A/N: Hi guys! Fi here. Finally we're arrived at the fateful festival that Emma was looking forward to! What could possibly happen at this festival? XD Big thanks for Luj123, jesuiselle, Drama Lover's Dream 513, Dreanne Cho, Guest (THANK YOUU! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! XD), Brendan Nelson (THANKS! Yes, here's some Rayanna for you in this chapter XD) and @AquaShipsNE for your amazing support! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D
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ただの幼なじみ
Just Childhood Friends
A 'The Promised Neverland' fanfiction by FiDhysta
Disclaimer: Neither The Promised Neverland nor its characters belong to me. I do own this story and the cover picture though.
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama
Rated: T
Pairing: Noremma, Rayanna/ノマエマ、レイアン
Warning: School AU, Typo(s), OOC! Forgive my grammar, English is not my mother tongue. Please bear with me
Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'
Happy reading
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Summary: One birthday. One present. One game of hide-and-seek. One decision that changed their lives forever. One goal. All for the sake of protecting a precious childhood friend.
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Chapter 8: A Christmas Eve to Remember
覚えておくべきクリスマスウイブ
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"Once again, happy 10th birthday, Emma!"
"Ehehehe. Thanks, guys! Your presents are all amazing. How sweet of you to prepare a surprise party for me!"
"It was —— who first mentioned that we should throw a surprise for you. We brainstormed to come up with a plan and, taraaah!"
"Really? Thank you, ——! So thoughtful of you! How can I repay you for this?"
"Hehe. Just teach me how to hide better the next time we play hide-and-seek. I'm tired of always being the first to be found."
"Deal! Easy-peasy!"
"Psst, this is your chance. Give it to her now!"
"Shut up! I know already, I'll—hey, Ray! Don't push me!"
"Hmm? What are you whispering about?"
"E-Emma! Um, well, you see... Everyone has given their presents except me, so... Here. It's not much though..."
"Eh...? I thought your present was that carrot cake you made with our siblings?"
"Yeah, well... That, and... Uh..."
"You once said that you wanted a new keychain to replace the one you lost, so he insisted on making you one. There. You're welcome."
"RAY!!"
"...It's so pretty... Did you make it yourself?"
"Y-yeah. It's my first time making handicrafts, I hope it suits your taste enough..."
"I... love it. It's perfect."
"...Really...?"
"Yup! Thank you, Norman! I LOVE it! I'll take a good care of it my whole life—no, I'll even bring this into my next life, too!"
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"There it is! He'll never find us if we hide over there! Come, ——!"
"Wait, Emma! ...Aren't we wandering off a bit too far from the house?"
"It's okay. If he still doesn't show up after twenty minutes, we'll go back to shout our victory to his face!"
"Hehe. This time we will definitely—eh? Is that truck always parked around here?"
"I don't think it belongs to someone from this neighborhood..."
"Hmm."
"Oh well, talk about good luck!"
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"—Emma? Are you listening? Hey, Emma!"
The ginger-haired girl jolted from her seat and looked up to see the worried face of her clubmate.
"Eh?" she spoke stupidly, still trying to regain her senses.
"Are you okay? You seem out of it for a while. Nervous?" her clubmate—Sonya—asked again, pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket and using it to wipe her friend's wet forehead.
Slowly putting back her surroundings, Emma remembered that she was in the locker room at the tournament venue. She touched her temple to find it was covered in sweat, and grimacing, she took Sonya's handkerchief to continue wiping it clean.
Nervous? Emma never felt nervous even in important tournaments that forced her to carry Grace Field's reputation on her shoulders. She was always confident with her skills, and having anxiety over the upcoming tournament had never crossed her mind. Yet, now she wondered whether this uneasiness would affect her performance after all...
"Ah... Thank you. I'm fine, just having some flashbacks from last night's dream," she told the girl with a small smile.
"Dream? What kind of dream?"
Emma frowned. "...I'm not quite sure... A weird one, I might say. I got a clear feeling of the ambience, but there were faces I couldn't make out and names I couldn't remember... It's rather confusing."
She recalled Norman's explanation yesterday about her having fallen from a tree, thus leading to her forgetting some part of her memories. That was quite plausible, and she wanted to believe him—however, her hunch was saying there's more to that, and it was frustrating that she couldn't get the picture out of it.
Emma had promised him she would never try to dig her memory further—and she really didn't, consciously—but apparently her dream from last night had already betrayed that promise.
