Dr Stone Whispers Of A Fragile Thread
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Toya hated physical contact with others, especially with men. Yet, she still allowed Tsukasa to carry her.Well, but with a knife constantly pressed against Tsukasa's neck.Throughout the journey, Toya maintained her indifferent attitude, her eyes observing the dense forest sky above, her lips occasionally releasing random, disjointed questions. But her hands never strayed far from the sharp stone, lightly pressing against Tsukasa's neck as a silent reminder."What's that for?" Tsukasa finally asked, his voice calm despite the coldness from the knife's edge almost reaching his skin."It's to remind you that I don't trust you," Toya replied briefly, unsure of her expression. "Or to remind myself of that.""So why are you still letting me carry you?"
"Because I need you," Toya answered simply and sincerely, as if this were an obvious truth. "But needing doesn't mean trusting."Tsukasa fell silent, his gaze darkening slightly. He didn't smile or argue. After all, he was used to the wariness—often hostility—from the people around him. Toya wasn't the first, and surely wouldn't be the last.Yet, there was something different about the way she kept the knife. It wasn't trembling fear, but an absolute caution, like someone who prioritized their own safety over harming others. When he turned to look, she even adjusted the blade to the side, clearly not wanting to accidentally cut him."Do you always keep your distance from others like this?" Tsukasa asked, his voice gentle but still serious."No," Toya immediately replied, her eyes still fixed on the trees above. "Only with people I'm not sure will either kill me or save me."Tsukasa let out a short, dry laugh, not bothering to hide his amusement mixed with a bit of helplessness. Despite making others shiver, Toya's answer held a rare honesty he couldn't help but respect..☾
The forest was shrouded in mist, with the last droplets of last night's rain sliding down the leaves, dripping onto the damp earth. The occasional chirp of forest birds rang out, distant and fragmented, like a missing piece of a silent natural landscape. Tsukasa walked slowly so that the person on his back wouldn't feel any additional jolt. His breathing was steady, but the muscles in his back began to feel the weight of Toya's small but exhausted frame."Are you okay?" His voice was deep and calm, as if to remind her that she was still being protected.Toya didn't answer immediately. She lifted her head, eyes focused on the interwoven tree canopy above, as if searching for something only she could see. Tsukasa didn't hurry her. He had already realized that she wouldn't respond unless she wanted to. And if she did answer, it was rarely what he expected."Let's stop for a moment." Toya suddenly spoke, causing Tsukasa to pause, his legs halting in a clearing between the trees. "Bend down, don't break that branch.""Why?" He furrowed his brow but lowered his body. Toya didn't explain. Instead, she lightly tapped his shoulder, pointing to the base of a tree, where an army of ants was diligently crawling along the rough bark.Toya spoke with sincerity, as though offering respect to the tiny guests."We shouldn't disturb them," she whispered, her voice even but firm. "Can't you see? They're working so hard."Tsukasa stood still, his gaze following the ants as he observed the strange girl in front of him. He couldn't help but speak, but his tone remained calm: "Do you think a tiny ant like that would understand?""Of course," Toya replied instantly, shrugging and looking up at him with black eyes. "Who says ants don't have emotions? Can't you see how they help each other?"The answer took Tsukasa by surprise. He didn't laugh or argue. Instead, a strange feeling welled up inside him. This world, where life was slowly being reborn, still held perspectives like this—perspectives he had never considered during the polished and shadowed years of his former world..☾
They continued on their journey. Toya remained on his back, but this time, she wasn't silent. Her hands lightly brushed against the wet branches as they passed, causing water to pour down onto the ground. Occasionally, she would chuckle softly, as if that simple game was the most fun part of the day."You really... seem like you just fell from the sky," Tsukasa muttered, half-joking, half-serious.Toya simply glanced up, her voice unguarded and without suspicion: "Yeah? I've heard others say that about me many times."The response didn't make Tsukasa laugh, as he thought it would. Instead, he fell silent. How could she so casually admit their sense of disconnection, especially in a world where she didn't belong?.☾
