мaĸe new ғrιendѕ and ĸeep тнe old,
one ιѕ ѕιlver and тнe oтнer ιѕ gold~
-p #1-
A girl sat in a bustling café, watching the people walk by.
Alright. Should I start the story like this? I'm not so sure if I should begin this way. That first sentence is boring. Ok ok, I'm stalling. I'm just nervous! It's a long tale and I want to make sure that you enjoy it. Lemme rethink this beginning...don't rush me! Ok. I think I have a good beginning now. Let's redo this.
Ahem.
The smell of fried dumplings and boiled vegetables wafted through the restaurant, accompanied by sounds of soup bubbling on the back stove and quiet chatter from costumers. The scent and the welcoming interior created a warm scene. Everything was misted in steam from the kitchens with clinking utensils against bowls and plates.
In a section of the restaurant sat a girl, her thin legs crossed over one another and hands held in her lap. She was small. Anyone could have walked over and plucked her from where she sat. The term 'wallflower' perfectly described the young lady sitting at the table. However, the personality type was far off the grid.
If one of the costumers decided to sit down at the table, they would run into unsavoury discomfort.
Her tattered clothes were well concealed under the table; a black trench coat several sizes to big, accompanied by worn-out sneakers with soles peeling off. The rag skirt that clung to her waist was covered by the coat, giving off the impression that she was half-naked underneath.
Her face resembled a forgotten doll; it was obvious that she used to be cute. Chalk purple hair was certainly eye-catching. It isn't often that you see that colour. It was tied back into a ponytail, violet strands coming loose and wisping around her face.
Cat eyes peered at the others in the restaurant; they resembled opal stones, orphic chips of hue in her depths.
These eyes set in a round face screamed one word; abstract.
But time had worn her down to nothing more than a tired, sad-looking child. Large bags hung under her eyes; it was obvious she hadn't a proper night's sleep in ages. The purple locks were greasy and dull. Her opal eyes had no hint of the curious innocence that most children had. Gaunt cheekbones poked shyly from underneath her eyes. Tiny flower lips were cracked and peeling. Her hands were rough with calluses and her nails were painfully short due to stress. If were scandalous enough to look under the table, you would find jagged scars down her legs.
A interesting character, isn't she? The questions that run circles in your head! Where did she come from? Why was she in such a raw state? What is her past? I can see it. The gears turning in your head as you think. Why would we jump from an island girl vanishing, to a tattered girl in a bustling city? Yes. Your making the connections now.
The six-year old Prodigy of The Kagami Family.
The young girl of Sentaku Street.
The Jewel of Kakuse Island. The Lady Muse, The Witch Siren and The Wandering Spirit.
This girl, sitting in this restaurant in Zaban City, used to wear these names on her sleeve. If only people knew that she was still alive! But it's impossible to find any similarities between the two; the brown-haired valley girl against the candy-haired lonely teen. The Ayano Kagami of the past has vanished off the face of the earth, only to be replaced by this queer and beaten Ayano Kagami of the present.
Ayano stared at the costumers, nibbling on her fingernails. She was, in all honesty, confused. Why had her sixth sense led her to this small cafe in the middle of Zaban City?
She had been searching for an escape; The Legendary Hunter's Exam. Ayano knew of it because her older siblings had taken the Exam years ago. It was family tradition to follow in their Father's footsteps.
A bowl of soup dumplings passed by her table, steam curling from its contents. Ayano had to suppress the urge to throw herself at the waiter. She was starving! She hadn't eaten in-
Ayano stopped chewing her nails to think. How many weeks was it since she had escaped her family? Almost five. It was hard to get a proper meal and a good nights sleep on the run. But the girl knew that water was absolutely vital. She had a water sack stuffed in one of her many pockets.
Her ravenous chewing continued its course as she gazed at the door of the restaurant. It had been five weeks since a proper meal. Not including the bush tucker and the things she had to nab to stay in good condition.
Ayano had no money either. Paying for food at the restaurant was out of the question.
But seriously. Why had her sixth sense led her to a delicious, dumpling filled restaurant in the first place?! The purplette stopped chewing her nails again. Maybe she should check one more time to make sure she wasn't going crazy. Who knows? Maybe she was crazy. An odd smile crawled across her lips; scratch that. She knew she was crazy. But would a little caution hurt?
