Haseo woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He got up and looked for it, half asleep, and by the time he found it, the person had already hung up. He looked at the screen and his jaw dropped when he read the time. It was 10: 33. He flipped open his cell to read the call history: 2 missed calls, Nanao Shino. There was also one message in his voice mailbox. "Man, I really screwed up!" He said aloud. He jumped off of his bed and practically leaped onto the chair in front of his computer, slapping on his headset. When his desktop awoke from sleep mode, an all too familiar chime informed him that 3 new e-mails had arrived in his absence. He ignored them and went straight for The World.
The World could not have loaded any slower. Haseo almost screamed when he realized he was in a whole other root town. He had told Shino to meet him in Mac anu, and there he was, waiting for Lumina Cloth to load. It took more time than he had preferred, but he wound up getting to mac anu with his sanity still intact.
"Shino." Haseo said as he approached her. Shino's back was facing him. He immediately apologized. " I'm sorry I made you wait. I was taking a nap and didn't hear my cell phone go off."
"Liar." She said.
Huh? That made him feel guilty. Just being the one who invited her and not showing up before she did had already made him feel bad, but that last comment hurt slightly. He wondered if she was really accusing him of being a liar, but he didn't let it get to him. He didn't want anything to ruin their special event together, especially another misunderstanding.
Shino chuckled the cutest way imaginable and stepped toward Haseo.
"What's so funny?" He asked, embarrassed that she would share such a kind laugh with him. She sure is acting strange. He thought.
"Let's get going, Haseo. I'm not the only one who's been waiting." Shino said, turning toward the door to the outside of Mac anu.
"You mean this isn't just an event for us?" Haseo asked, fairly surprised.
"Did you want it to be?" She asked, turning around to eye him as she did.
Haseo blushed beneath his headset. His heart beat more noticeably within his chest, and he didn't know how to reply to what she had just said without sounding nervous.
Shino began walking.
Haseo followed her slowly. When they got to the bridge, she waited for him, and from that point on they walked to where the event was to take place together, side-by-side.
The wedding event was hysterical. Everyone was laughing and smiling, celebrating the union of Shino and Haseo. There was even a cake, with little figurines on the top! From high above their audience, Haseo could see Endrance, Alkaid, Silabus, and even Atoli. Everyone seemed to be having a really good time. And not seeing Atoli offended at all by what he had decided to do made the evening all the more enjoyable.
"Let's get out of here, Haseo." Shino told him, almost playfully.
Haseo looked over at his lovely bride. She was gorgeous. And with her hand in his, ready to let him take her anywhere, how could he deny her request? "Where do you want to go?" He asked.
"The cathedral." She replied, closing her eyes as if she were trying to recall something. "There's something I need to tell you."
Her request made sense to Haseo. It was a wedding event after all. And people usually get married in churches anyway. "Then we're off to the cathedral!" He said triumphantly. They smiled at each other before dashing away from everything, hand-in-hand, toward the boat bent on returning to Mac anu. It took them several minutes, but they eventually found themselves at the Hulle Granz Cathedral.
The cathedral, the place where Shino was first placed into a coma, was the same as ever as they entered it together.
"Haseo," Shino paused, carefully thinking of the way she would word her next sentence. "Remember when I said I had been watching over you all this time?"
"Yeah," Haseo confirmed uneasily. Somehow her questioning him once again in this place made him feel awkward.
"Well, I'm also a strong person. I can look after myself as well. So, please don't worry about having to protect me from now on."
"But Shino," Haseo hesitated, not wanting to sound to her as desperate as he felt. His heart ached; he had to tell her how he felt somehow. Shino, how can you still not understand? Everything I've done in The World, for as long as I can remember has been for you. I love you, and if you really had been watching me all this time, you would've seen that. The words just came out. "Don't you see? It's not about whether or not I should protect you." He told her. "I want to protect you, Shino."
There was a brief bit of silence before she replied. "I think maybe it's time you had someone watch over and protect you. Don't you think?" She asked.
Haseo found himself looking away from her, just like he always did. If that gentle smile of hers was faked for his sake, he didn't want to see it. But he couldn't help looking at her either way, out of the corner of his eye.
"You've been fighting so hard all this time." Shino said. "But I'm here now, Haseo. And now I'm going to do what I can to protect you."
"But if you were to watch over me," Haseo asked, looking down, "who would look after you?"
"Well, we'll just have to look out for each other then, won't we?" She reconciled, walking slowly up toward the ever familiar alter in front of them; the place where Aura's statue had been once a long time ago.
Haseo looked up. Shino always looked so elegant to him with her back turned, but even more so now with her wearing a wedding gown. But he had seen her backside too often. Seeing her turn and walk away from him so easily made a part of him ache. He thought he could never do the same. But he had. He had made that mistake already when they were first reunited in the very same cathedral they were standing in now. The whole thing had honestly burned him out. But he had to see Atoli that day. He had to sort out his feelings so that he and Shino would be able to spend time together, like this, just like they were now. He was happy that his heart still belonged to Shino, especially after all that had happened. He was worried that him running after Atoli had given her the wrong impression. Maybe subconsciously, that was why he had invited her to this event; to make it up to her. Once she stopped in front of the alter, he stopped admiring her backside and abandoned the memories of their regretful reunion to follow her. Just because she could turn her back on him didn't mean he would do the same.
