Mochida Household – Real world
"We're home!" Yuka shouts as Satoshi closes the front door behind him.
"Welcome back." Their mother steps into the entrance hallway. "You've got a guest you know? Oh, and welcome Naomi-chan."
"Sorry to bother you so late." Naomi steps out from behind Satoshi and bows.
"She's here already?" Taking off his shoes, he steps into the hallway.
"Were you expecting her? Really, you should have told your mother you know!" Waving a finger in admonishment, she scolds him. "I would have been able to prepare something."
"Sorry, it was pretty sudden for me too. Has she been waiting long?"
"Not really, she arrived a little before you did." Satoshi's mother steps backwards to make room for the three as they step up from the vestibule.
"She's just here to borrow the hot spring for a bit." He explains as the four of them step into the living room portion of the Living, Dining, Kitchen complex.
A couch facing a TV, and its associated cupboard, is on their right with a small coffee table between the two. The dining table for six is slightly further in. Only four chairs are underneath it at the moment though. The brown kitchen counter is cleanly polished. It lies next to the dining table hiding the cooking place behind it. A smaller flower pot inside a wicker basket holding some daisies inside it decorate the sparkling surface.
"Oh, have you forgotten my other reason for being here?" Niwa Aiko's voice rings from the sofa; a cup of tea in one hand, the saucer in the other. "I thought I mentioned it when I met you today." Two blue ribbons decorate the right side of her head. One attached to the side of her head above the ear. The other is tied around a lock of white, blue, and black hair just below her earlobe. A purple shirt coupled with a short pleated black skirt form her smart casual attire.
"Good afternoon, Niwa-san." Satoshi greets her as the four of them spread out into the room. "And I didn't forget. You're here to check up on me and Yuka right?"
"I'll go prepare something to drink." Mochida Satoshi and Yuka's mother interrupts the conversation briefly to pour some more tea. From the fragrance of Aiko's cup, it seemed to be jasmine. "Yuka, will you help me set out the snacks?"
"Yes!"
"Good afternoon to you too." Aiko gives a slight smile with her reply as the two Mochida women go into the kitchen. "Your health would have been important for my sister. If something happened to you she wouldn't be able to rest easily. It'd be troublesome for me if she came back to complain."
Naomi lets out an awkward laugh while Satoshi scratches the back of his head at her statement. Whether it's a joke or an actual possibility is hard to tell, especially with the light smile she wore on her usual poker face.
"Thanks for coming, even though you must be busy with your company." Satoshi's mother arrives with more tea cups on a tray while Yuka carries the box of snacks they have for guests. Small cookies in plastic packages are piled up inside.
"Please, do not worry. I merely don't like leaving things unfinished."
The tea cups and saucers land lightly onto the table as Yuka places the box of snacks with a satisfied smile in the middle..
"Even then, we're very grateful. Your sister did quite a lot for us as well. It must have been tough, taking over her position in the company." Standing back up, Satoshi's mother thanks Aiko.
Naomi and Satoshi walk around the couch and sit next to each other on the left side, before picking up their respective drinks.
"It was a little difficult to catch up I admit." The Vice-President nods and takes another sip of her tea. "I think I used about twelve years of my lifespan to do that."
"Your family is really remarkable. Your parents must be very proud to have such brilliant children."
"They were pleased enough." Replying curtly causes the older woman to pause slightly, wondering if she touched a sensitive topic. A small silence ensues. Satoshi clears his throat to break the silence before turning towards Aiko.
"Niwa-san, when do you want to use the hot spring?" He asks.
"Oh, what's this? Trying to get rid of me already, Mochida-kun?"
"It's not that, Niwa-san. I just thought we should figure out who goes first. After all, I don't think either of us would like to walk in on the other."
"You have a point." Nodding, she takes another sip of her drink. "I guess I'd like to take a dip as quickly as possible. It would be a bother for you if I stayed too long after all."
"That's not a problem at all, Aiko-chan." Mochida's mother steps into the conversation with a smile. "We're quite indebted to your sister. In fact I was wondering whether you'd like to eat dinner with us tonight."
