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It went without saying that if Iska was asked to name the man he trusted the most, he wouldn’t hesitate to say Jhin.
This is also true the other way around. Jhin also trusted Iska to the point that even if Iska refuses to divulge anything to him, he trusts that there must be a reason big enough behind it.
Jhin sighed as he placed a can of coffee to his lips, and drank in silence. He eyed his colleague beside him, who was staring blankly at the empty wall beside the vending machine.
They just had a close call of death—for the nth time, as they faced the biggest threat in the planet to date, the monster Elletear.
But Jhin is quite sure that it’s not the first Nebulis princess that bothered Iska, rather, if he’d wager, it would be the second princess occupying his best friend’s mind right now.
Why, you might ask? Oh, Jhin knew all along..
- He knew when Iska had sleepless nights after fighting the Ice Calamity Witch, which Jhin deduced to be Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX based on her astral power when she fought with the eidos.
- And when Iska thought nobody noticed, Jhin clearly heard Iska every time the word “Alice..” escapes his mouth.
- Not to mention how his best friend frequents the neutral city and ‘happened’ to be kidnapped by the Sovereignty..
- Or the quick meetup by the two on the mall lobby in the independent nation of Alsamira.
- Also when he saw his best friend stand beside the second princess by the window of their vacation house..in ‘her’ bedroom, plus the fact that Iska disappeared for the night..
The list could go on but he chose to feign ignorance, again, just like when he and Nene pretended not to know that Sisbell was a princess all along.
But while he can pretend not to know, he couldn’t bring himself not to care..
Jhin studied Iska’s still blank facade, and recalled how his friend fared earlier during the battle.
He saw how Iska’s face grow deathly pale when both Rin and Sisbell screamed and ran towards the second princess, who had been lying on the ground unconscious, her blonde hair tousled roughly around her. It was a relief that she was not in a coma unlike the rest, and started waking up.
It did not escape Jhin, however, when the second princess mouthed “Iska..” and looked at him. Iska could not draw nearer though given their status and supposedly enmity. But Jhin sensed the struggle Iska had to endure to keep his feet rooted to the ground, and not rush over her side in a beat.
And that time when Elletear’s hands snaked across Princess Aliceliese’s neck, threatening to end her life, Iska had acted like a raging bull and screamed, “I would never allow that!”
To others it may seem just like a reflex out of responsibility. But Jhin knew Iska better to recognize his best friend’s fear and rage in that single declaration. The fear in losing Alice, and the rage against anyone who would dare threaten her.
“Jhin..” Iska started.
“I remember watching an opera before in the neutral city about a princess by the name of Beatrix, who fell in love with Sir Arnold, a knight from the enemy nation. I wonder how their tale will conclude, and realized that I was unable to follow through their story at all..How do you think will it end..?”
“…” Jhin smirked and recognized the allegory behind.
Turning to Iska, he countered, “How would you want it to end?”
“…”
Met with silence from his friend, Jhin continued.
“You see, Iska..Just like knowing that there are no borders to art—no Empire, no Nebulis Sovereignty—there also seems to be no borders when it comes to love..”
Iska’s eyes grew wide as if a life-changing realization just hit him.
“I’m sure that if Lady Beatrix and Sir Arnold put their heart to it and give it their all towards their goal, a happy ending awaits them.” Jhin shrugged. That’s what he chose to believe and hope for his friend and the second princess after all.
“Right.“ Iska grinned. “Time for barbecue?”
“You bet.”
And just like that, the two best friends stood up, threw their empty coffee cans, and went their way.