The mornings at Garden were especially cold, as was expected from its surrounding environmental climate. It was times like this that made Mitsuru pull up the collar of his coat despite the warm air vented by the heating modules installed in the facility as he hurried towards his destination.
The library, where he hoped was the beginning of his penance.
Lashing out at Hiro satisfied him during that moment, when emotions ran high. But the aftermath left him punishingly empty and full of regret.
And in the quiet, guilt announced its presence the loudest.
Which was why, Mitsuru felt the need to rebuild the bridges that he'd burnt by his own hand.
But even as his feet found itself pushed ever faster onwards by the sense of painful regret and guilt,
"Books on Astronomy? We're out of those, I'm afraid."
He found himself mocked by bored tone of the adult behind the checkout counter.
"What!? No way!" Placing his hands on the countertop for emphasis, he pressed on. "You've got to be kidding me!"
Making a sound of irritation at the troublesome child, the adult frowned at him from above.
"It's true. The last book got checked out moments ago, you just missed it."
The adult's gaze instinctively moved towards a figure as she spoke, following her line of sight, Mitsuru found himself biting at his teeth in frustration.
A girl with indigo blue hair hurrying towards a hunched-up figure in a corner, a book clutched to her chest.
Even with her back faced towards him, Mitsuru had no trouble recognizing that person in an instant.
The first Parasite that he had named.
Code 015. 'Ichigo'.
An elite double digit born with natural talent and affinity, whereas he possessed a code numbering in the hundreds, forcing him to resort to unorthodox and dangerous methods to improve his abilities in an attempt to remain relevant to him.
Where she was given her abilities, he had to fight and claw for it.
Where she was showered special attention and praise, as was the norm for the double digit elites, his only source of inspiration came from the one he'd looked up to.
Where he had to accept his place as another amongst the teeming crowds of children with awestruck faces, she possessed the privilege to stay by his side.
And then, the adults only saw fit to inform him that a Stamen-on-Stamen connection was not possible after the elixir injection process.
Traitors, the adults were. None of them could be trusted.
The second blow came when that person looked at him with blank eyes, as he murmured the words that shattered his reality.
"...A promise?"
And as if Papa himself was having a laugh at his misfortune-
"Oh...! You meant the one I made with Ichigo?"
That was when Mitsuru swore to himself, that he would never place his trust in anyone ever again.
Because each and every one of them,
Were filthy traitors to the very end.
Bitterness began to build in his throat at he watched her slide up besides the boy hunched over in a corner of the library, his face buried in his knees.
Mitsuru could only feel his irritation build at the pathetic visage the boy now presented, withdrawn and pessimistic.
The person he'd once idolized with all of his being.
Hiro.
The Representative Child of Garden, the facility designed to produce Parasites, as well as a natural born prodigy supposed to lead them in the field of battle.
And also... His first and very last friend in this accursed world.
"Why are you crying?"
A voice from above interrupted him. With a sniffle, Hiro looked up towards the person who'd interrupted him.
His eyes and nose still red from his recent crying, he answered her question.
"I failed the last round of aptitude tests. The adults tell me that at this rate, I won't be able to pilot."
While listening to what he'd said, Ichigo could only gaze down upon him with a troubled look on her face.
"Maybe it was a freak accident! I mean... You've not been feeling well recently, haven't you?"
"I hope so..."
At first, her attempts at consoling him went unsuccessful, as evidenced by the dark expression that lingered on his face.
But Ichigo was undeterred.
"Next time, you'll do better! I'm sure of it!"
Faced with her infectious optimism over time, Hiro couldn't help but feel a twitch form at the edges of his lips.
"Look at what I've got for us today!"
Watching Ichigo wave the object in her hands excitedly, Hiro could only tilt his head in curiosity.
"A book?"
"That's right!"
Ichigo exclaimed as she slid up beside him, her shoulders bumping with his. Placing the book on the floor, Ichigo turned the cover.
"Take a look!"
The book opened to reveal its contents hidden within. Upon seeing the vivid illustrations, Hiro couldn't help but widen his eyes in marvel.
"Wow, such pretty stars!"
There, as portrayed by the book, was a portrait of the entire Solar System along with its various planets and constellations.
"Amazing! I never knew you were interested in such things!"
Ichigo shook her head as she insisted.
"That's not true. You were the one who taught me about the stars."
Hiro frowned at her words, his mind drawing a blank as he scrambled to recall if such an event had actually occurred.
"Did I...?"