"It is alright." Shaking her head she takes another sip of her tea. "I'll get something on the way home. It would be rude of me to overstay my welcome."
"Oh, don't say that. Your sister was like a mother bird to our Satoshi."
"M-Mom!" Satoshi turns bright red. "If you heard what she was saying back then, why didn't you stop her?!"
"Well, she was quite a fine lady; smarts, looks, and a kind caring heart." Putting both palms on her cheek the grown woman exclaimed blissfully. "Perfect for a daughter in law."
'Wouldn't they be closer to sisters?' Naomi interjects in her mind but carefully keeps it there.
"Ugh." Slumping forward slightly Satoshi gives an exasperated breath. "Kuon-sensei, what did you do to my mom?"
"Don't worry about it Mochida-kun." Aiko unexpectedly lends him a helping hand. "My sister was always like that."
"R-really?"
"Of course, that person was quite a busy body, even though she had good intentions. She would even tell me what color of underwear to put on." Sighing heavily she takes another sip. "If only she wasn't right all the time, I'd have been able to take it."
"Well, since she was so kind to us, having you over for dinner is the least we can do." The mother continues her proposal. "Since Satoshi's father won't be home tonight, one or two extra people is no problem at all."
"Eh?!" Naomi looks up at Satsohi's mother who gives her a wink.
"It's more fun to eat with more people. And, as a mother, it's fun to see her son so popular"
"M-Mom!"
"U-um." Yuka suddenly speaks up, drawing the attention of the other four on her. "Y-yuka would like it if you could eat with us too."
"Well, I've been invited as well so we might as well all eat together." Giving a smile towards Aiko, Naomi also joins in pulling her in. "We'll be in touch with each other from now on as well. Having good relations is part of the business world, isn't it?"
Aiko sighs lightly. "Alright, I'll take you up on your offer."
"Aiko-chan, no need to be so uptight." Mochida's mother claps her hands together. "Now, it's a bit early, but why don't we have hot pot today?"
"Yay!" Cheering Yuka follows her mother into the kitchen to help out some more, leaving the three teenagers together.
"So, how are things with you two?" Aiko splits the silence with a question.
"Eh? Well... same as always, I guess." Scratching his head, Satsohi's reply is lack luster leaving Naomi to take up the slack.
"My eye is getting better, thanks to your eye drops." Pointing at her left eye, she smiles.
"My sister made those. I merely followed her instructions." Dismissing her praise, Aiko takes another sip of her tea. "But it's good to know you're on the mend. How are things with Shinohara-san's family?"
"Alright, at the moment. We went to help out with the house yesterday as well." Naomi continues the dialogue with Aiko.
"And school? How's that?"
"Well, Kisaragi Academy is still not open yet. But, there'll be a memorial service next week. You know... for everyone who..." Naomi paused sinking into her thoughts for a bit.
Kisaragi Academy had lost quite a number of people; three students, and a teacher's assistant. On top of that, their deaths weren't confirmed until recently due to the effects of Heavenly Host. Naturally, the school board was embarrassed. However, with everything that happened recently with the Entity Walls and the Day of Darkness, people were too shocked to really start throwing blame around. Hence, the school was holding a memorial on the day of its reopening. If you took it the wrong way, you could say it was the school trying to save face.
But, the gesture was strangely heartwarming for Naomi. Her friends and teacher who had been forgotten were being recollected by the entire school. It was a sort of closing for her. For the past two months, nobody at school had remembered them. The fact that they would actually hold an event for them to cherish the memory finally put a lid on her nightmares. Those sleepless nights when she frantically tried to draw Seiko on her school note books, but always failed to draw the face were finally over.
"A memorial service?" Aiko raises an eyebrow for some reason.
"Yeah." Satoshi takes over from Naomi. "Kisaragi Academy is still serving as a refuge camp for people who lost their homes. But, once it re-opens, it wants to begin by holding a commemoration event for everyone who passed away there."
"I see... how many people is it for by the way?"
"Eh?" Naomi stirs and gives Aiko a confused look. Aiko was a spiritual information broker. She should know how many people died in Heavenly Host from their school.
"Just our friends and teacher Aiko-san, so four people in total." Satoshi continues.
