Ch 38 - Meaqua x Shiro

~March 16, 2021 5:30 AM~

"Urgh...Okay...woke up today, time to finish off the rest and have breakfast…" I said as I stood up, got my phone and turned the alarm off, and stretched.

"Ah...let's just take a peek outside...Oh? It rained last night, huh...?"

Must've been around midnight or so.

"Hmm...well, that's enough of a peek, better close the curtains before my abs and muscles attract some thots." I said to myself as I turned to my back and went to my computer to turn it on.

Alright...Phew, last night, I just did some Apex, with a few sucky moments here and there, so now, if my memory serves me right, my schedule for today is that, this 8 PM, I'm gonna do a talk stream, HOWEVER...the catch is that I only speak in any language I'm able to speak in except for English. However, I did say that they should try leaving German out since I actually really am not able to speak it well. Only greetings.

That means I can speak in Japanese, Tagalog, Russian, Indonesian, Korean, and Chinese. Won't include Bisaya because that's more or less a dialect, despite it being very common in the Philippines.

So I had to speed up the lyric video and take care of looking at the final product later after I get free time. Once it was done, it was my usual routine. I just took my breakfast and looked at clips.

"Hah...good ol' Hololive clips."

…I hope Ayame will stream soon. Hopefully she's taking care of herself. As much as she hates me, which should make me hate her, she's not only my oshi, but also 'cause I know she's hella weak in terms of health yet she's working hard for her fans.

"Then again, as much as I want to help her, it's her choice as to what she wants to do." I said as I took a sip of my coffee.

Not to mention...I miss hearing her recent laughs and giggles...Ah, my precious Nakirium is depleting.~

"...Oh?"

Now that I also think about it, that can work as a good 2nd album…

"Heh. Alright! I've finally decided what my next album's theme should be!"

Love! Not just about my love for Ayame, but love for everything! Fans, hobbies, past girlfriends, and...and…

"My mom…" I sighed and shook my head.

"Whatever, I'll put all my emotion into the next album!"

'Though...I wonder what's going with the other Hololivers?' I thought.

Since yesterday too, it seems Matsuri and Fubuki made up. I wonder what's happening for the boys?

So I went out of my room with another black mask, since that was put in the laundry last night, and I saw some Holostars chilling in the kitchen and lounge. Surprisingly, only a few girls were here. It's usually packed with girls only or a mix of the two with more girls.

"Oh? Yo!" They said as they turned to me.

"Yo."

I sat beside the ones on the couches. The one beside me was Astel.

"Wassup?"

"Nothing. We're just talking and chilling."

"We're also watching the news...but nothing's interesting right now." Izuru said as he ate a banana at the kitchen side.

"Say, wanna see me eating a banana, Shiro-kun?~" Kira said.

"Do it slowly so that I can fap to it later when I save it in my memory." I said sarcastically as the boys laughed.

"I'm not gay though!" He said.

"I am."

The boys laughed more, and I giggled.

"Obviously, that's a joke. But for real...nothing interesting going on?" I asked.

"Well, not really. I mean, I haven't had breakfast yet." Roberu said.

"Take care of your health, seriously." I chuckled.

I looked at the news channel as the current topic about celebrities and such was over, and the news anchor introduced a new topic.

"Hey, guys...!" Fubuki yawned as she came down the stairs.

"Morning, Fubuki-senpai!" The boys said.

I still listened to the TV, only giving Fubuki a slight glance.

"There have been reports of high school girls being raped near malls, salons, and even department stores. As you can see from the photos, the poor girls have been molested beyond humane understanding." The anchor said with the channel showing pixelated pictures of the girls in what seems like alleyways.

"Oh? Poor girls…" Rika said as he chewed his banana.

"Ah...Aku-tan! You said you're going to a mall later! Be careful, okay? Who knows if the guys are still on the run!" Suisei said.

The girls that were in the lounge area with us are right behind where I was sitting, so I could hear two conversations at the same time.

