipulated wet sand into a tall hill at her feet—her best as a non-earth spirit.
[Now, shape the castle with your own hands!]
At her shout, the kids charged with cheers.
[Dig tunnels! Corridors first!]
Aqua directed from the hilltop. The kids tunneled like miners, sculpting away.
"Big Sis Spirit" isn't just for undines.
I filmed the playground-turned construction site. Seeing Aqua buried among the kids brought a smile to my face.
* * *
As I filmed Aqua, a familiar voice approached.
"What in the world is this?"
It was Park Uncle from the banana boat shop, eyeing the lopsided sandcastle.
"The spirit did her thing."
"...What does that mean?"
"Aqua playing purely and happily."
"Right. Your spirit's handiwork."
He stared blankly at the castle, then snapped to and turned to me.
"Heard you're shooting a promo for the guesthouse?"
He grinned.
"Fancy a boat ride?"
His pitch: Free ride in exchange for featuring his shop in the video. He'd heard from my parents.
"Got a group cancelation, so the boat's idle tomorrow morning. Oh, and if we catch fish, my wife's place'll sashimi 'em up."
"That promotes her spot too, huh?"
"Heh heh. Sharp as a college kid should be."
"Deal."
I agreed readily. Truth be told, this shoot mattered more for making memories with Aqua and clearing the quest than guesthouse promo. Mom and Dad's place was small; ads wouldn't boom business anyway.
But renting a fishing boat...
Peak summer? A whole boat cost tens of thousands at least. Even without fishing, a sea outing would thrill Aqua.
"Great. I'll have it ready tomorrow morning."
Park Uncle clapped my shoulder with a hearty laugh.
"Count on ya, Promo Chief."
"Ahahaha."
Glancing back, Aqua was laughing uproariously atop the finished castle with the kids. I kept filming, imagining her joy on the boat. My Heart Will Go On played in my head.
* * *
Next morning, early. I waited in the yard, geared up for the boat. Aqua was inside with Mom.
[Ready!]
She poked out the door. One look at her face, and I burst out laughing.
"Sunscreen?"
Straw hat on her head, face slathered white.
[Sunscreen for water play!]
She thrust her arms up excitedly. The boat news had kept her up late; she'd binged water play videos on my phone.
I snapped pics.
"Aqua, hold the hat with both hands."
[Like this?]
Still camera-shy, her pose was stiff. But adorable. The massive hat and sunscreen? Lethally cute.
After shots, I piggybacked her to Park Uncle's. She hummed, kicking her feet.
"That excited for the sea?"
[Of course! I'm a water spirit!]
"You rode the banana boat the other day."
[That's different! Boat vs. ship!]
No clue what the difference was, but if Aqua said so. I nodded.
[So exciting!]
She gripped and shook my hair in glee.
[Oh yeah, saw scuba diving on YouTube yesterday!]
"Scuba? Park Uncle's might offer it."
[Humans love the deep sea?]
"It's novel and fun."
Beach boy here, but never scuba'd. Aqua grinned.
[Wanna go together?]
"Scuba, you mean?"
[Can't leave you behind!]
As I hesitated, she hugged my head, wheedling.
[Come on. Pleeease?]
Unexpected cuteness; I pinched my nose. No nosebleed.
[You wouldn't leave me alone in the deep, right?]
Her eyes sparkled pleadingly. Desperate to dive together.
"Of course we'd go as a pair."
No way I'd refuse her.
[Yay!]
She pumped her arms.
Scuba with Aqua.
Strolling the seafloor with a water spirit. Sounds fantastical, straight out of a spirit user's tale. My heart raced already.