Earthside: A Bittersweet Chocolate

Kael slipped on his shoes at the door.

"I'm leaving, Mom. Need anything from the store?" he called.

His mother's voice floated back from the yard.

"No, sweetie. Enjoy your day."

"Okay, goodbye."

He stepped outside, the crisp morning air brushing against his face. Hana was already waiting by the gate.

"Hey, Kael," she greeted with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. How are you, Hana?"

The school path was lively with students chatting and laughing. After a moment, Hana glanced at him sideways.

"Kael… do you know what day it is?"

He frowned, thinking. "February 14."

"Yes, and…?" she prompted, eyes glinting.

"Oh no—" Kael's face tensed. "Do we have an exam today?"

Hana burst out laughing.

"No, silly. It's Valentine's Day."

Kael blinked. "Okay… what is that?"

As they walked past the shops and shrine on the way to school, Hana explained. "On Valentine's Day, girls give chocolate to the boys they like."

Kael tilted his head, expression dead serious.

"A question: why do girls give it to boys? Why not the reverse?"

She shook her head as the school gates came into view. "It's just tradition—we confess our feelings this way. Girls give chocolate to boys, while on White Day which is March 14th, boys return the favor with gifts."

"Uh… so, girls invest chocolate to receive gifts. That's smart business." Kael replied with a wink.

Hana laughed again.

During the break, Aoi nervously appeared at their classroom door.

"Hana… can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked.

Hana blinked, then smiled and followed her out.

Kael watched them go, then slipped outside. He found Kyotaro in the courtyard, sitting exactly where Kael had first seen him months ago—head bent over a notebook, alone.

"Revisiting old memories, Kyotaro?" Kael asked as he walked up.

Kyotaro looked up, surprised, then gave a faint grin. "Hey, Kazuki. Nah, just killing time."

Kael sat beside him. "Everything going well with Aoi? I saw her pull Hana aside."

Kyotaro hesitated, his smile faltering. "Honestly… I don't know. She hasn't really talked to me in a week. Every time I try, she just… avoids me."

Kael leaned back, thoughtful. "If you haven't done anything wrong, then don't overthink it. She'll come around. Maybe it's just the Valentine's thing."

Kyotaro gave a small laugh. "Yeah… she hasn't given me chocolate, either. But… thanks, Kazuki. Really."

The two sat in silence for a while, watching the clouds drift above. Finally, Kyotaro spoke again, his tone softer, more sincere.

"Kazuki… I'm happy I met you. When I first came to this school, I never thought I'd make any friends. Then, when I was getting bullied… you stepped in and became my first friend. Then Hana, too. You pushed me in sports festival, gave me courage to talk to Aoi, and stood by me at the fireworks. I… I just want to say thanks, for being my friend."

Kael smiled warmly. "You're a good and smart kid to be friends with, Kyotaro. Don't sell yourself short—you've helped me too. More than you know. I'm glad we crossed paths."

The final bell rang. After class, Kael, Kyotaro, and Hana walked out together. Just as they were about to leave the gate, Aoi came running up, her cheeks red, holding something wrapped in a ribbon.

"Kyotaro…!" She stopped in front of him, thrusting it forward with trembling hands. "Here. This is for you."

Kyotaro froze, then accepted it carefully, eyes wide.

Hana quickly tugged Kael by the arm, grinning. "We'll leave you two alone. Take care!"

Kyotaro looked at them, his face breaking into the biggest smile they had ever seen.

"See you guys tomorrow!" he called, voice ringing with joy.

Kael and Hana waved, before disappearing down the street.

As they walked home, Kael asked, "So… what did Aoi want to say to you?"

Hana smiled softly. "Poor girl. She's been trying to make chocolate all week, but she kept burning it. She didn't know if she should give it to Kyotaro or not. I told her she should—because the thought and care she put into it matters more than how it tastes."

Kael chuckled.

Hana tilted her head. "By the way, did you hear about Riku? After he lost to you at the sports festival, his older siblings shared the video online. His father cut his allowance. And when he didn't have money to spend, Takumi and Daichi ditched him. He still blames you for everything."

