"Nozomi… what's going on!?" Kaveh's voice yelled. "What's going on with Alhaitham?"
Nozomi stepped to the side, her stomach now in knots. Kavehs face had distorted into a look of anguish. Alhaitham peered at her then back to Kaveh.
"What does it look like? We're on a date?"
"A date? What… you're joking right?" his voice quivered. "Nozomi please explain what's going on?"
Nozomi tried to speak but the words were stuck at the back of her throat. She looked on helplessly when Alhaitham stood in front of her while Kaveh walked over. His fists were curled and she could now see tears welling up in his eyes.
Alhaitham gave Nozomi a cold stare and then closed his eyes, almost as if he already knew the answer to what Kaveh had asked. He didn't move when Kaveh stood face-to-face with him.
"Calm down… I'm just as clueless as you are right now." He insisted. "Please don't make the same mistake twice and use your head for once."
Kaveh now leaned forward, grabbed Alhaithams shirt, and tried to pull him in.
"For once!? All I've ever done was think! What are you going to have me believe? What, so you and Nozomi went out on a date and I'm supposed to believe you didn't know!? Yeah right, you've probably been eyeing her off this whole time… I should have know-"
Alhaithams hands flew right under Kavehs grip and shoved him to the ground.
"First of all, Nozomi is the one who didn't explain herself after I asked her out. Secondly, you're accusing me of something I had no part in whatsoever… I suggest you get back up and apologize right now before I throw you out." He said tersely. "You're making yourself look like a fool but I suppose it's what I'd expect from someone who's always in debt, right?"
Kaveh suddenly forced himself upright and then snatched his suitcase off the ground. Mehrak's holographic eyes appeared in the center while Kaveh held out his hand, a claymore started to form but before anyone could say anything he rushed towards Alhaitham.
"Please stop you -"
Nozomi ran forward, getting ready to jump in front of Alhaitham. A light flashed in front of her eyes and her head whirled in pain. She gasped holding the sides of her head, feeling as if her mind were pierced in two. She breathed in heavily trying to look up. Instead of Alhaitham and Kaveh standing in front of her, the world had faded into black and grey.
"What else was I supposed to do!? You were never home when I needed you. You don't even love me anymore!" A voice cried.
"Don't give me that excuse! You could have told me the truth and I wouldn't have cared. You shouldn't have cheated!" A female voice screamed. "I should have known all along-"
"That didn't give you any right to snoop around, thanks to you she's lost her job and now I look like a laughing stock!"
Both figures continued to argue, one grabbed a vase of flowers and threw it into the ground. The sound of its shattering sent an empty feeling into Nozomi's heart. She didn't understand why or what was going on, only a feeling of betrayal pierced through her skull as a hand slapped the woman who had thrown the vase.
"Look at you, you're crazy… you get upset too easily. It's no wonder I found someone who could take care of my needs more than you. Maybe if you spent more time with me than your job, I wouldn't have slapped you."
Emptiness, betrayal, and the physical feeling of being hurt continued to tighten around Nozomis's chest and she struggled to breathe. She closed her eyes, just wishing to get out of this situation.
"Why am I seeing this? Where's Alhaitham and Kaveh?"
A green light pierced the black and grey world. A familiar green face with two black dots and a wiry smile appeared. An Aranara stayed suspended in the air. It didn't speak as it turned its back to Nozomi, the glow grew brighter as she felt her body fall from underneath her.
Nozomi shook her head, holding her sides. She took a deep breath and looked ahead. The singing of blades rang as Alhaitham and Kaveh continued to fight among themselves. Nozomi put her hand to her mouth, trying to whistle for her vision to activate but the piercing returned.
"What the hell?" She staggered walking forward. "Why is my head…"
"Scatter!"
She watched as Alhaitham unleashed his burst, with Kaveh barely blocking out every attack with Mehrak and his claymore. Nozomi gritted her teeth and forced a loud whistle through the piercing.
The quill glowed as it floated in front of her face. Alhaithams burst had stopped and the sound of Kaveh's feet ran towards him. He lifted his claymore above him without Mehraks help and swung it downward. Alhaitham had drawn his blades just as fast and swung to deflect his blow.
Nozomi once again whistled, whisps of electric blue whirled around her then interceded both blades. The feathers shield pushed them back and she held her head, her vision blurred.
"Stop!" Her voice yelled over the two. "Stop fighting right now the both of you!"
Sounds of heavy breathing filled the air from Alhaitham and Kaveh. Mehraks eyes seemed to display a sad expression while the Claymore vanished from Kavehs' hands.
Alhaitham flicked his wrists and both green blades faded into nothing.
Still holding her head, she rushed over in the middle of them before they could think of continuing to fight. Looking at both, Kavehs shirt had been ripped while Alhaithams hands slowly started to bruise. Nozomi bowed her head, guilty of what she had caused.
She couldn't let them go on.
"Guys, I…" Her voice started to croak. "Please, let's just go inside and talk this over tomorrow. It's late and I have exams… I'll explain myself properly I promise."
"Hmph." Alhaitham stood up and shook his head. "Forget it, just go."
Nozomi froze but before she could respond, Kaveh slowly walked past. Tears had started to fall from his face. He glared as Alhaitham and he made their way inside while Nozomi stood outside.
She waited until she heard both of their bedroom doors slam shut and ran up the stairs to her room. Minutes passed as she sat on the edge of the bed, Nozomi wiped the sides of her face as drops fell onto her knees. Despite being tired, she couldn't find it in herself to sleep. Nozomi held her face and fell into the pillows. Her eyes scanned the wall of photos above her writers' desk she had pinned over three years.
Three years of memories with Alhaitham and Kaveh.
Possibly the last memories.
"What have I done? I've really hurt them now…"
She buried her face into the pillow crying herself, her fingers brushed against the headpieces Alhaitham had given her. Nozomi couldn't bring herself to put them on as guilt knawed at her conscience. The aqua line cord looked dull as she cried into the pillows, only going to sleep when her eyes had forced themselves shut.