But as always, he found his recollection fuzzy.
"Yes, you did. In the past."
He felt a warmth on his hand. Ichigo had grabbed it to trace at the constellations.
"See? That's Orion!"
"A winter constellation."
"That's right! You do remember!"
Ichigo's eyes lit up in delight at his murmuring. With newfound excitement, she began to babble quickly.
"The bright one here is Spica, so that's the Virgo area."
Hiro found his hand rapidly moving from point to point as she pointed out more stars. But his eyes weren't fixed on the book. They were instead fixed on the girl besides him, her face starting to flush as she continued focusing on the book before them, his gaze going unnoticed by her.
At the sight of her obvious happiness-
"Over there is Cancer, but it might be a little hard to see..."
Her words began to blur into the background, the warmth and motion on his hands a distant sensation as a small memory returned to him.
"There's Deneb, Altair and Vega."
Of them huddled around a book similar to this on one of the library's tables in the past, conversing in whispers.
"The famous Summer Triangle."
Hiro couldn't help but smile.
"Hiro!?"
"So, we've finally found Orihime-sama." He mused out loud. "But where's Hikoboshi-sama? Ah... That's right, they can only meet once a year..."
His smile changed to one with a tinge of sadness as he murmured out loud.
"Isn't that a bit lonely?"
Covering her mouth with both hands, the one she'd used to guide his now detached, Ichigo uttered in shock.
"You remember!"
Hiro found himself shifting slightly in embarrassment under her intense scrutiny.
"Just a bit. My head still hurts though."
"Then..."
With shaking hands, Ichigo pointed at a specific spot in the book.
"Did you forget about that star, too?"
A star with a faint yellow hue, almost invisible to the naked eye.
"You mean the Ichigo star?"
"Eh?"
"The fifteen star of Orion, the same as your code. We called it the Ichigo star because of that."
After Hiro finished speaking, he found that the warm feeling returned. Except this time, it covered his entire body instead.
"So, you do remember it just fine! And here I thought you went and forgotten about it...!"
"Ow." He complained at the sudden force.
In front of him, the bob of blue hair began to shake, along with the constricting nature of her attachment to him.
At the sight of that, while keeping his body firm, Hiro couldn't help but smile softly. Slowly, he moved his hands to gently touch at her shoulders, as if to reaffirm his existence.
He couldn't blame Ichigo for her current behavior. After all, children disappeared from Garden in regular intervals. When he'd vanished for a month, Hiro could scarcely imagine the distress he put her in.
After a while, the shaking stopped. Hiro took this as a sign to break the silence and parted his lips, preparing to speak.
However, as he was about to do so, he found himself intercepted.
"...Hiro."
Ichigo let out a fading voice as she stared directly into his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Will you... take me out to see the stars once we leave this place?" She mumbled.
At such a simple but heartfelt request, he could only nod.
"Yeah. Something like that, I'll take you any time."
Hiro emphatically affirmed.
For that single moment, the honest smile that he received made his worries vanish.
Mitsuru awoke with a gasp, sweat streaking across his face to drip off and soak his sheets. The blurry environments of Garden soon melted away to be replaced by the familiar ceiling of his assigned room in Cerasus.
"How unusual."
A voice called out from his right, Mitsuru turning to look at the person who spoke.
"You never oversleep."
With a curious expression, Zorome frowned at him, already up and dressed in his uniform. Besides him, Futoshi peered at him as he finished tucking in his sheets from the double decker bunk bed that he shared with the shorter boy. The wooden ladder creaked under his bulk as he climbed down from his bed.
"Did you have a nice dream? Your face is all red."
Upon hearing that, Mitsuru exhaled out loud as he palmed a hand over his sweaty face.
It was indeed hot to the touch.
Had that memory really affected him that much? Even after all these years...?
The sound of a doorknob being twisted open interrupted his thoughts.
"Well, we're going on ahead." Zorome called out as both boys began to leave the room.
"Man, I'm starving!"
As their voices faded in the distance, Mitsuru could only let out a growl of frustration at their idiocy.
Another day in this blasted Plantation...
Which meant that he would unavoidably have to see his face once again.
From the room's sole occupant, a sound of a fist being forcefully clenched made itself known.
"Hey, did you hear?"
Ichigo made a noise of annoyance as a pair of hands clapped themselves on her shoulders from behind, startling her.
Even with the buzz of chatter in the corridors, Miku's voice could be clearly heard.
"About?"
She rolled her eyes in advance at whatever hot gossip Miku had dug up this time.
