Work Text:
"Suo-san..."
Silence reigns over the square. The breeze carries some leaves around the two teenagers, a quiet dance that ends with an almost imperceptible rustle. Nirei is not ready. The reality itself overwhelms him. Suo is in front of him. He had imagined so many things, from the most ridiculous to the worst horrifying, that tonight seems unreal. A dreadful feeling runs across his skin. He shudders, watching his friend as if he didn’t know him.
Does he, though?
If someone had told him one day that he would be friends with Suo Hayato, Nirei would never have believed it. He wouldn't even have dared to laugh or imagine it. Him, being friends with Suo? Impossible! Inconceivable! Unrealistic! And yet… Suo Hayato has become a pillar in his life. When Nirei contemplates the sky and thinks about his future, his friend's teachings are never far away. These lessons have reshaped him. But his wings remain timid. The butterfly fears vertigo.
And tonight, a greater vertigo seizes him. Over the past three days, Nirei’s certainties have begun to waver. Does he truly know Suo? The ungrateful truth lies in his mind, crawling in the darkness. When he led Sakura and the others to Suo’s place, they were met with emptiness. And suddenly, Nirei sees nothing but the abyss, patient, yawning beneath his feet.
Does he truly know Hayato Suo?
As he looks at him now, without a scratch, yet frozen in place, Nirei’s chest tightens, bracing itself for the truth he dreads.
"Suo-san!! What happened?! Are you ok? Let's go home!"
The nightmare shall end here. Suo will follow him, they will eat at Pothos’, and Suo will be back at school tomorrow.
"Sorry, Nirei-kun… I can’t."
These words leave Nirei stunned. A drop of sweat beaded on his forehead.
"What do you mean, Suo-san ?! Everyone's worried about you!"
"You're such a kindhearted person. Keep it that way, the world needs people like you. You, Sakura-kun... I am glad my path crossed yours."
"What do you mean...? I don't understand! You tell it like you're going to leave forever..."
Suo smiles gently. He slips his hands in his pockets, as the cold wind paces lazily.
"I have a mission, Nirei-kun, you know? My dragon craves to fly."
"Don't be silly, Suo-san! It's not funny anymore..."
Nirei bites his lip, feeling every word sink into his stomach. Maybe he should have asked Hiiragi for some pills. Or perhaps even medicine would not have been able to stop the chaotic waves inside his heart.
"What a lovely night, don't you think? I love when the moon offers us its silver…"
"Why did you lie to us?!" Nirei explodes. “We went to your place and there was nothing! You lied to me. When we come back from school… Where are you going? Where do you live? Is there something so important you wanted to keep us away? Is… Is this your only lie, at least?”
Suo’s eyes widen slightly. Nirei tends to raise his tone when he stresses out ; this time, a trembling anger vibrates in each word.
"We tell stories to children to help them grow up, but sometimes we tell stories to keep ourselves going. I haven't lied to you, Nirei-kun."
"But..."
Calmly, slowly, step after step, Suo walks towards Nirei. All of a sudden, he stops, exactly where Nirei can not reach him. Only a few inches separated them, yet it felt like an entire world.
"Suo-san, we should call Sakura-san..."
"Don't."
Disbelief dawns in Nirei's eyes. Disbelief, maybe betrayal. He knows what's coming. He had heard these words in the realms of his anxiety, when the moonlight swallowed him in the depths of his nightmares.
"I have to.", he mumbles.
"Sakura-kun has really planted a beautiful seed in your heart, hasn't he? You can stand on your own, Nirei-kun, even against your teacher’s request. But I want to talk to you. And only you."
Suo sighs. The sparkle in his eyes fades away gradually. The park lighting cast a harsh light on his face. Nirei is not able to tell if the sadness he perceived came from the depths of the night or if it emerges from the words he heard.
"One day, my master said humans are built over their own legacy. Teaching you my skills is mine."
