Despite his horrendous injuries, it hadn't taken long for Jake to heal. Broken bones were a trivial matter, and the injuries he had obtained from the horsewoman were all but healed.
All... except one.

There was nothing that could be done to replace the missing eye. The fear that tainted it was...
That was not the only thing that could not be mended. Even after Chester's vigilant efforts and the expertise of the infirmary staff, Jake was... lost. If something was not done, his eye would not be the only thing to remain lost.

Mimi had been diligent with her visits. As it turned out, she could not bring Jake back with her, and was frantic with finding help. Thankfully her second return hadn't shown any changes to the hunter, but she had cried through the whole ordeal, still quite shaken up by the sight. Even after he was cleaned up, even after his injuries were healed and he had regained consciousness, his mangled body still haunted her dreams.
She couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat.
Eventually she had decided to just stay in the infirmary with him, until he had gotten better, and despite all his physical injuries being pretty much minute by this point, the hunter was far from ok.


Mmm..

Despite Daeris' joking tone, the dark elf was perplexed. Hunter and weapon. The bond between them was...
It was hard to see how the hunter even lost. He had the capabilities. He had the necessary tools. She herself had never seen "artifacts", but upon witnessing the one that belonged to the teal-haired hunter, even SHE knew that artifact was no joke.
He could have won. He WOULD have won.
And so... why?
Why did he lose?
Did he... WANT to lose?

She scoffed. That was absolutely stupid. Who ever WANTED to lose? Everyone wanted to win. Everyone wanted to feel strong. Important. FEARED.
And yet...

Mimi on the other hand, had her thoughts on something else.
She hadn't meant to pry, but when they had to pry off his shirt due to it being pretty much torn to shreds and bloodied, she couldn't help but gasp.
His entire body... was covered in scars. His chest. His shoulder. His arms...
Even his foot.
Some deeper than others but... she was sure each had a story. A painfully sad story.

She couldn't help but cry as they dressed his wounds, weeping over each injury he suffered.
Why.... why was the world so cruel... what... had they ever done?
She had enrolled as a hunter in order to save the world. In order to protect.
Sure, sacrifices had to be made, but it wasn't until now she realized just how DEEP those sacrifices were.
She had to... leave mama and papa behind, but he...
The one named "Jake Cross".
What did he have to leave behind? What did he give up to suffer all these injuries? Was it... worth it?
Was the life he had lived so nightmarish that he would give it up to enter a deeper hell?
She just... couldn't understand... and wasn't sure she wanted to.

---------------------------

Even after he had awoken, not a single word escaped his lips. Nor a single morsel of food ENTERED said lips.
Despite being conscious, it was clear the hunter had suffered a severe mental blow. Even now Chester was trying to coax the hunter into eating, or at least DRINKING something.

...


Why was... he still alive? He didn't understand.
He should have died. He wanted to die.
All his life he had been treated as nothing but a burden. An eyesore. Vermin.
It wouldn't have made a difference if he was dead... right?

But... things had changed.
He had Chester. He had PROMISED Chester... promised that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to him.
And he had broken that promise.

As well...
His eye shifted to the girl asleep at the foot of the bed.
He had never seen her before, but... he couldn't help but think when he had first opened his eye and saw that bright blonde hair, his heart leaped, thinking it was Sherry.
Sherry came back. Sherry... saved me...

But it turned out it wasn't Sherry. Of course it wasn't.
Sherry had left him. Sherry abandoned him.
Even Chester told him that Sherry... wasn't coming back. So why did he hope? Why did he think otherwise?

I'm such a fool.

And yet... this girl...
Despite having never met her in his life, he felt... some sort of kinship towards her. Why was it?
Was it... her eyes?
She shared the same bright blue eyes at him. Eyes full of wonder. Of hope. Of innocence.
She reminded him of what he used to be, before...

Jake closed his eye.
It still felt weird, only having one eye.
He lifted his hand, gingerly touching the bandages covering his left eye, or, well, where his left eye would be.

...


---------------------------

As if knowing they were talking about her, the girl sneezed, and stirred.
There was a soft groaning sound as she slowly got up, a sleepy look on her face as she rubbed her eye groggily.

When she found a blue eye staring back at her, she blinked, and then jumped up, wide awake.
"Oh! You're finally up! Oh, thank the gods. Thank you! Thank you..."
She started to cry, and threw her arms around the hunter.
"I was... I was so scared you'd never wake up! So scared that... that..."
She was sobbing now.
"G-gomen! If... if only I was stronger... if only I got there sooner... t-then maybe..."