"That new robot in our hangars. Kokoro caught a glimpse of its pilots and she claims the Stamen is a total hottie!"
"I've heard they come from a special unit."
The girls paused at the interruption that came from their sides. At their curious glances, Ikuno continued as she shot them a bored gaze.
"The Nines. An elite unit outside of regular command."
Miku could only giggle as she jabbed an elbow at Ikuno's torso.
"Oh, that's a surprise! I thought you weren't interested in these sorts of things."
Her pupils flicked towards Miku as Ikuno brushed her off, before continuing on her way towards the Common Room.
"Not in boys."
At her disinterested answer, Miku could only physically deflate.
"Tch. So much for friendliness."
"Ikuno has never been one to talk much about boys. You should have noticed that by now, Miku." Ichigo shook her head as she spoke.
"I never understood the reason for that." Miku pouted, before continuing with a sly sideways look towards her in a singsong tone. "At least with you, you already have your Hiro."
"E-eh?"
Before Ichigo could fully process her words and have the embarrassment kick in, Miku closed in on her once more and clapped her hands on her shoulders.
With a sneaky look painted on her face, Miku whispered in a conspirative manner.
"Okay. Let's go!"
Ichigo could only tilt her head in puzzlement.
"Where to?"
Miku giggled as if they were sharing a personal secret between them.
"To feast our eyes!"
As Ichigo felt herself being forcefully wheeled away by her shoulders, she could only drop her head and feel a sense of defeat wash over her.
It was going to be another long day.
"Then, regarding the M9's maintenance... With your permission, we can begin immediately."
Hidden behind a corner on the second floor, Miku peeked at voices drifting near them. Nana was standing at the base of the Dorm's staircase but Miku paid her no mind. Instead, her focus was entirely directed towards the two strangers that Nana spoke with.
Or in particular, the Stamen that was conversing with her.
Messy hair the color of golden straw, their long bangs hanging low above his shining green eyes. High, aristocratic cheekbones that framed his face, giving off an air of elegance and dignity.
All of this combined with the unique white uniform he wore, braided with embossed gold in its glamorous dress design, could only elicit a single response from Miku.
"Woah...What a hottie!"
Her jaw dropping as her eyes widened in awe, Miku could only quietly squeal her approval.
Huddled behind her, Ichigo could only sigh at her fellow Pistil's antics. Glancing at the opposite end of the corridor towards the boy's wing, Ichigo could see that they were no better, engrossed as they were in their own spying as well.
"In the meantime, I'll allow you to familiarize yourself with Cerasus and its layout. Would you prefer a guide?"
Gasping at the golden opportunity, Miku rose from her crouching position.
"Wait-"
Before Ichigo had the chance to stop her, she'd already revealed herself as she rushed down the staircase towards the conversing duo.
Her twintails bouncing from excitement, Miku raised her hand as she volunteered herself.
"Yes! Please let me do it!"
"Huh?" Nana straightened her back in surprise.
Miku ignored the squawking noises of indignation coming from Zorome above her as she grabbed at the stranger's hands.
Raising their hands to chest level, Miku proceeded to introduce herself.
"I'm Code 390. But you can call me Miku!" Trying her best not to fawn too much over the cute newcomer, she continued. "Aside from being your guide, if you have any issues, feel free to ask me anything!"
To his credit, the blond did not miss a beat from her surprise introduction and returned her smile. Miku could hardly contain her squeal of joy as he covered their clasped hands.
"I'll be delighted to have such a cute girl looking after me."
Facing with his overwhelming charm, Miku could only giggle.
"Oh, come on..."
Behind her, Ichigo could only physically deflate at her teammate's carefree nature.
"Well then, I think that settles the issue. Wouldn't you say, Nana?" Nine Alpha spoke as he turned towards Nana, who currently had her eyebrows raised in amusement.
"That's fine. Miku, make sure to show him around the place."
"Of course!"
"I'll be in your care then." Nine Alpha smiled at her.
"Leave it to me!"
As Miku and the Stamen with the strange uniform continued to interact, furious whispering could be heard from the boy's wing on the second floor.
"Look at that guy and his irritating smile... Who does he think is!?"
With his face flushed red with indignation, Zorome fumed out loud.
"Relax, it's not like Miku is running out on you." Goro waved a hand to calm the fuming boy in front of him. "She's just being friendly. Have some faith in your partner."
"You are the last person I want to hear that from." Zorome sniped.
