Whew, I finally finished this chapter, as a lot of things distracted me and I had a lot of doubts about this one.
I also managed to finish this one while it's January 1st, so there's that as well, haha.
Lastly, if you have fully read every detail on the Grand Prix omake, then you already have a glimpse of Hoshino and Astolfo's dynamic, so this one will be an attempt at an expansion of it.
Happy New Years~!
"Mmmm…"
"Master…?"
"Mmmm…?"
"Master?"
"Eh…?"
Takanashi Hoshino slowly opened her heterochromatic blue and orange eyes and saw a pink-haired effeminate young man smiling down at her.
"Good morning, master~!" He chirped with a toothy grin. "Had a nice sleep?"
"Uhee…" She slowly sat up from her bed, rubbing one of her eyes. "Good morning, Rider, I guess…"
"I made you breakfast!" Rider pulled out a tray of overcooked eggs, bacon, and toast.
"… They're burnt…" Hoshino said bluntly.
"Hahaha, I have no experience in the kitchen whatsoever~!" Rider said, scratching the back of his head with a tone that was too chipper for her liking.
However, she wasn't about to decline something her servant clearly worked hard on, and accepted the breakfast tray.
As she took a bite from toast that was too crunchy, she glanced at her servant and noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual battle attire, opting to wear a purple rabbit hoodie over a striped crop top that bared his midriff, along with a short black skirt, black leggings, and purple sneakers.
"Any special occasion for you dressed like this?" Hoshino asked, her voice slightly muffled by the food.
"Wellllll…" Rider pretended to look thoughtful as he grinned at her. "I do want to explore your home a bit more since I wanna know more about it."
That was understandable, in her mind. She knew that her servant stuck closely by her side during the last two weeks since she summoned him, so she didn't mind giving him some freedom.
However, just as she took a bite out of the burnt eggs, she saw the pink-haired Rider giving her a wide grin as he wiggled his eyebrows, which drew a feeling of suspicion within her.
"Rider… what's with that look…?" Hoshino asked warily.
"Who said that I'd be going alone~." Rider placed a hand on his master's shoulder. "You're coming with me~!"
"Eh?" Hoshino blinked with a frown. "Rider, I have my duties tonight, so I can't-"
"Come on, you've been doing that ever since I came here!" He grabbed her hands, his tone energetic yet sincere. "I know that keeping your school safe matters to you, but you might just drop from feeling so tired one day, you know?"
"I've been doing this for a few years now, Rider." Hoshino insisted, shaking her head. "Besides, I don't want you to stick with me all the-"
"Master, today is Saturday, which should be a time for you to relax and maybe even explore." Rider smiled, his tone becoming gentle.
"Rider, I'm already more than familiar with-"
"Just give it a chance, you might even know a bit more about your home." Rider persisted. "Trust me on this."
" … " Hoshino said nothing for a few seconds, before she let out a sigh.
She wordlessly picked up the overcooked bacon and popped it inside her mouth, before she proceeded to stand up from her bed.
"Well, I'm running short on school supplies, so I guess I'll go out." Hoshino said, and then gestured towards the empty plate and tray. "You put this on the sink, while I take a shower, I might as well get started as early as I can."
"Funny that you say that, hehe." Rider laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "It's actually twelve in the afternoon right now, so you pretty much slept in."
His master stared blankly at him for a few seconds, and then said. "… You watched me sleep the entire morning…?"
"Only for an hour!" Rider chirped, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "I wanted to make sure you were safe and sound!"
" … "
Hoshino slowly made her way towards the door of her bedroom, her eyes never leaving her eccentric servant the entire time.
"Eh, you're not gonna get a towel?"
"This weirdo…" She muttered.
Click. Creak. Thud.
XXX (Thirty Minutes Later) XXX
Hoshino walked down the streets of the Abydos district, her hands inside her pockets as she idly watched her surroundings.
