Same Paths, Different Ways Pt. 1

I've walked a lonely path for as long as I can remember. Today was no different, yet something felt... missing. Around me, Christmas lights illuminated the world with their soft glow—a warm welcome for a festive day that was meant to be filled with happiness, joyful gatherings, and new beginnings. But for me, it was the same as always. I felt an overwhelming sadness, a loneliness that clung to me like a shadow. I hadn't changed in twenty years, and maybe I never would.

Taiyori's words still echoed in my mind, even though it had been two days. I couldn't forget the look on her face. Last night, after I managed to recover a little, I checked my phone, only to find out she had blocked me on Line.

I stepped outside the dormitory. Students were already out and about, celebrating Christmas together, their laughter filling the air.

Look at them—smiling, carefree, like the world revolves around them. It's irritating. I don’t even know why I left my room. Maybe I just needed a breath of fresh air.

"Gosh, you look terrible," an unknown yet familiar voice called to me.

I turned around to see a young girl in an oversized hoodie and some shorts. Isn't she cold? No... She isn't. I would know, because even beneath that cap, I recognized that straight hair of ice-blonde and delicate violet eyes.

"Megumi..." I muttered.

"Long time no see, Tsuki," she smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hah, is that the greeting I get after tracking down your girlfriend for you? Well... I guess Mujihina did most of the work, but I still helped. Relax. I'm not here to kill anyone. I just wanted to see you. It's been, what? A year or so since we last met? But, I'll relent this time. I just came back from an overseas mission not too long ago. Wanted to check up on my little brother. Who would've thought that the first thing I see him doing is infiltrating a den filled with lions."

"We were on a mission."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

Megumi no Hana is a strange one. Even then, she's considered one of the more 'normal' assassins of the Hunt. I've known her almost as long as I've known Sakuno. Among a few others, we were trained and raised by Watcher himself.

Hah... Normal, huh? All of a sudden, I feel envious.

"Call me a skeptic, but I'd say you don't seem all too excited to see your big sis after all this time," Megumi tilted her head with a scoff.

"It's... not that," I mumbled.

"Then what is it? The normal world not treating you as well as you thought it would?"

I remained silent for a moment, which confirmed her suspicion. She crossed her arms and let out a restless breath, before plopping onto a nearby bench.

"Sit down," she said. "Talk to me."

Despite my reluctance, I sat down next to her and told her the entire story. Taiyori Ayaka was a girl whom I once hated, but over time, I had gotten used to her being there. Beneath the cold exterior was just a normal girl, but that was also a part of the problem. She's normal, and I'm not.

"That's just one of the struggles of living a normal life, Tsuki," Megumi said after I finished my story. "For better or worse, we're often forced to make relationships. Doesn't always end well, but that's a part of the process. Hold onto your crown, king. It'll work out."

"I don't know, Megumi," I sighed.

She threw a light punch at my shoulder with a smile. "Trust me. I know you better than even Sakuno, remember? You're a good guy. Whoever this lucky girl is, she'll come around."

Megumi then stood for a stretch, letting out a long moan.

"You leaving?" I asked.

"Yep. I still needa report back to Watcher," she chuckled. "Thought I'd swing by and check on you real quick. Take it easy, alright?"

"Yeah... Thanks, Megumi."

After she left, I stood there for a while, aimlessly walking along the path. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about Taiyori. The moments we shared were filled with joy—it's hard to believe that just a few days ago, things were so different.

But it doesn't matter anymore. I kept telling myself that. We don't belong together. That’s just how it is, and I need to move on.

At least, that’s what I told myself... until I saw her. Taiyori, walking down the same path as me. My body froze. This was the first time I'd seen her since everything fell apart. What do I say? Do I even have anything worth saying?

In the end, it didn't matter. Though I stopped to look at her, she didn't do the same. With an emotionless face, she passed by as if I didn't exist.

The world around me seemed to pause, leaving just the two of us in the crowd. Among the noise, all I could hear were her footsteps, growing fainter with each step.

I wanted to stop her. I wanted to shout her name, to tell her everything—but I didn’t.

