Su was pissed to say the least.
Seeing the pieces before him was enough to make him feel scared and weak but also angry.
Su rarely gets angry.
"You shouldn't have done that." The deity before him laughed.
"I found this course of action... interesting. I am just curious what your next move would be." Su took a deep breath and made a move.
"Oh? I see... Let's hope that Kevin of yours will approve." Deity moved his piece while Su had to hold his breath for so long as he is placing what's left of his faith on the right person.
And he is hoping that he got the right one.
"Ahhhhh... Sceneries like these are always romantic. right Hajime?" Both Elysia and Hajime were sitting on top of the one of the Ferris wheel's carriage near the mall. The security of Homu Mall were trying to apprehend the two due to being Public nuisance.
"Yeah. No matter how many times I see it in my line of work, it never gets old." Both are eating peanuts as the Ferris wheel has seemed to malfunction at the time where they are at the highest point, thus less likely for them to get spotted by the security.
Everyone wonders what happened to the ferris wheel as the two happened to pass by.
There was an electrical error and glitched, causing everyone riding to evacuate before it gets worse. Both Hajime and Ellie raised their eyebrows at the situation and looked to investigate while hiding from the authorities.
"Get in, captain. Quick!" Realizing what was happening as he received a text message. Hajime led Ellie to the carriage and told him his plan to escape the authorities.
Ellie gasped and smiled as she suggested to him it is better to ride on top of it.
Then it started to move, stopping the debate and rushing the two to jump. Fortunately for them, the ruckus of the possible system crash was more important for the staff than catching the two.
The IT staff only saw remnants of a virtual cabbage as they tried to see what was wrong in the system which confused them.
Why on earth is there a virtual cabbage found in the Ferris wheel's computer system?
"Did you have fun so far?" He turned to her and saw the brightest smile she has seen on her in the span of the whole day being with her. "That's good." He nodded and proceeded to eat what's left of the snack they had on them.
"It was a stroke of luck that the ferris wheel just happened to glitch as we were about to escape from the security." Elysia tapped the corner of her lips while Hajime kept eating the peanuts.
"Yeah... I wonder what happened..." As Hajime received a text from his phone that came from his Ai while subtly averting his eyes from her.
"You're very welcome, Captain. Go steal her heart, tiger. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡° )" Hajime made a flat look to the text he received from Ai-chan.
She is clearly enjoying this...
"Still... I can't believe we are riding on top, not in them." Hajime smiled as he looked at the sky. "I honestly thought you would want to be inside of the carriage."
"I just wanted us to have the moment to last long. Besides, this way, we can feel the breeze and appreciate the view." He nodded with a smile.
The carriage finally moved and this caused the two to look down.
"Welp. Bad news and worse news, Ellie." Hajime rubbed the back of his head while running his hand through his hair to lessen the stress, to make him think easier and calm his thoughts.
"Bad news is that they finally fixed the carriage. Worse news is that there are people down there that might look like the security that were trying to apprehend us earlier. I think they are trying to see if there is something left in here that causes the glitch. Like a bomb or something."
"Another problem is that we have no way out." Hajime looked around to see if there was anything he could work with.
"Sorry, captain. Can't risk exposing myself as a hacker or they'll trace it back to St. Freya." He nodded in understanding upon receiving the text from Ai-chan. To him, St. Freya is what it all matters. His job is what is important to him.
But for now? He is willing to throw that aside for Elysia. He intends to make it less troublesome for her and he intends to keep it.
"Yeah. We do." Ellie pointed to the river. Hajime widened his eyes at her.
"Ellie. It's too far and I am pretty sure we will both end up staining the concrete floor." As he was examining the ways on how they might fall to their deaths.
"We can make it. We just need to hop on to other carriages to reach there." Hajime clenched his fists but Elysia intertwined her hand with his and smiled. Seeing her smile eased him a bit but sighed in defeat as he knew Ellie meant well.
"I am really not sure about this, Ellie." He frowned and sighed at his lack of emotional strength towards his own.
"Then I am not leaving until you are ready." Hajime looked at her smiling sweetly at him with wide eyes and clear thoughts.