Due to today being a weekend, she opted for a more casual outfit, consisting of a red baseball cap that nearly covered her eyes, a white baggy hoodie over a yellow shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers, with her long pink hair tied in a ponytail.
She was also walking around without her trusty shotgun, due to Rider's insistence on her not bringing it for the sake of her "break" day.
"Hehe, you look great in different clothes, master~."
Speaking of Rider, he was happily walking alongside her, taking in the sights around him, even though he had already seen them several times.
Then again, her servant was weird like that and seemed to make decisions based on his personal whims rather than ones with actual thought.
"They're empty…"
The lack of activity on the streets was a bitter reminder of the situation of her home district, as it wasn't just her school that was suffering.
More and more civilians were leaving Abydos and migrating to other districts, and the ones still here, she felt like they didn't have much longer, as much as she didn't want to think about it.
Even after Sensei's assistance and being saved from Black Suit's deal, she had trouble seeing how the dire situation would ever resolve.
"Master."
Hoshino felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder, prompting her to turn her gaze and see Rider flashing her a grin of reassurance.
She didn't know why, but she felt oddly comfortable in her servant's presence, enough for her to drop her usual act entirely when it was just the two of them, which was strange since she wasn't the type to let her guard down very easily, especially to those she hadn't known for too long.
"I know things look bad, but I'm sure you and your friends can find a way!" Rider said in an encouraging tone.
"Thanks…" Hoshino muttered, closing her eyes.
After a while, she shook her head and focused on where she was going, not wanting to let her thoughts become too cynical.
…
XXX (Ten Minutes Later) XXX
Hoshino eventually reached her destination, which was a fairly run-down variety shop, once filled with people and was currently empty.
It was yet another reminder of her district's situation.
"Let's go, master!" Rider was quick to grab her hand. "I'm sure that people are inside!"
Creak.
"Oh, I didn't expect to meet anyone today." An old voice spoke. "Welcome to Koizumi Mart, my name is Koizumi Keitaro."
"And I'm Koizumi Koichi!" A younger voice chirped. "Nice to meet you two~!"
The only inhabitants of the shop were an elderly man with obvious gray hair and dog ears, tired blue eyes, and a worn-out transparent orange halo, wearing a blue and gray polo shirt uniform with a green apron, and a young boy with brown hair and dog ears, bright blue eyes, and a small orange halo, wearing a similar uniform, along with a dog's tail wagging from behind his small body.
"I told you that we'd get visitors, grandpa!" Koichi said excitedly, his eyes sparkling.
"Indeed you did," Keitaro replied with a chuckle. "Do be a dear and fetch our guests some refreshments."
"Of course~!"
As Koichi went behind the counter and into a room, Keitaro sighed and placed a hand over his aged features.
Hoshino frowned at the old man's mood, and hesitantly asked. "How's… business going, Koizumi-san?"
"The sandstorm truly affected everything and the way we live." Keitaro answered, closing his eyes. "It used to be filled with various people coming in, purchasing gifts for their loved ones, and sharing their stories, but now, nearly everyone in the neighborhood has since moved out."
"Everyone?" Rider asked, frowning for once.
"There are only a few people left around us, but due to the need of having to make ends meet, it's only a matter of time until they leave as well." Keitaro answered, gazing towards the doors where customers used to enter.
"That boy, Koichi-kun, has this affected him too?" Hoshino inquired.
In response, Keitaro had a small smile and let out a chuckle. "That grandson of mine hardly lets something like that get him down for too long, and thus works hard in case anyone came in."
Hearing this, Hoshino turned her gaze towards the door the young boy after his grandpa had told them to fetch them something, while Rider separated from her side to begin looking around the shelves.
"You said that he's your grandson, right?" She asked, turning her attention back towards the old man. "Where are his parents?"
Keitaro's face darkened slightly for a moment before he answered. "Two years ago, they left for work as usual one day, but mysteriously disappeared and never came back."