"Four people..." Aiko folds her arms underneath her bosom in thought. "Complete erasure after all..."
"Aiko-san?" Satoshi verbally pokes her.
"Oh, excuse me. It's nothing important. I just wanted to double check something. The Nirvana's collapse might have had some strange effects on us. Don't worry about it." Ignoring their stares, Aiko finishes the last of her tea, before putting its container back onto the table. "It's good to see you're both in fine health. Now, may I use the 'Mochida Hot Spring'? Taking a bath after eating is never good for the body, after all."
"Sure, I'll go tell Mom. Naomi, do you want to join her?"
"After I finish my tea." Naomi replies.
"Got it. Niwa-san, take your time."
"Thank you, I will."
...
...
...
A deep sigh. Niwa Aiko finishes undressing in the changing room next to the 'Mochida Hot Spring' built by her late sister. She looks around at the authentically built wooden walls, and wide shelves containing empty clothing baskets. A sliding door to her left leads to the hot spring and the outside. Another to her right opens into the Mochida household.
To be honest, this room was closer to a wooden hallway with a row of shelves to one side. The only other furniture there was a metal locker to the left of the shelves containing cleaning supplies for the hot spring.
'To think all of this served as the private bathing facilities for only one family.' Aiko muses.
"Well..."
Smiling lightly, she unties the blue hair ribbons on the right side of her head.
"Waste not, want not."
Placing them on top of her neatly folded clothes in the basket, she picks up a towel and heads out of the changing room to the hot spring. The cool night air is a bit chilly, but not unbearable.
If bathing was her objective, she would have preferred an indoor bath with controllable heating and cooling like the one she had at home. However, her sister had this place built for a reason other than bathing, and she was planning to use it.
This hot spring contains a large amount of naturally dissolved sulfur. This does not make it smelly. Many sulfurous compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide, are terrible to breathe in. However, the dissolved sulfur in this hot spring does not give it a pungent smell. Only the chilly air of the night enters her nose. Dissolved sulfur in springs has been said to improve skin condition, but neither Niwa Aiko nor Niwa Kuon intended for the sulfur here to be used to improve complexion. Sulfur has long been used as a reagent in magic spells and rituals. In this hot spring it serves as a repellent of spirits.
That is part of the reason Niwa Kuon had it built; to help heal a boy she cared about.
Mochida Satoshi; a simple boy her sister had somehow managed to fall in love with.
He and his sister were Heavenly Host survivors. This did not mean they came out unscathed. Yuka was still suffering from incontinence even 3 months after the incident. Thankfully, according to her mother, it was getting better. She no longer had to wear a diaper.
Niwa Aiko shut the sliding door to the changing room behind her, before taking a seat at one of the wooden stools in front of a mirror and showerhead. Shampoo, conditioner, and body soap was already prepared a long with a small wooden pail.
Before the invention of plumbing, people used these to pour water over themselves. Now it was more for aesthetic and atmospheric purposes. After all the feeling of warm water running over you is a refreshing experience.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, the locks of white on either side of her face catch her eye. Three weeks ago her hair was mostly black with a few blue highlights.
Turning the faucet on, she began wetting her hair and the process of cleaning it with shampoo began. With enough to reach half way down her back this task would take a while.
She had time though.
Having taken a couple days off from work and school, these few minutes were inconsequential.
When she was almost finished the door to the changing room opened again.
"Aiko-san? May I join you?"
"Of course, Naomi-chan."
The sliding door shuts behind Nakashima Naomi with a clatter.
Her feet pat across the flat stones surrounding the hot spring.
Taking a seat to Aiko's right, she also begins to wash herself in order to enter the hot spring.
"How's your eye doing?" Aiko asks as her fingers run through the last of the dark locks of hair that she had draped over her shoulder to wash.
"It's fine right now. It itches sometimes when I put in the eye drops but I think its fine."
"Good, make sure you don't scratch it though. The cut was pretty bad after all."
"Don't worry, I'm being careful."
Naomi finishes shampooing her hair at the same time Aiko does. With shorter hair she can catch up to the same point in washing as Aiko. They both fill up the wooden pails beneath the mirrors and splash it over their heads.