"Ah, I see, it happens all the time. After all, we most likely forget 90 percent of our dreams within five seconds after waking up," her friend reasoned, cupping her chin to impersonate a detective. Emma was thinking by her own while putting an unreadable expression, barely listening to her. "Anyway!" Sonya then exclaimed, effectively making the ginger-haired jump.
"You shouldn't let a random dream affect your concentration! You're our ace, Emma, straighten your back and show them what you've got!" she held up her index finger to emphasize her point. Emma blinked, then smirked confidently to reassure the girl.
"Right. Leave it to me! Let's gather our powers and score as high as we can!" she punched the air, which Sonya followed with an enthusiastic 'oooh'.
It was only after Sonya turned her back to fix her gear that Emma dropped her high spirit, her previously cheerful smile woven with concern.
'A random dream', huh...?
Shaking her head lightly, she tried to force her thoughts back into some semblance order and focus on the tournament in hand.
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"Yahooo, girls~~! Congratulations on winning the tournament!"
When Emma and her team came out of the locker room, they were surprised to see the student council members waiting for them with a bouquet of flowers.
"Wha... Thank you, guys. What a surprise! I didn't know you'd come, Oliver!" Emma accepted the bouquet from the said boy who grinned brightly.
"Well, I didn't know they're coming either. I was planning to watch the tournament on my own at first, but then I met Teiou and he asked me to join. So yeah, it's full-team student council at your service!" he laughed, nudging the president with his elbow.
"Seriously, what a pleasant coincidence," Norman giggled, glancing to his other side where Ray and Anna nodded in agreement.
"Now that we're all here, why don't we hang out a bit? Today's a big win, we should celebrate!" Sonya piped in, followed by the rest of the team chorusing 'let's gooo'.
Indeed, today was a glorious day where Grace Field secured its position as the national champion, thanks to their ace's incredible performance. There were no other competitors could beat Emma's record—with all of her rounds consecutively hitting the bullseye, she'd scored the highest and sent her team to victory. The title of the ace of GF's Archery Club certainly didn't come from nothing.
"Thanks for the invitation, but I'm afraid we already have plans for today. If you don't mind me borrowing your ace?" Norman smiled politely, and Sonya shook her head.
"Only if you let us borrow your treasurer!" she swiftly grabbed Oliver's arm and pulled him to her side, causing her clubmates to squeal in excitement and the rest to laugh at Oliver's flustered reaction.
"Absolutely not. There's a reward I want to give to our ace, anyway," Norman approved. Emma flicked a confused look at him, and Sonya took that as a cue. She happily dragged Oliver while leading her team to leave.
"Thanks, Teiou! Happy early Christmas!" she chirped, the rest of the team followed by shouting their goodbyes. Oliver waved at him while stumbling on his feet before letting Sonya drag him along to wherever she'd take him.
"What reward were you talking about? Aren't these flowers enough?" Emma asked after Oliver and her clubmates were out of earshot. Norman paused waving at the group and gave her a smooth smile, his eyes closed.
"Well, that bouquet was supposed to be for your team as a whole, and since I'd expect nothing less from our ace... I think you deserve another reward for your excellent work."
Emma raised her brows at his unclear answer. "And that is?" she urged impatiently.
"That is..." he trailed off.
A lightbulb went on over Ray's head as he got the message, and grabbing Anna's shoulder, he pointed upwards as he cried, "Anna, watch out! There's a big-ass gecko falling from the ceiling!"
"WHAT!?" without bothering to check what Ray was pointing at, Anna closed her eyes and covered her head in reflex, bracing herself for the disgusting impact that never came.
And Norman took that split second chance to lean down and plant a chaste kiss on Emma's lips, catching the girl off guard. The moment Anna opened her eyes again, Norman had already pulled away, chuckling and silently sticking his tongue out mischievously.
"...Huh? I don't see a single gecko up there..." Anna bemused, staring at the ceiling with pure puzzlement in her face.
Ray shrugged nonchalantly. "Whoops, my bad. I think that big-ass gecko has already finished its business and is cackling somewhere," he threw a knowing smirk towards the innocently grinning platinum blonde and his heavily blushing girlfriend.
Anna tilted her head confusedly at him.
"Well, shall we go? Traffic can be pretty packed on Christmas Eve," Norman suggested, taking Emma's duffel bag to carry it for her. The others agreed then they started to make their way to the parking lot.
Emma tugged on Norman's sleeve, peering up at him in annoyance. "Norman... You sneaky little weasel," she hissed, cheeks still tinted pink.
Her cunning boyfriend smiled sweetly in response. "Anytime, dear Emma."
Annoyed, she pinched his waist through his thick coat, but with a power hard enough to make him jolt. She laughed triumphantly at his startled 'OW!'.
