Chapter Text
"So you're saying that you're my fish? That suddenly becomes a human?" Ike asked the man unbelievably. The said man is wrapped in towels sitting across him.
They are currently sitting on the floor, Ike trying to keep calm. Ike is visibly confused and frustrated at the situation, while the other looked like a wet puppy. With all of the water dripping out of his long hair while gripping the almost soaked towel dearly.
"Yes." the man said so innocently. Ike's brain doesn't know how to process all of these. Wether if he would be scared right now or panic the heck out. Dread for his missing fish or scared with a stranger in his house.
"Are you okay?" a beautiful charming voice broke the ongoing turmoil in his head.
Ike was bewildered at first with the situation, yes. But now that he's looking at the man face to face. He saw the distinctive features of the said fish on him. His eyes carefully and shamefully scans the man's appearance.
He has this very long hair that's drowning the carpet around where his sitting with how wet his hair is. A hair almost composed of shiny black color but with strands of pink and purple to it, and a strange lock of yellow hair on his side bangs. His bright purple eyes also reminded Ike of his fish's cute tiny eyes.
All logical reasons that Ike could think of has flew away from his mind. There are just so many questions he wanted to ask, wanting an answer so badly. Few of these consisted of how is he a fish in the first place if he was a human, and vice versa. How can he communicate with a human if he lived his life as a fish. Is this normal in this time and day? Ike thought this only happens on novels.
"Are, you not happy?" the man asked him, stopping Ike from overthinking everything.
➣➢➣➢
Ike was running out of ideas on what to write. He was stuck on deciding in creating a whole new story or continuing his half-written novel that he has been working on for the whole semester.
It was his past time in college. He would write whenever, either if he was stressed about exams or doing all of requirements given to him by his professors that seem to make a deal with each other whenever they gave projects, essays and such.
He loves his subjects but the constant work of having to think for new concept or theme to give his professors a wonderful work is tiring. And also for goof grades. Ike is the type of student that don't half-ass his works, it's one of his proud quality but it surely gets exhausting.
So when the end of his semester is coming and the closer he is to graduating, he was relieved as the homeworks, projects and requirements are pacing down. But Ike is scared of what to come after college.
And to calm himself he wanted to write again, but this time his brain suddenly shuts off and his creative juices are slowly draining. He was getting annoyed at himself now.
Thinking that resting himself for a while would be a good idea. For the past few days, Ike just decided to sleep, read through his favorite stories and sit on his work table.
Just to fail miserably.
With the state he id in, he was getting frustrated. So he decided to take a stroll around the campus, hoping to find any inspiration. But to no luck he couldn't find any, he sighed and just decided to sat down on one of the benches that's under a tree.
He relaxed his back on the bench and looked around and saw some of his fellow batch mates running around. Probably rushing something to meet their needed requirements for them to graduate. Ike doesn’t need to do all of that cause he passed all of it on time.
Ike sighed and closed his eyes, resting the back of his head on the bench. The fresh wind combing through his silvery hair is calming him.
This is bad, I need to collect myself together, he thought. Just as he was beginning to imagine some things his drained brain would think on..
"Yo Ike!" his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. He opened his eyes and saw one of his friends smiling and walking up to him. It's Mysta.
Ike didn’t say anything and just stared at him with dead fish eyes. Mysta then sat down with him. Ike looked at him and noticed that he was holding a lot of books and folders, with a few papers sticking out of it.
"Why are you looking at me like that bro. Are you also here to complete your requirements?" his friend asked. Ike just shook his head, no.
"No, I'm done with it all." Ike said, and rest his head again, staring up at the tree. "I'm just taking a little stroll."
"Damn, I wish I was as hard-working as you. But why are you sitting here looking all dejected and everything." Mysta said, looking at Ike's face. "Do you have a problem?"
"Kinda, I'm just worried that i can't think of anything to write. I think I overworked my brain too much." he said closing his eyes. He heard Mysta hum, indicating that he understands him or just thinking of something.
"Oh! What if you go take a walk!" Mysta jumps and suggested. Ike just lets out a little laugh.
"I already did, Mysta."
"Well, not on here, other places! I know our university is cool and all but you've been here for more than 4 years. You didn’t even have the time to take a look around outside of our uni." Mysta chattered.
Ike slowly opened his eyes and took Mysta's suggestion a consideration. He did just spends his college life with a fixed route, going to his university and back to his apartment. And if he has a free time he would only walk around his university.
