Hey guys, check this out.
Guest
"God fucking damn it man. Do you have to do everything in your power to purposely fuck over the flow of reading? Have you ever in your enitre damn life seen a single piece of professional media that has the creator constantly break the fourth wall mid chapter? Nobody wants to read your god damn shitty version of a directors commentary dude! If i wasnt out of shit to read id skip out immediately because of it.
I want to like this translation, but you do so many little things that shoot yourself in the foot. There are some issues with the translation, but otherwise i like this. God damnit though if you don't do everything in your power to make me think other wise. I almost want to go through and just snip all this stupid bullshit out to make this more readable. If you had an editor they would want to strangle you"
A/N A/N A/N A/N A/N A/N A/N A/N A/N A/N A/N
Pffffft hahaha.
Seriously, man? Of all the things you could complain about, you chose the author's notes? XDDDDDDD.
Calm down son, they're just author's notes; they can't hurt you. And why shouldn't I break the fourth wall whenever I feel like it? Do you hear yourself? You're looking for extreme seriousness in fanfics, where most of the time you won't find it. If you want to read something more professional, go to a library. This isn't a professional job that pays my bills; it's just something I do for fun in my own way. You don't have to be so dramatic and say that no one wants to read what I write, people can skip it if they want to. It's not NECESSARY for them to read it. You could have easily skipped it too, but you gave too much importance to something so harmless.
And yeah yeah yeah, I know, the translation was garbage back then, but it's always so frustrating when people stop to comment on this in chapter 20, RIGHT before the translations start to get better. You probably didn't even finish reading this and decided to leave a pretty superficial opinion before getting to the last chapter. Why do people do that? Sometimes it's better to finish reading something and then give a general opinion. You remind me of another fool who left a review almost the same way in chapter 1, labeling the story as trash after only reading the first chapter.
I'm not saying I'm perfect or some shit like that; I make mistakes like anyone else. But come on, at least you could have given your opinion in the last chapter.
And if you simply don't like this, well, fine, close the door on your way out.
Alright, while we set aside this crybaby, let me greet the rest of you.
JustRoan
Hi! Thanks for reading this fanfic in what is probably record time. I apologize for the initial issues with the translation, but I'm relieved to know you noticed an improvement throughout the chapters. I'll keep getting better, don't worry. Sending you a big hug all the way to Asia.
Randomguy0110100100110
Hey, look, I still remember the comment you left on December 7, 2022, but just like back then, I can only give you this response: I can't say precisely how slow it might be. Sometimes it progresses quickly, other times it doesn't. It's also due to my tendency to make things longer than they should be, and there's the factor of my time, which sometimes isn't on my side. I can't give you a precise answer because this is still being published, so I'm very sorry. The only thing I can do to ease your doubts is to tell you that this story has already been planned out to its end. Everything I do isn't on the fly; it's all been planned. See you.
Weebsweb
I knew it! I knew it wasn't just a coincidence.
Houses of The Unholy
Oh no no no, not really. I mean, the arcs will be the same as in the manga, but they'll develop VERY differently. Don't worry about that.
...Honestly, I think it's better not to talk too much about the canon and focus on the current arcs. Does it seem good to you?
Guest
Oh yes, my first fanfics were based on Evangelion. In fact, we have to thank Evangelion for inspiring me to write.
Damn, sometimes it's really hard for me to distinguish between those readers who only have "Guest" as their name.
AssassinSlayer101
Get ready to add Chapter 29 to your list of most-read chapters. I'm not exaggerating when I say that even I screamed like a crazy bitch while writing this. I send you a hug my friend.
Kestrel
Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate them. And oh my god, you're absolutely right, "Honeytheif" by 'Halou' fits so well with the theme of this story, or at least how Makima sees Hiro. I added that song to my favorites list on Spotify because I couldn't get it out of my head afterwards. Sending you a salutation.
Venom1462
...Of course, Makima won't be killed by Denji and Pochita.
XXxxxadisxxxXX
Hu.
You know, it's kinda funny that shortly after you left your review pointing out how author's notes between chapters broke immersion, another guy came along complaining about the same thing so vehemently. Can you see those parallels? It seems like quite a big coincidence to me...
Anyway, I appreciate your review, and at least with you (unlike the crybaby at the beginning) I took the time to analyze your suggestions, but you should know that I already implement most of them, at least doing my best.
Regarding author's notes, I still hold my position that they're not necessarily things that readers have to read, at least the ones between chapters. From my experience reading fanfics, author's notes that are usually between chapters often help readers to give some context in some scenes, or before, many times it's just to break the fourth wall in a comedic way, which has never bothered me, I'd even say I'm a fan of it. Although it's also worth noting that I come from Wattpad and there everyone can leave a comment on any paragraph, you could say it's more immersive when you leave your author's notes. But all this I say from my experience, I consider that author's notes are not something that will completely break immersion, and if it does, it's only momentary and then we easily forget about it. But don't think I put author's notes wherever I want, no, I know very well when I can put an author's note in such a scene and when not, for example, you won't see me putting my notes in a serious and tense moment, mostly it will be in more relaxed moments, I'm not stupid.
About the fixes with the translation, believe me when I tell you that I spend hours and HOURS glued to my computer to translate and analyze paragraph by paragraph of each chapter, I have to read everything again but now in another language and see if the meaning of the words matches. I don't know if you noticed but the chapters from three to twelve had already been improved using Chat GPT by the time you read them, honestly I don't find the will to go and remaster the rest of chapters from 13 to 16 (17 has already been remastered) and from 18 to 20. At this point they are readable enough.
About the first-person fragments, that's already like giving a new touch to the story, and it's not necessarily a bad thing to switch from third person to first person, in fact it's often needed at certain moments. Also, there were some people asking me for a Makima POV for some time, and I also wanted to do one for fun and see how it would turn out. I don't know if you agree with me, but I consider that using the first person gives us the freedom to show the thoughts and emotions of the characters more clearly, unlike the third person where many times we have to be superficial to not reveal much of what others think, you understand? The first person helps us to delve more into the deep thoughts of the characters without leaving anything behind, it's like a unique opportunity to reveal to the reader how such a character thinks. In this case, Doctor Yuna having her first impressions about Makima, and Makima being in a difficult moment where she urgently needed to gather her thoughts. That's what makes the POV so special, I'll only use it in special moments.
And also believe me when I tell you that all the scenes I write are good for the rhythm of what I want to tell, nothing is thought on the fly or randomly because it looks nice and that's it, no, everything has a meaning, everything is important.
Honestly, friend, when I read your reviews, it made me lose the desire to write, not because of everything you pointed out, that helps me improve sometimes, but because you sounded like one of my school teachers pointing out that my work isn't good enough to pass the subject, I don't know bro, that's how I felt, again I have to say that I only do this to have fun. Because if I start to see this as some kind of university project or something like that I'm going to quit, it happened to me before. I hope you don't take this the wrong way, I don't mean to sound like a jerk who doesn't accept suggestions.
Still, thanks for your review, I appreciate that despite everything you're enjoying how this is progressing.
Ugh, finally finished. Can someone please post the chapter already?
Notes:
Long live het ships.
Down with yuri fans.
But hey, sometimes yuri content is really good, I admit it.
But setting that aside, I want to tell you all something...
*drumroll*
Happy third anniversary of One Above All Wuuuuuu!
... Well, it was actually on May 30th, but it still counts for me, so let's celebrate.
Wow, seriously, has it been three years? Three years and almost 30 chapters, three years in which this story has gathered quite a good number of readers, both Spanish speakers and English speakers.
