Archive of Our Own

From playing together in the yellow flower field to training together in the bey forest, in hopes to become the strongest beybladers together.

Gingka Hagane has always been someone who meant a lot to Hyoma.

He patiently tried to wait for the right opportunity talking to Gingka once they would meet again, but it wasn't easy to find an appropriate moment and...the courage to convey his genuine thoughts and feelings.

The time when Gingka decided to start his own beyblade journey to become the strongest, it was the first time where Hyoma had to let his friend go. The same friend he grew up with and shared his childhood memories together.

During his absence, Hyoma hasn't been the same, even if he wants to deny that aspect about himself. It was the first time he felt something...missing?

Hyoma laid down in the middle of the yellow flower field, Aries resting silently beside him.

Gingka had really left. Of course he has. That's who he is. An unstoppable force, a star Hyoma could only watch from afar.

The wind passed across Koma Village as it brushes through trees, stirring up the peaceful, yet lonely silence. Only Hyoma and Hokuto stayed to protect the sacred place out of respect of their beyblade legacy.

Deep down, both were hoping for the villagers to return one day.

As days, weeks and months passed by, Hyoma started to feel more bored in Koma. He sat with Hokuto in his kitchen, staring outside the window and losing himself in his thoughts.

"..."

"..."

"Feeling bored?", Hokuto asked.

"......Do I seem like it?", Hyoma asked playfully, as he poured himself a cup of water.

"Well I can't blame you, it's pouring outside...", Hokuto sighed as he watched the waterdrops rolling down the window.

Hokuto took a glance at Hyoma, who was about to drink from his cup. He sighs again.

"You know kid...is everything alrig-"

"Anyway! I'll go to the forest to train. Don't mind me coming late for dinner tonight!", Hyoma interrupted him while putting his cup down with a smile.

"In this weather??? Take an umbrella atleast", Hokuto questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah yeah", Hyoma said as he grabbed the nearest umbrella in sight and left the house in a hurry.

"..."

"If only the villagers were here...", Hokuto muttered in silence.

He sighed as he watched the purple haired boy walk away with a slightly shaky umbrella, which he was holding on tightly.

Hokuto's face darkened as he furrowed his eyebrows in worry.

The umbrella wasn't the only thing which was heavy to carry.

✿✿✿✿✿✿

As time went by again, Gingka suddenly came back after going to Mount Hagane, followed by his friends who were filling the village center with their happy laughter.

Hokuto watched them from above in deep thought. Since when was Koma Village this lively again?

There wasn't really time to be alone with the red haired boy other than one night, only for a short time when everyone went to stargaze together.

"You never change, do you my good buddy?", Gingka asked with a happy smile.

Hyoma smiled back at him softly. "The village has changed completely though! And so have you, Gingka..."

"Really??", Gingka asked as he moved a step closer to Hyoma, curious what his friend meant by that.

With a startled expression, Hyoma quickly closed his eyes and put a smile back on his face.

"Well, since you're back now after such a long time...Want to check out the forest together?"

"Yes!!! The bey forest, that takes me back...", Gingka said in an exciting tone as he smiled at Hyoma.

Hyoma smiled back fondly. When was the last time he saw this bright smile in front of him?

"...I'm sure everyone would like to see it!!"

"......Everyone?"

Hyoma was slightly taken aback of what he just heard, his pupils wavering.

"Yeah!! They'll be so pumped when they finally get to see it~"

"..."

"I can't wait to show it to them!!"

"......."

He wasn't sure what exact emotions he felt, when he heard Gingka talk so enthusiastically about his new friends. It was the first time he felt sad and disappointed at the same time, yet a little bit...frustrated?

I thought this was a special place.
Just for us to know...

Hyoma stared at Gingka who was cheerfully smiling at him with his eyes closed, showing a cheerful grin.

Just when everyone went back to the village, they wished each other a good night and went to sleep in the guest rooms.

Hyoma and Hokuto were still in the living room, letting the calm, yet comforting silence get between them.

"........"

"............."

"...You see..."

"...?"

"Gingka's friends are our friends too...", Hyoma blurted out randomly as he gently put his hand on Hokuto's back. But I'm still his closest friend...

