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Ena had always been an observant person, but one with a very little friend circle.
A steadfast person, yet it could also bring forth her recklessness that it would normally pull others away from her. However, she never particularly minded it, as her burning personality was something not a lot of people appreciated out of her, nor could she change so easily. All that mattered to her was the help she offered towards others, as unconventional as it had been.
Usually her efforts would be rewarded, such as with Airi who became her friend just because of a few words uttered to against their mocking classmates. With her assertive nature over both her own goals as well as the wellbeing of her little friend circle, Ena had always done her best to observe those around her and reach out a hand.
Yet when it comes to a hurdle she never expected in her time with Niigo, Ena found herself struggling. Unable to gather the proper observations as her normally intrusive methods would be constantly shot down far too easily by the one person she never would have anticipated to hold such grief.
No, it wasn’t Kanade and her insistence to save others through songs, nor was it Mafuyu and her struggles to find errors in her mother’s ways.
But one that Ena has always perceived to be a social butterfly, one that was even more helpful than her with their own patient methods all while bringing an air of positivity within the room. The person within the circle that always bore a smile, and an attitude that would be considered rather annoying to Ena yet not unwelcome.
They were someone Ena wrongly assumed to not have any problems in life, or rather, they simply hid it too well that Ena foolishly thought of it as something minor.
But if it were truly that insignificant compared to everyone else’s, then Mizuki would have never been a part of Niigo to begin with.
She would have never witnessed their character crumbling even for a split second under Mafuyu’s cruel words from the moment they met in Sekai. Ena would have never connected with them from the start over their views on pain and how to accept such an emotion. The illustrator always saw the cinematographer as a hyperactive fellow, always inviting everyone and trying not to make anyone feel left out. Even before their first meeting, they would find a way to take a jab at Ena, garnering a vibrant reaction from her.
It had been far too late for Ena to realize that every action they performed around Niigo, and every word they uttered, had been perfectly calculated despite it being said in the name of fun, or out of the kindness of their heart. Mizuki’s every move was carefully thought out, just to convince Niigo—to convince Ena—that they were having fun.
As genuine as Akiyama Mizuki was with their methods of having fun, Ena failed to realize that they were also doing so with a significant amount of distance.
She regretted only noticing it during their one-day mystery tour. How their connections became more distant as Mizuki stopped inviting them to places, or even planning out afterparties that Ena had to be the one to take over. Even when asked, Mizuki would always say the same things to brush her concerns off. She began to see them less and less, all while noticing that they’ve been secluding themself more and more.
It was as if Mizuki had become a recluse.
A hermit.
And for once, Ena couldn’t reach a hand out to them.
She didn’t want to admit it, but she couldn’t find a way to get them to talk. Whilst even enlisting the help of someone she thought she could rely on, Mizuki still avoided it with too much ease, putting Ena in a standstill. The drawback only made her all the more determined, pushing herself to be a listening ear for Mizuki to let their feelings out. Constantly asking them what’s wrong and for them to know that she is willing to hear them out.
No matter how long it took.
“I have nothing to tell you.”
Ena had pushed Mizuki too far, and for once, it felt as if she finally saw a side of Mizuki that she never would have expected.
Their eyes looked so lifeless. They wore an expression that held nothing but pain and suffering which had been bottled up until that very moment. Mizuki was never the type to lash out, and Ena couldn’t name a single time where Mizuki would have gotten truly angry, but the listless look on their face burned a hole in Ena’s mind, even as Mizuki tried to play it off with a futile attempt to remain cheerful and find their escape.
She could no longer hold in her frustrations, wondering why Mizuki wouldn’t talk to her. Why they refuse to tell her anything. Their words this time around hadn’t been an attempt to deny their pains from Ena, but a way to say that Ena didn’t need to know about it.
Still, Ena continued to hold on to that determination that she would crack through their defenses one day.
And yet…
“Talking to someone also has the potential to lead them to a bad ending.”
It had almost been like a fortune told upon Ena. A forewarning for her to slow down and finally think about her actions for once. At first, she couldn’t quite understand the words uttered by Meiko when she tried to reach out to her for advice, and yet it also made perfect sense the more she thought about it.
Not everyone could be helped in the same manner that she knew. Not Kanade, not Mafuyu, and certainly not Mizuki. For once, her dependable strategies crumbled to dust, and she was left to come up with another way before it had been too late, especially when Mizuki was a rather unpredictable person to begin with.
That answer surprisingly came to her quicker than she anticipated, as when she finally came face to face with Mizuki the next time, she managed to understand just what Meiko had meant.
Ena had to stop being so persistent, and give Mizuki a different reinforcement. A more grounded one, but one that would also be something she had to commit to for a long time. But she was willing, as long as it meant that Mizuki’s worries would be alleviated.
As she stood right in front of them, on the empty rooftop with only the sunset as their witness, Ena spoke of her foolish little resolve. Sparking a tiny cinder within Mizuki’s heart to give them even just a little bit of courage.
As long as it took for Mizuki to finally muster up enough bravery to finally speak. No longer would she be forceful, and while she hated the idea, being the complete opposite of her usual methods, this was fine.
Shinonome Ena would gladly become a fool—no, The Fool—chasing after The Hermit.
Even if it meant running for the rest of her life.
“So…if you ever feel like talking about it one day, tell me. I’ll wait until then.”