Chapter 47

One Week

"You think you're different?" Junpei asked. "What? How?"

"It's different as in… different," Minato said. "Am I changing? I don't know."

"Then how would I know?" Junpei asked. "Well, to me, you're the same ol' Minato of course."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay," Minato said and headed for the door. "That's all."

"Wait wait wait," Junpei stopped him. "Help me a bit. About Chidori."

"You two are perfect. Stop asking for help."

"Whatt? But I dunno what flower she would like."

"Tsk." Minato walked away and waved without looking back.

Junpei sighed. Have to do it myself, eh? My friends are all jealous of me after all!

"I can help with that."

Junpei blinked, and turned around to see Ken standing behind him.

"Pharos."

One week. He would come tonight.

Minato wandered at the station. He didn't help Junpei with flowers. He was struggling himself.

He had never brought flowers to their graves, had he?

Minato had always… avoided doing it. He didn't want to mourn. He tried not to make it any different from when they were alive. And he didn't like asking for help. Not from relatives. Not from classmates. Not from teachers. He wanted to prove that he was okay. He was okay and didn't need any help. Nothing had changed.

But now, he felt a little guilty.

Maybe he should have paid more respect for them. Maybe he should show more grief? He tried to hide it but maybe he shouldn't have. He also didn't want to ask. Come on Minato, even Fuuka asked for help and look at what she could made. Asking for help is never wrong. Fuuka is a living proof, isn't she? He needed a wise word from someone.

"The hell? I don't know."

Shinjiro was at the back alley again. Minato couldn't understand what was good about this place, and why he bothered to come here from the dorm. Was it the place to deal drugs?

"I just stand, and think about it," Shinjiro said, crossing his arms. "That's all. Well, she wasn't my family, so it's different."

Minato nodded. He noticed Koromaru sitting next to the guy. He knelt down and petted the dog. Koromaru sure cared about Shinjiro. They were like best friend, looking out for each other.

Shinjiro looked at him. "What's on your mind?"

"Ken prays," Minato said. "Do I have to?"

"Ask him yourself, why he did it." Shinjiro tapped his finger to his forearm. "Everyone's way of mourning is different, so don't worry about ceremony and stuff."

Minato nodded again. Koromaru barked.

"I'm no dog translator, but I'm sure he agrees with me."

"Arf!"

"And if I die," Shinjiro said. "I wouldn't want people to worry about how they mourn me. If they think twice about it, I'm happy enough."

"There. She's Chidori. Chidori this is Ken."

Ken looked at the red haired girl on the hospital bed. She wasn't sick, not counting the suppressant. The only reason she was in the hospital was to keep an eye on her.

Her amber eyes stared back at him.

Junpei gave her sunflower. No, Ken didn't help with that. Junpei chose what he wanted anyway. Chidori said she liked it, and started sketching the sunflower on her notepad. They talked about simple, generic things. Ken joined the conversation once in a while, but he mostly listened.

After Junpei left, Ken was left alone with her.

"So it's you," she whispered. The way she looked at Ken made him felt vulnerable. She knew everything. It felt like that.

Her yellow eyes kept staring, but she didn't say anything, and he was lost.

"You are lost and confused," Chidori said. "Aren't you?"

"Hey!" Ken snapped back and regained his composure. It wasn't possible to be angry in front of such a calm person. This gothic girl was creepy.

She was staring again. Awkward.

"I thought I know what to do," Ken said. Anything to break the silence. "Maybe now I'm not so sure. But I'm not lost!"

Chidori didn't move. She didn't approve, only staring. Ken hated this. "... You know Shinjiro, right?"

"Tell me about him," Ken said. "Tell me what I should know."

"Why should I?" She asked.

Ken couldn't argue with that.

"Just like Shinjiro, you are stubborn. It seems you have stopped, however," Chidori said. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Soon enough, Ken thought.

Chidori started sketching again. Ken couldn't see what she was drawing. "The robot girl, you should know her. What do you think about the robot?"

"I hate her," Ken said. "She keeps asking questions and I hate her a lot, but…"

Now, there was a but. Even Ken himself was surprised by that.

"Now, I think, not anymore."

"Why?"

"... Maybe I'm tired of hating."

Chidori looked at him and muttered to herself. "Does it really do something good for once?"

Ken raised his eyebrows. "It" was a strong word to call an android. "Do you hate her?"

"Kirijo's pet, I hate it." Chidori furrowed her eyebrows. "Can't even realize it is being used."

"Huh?"

Chidori glanced at him with a look, a look he was used to seeing. It was pity. "Nevermind."

"Good evening." Pharos appeared in his room. "And sorry, for not talking to you in a while."

Minato sat at his desk as usual. Since Pharos decided not to come out, the boy waited for him every night. Pharos hated that. Why bother waiting for him?

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but there's one more week until the full moon," Pharos said. "I hope nothing serious happens, but who knows what the future will bring. Please be careful."

Pharos went quiet again.

"My memories are returning."

"That's good," Minato said, still turning his back to him.

No, he didn't get it. "The content is not very pleasant. My future is black. It will consume everything. It's inevitable! And I'm the one who will bring you pain."

Minato had found his place, after all. He had friends. He had bonds. He was happy, and... Pharos was a reason Minato's life kept getting stuck somehow.

"All I bring is death and destruction..."

Still, no reaction.

Pharos feared the worst. May he… hates me?

Calm down and don't lose your composure!

Minato trained in Tartatus and on the rooftop for the past few days. He even taught his dorm mates too. He's so determined to defeat all the twelfth full moon Shadows. Because I'd asked Minato and the boy already promised to do it? Is there another reason behind it? Is he getting sick of me so he wants to get rid of me? I am a hindrance, aren't I...?

"I'm unwanted. you are better without me."

… Did I really say that? Oh no… Great, Pharos! Now he'll ignore me for real.

But then he heard… a laugh, a somehow beautiful one, something he never heard from this boy before.

"Why talk like you're not with me, huh?" Minato turned around and looked at him. "We're always together."

"I shouldn't be," Pharos said.

"Is this why you try to hide from me?'

"Well yes…"

"Phew." Minato sighed in relief. "I thought you're angry or something. Don't disappear again, okay?"

"... Didn't you get what I said?"

"Guess what? What you said didn't quite get to me." Minato had a slight grin of confidence.

Pharos was glad. At least Minato didn't hate him. "But I have a feeling that everything will change."

"And?"

"Don't you get it?" Pharos asked. "Someday, I'll go."

"I know that."

"And when I'm free, I might forget about you."

Minato glanced at him.

"And you'll forget about me." Pharos looked down. "I don't mind that. I was rejected since the beginning of time anyway. But you…"

"Don't worry about me, Pharos," Minato said. "I don't know what your… connection with Thanatos is, but I don't care, no, I don't mind at all."

"But I am bringing you pain."

"But I like being with you." Minato looked at him in the eye. "I want you to stay, no matter what. So if your reason is to not hurt me, then forget that reason and stay with me. Period."

Pharos blinked. "You're not… angry at me?"

"No."

"But…"

"If you know you did wrong and you feel sorry, that's enough. Of course I'll forgive you." Minato smiled. "That's what friend are for, right?"

Pharos grinned. "Yeah... That's right."