Nozomi and Seiza stared wide-eyed at Yoshino, who met their gaze with equal surprise. The silence stretched taut between them, a palpable tension lingering in the night air. A few agonizing seconds passed before Nozomi finally snapped out of her stupor.

"O-oh, I see that you have awakened! Good, good, er...no need to worry, citizen!" she stammered, her voice tinged with forced cheerfulness.

With a nervous flourish, Nozomi placed her left hand on her hip and pointed at herself with her right thumb. "Because I, Guardian Taurus, saved you from that monster!" She attempted a reassuring smile, but it morphed into something awkward and strained.

Ahhhh, this is so embarrassing! At this point, I am gonna die out of pure shame! Nozomi's mind screamed, as conspicuous beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

Yoshino, who had remained silent up until now, blinked a few times before bursting into a fit of laughter. The sound was pure, unadulterated mirth, and it rang through the night air. After a few seconds, she managed to calm down, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "Phew...seriously, Nozomi? You really thought I wouldn't recognize you like that? The only thing you did was make me laugh!" She shook her head, a smile still tugging at her lips.

Nozomi deflated from her dramatic pose, her attempt at disguise falling flat. "Which I guess, it's what I needed after...forget it," Yoshino tried to wave off the gravity of the situation. Her smile faltered briefly before she forced it back, attempting to appear strong.

But it wasn't fast enough for Nozomi to miss it. She quickly put two and two together and mentally chided herself. Of course! Urgh, what a good friend I am...didn't even consider that she might not be okay even after saving her from that monster! And what did I do? I dumped all my frustrations on her without thinking! What could I do to make this right? She racked her brain for a solution until an idea struck her. Wait...I know!

Gently, Nozomi reached for Yoshino's hands and gave her an understanding smile. "H-hey...come on now...I mean...I already forced you to listen to my rant, so it's only fair I give you the same privilege...if you're up to it, of course," she offered, her voice soft and sincere. She wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say, but she felt the need to try.

Yoshino was taken aback, her eyes widening in surprise. She hadn't expected Nozomi to see through her facade so easily. With some hesitation, Yoshino slowly nodded, a more genuine smile breaking through. "Really?"

Nozomi nodded affirmatively. "Let out as much steam as you can, I'll listen," she assured Yoshino, before sitting down beside her, releasing her friend's hands. Seiza, sensing the gravity of the moment, settled on Nozomi's lap. She did not oppose, still feeling grateful for his support.

Yoshino closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to steady herself. When she felt ready, she opened her eyes and nodded. "So...where do I begin? Oh yeah, WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL WAS THAT?!" Yoshino's voice escalated into a yell, loud and abrupt enough to startle both Nozomi and Seiza.

Realizing her outburst, she tried to rephrase her question. "I mean...did you see what I saw?" She turned to Nozomi with a desperate expression. "That...thing?" Yoshino's voice quivered.

Nozomi knew that lying would only worsen the situation. Nodding solemnly, she confirmed Yoshino's fears. "Yes," she admitted, her voice steady but filled with empathy.

"I see..." Yoshino exhaled a sigh of relief mixed with resignation. "Okay, so I guess I haven't gone completely crazy...yet...that's...something, I guess..." She furrowed her eyebrows before turning to Nozomi. "Did you...kill it?"

Nozomi nodded again, maintaining eye contact to convey her sincerity. "Yes, it's dead. You don't need to worry about it any longer." She gave Yoshino a tired but confident smile.

"That's a relief…" Yoshino murmured, tension easing from her shoulders. She glanced at a nearby vending machine for a few moments before getting up.

"Yeah, there's at least that..." Nozomi agreed dryly, only noticing Yoshino had left the bench. "Hmm? Yoshino?"

Yoshino walked to the vending machine, returning after a few moments with two water bottles. "Here," she said, offering one to Nozomi.

Nozomi blinked in surprise. "Oh...you didn't need to, I could have paid for mine." She accepted the bottle awkwardly.

"I know, and that's why I did it..." Yoshino pondered before continuing, "Think of it as my thanks for saving me." She unscrewed the lid and took a sip.

Nozomi nodded slowly. She wasn't entirely comfortable with being rewarded for saving someone, but she knew Yoshino wouldn't take no for an answer. "Hey, Yoshino..."

"What..." Yoshino's eyes widened in shock as Nozomi suddenly wrapped her arms around her. The embrace was warm and tight, a stark contrast to the icy shock of surprise that ran through Yoshino. Yoshino froze in place, her mind racing to comprehend the unexpected gesture. A deep blush spread across her cheeks, coloring her face with a rosy hue.