"Man, the parents of those girls must have been worried to death. I wonder how they're doing...?" Oga said, sipping his coffee.

"The perpetrators are still on the run as we speak. However, the police were able to catch one of the suspects. Thankfully, the girls are still alive and well, and are being treated with mental and health care as of now. Be careful, ladies and gentlemen. Chikan (Molestation) is still quite common nowadays, and it can get quite graphic if you let your guard down!" The anchor said before the topic ended and a new topic started.

"Hah...sometimes we just can't get anything good in society, huh?" I said.

"Say, you think the Holomems are gonna be safe from that?" Rikka said as he chewed his bread.

"Who knows? For all I know, the holomems were involved in some chikan incidents. Coco, for example. I heard she was once molested by an old man in a train while sitting down. Fortunately, she had a water bottle and he crushed his hand." I replied.

"Heh. I would've broken his knuckles AND wrist if I was her. Kukukuku." I said as my eyes started becoming a dark shade of red with me grinning hard.

"Y-You're emitting a scary aura right now…" Oga said as the others sweat dropped.

"Oh? I was?" I said as I snapped out of it and looked at them.

"Yeah…"

"Ah, sorry." I giggled nervously.

And so, we just kept talking. They all might not have noticed, but I'm quite open to all conversations, so I'm listening to whatever interested me. I wasn't talking that much anyway.

"H-How am I gonna go to the mall now...?" Aqua said.

My ears perked up, connecting what she said to the news said earlier.

'Oi oi oi. Don't even risk it. Bring 5 friends if you need to, you introverted onion.' I thought.

"I can tag along with you!" Suisei said.

"You almost have 800k subs, remember? You need to stream!"

"Ah yeah...I forgot that." Suisei giggled nervously.

"Still, you could invite one of us, right? We're free." Kanata said.

"B-But I don't wanna trouble you guys…" Aqua said.

"What do you mean? We're your friends, right? Aqua-paisen?" Coco said.

"Y-Yeah...but still…"

"Oh, while we're at it, maybe you can invite Mea-san too! You two are good friends, right?" Coco said.

"Ah, yeah! She told me she has no stream right now, so she's free...however...there's only two of us." Aqua said.

"How about inviting any guy friends? They could provide protection." I said as I turned around and looked at them.

"E-Eh? You were listening?" Coco asked.

"Yeah."

"I-I don't…have a lot of male friends...Shiro-kun." Aqua said.

"Oh, so you don't have any male friends. I see." I said.

"I-I said I don't have a lot of them!" Aqua said.

"And we're Japanese. Don't think I don't know how to read between the lines, Aqua." I said.

Aqua blushed and kept rubbing her hands together with her shoulders tucked.

"Hmm...you up for volunteering? I trust you enough, since you've been gaining enough trust for us girls!" Coco said.

"You make it sound like I was an outcast." I sweat dropped.

"Well...I guess this meathead can do." Suisei looked away and crossed her arms and legs while also speaking in a quiet manner.

"Oi, who're you calling a meathead, kuso pettanko (Damn cutting board)."

"I'M NOT A CUTTING BOARD!" She said.

"Your tits are still small." I deadpanned.

"You...!"

"Hai hai. Stop the fight before you two cause a ruckus." Kanata said.

"Tch. She started it." I said.

"Hmph!" She pouted.

"Well, I don't know if you're actually gonna be tagging along with her, since Aqua-paisen is quite an introverted girl though." Coco said.

"Well, it's not like I'm gonna force her though. I'm just saying, if she has a male friend, it'll make some sort of shield that can repel away some bastards. I don't have to be it. Hell, maybe ask one of the boys here. Some are free, so they can tag along. Besides, maybe they have a bit of a stronger bond than me."

'...That's the problem. You're like the ONLY one they have the most trust in these types of situations.' Everybody thought, unbeknown to me.

"Well…" Aqua said as she kept rubbing her hands together, her shoulders still tucked.

…

…

…

"Hah, in the end, they still picked me." I scratched my head.