Elysia have suggested him the way to get themselves out the situation and yet she was willing to stay with him. He didn't understand why she did that because he was glad that she did.
She could have left him there and he knows that if Ellie suggested it, she would have done it herself. Leaving him behind.
And yet, she waited by his side, trusting that he could do this. She trusts him that he can make it to the other carriages. And she is happy to be the witness of it all.
He doesn't have the heart to refuse Ellie and he will be damned to break this woman's heart.
He has broken one before. He is not going to do it again.
"Okay." He firmly grasped her delicate hand and nodded. Elysia giggled as she pulled him up.
"I really can't argue with you, can i?" Elysia giggled as Hajime sighed with a smile.
"Whenever you are ready." He nodded and both ran towards the edge and leaped.
As they both leaped with a smile, a certain happy memory came to Captain Hajime's mind.
A memory that he should have buried in the deep recesses of his mind.
"I don't like this, Himeko. Why did you suggest to your boss that I would make a great captain for the Hyperion? I am just a desk jockey." And he has given up that life behind. He even has given up the life with her behind.
"Cousin, I suggested to Theresa that you would make a great leader. And I want someone who will take good care of Hyperion." He raised her an eyebrow. Himeko was never a person to entrust someone to do things that are important to her. Especially the ones that reminded her of her father.
"Then why give up your captain title in the first place? That is the last thing Mr. Murata did before..." Hajime was trying to be careful with his words because Himeko never took it well when her father 'disappeared'. The word that caused his dearest cousin so much heartache. The word that caused her to switch the dream of being a space navigator to a soldier that saves lives.
"Before Dad left. I know." Himeko sighed deeply as the pain still lingers in her heart. It never left so she shouldn't be surprised. She just wished that the pain gets less painful as time goes on.
"Then why abandon his legacy?" He didn't mean to push but Hyperion means everything to Himeko. So why give it all to her cousin who has given up the life being the handler behind?
"Because I already found mine." Hajime widened his eyes as Himeko smiled. He processed what she said and he even read her face fully with the knowledge he acquired from the past. He wished that this was the perfect time for Himeko to say that she was just joking or was more intoxicated than usual. And he will just carry her to bed himself.
But they were both standing there for a while and Himeko showed no signs of intoxication.
Just determination and promise.
He thought about the reason long and hard. He remembered her conversations, her complaints and her wishes. He even remembers how she usually complains about how bossy Theresa was.
And he has reached a conclusion.
He thought of what was her legacy that was more important than the legacy of her father who vanished and left his daughter orphaned.
" Is it the three kids you found in Nagazora?" Himeko nodded. He sighed as he was right.
He remembered how his cousin matured 2 -3 years ago. He never knew why but he understood how busy Himeko got. And taking care of 3 kids can do a lot to someone like Himeko.
On the upside, she doesn't drink as much anymore.
"Never deal with a drunk Himeko.
Unless you and your dignity want to spend a night listening to her night moans while being spooned tight."
Those were the words he said to himself when he realized how bad she was when inebriated.
"Are you sure about them? I don't want you to live your life regretting your choices. And besides, who knows what kind of mess they'll make in the future? For all we know, they might be more trouble than they're worth." He didn't mean it that way but he was just as concerned. And he should be.
Himeko understood why but decided to act on her impulses towards her cousin.
"Hey!" She socked him in the arm. "Those kids are named Kiana, Mei and Bronya. Sure, They might have given me a lot of trouble for the past 2 years, especially Kiana. I swear that girl is just too much to handle. But I trust these kids with my life." Himeko smiled while rubbing the sore spot she gave him on the arm.
"All right. I trust you. But can I ask what's wrong with Kiana?" Hajime crossed his arms and leaned on the wall as he was prepared to listen to an overnight long complaint. He was already used to it whenever she wanted to complain about something. So why stop now?
"Kiana always rushes into action and she often uses brute force more than her brain. She is always impatient, stubborn and oftentimes, she just... ugh..." Himeko leaned on the table as Hajime raised an eyebrow.
Did he hear her right?