Goro winced at his retort, his eyes quickly glancing over towards Ichigo, hoping she did not hear Zorome's words.
A small part of him wished that she did, if only just so Ichigo would receive a hint about his feelings for her.
But Ichigo never did, for she had her eyes set in front of her, attention fully focused on another matter. Goro recognized that look in her eyes and somehow, Goro already knew what he would find as he followed her gaze.
"Oh, Iota! Long time no see! And you must be Iota's new partner."
With a cheery smile on his face, Nine Alpha greeted the newcomers that had entered the main hall from the Common Room.
Hiro noted how the blond's eyes quickly flickered towards the left side of his hair. Almost too quickly to be noticed.
Almost.
"Tsk."
For some reason, Zero Two made a sound of irritation as the blond called out to them.
The smile on his face remained as cheery as ever as he continued facing them, however.
"How are you finding Iota?"
"Iota?" Hiro frowned at him.
"Oh, you must call Iota by her name then. I meant Zero Two."
The blond transitioned smoothly as he held out his hand.
"But where are my manners." He chuckled. "I'm Alpha, her Squad Leader."
Blinking at his offered hand, Hiro quickly took it, not wanting to be seen as rude. His handshake was firm but not crushing.
As their hands separated, Nine Alpha repeated his previous question.
"So... How does she feel?"
Pressing his lips together in deep contemplation, Hiro gave the best answer he could.
"Well, sometimes Zero Two moves a bit too quickly and she can get kind of demanding... But I enjoy it all the same."
"A Stamen is supposed to exert control, not the other way around." He rose an eyebrow at his admission.
"I prefer it if Zero Two takes the lead, since she's more experienced. Besides, I trust her."
The green haired girl besides Alpha giggled, making Hiro feel embarrassed for some reason.
"So that's what you like. Aren't you a naughty one?"
"...Huh?" Hiro mumbled.
Nine Alpha quickly shot her a look, shutting her up, although the smile continued to linger on her face.
"Delta here was just teasing you." He chuckled. "But I must say! I'm surprised that you were able to tame her. Iota can be so wild at times, you know?"
"Tame?"
Hiro frowned at his strange choice of words.
"Maybe he's different in the cockpit." Delta chirped out, causing Alpha to shoot her another look before returning to him with a brilliant smile.
"Well, in any case, I hope our dear Iota doesn't give you any trouble. Take care of our squad mate for us."
"Uh... I will." Hiro fumbled awkwardly.
"Tsk."
Seemingly frustrated at being left out of their conversation, Zero Two made a sound of irritation before stomping off in the opposite direction away from them.
"See what I mean? Iota can be such a handful when she's in a bad mood." Alpha commented.
"Ah... Wait! Zero Two!" Hiro called out after her as he made to follow.
However, before he could do so, a hand on his shoulders stopped him.
"Let me give you a piece of advice, Code 016."
"You know me?"
Hiro peered curiously at the shorter boy as he nodded. The entire time, Hiro realized he'd not introduced himself. But for some reason, the person known as Nine Alpha already knew of his piloting code.
"Of course. As Iota's Squad Leader, I'm privy to information about her partners." Alpha paused as he spoke, as if he was pondering his next words. "You are not her first Stamen, nor will you be her last."
The boy calling himself Zero Two's Squad Leader tilted his head, an utterly serious expression on his face.
"There are no shortage of volunteers lining up to pilot with Iota. If you wish to keep your life, then quit now, while you still can."
Nine Alpha's ominous warning clung to his mind as he chased after Zero Two.
"Give it a rest already."
Mitsuru snarled under his breath at the voice approaching him. All the time, he stood at a distance, his back slouched against the front door of the Parasite Lodge as he watched the entire scene play out before him with a look of disdain.
From how the elite newcomers seemed to casually interact with him, from their initial handshake to conversation, all of it disgusted Mitsuru.
As it usually was when it came to matters regarding Hiro.
"What do you want?"
If Ikuno was deterred by his clipped tone, she made no indication. She only paused for the briefest of moments, before raking his body with a dry and slightly pitying look that made the molars in his mouth grind against each other.
"Hasn't this gone on for long enough?"
Talking to him as if she knew already knew everything about him. It was something that irritated Mitsuru to no end.
Mitsuru scoffed at her as he crossed his arms.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He shrugged.
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but that wasn't the cause of the growing anger from within him. The reason for that was-
Coming from someone as insignificant as her, the pity in her eyes, it became clearer than ever.
