I see why she needed a pad so urgently… it's a heavy flow. It was obvious the moment I carried her.
Shiharu fell silent, staring at Reika's sleeping form on the bed. The golden cloth Hoshiyuki had wrapped around her rose and fell with her steady breathing.
"Doesn't it hurt?" he asked quietly.
"You mean her menstrual cramps?"
Shiharu nodded.
Hoshiyuki gave a small, amused sigh. "Goodness… are we really going to pretend this isn't awkward? How am I supposed to know these things?"
"You said earlier that you read a lot about women's menstrual cycles."
Shiharu folded his arms, looking at him expectantly. Hoshiyuki only shrugged.
"Get ice packs. Are there any here?"
"I don't think so…" Shiharu muttered, glancing around the room. "Oh, wait… maybe there are."
He slipped out of the bedroom, leaving Hoshiyuki alone with Reika. The ghost gazed down at the peacefully sleeping girl, the golden cloth draped gently over her like a protective shroud.
A few minutes later, Shiharu returned with an ice pack in hand.
"I don't know how this is done, but… probably place it on her belly?"
"Don't you think she'll scream? It's too cold. What if the blood freezes?"
"Haru… your ideas are wild," Hoshiyuki sighed dramatically, gently taking the ice pack from him. "Before we do anything, maybe she doesn't even have cramps. If she did, she wouldn't have been so carefree earlier tonight."
"Seriously, I don't know." Shiharu ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear in his voice. "I've never felt this disappointed in myself. What if she's hurting right now?"
"I don't think so. She looks peaceful."
"That's only because you put her to sleep."
Hoshiyuki smiled faintly.
"Let's not overthink this. It's already 11:05 PM… aren't you going to sleep?"
Shiharu shook his head.
"Reika will remember everything that happened tonight, won't she?"
Hoshiyuki nodded.
"I can make her forget what happened this night… if that's what you want."
"Go ahead."
Hoshiyuki offered a soft nod. He reached out, pressing two fingers gently to Reika's forehead. A faint golden glow pulsed once, then faded.
She would remember nothing of the nightmare.
---
"Here, give me your hand."
Hoshiyuki said softly. Shiharu stretched out his palm curiously. When Hoshiyuki tried to take it, his fingers passed straight through once again. The simple failure shattered something in both of them.
Hoshiyuki forced a gentle smile, but Shiharu couldn't manage one.
"Tell me the truth… why could you touch her, but not me?" The words spilled out before he could stop them. "It hurts more than I want to admit."
"I don't know either," Hoshiyuki replied quietly. "But it's obvious it's not just her. I can touch the others too… sometimes. I think it only happens when I truly will it. Or maybe not. I'm not sure."
"So what are you saying?" Shiharu's voice cracked. "That touching me isn't your will? What makes me different from everyone else? When you vanished in that golden light… I thought I'd lost you forever. I was scared… but I had no time to think. This… this is unfair. It's really unfair. One day, I want to hold you without being afraid my arms will pass through."
Before he could finish, Hoshiyuki's white cat jumped onto his leg, persistently pawing at him as if trying to comfort him. Shiharu slowly came back to himself. He scooped the cat into his arms and buried his face in her soft fur, hiding the storm of emotions on his face.
"Don't you think it's because you carry my soul inside you?" Hoshiyuki said after a long pause. It was the first time in forever he truly felt at a loss for words. "How can a ghost whose soul now lives in a human do as he pleases?"
He fell silent again, mind blank.
"I'm sorry… I can't find the right words to comfort you right now. But I'll try my best to find a solution, okay?" A wide smile spread across his face, though it hid nothing but deep pain. "Still… it makes me happy that this bothers you so much."
"You're hurting," Shiharu observed quietly after they left Reika's room. They placed the sleeping cat on her small bed beside Reika's and retreated to Shiharu's own room.
"What do you like?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do you like?" Shiharu repeated. "I'm bad at this, but… maybe whatever you like will cheer you up."
"How cute," Hoshiyuki laughed softly. He tied his long golden-blonde hair into a majestic half-up style while slowly floating down until his bare feet touched the floor. He walked toward Shiharu and opened his hand in the air. A long red thread appeared, falling gracefully into his palm. It strangely reminded Shiharu of the red string of fate Reika had once mentioned.
"I wish I could tie this around your arm right now… but I can't. So you have to do it." Hoshiyuki's voice was gentle. "No matter how far apart we are, this must never come off. It will help me locate you wherever you are. And if it breaks or falls off on its own… it means I'm in danger." He laughed lightly. "But you don't have to worry about that. Keep it on at all times, okay?"
"Wait… so while putting it on, I just have to make sure it doesn't come off by itself. Noted."
Shiharu nodded with utmost care, as if afraid the thread might slip away at any moment. He tied it loosely but securely around his right wrist.
Hoshiyuki laughed again, covering half his vivid green eyes with his palm. "No matter how tightly you tie it, it will fall off on its own if I'm truly in danger…"
"Then don't be," Shiharu interrupted gently. "Don't ever be in danger. I don't want it coming off."
A genuine, warm smile spread across Hoshiyuki's face as he nodded.
"Sure. Whatever you say, my moon. I'll listen to you." He paused. "Now… it's time for bed."
"Can't we just watch anime until morning? I don't feel sleepy…"
"One…"
"Excuse me?"
"Two…"
"If you think you can just—"
"Three. When I reach five… Haru, your time is up."
Shiharu's eyes widened. At "Four," he flung himself onto the bed with a soft thud and quickly pulled the sheets over himself.
"Five."
Hoshiyuki whispered, grinning.
"There. That wasn't so hard, was it?" He sat down gracefully on the floor beside the bed, his ghostly form glowing faintly. "Now close your eyes and sleep soundly. I'll watch over you."
"You sure?" Shiharu asked, peering up at him. "You're not going anywhere, are you?"
"Don't make me put you to sleep myself."
"I'm… I'm sorry, hmph!" Shiharu huffed. "I'll sleep… but don't you dare leave my side."
Hoshiyuki smiled softly and rested his arms and head on his raised knees, quietly watching as Shiharu slowly drifted off. In the gentle silence, he wondered how he would ever find the courage to tell him that he would have to leave soon.