Riajuu Explode!!

Inside the Medium Cruiser Transport Carrier Mother Ship, Helios.

You can see Kouro sitting absentmindedly on the chair next to the pilot's seat, Ayame who is sitting next to him feels that Kouro might still be disturbed by what happened earlier.

She began to think of ways to comfort Kouro.

'What should I do to comfort Kouro? Wait! Why should I worry about him?'

Ayame shook her head to get rid of that strange thought and looked back at Kouro.

'That dreamy expression, he looks so handsome!'

Seeing Kouro daydreaming with a sad expression made Ayame who had been looking at him suddenly say.

"You haven't changed much, Kouro."

"Hn?" Kouro woke up from his stupor when he heard Ayame talking about him, he turned to look at Ayame with a question mark on his face and asked, "What do you mean I haven't changed much?"

Ayame did not look away, and instead returned her deep gaze to Kouro's violet eyes before answering.

"Kouro, do you know why when I was little I always acted like a boy (tomboy), it's because those 'two people' always complained that they wanted to have a boy."

Ayame stared ahead with an expression of reminiscing about the past and continued.

"Back then, the clueless me just thought, if I act like a boy, will those 'two people' be happy?"

The 'two people' Ayame was referring to were her long-dead parents. She also already knew about the evil they wanted to do to her.

Ayame then continued, "That's why I started acting like a boy, although they didn't seem happy when I started acting like one, they were still a little happy, I continued acting like a tomboy until I finally met you, Kouro."

Ayame then said in a tone full of nostalgia.

"I remember our first meeting, when I saw you squatting in the courtyard collecting roses, I was curious at the time so I decided to approach you and ask why you were doing that."

Ayame's eyes reflected that memory showing little Kouro collecting roses, he then looked at her before saying.

"These roses are for my dead parents. "

Ayame, who had been nostalgic, suddenly spoke calmly.

"After hearing that, I decided to help you and after we finished, I was just about to leave, but then you suddenly gave me a yellow rose while smiling innocently before asking to be your friend. You know, your smile at that time is still vivid in my memory, Kouro."

"Back then, because of my tomboyish nature, I didn't have any friends, so when you expressed your intention to be my friend, I was very happy."

Ayame smiled, recalling her childhood memories, Kouro looked at that and also looked forward, remembering his main reason for wanting to be strong and train hard.

He looked down at his pale hands without any calluses, Kouro still remembered when he still hadn't activated the system. The only thing on his mind was to train, train and keep training, making his body full of scars and his hands and feet full of calluses.

His determination to change the future was mainly due to the existence of Ayame, as well as his uncle and aunt.

This also coincided with the activation of the system, making Kouro finally realize that the system was probably activated because of his strong determination to save the world.

"Do you still remember, Kouro? The moment the Stigmata appeared on my back, those 'two people' became very happy, far exceeding the happiness they showed when I acted like a boy. "

"It's just that the look in their eyes at that time was very strange, but this innocent me didn't think much of it and just felt happy to see them happy."

"After that I then went and told you about this, but contrary to their reactions, you only responded calmly, except for the strange glint in your eyes that looked strange when I said 'two people' had a very strange look in their eyes."

"Actually Kouro, when the stigmata appeared, my body became stronger, in addition, my senses also became sharper, so I could hear their words from a distance."

Ayame paused for a moment and then added in a sarcastic tone, "I can hear their bad words, like they want to sell me, but I know the reason they do that is because they are pressed by debt. "

"If you look at it objectively, it's my father's own fault for being addicted to gambling to the point of making life miserable for my mother and me. But my own mother didn't stop him either because of her blind 'love'. " Ayame muttered with a dreamy expression.

"In the end when father died... Mom also followed suit, without even thinking about my feelings at all... " Ayame continued with her head bowed down at her feet.

"To be honest in the face of it all, I strangely felt nothing but a calmness that frightened me. I was afraid that I was losing something important as a human being which is why I joined the rehabilitation treatment for a few months. "

Ayame touched her neck where her own mother had taken a knife, although there was no physical scar, the memory of that incident was still vividly displayed in her head.

"Luckily you visited me a lot back then, I'm just very afraid that someday you will also leave me, so I ask you to promise not to leave me."

Hearing the last part of Ayame's story made Kouro stiffen and his body twitch, it was because he broke his promise to Ayame.

"I... I'm sorry... Ayame, I apologize for breaking my promise."

Ayame shook her head, "I've already forgiven you, Kouro."

"By the way, I actually already knew that you were in Nagazora city and attending Tachikawa academy. It was my uncle and aunt who told me. "

For your information, the uncle and aunt referred to were Kouro's uncle and aunt, Ayame was adopted by the two of them after learning that she was Kouro's first friend and feeling sorry for her plight.

"Huh?" Kouro was dumbfounded, he knew that his Uncle and Aunt were influential people, but he didn't expect them to use their influence just to track him down.

"Well, you may not believe this, but Uncle and Auntie have a certain influence over the government that makes them not worry about you too much when you run away from home." Ayame said with a strange expression.

She then glanced at Kouro before continuing.

"They even became happy that you were finally able to forget your sadness."

"I always asked them when I could meet you, but they only said they would tell me after I graduated from middle school."

"And just as they promised, when I graduated middle school, they told me where you were, they said you were in Nagazora City and enrolled in Tachikawa Academy. "

Hearing this, Kouro remembered that he was doing his last training with his grandfather before entering Tachikawa Academy.

'Perhaps Grandfather is the main reason why uncle and aunt are not too worried about me. '

Ayame then sighed before saying, "I originally wanted to apply to Tachikawa academy like you, but they advised me to apply to Senba academy instead. "

"When I asked why, they said it was too boring to meet you in person. It would be better if I gave you a surprise and an unforgettable lesson. So I took their advice and ended up attending Senba Academy."

"But I didn't expect our reunion to be a memorable one, literally. I apologize for hurting you, Kouro."

Ayame lowered her head wanting to bend her body.

Kouro scratched his neck at that remark and said, "You don't need to apologize like that, it's not your fault anyway."

Ayame who kept her head down, said again in a weak tone, "...And also, thank you for saving me back then."

"Hmm? Didn't you already thank me?"

Ayame finally raised her head and shaking her head, she replied, "I thank you not for that, but for saving me from those 'two people', if not for you, I probably wouldn't be here."

"...How did you know?"

"Of course I knew, after all, you were the only other person I told about the existence of the stigmata besides 'those two people' and also at that time, you reacted too calmly when facing 'those two people'."

"Ahaha... I got caught..." Kouro said while scratching his head.

After saying that, Ayame looked back at Kouro seriously and said, "That's why, Kouro. I want you to promise once again that you won't leave me again."

She then pointed her little finger at Kouro.

Seeing that, Kouro remembered his promise to Kiana that did not happen because of the Third Eruption, he took his little finger and linked it with Ayame's pink little finger and said, "I promise."

After their gesture, the burden in Kouro's heart disappeared.

The relationship between the two that was previously fractured, became strong again, and even became a little more intimate than before under the pinky promise.

Neither of them noticed Theresa who was sitting in the pilot's seat, listening to their conversation from beginning to end.

Theresa's face formed an ugly expression at this moment and there was only one thought in her mind.

''Riajuu Explodes!!!''

(A/N: Riajuu literally means ldquo;people who have a fulfilling life in the real world.)