Meia stood at the helm of the Vandread, her gaze fixed on the vast expanse of space before her. The ship hummed softly around her, a comforting sound amidst the quiet of the cosmos. Yet, her mind was far from calm. She couldn't shake the recent events that had unfolded, particularly the unexpected return of Hibiki.

"Meia, are you alright?" a voice broke through her reverie, and she turned to see Hibiki standing behind her, concern etched on his face.

"I'm fine," she replied curtly, her tone betraying her true feelings.

Hibiki hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "I just wanted to thank you for letting me help out around here. I know things have been tense since I showed up again."

Meia glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why did you come back, Hibiki? After everything that happened, why bother?"

Hibiki sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I guess... I wanted to make things right. I know I messed up before, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to earn your trust again."

Meia scoffed, turning away from him. "Trust? That's rich coming from you. You think you can just waltz back in here and expect us to forgive you?"

Hibiki took a step closer, his expression earnest. "I don't expect forgiveness, Meia. I just want to help. I want to prove that I'm not the same person I was before."

Meia's gaze softened slightly, but she quickly hardened it again. "And why should I believe you? You're still a man, after all."

Hibiki flinched at her words, his eyes darkening with hurt. "I know I can't change who I am, but I can change how I act. Please, Meia, give me a chance to show you that I'm different."

Meia studied him for a moment, searching his eyes for any hint of deceit. Surprisingly, she found none. With a sigh, she relented. "Fine. But don't think for a second that I trust you."

Hibiki nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Thank you, Meia. I won't let you down."

As the days passed, Meia found herself reluctantly warming up to Hibiki. Despite her initial misgivings, she couldn't deny his sincerity and dedication to helping the crew. And as they worked together, side by side, she couldn't help but notice how similar they were.

One evening, as they sat together in the ship's mess hall, Meia found herself lost in thought. Hibiki glanced at her, concern evident in his eyes. "Is everything okay, Meia?"

Meia hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was just thinking... we're not so different, you and I."

Hibiki raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by her admission. "What do you mean?"

Meia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We've both been judged and misunderstood because of who we are. You because you're a man, and me because I'm a woman. It's not fair."

Hibiki nodded in understanding, a sad smile on his lips. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's like no matter what we do, we're always seen as the enemy."

Meia nodded, a lump forming in her throat. "I just wish... I wish we could've met sooner. Maybe then things would've been different."

Hibiki's eyes softened, and he reached out to gently grasp her hand. "Meia... I never realized how much we have in common until now. Maybe... maybe we can't change the past, but we can change the future."

Meia felt her heart flutter at his words, a warmth spreading through her chest. For the first time in a long time, she felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to overcome the prejudices that had divided them for so long.