Reunion

December 25th

The tenth year of the war

In front of the window stood Hiro, looking towards the dawn sun as it rose in the sky. He took a deep breath, then made to leave the room, heading for the entrance. Before he left the house, he stood in front of the room of the old woman who owned it, its door already open. The old woman was sitting on the ground atop a small rug, facing the wall and raising her hands towards the sky.

Always at this hour, when everyone is asleep, I find her sitting like this. It isn't as though there's anything in front of her, or even that she can see, and yet she always looks this way, as though she were desperate to obtain something. She always seems to be asking something of someone. I tried asking the villagers about the kind of rites she performs, but it seems she's the only one who does anything like this.

"So you're leaving, then?" the old woman asked, sitting where she was, without turning or showing any feeling.

"Yes... I thought it my duty to tell you before I left. And I apologise, for I'm unable to repay your kindness to us."

The old woman gave a short laugh, one that carried within it something of a wise indifference, and said, "Nothing that happened is worth mentioning. On the contrary... you two are the ones who gave me help these past days. Isn't that enough?"

"But... if not for your letting us stay here, we wouldn't have managed to survive. You asked for nothing, and set no conditions, in a world where a person can trust no one. Aren't you afraid for your life?"

"So... it would have been better if I hadn't offered you a helping hand? Is that what you're trying to say? That you don't deserve it?"

In that moment Hiro had lost what remained of his composure. His voice began to rise gradually without his noticing. "Yes!! People like me don't deserve a thing like this. Just a coward who can't even say his own name. He covers himself with lies to protect himself, while he causes trouble for everyone around him. He can't offer help even to a little girl. A person like that would be better off thrown in a pit of mud."

The old woman listened quietly, and the moment he stopped, she answered him in turn. "How long will you keep doing this? From the moment you entered this place, you've been grumbling with these words. What's the point of it? Are you looking for someone to pity you?"

"No... that isn't what I mean."

"I am weak... I can't do anything. Yes, you know that phrase well, perhaps better than anyone else. You can't bear this truth, and so whenever someone helps you, you rush to call your weakness to account. Is weakness a sin? The matter is far more complicated than a direct answer... But what I know for certain is that surrendering to this weakness will make you worse, not better."

Hiro understood completely that she was sincere, and every word she uttered struck the deepest point he was trying to run from. When he found no escape, he said in a faint voice, "Then... what do I have other than surrender?"

The old woman smiled, a smile that showed neither mockery nor pity, and said, "Accept the truth of yourself. If you're unable to change it, then at the very least stop punishing it this way. You don't even understand what makes up your good from your bad. You think that being enough for yourself, and being able to do everything alone, is the greatest virtue. But is that really true?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"The same thing applies to the reason for your coming now. Never try to look beyond the act. Good and evil, for you, are clear lines, fixed and unchanging. That's why you're unable to forgive yourself, because you always see yourself in the column of the one at fault. But... believe me, not everything is as important as you think."

The old woman sighed, as though the talk had weighed on her chest, then went on. "Tell me, boy... if good and evil are concepts that differ from one person to another, does that mean they're merely illusions? Or is there behind them a truth, fixed, unchanging?"

Hiro tried to keep pace with the conversation, but the marks of confusion soon settled on his face. He said hesitantly, "I'm sorry... but I really don't understand what you're trying to say."

"I expected that. There's no need to tire yourself with deep thinking now. Just... listen."

Several minutes later, Hiro came out of the door carrying in his left hand a box wrapped in a cloth patched in black and white. On the edge of the small step, Stella was sitting there, setting her staff near her bag, wearing that ornate outfit in black. When she heard the sound of the door, she stood and took up her bag, then said, "So you're going, then."

"Yes, I've sat here too long. And you, what are you doing at this hour? Are you going somewhere?"

"I don't know, but I think I'll accompany you a little on your way. You're going to Novalin to meet your brother, aren't you?"

Stella carried her staff while Hiro had gone ahead of her, leaving the place. Even after he heard Stella's wish to accompany him, it didn't draw him out of the confusion and bewilderment he was in. That caught Stella's interest, and she asked, "I heard the sounds of you two talking before you came out. What did the lady of the house say to you, to make you show a face like this?"

While Hiro was lost in his thoughts, Stella's question brought him back to reality, and he answered her. "Huh. Honestly, even I didn't understand."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"In any case, she gave me this fish and told me, give it to a person who doesn't see evil."

"Why does it sound like a side quest in some awful RPG?"

"If that's the case, then it makes you the useless side character. The one who explains obvious things for no reason and tells silly jokes to waste time."

