Chapter 14: Rika 2
Rewrite of Chapter 14
---
After I invited Haruki and his mother inside, I finally understood what Mama meant when she said they were best friends. Their conversation flowed naturally, as if they had known each other for a lifetime. Aunty wasn't just someone Mama trusted—she was someone she confided in.
But what caught my attention the most wasn't their conversation. It was Haruki.
At first, he seemed confused about something. Maybe he had gotten over it, or maybe he had just chosen to ignore it. Either way, as we sat there, watching our mothers talk, he became unusually quiet—his brows slightly furrowed, his posture tense. He looked as if he were deep in thought, but then… something shifted.
Anger.
It flickered across his face, sharp and undeniable.
But why? There was nothing in the conversation that could have upset him. What could have triggered that reaction? My curiosity clawed at me, demanding answers, but before I could ask, Mama spoke up.
"You know, Haruki, for some reason, I can't sense your emotions. But I don't need a quirk to see that you're extremely angry and sad about something." Her voice was steady, yet gentle. "I wouldn't normally call you out, but emotions like that shouldn't be bottled up. You don't have to tell us, but trust your mom. She's one hell of a strong woman. Even as a teenager, she could handle more than most adults. She can help you."
That first sentence alone surprised me.
Mama couldn't sense his emotions? How? That had never happened before. My curiosity surged again, but I held it back. There was something more important happening here.
"Haru-chan, you can tell me," Aunty said softly. "You can trust them too. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Mom. I just… got reminded of Dad."
His voice was calm, but the pain in his expression was unmistakable.
That… somewhat answered my question. Not completely, but enough to piece together the obvious.
I had heard about what happened to his father. A hero who died on duty. It was tragic, really. I understood the pain of losing a father, the weight of that absence. In that sense, we weren't so different.
That familiarity made me want to be his friend.
At first, my curiosity had been the driving force. But beyond that, I truly wanted to be his friend. I wasn't someone who feared loneliness, but if I had a choice between solitude and companionship, I would choose the latter.
But… I wasn't naive.
I had trusted before and been betrayed. The last thing I wanted was another shallow, meaningless friendship. That's why I needed to see for myself if he was worth that risk.
So, I asked him to go for a walk in the park with me. The park was about a 20–30 minute walk away, which gave me just enough time to figure out what kind of person he really was.
---
The air was cool as we walked through the park.
I hesitated before speaking, but my curiosity won in the end.
"Ne, Uzumaki-san," I began, glancing at him. "Why were you so angry back there? I can understand sadness. I really can. But… why anger?" I paused, realizing how personal that question was. "Sorry if I'm being nosy. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
He looked surprised at first, but then, to my shock, he smiled.
"It's fine," he said. "I know you can understand the pain. We really aren't that different in that aspect…"
My eyes widened slightly. See?! He thought so too!
But he wasn't done.
"But there is one difference," he continued. His voice was calm, but something dark flickered beneath it. "My father didn't just die. He was killed."
The way he said that word—"killed"—it sent a shiver down my spine.
"That's the difference between us," he said, his eyes dark. "His killer is still out there. Free. Alive."
That's why the anger.
The raw emotion in his voice made something stir in me. Admiration? Maybe. But there was also fear.
I had read enough stories to know how vengeance could consume a person. How easily the pursuit of justice could twist into something far darker.
Would he fall down that path?
Could I stop him if he did?
I wanted to ask more, but I knew I had already pushed too much. So I stayed quiet.
As we turned to leave, something unexpected happened—something that gave me hope that maybe, maybe, he wouldn't become like those tragic figures in stories.
It was a small thing.
A sleeping child was in his arms, and when I moved to wake her, he instinctively shielded her, his entire demeanor shifting to something soft, protective.
The life energy radiating from him changed as well.
It was warm. Gentle.
And in that moment, I knew he was different.
---
On the way back home, the silence between us was comfortable.
"Uzumaki-san, you said your quirk lets you control certain elements, right?" I asked, breaking the quiet. "Does that mean life energy is considered an element too? Because right now, you're leaking a lot of it."
He blinked, then gave a sheepish chuckle. "Ah… sorry about that. No, it's not an element. But the energy I use before channeling an element has similar properties to life energy. I have a lot of it, but it shifts based on my emotions. If I'm angry, people will feel it as aggressive. If I'm sad, it'll feel gloomy. That's why I usually suppress it."
He scratched his cheek. "I was just focused on how precious that kid looked when she was sleeping, so I didn't suppress it. That's probably why you're feeling it now."
I stared at him.
… A quirk geek, huh? Cute.
It was amusing how different he looked when he wasn't angry. Like two completely different people.
---
When we got back home, Aunty asked him to show Ell.
I wasn't sure what to expect.
But when I saw it—a living entity created by him—I froze.
That wasn't just manipulating elements. That was something far beyond that.
He lied to me.
That was my first thought.
I hated being lied to. He could've just refused to answer my question back then, but instead, he had lied.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay quiet. I didn't want to lose a friend so soon. I wanted to believe that I had misjudged him, that there was another explanation.
And… thankfully, there was.
When he explained that Ell was an accident, my shoulders loosened. His reasoning made sense. It was slightly suspicious, sure, but fair.
I even got an idea for improving my own quirk because of it.
Still, guilt settled in my chest.
I had jumped to conclusions again.
But at least… I had listened before acting. That had to count for something, right?
---
After they left, Mama turned to me with a teasing grin.
"So? How was your first date?"
"It wasn't a date!" I shot back, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.
"Uh-huh. That's exactly what someone on a date would say." She smirked. "But seriously, what did you find out about him?"
I hesitated, then said, "He's… different. A lot like…"
I stopped myself before I could say Dad. That would just invite more teasing.
"Anyway, we're friends now. That's that. I'm tired, so I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
As I hurried off to my room, I swore I heard Mama chuckle behind me.
'Oh, my sweet little pumpkin… did you really think I wouldn't notice what you didn't say? Hehe. I just hope you two don't end up hurting each other.'
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Well that's the end of Rika's POVs. Now, we're gonna be back to the story.
So, I realise I forgot to mention new supporters in the last chapter. Sorry about that.
Thank you,
• tALvaNCH
• DDRBOG
• ZackDKaizo
• Jy_Abcede
• Ali93
• 8TIME8
• LINKyt
• Reigns_Darkness
• Mael_Ali
• LuZe
• FlameDragon345
• Daoist966747
• HeavyChain
• BigFan
• Jai_pareek
for power stones.
By the way the maximum number of power stones once went beyond 70. I'm mentioning this because Oath_Of_A_Knight was 69th power stone.
Childish. I know. But that's only way someone can genuinely feel the fun of being alive.