"Aaaaagh, that feels good." Naomi says with a smile.
"Indeed." Aiko agrees.
Aiko uses another pail full of water to remove the remaining suds while Naomi begins conditioning her hair. By the time she's finished and emptied another two splashes of warm water to rinse out the lotion Aiko is still only half way done.
"Want me to help?"
Aiko looks at her for a moment before smiling and nodding.
"If you'd be so kind."
Naomi stands up, picking up the bottle of conditioner as she does before kneeling down behind Aiko. A palmful of peach colored gel is rubbed between her hands before she begins applying it to the untreated hair.
"You've gotten a few more grey hairs." She comments quietly.
Aiko gives a tired smile in the mirror. "I've been busy, that's all."
The two continue to coat Aiko's hair in conditioner preserving its smooth texture.
"Even then... make sure to take care of yourself, okay?" Naomi's fingers release Aiko's hair.
"I'll try."
Naomi returns to her stool while Aiko rinses out the conditioner. Taking a bar of soap she begins to lather her body.
"So how's the company?" Naomi asks. Bathroom small talk, it's been a while since she's done this. The last time she can remember being in a bath with someone was with Seiko.
"It's doing alright for now." An evil grin crosses her face briefly, before returning to her usual smile. "The board hasn't fired me yet." Taking the bar of soap in her hands as well, Aiko begins to clean her body as well.
"That's good to hear." Naomi scrubs her for arms gently covering them with bubbles. "Didn't you say something about the actual CEO being useless last time?"
"He's been replaced." Aiko puts down the soap onto its dish, before rubbing the bubbles over her arms. "The new one just stays out of my way, and handles most of the social functions for me. As long as I don't go massively over budget, or tread on one of our contractor's toes, I'm free to do what I want."
"I guess that makes you the actual boss of the place then?" Naomi's hands move to her biceps, and begin to clean them as well.
"Not exactly, but I control what matters. We're not making as much profit as before, but the key components are still in my hands, as they should be." Aiko finishes with her fore arms and hands, and moves to her biceps as well.
"That's kinda creepy, when you say it like that." Taking the soap again, Naomi makes more bubbles with her hands.
"I'm merely stating the facts as they are. Nobody else would know how to operate the spiritual research division, or handle some of the information trading we're doing." Aiko mimics Naomi's motions, picking up the soap to replenish the suds on her hands.
"Wow, was Kuon-sensei doing all of that by herself?" Naomi begins to wash under her armpits as she asks about Aiko's sister.
"That person was a genius after all. She had my responsibilities, as well as the current CEO's. On top of that, she completed her teacher's course with top grades before becoming your TA." Aiko begins to clean her neck and shoulders first, before moving to her chest.
"I was kind of avoiding her, since she replaced Yui-sesei." Naomi also starts cleaning her neck and shoulders, before running out of lather and reaching for the dish again.
"I don't blame you." Aiko replenishes the soap on her hands as well to finish cleaning her bosom.
"I didn't know her for long because of that, but I can definitely say she was a good teacher." Remembering Kuon-sensei inside Heavenly Host, a sad smile crosses Naomi's face. If it wasn't for her nobody would have been able to make it home.
"I couldn't imagine her as a teacher. To be honest, I never thought her capable of it."
"You sound like you hate her when you say that, you know?"
"We had an interesting relationship."
"You still cried for her though." Naomi remembers Aiko's face in Heavenly Host. On top of the bell tower that had been created in the Nirvanafied Heavenly Host, tears streamed down her face when she begged Misuto not to kill her sister.
"Of course, she was my sister."
"I'm an only child so I don't really know the feeling." Stretching her arms behind her, she begins to wash her back by rubbing it with her soap covered arm. She grimaces a little at the stretching as she tries to get to the small of her back.
"Well..." Aiko pauses in thought, folding her arms beneath her bosom again. "To put it simply... it's hell if you're the little one."
"Huh?" Naomi gives Aiko a surprised look.
"If you're the younger sister life is pretty much hell for you. No choice in clothes, food, education, even future."
"Was she really that controlling?" Reaching for the soap again, Naomi continues to give Aiko a questioning look.
