Kyouka (強化)

Chapter 4 - Uncertain Future Part 2

A clock is heard ticking, its resonance is felt all across the room, a young boy looks at the windows on the left side of the room, the frost sticking on their frame. He holds his face with his hand, slouching his form forward.

The room is filled with the noise is chatting students... their classmates. Their bored adviser sits at the front, distracted in using his phone. He sighs and whispers to the person in front of him, getting the attention of the person he knows he can trust... the most...

"Psst!" he murmurs, the person tilts their head around, their braids moving along with them.

The girl looks at him confused and curious. Her hands are holding some kind of gum, she fiddles with the packaging, making a rustling sound as she hands a single piece of it.

"Yeah, Jisei?... Want some?" she asked. Her gentle and calm demeanor... soothes him. He softly nods, grabbing the gum from her hands, feeling her warmth if only for just a second. He twiddles the gum between his thumbs, his eyes averting from her gaze. She brushes her bangs away from her eyes along with playing with her braids, waiting for him to speak...

"Umm... well... both of us already know that we want to... follow each other no matter what. That we'd support each other in whatever path we want to pursue right?" he asked, his eyes drifting more and more to the ground. She shifts her seat, making a creaking sound, she gets closer to him, his cheeks flushing.

"I mean... yeah? what's your point though?" she bluntly says, questioning him. She suddenly grabs his face by the chin, rubbing her hand unto his cheek, she stares right at him. He tries to look away but... he hesitates and looks back in return.

"I- I wanna be an Ishiin!" he firmly states. She jerks her head backward, stunned by what she heard him say.

"Really? Damn..." she scratches her head and taps her foot.

"Not that I wouldn't follow you all the way! It's just... what made you decide to want to become one? Is it because you want to follow in your dad's footsteps?" she asks him, genuinely wanting to know his answer... she shifts in her seat and sits with her legs crossed over.

"I haven't... seen him... for 3 weeks now, my mom says that this has happened many times before but... he said... that he might die..." his body shakes and trembles, his face covered in complete agony, he raises both of his hands and rustles his hair in frustration. She watches over him, wanting to say something... anything... to comfort him. But no words leave her lips at this moment.

"I haven't told mom about this... all I said was that I saw him leave as he said goodbye to me. But he said a whole lot more! He told me... that he didn't mean to ignore us... that he won't be there when I need him the most... that he wants me to protect mom and sis, that I need to be ready... for the worst..." he looks at his hand and curls his fingers, its form trembling. He forcefully closes and tightens his grip, forming a fist. She only stares at him, her gaze frozen as she processes all of it.

She desperately wants to console him, to help him... But her body refuses to listen to her, she is suspended on her seat, her hands trembling trying to move closer to Jisei. Her lips are parched and her tongue is at the tip of her teeth, getting ready and about to say something...

"Jise-"

"Manaka-san! That's why I want to be an Ishiin! To be ready for whoever dad's fighting... to be able to save him!" Jisei states with a strong resolve, with such determination! He immediately grabs both of her hands and clasps them together with his, he looks at her with his eyes all lit up with such willpower. She looks away at first, her face turning red, taken aback by his sudden movement.