Hokuto nodded with a yawn, eyes closed while laying down on the coach.

Friend...huh.

"But you know", Hokuto said as he opened one eye. "Whatever is on your mind, make sure you solve it before they leave."

"...What do you-", Hyoma said before Hokuto's sharp expression met his gaze.

He sighed and smiled in defeat. Hokuto did know him best after all. It's not easy to hide anything from him.

Hyoma wished him a good night as he left the living room. When he laid down in his bed, he stared at the wooden ceiling.

I trust Hokuto, but I don't want to worry him too much...

Deep down, the purple haired boy kept having thoughts which grew into doubts as time passed by.

To Hyoma, the red haired boy was someone he loved as much as the boy loved beyblading.

But would someone like him even understand his feelings?

"...Are you...still the Gingka I know?", Hyoma murmured to himself, as he interrupted his own train of thoughts with a sigh, closing his eyes.

✿✿✿✿✿❀

There were other times where the childhood friends crossed paths again, like the survival battle, battle bladers or finding galaxy pegasus.

However, there was never really a time where they could spend a longer time together, since Gingka is still continuing more journeys and Hyoma has a village to protect alongside Hokuto.

Since then, many silent years have passed until Hyoma has turned twenty-two.

His appearance didn't change a lot. He grew taller, keeping the same sheep-like hairstyle with a new jacket, which made him come off as a sophisticated person. Sometimes, he'd wear glasses when he'd confront outsiders. Hokuto liked to refer them as fake glasses, suiting his facade to trick others.

The spring flowers started to bloom again, signaling the warm spring coming back. Birds were chirping as the sun was shining radiantly over the village.

During the sunny afternoon, Hyoma and Hokuto decided to take a quick stroll through the forest to pick up some nuts and berries to bake a pie. They passed by each training area, one by one.

What other places could we still check?, Hyoma pondered, looking around from left to right.

"Over there", Hokuto pointed out, patting Hyoma's lower leg with his paw as a signal to pick him up.

He turned his head towards the direction Hokuto suggested while picking him up gently. The Green Hades..., he thought as he let his old friend climb up his right shoulder.

As they slowly arrived to the top, Hyoma remembered the first time Gingka won a battle against him. When he was hugging his friends together cheerfully, Hyoma felt grateful when everyone welcomed him in open arms as their new friend and rival.

The boy smiled at him so brightly, his galaxy glimmering eyes sparkling with excitement. That same smile was still lingering in Hyoma's mind, how could he ever forget?

"Well. It used to be an unique arena created by a meteor...", Hokuto murmured, looking at the unfixed impact the arena left.

Hyoma looked lost in thought as he stared at the cracks. An impact which can never return to it's old state again...

There was silence between both of them, until Hokuto discovered an unreadable gaze. Despite growing up with the young man since childhood days, Hokuto had to admit that it became harder to read him sometimes.

"...You know-"

!

"The pie won't bake by itself!", Hokuto said as he nudged him to look at some bushes nearby.

"Hahah...alright alright~ Let's go over there!"

After finishing their pie, the sun slowly started to set down. Hyoma and Hokuto were outside, sitting on a bench in front of their house to relax with fresh air.

Suddenly, Hyoma's phone started to ring.

Taking the phone out from his pocket, he looked at the screen and accepted the call.

"Hello?"

"Hyoma! Can you hear me?"

"Yeah! What's up Madoka?"

"Just wanted to ask how you and Hokuto are doing! Things have been hectic at B-Pit lately.."

Hyoma smiled gently. "Thanks for asking! We're doing fine~ Hokuto's just getting ol- Ouch!", Hyoma cried out as he got interrupted by Hokuto who gave him a push with an offended stare.

"Hahaha~ I see someone's grumpy about the truth", Madoka laughed cheerfully after hearing the interruption. "As long as you guys are healthy and well, I'm relieved!"

Both were silent, looking at each other in a comforting way.

"Haha...I know my call came out of nowhere, but I can't help but miss the old times when everyone was together for battle bladers!"

"..Battle bladers! That was quite a time~"

"It's a shame you don't battle competitively anymore Hyoma...I'm sure the others would have been really happy to see you around more often!"