Thank you very much for all the support this story has received over this time! Maybe the first readers are no longer with us, but those are things that come and go, although I'll always have them in my heart. But I'm also happy that this story is still in the minds of many other people who still want to see how it will all end.
And I swear to you, I will finish this someday.
I've written almost 30 chapters and around 200k words, if that's not enough proof of my dedication to my story then I don't know what is.
With that said, I thank all the readers who have been patient with me up to this day, even though they know this is a slow development they're still willing to read it. Sometimes I may make mistakes or feel like what I'm doing isn't good enough for you, but all of you who are still here, leaving your votes and comments, do it for a reason, it's because you really believe I'm doing something right, and that helps me keep going.
I may always choose the worst time to start writing, and I may procrastinate a lot, but writing this is still a passion I can't shake off even if my mind tells me I'm mediocre. I still like writing, I still like seeing how everyone leaves their comments saying how much they like this story. That's what keeps me coming back to this app to keep writing, because if I can make one person's day happier while they read a chapter they enjoyed, then I can go to bed in peace.
Again, thank you very much for sticking around.
But I won't talk anymore. Surely you're all eager to read this chapter, so enjoy it. I'm pretty sure fans of Hiro x Makima will go to bed with smiles on their faces.
0O0O
Chapter 29: Stay.
When Hiro opened the door to his room, he was greeted by the warm light streaming in through the enormous windows of his apartment. He stretched a bit to wake his body, which finally felt fully energized after a long time; it was probably the best night of sleep he had had in ages.
His body still felt somewhat sore, but he figured he'd be completely recovered within two or three days. So, that wasn't a complication for sleeping last night either, and for once after the gun devil attack, Hiro didn't have nightmares. In fact, within his subconscious, it felt like something was enveloping him in a warm, comforting aura; nonetheless, it helped him sleep and have sweet dreams.
Maybe he had a guardian angel? Or perhaps the bubble bath really did the trick.
Well, the point was, he could finally wake up in the morning without feeling the need to stay in bed for two more hours, until the discomfort of needing to use the bathroom outweighed the pleasure of getting more sleep. He walked a bit to the kitchen with the mission of preparing breakfast, but when he reached the dining table, he found something unusual.
Kishibe was there, sitting in one of the chairs and wearing his characteristic devil hunter uniform. His gaze was fixed on the view beyond the apartment's huge windows, his arms crossed, and for a second, Hiro thought he was furrowing his brow, but he couldn't be certain from his position.
He seemed to notice Hiro's presence when he got close enough, but the look he gave was one Hiro couldn't quite describe; it seemed somewhere between focused, bored, and stern. Basically, a blank stare taken to the next level.
"Uh, good morning" Hiro greeted, feeling somewhat confused. Normally, by this time in the morning (it was 8 AM), Kishibe would have already returned to work after coming back at some point in the night. It had been like this for the past week, and unless his schedule was finally showing him some mercy, there was no reason for him to still be here. Not that Hiro cared, but Kishibe had been complaining that Public Safety was mistreating him by assigning work for ten people.
So, it was somewhat unnatural for him to be here now.
Kishibe didn't say anything for a few seconds; he looked Hiro up and down as if inspecting something that Hiro couldn't see. When their eyes met, Hiro could swear Kishibe's eyes narrowed for a second.
In the end, he simply nodded in response to Hiro's greeting.
'Okay, that definitely wasn't strange at all' Hiro shook his head, taking Kishibe's peculiar behavior as natural for him. By this point in his life, he was very accustomed to Kishibe being a man of few words and rather cold or disinterested, at best, only at certain moments in life.
But today, everything was just... strange, much more than usual.
"Did you sleep well?" Hiro was about to turn on the kitchen to prepare something, but Kishibe's unexpected question stopped him in his tracks.
He looked at him again, and that same expression was still etched on his face. Truth be told, it was somewhat intimidating. "Well, actually... I did. I managed to fall asleep around nine o'clock, so now I feel energized" he tried to give a small smile, but seeing that Kishibe's expression didn't change, that smile faded with some embarrassment.
"What were you doing during the night?" Kishibe asked again.
Hiro blinked, confused by the unexpected invasion of his privacy. "Uh, well... Before going to bed, I had some fish for dinner, tried to watch some TV but all the channels were still covering the Gun Devil topic. Then I took a bath and went to sleep... That's it."
Hiro didn't know why Kishibe asked him that specific question, but he wanted to believe that Kishibe was simply interested in what he did in his free time. But at the same time, he really doubted it; he hadn't asked before, so why suddenly now?
Kishibe's expression remained unchanged. "Did you hear when I arrived last night?"
These questions were starting to become more random "No, I guess I was pretty asleep to hear you come in this time"
Once again, Kishibe's eyes narrowed. "You didn't notice if anything happened while I wasn't here... did you?"
This time, Hiro furrowed his brow, unsure of where Kishibe was going with all this. "What do you mean?" Maybe it was the way he said it, but Kishibe's expression seemed to soften a bit.
He finally sighed and looked away. "Never mind, I just wanted to make sure you hadn't gone crazy while I wasn't around."
"Huh?"
Kishibe shook his head. "Forget it" He got up from the table and headed to the door. "I start at nine today, so I wanted to stay a little longer here. I'll be back around three AM this time." He didn't wait for Hiro to respond in any way, so he closed the door and left the hallway.
Hiro's confused look lingered until Kishibe was out of sight.
When Kishibe began walking down the hallway, it was a good moment for him to sort through all his thoughts.
"He's lying."
"Or perhaps he didn't even realize she was here."
"He's a very foolish human, of course he didn't realize."
Kishibe reached the same conclusion.
He knew very well that Hiro was bad at lying, like that time when supposedly the apartment's television had malfunctioned, when in reality Hiro had shot the television with his own gun. He found out about this later that day when he took out the trash and found the television in the dumpster with an obvious bullet hole in the screen.
He didn't say anything in the end to help him maintain some dignity.
But this time Kishibe saw no sign of falsehood in his words, his expression didn't betray him at any moment and only showed confusion.
So he wasn't lying. Hiro truly had no idea that Makima had entered the apartment last night.
That bitch.
He didn't understand what the hell Nishimura was doing to lose sight of Makima like that, it's really stupid to let Makima roam freely around here. Just look where it led.
Kishibe didn't know why that brat suddenly had the urge to come here or how the hell she found out where he lived, but for now, he wouldn't ask those questions again.
He had a new goal for the day, and it wasn't going to work.
0O0O
Much earlier that morning (5:30 A.M.)
Doctor Yuna was quite tired.
In the past week, she hadn't stopped focusing on all the phases involved in the hybrid project, but more specifically on the first one: gathering specific data to select potential candidates for the project.
Among all the specifications, there was one that was quite important and mandatory: the subject had to be a child between the ages of 10 and 15. Thanks to all the years of research conducted with children starting from 1950, and adding the 7 years of research and practice with Makima, it was reaffirmed that the best way to initiate these future Public Safety soldiers would be to educate them from childhood, and once again, she was right.
However, they couldn't just choose children randomly; the future candidates needed to be children with no purpose in the world, children who no longer had anything to cling to in life. Public Safety would offer them a chance to be something much more "special" in the world and thus give them a new and unique purpose that, besides giving meaning to their lives, would give them an excuse to be loyal to Public Safety by any means necessary.
Just like obedient dogs.
But where could they find children who no longer had a purpose in life?
Well, what better place than an orphanage.
