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.☾

Late at night, when everyone had fallen into a deep sleep, Tsukasa sat outside, alone.
The faint moonlight cast down upon the earth, making the shadows of trees stretch out like monstrous figures. He stared into the distance, then sighed. The feeling of loneliness surrounded him, as if he were standing at the edge of a world he once believed in.

At this moment, he remembered something Gen had said—someone Tsukasa had once considered an opportunist, someone who preferred to joke rather than be serious. But sometimes, Gen would have moments that made Tsukasa pause and think.

"We can't live only for ideals, Tsukasa-chan. Sometimes, it's our emotions that keep us alive."

At the time, Tsukasa had dismissed it as just random talk, but now, those words echoed strangely in his mind. Could it be that, perhaps, he should find someone to share his emotions with, instead of trapping himself in his own thoughts without escape?

This idea wasn't easy for Tsukasa. But he realized that maybe, just a few people could help him understand himself more. A psychologist, with a broad perspective and the ability to see through others, might be the first person he thought of. Gen didn't hide his emotions, didn't hesitate to talk about the deep things. Maybe, Gen could help him see what he couldn't recognize on his own.

The next day, Tsukasa decided to find Gen.
Not to talk about everything perfectly, but simply to discuss thoughts and feelings he couldn't name.

"You don't need to force yourself like that, Tsukasa-chan," Gen said, his tone gentle but still carrying the mischievousness Tsukasa had come to expect. "You think ideals are everything, but in reality, it's emotions that guide you. Without them, you're just a machine."

Tsukasa didn't respond immediately. Since stepping into this war, he had always lived for what he believed was right, to the point where sometimes, he forgot who he truly was. These emotions, these feelings of weakness he couldn't understand, seemed like nothing more than obstacles in his path.

Gen's words lingered in the quiet space, making Tsukasa feel heavier than ever. Though he wasn't sure if he could change what he felt, at least, with Gen, he had been able to speak part of the truth he had kept hidden for so long.

"Hm, it's just..." Tsukasa hesitated for the first time. "I can't... take the risk."

Gen laughed softly, but this time, his smile carried warmth. "A risk, huh? You've been living a risky life, Tsukasa. A little bit of danger might not be a bad thing."

Tsukasa wasn't sure if he could change or not. But in this moment, he felt a calm, a relief in knowing that someone was there to listen without judgment. Silently, Gen had left Tsukasa with a sense of peace he had never felt before.

Though his relationship with Toya remained an unsolved question, at least now, he no longer felt entirely alone in facing his own emotions.

.☾

Tsukasa sat quietly by the riverbank, the late afternoon sun shining through the tree canopy, creating patches of light and shadow on the ground. The wind blew through his hair, carrying the scent of the ancient forest, bringing memories of forgotten fragrances.

"That dream from that year..." he whispered softly, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint, ambiguous smile.

He recalled the image of Toya from the dream, small but glowing under the pale moonlight, her eyes seeming to hold the entire starry sky. And the way she called him "big brother," her voice gentle, like a thin thread connecting his heart to something deep inside him that he had yet to face.

He remembered the feeling of her tiny hand in his— a fleeting warmth that he could never forget. At the time, he had told himself it was just a dream, that his emotions were only temporary.

But now, sitting in the stillness of the evening forest, he realized the truth: It wasn't just a dream. It was the moment when his heart had first called out to her, and he hadn't even recognized it.

The moonlight he had once chased after—now, he understood that it wasn't a fantasy. Toya wasn't a shadow, but the only person who made him feel like he could finally reach what he had been searching for.

Tsukasa closed his eyes gently, letting the evening sun warm his face. But this time, he didn't allow regret to torment him anymore. He had grown enough to understand that the mistakes and naiveté of youth were the very things that had led him to where he was now.

"But it's okay. Because in the end, I've caught my moonlight."

He smiled softly, standing up, leaving behind the peaceful river and its memories. Now, he knew exactly where his heart was headed—and he would not let this dream remain just a dream.

Tsukasa returned to his room, the twilight fading behind distant mountains, leaving a faint orange glow in the sky. He sat down beside the table, his hand absentmindedly tracing the worn edges of an old scarf.

That dream, though it had faded like moonlight vanishing on sand, was strangely etched in his memory. Every image, every feeling, seemed as if it had just happened yesterday. There was something in Toya's gaze, when she turned to look at him, a mixture of tenderness and distance, that made it impossible for him to forget.

"Toya..." He whispered, the name echoing in the still room, as if to challenge his own solitude.

At that time, he hadn't understood, or perhaps he hadn't wanted to understand. He had thought of Toya as just a companion, a little one who needed him to protect her. But now, as the memories rushed back, he realized something greater than simple affection. Toya had once been the only light in his darkest days, the reason he kept fighting in a world torn apart by selfishness and chaos.

"If you are the moon, then I was foolish to try and catch only your shadow. But Toya, you are not the moon's shadow. You are my reality."

The years had passed, and he had tried to bury all his emotions, tried to rid himself of the name Toya from his heart, thinking that was the only way to survive. But the more he tried to forget, the more he remembered. And now, with everything clearer than ever, he could only laugh at himself for his delay.

"I once promised I'd protect you. But what about you? Do you understand that you have always been the one protecting me?"

Tsukasa carefully folded the scarf, placing it on the table, as if afraid of disturbing something sacred. He knew that one day, he would find the answer he was searching for, but it wouldn't come from the past. It would come from the future. The future where he could look into Toya's eyes, call her name without hesitation, and take her hand without fearing that he would lose anything.

The room was silent, but inside Tsukasa, a quiet flame had begun to burn, warming the cracks left by time and memories.

.☾