"Aww, that's sweet of you!! I'm sure the new generation remembers our friends as legends these days!"

"Fair enough..! Do you guys still have the photo we took with our friends?"

"Yeah! Still framed in our living room. Why?"

"Mine's accidently gone after deleting several folders for storage..."

"I could email you the picture later if you want!"

"That'd be sweet!! By the way Hyoma..! Gingka visited us last week!"

"Oh?"

"But it was just for a short time to fix up Pegasus~"

"Haha, I see~"

Gingka...

"And what about you guys? Did he pay a visit lately?"

"Uhm...Nah. Not really!"

"....Huh??"

"Well....It's been a long time since he visited the village!", Hyoma chuckled awkwardly.

"Wait, how long is that 'long time'??"

"Hmm, since seven years I think...?"

".......Seriously???", Madoka said with a perplexed tone. "But he still sends letters or calls...right?!"

"...Yeah, sometimes!"

"......"

"It's fine Madoka, You know how he is~"

"It's NOT fine Hyoma!!", Madoka exclaimed, dumbfounded.

...I know.

"...What do you meannn~", Hyoma asked, not noticing Hokuto's deep stare.

Madoka sighed, trying to calm herself down. "Don't play these games with me, Hyoma...What's your reason for staying at the village again?"

"Well...I live here and it's an honored duty!!"

"...And besides these two reasons??"

"Hm......I wonder~"

After hearing the playful tone from her friend's voice, Madoka couldn't help but to feel bothered. She still remembered his words from back then, when Hyoma told them his decision to stay in the village.

And she remembered how he waved them goodbye with a formal smile as their train departured.

"Uhm...Madoka? Are you still he-"

"Can I pay you guys a visit some other time? I'll ask our friends too!! ...You two can't be lonely in this place forever, you know?!"

"Haha sure~ You're always welcome to visit us!"

"Likewise! Feel free to call me anytime if something's going on!"

"...Thanks Madoka. See you next time!"

"See you!! Tell Hokuto I said Hi~"

"I will~ Take care!"

After he hung up his phone, he took a deep breath.

"She's right", Hokuto pointed out in a serious tone.

"About what..?", Hyoma questioned, feigning ignorance.

"About you still being here, Hyoma."

......

"Aww, are you tired of me?", Hyoma asked playfully as he petted Hokuto on his head.

"You know what I mean!!", Hokuto grumbled, turning his head away from Hyoma's hand. "Ryo already offered us security from the WBBA. The village is safer than any other place I know!!"

Hyoma slightly flinched after hearing these words, because he knew Hokuto was telling the truth. "...I have my reasons".

"Reasons?? You're still waiting for him, aren't you?"

Hyoma clenched his teeth.

And what if I do?
Is it that wrong...?

"Hokuto, I'm-"

"I told you so many times already. You should have gone with them!!!"

...And then what?

Before Hyoma could try to think of a reasonable counter, his facade started to crack.

"Hokuto..."

Hokuto furrowed his eyebrows, waiting for the same, overused excuse.

"Look...This was the path I chose", Hyoma tried to explain in a calmer tone.

But he fails. "I live here, you know? It's our home!!! Did you really expect me to leave you alone in this place forever??? You're joking."

And it's his home too...!!!

"But did you look at yourself?!?! You haven't been fine in a long time, Hyoma!!!!"

"......"

Great, Hyoma thought, furrowing his eyebrows.

"You always pretend everything's fine!!!", Hokuto growled out of frustration.

"..........."

"I'm worried about you. Always have been!!!!!!"

Hearing that emphasized word hit a nerve within Hyoma. He slammed the bench with both hands to stand up quickly.

"Fine. I'M AFRAID OF MYSELF!!! Do you know how that feels like?!?!?!?!"

"Of course I don't if you love to play pretend and never tell ANYTHI-", Hokuto tried to shout until he had to interrupt himself with several coughs while losing his balance with one leg.

"?!"

"Hokuto?! ..Are you-"

"Spare your words."

"But y-"

"For someone who’s always worried about others, you sure do a VERY poor job of worrying about yourself."

.....................

Hyoma sighs as he opened the front door, avoiding eye contact.

