’Am I vulnerable around her? I, don’t know. If I have sothing to confess or sothing I’m dealing with, I, try to deal with it myself... I should reach out more.
But if I had to, would I not go to Hotaru instead of her? Wait, that’s not the problem; it’s not who I would go to help first. I need to overthink less and focus on the question. Have I been vulnerable around her...?’
"What kind of question is that? Detective, did you forget the first day I died? When I ca to this world?" Jotou raised a brow.
"What?" Fuko’s eyes widened, "I’d never forget that day; you, pretty much changed my entire life."
"And you did mine. I trusted you out the gate to help with the Velatos Case and that’s how I got here. I may have questioned you a bit, but by the end of it, I chose to adventure with you.
Could you imagine if I never accepted your help? If I never told you who I was? I told you of my old world, I told you I was an introvert who was afraid to buy food because I had to talk to the cashier," Jotou smiled.
"Huh... you did tell those things," Fuko’s arms fell, her shoulders slumped, "You do act vulnerable around ."
"I don’t mind showing my true self to my friends. If I want to talk to others I put on an act even. Maybe there were tis I hid away my true emotions.
But if I did, it was never because I didn’t trust you. It’s because I want to be soone who shows little to no weakness; soone to look up to and not worry about."
"Well you fail at that."
"Constantly," Jotou smirked. The two chuckled softly.
’And maybe I should be more open to asking help like that day. I can’t change everything alone.’ "You have no idea how glad I am we t that day detective."
"Hm, you can keep going~" Fuko raised her nose.
"Yeah, I should keep going with what happened," Jotou smirked. Fuko pouted in a little groan. "After I woke up, I went into a full panic.
Once I saw you alive again, I wasn’t sure what was going on. You blinked next to and I hugged you—almost broke your ribs I think. You, pet my head and asked what happened...
You thought it had sothing to do with my feelings for you; you weren’t technically wrong, but it was more so because that was the first loop I faced; the first person who died, was you."
"I get it."
"I just, I think it all spiralled from there. You expected to be sarcastic, but I just wanted to hear you keep talking like your arrogant self.
You held my cheek and asked if I was okay. It was honestly, very sweet." ’Here I go getting confused again.’ "I told you I was fine, when I shouldn’t’ve.
My mind was racing like hell, I couldn’t discern reality from a dream; it felt like, well, when I first died and ca into this world. But that’s when I realized it wasn’t a dream and none of you rembered.
And then, out of nowhere, you asked out on a date," Jotou chuckled. ’She actually did do that, didn’t she? The confidence she must’ve had. So, why am I not taking that prospect seriously? Maybe, I shouldn’t be so timid about the subject of relationships.’
"Don’t laugh when it’s your fault for not telling the truth!"
Jotou ended her little laugh, "Sorry. But I did tell you all the truth afterwards. And, you were the first to believe ; after putting together the clues and the details.
You were the one who helped piece it all together in my head and convince the others ko. You were excited once I told you the story, but once I said how it ended.
Your entire mood dropped. I should’ve been better in helping you deal with it. This ti, when you got your hair cut, you cut it really short; all together, you seed depressed."
"Well what you said made sense and could be true. I still feel off by the idea..." Fuko hugged herself.
"I probed you till you talked the next day. You asked if you did it last ti or you were bad at hiding it; you were never good at it to begin with, at least not with ."
"Paranoiac," Fuko mocked.
"You said you got better at hiding your thoughts, which you’re not wrong, but you said yourself since I know you the longest, I can see through it."
"Can you?"
"I’m not sure. All I know is an instinct I feel to help a friend. Anyway, I told you the best way to lie is to add a bit of the truth and you need to believe the lie yourself and that’s what Asobi probably does.
Also that I did that with my parents."
"Or just conveniently leave out parts of the truth like Hotaru," Fuko added in.
"It’s funny how you and her say the sa things you did the last ti," Jotou smirked. "I asked if anything was wrong and you, asked for a proper answer for your confession."
"It’s almost like that’s what I want," Fuko rolled her eyes.
"Hang on detective, one by one."
"Yeah, yeah."
"I gave you nearly the sa answer and saw what’ll happen. Then, you told what was actually bugging you; whether or not we’d win that ti.
I have the real answer now, but at the ti I told you I could handle it and that we’d prevail. I kinda lied to myself in that mont, but you caught imdiately.
You then proceeded to tell , that you care about all of us. And that you were scared. Dying really spooked you and all I could do in that mont was hug you. I told you I don’t know what it felt like because it felt like nothing."
"I, sotis forget that you died."