"Isn't that a little harsh!"

Beside the grass filled with the morning dew, on that long dirt road, they traded silly remarks while heading towards their next destination. "But what do you think happened that day?"

Hiro replied, wondering. "What?"

"I mean that night, when you suddenly vanished and I found myself..."

While Hiro was turning his gaze away a little, without any warning that cheerful voice disappeared from beside him. Before he realised it, he was standing in that place alone, with no trace of Stella or anyone else. Worry took hold of Hiro slightly, and soon those marks disappeared from his face. He carried on his way, leaving words behind him, those indifferent words. "Well, I won't worry like this about sharing my portion of food."

Novara village, the public square

..

December 28th

In the village square, filled with loud voices and stifling crowds, Hiro stood far from it, avoiding mingling with them so as not to draw attention to his unusual appearance. While his cold eyes watched the square, his body was in a state of complete turmoil, and behind that frozen face, all kinds of feelings stirred in him.

Lately I've become unable even to stand in a crowd like this. In a place filled with every kind of human, it was always accompanied by a wave of chaotic feelings. When I see all this at once, I even lose the balance of my body and feel exhausted. When people pass by shouting in anger, it was always accompanied by a strong headache. As for depression or sorrow, it made my insides twist together. Lies hurt my ears so much that tears would run from my eyes without my realising. My heart pounded hard with fear and hatred. And even love and happiness, which seem so bright, their filth nearly sickens me. But. And yet...

Among all those black clouds surrounding Hiro's mind, the sound of a single footstep passing beside him was enough to turn that blackness into a field of lovely white flowers.

But even so, amid all the filth of this world, there was always that awe-inspiring presence that passes quickly and lightly. And yet it leaves that heavy, deep mark in my depths without my realising.

That footstep beside Hiro was heavy even upon time itself, which made the hair of his body stand on end from the slow scene that appeared before his eyes. When he realised it was already over, he took a deep breath and turned quickly to grab his hand.

This feeling is like that day. That's right, it's impossible for me to forget it.

The person Hiro had grabbed was masked, the features of his face not showing. Then Hiro spoke with hesitation and worry. "You're Itsuki... aren't you!"

The man sighed from behind the mask and stepped into the alley beside them. Hiro followed him cautiously. Then the man began to pull the wrap from his head to reveal that spiked black hair, and his cold blue eyes settled on Hiro's face. Then he spoke quietly, setting his hand on his hip. "So what do you want from someone like me, young man?"

Hiro didn't grasp what he was talking about. As far as he was concerned, his body had moved of its own accord, and he'd grabbed him with no aim. He was a little tense and had no time to think of anything. A short while passed without Hiro uttering a letter, and he ended up embarrassed at having stopped him that way. He raised his head to see Itsuki's reaction. When he found him smiling quietly, waiting without haste, that calmed Hiro in turn and drove away all that worry.

"Sorry for stopping you like this. I didn't think I'd see you again, so maybe I got a little excited."

"Huh."

"Don't you remember me? I'm Hiro. In that village about two months ago, you saved my life."

Itsuki was lost in thought a little as he tried to remember. "Huh... no, sorry. Who are you? I don't think I know you."

"Huh!!!"

Hiro was startled a little, and his face went pale.

After that, half an hour passed, maybe, with me trying to make him remember who I am. But that event, which still keeps me drowning in my worries and lost, wasn't anything important to him. It was as though I were a stranger who'd said hello to him in some strange place. At that time I couldn't have realised that a thing like that day was, for a person like him, just an ordinary day. Of course he wouldn't remember.

After many desperate attempts, Itsuki lost his patience and said, "Would you shut your mouth a little? Why are you even attached to a thing like this? I'm not saying you're wrong. No, you're probably right. Maybe I did do all that. But why are you so keen for me to remember you? In the end, I'm still me. That fact hasn't changed. If you want something from me, my knowing you won't affect my decision when I answer you. Understood?"

Hiro felt a shock after he shouted in his face, which made him calm down a little, but he was more saddened at having lost hope. "That's right... you're that kind of person."

Hiro sighed then, leaning his back against the wall behind him. "Then tell me." He turned his gaze towards the public square. "If you woke up one day and found you could see the feelings of the people around you, what would you do then?"

"Become a detective."

"Can you answer seriously, please?"

Itsuki turned his gaze in turn towards that crowd. "Well, it would surely be exhausting. Maybe I'd start seriously thinking about living alone. And I probably wouldn't be able to trust anyone anymore... And then, do you think that's enough of an excuse to give up? If it is, then you're nothing but a child who cries every time he falls to the ground. Instead of standing on his own, he chooses to wait for someone to carry him."

