“In a sense, yes. Each one’s male sexual parts connect to the other’s female sexual parts.” “Each one’s…?” “Yeah. D. paradoxum have both male and female sexual organs. Which they call hermaphroditism. So you might think they could self-fertilize without a partner, but for some reason, they don’t do that. They put in the effort to find a partner, then exchange sperm.” Kousaka grinned bitterly. “Talk about luxurious.” “The fact they dare to do with someone else what they could just do alone is kind of loathsome, huh?”, the girl agreed. “But there are things to learn from that. For instance, D. paradoxum aren’t fussy about partners. As if treating their love at first sight as destiny, they’ll combine with the first of their kind they ever meet without any qualms. Also, D. paradoxum don’t abandon their partners to the last. Once D. paradoxum join together, they never let go of each other. If you try to tear them apart, they’ll die.” “That’s why it’s lifelong copulation,” Kousaka said, impressed. “Amazing. Like a happily-wedded couple.” “Yes. Like birds of a feather, like entwined roots,” the girl said proudly, as if one of her relatives was being complimented. “As a bonus, these parasites inhabit koi.” “Koi?”