Pearlescent

"Nothing here either…"

You said to no one in particular.

Scattered around you were the remains of what was once a prosperous Abydos department store. Torn womens' clothes littered the floor due to years of scavenging by the roaming thugs and delinquents. What lights still worked flickered on and off, giving the area an eerie, desolate horror vibe. The entire mall lay abandoned, and the only ones left that could hear your footsteps now were various mannequins standing motionless, condemned to their eternal existence in the darkness, like ghosts unable to pass on. Waiting, pleading for someone, anyone, to look at them once more.

The thought sent shivers down your spine. You watched way too many scary movies with Arona recently.

"Anyway…"

After walking in circles for a while, you thought it safe to assume that almost anything of value was either broken or pillaged already. Almost. The men's clothing section had been relatively untouched, and you figured it was time for a wardrobe change. You made a note to come back with more bags next time.

"Hoshino?"

You called out, searching for the familiar lock of hair that belonged to your petite companion. Hoshino had invited you for another treasure hunt, much like the time she dragged you along to help find a comfy sleeping mat. It came as no surprise when, as soon as you arrived, Hoshino suggested you split up to cover more ground. Knowing her, she probably wanted to sleep while you did all the hard work.

You shook your head. That would have been typical for the lazy, troublesome student named Takanashi Hoshino. Needless to say, if you did find the girl napping somewhere dangerous, a fierce scolding would be necessary.

Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case. "There you are."

"Mnyahh!"

You watched as your sudden presence startled the girl like a cat spooked off a tree. It was easy to forget that underneath her nonchalant attitude, Hoshino was the type of girl to be frightened by a mouse scrabbling in the dark. She heaved a sigh, her expression an odd mix of shock and relief. "Ah… Sensei, it's just you."

Her words sounded dreadful given the situation. She was armed, after all, and it would take one careless pull of the trigger to end your life— unlike everyone else in Kivotos. "Sorry."

"Don't mind it~" Hoshino chimed. "It's my fault for not paying attention. Heehee~"

Her hands clasped behind her back, and you recognized from her stance that she seemed to be hiding something. "Did you find what you're looking for?" you asked discreetly.

Hoshino nodded, "I did— along with some souvenirs for the young' uns back home. But it's nothing major."

"Is that so…?" The answer didn't satisfy your curiosity, but you let the topic slide for now. You could always ask again later. "I guess this trip is a success, then?"

"Yep~," Hoshino responded. Her smile grew in epic proportions perpendicularly to her height. "Hey, Sensei, do you notice something different about me?"

…?

Hoshino brought a finger to her lips, posing for you with a youthful flourish. Perhaps because of the dim light or because her cheeky side no longer surprised you, but you did not notice anything different about her. Over the months you had been her teacher, the girl had barely changed physically. A trick question, then? You pondered over it for a minute before giving up. This was the enigmatic Takanashi Hoshino. Above everything, Hoshino trusted you to be honest with her— and the honest truth was, no, you did not.

Hoshino frowned, a clear look of disappointment flashing across her face. "Oh…"

Did you answer wrong?

"Well, I should have expected as much," Hoshino said, "I'm too old to be worrying about this stuff, anyway. I shouldn't be playing around." In one swift gesture, Hoshino dug her hand into her knapsack and flung both it and her shotgun over her shoulder. "Let's go back, Sensei."

"...Okay?" She did not give you time to process what she just said. Her tiny figure continued to scurry away from you, and along with it, your lifeline. She seemed really angry for some reason! "W-wait up!"

Hoshino turned your way for a second but kept strutting ahead. She really was going to leave you behind if you didn't pick up the pace. You only managed to catch up to her when she stopped to ride the escalator downward. Even then, she refused to look you in the eye.

The silence was deafening.

Rays of golden light filtered in through the windows as you approached the entrance of the mall. Hoshino hopped off the escalator first and continued to ignore you all the way outside where she suddenly, and forcibly, let out a yawn.

"Ah, I'm sleepy," she asserted, peering at you with half-lidded eyes. "Let's go home, Sensei."

You kicked yourself mentally for not noticing sooner.

"Hoshino, are you… wearing lipstick?"

"Uhee?"

Under the glow of the setting sun, it was unmistakable. Her lips were dyed a soft, reddish hue— a much lighter shade in contrast to the sudden red pervading her cheeks after you pointed it out. She covered her mouth and giggled in response.

"Yes~ I just wanted to try it out, that's all…"

An obvious lie. Despite appearances, Hoshino was rarely impulsive. It was more than likely she planned this all along, bringing you to help scavenge for cheap but usable make-up kits and save a decent amount of yen. The poor girl. You promised to take her shopping next time. The least you could do was buy her something trendier than dried-up old garbage.

