Crossover PS 195 (Patreon)

Minoru opened his eyes, the entire process had taken no more than ten-odd seconds.

Takopi lay on his shoulder and asked, "What were you doing just now?"

Minoru continued walking forward, his tone flat. "Changing a few things."

"Changing what?"

"Making some adults a bit more reliable and making some children a bit kinder."

Takopi tilted his head. "Reliable adults? Kind children?"

Minoru nodded. "Yes. The kind of adults who won't transfer their pain onto children and won't ignore them. And the kind of children who won't follow others in bullying and stand by with indifference."

Takopi half-understood. "Will that make Shizuka happy?"

Minoru thought for a moment and said, "Not necessarily but at least it will make her path a bit easier to walk."

Takopi whispered, "You are a strange person."

Minoru smiled. "How am I strange?"

"Even though it's our first time meeting, you seem to know everything and can do anything. And you seem to understand the feeling of 'sadness' very well."

Takopi looked at him and suddenly thought of something. "By the way, those things you mentioned... reliable adults, kind children..."

"Hmm?"

"Will they stay that way from now on?"

Minoru nodded. "They probably will."

Takopi asked, "Then what if someone else becomes unhappy in the future? What then?"

Minoru turned his head to look at the pink octopus on his shoulder. "What do you want to ask?"

Takopi twisted his tentacles. "I... I have gadgets. But I don't know when I should use them and when I shouldn't."

Minoru smiled. "You want to learn?"

Takopi nodded.

Minoru picked Takopi up from his shoulder, and placed him in front of him.

"Then listen closely. First, don't be in a hurry to use your gadgets."

"Eh?"

"When you meet someone unhappy, don't immediately think about 'what item to use to make them happy.' Listen first, ask first, and try to understand first."

Takopi tilted his head. "But using a gadget is faster?"

Minoru shook his head. "Fast doesn't mean good. It's easy to make someone laugh, but making them truly happy is very hard."

Takopi half-understood.

"Second, some things are not for you to solve."

"What do you mean?"

"For example, Shizuka." Minoru pointed toward the distance. "The root of her problem isn't in herself, it's in her mother, her father, and those people at school who bully her."

"You can use a gadget to make her laugh, but can you make her mother better? Can you make those bullies disappear?"

"No."

"Right. So when you encounter something like this, what you should do isn't to shoulder it all yourself, but go find a reliable adult."

Takopi blinked. "Like you?"

Minoru chuckled. "Like me, or other people who can help."

"Third, don't bear everything alone."

Takopi was stunned. "B-but..."

Minoru said, "You're an alien, you don't understand how complex humans are. If you shoulder it alone, you'll only end up getting dragged down yourself."

Takopi lowered his head, his tentacles twisting together. "I just... wanted to make Shizuka happy..."

"I know." Minoru's voice softened. "But helping her doesn't mean you have to live her life for her. What you can do is accompany her, give her a hand when she needs it, and remind her when she's going down the wrong path."

He reached out and rubbed the top of Takopi's head. "Leave the rest to her. Let her learn to be happy, learn to face things, and learn to grow up on her own."

Takopi looked up. "I... think I understand a little."

Minoru smiled. "That's good."

He put Takopi back on his shoulder. "Let's go, there's still the most important person left to change."

Minoru's consciousness spread out once more. This time, it landed directly on Marina.

She was currently at school. The pages of her book were more twisted than those of any other classmate.

With a slight thought, Minoru acted.

[She begins to realize that what she hates is not Shizuka, but that broken family.]

[She understands that Shizuka, like her, is a child hurt by adults.]

[She has the ability to distinguish right from wrong and will not be completely consumed by her mother's hatred.]

[She is willing to try letting go of this resentment that does not belong to her.]

Then it was Shizuka's turn. The pages of her book were filled with traces of being neglected.

Her mother ignored her, her father didn't want her, and her classmates bullied her. The only thing that could give her warmth was Chappy. But Chappy was just a dog, what she needed more was human guidance.

[In her despair, she still maintains a longing for warmth.]

[She has the ability to distinguish true kindness from exploitation.]

[She will not give up on herself easily, because Chappy needs her.]

[Her longing for 'home' can be guided toward a healthier dependency.]

[She will understand that her existence itself is worthy of love.]

Finally, Minoru's gaze fell upon the relationship between the two—that "Common Book" filled with hatred and hurt.

[They will eventually understand that their mutual hatred is merely a displacement of fate.]

[Reconciliation does not require forgetting, it only requires seeing the pain in each other's eyes.]

Minoru opened his eyes.

Takopi lay on his shoulder and asked in a small voice, "Is it over?"

"It's over."

"Then... will Shizuka be happy now?"

Minoru thought for a moment and said, "She won't be happy immediately. But she will slowly learn how to make herself happy."

Takopi was silent for a few seconds, then said softly, "Thank you."

Minoru smiled. "You're welcome."

He raised his head and looked at the primary school in the distance. The bell for the end of class hadn't rung yet but soon, it would ring. And those children would hear that bell in a world different from yesterday's.

...

Inside the classroom.

Marina sat in her seat, looking at the sky outside the window. She suddenly felt something in her heart loosen slightly.

Not far away, Shizuka kept her head down, looking at the textbook on her desk. She suddenly remembered that time long ago when her mother had hugged her. That feeling didn't seem so distant anymore.

...

Takopi lay on Minoru's shoulder, watching the school in the distance.

"Do you think they'll become friends?"

Minoru said, "I don't know. But at least, they will slowly stop being enemies."

Takopi nodded.

A man, with a small pink octopus resting on his shoulder, walked slowly toward the distance. To be precise, he was walking toward a local specialty shop in the distance.

In the blink of an eye, Minoru walked out of the specialty shop. He held a large, bulging bag in his hand.

Takopi lay on his shoulder, poking his head out curiously. "What did you buy?"

Minoru said, lifting the bag slightly, "Local specialties. Squid Rice, Kombu, Cantaloupe Jelly, shiroi koibito... and some trinkets."

Takopi blinked. "For whom?"

Minoru said, "The people at home. Mahiru, Erii, Kiss-shot."

"There are... many people at your home?"

"Yeah, quite a few."

"Are they all your friends?"

Minoru nodded. "Among them is my lover, and also my friends."

Takopi was silent for a few seconds, then muttered softly, "Having many friends... is so nice."

Minoru glanced sideways at him. There was a hint of indescribable envy in Takopi's tone.

In truth, with Minoru's abilities, he didn't need to come out and do all this personally at all. With a single thought, everyone's ideas could change in an instant. With a snap of his fingers, things could appear directly inside Infinity Castle.

But some things feel different depending on whether you do them or not. Things picked out by hand carry warmth.

Besides, the sunlight in Hakodate is quite nice. It's good to take a walk.