Due to the Gun Devil attack, the number of orphaned children in Japan had increased considerably, so there was plenty to choose from. This also raised the possibility that in the future there would be future generations who would only join Public Safety to kill the Gun Devil.
So it was possible that along the way, they would come across a few children willing to join the hybrid project in order to get revenge on the Gun Devil. It was a win-win if you asked her.
All they needed was to give them one more chance to be reborn as objects and weapons that the government would use at their disposal whenever they wanted. A child without parents was a lost child, a child who was abandoned by the world when they couldn't even understand why they were alone in the first place. The children they would set their sights on would be those who only had two options in life:
1. Stay in a world where nobody gives a damn about you.
2. Become something much better that contributes greatly to society.
But why contribute something to a society that didn't care in the first place?
Because at least this way they would have more chances of surviving.
Yes, but it would be surviving in a rather cruel world.
It was that, or go straight into the arms of death and cease to exist without having the chance to see their ambitions fulfilled.
She already had all her arguments ready in case any of the children showed unusually intelligent behavior for their age; it had happened three times in her entire career.
It was just a matter of seeing how many children would accept.
This felt quite nostalgic to her, as if they were still in the fifties recruiting the first children who nowadays work in public safety, from that generation of children came Kishibe and Quanxi's ruffians.
So, even if they were just taking the first step for the hybrid project, she couldn't help but wonder, who would be the new diamond in the rough to emerge from this new generation of hunters?
Kishibe had been the first.
Then others followed over the years but still fell far short compared to the first generation.
Only time would tell who would become the strongest hunter of this new and upcoming generation.
She was currently in the elevator, dressed in casual clothes and her characteristic lab coat. She had come from the lower areas of the research center, doing a small check of the place before she took some serious vacation from this place, because then she would have to go to another research center in the city that the government had prepared exclusively for this project.
Her thoughts turned to Makima, wondering who the government had chosen to watch over her while she wasn't here. She sighed; it had been very difficult to deal with that girl lately, with all the chaos with the Gun Devil and the lack of information about Takahashi's whereabouts, Makima had entered what could be called...
...Her rebellious stage.
Wow, a teenager becoming rebellious, how unexpected, right?
She had been through this phase many times before, more specifically she had witnessed it with her own eyes over the years with many of the children who came and managed to survive in this place.
When Kishibe and Quanxi entered that phase, she had wanted to quit this job so badly. By sheer willpower, she managed to survive.
Luckily, she knew Makima wouldn't take this phase too far; she was smart enough to know that it was better to use common sense for her own benefit and personal improvement, and not waste it on other kinds of foolishness. Like what? Honestly, she didn't want to know the answer.
However, those thoughts were clouded when the elevator doors opened to reveal the reception hallways. When a person entered the building, there were two paths to follow, either of which would eventually lead to an elevator. The right path was guarded by security personnel as it led to the first containment vaults, while the left path was the more normal of the two, consisting only of waiting chairs and a few study rooms, with the elevator at the end.
The thing is, of all the people Yuna could have crossed paths with today, in this same hallway, and in this same elevator, it had to be Makima.
When the doors opened, they both locked eyes for several seconds, but Makima seemed more surprised of the two, she even seemed to shiver a little when she realized who was on the other side of the elevator.
How strange.
What was Makima doing awake at this hour?
"Makima?"
"D-doctor!"
Was she stuttering? What the fuck?
Yuna furrowed her brow slightly. "I didn't think you'd be awake this early."
"And I... I thought you wouldn't be back until next week" Makima smiled as she always did, but Yuna could swear this smile was much more forced than before.
Well, Makima's smiles always had another meaning.
"I finished my other business earlier than expected, I'm just waiting for the rest of my staff to bring in the first test subjects for the project" she glanced her up and down, observing her attire.
"What were you doing outside?" she finally asked, it was very obvious to her that Makima had left the building.
"I went for a walk" Makima replied quickly, hoping the doctor wouldn't see through her.
Yuna raised an eyebrow. "At five in the morning?"
"Yes."
"And what? Did you just... wander around the parking lot?" Yuna asked, very confused, knowing that Makima wasn't allowed to leave the grounds of this place without her consent, or at least without surveillance.
Makima had never directly asked if she could go outside to explore because, again, the past sensations of the Control Devil interfered with her current perception of things, so she wasn't interested in seeing the world because she had already seen and felt everything before. So there was no reason to worry if Makima sneaked out of this place while nobody was looking...
... Then why was she having a bad feeling about all this?
Makima shrugged casually. "I just wanted to walk, I woke up very early and couldn't fall back asleep."
"I see... But you'll always feel sleepy around afternoon, so if I were you, I'd go back to sleep" Yuna replied, seemingly buying into Makima's lie.
Makima shook her head. "No need, I think I'll have my breakfast now." She stepped into the elevator with the doctor and pressed the button that would take her to her room.
Yuna noticed Makima's strange behavior; she knew something was wrong with all of this. Makima was acting... much happier, as if she had already returned to the same mood before the Gun Devil attack. A week ago, she had been quite worried about Hiro's whereabouts, and now she seemed much calmer than before.
She even smiled again; something had happened that changed her mood.
Could it be...
"Have you finally gotten over Hiro?" Yuna asked hopefully.
Makima smiled, even humming to herself "Hmm, nope, I still cry for him every night" she replied without looking at her but still maintaining her unusual enthusiasm for the day.
"Uh..." Honestly, Yuna was quite disappointed but still intrigued. "Then why do you seem so happy?"
Makima's smile widened "Because I'm thinking of all the possible ways I'm going to torture Kishibe the next time I see him. He's going to pay for not informing me in time about Hiro's whereabouts" she clenched her fist, and even a small vein of anger formed on her forehead, all while still smiling.
That was half a lie, half truth.
Makima was very angry with that hunter; he didn't even have the nerve to come and tell her jokingly that Hiro was dead, at least then she would have some information about him. But not even that!
That damn guy didn't bother to come here and tell her that Hiro was alive and safe! He probably wanted her to suffer all these days until Hiro was recovered enough to come here on his own, it sounded like something he would do.
Makima wanted something to vent her anger, and Kishibe was a good candidate. She would make him pay for frustrating her to the point of madness and desperation. It could be said that he was responsible for her sneaking into his apartment because she was quite desperate for an answer.
Yes, it was all Kishibe's fault at the end of the day.
Yuna seemed to consider her response for a moment before crossing her arms, and a small smile formed on her face."I think I'd even pay to see that."
0O0O
"I miss my collection of Akira manga plated in gold..."
"Kenji, don't you think you should be grateful to still be alive?"
"B-but the Akira collection..."
"Everything is replaceable, your life isn't."
"But surely that collection would be much more valuable in 30 years!"
"In 30 years, maybe you won't even like the manga anymore."
"Blasphemy!"
Hiro rolled his eyes on the other end of the line. "I'm just saying you can always get more manga; those things don't stop being made, you know?"
He heard a deep sigh from Kenji. "I know, I know. It's just that... In that suitcase, I had like 40% of all my manga! And most of them were new!"
"Sounds like a waste of money, but it's not a problem for you, right?"
"Hiro, I might be rich and all that, but I don't like to waste money foolishly, I know about economics."
"How ironic."
"Your life is an irony!"
Hiro smiled. "I guess you're right. Anyway... I just wanted to say... Thank you."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Well... If you hadn't forgotten to put your suitcase on the bus, I probably wouldn't exist right now. I would have met the same fate as the rest of our class." Hiro hadn't found a good time to thank Kenji; they had both been too traumatized to talk about it. He wanted to assume that Kenji had already moved on before him.
