Her Greatest Ally in Justice and Love

This moment was too much for me. I had to get some peace of mind to process what just happened here. Shun always gets ahead of himself in moments like these. I nudge a nonplussed Shun with both arms and lead him toward the door.

"What's the matter, Fumiko," he asked, craning his neck to look at me while I struggled to scoot him across the carpet.

"I think I just need some time to myself right now," I said.

Kyoko opened the apartment door and shoved Shun outside without a second thought.

Kenta joined me outside with Kyoko and Shun. He snuck a curious glance at me. I tried to diffuse his worry by placating him with a smile.

I'm not sure he's convinced, judging by how the harsh lines in his face didn't seem to relax.

Kyoko walked up to me.

"I'm sorry about Shun. Even since a couple days ago, he's been very uptight."

I raised my gaze upwards as that last moment with Shun in middle school rose to the surface. He wasn't able to answer the personal question in my heart that I was searching for. Ever since that moment, he felt obligated to try and help me find the answer. Even after telling him he wasn't obligated to help me, he remained steadfast.

I bowed to Kyoko in deference to our longstanding friendship.

"No, I'm sorry. I was the one that told him about that incident in grade school a while back. It feels like I've burdened him."

"No, you're our friend, Fumi. You're never a burden to us."

Shun walked up to Kenta and dipped his head and shoulders in respect. That was a bit of a relief. Maybe these two could get along with each being at each other's throats. I subtly cleared my runny nose with my finger, trying to stifle any potential tears.

Then he turned his attention to me and knelt down for a one-handed hug.

"Thanks for the invitation. Sorry for the commotion," Shun said, releasing his grip on my back.

"No. It's alright," I said.

Shun and Kyoko walked a straight path until they hit the elevator. Within twenty seconds we heard the sound of the ding that followed the expected flash of light from the hall indicator. The two of them entered the elevator, Kyoko lagging behind a half-second with a backward glance at the both of us as she waved with her twirling fingers.

I exhaled in exhaustion. I peered at the doorway, heavily considering just turning in for the night. I was tempted to walk past Kenta in the hall, but then I stopped myself short after just a tiptoe.

"I'm sorry about all that. Shun is usually a lot more composed than that," I said.

"Oh it's fine. I didn't expect to get along with everybody yet, anyway. We just met, after all."

"Kenta, there's a short story I want to tell you."

"I Imagine it has something to do with this 'grade school incident,''' he said.

I know I didn't have to tell him right away, but a voice at the back of my head was whispering a truth that I didn't acknowledge until this point.

Sooner or later, the subject of Hiro was going to come up sooner or later.

***

"The second-to-last day of grade school, my old friend Hiro had something he wanted to tell me," I said, leading into the story I wanted to tell.

I stood for a minute to recall the moment in time in all of its entirety.

Hiro sat at the usual waiting place, dressed in the White Ravager's suit, sans mask. He sat at the foot of the playground's cobalt blue slide. The children's park, which was normally reserved for the toddlers of concerned parents, became a secret base of sorts for us, free from the constraints of public school.

"What's your business with me, White," I asked.

"Violet, I want to share some important information regarding my journey involving, 'love'''.

He flashed the original symbol for peace between rangers of love, half of a heart gestured by one hand which was held close to one's physical heart, and if the other ranger reciprocates, they complete the heart by using the hand opposite to their view and held it to their own heart.

Naturally, as my best friend, I completed the gesture of peace.

"Oh. What news do you bring, ally of the all-present love in the universe?"

Despite wanting to maintain my role as Violet, I leaned in excitedly as a child normally did.

"VIolet, I fear the universal definition of love may've been more complicated than I anticipated."

"What do you mean, White?"

I noticed his nostrils flared as a smile surfaced that tilted back and forth between happiness and sadness. Now it was time for 'Violet' to exercise the more compassionate part of her personality.

"Is everything okay, Hiro," I asked with a worried frown.

"Can I say something as just me real quick," Hiro asked, scratching the nape of his neck.

"Of course."

