Chapter 15: Friends

The garden was enveloped in the thick silence, save for the soft rustling of the leaves as the wind blew through the trees. Two figures sat side by side on a bench, one with long black hair and the other with blue. They both appeared to be teenagers, but their stoic expressions made it hard to gauge their emotions. Despite their proximity to each other, they seemed to be strangers lost in their thoughts. Shido glanced at the park clock and saw that it was approaching midnight. Something inside him urged him to speak up, to break the suffocating silence that hung over them. He turned to hikaru beside him and took a deep breath. "I don't know where to start," he began. "But I feel like it doesn't matter what I say, it's not going to help you, and I might even hurt you more." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before continuing, "But that's not a reason for me to do nothing. I can tell that something has been troubling you since our first meeting. Even after opening up to us and laughing with us, I can still see something deep in your eyes that says you're not okay." Shido stood up and knelt in front of her so that he could look her directly in the eyes. "You're important to me, and I'm willing to do everything in my power to help you. So please, Hikaru, can you speak to me about what's causing you so much pain?" Hikaru slowly lifted her gaze from the ground to meet Shido's eyes. Her eyes were lifeless, and tears were trickling down her cheeks. "What would you do if you found out that your whole existence is just meaningless?" she asked, her voice rising with each word. "What would you do if you found out that it doesn't matter what you do, nothing is going to change? What would you do if you found out that you don't even have the right to exist?" Shido remained calm and fixed his eyes on hers, "I couldn't care less about it," he said firmly. "But my words would be meaningless if I didn't understand what you're going through. That would make me a hypocrite." He placed his hand on her thigh, attempting to offer her some comfort. "Hikaru, what is the purpose of life?" he asked. Hikaru looked puzzled. "Huh?" "Humans strive to gain happiness in their lives. Fame, wealth, family, health, strength, and so on. These concepts have value because they give humans what they strive for - happiness." He took a deep breath before continuing, "I can say that you did enjoy your time with us. I can't forget the smile on your face after all." He settled back down on the bench beside her, and this time, Hikaru turned towards him. "Think about it like this. Can you be happy if you forget your problems? If yes, then those problems aren't worth thinking about" Hikaru looked at him for a moment before lowering her head again. "You don't understand. It's not that simple." "I know it's not," Shido said. "But with time, we'll get through it together. I'll always be by your side, and I'll do whatever it takes to save you from the pain you're feeling." "You can't," Hikaru protested. "I can," Shido declared, his determination palpable. Hikaru is taken aback by his intensity, "He's really serious," she thought to herself. "Where did you get all this confidence?" she asked. "That? Oh, I've been watching a lot of motivational speeches lately and stuff like that," he replied with a playful tone. Hikaru couldn't help but let out a sigh, feeling foolish for her earlier dramatic display. She glanced at her dog's grave one last time, acknowledging the harsh reality that everything and everyone will eventually come to an end. "It was his turn," she thought solemnly. "You always seem to know what to say in any situation. Didn't you think about becoming a politician before," she said as she stood up from her seat. "politician? Nah I don't think I would like to get in touch with these people. A simple job would work for me," he chuckled in response. Hikaru couldn't help but giggle, "I wonder if this job would support your relationship with all these girls," she teased. "I'm happy I could cheer you up a little. I know I didn't solve your problems, but I promise I will," he said. "Thanks, you're a really good friend," she replied. "..." Suddenly, Hikaru started laughing uncontrollably, and the whole park seemed to light up with her laughter. She didn't even realize that her astral dress had started to form around her. This time, instead of a whole black gear, there were some golden lines all over her dress with a golden aura around her. She knelt a little, getting closer to Shido. "Thank you so much, Shido," she said, a warm smile on her face. "Thank you so much, Shido," she said, a warm smile on her face. Shido blushed, stunned by the sight of Hikaru in her astral dress. She looked like an angel from another world, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. Suddenly, Hikaru made a big leap away from him, and her astral dress faded away into regular clothing. Confusion was written all over her face as she pondered, 'For just a second, I wasn't in control of my body! What happened?' Shido was confused, wondering what had just happened. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. Hikaru looked at him, "Yeah, I'm okay. Never mind. Anyway, it's late now. Let's get back," she said. 'I don't want to use my head anymore', she thought. As they walked out of the park, hikaru took a glance at him, "Can we go to a convenience store? I want to buy something as an apology for them." "Good idea. There's one on our way back." Shido agreed. "You're the one who's going to pay, though." Hikaru teased him "Nothing new." he chuckled. 'That smile back then is what I should protect... also, why do I feel deja vu about all of this?' shido thought. (pov switch - Ratatoskr): "Captain, Hikaru's mood seems to have settled down," one of the Ratatoskr remarked. "Good," Kotori said, her expression still pensive from what she had witnessed. "Since when was he that good at talking?" "And he didn't even need our help." "Indeed, Brother was something else today," Kotori added, a smug grin on her face. She stood up from her seat. "I am going to sleep now. I expect you guys to analyze the videos of Shido and Hikaru's first meeting," she said before disappearing in a blue light. "Yes!" they shouted in unison. (normal pov): Shido and Hikaru now stood in front of the door, while Hikaru carrying a plastic bag. "They would probably be sleeping right now," Hikaru commented. "Yeah, let's not make too much noise, so we don't wake them up," Shido added. As they opened the door, they were taken aback to find Yoshino and Tohka sleeping on the floor in front of them. "Tohka, Yoshino?!" Shido said, confused. Upon hearing their names, they both woke up. "Shido?" they both said in unison. "Why are you guys sleeping here?" he asked. Tohka and Yoshino glanced at each other and then back at him, silently deciding who would speak. "You left the house running without a word, so we figured out that you went after Hikaru. We decided to wait for you, but sleep overcame us," Tohka answered. "Oh! I see. I'm sorry for making you worried about me," Shido said. "Um, where is Hikaru-san? Didn't she come back with you?" Yoshino asked. "Oh! She's right h- wait, where is she?" Shido said as he took a look outside to find Hikaru hiding beside the door, her head down, and her face red. "What's wrong, Hikaru?" Shido asked. "I feel shameless after what I did," she answered. Shido smiled and got closer to her. "There is nothing to be ashamed of. You just have to apologize," he said. Hikaru glanced at him and then made her way to face the others. As she made her way through the door, she took a quick look at Yoshino and Tohka. "I am so sorry about what happened," she shouted as she bowed her back to 90 degrees while raising both hands with the plastic bag. "I know I promised not to lose control of myself, but I did. I some food as an apology," she finished, waiting for their response. They both glanced at each other. "You didn't do anything wrong," Tohka said. "Yes, Hikaru-san. Even Yoshino lost control when she was afraid," Yoshino added. "If you're really that sorry, next time tell us if something is bothering you," Kotori said as she approached them from behind. Hikaru glanced at Kotori for a moment and then nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry about the problem I caused." "Good. Anyway, what's in this bag?" Kotori asked. "Oh! That, well, I thought to grab something as an apology," she said as she started taking out what was inside. "Here's some kinako bread for Tohka," she said as she gave it to her. Tohka reached out to grab the bread, her stomach rumbling with hunger. She hastily stuffed the bread in her mouth, savoring the taste of the soft, warm dough. "Oh, thanks," she managed to say with her mouth full. Hikaru-san then turned to Yoshino with a sheepish look. "Sorry Yoshino, I didn't know your favorite food, so I just picked up a piece of chocolate cake." She handed it to Yoshinon "Oh, how sweet of you, Hikaru-san," Yoshinon said "thank you hikaru-san" yochino added "and her A box of lollipops of all flavors for you kotori" "Oh, you know my particular fondness, thanks!" she said as she grabbed the box. "Now that is solved let's take some rest", Shido said, "We have school tomorrow, after all." And then everyone goes to his room