My Redemption Arc

After a couple endeavors, me and Iruka had eventually won Mikarin’s heart. His good ending was a lot more wholesome than our first, doomed attempt – Iruka even cried during the last scene. Though, I wasn’t sure if he was actually touched by the story or just relieved it was finally over.

But now, it was time to put my newfound expertise to the test. Of course, the final judge was none other than Hajime Aiko: the ultimate Mikarin enthusiast herself. Our date for today, as suggested by me after thorough preparation and hours of searching for the perfect spot online, was going to be a low-stakes recreation of Mikarin’s ideal ending.

I had gotten to the train station a little early. It was a gesture that had become somewhat of a tendency of mine as I was just learning to leave my nest at the ripe 17 years of age. Hajime had never been late to our meetings either: given how excited she seemed on the phone for this one, I couldn't say I would’ve been surprised if I had found her sleeping in a tent at our usual meeting spot.

However, five minutes until our train, there was still not a single redhead in sight. So, unless she had the nerve to betray me and dyed her hair a different color over the weekend, it was safe to say that she wasn’t around.

A wave of unpleasant thoughts began to creep up on me. What if Hajime had finally snapped after our latest meeting? Or maybe it was the image of a raccoon on a motorcycle that I sent her last night? I thought it was amusing!

Still, I couldn’t see why she would’ve gone through the trouble of setting up a new date and even acting all giddy over it if she wasn’t planning to show up. To teach me a lesson? To embarrass me? I found it hard to believe pettiness like that actually existed.

As was tradition, my overdriven thoughts were proven to be a mere manifestation of pointless insecurity. My date arrived just in time, short-winded and slightly sweaty. She grabbed both of my shoulders for support and took a couple deep breaths before explaining her case.

"I'm so sorry! It took me a little longer today because I had no idea what to wear to a forest. Did I miss the train?"

As she lifted her face to look at me when she spoke, I took note of the necklace she was wearing: it was the one I had gifted her on our first date. A warm feeling of pride flashed by me and before I knew it, I had forgiven her tardiness.

"Worry not, nee-san! She has a plethora of hours to spend in the company of Mikarin”, I reassured.

Colors can’t be felt, yet when Hajime was staring through me as if I were translucent, I could undoubtedly sense the rapidly increasing redness of my cheeks.

"W-was that too cringe?" I queried hastily.

"No way! I just had to think twice if I got hit by a train and sent to another world”, she giggled.

We exchanged zero words during the train ride: I couldn’t bring myself to roleplay out in the open as extravagantly as Hajime did. In any case, the silence wasn’t anything unusual as it was a core principle of respect to be mindful of your volume in public spaces.

My awkwardness may have been the real reason behind my decision to take her to the middle of nowhere. I suppose it was good to be aware my own strengths and weaknesses: a dimmed-out light shines the brightest in total darkness, after all.

Be that as it may, there was one weakness I failed to consider: the limits of my mortal form. The shortest route from our terminus to our actual destination was still quite a distance – I began to regret my life choices after approximately ten minutes of hiking. At the twenty-minute mark I started to scavenge through the earliest mistakes I could think of. In just half an hour, I had already managed to rewrite my life completely.

Once we reached the top after what felt like two eternities, it was no exaggeration to say I was on the brink of death. I was gasping for air desperately like a stranded castaway; my lungs felt as if they were full of holes. It took me a shamefully long time of hoarse wheezing and coughing, unbefitting of my character, to pick myself back up after the uphill venture.

“Are you okay? Can I do something to help?” Hajime worried.

"Nee-san is underestimating a kitsune’s might. Does she fancy the scenery?" I continued acting as if nothing had happened.

“I like how you can see the both the nature and the city from here”, she replied.

The view was truly one-of-a-kind: a scape of greenery and high-rises, both harmoniously occupying their own territories, opened up beyond the sturdy cliff our feet were planted on. If it wasn’t for every single one of my internal organs struggling to keep my legs from giving out, it could’ve been a tranquil experience.

Regardless, I had spent three thorough nights memorizing my lines for this moment. I wasn’t about to let my poor stamina disregard those efforts.

