HOTD: A New Dawn

At his sudden movement, Miku recoiled. But he stood firm, and slowly, Miku got up. 

Her jaw moved and closed several times without words. Her eyes looked like they were misting over, and that didn't sit well with Tysone.

Miku picked up the umbrella, turned around and stopped a few inches from the door.

When Miku glanced back at him, she almost looked hurt. "Do you ever cry?" Her voice was cold. "Do you know what that feels like?"

"Of course I know, Miku." Tysone chuckled. "It's how I've survived all this time. The bad times I couldn't afford to break over. Those which have no purpose other than making you stronger, and those are plentiful."

"Then why won't you comfort me now that I'm in those very bad times?"

"Because if you seek to blame something or someone for the hurt you're experiencing, it means that you're unable to confront, accept, and heal from the trauma on your own." He said, arms crossed. "I don't know you, nor am I really interested, so why should I go out of my way to lend a shoulder for you to cry on?"

"Because I don't know who else to turn to?" It was so odd to see Miku tearing up. "Everyone thinks I'm a slut. The students. The teachers. Even my parents. This is the first time I've got to talk to someone about it, you know?" 

"Is it possible that I was the first one you ever considered talking to?" He questioned, slightly baffled.

The nod came, timid.

"...Not even once in my life had someone accepted me for who I really was, and now... here you are, wanting to send me off. Am I truly that difficult to deal with?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "I never said you're difficult, Miku. Just... exhausting. Damn exhausting, in fact. Dealing with you is like a damn workout, and not a fun one, mind you. We're basically incompatible, and yet, you choose to drag yourself all the way up here to my residence. You made me come outside during a thunderstorm and get myself wet." He shook his head. "You do things like these... like it's normal."

A shaky laugh escaped her lips, but it faded fast. Her fingers curled tighter around the handle of the umbrella. "I guess that's fair."

Tysone hesitated. He wasn't good at this emotional stuff, especially not with people like her—people who wore a mask so often, they probably forgot what was underneath. Still, he decided that being too confrontational wasn't going to help either of them. 

"Look…" He began, keeping his tone as neutral as he could. "I don't know what you expect from me. I'm not some knight in shining armor who's gonna swoop in and fix everything for you."

"I know…" Miku whispered. Her eyes shifted away. "I just thought... Maybe if someone like you didn't see me that way, maybe I wasn't as bad as I thought. Sometimes… I feel like the worse people think I am, the more I become that person." She frowned, as if frustrated with her own words. "It's like… I don't know how to stop it. Like I'm stuck in some loop, and no matter what I do, it just keeps going."

"..."

Tysone's eyes sharpened. That didn't sound normal.

"Loop, huh?" He said slowly, carefully. "You sure it's not just in your head?"

She forced a smile, but her eyes told a different story. "Maybe. But if it is… I guess I'm pretty good at making my own hell."

Tysone leaned further into the doorframe, his eyes pensive.

Puberty Syndrome.

Could it be…?

It didn't make sense, but in a supernatural way, it did. This was not a normal world. There was no rule that said that every character would act like their canon self—here things could get twisted by various anime butting heads and influencing each other. 

Tysone couldn't tell if Miku had the syndrome or if she was just really good at lying and getting people to do what she wanted, so he didn't press further. 

Miku turned toward the door, gripping the umbrella like it was the only thing holding her together. "Thanks for the shampoo, I guess." She said softly, stepping into the hallway. "See you around, Tysone."

"..."

He closed the door, slowly.

"What's going on…?"

A sigh escaped his lips. 

"Damn it."

'If she has that damn syndrome, then it isn't something that only the characters from that anime could get, but everyone in this world.'

Worse still was that Tysone was in it. And he didn't even remember the age group the Puberty Syndrome affected, so there was a chance he had it, or could potentially get it. 

No use fussing over it. 

Tysone stared out of the window. A black umbrella bobbed up and down through the rain. He watched her disappear around a corner.

It didn't feel right.

That entire thing.

None of it.

A flash of lightning streaked across the night sky, lighting up the streets below like it had found a spotlight.

He frowned.

It felt wrong to leave her.

But she was not his responsibility.

...

With the passage of time, Tysone found himself more and more contemplative.

Months could be counted in the same way as seconds, and sometimes, an entire day passed, and Tysone still couldn't shake the feeling that he had to do more than the next chapter would permit him.

Not much time was left; he could feel it.

"You've been quiet these days." Mai, who was slouched on his bed, pointed out. Such big eyes on a pretty face. Damn anime aesthetics.

"Have I? Maybe I've just been thinking about your debut." He said casually.

Ah, yes. There was that too. It was time for Mai to debut as a singer. She had gone through the proper training and management, and the only thing Tysone helped her with was feeding her popular lyrics from his world and humming a tune.

Though, these days, her debut was the least of his worries. But hey, gotta put on a happy face and all that.

Mai giggled. "Right." She rested her chin on her hand. "Why do I feel like there's more to it than that, hmm?"

Tysone shrugged, all nonchalant. "Maybe I'm just realizing my feelings for you and I have no idea how to handle it."

That caught her completely off guard, her face lighting up red like a fire alarm. It didn't matter how much he joked or flirted—the sheer speed of his charm always managed to leave her spiraling.

Her laugh came out awkward and breathy. "Hahaha! You're such a clown!" she said, rubbing the back of her neck in a poor attempt to hide her flustered expression.

And for his trouble, he earned a pinch. Not just any pinch, but the kind that left a mark on the back of his hand.

"Don't say stuff like that!" She huffed.

He glanced at her. "Why not? Scared I might actually mean it, or scared I'm just messing with you?"

"They both make my stomach churn."

He tilted his head. "You better work on that. Fame is going to make a lot of people want a piece of you." If zombies didn't get to her first, but Tysone was already working on preventing that.

She rolled her eyes a little, her flushed skin finally cooling down. "You make it sound like I'll be signing up for a job in a brothel."

"The entertainment industry, much like the yakuza or mafia, might as well have been one, depending on the business. Expect lots of snakes and narcissistic bastards to run wild." Tysone explained. "I believe in you, I'll probably keep a close eye on you during this period and pick out whoever tries to fuck you over. You can rely on me."

She was about to reply when he calmly raised a hand.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Mai." He said, seriously.

Mai blinked. "Go on."

"I'm looking to purchase a property. Preferably somewhere out of the public's eye, but not too far from the amenities of the city. Money is not a problem." Even if it was too expensive, he could always get a mortgage. If the apocalypse happened, he'd never really pay it back. If it didn't, he'd still be making enough money to afford it.

He received a weird stare in return.

"Can I ask why...?"

"Security." He gave a non-answer, then clarified. "I want to build myself a secure place. That's it."

She studied him. "Anything else?"

"Something with an underground facility like a shelter, and something connected to the sewer. Lots of space, lots of room, lots of escape routes and hidden exits. Few, if any, windows on the ground floor. It's not necessary, though. As long as it's not built with cardboard and has some sort of bunker or underground basement. I'd look into it myself, but figured that someone with the kind of connections you have would do the job way faster."

Author's Note:

If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.