Hi, guys. First of all, I'm terribly sorry for posting this four months late - as some of you may recall, I've been busy preparing for my college entrance exams (which are still in progress and won't end until late April). And I guess the second reason is that this chapter was really, really hard for me to write. You'll know why after reading it and the A/N section that follows.

I'm not sure if I'll upload again in a few days or if I'll wait until I've finished all my exams, but enjoy this for now!

Chapter 24 - A past revealed (Part 2)

Yuzuru Otonashi

I took one long, lasting look at Hatsune's grave. The name engraved on the stone brought back a lot of memories. While most of them were bitter, I realized now that they were precious memories that Hatsune shared with me.

Rain continued to pour, and suddenly, I was almost afraid to leave. I was afraid that once I left, she wouldn't be there to guide me again. I shook my head now drenched in the rain and chuckled once humorlessly. With me being the big brother, you would have thought it was the other way around.

I readjusted the flowers I'd brought for her, and then realized they had been ruined by the rain and the mud. I decided to buy some new flowers to replace them, realizing that I might well be giving myself an excuse to stay with her longer.

So I visited a nearby flower shop, bought some fresh flowers, had them wrapped with thick transparent plastic and headed for the cemetery again. What I saw when I reached the entrance stopped me abruptly in my tracks.

A white-haired girl with her back facing me was kneeling in front of my sister's grave in my place. She wasn't carrying an umbrella, but seemed unbothered by the heavy rain that was soaking her.

When I awoke from my trance, I slowly approached the kneeling figure and asked, confusion apparent in my voice, 'Kanade, is that you?'

Seeming stunned by my voice, the girl turned her head slowly and met my gaze.

'Oh, Kanade,' I said as I dropped to my knees next to her. 'But what are you doing all the way out here? It's raining. You're gonna catch a cold like this, you know?' I quickly unzipped my bag and picked out the spare jacket I'd packed for myself and wrapped it around her.

She stared blankly at me, her face betraying almost no emotion, but her usual calm demeanor couldn't mask everything.

It was the sadness in her eyes.

No... it was more than that. I knew that look more than anyone else. I had been there before. I had experienced the same painful feeling not too long ago. It was... loneliness.

'Hey, what's wrong?' I asked, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. She didn't reply and kept staring blankly at me.

The wind had picked up once again, and the slanting rain was starting to hurt, but the girl in front of me seemed oblivious to the changing weather.

I wasn't sure how to react, but I knew getting hit by the rain wasn't going to help. 'Come on, let's get you out of the rain first,' I said softly and helped her to her feet. I placed the new flowers I'd just bought in front of the gravestone, and I was careful not to ruin them again.

I wanted to get her out of the rain as soon as possible, but I could see she wasn't in the mood for any running, and I didn't want to rush her. I also didn't know if I should press her or give her time. While I was struggling with myself, Kanade finally opened her mouth. It was a question that took me completely by surprise.

'Do you hate me, Yuzuru?' She asked in her usual calm voice, but it couldn't conceal her pain.

'Why would you even ask that?' I asked in genuine bewilderment.

'That day, when Hatsune passed away, I was there in the hospital,' she said as she slightly lowered her head. 'Do you remember the conversation you had with Yuri?'

Well, thanks to Yuri, that memory was now stuck in my mind forever. 'Sure,' I said, feeling slightly relieved. Now that I knew what was on her mind, it would be easier for me to talk her out of her worries.

'Do you hate me because of it?'

'Well, sure I was a bit surprised when Yuri told me the news,' I admitted and then smiled at Kanade. 'I mean, who'd have thought Yuri would make such a terrible mistake?'

She widened her eyes as she looked at me.

I stared into the distance and thought back to that particular day. 'Now that I think about it, that conversation kinda reminded me of the first time I ended up in the Afterworld.' I laughed once. 'She's a good leader, but she jumps to conclusions way too early.' I smirked and elbowed her jokingly. 'But then again, you always did have a way of attracting suspicions.'

'Yuzuru...' For the first time, instead of strain and pain, she started to sound hopeful and relieved.

I laughed again. 'Do you remember the conversation we had in the Afterworld? The one we had just after I'd regained all my memories because I heard the rhythm of my own heartbeat?'

'Mm-hmm.' She nodded.

'You told me our true purpose there was never to resist God. Instead, the Afterworld was a place to save young souls. You were the first one among all of us to realize this truth, and eventually, you were the one who saved us all.' I smiled once and shrugged. 'I guess, what I mean to say is, you can be clumsy sometimes, sure, but I've never doubted that you'll do the right thing.' I looked in her eyes and said in my most determined and convincing voice. 'That's why I have and will always trust you.'

'I'm sorry...' she said.

'What for?' I asked again in bewilderment.

She looked down again. 'I wanted to tell everyone the truth, but I was afraid they wouldn't believe me. Instead, I grew distant from everyone. I even avoided you. I know how hurt you must have been after Hatsune's passed on. I should've been there, but I was too scared.'

I couldn't answer that. I was beginning to get choked up.

'But you've taught me something,' she went on and looked back at me. 'When you were talking to your sister just now, I was here. You've taught me that no matter what hardships I may face, avoiding them is never the solution.'

Otonashi...

Takamatsu's voice abruptly brought me back to the Afterworld SSS hideout. I was holding the note card Kanade had left behind, and I finally knew what Kanade wanted to tell me.

'That's why you didn't want Naoi to show me this memory, isn't it?' I whispered to myself.

'You've been staring at the card for ten minutes,' Takamatsu said and straightened his glasses. 'Do you know what Angel means by "I was there"?'

I slowly flipped the note card. On the other side of it, written in neat handwriting was another message.

It was a simple Arigatou.

'Stupid!' I couldn't help muttering under my breath.

'Do you know what happened to Kanade-chan, big brother?' Hatsune asked.

I exhaled deeply. 'Yes, and we need to hurry. She could be in danger.'

I really hope I haven't lost my touch.

I'm not going to kid, but this chapter has been really, really hard for me to write. I had in my mind several scenarios of Yuzuru meeting Kanade in the graveyard, and I struggled just to choose the best one. The scenes that came next were delicate and were even harder to write.

All in all, it feels good to be back and please let me know what you guys think about the chapter so pleeeease review :)