"When my father was still alive, he brought me here and claimed that an infallible way to capture a maiden's heart would be to escort her here. Dare I wish his late self were watching us now?"

Every character in Once Upon a Hollow Night’s Eve had their fair share of issues but Mikarin was definitely among the heavier stories. His father, the only healthy adult figure in his life, was brutally murdered when he was five years old. Thus, he was left to the care of his abusive mother, who also happened to be the culprit behind his father death. Mikarin knew of it but no one believed him. He was a surprisingly mature character despite his appearance – the childish exterior was just age regression due to his traumatic past...

"When nee-san enrolled, I was instantly intrigued by her but at first, I paid it no mind. After all, I am an inquisitive one by nature; curiousness is an instinct. But nee-san had the smell of someone that wasn't from the world as we know it and she was trying so hard! It was precisely that persistence that made me fall for her. Because it is something I lacked”, I recited.

As Mikarin’s monologue started closing in on its climax, I tried to make eye contact with Hajime; doing it with a straight face proved to be even more difficult than usual. In addition to being flustered in general, I was also constantly being reminded of Iruka’s hyperbolic commentary when we were playing the game last week and trying my hardest not to laugh. In spite of that, I placed one of my date’s hands in between my own and continued.

"No maiden has moved me quite like nee-san. Gratefulness swills in my heart, for her courageous soul. She never gave up on this world. She never gave up on Mikarin. When the candle known as my hope was quenched, nee-san ignited it with her flame!"

With Hajime’s hand still in mine, I kneeled down and finally managed to lock gazes with her. The way her eyes were admiring me with awe made me forget about everything I had gone through to get to this point – except my lines, of course.

"I am aware that nee-san is someone who is in no need of such protection, she has proved it truth countless of times. Still, I want to return her kindness. Will she grant me the honor?" I finished.

"The honor would be mine”, Hajime smiled.

We had reached the point of the obligatory dating simulator kiss sequence. Although we wouldn’t have likely gone that far anyway, it was supposed to be a tender moment. However, I ruined it.

Once I recalled Iruka’s little victory dance from our game night, I could no longer keep myself from laughing. My audible expression of amusement echoed through the trees so stridently it even made a couple birds take distance.

“I’m sorry, I just remembered something funny”, I apologized after I was done.

Or at least thought I was. As soon as I had said that, I started laughing again.

“You can’t just claim that and not tell me what it is!” Hajime scolded.

Despite the commanding nature of her statement, there wasn’t any anger present in her voice. Since she was an empathetic person, my laughter had latched onto her even when she had no idea what was going on.

“Well, it’s hard to spell out. Me and my friend played OUAHNE together and let’s just say that he had some quite amusing reactions as someone who’s used to regular harems”, I summarized.

“That explains it! You were amazing just now. Is this how I make you feel when I’m Neri?” she wondered.

"I don’t know how you’re feeling but based on that reaction I’d say it’s pretty close”, I noted.

“You weren’t too weirded out by it? The game, I mean. To be honest, I don’t even like it all that much... I just like Mikarin”, she continued.

I had never seen Hajime look so self-conscious. It was like all of the life was swept away from her expression in a matter of seconds; as if her face were a chalkboard full of colorful drawings being erased by a humorless janitor.

“Don’t worry, I actually had fun! The lore is a lot for sure but it’s interesting how they combine romance and strategy in a visual novel format.”

As soon as I had given her a little reassurance, her face lit right back up.

“I know right! It’s not that uncommon of a combo nowadays but with the horror twist it’s quite a unique experience!” she praised.

“I thought you just said you didn’t like the game?” I questioned.

“I’ve got a love-hate relationship with it, I suppose”, she rephrased.

“I totally get that! My life could be different if I never started playing idol games. They’ve basically ruined my life but I still wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s weird”, I laughed. “Sorry, I’ll stop going out of character now.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to push yourself. You already gave me plenty of fanservice! Besides, it’d be a shame to cut a good conversation”, Hajime persuaded.

As I was relieved of my duties by the commissioner herself, it was no longer a date; it was just a regular hangout. I was a little mad at myself for letting her get away with granting me the longer straw once again but it would’ve been dumber to insist: we both knew I was out of tricks anyway.