Clover. ➳S. Hoshina

☘︎ Thirty Five

Flashback

"Y/n, I like you!" Soshiro's voice had been small but filled with courage, as he nervously handed you a four-leaf clover. His eyes were squeezed shut, his face flushed with a mixture of hope and fear, waiting for your response. The clover shook slightly in his trembling hands, and you could feel the weight of what he was trying to say, even if you didn’t fully understand it at the time.

It had been a normal day for everyone else, but for you, it was anything but. The pain of losing your father was still raw, and now, standing in front of Soshiro, you were about to lose something else—your best friend. You were moving to another city, and the bond you shared with him was about to be stretched to its limits.

You had known Soshiro for years, but never had you imagined he'd confess his feelings like this. The awkward blush on his face, the way he avoided your gaze—it was just like in the TV dramas you'd watched, but experiencing it firsthand was surreal. You hadn’t thought about love, not yet. You were too young, too wrapped up in your own grief and the idea of what the future held for both of you as JADF officers.

His confession wasn’t something you could respond to. Not now, not when your world was crumbling. Still, you remembered the promise you’d made to each other—that one day, as officers, you’d fight side by side, protecting each other no matter what.

"Soshiro…" you had said after what felt like an eternity of silence. He cracked one eye open, peeking at you nervously. You took the clover from his trembling fingers, and his eyes slowly opened, filled with hope and uncertainty.

Your mother's car horn blared in the background, but you ignored it. This moment couldn’t be rushed.

"I don’t have an answer for that right now," you said honestly, watching his expression fall just slightly. You felt the weight of disappointment hanging in the air, but it wasn’t the end.

You stepped forward, wrapping your arms around him. He hesitated for a moment before his arms encircled your waist. The hug was bittersweet, filled with the unspoken words of a farewell neither of you were ready for.

"But don’t worry, Shiro," you whispered. "I’ll give you my answer when we meet again."

With that, you left. And he waited.

He waited that summer, sitting by the same tree where you had said goodbye. Then another summer passed, and another. Each time, he hoped you would return, but you never did. He tried to reach you online, but you were nowhere to be found—no accounts, no trace. Yet still, he clung to that promise, believing that one day, you'd come back.

"Welcome, this exam will test your capabilities. Whether you become officers or not will depend on your performance," the vice-captain’s voice rang through the exam hall, pulling you out of your thoughts. "You have a few minutes to prepare."

You tried to calm your nerves, inhaling and exhaling deeply as the wind tugged at your hair. Your hands clenched and unclenched at your sides as you mentally steeled yourself for what was to come.

Across the room, Soshiro sat on a chair, saving his energy for the exam. His gaze wandered across the crowd until it settled on you. He watched the way your hair flowed with the wind, the way you closed your eyes to center yourself. You looked different, stronger, yet still… familiar.

Suddenly, your senses tingled, and you opened your eyes, scanning the room. Your gaze locked with his.

A jolt of recognition passed between you, like a current snapping to life. His red eyes met your e/c ones, and in that instant, the years melted away. The shy boy you had left behind was gone, replaced by a man who had grown in ways you hadn’t imagined. But still, you knew. It was him. It was Soshiro.

Without realizing it, his feet carried him toward you. His smile grew with every step, years of waiting and longing reflected in his eyes.

You froze, guilt washing over you as memories of the broken promise flooded your mind. You had never come back, despite how much you had wanted to. Your mother had kept you from him, and every time you tried to escape, she had caught you.

After all those years you tried to escape.

After all those years he kept waiting.

But now, here he was, right in front of you.

Joining the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force had been your last hope, a desperate attempt to find him again. And now, your gamble had paid off.

Soshiro didn’t hesitate. His strong arms wrapped around your shoulders, pulling you into a hug. You could hear his heart pounding in his chest, beating just as fast as your own. You hugged him back, resting your head against him, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions that washed over you.

"What took you so long?" His voice was soft but filled with the weight of the years between you.

End of flashback

The sharp crackle of static filled his earpiece, followed by Okonogi’s frantic voice.

"Vice Captain! Vice Captain!" she called out, her tone a mixture of fear and desperation as her fingers flew across the keys of her control panel. The panic in her voice was palpable, and though she tried to maintain her composure, the uncertainty of the situation was evident.

"He’s still breathing, don’t worry," One of the officers assured her , her voice dropping to a near whisper.

Lying amidst the shattered remains of buildings and rubble, his body felt like it weighed a ton. His limbs refused to move, every muscle screaming in exhaustion from the brutal battle. His chest rose and fell slowly, each breath laborious, but it was enough. His eyes, the only part of him still functional, gazed up at the open sky above. Despite the chaos and destruction around him, the sky was clear, an endless canvas of blue stretching beyond sight.

It was beautiful, almost surreal in contrast to the wreckage surrounding him.

He could hear Okonogi’s voice through the earpiece, but he didn’t have the strength to respond. His breathing, steady and shallow, was enough to signal his survival. After the fierce battle with Number 12, one of Number 9’s clones, his body had reached its limit. The pain was overwhelming, but the fact that he was still alive was a testament to his resilience—and to Number 10’s support throughout the fight.

A low chuckle escaped his lips, a quiet sound in the eerie silence of the aftermath. "Dang, why do I still think of you even in this situation?" he muttered to himself, a weak grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. His voice was hoarse, but the sentiment behind the words was clear.

He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the memory of your face wash over him. In the quiet aftermath of battle, with the destruction and chaos still settling around him, the thought of you brought him a fleeting sense of peace.

"I hope I can see this beautiful sky with you someday," he sighed softly, his breath barely a whisper. The weight of exhaustion pressed down on him, after that brutal fight.

It's been a month since he was you, though it was impossible to see you because of your mother. He still clings on to a small possibility of seeing you again, of sharing a moment of peace in a world, a moment such as this.