Utapri Short Stories

Zero - Part 2 (End)

Yamato managed to make Haru believe he was an angel and ended up sharing the garage for the next few days. He slept on the couch and she on the bed. Haru confided her problems to him for being her guardian angel, but that only made Yamato more confused. She had friends, was a good student, had a job and was an excellent writer, even though her work was posted anonymously on the internet. What would be her real problem?

"You need to be honest with me. What is your real problem? What is your biggest frustration?" He asked for the hundredth time after two months here on Earth not sure how to help the girl. "I don't know... and you? What's your biggest frustration? Your biggest problem?" Her innocent smile seemed to prick his heart like 100 needles pricking at once. "Why do you want to know about me?" He questioned confused.

"Because... We are friends, aren't we?" She looked away a little embarrassedly at her own question. "Friends..." Yamato repeated to himself, too surprised to say anything more. "Yes, friends. Will you tell me? You are always so mysterious with what you feel..." She insisted on the question and he let out a heavy sigh. That was none of her business and he didn't want to be honest about what he felt, but... Before he invented a lie, he found himself telling the truth.

"I feel like... a Zero. I feel like a failure and... All I wanted to do was show people that I can be good at something. That I can win something too." He explained closing his hands in fists and looking away, annoyed with himself. "I'm sorry to disappoint the you. They sent you a defective angel." And he shrugged, forcing an amused smile.

Hearing what he had said, Haru felt her heart sink. Despite everything she had and all the people she helped, she still felt like useless. She felt like they didn't really care about her. She didn't know much about the angel, but really wanted him to feel alright again. "I do not agree. Zero is a number with a lot of potential, you know? You just need to change its position..." She approached him and touched his shoulders, which she reached only because the angel was sitting.

"Haru...?" Yamato blinked a few times, surprised and shocked by her words. "I have changed my position many times. It's my last chance." He said simply and looked away again. "So hold on to that chance! I'm going to help you! You will prove that you can be an excellent angel!" She said excitedly and her smile widened further.

In the following weeks, Haru dragged Yamato everywhere she went: college, market, mall, library, theater, coffee shop, her friends' house, the house of the elderly woman who rented the garage for her, the office where she worked... The girl helped him to help as many people as possible and although he complained in the beginning, he also liked to see how it made the girl happy.

Six months since he had departed from Earth, and he felt as if she had helped him more than he had helped her. The archangels were following their deeds, but something was bothering them: his relationship with the human had changed. They were in love, even if they hadn't realized it yet. Ryuya would have to descend to Earth to alert his brother about this and make his final decision.

"You are a great guardian angel!" Haru spoke to him on a Saturday night, while watching movies together in the garage after a full day doing volunteer work at an organization that protected abandoned animals. "I'm sure your superiors will soon notice that!" But her smile did not reach him. He didn't want to go back to heaven anymore.

"Haru... Do you really want me to leave?" He asked, studying her expression closely. Yamato no longer wanted to be an angel, in fact, he didn't care what he would become, he just wanted to be with her. "Do you really want me to go back to heaven?" His voice has never sounded so insecure before.

"Ah, Yamato... I want what's best for you. If you want to come back, I will support you even though I will miss you a lot." Haru explained with a gentle smile. "I just want you to be happy." The girl's words hit him very hard again. The girl hadn't lied, but deep down she didn't want him to leave. She felt that he was what was missing in her life. She knew now that she was in love with him and that made her happy and sad at the same time.

"You are too good for this world. Should you care about yourself, too? What are you going to do when I leave? Who will care about you for you?" He replied with a half smile and stroked her face. He knew there would be no turning back. He had made a decision. "In that case, I can't go back. You need me more than the legion of strong and smart angels." And he approached her face, sealing her lips in a passionate kiss.

As soon as Yamato separated the kiss, both with hearts beating fast in the chest, Ryuya made his appearance, scaring the couple. "Yamato Hyuga, you fell in love with the girl you were just supposed to protect. Do you know what that means?" Strangely, in Ryuya's eyes there was no sign of scolding, he even seemed to be happy.

"Yes, I know. And I'm ready to face the consequences." Yamato said in a decisive tone, putting himself in front of Haru, who was clinging to his arm for fear of him being hurt. "It's fine, then. Therefore, using the power that has been granted to me, I declare that your wings will be taken... And you will remain on Earth as a human until the day of your death. Good Lucky, brother." Ryuya announced, removing the angel's powers from him.

Yamato smiled smugly and hugged Haru when it was over. He talked to Ryuya, who admitted he was proud of the youngest for the decision he made and for everything he did. Then they said goodbye and the Archangel erased their memories of angels, altering them so that they would not forget the moments together. Yamato got a job on Earth and Haru managed to get a promotion on her job one week later.

The two managed to rent a better house to live in and continued to do good deeds and always helping those in need. They never again felt like useless zeros, but as people with infinite possibilities of being happy. Happy together, completing each other like two halves joined into one.

...

~ Originally posted at _utapri.stories on Instagram

~ Chapter cover edited by me

~ Inspired by the song Zero - Imagine Dragons

~ Dedicated to _hyugayamato on Instagram