After a while, Toya suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, which had been filled only with the sound of his footsteps: "Your shadow...""What?" Tsukasa glanced back briefly, but Toya didn't look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the ground ahead, where his shadow stretched long under the faint light filtering through the leaves."Has it ever separated from you?"The simple, almost naive question threw Tsukasa off for a moment. "No. It's my shadow. How could it separate?""But what if it doesn't want to stay with you?" Toya responded immediately, her voice slow, as if contemplating something obvious only she could see. "Does it have to stay with you forever?"Tsukasa didn't answer immediately. He didn't understand why, but her question struck a chord with an old memory—the days in the former world, where everything was bound by invisible strings of responsibility, benefit, and practical desires. His shadow back then was just like that, always held by the scrutinizing eyes and expectations of others..☾
Once again, Toya made him stop. She spotted a broken branch and asked him to stand still, silently tearing a piece from her tattered jacket to tie it together."Do you think this will help the branch come back to life?" Tsukasa couldn't help but ask."Maybe not," Toya replied, her voice light. "But at least it won't feel abandoned."For the first time throughout the journey, Tsukasa smiled, but it was a real smile. Not because of the humor in Toya's words, but because her stubbornness and sincerity left him without anything to argue with. A warm feeling spread through him, despite all the conflicts and doubts."You're really strange, Toya," he said, his voice warm, though his eyes betrayed his amusement."I know," she replied nonchalantly. "Others have said the same thing to me many times."This time, Tsukasa didn't just smile. He took another step forward, his steps surer. On his back, Toya had leaned slightly against his shoulder, saying nothing more. But Tsukasa knew that, in this girl, strangeness wasn't just a characteristic—it was her essence, an inseparable piece in the new world slowly taking shape. A world that, strangely enough, he wanted to protect with everything he had.No matter how strange Toya was, it was her "otherness" that drew Tsukasa—someone who had seen too much of mankind's selfish desires—closer. And even though she wouldn't admit it, by respecting moments like this, Tsukasa had, unconsciously, earned Toya's trust just a little bit more..☾
Toya hated physical contact with others, especially with men. Yet, she still allowed Tsukasa to carry her.Well, but with a knife constantly pressed against Tsukasa's neck.Throughout the journey, Toya maintained her indifferent attitude, her eyes observing the dense forest sky above, her lips occasionally releasing random, disjointed questions. But her hands never strayed far from the sharp stone, lightly pressing against Tsukasa's neck as a silent reminder."What's that for?" Tsukasa finally asked, his voice calm despite the coldness from the knife's edge almost reaching his skin."It's to remind you that I don't trust you," Toya replied briefly, unsure of her expression. "Or to remind myself of that.""So why are you still letting me carry you?"
"Because I need you," Toya answered simply and sincerely, as if this were an obvious truth. "But needing doesn't mean trusting."Tsukasa fell silent, his gaze darkening slightly. He didn't smile or argue. After all, he was used to the wariness—often hostility—from the people around him. Toya wasn't the first, and surely wouldn't be the last.Yet, there was something different about the way she kept the knife. It wasn't trembling fear, but an absolute caution, like someone who prioritized their own safety over harming others. When he turned to look, she even adjusted the blade to the side, clearly not wanting to accidentally cut him."Do you always keep your distance from others like this?" Tsukasa asked, his voice gentle but still serious."No," Toya immediately replied, her eyes still fixed on the trees above. "Only with people I'm not sure will either kill me or save me."Tsukasa let out a short, dry laugh, not bothering to hide his amusement mixed with a bit of helplessness. Despite making others shiver, Toya's answer held a rare honesty he couldn't help but respect..☾