Me and Aqua were sitting at the back of a taxi that was taking us to the mall.

"S-Sorry...b-but you're strong!"

"Just because I'm strong doesn't mean our trust is. I don't even know that much about you aside from just being a gamer, an onion, a streamer, and a huge introvert that doesn't speak a lot." I said.

"S-Still...as of now, you're not mean. You definitely don't like to do bad things, so...I trust you enough for this."

"Well, I guess I can't complain. Otherwise, I'd be bored back there just doing what I can for fun."

I've already finished the lyric videos anyway…

"By the way, I'm gonna be meeting a friend of mine called 'Kagura Mea'. Do you know her?"

"Yeah, she's that one girl who doesn't take care of her periods and is a menhera."

"O-Oi!" She said as she looked at me with sharp eyebrows.

"I'm just joking. But in all seriousness, I know her. Been having my eye on her when I was still new to the Vtubing scene. She seems pretty down to earth, despite her craziness and weirdness. Then again, that's all of us."

"Hah...I thought you were just gonna badmouth her."

"Nah, I'm just harsh when it comes to girls, generally." I chuckled.

"S-Still...isn't she amazing? She's so talented, she's very energetic, and a great friend!"

"Yeah...definitely a great friend."

Damn, I wonder how my buddies back in the base are doing? Are they doing well? None of them are doing dangerous missions right now, are they?

"Say...Shiro-kun."

"Hmm?"

"Did you have friends before? A best friend?"

"Oh? What made you ask that?"

"Well...I noticed that you interact with the Holostars quite a lot, and especially that you seem a bit uncomfortable with the girls, especially me. Are you introverted too?"

"Nah, that's just my trust issues kicking in...I used to have a best friend. His name was Subaru."

"Oh? What does he do?-"

"That's all you're getting." I said, sighing and putting my hands in my pants' pocket.

'Any more, and I might get some sort of PTSD again…' I frowned and clenched my fists.

"...I-I see." Aqua said.

"Don't get it twisted. I just don't like to talk about my past a lot. There were as many good things as there were bad things. Unfortunately, my mind likes thinking of bad things. Though, I do like helping people, so there's that."

"G-Got it…" She said, tucking her shoulders in.

And so, we finally arrived at the mall, safe and sound.

"Woo, it's hot. Let's go inside now." I said, flapping my collar back and forth.

"A-Ah...yeah."

Aqua was wearing a white jacket, a black skirt, and as an undershirt, she wore green.

"You sure you ain't getting too hot in that clothing?" I asked.

"N-No."

"Welp, whatever you say. Where's Mea?"

"She said she'd meet up with us in a bit...traffic is a bit heavy on her side right now, apparently."

"Well, let's go sit at that bench for now. Surely you don't like standing up for a long time, right?"

"A-Ah, okay!" She said as she followed me with her shoulders tucked in to herself. I looked at her face and saw sweat dripping from her forehead. Can't tell if it's cause of her clothing or if she's just nervous. Then again, she IS an introvert. Girl must be having social anxiety.

"Hah...say, do you want donuts or something? Sweets? I'll buy you anything if you're hungry."

"A-Ah...I'm okay."

"I'm serious though. You may be the senpai, and I'm the kouhai, but I can treat you to something. Besides…not to poke you into submission or anything, but I bet you'd stutter a lot and be really quiet when ordering. Might as well let me handle it, right? Now, c'mon...you sure you don't need anything?"

"I-I'm sure of it!-"

Stomach noises ensued, and Aqua looked down while grabbing her stomach.

"...R-Really, I'm fine-"

"Liar." I sighed.

"Fine, I'll go buy you some donuts. Krispy Kreme can work for you, right?- ...oh?" I got cut off.

I looked back as I was suddenly pulled by the right wrist by Aqua. Her face was still looking down.

"...P-Please don't leave me…"

"...Ah, okay. You can come with me. Don't worry, just hold my hand, shirt, or something."