Nirei lowers his head ; his gaze weakens. Suo never fails to teach him important lessons, but he rarely alludes to the one who taught him these lessons. Suo has just uttered those words in a slow, almost languid voice, threaded with nostalgia. With Suo, Nirei often reflects on the future. Even before meeting his mentor, he paid close attention to what others left behind. He gathers information. He waits and patiently collects what others consider insignificant. He knows how heavy knowledge is ; however, for the past few weeks, one question has been haunting him: what will he leave behind? What will his legacy be? When he was learning under Suo, he used to allow himself to dream. Now, no answer comes.
"You... You are far from finishing to teach me what you know, Suo-san... Why are you telling me that?"
"You remember what I said about stories? Teaching is a long chain of them."
"I don't understand..."
"One day, you will."
"But why won't you come with us...? We have so much more to learn. Together...", Nirei’s voice trembles. "Or at least, explain it! Are you in trouble?! Can we help you?! That's what Furin's about!"
Suo shakes his head. His earrings sway in the wind. He seems to listen to what Nirei said, yet he chooses to ignore it.
"There's no story about my choice, Nirei-kun. I am here to tell you goodbye in person, that's all."
"Suo-san..."
Nirei blinks rapidly to wipe away the tears that threaten to fall down his cheeks. He has to be strong. Stronger.
"I can't abandon you."
"I thank you for giving me the opportunity to leave something, Nirei-kun."
"What do you think our friends will say? Anzai-san...? Kiryu-san, Sugishita-san...? Tsugeura-san? And... Sakura-san...?"
"I'll miss you all. Kiryu-kun... Sakura-kun... You."
"I don't like that, Suo-san... I don't like farewell..."
"It's not farewell, Nirei-kun. One day I'll introduce you to my beloved Unicorn. But where I'm going is not a gate you need to cross."
"Stop joking, Suo-san! We'll save you even in hell if we have to!"
Suo laughed. A fragile, silly, pitiful laugh that shattered his noble composure. When he calms down, his smile remains. Nirei takes that for an invitation. But when he crosses Suo's eyes, he only meets a deep unjoyful gaze.
"No, Nirei-kun."
"But, Suo-san..."
"I said don't."
For a fleeting second, something colder flickers in his irises. Something closer to a monster. Then, just as quickly, it vanishes, and the friend Suo has always been returned.
"Nirei-kun..." Suo says while he runs a hand over his face. "Please. Don't worry about me."
This line upsets Nirei. He feels his jaw clench. His heart screams in pure wrath. How dare he? They are his friends! His family! In this unforgiving world, Furin is a home. They’re his home!
"Autumn is a perfect season for an epilogue.", Suo explains.
"Suo-san...! It’s ridiculous!"
"Don't follow me, Nirei-kun."
Suo turns his back. It is almost time, after all, and stories have to come to an end. Nirei clenches his fists just to feel the pulse in his fingers. The tense in his back rages like thousands of storms. His throat tightens. Suo is going to leave.
Powerless. Weak. Incapable.
How would he face his friends?
Unfortunately, he knows. He knows he can not do anything, because he has to believe. It is Suo-san. His teacher. His role model. The shining moon that paved his road.
Suo walks away. One step, two steps. Three. Nirei wants to stop him. He does nothing. His body refuses to move. One more time, the eyes-patch warrior turns back. One last time. His single eye curves into a faint smile.
"Give my best regards to Umemiya-san, Sakura-kun and the others."
"Suo-san..."
Suo raises his hand in a small wave. The same one he makes every day to greet them when he arrives at school.
"I'll see you later, guys."
"Furin will always be your home, Suo-san! If you need us, we will..."
"I know. I'm happy I've met you all."
Suo continues walking. The distance between them is growing dangerously. Soon, it will be too late. But Nirei does not move.
As Suo disappears at the corner of a street and darkness covers his silhouette, Nirei hears only the echo of the final words of this epilogue, lasting on the silent park for a minute. The epilogue he chose.
"Thank you."