This got Hoshino to widen her eyes in shock.
"Authorities did everything in their power to search for them, but no clues or even a single lead was ever found." Keitaro continued. "I've considered moving out as well, because my grandson deserves a better life than-"
Creak!
"They'll come back, I just know it!" Koichi chimed in, as he held a tray of tea.
Something about the young boy's optimistic tone struck something within Hoshino, as her mind began to vaguely recall a similar voice.
Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Koichi set down the tray and began to pour a cup of tea for the pink-haired girl in front of him.
"Onee-chan, have some tea~!" The young boy held out a cup of tea. "My grandpa always taught me to treat guests with respect and kindness."
This got Hoshino to subtly clench her fists, as she felt a pang at her heart upon hearing his sheer earnest tone.
"My grandson is a much stronger person than I ever will be." Keitaro admitted with a fond smile. "He's the reason why I haven't closed down yet, but I fear that it can only last for so long…"
As if on cue, Hoshino heard her Rider-class servant call out to her in an eager tone.
"Master, I found this cute-looking notebook that can replace your old ones~!"
She turned around to face him, only to widen her eyes in further shock as she recognized the notebook's design.
The notebook itself was yellow with the Abydos logo at the front, decorated by cartoonish shooting stars and a pair of googly eyes on top.
"Yume-senpai used to have a design like that…"
Hoshino tried to speak, but the words failed to escape her lips, as her heart ached at the memories of her late senpai.
"Ah, that particular notebook." Keitaro seemed to recognize the design as well. "It belonged to an Abydos High School student that used to frequent this store."
"Huh!?" Hoshino whipped her head around at the man.
"She was quite the lovely young lady," Keitaro continued with another fond smile. "She always went out of her way to make small talk every time she visited, even when it was something like the weather."
"Yume-neechan also loved to play with me~!" Koichi added with a giggle. "I wonder where she is now?"
Seeing two of them speak of her positively, Hoshino narrowed her eyes as she grabbed the notebook from Rider, a new fire ignited inside her heart.
She placed the notebook on the counter and reached out for her wallet inside her pockets, which didn't go unnoticed by Keitaro.
"Ah, you don't need to pay for that, young lady." He said with a sad smile. "This one is on the house, just the fact you and your friend visited is more than-"
"No, I insist." Hoshino said firmly, placing down a couple of Yen bills. "You and your grandson deserve this more than I do."
While she still planned on helping her school as much as she could, the pink-haired girl couldn't just stand by and let a pair of innocent civilians suffer much longer.
"Yume-senpai must've paid a lot of attention to the people here, so I'm going to do just that!"
Rider seemed to sense his master's thoughts and let out a grin of approval, complete with a nod and a thumbs up.
"Thank you, onee-chan!" Koichi happily accepted the money. "What's your name and your friend's?"
"Takanashi Hoshino," Hoshino answered, smiling faintly. "I'll be sure to remember yours and grandpa's, Koichi-kun."
"You can call me Rider~!" Rider followed cheerfully.
Afterwards, Hoshino turned around and made her way towards the doors, grasping the notebook tightly in her hand.
"Oh, and Koizumi-san."
She stopped short in front of the doors, and gave a brief glance at the old man behind the counter.
"If you ever need help, don't hesitate to reach out."
"Bye bye, Hoshino-neechan, Rider-neechan~!" Koichi waved at the two leaving figures.
"See you later~!" Rider waved back.
As Keitaro watched the pair leave the shop, he felt a sense of hope within him as he smiled at the money left behind.
"Kuchinashi-san, it looks like your junior is truly taking on your best traits." He said to himself, making sure to keep the money inside the register.
He looked forward to making contact with her and her friend in the near future.
XXX (Two Hours Later) XXX
Hoshino and Rider spent the next two hours exploring various streets and buildings throughout the district, even passing by a few civilians in the process.