'Huh…she's THAT introverted, huh? Welp, that just means I gotta take good care of her for now.'

And so, I ordered glazed and the other-flavored donuts, and we sat at the bench. She just munched the glazed box whole. I gave her water so that she could intake fluid after that much sugar got inside her body.

"Jesus, you couldn't stop after eating one or two glazed donuts?" I asked.

"Of course not! Krispy Kreme donuts are the best! It's very tasty!"

"I wonder how the hell you can handle that much sugar...? I get sick after the second one." I sweat dropped.

"Well, as long as you eat well and you're happy, I'm fulfilling my job well as a 'bodyguard'..."

"...Ah, Mea's here!" Aqua said as she stood up.

"Oh?"

I looked to my front and saw Mea running towards us. She was wearing something like a Jirai kei outfit, minus the frilliness. She looked rather cute, I guess.

"Hey, Aqua! By the way...who's this man?" Mea asked.

"Ah, h-his name is Ishijin Shiro. I'm sure you know him from Holostars. He was trending on Twitter a few times." She giggled nervously.

"Ey. Nice to meet ya."

"H-Huh...you're a bit eccentric, but I think we can get along." Mea sweat dropped.

"Now that she's here, where are you two going next?" I asked Aqua.

"Me and her could hang out in the cinema and go shopping if we want to! Oh, and since she's here, maybe you can go home...?" Aqua said.

"Are you an idiot? You heard the news right? And besides, you did ask for protection, so I'm here as your shield. I don't think I'll be going home anytime right now until you go home too."

"Ah...s-sorry."

"Oh?~ What's this?~ You have a crush on Aqua now? Shiro-kun?~" Mea smugged.

"No. I'm pretty sure I made it clear I have some trust issues with women. I also clearly stated in my streams that I help anybody, regardless if they're a woman or not. Just think of it as charity." I breathed out.

"Hmm?~ ...Alright! I'll believe you!"

"Thanks."

"Anyway, I think we all should have fun! Shiro-kun, do you have any place in mind you would like to try out?" Mea asked.

"Hmm...honestly, I'm fine with anything you girls want. I'm just here as Aqua's bodyguard so she won't end up like those poor girls in TV."

"Eh? Then...! Let's watch a horror movie!" Mea said.

"Oh. Daring, are we?" I deadpanned at Mea.

"D-Don't you think that's a bit...too much?" Aqua asked.

"Oh, it's not! Besides...it'd be funny if your 'bodyguard' here screams like a little girl...~" Mea said.

…

…

…

"WAAAHHHH!!!!" Aqua and Mea hugged each other at the sight of the murderer appearing behind one of the protagonists.

"Hah...and you said I would scream like a girl. Bite your words, woman." I deadpanned away.

"IT'S SCARY!" Mea said.

"It's suspense and a thriller. What'ya expect?" I asked.

"I-I told you this was a bad idea!" Aqua whispered.

"Still, I wanted to watch this!" Mea said.

"Hah...whatever, let's continue watching. Besides, the movie is fun to watch."

"Sob...you don't even think it's scary, do you?"

"I do. Just not as scared as you scaredy cats."

"Shiro-kun's mean…" They both said.

We finished watching the movie, and we finally went shopping for clothes...well, THEY went shopping for clothes. As usual, the man's gotta hold their shit...and that man is me.

"S-Slow down, Mea! I think we bought enough clothes for now!" Aqua said.

"Really? I think we can just add a liiiittle bit more."

"You keep saying that, but then you keep finding new clothes!"

"Nah, I don't-oooh, what's over here! Give me a moment!" Mea said.

"Wah! Wait! ...Hah." Aqua sighed and put her hands on her knees.

"Tired? I could bring her back, you know? We can just chill out for a while and go back to your little 'date'."

"Nah...it's okay."

"Well, wanna go shopping together and take it slow? Besides, I'm sure Mea knows where to find us. She always finds my head protruding out from how tall I am."

