Chapter Text
Spring is just coming to an end. The beginnings of the early summer heat catching on the breeze. Full moon high in the sky.
Tsukimi struggled to make her way through the thick of the forest, her right knee throbbing in pain. She’s limping, tears streaming down her red cheeks as a sob catches in her throat, desperately pushing away stray branches and trying not to trip over roots.
At first, she just snuck off, absentmindedly wandering into the forest, holding back her tears so that her grandmother and father wouldn’t worry. But now, deep in the brush of the wilderness, she cries freely, sobbing and sniffling, attempting to wipe the tears away before they fall to the ground. It had only felt like a few minutes, but in her tear-fueled fury, Tsukimi had been limping deeper and deeper into the forest for nearly an hour.
The throbbing in her knee pulls Tsukimi from her stupor. She takes a few deep breaths to stop the tears from falling so that she can calm down and assess her surroundings. She glances around with puffy eyes, her chapped lips quivering ever so slightly. Everything looks foreign to her. She swings around, checking in all directions for a familiar landmark, anything to ground her.
She’s lost.
Her legs tremble at this realization, tears rolling down her cheeks. She tries to run in the opposite direction of where she drifted off, but her defective knee keeps her at bay. A stray branch nicks her cheek, and another tears her Vabo-chan t-shirt.
Tsuki’s bleary vision does nothing to help her navigate this unknown territory. She thinks back to all the stories of people getting lost in the woods, dying of starvation, or being mauled by a bear. The dangers of wandering off into uncharted woods her grandmother always warned her about.
Her life can’t get any worse than it is right now. First, she loses her whole life’s purpose. Now she’s nothing but prey, fresh meat, weak, and ready to be torn apart for the vultures to pick at her useless rotting corpse. Her hands go cold, and her heart rate rises.
Instead of sobbing, she now takes deep, quick breaths in an attempt to steady her heart rate. However, the uneven breathing only makes it worse. Before her mind can delve any deeper into despair, she trips on a log, landing directly on her broken knee. She wails out in pain, the previous throbbing now exacerbated by her fall.
She hiccups and groans, placing a hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming out in pain. Her other knee got scraped in the fall and is now bleeding. It’s hard to take in her surroundings in the dark. Her vision starts to dot, and she extends her left leg in an attempt to alleviate the pain. She pushes herself against the base of a neighboring tree. Hands clutching the grass beneath her. A twig snaps nearby.
Immediately, Tsukimi ceases her frantic breathing, eyes growing wide. The icy sensation of fear courses through her veins. The crunching of leaves and sticks grows closer. Tsuki attempts to get up, but her knee gives out, and she hisses in pain. She slaps a hand over her mouth, and the tears well up again. Looks like she’ll be one of the bear-mauling victims after all.
Her ears are ringing. She squeezes her eyes shut, shakily hugging her unbraced knee. The branches in front of her sway. She shrieks, throwing her arms up in defense.
Instead of a bear's growl, someone else shouts back at her. She gasps and looks up at the encroacher with tired eyes. A boy, probably the same age as her, stares at her in confusion with wide, black, unblinking eyes.
His hair is long and dark. Long enough to be pulled into a small updo, and he’s chewing on something. There’s an awkward silence between the two as the boy takes in Tsukimi’s appearance.
“Um…What are you doing?” He asks, swallowing whatever is in his mouth.
Now it was Tsukimi’s turn to look at him confusedly. He raises one wispy brow back at her. Tears pool at the edge of her eyes again, threatening to spill. She rubs them away along with the residual tear stains, blood smearing across her cheek.
She sniffs, clearing her throat, “I’m uh l-lost, I’m lost.”
The boy hums, outstretching his long arm, offering a helping hand.
“You shouldn’t be wandering around in the woods with an injury like that.” He scolds her frankly, his voice soft, slow, and calm.
