(Context: After Takuto took Aoi and disappeared, Ayano is still kneeling in the park.)
Part 1: The Echo of Tears
Ayano knelt on the park ground, which looked like a scorched earth. The silent echoes of the earth cracking where Toki had been destroyed resonated in her ears.
Tears streamed from her eyes like a burning river. Ayano's cheek could still feel the gentle touch of Takuto wiping away her tears.
Ayano: (Whispering) "Why... why didn't he kill me..."
("The next time we meet... we'll be strangers... enemies.")
Takuto's final farewell felt like a dagger plunging into her chest. The purple light from her Amethyst Gate (Purple Eye) trembled with pain. She lowered her head, the warm moments of the past flashing back.
Flashback: The Shared Corner
(One year ago, at the school campus, afternoon.)
Ayano was known then as a taciturn, aloof girl. Although she was at the school on a mission from the Shadow Syndicate, she felt a sense of freedom among the people. She was reading a book in the quiet corner of the school library with a cold expression. She had no idea that Takuto was the Phoenix Eye owner.
Takuto, at that time, seemed lonelier than Aoi, a seeker of silence with an emotionless look on his face. He walked toward that corner of the library.
Takuto paused when he saw Ayano. It was because he found someone in the spot that was always 'empty' for him.
Ayano looked up at Takuto from her book. Her purple eyes were wordless. Her stare seemed to say, "What is it?"
Takuto held her gaze and remained standing. In Ayano's eyes, he saw a coldness and profound loneliness. It felt as if he were looking at himself.
Takuto: "You look lonely."
Ayano: (Short, cold) "None of your business."
Ayano rarely spoke. Her demeanor seemed to shun everyone away.
However... Takuto completely disregarded her words. He pulled out the chair next to Ayano, set it on the other side of the table, and sat down silently.
Takuto: "Me too. I don't want to talk to anyone. So, we can just be quiet together. You don't have to talk to me."
Takuto opened his book and began reading. Ayano gazed at Takuto, who had sat down next to her, with incomprehension. It was the first time in her life she had met someone who wouldn't ignore her and dared to challenge her coldness.
Takuto's cold eyes mirrored her own coldness. In that moment, Ayano momentarily forgot her mission and a curiosity about the young man sparked in her.
The Routine Silence
After that first meeting, the table in the library corner became a secret place belonging only to Ayano and Takuto.
For weeks, they met there almost every day. There was rarely any conversation; only silence prevailed between them. Ayano read, but her subconscious was aware of Takuto's presence. Takuto also never disturbed her, always burying his head in his book.
The cold loneliness between them gradually morphed into a state of comfortable tranquility.
Breaking the Ice
One day, the book Ayano was reading fell onto the table. It was the book "Loneliness and Salvation" that Takuto had read the previous week.
Takuto: (Looking up from his book) "Are you reading that book?"
Ayano: (Picking up the book, her voice warmer than usual) "Yeah... just like that."
Takuto: "I didn't like the ending of that book. It would have been better if he'd said, 'Salvation doesn't come from the outside, but self-understanding is the true salvation.'"
Ayano: (A slight smirk) "I think so too. Some people will never understand you."
That moment was like a sudden shattering of the ice wall between them. They discussed the book for about five minutes and realized they shared similar philosophies.
The Introduction
At the end of the conversation, Takuto closed his book and looked directly at Ayano. A hint of newly awakened interest appeared in his eyes.
Takuto: "My name is Takuto Himura. And you?" (His voice was clearer.)
Ayano was silent for a moment. The mission and lies given by the Shadow Syndicate raced through her mind for a fleeting second. However, she answered with a desire to save the cold loneliness of the young man.
Ayano: (Nodding slightly) "I'm Ayano Daichi."
From that day on, their relationship quietly shifted to friendship. For Ayano, it was the first genuine light entering her life.
Part 2: The Warmth of Routine
The relationship between Takuto Himura and Ayano Daichi grew closer through the small parts of daily life.
It changed from the silence in the library corner to sharing lunch moments on the school rooftop. For the first time in his life, Takuto had a friend devoid of coldness.
Ayano's demeanor had also completely changed. The previous aloof, quiet girl was gone. Whenever they met in the classroom or on campus, Ayano proactively greeted Takuto.
Ayano: (Smiling brightly) "Himura-kun! It's a peaceful morning, isn't it!"
Takuto was a little surprised at first, but Ayano's cheerfulness warmed his lonely heart.