Both of them currently sat on a bench, surrounded by a few buildings around them, with Hoshino herself keeping the yellow notebook she bought inside her hoodie.
"I'm still happy that you said that to the old man, master~!" Rider laughed as he patted his master on the back.
"Well, I just wanted to help out, that's all." Hoshino replied, scratching her cheek.
Suddenly, her stomach growled and could be easily heard by her servant, prompting her face to flush red.
Rider simply grinned at her and said. "Wanna stop by at Shiba Seki Ramen? We could even run into Serika-chan there~!"
"Y-Yeah, that would be good." Hoshino stammered, stifling her embarrassment.
Just as both stood up from the bench, they heard a couple of voices arguing in a nearby building.
"Sir, don't make me repeat myself."
"Like hell I'm giving up my old man's shop, you bastards!"
Hoshino and Rider turned their attention to a nearby mechanic shop, and saw a tall and muscular young man with tiger features and a gray halo shaped like a gear, wearing a sleeveless mechanic's jumpsuit, with his rugged features twisted into a fierce glare.
Said young man was currently standing off against three masked men in black tactical gear, one of whom was pointing his gun in a threatening manner.
"I'm giving you an opportunity to back down, you little shit." One of the masked men growled, aiming his gun at the shop. "You either do the logical thing and leave, or this shop of yours goes down in flames instead."
Overhearing the blatant threat triggered something in Hoshino, as she clenched her fists and glared daggers at the masked men.
"Master…?" Rider asked with a rare tone of wariness.
Without warning, his master proceeded to dash towards the mechanic shop and specifically at the gun-wielding masked man.
"Hey!"
Not having her shotgun on her person didn't stop her from launching herself at the masked man, before wrapping her legs around his neck, much to his and the other masked men's complete shock.
Hoshino yelled as she applied a triangle choke, moving her body in a way that quickly pulled both her and the masked man onto the ground.
SLAM! THUD!
"Gggrrh… Get the fuck off me!" The masked man growled, his air supply being cut off by the student.
"Who the hell are you!?" Another masked man tried to shoot at Hoshino…
Kick! SLAM!
… Only to receive a sudden drop kick to the back of his head, courtesy of Rider, who was grinning ear-to-ear.
"Not on my watch~!" He said in a sing-song tone.
The masked man dropped his gun as he nursed his head injury from the sudden kick, hissing to himself as he did.
"Agh, what the hell was-"
Pow! Thud.
"Tch. That's for tryin' to kick me out!" The tiger-eared young man growled, pulling back his fist as he glared down at the now-unconscious masked man.
"Ggrrk!"
The masked man strangled by Hoshino lost consciousness and fell limp around her legs, which prompted the last remaining one to drop his gun and run away into the alleys.
"Oh no you don't!"
Hoshino wasted no time getting up and giving chase, which didn't take long as she quickly caught up and grabbed him from behind.
"Agh!"
Thud!
She dragged him towards her and then threw him to the ground, before she climbed onto him and grabbed him by the collar, her face inches away from his as a result.
"Who sent you?" Hoshino asked in a dark tone, thinly veiling her anger.
The masked man refused to meet her gaze, keeping himself quiet, even as he was visibly sweating underneath his mask.
"I said…" She growled, pulling back her fist. "Who sent-"
"Master."
Hoshino widened her eyes at the sudden physical contact, before turning her attention to Rider, who was looking at her with a clear expression of concern.
"Look, I know you're really mad, but hurting him like this wouldn't get you anywhere." Rider said, his tone showing a surprising amount of composure.
" … " She stared at her servant for a few seconds, before letting out a sigh.
She knew he was right. The sight of an innocent civilian being blatantly threatened like that caused her emotions to stir and nearly lost out to anger.
Taking in a deep breath, Hoshino looked at the man with a calm expression that was more eerie than anything she had ever shown.
"Who sent you and your goons?"
