A young girl sat down on a grassy plain outside of the city where the labyrinth was. This girl or Kaede was beautiful, she had golden brown skin, a curvy body and perfectly proportioned face, long green hair with shiny blue eyes . A memory played over and over in this kaedes mind. Her face was blank yet her eyes were red and under her eyes tears that she'd shed beforehand could be seen. The scene of Hajime falling down into darkness was all she could think about.
She had woken up and found she was in her room. She wanted to just say it was a bad dream but she wasn't that naive marks from the battle were shown on her body; she instantly knew that what she experienced was real. She had begun to cry almost immediately upon realization. She had just stayed sitting down crying in her room. Two days had passed since that day and the hero party still hadn't recovered; some were traumatized.
Kouki, Shizuku and the others were eating in the inn where they were staying and Kaede, who finally came out of her room, looked at them coldly.
"Heh, all of you hated him, bullied him and didn't help yet he gave his life for all of you so why are all of you alive?" said Kaede in an icy tone with a blank expression. She was tolerant of all of them except Kouki and Hiyamas group but now she hates them all. Kouki was about to stand up and say something to her but Shizuku held him down. Though she was being needlessly cold after all it wouldn't bring Hajime back to her but she couldn't help it; this was the only way she could cope with her feelings. Kaede was always like this; she didn't like anyone except her parents. She was always cold no matter what she tried to do. It was as if someone placed a curse on her. That was until she met Hajime
They met when she was 7 and the girls hated her in her class because of the way she was. The girls wanted to play with dolls yet she rejected them. Children may not understand the full meaning of hatred but when a child didn't want to play with another it could get them ostracized. She was cute and at that age and it had already gotten to the point where simple childish crushes were happening and the girls wanted to get along with her and hated her because of how cute and competent she was. She endured that or rather she didn't care about them; they were insignificant; she had no reason to talk to them, no reason to care about them. Finally summer break was on and school was over having no one to talk to at the moment and since her judo class was on break. She went out since her parents were busy and decided to go to a playground.
She met a young boy in some weird outfit with bandages on his arm and an eyepatch. The young boy was running for some reason until he tripped and fell. Kaede would ignore it usually but she felt curious and decided to see what he was doing.
"Hey what are you doing?" Kaede replied in a neutral tone. The boy who looked saddened at the fact that he fell and his bandages got torn up looked at her and said.
"I'm running!"
"From who?" Kaede said, looking at him strangely.
"Some people may be trying to kidnap me!" He said excitedly even though he was talking about a crime he didn't seem to care. Kaede looked at him even more strangely.
"So who are you?!" The boy looked at her with a tilt as she had approached him.
"My name is Kaede Suzuki and you?" Kaede had of course answered while asking his name. 'Well I'll just leave him alone after this and go home' kaede had thought.
"My name is Hajime nagmou!" The boy answered with a smile. He then noticed that she was alone; he didn't see her parents or friends.
"Hey, why are you here alone?" He asked another question. Kaede simply looked at him. Until she answered.
"I was just walking by. What about you alone?" She also looked like no one could be seen around him or looking at him so he didn't wander off.
" I was with my parents but they were talking with one of my dad's friends and so I went wandering off since his house is close by and I got permission to go there." Hajime answered quickly.
"I see. Okay well I have to g-."
"Hey wanna play with me then?" Hajime asked kaede before she could leave. Kaede interrupted, looked at Hajime and decided to ask why.
"Why do you want to play with me?" She asked. She found it strange that someone would want to play with a stranger.
"Hmm I guess I don't but since you're alone and I'm alone we could play together." Hajime answered straightforwardly. 'Did he just say he didn't want to play with me' Kaede thought to herself.
"Okay then I will play with you. So what do you want to do?" Kaede said she didn't have any expectations but she decided to just go along. That was how they met.
"……"Kaede simply sat down doing nothing even though she could only think about Hajime falling, this memory came back. A memory she used to look back fondly on now seemed like it brought her even more despair. She missed her parents, she missed hajimes parents, she missed her home, now the only pillar she had in this other place has died. Kaede wasn't a weak girl by any means but all she could feel was despair. But she thought back to the boy that was with her for 11 years of her life, how kind he was, how mature he acted and usually brushed everything off.
"Even if isn't alive I want to see his body. If I ever get back home mom, dad, uncle and aunt need to see his body. I won't let some shitty god and world keep their son." Kaede had only one thing in mind: getting Hajime back even if it was just a corpse; she wouldn't allow this shitty word to keep her only love. She stood up and decided to train even if she had to go into the labyrinth alone.