"...Let's head in."

✿✿✿✿❀❀

As the next day slowly went on with a heavy tension within the house, Hyoma stood up with a deep sigh to prepare himself for patroling outside. But deep down, he knew he was looking for an excuse to kill some time again.

"...I should get new flowers", Hyoma murmured to himself, staring at the empty kitchen vase.

As he changed his gaze to the living room area, he spotted Hokuto who was taking a nap. Hyoma sighed and hesitated to move, as he silently watched him shiver from the cold. Last evening, he put a blanket next to the coach, but the blanket remained untouched next to Hokuto.

Always stubborn to the bone...

He tucked his snoring friend in the fluffy warm blanket and gently closed the door to not disturb him any further.

...And always the same routine, Hyoma thought while patroling around the village to check if any outsiders or intruders were nearby. Just in case, as he liked to justify.

After confirming all areas, he arrived at the yellow flower field and squatted down to pick some flowers, until he noticed someone who was laying down nearby. Before he reached out to Aries, the person suddenly greeted him.

"Hey!"


This warm voice.


This cheerful tone.


Gingka...?!



"You're here?!"

Gingka chuckled at his friend's surprised reaction.

"Since when?", Hyoma asked, keeping a gentle expression in his eyes.

"About ten minutes ago!"

He still looked like the same old Gingka, but not really at the same time. He also grew taller and still wore a headband, including a long white scarf. His eyes still contained the same bright sparkle, making him loveable wherever he went. Hyoma's heart ached out of surprising joy.

"..But how? I checked out every area before coming here!"

"It's secret~"

Hyoma couldn't help but put up a soft smile.

"Oh well...welcome home!", he greeted awkwardly, giving his friend a flower.

Gingka smiled back happily, holding the flower in his hand.

"Thanks!"

As they were walking back together to the center of the village, Gingka looked around.

"Crazy...This place is still the same as I remember! How were you guys doing?"

"Alright. To be honest, it's mostly the same as always!"

"Where's Hok-"

"...He's inside, snoring. Old, but still wiser than us!"

They both chuckled softly.

Then, Hyoma looked at Gingka once more, changing his gaze to a slightly serious one, taking a deep breath.

"But...why did you come back now ?"

Gingka looked down to the flower he held in his hand, twirling it around.

"...Just wanted to check on ya."

"So...just because?"

Gingka nodded with a firm, honest gaze.

"I know. It's sudden, but I was nearby anyway! So why not pay a visit again after we didn't see each other for so long?"

Hyoma kind of felt bittersweet by hearing that vague answer.

Funny...You could have come sooner.

"That's a relief. I thought you dropped by because something serious happened...!"

He put up another smile that didn't reach his closed eyes.

"But didn't you guys want to bring some villagers back though?", Gingka asked confused, changing the topic.

Hyoma shaked his head. "They never came back. We tried to reach out through letters, secret codes per television news, but we didn't get any replies from most of them..."

"What about those who answered?"

"Hmm~ Some declined due to trauma. Others said they preferred their current place!"

"And what about you? Do you still like it here?"

......I don't know.

"Well. It's our home after all!", Hyoma laughed as he responded, giving him another smile with his eyes closed.

"Fair enough! Nothing beats our good old home~", Gingka exclaimed with a proud smile. "Shall we go check out the stars again, like old times?"

"Sure, let's sit over there!", Hyoma suggested, pointing towards a cliff above Koma, where you could watch the village from above.

✿✿✿❀❀❀

"By the way! Come join me on watching the next bey tournament!! It'll be with our friends, overseas in the united states too!!! Masamune invited us all~"

A breeze flew by as Gingka's exciting words were echoing through the area. The silence was interrupted by Hyoma's light chuckle.

"That sounds fun, but I can't leave Hokuto here by himself!"

"We can go all together!"

"Anddd how many people live here to guard the village again?"

"Oops...!", Gingka laughed awkwardly as he scratched his head from behind.

"Well...I know our village is well protected from afar by security these days, but it's better being safe than sorry~", Hyoma explained with an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, can't argue with that. You guys know the best for our village after all~", Gingka stated with a trusting smile.