Mysta and his other friends did invite him to an outing but all of their outing was outside the town. Ike rejected offers of being around the town though, he always thought that they will probably just be in an arcade and the mall or something.
"Give it a thought okay? I better get going then! I have so much stuff to do. Bye Ike! Cheer up okay!" Mysta said all smiley while he strode off.
Yeah, maybe he'll do that. Infact, he's gonna do it right now.
➣➢➣➢
Ike decided to walk around, just a few miles where he couldn't get lost. He would not risk getting lost at this hour, it's nearly 3 in the afternoon. Taking a walk outside his usual routine made him not think of anything, which was good.
He found a lot of interesting places and stores. When he was getting hungry he stopped at a local bakery to get cream puff bread. Eating it then continuing to slowly walk and also look around.
A few minutes on his walk, he didn’t know how he ended up in a store specifically for pets but here he is, finding himself entering one. The pet store is not that big but it's quite spacious. It likely be a pet store for dogs and cats as he can't see any different animals.
A sudden thought came across his mind when he saw cute puppies playing in a corner of the store with a huge pen as barrier. They were all so active that it made Ike smile with glee. He wanted to pet them so badly.
With that he tried to pet the puppies but they all quickly run away from him, giving him little barks.
Oh okay, he just said in his mind.
He always wanted a pet, badly. He even rented an apartment that allowed pets inside. But unfortunately they just all seem to dislike him. Ike sighed and smiled sadly.
A worker that passed by and saw what happened apologized to him. She said that the puppies never really reacted that way. Ike just smiled and said that it's okay.
He continued looking around, gave a try to pet the kittens but they also reacted the same way, even gaining a scratch when his hand got a little too close to the kittens comfort.
Ike just sighed to himself. Maybe it's time to go home, he thought. As he was about to reach out for the door someone talked behind him.
"Hey, you!" a person called out to him, distinctively deep voice. Ike turned and saw a man holding a bowl of fish. "Are you here to adopt a pet?"
"Oh uhm no, buying one actually." Ike replied, its obviously a pet store. The man only chuckled and replied a little yeah. Ike looked at him more and noticed the man's long hair and a nice build that could attract many girls his age.
"Then why didn’t you buy one?" the man asked. "I'm Vox by the way the owner of the store."
Ike didn’t even know his brows are all scrunched up, he just noticed it when the man said his name and feel himself physically relax. He was a little embarrassed by it.
"Ike. Well, I'm not really well liked by the animals, sadly." Ike said.
"Then how about getting a fish instead. I'm assuming only the cats and dogs dislikes you. A fish is more tame to have as a pet." Vox said, smiling.
Ike looked down at what's Vox is holding. Could he be suggesting him to buy the fish he's holding?
"This poor fish was just dropped off here yesterday. Fishes are really not my specialty and I'm a busy man so I couldn't really take care of him properly." the owner of the store said worriedly.
Ike felt a little pity to the man as he is visibly worn out. And the bags under his eyes and messy ponytail shows a sign of a busy man. Thinking about it, Ike really didn’t approach any animals beside cats and dogs.
He didn’t really consider fishes as pets. He thought that fishes are much closer to decorations than pets.
"I will let you adopt this little one right here. You don't have to pay anything, I will also arrange the papers for you. And if you have a change in mind you could return him here." The owner added.
A moment of silent came between them. And Vox was worried that the poor fish would be stuck here in the pet store where no fishes have ever been for sale.
Ike looked at vox and took a good look at the fish. It has big round eyes, the colors on it is a little dull but it's still beautiful to see. A dull purplish near to dark blue color, with a mix of also a dull yellow and pink colors.
"I'll take him." he said. The owner's complexion somehow brightened. He smiled seeing that and smile wider when he took a hold of the fish.
➣➢➣➢
For the past few days, Ike seriously took the role of a pet owner. Researching all about fishes and how to take care of them. He found out that his fish is known as a crowntail betta. He assumed that it was a female because of it's fins.
According to what he researched, crowntail betta males has fuller fins compared to the females. Looking at his fish's fin compared to the male one, his fish is a lot more female looking.
So assuming the fish's gender, he named it Susan. Ike didn’t know where he got the name but it just randomly popped up on his head.
As Ike continued to feed his fish properly, the betta gained more energy, swimming and swirling around the bowl. Ike was happy seeing it, even feeling proud of himself for being a responsible fish owner when it's his first time owning one.
He kept Susan's fish bowl tank just beside his work table. He would always glance at it whenever Susan would swirl on the bowl, likely trying to get his attention.