Rather than words of reproach, those words seemed to Hiro like the encouragement he'd been waiting for. Then Itsuki put the wrap back on to ready himself to leave. "I don't know what your opinion is about what you can see now. But this ability may not be as bad as you expect. Instead of what you've lost, think about what you've gained. Later, the day may come when you believe that what happened to you was for the best."

In that moment, Hiro's eyes were about to fail him. Beyond everything he'd said, those sincere feelings that Hiro alone could see were what affected him. Even after he learned of that ability of his, it didn't move a thing in his sincere intention to stand and listen to him.

Before he left the place, Hiro drew near with enthusiasm and delight plain on his face. "If you don't mind, I want to give you this fresh fish."

From Itsuki's point of view he looked like a madman coming forward and putting the fish in his hands, and it alarmed him a little. "A fish... what's come over you all of a sudden!!"

"Actually an old woman gave it to me and told me to give it to a person who doesn't see evil, and I think you're that person..."

His speech, with that enthusiasm and speed, left Itsuki stunned, unable to reply. "And also, thank you. Thank you, truly. I wonder why, but every time I talk to you."

A broad smile formed on Hiro's gloomy face. "I find my courage again and think there's still something I can do. But I won't break again. I'll do my best this time, for certain, and I'll become someone who can live with his head held high. So I want you to watch me, Itsuki. I don't care about anyone's opinion, but if I can prove that to you, I think I'll be satisfied with that."

Without any question or objection, Itsuki answered with a faint smile. Then he said, "Yes, this time I'll definitely remember you. Sorry for disappointing you, but this time I'll watch you for certain."

Once again the tears nearly overflowed from Hiro's eyes. But he held them back with difficulty and, with deep gratitude, said at the top of his voice, "Thank you so much!!"

Then he left the place running, leaving Itsuki standing where he was.

..

December 31st

In front of the gate of the city of Novalin

Away from the main road, beneath some small shrubs, Hiro was hiding there, watching the gate while talking to himself. "How will I get in now? However I explain it to them, no one will believe me anyway. So do I sneak in? Hmm."

"So what do you say to blowing up the entrance!!"

That soft voice whispered those terrifying words near Hiro's ear, which made Hiro take his guard quickly and stand ready to fight. Then a faint laugh burst from that person's mouth, which made Hiro realise the instant he saw who it was. "Can't you stop appearing and disappearing in this terrifying way? I'm starting to feel as though you're part of some nightmare."

"Fu fu. You should have seen the look on your face just now. And also, don't make it seem as though I'm the one at fault here. You have no idea how much I suffer when I find myself in a place I know nothing about."

"Well, you have a point. In any case, we need to get behind these walls somehow."

Stella was trying to understand the difficulty in that matter. "As I told you before, let's just blow it up. If you can't solve the matter with talk, then you should make things shorter for yourself."

Stella was speaking as she advanced towards the road, heading for the front gate, while she tossed her staff high in the air and caught it again. "Wait, what you said just now, that wasn't a joke. Wait and listen to me, you fool!!"

Stella stood facing the gate, two hundred metres away. She pointed her staff towards the gate, and flames began to surround it. At that time Hiro was about to pull her away by force. But before he could touch her, she disappeared again.

"Huh... that was close. Good timing, world."

The ease he'd felt disappeared at once, when the scene before him changed in the blink of an eye, and that vast road turned into a packed, crowded square. "What, have I moved too? Where is this place? Wait, is this the square of the city of Novalin? Does that mean I'm already inside!"

Among the large crowd, Hiro saw Stella trying to get out of the throng quickly. But her slender, small body was being thrown about and shoved aside with ease. Hiro was about to call to her so she'd hear him, but he stopped.

This feeling again. Are we going to move again? But before that.

Hiro drew near her quietly. Then he slapped her hard on the neck.

This one's for scaring me a little while ago.

Stella grabbed her neck quickly from the pain. "Who's the scoundrel who did that..."

And before she could recognise who had struck her, she vanished again from her place. "Victorious once more."

Before he could rejoice at his deed, the place changed from beside him, so that he found himself in a deserted alley far from the square. While he was trying to work out exactly where he was, he heard a familiar voice coming from behind him. "You're Hiro, aren't you!!"

Hiro spun around quickly, and then the marks of joy disappeared from his face when he realised the source of that voice. That short white hair. That pale white face. And finally those eyes, that look. There was no doubt about it. "You're Yol!!! Aren't you?"