"Madoka actually told us she'd want to come visit us some other time! Maybe with our friends too!! You'll join them as well, righ-"

"Ah about that-"

"?"

"I probably won't...I'll start mentoring outside of Japan soon!!"

"Huh..?"

"You heard it right!! I wanted to tell you guys the news sooner through a letter, but I wasn't able to find time!"

......???

"We probably won't see each other for a while again. I promise I'll write you guys more often!!"

"......"

...What.......?
................................

...Hahah.......
.....
...............
...

"...That's great to hear!", Hyoma said while trying to maintain a cheerful appearance.

.......Of course.....

"Hehe. I can't wait to face new challenges outside of bey battles!"

...I'm happy for him.

"I see!", Hyoma said with a sincere smile.

I'm fine.

"Wait. Hyoma are you crying?!", Gingka asked surprised, trying to reach out with his hand.

"......Huh?"

Tears started to roll down his face. He wondered why he suddenly started to cry in front of Gingka, since he thought he was masking it well.

"...I actually didn't tell you something, Gingka", Hyoma admitted with a slight tremble, gently moving Gingka's hand away.

"What do you mean..?"

Calm down.

You shouldn't. Pull yourself together.

"...About Hokuto. I think I held these worries within me for quite a while", Hyoma blurted out quickly as he wiped his tears away.

"Oh, all of a sudden? I didn't know my buddy is so worried about our friend~", Gingka said in a cheerful teasing tone, giving Hyoma a light pat on his back. "He may be grumpy, but he's the best partner you can ask for!"

Hyoma looked away, watching the clear night sky being decorated by lots of stars. Oh, how he wished to tell Gingka the truth without actually telling him anything at all.

Yes...Hokuto. I'm worried about him.
It's not a complete lie..!

"I...actually had a fight with him yesterday."

"...Feeling bad?"

"...Yeah. And I didn't expect time to fly so fast...I took it for granted, expecting him to stay by our side forever...but I know he's becoming weaker."

"That's why we need to treat him more kindly, don't you think?", Gingka said with a silly wink. "I'm sure you guys will find a way to make up soon!!"

"Yup...you're right", Hyoma laughed off, still avoiding eye contact.

For the first time in a long time, Gingka looked at his childhood friend who was keeping a light smile, looking down at the village.

He couldn't help but smile at him. Hyoma was still the good old friend he knew, just looking more wise and mysterious now.

"I know many years have passed, but I wanted to say you can always talk to me whenever something troubles you!!", Gingka suddenly blurted out.

"...?"

"...You'll always be my number one rival and best buddy after all!!!", Gingka stated with a smile, reaching out his fist.

Hah...What a bright smile.

...Cute.

"..Likewise!!!", Hyoma replied with a defeated smile, returning the fist bump.

Yes. This is the right thing to do...

"Anyway! Let's go back before it gets too cold!!", Gingka announced, standing up.

"..Huh? Ah sure!", Hyoma replied in a hurry.

Gingka was always ready to move on, never looking back. Hyoma sighed silently as he stood up to follow him.

It has been a long time since Hyoma was right by Gingka's side whenever he needed him. But why doesn't he walk next to him? The natural act became something estranged during this exact moment and this made Hyoma frown without even realising it.

...But...
..I don't like it.....?

...No.....



.......................Wait...!


Hyoma carefully pinched the end of Gingka's scarf with his fingers. He kept his walking pace from behind, so his friend wouldn't notice the sudden pinch, still not letting that scarf end go.

He didn’t want to let go at all. But if he didn’t keep up with him, Gingka would notice the small gesture right away and turn around to ask what's wrong.

And Gingka turning around was the last thing Hyoma wanted right now, since he was in a state he couldn't even understand and didn't want to show.

But he knew his facade was crumbling down, so he looked down to the ground, hiding his eyes behind his hair.

.....What am I even doing?

Just when he furrowed his eyebrows, the corners of his lips slightly dropped as well.

There was a soft ache trapped within his eyes. That very eye gaze held a heavy, aching burden, the weight of countless unspoken words dragging his half-lidded eyelids.

The lack of openness showed a clear internalization of his true emotions, the refusal of voicing his honest thoughts that his watery eyes and light blush betray.

