Late Night

This is now my second night in Nod. I’ve certainly come a long way since this whole thing started. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss home though. I mean—just how does time work here? What if I left Inari for a year or something? Will home look like a wasteland once I get back?

“Your home will be fine.”

There she is again—my Chæoku. I swear, it’s a little weird for my voice to have a personality like this. Honestly…

“You need to learn to stop infiltrating my inner thoughts.”

“Not much I can do,” she replied.

“Well, thanks for your help. I’d have been toast back there.”

“Meh.”

“So, do Chæoku have a name or something? I don’t really know what I should call you.”

“...Just keep calling me Chæoku.”

“Huh? I mean, you do have a name, right?”

“I do—”

“Then what is it!?”

“None of your business!”

“Then what will you tell me!?”

“Yuuki, who are you talking to?”

I flinched at the sound of Kamei’s voice, spinning around. “Oh! Kamei, I hadn’t noticed you were awake. I was talking to my Chæoku.”

“You talk to yours?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“You...don’t?”

“I mean, maybe I could, but I’ve never heard mine speak. Are you saying you can talk to your Chæoku?”

“I’m just as confused as you are. It’s not exactly pleasant, you know? She won’t tell me squat.”

“She?”

“More importantly, how’s your injury going?” I asked.

“About that, mind grabbing the potion from my little pouch?”

“Potion? I didn’t know Nod had those.”

“Yeah, but they’re quite rare. You need magic to make them, which is something only people with Chæoku can use.”

“So, Chæoku are rare as well?”

“Those who use them, yes.”

I crouched down beside Kamei, glancing at the small pouch resting by her side. The material was worn but sturdy, the kind of thing that’s seen a lot of use. I carefully untied the leather strap holding it shut and reached inside.

The pouch was deceptively deep, and my fingers brushed against various small items—some cool and metallic, others soft and unidentifiable. Finally, my fingers closed around something smooth and cylindrical. I pulled it out slowly, revealing a tiny glass vial filled with a shimmering liquid that glowed faintly even in the dim light.

“Is this it?”

“That’s the one. Careful—it’s fragile.”

I looked at the vial with a mix of curiosity and caution. “This is magic, huh? Looks... expensive.”

“It is. So don’t drop it,” she warned.

I held the glowing vial carefully. “So… what do I do with this?”

“Just pour it on my leg.”

“Y-your leg?” I said, my fingers trembling slightly

“Yeah, just pour it over the wound. Don’t overthink it.”

“A-alright…” I swallowed hard, feeling a little queasy as I stared at her twisted leg.

I tilted the vial, letting the shimmering liquid drip onto her injury.

The moment the potion touched her skin, it began to glow brighter. The liquid seemed to seep into her skin instantly, like her leg was drinking it. Then, with a sudden jolt, her leg began to straighten itself.

“W-what the hell is happening!?” I stammered.

“It’s working! Just keep pouring.”

I watched in both awe and horror as her leg moved on its own, bones cracking and twisting back into place with an eerie precision. The sound made my stomach churn, but Kamei didn’t so much as flinch.

“D-doesn’t that hurt?!” I blurted, my hands still frozen mid-pour.

“Nope,” she replied casually. “Potions are designed to mend injuries without pain. It’s kind of their thing.”

As the last drop of the potion disappeared, her leg straightened completely, the skin looking as good as new—better, even, like the injury had never existed. Kamei tested it by flexing her foot and wiggling her toes.

“See? Good as new.” She rotated her ankle with a series of small pops, each one making me wince. “I told you, nothing to worry about.”

I leaned back, still clutching the empty vial, my head spinning. “This world is seriously weird…”

“Welcome to Nod,” she said with a smirk, stretching her now-healed leg.

The atmosphere was suddenly filled by a loud roar, which caused Kamei to leap and adopt a terrified defense position.

“EEP! What was that?!” she shouted, her eyes darting around.

“Based on my personal experience, you’re just hungry,” I replied.

“Oh... I guess you’re right. Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten in a bit.”

“What?! A pretty girl like you can’t just go around skipping meals!” I blurted out without thinking.

She immediately shot me a glare. “Don’t patronize me.”

“Ah—my bad.” I winced. What could’ve brought me to say that?

“Well, it looks like we’re out of luck,” I continued, trying to recover. “I ate all the fish last night, and—”

Before I could finish, Kamei presented a handful of squirmy, plump insects she had discovered on the ground. Her mouth was salivating.

“AND THERE’S NO WAY I’M EATING THAT!” I yelled, recoiling in horror.

“Okay then, suit yourself,” she said, shrugging, before popping one into her mouth and chewing.

My stomach churned as I watched her munch away like it was the most natural thing in the world. The sounds were the worst—hard, crunchy shells cracking, followed by wet, squelchy noises as the gooey insides squished with every bite. I could practically *feel* my stomach turning itself inside out.

