Would you like a cup of tea? || Shigeo Kageyama

Friend - Part 1

"Hotaru, we have to evacuate!" Her aunt pulled Hotaru by the arm.

"But auntie, Hope is out there! Do you think he's okay? The marathon... I didn't even get to-"

That was when her aunt held her by the arms securely. "Hotaru... I'm certain that Hope will be alright since the evacuation order is for everyone." Despite reassuring her, there was a hint of worry about the young male in her voice. Nevertheless, she did her best to pretend that all was alright for the sake of her niece's mental health.

"But if I leave, then will I ever see Hope again? Will I never see my friend again?" Hotaru's eyes blurred with tears. "I don't know how to contact him. I don't even know his real name, auntie."

The younger female sniffled. "Am I going to lose my only friend like this?" She rubbed her eyes roughly.

She then grabbed onto her aunt's clothes desperately. "I thought that I was going to change with him... I thought that watching him will give me some semblance of what life is really like. I don't want this, auntie! Why does this have to happen? Why is everyone so selfish? Why am I so selfish?"

Hotaru finally sobbed aloud, knowing that she was acting like a childish fool, but even so, her fear of losing Mob - her only friend - felt real and was real.

Her aunt's eyes swam with tears as she pulled her niece into a tight hug. "It's okay, honey... You'll definitely see your friend again... And if need be, I'll even look for him for you since I'm sure he thinks of you as his friend too."

Before she could reply back, Hotaru began to lose strength in her arms as she tried to move them to hug her aunt back. Instead, they hung to her side listlessly. It was as if her energy continued to drain out of her. Then, all she could feel was how the strength in her legs seeped out of her like water.

Even though she could see through her blurred vision that her aunt was saying something, it merely sounded like jumbled up sounds. Horror permeated her thoughts, but there was nothing more that she could do. And that was when she finally passed out.

"Hotaru!" Fear enraptured her heart as she held onto her niece protectively. "Wake up!"

"..." Hotaru remained motionless in her arms as if she was sleeping peacefully.

"Why does this have to..." Her aunt bit her bottom lip.

It hurt.

Her heart hurt.

She wished that she could absorb all of the pain that her niece had to go through, but she could do nothing.

She was useless.

And as she thought, her heart truly hurt over that.

A few tears trickled down her cheeks as she then touched her niece's forehead with her own. "Don't worry, Hotaru. You'll be safe. I got you."

All worries and fear soon vanished, leaving behind determination and resolve in the deepest depths of her eyes.

"I won't let you get hurt. I will never let you get hurt again."