"Drop the act, will you?"
"Shut up." His voice lowering, Mitsuru warned her not to proceed.
The edges of Ikuno's lips twitched upwards in amusement.
"It takes courage to face up to others and to yourself, huh?" In a soft voice, she mocked him.
His left eye twitched once. The pressure on his molars started to become painful.
"Shut it." He growled.
Despite the spite filled voice he'd used, Ikuno only reaction was the slightest of smiles, as if this outcome amused her.
Mitsuru's fury rose. His grudge was not something to be used as someone else's mere amusement.
"You want to be acknowledged-"
"...Will you pilot a Franxx with me, Hiro?"
Mitsuru screamed at that little voice in his mind.
Shut up. Not now. He didn't need that memory to haunt him anymore than it already did.
"But not by Papa-"
"Yeah, I promise!"
What did this person know? Of the suffering, pain and betrayals that he was forced to endure.
"Or the adults-"
"Promise? What promise, again? Ah... You meant the one I made with ******?" The filthy traitor turned and smiled, his blackened and grimy teeth stained with the taint of lies-
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up...!
"Instead, you want to be acknowledged by-"
"I told you to shut your mouth!"
The following silence was deafening.
His scream echoed throughout the main hall, drawing heads and attention towards them. Panting and sweating in frustration, he glared in return at the idiots that shot him gazes of concern and shock.
"Kuh..."
The random stress ticks on his eyes returned in full force. Mitsuru turned to lash at the rest of his squad that peered at him with those infuriating looks of concern, but decided against it at the last moment.
The damage had already been done. There was no need to disgrace himself any further.
"That suits you much better than acting all cool and aloof."
Over the rims of her glasses, Ikuno shot him a wry half-smile at his outburst, her aura mixed with amusement and pity at his wretched state.
Unable to bear with looking at her any longer, Mitsuru turned away and palmed at his face. There, his fingernails began to press into his skin.
"An altercation between 326 and 196?" Hachi rose an eyebrow.
"Yeah. That might explain their disappointing performance in the last battle."
Nana glanced at the numbers displayed before them on the monitor. The latest known reports on their ParaCapacity Status and its related information.
"Despite being an Elixir subject, his performance is worrying." In deep thought, Nana murmured. "This doesn't bode well for the upcoming Kissing Operation."
She tapped her chin, contemplating their options.
"...A Partner Shuffle?" She grimaced.
Switching Partners right before a major battle always brought with her a sense of trepidation. After all, Parasites usually required an acclimatization period with their assigned Partners to work out trust and teamwork issues.
Before Hachi could answer, the intercom beeped, interrupting him.
"Surely there's no need for anything that drastic."
"Doctor?"
Nana greeted the face that appeared on the screen. There, peering into a microscope with his single natural eye, he continued.
"Kids their age are an energetic bunch. Especially these samples with their unrestricted emotional sensitivities."
"If we go by APE's manual, lagging Parasites such as 326 should be ordered to try another Partner." Nana countered.
"But this is an irregular test team, is it not? The point of this experiment was to judge if emotional sensitivity produced superior Parasites."
Nana's lips looked as if she had sucked on a particularly sour piece of candy.
"Considering the major operation looming on the horizon, I recommend intervention."
"Listen to yourself. A live battlefield would be the best place to practically test our theories."
"So, we sit back and do nothing?"
"We can implement softer solutions, his Team Leader for example."
"Ichigo? Are you sure about that?"
Nana spoke up, reservations still plaguing her.
"Isn't that fine? Part of the responsibilities of being a Team Leader include personnel management."
She frowned at his carefree tone. While the Doctor was correct in the most technical of senses, she couldn't help but feel like he possessed an ulterior motive for this decision.
"Besides, aren't you curious?" He mused.
"Huh?" Nana blinked in confusion.
The Doctor turned away from his microscope, this time to grin at both of them.
"The fact that they were never friends, despite spending their childhood in the same area in Garden."
He found Zero Two leaning against the railings on the second-floor balcony when he caught up with her. Already, she emanated a chilly and distant aura that almost felt like a barrier between them.
The physical real-world distance between them could not have been more than ten meters, but to Hiro, it felt like the gap between them was infinite.
However, something like that did not offer him pause.
If this occurred just a week ago, then, he would have given up without even trying.
But that was his hesitant self which existed previously.
"That person... He an acquaintance of yours?" He called out after her. "The one with the unique uniform."
With her head still turned away to gaze at Mistilteinn in the distance, Zero Two replied curtly.