Tilting back in the chair she pressed her ear against the wall. Strange thing to do in a restaurant! But Ayano could care less. The girl closed her eyes and began to meditate. She focused all of her attention of one of her senses; her sense of sound.
Ayano Kagami wasn't her Father's Prodigy for nothing. As the daughter of a Music Hunter, your hearing had to be superior to that of a normal human.
The fourteen-year old let her breathing dip into shallow gulps. The softer her breathing, the clearer her world became. The trick was not to faint in the process. She could hear everything at once. The footsteps of people in the kitchen, the scraping chairs in the back room and the muttering of a customer on the opposite side of the room. Theses sounds were so clear that a mental image of the area around her formed in her head.
"More." Ayano whispered. Her voice was nothing louder than the sound of her own breath. She stopped breathing to enhance her sense of sound even more. Her mind went into a sleep-like state now that she had cut off most of her senses.
At once everything became a wide-scale map in her head. Not only could she see the entire restaurant, but she could pick up the faintest of sounds; individual bubbles of soup in the kitchen, a sugar granule moving at the bottom of a tea cup and the wet sound of someone licking their lips.
The individual breaths of the costumers rose into cacophony. But she wasn't focused on that.
Ayano was more intrigued by the breathing below the restaurant. Around a hundred people below her, she guessed. Curious thing! Could they be buried alive? It sounded unpleasant but Ayano had been buried alive before. It wasn't that bad if you rationed your gulps of air.
But they didn't seem to be breathing out of fear. If anything they were all nervous.
When a person becomes nervous, two things happen; their breathing changes and they begin to sweat. When nervous, a Human's breathing becomes quick and shallow. This contributes to the anxious feeling and doesn't help the situation at all. Ayano could hear this from the breathing below.
She could also hear the faint thrum that echoed through the ground once in a while. The girl let another smile crawl across her face; she could recognise that sound anywhere. The sound of sweat (or any liquid) hitting the ground.
The Hunter's Exam! Looks like she hadn't been hearing things after all! Shame. It was a common occurrence for that to happen. The only problem was where to find the entrance.
Ayano was jolted out of her state when the front door swung open. She felt everything crash into her; the smell of food, the harsh light, the taste of salt on her tongue and the clatter of society. It shook her badly and she half expected one of her siblings to come charging at her.
"Welcome!" The chef standing in the kitchen greeted the people walking in. Ayano gripped the table to stop her hands from shaking before glancing at the costumers. To her relief she didn't recognise them. "Calm down." She whispered to herself. She tried to adjust to everything as she sat back down. But her rough hands continued to tremble as she watched the interaction.
A man with short grey-brown hair and deerskin clothing stepped forward. He wore tan pants and leather shoes, and the light reflected off his bright red eyes. Ayano scanned him up and down until her opal eyes landed on his face.
"Curious." She murmured. "What an interesting face shape." The man's face made her recall a book she had read when she was younger. Magical Beasts and their abilities, the book had said, for young children.
One page had stuck out to her. It was one of her favourite Magical Beasts.
The Kiriko, the text read, are shape-shifters. That means that they can change their appearance to mimic humans! A Kiriko has a long pointed snout like a dog and thin, slanted eyes that are angled downwards. They also have long arms and big bodies. An adult Kiriko would be twice the size of a human man, and they have a thin stretch of skin under their arms to help them fly.
It was a cheesy book meant for small children. But being the curious child Ayano was, she decided to do more research.
Another text (this one was meant for adults) explained a popular theory; when shape shifting, Kiriko will be hard to identify. But every Kiriko mimics one thing from their original appearance. The long face and slanted eyes are one give away. Strange coloured eyes and unusual behaviour are other things to look for.
"Slanted eyes and a long face." Ayano repeated to herself. Then it hit her like a tone of pounds. A Kiriko! Could he be one? She buzzed away to herself while the chef conversed with the man.
"Hello. Is the back room open?" The man inquired. The chef never looked up from the stew, but he smiled warmly. "What will you have?" He responded.
Without hesitation the man replied, "The steak combo that opens your eyes to the light, for three." He held up his fingers and pointed to the other three.
The chef responded strangely to the request. He straightened up and peered intensely at the new customers, soup forgotten. "For three..." He repeated slowly.
Heavy tension filled the restaurant. It was so thick that to Ayano it seemed like a tangible substance.