Seeing the fish swim around relaxes his mind. The color of the fish makes his brain float and his mind lost in his thoughts.
He stared at Susan longer and noticed that Susan are getting bigger than before. The bowl tank seemed so small with how Susan's fins almost touching the wall of the tank.
"Oh my god, Im so sorry." Ike said to the fish as he slaps his forehead. He was disappointed at himself, he even has the pride to call himself a responsible owner when he couldn't even give his fish a decent tank.
With that, he opened his phone immediately and ordered the necessities to make a tank. He just spends and ordered everything without worry about money.
"It's okay Susan, I'm going to make your life better." Ike said to the fish while softly tapping the small tank. The fish replied with a little boop on his finger that made Ike smile.
As soon as the packages arrived he assembled it quickly. Applying all the tips and trick he learned from watching tons of videos about setting up a tank. As soon as he was finished he was excited to show it to Susan.
He quickly checked if everything is okay. Making sure that the filter and heater is working nice and smoothly, as well as the lights. It was a simple 10 gal tank set up with aquatic plants and few rock scapes to decorate along with a big driftwood that Susan could swim in.
Ike slowly and carefully put Susan on the tank and watched her as she wandered around the tank. Ike sighed when Susan, swam around the tank with excitement, doing little spurs of wiggles.
Smiling stupidly at himself, Ike moved his face closer to the tank to get a better look. He could see Susan swimming around and nibbling on the plant's leaf, good thing it was real and not plastic. He looked at his fish tenderly.
Susan then suddenly swam up to him and circled his face, showing the now brightening colors. It even gave Ike what looked like a little kiss before swimming away. Ike giggled at that.
Cute
Contented Ike goes back on writing, for the past few days his mood seems to improve and his brain is not as drained. He continued writing again as a scene suddenly popped up on his mind, of course taking little glances at his fish for fuel.
➣➢➣➢
More than a week has passed and Ike was getting surprised and charmed at his little fish.
The dull colors of the fish brightened. A bright dark purplish color accommodated with pink and yellow (almost gold) like stripe patterns on the fins. The eyes even turned to a bright colored shade of purple. It was a gorgeous sight to see, especially when swimming.
The fins are as big as it's body now, maybe even bigger. With the passing days, Ike was doubting himself if he got Susan's gender wrong. But alas, it turns out that the fish is a male. So the name Susan is already useless. Ike seemed to have missed the info on the fish's gender.
He couldn't really think of anything to name his new gender revealed fish. Ike, an amateur fish owner made a basic mistake. But it's not that big of a mistake, right? As it turns out that when vox gave him the fish, he was really unhealthy.
So that means that because of Ike, the gorgeous animal could show its shine and be healthy. Which made Ike adore the fish more.
➣➢➣➢
Ike just returned from signing the papers at the pet store. When he got home, he happily made his way to his work room to see his beloved fish. Excited to show the adoption papers to his fish.
Weirdly enough, he talks to his fish more than he could imagine. He doesn't know why but his fish gave him the comfort to let all of his thoughts out. And the reaction he got from the fish is cute, that it seems that the fish could understand him. But maybe him just talking to a fish that could never judge him might be the reason of comfort.
Ike doesn't have a name for the fish yet. Thinking hard of a name deserving for a pretty fish. A name that could perfectly fit the fish's appearance.
As Ike was recalling all the beautiful moments he spent with his fish. He just noticed that he reached his room, already holding the doorknob.
"Fishy~" he called out as soon as he opened the door. He quickly made his way to the tank not noticing the wet floor he's stepping in. He suddenly stopped when he noticed something was off.
Cautiously, he turned the light of the tank to a stronger setting. Adjusted his glasses to look more intently on the waters of the tank.
Ike heart dropped, nervousness creeps through his body when there are no single speck of bright colors on the tank. No purples on the clear water surrounded with green landscapes.
Wait, it can't be..
Ike's mind was flooding with negative thoughts of his beloved fish being lost, and possibly being eaten. He looked at the open window. Is it a cat?
Panic erupted inside him and was about to frantically look around his room when suddenly something grabbed him by the foot.
"AHHH!" Ike jumped, eager to kick of the thing that was grabbing him. He landed on his bed and panted nervously. It was definitely a hand, and it definitely came from under his bed.
Ike calmed himself down, taking deep breaths. Slowly he moved closer to the edge of his bed. He took one final deep breath and peeked his head under, bracing himself on what to come.
There his body froze, stunned by the sight under his bed.
"Who..are..you?"