"Yeah."
Hiro couldn't help but allow the edges of his lips to twitch. After all, even a monosyllabic reply was better than nothing.
It was a start at least.
He took a step forward.
"What's he like?" Hiro questioned as he approached her.
"He's my Team Leader. We belong to the same squad."
Another step.
"I see..." He answered noncommittally, subtly prompting Zero Two for more information.
It was times like this where it was better to listen than to speak, especially when dealing with Zero Two when she was feeling moody.
He might not been the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he'd learnt that much when dealing with Ichigo's emotional outbursts when growing up.
"He has top scores in both Parasite aptitude and kill count, second only to me."
"Is that so?" As he placed his hands on the railings, Hiro murmured. "And he seems kind of friendly too."
He heard Zero Two click her tongue crisply. The audio cue of her annoyance was accompanied by a sharp look in her eyes as she finally turned to look at him.
Well, by the intensity she was radiating, it was more of a glare than a look. But Hiro wanted to believe that instead.
"He's good at socializing. I always remember seeing him surrounded by people."
"The total opposite of you, huh?" He teased slightly.
However, it seemed like trying to smooth things over at the moment was the wrong decision, judging by how her back stiffened. The aura around her darkened, as if the current apathy she was feeling became bitterness.
"A trait like that is unnecessary to kill klaxosaurs."
Her voice lowered, as if warning him.
"But understanding your Partner allows you to pilot more efficiently, doesn't it? Friendship... Trust... Bonds... These are what empowers our Franxx."
He pressed on, ignoring the signals that his brain received from the growing animosity he was generating.
"That's why I want us to be honest with each other, to talk things out-mmph!"
Before he could finish his desperate plea, he felt a hand cover his mouth and forcefully cut him off. Zero Two had placed it there, apparently tired of talking and having made up her mind.
"You threw away that chance when you rejected me."
The hand over his mouth tensed for a moment, before releasing itself, it's owner making to leave.
Time crawled to a snail's pace as her back withdrew away from him. The clanking sound of her boots sounded particularly loud to his ears.
After all they'd been through, was this really as far as he could have gotten?
Distantly, he could visualize a door swinging on its hinges, about to close.
I'll never let you go.
Perhaps, in another world, he would have allowed that door to close.
I'll absolutely won't make a mistake anymore.
Perhaps, in another reality, he would have saw her shrinking back off.
"Zero Two."
I will definitely be your Darling.
Zero Two stopped in her tracks. Not due to his words, but because of the tugging sensation on her sleeve.
"During that time, when we connected... It was warm. So warm that it almost scorched me."
She paused and turned to look at him. At the person she once called fodder that stood before her, his head slightly downcast, eyes hidden by his bangs.
In the beginning, it started off as a mere flight of fancy.
And then, as time passed, hope began to build that he would be her salvation.
But now, she truly saw him for what he was.
Sinful temptation made manifest, his enticing nature luring her to sink towards ever deepening lows.
How easy it would have been, to bare her fangs and feast upon the pleasures offered by his flesh. To feel his body shamelessly shiver under her ministrations. And during that time, Zero Two was sure her aching, empty heart would have been sated.
Zero Two could imagine it now. She would carve her touch into his very being to the point where he would ache and yearn for her services when she was away from his side.
And perhaps, in a way, their meaningless days would have continued. And maybe with it, if she dared, happiness.
If she was any other girl, Zero Two would have gladly embraced him.
But she was not.
At the end of the road that was laid before her, a certain person awaited.
Everything else in the way, in the end, was nothing but a roadblock.
"When the connection between a Pistil and her Stamen peaks, sometimes the boundaries that separate their egos are erased leading to possible delusions." She spoke icily. "That warmth you felt was but one such instance."
The grip on her sleeve tightened.
And then it began to shake.
"Even so, I want to believe in it. That such a warmth exists within you."
Her gums began to sting from the pressure she was applying to her molars. Every muscle in her face tensed as Zero Two found herself repeating her own words once more.
As if she was trying to convince herself of her own lies.
"You mistook my excitement at killing the klaxosaur for something else. That warmth you felt was a lie."
"Even so!"
Hiro felt his grip shaken off with a sharp twist of her arm. Powerless as he was, he could only extend a trembling hand after her.
In but a few moments, Zero Two turned the corner and she was gone, leaving him alone to his own devices.
"Ah..." Hiro exhaled out loud as he clutched at the warmth in his chest with both hands. "Even though I understood, I still couldn't stop her."