"S-Sure…"

She said as she stood right behind me.

We walked around, looking at shirts of her interest, and seeing if she wanted to pick some or not. Of course, I had to carry whatever she picked. Thankfully, only one for now.

While we were walking, I was also thinking back to the TV. The thought of the Hololivers being in a similar situation gives me shivers down my spine, as well as roiling up my blood. Especially if it's somebody like Rushia, Aqua, Mel, or just any girl in Hololive that can't easily defend themselves.

"...Oh? Aqua, let's go there." I said while staring at the shirt.

"...Man, this can really fit you. It's small, really gamer-ish, and quite girly, huh, Aqua?-" I looked behind as I saw the silhouette of Aqua gone like the wind.

"...Eh?"

My heart started beating fast as well as feeling my heart sinking like an anchor towards the bottom of the ocean. My breathing also went fast.

"No...no no no no. Where did she go?" I looked left and right.

She's not abducted by anybody, right? She's just lost, right? Did she find Mea? Goddammit, that girl can't be left alone! She's a huge fucking introvert! She just might lose herself within this crowd! Fuck! I need to find her quick!

~~Aqua's POV~~

"...Oh? Aqua, let's go there." Shiro said.

I followed quietly, but then I saw something in my peripheral vision.

'...Oh?' I thought as I looked to my left.

I walked towards there, and then grabbed the shirt as I looked at the print on the front.

"Huh...it's nice...it's a bit too long though...any smaller ones?"

"...No, there doesn't seem to be any." I said as I looked at the surrounding shirts.

"Anyway, Shiro-kun, what were you saying?-"

'...I GOT TOO CAUGHT UP IN MY THOUGHTS AND STRAYED AWAY FROM HIM!' I thought in my mind.

"I-I need to find him quick! B-But...oh god. I can't see his white hair anywhere!"

'C-Crud! I need to hurry! Me, him, and Mea are far from each other! The chances of us bumping to each other is very low, even for me and one of the two!'

"Um...white hair...red eyes...white hair...red eyes…" I said as I went out in the open to see if there was any guy in the vicinity. So far, there were only girls.

My breath started getting heavy, and I started sweating. I got my handkerchief and wiped my forehead.

"N-No...where are you...? Shiro-kun? Mea? Anybody?" I mumbled as my eyes slightly widened.

I kept walking forward, but every step felt like it got heavier, like 10 pounds were added every step. My knees, in turn, felt like it started getting thinner until it had the strength of a chopstick.

"Hah...Shiro-kun...Mea...somebody…" Those were the last words I mumbled before I finally fell to the ground on both knees like a sack of gravel.

'Hah…HAH...HAH...I…I CAN'T BREATHE…' I thought.

I'm panicking...I'M PANICKING...I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CALM DOWN! BREATHING NORMALLY ISN'T HELPING AT ALL!

"U-Um...miss?" I heard to my front.

My heart skipped a beat and started beating even more as I looked up to see an unfamiliar face.

"I-Is something wrong...?" She asked.

'OH NO...MORE PEOPLE!' I thought.

"H-Hey, should we call for help? Maybe she's having an asthma attack?" I heard a girl somewhere in my surroundings.

"If she is, she should've gotten an inhaler…" Another girl said.

'WHAT SHOULD I DO? WHAT SHOULD I DO? WHAT SHOULD I DO?! SOMEBODY HELP ME!' I thought.

~~Shiro's POV~~

'Fuck...! FUCK...!' I thought.

Where's Mea? If I can find her before Aqua, then we can both find Aqua afterwards! But I can't find a familiar white-haired girl anywhere! Shit! Can I at least spot that pink-haired onion? Anywhere?!

"What kind of fucking 'bodyguard' am I if I just carelessly let somebody slip like that! Goddammit!"

'That's all it took...one careless moment of relaxation, and I lost Aqua!'

It made me think back to my first mission. A patrolling of an area in the mountains.

