Vol 1 Chapter 22 (1/2)

LEVEL 1: A Whisper, an Aria, a Prayer, an Awakening

Chapter 22: Our Offering to You

I alondered what I would say when the time came…

For so tiht say too short, really Much too short

I felt like I knew you… but I didn’t actually know you at all

Haruhiro had once thought that Manato was nice, easy to approach, and s and a leader worth following A flawless person, perhaps But only because Haruhiro hadn’t noticed any of his flaws Or s well-hidden; but if their tiotten to see another side of him

He wanted to know Haruhiro wanted to get to know the real him He wanted more time If they had had more hours between them, then surely there would be ry at each other, or gotten into fights Maybe they would have grown to hate each other Or rown, instead

One day, suddenly, shi+horu s And what then?

Haruhiro didn’t want to believe that senti failed to reach the dead He didn’t want to think that all he said noas hter the knot in his chest grew

When he closed his eyes, he saw an ie of this friend fro consu rendered into nothing e that came to mind, for Haruhiro was all too aware that Manato now lay under this headstone’s shadow, cast against the setting sun

“We’ve becoravestone where a crescent raved, he held up an emblem that resembled a silver coin

Ranta, Mogzo, Yume, and shi+horu, too, showed their Cri theainst her chest

“It didn’t actually take us this long to scrape up the rip on the emblem “But we had some extra business that we decided to settle first”

Ranta scoffed “Actually, I didn’t care It was you guys who decided that”

“Stupid Ranta,” Yume said, and cuffed him on the arm “Why do you always have to be such a Smart Alex at times like this-yan? It makes people hate you”

“’Cause I’ive a damn what people think”

“Ued Yume’s cloak “It’s smart aleck, not Smart Alex… there’s no need to call him Alex…”

“Really?” Yume replied, bemused “Yume always heard ‘Alex’…”

“E-err…” Mogzo interrupted, gazing at shi+horu “Shouldn’t we get on with… you know?”

shi+horu stepped forward towards the gravestone and crouched She reached into her pocket and pulled out an identical coin-like embleraved crescent e the coin in it

“Wait, shi+horu, not there,” Haruhiro said quickly