In isolation, the warmth suffusing through his body felt mocking.
Ichigo exhaled out, noting the motes of dust that danced in the light shimmering from the windows, the clipboard placed on the table before her. The picture of Mitsuru stared back at her as Ichigo slouched in her seat.
A knock on the door made her quickly straighten up again.
"Enter."
Even though she tried to maintain an air of professionalism, Ichigo couldn't help but leak a sigh from her voice. She would much rather be doing other activities than something like this.
The door cracked open, and Mitsuru entered, the wooden boards creaking under his weight. The chair made a scraping noise as he pulled out a seat across her, the table separating them.
"This is a waste of time, you know."
His tone was flat, but Ichigo noted how Mitsuru's left eye twitched ever so slightly.
"I don't wish to be here either." Ichigo muttered as she twirled the pen.
Basic ballpoint. Filled with blue ink. A contraption that was cheap and easily mass produced.
Just like them.
"Then don't." His voice was tight. "Just scribble something and let me go."
"You know I can't do that. Orders are orders."
Ichigo coughed once, and then loudly cleared her throat before fixing her gaze at him as she spoke with a stiff voice.
"Let's begin the interview. Rank and Identification Code?"
Mitsuru to his credit, recognized that playing along would be his fastest ticket to escape and thus answered promptly.
"Pilot cadet. Code 326, 'Mitsuru'."
The pen scratched against the thin document on the clipboard. Ichigo glanced at the next question.
"Are you being fairly treated by the staff of Plantation 13, also known as Cerasus?"
"Yes."
The next question followed quickly, by-the-book. It was a nice day out and Ichigo did not wish to be cooped up in a dusty room with Mitsuru any longer than necessary.
"Are you experiencing any personal issues?"
"I'm looking at one." He answered snidely.
The scribbling stopped as Ichigo tensed up.
"Mitsuru..." Ichigo let out a low voice, warning him. "If you say that, I'll be forced to report it."
"This is all part for the adults' entertainment, you know that right? The reason why they picked you and not anyone else."
"I'm Squad Leader..." Ichigo began.
Mitsuru threw back his head and let out a bark of laughter, cutting her off.
"Ikuno and I never really possessed the best compatibility scores between us, nor did we particularly get along. However, now of all times, it suddenly becomes an issue?" Mitsuru sneered. "No, it only became one because Hiro was involved. Like it always does."
Mitsuru spat out, his nose scrunched as if he'd caught a whiff of something unpleasant.
At the mention of a certain someone's name, Ichigo blinked as she mentally shifted gears. The pen in her hand began to twirl as she slouched in her seat, relaxing.
"That's right. I guess if the adults' true intentions were to resolve your grudge against Hiro, they would have set up a meeting between him and you."
Her lips twitched into a wry expression of humor.
"But you got me instead."
The pen in her hand continued twirling lazily.
"Not many remember that we grew up in the same area in Garden, however, the both of us were never friends. I wonder why was that so?" She chuckled. "It's strange isn't it? The both of us would always follow Hiro around, but we never got to know each other despite a common interest."
"Forgive me if I wasn't interested in joining your golden trio."
Ichigo continued, without paying heed to his sniping retort.
"But you changed, after returning from the Elixir injection."
"I wasn't the only one who'd changed on that day..." He muttered.
"That's right. Hiro changed as well." Ichigo spoke briskly. "He withdrew into his shell and stopped interacting with other Children. But there was no need to hold a grudge against him because of that."
"It wasn't because of that and you know it!" Mitsuru snarled at her. "Are you always this purposely deceitful?"
"A lot must have happened to Hiro during his period of disappearance to fundamentally change him as it did. Your promise was but a victim of that."
Even though her tone was steady as a rock, the words that Ichigo used could be considered vicious.
And it was this passive callousness that made Mitsuru press a hand to his face, his expression contorted into one of agony.
"It would have been fine if he'd just forgotten about our promise. But Hiro turned his back on me and clung to you instead!"
His breaths came out in short, sharp exhales.
"What's the difference between you and I? Why did he forget about my promise but not yours!?"
Tap-tap.
Ichigo hummed as she tapped her pen on the clipboard, calmly listening to Mitsuru's ranting.
"Why? Was I not as important in his eyes? Did it mean nothing to him?"
Liquid began to build at the edges of his eyes and threatened to spill.
