It was quiet in the base. Gaku decided to use the time to relax. He could be seen reclining on the couch with the usual sight of his controller between his hands. He seemed to be barely paying attention to whatever was going on around him—being completely immersed in the boss fight of his game. Some fight sounds, and boss music was heard from his spot on the couch but no one went over to see what he was doing.

A few more minutes of gaming passed before Gaku paused, realizing that the base was quiet.

He looked up from his controller—the first time he willingly looked away from the game—and tilted his head to the side, realizing what was missing.

Mayu wasn’t there.

Normally, she would be sitting on the other side of the couch. But right now the couch was empty aside from Gaku.

He frowned, not used to her absence. He didn’t let people near him while he was gaming but he let her. He found that she wasn’t as much of a bother as everyone else. And over time, he grew to be used to her presence—not that he would ever admit it, of course.

He sighed, thinking that maybe she was out for an errand or something since Slur didn’t mention any missions or anything. He shifted slightly on the couch, trying to get comfortable and to ignore the thought of the empty couch beside him.

Eventually, he heard someone walk into the room and his head shot up, thinking it was Mayu. To his disappointment, it was just Kashima.

“It’s you.” Gaku muttered under his breath, looking back down at his controller to hide his disappointment. “Where’s Mayu?” He asked. Maybe Kashima knew where she went.

Kashima looked over at him, slightly surprised that Gaku was interested in the whereabouts of an ally.

“Slur gave her an impromptu mission.” He replied.

Gaku’s head snapped up at Kashima’s response. A mission? He gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus back on his game but his movements and response time were getting sloppy.

“I see.” Was all Gaku said as Kashima left the room. The second his footsteps faded away, Gaku’s mind went haywire.

Mayu was on a mission. There was a very good possibility that she might get hurt. Not that Gaku underestimated her skills, of course. She was just… the weakest out of the whole group—that was the kindest way of putting it.

Gaku sighed and pushed the thought from his mind. She could handle herself. He decided to forget about that for now and continue on his game. But he couldn’t concentrate. Not with the thought of Mayu out there risking her life.

Ten painful minutes later, Gaku had died to the boss a total of fifteen times. His mind kept shifting back to Mayu and the mission Slur sent her on. He sighed, deciding to get up to get his mind off things.

He wandered around base for a while with his controller held loosely in his hand. What should he do now while waiting? He groaned, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

A small voice behind him made him freeze.

“Ga-ku…”

Gaku whipped around, feeling his blood run cold at the sight before him. Mayu was holding onto the wall for support and her clothes were bloody. She seemed barely able to stand. Judging by the amount of blood on the side of her body, she was injured and not in a good place.

Gaku’s response was immediate. The second she lost consciousness, he instantly scooped her up into his arms, his controller falling to the ground but he paid it no mind.

He gently shifted her in his arms to avoid further aggravating her injury. He quietly stared down at her for a second, taking note of how she was shivering slightly.

Gaku sighed, silently moving to his room and lightly kicking the door open with his foot. He carefully set her down on his bed, making sure not to accidentally jostle her too much. He should probably get Kashima to check on her. But he was sure it wasn’t a major injury.

He moved a chair near the bed, settling down on top of it and folding his arms as he watched her. He sighed, feeling his head drop to his chest. Only now did he realize how exhausted he was.