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"Let's break up, Narumi."
Gen thought he hear that wrong, assuming that Soushirou was still half-asleep because they've been working late lately. Why would he ask for break up? That had to be a joke, a funny one.
"Alright Soushirou, enough with the joke. We should eat before—"
"I'm serious, Narumi. We should break up."
It felt like a sharp kaiju claw just pierced Gen's body, so painful he could barely register the feeling. He couldn't move his gaze from Soushirou, still looking for the lie he hoped to find. It should be there, somewhere, but he found nothing.
There was no lie in Soushirou's words and Gen's heart dropped into his stomach. His right hand reached out to hold Soushirou's hand, but the older one was quick to pull his hand from his reach. It made Gen feel even more suffocated.
"Why? Wha— what have I done wrong?" Many questions seemed to gather inside Gen's brain, but he could only voice out one. It was too painful, the pain slowly creeping all over his body was giving him the slow excruciating pain.
Soushirou sighed, looking slightly annoyed at Gen. "You're such a nonchalant person and I'm tired to have to deal with it. Besides..."
"Besides...?"
"My family arranged a marriage for me."
Arranged marriage, Gen should've knew it. There was no way Soushirou's father would let them get together. Their status were far too different, moreover he was nobody. No one would want to have a son in law with no background like him. No family, no name, lots of problems in the past, it was obvious his relationship wouldn't last.
Still, it was painful. The pain was so intense that he couldn't hear what Soushirou said afterward. He just nodded his head, hoping it would come to an end soon.
"—by the way," Soushirou placed an invitation on the bench, "this is the invitation. Goodbye, Narumi-san."
With trembling hand, Gen picked up the invitation and read the name. Another ghostly claw of kaiju pierced his body upon knowing with whom Soushirou was about to get married. It was none other than Mina, his own commander. Gen chuckled bitterly, putting the invitation aside before he laughed out loud.
It was so funny how the world played him like he was some kind of a clown. His records were stolen, his pride shattered, and now his heart broken. Gen couldn't help but laughing at his own misery. He only stopped when someone poked his shoulder, alerting him of someone's presence.
"Shinomiya?"
It was none other than his disciple, Kikoru. He looked at her with confusion, not knowing why she suddenly decided to stay and sit right next to him. It became even more confusing when she starter to unwrap the lunch box he made, feeding him one of the fried sausages he made.
"It sucks, isn't it?"
What was she talking about? Gen couldn't understand it.
"Having your heart broken, it's painful so you need to eat a lot."
Never in Gen's wildest dream he dreamed of Kikoru being the one who took care of him. It would be less awkward if he were sick instead of heart broken, because now he felt like an amateur in love.
Well, he was indeed an amateur.
"You can keep that," said Gen as he get up to leave, "I'm not hungry anyway. Be grateful you get to taste my greatest cook!"
Kikoru could only watch as Gen left her alone, unable to stop her teacher from leaving. She looked at the food before tasting it, sighing in disappointment.
"Vice Commander Hoshina, you're truly a fool."
The next few weeks everything went smoothly for the First Division like usual. However, everyone couldn't help but feel the tense in the air as they watch how their commander's personality changed. It wasn't like his usual tantrum, instead Gen became a bit more like Isao in mannerism.
Strict, cold, and yet somehow the distance became even larger.
The similiarity of Gen with his mentor was so uncanny, that some of the soldiers were starting to worry about his condition. Many have tried to ask him, but Gen always brushed it off by telling them to go back to training. Of course they had to obey, afraid that one single wrong move could make Gen's anger explode.
"Narumi," Hasegawa called to Gen, "it's enough, now go get some rest. I can finish the rest of the documents by myself."
"No, I'm not done yet." Gen scoffed as he continue to check and sign the documents.
"Don't be ridiculous! You haven't take a single rest since yesterday!" Having his patience drained, Hasegawa yanked Gen from his desk and dragged him out of the office.
Gen was grumbling in annoyance, complaining why Hasegawa stopped him from doing his commander duty. He kept walking as he complaint, clearly not happy.
"It's just a bit more— huh...?"
"Narumi?"
Gen's abrupt stop alerted Hasegawa. The vice commander was obviously confused to see that, nudging Gen's shoulder to urge him to move. The next thing he saw shocked him.
"Narumi!?"
"Hasega..." Before Gen could even finish his sentence, he lost consciousness with his nose bleeding out. He fell into Hasegawa's arms, who worriedly calling out to him.
Still, the commander heard nothing and plunge deep into darkness. He had to be taken to the medical ward to be examined. It could be just exhaustion catching up, right?
"This has to be a joke, right?" Hasegawa looked at Gen's medical chart in disbelief. "Please, this has to be."
"I'm afraid not," Akira sighed, "Commander Narumi's heart is weakening, the possibility of broken heart syndrome."
Hasegawa heard about that heart condition once, but he never expected Gen could have it. The trigger must've been his failed relationship with the youngest Hoshina, pushing him to the edge and drove him to do what be wouldn't normally do. The exhaustion finally caught up to him as well, causing him to passed out and bleeding from the nose.
Akira watched Gen who was still unconscious, holding back his own tears. He knew it only matter of time until Gen's body gave up.
"I suggest... We should let Commander Narumi do whatever he wants."
Of course it'd be the best course of action, letting the young commander to do whatever he desired. Hasegawa himself had to agree with Akira.
