Their steps felt slower than usual as they left the park.
There were no cheers of victory, no sighs of relief—just the quiet sound of footsteps against the pavement and the soft breeze of the late afternoon.
Airi walked in the middle, her gaze lowered slightly.
Arou glanced at her from time to time, wanting to ask so many things, but holding himself back.
Chika walked on the other side, her hand still wrapped around Airi's wrist, as if she was afraid to let go even for a second.
After a while, Arou finally spoke.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Airi gave a small nod.
"I'm fine physically. It's just… my head feels a bit heavy."
Chika looked at her with concern.
"If anything feels off, you need to say it. Don't keep it to yourself."
"I know," Airi replied briefly.
They reached a busier street. People had begun going about their routines again, as if what happened in the park was just a brief disturbance best forgotten.
Airi stopped walking.
Arou stopped as well.
"What is it?"
Airi closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
"There was a moment… after everything ended," she said softly.
"I felt… empty."
"Empty?" Chika repeated.
"Like I lost something," Airi continued.
"Not my strength. But… a presence."
Arou fell silent.
"That girl?"
Airi didn't answer right away. She turned to him, then gave a small nod.
"She just disappeared," she said.
"No message. No voice."
Chika let out a quiet breath.
"What matters is that you're back."
Airi smiled faintly.
"Yeah… but the feeling is still there."
She slowly clenched her hand, then relaxed it again.
"For some reason… I feel like she hasn't really gone."
Arou stared ahead.
"If she shows up again someday?"
Airi paused, then answered calmly,
"When that time comes… I want to stand as myself."
Chika smiled softly.
"That sounds like the Airi we know."
They continued walking.
But deep within Airi, something was beginning to stir.
Not a threat.
Not peace, either.
A shadow.
Waiting for the right moment.
---
The sky shifted in color—bright blue slowly melting into gold.
They stopped in front of Airi's house.
Chika opened the gate first, then glanced around cautiously.
"Wait here. I'm going to make sure it's safe."
Arou nodded. "I'll stay."
Airi stood in front of the door. Her hand lifted slightly… then fell again, hesitant to open it.
"You still feel off?" Arou asked.
She nodded.
"It's not pain. Just… that feeling hasn't gone away."
"What kind of feeling?"
"Like something is still there," Airi said.
"Not fully present. But not gone either."
Chika returned and shut the gate.
"It's clear. At least for now."
They went inside.
---
The evening light filtered through the living room windows, casting long shadows across the floor. The house felt quiet—but not empty.
Airi sat on the sofa, leaning back.
She stared at her hands, opening and closing them slowly.
Arou stood nearby.
"I'll head home before it gets too late."
Airi nodded. "Take care."
Chika walked him to the door. A moment later, it closed.
Silence returned.
Chika went to her room, leaving Airi alone in the living room.
The fading light dimmed further.
Airi stood and walked toward the large mirror in the corner.
Her reflection followed.
Still.
But for a brief moment—
it moved just a fraction too late.
Airi frowned.
"You're just tired," she muttered to herself.
The reflection returned to normal.
She exhaled and turned away.
But just before she fully looked away—
the reflection's lips curved ever so slightly.
Not a smile.
More like… a quiet acknowledgment.
Airi didn't see it.
And the evening slipped slowly into dusk.
---
Arou slowed his steps as he walked away from Airi's house.
The sky had gone completely dark, streetlights flickering on one by one.
He stopped beneath one, glancing back once.
Something still weighed on his mind.
"That aura… that wasn't the Airi I know," he muttered.
The battle replayed in his head—the way Vendico fell, the overwhelming pressure, that emotionless expression.
His chest tightened.
"If something like that happens again…"
He walked to a small bridge at the end of the road and stopped, staring at the calm water below.
"Back then… I couldn't do anything," he said quietly.
"Not because I was weak… but because I was left behind."
The night wind brushed past him.
He took a deep breath.
"I don't want to just stand there and watch."
His hand lifted slightly, then dropped.
His gaze hardened.
"If I want to stand beside her… I have to change."
The streetlights reflected softly on the water.
Arou turned and walked away—his steps steadier now.
No cheers.
No loud promises.
Just quiet determination.
---
(…lanjutan slice-of-life, rumah, mie instan, dan game…)
Arou got home just as the sun was climbing higher in the sky.
He set the groceries down in the kitchen and, without much thought, filled a pot with water. The stove clicked on. While waiting, he just stood there, staring blankly for a moment.
Once it boiled, the instant noodles went in. Seasoning followed. A quick stir—good enough.
"Whatever," he muttered.
A few minutes later, it was done.
He brought the bowl to the living room, sat on the floor leaning against the sofa, and turned on the TV and console.
The game loaded.
At first, it was casual—one hand playing, the other eating.
Then he lost.
"…Seriously?"
He clicked his tongue, sat up straighter, and tried again.
This time, more focused.
He won a round.
"Hah. Finally."
Then lost again.
"Ah, damn it."
He kept going.
Sometimes annoyed. Sometimes curious to try again. Sometimes smiling to himself when he pulled something off.
By the time the noodles were gone, the bowl sat forgotten on the floor.
The game continued.
In that house, the only sound was the game.
No heavy thoughts.
No pressure.
Just Arou—
and the quiet satisfaction of trying again after failing.
---
(ending)
Arou stood by the window, looking out into the night.
"There are a lot of things that changed," he murmured.
But there was no hesitation in his voice.
He didn't need to understand everything yet.
The lights went out.
He lay down.
The night passed quietly.
Nothing special.
Nothing exhausting.
And for now—
that was enough.