Everyone in class began packing their things and saying their goodbyes the moment the bell rang. Reminding them about the next stage of their education, the teacher smiled and reassured her students that their application results won't be too harsh on them.
There were those who disagreed, others sighed and walked out of the classroom with a frown.
"I'll see you around Shinobu." One of the violette's friends said.
"See ya Hira! It was nice talking with you."
"Yep I had a great time today. We should catch up sometimes."
"Oh we totally should."
Shinobu took a deep breath and gazed at the ceiling. Finally all that hard work paid off. The thought of it is nerve-racking but I won't let it get to me. I believe in myself. That's something I should keep telling myself so I won't worry too much.
A familiar figure swiftly passed the corner of her eye, leaving the classroom without anybody noticing this person's presence. Shinobu gasped and hurried after the student.
Mimiko heard the violette's footsteps behind her and continued walking down the hall in a panic. When she was about to take another step towards the end of the hallway, Shinobu caught up with her and called out to the timid girl.
"Hey Mimiko how have you been? It's been a while since we last talked."
The timid girl gulped and glanced over her shoulder. The sudden wariness she felt faded away when Shinobu placed a hand on her shoulder that was comforting, she hadn't relaxed in a while. Mimiko was always tensed at school.
And this was recent, because Mimiko was never like this. Until the final school term began, Mimiko became very distant. She never told Shinobu why she couldn't make it to Hasu Mountains. It was sudden, Shinobu thought it was because of the Winter Storm but something wasn't adding up. Mimiko was hesitant to give her a clear explanation let alone talk to anyone.
Soon they just stopped talking completely. It was devastating because Mimiko was always alone and things didn't change for the better after their friendship got torn apart by Mimiko's disassociation with just about everything that went on in her life.
Mimiko would've loved the Hasu Mountains. Nature's stunning sceneries was something Mimiko was very fond of, she'd rather be surrounded by the flowers and meadow than the mundane traffic and congestion in the city. Mimiko always believed that people's minds open up once they reconnect with the natural environment that they have always coexisted with.
"I'm fine, just in a hurry-"
"Mimiko, listen. Running away isn't going to solve any of your problems. Every time I try to talk to you, you're always giving that excuse. It's getting old. What's going on with you?" Shinobu didn't mean to come off intimidating but this was the truth. It's not the first time Mimiko tried to escape any form of conversation. Mimiko was hiding something and it's about time she let it out.
Clutching her bag in distress, Mimiko gasped and turned around frantically. "Alright fine! I'll tell you everything that happened! It's just... we need to find a place that's quiet."
Shinobu noticed Mimiko shivering and gritting her teeth fearfully. Smiling softly, the violette nodded and walked down the stairs with Mimiko placing a hand on her chest to calm herself down.
~~~
"Well you see my brother succumbed to his disease. None of us expected that to happen." Mimiko said quietly, looking down at the floor with a blank expression.
Shinobu looked at her in horror. "I'm so sorry to hear that. What happened to him?"
"He was one of the victims who got infected by that creature. There wasn't any cure but here's the thing..." Twirling her hair anxiously, Mimiko fell silent before speaking up again.
"Some of the victims fought the disease on their own and got to live their normal lives again, my brother however was not so lucky. His body gave off despite the intensive time he spent working on his appearance and strength to fight these kinds of battles. That was a passion he was dedicated to and a lot of people admired him for it."
The violette's eyes wavered when she heard Mimiko's words, especially the mentioning of Nebulas who broke families apart when their loved ones were struck by the very same disease that carried out his bidding; Nebulas vowed to wipe out humanity in every shape and form he could possibly manifest himself in for he believed that extinction was inevitable if humans remained as the dominant species on this planet.
But that extinction he chanted over and over again didn't work in his favor, instead it took the lives of people who had nothing to do with the factors that led to the unfortunate demise of other organisms including his own kind. The world he envisioned with just flora and fauna like the eras of the past never came to be.
"Mimiko I know it's been hard for you nobody deserves to go through that. Your brother sounds like a great person and I'm sure he was strong. I see that in you Mimiko." Shinobu reassured her.
"I don't know how to feel about this. The thing is, I can't connect with his passing." Mimiko's words sounded like a distant whisper.
Shinobu blinked, her friend Mimiko seemed very distraught by what happened, even her tone of voice reflected the spiral of emotions she felt. It must've taken a toll on her, to the point where she couldn't even process her own despair.
"Remember the student that our teacher mentioned during math class a few months ago? Well that was my brother, he got expelled and things weren't the same again ever since."
Widening her eyes, Shinobu looked at Mimiko in disbelief. That was her older brother? Apparently, that particular student got into trouble for a mishap that he brought upon himself without shame. The whole school was talking about it, that case left a stain on the school's reputation and the teachers seemed very unforgiving towards Mimiko's brother for what he did, understandably so, because no person in the right train of thought would do such a thing.
"Nobody knows he's my brother except the teachers of course. That incident on the train jeopardized everything. I refused to believe that he of all people would do something so horrible." Mimiko's voice quivered, her fingers trembled as she continued on about her older brother. "But the truth came running back to us. He ruined his life and then he lost it."
"To be honest, I'm in shock too. Everybody looked up to your brother. He had a formidable reputation at school." Shinobu responded.
"Yeah after that incident I couldn't recognize him anymore. His presence made me very uncomfortable even though I shouldn't be feeling that way because he's my brother but I did. That's why I didn't wanna talk to anyone because I was worried that you guys might find out and pick on me or worse, embarrass me just like how he did to that girl on the train."
Shinobu placed her hand on Mimiko's shoulder. "I'd never do that. Friends are supposed to support one another and I'll always stand by that. Nobody should suffer in silence, if there's anything bothering you Mimiko, you can talk to me."
"Thanks Shinobu. I'm sorry I couldn't join you guys at Hasu Mountains. I was really disappointed when I heard the news about my brother's case. He left us in pain, sometimes it still lingers to this day."
It must've been hard for Mimiko. If only she had told me earlier so she wouldn't have to endure all of that in silence. It was draining her day by day. At least now that she's let it all out her mind can finally rest. Sitting back, Shinobu stared at the floor, wondering how things would be if Mimiko was at the Hasu Mountains while those events unfolded.
"How was it like at Hasu Mountains? I'm sure you had a lot of fun there! Tell me all about it!" Mimiko exclaimed, her expression brightened. A sign that she was slowly healing from her sorrow.
With that, Shinobu sat upright and immediately thought of a response that'll answer every question Mimiko had for her. The violette couldn't tell her about the investigation and confrontations she and Douma had with Nebulas and the organization he was working with, including the wacky adventures they went on. Mimiko would be confused and speechless.
"Yeah it was fun, thrilling, and spectacular. The experience was one of a kind."
Mimiko seemed excited to hear more about the violette's vacation. "Wow! Sounds like you enjoyed yourself there!" The gleeful girl exclaimed.