A True Elsewhere.

I want happiness

The girl had appeared one Sunday evening at Caldina's bar and soon enough she became a regular, always quiet, staring at her with such wide, hungry eyes that for a while Oruha had thought that she knew who she was in the game, but weeks went by and the girl never approached. Every Sunday she'd stay a few hours as she sang her three or four songs, and the girl would only ask for water despite how there was no legal age to drink in the game. According to Caldina she was perfectly polite if distant, saying that she just wanted to hear her song.

She always did came. Once every week, usually on Sundays, sitting down on the same table, looking almost like a lost doll, her expression so sad. Over the time, Oruha decided that if she was in the game for her, the least she could do is offer her songs to her.

I seek happiness

The girl had appeared early one Sunday, sitting down on a bench and soon enough Kazuhiko thought of her as a regular, despite the fact that he and the girl never spoke. She was always quiet, though, and she always came alone. She would sit down and look up, towards the branches of the tree that was offering her shelter. Sometimes she'd smile if she caught sight of a bird or a squirrel. If she did find them, she'd open her schoolbag and she'd take out some bread to give them.

She never did buy anything else, though. She'd drink from only one bottle of water and sometimes she'd move through a few benches, as quiet as a ghost, but she always returned. Sometimes Kazuhiko found himself waiting longer than he ought – Gingetsu would be sure to tell Ora that he had been late just so she would tease him forever – just to see the girl stand up and walk away.

To cause your happiness

So one day, Oruha gets close to her, takes two glasses of water and goes to sit by the girl.

"It's okay if I sit?" She asks and smiles, because Kazuhiko always says that when she smiles there doesn't seem to be anything wrong, and if for just one moment she gets to do that for this girl, that'll be alright.

The girl looks at her and Oruha feels her heart breaking at the loneliness in the girl's heart.

To be your happiness

So one day, Kazuhiko folds his paper around midday and stands up, goes towards the bench where the girl is.

"Hey, kid," he smiles, because Oruha always says that smiling there is no way he would feel threatening, and he doesn't want to scare the girl away. "Do you want something to eat?"

The girl looks at him and Kazuhiko feels his heart ache at the sadness in the girl's eyes.

So take me

Oruha gives a long sigh, putting the comb down. "It broke my heart when she said she just wanted to hear me sing. She seemed so sad!"

There's a moment of silence before Kazuhiko comes out of the bathroom, a curious frown on his face.

"This girl, Ora... you mean a cute girl, around fifteen, more or less?" Kazuhiko asks, moving a hand to his chest. "Around this size? White-blondish hair, green eyes?"

"Yes!" Oruha looks at her boyfriend, frowning. "You didn't investigate her, did you? Kazuhiko!"

"Hey, you just told me about her!" Kazuhiko assures, hands raised in surrender before he shakes his head. "No, no, I think..."

Someplace far away

"There is a knight," the girl, Suu, confesses after Oruha asks her if she has family. Suu looks at her, soft and hesitant, as if a little breeze could blow her away and Oruha doesn't stop herself from moving closer, holding her hand and twining their fingers together, palm to palm. Like this, she can think that they're actually face to face and it's not just in game. "He is very kind, even though he doesn't seem like it. The birds like him."

To a true Elsewhere

"There is a princess," the girl, Suu, confesses after Kazuhiko asks her about her family. She's moving slowly over the edge of the sidewalk, arms raised to her side, not looking at him. Kazuhiko doesn't stop himself from staying close, and when it seems as if Suu was going to fall, he holds her. She looks at him for a moment before she stands by her side, not saying a thing about his hand around her wrist so he doesn't move it away. "She is very kind, and she was the most amazing voice. Her words are poetry."

Please take me there

"I would like to stay with him."

Magic that last

"I would like to stay with her."

Never-ending Kiss

They both appeared before the girl on a Sunday evening. Suu's eyes were wide and a little scared, holding to her schoolbag, little startled bird looking were to run.

It's Kazuhiko who offers a hand.

It's Oruha who steps forward and smiles, simply saying; "You said you'd like to stay with us, right?"

Reverie without break

Kazuhiko mutters about ordering some food as he walks inside their apartment. He doesn't let go of Suu's schoolbag – where Suu had confessed she had another set of clothes and some food and what little money she made during the week and nothing else – as he walks inside.

Oruha takes off her shoes, asks him not to ask for onions nor pepper, please, and then turns to look towards Suu, who is still standing there, as if not knowing what to do.

Oruha smiles. Kazuhiko comes back, the phone pressed between his ear and his shoulder. Suu finally took a deep breath as she moved to undo her sneakers.

"Excuse me for," Oruha just quirked an eyebrow, Kazuhiko a warm, solid line behind her. Suu looked down and gave the first smile that she – and she was certain that Kazuhiko, too – had seen on her before she properly stepped inside. "I mean... I'm home."

Oruha smiled, opening her arms for Suu, holding her close.

"Welcome home, Suu!"

Kazuhiko hugged them both, his arms warm and heavy and so there.

Imperishable bliss…