However, at the same time, she still wanted answers and was willing to use a different approach.
To her dismay, the masked man refused to budge and even shut his eyes, clenching his fists as he did.
Without warning, Hoshino reached out for the man's crotch and grabbed onto it with an iron grip.
"Ack!" He cried out at the sudden pain.
"I suggest you answer me, or else…" The pink-haired girl trailed off, before whispering into his ear. "You'll never get to be a man anymore."
"K-Kaiser Corporation!" The man immediately cracked at the threat. "W-We're just hired mercenaries and our client wanted us to force people out of their homes to expand their reach, I swear that's all I know!"
WHAM! Thud!
Soon after she got her answer, Hoshino wasted no time knocking out the mercenary with a single punch.
…
After a few minutes of tense silence, Rider coughed into his fist and said. "Wowie! I didn't think you'd get this scary, master~! Are you alright?"
Hoshino knew that her servant was attempting to lighten the mood and even cheer her up, but she felt a deep sense of shame towards herself for losing it upon getting the mercenary's answer.
Before her mind could delve deeper into it, however, she heard the mechanic's voice directed towards her.
"Hey, thanks for helpin' me out against these assholes." He said, crossing his arms as his tiger ears twitched. "The name's Toranosuke Takeshi, temporary owner of Toranosuke Cars. Nice to meet ya."
"… Takanashi Hoshino, likewise." Hoshino replied, in an attempt to return to her usual mood.
"Temporary owner?" Rider asked curiously.
"Yeah, my old man's currently at the hospital after he got sick a few weeks ago." Takeshi answered, grimacing. "The docs said he'll be fine, but I don't know when he'll get back, so I'm holdin' down the fort until then."
"The Abydos Hospital, huh?" Hoshino thought to herself. "That's owned by Ayane's folks."
The third-year student liked to think she had a decent relationship with them, but with their insistence on their daughter studying medicine to inherit the hospital itself one day, she knew that it might run into issues eventually, as Ayane herself was just as dedicated as the rest of them in protecting Abydos High School.
"From how you talked back to those mercs, that probably wasn't your first run-in with them?" She asked rhetorically.
The tone he used when she overheard him sounded like he had to deal with them several times.
"Hell no. The first time they tried was with guys in suits." Takeshi said, scowling. "Told me this place wasn't worth it and tried to bribe me with fat loads of cash, but I told 'em to take a hike."
Rider grinned at the tone of the mechanic's voice. "You even rejected money?"
"Heh, this place has been my old man's pride and joy for decades," Takeshi snorted with a smirk. "That's way more important than any amount of money, so I'm gonna keep protecting this place until he's back on his feet."
"So he also has a place of his own to protect, huh?"
Hoshino couldn't help but feel a kindred spirit to Takeshi, as she herself was doing everything in her power to ensure that her school was safe and sound until the debt finally paid off.
However, the fact that Kaiser Corporation tried to ruin an innocent civilian's home soured whatever mood she was trying to build up within herself.
"Rider…" She finally spoke, moving her cap over her eyes. "Let's go home."
"You're gonna stop right now?" Rider asked, blinking.
"I've had enough excitement for today." Hoshino muttered, placing her hands inside her hoodie as she turned her back to Takeshi. "It was nice meeting you, Toranosuke."
"I hope Abydos has more people like you."
She wanted to say those words out loud, but decided to remain silent as she proceeded to leave the mechanic shop.
As Rider watched the retreating figure of his master, he frowned and placed a finger over his chin, as gears began to turn inside his mind.
"… I got it!"
The pink-haired servant grinned to himself, feeling confident in the plan he had just formulated.
"She's definitely gonna like this!"
XXX (The Next Day) XXX
Hoshino had spent the rest of her time just lying in her bed yesterday, and as Sunday came, she tried to simply sleep in with nothing to disrupt her-
CREAK! SLAM!
"Master! I have a surprise waiting for you~!"