She accepts his hand, and he pulls her up with ease. She sways a little, unable to put any pressure on the impaired knee. The boy circles his bare arm around her shoulder, grabbing her other arm and wrapping it around his own.
Tsukimi looks over at her counterpart, face red and eyes swollen from the frequent crying. She gets to take in his appearance better now.
His skin is pale and cool-toned. His eyes are wide. His large dark irises amplify their size and his face is long. What really catches her eye is the two notches of flesh missing from the ear visible to her. It was hard to see in the dark earlier, but she can tell he towers over her now that she’s right up against him. While taking in his appearance, he looks at her, catching her in the act. She quickly averts her eyes, face getting warm.
“So where’d you come from anyway? It’d be kinda hard to climb a mountain like that.” He eyes the long brace on her right knee, then reaches his free hand up to dig in his ear, wiping his soiled finger on his shorts.
The blonde cringes, “My grandmother owns an Onsen south of that big red temple.”
He hums and starts walking with Tsuki limping beside him.
“Do you know where that's at?” Tsuki stressed, not liking his lack of response. He just nods. Tsuki blinks in surprise.
They trek along the forest floor, dodging and weaving the natural objects in their path. Navigating the mountain is much easier with him by her side, even if he is a little strange. The night breeze sways the brush around them, catching stray strands of hair that have fallen out of Tsukimi’s low ponytail. The pain in her knee has died down since the boy offered his assistance.
Tsukimi’s savior is hard to get a read on thanks to his forthright attitude. Despite his odd tendency to talk slowly and his lack of manners, he’s a kind enough person to help someone he barely knows, which she can respect. She’s not even particularly bothered by the silence. She’s happy to listen to the sounds of nature and the crunching of the earth beneath their feet as they walk. But, today has been a long day, and this stranger's demeanor wasn’t helping alleviate that.
“Why were you crying so hard?” After minutes of uninterrupted silence, his straightforward question catches her off guard, and she starts to get a little agitated by his blunt remarks.
“I don’t know if I wanna share my whole life story with some kid I don't even know the name of.” She retorted, brows furrowing and bottom lip jutting out into a pout.
The boy hesitates, side-eyeing the angry girl, “Gin Gagamaru.”
Tsuki notes his lack of anger in reaction to her little outburst. “Well, my name’s Tsukimi Nami and I still don’t want to tell you.” She huffs, nearly tripping again until Gagamaru catches her.
“Alright.” He responded plainly, looking back to the trees ahead of them. Tsukimi sighs, and they continue on their journey.
The walk turns quiet again, but he doesn't seem to mind. Gagamaru occasionally hums or stops to change directions, constantly taking in his surroundings. Tsuki watches him from the corner of her eye, her body still stiff in his arms. Every movement he makes is confident in a way that makes her feel even more awkward—like an intruder in a space that’s his. He starts to steer her towards a break in the dense forest where a worn-down path opens up, and then he begins following that southbound. The sight of the path reminds Tsuki of simpler summers spent in these forests, she was so little then. But she’s not that little kid anymore.
The lack of conversation allows her brain to stir.
Every moment that passes reminds her of the humiliation of having been found sniffling and cowering on the ground like some helpless child. She cringes at the thought. She wasn’t supposed to be someone who needed saving, especially not like that. Not like some damsel in distress. Her hand tightens around the fabric of his tank top as she stares ahead, hoping to focus on anything but the ache gnawing at her chest.
She sighs louder than intended, silence becoming unbearable. This time, Gagamaru takes notice of it and slows to a stop. Tsuki leans her body weight on him.
“Are you in pai-” Gagamaru starts, but Tsuki cuts him off before he can finish, the sudden need to explain herself pushing the words out in a rush.
“I hurt myself playing volleyball,” she blurts, the words spilling out awkwardly, faster than she means. She can’t stand the idea of him thinking she’s some fragile thing that breaks so easily.