Hoshino waved her arms in a panic, flustered from your offer. "You don't have to, Sensei! Besides, it's too embarrassing for a crone like me to buy such girly stuff in public. I can't…"

"What's there to be embarrassed about?" you asked.

Your hand reached up to pat her head. It was an action you had done countless times before, brushing free the knots in her hair as a reassuring smile plastered your face. "It's normal for girls your age to want to look pretty; you don't have to be embarrassed about it. I believe you should be allowed to pamper yourself like that, at least."

"Eh, you think so?" Hoshino scratched her cheek, a blush darkening against her pale skin. She did not seem too convinced with your words and spoke hesitantly. "It's still weird, a little out of character for me…"

"Well, going by your logic, it's even weirder."

"Huh?"

It did seem suspicious. Why would Takanashi Hoshino, a laid-back, self-professed old crone, want to wear pretty make-up now? What for?

Or, perhaps far more importantly, for whom?

"...?!"

For the second time today, you watched as Hoshino's impenetrable composure crumbled to dust in the wind. She reeled, mouth spluttering for excuses like a fish out of water before turning away, exclaiming, "Boy, it's gettin' late! We should hurry back before it gets too dark, Sensei!"

Just as before, Hoshino's tiny figure shrank as she trotted ahead, stumbling on occasion as she glanced your way. Even at a distance you could spot her puffing her cheeks in annoyance. It was like she wanted to run away from you again, but for a completely different reason. You shook your head as you tried to follow her close behind.

…

The trip home had been uneventful. Partway through, Hoshino had stopped sulking and matched her pace with yours, a lazy expression back on her face. Exhaustion had begun to creep in. Neither of you chatted much, instead concurring to walk home together in silence, taking in the sights and sounds and simply enjoying each other's presence. A light breeze blew past you, and you felt a small weight cozying up by your side.

"You might get lost again," Hoshino said, clinging to your arm like she usually did. "Let's walk like this, Sensei."

You had not the heart to turn her down. Seldom did you have the chance to savor a peaceful day like this; you were not about to ruin it by being careless with your words. Not again.

But, as sure as day turns into night, so too do good things must come to an end.

You stood before the iron gates leading to the Abydos High School dormitory— a veritable holy land adults like you were forbidden to enter. Although you had been generously invited over by every member of the Foreclosure Task Force, you knew accepting such an invitation would send a tactical nuke to the reputation you spent so long to build. This was as far as you could go.

The girl beside you snickered. You could guess the thoughts racing through her mind and declined before she could say them aloud.

"My, my," Hoshino beamed, lips curving into a catty smile, "always such a gentleman. You already escorted me home; learn to let up, why dont'cha~?"

"I refuse."

"Fineeee~." Letting go of your arm, Hoshino gestured at you with an earnest expression. "Come closer for a bit."

Maybe the guilt over upsetting her compelled you, but you offered to humor her request, leaning down to level your face with hers.

Hoshino was a short girl, much shorter than most, yet hid a maturity you wished your other students had. She was a born leader and an excellent friend. She would grow into a fine young woman one day, and you swore to yourself you would nourish and guide her until that day came.

It was then when you felt a soft pair of lips press on your cheek. It left behind a red kiss mark courtesy of her lipstick.

"Sensei," Hoshino whispered, her voice in a rapture. She wrapped her arms around your waist and hugged you tight, showing an adorable side to her only you were allowed to see. "Thank you for coming with me today."

A nearby lamp illuminated the quiet desert evening, its faint light casting a luster upon Hoshino's pearlescent lips. Idly, you remembered a random fish trivia Hoshino sent you some time ago.

'Sensei, did you know? Lipstick contains a material called 'pearl essence'. It's a silvery substance commonly derived from the scales of various fish.'

You chuckled. Life was indeed full of wonder and mystery. You could not help but return her smile.

[SCHALE: New Request Received. Sender: Takanashi Hoshino]

[Title: Let's go shopping!]

Lipstick contains the material 'pearl essence', which is a silvery substance commonly made from fish scales. 'Pearlescence' as it is sometimes called, is the same material used in nail polishes, and ceramic glazes that give these items its glossy sheen. It is obtained primarily from herring and is one of many by-products of large-scale commercial fish processing.

Vent ahead. Mind you don't hit yourself.

I've come to realize that writing is therapeutic for me, and it took a particularly depressing event for me to accept the fact that my mental state is in dire need of help. Good medicine is bitter and hard to swallow, hence why I find it difficult to write more than a few thousand words at a time.

That said, expect a few updates to this fic at least as I have a few more fishy trivia for you to digest. If you know some other obscure fact about fishes, feel free to comment/review/send them my way and I'll see what I can do. I definitely want to keep writing more Hoshino fics.

TL;DR: I NEED HEALING.