Connected Hearts

"Miraaa!"

My body feels heavy, but I can only press forward through the rain.

The concrete slams against my feet with every step as I run back down the familiar road. I've been down this path so many times that nothing here should surprise me. However, this place only serves to amplify my concern, like every bush could be hiding what I'm searching for.

"Where are you!"

Grasped tightly in one hand, the purple ribbon provides me with no answers. I can't even be sure that she would have come in this direction, but it feels like I have to start here. Without any kind of plan, my trembling legs simply took me in this direction. How far would I have to go before I could consider it checked? This end of the bridge? The far end? The school building?

"How far doesn't matter, I'll search all of them!"

If I don't keep myself moving, it feels like I could collapse on the spot. I'm out of breath and chills are constantly running down my body, but I continue running. Pushing through is the only option.

Every bush, every tree, I check under every rock. I can't rely on her to hear my screams if she has fallen somewhere. Sometimes I'll trip and fall. Sometimes I'll sink down my ankle in mud. I'm getting only more battered as time goes on, but I haven't found Mira yet. This means that my search has only just begun.

"Miraaaa—AH!"

It's on the sidewalk where I finally hit my limit. My arms try to catch my body, but nothing can stop me from slamming into the concrete. The air is knocked out of my lungs and my forearms scrape against the pavement. A thick ringing echoes through my brain as my head lands on something metal. When I open my eyes, I find my face in the centre of the storm drain with water flowing through the gaps around me.

"So this is it…"

No matter what I do, my body refuses to move. Slowly, the already dark and gloomy world begins to cloud over.

"Noa…"

Memories of the past couple of days start running through my mind.

"Noa.."

The way she would hop around when she got excited, the way she would hide behind something when she got scared, all of it was uniquely her.

"Noa."

It almost feels like I can hear her voice when I close my eyes. She always had such a cute voice. Everything about her was cute. What I would give to see her face again.

"Noa!"

I'm thrown awake by the clapping of small feet against the concrete. My vision isn't great at the moment, but that doesn't stop me from seeing a girl with blue and white hair limping towards me. By the time I can see those beautiful blue eyes, she falls to the ground.

"Ah!"

Her legs seem to have also reached her limit. I can't believe my eyes. That white sundress is completely soaked and stained with mud and her hair is a mess, but Mira is here. She's laying on the ground limply within arms reach from me.

"M-Mira!? Mira!"

Only her name comes to mind as I drag myself forward to place a hand on her cheek. Her skin is cold, but still as soft as I remember. She struggles to keep her eyes open in the rain as well, but she still manages to gaze into mine. One of those small hands reaches over and touches my face as well.

"I found Noa…"

"That's my line…"

My arms ache as I bring myself onto my knees. I hold the young girl's shoulders as she does the same.

"Are you okay?"

"It's cold and everything hurts…"

"Figured as much…"

"But…"

Mira leans forward and rests her head on my chest. The physical feeling must be something like a wet sponge, but she relaxes regardless.

"Noa is here."

"Sorry it took me so long…"

I pull the shivering rabbit into my arms and I feel hers wrap around me. Despite the constant beating of the rain, I can clearly feel her beating heart.

"No, it was my fault. I ran away…"

"It couldn't be helped. I left you in a situation you weren't prepared for."

"But…I caused Noa trouble…"

I move one hand up and rub her damp hair. She flinches at my sudden touch, but she continues pressing her small body against me.

"You're just now worried about being a bother? That's pretty normal by this point."

"I don't want that!"

She pulls her head back and looks up into my eyes. Be it because of tears or the rain, her eyes glisten in the dim street lighting.

"I don't want to make Noa worry! I want Noa to smile…"

I'm taken aback by her intensity. Her feelings should be no surprise to me. After all, she's been trying her best as well. When I'm having trouble, she tries to help. When I went to school alone, she continued working on the textbooks as I had insisted. When she went to school, she continued to smile despite the hardship. I've put her through some rough times in such a short time span. I honestly wish I could do more, but right now I can only give her one thing. A smile.

"I'm sure you'll be helping me out in no time."

"Really?"

I continue stroking the top of her head. This is supposed to comfort her, but I feel myself gaining strength from this motion.

"Of course! I'm already worried about becoming useless when you become too competent!"

"I'll be able to take care of Noa?"

"Hopefully I can avoid that, but the possibility is definitely there."

"That sounds fun!"

There it is, the smile that I've grown to be unable to live without. It shines so bright that I can hardly tell that she was crying.

Mira is still going through growing pains, but she won't be adjusting forever. She's learning so quickly that I can hardly recognise the girl that I woke up next to a few days ago. One day, she'll be standing next to me like any other human and will probably give me a hard time in other ways. I wonder what we'll be doing by then, but that's still far in the future.

"We should probably get dry."

I get to my feet with newfound energy. Mira tries to join me, but she stumbles into my arms almost immediately. She holds tightly onto me to the point that I'm basically supporting all of her weight.

"My ankle hurts…"

"That's what happens when you jump out of a window."

She stabilises herself using my body while I crouch onto the floor with my back towards her. I motion for her to move when she tilts her head to the side.

"Come on, I'll carry you back."

"Won't I be heavy?"

"You saw me carry that bag of rice, carrying you is easy!"

"Okay…"

I feel her entire front press into my back. With her legs safely held and her arms wrapped around my front, I rose from my squat. My body was already in pain, but now the cracking of my bones has been added into the mix.

"No…problem…"

The only option is to commit, so I begin the slow march back home while the rain continues to pour. My heart is beating quickly, but it is impossible to identify the source. The answer becomes clearer when I feel her arms wrap around my neck and over my chest. Now it isn't just my heartbeat, but hers as well echoing through me. At this point, the rain might as well not exist in this world we created.

"Thank you, Noa."

Between her soft voice in my ear and the soft pressure on my back, I have a hard time keeping my thoughts clear. Part of me wants her to continue whispering like that, but I would not be able to live with myself or her if I requested it. What I can do is meet her sincerity with my own.

"Anytime, Mira."