A couple of steps ahead, the long-haired girl peeked behind her shoulder, whispering softly to the boy walking on her right. "Ray... I can understand why you asked to me to come along. It must be hard standing in between those lovebirds," she giggled, suddenly feeling empathetic for the dark-haired boy.
Ray exhaled, a puff of white cloud came out from his mouth. "I'm used to it. Regardless how lovey-dovey they are now, you won't believe me if I tell you how dense they used to be. Rather than the third wheel, perhaps it's more accurate if I'm called their matchmaker."
"Matchmaker?" she giggled. "To me, you sounds more like a nanny who taught them how to act like a proper couple when they were only toddlers trying to step into adulthood."
Ray smirked impishly and pointed a finger gun at her. "That's it. You've got my point," he shrugged, "anyway, I'm their avid shipper—I'll do anything to make those idiots happy."
Anna let out a soft chuckle before shaking her head understandingly. "Okay, enough about those two. You didn't forget that they're not the only ones on a date here, right?" she smiled up shyly at him.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away to hide the faint blush crawling up his cheeks. "...Like hell I'd forget," he muttered.
Like hell indeed. Ray wouldn't tell anyone—but he was being a nervous wreck last night that he had trouble sleeping like a groom on his wedding eve, and it annoyed the hell out of him.
—Wait, if I'm getting this nervous on my first date, how will I be on my actual wedding eve!?
Ray was starting to have fears for his future.
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"Wazuka suusenchi datte—"
"Yeah!"
"Negatta basho ni mukatte—"
"Yeah!"
"Susunde yuku tomaru nante—"
"No no no no no no no no no nooo~~ It's on fire, baby!"
"What's with that ad-lib, Ray!?" Emma and Anna doubled over watching the guys singing along in turn to the music from Norman's playlist. They had no problem with Norman's singing—he did have a good voice to begin with—but it was Ray's exaggerated singing that was hilarious; shouting the lyrics purposely louder than necessary, hands making outrageous gestures to emphasize the rise and fall of the notes.
Truly, what an out-of-character sight from the usually cool vice-president of Grace Field Academy.
"Oh God, Ray, I didn't know you can be this expressive," Anna breathed between laughs, wiping the tears that were squeezed out from the corner of her eyes. Emma was also wheezing beside her, trying to control her breath after choking from too much laughing.
"Welcome to the club, Anna! I present to you—Ray, the joker of Full-Score Group!" Emma gestured to the boy in the passenger's seat who was still bobbing his head into the beat of the music.
A chortle came from the driver behind the steering wheel. "Tell you what—he usually only shows this side of him to his closest friends or people he's comfortable with, so you may take it as a privilege to enter his comfort zone, Anna," Norman smiled over his shoulder to the secretary in the backseat, making the girl blush.
"Oi, Norman! I never asked you to speak that much! Is that your payback after my nice assist earlier?" Ray protested, all flustered with his whole face covered in red.
"Ah, here comes another song. Let's sing along again!" the evil president feigned a cheerful remark, smiling innocently as he turned the volume up.
"NORMAAN!"
Emma couldn't help but burst out laughing again. It was so amusing watching an embarrassed Ray throwing a fit at Norman who completely ignored him while maintaining his fake innocence. Boy, how she loved these two very much.
Honestly speaking, she really needed this kind of distraction to keep her mind away from her anxiety. Emma couldn't just go around saying lies that she was over the incident at Norman's room the other day, the nagging felling was still there—scratching her insides for her to seek the truth he had been hiding from her.
Norman's burdened expression was etched on her brain, it refused to leave her mind and the way it kept reappearing whenever she closed her eyes didn't help ease her worry one bit. The more she thought about it, the louder she heard his silent plea of help around the edge of her subconscious.
Nevertheless, she was well aware that she couldn't just pound on his door when he wasn't ready to open it himself.
Emma wanted to trust Norman. She wanted to—more than anything. He was smart, he always did every little things strategically. And she knew there must be a good reason behind his excessive, secretive behavior. She would only add more burden if she kept prying the truth out of him, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Emma alternately stared at Ray and Norman from her spot in the back seat. They looked so joyful, so carefree, so stupid—as if nothing's holding back their happiness. It was hard to believe that their relationship was a bit strained only days ago.
Smiling contentedly, she inwardly shrugged her train of thought away. She should be having fun, too. After all, this was their awaited Christmas Eve outing together.
She should not ruin this moment by worrying about their secret. This was the time where all of them were supposed to enjoy their date like any other ordinary teenager spent Friday evenings. TGIF, baby!