"Oh... That. Well... I don't think you need to thank me; it's not like either of us knew what was going to happen next."
"I know, but I still wanted to tell you. Unknowingly, you saved me from the clutches of death."
There was a moment of silence where both of them deeply contemplated this situation.
Kenji was the first to break the silence.
"Hiro... Do you believe in coincidences?" he asked suddenly, making Hiro process the question at lightning speed.
"Why do you ask?"
Kenji sighed on the other end of the line. "Aaah, I don't know, I can't stop thinking about how everything that happened to us seemed to be so perfectly aligned."
Hiro frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... Ugh, maybe it wasn't just pure luck or something, maybe it wasn't our destiny to die that day."
"..."
"Or do you still believe it was just a coincidence that I forgot the suitcase?"
"You tell me."
"Suddenly I forgot I was carrying that thing with me, I don't know how it happened or when... It just did."
"... And if the others hadn't laughed about you leaving your suitcase outside..."
"I wouldn't have stepped out, and we both would've stayed on the bus! Do you get what I mean?"
Hiro thought about it carefully. Maybe it was all just an inexplicable series of coincidences that happened in the same place, but at the end of the day, they helped both of them survive. To think that the world wanted him to survive specifically was already thinking too much; it could have happened to anyone in his place.
However, there were still things that didn't quite add up here, and it all had to do with that strange girl Hiro saw that day. No matter what Kenji told him, he was very sure of what he saw at that moment. His mind couldn't have deceived him in those last few seconds before everything went to hell so quickly, because he wasn't aware of what was going to happen, so his brain must have been processing everything that was happening normally. His mind couldn't have been playing a trick on him at that precise moment.
So, if it all ultimately boiled down to pure coincidences, why did he feel that the supernatural and the inexplicable were closely linked to what happened when the Gun Devil attacked?
Hiro might not get his answers anytime soon.
What the hell had exactly happened that day? Damn it, Kenji had already made him think more than necessary about this.
"Listen, Hiro" Kenji spoke up again, interrupting his thoughts. "You know I'm a compulsive conspiracy theorist when the moment requires it, so I tell you with great confidence that I fervently believe that what happened to us that day wasn't normal."
"So you don't believe in coincidences?"
"Most of the time, I prefer to believe in the truth, but trying to find the truth in all of this is almost impossible."
"Almost? Why almost?"
"You tell me... If the world was on our side that day, it's because maybe some being or entity in the universe thinks we have a great purpose in this life, one that no one else but ourselves could fulfill. In my case, I believe someone needs to lead Inoue Enterprises when my parents retire, so that someone will be here to assist in rebuilding efforts after catastrophic events like these. But what about you? Why would the world consider you to have a much greater purpose than the other kids who died on that bus? I-I'm not saying it would have been better if you had died, don't get me wrong..."
Hiro didn't pay attention to that last part, but as he held the phone to his ear, a wave of sudden understanding fueled by conspiracy washed over his brain.
A single name formed as an answer.
'Makima'
Hiro sometimes forgot about the existence of his undercover mission, to prevent the Control Devil from becoming a monster like in the past. Often, he didn't like to think about it because his intrusive thoughts told him that his friendship with Makima seemed superficial, which he was quite sure wasn't the case.
But he had to remind himself to keep in mind the delicacy of the situation he was involved in with Makima, although he usually didn't worry about it most of the time because Makima had been nothing but a good friend to him over these four years. She hadn't hurt him, and as far as he knew, she didn't have any malicious plans for anyone on the planet.
She seemed more than happy to be by his side, and the feeling was mutual, enough to erase any intrusive thoughts created by the anxiety of the situation.
So, considering Kenji's crazy conspiracy (he couldn't believe he was actually starting to believe it, but deep down, he was desperate for an answer, so he couldn't dismiss any kind of hypothesis), the world knew that his undercover mission wasn't over yet, so it allowed him to live one more day, which realistically didn't help calm his nerves at all.
But well, it had only been four years; the true changes probably wouldn't be seen for at least another ten years.
"Maybe the world wanted to see me become a devil hunter" Hiro offered a false but somewhat truthful conclusion.
"Probably, who knows, maybe in that sense, you're destined to be the greatest devil hunter this world has ever seen."
Hiro smirked. "Only in my dreams."
"Well, I enjoyed talking to you. It's good to have someone to chat with about all this stuff; maybe that way, I won't lose my sanity so quickly. But it's getting late, and my parents won't be home for dinner tonight, so I have to cook for myself."
"Cook for yourself? I thought you had servants who did that for you?"
"Most of them died..."
"Oh, right."
"See you, Hiro. Try not to lose your head, okay?"
"Hah, look who's talking. See you.
Hiro hung up the call, placing the phone in its dock on the table near the living room sofa. He tried to get comfortable as he sorted through his thoughts on the current situation, all the while deciding what to have for dinner tonight. It was already 7 p.m., and Hiro could say that the day had passed quickly despite there not being much to do in this apartment aside from watching television, reading a few books, doing some cleaning, or having casual calls with Kenji.
As the days went by, this routine was starting to become very monotonous; boredom would probably end up killing him, doing what the Gun Devil couldn't.
'Come to think of it' Hiro lay back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling with a pensive look 'I don't think I've ever told Makima about Kenji. I wonder if they would get along.'
0O0O
"Why are you doing this?"
"What do you find amusing about this?"
"You and your kind... Only know how to ruin other people's lives."
She couldn't quite describe what her eyes were seeing at that moment. Her vision seemed quite limited. No matter how hard she tried to move her eyes to the right or left, she felt she couldn't look away from what was in front of her, or rather, the person standing before her.
It was a humanoid figure, but rather twisted, shrouded in a black shadow that concealed any features or clothing. She could only make out its limbs, like the arms and legs.
It seemed to be holding something in its right hand, but whatever it was, it was quite long and also covered by the black shadow, preventing her from seeing it clearly.
However, the only thing she could clearly distinguish were its eyes. They were a deep blue, and somehow, from that strange and twisted perspective, those eyes seemed to shine with that color. They had no pupils, just a bright blue color filling their eyes and seemingly staring directly at her... And only at her.
What was this? What was happening?
What was this strange figure?
After staring at it for a while, she began to question whether what she had in front of her was truly a human being. Her mind told her yes, that what she saw was a person, and the limbs confirmed it.
But her instinct told her otherwise; she felt that what her eyes were seeing was a dangerous predator, one that was ready to move and attack as soon as she blinked.
She felt a shiver run down her spine.
"You... You're a monster"
"You don't deserve to exist in this beautiful place."
"I'll make sure you never hurt another human being again."
There was a moment where everything seemed to freeze, like the image on a television starting to lose signal; what she was seeing began to blur until all she could see were those bright blue eyes...
... That looked at her with hatred.
When Makima suddenly opened her eyes, she found herself seated in one of the chairs in the library, her arms crossed on the table so she could rest her head on them. Her mind felt a bit foggy, and her neck was aching a little from having slept for a while in this position.
She stretched her body as she ran her hands over her face to remove any lingering traces of sleep. Her eyes scanned the surroundings to see several stacks of books completely disorganized and incorrectly categorized; she hadn't been to this place since the last time Hiro was here. So much had happened lately that the last thing on her mind was reading anything from this place. However, the only reason she was here was because it reminded her so much of Hiro.
Perhaps she should have come here at some point in the past few days, but she had been so busy worrying about her friend that the idea didn't even cross her mind, not even as an attempt to keep him close in some way. The atmosphere in the library reminded her so much of Hiro; it was as if all the moments she had lived with him had been imprinted in the environment of this place. But she hadn't noticed it until now that she desired his presence so much.
