He listens to her as she punctuates the meaning of this place. The hollow forest. Of course. This place felt as ominous as the forest he and Rumi were stuck in when they were all too young to even comprehend it all.
God, the one stranger who looked at him with a clear lens was being forced into such pain. To be so hyper aware of her own situation that she empathised with this place-
When Hamuko dabbed at her eye and mentioned conserving her stamina, something inside Maruki hardened—not with anger, but with unshakable resolve. The girl who had just obliterated Shadows with Messiah’s almighty power now stood here, hyper-aware of her vulnerability and still full of empathy for whatever had created this place.
He couldn’t stand the thought of her suffering any more than she already had.
“Hamuko-san,” Maruki began, his voice soft but insistent. “It’s greatly admirable that you can keep your head and heart so clear, especially in a place like this. Not many people could walk through something so heavy and still find compassion for the pain around them. That’s a rare kind of strength.”
His dark eyes softened, filled with the same care and empathy that had made him such a beloved counselor at Shujin Academy. “But there’s absolutely no way I can allow you to bring yourself harm like this. Are you really sure you want to go to such lengths for a stranger?”
2/2
God, the one stranger who looked at him with a clear lens was being forced into such pain. To be so hyper aware of her own situation that she empathised with this place-
When Hamuko dabbed at her eye and mentioned conserving her stamina, something inside Maruki hardened—not with anger, but with unshakable resolve. The girl who had just obliterated Shadows with Messiah’s almighty power now stood here, hyper-aware of her vulnerability and still full of empathy for whatever had created this place.
He couldn’t stand the thought of her suffering any more than she already had.
“Hamuko-san,” Maruki began, his voice soft but insistent. “It’s greatly admirable that you can keep your head and heart so clear, especially in a place like this. Not many people could walk through something so heavy and still find compassion for the pain around them. That’s a rare kind of strength.”
His dark eyes softened, filled with the same care and empathy that had made him such a beloved counselor at Shujin Academy. “But there’s absolutely no way I can allow you to bring yourself harm like this. Are you really sure you want to go to such lengths for a stranger?”