By the time dusk had swallowed the Amusement Park's colorful lights completely, the group had just finished a lavish, lively dinner. With the sweet scent of popcorn and caramel still lingering on their fingertips, they gathered in the open Central Plaza to wait for the night's grand finale: the fireworks show.
The moment the chatter quieted, the first burst of fireworks shot into the pitch-black sky.
Gold and crimson sparks exploded with a roar, spreading light across the heavens, as though thousands of stars had been crushed and scattered-dazzling and magnificent.
Miaomiao tilted her face up, watching the brilliance fill the sky. Never before had her heart felt so full, so warm.
She was a merfolk girl who had grown up in the deep sea, accustomed to its timeless starlight and the steady, gentle glow beneath the waves. But she had never seen beauty so fierce and brilliant, only to fade in an instant.
The sea was wonderful, the most accepting of mothers. Yet she was so vast and boundless that she could sometimes feel a little cold and lonely.
But now, Miaomiao had a home, Bruce, and a circle of family and friends who cherished and protected her.
Feelings too full and too real caught in her throat, burning hot.
Was this... happiness?
Without warning, tears fell from the merfolk girl's eyes.
These were tears born of warmth and happiness.
Clear and lustrous, the tears turned into pearls as they fell, glowing with a distinctive blue-violet light. Before they could reach the ground, Bruce deftly caught them beside her.
"Miaomiao?"
After spending so much time together, Bruce naturally knew about Miaomiao's ability to produce pearls from tears. The blue-violet sheen of these pearls told him that she was simply moved, nothing more. Quietly, he shifted into a position that