Norman's blue eyes met hers through the rear-view mirror, and he smiled gently at her, holding his stare for a couple of seconds. She returned the smile, tenderly at first, then turned to mischievously as she lunged forward to grab his upper arm and rest her chin on his shoulder, making him yelp in surprise.
"You know what? For someone who obtained his licence prematurely from his legal age, you sure drive pretty well," Emma giggled in his ear, her tickling voice vibrating through his eardrum and sending heat to his cheeks.
"Hey, I'm not underage. Based on Korean age system, I'm 18 years old—not a minor," Norman defended himself, earning a snort from Ray.
"We're not in Korea. You do realize that you're misusing your wide knowledge, don't you? Pathetic," he sneered and made a face at him. Much to his chagrin, Norman was immune to his insult and simply gave him a dry laugh.
"Look who's throwing it back at me as a payback for earlier—at least I'm not the only one being pathetic here. Right, Emma?" Norman glanced at the giggling girl while keeping his concentration on the road, successfully incensing Ray's irritation.
"You little... You already planned for this, didn't you?!" the fuming boy shot back.
"Ray, if you know how our Teiou is unbeatable at chess, then you should also know he always thinks at least five steps ahead," Anna piped in, joining the liberty of rubbing salt on his wounds. It's not an everyday sight to see their vice-president losing his cool, so she's gonna make fun of him to her heart's content.
"Not you too, Anna!" he whined in frustration.
"That's double kill for you," Norman smirked, but didn't last long as Emma slapped his arm playfully.
"Not anymore! I've crushed that 'unbeatable' record of yours, thanks to your first-ever blunder yesterday!" she gloated, and Norman's eyes went round at her expose.
"Wai—Emma! That doesn't count, yesterday I was—"
"HA! Take that, Mr. Egghead!" Ray mocked. The girls' subsequent stares were then directed at him, making him gulp anxiously.
"By the way, since you've never won against Norman either, doesn't this mean I've beaten you too?" Emma raised a brow at him, smirking.
Ray's face flushed darker, infuriated. "That's nonsense! I also won against him once, right after I taught him the basics of chess!"
"LAME EXCUSE!" Emma and Anna chorused, and the car was filled with laughter again.
The rest of the trip was spent with the teens either singing or teasing Ray. Before they knew it, the sun had already set when they came to a street with decorated trees on both sides.
With the sky now had gone dark, the illumination from countless of tiny white LED bulbs around the trees was so mesmerizing that the four teenagers could only stare in awe. Finally, there was a banner reading 'Welcome to St. White's Festival' on one side of the street. Behind the entrance was a path lined with more beautifully lighted trees that led towards a large park with many stalls inside.
"Ah, I think we're here," Norman stated, turning the steering wheel to pull into the curb on the left side of the street. "You girls can get off here first. We'll park the car in the parking lot over there, so wait for us, okay?" he said to the girls in the back seat who nodded at him.
"Alright! Let's go, Anna. I can't wait to see the stalls," Emma couldn't hide her excitement as she waited for Anna to open the door so they could get off from her side, which was safer.
"No entering the bazaar before we regroup!"
"Aye, aye, Teiou! So be sure to make it quick!" Emma called back before pushing the door shut.
Norman sighed and continued to drive to the nearby parking lot. From his peripheral vision, he caught Ray was eyeing him intently.
"So? What do you want to talk to me about?" Ray peered, calmly resting his temple on his palm against the window. His tone was surprisingly void of any humor he'd been using during the entire trip.
Norman glanced at him knowingly then smiled. "As expected from Ray. You've read my intention, haven't you?"
The other boy looked away and huffed. "Just like Anna said: read your opponent's move at least five steps ahead," he raised his fingers and started counting. "Playing upbeat songs from a pre-prepared playlist, making everyone sing along, picking a fight with me and using the momentum to make Anna feel comfortable despite being in her first outing with us. It's clear as sky that you tried to create a mirthful atmosphere for Emma to be engrossed with."
Norman maintained his smile throughout his deduction, his eyes wandering to find a good spot to park his car.
"And to top it all, you told the girls to get off first when they can actually wait in the car while we park. You should know better that we can't let Emma leave our sights," Ray sharpened his eyes and directed a probing look at his friend. "So, spill. What's this urgent thing you want to discuss with me?"
Norman's smile dropped at this. "It's bad, Ray. It's closing in faster before we know it," he answered in a low tone, causing Ray to arch a brow.