After a long pause, the chef asked. How would you like them?"
The red-eyed man never broke eye contact. "Grilled over a low flame, until cooked." He answered. The chef peered a moment longer before looking away and continuing to stir the soup. "Got it. Let yourself in the back room."
Some inner being moved within Ayano. Maybe it was the fact that she was desperate to get into the Exam. Maybe she liked the easy atmosphere of the four costumers. But if you brought it up around her, she would respond with this. "A chance of a life-time was walking right past me. Like hell I was going to miss out on it!"
Ayano stood up from her seat. Her chair scrapped against the floor and wood chips sprayed from her chair.
"Could you make that four?" She called out to the chef.
The attention from the four customers and the chef nearly convinced Ayano to sit back down. Staying firm, she grabbed the table for support. "I would like to have the same order as them, please." She stated.
The chef raised an eyebrow. His eyes ran curiously over her ragged hair, eye bags, ratty attire before shooting back up to her face.
"You've been sitting in that corner for three hours, miss." The chef responded. He lowered his spoon and placed all of his attention on the fourteen-year old. "Why are you here?"
Splinters dug into Ayano's fingers. What was she supposed to say, that she was here to take the Hunter's Exam? This was a secretive business and she knew it. How could she hint to them that she was there for The Exam itself? Her mind came up with zero excuses, when a line from one of her favourite books popped into being.
"I-I am looking for people to share an adventure with." She started. The chef nodded as if to say go on. So she continued. "People who are keen for a sense of mystery and a bit of danger." She nodded at the four costumers across the room. "And I think I've found them."
The chef laughed, catching Ayano off guard. The man's shoulders shook as he picked up his spoon and began to stir the soup again. "Adventure, eh?" He chuckled. "Yes. I think you have been waiting for these boys. Go to the back room lass! You're alright."
One of the customers bounced over to her and grabbed her arm. "Come on! I'm hungry for steak!" He said while dragging the girl towards the back room, his companions following suit.
"E-eh?" Ayano mumbled. It seemed that the costumers weren't offended by her barging in. Didn't they think she was suspicious?
The man with red eyes led them into the back room. As she was tugged through the door, she drank in the room. Everything was dyed deep crimson and laced with dark yellow fabric. In the centre was a round table with three chairs surrounding it.
All four turned to the red-eyed man for further instruction. "Wait here." He commanded. One of the costumers snorted, a scornful look on his face. "Wait?" He repeated. "Where are the others?" The boy who held Ayano's arms spoke over his friend. "I can't wait for the steak combo!" He grinned. Ayano peered at him doubtfully. That was the password to get into the Exam wasn't it? They weren't going to get food.
The third friend sighed, like having the boy mixing stuff up was a common thing. "Gon, that was just the password to get inside." He told him.
The boy named Gon frowned. "Oh, we don't get to eat?" A little pout formed on his lips when he spoke. Ayano felt the urge to pinch his cheeks. He was surprisingly endearing!
"One in every ten thousand..."
Everyone turned back to the red-eyed man. He stood in the doorway of the room. He was about to leave. "The number of applicants who make it this far." He continued. "You've done very well for first-timers." He bowed slightly and smiled. "Well, good luck."
The boy stuck out his hand to the man and grinned. "Thanks!" He said. The red-eyed man seemed taken aback by the gesture. But his smile grew wider and he clasped the boy's hand. "I would be happy to serve as your Navigator next year, as well." He stated warmly.
The man released his hand and left with the door closed.
As soon as this happened the room shuddered. Everyone wobbled on their feet and gasped. "What?" The tall man grumbled. The third boy gazed around at the shaking room with cat-like eyes. "It appears that this room is an elevator." He concluded.
Ayano gasped. "No wonder!" She said aloud. The other three turned to her curiously, like they had realised that she was still with them. This made her jump. She was feeling shy all of a sudden. "T-this makes sense," she went on nervously. "I heard lots of people below ground. This must be the entrance!"
The others nodded in unison before the cat-eyed boy pointed out the moving numbers above them. The three of them watched it tick apprehensively while the taller man plopped down on a chair with a huff. "Bastard," he whined. "He expects us to fail this year!" Ayano couldn't help but roll her eyes. What a child! She was much better behaved than this man.
"Once every three years." The cat-eyed boy pondered as he sat down. Gon did the same, but Ayano noticed there were no more chairs left. So she stood silently and hoped that she wouldn't be noticed. "What's that?" The tall man asked.