"O-oh, I see, well...this is one way to say 'thank you', I guess?" Yoshino stuttered, her voice shaky. Her heart pounded in her chest, erratically trying to catch up with the rush of emotions flooding through her. The hug although unexpected, was comforting, stirring a mix of embarrassment and gratitude deep within her.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the hug ended. Nozomi pulled back, her own cheeks equally flushed, the color spreading as if it were a mirror reflection of Yoshino's surprise. "Sorry, sorry," Nozomi stammered, her sincerity palpable. "I'm just...really glad that you're okay."

Her eyes shimmered with unspoken relief, a look that conveyed a depth of concern and affection that words fell short of expressing. The brief contact had communicated a thousand unsaid things—fear, relief, and a profound bond that had withstood what both had gone through.

Yoshino, still reeling from the unexpected hug, managed a small smile. Emotion tightened her throat for a moment, making it hard to speak. "It's... it's okay," she finally replied, her own voice softer, tinged with a mix of vulnerability and appreciation. The moment, though fleeting, had sewn their hearts a little closer, a testament to their enduring friendship amidst chaos.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

To avoid showing the barely controlled swirl of emotions within her, Yoshino looked away as she took another sip from her bottle.

They sat in companionable silence for a while before Yoshino broke it. "By the way...I forgot to ask with everything happening, but...who's the talking dog?" She pointed at Seiza, an eyebrow arched in curiosity.

Nozomi's eyes widened in realization. "Oh yeah...I completely forgot to properly introduce you two!"

Standing up from the bench, she turned to face both of them. "Yoshino, this is Seiza, the one who healed your wounds and gave me the power to defeat that monster. And Seiza, this is my best friend in the whole world, Yoshino Kettei!"

Both Yoshino and Seiza chuckled at the dramatic introduction before Seiza gave a small, polite bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Kettei."

Taken aback by his formality, Yoshino responded in kind. "O-oh, likewise. Also, thank you for healing me and my friend," she added, a grateful smile gracing her features. A teasing thought crossed her mind. "Speaking of which, I hope she hasn't given you too much trouble since she can be kind of an airhead."

"Hey!" Nozomi protested, playfully pushing Yoshino.

Seiza played along, raising a paw to his chin in mock contemplation. "I see...I'll keep that in mind. Thankfully, this time wasn't an issue...I think."

Yoshino chuckled dryly. "Heh, yeah, really glad things turned out for the better…" Her expression darkened slightly as she gripped the half-empty plastic bottle tighter.

Noticing the shift, Nozomi asked, "What's wrong?"

Yoshino sighed, frustration evident. "It's just…why? Why did that thing attack me in the first place? I don't remember doing anything that would make me a target specifically...what if it happens again!?"

Seiza spoke up, drawing their attention. "I think I might know why you were targeted."

"You do?!" Both Nozomi and Yoshino exclaimed simultaneously at Seiza.

Seiza blinked, momentarily taken aback by their intensity. "Y-yes, but first, I must ask you, Yoshino. Did the monster demand anything from you, or did it just attack you?"

Yoshino closed her eyes, trying to recall. "Hmm…I think it said it wanted something from me; I think it was something like a black rock?"

Seiza's expression turned serious. "I see. Do you have something that looks like a black rock with you?"

Yoshino nodded slowly. "Yeah, just wait a minute..." She rummaged through her bag, eventually pulling out a small black rock. "Would this be what it wanted?"

Seiza inspected the rock before shaking his head. "No, that's just a regular rock, probably painted black. The monster probably mistook it for something else, making you a target."

Yoshino raised an eyebrow. "What was it really after, then?"

Seiza hesitated, glancing at Nozomi for confirmation. She nodded with a smile, offering silent encouragement. "Alright, I'll explain, but you have to promise not to share this information with anyone."

Yoshino agreed cautiously, and Seiza took a deep breath. "The monster you encountered was a darkspawn, a creature born from dark magic fueled by negative emotions. It was likely searching for the Crystal of Darkness, a mineral of pure negative energy. It seems it mistook your rock for the real thing."

Yoshino slowly raised her hand. "Yes, Yoshino?" Seiza prompted.

"That answers…some of my questions. But where does Nozomi fit into this [Crystal of Darkness] business?" she asked, looking between her friend and Seiza.