"Closing in...?" he repeated. "What do you—"
"Emma realized that something's missing from her past—parts that her so-called perfect 'photographic memory' failed to find," Norman cut in, and Ray's eyes widened in horror.
"WHAT!? Did she remember that incident six years ago!?"
"No. She only recognized that her memory isn't flawless, but I don't think she can recall what has been missing," he replied, "It's been taken care of—let's just pray she won't sniff the lie in my story."
Ray sighed in relief but it barely eased the alarm within his countenance. "That should do for now... But this the first, huh...? Emma has never found anything bizarre with her own brain so far, but for her to start catching up now..." he trailed off, throwing a concerned glare towards the platinum blonde. "Hey, do you think the effect is wearing off?"
Norman shook his head, squinting his eyes in deep thought. "I don't know. But that's probable, and I'm afraid the process will speed up if she tries to dig further," he muttered.
Ray didn't reply, only studying Norman as he concentrated on parking the car. After turning off the engine, instead of unlocking the doors right away Norman hung his head, resting his forehead on the steering wheel and gave a long, weary sigh.
"Ray... How much longer do you think we should keep this act...? I'm sick of filling her genuine curiosity with bullshits. It's killing me seeing her innocent smile whenever she buys every single bit of my stupid lies," he whispered weakly, his voice sounded as if he'd drained the last drip of energy out of his being.
Ray's visible eye softened at the sight of his vulnerable quasi-brother. He moved his hand to the blonde's slouched back and gave it a comforting pat. "I know, I hate keeping her in the dark myself. But for now, patience is our only option."
A chuckle. "You know, sometimes my stupid side urges me to just tell her everything so we can stop being a liar."
The vice-president snorted and blew his bangs lazily. "You better prove that you're smarter than that or else you're just a complete idiot by following that nonsense. May I remind you that everyone's efforts will go to waste if we break the truth now? Not just us—Mama, her family, your dad, and—"
"—I know. Dammit, I know that, but..." Norman expended a hollow laugh. When he felt the weight from Ray's hand leave his back, he raised his head and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "I guess we have to hurry."
Ray understood what he meant and nodded. "I've sent my latest report the other day. You already studied it, right? How is it going on your side?"
Smiling lopsidedly, Norman nodded. "I guess things are going quite favorably for us. Smee and his team are making good progress, and thanks to your report, my father and I managed to focus on more specific journals about the active agent. I've emailed the updated report to him."
"That's good. Hopefully they'll come up with the test results soon."
Norman's smile faded, then he gazed up to the ceiling of his car.
"'Soon', huh...? What a vague word," his eyes darkened. "We're running out of time. Up until now, we've been repeatedly pushing the 'pause button' on Emma while the entire world continues to move around her—but now her gears has begun to move. It's just a matter of time until she catches up," the horror of the thought brought his hand to tremble around the steering wheel. "Soon, she will—"
"Norman," Ray immediately grabbed his shoulder. "Snap out of it. You start freaking out," he warned sharply. Dull, tired blue eyes turned at him, and his heart clenched at the sight.
"We're on this together, buddy. Don't worry, we've come this far—we're gonna make it," he coaxed, and Norman's shoulders relaxed a bit.
He had no idea how thankful he was for having Ray by his side. Maybe it's because Ray was the oldest among the siblings, but he never failed to console him whenever he was feeling down. His words were like magic, he always wanted to believe them—even if they were just an empty promise to keep him from falling into despair.
Norman chuckled lightly. "Yeah... We will definitely make it," he heaved one last sigh before smiling at his best friend. "Thanks, Ray. You saved my ass yet again."
The boy shrugged. "No prob. After all, your limited-edition brain is the biggest asset here—it has to be protected at all cost. Keeping your sanity intact is mandatory," he deadpanned, trying to lighten up the mood. And apparently it worked since he heard Norman laughed at his joke. He grinned in relief.
"You make it sound like my brain is the most expensive merchandise being sold on the market."
"Yeah? So our orphanage is a high-class farm for raising such premium-quality cattle?"
Another laugh. "Then that means you're also one of those premium-quality cattle, Ray!"
The quasi-brothers broke into a heartfelt laughter, both were glad to be able to see each other's carefree smile again.
The carefree, happy smiles that hid all the hardships they had been enduring for years.
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"So this is your first date with Ray, isn't it? Are you nervous?"
Anna's fair skin instantly colored at Emma's question, making her cuteness multiply a dozen. "You bet. I still can't believe I was the first to call this outing a double date... I want to die from embarrassment," she twiddled the ends of her long blonde hair, earning a chortle from the ginger-head.
"Don't worry, you're not. I already brought up the idea while persuading him to come along. Anyway, who cares? Ray agreed, after all."