Kael frowned. "I don't really see how that's my fault."

Hana suddenly stopped walking. "Wait—before I forget." She pulled a small, neatly wrapped box from her bag and handed it to him. Her cheeks were faintly pink. "Here. This is for you. I didn't know if you prefer sweet or bitter, so… I went with bittersweet."

Kael looked at her, his expression softening. "…Thank you, Hana. For everything."

He unwrapped the chocolate, about to take a bite—when a sharp pain stabbed through his chest. He winced, stumbling.

"Kael?" Hana's smile vanished. "Are you okay—?"

Before she could finish, he collapsed onto the pavement.

"Kael!!" Hana screamed, dropping beside him, shaking his shoulders as panic filled her eyes.

Kael was rushed into the emergency room, the doors swinging shut with a final thud that left Hana standing in the hallway, breathless and trembling. Minutes crawled like hours. She barely noticed when Kazuki's mother arrived, breathless and stricken, her bag still clutched in one hand. "Where is he?!" she demanded. Hana fell into her arms, tears spilling, and together they waited, hearts pounding with every muffled voice and footstep behind those doors.

Finally, a doctor appeared. His voice was calm, but firm. "He's stabilized for now, but his condition is serious. We're moving him to the Intensive Care Unit for monitoring."

The walk down the sterile corridor felt endless. Hana's legs were heavy. Through the ICU window she finally saw him—Kael, surrounded by quiet machines, tubes and monitors tracing his fragile breath.

Hana pressed her palm to the glass, looking at him.

Hikari reached over and patted the empty chair beside her. "Hana, dear, come sit here."

Hana hesitated, then sank down. "Thank you, Mrs. Hasunuma," she started.

"Hikari," she said with a small grin. "You don't have to be so formal with me."

Hana settled, fingers twisting in her lap. Hikari didn't look at her directly; she watched the window where Kael lay. "You're worried about Kael, aren't you?"

Hana blinked. "Yes. I just want him to wake up." Then her eyes went wide. "Kael… how do you know that name?"

Hikari's smile softened. "You two underestimate a mother's intuition. I remember that weekend morning when he woke up and ran in, crying, to hug me. Even though he was in my son's body, he didn't feel like Kazuki. He didn't behave like him. I'm both mother and father to him, Hana, and I've always read his diary to understand his heart. That's when I saw it confirmed in his own hand—he wasn't Kazuki, but someone named Kael. Thanks to you, of course, for forcing him to write in that diary."

Hana's eyes went wide. "You knew all along? How did you deal with it, knowing someone else was living in your son's body?"

Hikari replied softly,

"I was sad, at first. Truly, I was. Every night, I went to bed crying—wondering where my real son was, how he was doing, and worrying for myself, because I was living under the same roof with a stranger. But as time went on, I realized how caring and affectionate Kael is.

Kazuki was always in his room, only coming out for meals. But Kael… he was different. Hugging me every morning, falling asleep on my lap, asking what I needed from the store, asking about my day at work, helping me with the house chores.

With each passing day, I still pray for my own son's safety, but I have accepted Kael as well—like another son of mine. How could I not? How could I withhold a mother's love from someone who so clearly longed for it?"

Hana's voice trembled as the warmth in Hikari’s words pressing hard against her heart.

"You're so kind and accepting, Mrs… Hikari."

Hikari's voice softened, almost as if speaking to herself.

"I have another reason too, why I've accepted Kael as my own. But that… is a secret I've never told anyone—except my husband. Everyone has a secret or two that they keep to themselves."

She gave a faint smile, but before Hana could respond—

The steady beeping of the monitor spiked, then flatlined.

"Hurry!" Their voices cracked as nurses rushed into the room, pushing the two aside. Hana clutched Hikari's hand, both of them frozen in terror, praying, pleading.

And then—silence.

When Kael opened his eyes, he stood in an endless expanse of white, the sterile light stretching in all directions. Looking down at himself, he saw his true form—the one from Numeria.

A whisper escaped his lips.

"…what is this place?"