Keep Fighting

𓊈卍 𝟗𝟐 卍𓊉

Nakano stares down at the gravesite of Manjiro's family, bowing her head in respect. 'I'll take care of him.' A vow she makes to them in her head.

A warm breeze wafts past her, blowing her loose strands of hair away from her face. She smiles. Another sign from the other side.

"I never got to appreciate the springtime," she comments, basking in the serenity. "The warmth and comfort it brings are nice."

She hears Manjiro hum in agreement. "Aniki loved to ride in the spring. And okaasan always planned picnics for us to go on."

Nakano lets the silence consume her at the mention of his mother. He's never spoken about his parents until now, and she never questioned where they were. Since she never saw any other adults besides Manjiro's grandfather at the house, it was pretty obvious they were gone, one way or another.

"You've never spoken about your parents," Nakano comments as she carefully glances at him, ensuring she doesn't cross a line. Right now, he seems kind of blank, overall hard to read. "What do you remember about them?"

He pauses for a moment, face still blank even when he speaks. "Not much about otousan besides him dying in a car accident. But I remember that Okaasan was always very kind, even when she was sick."

"Your mother was sick? With what, if I may ask."

"I don't remember. But it made her very weak and forced her to stay in bed like you were." Manjiro takes a quick glance at her, which is enough to show the bit of trauma that flickers in his eyes like an unconscious yet desperate plea. "Except she was conscious and in the hospital for nearly three years."

Nakano moves closer to him and takes his hand, interlocking their fingers and gently rubbing her thumb over the top of his palm. "I'm very sorry for your losses. No child should lose their parents at such a young age."

Manjiro lightly squeezes her hand and pulls her a little closer to him. "A lot was going on during those times. Otousan disappeared and we got unexpected news of his death when I was five, then okaasan got sick and died when I was eight." Nakano is at a loss for words. She hopes her actions of comfort are enough. "Maybe my family is just cursed."

"It was during times of misfortune." Nakano holds onto his arm in a form of a side hug. "There's nothing much we can do when the universe deprives us of a choice. That choice is who gets to live."

Manjiro huffs an airy scoff. "Yeah. It's not like I can go back in time or anything." Nakano tenses at that. She can feel his body go stiff and he stops in his tracks. His eyes are wide when he turns his head to face her. "That was out of line. I-I'm sor-"

"Don't apologize." Nakano pats his arm before looking away and letting him go. "I shouldn't have asked. Family is a sensitive topic."

It shouldn't be. But in this world, in their world, family is a very complicated concept. More complicated than they could ever comprehend.

"What about you?" Manjiro asks cautiously.

"What about me?" Nakano says as she nudges him so they can continue walking.

"Your family? How did you know Izana was your brother?"

"Well, someone had told me. Dante, the one who gave me to my mother, had a mentor who taught him how to be an assassin. He somehow found me in the original timeline, and he tried to take me as his protege. I saw him again in the past, and he told me everything about my family. After that, I refused him and told him I never wanted to see him again. Izana then shared his story with me, and it aligned with mine so perfectly. I thought it was crazy at first, but then I felt that it was true. The same thing I felt for Takemichi, I knew I felt for Izana, but this time it came naturally to me. Then in his final moments, I saw him and our mother."