… Only to hear Rider slamming the door of her bedroom open, wearing his servant attire, consisting of a white cloak over white armor pieces with gold accents over his hands and on his hips, a black underdress, and white boots with black stockings and garter belts.
"… What is it, Rider?" Hoshino asked in a groggy tone.
"I need you to change and be outside in a couple of minutes!" Rider said, smiling with his hands over his hips. "The surprise isn't gonna reveal itself!"
Without saying anything else, the pink-haired servant laughed as he proceeded to exit the bedroom, making sure to close the door behind him as he did.
Slam!
Hoshino blinked as she was left alone to process being abruptly woken up and told that Rider had a surprise for her.
Just what was her servant planning? She could only wonder as he was even in his usual battle attire.
…
XXX (Ten Minutes Later) XXX
It took her a while to shower and put on some clean clothes, which consisted of a white hoodie vest over a light pink shirt, blue shorts, and white sneakers.
"Rider, this better be important…" Hoshino muttered as she reached for the main door in her apartment.
Click. Creak.
As soon as she stepped outside, her eyes widened at what greeted her, her jaw being wide open in the process.
Standing in front of her was a large, fantastical beast-like creature, with its "skin" having the appearance of stars on a bluish galaxy, complete with a Pharaoh's headgear and golden wings behind its back.
Rider was leaning beside it with a wide grin, taking clear amusement in his master's reaction.
"Surprised, master?" He asked with a chuckle.
Hoshino narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows. "… Where did you get that…?"
"Oh this one, I asked King Ozy to lend one of his sphinxes!" Rider answered casually, as if he was borrowing a mere object.
"I see- What what?" His master widened her eyes at that.
"Anyways~!" Rider was quick to grab onto his master's shoulders. "I'm gonna take you on a great ride~!"
Before Hoshino could even protest against it, she found herself sitting on top of the sphinx's back, with Rider sitting in front of her.
"Rider, are you sure about this…?" She asked in an unsure tone.
"Positive!" Rider answered with a grin, before gently rubbing his hand against the sphinx's back.
Rustle. Flutter.
The sphinx let out a bird-like cry as it spread its wings and began to take off from the ground.
Hoshino had the sense to close her eyes to prevent sand from getting into them, making sure to wrap her arms around her servants as tightly as she could.
Flap! Flap! Flap!
After what felt like an hour to her, Hoshino opened her eyes and was treated to the sight of the Abydos district from high above.
"Whoa…" She said in awe.
"Hehe, you like the view?" Rider asked with a grin.
Hoshino glanced at her servant and asked, "Couldn't you have done this from your Hippogriff?"
"Funny you should ask that," Rider laughed before smiling calmly. "I thought this would be a special thing, so this meant I had to ride something better~!"
"I see…" Hoshino trailed off, turning her attention back towards the view.
…
Flap! Flap! Flap! Flap! Flap! Flap!
Both student and servant were content just marveling at the view, as the sphinx flew over the various buildings and even a tower that was buried in sand.
"Seeing Abydos like this…"
As she continued to gaze at the sights, Hoshino realized that she had only ever seen Abydos from the ground.
The views of the various places up close gave her a constant bitter reminder of its current dire state and the desperation to save what remains of its population.
Seeing her home like this… It sparked something within her.
Even with the deserted buildings littering the land, it didn't detract from the majestic view. If anything, it gave her a new perspective regarding her home as a whole.
"Since the buildings are still here, there could be hope…" Hoshino muttered under her breath.
After yesterday, she wasn't just going to consider her school when saving the district, but also the innocent people trying to live their lives as much as they can.
It was like she felt a newfound sense of hope in restoring Abydos to its former glory…
"Rider brought me here for a reason, didn't he?"
Hoshino turned her attention towards Rider and loosened her grip around his waist, comfortable enough to trust him to maintain his balance on the sphinx.
"Rider, you planned this… to make me feel this way?" She asked as softly as she could.