It was better not to show his face to him.

It was better to stop.

...

It's better to just...
 
✿✿❀❀❀❀

As both of them returned to Koma, Gingka dropped by at Hyoma's house to greet Hokuto. Hyoma and Hokuto apologized to each other shyly while Gingka grinned next to them with a smile, giving them a group hug attack right away.

Gingka told about his journeys while Hokuto listened with an upside-down smile. After he left by wishing both of them good night, Hyoma entered the kitchen area to fill up a glass of water.

Hokuto who was still laying down the coach, silently watched him from afar, noticing a faint redness under his eyes despite looking tired.

Hyoma noticed his gaze. "...You already know, right?”, he murmured. "I can't". He didn’t cry this time, but his hand trembled slightly, avoiding any eye contact.

Hokuto stayed silent, keeping a distance.

"...I just can't ", he slightly whispered with a shaky tone, putting the glass of water away.

Hokuto closed his eyes with another sigh.

"I don't know...It feels wrong, Hokuto", Hyoma opened up with a conflicted expression.

"What feels wrong? Your interest in Gingka?", Hokuto asked sharply.

"......"

"What's stopping you besides fear?!"

"...I don't want him to know. He shouldn't feel bad for not seeing me the same way as I see him!!!"

"But you never tried. How could you know???"

"I'm a coward."

"Great self-awareness! So you will just never tell him until you die or what?! I can't believe this..."

"...Forgive me."

"Only if you stop using me as an excuse to stay here...It's fine to be honest, you know?"

Hokuto sighed in disbelief, once again. He knew he could never stay mad at Hyoma for too long, since they cared for each other a lot.

He stood up and patted him with his paw one more time, before Hyoma left the living room.

After that night, a week has passed.

As always, Gingka has left again.


...










..













.




















And Hokuto has too.

✿❀❀❀❀❀

Just as the moon started shining upon the empty Koma Village, time was helplessly ticking inside Hyoma's mind.

It's been three days since Hyoma was by himself for the very first time, not sure what to do anymore. The sound of the ticking clock made him close his eyes, reminiscing about Hokuto as he sat down the coach.

....
...
..
.

"No...Don't say anything!!!!! I'll call someone for help and-"

"Hyoma.....it's...too late."

"What do you mean too late ?!?!?!", Hyoma cried out as he started to grab his phone from his pocket. "I won't let that happen!!!"

Hokuto weakly coughed as he tried to pat Hyoma's arm with his paw, stopping him from dialing. "Remember...my suggestion...from before...?"

Hyoma slowly nods. Back then, Hokuto tried to convince him to leave Koma for good, if something should ever happen to him. But all Hyoma did was smile. A smile Hokuto couldn't read again.

"Please...Be happy..."

"........"

Hyoma didn’t know what to answer, so he just hugged his old friend one last time, very carefully as tears started to fall on Hokuto's fur.

Hokuto showed him a faint smile.

"...Good night, Hyoma."

.
..
...
....

As Hyoma opened his eyes, he couldn't care less about his tears rolling down nonstop.

What a hypocrite...You always told me to be honest, but why...WHY couldn't you say anything to me?!?!?!

Hyoma already knew the answer, even if he didn’t like to admit it. Hokuto and him were the same when it came to being secretive, not wanting to worry anyone about their troubles.

You were suffering in silence too and.....I wasn't paying enough attention...........

Even after our arguments......You still didn't give up on me...and my happiness.

.........
Forever stubborn.

...............


Hokuto...


...I miss you.

.....


...♬..♬..

...A call...?

"..Hello?"

"Hyoma!!! ...Are you...ok? I've heard the news from Gingka the other day..."

"..."

"...I'm so sorry for your loss. Me and the others happen to be outside of Japan right now for a bey tournament...I can't imagine how you're feeling..."

"...It's fine, Madoka..."

"I'll visit you soon once we land...It's a promise!!!"

"Sure...!"

"Gingka and his dad took an emergency flight, so they'll probably come tomorrow...!"

"I'm aware...Ryo sent me a message a while ago!"

"That's good. Give us an update whatever is going on!! Everyone is always here for you!!!"

