But Life Goes On

RYUUJI WOKE UP WITH A JOLT, his body drenched in cold sweat.

He pressed his hand against his face as he grimaced from the terrible memories, the emotional scars too deep for the passage of time to make a dent on, let alone erase.

How many times had he dreamt that nightmare? Over the course of 8 years since that fateful night, it had to be in the hundreds. Yet this world, and life in it, were cold and uncaring. The people just rebuilt from the ashes and continued their everyday lives, all but forgetting about the girl who gave her life for them.

‘The Voice of Ruin’ they called her, taking account only of her corruption and the horrors she inflicted as a result. The Bureau of Harmony went as far as to erase her name from the public records, turning Kisaragi Hotaru into a fleeting memory.

Nowadays, only a handful of people knew she ever existed, and fewer still knew about the true circumstances of her passing.

As for Ryuuji, he was faced with court martial and imprisonment for having abandoned his unit. Furthermore, he was subjected to a detailed investigation regarding his role in Hotaru’s fall to corruption and subsequent death.

He was eventually cleared of wrongdoing for the latter and given a short sentence at the behest of his commander, at the time Major Hino Katsuro.

Yet the actual origin of the miasma outbreak remained a mystery. Tokyo’s sewer system was largely destroyed by the earthquake caused by Hotaru, and the undamaged sections became a breeding den for yōkai. By the time the sewers were cleared, any evidence of what created the miasma had long been destroyed.

In the end, the incident was classified as a natural disaster and shelved. Hotaru lost her humanity and her life, and Ryuuji became a pariah following his imprisonment and dishonorable discharge from the armed forces.

Even the Kami turned their backs on him, refusing to grant him their blessings after his one-year sentence was served. By the time Ryuuji was free, all he had left was his runic magic and military training. Jaded and bitter, he monetized his skillset as a mercenary and worked solo for several years until a young woman demanded to be his apprentice.

And as for her, well...

“Are you up yet, Ryuuji?” she called out, her voice coming from beyond the bedroom’s door. “Breakfast is ready! Come over before it gets cold.”

“Early as ever…” Ryuuji thought, rising groggily from his futon. “Just a second,” he replied, rushing to change off his pajamas and into some decent clothes.

* * *

“GOOD MORNING, SLEEPYHEAD!” said Akari, smiling brightly with a frying pan in hand. Judging by the smell, it seemed she’d pulled all the stops this morning.

“You’re in a good mood today,” Ryuuji noted. “What’s with the apron?” he asked, staring at the brand-new piece of cloth that read ‘MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR’ on her chest, picturing a pair of cute rabbits doing… questionable things.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” said Akari, puffing up with pride. “I really liked the bunnies!”

“Yeah, how do I tell you…?” Ryuuji muttered, seeing how Akari still had a long way to go with her English skill - and her general perception overall.

“Hm?” she tilted her head, the very picture of innocence.

“It’s nothing,” Ryuuji gave up. “So what’s for breakfast?”

“Fufu…” Akari laughed confidently as she waved to the table. “Behold!”

A hearty feast was laid out, with a variety of dishes like miso soup with tofu and sliced scallions, pan-seared sausages and natto. And as the main dish, Akari served Ryuuji a large portion of omurice, fresh from the frying pan.

“Wow,” said Ryuuji, as Akari bent down with a ketchup bottle in hand.

“What should I write on it?” she pondered, before scribbling ‘EAT ME UP!’ in English, with a small drawing of a bunny’s head to the side. “Hehe, now we fit!” she said, pointing happily to her apron.

“Yeah, in all your misunderstood glory,” Ryuuji added in English.

“What was that?” asked Akari.

“Nothing,” Ryuuji played it off.

“Come on, tell me!” Akari insisted, but Ryuuji only ruffled her head in response. “Oi, I did my hair this morning!” she protested, but made no effort to move away.

“Thank you, Akari,” said Ryuuji, looking at the meal she had prepared for him with so much care and effort. He’d never admit to it out loud, but deep down he knew the huge difference she had made in his otherwise bleak life.

“Un,” Akari nodded in quiet understanding.

Truth be told, it wasn’t easy for her to arrive early at his place every day, but small moments like these made it worthwhile. Even though Ryuuji hadn’t returned to the stout and confident persona Akari first knew him by, he wasn’t as taciturn anymore.

With a bit more time and effort, who knows? Maybe one day he’d open up, and give Akari the chance to confide her feelings for him. It was with such hopes that she did her best for him, no matter the challenges that came day by day.