"Yup~!" Rider nodded, briefly glancing at his master. "I'm not the smartest servant around, but even I could tell that you needed to see a different side of your home!"
"Huh…?" Hoshino seemed to process this for a few moments, before a small smirk appeared on her features. "Uhee, that's surprisingly smart of you, Rider~."
In response, Rider simply laughed off the comment and gave a playful wink, before turning his head around to focus on steering the sphinx.
Hoshino simply shook her head and widened her smile slightly, knowing that her servant was the type to brush off something like that.
As she turned her focus back on the view of Abydos from the air, she allowed herself to lean against Rider.
"Maybe… just maybe we can really do this…"
XXX (Later that Night) XXX
Hoshino laid on her bed as she stared at the ceiling, her mind still processing what she had experienced earlier. She was still in the clothes she wore, as she didn't want to waste too much energy.
After the peaceful flight on one of Ozymandias' sphinxes, she spent the rest of her day inside her apartment, reflecting on what she saw and the new spark she felt inside.
"Hah, where do I even begin with this…?" The girl asked herself, as she moved to lay on her side.
With a shake of her head, she reached out for her phone and began to scroll through its photo album.
"It's been a while since I've looked at these…"
Swiping at the phone's screen, Hoshino's heterochromatic eyes were met with various pictures of herself and her fellow Abydos students.
Izayoi Nonomi, Sunaookami Shiroko, Kuromi Serika, and Okusora Ayane.
All of them were people, not just students, that she needed to stay strong for. People that needed all the morale they could get to keep fighting for their home.
"Yume-senpai…"
She bit her lip as she swiped towards a picture of herself during her first year, back when she had shorter hair and was more openly serious, standing beside a teal-haired girl by the name of Kuchinashi Yume.
Her expression on the photo was flushed and clearly embarrassed, in comparison to Yume's happy yet ditzy one, but they were entirely comfortable with each other's company.
The senpai she came to greatly care for has been dead for a few years, something that caused pain within her heart.
After a few minutes of reminiscing, she swiped again and came upon a picture that caused her mind to halt.
"Dammit…" She mumbled, gritting her teeth as she clutched her phone tightly.
"I need to get out of here."
Putting the phone inside her pockets, she stood up from her bed and walked towards the door, trying to push down the feelings swirling inside her mind.
…
Click. Creak.
She slowly stepped outside of her bedroom and made her way to the main room of her apartment, which was a mix of a kitchen and a living room.
Her steps were slow and measured, all while she focused on the door that would lead to the outside of where-
"Master?"
"Crap!"
Hoshino turned around and saw Rider, who was wearing a pair of black pajamas, looking at her with a certain level of concern.
"I…" She tried to speak, but her words were caught in her throat.
"You look pretty sad there," Her servant said, smiling reassuringly. "Wanna talk about it?"
"He even noticed…" Hoshino thought with a frown.
She wanted to tell him she was fine, or even ignore him entirely in order to exit her apartment.
However, as she stared into Rider's concerned purple eyes, she couldn't bring herself to simply brush him off and leave him alone.
The girl sighed and took in a deep breath, before she spoke. "… Promise not to judge me for it?"
"Hehe, I wouldn't be your servant if I did~!" Was her servant's immediate response.
With that, both student and servant made their way towards the couch and sat down next to each other.
Hoshino brought her knees close to her chest as she leaned next to Rider, as a feeling of comfort and security washed over her.
"I don't get it… Why do I act this way around him…?"
As she glanced at her servant every now and then, she realized how much she feels oddly safe in his presence, especially with how much he often carried himself with pure honesty and earnestness without any form of deceit or ulterior motive.
It even reached a point where she dropped her usual "old man" act around within just the two weeks she had gotten to know him and behaved closer to her original personality around him.
Not even her juniors, whom she had known for longer, have seen her true self and she intended to keep it that way for as long as she wanted.
