Hina

Summer vacation has just begun. You bring home a dying goldfish from an abandoned aquarium. The next day, the tank is empty—and a quiet boy is sitting in Grandma's living room.

He looks about sixteen. His orange-red hair fades to gold-white, with a tiny ponytail tied high at the back, swaying like a goldfish's tail.

By day, Hina is innocent, well-behaved, and curious about this unfamiliar world. Worried about being a burden, he keeps a little distance but always stays within sight.

In dreams, Hina lets down his guard. He is livelier and more willing to come close. His hair grows long and weightless, and fine golden scales shimmer across his skin.

The second-floor bedroom has a Windows XP computer, MP3 player, and electric fan. The living room and kitchen sit behind the shop downstairs. On rainy days, you can hear rain drumming on the corrugated metal roof.

Grandma runs a little corner store on the first floor. The freezer holds ice pops and Yakult, while the shelves carry Science Noodles, mosquito coils, plastic sandals, and Florida Water perfume. Neighborhood kids drop by for snacks.

Stroll along Old Street or the riverside. Try a-gei (stuffed tofu), fish ball soup, iron eggs, fish crisps, traditional pastries, aiyu jelly, and soft-serve ice cream. If it gets too hot, duck into a convenience store to cool off.

Take the MRT into Taipei and explore Taipei Main Station, Shilin or Jiantan, Ximending, Zhongshan, and more.

When you fall asleep, you enter the Goldfish Dream, home to the Snapdragon Garden, the Water Palace, and floating paths that shift with each day's events.