𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀 [𝒚.𝒔]

𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀; 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖

┌──☾❀*̥˚─────❀*̥˚─┐

❝𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠❞

└───❀*̥˚─────❀*̥˚☾┘

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘✧ ✦ ✧∘∙⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

You watched as the first flowers began to blossom in your garden, one of the rarer moments where you finally had a break from your duties as a Goddess. You threw off your many layers of clothing, leaving Kamei to quickly gather the fabric before they could be dirtied. You eagerly ran towards the pool of rabbits, kneeling to their level and picking them up into your arms to stroke at their fur. They sniffed at your body before curling up close to the crook of your neck. Kamei stood close by your side with her hands folded together, the bundle of clothes still in her arms, smiling as you leaned up against the tree to sigh in relief.

It really was the start of spring.

The warm embrace of the rabbits brought you closer to reality, grounding you to the Earth as you stared up at the blue sky. The weather was slightly cold but it was nothing compared to the excitement which vibrated inside you, causing your temperature to keep yourself warm against the cold. You could feel the smaller animals kiss and nip at the edges of your chin, your hand rubbing against their cheeks softly as they all begin to gather around you.

"(Y/n), I wanted to ask you about that boy the other night, were the two of you close?" Kamei asked, folding your clothes into a neat stack which she laid down on her lap, "he was a nice-looking boy, you did talk with him until the party ended."

You turned towards her with a smile, "not really, but I could feel deep down there was something special about him."

"Was it your Goddess instincts speaking to you?" She joked, to which you responded with a burst of light laughter.

"I don't think it was like that but. . ." Your fingers brushed against the white rabbit's fur coat, "it really made me realize that perhaps there's still more I can do here. There is someone else who shares the same pain as I do."

"Seeing him so happy like that. . . It makes me think that I'm starting to understand my purpose as a Goddess here." Kamei closed her mouth shut, her ears open to listen to every word which came from your mouth. "You were right about boys, Kamei, they are very strange."

"He kept flicking pieces of bread at me even though it was supposed to be some formal party," you laughed, your body shaking slightly with joy as you brought the rabbit closer to your body, "but I really liked talking to someone else who looked like my age, it was as if my body was in a total state of shock!"

"I hardly knew what to say, it was a bit stressful yet exciting!" You bashfully admitted, your eyes fluttering with each breeze that came your way, ". . . But. . . It made me really happy to talk so freely like that. . . To admit that my life isn't as great as it seems. . . For someone to hear me and see that. . . It made me so happy."

"In a way, it felt like we were connected by our pain? He looked very lonely as well when he was with his parents, it made me wonder if people expected a lot from him as well," Kamei watched as your lips began to tremble, the rosy color looking fragile as you held back the urge to bite down, "everyone looked so joyous being together at my party. . . Why wasn't I the one joining them? Why wouldn't I have fun at my own party? Was it that obvious to Yanagi-san?"

A stray tear slipped from your eyes. It started with one drop which multiplied to several, and eventually, they became messy blobs of water streaming down your face.