Anna smiled somberly. "I see. If it's Emma, even Ray wouldn't be able to refuse, huh..."
She was silent after that, and waves of worry surged through Emma's chest for saying something unnecessary—probably. She was about to apologize when Anna spoke again.
"...You know... Truth is, I thought that I wouldn't stand a chance for him," she confessed quietly, "Ray is always protective of Emma, as if Emma is his only weakness... So I've been wondering if he will ever turn to look at me."
Emma stared at the girl wordlessly as guilt filled her heart. So she was right all along—like it or not, she was being in the way between their budding relationship. She recalled Gilda telling her once about girls being oddly perceptive towards their crush, and she started to believe her now.
But Anna is wrong! Ray's in love with her, and even though I was his first love—things have been settled now! She shouldn't be jealous of me—a mere childhood friend!
"You're just overthinking, Anna. Think about it this way—just how many girls trying to hit on him all this time?" Emma raised her index finger to emphasize her point. Anna blinked at her and looked at her side as she tried to count.
"Umm... I've heard it's three just for this month, I guess...?" the blonde answered uncertainly, to which Emma nodded.
"Right. Ray's pretty popular, but even after being asked out that many times, he hasn't agreed on them at all!" Emma pointed out. "That is, until he invited you last week. Forget that I kept pestering him about it, the fact is that he agreed to invite you. If it was some other girl, I guarantee that he'd flat out reject the idea just how he's been rejecting those girls up until now," she reassured, hardening her stare.
Anna widened her eyes at the encouragement, and feeling shy, she looked down and smiled regretfully.
"Thanks, Emma. Maybe I'm just being too anxious... I know you already have Norman, but I couldn't help being jealous a bit. Emma easily gets chummy with guys, after all," realizing her choice of words, she startled and quickly waved her hands in panic. "A-ah, No offense, Emma! I didn't mean only males—I mean—"
Emma's laugh cut her off. "None taken. I understand," she shrugged and smiled. "I love Ray, but not the same way I love Norman. He's more like a brother figure to me."
Anna returned the smile and her fingers were back to fiddle with her hair. "So... You're okay if I... confess to him tonight...?" she asked timidly.
Emma hung her jaw at the unexpected question, round-eyed.
"A-actually... Seeing you and Norman as an item kinda giving me motivation... O-or do you think it's too soon? It's our first date after all..." she looked away bashfully.
Emma's awestruck expression was morphed into a wide grin as she lunged forward and hugged the girl. "Of course not, dear! Oh my God, I didn't know you're this brave! Break a leg, Anna!" she practically squeezed the blonde, and hearing her muffled yelp, Emma pulled away—but kept her in an arm's length.
"You're so cute together. Ray can be quite a handful sometimes, but I'm certain you know how to tame him," Emma beamed with twinkling eyes, then cupped a hand on the side of her mouth to whisper.
"One advice though—don't ever mention anything about fire, except if you're ready to deal with a very excited Ray. You know, he reaaally likes to play with fire," she joked, waggling her brows scandalously.
Anna replied with her bell-like giggle. "Oh, I'm pretty much aware of that. Better have some matchsticks ready in hand," she played along, earning a gleeful laugh from the other girl.
Emma was surprised—if not amazed—at the boldness the blonde showed her today. All this time she'd thought Anna was too timid and shy to initiate romance, but she had proven her wrong. Anna was more than the frail princess image that was often seen at school, and Emma knew who to thank later for making Anna bloom into the courageous girl in front of her right now.
Ray, you lucky bastard. You better take a good care of this precious girl.
"I'm rooting for you, Anna. I really do," Emma said sincerely. "Today is just perfect, don't you think? You can feel the romantic whiff of Christmas Eve thick in the air. There's no better chance than tonight."
Anna's blue eyes glimmered under the illumination from the trees, taking Emma's hands in gratitude. "Thanks, Emma."
She drifted her gaze around to observe their surroundings, and couldn't agree more with her friend. This was the perfect opportunity for a confession.
Looking across the street, her blue eyes then widened with mirth upon finding a big, white, fluffy mascot giving colorful balloons to children. "Ah, so cute! We must take a picture with that mascot later, Emma! Look!" she shook Emma's hand, pointing at the mascot with enthusiasm.
"Eh? Where?" Emma followed the direction of Anna's finger, but before she could set her eyes across the street, a pair of warm hands covered her eyes, followed with a slightly ragged breath sending warmth to her neck.
