Steam rose in lazy spirals from the bubbling hotpot, carrying the aroma of miso and spices through the private room of Morinabe, an upscale restaurant tucked away in a quiet corner of Shibuya. The golden light from paper lanterns cast a warm glow across the faces of four newly graduated Ethereal Guardians, their black uniforms finally exchanged for more casual clothing after years of schooling. Mizuki Uehara watched the dance of bonito flakes atop the simmering broth, a soft smile playing at her lips as she watched her friends closely.
Sakura had already claimed the best cuts of wagyu beef, her chopsticks moving with the same precise aggression she used to wield her hammer. Beside her, Tetsuya methodically arranged his own ingredients in neat sections, pretending not to notice as Ren attempted to steal a mushroom from his carefully organized plate. The scene was so quintessentially them that Mizuki felt her throat tighten with emotion, knowing these ordinary moments would become increasingly precious as their paths diverged into different missions and responsibilities.
The private room's sliding door rattled slightly from the noise of the main restaurant, but the young Ethereal Guardians paid little mind. A bottle of sparkling cider—none of them quite ready to break Kaoru-sensei's "no alcohol until you're actually twenty" rule—sat unopened in a bucket of ice, waiting for the perfect moment. The steam had begun to make Mizuki's long dark hair curl slightly at the edges, and she absently tucked a strand behind her ear, her silver rings catching the lantern light.
"I can't believe it's finally over," Mizuki said, swirling a skewer of enoki mushrooms around the edge of the pot. "Graduation really snuck up on us, huh?"
Sakura reached across the table, plucking the bottle from its icy bed with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Actually... this isn't cider." She turned the label toward them, revealing an elegant champagne bottle. "The waitress winked at me when she brought it. Said it was a graduation gift."
"That's definitely sketchy," Tetsuya frowned, eyeing the bottle as if it might contain Malignant Wraiths. "We're only eighteen. This has to break at least three regulations."
"Come on, Kiryuu!" Ren grinned, already reaching for glasses. "We've literally fought deadly wraiths. I think we can handle a little champagne."
Mizuki traced the rim of her water glass, her expression growing distant. "I wish Kaoru had shown up. He promised he'd take us all out after the ceremony." The familiar way his given name rolled off her tongue felt natural to her now, after all these years.
Sakura nearly choked on her water. "Okay, ew? Since when do you call him 'Kaoru'? That's so..." She waved her hands expressively, searching for the right word.
"It's not weird," Mizuki defended, though a flush crept up her neck. "He asked us to drop the sensei part after graduation. Said it made him feel old."
"Still weird," Sakura muttered, but dropped the subject. They'd spent enough late nights talking about this particular subject for Sakura to know why Mizuki casually used her teacher's given name. "Well, his loss," Sakura declared, expertly popping the champagne cork with a satisfying burst that made Tetsuya jump slightly. "More for us! And honestly, Mi-chan, you deserve better than someone who sleeps through your graduation."
"He wasn't sleeping," Mizuki said softly, remembering how she'd caught a flash of brilliant blue when she'd walked across the stage. Her heart had skipped then, just as it did every time she glimpsed him from afar. "He just… he has a lot on his mind, probably."
Ren's chopsticks clattered against his plate a little too loudly, and the three turned toward him. "We should make a toast," he said, holding up his champagne flute. "To us."
"Getting a little chummy there, aren't ya?" Sakura snorted at his sappy remark.
"No, Ren's right," Mizuki interjected, raising her own glass. She smiled tenderly at Ren, who looked up at her with starstruck brown eyes. "We should toast. I mean, it's not every day you graduate from Kansei Enclave." She shook the flute gently as her eyebrows arched expectantly. Seeing Mizuki come to his defense, Ren tried to hide a lovesick smile. Soon, Tetsuya caved in and raised his glass along with Sakura, who hated being outvoted.
"Fine, fine. To us, then. And to whatever comes next," Sakura agreed, touching her glass to everyone else's. With a series of glugs, they clinked their glasses and drank the fizzy liquid, feeling suddenly more grownup despite its sugary-sweet flavor.
The evening slipped away too quickly after that. They'd only managed to carve out time for dinner together, their post-graduation responsibilities already pulling them in different directions. Sakura was the first to leave, already late for her train. Tightly, she hugged Mizuki, whispering, "Stay safe, okay? Try to take a vacation at some point. You need a break too, Mi-chan. Let yourself have one before you burn out too fast." Mizuki nodded and watched Sakura walk toward her train, feeling both wistful and strangely anxious without her here.
Next to leave was Tetsuya, who, true to form, did not offer much of a goodbye. He awkwardly offered Mizuki and Ren a quiet, "Well... see you guys later, I guess," before vanishing into the crowded Shibuya station, swallowed by a throng of commuters. A long moment passed before Mizuki realized Ren still hadn't taken his eyes off her, and she looked up, flustered.
