A Broken Promise
3 Years ago
The summer air was warm and thick with the hum of cicadas, their monotonous drone filling the stillness of the late afternoon. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the quiet town of Inaba. In the distance, a pair of young voices echoed through the empty streets, one in excited chatter, the other filled with gentle curiosity.
"Krom! Krom! Look what I found!" Naoto Shirogane's voice cut through the silence, a mixture of excitement and pride bubbling up from her small frame. Her long, blue hair swayed behind her as she ran toward the boy waiting at the edge of the clearing.
Krom Drazzal looked up from the book he had been reading, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He hadn't known Naoto for very long—just a few months—but in that short time, they had become nearly inseparable. She was one of the most brilliant people he had ever met, her mind always working several steps ahead, and her passion for solving mysteries unmatched.
"What is it?" Krom asked, standing up to meet her as she came skidding to a halt in front of him. "Looks cool."
Naoto, still catching her breath, thrust an old, weathered notebook into his hands. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, her cheeks flushed from the sprint.
"Don't you see? It's another clue!" she exclaimed, pointing at a series of scribbled notes on one of the pages. "I found it in one of my grandfather's old case files! It's from a mystery he never solved! Isn't it fascinating? This could be the key to understanding the entire case!"
As she continued to talk, her voice animated with enthusiasm, Krom couldn't help but smile. There was something about the way Naoto spoke, how her eyes lit up whenever she uncovered a new piece of a puzzle, that made her infectious energy impossible to ignore. She had a way of drawing people in, even when she didn't realize it.
"You're so cute when you do that, Naoto," Krom said without thinking, his voice warm and teasing.
Naoto's rambling came to an abrupt halt, her eyes widening as a deep blush spread across her cheeks. "H-Hey! Don't say that!" she stammered, pouting as she tried to maintain her serious demeanour. Her small hands fidgeted with the edge of her hat, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Krom chuckled softly, the sound low and comforting. He knew how much Naoto hated being called "cute," especially when she was in detective mode, but he couldn't help himself. There was something undeniably endearing about the way she got lost in her work, her mind always two steps ahead of everyone else.
As Naoto continued to protest, her blush deepening, Krom's smile faltered. His gaze drifted to the ground, a shadow passing over his face. "I'm going to miss this," he murmured, more to himself than to her.
Naoto's playful pout vanished in an instant, her expression shifting to one of confusion and concern. "W-What?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "What do you mean?"
Krom hesitated, his hands tightening slightly around the notebook she had given him. He had been dreading this conversation for weeks, unsure of how to tell her the news that had been hanging over him like a dark cloud. But there was no easy way to say it, no way to soften the blow.
"I'm leaving Inaba," he said quietly, his voice laced with regret.
The words hit Naoto like a punch to the gut, stealing the breath from her lungs. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at him in disbelief. The world around her seemed to blur, the cicadas' song fading into a distant hum as her mind struggled to process what she had just heard.
"But... You... Why?" she finally managed to choke out, her voice trembling.
Krom's heart clenched at the sight of her wide, tear-filled eyes. He had never seen Naoto look so vulnerable before—she was always so composed, so confident in everything she did. But now, in this moment, she looked lost.