"not... fault..."
Mimi blinked.
"It's not... your fault...."

She quickly jerked back, placing her hands on the hunter's shoulders as she stared at him wide-eyed.
"Oh! You're finally talking!! I should... I should tell someone! Please wait I'll be right back!!"
Before Jake could say anything else, she was already off, tripping over things in her haste and earning a few angry shouts/glances.


...
Jake closed his eye, and slid back down.
He could still feel the girl's arms around him. Her warmth. Her... tears.
He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve her pity. Her sympathy. He didn't want it.


The girl came back, but didn't bring back anyone.
The dejected look on her face already told him all he needed to know.

"They... they said that if you're fine, you should... get out. But... you're not fine! You're still recovering! How could they be so mean..."
She bounced over to his bed, and placed a hand over his forehead.
"You seem really warm. Maybe you have a fever. Yah, I'll tell them that. You're still sick! They can't kick you out! They gotta make sure you're SUPER DUPER ok before you can leave. OK, I'll go tell them-"
She flinched when the hunter suddenly grabbed her wrist, a dark look in his eye.
"Stop."
"H-huh?"
"That cute innocent act. It's making me sick."
"W-what do you me-"
"Just shut up. SHUT your filthy mouth. You've done more than you needed to. Why did you even bring me back? Why did you save me? You should have let me die."

"Do you think you're doing me a favor bringing me back? Do you think you're doing anyone a favor?"
"B-but, I..."
"No one would care if I was dead. Caelius, Mark, Sherry... NO ONE, ok. Heck, if anything, they'd probably laugh and dance upon my grave. Ashes? As if I'd even DESERVE a grave. I WANTED TO DIE. Why would you ev-"

A harsh slap resounded through the infirmary, Jake's cheek stinging.
Ah, this felt familiar.

Mimi was crying now, a look of anger on her normally-docile face.
She was shaking, hand curled up into a fist as she lowered them.

"You... Y-you..."
Here it comes.
"I can't BELIEVE you!"
That's right. Just tell me how useless I am. How worthless I am. Trash. Vermin. Fil-
"I can't BELIEVE you would say that about yourself!!"

...what?
"Look, I don't know who Caelius or Mark is. I mean, maybe I do but... it doesn't matter. I've MET Sherry, and she's SUPER DUPER nice!!! She would NEVER leave your OR abandon you. She's... never talked about you, but maybe that's because you didn't want her to? She would NEVER hurt you!! And I'm sure she still cares. I don't... I don't know if you two fought, but..."
"It doesn't matter. Perhaps she cared in the past. Perhaps you've met the NICE her, but she..."
"Like you said, it doesn't matter. I'm... sorry if she's hurt you in the past. I will apologize on her behalf. But PLEASE don't say that you want to die. Even if the people you cared about hurt and betray you, that doesn't mean ALL of them have. I care! Dae cares! He cares!!"
She gestured to the keys beside him, still pulsing. They flickered a bit when she gestured to them, as if responding to her remark.

"I... I know it's not a lot, but if... if even ONE person cares.... if even ONE person would be sad if you got hurt or were gone, then please... please don't joke. Don't joke about dying. Don't say you want to die. Because when you die... there's no... coming back..."
She gave him a bitter smile.
"Life isn't a video game. There's no respawn points. No second chances. Once you die, it's game over... permanently."
"..."

She sniffed, and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him.
"I'm sorry so many people hurt you. I'm sorry I... couldn't protect you."
Jake scoffed.
"Don't flatter yourself. I don't need protecting."
Despite the venom in his tone, one could tell he was losing. Losing his battle with his obstinate thought of needing to die to appease others.
He didn't understand. Everyone he had loved... everyone he had cherished... ended up hurting him or leaving him.
He didn't... want that to happen again. He didn't wa-
"I will never leave you nor forsake you."
What-
"I will be with you until the very end. I promise."
"...Shouldn't make promises you can't keep, kiddo."
Mimi giggled.
"You sound just like Dae-sama. But... I'm not just saying it. I mean it, 'Jake Cross'."
He flinched. How did she know his n-

She stepped back, a small smile on her tear-stained face.
"I'll be your friend, ok? So no more sad thoughts!"
He stared at her.
"Oh! I suppose I never introduced myself yet, silly me."
She reached out her hand, tilted her head, and smiled.
"My name is Mimi Magloire. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"I hope... we can be very good friends from now on~"