"The frequency with which a rookie passes the Exam." The boy finished.
"Eh?" The man started.
"It's that unusual?" Gon asked curiously.
Ayano couldn't help but pipe into the conversation. "Of course." She said. The three males turned to her as she continued. "The Hunter's Exam is a well known test for many who wish to make their mark on this world. People from far and wide come to try it out. Hundreds are trained from birth to participate!"
The cat-eyed boy nodded. "This is true." He stated. "Those who aren't well trained cannot endure the Exam's physical and mental strain. It's also not unusual for veterans to break the rookies, who consequently never retake the test."
Gon seemed to understand how dangerous the Exam was. "So I guess candidates are willing to risk everything to become Hunters." He concluded.
"BUT OF COURSE, MY FRIEND!" The tall man leapt from his chair and slammed his hands down onto the table, making them all jump. "Hunter's make the most money in the world!"
Both Gon and Ayano stared at him, blinking slowly. Money? Ayano thought. She had no idea that Hunter's were so rich. The question was, how much money would there be? Enough to get rid of her family for good?
"No!" The cat-eyed boy jumped up as well, putting his fist down. "Hunter's are the most noble of this world." He faced the tall man with unyielding determination and Ayano wondered if they had argued about this before.
"Glory hog!" The tall man sneered.
"Money grubber!" Cat-eyes retaliated.
Both males began to growl at each other fiercely. Ayano tilted her head in confusion before pulling up a chair to Gon. Together they sat watched the duo growl it out. "Are they usually like this?" Ayano whispered to him. He nodded solemnly. "Yup. This is how it goes."
Then he perked up. "Oh! I haven't told you my name yet!" Sticking out a hand, he gave introductions. "I'm Gon! Gon Freecs!" The boy said cheerfully. "What's your name?" Ayano smiled. She decided that even if they were strangers, she liked him anyways. Taking his hand she replied, "I'm Ayano! Ayano Kagami."
The duo shook hands enthusiastically before Gon let go and pointed to his friends. "The tall one in the suit is Leorio. He's taking the Hunter's Exam for the money. And that's Kurapika. He's taking the Exam so he can hunt down criminals!"
For the first time in a while, child-like curiosity filled Ayano's eyes. Wishing to fulfill this sudden desire the girl quickly scanned the two males for better identification.
Leorio seemed to be the oldest of the group. He was a tall, fairy muscular young man with small brown eyes and dark brown hair in a spiky crew cut. His chiseled jawline was dotted with whiskers and a faint (almost transparent) stubble on his chin.
Leorio was lanky and his face reminded Ayano of a monkey. He appeared to be mature and classy, even though she knew this wasn't the case.
Leorio sported a dark blue business suit, black shoes, tea-shade glasses and an aqua tie. The girl watched as Leorio raged at his friend, flecks of spittle flying from his mouth.
Kurapika, on the other hand was the complete opposite. He had pale blond hair and sharp grey eyes that screamed the word 'intellectual'. He had a pretty face for a boy; his soft careful speech, the gentle slope of his jaw and the cat-like eyes didn't help this.
He was reasonably tall and skinny, though in terms of height he came in between Ayano and Leorio. He reminded Ayano of a sibling of hers who would spend hours upon hours in the Estate's Library, reading books.
Kurapika adorned a deep blue tabard decorated with a red-coloured hem and periwinkle flats. It also appeared that he was wearing a white full-body training suit underneath.
Kurapika pressed his forehead against Leorio, yelling as well. The noise made Ayano wince.
Turning back to Gon, she officially noticed his appearance.
The boy wore a leaf green jacket outlined in red lines. He also wore matching green shorts and green laced boots. Ayano wondered if green was his favourite colour. She noticed a flash of black and white underneath his jacket. He was wearing a black and white tanktop!
The boy had coffee brown hair that seemed to defy gravity in spiky nature. Large warm honey brown eyes stared at the commotion before him, filled with a strange light that Ayano couldn't fathom. This boy seemed to have so much energy and spirit!
A pang of familiarity hit the girl in the stomach. He reminded her of her home valley; the green/brown colours that he adorned and his light energetic spirit reflected the sloping hills of Un Valley.