"Oh, um... Sorry, my bad," he blurted out sheepishly, trying to distract himself by staring down at his phone instead. "I wasn't really looking at anything, just... Yeah." His phone beeped loudly and his head jerked upwards again, giving him the air of a nervous puppy. "Looks like I gotta get going, too. Will you be okay on your own? I could walk you home if you want."
Mizuki waved a hand to reassure him, a gentle smile curling at the corners of her mouth. "It's alright. Don't you have to settle some business for your grandfather's estate? You should focus on that, so you're not caught up in it for weeks. Thanks, though," she added, as an afterthought. As he licked his lips, considering his reply, her fingers began to nervously fidget with the chain on her silver necklace. Their history was complicated to the point of bittersweetness—he was, after all, one of her best friends. They knew each other better than just about anyone; he knew the melodies in her voice, and she knew the ache in his heart. But for both their sakes, neither would allow themselves the indulgence of making that old feeling known.
"Good call," Ren said quietly, breaking the silence first. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and sighed softly. There were things he wanted to say. So many things he could tell Mizuki, words of emotion bubbling up inside him and threatening to burst. But his mouth stayed dry, and his mind fell back into an anxious spiral, too much like the feeling when you step onto the top of a roller coaster ride. "I'll get going, then. When I get back from Sendai, let's get together sometime."
"Yeah! Sakura and Tetsuya will definitely wanna meet up again soon, too." It wasn't exactly the reply he was hoping to hear. At least Mizuki seemed oblivious to it, already opening her arms to give him a comforting hug. Despite himself, Ren slipped into the embrace, feeling the gentle squeeze of her arms around him. It felt right. Perfect, even. Then, all too soon, it was over. "Let me know when you get home safe, okay? And don't call me saying you need me to heal a broken nose again. Got it?"
Ren gave an awkward laugh and a silent nod, lifting one hand to wave. No further words could break the tension. So, with his half-hearted grin, he turned on his heels and left. She stood in the soft summer breeze that blew past them, and watched him retreat from her sight. Once he was gone, immediately, Mizuki pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open. She stared at her Sensei's name in her contacts list for a few seconds, her thumb hovering over the call button, before she sighed and snapped the phone shut. Under her breath, she murmured, "Who am I kidding? Like he's actually going to answer, anyway..."
One moment later, her phone began buzzing madly. When she saw the Caller ID, a little yelp of surprise escaped her mouth. The call was coming from none other than Kaoru Tenmei himself. Answering quickly, her heart sped up again, fluttering away in the excitement. "Hey! Is something wrong? I wasn't expecting to hear from you this late."
Kaoru paused on the other line, his voice tired. He must have been really busy, she realized. Perhaps he had been dealing with another nasty situation. If that were true, she wished she could have been there by his side, lending her assistance. "I wanted to apologize for missing out on your after party. Did you guys have a nice time without me?"
"We scored champagne from a random waitress. You're not mad about that, right?"
"Come on. You kids aren't even 20 and you still managed to snag some free booze? Wish I could say I was surprised, but that sounds exactly like something you guys would do," he remarked. Her cheeks flushed with warmth, feeling as though her shenanigans were still somewhat childish.
Sitting on one of the nearby benches, Mizuki sank down into it, leaning her chin into her free hand as the other held the phone. "Mmhmm. I hoped you might be able to join us. Too many bad guys in town for fun tonight, though, huh? Are you going to bed soon, at least?"
A yawn came in response, followed by a bit of rustling. Whatever he was doing sounded like quite the struggle, but his breathing settled once he finally finished. "Actually, no. Are the others around? I wanted to make up for earlier," Kaoru continued. "Meet up with me."
Mizuki sighed into the phone, "They all left. Dinner was a quick thing to celebrate and then we all have duties calling, apparently." She threw her body back against the seat dramatically, huffing, "I wish I had something to do besides recovering from these recent missions, you know? Some days, it feels like all I do is put out fires someone else started." Her head shook, before continuing, "You weren't missing much, honestly." She leaned her head back, looking up at the clear sky, then looked around the train platform. Everyone had cleared out after the trains stopped running, meaning her area was totally empty.
"You sound pretty down for someone with an offer to join that girl group. What was it again? Hanazawa47, right?" Just the mention of her singing made her heart jump in her chest. He had paid that much attention to her future, apparently, knowing the details of her big upcoming opportunity. Of course he did. With all his wisdom and prestige, he probably kept a careful eye on each of them as much as his work allowed.
