Chapter 56: Sig & Hilda: Long Needed Reassurance by warelander

While Amitie and Silvana were in the midst of chatting with the Suzuran gang, Sig was over to visit Hilda.

The duo sat snugly on the couch of the Senior student's living room. With her parents out on a company trip for the entire day, the two friends were free to use the entire home as they pleased.

It was one of their anime binge days. With Sig having taken Hilda up on her offer to show him some classics. He quickly found a favorite in Miracle Summoner Kui, requesting they keep watching all of its incarnations.

Hilda noticed the boy had taken his Kui plush with him, he really seemed happy to have it, which she couldn't help but find adorable.

With a smile and some obligatory giggles, she took the remote to make her DVD Player startup. It took some sitting and skipping through logos and trailers, but at last, the content they actually came for was accessible to them.

With one more press it finally began. The somber rock theme to define Season 4's tone began playing and immediately, Sig was captured by it, which Hilda enjoyed seeing. She had already seen the show top to bottom and enjoyed sharing it with someone close to her.

''I want to take you with me
Away from where it's windy
But now it seems that this cold
I've come to face iw at my core
Don't count away the seconds
And judge what hasn't happened
We'll go on where no one's been before''

The melancholic visuals of Kui and the faded images of her friends flashed by, hammering home the severity of Season 3's events.

Sig kept looking on and silently watching. Hilda took occasional glances to see how he might react to certain moments.

For the most part, his expression was hard to read as ever, but he never let his eyes off, to the point of never noticing that Hilda was watching him. Didn't even seem to notice her involuntary laughter either.

Every once in a while though, she would see him hold his Kui plush close to him.

When Kui had to face the consequences of her recklessness in the previous season, that seemed to have gotten him a lot. Cookie was still missing, Dice was growing distant from Kui, Bud had seemingly turned to the dark side.

All of that seemed to have hit Sig surprisingly hard, judging by that small tell.

Eventually, all the episodes on the DVD had finished. Hilda pressed the stop button on her remote and faced Sig again.

''You've be-hehehe-been pretty quiet. Whatcha think?'' She was curious to know.

Sig still seemed really into what happened, staring a little as he visibly tried to articulate his thoughts.

''...It was good. Sadder than I thought though.'' He said, keeping his Kui plush close to him.

Hilda nodded, while leaning back to make herself comfortable on the couch.

''It is. The tone shift since Season 3 was-pfft-was pretty controversial back then.'' Hilda thought back at all the forum discussions she saw in her time actively following the show as it was going.

Yeah, that was a wild time to be a fan of the show and an active part of fandom culture.

''It's why Dark Bud still doesn't get mu-hahaha-much merch. Things do get better though. There's a-hahahaha-always a beacon of hope….just like you.'' For reasons she couldn't quite realize, Hilda felt her face heat up at the last part, it was something she really wanted him to hear.

Sig looked at Hilda, unsure what she could mean by that.

''...Me? I don't think I am.'' Was all he said. Neither particularly pessimistic nor sad, just very matter of fact.

His pink-haired friend begged to differ. With a (this time not curse induced) giggle, she scooted closer to him and put a hand around his shoulders, pulling him closer. Sig didn't resist it, he always enjoyed being close to her, even if he was still confused about her statement.

''Of course, you are.'' She gave him a small squeeze closer to her. ''What you did for Ess recently was-snrk-amazing. You can be proud.''

So that's what it was about.

Truth to be told, Sig did think back of that day quite a bit. It was the first time he'd ever taken that kind of initiative for anything, to this scale.

Still, he wasn't entirely convinced.

''It's nothing. I didn't even do most of the talking.''

Suddenly, Sig found himself pulled even closer by Hilda, who rested her head on his, in an affectionate manner.

''That's not what that is ab-ahahahah-about. You were there for her when she needed you-snrk-the most.'' The girl gave Sig some more space again, to face him eye to eye.

She did have a point there, this seemed plenty familiar to Sig.

''It's like how you guys are here for me. I…I know I need you a lot…and…'' Unsure how to express himself Sig looked at the floor, as if a bit ashamed to look his friend in the face.

That in turn got to Hilda a little bit. She could relate to that feeling, it's something she rarely expressed to anyone, but it was there.

''Hehe-You? Don't you think I'm exhausting to be around?'' She said, not really thinking of what she said or how she did it, it just came out like that.

''You? How?'' Sig didn't get what she was trying to say with that.

Hilda jumped a little realizing what she just said. She didn't mean to say anything like that, something that could end up troubling him somehow.

She innerly slapped herself for letting that slip, but now there was no way out of it anyhow, may as well spill the beans a little when there's no avoiding it.

Doesn't mean it would come easy though. A sigh escaped her lips, there was no point hiding it anymore at this point.

''I know I'm annoying. The-hahahahaha-The constant laughing and all. You, Nasos, all of you can't go anywhere without me-snrk-embarrassing you.'' She confessed, trying to not sound too upset thinking about it.

Her Sophomore friend meanwhile was not prepared for this. He never heard her talk that way about herself before after all, nor did he like it.