"Thank you..."

It was so reassuring to hear comforting words after talking to himself inside his head for the past three days.

On the day of the incident, he only texted a message to Ryo, unable to press the call button and talk out of grief.

I'm glad no one's here right now..., Hyoma thought with swollen eyes, still being in a messy state as he curled up to hide his face.

Next day, he made himself ready to go outside to meet up with Gingka and Ryo who will arrive in a bit. As soon as he opened the door, he got greeted by a running Gingka with a tight hug, exchanging no words.

...!

Hyoma tried his best to withdraw his tears as he hugged him back. Ryo waved at them from the distance with a sad smile.

When Hyoma led the two to the place where he buried Hokuto, each of them placed a flower above the grave, paying their respectful condolences in silence.

Hokuto......
...I hope you're in a better place now.

After they walked back to the center of the village, Ryo suggested putting on a firepit to grill something simple for dinner. In the meantime, Hyoma and Gingka gathered some firewood together while Ryo caught fish in a nearby river.

As the sun went down, the three of them sat down and talked for a bit.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about the village anymore...", Ryo hesitantly declared.

"...?"

"I can request Tsubasa to strengthen the security. Just say the magic words!!"

"...That's a relief."

And what's my purpose now...?, Hyoma wondered as his eyes slowly darken, looking down to the ground.

"And what will you do now, Hyoma?", Gingka asked him while putting a hand on his shoulder.

Surprised, he snapped out of his heavy thought. "...Good question? All of this still feels so sudden...", Hyoma murmured while looking down.

"And that's alright...everyone grieves differently!", Ryo reassured him, also putting his hand on Hyoma's other shoulder. "Please take all the time you need."

"Thanks...I appreciate it!"

"We'll stay with you for the next few days...Let us know if you ever need anything!", Gingka reassured with a sad smile.

After finishing the dinner, Ryo excused himself to leave the firepit sooner, still feeling sleepy from the jet lag.

So it was only the two of them left.

Hyoma and Gingka silently listened to the crackling fire sound together, the only current sound breaking the silence between them and the night sky.

Do I want to leave...?
...What should I do?

Hyoma couldn't help but sigh. Another unspoken worry he didn’t voice out.

What makes me happy...?

......

I don't want to think anymore..., Hyoma pondered as he gently leaned his head on Gingka's shoulder, without having any thoughts left.

"...!"

"......."

The red haired didn't expect the sudden gesture, but quickly accepted his fate, smiling at his tired childhood friend with a sigh. "I guess I'll ask him to come travel with me some other time...", he thought.

Hyoma closed his eyes, staying together with Gingka for one more time.

❀❀❀❀❀❀

The days went by too soon, but it were enjoyable days for Hyoma. He finally figured out an answer to his worries.

He accompanied the father-son duo, until their train arrived.

"Shall we, son?", Ryo asked Gingka.

Gingka was looking at Hyoma and gave him one last tight hug.

"You've got a new generation to lead, star", Hyoma said, as he got out of his friend's warm and strong embrace.

Gingka grinned, then paused.

"...You'll still be here, right?"

"Always!"

The word came out way too easily, even though it was heavier than it sounded.

Gingka looked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he placed his hands on both shoulders of Hyoma. "Don't disappear on me, okay?"

"Haha! Of course not!", Hyoma replied with his eyes closed. Another unreadable smile.

"Let me know if you change your mind! I'd be the first to come and pick you up. Promise to call me!!"

"I will!"

And with that, Ryo nodded with a smile, signaling Gingka that it was time to leave.

Hyoma waved and waited until the train departed. After that, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Goodbye...", he whispered quietly.

Not exactly to Gingka.

But to the feelings he held within his heart for years, contemplating to tell, or not to tell.

It's the first time Hyoma ever voiced out his hidden feelings. He can't help but to put a sad smile.

He knew, the worst part wasn't the leaving. It wasn't the way Gingka always looked ahead, always being ready to look forward and continue his path.

It was knowing that he had never said it directly, even if Hokuto told him to be more honest.

Never.

Because he knew his dear friend didn't need him in that way. But it was alright, since his love is like Koma Village itself.

Unmoving,
silent,
and eternal.