She was jolted out of her homesickness when Leorio popped up next to them. "Gon! Random girl! Listen..." He said passionately. "Every year, over fifty Hunters make the list of the world's hundred richest people!" Leorio's voice got higher with every syllable and spittle rained on the duo's face.
Suddenly Leorio was moved away from the pair. Oh! Ayano thought. The table has a moveable disk! How cool! The man seemed just as surprised as she was.
"Hunters are associated with hunting wild game and treasure," Kurapika informed the pair with his chin lifted. He kept his hand on the moveable disk in the centre. He had been the one to move Leorio. "But they are all second rate!"
Passionate grey eyes glared at all of them. "True Hunters work to protect people and their natural order!" Leorio moved back around and leaned closer to Gon. "Now look here...once your a Hunter, most countries will give you a free pass! And no charge to use public faculties! How are those benefits!" He said wildly.
Again he was moved to the side by Kurapika, who lifted his finger in a contemplative gesture. "Hunters have many difficult and important responsibilities, such as preserving cultural artefacts and endangered species, as well as capturing wanted criminals and unscrupulous Hunters!"
Leorio: The fame and the money! That's why people wish to become Hunter's!
Kurapika: Profound knowledge, a healthy mind and body, and unyielding conviction! Those are the qualities on which Hunter's pride themselves!
Nose to nose the two males growled at each other. Finally they whipped around with wild eyes, staring at Gon and Ayano. "Gon! What do you think?" They shouted in unison. "What kind of Hunter do you hope to become!?"
Both kids felt beads of sweat roll down their foreheads. Jeez, these two were passionate! Ayano squirmed in her seat and glanced at Gon, who seemed just as put off as she was.
"Well," he said slowly. "When you put it that way..."
The elevator dinged, cutting off his sentence. Saved by the bell! Ayano thought. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for the joke. Leorio and Kurapika straightened and stared at the elevator doors.
"I think we've arrived." Kurapika said tersely.
"We'll continue this later." Leorio growled.
Gon seemed happy with these turn of events, because he sighed in relief. Ayano felt the same. What an intense situation! When the elevator doors opened the four stepped out of the room. They were met with a huge tunnel coated in metal beams and tiny red lights. At their end of the tunnel a massive group of people were milling about.
"These were the people that heard earlier." Ayano informed Gon as they walked foreword. This seemed to intrigue him for his brown eyes gleamed with childish excitement. "You could hear all these people from upstairs?" He asked, bouncing on his feet. Ayano grinned. "Yup. I could hear their individual breaths. It wasn't too hard."
"That's amazing!" Gon whispered. The way he spoke made Ayano feel strange; a sudden warmth invaded her chest and unconsciously she pressed her hand there. Yes. It had been a while since someone had complimented her skills. All she ever got from home was criticism.
"Strange atmosphere down here." Leorio's voice made the children look up. He stood with his brief case slung over his shoulder as he surveyed the group. Ayano had to agree; every single person down here gave the impression that they were (in their own stead) professionals.
"They clearly differ from the Hunter applicants we saw at the port and in the city." Kurapika observed. "Each a master in their own right..." He seemed unusually tense. Then again, he seemed to be a serious person. All the tension was getting to Ayano's head and she didn't like it one bit.
"Exxcuuuuseee meeeeee!" Gon's cheerful voice broke through the atmosphere like a knife. It was uncomfortable the way he moved to greet the other applicants. They all glared and turned away in response. This put the boy off and he stopped, wavering slightly. "Everyone's really tense." He said.
"Hello!~" a loud voice called to the four. All of them turned to see a tiny nose-less man (was it even a man?) waddle over to them. His skin was dark green and he wore a business suit similar to Leorio's. Large bead eyes looked up at them expectantly. "Hello!" He repeated while holding out a tag. "Please take a number."
Leorio took a tag from him and stared at it. #403, it read. The green man turned to Kurapika and offered the same thing. "Here you go." Kurapika took it blankly and read the tag number. #404, in black letters.
"Here!" Gon took his and read his number. #405.
"You too!" Ayano grabbed it and read the number as well. #406. There are four hundred people taking this Exam? "I need to work on my sixth sense better." She mumbled to herself. "I can't believe I only heard a hundred."
"Be sure to wear this on your chest at all times!" The green man informed them all. "Be careful not to lose it!" He wandered away to go find more applicants. Ayano pegged the tag on one of her many pockets. Pleased with the fit she turned to Gon once more.