“The doctor says I can’t play for six months so now I’m missing the tail end of nationals…I let my team down.” Her voice cracks just slightly on the last word, and she hates herself for it. Her eyes dart to Gagamaru’s face, half expecting indifference, but instead, he’s staring at her. Intently. Too intently. She quickly looks away, her chest tightening with a wave of embarrassment. She wishes she hadn’t said anything at all.
“I knew I was hurt but kept playing anyway. Made it worse.” She swallows hard, forcing the lump down her throat, hoping it’ll keep the rest of her emotions buried too.
She’s shouldn't have been so careless. She should’ve listened to her own body, stopped when she knew she couldn’t go on. And now, because of her recklessness, her season was over, and she had been all but exiled to the mountains.
“So now my dad is making me stay with my grandma until my knee completely heals. He says some time away from the city will help me ‘process’ what happened.” She mumbled the last part, like speaking those words out loud would somehow make her situation more real.
It’s almost foolish. Like a child throwing a tantrum over a scraped knee. Maybe she still is that little kid after all. Gagamaru says nothing for a long moment, and Tsuki resists the urge to fill the silence.
He rolls a loose strand of his bangs between his fingertips, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. When he finally does speak, it’s like he’s carefully chosen his words. But there’s no trace of pity in his voice, no judgment.
“I’d be pretty upset if I got hurt and couldn’t play soccer for that long too.” He comments, looking over at the girl as she gazes at her feet solemnly.
He takes a few steps, encouraging her to follow; Tsukimi trudges alongside him.
“Soccer huh? Seems like a waste of all that height to me. You’d be a pretty good middle blocker.” Tsuki smiles weakly to herself.
“My height is useful for soccer too, y'know. I can play good defense and make cooler plays because of how my body is.” Tsuki looks at Gagamaru in confusion.
“I don’t know much about soccer,” She admits, voice soft, almost apologetic.
His response is almost immediate, face relaxing into something that looks like contentment, “I don’t know anything about volleyball either.”
Tsukimi sniffles, the weight in her chest lifting now that Gagamaru has started to talk more. Maybe he just needed a little push.
“A middle blocker is usually someone tall who takes care of defense and quick attacks.” She explains.
The path grows wider with every step they take, shadows thinning out as the moonlight slowly takes over, painting the path ahead in silver.
Gagamaru nods, his gaze wandering toward the now-visible sky, “Being tall in soccer is good for defensive plays too. Usually, big guys play goalkeeper but I play as a forward.”
“Forward?” She asks. The light from the full moon catches on Tsukimi’s colorless eyes as they shine with genuine curiosity. “What do they do?”
“They’re closest to the other team's goalie. They score the most goals, so they take care of the offensive plays.”
Tsuki brightens at that, “Oh, That’s kind of like my position. I'm a right-wing spiker. It’s the most versatile cause I can spike from the back and front rows. While also playing defense and offense.”
Gagamaru listens intently, nodding as she speaks. He explains how her position would be more of a midfielder in soccer, someone who makes a lot of passes and connects the offense to the defense. She says passes must be similar to receives and that even though they’re hard to do, a good receive leads to some of the best plays.
Gagamaru agrees that good passes make great plays and mentions one of his favorite plays to make, “They’re called heel kicks, you put your foot in front of the ball and kick it backward. But if the ball is in the air and you stretch far enough you can reach it from behind and kick it forward with the back of your foot. I've made a game-winning goal like that.”
His grip on her shoulder tightens briefly. Tsuki looks over at the taller boy, he looks lost in a memory, a pleasant one. The joy from talking about her favorite activity distracts Tsuki from the aching pain in both her legs and her heart.
“I guess making goals must feel the same as winning a rally.” She replies, appreciating the pleased look on Gagamaru’s face.
He raises a brow and looks over at her expectantly. Tsuki chuckles at him, which makes him even more confused. “Well, in volleyball, you play rallies. One team serves and then you go back and forth, it doesn’t end until someone scores a point.”