"Everything I wanted... You had it. You were the first person he named, the only promise that he remembers, a functional relationship that allowed you to eternally stay by his side... The chance to pilot with him. You were granted all the wishes I was denied."
Ichigo's lips twitched upwards slightly.
"A Franxx can only be operated in boy-girl pairs. It was not Hiro's fault, you had nothing to blame but your own gender."
"Of course I know that. I'm not delusional." He hissed. "I wouldn't have held it against him for not piloting with me. But he forgot about it completely when he changed."
"Yeah, he did."
She saw Mitsuru's eyes narrow at her between the fingers pressed on his face, as if he was glaring at a fated enemy.
"After that day when Hiro changed, you were in a position to return him to his former self. But you chose not to. Was it because you preferred the attention he now showered upon you instead of being the far and distant Representative Child as he always was?"
Ichigo tilted her head at his accusation and smiled innocently.
"Who knows."
"You may have adopted the appearance of being our Squad Leader in this Plantation... but this is your true nature, it seems. There were times when I thought to myself that you might be the one to bring Hiro back to his old self, and as such I gave you that much leeway. However, even I would have never thought that you would sink to such levels."
"The ten-year old version of me that lives within you must be amazing." Ichigo said sarcastically.
"You know something? Out of all the traitors and idiots that infest this place... I despise you the most, Ichigo."
Pouring every ounce of venom he could muster in his voice, Mitsuru cursed her existence.
"You're a bitch."
He spat, and Ichigo laughed.
"Well, I guess that concludes our interview. Thank you for your time, Mitsuru." She smiled at him.
The sound of scraping wood cut through his ears as Ichigo made to leave after picking up her clipboard. Mitsuru reached out towards her back.
"Wait. I'm not done with you yet!" He cried out.
Ichigo paused at his demands.
"Sorry, but time's up. Besides it's break time anyway."
"You'll go see him, then?"
This time, Ichigo turned to address him. Feeling petty as he was at the moment, Mitsuru felt a desire to arouse a negative response from her, as a sort of revenge.
However, her expression did not change from before.
"Of course."
Except for an eerie shimmer in her forest green eyes.
"You said so yourself."
And then like a freshly harvested crop of sun-ripened strawberries, Ichigo smiled sweetly.
"I'm a bitch."
NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: FORBIDDEN FRUIT
"I need to help Zero Two find whoever she's looking for."
"How indulgent of you. Giving her that much service just because she's pretty."
"I was always by your side. I never recalled seeing a horned Parasite in Garden."
"That's why, there's no way that you're the boy from her past, Hiro."
"I'm sure of it."
"Things are fine as they are. You don't have to force yourself to go back to whoever you used to be."
"Staying like this is fine as well."
"Hey, Hiro..."
"Have you ever wondered why humans stopped having children?"
"Would breaking the rules... really be so bad?"
A/N: I received comments about this story about the tone of it. Some positive and some questioning.
What is tone and character voice? To me, immersion is achieved when characters are written in a way that reflects the original source. Aka "sound like they came from the material.". Considering DiTF is predominately a Japanese work, dialogue has to be written to follow it's tone instead of your usual English literature writing.
Of course this does not mean inserting Japanese words and terms wholesale because that is crude and frankly speaking, off-putting for anyone with a modicum of standards.
That's what I've set out to achieve first and foremost. One of the biggest reasons why writing this is so time consuming for me is because I have been essentially doing both writing and translating, especially in regards to dialogue. As the source material is Japanese, character's speech patterns and mannerisms differ greatly to what we native English speakers are used to. For a simplistic example, "あぁ" is very commonly used in dialogue as an offhanded confirmation but it's difficult to portray it in English. The closest equivalent is "Yeah." or "Alright.". Similarly, "えぇ", is also used often, in the form of English it would appear as "Eh?". Finally the 3rd most common dialogue filler in Japanese is "ね", which is usually translated into "Hey."
What I've been doing is writing dialogue in Japanese and more or less translating them into English on paper in an attempt to make the characters sound closer to their source.
That's why one of the biggest comments I get about this story is that some of the speech sounding unnatural. The explanation for that is because the dialogue is not written from a native English speaker's perspective. But regular consumers of this kind of Japanese based mediums will clearly understand what I mean.
Finally, some extremely sharp eyed readers will catch the nuances in the dialogue in this story.
Hint: Mitsuru in this chapter called Ichigo something very offensive in their language. "Bitch" has different connotations in it's native Japanese as compared to it's regular usage in English.
Also, Domestic na Kanojo is a great show and I love it.