Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand

When her once-peaceful life is suddenly upended, sixth grader Tokiko relocates with her father to a quiet coastal village to live under the care of her grandmother. The transition forces her to leave behind everything familiar as she attempts to rebuild her world in an unfamiliar setting. Yet, upon arriving at the shore, the rhythmic crash of the ocean waves awakens a deeply buried memory from seven years prior—a harrowing childhood visit where she nearly drowned and was miraculously rescued by a mysterious merman. Haunted by this vivid recollection, Tokiko begins to wonder if creatures of myth truly inhabit the waters surrounding her new home. As she navigates the challenges of adjusting to a small-town existence and starting over at a new school, she clings tightly to the hope that the sea holds more than just saltwater and tides. Driven by gratitude and curiosity, she quietly searches for proof of the being who saved her life, determined to find the merman once again and uncover the secrets hidden beneath the waves.