The Surprise Game (အံ့အားသင့် ကစားနည်း)
One afternoon, Ayano was looking for Takuto around the campus. With a joyful face, she arrived at the library and found Takuto engrossed in a book in their usual corner.
Ayano: (Got him! I'm going to surprise him today.)
Ayano walked quietly toward Takuto's back with a smirk. She was close to him before Takuto noticed her.
Suddenly...
Ayano, as close friends often do, covered Takuto's eyes from behind with her soft palms.
Ayano: (Close to his ear, in a childish whisper) "Got you! Now... guess who it is?"
Takuto was slightly startled by the sudden darkness and Ayano's intimate touch. The unawakened Phoenix Eye in his eyes was ready to react but was calmed by Ayano's softness.
Takuto: (His voice slightly warm) "I know that perfume. Who else but you would dare to do this... Ayano Senpai."
Ayano: (Removing her palms and laughing) "Hey! You remember my perfume! I thought you were the cold type!"
At that moment, for Ayano, Takuto was no longer her mission but a person she genuinely cared for with her true feelings.
The Home's Shadow
After playing happily with Takuto at school, Ayano's heart was full of warmth. Her aloof demeanor had completely vanished, and she returned home laughing happily like a normal girl.
Ayano opened the door and walked into the living room. Her cheerful smile instantly disappeared from her face.
It was because she unexpectedly saw her father, Mr. Daichi, sitting on the living room sofa. Mr. Daichi, the leader of the Shadow Syndicate, had a composed and cold Aura that pressured the entire house. Ayano stood there with a mixture of fear and respect for her father.
Ayano: (Her voice faint and trembling) "Father..."
Mr. Daichi: (His voice sharp and emotionless) "Ho.....Ayano. You seem unusually cheerful. Anyway, I have an important mission for you."
Part 3: The Vicious Mission
Mr. Daichi picked up a photograph placed on the table and threw it toward Ayano.
Mr. Daichi: "We've found something we've been looking for. It's the priceless Phoenix Eye owner. We must get him into our hands."
Ayano took the photograph with trembling hands and looked down in astonishment.
In the picture, she saw the young man she sat with in the library every day and shared lunch with... a picture of Takuto Himura.
Ayano: (Speechless, eyes wide) "This... this is..."
Mr. Daichi: "Yes. He is the last owner of the Phoenix Eye. Your mission is to approach him by any means necessary and deliver him into our hands. You must use your Amethyst Gate power to gain his trust. You will be solely responsible for this case."
Mr. Daichi stood up. He leaned close to Ayano's ear and whispered.
Mr. Daichi: "I hope you do well. Otherwise, you know what will happen."
He said nothing more to Ayano and left the house.
The Heartbreak
Ayano stood like a statue in the middle of the living room. Takuto's photograph in her hand slowly fluttered in the air. Her chest ached with intense pain.
Ayano: (In a low voice, tears welling up) "Why... why did it have to be him..."
Her cheerful face was completely shattered by the pain and cruelty of fate. She knew she had to choose between her mission and her love and betrayal.
Ayano slowly broke free from the memory where she cried over the cruelty of fate, looking at Takuto's photograph. The dark atmosphere and the smell of smoke in the park pulled her back to the present.
She lifted her head and stared at her left wrist.
Ayano pulled back her long sleeve. There, she saw a small, pure white cotton wristband.
It was a gift Takuto had gently given her on their first date.
Ayano had worn the cotton wristband without ever taking it off since the day Takuto first gave it to her. That wristband was the only proof of a love that was not fake.
Late Confession (နောက်ကျသော ဝန်ခံခြင်း)
Suddenly...
From a drizzle to a downpour, the rain began to fall heavily. The raindrops streamed down Ayano's wounded face, making it hard to distinguish between tears and rain.
Ayano knelt in the rain, regretting her actions.
Ayano: (In a low voice, almost lost in the sound of the rain) "(I... I lied. Toki is gone. And he forgave me. But... it's too late now...)"
She tightly gripped the cotton wristband. Her regret was immense, but Takuto's forgiveness didn't kill her hope.
Ayano: (Lifting her head from the rain)
"No... I must tell him. I must prove that my feelings were not a lie."
Her Amethyst Eyes were filled with regret, but a shadow of firm resolve reappeared.
Ayano: "I... I will earn his forgiveness again."
The rain soaked Ayano's entire body, but she stood up from her kneeling position with strong determination. She ran toward the dark path where Takuto had departed.
[END OF CHAPTER 14]
[START OF ARC 2: THE UNTOLD TRUTH]