Starlight Over Echoes

Light autumn rain tapped along the shop glass as noon rolled around. It was a sleepy Monday, and the streets outside were calm. A few customers were browsing the shelves inside, and a warm ambiance settled in the building as a certain someone's break was coming up.

Hinoka was standing behind the counter, humming as she watched the time tick by. The plan she'd worked on with Kaitoji was going perfectly according to schedule. He'd nonchalantly made his entrance about an hour ago, saying he just needed to drop by to grab something. And now, he was currently waiting in his office, waiting for the signal to enact the main part of the plan.

Miyami on the other hand was currently assisting one of their new difficult regulars, the caned old man with the Fiery Emblem obsessed granddaughter. Apparently, he needed a replacement controller for one of the more retro consoles, and the dark-haired girl seemed to be having trouble with him as usual.

"…Mmm, so you're telling me that I can get a new controller for an old game that was made for a new game? Will that really work?"

"Y-yes." Miyami nodded, pointing to a diagram on her phone. "The GameBox controller should be compatible with every legacy title on the ee-shop. From FE: Shadow Blade to Path of Illuminance."

The old man squinted. "Mmhmm… okay, but will the new buttons still do the same thing?"

The penguin nearly fell over.

"L-like I said before, there's no new buttons. The new controller will work exactly the same," Miyami stuttered out like an engine running low on fumes.

"…Exactly the same, you say? But I thought it was new?"

"…"

Something in Miyami broke, and her fingers blazed across the screen to assemble something. A minute later, she held up an edited diagram in complete, utter deadpan.

Finally, sense dawned on the old man, and he brightened up. "Ah, I get it! It's a recreation! Just the branding logo will be different. Thank you, Fiery Emblem lady! Can't believe it took half an hour to explain that."

*whimper*

Hinoka sighed as he made his way to the counter, insistent on dragging the dark-haired girl with him in more tortuous conversation.

"You know, I'm certain you'd get along with my granddaughter, Fiery Emblem lady. You remind me of her in ways, always wobbly legged and shaky looking, although you certainly yap a lot more than she ever does!"

The geezer continued listing interesting observations about Miyami as Hinoka scanned the items through, Miyami doing her best to nod along and not break into tears.

Finally, the transaction ended, and the guy gave a parting wave as he hobbled away.

"See you soon! It's always so fun chatting with you!"

*ring-a-ling!*

Miyami slowly rebounded from her bow as the guy hobbled out the door.

"…Good job not knocking down half the store again," the ponytailed girl said once the old man was out of sight, giving a supportive thumbs up. "Seriously, I have no idea how you manage to deal with him."

A pout was all she got.

"Eh, sorry. Probably don't want to talk about him anymore, do ya?" She leaned forward, looking at the clock. "Anyway, break's coming up. You wanna take it while I cover the front? You seem like you need it."

"…?" Miyami looked at her inquisitively, and she sent a message over, giving her voice another moment to recharge.

*ping!*

────────⊳⋆⊲────────

 >> You don't want to wait until the store clears out so we can take it together?

 >> ヾ(｡T ω T｡)ﾉヾ(・∀・`*)ﾉ

────────⊳⋆⊲────────

Hinoka shook her head, trying to brush it off. "It's fine. I don't wanna hold you back. You're probably pretty hungry after dealing with all that, aren't you?"

Pure confusion crashed over Miyami like a wave.

"B-but we always take our breaks together."

The ponytailed girl shrugged, trying to suppress the growing guilt. "So? Is it that weird to take them at different times every once in a while? Technically speaking, that's the way most shops should work. Plus, you can't expect me to be with you twenty-four-seven—"

She suddenly clung to her sleeve with a pout bigger than any of Nagano's mountains.

"D-did I do something wrong? Was it dinner last night? Was it not good enough?"

"Wha—No!" Hinoka's eyes grew in alarm. "Your food's always the best! I promise! That tonkotsu ramen was amazing!"

"…" Her partner stared at her, clearly unconvinced.

