Chapter Text
Ichikawa Reno has always been a level-headed person.
He doesn't talk much, though everyone knows that there's more to him than meets only his glittering violet irises. He was always calm, though there were times during tense times of battle, especially when his senior Kafka was struggling and his friends were injured, Reno's ambition in destroying the enemy made him scarier than even Vice Commander Hoshina. Despite his young age, everyone recognizes how impressive he is in both friendship and combat, especially with the fact that he never received a proper education at some neutralization technical college.
Ichikawa Reno had always been the one to act mature.
He never complained about the rigorous training, instead constantly pushing himself to the point where the 4th Division Captain, Ogata, complained about how stubborn the silver-haired boy was. He almost never lost focus, unknowingly making much faster progress than the rest of his comrades, to the point where Toko herself admitted that Reno was the greatest in terms of speed of improvement among his generation. He always persevered in various situations, no matter when his physical and psychological limits were reached, he always persevered.
However, no matter how strong Reno tried to be, he was still a teenager who could be childish.
Everyone saw clearly how ridiculous he could turn whenever the young officer interacted with Kafka. Everyone heard exactly how noisy he could turn whenever the young officer had a fight with Iharu. Everyone felt vaguely how sensitive he could turn whenever the young officer competed with Kikoru.
Furuhashi Iharu was one of the first people to realize how important the presence of a Reno was in the newest generation of the Defense Force. Reno was tough and mature, but he was also considerate of his friends. Therefore, even though Iharu often felt a sense of inferiority every time he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Reno on a mission against the Kaiju, he still chose to stay by his side, providing back-up to Reno while his partner fought on the front lines.
It was during these missions that, slowly but surely, Iharu began to get to know Reno more deeply. Iharu saw with his own eyes how Reno's efforts in increasing his strength. Iharu knew exactly how Reno interacted with his seniors and comrades-in-arms. Iharu realized more quickly how Reno's real personality was hidden behind his officer's uniform. During those missions, Iharu believed how his tough image was just an empty, meaningless image.
In the end, everyone in the Defense Force realized that Ichikawa Reno was still just a kid.
And just like other children who have favorite things they protect, Reno's favorite thing was his secret.
Six months into training at the Third Division Base in Tachikawa, even after some months training at the Fourth Division Base in Nagano Prefecture, never once did Iharu hear Reno talk about himself. Reno never initiated the deep conversation first. He never wanted to share and never wanted to tell stories, which made his teammates realize that they knew nothing about his background. The newest generation only knew that he was parentless due to the attacks of Kaiju, that he came to apply for the Defense Force test with Kafka, and that Kafka knew him because they worked together at the Monster Sweeper Inc. Other than that, nothing more. There was no more information they knew.
The gate that locked Ichikawa Reno's heart was apparently much sturdier than they thought.
***
Reno fell to his knees, letting out a long sigh as the last shot he managed to get off on the only Honju left in the monster base. His rifle slipped from his grasp, his fingers trembling with exhaustion after unleashing all his strength in the last attack. The excruciating pain in his broken ankle made Reno want to lie down on the asphalt, choosing to give up rather than force himself to remain standing.
“Troop member Ichikawa ... has defeated the base monster!”
“WAAAAHOOO!”
Iharu's shout startled Reno. He turned his head, holding on to consciousness even though his eyes wanted to close. Iharu ran towards him, his face overly excited than during the crisis they faced earlier when destroying the base monster. When Iharu's palm met his palm, Reno realized that he had just successfully completed the final trial for the use of Kaiju #6's Numbers Weapon. His eyes instantly rounded.
“We did it!”
The two of them burst out a shout of relief. Reno let out a long sigh again, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He pressed his communication tool, listening carefully as Commander Ogata declared that he had successfully completed the final stage of testing.
“You pass, Ichikawa,” Commander Ogata's voice had never been softer before, and Reno couldn't help but feel the emotions churning in his heart, ”You've proven yourself. I'm putting a piece of this country's future ... in your hands.”
His tears wanted to spill out but Reno held back. He nodded and smiled. “Thank you, Commander.”
A second later, Reno chose to give up and let his body fall to the asphalt, letting the exhaustion he had been holding back soar out so quickly and make him dizzy.
Thank, God.
Reno succeeded.
***
Iharu woke up from his sleep to find the white ceiling of the health clinic emitting an antiseptic odor. Blinking to adjust the light entering his eyes, Iharu got up and ran a hand through his slightly messy hair. Only then did he realize that his surroundings were eerily quiet. He turned his head here and there, looking for something that felt out of place only to find the bed to his right empty and unoccupied.
Reno should have been there.
His eyes instantly rounded. Iharu got up, pushed aside the blanket and got out of bed as quickly as he could. His brow furrowed, eyebrows dipped in confusion. Where was Reno? Shouldn't the boy be at the clinic with him right now?
His eyes found the clinic door half open. Iharu bites his lip. Could Reno be out of the clinic? Perhaps there was something he had to do. But Reno should have asked him for help, because really, that boy had just broken his leg bone this morning. The pink-haired boy was just about to step out of the clinic when he heard Reno's soft voice from the hallway.
“I did it.”
The pink-haired boy went back inside, pausing by the wall next to the clinic door. Had Iharu not heard wrong? No, he was sure Reno was talking. But, who was Reno talking to? Iharu did not sense the presence of anyone else in the hallway other than the tapping of Reno's sandals.
“It's a little chaotic, but everything is fine.”
Was Reno on the phone with someone? Ain't no way he was talking to a ghost. However, even if he was on the phone, why would Reno call in the hallway? His leg was broken, so why would he bother walking outside the clinic to make a call? It would have been better if he just called on his bed and rested his leg a lot longer.
“How about you?”
