Lea words : "Hi","Lea","Bye","How","Why","Wait","Sorry","Meet","Thanks","Please","Evotar,"What","I","Love,"You","Emilie"
Chapter 10
Old Hideout, Tree Lake
Lea arrives at the hideout entrance, with no signs of Shizuka.
[Lea] : ...H-hi?! Wait. I sorry!
She doesn't know if she went in or not. But, as she looks around, she spots her under the tree on the lake, to her right. Lea runs towards it, jumping the little platform and arriving on the island.
[Lea] : ... H-hi?
Shizuka is sitting, holding her legs, her head on her knees. She is leaning her back on the tree, quiet. Lea doesn't really know what to do. She is so sorry for what she did, but doesn't know how to express it to Shizuka, afraid that might upset her even more. She decides to just sit next to her, but not touch her in any way, looking down apologetically.
[Lea] : ... So... Sorry...
[Shizuka] : . . .
[Lea] : ...
[Shizuka] : ... that's unfair...
[Lea] : ...?
[Shizuka] : you... you just... have everything going well for you...
[Lea] : ...
[Shizuka] : you're... supposed to be my clone... my evotar...
[Shizuka] : a-and yet... everything you have...
[Shizuka] : everything you d-do... i-is better than me...
Lea wants to comment on that, that in the end, Shizuka doesn't have to compare herself to her, because they became so different from eachother. But, she lets her talk, still leaving her some space.
[Shizuka] : ... you... you're better than me at the game... I helped to create...
[Shizuka] : you're better than me at making friends...
[Shizuka] : y-you even found yourself a girlfriend... you... t-the super AI...
[Lea] : ...
[Shizuka] : whereas me...
Shizuka starts sobbing, tears streaming down her cheeks.
[Shizuka] : I-I couldn't even save my own brother... [sobs]
[Shizuka] : m-me... wh-who could h-have been as t-talented as h-him...
[Shizuka] : o-or a-at least, l-like G-Gautham... [sobs] who I-I couldn't s-save either...
[Shizuka] : b-because I-I'm...
[Shizuka] : s-so... useless... [sobs]
Shizuka burst into tears, her sobs preventing her to speak more. Lea clenches her fist and grinds her teeth, tears also running on her face. She felt so bad for what she did. She didn't knew her friend was suffering this much. Plus, her feeling of inferiority made her think about Emilie, how she herself finds Lea better than her. Now she can't hold herself anymore and gets closer to hug Shizuka tightly, her hands shivering with her.
[Lea] : I-I sorryyy... [sobs]
Shizuka shivers when she feels Lea's hug wrapping around herself. She wants to push her away, to leave her alone like she said. But, at this moment, the hug feels too warm. She hadn't a hug like this for so long. She just lets herself get handled by the evotar girl, her pride dying inside of her. She doesn't hug back, just staying in Lea's arms, waiting for her tears to flow out.
[Lea] : ... I... so... sorry...
[Shizuka] : ... [sniffle]
After hugging for a little while, Lea slightly pulls back and gently lifts Shizuka's head to look at her in her eyes.
[Lea] : I...
[Shizuka] : h-huh?...
[Lea] : I... love you...
[Shizuka] : ...
[Shizuka] : pff... d-don't be silly...
[Lea] : ...!
[Shizuka] : wa-
[Lea] : You |friend|. I love you.
Lea gives a gentle kiss on Shizuka's forehead, making her shiver for a bit. Shizuka looks up at Lea, her eyes wide open.
[Shizuka] : ... H-huh?...
[Lea] : You... love Lea?
[Shizuka] : ... I...
[Shizuka] : W-wait... but, w-what about Emilie?...
Lea smiles brightly.
[Lea] : I love Emilie. Emilie love Lea.
[Lea] : |If| you love Lea...
[Lea] : Emilie love you~
[Shizuka] : ...
Shizuka stares at Lea, dumbfounded. A lot of questions are running through her head right now :
[Shizuka] : "... I-Is she saying this just to make me feel better?"
[Shizuka] : "She must not be serious... is she?..."
[Shizuka] : "W-what do I respond? S-should I say yes?"
[Shizuka] : "I-is she sure that Emilie won't mind?..."
She has troubles wrapping her head around it and just keep starring at the ground silently. Lea sees that her question is hard for Shizuka to answer. But, she politely lets Shizuka finds her response peacefully, hugging her back softly.
[Lea] : Lea wait~
[Shizuka] : ...!
Shizuka is again surprised by the gentle attention she's receiving. She blushes embarassed, but again lets Lea do her thing, while she still ponder the question, staying silent.
Meanwhile, alerted by the sounds he heard, Satoshi was observing the scene from afar, behind a lamplight post. He couldn't hear what the girls were saying, but he were able to see her sister's tears and Lea's attempts to appease her. Now though, he smiles as Lea seems to have succeeded, in an extent. Still, maybe he could help. Not directly though; he knows that Shizuka might not like to be seen like this. But maybe... in his own way.
But while he heads back to the hideout to do so, he hears footsteps and a greeting behind him.
[Emilie] : Bonjour Satoshi!
[Satoshi] : Oh. Hi Emilie.
[Emilie] : Excuse me but, have you seen Lea?
[Emilie] : I just got online and saw she was around.
[Satoshi] : Of course. She's over there.
He points where Lea, and Shizuka, are, beneath the lake's tree. Emilie notices the two hugging.
[Emilie] : Huh? What's going on here?
[Satoshi] : I don't really know, but I'm sure they'll gladly let you join them.
Emilie tilts her head, then runs to join the girls, while Satoshi carries on to the hideout.