By the third year, you and Kento Nanami had become an inseparable team. Your communication was so seamless that some joked you were mind-reading. For you, it came naturally, an unspoken bond that allowed you to move in perfect sync with him during missions. Nanami had been fascinated by your abilities, seeing beauty in the precision and control you wielded. Together, you formed a formidable duo, complementing each other's strengths in a way that few could match.
On a mission in the countryside, you had the chance to demonstrate just how well your partnership worked. The rolling hills and dense forests provided the perfect backdrop for a battle against a particularly troublesome curse. As always, Nanami took the lead, engaging the curse head-on with his pristine focus and calculated strikes.
You watched from the shadows, your body coiled like a spring, ready to pounce. Nanami's movements were deliberate, drawing the curse's attention and creating the opening you needed. With a burst of speed, you darted behind the curse, your hand reaching out to make contact.
Your fingertips brushed against the curse's skin, and immediately it began to flail, trying to escape your hold. Nanami counted down from five, his voice steady and calm, a beacon in the chaos of the fight. You moved with the thrashing curse, your connection unyielding as you listened to the calm, collected voice of your classmate and moved in various ways with the creature.
"Five… four…" You gasped in a breath as you were forced up against the wall, but thrusted off it with the curse to keep your hand tethered to the creature.
"three…" The gnarled creature screeched as it tried to spin, but you were fast enough to run around with it.
"two…" your classmate's voice was your focus, your conscience, your sanity.
"one…" Nanami's voice reached zero, and you released your hold, a thankful breath escaping your lips while you itched your arm. The curse froze in place, its body rigid and unmoving, as if caught in an invisible snare. You walked over to Nanami with a sense of satisfaction, the rush of the successful maneuver still coursing through your veins.
Nanami was already looking at his watch—a gift from you for his birthday just a month prior. It was a sleek, durable piece, chosen with care to withstand the rigors of your demanding lifestyle - although it was a clunky thing on his currently thin wrist. He started counting the seconds, his gaze never wavering from the watch face. You watched him intently, your heart racing not just from the adrenaline of the fight but also from the anticipation of his assessment. Each tick of the watch seemed louder in the silence, each second stretching out as you awaited his judgment.
The seconds ticked by, the anticipation building with each passing moment. You could see the curse begin to twitch, subtle movements that signaled its impending recovery. Nanami's eyes narrowed, his focus sharpening as he prepared for the final strike. His blade flashed in a blur of motion, a single, precise slice that severed the curse's connection to this world. The curse's body dissolved into nothingness, its existence erased in an instant.
"Five to thirty seconds," Nanami announced, his voice carrying a note of approval. "You're improving."
A smile spread across your face, the compliment filling you with a warm sense of accomplishment. You knew how rare it was for Nanami to dole out praise, and the fact that he acknowledged your progress meant everything to you.
"Thanks, Kento," you replied quietly, your eyes meeting his. He nodded back in acknowledgment. Ever since Yu's death, you had become a fraction of your normal goofy self, and part of him wondered if you were a sponge. Without Yu's energy around, you seemed to soak up his own quiet nature, which at first, he had enjoyed.
But then the silence became grating. Painful. Worse.
The absence of Yu had left a void, and even though you and Nanami continued your missions with the same efficiency, something was missing. The laughter, the warmth, the light-hearted moments that Yu brought with him were gone, replaced by a heavy silence that seemed to follow you everywhere. It felt like a constant weight on your chest, one that you couldn't shake no matter how hard you tried.
In an attempt to find some comfort, you had taken to Yu's closet almost immediately after the funeral and stole all of his uniform jackets—all three of them. You wore them instead of the ones made to fit you, the oversized clothing enveloping you in a sense of safety and familiarity. The jackets were far too large, making you look a little less put together, but you didn't care. They carried his scent, his presence, and that was all you needed.
Nanami noticed, of course. He noticed everything. But he never said a word about it. No, he accepted it—you. He understood your need for comfort, your way of coping with the loss. Because he was a little broken too. The pain of losing Yu had affected him deeply, though he hid it well behind his stoic exterior.
It was that understanding that made the two of you devastating to your opponents. The grief, the trust, the pain was all just a glue that connected you both in this tragic world.