Summary
One day during swim class, Nana enviously observes her pretty classmate Yuina- a girl who is admires for her beautiful, developed figure by girls and boys alike. Yuina remains modest despite this, and as Nana attempts to ignore her bitterness the class is given free swimming time. Hatsuki approaches to chat with her but Nana finds herself too distracted by Yuina and her friends discussion of "the Land of Mermaids". As it turns out its a legend belonging to this very school. Years back in this very spot a girl vanished, and it was said her beauty was acknowledged by the mermaids and they brought her to their underwater paradise. By now, the girl went on to become a model and now is out somewhere in the world.
Yuina's friends are convinced she'd easily be accepted, and frustrated, Nana dives under water to avoid being caught eavesdropping. It's then she sees an amazing sight: a mermaid!
The Teacher calls the students when class ends and shocked, she resurfaces while wondering if the legend is true. As everyone changes, Hatsuki chats with Nana until noticing she has began to space out. She rejoins her to find Nana browsing a fashion magazine until bringing up that Yuina has suddenly gone missing. She mentioned forgetting something by the pool while they were changing and she left to retrieve it; but nobody has seen her return yet.
Nana is left perturbed by the news and assumes it involves the mermaids, watching as the school staff and investigators show up to speak to her friends. Despite searching for her, they found no sign of what could have happened- but Nana solely concentrates on the idea that the mermaids took Yuina away and angrily fumes while returning to class later. Once again Yuina has managed to top her. It's then Hatsuki approaches and asks her to help hand out the leaflets she was given to take over for Yuina, but Nana refuses due to having something else to do.
She changes into her swim uniform and returns to the pool, diving beneath the water in hopes of locating the mermaids. However, she waits until she can no longer stand it and they never show up. Enraged, she gets out of the pool and leaves for home.
The following day, Nana expresses disbelief after hearing that Yuina's two friends have suddenly gone missing. The Teachers believe it may be best to skip swim class for the day out of concern that there's something wrong, and Nana remains in a foul mood as other girls bring up how likely it is that Nishino and Yamagishi would be next in line to be visited by the mermaids. They were both pretty and popular with the boys. Their remarks on being pretty without even having to try sends Nana in an even worse mood- until she gets distracted by how messy Hatsuki looks. Hatsuki explains that she had been in a hurry and didn't notice, and Nana brings her to their next class to chat while she brushes her hair. She also provides her some tips to improve her natural beauty -like using sunscreen to avoid harmful tanning and using hair treatment- and Hatsuki delightfully remarks on how cute she thinks Nana manages to be due to the effort she puts into her own appearance. She also remarks on her kindness; but these words fail to phase her mood.
If she isn't the most beautiful, it's meaningless.
With that Nana continues to try to get the mermaids to notice her. However, one day Hatsuki reveals to have followed her out of suspicion and she attempts to get Nana to calm down, reminding her that this can be dangerous without having someone to keep an eye on her. Nana claims she is fine until Hatsuki brings up the legend again and attempts to squash the stories once and for all. She's asked her mother about them and it's true that people are vanishing, but it's not because of mermaids: they are drowning. She can't explain why the bodies can't be found though, and she attempts to convince Nana to stop doing this and change so that they can leave, but angrily Nana shoves her back, causing Hatsuki to fall into the pool.
In a panic Nana calls out for Hatsuki and frozen from fear she remains on spot until Hatsuki's glasses float up to the surface of the water. She screams for her friend, alerting the Teachers who soon find her out there and bring her back inside. They scold Nana for being so reckless while getting her a towel but assume from her silence that she has is too shaken to speak. They decide to ease up on her for the time being. However, Nana is even more peeved over the idea that someone like Hatsuki would be accepted by the mermaids. She's so plain-looking and not even popular. But after catching a glance of her gorgeous distressed mother, Nana realizes that if Hatsuki wore more stylish clothing and ditched her glasses she would probably be really pretty.
As reality sinks in, Nana can't stand it any longer.
A few days pass when Nana's mother expresses alarm realizing her savings are missing. She calls for Nana while informing her husband of this when they get a call from the cosmetic surgeon. But unknown to them Nana isn't home; the window of her bedroom is left open and there is a signed permission slip for the surgery.
Walking through town is a mysterious, beautiful girl who catches the eye of those she passes. With her longer hair, corrected face, and improved bust she is sure to catch the mermaids attention now. Nana changes into her swimming uniform and throws herself beneath the waters, awaiting the mermaids. By now she is prettier than Yuina, her friends, and Hatsuki.
It's then she hears a voice calling her name and she looks towards it. Initially she assumes it's a mermaid and swims closer, but to her horror it isn't a mermaid, or even a singular person at all. Before her are several bodies of the girls who vanished, all clinging to each other to form a long chain; older bodies completely skeletal and skinny as she recalls being told of the girls going missing and never found.
Just as she realizes the horrible truth, the chain begins to move and reach out for her, and she is unable to escape as the now monstrous Hatsuki corners her.
Time passes and a group of girls are shown discussing the Land of Mermaid story. They point out how their friend would surely be accepted and they begin to tease her, wondering if they should test it out- unaware of Nana, now the top of the chain leering at them beneath the water with bared teeth.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Biology: Realistically, there is no way Nana could have become so beautiful just after having surgery. Her body would have been bruised and swollen, and it would take weeks for it to heal.
- Chain of People: the "mermaids".
- I Just Want to Be Beautiful: Nana was the most popular girl in elementary school due to having a thin body, and she became self-conscious of her image because in middle school, girls with developed frames are considered pretty. She believes the effort she puts into her image and Hatsuki's kind praise means nothing if nobody else agrees.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Nana realizes this about Hatsuki after she vanishes. It was this event that pushed her over the edge.