Since it was the first mission, it wasn't serious. It's not like any anime where the privates somehow were given a mission for experts. A patrolling is something easy and can be done by the lowest ranks.

Me and my buddies that were privates just patrolled the area, making sure nothing suspicious was going on, and to secure an area that wasn't occupied by any terrorists, along with a couple villagers that tagged along with us.

However...blood spilled on the grass, trees were used as cover, and the loud noises of guns ensued when we were flanked from the right side. Hell, even a couple villagers were harmed. At least they didn't suffer the same fate as a few of my buddies…

'Aqua...! Aqua...!! Don't give up! I'm coming for you!!' I thought.

"Goddammit! I need to retrace my steps...! Let's go back to the entrance-OH, THANK THE LORD! SHE WAS RIGHT THERE!" I said as I instantly dropped the bags and clothes I was carrying, and instantly ran towards her.

"AQUA!" I said as I kneeled and slid on the floor with my right foot on the ground to stop me.

"T-Thank you for keeping my friend company!" I said to the girls surrounding her.

"Aqua! Look at me! Look at me!!" I grabbed her cheeks as I saw her eyes slightly tearing up and very widened. I could even feel her cold sweat and her pulse beating fast.

"Look around you and tell me what you see!" I put my hands from her cheeks to her shoulders

"W-What...?" She mumbled.

"You're having an anxiety attack! Look around and tell me everything you see in your surroundings! It's okay, I'm here!"

"U-Um...I see...people...I see...you...I see clothes hung on metal rods...I see tiles on the floor...And...and...I see my handkerchief on my knees…"

"Hah...did you calm down?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah...thank you." She gave me a faint smile.

"Jeez, you're sweating a lot. Lemme wipe it off for you." I said as I grabbed her damp handkerchief and wiped her face.

"I-I can do it m-myself…"

"No no, lemme do it. You've been away from me for too long." I said.

I looked at the girls in the surroundings.

"Don't worry, she's fine now. Thank you for your help at least!" I said.

Well...ironically, you actually sort of made it worse without knowing since this girl doesn't do well with people around, but I guess I can't blame them if they didn't know.

"A-Ah, is this your girlfriend? Sorry!" A girl said.

"Ah no, she's just a friend! I just accompanied her since she likes going out with me. Ehehehe…" I said.

"I-I see...well, I shall excuse myself out now!" The girl bowed a bit and the crowd soon dissipated.

"A-Aqua!" I heard Mea's voice in the distance.

"Oh? Mea!" Aqua said as me and her both stood up.

"S-Sorry I left you! I finally noticed I left you two together! I was worried if you got lost somewhere on your own!"

"Don't worry! Shiro-kun found me earlier!" Aqua said.

"...I'm sorry, Shiro-kun." Mea grabbed her right arm.

"Don't worry about it." I chuckled.

"As long as Aqua's safe, it's fine." I continued.

"Y-You're not angry?!" She said.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said no, but I can't blame ya. I can tell you panicked too when you were searching for Aqua."

"..I see...wait, you too?"

"I'm supposed to be her 'bodyguard', remember? Anyway...lemme go pick up what we had and go to the cashier. You two are done picking up clothes, right?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah…" They both said.

"Well, let's buy everything." I said.

"A-Ah...yeah." They said in unison.

And so, we finished buying it, and I had to carry all of the bags. We were just walking around the mall, going to the food court.

S-Say, Shiro-kun…" Aqua said.

"Hmm?"

"What was that earlier?" She asked.

"What was what earlier?"

"You know...you told me to look around and tell you what I see. Why did you do that?"

"Hmm? What's this?" Mea asked.

"Ah, she's referring about the time when she was alone and having an anxiety attack. Well…'panic attack' and 'anxiety attack' are interchangeable, generally speaking."

"Basically, she was having one of the said 'attacks', and it usually means she's either having PTSD, anxiety, and similar mental conditions. In that case, I gotta let her do what's called 'grounding'."

"'Grounding'...?" They asked.

