Ever since Umi's birth, his life has been plagued with constant misery. His family deemed him an outcast due to a repulsive birthmark, a result of a mermaid's curse. However, meeting Naosuke, a skilled tattoo artist, gave Umi a chance to be loved and accepted. After Naosuke's demise, Umi pursued tattooing as a career, but his physical features forced him to withdraw from society. His only friends were Kuro, the goldfish, and Nishiki, the carp.
Mikagi, a fraud who pretended to be a medium, couldn't exorcise spirits but could only see minor ones. When he spied Kuro and Nishiki flanking Umi, he realized he could cheat him. Mikagi offered to free the fish ghosts and flattered Umi's appearance. Umi was flustered and fled the scene, bewildering Mikagi.
Their chance meeting stirred a fascination between them, offering an opening for them to overcome their past grievances and discover happiness together.