''You're not annoying or embarrassing.'' Unfortunately, he couldn't think of a big means to convince her otherwise, but he really did think what he said.

''It's bad enough Wacht had to break up with me. I just made hi-hehehehe-his insomnia problems worse.'' The girl let go of Sig, seeming uncharacteristically upset.

Not like Sig couldn't tell why. This was a sore spot for her, something she could never mention or think back on without this happening.

It never became less upsetting though.

Her eyes became glassy, the spark of energy was gone, her laughing now much more bitter and her body language more downtrodden.

It couldn't be described in any other way than jarring, a sharp contrast to her usual self.

''If he didn't have that he'd still be with you.'' He tried to reason, feeling pretty helpless in this situation.

Didn't help that Hilda didn't look any less down. It's as if she didn't even hear him at all.

''It's not just that. The people staring. The annoyed pfft looks. Not being able to go to ma-hehehehe-many places anymore. I get why people hahahaha leave me when they get the chance…I am obnoxious.'' The girl rambled almost as if in a mantra, tears slowly beginning to form in her eyes, even more so as the laughter kept coming.

She never talked about it to anyone, not even her parents, but that didn't mean it didn't occupy her mind a lot. It was something she just couldn't escape.

Just like on the bus some time ago, her laughter got worse and more uncontrollable, she could already feel her stomach begin to ache even worse than usual and as it did, the tears finally began to roll down her cheeks.

She didn't bawl though. Instead, she had a humble cry as the laughter kept coming with no end in sight. The outline of her haunt was hidden in the shadows, watching on as its victim began to break down.

To see her like this was haunting. Sig knew he had to do something, but what was the big question.

He wasn't the most sophisticated or well-spoken guy, nor could he make bold promises of her curse going away any time soon.

The one thing he could do is be himself and just be open about how he felt.

''...Hilda.'' The boy closed the distance between them, now getting her to face him again.

Through her tears she finally registered he was looking at her. Now she also felt ashamed he'd seen her like this. After all, she was supposed to be the supportive one. That's what it's always been like.

''I…I…'' She struggled to say anything, this entire situation was just terrible for her. To suddenly break down in front of him like this.

Before she could say something though, she noticed as Sig gently wiped away her tears. He moved his head close enough for them to touch a bit, coming close to a hug, but restraining himself from just throwing himself onto her.

''Hilda….I'm here for you.'' He almost whispered to her.

That one sentence moved something in her. It's the kind of thing she told him so often ever since they first met. It felt so surprising to have her soft-spoken, sentimental friend be the one to be in this position, but she found herself completely captured in the moment.

''Sig…I-I-hehehe.'' Hilda still had trouble forming a sentence as the laughter began to take over again. There was so much going on in her mind right now, yet none of it was easy to put into words.

''I'll never leave you...I just want you to know that.'' With no other words needed, Sig embraced Hilda, with the girl being stunned enough to fall back on the couch, causing them to lie down cuddling.

It all came so suddenly, but Hilda was quick to return to hug, wrapping her own arms around him as well, simply taking into the warmth and comfort.

The two remained that way for some time. Neither said a word, not that it was needed. Both just took into the peace of the moment, holding each other as slowly, Hilda's laughter began to return to its usual state.

Even by then though, they stayed like this for a bit. It just felt so right for both of them, as if time stood still and all that mattered was each other. It certainly came off to them like that.

Eventually though, Hilda found it in herself to give Sig a signal she was ready to part with him and he took note, as the two let go of the other and they both sat back up. It felt a bit awkward at first, with both sitting there in silence, neither sure how to take things from there. In just a little time, it felt like a million things happened just about then.

''...Sorry for breaking down like that Sig and tha-hahahaha-thank you. I mean it.'' Hilda spoke from the bottom of her heart. Still feeling heavy, but finding it back in herself to smile again, even through the awkwardness of the moment.

''Glad you're feeling better. I don't like seeing you sad.'' Sig was to the point as usual, looking a bit tuckered out, but also smiling back at her.

With a grin and feeling like her heart made a little jump, Hilda playfully began ruffling Sig's hair a little, to which he didn't object.

''I was right. Hehehehe~ You really have grown up.'' Both shared a genuine laugh, glad to have things sorted out.

The rest of the afternoon went without any further drama. The two continued to watch more of Miracle Summoner Kui, only this time they kept close to each other, practically cuddling the entire way through.

Neither brought attention to it or thought of it much, they both just knew they wanted it. That feeling of closeness between them, they just knew.

Knew that they wanted to hold onto it.

Authors' Notes:

WARE: Been wanting to write this chapter for a long time, Hilda would need someone to vent to about the experiences her curse puts her through. Also fun fact: the Kui opening theme is an actual anime song, with fan translated lyrics, but the song is a thing. Kudos if you know what song it is.

HUSK: Semi-unrelated note: A little salute to my hard decision to cancel Silvana, From Clone to Clown. This fanfic wouldn't exist without. I'm honestly crying a little about this decision, but I have too much on my plate.