All the memories created in this place comforted her.
Every time they hugged, every time they laughed, every time they read together, every time they simply sat in comfortable silence while she clung to him seeking attention.
And of course, that time she cried on his chest in an act of friendship so great that none could surpass.
Makima's heart pounded in her chest as all the good moments flooded her mind; she almost felt like she could live them again if she concentrated hard enough.
But she had probably stayed too long in this place. It was time to return to the cruel world.
But that also meant seeing her favorite person again.
Makima rose from her chair and headed towards the exit; unlike last night, she was dressed in a wool turtleneck sweater, a dark blue skirt that reached just above her knees, a pair of black stockings, and finally, school dress shoes that any teenager would wear to school, except she wasn't going to school.
But it didn't matter; she liked how they looked on her.
All her clothes were always personally chosen by Doctor Nishimura, so it was normal to see all kinds of clothing in her wardrobe. She supposed some of it was second-hand.
As Makima opened the door, she noticed a rather amusing detail.
Hiro was so ingrained in her mind that he always caused any thoughts not related to him to take a back seat.
So, finally, she gave herself an answer to the strange occurrence that happened earlier.
'What a strange dream'
0O0O
Hiro couldn't sleep.
A glance at his clock indicated that it was midnight, and he still couldn't fall asleep. Unlike last night, today there seemed to be many other factors preventing him from sleeping.
First, there was all the chaos happening outside.
Hiro twisted in his bed as he tried to use the pillow to block out the sound of sirens. Where were they coming from? It was hard to tell. Many were from ambulances rushing back and forth to assist the injured or probably carrying someone in critical condition, or perhaps bodies. Then there were the unmistakable sounds of several helicopters cutting through the skies, or when one passed close to his building. They were so loud and nerve-wracking to hear up close.
The chaos outside felt like something out of an apocalyptic movie. Kishibe had assured him that the area around his building was protected and free from any risk, but that didn't mean that the noise from other parts of the city wouldn't reach here. He could even swear he heard some explosions.
It didn't seem like it would end.
Fear of devils had grown considerably after the Gun Devil attack, so much so that all emergency services were overwhelmed with calls for help from people who had sighted a devil or were being attacked by one.
So, it was normal for there to be so much chaos out there, but Kishibe assured him that eventually, everything would calm down.
Hiro doubted it, but he at least hoped the noise would end soon.
The second factor was the most overwhelming: his insomnia had returned.
Hiro sighed deeply as he put his hands on his face and tried to calm his mind. He had tried to go to bed at nine, but even when there wasn't all that background noise, he just couldn't fall asleep.
Damn it.
This was undoubtedly his toughest night so far; it felt like everyone out there was doing their best to prevent him from sleeping.
At this rate, he'd probably be awake by the time Kishibe returned.
'I wonder if Makima can sleep through all this noise, considering her hearing is much sharper than mine. She's probably having a worse time' Hiro remembered how Makima once told him that, unlike him, it was quite difficult for her to dream about anything specific. Some defect from being a demon or a reincarnation, neither she nor Dr. Nishimura could explain it, but they stopped caring about it a long time ago.
How would that feel? Sleeping and not dreaming about anything.
On one hand, you had the advantage of avoiding nightmares, but you'd miss out on your sweet dreams.
It would be like closing your eyes and the next second it would be daytime; it would surely feel very strange.
"Hmm" Hiro hummed as he put his hands behind his head and gazed at the ceiling thoughtfully "Makima... I wonder what more I could do for you to make you happy."
The entire conversation he had with Kenji earlier, along with that crazy theory he came up with, left him pondering whether he had truly been doing enough for Makima in these four years. He wanted to believe he had, but he wasn't an expert in dealing with devils, at least not at the same level as Doctor Nishimura or Kishibe, so he couldn't draw a scientific conclusion, so to speak, after witnessing Makima's behavior all this time.
On the other hand, the part of him that didn't think like a mad scientist and was guided more by heart and good faith told him there was nothing to fear about it. He had made Makima happy; she had even told him so multiple times, so that should be proof enough that the mission was a success, or at least it was in progress.
He probably wouldn't have an answer until she and he were adults and could make their own decisions. How would Makima fare in this new life? She always being the embodiment of the Control Devil but maintaining a more stable and peaceful attitude than in other eras, all thanks to his intervention in her life...
But would it be enough? That was another question that would have an answer another day.
Deep down, Hiro wanted to believe that being her friend would be enough for her, but the part of him guided more by pessimism and anguish told him otherwise. He probably wouldn't be enough to move her will to the point of forgetting all her evil and turning her into someone completely different for the better.
Hiro crushed all those thoughts. Was this what entering puberty was like? Having serious trouble believing in yourself?
Honestly, he would prefer to think about this than to have those super awkward talks with Kishibe. Maybe the only good thing that came out of the Gun Devil attack was that Kishibe forgot to buy him any inappropriate magazines, damn, he dodged a bullet there.
As Hiro was pondering all this, he had finally managed to become a little drowsy. That's the good thing about thinking deeply about various things with your eyes closed; eventually, it makes you sleepy. So, taking advantage of this small advantage, Hiro settled into his bed, turning to the right side, preferring this side for now as he had the window to his left showing him all the chaos of the city in the distance.
The noise outside started to turn into a kind of white noise that helped him fall asleep even more.
... Maybe he could finally get some sleep. It came too late for his liking, but better late than never.
'Makima' the image of his friend was a much-welcomed aid for his mind to relax even further.
And finally... He stopped thinking.
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... Was that the sound of the apartment door opening?
He could easily recognize it. This made Hiro's mind flicker back to consciousness of what was happening around him, but he still kept his eyes closed, hoping to eventually fall asleep once and for all.
If the apartment door was opening, then that meant Kishibe had finally returned. It was odd; he had said he would be back around three in the morning, and he always kept his word. Even if he finished earlier, he always liked to go out drinking until late at night or even until dawn.
So it was very strange that today he decided to come back earlier than usual. Had things finally calmed down in public safety? Or maybe they had more recruits now?
Well, in any case, Hiro was happy for Kishibe. He had been working very hard lately and deserved a break for all his hard wor-
... Was his bedroom door opening?
What the hell?
Why was Kishibe opening his door?
As much as Hiro could sympathize with Kishibe, he really didn't feel like having a conversation late at night, even if he wasn't completely asleep. It would be even worse if it turned out to be another one of those talks about puberty; he'd tell him to screw off right then and there. He preferred to stay here in his bed trying to fall asleep.
A bit of the yellow light from the kitchen illuminated his room as it continued to open further. It seemed like Kishibe wanted to make sure he was still asleep. Well, it wasn't that hard to pretend to be asleep, so he could manage that. Maybe him checking if he was really asleep had something to do with those strange questions he asked him in the morning.
He had no idea where Kishibe's concerns were coming from, but he would ask him about them in the morning.
... His door closed... But he... entered?
Hiro didn't move from his spot but still kept his eyes closed, though he began to furrow his brow slightly, unsure of what was happening. He felt very tempted to open his eyes and confront Kishibe, asking him what the hell he wanted, but...
... There was something very strange about all of this.
The steps that sounded in his room were much lighter than Kishibe's, Hiro knew how to recognize them, especially by the type of shoes he usually wears. But now it seemed like the steps were much lighter... And trying to be silent.
Was that what Kishibe was doing, trying to be silent?
But why?
No...
It couldn't be that.