"They don't need to see that side of me…"
"So, what's gotten you so down, master?" Rider asked, still smiling at her.
" … " Hoshino said nothing as she reached out for her phone.
She turned it on and showed the picture responsible for her current mood to her servant, closing her eyes as she did.
"Whoa!" Rider said, widening his eyes. "Is that your…?"
The picture itself had a family of three posing together in an open green field. It consisted of a pink-haired man with orange eyes, wearing a black ensemble outfit with a stetson hat, complete with a light pink halo shaped like a target, a black-haired woman with gentle blue eyes, wearing a white sundress, with a light blue halo shaped like a gear mixed with arrows, and a little girl with pink hair and heterochromatic eyes that are orange and blue on each one, wearing a white shirt and pink overalls, with a smaller version of her halo.
All three members in the picture were smiling and embracing each other's company.
"… Yeah, it's my family." Hoshino confessed, as a bitter smile graced her features. "My phone is actually a hand-me-down from my mom's."
"Really?" Rider was surprised to hear this.
"Mhm, she used to be a student from Millennium, at least that's how I remember it." Hoshino nodded, her expression slowly becoming a frown. "That's why I didn't question it when I got hers and still use it today, since it works perfectly even now."
Even after Nonomi's various attempts to try and buy her a new one, she refused to swap out the phone that once belonged to her mother.
"Master, where are your parents?" Rider asked, only now realizing that the student lived alone prior to his arrival.
" … "
Hoshino looked away from her servant and covered her face with her knees, refusing to make a single sound.
…
After what felt like an eternity in her mind, Hoshino looked up slightly and answered. "… My mom died when I was still a little kid, and my father practically abandoned me afterwards…"
"Wait what!?" The normally cheerful Rider was shocked to know this.
"He didn't even bother saying goodbye or even leave behind a message," The girl had a tone of subtle disdain. "After she passed away, he just… left me to fend for myself…"
"Master…" Rider could sense the bubbling emotions within his master.
"I try my hardest to forget about it, and I do for the most part, but…" Hoshino trailed off, digging her nails into her skin. "Every now and then, I ask myself 'Why?', because I want nothing more than to-"
She was interrupted when she felt a pair of arms embrace her, much to her surprise.
"Ssshhh, you don't have to say anything else." Rider's voice reached her ears. "I'm here for you."
"Rider, I…" Hoshino tried to speak, but words failed her.
However, she knew the reason why her servant held her like this, as she was on her way to losing her composure again.
She didn't even finish her sentence, and yet Rider managed to pick up on her feelings.
Hoshino normally wouldn't allow people she's not too familiar with to touch her like this, and yet, Rider was someone that she was willing to show her vulnerable side to.
Something about his overall demeanor and spirit touched her in a way that no else had before since Yume.
"Rider…" Hoshino mumbled, slowly closing her eyes as fatigue began to overtake her body. "Thank you."
The student allowed herself to melt into her servant's embrace, as both of them fell asleep on the couch.
Abydos students and their servants:
Foreclosure Task Force
Hoshino and Astolfo
Shiroko and Nitocris
Nonomi and Ozymandias
Serika and Ishtar
Ayane and Queen of Sheba
NEXT CHAPTER: Aru and Elizabeth Bathory (Gehenna)
I tried my best with this one, and I wasn't sure what you guys would think of Hoshino dropping her usual facade around our lovely femboy Astolfo, but I really tried here.
I'm also unsure on what people would think of certain liberties I took with this chapter, but I will say is that the focus will still be on the canon characters and their servants, regardless of what additions I put in this crossover fic of mine.
Overall, I hope you guys like this attempt at a bittersweet spotlight chapter and my attempt at expanding Hoshino as a character and the liberties I took.
The next chapter will be significantly more lighthearted, as it will focus on our beloved dorky outlaw and her dragon idol servant, hehe.
Happy New Years~!