Iharu was now standing behind the wall, slightly crouched, as if hiding to overhear Reno's conversation with his interlocutor whoever his identity was. It seemed like Reno was listening to the other person's words, because no more sound came out of the boy.
After a minute, Iharu could hear Reno speak, “You never take care of yourself properly.”
“Let's not talk about me now. At least, I've been well taken care of by the nurse. You haven't. Why not consider trying to ask your friends for help?”
“How can it get better if you're struggling just to stand up? I told you, just call them. They won't scold you just because you asked, baka. At least they won't beat you up.”
Silence again. This time it was Reno's turn to listen again. However, it was less than a minute before Iharu heard Reno cluck and let out a long sigh.
“You really are stubborn, Haru.”
Haru.
Almost one year passed and it was the first time Iharu heard Reno say someone's name other than the Defense Force members. He gasped, almost exclaiming if only he didn't have enough sense to shut his mouth quickly. The boy was silent, really, listening to Reno's conversation any longer would likely make Iharu's curiosity want to explode.
Who is he? Who is Haru? Is he a boy or a girl? What was his relationship with Reno? Were the two of them friends? Or possibly family? Who was Haru to make Reno have to call secretly outside the clinic even when his leg was broken? Iharu really wanted to ask Reno everything.
“Why is it so hard for you to listen to my advice?” Iharu bit his lips tensely, his body pressed closer to the wall, trying to overhear Reno's conversation more than before, “Listen to me. Recover your condition to normal at any cost.”
'I told you, didn't I? I ... don't want anything to happen to you.”
Reno's tone sounded lower than before. His tone sounded worried, as if something would happen if Reno didn't advise the person on the other end of the line. Iharu squeezed his fingers. For God's sake, his heart was pounding and felt stiff when he heard Reno's conversation with someone.
“... I'll find the time. The number of kaiju is increasing quite a lot these days, making my missions grow more and more, but when I have the chance, I'll use it for you.”
“I guess ... that's enough. I can't call you for too long. Sorry.”
“Take care, Haru.”
The conversation ended after a slow six minutes. Iharu was frozen in place. His head was spinning, full of questions that he wanted to voice in front of Reno as soon as he could, even though he didn't know if he would get any answers from him.
Reno had always been a private person. He was kind, too kind, and like Kafka, the boy always protective about others, but he never opened himself up to Iharu or anyone else. There were several times Iharu tried to ask one or two things about his life but Reno only answered briefly. His answers were too general and vague for Iharu to understand.
Sometimes Iharu felt frustrated with the behavior of his rival and roommate, but he couldn't do anything further. He didn't want to force it. Iharu didn't want his curiosity to make Reno feel disturbed or depressed.
It didn't matter. Maybe one day Reno will tell him. Iharu had plenty of time to wait for Reno to be ready to tell him everything.
But, to be honest, listening to Reno talk so softly with someone outside of the Defense Force members, how his tone of voice was so caring and affectionate, how his tone of voice sounded both worried and tired ... Iharu couldn't help but be curious too.
Clack.
The sound of sandals from the direction of the hallway made Iharu's heart feel like it was about to burst. Without further ado, Iharu immediately ran towards his sickbed as fast as he could. Never mind that his arm was aching from the sudden movement, Reno must not know that Iharu had overheard his conversation!
He had just sat down and spread his blanket over his thighs when the clinic door opened and revealed Reno's silver-haired head and sparkling violet eyes from behind it. Iharu forced himself to clear his throat and asked, “... Where have you been, Reno?”
The silver-haired boy did not answer, instead rubbing his nape and letting out a long sigh, “Sorry. I took a walk outside to get some fresh air.”
Iharu laughed wryly to himself.
Ichikawa Reno had just lied to him.
“With that newly broken leg? How far can you walk with that cast on? Ha! Find a better reason when you want to lie to me, Reno.”
Reno fell silent. His violet eyes half-heartedly looked at Iharu's face. Reno's brow furrowed slightly, a sign that the boy was in a confused phase yet trying hard to think. Iharu knew for sure that Reno must be racking his brains for a more reasonable reply. He always did.
Iharu let out a long breath. He chose to give up. “Never mind.”
“It's fine if you don't want to tell,” Iharu pushed aside the blanket and stood up, looking so natural as if he wasn't an overhearing thief of people's conversations a few minutes before, ”It's just, please take better care of your body, idiot. Don't insist on walking when a cast this big is attached to your leg.”
“Let me help you.”
Iharu let Reno's arm rest on both of his shoulders, slowly guiding the silver-haired boy back to the bed. Fortunately Reno did not refuse his help as he usually did, this time the boy just obeyed and followed Iharu's steps even though they were limped. Iharu helped Reno sit on the bed, corrected the position of the pillow and made sure Reno was lying comfortably on the mattress before covering him with the clinic's white blanket.
“Get some rest. Your leg will get worse if you move around a lot,” Iharu patted Reno's shoulder, looking at the boy's face gently, ”Just call me if you need help. At least my legs are still pretty intact compared to yours.”
“I'm not that weak.”
“Whatever,” The quirk in Reno's eyebrow made Iharu chuckle amusedly. It was always fun to annoy the tough perfectionist Reno. “I'm going to the restroom first. I'm almost dying."
That was almost half true. Actually, Iharu needed time to escape from Reno first. He needed to control himself for a while after that overhearing session. But it was also half true, Iharu needed to go to the toilet.
Iharu had just passed through the door when his ears heard Reno's voice from inside the clinic, calling out softly and voicing a word or two he hadn't expected, “Thank you, Iharu.”
Iharu's smile immediately widened. “Yeah.”
It's okay if Reno lies to him this time. One day, at the right time, Iharu was sure that Reno would tell him everything.