The lunch bell rang, but for Konone, it sounded like a funeral knell. She didn’t go to the cafeteria. She didn’t even try to find Yui. Instead, she retreated to the one place that felt familiar: the highest point of the "base."
She sat behind the heavy ventilation units on the rooftop, her knees tucked to her chest. The silver hair that usually shimmered like a hero’s cape now hung limp around her face.
"Target status: Isolated," she whispered to her knees. "Mission success probability: Zero percent."
The heavy metal door to the roof creaked open. The rhythmic thump-thump-thump of someone running told her exactly who it was before a shadow fell over her loafers.
"There you are!" Yui panted, holding two cartons of strawberry milk and a familiar yellow bag. "I looked everywhere—the library, the gym, even the principal’s office!"
"You should not be here, Yui," Konone said, her voice small and devoid of its usual military edge. "I am a 'biological anomaly.' Associating with me will lower your social standing with the other civilians."
"The 'civilians'?" Yui sat down right next to her, shoulder-to-shoulder, ignoring the grease on the vents. "Konone, look at me."
Konone slowly raised her head. Her violet eyes were misty. "I tried to be like them. But when I run, I run too fast. When I speak, I sound like a drill sergeant. I don't know how to be... just a girl. In my world, 'just a girl' was a person who got killed. I had to be a soldier to survive. But here, the soldier is the one who scares everyone away."
Yui didn't laugh. She reached out and grabbed Konone’s hand. It was calloused and strong, but right now, it was trembling.
"You know," Yui said softly, "When I first saw you, I was terrified. Not because you were fast or strong, but because you looked so lonely. Like you were carrying the weight of the whole sky on your back."
She handed Konone a strawberry milk.
"They aren't scared because you're a 'monster,' Konone. They're scared because you're so intense they don't know how to talk to you yet. It’s like meeting a celebrity or a... a superhero! They think you're way above them."
"I am not above them," Konone whispered.
"Then show them that!" Yui grinned, poking Konone’s cheek. "You don't have to stop being a hero to be a student. A hero is someone who makes people feel safe, right? If you want them to be your friends, you don't need to run slower. You just need to smile more. Even a 'Level 1' smile is a good start."
Konone looked at the pink milk carton, then at Yui’s beaming face. For the first time all day, the cold knot in her chest loosened just a tiny bit.
"A... smile," Konone practiced, pulling her lips back into a stiff, terrifyingly awkward grimace.
Yui winced. "Okay, maybe we’ll work on 'Level 1' later. For now, let’s just eat. You can't be a 'biological anomaly' on an empty stomach."
Konone took a sip of the milk. It was sugary and bright—the exact opposite of the Void. "Thank you, Yui. Your tactical advice is... noted. I shall attempt to 'be myself,' even if 'myself' is still learning how to exist."
But as they shared a sandwich, the wind suddenly died. The sky didn't turn gray, but the light seemed to sharpen, turning brittle and cold. Konone’s hand froze on the milk carton.
"Something is wrong," Konone whispered, her soldier’s heart snapping back to attention. "The air... it’s being cut."62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXGl5zXK0M
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