"Guess who...?" a husky voice tickled her right ear, causing her to jolt in surprise. Her heart raced from the proximity, especially when she felt the weight of the person's chin on her shoulder.
"N-Norman," she whispered, feeling blood rushing from her heart up to her face in a speed of light. The guy behind her chuckled.
"Correct!" he chirped, but not releasing his hands from her eyes just yet.
Feigning his best cheerful tone so she wouldn't notice his tense countenance, Norman's wary eyes sharply flicked across the street, following the movement of the big mascot who was walking further into the crowd. As quietly as a calm sea, Norman tried to wind down his uneven breathing from his short sprint.
"Geez, Norman, stop scaring me like that, will you? I almost knocked you down to the ground by reflex," she protested, grabbing both of his hands to pull them away from her eyes. Norman made sure that the particular mascot was already nowhere to be found before letting Emma uncover her eyes.
"Sorry, sorry. You let your guard down, so I couldn't help it," he chuckled, pinching her cheek softly and making her blush as a result. "Shall we?"
Her expression was fast to change into excitement and she yelled, "yeah, into the festivities! Onward!"
Leading the girls to enter the bazaar, Norman glanced sideways and met Ray's watchful visible eye. At the eye contact, the dark-haired smirked, mouthing a 'good job' at him.
Norman grinned lopsidedly in return.
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The festival was a lot of fun. The large park was filled with numerous stalls selling foods, trinkets, and many interesting carnival games. After half an hour strolling around the bazaar, the quartet found themselves full with various snacks they bought here and there, their throats sore from laughing while making fun of each other in the middle of playing the games.
"Ah, look! A Ring Toss booth! I want to try that one next!" Anna exclaimed, walking towards the said booth with Ray towing close on her tail.
"Oh-ho, finally a legit challenge for the paper-toss master of the student council," Ray smirked. "I haven't seen you this excited throughout the festival."
"This game is made especially for me," Anna grinned proudly. "And unlike the random paper-tossing in the student council office, this time I have prizes waiting for me. Worth the try!"
"Hmmm," Ray hummed, taking a place beside her in front of the booth. "Sorry to spoil the fun, but I think you shouldn't be overly confident even if you're good at paper-tossing because ring-tossing needs different techniques. Here's my advice—flick your wrist rapidly and release the ring when your wrist is straight. You have to put as many spins as you can on the ring by quickly flicking your wrist, thus stabilizing the ring as it flies through the air and—" his explanation paused upon finding the girl eyeing him oddly. "What?"
"You're not expecting me to go easy on you just because you gave me useful advice, aren't you?" Anna asked with an arched eyebrow, to which Ray responded by looking at her incredulously.
"We're playing together?"
"What is it...? Not confident enough?" she provoked, albeit her eyes showed none other than innocence.
The tip of Ray's eyebrows twitched at the challenge and he smirked. "As if. Make sure you won't cry at my feet begging for mercy, Miss Secretary!" he dared smugly, paying for both of them and they were given five rings each.
"Game on! I'm in your care then, Mr. Vice-President," Anna started to get into stance, gaze focusing on the pegs.
Emma chuckled watching the chemistry between the two. Quietly, she grabbed Norman's arm and pulled him to slip away from the booth.
"Let's leave them be for now. I think they need some time alone," she told him. Norman peeked at the duelling duo and grinned himself.
"Good idea," he agreed, turning his gaze down to meet his girlfriend's emerald orbs. "Time for our real date, then?"
Emma beamed up at him with light blush adorning her cheeks. "Mhm!" she nodded, making her ponytail sway cutely, then hugged his arm and began to lead him towards another part of the bazaar. They walked slowly, enjoying their time being in each other's company in a comfortable silence.
"Seems like things are going well with those two. I'm so glad," Emma spoke first, gaining the boy's attention. "It's good that both Ray and Anna are being so honest and carefree towards each other. I hope they will make it official soon," she giggled.
Norman's insides felt like they're being pinched at some particular words, but he managed to smile nonetheless.
"Yeah... I'm happy for them."
Silence. He couldn't bring himself to say more, just letting his gaze linger on the grinning girl beside him, his expression unreadable.
"Emma... Do you personally think that a good relationship is where you can be honest with each other?" he posed out of the blue, catching her off guard. She looked up at him inquisitively, tipping her head to the side.
After meeting his solemn blue orbs, Emma caught the meaning behind his implications, causing her eyes to dilate without the power to utter a single word.
Norman stopped in his tracks, and Emma followed two steps later, turning to face him slowly to be greeted with downcast eyes that refused to meet hers, his shaded visage slightly turned away from the bright lighting of the stalls around them.