"How did you know that? Don't tell me you've been digging in my business again. I swear, you have your nose in everything." She liked that part of his personality, though. Curious, carefree, a little wild. The kind of man who did whatever he pleased, not caring about what others thought. When she got quiet, he asked, "Did I get the name wrong? I don't listen to pop music much, to be fair." His casual admittance brought a chuckle from Mizuki's lips. She shook her head, the sudden image of the coolest guy she knew jamming out to J-pop entering her thoughts.
"No, no. That was the name. I still haven't given them my final decision, since..." Mizuki paused, inhaling sharply and fighting the lump forming in her throat. It was so, so stupid, the way her anxiety would creep up on her about even the smallest decisions. Most people's lives weren't literally on the line with their daily choices. A decision about her job had so much more weight than normal; if Mizuki went to the auditions, she couldn't be working for Kansei Enclave. It would compromise the entire concept. "Since, it'll keep me busy. I'm just a dumb healer, anyways. It's nothing compared to a real Guardian."
"The hell are you saying? You are a real Guardian, Mizuki." His voice came as a whisper, catching in the wind, filling her ears with that rich sound she loved. How she'd have given up the world to be able to bask in the honey-richness of his voice every single day. "I've seen you in action plenty. That technique doesn't lie. You've been saving tons of people, which is just about the best you can ask of anyone, don't you think?" For him, it wasn't the ability to kill Malignant Wraiths. That didn't matter. Neither did his overwhelming power or vast knowledge. To Kaoru Tenmei, one of the most revered Guardians in all of history, there was only one thing that mattered: doing good and protecting the innocent.
"You say I'm a great Guardian. That my Hexed Arts are invaluable in certain scenarios, especially with all the more challenging missions that pop up these days. It's all true, but how long until I stop being enough?" She hugged her legs closer to her, chin resting on her knee, eyes fixed to a random spot on the pavement. "Besides, it's just not the same as being like you and the rest. Going solo has its perks, but, let's be honest—it gets lonely fast."
He knew what she was getting at. Loneliness, while expected when entering a life of dedication, was one of the factors that shaped them most as Guardians and students at the Enclave. That constant sense of isolation could be stifling, yet none of them could ever rely on the others, trusting fully or letting down the walls. Why was that? Trust was, at least for Mizuki, a slow build. Tied to her upbringing, and the way the world would toss and turn on its axis every other day. "You have your friends."
She smiled sadly, shaking her head and biting her lip, "Yes, I do." But having friends didn't seem to ease the emptiness. Only a specific someone would, one who was probably still struggling on his own. If she weren't so embarrassed by her own cowardice, she would have confessed a long time ago, simply to stop the internal battle and win her mind peace. "My brain is being weird about this, that's all. Don't mind me. It's nothing that ice cream and milk won't cure."
"Want some company?" Kaoru asked. Mizuki lifted her head, meeting the skyline and stars above them. Stray strands of her hair whipped about, as a breeze washed over her raven locks. She knew what this invitation meant. A request like this, coming from Sensei himself, was a rare offer that not many students ever had. Since she hadn't turned in for the evening yet, Mizuki did have a choice: go back home to her room, alone, with nothing but her thoughts. Or go with him, enjoying some late-night dessert, in his company, something that was equally desired.
"It won't bother you?"
"Psh. Never," he said, that playful tone echoing through the receiver. "So? Feel like spending a little more time with the teacher?" For once, he felt his insomnia would bring him somewhere he needed. In this case, an impromptu late night with one of his closest students. Normally, it was Haruto or Aiko whom he'd crash out with when things were unbearably difficult, or they just wanted to waste away time and stop thinking. It wasn't often, but it happened on the right kind of occasions.
"Yes. Yeah. Where should I—"
In an instant, he stood in front of her, one hand slipping his sunglasses into his pocket, while the other hung free. "Am I late?" Teleportation wasn't his forte. By his own admittance, there weren't a lot of techniques within his Spectral Resonance that Kaoru could achieve easily, simply because its nature meant tapping into different resources than a typical Guardian. But, when push came to shove, he would use it to get where he needed. Tonight was no exception.
"Christ, that scared me! What if someone saw that happen?"
"No one was watching. Come on," he beckoned. "Where are we off to for these desserts? Wait, don't tell me. There's a place down by the bay. Great ichigo daifuku."
"Or, we could just go to a convenience store," Mizuki laughed, turning her gaze from the now-empty train tracks to Kaoru. His towering stature still startled her. Especially because her height was lacking at 155cm.
"Fine. A hundred yen store can do, I guess, if I have to live like a poor person like you for a day." That cheeky side made her smile, giving Kaoru a gentle kick to the calf. He exaggerated a stumble and wobble, dramatically reacting to the relatively minor attack. "I may have to bring up your first performance grade after that one. How could you have the audacity? Against the strongest Guardian, no less."
"Stop whining," she said, standing up and tugging on his arm to move him. She spun on her toes, starting to make her way up the stairs to the surface.