Tsuki pauses for a moment, probing her memories for a play as cool as Gagamaru’s that she can tell him about.
She perks up as she finds exactly what she’s looking for, “One time I won this rally with this strong team in our prefectural matches. Their defense was tight. They blocked one of my teammate’s quick attacks while we were at set point. It was falling too fast for me to think, so I stretched my leg out and fell to the floor, saved the ball by doing the splits on accident.”
Her chest puffs up with pride as she recalls how the stands cheered her save. She hadn’t realized it before, but something was soothing about hearing her own voice talking about volleyball again.
“My teammates made me feel real special after that save. We ended up winning that game and I remember feeling proud to be wearing my school colors. It’s kinda funny,” she says, her eyes softening at the memory, a wistful smile etching her face. “Moments like those make you feel important, like you’re representing something bigger than yourself, y’know?”
Gagamaru nods thoughtfully, still trying to picture the play Tsuki described. “Yeah. Doing something cool makes me feel like I’m really part of the game.”
Tsuki agrees with him once more, stating that one of the reasons she feels so connected to her teammates is their uniforms. It’s reassuring to look over and know the person next to you is there for the same reasons, and they know exactly how you feel. To her, that connection is physically manifested in the jerseys they all share. She tells him how her school colors are blue and white, which she really likes, as her favorite color is blue. Then she asks what Gagamaru’s favorite color is.
He hesitates as if it’s something he hasn’t put much thought into. “I guess white. My school colors are dark green and white, I think I like white better.”
He turns his head to look at Tsukimi, who is already looking at him attentively. He holds eye contact for a few seconds longer than socially acceptable, which causes Tsuki to furrow her brows in concern.
“What?”
“Your eyes are pretty. I’ve never seen anything like them.”
Tsuki’s face warmed at the unexpected compliment. He was so direct, it was hard to tell if he meant it in the way she thought he did. She smiled faintly, looking down at her shoes as they crunched over the dirt path.
“Thanks,” she murmurs, unsure of how else to respond.
The trees around them, which had once been so tall and close together, now bent away like silent spectators, granting them space.
“Do you play in the summertime? I don’t know if soccer is a seasonal sport or not.”
“Yeah. But I don’t get to go to a lot of the games. I miss too much practice.”
Tsukimi pauses to process this new information. He seems so passionate about soccer but doesn’t go to his team’s practices? Curiosity piqued, Tsuki parts her lips to respond, but before she has the chance Gagamaru continues.
“But when we win, our coach takes us out to get steaks, big ones.”
Talk of food reminds Tsuki of how hungry she is, she absentmindedly places a hand over her stomach.
“My coach does something like that too. After a really good game, she treats us to yakiniku. Are steaks your favorite thing to eat?” Tsuki questions.
“Mmm, not really. I like rice and boar meat,” He answers.
“Boar meat? I’ve never had it.”
“You should try it one day.”
A soft, humid warmth began to brush against Tsuki’s exposed skin, different from the cool night air—like the earth itself was exhaling softly. Gagamaru moved with an ease Tsuki envied, his long strides steady and confident. It was like he knew exactly where to step, avoiding stray rocks and uneven ground as though the forest were an extension of himself. His calm was infectious, grounding her in a way she hadn’t realized she needed.
“You seem to know your way around this forest pretty well.”
Gagamaru hummed in agreement, stepping over roots and ducking beneath low-hanging branches with ease. “I like the mountains. It's pretty and no one bothers me. Well,” He pauses to glance at the girl beside him. “Usually.”
Tsuki chuckles weakly, pursing her lips. “I like the mountains too, it’s peaceful. That's why I went into the forest in the first place. I used to know my way around here when I was younger, but I haven’t been around in a while. My grandma taught me better than to be so careless.”
The trees began to thin further, the moonlight now uninterrupted as it spilled generously over the path. Gagamaru pushes the last low-hanging branch aside, revealing the familiar mossy stone steps leading to the Onsen. The top of the building is just barely in sight. Tsuki gasps as she looks up the steps.
