Under My Protection

Part 1

Ever since joining, Minako was always the strongest member of my group, serving as the captain shortly after her recruitment.

I don't know why, but I know there's something special inside of her that allows her to fight as strongly as she does. Although I've been in this Shadow hunting business for a while now, she surpasses me in every way. Sometimes I feel jealous, but then…

She smiles at me.

I have never been an eloquent, touchy-feely person. But, whenever I see her face, upbeat and ready to face all of the challenges ahead of her, including dealing with me, it's as if she's telling me I don't have to act so stoic all the time. That, it's okay for me to show my emotions every once in a while, even if it's just with her.

I admit, I don't understand romance at all. If I try to write something, I'm afraid she'll laugh, even though I already know she'll say she loves it, no matter how damn stupid I think the story is.

"You should write a romance, Aki-chan! I'll be your number one fan!" she jokes, but of course I refused the offer. I would never go out of my way to embarrass myself in front of her.

I have other methods of showing her just how much she means to me.

Under My Protection

Part 2

Our eyes are closed, and our arms are wrapped tightly around each other. I can hear her every breath as she lies beneath me, smell her as I send tender kisses down her neck, feel her when our bodies resonate each others warmth. I love you, I want to say, but I don't think words can truly capture everything I think about her.

We're naked, we're vulnerable. My fingers caress her skin, and I realize how fragile and sensitive she really is. Inside, I'm in amazement at how someone so delicate can fight so fiercely against the Shadows, and how I've really been hiding behind her this whole time.

But, typical of myself, I seize the chance.

Here, in this moment, Minako is under my protection.

Under My Protection

Part 3

I place the notebook on the roof's bench. It's a small, red thing; it can probably fit in a sweatshirt pocket.

Even though I've graduated, I still visit here on occasion. It's a place that holds many memories for me, and the place where Minako experienced her last.

I keep thinking I've failed her. She looked so peaceful when her head rested on my lap, breathing slowly, gently, so at ease despite knowing her life was fading away. I didn't realize she was hiding the fact she was dying, silently choosing to spend her remaining time with me.

Throughout her slumber, she was smiling at me, as if telling me in her last moments good-bye, and that everything would be alright.

That's why I refuse to cry.

I look down at the notebook, lying lonesomely on the exact spot where she took her last breath. Sometimes I think that maybe her soul could project here from above, to visit the school for a while and see how things are going. Hopefully, no one would have thrown the notebook in the trash by then.

Minako, if you're reading this, I really do write crappy stories, don't I?