Seriously, how does she do that?! Just watching her and hearing those revolting munches makes my stomach churn. The crunching of the hard, carapaced shells and the squishy, gooey sounds of their insides being—AHHH, PLEASE STOP!

I held out my hand to block the view, turning my face away and covering the other side with my palm.

“Oh, come on,” Kamei said, her words muffled by a full mouth. “It’s not that bad.”

“QUIT TALKING WITH FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH!”

“If you want, I can just pass you some spices,” she offered.

“That—that doesn’t help!”

From the corner of my eye, I spotted a small pond a few paces away, its surface glistening under the faint light. It looked similar to the one I’d found the day before. My heart leaped. Finally! The fishies were here to save me once again!

Without hesitation, I took off running toward the pond, leaving Kamei to catch up.

“Hey! Where are you going?” She called after me, but I was too excited to stop.

Sprinting at full speed, I finally arrived at the pond. And behold—there were plenty of fish! My luck stats must’ve skyrocketed or something because I didn’t even run into any monsters on the way. Moments later, Kamei caught up with me, a bit out of breath but wearing a surprised expression.

“A pond! Good job, Yuuki. Now we have a place to shower.”

I turned to her and gave her the most disappointed glare I could muster. She tilted her head, clearly confused. “Is there something on my face?”

Oh, how the tables have turned.

“You can still think about being clean after eating a bunch of bugs?” I asked, incredulous.

“For your information, they’re highly nutritious!” she shot back.

“Anyways, dinner awaits,” I said, turning my attention back to the pond.

Before I could take a step forward, Kamei yelled, “I’ve got this!” and dove straight into the water like an unhinged beast. She splashed and flailed, causing a scene of chaos that could only be described as complete madness.

I couldn’t help but just stare at her in sheer disbelief. Is this the same Kamei from yesterday? The calm, composed, stoic warrior? I mean, sure, after everything we’ve been through, it makes sense to crack a little, but this… I'm having a hard time believing it. It’s like she shed her serious shell and went full primal.

Kamei emerged from the pond, hair completely down and drenched, strands sticking to her face in a way that made her look like a siren. In her hands, she held a ridiculous haul of fish—more than what I caught on my own.

“Did you really have to do all that?”

She shrugged, smirking. “We have food, don’t we?”

Kamei and I carried our haul back to the top of the hill. I set the fish down on a flat rock, wiping the sweat off my brow, and immediately began scouring the area for stray branches to start a fire.

The hilltop was dotted with small clusters of dry wood, and before long, I’d collected enough. With a quick strike of flint—borrowed from Kamei’s pouch—the fire came to life, crackling softly and casting a warm glow against the darkened sky. The light flickered in Kamei’s eyes as she sat across from me, unpacking a small pouch of spices she’d mentioned earlier.

“Here,” she said, handing me the spices.

“Would you care to do the honors?” I asked.

“Huh!? Uhh...I can?”

“Yeah...don't you know how to cook?

“It's not a skill I learned…”

“No worries, I'll show you a little trick I learned back home.”

“Impressive,” she replied, watching me work.

I prepared the fish by skewering it onto sticks and setting it over the fire. Soon, the air was filled with the fragrance of freshly caught fish and sizzling spices, and I couldn't help but feel proud. The fish's fluids hissed softly as they dripped into the flames, and the skin crisped to a flawless golden brown.

Kamei leaned in, her nose twitching slightly as she inhaled the scent.

“It smells… really good.”

“I know right? Just a little masterpiece, no big deal.”

She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with my bragging but visibly eager to try it. I gave her the first skewer while closely observing her bite. Her normally serious posture immediately dissolved into pure ecstasy as her eyes expanded.

“This is… amazing!”

“Really?!”

Kamei nodded, quickly taking another bite. “I didn’t think you’d actually be able to pull it off, but this is seriously good. Better than anything I’ve made.”

“I don't think I want to know what your version of cooking is like,” I answered nervously.

We sat there in silence, enjoying the meal under a sky filled with stars. For the first time in what felt like forever, the weight of Nod seemed to lift, if only for a little while.

“You know, I just realized something,” I said, breaking the comfortable silence.

“And what is that?” Kamei asked, glancing at me as she finished the last of her fish.

“This is our first night together.”

Kamei blinked, her face completely blank. “...Okay?”

“You’re not gonna say anything!?” I exclaimed, flailing my arms.

“I mean, what am I supposed to say exactly?”

“AHHHHHHHH, I JUST MADE THIS AWKWARD!” I cried.

To my surprise, Kamei laughed. “Hahaha. You know, Yuuki, you’ve impressed me a lot today.”

“I did?” I peeked at her from behind my hands.

“I mean, you showed me that you can fight and use a Chæoku, you cooked a great meal, and your survival skills are really impressive.”

“Well, I guess my junior years in Boy Scouts weren’t all for nothing,” I said, trying to play it cool.

“There you go again with those weird words I don’t understand,” she teased. "But more importantly… you showed me that you’re brave.”

