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Shu felt much lighter, like given a pair of wings even though her heart was like a weight. "You can do it, you can." The girl put on the new bleached-white coat and put on the hood, walking on the dark corrridor towards the opposite direction of the stair.

She stopped in front of a door, a few steps from hers and took a deep breathe and wore a cheerful smile before she knocked it.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Three light but steady knocks showing her resolve.

One day was enough for treating the hangover and thank you the Sun hunter for babysitting, then she made the whole day thinking of what she would do and must do.

She gulped while she was waiting, part of her hope she was at ho,e and part of her didn't. The resolve and fear battled inside her as she waited.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

If no one answered the door this time, she will go back to her home and send her a message. She rubbed her hands nervously together.

"Hehe - hmm - hello Mimi......" Shu waved with a bit of awkward uneasiness and stepped in Noemi's room. She tried to make thing easier by looking around the lovely room of her friend and wore a smile that she though she normally had. "Ah...that's alright....I just - come to play with you." Sitting comfortably on Noemi's bed, she picked up the adorable dino plush that figured a nervous face resembled her best friend and hugged in bosom, it gave her more power and support.

"Hmm." She closed her eyes for a second, "By the way, late congratulations for your promotion. You are a intermediate hunter now, so nice!" She put down the dino and gave the girl a big warm celebration hug as well as a kiss on cheek.

There were still tracks of dark circles under her amber eyes and her hair was noticeably messy for a girl that cared about her appearance that much. She was in a pastel pink sweater with a pair of shorts and long grey stockings. "Thank you for asking, I am okay. How's your day been?"

Shu was looking at the girl, her eyes didn't leave her for a second that she had so much to tell her. Thus, she could sense the tiny unclear tense-up when her best friend repeated her words with a stumble. Both of them had the promo mission engraved in their minds, the first time she suffered in horror and fear about herself. The Asian girl with those bloody memories make a step forward with resolve, others won't know how much she struggled through for that step.

It was her fault that Noemi exposed to that kind of pain, she believed the mist huntress won't forget that so easily. On the other hand, seeing how the sweet redhead was from protecting her abnormal cousin in the Class A special horseman mission, a tiny candle of wish lit up - she could forgive this stupid Asian girl friend - flickering feebly in her heart, even if she didn't deserve it.

"Move us up?" The intermediate Death huntress held her friend with added force, gently. "Are you moving upstairs?" Her question painted with worried tone, considered how full the floors above, it was almost confirmed that they won't be close neighbours. That not-realized-yet idea upset her even if the warmth of another body presented.

The touch of her hair gave her a sore nose, but she was not allowed to drop a tear. "Hmm huh. I am okay." She shook her head in the smallest magnitude with something that can be barely call a smile. "Mimi, don't worry about me. I drunk for the first time, so - a bit wonky from the hangover. It was a sweet type called liqueur, have you heard of it? It's quite nice in taste despite the spiciness." The girl attempted a bright smile for her friend.

Even Noemi might question why the petite Asian tried drinking for the first time - Shu didn't seem to be a drinker, the Death huntress didn't elaborate more.

"Oh. Oh - My English....." That was a prompt blush on her face. "I think they approve of our ability as a hunter and want us to share the work with the seniors. More challenging missions and dangerous duties for us, by doing that, the senior hunters won't be overloaded so easily? Being hunter is like a job, a destiny and meaning of life for people who can see things like that? They provide us a second home and we work for Deus in return, that's fair." She threw out her opinion. "We are adults after all, we need to learn to bear responsibilities and consequences of our actions."

"Nonono, I don't want to move either." As long as Mimi didn't want to move, she won't leave this awfully dark creepy basement. That strong sensation wasn't hate or grunge, but a fusion of guilt, sadness, self-blaming, denial, self-not-forgiveness dragging her down to hell. She was the only one to blame, volition not strong enough to resist the brain manipulation, the worst would be - like those corpses in blood, they were just lucky or - she was lucky enough not to have to bear a situation of killing her friend.

Shu was pulled at an emergency before she would say it happened the day before and a day had passed. "M-Oh thanks." A water bottle was shoved to her, it was complicated to describe how she felt when she saw how Noemi cared about her. "I am alright." She drank to abate her worry. "I am good, thanks. The hangover was gone, it happened yesterday, so today - I feel fine." She sealed the bottle to put it aside.

"But it would be great if I can lean against you." She wished, Noemi - her best friend would be the greatest nurse ever. If she was a boy - hehe - Milo would have a strong competitor, she believed she won't lose to the sunshine boy if the prize was the sweetest and most adorable girl in the world.