"Hey, do you think that you could personally introduce me to your friends?" She asked him, albeit nervously. "I feel like it would be-"
"Heeeeey! Haven't seen you guys around before!" A welcoming voice cut her off. Son of a butter-nut squash. Ayano thought grumpily. The four looked for where the voice came from and found a man sitting on one of the metal beams. He smiled and waved. "Yo!"
Gon walked over to him and the others followed suit. "You can tell that we're new?" He asked curiously. The man shrugged. "More or less." He replied. With a grunt he jumped off the beam and walked over to them. "After all, this will be my thirty-fifth attempt at the Exam."
Gon and Leorio: Thirty-five times?!
Ayano and Kurapika simply poker-faced. Ayano knew that it was common for retakes. Some of her sisters had to retake the Hunter's Exam at least three times before finishing it. "I find that depressing." She murmured to the blond next to her. A smile crawled across his face and he nodded. "Well, just look at his physical appearance." Kurapika gestured. "Quite frankly I'm surprised he hadn't died all those times he retook the test."
Ayano snorted at this. The man that was talking was very fat. He wore a big blue shirt with a long-sleeved white shirt underneath. He also adorned baggy pants and flats. A bag was slung over his left shoulder and he had a massive nose and thinning brown hair.
Talk about attractive.
"Well, you could say I'm an Exam Veteran!" He said cheerfully, like failing was a good thing. Leorio pulled a face similar to a monkeys. "That isn't something to brag about." He grumbled.
"Indeed." Kurapika replied.
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!" The man offered kindly. Gon seemed totally at ease with the stranger and he thanked him for the offer. "My name is Tonpa!" The man said, sticking out a hand. Gon clasped it and shook vigorously. "I'm Gon!"
He then gestured to everyone else. "These are Kurapika, Leorio and Ayano!" He introduced. The three dipped their heads in respect and Tonpa did the same. While Gon began to grill Tonpa about the other applicants, Kurapika and Leorio glanced at Ayano.
"So, your name is Ayano huh?" Leorio muttered. Ayano fidgeted under the weight of their stares. They were probably expecting an apology from earlier. A wave of guilt washed over her and she felt foolish. Spinning on her toes, she clasped her hands together and bowed deeply. "I apologise for my previous behaviour!" She cried. The duo blinked at her sudden switch as she continued. "I had been waiting for hours in that restaurant and I knew that the Exam was there! I just didn't know the password! Please forgive me for intruding!"
"Ah, don't sweat it kid." Ayano looked up in confusion. Leorio seemed completely at ease. In fact, he didn't seem to care at all! "We all have our own way of getting what we want and we just happened along." He assured her.
"So you aren't-"
"Angry?" Kurapika offered. Ayano nodded sheepishly and the blond chuckled. "Of course not. We aren't angry at you. If anything, you surprised us by your request." He explained.
A massive weight lifted off the girl and she inhaled deeply. "Oh thank goodness!" She said happily. "I was so worried. I didn't want to offend anyone and I hope that things will run smoothly now!" Kurapika did something out of character. He held up his fist in a sort of 'bro' gesture. Ayano stared at his fist, then his face, then his fist. Was he being friendly? "O-oh!" She stuttered, before obliging shyly.
Leorio on the other hand did something a little more crazy. The man picked her up by the waist and spun her around. Ayano squealed in surprise, but it soon turned into uncontrollable laughter. He placed her down and she doubled over in giggles. "Sorry. But your so tiny I could throw you across the room, and I just wanted to pick you up! Feeling a little less anxious now?" Leorio asked. Ayano wobbled on her feet but nodded.
"T-thank you!" She said breathlessly. The trio chuckled at the lightness of the situation. Ayano felt another foreign feeling erupt in her chest; it pooled into her heart like blood and made the air around her so sweet. She felt open. She felt light.
And a strange word echoed through her brain. A word that had seemed so far away for the last eight years. A word that she had buried deep inside and guarded like a secret from the prying eyes of her Father and Sisters; friendship.
Friendship?
Friendship is a queer word. It choppy and round and it can give the speaker a devastatingly happy feeling.
And as Ayano glanced around at the boys around her the thought intensified. Could she dare to hope? Hope for a desire that had been snuffed out years ago?
Friendship?
Friendship.
She desperately hoped so.