The shorter girl sighed. "Just go on break, okay? If it'll make you feel better, I'll take mine as soon as another customer leaves. I'll even hand feed you tonight, if it'll cheer you up."

Dangling that carrot seemed to do the trick, and Miyami reluctantly retreated up to the break room, shuffling across the linoleum.

Hinoka's stomach was lead as she watched her leave. Even if this was to help, she felt like she'd just kicked a baby bird from its nest. She really hoped the stuff she had planned after this would be enough to make it up to her.

The ponytailed woman leaned against the counter, exhaling heavily. Worrying about that could wait, she needed to hone back in on the plan.

After a few minutes to give Miyami time to get settled, she sent her boss the signal via phone.

Frankly, she was beginning to have second thoughts now. The plan was only barely more thought out than her usual antics. It essentially boiled down to just tossing them into a room and hoping a heart-to-heart happened.

A customer came up with their purchases mid-thought, placing them on the countertop.

Hinoka offered a smile and grabbed one of them, crinkling the plastic wrapper.

Eh. There was no use worrying about it now. Things had already been set in motion.

Besides…

The slightly anxious woman scanned the items for the transaction, bagging them as she thought of her girlfriend.

She believed in her penguin princess.

***

Miyami played with her half of the bento with chopsticks, holding a tako sausage between them and making it trot over a landscape of rice, karaage, and pickled veggies. The rain continued to fall outside the window, gently pattering against the glass. It was relaxing, but it made things feel even lonelier than usual.

She maneuvered the sausage octopus into a small puddle of sauce, pretending it was an ocean, and let it splash along in glee.

*plop* Her distraction fumbled, sinking to the bottom.

"…"

She deflated.

It'd been forever since she'd eaten alone at work, and her memories of those moments were not pleasant in the least.

The dark-haired girl's eyes fell to the coated food, and her thoughts swayed towards darker seas.

Cramped limbs, stuffy air, and loose supplies stored in boxes—the only sanctuary from office harassment.

She fidgeted as she set her chopsticks down, appetite gone.

Why had Hinoka left her to eat alone today? Was it because of something she'd done? Or maybe it was something she hadn't? Whatever she'd done to mess up, she'd be sure to make up for it, because otherwise—

*KNOCK KNOCK*

The sound startled her, and her eyes flickered to the door. Hinoka~?!

"…" But the person who walked through wasn't her.

The penguin's heart dropped as the boss stepped through instead, and she struggled to keep the disappointment from showing in her face.

"U-Uncle. Is something the matter?"

The older man smiled, scratching the back of his greying head as he took a seat across from her. "Erm, not at all. I was just wondering if we could chat for a bit. Would you mind if I joined you?"

Miyami squirmed a bit in her seat. "N-not at all. I'm just surprised. I-I thought you had work to do today, and…" She paused, then added. "Do you need me to do anything?"

Kaitoji shook his head. "Like I said, only a chat. Nothing work-related. I just wanted to talk to you about your progress so far… How have things been going?"

The girl blinked at the question. "G-going? Um…" She tried looking at him in the eyes, but an angry echo of her father slapped her gaze downward. "I-it's been great. T-the shop is a lot more lively than I thought it would be, and the customers have been nice too… most of them at least."

Her uncle nodded, his large frame settling into the chair. "I'm glad to hear that, but that's not all I meant. Personally speaking, how are you faring? You know, new life and all? Is Hinoka treating you well?"

Her face turned pink at the mention of her girlfriend. "I-I… Y-yes. She's been wonderful. I'm very happy." A light smile began to form. "I-I don't think I could've asked for a better friend, coworker, and… partner."

"That's good! I'm glad." He chuckled a bit. "I was a little concerned at the start, given her previous reputation, but I'm happy to see she's managed to pull herself together. You two make a great pair, you know?"

Her hands fidgeted with her shorts. "T-thanks."

Awkward quietness draped over the room as the conversation died down, leaving nothing but the hum of the AC and the sound of rain. The older man shifted in place, and Miyami's gaze was still weighed downward, anxiety storming inside her.

