Oneshot
Jayden’s P.O.V.
Ever since I was a kid, I have known that it is my duty to protect the world from monsters, as I am the Red Samurai Ranger. Not a day has gone by when I haven’t done sword practice and all the other training.
There was no time for any dreams, passions, or hobbies, for I was the one who had to lead the future team of Samurai Rangers.
I did have a friend. Antonio Garcia. It’s been years since I last saw him.
A normal life was something I hadn’t had since my dad died.
Until I met the Rangers. The five Rangers who are my team and now my family showed me that I don’t have to bear the responsibility of protecting the world all alone. I tried to push them away, but they didn’t back off.
The reason I can overcome the monsters is mostly because I know my Rangers have my back.
Kevin is a worrywart, always anxious about the next monster attack. I think he is quite strategic, second only to Master Ji.
Mike is still like a teenage boy. Technically, he is. I think that out of all of us Rangers, he has had the most growth, besides me.
Antonio, my dear childhood friend, is back. He is still chaotic, a fun guy, and extremely sincere.
Emily is the youngest one in our group. At first, I thought she was a super shy girl, but she proved me wrong. She is extremely clear about what she wants and thinks. She doesn’t shy away from saying what’s on her mind.
Mia, whom the others call the mother of the group, is always taking care of them, even going as far as cooking for us. Maybe that’s why we can’t bear to tell her the truth about her terrible cooking.
But to me, she is like a blessing. She taught me that it’s okay to trust the Rangers. She didn’t let me push her away. She kept barging into my life, breaking down the walls with her kind words.
There was even a time when I pushed her away, tired of her nagging. I thought she would be angry with me. But she wasn’t.
“No matter how much you push me and all of us away, we will always have your back. You’re not alone in this fight, Jayden.”
I still remember her words from that day. And a part of me was happy to know that I am not alone in this fight.
It was at that moment that I started to rely on my team. I started seeing them as more than just fellow Rangers.
And slowly, we all began to understand each other. I got to see new sides of everyone.
I liked this new family. I made so many memories with them, both good times and bad times.
When we defeated Master Xandred, everyone was ready to go back to their lives.
I was sad as our time together came to an end. I was happy for them.
When I announced that I was tagging along with Mia, the rest looked as if I’d said Master Xandred was back.
There’s no way I would let Mia go back without me.
I have long been lost in my feelings for her. Neither Mia nor I ever confessed. But we both had a silent acceptance of whatever it was between us.
Is it a crush? Attraction? Curiosity? Like? Love? I don’t know. All the more reason to find out.
All I know is that whenever I am with her, I lose my cool. I get nervous. I act like a stupid person. Sometimes rational, mostly irrational. And yet, she still doesn’t let me push her away and never judges me.
I look for her. That’s the first thing I do whenever we are all together. I always wanna try her cooking, no matter how bad it is.
Now that I am tagging along with her, I wanna see Mia and her life. I want to know more about her. Everything about her. What made her this kind, stubborn, and gentle? How is she so powerful? I wanna see her family. I want to know the Mia I didn’t know before I met her.
There are so many things I want to know about her. Her past, her present, and I want to be a part of her future, too.
More importantly, I want to be there for her, as she was for me. I want to support her dreams. Mia is a big dreamer. Most people never noticed. But this girl was always in a daze, dreaming about something, sometimes worrying about her future. Therefore, I want to protect and support her dreams.
“Jayden! Aren’t you coming?”
Mia’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts.
I looked at the girl, who was waving her hand in front of my eyes.
“Coming,” I replied, taking her hand in mine while holding my suitcase in the other.
Mia had enrolled in a culinary school to learn cooking properly.
“Do you think they’ll enroll me? I am quite late,” I asked as we walked toward the cab.
I was nervous, even though Mentor Ji had called in favours.
“Enrollment is still open. Don’t worry.”
Mia squeezed our intertwined hands.
I guess it’s her way of reassuring me. I squeezed our hands back.
Culinary school or not, I will try my best to be a part of her life.
I don’t know what to do in the future, nor do I know what my dreams are. I will have to start searching for them. But for now, I just want to be a part of Mia’s everyday life, hopefully even in the future.
The end.
