Fragments of a Shared Goal!

The bus stop was quieter than usual that evening, the city's ambient hum blending with the faint rustling of trees nearby. Nyota leaned against the bench's armrest, the weight of his thoughts heavier than his usual calm demeanor betrayed. His eyes lingered on the far end of the street, scanning the dwindling traffic for a familiar silhouette.

This had become a pattern over the last week: showing up at the same spot, at the same time, hoping to catch Kai just before she boarded her bus. Not that he'd said much—yet. Their brief exchanges were little more than polite nods and fleeting words, but Nyota could sense a thread of possibility forming, one he was willing to patiently weave into a connection.

Eventually, Kai appeared, settling onto the bench beside him without hesitation.

"Thought maybe you wouldn't show today," Nyota teased, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"Well, I almost didn't," she admitted, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "Took me forever to get up this morning."

"So," Nyota leaned back, feigning nonchalance, "what's the subject today?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Kai set her bag down on the concrete with a soft thud and thought for a moment, her gaze momentarily drifting upward. "Oh—I know! We've talked quite a bit about the cadet tournament and some of the others you fought."

"That's right," Nyota said, nodding.

"But…" She hesitated, as though piecing together her thoughts. "I remembered hearing about a really strange report not long after the tournament ended—like within the same month. It was about your class specifically."

Nyota stiffened, his chest tightening as he braced himself for what he knew she would bring up. "Right… Jora."

"Yes, Jora! That was his name," Kai said, snapping her fingers as the memory solidified. "Isn't it strange, though? A law enforcer being assassinated like that. You'd think it would've caused a huge stir—demanded way more attention. But it didn't. It just… came and went."

Solemnly, Nyota began. "Jora was more than a teacher. He was a mentor… like a father almost. To me and the Hikari brothers, exclusively. We learned a lot both about and from him. Most importantly, he taught us how to see beyond the surface of things—to look deeper, even when it's uncomfortable.

He had this way of making you feel like you were capable of more than you realized, but he didn't hand out easy answers. He pushed us to find them ourselves, even when we stumbled. And when we did, he was always there to help us make sense of the pieces."

Nyota's voice softened, his gaze fixed on the pavement as if seeing something far away. "He believed in justice, but not the kind you read about in books or hear politicians preach about. He believed in the kind you live and fight for every day—the kind that means standing up for what's right, even when it's dangerous."

His gaze remained low to the pavement, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Guess you could add 'vengeance for Jora' to my lengthy tally chart of things I want to do."

Kai hesitated, her fingers twitching slightly as she processed his words. Vengeance. It wasn't what she expected to hear from someone like Nyota, who seemed to always carry himself with a quiet steadiness. The word lingered in her mind, heavy and sharp, evoking a discomfort she couldn't quite place.

"That's… a lot to carry," she said carefully, her tone soft but laced with concern. "I mean, I get it. I really do. If someone took something like that from me, I'd feel the same way. But… is that what Jora would've wanted? For you to take that on yourself?"

Her gaze drifted to him, searching his face for a flicker of understanding. She didn't want to push too hard, but the weight in his voice, the conviction—it unsettled her. She could tell he wasn't just speaking in passing; it was a vow, one that could lead him down paths she wasn't sure he was prepared to walk.

"Justice, sure," she added, her voice firmer now, as if trying to ground them both. "But vengeance… that's something else entirely. It changes people, Nyota. Sometimes in ways they can't come back from."

Finally, he looked up at her with a chuckle, the heaviness of the moment easing slightly. "Maybe. But hey—you asked me about my dreams, some goals and aspirations. That's just one of many of them. What's funny to me, though, is that all of them seem to be more or less the same."

He paused, his gaze lifting skyward as if searching for the right thought. "Maybe vengeance wasn't the right word…" Nyota tapped a finger against his chin, a contemplative smirk crossing his face. "Maybe something like… redemption.

Anyway, enough about me. How about you? What are some of your dreams? Your aspirations?"