“This is it, right?” Gagamaru guesses, bug eyes fixated on the hot springs steam rising from the back of the building.
Tsuki nods frantically, overwhelmed with relief. Without thinking—she pulls the much taller boy close to her, throwing both arms around his neck and burying her face into his chest. Gagamaru freezes for a second before hesitantly hugging her back, patting her head a few times.
“Yes, it is! Thank you so much Gagamaru.” She continues, releasing Gagamaru from her tender embrace.
“It’s nothing,” He replies with his usual slow intonation.
Tsuki still grips his tank top as she hobbles a few paces ahead. Gagamaru glances down at Tsuki’s injured knee, sheltered and stretched straight by a long brace. Her limping has gotten worse over time. The relief from being home again must drown out her pain, but the sweat on her forehead and how her body trembles with every step gives Gagamaru a clear read on her current state.
“I can carry you the rest of the way there. It’s not too far.” He offhandedly proposes.
Tsuki’s body tenses up. She lets go of his tank top to throw up her arms in an x formation in front of her chest, “No way. I can handle myself, thank you very much.”
Gagamaru raises his eyebrows as if to say, ‘Really?’. She turns away from him, trying to hide her face, “You’ve done enough for me alrea-Hey!”
Before she can finish, Gagamaru scoops her into his arms, marching towards the Onsen. Tsuki folds her arms, drawing her lips into a thin line.
“Don’t look so grumpy. Just trying to help,” Gagamaru mutters, pausing to look down at Tsuki, who looks at anything but him, feeling a pit in her stomach as she remains in his arms.
“I didn’t want you making things worse,” he continues, in his usual calm tone. “You’d end up on the bench for another six months... And probably wander off into the woods again. Then I'd have to come find you.”
Tsuki lets out a small, frustrated grunt. Deep down, she knows he’s right. She would have done just that. She finally looks up at Gagamaru, who stays focused on the path, his expression neutral, almost like carrying her was no big deal.
But to her, it felt like she was dragging him down.
Gagamaru walks over to the stone steps and makes his way up them. Tsuki’s legs dangle over the edge of his arms, her braced knee is held out a bit straighter than the other, and she clutches the nape of his neck with one hand. The other rests on her stomach as she hangs her head. Her heart pounds faster with every step Gagamaru takes closer to the Onsen.
She can’t tell if he is as nervous as she is. She starts to wonder how long she’s really been gone. Her stomach twists at the memory of her father’s worried expression before she stormed out, a knot of guilt tightening its grip on her heart. He must’ve been worried sick. And now, on top of that, she’s burdened Gagamaru too—pulled him into her mess.
“I’m sorry for being such a bother.” She’s nearly inaudible.
He shakes his head, “You’re not a bother.”
His words are so simple, but they don’t reach her. The pit of guilt only deepens, threatening to swallow her whole. Of course, he’d say that. She leans her head closer to Gagamaru’s chest to hear his heartbeat, then she closes her eyes, trying to focus on the rhythm of his heartbeat beside her head—strong and steady, unlike her own chaotic pulse.
Gagamaru makes it to the top of the rustic stone steps, entrance now in sight. He stops in his tracks when he sees an older man pacing back and forth with his head in his hands.
“Dad?” Tsuki whispers, voice softer than ever.
She shifts in Gagamaru’s arms, and he leans down to place her on the ground as gently as he can. She still leans on him for support. An elderly ginger woman shoves open the sliding door at the entrance, staring in their direction. Tsuki’s dad ceases his pacing, following her line of sight. The moment his eyes land on the two teens, the worry etching his features melts into raw relief.
Gagamaru lets Tsuki go as she reaches out for her father, who jogs toward them and pulls her into a desperate embrace. Tsuki presses her face into his chest and immediately bursts into tears, clawing at her dad’s shirt as if she could somehow pull him even closer.
