Part 10: Aya
"...and the whole time, it was taped to the inside of her hard hat!" The conclusion of Chloe's story earned a hearty laugh from the Rabbits, Ducks and Anteaters around her. "I actually don't know if she ever found it."
"My God, that is so funny!" Akebi said. Sakaguchi expressed her entertainment through a coughing fit.
"The soda went down the wrong way!"
While Kawanishi slapped her friend on the back a few times, some of the girls looked up at someone clumsily walking towards them.
"Nakajima-senpai?" Yamagou asked. "Are you alright?"
"Yes…" Reira mumbled. "Yes I'm… fine. Enjoying the party, like all of you, I hope! I just… wanted to talk to Aya. Where is sh-there she is. Oono-chan!" The mechanic shouted, louder than necessary.
"Nakajima-senpai?" Aya said hesitantly. "Is there… something I can help you with?"
"Huh? Nono… I just wanted to talk to you for a second." The inebriated Commander began. "I heard that-"
"Nack!" Hoshino reached forward and grabbed at her drunken friend's shoulder. "Nack, stop. Now isn't the time." She looked up at the Rabbits apologetically. "Please ignore her."
"Oh, be quiet, Hoshi. We're in th' middle ova conversation." Nakajima shook her Loader off and continued. "Go sit down. You… you're drunk."
"Not nearly as much as you are." Kieko retorted, but Riera ignored her. She returned her blurry attention to the gathering of Rabbits. "I hear tell that you're feeling all worked up over… stuff that happened in Abashiri."
Aya glanced around at her friends as the commander spoke. Kieko simply shook her head.
"I jus wanna tell you that you shouldn't." Nakajima held Oono's shoulder tightly, both for comfort and her own stability. "You can't spend all your time beating yourself up over… things that happened in th' past. You couldn't have expected to know… what was going to happen to Yuuki. I know I speak for everyone…" She waved her can around, splashing some of the contents on the floor. "And… I'm sorry for bein' kinda drunk while saying this… but I… speak for everyone when I say that nobody is upset with you. Nobody… wishes you had done something differently, or, wishes any negativity towards you. The only people… who can be blamed for Yuuki's death, are the ones who did it. And hey, they're all locked up… or dead!" She barked out a laugh. "You made sure of that! Now, that's not to say we don't miss her. Hell, I wish nothing more than for her to be here right now, where she belongs. It's a terrible thing that happened to her. It's a terrible thing. But it happened. And nobody can change it. All we can do is… accept, for… forgive, and move on."
While Nakajima took a breath, and a sip from her drink, Aya hesitantly nodded, still taken aback by her intoxicated teammate's sudden outreach.
"Ehh… thank you, Nakajima-senpai. For your… kind words." Reira smiled at her, and she looked down. "You know… I've been replaying those few hours over and over in my head, but there's one moment that I haven't focused on much. It was something Saki said to me." Aya gestured to her silent Loader, who was distantly staring at her. "When we took Yuuki to the infirmary, she started talking about finding peace. That Yuuki had found it, and that I needed to. She said, 'The key is closer than you think.'. Initially, I thought she meant seeking vengeance. Kill the people responsible. Which is what I… we… did. But something about what you said, Nakajima-senpai, has given me an idea."
Reira nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"Every day for the last six months, I've felt responsible for what happened to Yuuki. Being her direct superior at the time, I technically was." Aya held up her hand before Azusa could interrupt. "But I think I've finally realized what Saki meant when she said, 'Find peace.' She was telling me not to blame myself. And if I did, to forgive myself. Nishizumi-senpai," Aya gestured to the team commander as she approached the commotion. "You already told me that Yuuki would have forgiven me even if she didn't get the chance to say it." Miho nodded. "And all of you have shown that you aren't upset with me." Oono looked around at her teammates. "Or at least, nobody has said that they are. So, maybe that's what Saki meant. Maybe that's what I need to do."
Maruyama remained silent, blinking a few times, but the slightest hint of a smile crossed her lips.
"Well… well said, Aya." Nakajima said, giving her shoulder a comforting pat. "Like I said… sorry for being… like this while saying all this… emotional stuff. But it needed to be said."
Oono tilted her head. "Well, if it's any consolation, Nakajima-senpai, I've heard a saying that might help. 'A drunk person's words are a sober person's thoughts'. Or something like that." She concluded with a shrug. Suzuki, from across the room, raised her drink in the Gunner's direction.
"Wow. Look at you, Aya! All… philosophological and… all that stuff…"
"Philosophological?" Flint asked with an arched brow.
"That-that's a thing." Suzuki insisted. "Shut up."
A/N: A bit of drunken reconciliation for Aya from Nakajima.
This one is a little short, I know.
More coming soon. Stay tuned! See y'all next year!