And so, we finally stepped into Kana's home, beginning with its garden.
As I took my first step into the garden, my eyes were immediately drawn to a small pond made of silvery mercury.
The pond's surface shimmered like a mirror, gently rippling as golden fish swam gracefully within. Surrounding the pond was a lawn of transparent glass, spreading out like a lion's mane, meticulously tended as if it were a cultivated garden. Here and there, small glass trees were planted, adding a decorative—or perhaps ornamental—harmony to the scene, creating an otherworldly balance.
Kana approached the mercury pond and pulled something from a nearby bag. It was fine iron powder, like breadcrumbs, held together by magnetic force. When her hand touched it, the magnetism released, and the powder crumbled back into loose grains.
She grabbed a handful and lightly scattered it into the pond.
Instantly, the calmly swimming fish transformed, leaping toward the surface with the fervor of dolphins, diving into the iron powder. Rather than eating it with their mouths, they seemed to absorb the nutrients by bathing their bodies in it. Their scales sparkled as they caught the powder, sending faint ripples across the pond's surface.
"Want to try, Neo-kun?" Kana asked, turning to me.
"Nah, I'll pass," I said. Truthfully, I was a bit intrigued, but the knowledge that "mercury is dangerous to humans" flashed through my mind. To keep up my human act, I decided to play it safe and declined with a hint of feigned fear.
"Mercury's dangerous for humans, you know."
Kana responded in a soothing, almost motherly tone.
"It's fine. This mercury's been processed hundreds of times—it's completely harmless to touch. Look, these fish are all made of protein."
"What, they're okay bathing in iron powder?" I asked, surprised.
"They're just bathing in it, not eating it."
Swayed by her explanation, I reluctantly took the offered iron powder.
"Alright, might as well give it a shot."
When I held the powder, its texture surprised me.
It was softer than desert sand, tickling my palm with a pleasant, silky feel. It was almost tempting to put it in my mouth.
Suppressing that urge, I gently scattered the powder into the pond. Immediately, the largest fish in the pond broke the surface with the force of a prize catch hauled in by a fisherman, slamming into the powder I'd thrown. The impact sent mercury droplets flying, like tiny silver arrows, toward Kana and me. The droplets splattered onto our clothes and faces, and we exchanged a quick glance.
"…"
After a 0.01-second silence, I feigned surprise, pulling a handkerchief from my pocket and wiping my face diligently. The mercury wasn't sticky but had a slick, lukewarm quality, with weak surface tension, like soft porridge splashed on my skin.
"Neo-kun! Are you okay?"
Kana rushed over, worry etched on her face, and began wiping my face with the hem of her clothes.
I started to say my handkerchief was enough, but the deep concern in her expression made me think letting her continue might calm her down. It definitely wasn't because I was too lazy to wipe myself.
"Sorry," Kana said. "I didn't think they'd jump that high…"
I chuckled lightly. "Lively fish, huh?"
"They seem extra energetic today. Maybe because we have a guest for the first time in a while."
Meanwhile, Kana was soaked in mercury too.
She was even wetter than I was.
I realized she'd shielded me from the splashes. Feeling guilty for letting her wipe me down alone, I gently stopped her hand.
"I'm good now."
She hesitated but stopped, then asked with concern, "You're still wet. You'll catch a cold if you don't dry off properly."
"I'm fine. It's the middle of summer."
"Do you know how bad summer colds are? You've got to dry off properly."
"If you're saying that, I'm more worried about you. You're way wetter than I am."
With that, I started wiping her face with my handkerchief.
"…"
The moment my handkerchief touched her cheek, Kana froze completely, as if her system had paused. I didn't understand why, but her blue eyes locked onto me with an intensity that felt heavy, almost awkward, forcing me to look away.
Then, a small voice escaped her lips.
"Thank you."
Her "thank you" was so perfectly pronounced, it was as if she'd rehearsed it ten million times in her mind.
She said it again, slowly.
"Thank you, Neo-kun."
It hit me.
She freezes when she's overwhelmed with gratitude.
What an adorable reaction.
In that moment, for the first time, I genuinely, sincerely found Kana cute.
"You're welcome," I said, continuing to wipe her face.
My handkerchief—one of my few possessions, a 30-centimeter square of silk and graphene, probably the most expensive thing I own—was soon drenched in mercury, looking like crumpled silver foil. I kept wiping Kana's face meticulously until it was completely clean.
Once we'd finished wiping each other's faces, we moved through the glass garden toward the main house—Kana's home.
As we opened the door, a cat darted out with a burst of energy. It was Tally-chan, the pet Kana had mentioned.
With large, translucent blue eyes reminiscent of Kana's, the cat leaped into her arms, rubbing against her as if overjoyed at their reunion. Kana hugged Tally-chan with a smile, gently stroking its soft fur.
After a moment of playful affection, she set the cat down. Tally-chan then turned her attention to me, her big eyes sparkling as if asking, "Hey, aren't you going to pet me?"
Bathed in the Moon's faint light, Tally-chan's silvery fur gleamed, her sleek form exuding quiet curiosity through her cobalt eyes, a mirror to Kana's.
But honestly, I was a bit overwhelmed by her bright, almost dog-like presence. In this lunar world, with its dark backdrop and silent, airless stillness, such a lively creature felt out of place.
I've always had a slight resistance to things that are excessively "cute."
Still, I couldn't just brush her off. I gave an awkward smile and waved lightly. Tally-chan seemed momentarily disappointed, letting out a faint, dissatisfied "meow"—or so it felt.
But she quickly recovered, spinning around and trotting down the entrance hallway as if leading the way.
"Shall we go in?" Kana prompted.
Following her, I stepped into the house.