She knew that it wasn't the case here, but her instincts still screamed that she was being scrutinized—judged. Her mind conjured up phantom accusations: she wasn't being productive enough; she wasn't working hard enough; she wasn't being a good employee or niece.

…That her name was something it wasn't.

The dark-haired girl's body curled up, as if trying to hide from them. The fears were irrational, unfounded, and quite frankly insulting to the man who'd done so much to help her. But they still lingered regardless in the back of her head, an echo that refused to fade.

"Miyami… do you mind if I ask you something else?"

Her head bobbed at the question, and her voice came out shaky. "O-of course."

"Why do you have trouble speaking to people?"

"…" Her fingers clenched around her shorts.

A sigh. "I apologize. I was just curious of the exact reason. I know we've touched on the subject a little before, but…" A pause. "I'm asking because I'd like to understand you better. I want to be a good uncle to you—family you can rely on."

Miyami's mouth shriveled like a desert. She wanted to speak, to explain, but the words couldn't come out as static began to creep in. His tone of voice right now. It was tender, yet it held a cadence that amplified the echo.

"…"

A callused hand rested on top of hers.

"!" Her immediate response was to retract. To brace for impact.

…However, when nothing but an uncertain sigh came, rationality began taking over.

She cautiously looked up.

Kaitoji looked nervous right now—vulnerable even. The realization dampened the static despite the lingering echo of his features.

"If you're not ready, then we don't have to talk about it. I just want to help however I can." He patted her hand before straightening up again.

"Erm, perhaps we can just talk about something else, like… that series you like, Fiery Emblem. It's been a while since I've played, but—"

Any reverberances of the echo instantly dispelled at his words.

"You play?"

Her uncle's brows shot up in surprise. "O-oh. Well, yes, but only a little and only really titles up to the GameBox. It's one of the reasons why I try to stock their licensed merchandise." A blush. "The games were a nice escape from reality, and I appreciate the strength a lot of the characters had in the stories."

"…" Something stirred in her.

Her father would never say something like that.

"I… see. What character was your favorite?"

Kaitoji's eyes sparkled at the question. "Oh, definitely Rike! That man's strength and resolve to keep fighting for his friends, even after losing his father to the enemy? That's something to admire! Plus, the way he challenged the Obsidian Knight atop the tower? Cinematic! I remember staying up all night just to reach that part."

Miyami felt butterflies flutter in her chest. Her father had always said that the story in those types of games was stupid—that she was too old to be playing games meant for children. But her uncle…

She blinked, feeling her eyes sting slightly.

"Ah, sorry. I got a bit carried away there." He coughed. "It's a bit embarrassing, honestly. I haven't thought about that game in years, and I'm pretty sure a remake is due any moment now with how old it is. So, uh… who's your favorite character?"

Her voice nearly caught in her throat. "I-I like Starlight Momoya the best."

"Oh?"

The dark-haired girl nodded as wetness began to form along her eyes. "Y-yeah. Like she was born as an illegitimate child, but was brave enough to win the hearts of everyone with her voice despite her shyness and trauma… It's a really empowering story to me." She swallowed, feeling the words loosen more. "I love how her passion was so deep it ascended her into the celestial form, regardless of her blood or who she was born as."

Her uncle's lips curved into a grin. "An interesting choice. I didn't play that title myself, but I did follow the story. You remind me of her in a way—and er, not just through physical resemblance. You both share similar traits. That kindness, that passion, that will to keep moving forward…"

"…"

"Sorry if I'm embarrassing you," he added, noticing her sudden stillness. "I just… want you to know that, erm, I was serious about before—you not being alone."

The older Nozari took a very deep breath, steadying himself.

"Miyami… I promise you can count on me to be here for you, okay?"

The rain started to pour harder against the glass, although the sun somehow seemed even brighter.

"M-Miyami? Are you alright—?"

The girl scrambled out of her seat, knocking it down in the process, before diving into a hug.