Shu waved hands, "No, yours is much better. I don't know how many times I made jokes from misunderstanding of what people talk - Let put that aside." She made a weird gesture like moving something to the side. Good? She wasn't sure if a hunter that hurts their partner can be said - good. "Someone says learning is a life-long process, now I understand. Yes, let us grow, like small tree into big, absorbing experiences and information as nutrients."

"That's so good to hear. Yes, our home is here." If they could tidy up and eliminate the bad things from the basement, surely it will be a good place for new hunters to accommodate when the upper floors were full. Both of them were in an awkward mood, not sure how another thought of herself, who knows how difficult she made just that hug. The negative thoughts ran in her little mind as well as the coaxing she kept on convincing herself.

Feeling the up-and-down of the breathing of Noemi, Shu felt a tranquility from inside, like gentle breeze brushing her soul. "I-I...." She curled up slowly into a ball. "I missed you too, so much. But - I am not, I never get angry with you." Behind her back, Noemi could hear the voice of the girl. "It was - nope - it is my fault, you did nothing wrong...at all....Neither you or Molly."

The mist huntress would feel a weight added to her back again, the weight of a head that raised to look at the ceiling and rested on her shoulder. There was something so hard to say it out face-to-face.

An apology needed to be made.

"No, it's my fault!" Shu yelled. "It was not the first time I - being manipulated. The first time was during the class A mission, I was convinced to believe I was an Ancient. I completely forgot my mission and duties as a hunter. Then, the second time, it happened on the island - After having a bad dream, I was manipulated, overwhelmed by a weird emotion of revenge, it dug out the desire of retaliation and grudge. I called someone out, someone I thought would be powerful that I won't do any harm but I can get the negative emotions out of my body. I didn't do much damage, but what if I did?" There was a vibration of her voice. "And our mission was the third time. The third time! Yet, I was controlled by those unwanted emotions again and even hurt you! I should be more careful! I should realize the lure was a trap to let us harm each other! If I was more cautious, then maybe - maybe no one would get hurt!" The Asian girl made many assumptions but the only function was to point all the arrows towards her.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, Mimi, but I did. I know.....I know it became trauma to you. My heart hurts, but I don't think it's more painful than yours, the betrayal, the disbelief. I wish more than hundred times that it wasn't true, but it DID happen." Shu's voice was agitated, arms wrapped herself and forehead touching her knees.

Shu knew how it felt, how the trauma worked like an engraving on heart, like a scar that can't be recovered. She won't push her away this time, she needed her hug. "Please forgive me. I was scared, I was afraid that I would lose this great friend. I stupidly assumed that there would be chance that you won't forgive me if I came to apologize. You are really important to me, you know?" The girl snugged close to Noemi's neck like a sad kitten. "Please don't scare of me, please don't reject my hugs. I promise - I will never push you away again no matter what! You should blame me, I am so useless, like he said, I was the least threatening hunter on the island. I told myself I don't deserve a good friend like you, I shouldn't be allowed to cry because I am guilty -" The voice became more sobful as she felt the wetness.

Forbidden to cry was a punishment she gave herself, for a spoiled girl like she did, it was a very severe torture. She felt her nose sore, like an infection, her emotions were driven by Noemi's.

"Ahehe" Following something hardly can be called a laugh, she sniffed for a break, " You are brave, brave enough to forgive and accept me again. You will be the best knight for everyone, I can sure." Shu held her friend closer, if she could, she wanted to squish her inside her poor soul, but Noemi was not only important to her - Milo, Oliver and more. The sweet girl was in need by many people.

Then - she was given the permission to cry.

"Why you are so sweet? Why I had to hurt you? Why? It hurts, Mimi, it hurts so much." The first tear dropped as her friend pardoned the Asian girl. "I love you too, I feel so bad to have attack you. I can't imagine if I used a bigger force that time, what it would be. I don't want to lose anyone anymore. Please, please don't leave. Please be strong....I love you too, you're my best best friend, it's my pleasure to have you in my life." Shu threw everything out, things that she hided in her heart ever since the promotion, the day she left the infirmary. "I-I-I'm a bad friend! No friend would hurt their friends - but please don't leave me alone......." She gulped. "Nononoo leave earlier before it's too late." Yet, her arms wrapped Noemi tightly, contradicted to what her words meant.

"I am scared, I don't know when I will hurt someone again, someone I love" She was shaking, "Don't hate me, please?" Shu begged with insecurity. "It's so hard - to accept the cruel fact. Like daggers, every time I think about it, it stabs my heart mercilessly, but I couldn't -" The voice began to drag and blur. " - couldn't not thinking of it." Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the scene replayed in front of her in slow motion and stopped at Noemi's shocked sad face at last. It suffocated the petite girl, she couldn't sleep at night and finally resolved to alcohols.

She knew how dreadful drunken people were, yet, she was following their footsteps for an escape. So pathetic and unwise.