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Once a grinning, red-faced Temenos swiped Partitio’s hat and carefully placed it on Osvald’s dozing head, Agnea had a feeling it was a good time to get some fresh air.
The Montwise tavern had been more spirited than any other tavern on any other night of the group’s journey so far. Their new gladiator friends were invited to celebrate that night, causing it to be absolutely packed inside. Their restored freedom made the drinks flow fast and frothing down the throats of the gladiators; Agnea couldn’t count how many times she was urged to dance a few steps for an adoring crowd, finding she couldn’t refuse in light of the good mood shining throughout the pub.
Still giggling a little, Agnea flitted out the front door, the cool air gladly welcomed on her skin. The moon and the firelight dimly lit the otherwise pitch black night. She drew a deep breath, and almost choked when she noticed Hikari standing just a few feet away, looking up at the dark sky.
“Hikari!” She squeaked, her voice pitching upwards in fright. “Why, you scared the livin’ daylights outta me!”
The swordsman tilted his head to the side, glancing at her before turning back to contemplate the stars. “My apologies, Agnea.” He was dressed as he always was, in his red and black robes, with his sword sheathed at his side.
Agnea huffed, and moved to stand next to him. “What are you doing out here? All the excitement is inside.”
“I believe there is such a thing as too much excitement,” Hikari said, cool as ever.
Agnea felt her lips curve upwards. “Not when you’re a dancer there’s not.”
Hikari laughed softly. “After meeting you, I believe it.”
It was Hikari’s laugh that Agnea liked the most. It reminded her of the quiet breeze that drifted through leaves on lazy summer days back home. She felt herself start to flush red.
“B-but really, you’re right. Things are a bit wild in there!” Agnea said quickly, trying not to linger on Hikari’s words. “Castti was trying to get some of the livelier ones to settle down, but it was like she was trying to herd cats.” Agnea stifled a sudden laugh, thinking back to her friends’ antics. “Oh! And Temenos was about to start a whole bunch of trouble before I started walkin’ out the door. Ooh, Osvald is gonna be so cross with him once he gets to wakin’ up from his little snooze—”
“You know,” Hikari cut in, the corners of his mouth quirking up, “whenever you get excited like that, your accent starts to slip out.”
Agnea ceased her storytelling, her voice stuck in her throat.
Why, oh why did he have to say that?” Agnea thought furiously, willing herself to speak again (and not in her home dialect). “I-is that so? Well, anyway, won’t you come back inside? You never said what you were doing out here, too.”
Hikari, who had been looking at Agnea with an expression that was just a little too amused for her liking, tilted his head up to the darkened sky.
“You and I were of similar minds. I did need a bit of air,” Hikari said. “But the stars were so beautiful tonight, so I thought it’d be a shame not to give them their due attention.”
He was right—the white lights up there twinkled and danced with such radiance Agnea swore she could see the constellations connect better than ever.
“Ehehe…” Agnea turned to look back at Hikari. “I wouldn’t have thought you admired the night sky enough to stargaze alone.”
“It seems I can’t help but appreciate them,” Hikari said, his expression pensieve. “They are a constant thing in my life. Always here, and always shining.”
Agnea hummed in agreement, and studied Hikari. He looked tired, like he had been fighting not only enemies around him, but something inside him as well….
Back at the underground arena, watching him from above, Agnea remembered how horrified she was with the other spectators, with their calls for gruesome killing. She knew Hikari would never do that, never kill unless he absolutely needed to. But for a moment, after disarming his opponent—Hikari’s trembling grip on his sword suggested otherwise.
And Agnea could only describe the look on his face as hungry.
These little details kept bothering Agnea, lingering in the back of her mind. If Agnea ended up becoming a star one day, could she help Hikari quell the doubts in his mind? Could she soothe the pain of his past in his heart?
Could she make him smile?
She thought back to their conversation over Azuki porridge, just before Hikari left for another round.
“Well… it is time to go.”
“Come back safe, Hikari.”
“Thank you.” Agnea said, her voice shaky, and heavy with emotion. Her lips quivered as she couldn’t help smiling. “Thank you, Hikari. For coming back safely.”
Hikari nodded just a little. He looked as though he wanted to say something, yet was stopping himself.
“Is something wrong?” Agnea asked, furrowing her brow in concern. “A trouble shared is a trouble halved, you know.”
Hikari was silent for a moment. “I might not have come back safe if you all hadn’t come to help when you did,” he said, turning to face Agnea. She could hear a hint of accusation in his tone.
Agnea pursed her lips. She didn’t like what Hikari was implying. “Well, we figured it was time to step in! We couldn’t let you face it all alone!”
After a slight pause, Hikari stepped toward Agnea, looking her straight in the eyes. “You know, sometimes I can barely look at you.” He was trying to smile at her, or maybe for her, but it was a smile doused in sadness. “You shine too bright for me to behold.”
Ever so slowly, Hikari bowed his head down to rest on her shoulder. She felt the long strands of his pitch-black hair tickle her bare skin, on her arm, on her neck. She stood next to him, voiceless and frozen in place.
Hikari’s words were soft, but Agnea heard them as though he was whispering directly into her ear.
“Don’t die for me, Agnea. No matter what. Don’t die.”
Hikari straightened up slowly—Agnea shivered as his long hair dragged over her skin. With his eyes downcast, Hikari turned on his heel and headed down the road leading to the inn. Agnea tried to go after him, but her legs felt as though they suddenly weighed a ton. She could only watch as Hikari was swallowed up by the shadows.
Agnea didn’t know if the starlight was too dim, or if the darkness was too deep for her to find him again in the far-off distance.