"Let me guess. She can be a bit impulsive on what she wants and sometimes she doesn't consider others but she really means well and also the 'beacon of light' of the team. She just wants to make you tear your own hair out more often that she should?" He added a smirk on his raised eyebrow expression.
"Yeah... How do you know?" He gave her a can of beer in the fridge that was near him.
"You do realize that you just described your own future child, right? Because this Kiana girl sounds a lot like you when you were younger. You are only a bit worse to handle when you are drunk." Hajime chuckled as Himeko blushed at the comparison her cousin made. "Karma's a cold bitch, Himeko." She socked him again in his arm as he laughed.
"I was not that bad." Hajime raised an eyebrow at her with a smile.
"I would like to disagree on that, Himeko." Himeko pouted.
"But okay. I will get my stuff in order and tell the guys in Schicksal that I will be asking for a transfer from an auditor to Captain." He stretched out his limbs and turned towards his room.
"You would but I thought you said..." He gave her a smile that somehow reassured Himeko.
"I know what i said but after how you described Kiana with that motherly look on your face, i just don't have it in me to say no. I just hope that the Kiana girl is worth this trouble." He looked into her eyes as if she promised that everything she sacrificed for will be worth it.
"I bet my life on it, Hajime." He smiled as he read her genuine look on her face. He nodded and turned to his office.
"But first, I just need to submit my application online." He walked towards but stopped halfway as Himeko said something.
"Oh! No need for that, the guys in Schicksal already approved your application. Even the Overseer himself approved." He turned around with a confused look.
"How? I wasn't even applying for it before we had this conversation. Unless..." A realization hit him hard.
Yeah... Doing things like this to him sounds like Himeko. And he hates it.
"YOU. DIDN'T." Himeko winked at him and sped off as Hajime narrowed his eyes at her.
"The girls will be good for you!" As the female red-haired took another beer after throwing away the empty one. She skedaddled when Hajime started to chase after her with an annoyed look.
"NOT FUNNY, HIMEKO!" As Hajime started running after his older cousin.
To Hajime, memories were starting to pour out like a broken dam.
When something gets poured out, everything else will follow.
When a few get in, many more get out.
The dam can only last long and it cannot hold a little bit longer.
Memories were replaying in his mind as Hajime and Elysia landed on the next carriage.
One carriage after another, Another memory was replayed while another was created.
He remembered the times where he laughed with his cousin and celebrated with her graduation as new memories of him with Ellie were starting to form.
He can see how his cousin's heart broke when her mother died and her father vanished without a trace as he kept hearing the cute giggle of the Pink haired woman.
He began to blink rapidly to see that he wasn't hallucinating his cousin in her prime in Ellie as they both landed on their feet.
"Come on, Hajime. We are almost there." Himeko reached out to his hand with a smile.
"Come on, Hajime, We are almost there." Elysia reached out to his hand with a smile.
There was a reason why he kept everything to himself and kept pushing on despite it all.
The price he paid was starting to take a toll on him.
And he is not entirely sure what he needs to do after that.
But he can finally see the road ahead despite the fact both Elysia and Hajime were heading down to the river.
He was glad that the water in the river washed away his tears before Ellie got to see them.
"Are you doing okay, Hajime?" Elysia looked at him in curiosity.
"Yeah... I am fine, Hime...Ellie. I just got water in my eyes when we dove in. That's all." He rubbed his eyes with a smile.
Yeah... He was glad that they decided to dive in.
Today's was Ellie's first day in Soukai
And he was not about to spoil it with his own sob stories.
Why would he? It's Ellie.
"I am sorry for ruining the clothes, Hajime." Hajime chuckled as he was holding a pile of clothes in his hands while waiting for Ellie to change in a changing room of a swimming pool nearby.
"I am not mad, Ellie. We had fun and that's what matters." Ellie giggled as she went outside with her white tube top and half skirt that is attached to her hot shorts. Her original clothes before.
"You are not wearing the other ones?" He raised his eyebrow at her.
"I feel more comfortable wearing this when you are with me." Hajime smiled as he went inside to change from his wet white casual shirt and jeans to white and black trench coat with a black shirt, gloves and pants. Far different than he usually wears.