"Basically, if a person is having intense anxiety or having a mental breakdown, 'grounding' can help bring a person back to the present time, all by just giving them one simple task. Let them speak out loud what they see and know in the present time. The day today, the time, what you see in front of you, what you're wearing. Anything that has correlation to the present time can help with it."

"Why does it work though?" Aqua asked.

"Who knows? I'm not a psychologist."

"And how did you know it?"

"Well...I learned from…"

"From...?"

"...Uh, from my mom and from my mom's friend." I sweated a bit.

"Oh? What do they do?" Aqua asked.

'Jesus, she's asking a bit too many questions.' I thought.

"Aight, that'll be the last question I'll answer. Basically, my mom is a general of the army, and my mom's friend is a very smart person that serves as the medic there. They also let me read a lot of books and taught me a lot of stuff."

"Ah...I see. Sorry if I asked too many questions." Aqua giggled nervously.

"Nah...I told you before, didn't I? I just have a lot of bad memories I'd rather not think about." I said.

And so, we kept going around the mall, doing stuff, and once it reached lunchtime, me, Aqua, and Mea went to the food court.

"Hmm! Time to have lunch! I'm starving!" Aqua said.

"What do you wanna eat, Shiro-kun?" Mea asked.

"Oh? You two are gonna eat here?"

"Yeah! We already spent enough time, right, Mea?" Aqua said.

"Yeah! So bascially, after this, we can go home!" Mea said.

"Hmm...in that case, I'll just cook lunch in my room afterwards and eat lunch. I guess I'll eat a shawarma for now."

"Eh? Why?" Mea asked.

"Uh...don't know if you saw my clips, but there's a scar on my face I'd rather not show in public because of my anxiety. That's why I wear a mask in public." I pointed at my mouth.

"Now that I thought about it, if that's the case, how do you eat in public?" Aqua asked.

"By going to the restroom." I said.

"THE RESTROOM?!" They said.

"Yeah...anyway, just have fun eating. Don't worry about me. I'm used to it." I sighed.

And so, they ordered their own meal while I bought shawarma, and while they were eating at one of the tables, I ate mine in the restroom...like usual.

'Sigh...I wish this scar can start blending into my skin now...it's hella annoying.' I got a tick on my head.

"Well…anything to stay by Aqua's side until she's done." I took a bite of my shawarma.

This sort of scenario...reminded me of when I was with my buddies, being hella hungry, and there were kids along with some people we escorted one time. Even though we were hungry, the thought of being by their side until we finish our mission fills me with warmth. It gave me a smile thinking back to that time.

"I guess it ain't that bad after all...I will admit, she is quite the introvert." I giggled nervously.

But at least she can use that "grounding" technique everytime she goes out now, now that I taught her that.

I finally finished eating my shawarma, and went back to the food court, seeing the two still eating and chatting.

"Oh? You came back fast." Mea said.

"It was a snack, after all. I can consume food fast." I said as I took a seat beside Aqua.

"H-How was it? Did it make you full? Do you need water?" Aqua asked.

"No worries, I'm fine."

"Say, there's actually quite a lot I never heard from you. Wanna exchange numbers after this?" Mea asked.

"Oh? I guess I don't mind. Especially how I know you from some clips I watched." I said.

"Sweet!"

And so, when we finally went outside the mall, me and Mea exchanged LINE's and even told each other our Discord usernames and number so we can chat in either LINE or Discord.

"See you next time, Aqua! It was fun!" Mea said.

"Yeah! Me too!" Aqua said as they both waved at each other before Mea went to a bench, and our Uber finally came.

"Well, I guess it's time to go home, huh?" Aqua said.

"Y-Yeah. Did you have fun, at least?" Aqua asked and looked at me.

"Sure did." I chuckled as I got inside the taxi.

"C'mon, you don't wanna be left behind, right?" I told her.

"A-Ah, of course!" She said as she quickly put her foot inside and sat at the far right of the backseat.

"Please take us to our destination." I said to the driver.