The walk through the streets dragged heavily on Shikata’s mind, what was objectively a successful session felt more like a defeat to the young cynic. 

“You know, this isn’t exactly how I envisioned my life at this. When I became a social worker, I expected to be mending the wounds hidden deep in society by helping the hard cases, not this Saturday morning drama show,” he sighed.

His mind wandered back to earlier in his day, the encounter with the old man at the train station stuck with him.

“Someone like that should’ve been the priority of my day.”

As Shikata sluggishly strolled through the streets, he couldn’t help but notice the signs of struggle he noticed from the people he walked by.

“Or that gentleman, his eyes are red, face was distraught, and why is a regular office worker out at this time; he probably got fired today. Or her, she’s overly flustering over her hair covering half her face; is she suffering a form of physical abuse from work or at home? Even that young kid over there weeping, there’s a university nearby from the direction he’s coming from and I think today was the day they announced who got accepted; must’ve failed to get in. People his age take it extremely hard whenever they don’t get into their desired schools, will he be able to handle it on his own, can anyone help him before he takes any unnecessary drastic actions?”

He thought maybe he could help them. His body jerked toward one of the hurting people he passed by but halted as he had lost them. Those three weren’t the only person that showed signs of pain, it was a sea of people in anguish that awashed his vision. Each going their own way and fashion, getting further from his reach. Even with all his skills and knowledge, what could he do to turn the tide?

The vacant eyes of Shikata stared up at the blue sky above him.

“I guess a helping hand can only be held so low.”

At times, he questions if any efforts he makes at all matter or if it was a futile endeavor.

“It’s like a waterfall, no matter how much I try to divert it, the water moves around my offered hands to fall into their fated destination. My attempted assistance could’ve been there or not, nothing would’ve changed, I’m only indulging myself in a pious play.”

The world being so big and chaotic, it’s hard to see anything that can give it a moment of calm.

Could a dream achieve it be so foolish?

His thought was interrupted when he heard the crunching sound of paper crumpling near him followed by a yelp and a thump. Looking close by he found a woman on the floor, her groceries laid out on the floor, and a small girl next to her who shared similar facial features.

Hearing her groan was practically a calling card for Shikata to come over. The young child was attentively asking her mother if she was ok only to see a man she’s never seen approach the both of them. Seeing his stoned face understandably frighten the child, the mother finally recovering from her fall looked first at her child to assure she was ok but trailing her sights up to what was rattling the girl. Their eyes mimicked each other, sharing the same unsettled display.

“Are you ok?” Shikata asked as he bent down to help retrieve her groceries.

For a moment, the mother seemed surprised that she was being assisted by a stranger. Snapping out of it, the modesty in her made her move to help collect her items, “You don’t need to help… with… that.”

Her words trailed off as she witnessed Shikata’s hands shoot out quicker than a child grabbing a candy bar, swiftly picking up all the littered items and repacking them back into the bags. The mother barely had time to process the amazement before Shikata was finished, holding the bags up as if they never fell in the first place.

All she could think to say was, “Oh.”

Standing to his feet, Shikata held out a hand to help the mother up, who accepted it. While helping her up, he noticed the lack of a ring on either of her hands.

“Divorce, never married, wedlock, or maybe a widow?” he asked himself, “Or their child flushed it down the toilet, that surprisingly happens more than you’ll think.”

Getting to her feet, the woman showed her gratitude with many forms of, “Thank you!”

“Huh, oh don’t worry about it?” he says, his mind was adrift in his memories for a bit before her voice brought him back. His eyes lowered down to the little girl hugging her mother’s leg, “Uh… is she yours?”

“Yes, yes. Where are your manners Hogo? Greet the kind man.”

Poking out her head away from her mother, the girl named Hogo mutters, “H-hi, thank you.”

“She’s a little shy,” her mother explained, trying to wave off her daughter’s demeanor.

Assuring raising a hand, Shikata went to ease the tension by telling her, “It’s nothing new, I scare children often.”

“What?”

