The sound of running water stopped. Ponzu emerged from the bathroom in a fresh set of pajamas. Yesterday's were pink; today's were blue, which offset her green hair.
She looked at Ron with a pleading expression. Ron nodded, and Ponzu instantly beamed, carefully lifting the covers and tucking herself into a corner of the bed.
"Captain, I promise I won't move around tonight."
Ron was busy thinking about setting up a manga platform and how to adapt Baki and Bungō Stray Dogs. Before long, he heard Ponzu's breathing settle into a steady rhythm. When he glanced over, he noticed that, despite her promise not to move, she was unconsciously huddling closer to him, as though seeking safety by his side.
He checked the time, then turned off the light.
The next morning, Ron awoke to find Ponzu clinging tightly to him. His own arm was looped beneath her neck, and he could distinctly feel the warm softness of her body. She was curled up so snugly that he caught faint overlapping scents—likely a mix of shampoo and her natural fragrance.
"Captain, don't leave me alone," Ponzu mumbled in her sleep, lost in a dream. "I don't want to be alone…"
Ron understood how she felt. It reminded him of Kurapika's situation, except Ponzu hadn't directly witnessed the bloody scene of her village's destruction. Still, seeing her grandmother reduced to a puppet controlled by a parasite had been traumatizing in its own way.
She suddenly jolted awake from her nightmare and opened her eyes, realizing how she was clinging to Ron. Her face immediately flushed red, but the memory of her bad dream made her afraid to let go. Only after taking several deep breaths did she slowly release him.
"Captain, I'm sorry…"
"Oh, right—yesterday you mentioned you'd tell me more about what Nesli said regarding Oster, but we got sidetracked after training…"
"I'm sorry, I forgot," Ron replied. "Nesli said Oster's death might have been staged—that there's a chance he's still alive, and the Saherta royal family never truly executed him. She advised me to be cautious."
Ponzu's brow furrowed.
"Oster could still be alive?"
"It's just Nesli's guess. He may be alive, or he really might be dead. Either way, what we need to do is keep training and grow stronger. If our power reaches a high enough level and Oster ever does show up again, you might even get the chance to take him down yourself."
After a moment's silence, Ponzu nodded.
"Alright, Captain. Thank you."
She started to get up.
"Captain, I'll go wash up now…"
She settled back, curling up.
"Captain, what do you want to talk about?"
"Let's chat about the past."
Ponzu paused, then began to speak. She told him about her childhood in the village, her grandmother, her friends, and all sorts of odd happenings—like the presence of parasites there from an early age, something she'd initially just been curious about. Later, she left home. Her grandmother gave her that hat, where the Bee Queen now resided. That was when she started using bees as part of her abilities. The journey had been tough, but it was how she slowly grew stronger. She visited many places, saw many things, and took part in multiple Hunter Exams.
At the time, her goals were twofold: to get stronger and solve the crisis in her village, while also cherishing the fond memories she had from her childhood. Then she met Ron. From there, her emotions had swung from joy and comfort to worry, anger, and deep anxiety.
"Everything after that, you already know, Captain," she finished. "What about you?"
Now that Ponzu saw Ron as her source of security, she was naturally curious about his story.
"I grew up here," Ron explained. "My childhood was basically all training. I learned Nen around age nine, and once I left the Zoldyck estate, my first stop was Heaven's Arena. Then Yorknew, where I got involved with the Underworld Mafia, visited Meteor City—often called the world's garbage dump—went to Taris, the Fiora Kingdom, and finally the Saherta United Federation. I spent more than three years there, so I know it pretty well.
"I actually tried to dissuade Tuck from getting involved. But he insisted, because he truly loved Saherta."
Ponzu shook her head.
"I can't understand that. I'm also from Saherta, but the only place I really cared about was my home village. I never had any attachment to the federation as a whole."
"Different people, different experiences—that's how differing viewpoints emerge. There aren't two people in this world who are exactly the same. Tuck made his own choice, and it wasn't necessarily wrong. Neither is yours. It's the Revolutionary Army, Saherta, and Sotan who betrayed him."
"Captain, do you have any dreams?"
"It's hard to say," Ron said. "I want a lot of things, but most aren't exactly what you'd call dreams. If I had to choose one, it might be living as freely as I can."
He paused, then asked,
"Captain, your dream is my dream. I…I have only you now."
She spoke with quiet intensity, eyes locked on his. Their gazes held for a long moment, something unspoken in the air. At last, Ron put an arm around Ponzu and drew her closer.
"Ponzu, is this all right?"