Hiro had imagined, in a hypothetical case, that if Kishibe really tried to be stealthy, he wouldn't be able to hear him at all. But he was here, barely hearing some steps that were slowly stopping on the other side of his bed.
So there were two conclusions. And he had to choose one.
Either overnight his hearing had evolved so much that he could now hear Kishibe's stealthy steps...
... Or the person on the other side wasn't Kishibe at all.
Hiro began to panic, his heart pounding due to irrational fear. Even if it really was Kishibe, this was completely unusual and quite strange behavior. What kind of person would watch another while they sleep? God, that sounded pretty disturbing.
He swallowed hard, accepting the terrifying conclusion that the person behind him wasn't Kishibe. It couldn't be him. There were too many factors that made that impossible.
In addition to everything previously mentioned, there was this imposing aura that caused his breathing to quicken and only increased the pace of his heart. It was terrifying and dreadful, making him want to either hug himself to calm down or as a way to protect himself from what was about to happen.
And yet, this spine-chilling aura... felt quite familiar.
It was so frightening that he found it impossible to utter a word. He knew very well that if he showed any signs of being awake, two things could happen. On one hand, if he turned around, he could confront the person in his room, and on the other hand, even more horrifically, he wouldn't know what they would do to him if they knew he was awake.
From the movement on the floor, he felt the person behind him take a step closer to his bed. Hiro knew he had to do something, but realistically there wasn't much he could do to defend himself. Well, he wasn't sure if they would really harm him, but he couldn't let his guard down.
'Dammit! What can I do?' Hiro thought, panicked, feeling them getting closer and closer to him. His body began to tremble slightly.
If it turned out to be Kishibe in the end, he wouldn't hesitate to punch him in the balls agai-
Hiro felt his body freeze as he felt a hand rest on his bare shoulder, damn, it was ice-cold.
This icy touch also felt eerily familiar.
Hiro squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he was in potential danger from something that definitely wasn't human. No one could have such a cold touch and be human.
He knew he wasn't trained to fight, but right now he had to do whatever it took to get out of here alive, even if it meant dying in the attempt.
'Screw it, I'm doing it. Whoever you are, I'll punch you for sneaking into my room, you damn stalker' he clenched his left fist, readying it. 'Here goes nothing!'
In a bold and sudden movement that seemed to surprise even his supposed stalker, Hiro turned at a considerable speed even while lying down, and swung his left arm with his fist ready to surprise (and perhaps neutralize) the stalker who probably had nefarious plans for him.
It would have been much worse if it had been a pervert doing crazy things to kids; in that sense, Kishibe would have also been a consideration given how he had thought of him four years ago.
But what he found left him stunned.
The fist that was aimed at his supposed stalker was easily stopped by a palm that rose up swiftly; there was so much strength there that Hiro felt he couldn't move his hand anymore.
But that didn't matter.
In an instant, his brain rebooted as his wide-open eyes looked in shock at the person in front of him.
Blue met yellow, and those spiral eyes looked just as surprised.
0O0O
A few minutes earlier.
Makima walked through the lobby with a smile on her face.
"You again?" she heard the receptionist's voice as she was about to enter an elevator. "Miss, if I recall correctly, I told you this place is exclusive for guests, you can't-"
"You will pretend you didn't see me tonight, and by morning, you won't remember that I was here" Makima responded with a command, all the while maintaining her smile.
The receptionist fell silent; once again, her control had worked.
After entering the elevator and pressing the right buttons, Makima now found herself walking down the same hallway as the night before, until she reached room 205.
Using the same method as yesterday, Makima carefully opened the door again, though the squeak of the door was still somewhat audible; she could blame it on not being oiled in some time.
Well, it didn't matter; Hiro would likely be asleep by this point in the night.
Right?
He didn't seem like the type to neglect his health by staying up late.
Anyway.
Makima's silent steps led her to Hiro's room door. She opened it with some slowness, first cracking it open slightly and peeking through a small gap in the door. She managed to see that he was lying on the opposite side of his window, his body unmoving but his breathing steady.
He seemed asleep; this was her chance.
Makima opened the door a bit more so she could enter, quickly closing it to prevent more light from the kitchen from entering the room and accidentally waking him up.
Makima smiled sweetly when she was finally alone with him, almost tempted to give little jumps as she walked towards Hiro's bed, but she had to keep being silent.
She frowned slightly when she looked out the window and noticed all the annoying noise coming from the streets, along with the sound of some helicopters. Poor Hiro, it must be very difficult for him to try to sleep in these conditions.
When Makima looked back at Hiro, her frown only deepened; she could see slight tremors moving his body, even his arms moved to hug himself as if seeking comfort.
Was he cold, perhaps? Winter was approaching, so it was very justifiable; another day she would recommend Hiro to have an extra blanket on his bed.
Her ears picked up something peculiar again; Hiro's breaths were becoming a bit faster than usual, and if she focused more, she could almost hear the frantic rhythm of his heart.
Oh no, was he having a nightmare? Or worse, maybe he was having some kind of cardiac or respiratory attack.
Makima took a nervous step towards Hiro's bed. She didn't know what was happening to him, but she would do whatever it took to help him calm down, all without the need to wake him up, or so she hoped.
She put her hand on his shoulder, and instantly felt him shiver even more... That wasn't a good sign.
'Wait a moment, if he could feel that, it means that-'
Her heart skipped a beat when, without warning, Hiro's body quickly and abruptly turned, everything happened too fast for the human eye, but for Makima, it was like seeing everything in slow motion; she saw that punch coming from miles away, so she easily stopped Hiro's fist with her own hand. Still, she seemed equally surprised as he did as she kept her eyes wide open and fixed on his.
It was as if two statues were having a staring competition; neither moved from their spot, both very surprised by what had just happened in just a few seconds. Hiro felt like his brain exploded at that moment; he blinked a couple of times to make sure what he was seeing was real and not an illusion. Makima was paralyzed with fear; her heart pounded hard when she realized that Hiro was fully aware of her presence in his room. She tried to formulate words in her mind that she would eventually release with her mouth, but it was difficult for her to decide where to start.
The seconds were becoming endless and seriously uncomfortable as neither made a move to awaken the other from their thoughts. It wasn't until the sound of a helicopter passing very close to the building that they seemed to return to the reality around them; a bit of the helicopter's light passing through the window illuminated Hiro's room, and he got a better view of Makima's characteristic face. That dispelled his doubts.
It was her.
That only led to more questions.
"Makima..." When he said her name, it was more of a confirmation than a question. There was no doubt in Hiro Takahashi's mind; he was seeing his best friend right now.
"Ah..." She still couldn't gather the right words; she was too busy anxiously weighing the things he might say. Would he be angry with her for sneaking into his apartment and room?
Would he understand the reason why she did it?
"I... I'm sorry, I have to go" Suddenly, she panicked, and the fear of rejection she had buried years ago came back from the dead.
She released Hiro's fist and turned at a surprising speed with the intention of heading for the exit, but whether out of pure skill or because he could predict her actions, Hiro grabbed her arm just before it was too late.
"Wait!" The young man had to stretch himself enough to reach her at the last moment. If there had been just a few more centimeters between them, he wouldn't have caught her. In fact, he almost fell off his bed.
"Huh?" Makima stopped and looked at him with genuine curiosity and confusion, not knowing what to expect from him.
The look he gave her begged to know what the hell was happening here.
"Makima... Don't go, okay?" his eyes were pleading.
