𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗛 𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗘 - 𝗛𝗔𝗞𝗨𝗔-𝗡𝗢-𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗢
𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜'𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘
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"Falling in love with someone you never intended to love…" Yurina's voice drifted softly into the quiet night, "is the most beautiful kind of love."
She watched the name etched into the damp ground, her gaze distant yet knowing.
"There's no forcing it. No trying to fix them or save them. It just… happens. Naturally. A raw connection that forms on its own." She exhaled faintly. "If you find something like that… don't you think it's worth holding onto? Before it slips away?"
Her eyes flickered back to him.
"You keep writing his name," she added gently. "You must really miss him, huh?"
Shiharu didn't answer.
It all sounded strange to him.
Love?
He never felt this way when he liked Ren. Everything is different, so different he wondered if he actually liked Ren to begin with. He liked him but not to the extent of dreaming about him or wallowing himself in self pity whenever he leaves.
So what's this feeling?
The thought of losing hoshiyuki that is enough to scare him to death or the thought of letting anyone else have him which alone rises his killing instinct and blood pressure?
The thought of wanting to keep him all to himself.
The miserable thought of going berserk only because he was out of his sight.
"I get that feeling," she continued anyway, her voice quieter now. "I know it too well. Being with someone… and not realizing how much they meant to you until they're gone. Not understanding how their presence—something you thought was ordinary—was actually everything."
The downpour began to reduce.
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
The night seemed to listen with them.
"The worst part is… they leave when you least expect it. Sometimes without a goodbye." Her fingers curled slightly at her side. "And sometimes… when they do say goodbye. You end up wishing they hadn't at all."
Her gaze softened, though something painful lingered beneath it.
"Imagine a little girl refusing to hug her dad because she's upset… thinking there'll always be another chance. He leaves for work, says goodbye, kisses her forehead…" Yurina's voice thinned. "And that's the last time she ever sees him."
Silence followed.
"I think…" she whispered, "we should live in a way that—even if everything ends tomorrow—we wouldn't regret anything. Hold onto people while they're still here… because once they're gone…"
Her voice trailed off.
"…you don't always get them back."
—
The rain gradually faded, leaving behind only the soft chill of the night. The world felt still, wrapped in dim lights and quiet air.
Shiharu's voice finally broke through, low and hesitant.
"Did you… lose someone?"
Yurina didn't respond immediately.
Then, slowly, she nodded.
"…Yes. My mom."
Shiharu's gaze remained fixed on the ground.
"How lucky," he murmured bitterly. "My own mother never saw me as her son. To her… I'm just empty space. Something that shouldn't even be there."
Yurina glanced at him—and for a brief second, she lost words to say.
She looked away just as quickly.
"Mr. Hotaru… isn't your real father?"
Shiharu shook his head.
"If my real father were like him…" he said quietly, "maybe my life would've been easier."
His fingers clenched slightly.
"Living in a house where you're the black sheep… it's worse than death. Death is peaceful. But there…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "It's hell."
Yurina's hair slipped forward, partially hiding her expression as she watched him.
"…And yet you made it out," she said softly. "You escaped."
There was no pity in her tone—only quiet acknowledgment.
"You endured it. That means something. It wasn't easy… but you were strong enough to survive it."
She turned her gaze forward, toward the empty darkness ahead.
"You only get one life," she added. "So… do what you want. Feel what you want. Hold onto what matters—before it's too late."
The cold air brushed against them, gentle but unforgiving.
After a long pause, Shiharu spoke again, almost to himself.
"I think…" he murmured faintly, "I'm starting to hate winter."
______
"You can't bake a cake? Seriously?" Hoshiyuki's voice carried a playful disbelief, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Then get the ingredients. I'll teach you. Practice makes perfect, you know."
—
"If I had to compare you to an animal…" he tilted his head, pretending to think, before breaking into a soft laugh. "You'd be a black feral cat. Come on. We promised to go see the white birds today."
—
"If you don't let me carry those for you…" his tone dipped, calm but firm, "you're not going anywhere. I can lift them easily with my aura so you don't have to stress yourself, leave the work to me."
—
"There's nothing wrong with falling in love with someone of the same gender." His voice softened, but his gaze remained steady. "It's not something you choose yourself. The heart does that on its own."
—
"I've realized something," Hoshiyuki said thoughtfully, arms crossed as if he had come to a profound conclusion. "You don't like mushrooms. do you?"
He paused dramatically.
"So from today onwards, I don't like them either. They taste blehh."
He stuck his tongue out in exaggerated disgust.
Shiharu raised a brow, clearly amused. "You've never even tried them, have you?"
"I haven't," Hoshiyuki admitted without shame. "But it doesn't matter. If you hate them… then I hate them too."
—
"You're the most beautiful soul I've ever met," he murmured one quiet evening, his voice stripped of all teasing. "Don't ever forget that. No matter what anyone else says."
—
"See? I knew you could do it." A small, proud smile curved on his lips. "It doesn't matter if you fail. Just keep trying. Little by little… you'll eventually get better."
—
"I brought you water," he said casually letting the cup of water float its way toward Shiharu. Then, with a faint smirk—"I had a feeling you'd be thirsty."
—
"I'll make sure you live happily this time."
—
"Shiharu—"
Yurina's voice cut gently through the haze of his memories, pulling him back to the present.
He blinked, the echoes of Hoshiyuki's words fading away like a wave of mist.
Yurina hesitated for a brief second before speaking again, her usual confidence softened into something uncertain.
"What do you think about… being my first friend?" she asked, looking away slightly. "It's fine if you don't want to. I'm not—"
"It doesn't sound bad."
Shiharu's reply came before she could finish.
Her expression shifted—surprise melting into something warm, something bright. A genuine smile spread across her face.
"…Then it's settled."
She stood, brushing off her nightgown before glancing down at him.
"Now, come on," she said, her tone lighter again. "I don't want my first friend catching a cold."