A slouched Makoto entered the diner, immediately drawing his attention. The usual smiling face was pulled into a thoughtful frown, and she mindlessly took her seat, not glancing at him as she usually did.
He continued to steal glances as he hurried through the other customers seated in his section, all of whom seemed to scream for attention the second he attempted to drift towards her. Her eyes were downcast, her thick hair pulled into an unusually messy ponytail. She finally reacted to his gaze and raised her head to look at him.
The misery within the eyes made him immediately order his sister to take care of his other customers and he pulled off his apron while he made Makoto's order, a slice of cherry pie and fruit smoothie.
"Here you are, lovely lady," he said, flourishing the items as he placed them in front of her. The smallest of smiles graced her face, and he found himself worrying even more for the young girl. She picked up the spoon and began moving the cherry on top of the slice of pie back and forth.
"Makoto, what's wrong?" he asked as he sat down across from her, looking at her closely. Her shoulders were sagged as if there was a heavy weight on her, and her foot kept twitching in a worried way.
"Nothing," she responded eventually, taking a small bite of the pie.
"Please don't lie to me, Makoto," he spoke softly and truthfully, feeling the words coming from somewhere deep down in him. He felt an odd sort of connection with the brunette, who idolized him. In a way, some of it was pity for the lonely girl, but there was more to it. He cared for her; he cared for all the girls. He had watched each of them grow up within the past year more than girls their age should have been doing.
"There's no one to go to," the young girl finally whispered, "We're supposed to say goodbye…but there's no one to say goodbye to." The words confused him, along with sending a pang of pity through him. Makoto had told him of her lonely life, living by herself in an apartment, no family to go to.
"Goodbye?"
She shook her head quickly, bowing it. He watched as tears fell from the flushed cheeks.
He felt as if he were imposing on something private, unlike how it was when Usagi cried. The blonde cried in a way that all others heard her and consoled her. But Makoto, all alone for so long, cried in silence.
He moved silently to her side, engulfing her in a hug. The young girl's body shook under his. He didn't know what to say, unsure of the right words that might console her. He'd never met anyone quite so independent, so strong and able to function while so alone.
"I'm so sorry, Makoto," he whispered as he held her tightly. He knew he would never meet anyone else quite like her, and she would always be the strongest person he would ever know.
He knew he couldn't ask her the questions he wanted to ask her. It wouldn't be right of him to betray her trust when she was so vulnerable. And although he knew it was serious, he could feel that there would be nothing he could do about it. She was an important person, definitely more of a deciding factor than him and the other people sitting within the diner.
The shaking slowed till there were just shivers. Makoto extracted herself from his hold on her, casting him an embarrassed look, "I'm sorry about that."
"I'm always here, Makoto," he said quietly, looking deep within the watery emerald eyes, "For whatever and whenever, I'm here for you."
She gave him a hesitant smile, and then before he could say anything more, she slid around the booth and was out the other side. Her stride was long as she walked to the door, and he knew she had gained her composure back.
"Makoto!"
She turned, her smile slightly brighter as she looked at him. "Goodbye, Motoki." And before another word could by uttered by him, she was gone, somehow vanishing the second he raced to the door to follow her, calling her name.
He looked wildly around the street, searching for the brunette ponytail and emerald eyes, but found nothing. He sighed deeply and prayed for her.
But in a way, his prayers had been answered before he had known he would say them, for she was not alone. There were people for her to say goodbye to.
Good luck, Makoto. And Goodbye.