Darling in the FranXX: Insurrection

Chapter 37 - Kindred

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It's unlike Ikuno to sulk in her room. That's something Mitsuru would do, and one of the things she disliked was being compared to him.

However, this situation was far from normal, and she didn't know what to do about it.

After Naomi professed her love, Ikuno continued to sit on the verandah for a good while before she felt she could move. The whirlwind of thoughts and emotions suddenly coursing through her had made it so that she couldn't focus. Somehow she made it back to her room, but her head hadn't become any more clear.

The issue was twofold. Ikuno had never considered having romantic feelings with anyone other than Ichigo until now, and she didn't believe she'd be a very good partner in the first place. The two of these things together, when coupled with the shock factor of the sudden confession, resulted in Ikuno having too many things on her mind.

Ikuno curls up around a pillow on her bed, discarding her glasses and jamming her face into the soft material. She flops over sideways after a few seconds.

...How am I even supposed to respond to this? Ikuno thinks to herself. It's obvious to her that Naomi expects some kind of answer, but that's a lot harder said than done. It's also something she's currently incapable of giving.

I've never thought of Naomi as anything more than a friend because I was always so focused on Ichigo, Ikuno muses. If I hadn't been, would I have had an answer for her?

Ikuno shakes her head, hoping it'll help. It doesn't. Instead, it pulls Naomi's reddened face to the forefront of her mind, along with the words, "I love you." She can feel her face get hotter as she recalls the event.

She was really sincere, Ikuno says to herself after the moment fades. She can't be mistaken. Those are her true feelings, even if I don't know what to do with them. I mean, we get along well, and it's nice being with her. I could tell her yes because of that.

But... accepting Naomi's feelings means giving up on mine for Ichigo. They're emotions Ikuno has held on to for years, and they have not wavered. She didn't stop when Goro was partnered with Ichigo, or when she was matched with Mitsuru. She didn't stop when she was told that pistil to pistil connections wouldn't work. And she still didn't stop when Ichigo found her new partner to be her perfect match, the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Ikuno thinks back to a few hours before, watching (Y/N) and Ichigo play with the girls. A few tears appear in the corners of her eyes. They don't mean to, but it's like they're rubbing it in my face. They don't have a care in the world when they're with one another. And the two of them now have the little girls. They're practically a family.

Finally, Ikuno is able to accept the thing she desperately wished to avoid for so long. There's no way anything will come of these feelings for Ichigo now. The two of them really are perfect for one another. I can't ever fit into that romantic picture.

Then, an image of Naomi flashes across her vision. Ikuno remembers the countless days spent with the other girl in the Garden, and the many moments they've shared. And then, the dazzling image of Naomi highlighted by the sun lingers in her mind, tightening her chest and sending a shot of warmth through her body.

I'll never be able to forget Ichigo, Ikuno thinks, but that doesn't have to stop me from thinking about others. I don't have to forget her, just accept the way things are.