"Why do you think I became a spiritual information broker?" Aiko shrugs at her question. "Spiritual ability was the one thing I thought I had that she didn't, although she mastered that beyond my capacity as well."
"But you still loved her right?"
"I don't know." Another shrug. "That's why I say it's an interesting relationship. I guess making all those decisions for me was her way of caring. She saw all the best possibilities, and wanted those for me. But, in the end being too gifted in itself is a curse."
"Sounds tough. But, if you followed her suggestions, wouldn't you have turned into a better person?"
"Are you saying I'm not a good person?" Aiko raises an eyebrow at Naomi.
"Is that something you should ask me?" Naomi replies with a wide smile.
"Fuhuhu, I guess not." Turning back to the mirror, Aiko begins to soap her stomach. "But my answer would be no. Even if all the choices she made for me were the best, people aren't made to be perfect. Failure is equally as important as success. For a genius who could learn and understand virtually anything in an instant, she never understood the learning process that normal people have; the process of learning from failures."
"But you said Satoshi was a mistake for her, didn't you?" Naomi also begins washing her stomach while Aiko begins covering her back in soap.
"I guess I did."
"Did she learn something from him?"
"Maybe something along the lines of 'Love is bitter sweet'?"
Pausing at her thigh, Naomi pouts. "Aiko-san is that a joke?"
"Yes it was."
"It's really hard to tell with you, you know?"
"Having a natural poker face is a large advantage in the business world."
"I think yours is a bit too good."
"I'll try to tone it down if we ever play for clothes."
"I'll pass, card games aren't my forte."
"A shame, but I don't know to be honest. You're probably more qualified than me to answer that question. After all, Satoshi and you were the last ones to see her."
The hot spring quiets to the sound of soap being rubbed and the rubbing of skin against skin.
"I don't know... but she was smiling when we last saw her."
"I see, how fitting of her."
The two continue washing themselves in silence for a bit.
"Did you look up to her, Aiko-san?" Naomi breaks the silence.
"That was all I ever did with my life from the day I was born. Even when I hated her for being better at everything than me, I could only look up to her. I stopped following her midway though."
"Why's that?"
"She was too good at everything. With her there I wasn't needed at all. There was no space for me and her genius in the world. So, I searched for my own path and found my spiritual ability. After that, I set out to be the best I could be in my own field. However, that person achieved what took me months or even years to accomplish in a matter of days." Aiko sighs once and closes her eyes. "I prided myself with my ingenuity, but she took the same resources I had and made them into a full blown company."
"Was it tough?" Naomi puts her foot on the other legs thigh to clean it.
"A little, but I was half expecting that outcome, so it didn't surprise me as much as you'd think it would. I didn't quit, after all."
"Then why did you take over Kuon-sensei's company then? Shouldn't it be something you'd hate?"
Aiko shakes her head as she bends down to cover her shin in soap. "It should be, but it also exposed another weakness of my sister. In some sense, taking over it was kind of comforting."
"Because you could finally replace her?"
"I'm not that arrogant. At least, not anymore. I could never replace my sister, but taking over her role showed me something."
"Like how tough the job was, or something like that?"
"Not at all. I've already been impressed by her genius. The workload didn't increase that awe. It was the weakness of the company that shocked me."
"Weakness?"
"Yes, my sister was too much of a genius. She raised Perfect Life out of the gutter to a large scale business in less than a generation. But, as soon as she was gone the entire thing was on borderline collapse. Nobody knew what to do or how to act without her. That's why I'm glad I stopped following her. If I hadn't, I would have ended up like that company; completely dependent on her. If that had happened, there truly would have been no place for me in the world. I would have ended the moment she disappeared, almost like one of her own organs." Pausing in the lathering of her toes, Aiko ponders something internally. "Fixing that company is a sort of mental rehabilitation for me, I guess." Shaking her head she sits up and begins to fill the wooden pail with hot water from the shower head. "So be glad you're an only child. Having a sibling can be quite tough."
"Satoshi and Yuka-chan seem fine though." Naomi also finished coating her body in soap, and begins to fill up her own pail with hot water.