Ellie tries to say something but the growling of her stomach beats her to it. He chuckled.
"There are a lot of food stalls near here. Why don't i wait for you in the car as i dry these there?"' Ellie nodded.
"Oh right." He gave her his phone which was still surprisingly okay after their dive in the river. His visor that he hid in his pocket wasn't though.
"My money is in that phone. Just tap it near the scanner in their stall and it will help you go smoothly." Translation: Let Ai-chan do the payment as Elysia finds more food.
Elysia nodded after she hugged him and Hajime saw his personal Ai gave him a wink in his phone as Elysia left, causing him to smile softly.
Elysia slowly walked around the food stalls while tapping the corner of lips, pondering what food to get for her and Hajime.
"Hmmm... What to get for our snacks?" Her walks were starting to look more like paces as the breeze of Soukai embraced her.
"Miss! How about Fried Noodles?"
No. It doesn't sound right.
"How about Buttered Popcorn?
Not that one either.
"Try our pink cotton candy!"
I like pink but I want to try something else.
"French Fries. Get Your French Fries over here!"
I just want a simple snack.
Elysia pouted at the choices she was presented with and yet nothing still rings her head and heart.
She knew that Hajime wouldn't mind what they were going to get. He even gave her his money, trusting her choices.
She just wants to make it special for her and Hajime.
After all, Wouldn't it be sweet and romantic for two friends to have their own moment together in the world while eating a snack?
She wanted something for the heartwarming thought. Something like...
The ringing of a small bell took her by surprise and that suprise was something she needed.
She approached the stall and smiled at the vendor.
"1 strawberry and 1 chocolate ice cream. Separate scoops please." The vendor nodded and served.
She put Hajime's phone to the scanner as she watched Hajime have done it multiple times. After that, she hit a little bit of snafu.
Elysia doesn't like admitting it but she isn't tech-savvy with most gadgets. Only the ones she was familiar with. Like the Megaphone.
She followed Hajime's simple instructions.
Tap the Phone to the scanner.
She was confused why it wasn't working. Maybe there was something she needed to do before tapping it?
So what happened?
Before she tapped it to the scanner, she grasped his phone tighter than she should, accidentally pressing the side lock button.
This was a problem because it locked a certain financial assistant out in the payment process.
She can't even tell Ellie to simply press the side button to unlock it because it might surprise her. And it might give her an idea that someone was being a third wheel on their date.
Ai-chan maybe isn't installed with an emotion detector but she is advanced to know that being a secret third-wheel on Hajime's date wouldn't exactly put her in a good light.
"Something wrong, miss?" The vendor was still holding out their ice cream as Elysia was still confused as to why it wasn't working.
"I don't know why it isn't working." Elysia frowned. Did she break Hajime's phone?
"You accidentally pressed the lock button, miss." A certain lady helped with the problem by pointing out the side button.
"All you need to do is to press it again and then tap again." Elysia made an 'oh' and complied with a cute blush.
The payment was a success and she thanked the vendor as she took the two ice cream cone after putting the phone in her pocket.
Elysia turned to the girl who helped her with a smile.
"Thank you very much."
"You are welcome, miss...?"
"Name's Elysia." Elysia giggled as she saw her savior gave her a genuine smile.
"Are those yours?" The nice lady asked her about her ice cream cones.
"Uh... No. One of these is for my best friend. He is waiting for me by the parking lot."
"Can I join you? I have been around this place and you look like you are not from around here."
"Oh sure. If you are hungry, Do you want one of my ice cream cones?" Ellie's new friend shook her head with a smile.
"No. You bought it for both of you and your best friend. And besides, I just ate."
"Oh. Okay. You can come with me. I'd like to talk more." She walked towards the parking lot.
"I would like that."
"Great. I need to hurry before they melt though. Can I ask what's your name?" The tall bluenette smiled.
"Name's Mei. Nice to meet you, Elysia." Ellie giggled and she ran towards, prompting Mei to follow her.
The weird thing for Ellie is that her conversation between her and Mei felt like they were friends longer than the hour they had earlier.
But Elysia didn't question it.
After all, she gets another friend in her life.
The more, the merrier as some would say.