The blonde-haired photographer was in the church as he wanted to see her, even if it was for a second. It was then that he noticed her lovely features and he smiled at her but he then remembered what Meimi had told him. "She's grieving right now, Sawatari. Don't approach her like you would usually do." The girl had warned, knowing that the young man would want to still talk to her but she warned him to be gentle with Seira at the moment.
"Mimori-chan?" He called out to her softly and he watched as the girl stiffened as he watched her rub her eyes before she turned to him with a soft but sad smile. It panged his heart to see her hurting but there was nothing he could do. Seira had completely closed herself off to deal with the painful loss. No one blamed her as the girl had been with her father for a couple of years now and now, he was gone.
Usually, Seira would be able to bounce back in a week but this wasn't a temporarily leave. It was a permanent leave. The man had died a week ago and it still pained Seira because she was there. She was there when her father had gotten stabbed. She was there when her father had spilled his blood all over her. She was there when someone used her to kill her father.
Sawatari shuddered as he remembered that the funeral was tomorrow and it seemed that Seira had already turned in her letter of leave to the church as she didn't want to become a nun anymore. Sawatari hated seeing her so heartbroken. Even if it was only for a second, he wanted to ease the pain she felt in her heart. He wanted to help her, to hold her, to protect her. But, he couldn't do that to her. Not when she was grieving the loss of her father.
He didn't want to burden her with more emotions but he wanted to let her know that she could depend on him.
"Sawatari-kun?" She called out to him and he looked up at her as he noticed her purple eyes glisten with unshed tears. It panged Sawatari's heart because he knew that she was scarred by the violent way her father was taken from her. He approached her as he hugged her gently.
"I'm here. I'm here." He repeated to her as he waited from Seira to sob into his arms as she stilled in his arms. Then, he heard it. At first, it was soft but it turned into pained wailing but Sawatari refused to let her go. He wanted her to get that people still cared for her. Even if it's for a second, God. Please, God. Let me show her how much I feel for her. He thought as he pressed his lips to her forehead, not wanting to scare her as she cried in his arms. "No matter what, Mimori-chan, I'll be here for you." He promised her, hugging Seira as the girl had started calming down as her wailing turned to hiccups.
"I..." Her voice cracked but for some reason, Sawatari seemed to understand what the girl had said as he nodded his head. "Thank you." Seira was able to say those two words to him and the young man smiled at her, glad to be of service to the heartbroken girl. Even if it was for a second, I was able to hold her in my arms. He thought as he waited for her to look back up at him once again.
Sawatari promised to himself that he could forever be there for Seira, no matter what, because that's what she deserved.