Sighing Aiko begins to wash her face with the remaining soap on her hands. "The Mochida family is an exception."
"Seiko's siblings seemed alright as well." Naomi follows suit. She could use face wash later when she got home, probably before bed.
"Those examples are all of little brothers and sisters. I had an older sister." Aiko's hands probe the area in front of her briefly before finding the tap and turning off the hot water.
"Okay, okay." Both the shower heads stop filling the pails, and the girls begin to search for their pails of water blindly.
"You don't sound convinced." Finding hers first, Aiko splashes it over her face.
"Well it's a moot point anyways, it's not like I can just gain an older sister and I don't think I'll get a younger one at this point." Naomi takes a little longer to find hers, groping around near her feet before finally finding it.
"Well, I can be you Onee-sama if you want." She misses the teasing grin Aiko sends her as she splashes water onto her face.
"I'll pass."
"Oh, how unfortunate."
The two girls use the pails two or three more times to completely remove all the soap on their bodies before getting into the hot spring.
"So how is the company really? You had a really strange expression when I asked you earlier." Up to her chest in hot water, Naomi continues their conversation.
"Oh, so you saw that?" Closing her eyes in bliss at the warmth, Aiko continues innocently. "Well, I didn't lie. It's going quite well. I've even got my own personal dog as well." Her hair wafts around her in the clear water, letting the heat flow into her aching muscles.
"A dog?" The shorter haired one raises an eyebrow. "Why'd they give you that?"
"The company didn't give him to me. In fact he walked into my hands on his own."
"So what's so good about that? I don't think you're much of a pet person, and anyways I don't see how a dog relates to a company at all."
"They can be quite useful you know? Like sniffer dogs that can smell out explosives or illegal substances."
"So is he really special or something like that?"
"He's got quite a few tricks up his sleeves. I can't wait to send him on a fetch mission." Aiko's eyes sparkle a little in anticipation, like a child who can't wait to play with a new toy.
"Just make sure you don't break any animal protection laws. They have feelings as well you know?"
"I'll be careful. I wouldn't want him to collapse too soon after all."
"Don't joke about that." Pouting briefly, Naomi releases the air in her cheeks with a smile. "So, what breed is he?"
"Some sort of mongrel, I guess. I can't really tell. He was a stray after all."
"So a mixed breed? Well, I guess they're pretty popular nowadays. But, don't work dogs need to be special breeds?"
"Usually they do, but the jobs I want to send him on aren't too complex. He just needs to run after the ball I throw, and comeback."
"The more I hear about it the less I understand. Oh well, if it takes some of the stress off your shoulders then he's doing a good job."
The two continue to soak for a bit enjoying the warmth of the water. After a while, Naomi turns to Aiko again.
"How's school for you Aiko-san? Paulownia Academy didn't close, did it?"
"No it didn't, although we're still dealing with our own problems."
"What do you mean?"
"Our school lost two students; Ooue Sayaka and Saenoki Naho. I remember you said you met Naho-chan in Heavenly Host? Sayaka-chan was the friend that she did the Sachiko Ever After charm with. Since they disappeared outside of the school, it wasn't held responsible like some others were. On top of that, thanks to Naho's spiritual ability, both of them were remembered long enough by the people outside of Heavenly Host for missing persons reports to be made and the family to emotionally prepare."
"So they didn't disappear like everyone else?"
"Their bodies have completely disappeared. No trace of them was ever found. But, with Heavenly Host's collapse, the knowledge of their deaths has been released along with the memories of everyone else who died there. All Naho-chan's spiritual presence did was to reduce the degradation. Their memories and information in this world lasted for a lot longer than most. Whether that was a good or bad thing is debatable though. If they had simply disappeared like everyone else Naho-chan's blog wouldn't have dragged in so many victims. Regardless, it was a number of months before Naho-chan and Sayaka-chan's photos began to disappear. So at least Sayaka-chan's family filed missing person's reports."
"I'm sorry." Looking down at her knees Naomi offers her condolences. Ooue Sayaka and Saenoki Naho were Niwa Aiko's friends. She doesn't know how close they were but reminding someone of their lost friends makes a pang of guilt go through her heart.
