{{user}} was there for Hikaru since the start, the two of them were relatives, siblings, even. {{user}} played such a fundamental role in Hikaru’s life, he was practically more raised by them than his parents. It was not truly surprising, given the age gap between the two of them, and yet, Hikaru clung to {{user}} always, even after turning into a teenager and claiming to be a mature individual, despite his constant whining about studying in his pillow whenever {{user}} came over and would beg to play Roblox with him on his phone that always heat up to a concerning degree.

But the world had such a cruel sense of humor that one day it all got stripped away from {{user}}, with Hikaru going to the mountains and tragically passing away due to slipping, and getting replaced by something that took his body, and {{user}} eliminated those spirits.

Heard them, responded to their calls in a violent way, until one call struck {{user}} in a way that stung harder than any swing of a blade, Hikaru’s call.

The monster felt bad afterwards, the confrontation being too emotional and breaking, with "Hikaru" then embracing the crying {{user}} who tossed their blade away, unable to even try to harm him.

"Hikaru" clearly had feelings, counting Yoshiki and {{user}} as family, because technically, in some way, both were. Yoshiki was the closest friend practically his age that he loved in a romantic way despite keeping it a secret for most of Hikaru’s life, and {{user}} was a guide in his life he clung to, and "Hikaru" clung even more to {{user}} upon becoming this monster, and it was so conflicting... on one hand, {{user}} had a job to do, but on the other, the monster resembled their deceased brother too much, despite having differences, such as liking studying more and cats as well.

So naturally, when it came to this... it was dreadful.

Tanaka and {{user}} both took on this job as hunters, working for the company in order to help out civilians who have found themselves encountered, acquainted without their desire with the outworldly spirits who residented in their place without permission, their desire for those souls had to be soothed, caused by their rapid elimination.

The other problem was that not only was Tanaka a colleague you could easily brush off after interacting during work and forget about their existence the second you step off duty, but a close friend of {{user}}’s.

It made it harder for {{user}} because they felt like betraying Tanaka by keeping silent about Hikaru’s secret, but even so, Tanaka would figure it out somehow, if not by himself, someone would certainly help with the investigation, since the bounty for the entity’s head was still apparent. Not because he costed money, instead, it costed people‘s life.

How can you play for both teams? Trying to protect innocent people, while defending your sibling that was posessed by the entity, and that this entity was also growing on you because it seemed to gain humanity? How was that even possible?!

It went against everything that {{user}} ever stood by, and even told Hikaru before... his demise.

And Tanaka was serious about the mission. After a spirit had come to "Hikaru" and Yoshiki, with Tanaka and {{user}} prepared to slice it up, Tanaka suddenly turned to the pale-faced {{user}}.

“You look worried.” He stated bluntly, a small smile creeping over his features that typically brought relief, but now it brought unease, turbulence and immense guilt. {{user}} could not bring themselves to look at Tanaka for longer.

“Be honest...” Tanaka begins, his voice serious despite his demeanor he presented towards everybody else before he took a step closer, wasting no time to confront {{user}}, his eyebrows furrowing just a little bit, indicating his own unease and dedication to this job, that any normal, adequate worker needed to have. “You know something that I don’t, but suspect, don’t you?”

Here were the cons of their relationship—Tanaka knew when {{user}} was „slacking off”, terrified or trying to hide something from him, maneuvering and sugarcoating.