“I'm so sorry, Dad,” She sobs, voice muffled by his shirt. “I didn’t mean to…I just…I didn’t know where else to go.”
“I was so worried about you,” his voice cracks, though he speaks in a gentle, pleading tone, begging her not to disappear again. “Please... don’t ever run off like that. I don’t know what I’d do if—” He stops himself, pressing his forehead gently against hers, tears pricking the corner of his dark eyes. “Just... don’t ever do that again.”
Tsuki sniffles, her face flushed from crying, her gaze falling to the ground in shame. “I’m sorry,” she whispers again, guilt heavy in her voice.
Her father pulls her back into his chest without hesitation, hugging her even tighter this time, as though the warmth of his embrace could shield her from every hurt. He closes his eyes and sighs, long and deep, filled with nothing but relief.
“It’s okay, baby,” he says softly into her hair, rocking her slightly as he holds her. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
After a long moment, he gently eases her back, his eyes trailing down to her injured knee and the torn fabric of her shirt. Concern flashes across his face, but he doesn’t scold her.
“We should get you to your grandma. She’s been waiting for you... and she has your crutches.”
Tsuki’s eyes drift to the entrance, where her grandmother still stands, her hand gripping the frame of the sliding door. Her expression is tight with frustration, the lines of her face deepened by worry turned to anger. The sight of her definitely makes Tsuki feel like a child again, despite her insistence that she’s old enough to handle herself.
Before Tsuki can limp toward her, the elderly woman snatches up the crutches from beside the door and swiftly marches over to them, her steps quick and purposeful. There’s no mistaking the tension in her posture, the way she draws in a deep breath as if preparing to unleash the lecture Tsuki knows she deserves. Tsuki’s father looks at his daughter with sympathy, silently warning her about the impending storm. But there’s no edge of reprimand in his eyes—only love and concern.
Then he peeks behind her to see Gagamaru standing stiffly at the base of the steps, awkwardly scratching at the back of his neck. He steps past Tsuki to come face-to-face with Gagamaru. Despite Gagamaru’s height, Tsuki’s father still towers over him—broad shoulders and strong build making him seem even larger up close. Gagamaru, for once, feels small. He blinks up at the older man, momentarily caught off guard.
“I saw you carrying my daughter,” He pauses, and Gagamaru avoids looking directly at him.
The older man’s lips pull into a smile. “Thank you. She can be clumsy, so I’m glad someone was there to help her out.”
“Uh..y-you're welcome.” He stammers, watching as the older red-headed woman from the entrance makes various gestures with her hands as Tsuki’s eyes are downcast.
He grabs Gagamaru’s hand and shakes it appreciatively. The unexpected warmth of the handshake leaves Gagamaru standing there, momentarily stunned. It takes him a second to realize that Tsuki’s dad is still talking.
“My name’s Minato. You’re more than welcome to come in and rest if you’d like. I’m sure Granny Jin-Ae over there wouldn’t mind.”
When Jin-Ae finally finishes, Tsuki glances back at Gagamaru with a weak but sincere smile. “We’ve got lots of good food,” she offers. “I’m sure there are some leftovers.”
Minato nods, placing his hands on his hips, and the ginger, who Gagamaru assumes is Tsuki’s grandmother named Jin-Ae speaks up, her tone leaving no room for argument, “Nonsense, you’ll both have fresh food.”
Tsuki limps up the stone pathway toward the sliding doors, following her grandmother inside.
Minato looks back at Gagamaru with a smile, catching his confused expression. “You heard the woman, let’s go.”
Before Gagamaru can fully respond, Minato slings his arm around his shoulders, patting him firmly on the back. The weight of it nearly knocks Gagamaru off balance for a second, and he stiffens under the friendly but overwhelming gesture. The next thing he knows, he’s being guided toward the Onsen like an oversized puppy led on a leash.