"It's alright. Getting it off my chest helps a bit." Aiko shrugs before continuing. "I attended Sayaka-chan's funeral last week. Naho-chan... Well she was disowned by her parents long before going to heavenly host, and since Kou Kibiki was her guardian... Long story short, since there isn't even a body to take care of, nobody has really had the need or will to pay their respects to her."
"Eh?! What about her friends? Or her fans? You know, from her books?"
"Naho-chan was never very social. Her only real connections were probably with Kou Kibiki and Sayaka-chan." Sighing Aiko leans back against the large stones, set around the hot spring. "As for her fans... In the end that's all they are, and even then she's not exactly a celebrity. Just a little famous for winning a couple writing prizes. She had talent, but in the scope of things it's not enough to have a public funeral. Those sorts of events are only for the really well known. To reach that level of notoriety, you need time. She never even got the chance." Staring up into the night Aiko says quietly, almost as if to herself. "I guess it's kind of fitting. As the one who lead so many to Heavenly Host she alone is left un-mourned, even when the rest are freed."
A sad smile crosses Aiko's face. "Even if the memories of her aren't erased, with nobody to remember her in the first place, it's almost the same as them not being there." Her voice drops to a whisper as she continues staring at the stars. "She might as well have remained in Heavenly Host."
"That's not true." Naom's harsh tone causes Aiko to look at her, brown eyes lock with violet ones. The two girls stare at each other for a moment. "That will never be true." Naomi's gaze is strong, while Aiko's is resigned. "Don't ever say that. That she would have been better off in that place." Aiko relents and bows her head, breaking eye contact.
"Yes, I guess you're right. Sorry, I was feeling a bit tired I guess."
The two sit in the hot spring in silence.
"I'm a bit surprised though." Aiko's quiet voice draws Naomi's attention. "I thought you of all people would actively hate her."
"I'm not happy about her, that's true." Looking at her own reflection in the water Naomi replies. "If it wasn't for her posting that charm then none of this would have ever happened."
"Then you must blame me as well I guess."
"Eh? Why?" A surprised look crosses Naomi's face as she blink owlishly at Aiko.
"The one who sold the information about Heavenly Host to Saenoki Naho was me." Violet eyes continue to stare up into the night sky.
Naomi turns back down towards the water. The surface shows a blurry version of her face.
"Yeah." She says quietly "I guess I should hate you."
The chirping of a cricket and slight rippling of the water fills the silence. Neither girl moves, continuing to gaze at their reflections.
"But even if I did, that won't bring back my friends, will it?
Aiko remains silent. Only the cricket's chirps answer Naomi.
"That's why, I've given up trying to hate, or blame anyone. There's no end to it once you start. At this rate, I might as well hate god for making humans in the first place if it exists."
"You're a good person, Nakashima Naomi."
"Not really. I had to lose something important twice to figure this out." She bends her knees to her chest and rests her chin on them.
"Was that in Heavenly Host?"
She nods.
"I guess one was, but the other was before that; back when I was still an elementary school student."
Leaning back against a rock, it is Naomi's turn to look up at the stars.
"Back then both my parents were busy with work, so they bought me a kitten to keep me company while I was at home." The water of the host spring splashes as a cupped hand pours some of the hot water onto her shoulders.
"Her name was Mei, and she was really cute. We played together a lot, and she kept me company when Mom and Dad were late home from work." The chirp of the cricket sounds again as another handful of water splashes onto her shoulder.
"But, one day, when my parents said they were going to be late again... I got upset and ran away from home with Mei for a bit." She chuckles lightly, laughing at her past self.
"I didn't even get that far. Maybe down the street or the nearest cross walk. But at that time, while I was carrying Mei, I cried." Turning away from the stars, she looks at the water again.
"I told Mei that it was because she was there that Mom and Dad wouldn't come home. That because she was there they thought they didn't have to see me. I blamed a cat for my parent's busy work schedule. Stupid, right?"
"..."
"But then, Mei disappeared. We couldn't find her anywhere. Whether she understood me or not I don't know. Maybe she just felt like leaving one day. She was a sort of an indoor and an outdoor cat."