Kai blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden shift in focus. Her instinct was to deflect, to push the question aside with a joke or a vague answer. But something in Nyota's tone—earnest, curious—made her hesitate.

Dreams? Aspirations? Those weren't words she allowed herself to dwell on. Dreams felt distant, tied to a world that didn't play fair, and aspirations were for people who had faith in the systems governing them. Faith she had lost a long time ago.

She smiled faintly, a polite mask, and shrugged. "Oh, you know… the usual. Stay alive, keep my head down, avoid unnecessary trouble." Her voice carried a forced lightness, but there was a subtle edge to her tone, as though she didn't fully believe her own words.

Nyota tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable, and Kai felt her guard rise just a little more. He was still a stranger in the grand scheme of things, and as much as his openness invited her trust, she couldn't forget that he worked for the government.

She glanced down at her fidgeting hands. "If I'm being honest," she began, her voice quieter now, "I've always had a hard time thinking about that kind of stuff. Dreams and goals. They just… they don't come easy when it feels like the world's working against you. And let's face it, people like me don't exactly get handed a lot of opportunities. Especially not when you've got someone like Noriko Tachi pulling the strings."

The words left her lips before she could stop them, and she immediately tensed, shooting Nyota a wary look. She'd been careful to keep her tone vague, as though it were a casual observation rather than a deeply rooted bitterness. But it was there, hanging in the air between them.

Kai cleared her throat, quickly adding, "Not that it matters much. I guess… if I could, I'd want to live somewhere quiet. Somewhere far away from all of this. That's about as close to a dream as I've got."

Nyota's brows furrowed slightly, and he tilted his head, curiosity evident in his expression. "People like you?"

Kai stiffened, mentally kicking herself for letting the phrase slip. She hated explaining herself, especially to someone like him—someone who, by all appearances, came from a life worlds apart from hers.

"Oh, you know," she replied with a casual shrug, her tone deliberately vague. "People who don't exactly fit into neat little boxes. The kind who don't have the right connections, the right resources, or the right… luck."

Nyota watched her closely, sensing there was more beneath the surface. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "It sounds like you've had it rough," he said gently, careful not to sound like he was prying. "I'm not trying to push, but… I'd like to understand, if you're willing to share."

Kai hesitated, her fingers still fidgeting with her bag strap. She wasn't sure why, but something about Nyota's tone disarmed her just enough to make her consider opening up. "It's not just about me," she said after a pause, her voice quieter now. "It's about people like me—people who get overlooked, stepped on, or left behind because they weren't born into the right circumstances. You see it all the time. The government prioritizes who they want to succeed, and the rest of us? We're just… there."

She paused, glancing at him cautiously. "And someone like Noriko? She's not exactly working to make things better for anyone outside her little circle. But I'm guessing you probably already know that."

Her words carried a bitter edge, but her tone remained guarded, as if testing how far she could go without crossing an invisible line.

"Well, let me tell you—you don't have to guess." Nyota crossed one leg over the other, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I don't know what her deal is, but she seems like she only cares about herself. And—let me assure you—I'm probably the last person you need to be defensive around. I'll tell you straight up: I hate that woman." He let out a sharp laugh, the candor in his tone catching Kai off guard.

Kai blinked, then laughed nervously. "Wait, what? But how? You—"

"Don't let the uniform fool you," Nyota interrupted, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I've got my reasons. And believe me, they're more than enough. Honestly, I'm only comfortable telling you this because I feel like I know you well enough by now. Plus, something tells me your sentiment's as genuine as mine."

Kai paused, unsure how to respond. Nyota's gaze, steady and intent, was fixed on her now, making her feel both exposed and oddly included in whatever he was about to share.

"Tell me," he began, leaning slightly forward, "do you know what 'Zteel' is?"

Still caught off guard, Kai shook her head slowly.

Nyota's grin widened, a spark of mischief lighting up his expression. "Great. I didn't expect you to. But trust me—soon, a lot of people will. Let me tell you why."