"And you also said, you didn’t like the thought of losing ..." Jotou glanced up, recalling the mory, "Fuko... I, I’m so sorry."
"It’s fine... I didn’t lose you; I saved you, right?" Fuko gave a half smile.
Jotou shared the expression, "Right, you did. And what I said then still applies now; we’ll fight together. You’re not alone and you don’t have to feel alone. Hotaru, Asobi and are with you and I promised, you wouldn’t die that ti..."
Fuko stared, "Hey, you kept your promise at least. What about the thief kid?"
"Oh, I warned Hotaru before it happened. Sa thing happened afterwards. Sorry, I stole your thunder."
"Ha."
"Anyway, that ti you were a little shier with killing, but you still did. I think that confidence was boosted back. And after Hotaru died, and you went berserk and killed Frye which reset everything again."
"Right, the third ti. You told and Hotaru after leaving Asobi in the dark. Anything happened that morning?"
"Uh... It was a pretty panicked morning. I think you thought I had a nightmare and I said I needed to tell you sothing, oh; you asked if it was because I liked you back...
I said it’s sothing more worrying and you asked why liking you back was worrying in the first place..." a nervous sweat went down the blonde’s temple.
Fuko pald her face, "You know, with every morning you tell about, the more desperate I seem to sound."
"It’s not desperation, it’s just your mories got poofed and you’re thinking of the sa thing again when I’ve been through sothing else," Jotou shrugged.
"Oh yay, that helps," Fuko held the bridge of her nose.
"But that loop, runs the sa as you said. You were still spooked about death and once we made it out of Hartamat. You said sothing about elves and that Moren said Asobi’s potent."
’Given what I saw, he was not wrong.’ "And, Hotaru was teaching us all a spell; conjure elent and you were getting the hang of it before..."
"That whole fiasco, got it. What about last reset?"
"Uh, first; I should tell you that I took your headband and wore it into the fight... Sothing to rember you by, you know? I hope that’s uh, okay."
Fuko’s eyes bubbled as her hand imdiately pressed on the purple headband on her head before she sighed. "It’s okay... Besides, if I went out, then, there’s only one person I think I’d be okay giving it to," she looked to Jotou.
"Thanks."
"Don’t ntion it; seriously."
"I’ll see about that."
"Hey!"
"Anyway, last loop; oh boy..."
"The one where you want crazy?"
"Yeah. In the morning, I gave you a rushed answer. You asked if that was rehearsed; technically, it was. The sa answer. I tried not telling any of you, but that ended up worse.
You got the correct haircut, but after that, we all went to see the minister together and I asked you to sneak in and search for any docunts regarding Trailon and the minister.
If you did, you’d tell and then keep using your blink spell till you got to Hartamat’s Defence Force and give them the docunts. You didn’t read them fully either.
More importantly, when we all ended up in prison, you were the only one free. But when we finally t back up and had so ti to ourselves, right before the fight again. You questioned and my decisions, called crazy."
"I, I’m sorry. I probably didn’t want to hurt you."
"No, you were right. And I didn’t even get to say that because the next ti I saw you..."
"Shot. I got it. And, now you’re here," Fuko faced, her arms on her knees and looking into Jotou’s eyes.
"And, now for my proper answer." ’I’ve had ti to formulate it.’
Jotou took a breath as Fuko braced herself. "I’m not in a relationship, but I think my feelings lie elsewhere. It’s not that I don’t care for you or don’t appreciate you confessing to .
I will rember. You an a lot to and losing you literally drove to madness. I’m not sure how my romantic life is going to end up and I’m not in any position to make predictions.
Though, however it may go, I want you to be happy. I can’t promise anything and you shouldn’t keep your hopes up with . I think you’re amazing and I’d be nowhere without my detective so, please don’t leave either."
’I hope that was a good answer...’ Jotou exhaled.
Fuko gulped and nodded, "But there may be a chance-"
"ko."
"Kidding," Fuko smiled.
Jotou leered.
"Kinda... Anyway, of course I wouldn’t leave you. You are and will forever be my first friend Jotou, that’ll never change. I really like the ti we spend and," Fuko simply blinked forward.
The blonde was t with shadow and then a hug, the best way she could say everything without a word at all. The long brown hair was all that Jotou could see as Fuko buried herself into Jotou.
"I’ll be the best detective I can and keep adventuring with all of you. Not because of you or anything, because uh, I’d do that anyhow."
"I believe you one hundred percent detective," Jotou patted back.
Fuko backed her head out, "Now, what’s your plan for this ti?"
"Not yet. I still have one more person."
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