Nozomi, still digesting the explanation, added, "Yeah, what does it have to do with me?"

Seiza sighed. "To find and protect the Crystal of Darkness from darkspawns, I needed people with specific qualities, and Nozomi turned out to be one of them."

Eyes wide with excitement, Nozomi jumped up from the bench. "Wait a minute, you mean I'm like...a superhero?!" she guessed, practically glowing with enthusiasm.

Both Seiza and Yoshino sighed in unison at Nozomi's simplistic interpretation. Yoshino asked skeptically, "But why do you need her help? Can't you protect the crystal yourself?"

Seiza looked down, his expression tinged with shame. "My magic is purely support-based. I need to concentrate to use it effectively, which means I can't fight even if I wanted to."

Trying to comfort him, Yoshino said, "Hey, don't be like that. If you hadn't healed us, we would've been in serious trouble. That counts for a lot."

Seiza's eyes widened before a small, appreciative smile replaced his previous expression. "Yeah, thanks."

After a moment, Yoshino checked her watch and gasped. "Oh no, the time! My mom's going to kill me if I don't get home soon! Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

Quickly snapping out of her daydream, Nozomi nodded. "Yes, we can continue tomorrow. Go home safe."

Yoshino smiled and sprinted away, leaving Nozomi and Seiza alone in the playground.

"Shall we call it a night as well?" Seiza suggested, his voice tired. Nozomi nodded in agreement. They made their way back to her home, entering through her bedroom window with the help of Seiza's ability to fly.

As soon as her feet touched the bedroom floor, Nozomi collapsed onto her bed, sinking into its comforting embrace. Oh, how I missed you. I just want to stay here forever!' she thought, a sigh of contentment escaping her lips.

Just as sleep was about to claim her, her stomach growled loudly. Urgh, stomach! Why can't you wait until tomorrow?! Begrudgingly, she got out of bed, ready to head downstairs for dinner.

Before reaching the door, she caught her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her appearance stunned her—long white hair, a white school uniform, and silver eyes stared back. "Seiza, can I ask you something?"

Seiza, who was about to drift off to sleep on the carpet, perked up. He followed her gaze to the mirror and understood. "Just take off your tiara; you'll revert back to normal."

Nozomi removed the tiara, and in an instant, her appearance reverted. Her hair returned to its original length and color, her eyes their usual shade. She blinked, taking in the sudden transformation.

Looking at her hands, she saw the tiara had turned back into the star-shaped bronze pendant with the bull symbol. She placed it on her dresser before heading out for dinner.

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, at Yoshino's home, a modest two-story house, she approached the front door, relieved to see the lights from the living room and upstairs window. Phew, maybe I'm not too late!

Once inside, she heard the familiar cacophony of voices from the living room, likely her mother watching one of her old movies. Her mother, an aficionado of classic films with an extensive VHS collection, often indulged in movie marathons. Yoshino respected her dedication but never quite understood the appeal.

"I'm home! Sorry for being late; Nozomi and I lost track of time," Yoshino called, slipping off her shoes beside her brother's.

Just as she was about to head upstairs, her mother's voice halted her. "Hey, come here."

Turning, she saw the back of her mother's long black hair flowing over the couch. Her mother, Kurai Kettei, paused the movie and turned to face her.

Despite her late thirties, Kurai's youthful appearance belied her age, her light purple eyes framed by round glasses that had somehow survived years of use. Wearing casual, almost neet-like clothing, she raised an eyebrow at Yoshino. "Where have you been that you missed dinner?" she asked sternly.

Yoshino gulped. "Sorry...Nozomi and I lost track of time at the arcade. It won't happen again," she apologized, betraying no eye contact, lying out of necessity.

Kurai slowly nodded. "Alright...just make sure to call if you're going to be late next time."

"Yes, Mom," Yoshino agreed, relieved her mother didn't press the issue further.

"Good...now come here!" Kurai beckoned her closer with open arms.

Resigned, Yoshino accepted her second hug of the day, fighting back the urge to cry into her mother's shoulder. She managed to hold her composure as Kurai released her.

Watching Yoshino retreat upstairs, Kurai sighed. They grow up so fast... She mused, shaking her head to clear sentimental thoughts. Her eyes brightened as she remembered her current pastime. In any case, I should probably check on that summon's progress… Her smile turned excited as she unpaused her favorite movie, 'Monster Emperor: The Decisive Battle' just in time for her favorite scene. Right after this scene, of course!