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Hyo never had favorites in anything. There was nothing she needed to prioritize, nor anything that stood out to her the most. To her, everything was the same.
That applied to colors as well. There was a variety of them, yellow, green, and orange. The Hellguards’ uniforms were mostly red. It was said to strike fear rather than for stealth. It seemed that colors were more than just variety, they also symbolized something. That was probably why the Hellguards preferred the color red. But did that make it their favorite color? Or did something count as a favorite if it didn’t bring you any convenience? What was the use of prioritizing something if it brought you nothing in return?
Still, Hyo couldn’t deny that colors were everywhere, used in everything. And she accepted that each color suited where it belonged. Green for the leaves on the trees in the Kamutari District. Red for the Hellguards’ uniforms.
And blue…
Blue was him.
His eyes... especially that light blue when he was welding his treasure. Seemed his treasure is blue too, and even when it transformed, blue remained its essence. Hyo wondered if Zanka’s favorite color was blue. When she asked, he denied it, saying August had added blue to his uniform because it “brought him out more.”
But what about his treasure?
Zanka said it was just a coincidence, but Riyo thought otherwise. She said Zanka had colored his treasure blue because he wanted it to match it. With the same blue as his eyes.
Was matching colors that important to you, Zanka? Did it make you happy, seeing that same shade of blue reflected in your treasure? Riyo has green eyes, yet she didn't color her treasure green. Let alone possessed anything green. In Hyo's case, she found herself drawn to blue.
But why blue?
“Hyo! Over here!” Zanka shouted from a distance, his treasure clenched in his hand, ready for another swing. His face was fierce, focused, but his eyes…
“Take care of these bastards! I need to clear out the trash beasts!”
Those bright blue eyes locked onto hers. Direct, unwavering, and for a moment, just a moment, Hyo felt herself drift, as if everything else had fallen silent.
Zanka’s eyes…
Yes. That was why.
That was why she found herself drawn to blue.
It wasn’t just a color. It wasn’t just preference, but also something she couldn’t quite name. Blue was calm, yet piercing. Gentle, yet impossible to ignore. It lingered, like the feeling he left behind.
It reminded her of him.
The way his eyes caught the light in the middle of chaos. Of how, even when everything was loud and violent, that shade of blue remained clear and steady.
Blue was beautiful.
Because it was his.
Because somehow, without realizing it, she had begun to associate that color with his presence.
Maybe that was why she wanted blue.
Not because it suited her.
But because it reminded her of Zanka. Of those eyes that always seemed to find her, no matter how far apart they stood.
“Nice job, Hyo.”
Zanka’s voice was closer now, no longer sharp with urgency. He stood in front of her, looking at her as the chaos from moments ago had already faded. His grip on his treasure had loosened, his stance more relaxed.
“Yes...” she replied, her voice steady enough.
But her gaze lingered for just a second too long.
Up close, that shade of blue felt even clearer. Calmer. Like it no longer belonged to the battlefield, but to something quieter... something she didn’t quite understand yet.
She looked away first.
Yet even as silence settled between them, the color stayed with her.
Soft. Familiar.
Blue.