The Funeral – A Rain- Soaked Goodbye
The sky wept.
Heavy raindrops pounded against black umbrellas, cascading down like silent grief. The scent of wet earth and freshly turned soil lingered in the air.
Mamoru stood motionless, gripping his umbrella tightly as he stared at the casket being lowered into the ground. He hadn't spoken a word since the service began, and he wasn't about to start now.
Somewhere in the background, the priest's voice droned on about finding peace and about her soul being in a better place.
Mamoru barely heard him.
The world around him blurred—an endless wash of rain, hushed whispers, and the occasional sniffles of those who had come to pay their respects.
One by one, mourners approached him.
A soft hand on his shoulder.
A quiet whisper of condolences.
"She was a wonderful woman."
"She loved you so much."
"She was so proud of you."
"You were her world."
Words. Empty, meaningless words.
What was pride without presence? What was love without life?
Mamoru didn't respond. He simply stood there, staring at the grave, as if by sheer willpower alone he could undo what had happened.
But no amount of wishing could bring back the dead.
---
Location: Mamoru's House
Mamoru stepped into his apartment, closing the door behind him. The silence that followed was unbearable.
The place felt hollow, as if his mother's absence had sucked the life out of it.
He made his way to the couch and collapsed face first into the cushions.
No words.
No movement.
Just sorrow.
Time passed, but he wasn't sure how long.
Eventually, the tears came. Silent at first, then harder, shaking his body as the reality of it all crashed down on him.
She was gone.
His mother—the one person who had always believed in him, the one who had been there for him since the beginning, the one person who loved him unconditionally —was gone.
---
~Days turned to weeks~
The apartment became a mess—clothes scattered on the floor, unopened letters piling up, empty ramen cups stacked on the kitchen counter.
Mamoru barely left his couch. Wrapped in a blanket, he mindlessly watched anime, chopsticks dangling from his fingers as he slurped down yet another cup of instant ramen.
The glow of the TV screen was the only light in the darkened apartment.
His reflection in the window showed a man who looked nothing like the Mamoru Saito from before. The one who was full of life and curious about the mysteries of the world.
Weeks went by since the funeral of his mother as he continued to fall deeper into depression.
---
A sudden flash of blinding light erupted in the middle of his apartment.
Before Mamoru could react, something struck him across the face with enough force to send him rolling off the couch.
"OW! WHAT THE HELL?!"
He clutched his cheek, eyes darting around wildly.
Standing in front of him, arms crossed, an expression of utter annoyance on his face, was Hikaru.
A literal glowing, ethereal angel.
"You idiot," Hikaru said flatly. "Do you really think this is what your mother would have wanted? For you to sit here, drowning in self-pity like a pathetic slob?"
Mamoru groaned, rubbing his aching cheek. "Did you really have to slap me?"
"Yes."
"Couldn't you have just used, oh I don't know, words?"
"No."
Mamoru let out a slow, deep sigh.
Hikaru's silver eyes softened, but his voice remained firm. "I have given you more than enough time to grieve but do you really think your mother would want you like this, Mamoru? You know that she wouldn't, don't you?"
Silence.
Mamoru looked away. He did know. But knowing and feeling were two different things.
Hikaru let out a sigh of his own before gesturing toward the mirror in the corner of the room.
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"Just look at yourself."
Mamoru dragged himself off the couch, shuffling over to the mirror.
And then he saw it.
The man staring back at him was barely recognizable.
His hair was messy, his face pale, his eyes sunken with dark circles. He had gained weight, his once toned body dulled by weeks of neglect.
Hikaru smirked. "Think your mom would want to see you like this, a pathetic slob just wasting away?"
Mamoru's fingers curled into fists.
"…No."
"Also," Hikaru added, his smirk widening, "how are you supposed to date any cute girls looking like that?"
A red hue spread across Mamoru's cheeks.
"ALRIGHT, FINE! I'LL GO TO THE DAMN GYM!"
---
Location: Planetary Fitness
The gym was bustling with people when Mamoru walked in.
He wasn't exactly excited to be here, but he wasn't about to let Hikaru keep calling him pathetic.
He decided to start nice and easy with the treadmill.
Everything was going fine… until it didn't.
Mamoru's legs moved faster than he intended, his body surging forward at an inhuman speed. The treadmill sputtered in protest before suddenly snapping apart, sending sparks flying.
The trainer stared at the broken machine, his mouth hanging open. "What the—?!"
Mamoru blinked. "…huh that was weird."
He moved to the weight machine next.
The moment he pulled the handles, the steel bars bent like paper clips.
"…That's definitely not normal, right?"
Finally, he decided to test his strength on the punching bag.
He threw a light punch.
The bag snapped off its chain, rocketing across the gym and punching a hole through the wall.
The trainer screamed.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON TODAY?!"
Mamoru stared down at his hands.
Something was definitely off.
Hikaru smirked, his arms crossed as he watched from the sidelines.
"Behold," he said dramatically, "this is but a mere fraction of my power."
Mamoru gawked. "Wait… YOU did this?"
Hikaru nodded. "As we grow closer as allies, you'll be able to access more and more of my strength."
Mamoru looked down at his hands again. A strange energy coursed through his veins.
"…Huh."
---
A loud grumbling noise interrupted his thoughts.
Mamoru rubbed his stomach sheepishly.
"All that working out has made me famished. I think I'll get some McDerpies."
Hikaru wrinkled his nose. "Mc… what?"
---
Location: City Crosswalk
Mamoru strolled through the bustling streets, hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets. Hikaru hovered beside him, arms crossed, his expression deeply unimpressed.
"I'll never understand why humans are obsessed with fast food," Hikaru muttered. "It's greasy, terrible for you, and they don't even get it out to you fast."
Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Trust me, that's because you've never had it. Once we get there, you'll see why it's worth it."
As they approached the glowing sign of McDerpies, the golden arches towering above them, something unexpected happened.
Unknown to either Mamoru or Hikaru, a young woman stood across the street, her dark hair flowing in the night breeze, her soft red eyes wide with disbelief.
A voice.
Soft. Familiar.
"Big brother?"