"Because it's fun."
Those three words echoed softly in the silent hallway. For a few seconds, there was nothing—just the faint hum of the building lights and the rustle of leaves outside the window.
Then, slowly, the door creaked open.
Gasper's pale face peeked through the narrow gap, his crimson eyes shimmering like wet rubies. His long blond hair fell unevenly around his shoulders, and his hands trembled slightly as he gripped the door.
"H-How…is it fun?" he asked hesitantly. His voice cracked mid-sentence, like someone who hadn't spoken to another person in weeks.
I smiled softly, scratching the back of my head. "Well… for me, it's fun because every day is something new. I get to see Rias lose her temper, Akeno tease everyone, Asia smile, and Kiba—well, he just looks too perfect to be real sometimes."
Gasper blinked, confused. "…T-That's not…really fun."
"Exactly," I said, leaning my back against the doorframe. "It's ridiculous, it's messy, it's exhausting—but that's what makes it fun. Because even when I mess up or fall, someone's there to pull me back up. That's what you've been missing, Gasper. You're trying so hard not to hurt anyone that you've forgotten how to live."
He looked down, biting his lip. "…B-But I stop everyone. I make time stop, and then… they freeze. I-I don't want to hurt anyone anymore."
I sighed and crouched down so that our eyes were level. "Then don't run away from it. Learn to control it. Power isn't evil, Gasper. Fear is. You're not your sacred gear, and you're not the things that people called you in the past. You're you."
He looked at me as if trying to understand something deeper beneath the words. Then, quietly, he whispered, "…You make it sound easy."
"Trust me, it's not." I chuckled. "I've nearly died more times than I can count. Sometimes I think the universe hates me personally. But even then, I keep moving forward, because if I stop, then I lose the people waiting for me."
Gasper's trembling lessened. His red eyes darted between me and the floor. "…Do you think…even someone like me could have that?"
"Of course," I said instantly. "You already have people waiting for you. Rias believes in you. Asia cries for you. Koneko chases you with garlic for your own good—"
"T-That's not for my own good!" he interjected, puffing his cheeks slightly.
"—And Xenovia nearly destroyed the ground trying to train you," I continued, pretending not to hear him. "You see? You're already part of something fun. You just don't realize it yet."
Gasper looked stunned for a moment before his lips trembled into a weak smile. "…Senpai, you really are weird."
"Yeah," I admitted with a grin. "But that's why it works. The world's too boring for normal people."
He let out a small laugh—a faint, fragile sound, but genuine. Then he stepped out completely, the wooden door creaking as it swung open behind him. The sunlight pouring through the hallway window touched his skin, and though he flinched, he didn't retreat.
"See?" I said, gesturing toward the light. "You're not burning up. That's a good start."
He blinked rapidly, surprised. "…You're right. It's…warm."
"Exactly. That's the world you've been missing." I patted his shoulder. "Come on, let's go outside. Everyone's waiting."
Gasper hesitated but nodded slowly. "...Senpai."
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think I can change?"
I smiled, stepping aside so he could walk beside me. "You already did. You opened the door."
For the first time, Gasper's steps carried no hesitation as he followed me toward the sunlight streaming at the end of the hall. His shadow stretched beside mine, and though faint, it was there—no longer trapped behind the door.
And for a brief moment, I could swear I heard Ddraig chuckle in the back of my mind.
{Heh. You're not just a fighter anymore, partner. You're becoming a damn therapist.}
"Shut up," I muttered under my breath, smiling nonetheless.
But deep inside, I couldn't deny it. Seeing Gasper step forward like that—yeah, that was fun.
~~~
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