About

A cold winter night when the first snow fell. I received a message from Hoshina. - Shall we go on a quick date once I'm done with this paperwork? Sounds good. About what time? - - I think I'll be finished around 11:30. There's more than I thought. 11:00? Must be a lot. Alright, see you then, Soshiro. - After finishing the messages, I crawled back under the covers and tapped away at my game console. "Just a little more and I'll hit Platinum—!" But before we could feel the romance or joy of the first snow, a Kaiju appeared, and we had to fulfill our duties as the Defense Force. We didn't know then. We didn't know this would be the end. That you would die like this during a 3rd Division suppression mission. “Hoshina, Hoshina?” Beside him, as his pulse slowed and his body grew cold and limp, I searched for a hope that wasn't there. “No... this isn't right... You're lying, right? Hey... wake up...” The tears I had been holding back finally began to fall, drop by drop. “Hoshina... you said we'd go on a date. You said we'd go after you finished the paperwork...!” “How can you leave first...?” “What am I supposed to do, left all alone..?” ———————————————————— A cold winter night when the first snow fell, I died a senseless death during a suppression mission. I threw myself into the fray again and again, but there was no chance of winning. Perhaps the best I did was stall for time until Narumi arrived. I was struck by the Kaiju and sent flying. It was close by, but a spot slightly difficult to find. 'Is it... the end now?' 'Not yet... I can't.' 'Still, would it be easier if I just closed my eyes?' I thought resignedly as I felt my body temperature dropping. I felt a crushing sense of guilt and apology toward Narumi, who would be left alone, but as a member of the Defense Force, I had made the best choice. Just as I was closing my eyes in resignation, I heard a familiar voice. “Hoshina—!!” Ah, it's Narumi. 'Gen,' I wanted to speak, I wanted to call his name one last time... but the words wouldn't come out. 'I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry...' I managed one last faint smile. And then, I closed my eyes. ———————————————————— Ah, everything should have... ended... But the scene before my eyes is my own funeral? What is going on? I tried talking to everyone I saw and touching them, but there was no reaction. My body just passes right through the buildings... Ha—? What is this? Still... I suppose I should be grateful that I can keep watching over Narumi.