"I..." She was still quite reluctant to continue with this; she felt quite guilty for being the one responsible for making Hiro so worried right now. Damn, maybe she should have never come here. "Hiro, I-"
"Please, stay."
He looked her straight in the eyes, and Makima found herself having a weakness for those blue eyes that were now pleading with her. Her most sensible and responsible part spoke for her. She couldn't say no, especially not now, and maybe she never could.
"..." She simply nodded, persuaded to stay a little longer. Hiro sighed in relief, knowing he had managed to make her stay with him. Truth be told, he did it for three reasons.
1: He really needed to talk to someone other than Kishibe, Quanxi, and Kenji to vent about all the trauma he had suffered.
2: He wanted to know why she was here.
3: Because he missed her so much.
Easing his grip on her arm, he gestured for her to sit in the chair in front of his bed. She obeyed, feeling like a child about to be scolded.
Another uncomfortable silence grew between them as Hiro thought about how to start, and Makima waited patiently. They occasionally glanced into each other's eyes, then looked away with embarrassment.
Deep down, Hiro still didn't believe that the girl in front of him was Makima; perhaps he had fallen asleep and this was a dream. He wouldn't mind if that were the case.
Hiro sat on his bed and with a reassuring sigh, brought up the most important topic. "What are you doing here, Makima?" he asked with great curiosity.
She grimaced; even though he didn't ask with anger or disgust, it was still going to be very embarrassing to explain the reason. Maybe just teenage stuff?
"I wanted to see you" she admitted while lowering her gaze to her shoes; her cheeks felt a little warm.
Hiro blushed but maintained a calm expression. "I guess... I can see that. But how did you find out where I live? As far as I remember, I never told you the address of my building."
She nervously crossed her arms, her hands rubbing her arms to try to keep her composure as she responded, "Would you believe me if I told you that my nose guided me to you?"
"Your nose?" Hiro raised an eyebrow.
The redhead nodded as she continued to look at the ground. "Last night, I decided to take a nighttime walk through the city. I walked so much that I ended up in a school area, or what was left of it. That's where I caught your scent."
Hiro's eyes widened as he connected the dots. "You passed by my school?" he asked incredulously. Did Makima walk that far? And she just happened to stop at his school? It sounded like too much of a coincidence to be true.
Now it was Makima's turn to be surprised. "That was your school?" Hiro nodded, and Makima frowned, looking much more concerned than before. "But it was a disaster! There was hardly anything left of that place except a school bus lodged in a building!"
Hiro grimaced this time, and his gaze grew somber. "Yeah... The Gun Devil wasn't kind to us." He shook his head, changing the subject. "Anyway, you mean to tell me that you found out where I lived by following the trail I left in that place?"
Makima seemed calmer than a few moments ago but still appeared somewhat nervous. Yes, more or less, that's how it went."
"Hey, but how? Is your nose really that accurate?"
She allowed herself a small smile. "It's true that I have a sense of smell vastly superior to that of an average demon, but it wasn't just that which helped me find you. Hiro, I don't think I've ever told you this, but... the scent you emit is incredibly strong."
Hiro blinked a couple of times. "My scent? Does that mean I smell bad?"
Damn, that was a blow to his insecurity; he should consider using a lot more deodorant from now on.
Makima waved her hands, denying that conclusion. "N-no, that's not what I meant. To me, your scent is quite intoxicating. I don't know how to describe it, but I just know that I don't dislike it. I don't know how to explain it, but for some reason, your scent is much, much more potent than that of the average human. I've heard of some humans emitting stronger scents than others, but I think you've set a new record. The day I met you, your scent was so strong that I had to cover my nose to avoid suffocating, but eventually, I got used to it... And sometimes I just can't get enough." This time she didn't look away; instead, she looked him in the eyes with an intense expression that shook Hiro.
"I-I had no idea about any of this," Hiro looked down to avoid Makima's gaze and to ponder over everything she had said.
Makima had told him before how much she enjoyed his scent, but he never imagined that his scent would be so potent as to leave a trail from his school to his apartment.
Now that he thought about it, the fact that Makima enjoyed smelling him sounded like a pretty weird fetish. He had never considered it until today when his mind was free from all innocence (thanks to Kishibe), but he was getting off topic.
Makima glanced down again. "Well, I never considered it necessary. I never thought it would serve me for anything other than relaxing in your arms" she played with her thumbs.
God, Hiro's influence on her was incredible. And the idiot didn't even realize it.
Hiro closed his eyes and rubbed them with his fingertips in an attempt to soothe the burning sensation from lack of sleep. It also helped him to maintain his composure in this event that had never crossed his mind, not even in his wildest fantasies. He never thought he would see the day when Makima would be in his apartment, let alone in his bedroom. It all sounded impossible given all the restrictions she had to abide by until she reached the appropriate age.
On the other hand, Kishibe would never allow the Control Devil to set foot in this place.
"And... You also came in last night?" Hiro asked cautiously.
"Yes."
"How did the receptionist let you in?"
"He didn't, at first he warned me that this place was exclusive for guests and some other things. All I needed was to give him an order to reveal which floor and room you lived in, after that he just stared into space at his desk."
"Did you brainwash him?" Hiro asked, concerned for the well-being of his receptionist. "He'll be okay... right?"
Makima rolled her eyes. "He'll be fine, it's not like I gave him a stroke or anything. When I don't focus on the people I control, they eventually come back to themselves, and all they're left with is a little headache. However, today I made sure that by tomorrow he wouldn't remember that I was here."
Hiro breathed a sigh of relief, but he had another question in mind. "How did you manage to open the apartment door? Kishibe preferred not to leave a spare key at the front desk."
"I manipulated my chains at a molecular level to unlock the door latch. It was basically being like a thief but with better tools," she explained briefly.
But Hiro had no idea what she was talking about. "Chains? What chains are you referring to?" Just after saying that, he observed in astonishment as some sort of chain protruded from Makima's palm. It looked quite sturdy and was very well polished for something she seemingly conjured out of thin air.
"Wow, since when can you do that?" His eyes were wide with astonishment as he watched one of Makima's previously unknown powers.
"Since before I met you," she said, retracting the chain disappearing into her hand, or wherever it went.
Another uncomfortable silence ensued, a common occurrence whenever Hiro had something on his mind. However, Makima had had enough, and she wanted to ask him some questions herself.
"Hiro" she looked down, managing to catch his attention even though he made no sound to indicate he should continue, "Are you angry?"
"Huh?"
She squirmed in her seat. "I can understand if you're angry with me for entering your apartment without your permission, it's just that..." she clenched her fists, "After that damned gun devil attacked, I went a whole week without hearing from you, Dr. Nishimura couldn't even tell me what happened to you because... That bastard you have as a mentor couldn't be bothered to go to the research center and inform me of your situation."
Hiro listened in surprise as Makima seemed to be releasing all her pent-up anger. Truth be told, it was somewhat intimidating.
Makima gritted her teeth as she let out what sounded like a growl. "I spent two weeks wondering where you were. I didn't know if you were dead, I didn't know if you were alive, no one would give me any information about you, no one seemed to care except me!" She fell silent for a moment, but then he noticed her starting to tremble and her voice sounding rather fragile now.
"... I spent several sleepless nights wondering where you were, cursing myself for not being persuasive enough to prevent you from going on that stupid school trip. Maybe then, if you were really dead, I could have saved you. But if you were alive, I wondered why you hadn't come to see me?" She looked up, her eyes moist with tears, on the verge of spilling over. "Why did you abandon me?"