Instead, I kept walking. My lips trembled as I bit down on them, and for the first time in my life, a single tear rolled down my face.

For the next few days, I locked myself in my room. Sakuno hadn’t been around since the rescue operation. I thought I had asked Watcher to tell him I was fine but just needed time alone. Clearly, as always, that memo didn't get through.

I spent the entire time lying in bed. My wounds had healed days ago, but I faked it to avoid going to class.

Instead of doing anything productive, I drifted between sleeping and staring blankly at the ceiling. The only times I got up were to drink water or eat, but my lack of appetite kept me from having more than a couple of bites.

I debated calling Taiyori's phone more times than I could count, but I shut it down every time.

Again, just like every other day, I woke up to the harsh reality that I was still alive. Every second dragged me deeper into a sea of darkness and despair.

I shut my eyes again, wishing I wouldn't have to open them, when suddenly, my phone rang. I tilted my head. Who could be calling me? It couldn't be Taiyori, and I already blocked Sakuno.

At first, I tried to ignore it, but the caller was relentless. No matter how many times I let it go to voicemail, they kept calling.

Finally, I rolled over to grab my phone from the drawer. My eyes widened when I saw who it was.

I picked up. "Hello?"

"Tsuki..." Shiro's voice said with concern. "How... How have you been doing?"

"You're perhaps the last person I expected to call second only to Taiyori. Did she not fill you in?"

"Well... It's not like I could get that much out of her either. One day, she was the happiest girl on the planet. The next, she's even worse than she was before. You know what she's like."

"Over-the-top?"

"Haha, that's a light way of putting it. She always did that when she was in a somewhat decent mood. Now, she won't even look at people. No matter who says hello to her or showers her with compliments, she wouldn't acknowledge at any of them. Even the professors were starting to notice her unusual behavior."

"Is that so...?"

It seems like even Taiyori herself is struggling just as much as I am. I don't blame her. What she said was true. I hid my true self from her. I lied to her. It's no wonder she's in so much pain.

"I'm assuming you're not gonna spill much either," Shiro said.

"Sorry, Shiro," I sighed. "I... My head isn't what you would call 'normal' right now. For now, all I can tell you is... is that I hurt her... badly."

For a while, she remained silent. I expected her to immediately hang up and never contact me again. That's the logical reaction since I betrayed her best friend. To my surprise, though... she still spoke with care.

"Hang in there, Tsuki," she said. "Ayaka may seem like a difficult person sometimes, but she's actually a sweet girl. I would say... just give her some space."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "As Taiyori's friend, shouldn't you be screaming at me and condemning me for hurting her?"

"Hah. Well... I know Taiyori. She's a pretty straightforward girl when it comes to boys. Whenever something happens with some unlucky guy, she could go on for hours about what he did, what he said, and the way he acted. That was when I knew that the guy definitely did something to get on her bad side. However, this time was different. Her reaction was unlike anything I had ever seen from her, and she refused to speak about you. That made me think... You were different from the rest, Tsuki."

So that's how it is. For some reason, knowing that now hurts me a little bit more than before.

"Anyway, you've heard about the Christmas party, right?" Shiro asked. "It's being hosted at some rich guy's apartment room."

"I have."

"You should come. Clear your head a bit."

"Is Taiyori going?"

"... Um... Y-yeah."

"Then I'll abstain. I can't risk seeing her and hurting her again. Besides, I don't do well in crowds, remember? Thanks for the invite, though. I appreciate it."

"I see... Well, I thought I'd try. I hope you feel better, Tsuki. Truthfully."

"I hope so too. Thanks, Shiro."

I hung up and dropped my phone off the bed. A party, huh? If Taiyori never found out, would she have bombarded my phone with text messages asking me to go with her?

With a heavy sigh, I pulled myself up and got off my bed. After putting on just my shoes, I slowly made my way outside of the dormitory building, embracing the cold air in all of its glory. No jacket, no coat, just a plain shirt and pants.

I've always liked the cold, but today... it feels just slightly colder than usual.