The wind blows the window curtains; it's past midnight. Shiro gasps as he wakes up in a familiar bed and the familiar room. He sits up on the bed and looks around him. He sees Sheena beside him, lying down and asleep.
He looks at the palms of his hands as he questions himself.
"Was it just one long dream…?"
He looks at Sheena while she's asleep.
"She's still here…"
He lies down beside Sheena, wraps his arms around her, and closes his eyes.
For a moment, he could feel Sheena's warmth with his arms wrapped around her. It was comforting, soothing, and relaxing knowing he was hugging his lover again.
Suddenly, he opens his eyes to see himself in a cemetery, standing over Sheena's grave.
"What…?"
He says as he stares over Sheena's grave and tombstone.
He hears footsteps approaching him from behind.
"There's a reason as to why I died so quickly."
A familiar female voice spoke. Shiro looks behind him to see Sheena.
His eyes widen.
"But it's not the time yet for you to know."
Sheena said.
"Why…? Why can't I know yet…?"
He said while his eyes were open wide from the shock to see Sheena.
"You have to understand the world around you first, Dear."
Sheena took a step forward to Shiro before she wrapped her arms around her, hugging him.
"For now, just live the life you want until the time comes when you'll find out."
She said while hugging him.
…
…
…
Shiro gasps as he wakes up.
SHIRO : "Sheena…!"
- He said while panting.
Yoriha was sitting on the couch, and Shiro was lying on it. She was staring at him in shock.
YORIHA : "Who's… Sheena?"
She spoke while Amuro was standing over Yoriha.
Shiro looks around him. He's in Sheena's office, lying on her couch.
"What am I doing here…?"
He said in his head.
"Right… I passed out on the sidewalk on my way here."
His thoughts were disturbed by Yoriha leaning towards him.
YORIHA : "Are you okay…?"
- She said while leaning towards him, being close to his face.
SHIRO : "I'm… Okay."
YORIHA : "You passed out on the sidewalk not far from your scouting area. Luckily, Amuro found you and brought you here."
- Shiro looks at Amuro, who was standing in front of both of them.
SHIRO : "Right, Sorry. I tend to pass out a lot after fighting."
- He places his hand on his head.
AMURO : "It's best to have control over that. You can't be passing out after a fight. What if another beast comes and attacks nearby?"
- Amuro said coldly with a calm face.
SHIRO : "Sorry, my bad. I think my body can't handle the ability I got."
- He said while looking down.
YORIHA : "That's okay~ It's a start, that just means you need to train your body to handle it more."
- She said cheerfully.
Yoriha stares over at Shiro's eyes for a bit, her beautiful pair of purple eyes shimmering over him. Shiro is stunned by her eyes as he also stares at her.
"Those eyes again."
He said in his head while staring at her.
AMURO : "I'll be taking my leave."
- Amuro spoke before he walked out of the room.
The two stare at each other for some time before Yoriha stands up.
YORIHA : "Would you like some water?"
- She said while looking down at Shiro as she was standing up with her arms behind her.
SHIRO : "Y-yeah.. Sure."
- He accepts, looking at her face.
Yoriha walks to the nearby water dispenser in her office, pouring some water into a cup.
Shiro continued staring at her, looking at her body and her face.
He sees a bandage wrapped around her neck, something similar to Sheena's.
"Now that I realize it… Yoriha and Sheena are very alike."
He said in his head.
Her white hair, her neck bandage, her energy, and her kindness. It's all similar to Sheena.
"But isn't it kinda disrespectful to have feelings for someone right after your lover died…?"
He thinks to himself while looking down, still sitting on the couch where he had been lying earlier, passed out.
Yoriha walks towards Shiro and hands him a cup of water.
Shiro takes it before Yoriha sits beside him on the couch.
YORIHA : "Tell me about what happened today."
- She spoke happily while having a smile on her face.
SHIRO : "About today…?"
- He asked after taking a tip on his water.
YORIHA : "About the scouting~"
- She said teasingly.
SHIRO : "Right.. well, I killed a beast that was a mutated woman, it attacked the school."
- He looks down, still regretting his actions for killing the woman.
YORIHA : "Woah! Good job! That was your first ever kill as a beast hunter!"
- Yoriha claps while smiling at Shiro.
- He looks at Yoriha, with eyes wondering if he should be proud of himself or stay in regret.
- He stays silent for a bit before speaking again.
SHIRO : "Is it human to kill a beast after watching a human mutate into one…?"
- He asked while looking down at his cup.
Yoriha was stunned at his words, knowing it was his first time killing a beast, but also watching a human mutate into the same beast he had to kill.
YORIHA : "Well… It's our job, Shiro. It's our job to kill once human beasts, because they're a threat to our society and humanity."
- She said sincerely, looking at Shiro with eyes that understand him.
SHIRO : "But for some reason… I feel guilty killing one."
- He said while continuing to stare at his cup.
"You have to understand the world around you first."
- She said.
At that moment, those words sounded familiar to Shiro. He looked at her, staring into her eyes while she was smiling. Those words were the same words Sheena had said to him in his dream when he passed out.
He was stunned.
He stares at Yoriha for a moment.
"Sheena…?"
He thinks to himself.
Yoriha notices Shiro has been staring at her for quite a while.
YORIHA : "Are you alright…?"
- She asked as she tilted her head a little bit to the side.
Shiro didn't reply, he continued to try remember the dream he had earlier while staring at Yoriha.
"Is Yoriha the Sheena in my new life…?"
He said in his head.
YORIHA : "Hello…? Did I say anything bad?"
Shiro snapped back into reality. He stopped staring at Yoriha and looked back at his cup.
SHIRO : "Sorry… sorry."
YORIHA : "Are you doing alright…?"
- She asked as she leaned closer to Shiro.
SHIRO : "Yeah… I'm okay."
- Yoriha stared at Shiro for a bit while she was leaning.
YORIHA : "You're an interesting one, Shiro."
- She said so suddenly.- Shiro looks at her, with his eyes slightly widened.- Yoriha leaned back.
YORIHA : "You're different, you're not cold-hearted, you're not ruthless like any other new beast hunter who just wants to kill beasts for money or for justice."
- Shiro stared at her as she spoke.
YORIHA : "For someone who has beast capabilities, you're more human than I thought."
He stared into her eyes, those beautiful purple eyes filled with kindness and an understanding soul. He admires her beauty and her words.
SHIRO : "Thank you."
- Yoriha stares back at Shiro.
YORIHA : "Have you told anyone about this…?"
- She asked as she pointed her head slightly down, her eyes still locked into his.
SHIRO : "No… I didn't."
- Yoriha smiled. She admired how Shiro was comfortable enough with her to tell things like these.
YORIHA : "I'm glad you're comfortable enough with me to tell.YORIHA : "Thank you for that."
Yoriha stared at Shiro's eyes.
YORIHA : "Get some rest, okay?"
She spoke before standing up and walking over to her desk.
Shiro stared at her as she walked to her desk and began some paperwork. He's really admiring her beauty and how kind she is.
"She's too kind."
"No one but Sheena has ever treated me like this."
Admiration
The warm and uplifting feeling of witnessing or recognizing beauty, kindness, or respect within someone. It's the feeling of making one appreciate the values and qualities of someone.
— Chapter 11, End : Familiarity