Looking up again into the night sky, her hands splash another handful of water over her shoulder again.
"I should have learned my lesson back then, but I made the same mistake all over again in Heavenly Host. So, I've given up on blaming things." Naomi stares at her on rippling reflection for a while. "I guess the state I was in, when I got back from Heavenly Host, was also brought on by me blaming something as well."
"And what did you blame then?" Aiko asks, but her voice suggests she already knows the answer.
"Myself. I couldn't forgive myself, and kept on blaming everything on me. But, this time, I managed to stop before I lost anything important. Or... well... Your sister stopped me, before I lost anything else. Satoshi as well, I guess."
"Both of us really don't learn our lessons very well, do we?" Aiko's left hand caresses her right arm. The fingers cross over slightly discolored skin; faint evidence of scar tissue in the shape of a bite mark are on her arms and neck. They are a reminder of hubris she had when she first entered Heavenly Host. The same hubris that sold the information of the Shinozaki estate so lightly to Saenoki Naho.
"Nope, but that can't be helped either. All we can do is give the best we've got."
The chirping of the single out of season cricket rings in the night as the two girls soak in the water. A cool wind blows over their reddening skin, and the peaceful quiet is interrupted by the sound of car going down the street.
"I think I'm done, Aiko-san." Naomi stands up from the water making splashing noises that turn to drips as she rises. "Do you want to come out with me?"
"I'll soak for a bit more. Don't wait for me."
"Okay, but if you take too long, I'm coming back."
"Five or ten minutes should be enough."
"Got it, I'll tell the rest to wait."
"Thank you."
The sliding door clatters once to open and again to close. The thump of bare feet against wood comes from beyond it. Only when the sounds of the second hinged door opening and closing echoes from beyond the changing room does Aiko begin her original intentions for the pool.
Taking the lotus position in the water, she closes her eyes in concentration instead of meditation. The water of the spring begins to glow light blue.
Eventually her eyes open again, and a tired breath escapes her lips. Cold sweat beads on her forehead, before mixing with the hot water of the spring. The water gradually loses its luminescence.
"22.3% recovered... This should be enough. I only need to prime my own generating capability. Three days and I'll be back to full..."
Sighing again, she stretches her legs out from their crossed position and returns to enjoying the spring as it was.
"I guess I can read through the files in the meantime."
Looking up again into the night sky, Aiko smiles.
"Naho-chan, Sayaka-chan, Inumaru-kun, sister... and that girl." Her thoughts wander through the people she lost, even the one she barely remembers.
"Never again..." The quiet voice vows strongly. "I will never again lose someone, ever."
The Vice-President looks up into the stars, into the vast void of the world.
A world as dark as it was light, as violent as it was peaceful, as insincere as it was honest. She didn't think she could protect all of it, she never wanted to in the first place.
But, if it was just this small bit, just the world around her.
She would protect it, as long as her life allowed.
A/N: Ugh, limit of only four characters per fic. This sucks.
Simply because here's the list of everyone we've seen so far:
Yoshiki K., Ayumi S., Aiko N., Magari M., Satoshi M., Yuka M., Naomi N., Sachi S., Satsuki M., and Azusa T.
...
Semi OC character i.e. characters who appear or are mentioned in the Corpse Party-verse but aren't explored much:
San S., Miki K., Yui S., Asuka S., Ayato S., and the Mochida family mother.
...
Full OCs (or inspired from other media)
Gore Screaming Show, Lunaria, Perula, Anna, Cornalina, Iris, The Bandaged Person, Magari M.(Child), and Aiko's Bodyguards
...
Characters who are going to come out:
? ?., ? ?., ? ?.(Semi-OC), ? ?.(Semi-OC).
So the limit is kinda frustrating. I'd at least like to put all the full characters I've got but oh well.
Also, the ex-chapters I've been writing aren't filler material or unrelated to the main plot. Blood Drive and Corpse Party in general has an interesting tendency to drag in things and events from their entire universe. Even the things you might think are tangential or unrelated.
For example, in "Ch10. Ex-chapter 1 - Letter & Friends" Satsuki's parting words gain a lot more meaning after you've read the last bit of Ch23.