Throughout all this time, Makima had done everything possible to avoid thinking about that possibility. She couldn't decide which was worse, imagining a scenario where Hiro died, or one where he grew tired of her and abandoned her. The only thing preventing her from reaching that conclusion was the memory of that beautiful moment they shared in the library four years ago.
It was foolish, she knew all too well, but this was her first friendship in her entire existence. The fear of losing it for any reason gave birth to several insecurities that she had only recently noticed. She knew Hiro wouldn't do that, he wouldn't leave her behind. He wasn't that kind of human being; he was better than any trash roaming those streets.
But there was a tiny manifestation of insecurity deep down inside her. Despite being very small, it still managed to fill her with doubts. She hated it, hated having to go through all this. The only way to destroy that tiny insecurity was to listen to what Hiro had to say.
But she wasn't done.
"I was so scared. I didn't want to imagine a world where you didn't exist. I think I would have ended it all if I found out you had perished. I would have done everything in my power to kill the Gun Devil for snatching you from my life." Makima gripped her knees, tearing her stockings in frustration from the isolation of two weeks.
"There's no one else in this world worth it to me. There's no human being who makes me reconsider the things I do like you do. You're one of a kind, you're irreplaceable. That's why I want you to understand the reason I did all this, why I did something as risky as coming here." She did her best not to cry.
Hiro didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.
But even with all the fear, sadness, and frustration showing on Makima's face... She found the will to muster a smile. "I just... wanted to see my favorite person in the world again."
Hiro wasn't surprised...
... He was touched.
He knew that to Makima, he was someone very special. He was her first friend, after all. But being here and hearing her say all those words, hearing her vent all her frustration at his absence, felt much deeper than he ever imagined. Her words struck deep into his heart, so much so that it was very concerning when he heard her considering the idea of taking her own life if he died.
He couldn't help but think Makima was taking this too far, but at the same time, it only showed him how much he meant to her. This whole situation warmed his heart to the point where he couldn't help but smile foolishly.
Her question was partially answered. Besides being Makima's friend, it was also his job to comfort her in moments like these.
And that's what he did.
"Makima..." he was smiling. "You're so silly" he said teasingly.
"Huh?"
Hiro chuckled. "You're just so forgetful. I remember telling you four years ago in that library that I didn't hate you, and I could never hate you. Forgive me for not coming to see you in these two weeks; I spent one whole week in a coma, and the other week recovering from my injuries. In fact, I'm still not fully healed, and Kishibe and Quanxi told me it was best to recover completely before returning to the research center."
He wasn't looking at her now, his gaze focused on a point beyond her. "But I've also been thinking a lot about you. I've wondered many times if I'm really doing enough for you."
Makima widened her eyes upon hearing that, tears still unshed. "W-what do you mean?"
"I mean, if I'm really doing enough to make you happy. Sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough as your friend, like I could do more but I just don't know how. I even felt like a useless idiot," he noticed how she froze in place as if that statement were the dumbest thing to ever come out of a human's mouth. "Do I really make you happy, Makima?"
"Of course you do! I'm always happy when you're by my side!" she argued, feeling a little offended. "Don't you dare think for a second that what you do for me doesn't mean a lot. Everything you do, no matter how small, fills my world with a joy I've never experienced before!"
Hiro blinked in surprise but then smiled sweetly. "Don't worry. With everything you've said, I have no doubt I'm doing just fine. Once again, I'm really sorry for not coming to see you. I really wanted to, but like you, I was restricted. That's why I'm not angry that you're here, just surprised. And you being here... That makes me very happy too."
In a move she didn't expect but filled her heart with emotion, Hiro extended his arms in a gesture she knew all too well. He had a loving smile, and his eyes showed all the kindness and love that were exclusively for her.
"Because I missed you too, Makima!"
The first tear that fell wasn't due to sadness.
It was because of the immense joy she felt in that moment!
Makima didn't hesitate for a second and moved so quickly from her chair to crash into Hiro's body. Her arms wrapped around him, intending never to let him go again and to protect him from any threat as if he were the greatest treasure in the world.
Because he was, he was the most precious thing she had in this world.
Makima buried her face in his neck, feeling that scent that sent tons of calm and security through her being, something she had needed for so long. Hiro didn't mind that she was now straddling his lap, he didn't think about that kind of closeness when he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her even closer. He also rested his face on her shoulder, missing this pleasant sensation of having her in his arms.
When she began to sob, he did the first thing that came to mind, rubbing her back gently in an attempt to comfort her while whispering soothing things in her ear.
"There, there, everything will be okay, Makima, I'm here... You're here, we're going to be okay" he felt his shirt starting to dampen.
"I was so worried about you, imagining you had died was too much for me!" her cry of sadness was muffled against his neck, she had no intentions of moving from that spot, no intentions of ever let him go again.
"I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry, I didn't mean to make you go through all this, I would never leave you," his grip on her tightened.
"You...!" she seemed to calm down a bit, her sobs becoming less intense but she was still trembling, "Please... Don't ever leave my side again. I don't know what I would do without you."
"I won't, I promise you, Makima, I'll always be by your side" he gave her a small smile.
Perhaps they stayed in that position for several minutes until she finally stopped crying, but honestly, they didn't care about time, for them it was as if it didn't exist in the first place, it was just the two of them in their little world.
Makima pulled away from his neck and moved to be in front of him, she looked into those beautiful blue eyes that were a sea of warm emotions only for her, and he looked into those mesmerizing yellow eyes with rings he couldn't get enough of.
Neither could get enough of each other.
She connected her forehead with his and closed her eyes, he did the same, enjoying the moment.
"I missed you"
"I missed you too"
0O0O
Notes: You guys don't know it, but as I was writing this last part, I started screaming like a crazy bitch. God, if this moment was like this, imagine how the confession will be when they both realize that what they feel for each other is love.
If you were curious to know when it will happen, I don't think it's wise to say at what age it will happen, it would ruin all the surprise, but it will definitely be before the age of twenty (obviously) it will be before they become adults but it will also be during adolescence. Let's see who guesses.
At 15? At 16? At 17?
Only time will tell.
But again, I have to remind you that this story has already been thought out to its end, so don't think that I'm just making everything up as I go, no, it's not like that anymore.
I've had this chapter in my mind for a year now and I finally made it here, it feels good. I think this arc of the gun devil is going to last 5 more chapters. It's worth mentioning that the next one will be a continuation of this and it will lay the groundwork for new problems in Hiro's life.
And when I say problems, I mean SERIOUS problems.
Damn, this was supposed to be short. At first, I thought this would be 6k words, but it ended up being double that. When I started adding more emotions to the scenes, I thought, 'Hmm nah, this doesn't look good, I'll add more details and narration,' I felt that if this ended up being 6k words, I would fall short in trying to narrate what the characters feel, I don't know, I just wouldn't have liked the final result.
I think that's why many of the chapters I originally think will be short end up being long, I got so used to putting in so many details that I feel like everything looks ugly without them.
I also originally planned to add two more scenes in this chapter, but I thought it was more appropriate to end it with this scene of Hiro and Makima hugging than with the other even more violent scene I had in mind.
Or did you think Makima was going to walk out of that apartment again as if nothing happened? Ha.
Kishibe can be a pain in the ass sometimes.
But you'll see those scenes in the next chapter.
Next time, I'll just say that the next chapter is going to be long, that way I play reverse psychology on myself and finally release a short chapter.
Sorry if there wasn't a chapter in May, I had some important university projects throughout that month and couldn't find the time to write, but better late than never, right?
Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? Did it have the right amount of sweetness? Leave your comments on how the chapter was in general, I'm Abusamadres, until next time.