𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄━━━S. Manjiro

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘆-𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿

"He just came home but he already made a mess, ahh."

You lifted your head a bit, seeing Emma shake her head as she look at the water mess on the floor. You wanted to hide your panic and worry but she lifted her head and met your eyes. Emma narrowed her eyes and walks toward you immediately. "Did something happen?"

She paused for a moment before glaring at you, "Did Mikey tell you something?" Her eyes showed her emotion clearly, anger and worry as she questioned you. She looks like she wants to barge in the bathroom and punch a certain someone any time soon. She has the same eyes as Manjiro whenever he's worried about you...

For a moment, you forgot your problem and smiled faintly. Since she was bending and her face was a bit close, you reached out your hand on top of her head and pat her softly. "Nothing's wrong, I was just thinking. Thank you, Emma."

Your eyes narrowed, forming the shape of a crescent as you do so. "No need to worry."

Having her hair rubbed unexpectedly, Emma was in a daze for a second. "... Ah, is that so?" Unable to hide her faintly blushing face, she turned her head but she still let herself get pat with a shy expression on her face. You chuckled at her response as you pulled your hand back.

She was leaning forward so it might be an uncomfortable position for her.

Still a bit in a daze, she placed both hands on top of her head, feeling the weak warmth left by your hand. She frowned a bit, slightly disappointed but she still sat in the space beside you.

"So, what were you thinking? You had a worrisome expression just now."

You thought for a second about your answer and let the girl stare at your face with curiosity. "Well... Something about the future, I guess." she hummed, not knowing what you mean at all. You smiled mildly at her reaction and explained it vaguely to her. "You know, how and what we would be in the future." Her lips parted for a moment before letting an 'oh' quietly. "Emma, what do you want to be in the future?"

Emma didn't expect such a question from you and was startled for a moment. "Me? Huh... Hm..." she lowered her head and thought about your question carefully. And you waited for her patiently as well. 

"Ah. I don't know if this is considered an answer but... I want to be a bride."

"Bride?"

"Yeah, yeah. Being married to a person you truly love really sounds nice, don't you think? So, I want to be a bride, to marry the person I love and..." 

There was such a peaceful yet shy expression on her face as she spoke about her dreams so happily. Your heart couldn't help but ache painfully, knowing her end all too well. In the original timeline... you saw her sorrowful cries during Draken's funeral. Everyone knows how much these two love each other. They never told each other about it but, you're pretty sure that they know. How much they both love the other.

In the end, they couldn't have their own happy ending at all.

You held back your emotions and put up a calm expression as you grab her hand. "Emma, make sure to tell Draken how you feel someday, alright?" You tenderly smiled at her as you continued on, "I'll make sure that both of you will reach that kind of future."

Emma looked at you with a dumbfounded expression as soon as you said those bold and determined words. She didn't really understand what 'reach that kind of future' meant but seeing the regrets hidden with your supportive expression, she just knew that you were thinking of something else. Something that made your expression like that earlier as well. She cleared her throat and smiled as well, "Draken's so oblivious so I..." she simply added a laugh and looked at you.