"He's really gone this time, isn't he?" She asked.
Haseo knew she was talking about Ovan. How can you still think of him? Haseo wondered. That was probably the reason behind her wanting to come to this place. Her reminiscing about Ovan was becoming almost as obsessive as Haseo overreacting in battle over Shino's condition. Their ties to each other certainly were strong. Even so, he didn't want to think about Ovan, especially not at a time when they were supposed to be happy. Or maybe, he was really just thinking of himself; his own happiness. He thought of Atoli, and what she had said earlier. And about what Alkaid and Endrance had told him.
"S-Shino." He said, getting Shino's attention.
She simply turned to look at him.
Haseo on the other hand, couldn't face her, and instead of walking over to stand beside her, he looked down, dreading the negative outcome his confession might have. It was so fitting now, when he thought about it. Being in the church and confessing; pretty ironic. He breathed softly, and felt his heart beat within his chest. When he tried to speak at first, the words wouldn't come.
"Sh-shino." He swallowed. He hadn't noticed before how tight his throat was. All he could say was her name. Like every other time when he wanted to tell her more than anything how he felt.
Shino turned around, now fully facing Haseo. Her wedding gown glowed in the light shining from the stained glass window above where they stood, and it didn't make things easier for Haseo.
She truly was mesmerizing.
"Haseo, " Shino asked, breaking Haseo's train of thought. She sounded extremely calm despite Haseo's urgent situation. "Why did you choose me for this event?"
"Why?" Haseo was confused, and momentarily threw out all thoughts of confessing his feelings. "What do you mean?"
"You don't think there's someone else who would've been happy to join you?"
"Someone else?" Haseo asked, getting rather annoyed. Why start interrogating? "Who the hell are you talking about?"
"Well," Shino turned her back to Haseo and said, " what about Atoli?"
That did it. Haseo couldn't take it anymore. Once again, he snapped. "Why does everyone always have to bring her up?" He raised his voice. "We're not in love with each other! I'm in love with-"
"-Me?" She interrupted, finishing his sentence for him.
Haseo gasped, choking on his words. He really didn't mean to let that slip out. "Shino, I-"
"Is that really how you feel?" She asked, almost testing him.
Haseo looked at her. How could she? Shouldn't it be obvious? If she was going to shoot him down though, she could at least tell him to his face and stop hinting at it. Get it over with! That calm, overly pleasant look of hers as she turned back to look at him was killing him on the inside. Haseo knew she still wasn't over Ovan. It was as clear as him not being over her himself. He knew Shino was probably just encouraging him to get over her, and go along with someone else so that she wouldn't have to worry about him tagging along with her. It was all a tangled mess, but it was probably true. And he didn't want Atoli in the middle of everything, making the situation even more complicated than it already was. This had nothing to do with her.
"Is it wrong?" Haseo responded, lowering his voice. For a moment he thought he might not be able to speak, but his willpower overtook him. Tangled web or not, he couldn't leave her alone to dwell on someone else; someone who may not ever look her way. Even if she wouldn't ever look his way, he still wanted to stand by her. He smiled to himself at that single, comforting thought. "No, I don't think it's wrong that I still love you. That I still want to stand by you." He walked closer so that they were standing side-by-side. "That I want to protect you."
Shino was shocked and didn't say anything at first. Haseo figured she was just trying to swallow everything he had just said, since he was trying to do the same.
"Haseo." She finally said. Her voice sounded somewhat distant in Haseo's headset.
His eyes opened wide when he saw virtual tears streaming down her face.
"W-what? Why are you crying?" He asked, somewhat scared. What the hell did I say now?
Shino sniffed and said, "I'm very sorry, Haseo. But I'm the same as you. I just can't seem to let go of Ovan. And you asking me to do that is like me asking you to-"
"-Hey, wait! I'm not asking you to do anything!" Haseo instinctively placed his hands on both sides of Shino's shoulder, trying to hold her together. "I just want you to accept my feelings. You don't have to stop liking Ovan."
"Then what should I-?" Her voice was shaking.
"You don't have to do anything." Haseo told her, pulling her into a strong embrace. "Just don't try to talk me into loving anyone else for a while. It's just not going to happen."
Shino smiled behind her headset as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.
The whole cathedral was still; even the background music had stopped. You couldn't even hear a pin drop. The two of them just stood together, holding onto nothing but each other.
Eventually, Shino's voice rang out as they broke their embrace. "Thank you, Haseo."
They stood side-by-side again, starring at the beautiful stained glass window above them. "We'll wait together for Ovan to return." He told her.
"So, until then, please let me stay with you."
Shino turned to face Haseo, surprised at what he had said. When their eyes met, she smiled.
"I won't leave you all alone like he did." Haseo added. "I promise."
The two stood together, hand in hand, peacefully contemplating what it truly meant to love someone.