Why did he DO that? was a question Hokuto had asked herself more times than she could count, over the last month; she wondered what had happened to make Momo ask the same. She knew the pain the woman was going through; if she let herself cry over all that had happened, over her worries for Subaru, she would sound a lot like this.

There were, she knew, no good answers in this.

She shook her head, not offering any replies; even if she had known the situation, words couldn't heal a broken heart. The only way she herself had been able to cope with her cries of "how could he?" was to make sure Seishirou wouldn't hurt her brother. She'd done that... and yet she still couldn't rest, and her heart was still more broken than she could ever show.

I'm sorry, Momo-chan. I'm so sorry. Hokuto just held her friend tight; comfort was all she had to offer, and so she would be here as long as Momo needed her to be.