The forest was shrouded in mist, with the last droplets of last night's rain sliding down the leaves, dripping onto the damp earth. The occasional chirp of forest birds rang out, distant and fragmented, like a missing piece of a silent natural landscape. Tsukasa walked slowly so that the person on his back wouldn't feel any additional jolt. His breathing was steady, but the muscles in his back began to feel the weight of Toya's small but exhausted frame."Are you okay?" His voice was deep and calm, as if to remind her that she was still being protected.Toya didn't answer immediately. She lifted her head, eyes focused on the interwoven tree canopy above, as if searching for something only she could see. Tsukasa didn't hurry her. He had already realized that she wouldn't respond unless she wanted to. And if she did answer, it was rarely what he expected."Let's stop for a moment." Toya suddenly spoke, causing Tsukasa to pause, his legs halting in a clearing between the trees. "Bend down, don't break that branch.""Why?" He furrowed his brow but lowered his body. Toya didn't explain. Instead, she lightly tapped his shoulder, pointing to the base of a tree, where an army of ants was diligently crawling along the rough bark.Toya spoke with sincerity, as though offering respect to the tiny guests."We shouldn't disturb them," she whispered, her voice even but firm. "Can't you see? They're working so hard."Tsukasa stood still, his gaze following the ants as he observed the strange girl in front of him. He couldn't help but speak, but his tone remained calm: "Do you think a tiny ant like that would understand?""Of course," Toya replied instantly, shrugging and looking up at him with black eyes. "Who says ants don't have emotions? Can't you see how they help each other?"The answer took Tsukasa by surprise. He didn't laugh or argue. Instead, a strange feeling welled up inside him. This world, where life was slowly being reborn, still held perspectives like this—perspectives he had never considered during the polished and shadowed years of his former world..☾
They continued on their journey. Toya remained on his back, but this time, she wasn't silent. Her hands lightly brushed against the wet branches as they passed, causing water to pour down onto the ground. Occasionally, she would chuckle softly, as if that simple game was the most fun part of the day."You really... seem like you just fell from the sky," Tsukasa muttered, half-joking, half-serious.Toya simply glanced up, her voice unguarded and without suspicion: "Yeah? I've heard others say that about me many times."The response didn't make Tsukasa laugh, as he thought it would. Instead, he fell silent. How could she so casually admit their sense of disconnection, especially in a world where she didn't belong?.☾
After a while, Toya suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, which had been filled only with the sound of his footsteps: "Your shadow...""What?" Tsukasa glanced back briefly, but Toya didn't look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the ground ahead, where his shadow stretched long under the faint light filtering through the leaves."Has it ever separated from you?"The simple, almost naive question threw Tsukasa off for a moment. "No. It's my shadow. How could it separate?""But what if it doesn't want to stay with you?" Toya responded immediately, her voice slow, as if contemplating something obvious only she could see. "Does it have to stay with you forever?"Tsukasa didn't answer immediately. He didn't understand why, but her question struck a chord with an old memory—the days in the former world, where everything was bound by invisible strings of responsibility, benefit, and practical desires. His shadow back then was just like that, always held by the scrutinizing eyes and expectations of others..☾
Once again, Toya made him stop. She spotted a broken branch and asked him to stand still, silently tearing a piece from her tattered jacket to tie it together."Do you think this will help the branch come back to life?" Tsukasa couldn't help but ask."Maybe not," Toya replied, her voice light. "But at least it won't feel abandoned."For the first time throughout the journey, Tsukasa smiled, but it was a real smile. Not because of the humor in Toya's words, but because her stubbornness and sincerity left him without anything to argue with. A warm feeling spread through him, despite all the conflicts and doubts."You're really strange, Toya," he said, his voice warm, though his eyes betrayed his amusement."I know," she replied nonchalantly. "Others have said the same thing to me many times."This time, Tsukasa didn't just smile. He took another step forward, his steps surer. On his back, Toya had leaned slightly against his shoulder, saying nothing more. But Tsukasa knew that, in this girl, strangeness wasn't just a characteristic—it was her essence, an inseparable piece in the new world slowly taking shape. A world that, strangely enough, he wanted to protect with everything he had.No matter how strange Toya was, it was her "otherness" that drew Tsukasa—someone who had seen too much of mankind's selfish desires—closer. And even though she wouldn't admit it, by respecting moments like this, Tsukasa had, unconsciously, earned Toya's trust just a little bit more..☾
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