𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍. ʜᴀɴᴀꜱʜɪʀᴏ

2 1 : 差

Differences

—

Although time was indeed inexplicable and complicated in that place they were stuck in, Nene knew that time has still passed, even then. Nene and Hanako has met a lot of people after that time with Aoi — tons of them — that sometimes, they ended up not remembering some of their names anymore. Well, it was either they mix their names up or they forget it. But even so, Nene felt like they will never forget their stories, even though they weren't there anymore.

She doesn't know why, but there was always this vague feeling in her that makes her feel and think like their life stories and experiences were connected to her heart (even though the feelings she could feel were only secondhand sometimes), that maybe it was the reason why she can't just forget about them.

By meeting and listening to their stories, no matter how good or bad memories they held onto, Nene and Hanako seemingly succeeded with their duty as Soul-Saving Crusaders by simply hearing them out. Because being there and hearing people out makes a difference, no matter how small it could be.

"Look, this is so dope," Hanako says aloud with a large grin that stretched across his face, trying to show her the new setting outside that has changed after time; and apparently, he was using the "new" language that Natsuhiko — a cynical boy from before whom they met as someone from the future — taught while he was there. "Gosh, Nene, you gotta look, istg."

"Ugh, Hanako-kun," Nene grimaced at his choice of words, cringing. It made her just want to cover her ears whenever he uses that; sometimes, she wished she never asked about their modern slangs. But then again, in the future, this will be the new fad — the world evolves everyday and everything changes prominently — although no matter how cringy, weird and godforsaken it may sound, that is. "Please, just please, use our normal words starting from now on. You sound like a total alien. I miss our old standard language."

Hanako looks over at her with a completely offended look on his face, "Alien?" He repeats as he pouts. "Oh, I don't want to hear that from you, Miss Radish."

"I thought we're already done with that, you donut sucker?"

He gasped sharply, "Excuse me?"

She smirked; Akane Aoi was someone they met after Aoi. It was weird and pretty cool that they have matching names, but he was totally different from her — Akane was easy to annoy and very sarcastic. And somehow, she ended up having to train herself with his sarcasticness so as to also fight Hanako with it. And at times like this, it was the only thing she needed. She raised her eyebrows up and down, looking at him smugly, "You may pass."

The both of them fell silent as they only stared at each other — Hanako's eyebrows were furrowed as Nene's were raised. A minute passed until their expressions changed to gentle ones as they ended up laughing their heart out to each other.

Well, for one, their perspective and sense of sonder aren't just the things that improved — their relationship did.

"I wonder if Akane has been reborn as a cricket by now?" Hanako chuckles as he grinned jokingly.

"You're mean," Nene laughed. "What if those words come back right at you?"

"Dunno," he shrugs. "I don't really have any intention of going anywhere anymore, like I've told you before."

Nene's eyes wandered towards the window and looked at the green scenery outside. It was a rainforest this time — the fog wasn't too thick, that they could at least make out the wonderful and tall trees that made up the whole place. Green, green, green. That was the only color that Nene had in mind — the word repeated in her head too much, it ended up having a weird tune.

She hears him laugh from near her, "Imagine walking through all these trees — oxygen would be bomb, wouldn't you think so?"

"Certainly." Nene agreed, sighing at his weird thoughts. She was quiet as they only felt the train moving, passing by numerous enormous trees. And then, a thought popped in her mind as she ended up having to ask him about it, "Hanako-kun, how many days have I been here?"

The boy in question raises an eyebrow at her, completely puzzled by what she said, "Huh?"

"Gee, don't give me that what are you talking about face," she scoffs. "You have been here for three years already, right? Well, this place has some kind of twisted and weird time frame, but if you managed to come up with that kind of answer, that means you must be really good with time tracking, right?"

Hanako just stared at her for good three seconds before bursting out laughing, "I was like huh?! at first because I didn't know what you were talking about, but I can't believe you believed what I said from before!" He slams his fists on the seats as he continued to laugh loudly, tears at the corner of his eyes. "I'm not even good with math, how can I possibly be good, much more with keeping track of time?! Lolololol."

"I swear I'm going to commit defenestration right here, right now if you won't stop laughing." She deadpanned at him, her hands, balled up into fists. "You think that's funny?"

"Yeah," he said as he wiped his tears away, still chuckling. "Ugh, there's never a dull moment with you."

"I don't know if that's supposed to be a compliment or my last straw for throwing you out the window."

"It's a compliment, don't worry," he waved his hands. "Anyway, why the sudden question?"

Nene grimaces before replying to him; she glances outside with a somehow melancholic look on her face while fiddling with her hands, "I mean, I was just wondering how much time has passed ever since I've been here," she sighs. "Like, did Aunt Yako even tried to find me even though we had a fight? Looking back, it just felt like some kind of trivial thing. I wonder if it's because I've been hearing out worse experiences or it's just because of time passing by."

Hanako doesn't answer her as he only stares at her quietly, not moving a muscle nor opening his mouth — words won't come out either way.

He looks away.

So she was still thinking about the living world.