"I decided I wanted to become a manga author. When I get published, will you read my story?"

"That's quite early to be a manga author. I didn't even know you drew, Hiro."

I couldn't resist letting out a pocket of laughter, but then I stopped myself when I saw how much his balled hands were tensing up.

"Of course I have! I'm just not good enough yet. Anyways, whenever you read my story, I want you to always think of me. Okay?"

He briefly turned his back to me. In that brief instance, I could vaguely see his head shaking.

"You're my greatest ally in love. There's no way I can forget you," I said, smiling.

He tried to imitate the White Ravager's deep, raucous laughter when he turned back around.

"And when I finally become serialized in a popular manga magazine, I'll discover the true meaning of love. Just wait for me, Fumiko."

***

"So Hiro was the friend you competed with to learn the meaning of love?"

"Oh, yes. I did mention that earlier, didn't I? I never felt anything that can typically be described as love for someone else that wasn't family, but he was a friend that I cared about above all others," I said, my eyes distancing themselves from the present in front of me again, until I felt a nudge on my shoulder.

“What happened Fumiko-san?"

"Well, like a lot of promises made in childhood, real life sort of got in the way. The day after, the day of our graduation, he disappeared. He didn't even say goodbye."

I tried averting my eyes from Kenta's keen sight, but it was no use. I could see all of my nervous, sorrowful energy reflected back at me with a trembling hand that reached around my back. I couldn't hold back my impulse to cry anymore. The anxious spurts from my diaphragm that suppressed my tears came flooding out all in one breath.

"Fumiko-san.. I'm so sorry."

"That feeling I felt for Hiro--I'm not sure I'll be able to find it again Kenta. The only thing that ran through my mind since that last day of school was to find the meaning of love that Hiro wanted to tell me. I've gone through so many unsuspecting boys to find out the answer. And Shun was patient enough to help me through it all."

Throughout this whole emotional vent, Kenta securely held me in his arms the entire moment. I felt a little guilty sobbing into his chest like this. I tried to regain my composure and began taking deep breaths until I could string together three words without slurring my words.

"Kenta. Just like how you promised Shun, I want to try and make this work as well. But if it doesn't work, don't feel pressured to do anything. The original agreement was that either one of us could end it if we had a reason to. I don't want to hold you captive."

"Heh, being a bit presumptuous there, aren’t you?"

"You want to cancel," I asked, a reserve of extra tears leaking out of my lower eyelids.

"No, you idiot! It's too soon to say that everything'll go wrong. At least wait until after the date."

"I only say this as a warning. You could be the kindest, most interesting person I could've ever met, and there's a chance I will never fall in love with you. Every single person I've dated without exception, I haven't felt that physical spark everyone else feels. I don't get butterflies when I see someone I'm interested in, and I don't really have crushes."

"But you did care about them right?"

I was taken aback by his answer, lifting a palm to my chest.

"If you valued those people you dated, there's a chance it could've worked out," he continued.

"You're right. I guess I should give you my Line address then. Here."

I took out a fancy gel pen and scribbled a familiar set of numbers and letters into a piece of paper from a memo pad in my pocket. I ripped it out and handed the neatly torn memo page to him.

"TheWhiteRavagerLives07 @ Wahoo.com?"

"Look, I made it before Super Sentai Ravagers was canceled, okay."

"It's fine. Here's mine. Mine's absolutely boring by comparison."

He grabbed the memo pad in my hand and wrote down his Line adress. He tore out the parchment the writing was on, but he left an endearingly ugly set of teeth at the bottom of the page. He handed me the parchment, but I was left more perplexed than amused.

"I can see you used parts of your name, but what does the number '11' mean?"

"Oh that. It's the number I used to wear on my jersey when I played on the freshman basketball varsity team."

I see. Do you still play?"

"Eh, that's a story for another day. And you already look tired."

"Yeah, you're probably night. Good night, then, Kenta," I said, yawning as I waved goodbye.

Once the door closed, I was left with one comforting thought.

No matter how this ended, I wanted us both to spend a very long time together.