“Eh, I meant kids find it intimidating when I approach them… because of my stature.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Don’t blame them either, at their age I look like someone who’ll give them a pretty lengthy scolding. That’s nightmare fuel to them.”

That last comment managed to get a giggle from the woman despite the dry delivery. Echoing her mother’s sentiment, the child started to ease up a bit, looking at the gentleman in front with less fear and more curiosity from how he managed to make her caregiver smile. Looking past the stone-face, Hogo laid her eyes upon Shikata’s hands and her eyes became dazzled with amazement.

“I recognize those rings!” Hogo blurted out, pointing to the multiple accessories attached to his finger.  “They’re from Crescent Fate Princesses.”

“Huh?” the mother said, befuddled at first before she started to remember, “Wait, do you mean that show you’re always watching.”

“Yeah, I love it! Those are Stellar Rings, they give out amazing powers to do fantastical feats. Do you see the longer metal one on his index? That one specifically was worn by the vigilante Gentle Eclipse! He goes around the galaxy executing his own sense of justice to help people and oftentimes being at odds with the main hero Marine Lunar and The Moon Crew.”

“Oooh,” the mom exclaimed, nodding her head as if she understood before immediately breaking the illusion covering her confusion, “What?”

Shikata squatted down as he explained, “Imagine superheroes, but they’re magical, mostly girls, and are in space.” 

“That’s better.”

“The sequel series is extremely popular these days. I assume you’re a fan?” he asked Hogo, holding out his right hand so she could get a closer look.

The little girl happily jumped at the chance to awe at the metallic accessory, ”It’s my favorite show! These look a little different from the show though, did you make them yourself?”

“No, they’re modeled after the design from the original series. It was a gift.”

“Awesome!”

Shikata rose to his feet, reached into his pocket to get out his business cards, searching through them before handing one to her; one with a different set of addresses and numbers on the back, “Anyways, I should be going. You lot have somewhere to be as well. Here’s my card, if you need any assistance with something let me know; I know a few places that could be able to help with any troubles you may have.”

Looking down at the card and back up, the mother told him, “Thank you, I’ll certainly repay you for this.”

“I like melon bread,” he said before walking off.

Exchanging quick farewells, they went on their way.

As he walked away, the young man looked back at his right hand to eye the metal ring; and began glaring at it almost in disgust seeing it on his finger.

“This shouldn’t be here,” he thought to himself, almost tempted to toss it off his finger right then and there. It brought a sickening feeling to his stomach, but soon he calmed him as he crossed the street, “Eh, no use thinking over it now. Not like being overdramatic will doing anything anyways.”

Shikata looked at his phone to check the time, noticing he had received a few text messages. His heart sank when a message from Hako was among the top ones he recently received; she didn’t even go to work yet what could’ve happened in that small time free!

“I’m about ready to check out today.”

Sighing, he went to answer his phone. 

SCREEEEECH!

BASH!

SCREEEEEEEEEEECH!

It was right then that the shrieking of rubber rubbing against asphalt and the honking of a horn tore through the air with an ear-piercing cry. Like any regular person, his first instinct was to look in the direction it came from, both out of curiosity to see what happened and if this disturbance could affect him as well.

It was the latter, for as he turned to the street he discovered a runaway truck swerving recklessly in the streets at high speed straight toward him; and unfortunately, it was a lot closer than Shikata would expect. The young man was square in the middle of its path and he barely had time to process what happened before the truck was only a couple of yards away.

Could he get out of the way? Run, jump, duck, roll, dodge.

All sorts of options that may not give him a high chance to evade but would be something that might assist in his survival.

Yet, an eerie relaxed expression hit Shikata’s face as he stared at the charging metal vehicle. Only a thought passed through his mind.

“How about that?”

The next couple of moments were fuzzy for Shikata, it was a hectic couple of seconds, but there was a single certainty that it ended with everything turning dark.

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Then an angelic voice called out to him, “Greetings, you have died.”

A/N: HOPED YOU ENJOY IT, follow me on Twitter or Youtube at HeroDarkyDark, or go to my Kofi to support me in other ways. See ya next time