Re:Zero - Reincarnated on a Co-op Route

Kaoru, with a frown on his face and his eyes fixed on the footprints that were barely visible on the ground, continued on his way. Each step took him further away from the main trail and deeper into the forest, until finally he began to climb a hill. His breathing quickened as he advanced; the atmosphere felt heavier with each step.

When he reached the top, what he saw stunned him.

There was Subaru, standing near the edge of the cliff with a rope tied around his waist, holding a knife in his hands. Roswaal Manor was visible in the distance, but the only thing Kaoru could focus on was the expression on Subaru's face: a mixture of determination, fear, and something he couldn't decipher.

Subaru, hearing the footsteps approaching, turned his head quickly toward the forest. When he saw Kaoru, his body tensed, and he raised the knife, as if ready to defend himself.

Both boys pointed at each other at the same time. 

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" they shouted in unison.

Kaoru took another step forward, his expression of surprise and disbelief not going away. "Weren't you going to town, Subaru? What the hell are you doing here?" he asked as his gaze quickly shifted from the knife in his hand to the rope tied around his waist. Clarity came into his mind like a bolt of lightning.

"What is this idiot up to...? " thought Kaoru, feeling a strange knot in her stomach.

Subaru, meanwhile, felt the ground beneath his feet become unstable. "Isn't Kaoru supposed to be here... How the hell did you find me? How much intuition does this jerk have...?" 

"How did you find me, Kaoru? Were you following me?" asked Subaru, his voice strained as he clenched the knife tighter.

Kaoru shook his head, his expression a mixture of concern and anger. "I was actually heading towards Arlam village, but I saw some footprints veering off into the forest. I followed them... and here I am."

Subaru tried to keep his composure, but the trembling in his hands betrayed him. "Tch... You shouldn't have come here. This has nothing to do with you."

Kaoru stared at him, as if trying to read his mind. Then, something clicked in his head. "Wait... Did you... die, Subaru?"

Subaru looked down for a moment, his shoulders shaking. Finally, he let out a barely audible whisper. "...Yes. I died in the mansion. Just today, on the third day at night..."

Kaoru's world stopped for a few seconds. "What the fuck...you died?" His voice rose, filled with anger and confusion.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me? Are you an idiot? How many times did you die? How many times have you had to talk about the same thing to me over and over again? And you didn't tell me anything!"

Kaoru's tone was furious, but there was an undertone of hurt in his words. The idea that Subaru had died so many times without him knowing, without anyone knowing, turned his stomach. "How can I be so blind...?

Subaru clenched his fists, lowering his head as his jaw tightened. "Shut up..." he muttered, his voice shaking.

"What did you say?" retorted Kaoru, taking a step closer.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" shouted Subaru, his heartbreaking voice echoing down the hill.

"Why do I have to say shit to you? Why do you have to know what's wrong with me or not? Who do you think you are, you bastard!"

Kaoru was dumbfounded for a few seconds. The fury and pain in Subaru's voice left him speechless. But soon, the surprise gave way to his own anger.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? Why wouldn't you want to tell me something like that? They literally killed you, Subaru; what the hell is wrong with you!"

Subaru looked up, his eyes filled with restrained tears and rage.

"Who told you I want you to help me? I don't need your fucking help! I don't need you to figure everything out for me! I can make things right too! I CAN TOO!" he shouted, his voice cracking as tears began to fall down his face.

"Why, why, why do you still want to help me, why, why?!"

Subaru began to sob, his hands shaking as he clenched the knife so tightly that his knuckles were white. "Answer me, you son of a bitch! You see me as so useless that I can't figure shit out on my own and I need to hold your hand?!"

Kaoru, shocked by Subaru's words, took a few seconds to respond. Finally, he lowered his gaze, his voice calmer but charged with emotion.

"It's because we're friends, Subaru."

Subaru froze. His sobs stopped for a moment, his mind trying to process what Kaoru had just said.

"Friends...?" he murmured, his voice trembling. "You... consider me a friend?"

"Friends? What the fuck do you know about me? You don't know me for shit! You're practically a fucking stranger! You think we're friends just because we come from another world and because we were high school classmates?!"

"Yes, asshole," Kaoru replied, looking up. "Yeah, I thought we were friends. Yeah, I don't know you at all, but even in those few moments we were together... I had a good time. I felt happy. I felt... alive for the first time. I thought I had a real friend."

Kaoru's words hit Subaru like a hammer. He staggered, dropping the knife to the ground. "You... you considered me a friend..." he whispered, his voice cracking. "Why...?"

"Because you're an amazing guy, Natsuki Subaru."

Those words broke something inside Subaru. Tears began to fall in torrents as he fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

"What are these tears... Why can't I stop crying...?" he muttered between sobs, his voice watery.

"I feel lonely. Since I came to this world, my parents must be crying, and I haven't thought about them since I got here."

"I felt free for the first time because I didn't have to carry the weight of my father's name..."

Kaoru knelt down in front of him and hugged him tightly, holding him as Subaru cried against his shoulder. "You're not alone, Subaru. You're not. 

"No...?" asked Subaru, his voice full of doubt and hope.

"No," Kaoru replied with a small smile.

"We will solve all the problems that come our way. Because this is our route. Our Co-Op route."

Subaru closed his eyes, letting Kaoru's words sink deep into his heart. For the first time in a long time, he felt that he was not completely lost.

And so, under the warm light of the sunset, two friends decided to face the chaos of their new world together.