Book Writing

Acceptance

Konju woke up at around 7 a.m., just as I was coming back from a shower back home (Well, I also had to deal with my dad's worrying, but I managed.), taking some pancakes plus maple syrup back with me.

"You feeling okay, Konju?" I asked him while setting the plate of food down on the floor. "Those injuries were hard to treat. You're lucky the bullet hadn't gone in, just grazed your leg."

"Y-Yeah," Konju shakily got up with my help, and managed to sit on the cushion comfortably. He then blinked as he looked over his fresh set of clothes.

"Hey, Aruke, did you... bathe me here last night?"

"What?" I giggled. "That's a funny thing to say, Konju. Why would I bathe you in a treehouse? I went to my house and bathed you there, silly."

"E-Eh?!" Konju's eyes widened. "You didn't have to!"

"Well, that's what friends do, right?" I smiled at him. "We're no longer strangers, Konju. We are friends fighting for the right thing."

"Really?!" Konju grinned. "So you finally made your decision?!"

I nodded, "I decided that while I may not deserve the Fluctuation Artefact, I'm not going to let the chance given to me go to waste." I gripped my fists, "I'm going to use this power to protect everyone in this universe."

At that, Konju's lips curled up to become a Cheshire grin, "Great!"

I grinned back, "I'm not that confident in my martial arts, though."

"Oh yeah, speaking of that, I never knew that you could do martial arts," Konju noted.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Konju," I smirked teasingly, causing him to laugh heartily.

"I admit that, Aruke. You were really amazing back there with the Fluctuation Artefact," he praised. I blushed scarlet.

"Y-You saw that?" I timidly asked, trying to hide my red face from him. He chuckled.

"Not the time part, but I definitely saw the space one. And I have to say, Aruke, you mastered it quite well."

"A-Ah, t-that was my first time though...."

Konju smiled, "I know, and that's why I'm impressed."

"I-Impressed?..." I repeated.

He nodded. I went red, "T-Thank you..."

"It's nothing. You deserve it," he smiled at me.

"A-A-Ah...." I smiled back. "T-Thank you..."

"It's nothing. You saved my life, Aruke. I owe you that."

"I-I was just doing the right thing... Please don't compliment me anymore... I-I already feel bad for treating you horribly last morning..."

"Eh? Oh, that time?" he laughed a bit. "It's okay, Aruke. I get the security. Just don't do it too often, okay? Not much people like those kind of accusations."

"O-Okay," I nodded.

"Good," he smiled. "We should probably get to practicing your skills more, Aruke. Martial arts alone won't be able to help out. You'll have to learn to use the Fluctuation Artefact effectively."

"Personally, I-I want to keep that to the minimum. I-I don't want to be too dependent on the Artefact," I admitted. "I-I want to be able to protect it even if I'm not using it. P-Plus..."

"Plus what?"

".... Actually, I have a lot of weaknesses. I look down on myself on a daily basis when I make a mistake, and when I win something, I usually get arrogant. T-Then I make a mistake, and the cycle repeats...."

Konju's eyes widened, "Aruke..."

Before I knew it, I was rambling to no end, "I also have this voice in my head that always bringing me down, taunting and laughing at my social-awkwardness. M-My schoolmates don't help. T-They push me away and isolate me... I-I always feel so lonely, b-but I-I don't want to bother Dad... H-He's so busy..."

By now, I was crying like a baby, shaking uncontrollably while curling up into a ball. Years of enduring this kind of thing had been hard on me, and I had never been the type to keep it down for too long.

And, to be honest, I hated that part of me. I hadn't liked the fact that I could never be strong enough to face my problems head on. I never wanted to bring others into my suffering, and making them pity me just made me feel worse.

It truly is a cycle of pain and suffering that I had weaved around myself, and I hated it.

Just then, I felt a warm body make contact with my own. I blinked as I looked up to see Konju's comforting smile.

"It's okay, Aruke. I can help you hold your burdens. I promise you I will never leave your side and will always support you to the end." My eyes widened hearing that.

"R-Really?"

"Really. I promise on my status as a Borrowed Actor."

"... Thank you so much," I whispered before I hugged him back.

"On one condition, though."

"Huh? What's that?"

"On the condition that you accept yourself, be it your good or bad sides."

My eyes widened, before it softened and I smiled, "Of course. But I want the same from you Konju."

"Okay then," he grinned as he held out his pinkie. "Pinkie promise?"

"Pinkie promise," I sealed it with my own pinkie, and we put our thumbs together.

Later on, I would ask Konju how he had known, which would be replied with the confession that I had said all my thoughts aloud.

Konju never let me live it down for a long time.