“Kamei…”

“I guess you aren’t as useless and pathetic as I thought.”

“Tsk,” I clicked my tongue. “I’ll remember to be wary of backhanded compliments from you in the future.”

“Hahahaha!” she laughed again.

We both fell quiet after that, sitting side by side as the cool breeze carried the scent of the wild. The moon hung high above us, its silvery glow illuminating the hilltop. The stars scattered across the sky like diamonds, casting a serene light over the world.

“Yuuki, I’ve been meaning to ask—what is your home like?”

“My home?” I repeated, caught off guard.

“Yeah. The place you grew up, where you learned all those skills.”

“Hah… I’m probably not the best person to ask. I have a very subjective view about the world I’m from. If you asked anybody else, we’d all have different opinions.”

“But I’m asking you.”

I hesitated, staring up at the moon as I gathered my thoughts. “...In that case, my world is… kind of complicated. For me, though, it’s a bit of a hell. I find it hard to survive in my world.”

“Survive? Like… you fight monsters?”

“In a way, but instead of the monsters being beasts, they’re the words of doubt you hear in your own mind.”

“Oh…”

“I find it difficult to figure out my purpose there. It’s like… there’s this constant weight, this endless pressure to be something, do something, to make sense of everything, and yet nothing really fits. It’s just… a lot.”

“It seems like there’s a lot you want to get off your chest.”

I glanced at her, surprised by her openness. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” she said with a smile.

“You know, before all this… before Nod… I thought my biggest problem was just being stuck. Stuck in a life that didn’t make sense, stuck in a body that felt too small for anything big, stuck in a world that seemed to move on without me. I thought dropping out of school would change something. That I’d feel free, maybe even… relieved. But it didn’t. I just felt empty. What was I even trying to run from? Was it the way my classmates looked at me? Like I didn’t matter? Like I was invisible unless someone wanted a punching bag? Or was it my parents, pretending they weren’t disappointed, telling me to just ‘figure it out’? Like I didn’t already know I was a letdown?

And then there’s me. God, I’m my own worst enemy. It’s like… I’ll try to do something—anything to feel like I’m worth something, but then the voice in my head starts up. 'You’re not good enough.' 'You’ll never make it.' 'Why bother?' It’s like I’ve got this permanent weight strapped to my chest, dragging me back whenever I try to move forward. It’s not like I don’t want to change. I do. I really do. But every time I try, I feel so… small. Like nothing I do will ever matter in the grand scheme of things. I look at people who seem to have it all figured out, and I wonder—how? How do they know what they want? How do they just… go for it? I guess… I just feel like I don’t belong anywhere. Not in the real world. Not here in Nod. I’m not strong like you, or brave, or smart. I don’t have some big dream driving me forward. I’m just Yuuki Katsu. A guy who dropped out of school because he couldn’t handle it. A guy who ran away because facing the world seemed harder than giving up.

But the worst part? The thing I hate most about myself? I can’t stop thinking that maybe… just maybe… this is all I deserve.”

I looked down as I poured out my feelings to Kamei. The weight I’d been carrying started to feel lighter, and for the first time, it felt like someone was really listening. From across the fire, I felt Kamei’s hand reach over, her fingers gently covering mine. Her touch was warm, grounding me in a way I didn’t expect. My heart sped up, and I could feel a blush creeping across my face.

When I looked up, she was smiling, a soft, understanding look in her eyes. That smile alone made my heart skip a beat.

“I’m glad you were able to speak about something so difficult. I’m not sure what to say that would help you. I haven’t known you long enough to see that side of you, but what I do know about you is that you never tried giving up and you held onto optimism and even saved me, that sad look doesn't suit you.”

“Kamei…”

She slowly withdrew her hand, slipping back into her usual composed self.

“I’m not the best at giving comfort, but knowing what I do about you, I have no doubt that whatever you’re going through… you’ll make it.”

“Thanks, Kamei. That… actually means a lot.”

She gave me a small, genuine nod, and we both turned back to the sky, letting the quiet night settle around us. Somehow, the silence didn’t feel so lonely anymore.

“So, how about you, Kamei?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Well…now that I think about it, it may be a bit personal for you, but I’ve also been meaning to ask… what happened to your village?”

Her demeanor instantly shifted as the question hung in the air. She glanced down, her face growing farther away, the spark in her eyes fading. She was surrounded by a heavy, chilly aura, and I instantly regretted asking. I should have known better than to bring it up.

“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have—”

“No, it’s okay,” she interrupted. “I’ll tell you.”

“Are you sure?” I said cautiously. “I’d completely understand if you’d rather not.”

With her eyes remaining on the floor, she inhaled deeply. “No, it’s fine. I need to talk about it, and besides… if we’re going on this adventure together, it’s probably best if you knew my intentions. It wouldn’t be fair after you poured your heart out to me just now.”

“Right… Well, I’m all ears.”

Kamei stared into the fire for a few moments, as if drawing strength from its warmth. Then, slowly, she began to speak.