"I never imagined his failed relationship could cause something like this," said Hasegawa as he sit next to Gen's body. "Why would Soushirou break up with him? So far I saw everything just fine."
"We shouldn't pry into their business, vice commander."
Hasegawa was about to say something, but catching Gen's finger twitched he stopped abruptly. His attention was immediately all over Gen, checking in case he needed something.
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Hasegawa quickly prevented him from sitting down. "Go get some rest again, Narumi."
"Hasegawa...," Gen looked at him with tears welled in his eyes, "that... I have to go to...."
Soushirou and Mina's wedding, he knew what day Gen meant. Hasegawa just couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, afraid by doing that he'd drive Gen further away.
"I..."
"You don't have to come, it's okay."
Gen, for the first time in a while, cried in front of someone else. He wailed as Hasegawa held him in his arms. He continue to wail and weep without a care, obviously not noticing two people listening from outside of his room.
"Hey Kafka, why do you think Vice Commander Hoshina broke up with Master Moron?"
Kafka glanced at Kikoru, shrugging his shoulders. "Honestly that's what I'd like to know. It's not like I can just ask him, can't I?"
Kikoru nodded. She bit her lower lip as she sunk to the ground, hiding her face between her knees. "He's dying, he's dying..."
Kafka held Kikoru close to him, giving her gentle pats on her back. Despite him felt the grief as well, he couldn't be the one who cry and wept while Kikoru was there. After all, her mentor was dying.
"You look great, Soushirou!"
The Groom of the day, Soushirou, was smiling as his mother praised him. "Thank you mother, I'm going to rest a bit before the ceremony."
Mrs. Hoshina nodded her head and leave her son alone. However, not long after she left the room, Souichirou came with face that could only describe one thing. Soushirou was confused, because it was the first time he saw his brother like that.
Hoshina Souichirou was disappointed.
"Are you happy?" Souichirou asked him. He leaned against the wall behind him, both arms were crossing in front of his chest.
"What are you on about now? Just leave and be with everyone else." Soushirou was trying to push Souichirou out, but the older one was quick to caught his hand. "What?"
"You've changed, not just for me but also Narumi," said Souchirou as he walk out. "I hope you're not going to live in regret, Soushirou."
Soushirou could only stare at the closing door with confusion in his mind. Why did Souichirou tell him that? Surely he wouldn't regret ever getting married to the girl who saved him.
When the ceremony began, Soushirou looked around the venue while greeting some of the guests. He was smiling, the happiest he could be as he now have Mina by his side. He already got everything he wanted, what else he could wish for?
Loud explosion and scream filled the air as a monster emerged from the ground, knocking everyone in the venue away. A sudden monster attack on their wedding day, something that no one would expect. In a day that was supposed to be the happiest, now have turned into a lump of chaos.
Soushirou opened his eyes, checking Mina's condition. His wife was still there, in his arms but conscious. Relief washed over him, knowing at least she was safe.
"I'm going to get you out of here," said Soushirou as he carried Mina in his arms.
"But we have to help—"
"We don't have our suit! We have to get out of here and get it!"
Soushirou and Mina were dodging the monster's attack, trying to get away as fast as possible and help any other stand by member of the JAKDF fight. However, once again they were being knocked out. Both of them were thrown on a wall, unable to move. Just when they thought they were done for—
BAM!
The hand of the monster were being cut by something at the same time of someone's making his entrance. Clad in greyish Numbers suit, he stood tall in front of the commander and vice commander of the Third Division.
"This is Narumi Gen on the scene reporting in."
"Narumi—!?"
Gen didn't turn around when he heard his name being called. He only took a quick glance, then he was focusing back on the monster in front of them. His grip on his bayonet was tight, showing that he was ready to engage in battle.
"Bowl cut, take Ashi—" Gen stopped mid sentence, remembering one detail he almost forgot. "Take your wife and go, now."
Soushirou looked at Gen with visible anger. "And let you fight alone?! Not a chance!"
"Hoshina Soushirou, this is an order from a captain."
Gen's words struck him deep. The way Gen spoke was strange, different from the Gen he knew. It felt like something's missing, something so important.
"Gen, yo—"
"Don't call me by my name, you have no right to do that. NOW GO!"
Gen's stern order was finally being heard as Soushirou and Mina quickly leave the scene. He breathed a sigh of relief as he watch the newly wed couple made their escape. Now he could fight with ease.
'Strange... I feel so light...'
'He's there... now belong to someone else...'
'I can't stop it...'
Gen kept moving his body, attacking and defending against the monster. More and more monsters kept emerging, yet he found himself even more at ease. Was it because he was there to protect Soushirou? A satisfaction because soon enough he'd finally have something that couldn't be taken away or forgotten by him, no matter how hard he tried to.
Narumi Gen was finally able to smile from the bottom of his heart.
"I can't believe he's gone this soon..."
"Our nation's Strongest is gone..."
Soushirou could only listen to the people around him as he sat there, staring at Gen's smiling picture being displayed. He never saw Gen smiling that brightly, plus they never took a picture like that when they were together. It must be a recent picture, yet it brought tons of nostalgic feeling. Gen used to smile at him, a smile that once made him fall for him. Now, his smile would be haunting him till the day of his death.
Narumi Gen died because of his love toward Hoshina Soushirou. He died in the name of unrequited love and broken heart.