She knew what he was thinking—his burden. He was burdened because there's something he'd been hiding. She was aware of that.
And he was ashamed because he knew that she knew he wasn't being honest with her.
"Norman..." she called at last, albeit reluctantly, the palpable tension almost killing her. "You know, I—"
"—What if I can't be honest with you, Emma? Will you still think of me as the right choice for you?" he asked abruptly, a humorless look in his eyes cleared out any possibilities of him laughing and exclaiming 'Got you!' as she fell into his prank.
"What if the me who is standing in front of you right now is not the real me? What will you do... If I turn out to be a big liar?"
Yes, this was not a joke indeed. Even if it was, then Norman must be a truly skillful actor for being able to voice such grief in his whisper.
He glanced over at the girl and upon seeing her opening her mouth, his heart raced painfully as the urge to block his ears became tenfold. He shut his eyes tightly as he uselessly regretted his own question, bracing himself for the impending consequences.
"I will love you," she answered.
Norman needed a few seconds to process her light tone in his brain. He unbelievably stared at her innocent green orbs, completely the opposite of his own dumbstruck ones. Did he hear it right?
"Pardon...?"
"That's an easy question. I will love you, there's no other answer," Emma stated once again. Noticing he was too busy gaping at her and didn't look like he'd say anything soon, she smiled.
"Norman is smart, he always does everything for a reason. And Norman is kind, so that reason wouldn't be something bad."
Norman gritted his teeth, feeling unworthy of her high expectation. "...You overestimate me, Emma. Whatever good reason behind it, a liar is still a liar. Which healthy relationship isn't built on a foundation of honesty and trust? I won't become perfect with these sins," he confessed bitterly.
"But I trust you, Norman!"
His head snapped up at her to be welcomed with a sincere smile that was shown through her eyes. "I don't need you to be perfect. I told you yesterday, didn't I? I won't judge you even if you were to show me your weakness—if that's the real you, I'll accept it with all my heart," she closed her eyes and placed her hands over her chest where her heart was beating—where her heart was beating for him.
"And you once said that you treasured me. Even if you've told me countless of lies, or even if you're about to tell more lies after this, at least I know that wasn't one of them. And that's enough for me," she reopened her eyes to lock their gazes, conveying all the adoration she had for him. "Thank you for being honest with me, Norman. Thank you for showing me your weak and imperfect side."
Norman's eyes were glimmering, he bit his lip shamefully as Emma took a step forward to hold his hands. "Emma... You're too good to be true. Why aren't you angry? Maybe it would be more appropriate for me if you were just blatantly mad at me."
A chortle escaped Emma's mouth, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she looked up at his dazzling blue. Her heart soared noticing the ends of his lips curved upwards into his trademark gentle smile.
"Really? Hmm, let me consider that. Perhaps I can throw angry yells at you with all my might—maybe a little hair-pulling too, you know—just to draw more people's attention? You sure you're feeling prepared?" she smirked in challenge.
The platinum blonde shivered as chills ran down his spine. "...On second thought... Let's forget what I've said..."
Emma laughed louder.
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They reunited with Ray's group about half and hour later. When they found them at the open space in which a big Christmas tree situated in the center, Anna was grinning with a fancy-looking cactus plush toy in her arms, while a frowning Ray towed not far behind, two bags of more toys—presumably the prizes they had won from the games—dangling from his hands.
Emma approached them and studied the prizes in awe. "Whoa, what a big catch. So, who scored more?" she posed, referring to their duel.
Ray huffed and looked away. "Can't you tell by seeing?"
Norman cupped his chin. "Hmm. From what I see, you're like a sour boyfriend sulking over the fact that your girlfriend prefers to hug a plushie instead of your arm."
Anna laughed. "He's been sour indeed! He won all those prizes quite easily, but when I finally succeeded beating him in getting this cactus toy, he wouldn't stop putting up that face!"
"That's one-of-a-kind. I was planning to win it for the last—I'm better at throwing things, after all," Ray grumbled.
"Get over it, Ray. You're just good at throwing tantrums."
A vein could be seen popped out in the boy's forehead as he retaliated, to which the girl played along with amusement.
The other two teens outside the spotlight gaped at the scene before them. Ray liked throwing tantrums throughout the day whenever he's being teased, yes, but Emma noticed something unusual with the two.
Neither Ray nor Anna reacted whatsoever at Norman's teasing.
Emma glanced at her boyfriend to find him also mirroring her confusion. After locking gazes for some moments, they simultaneously grinned broadly, thinking of the same conclusion.
Anna coughed after another fit of laughter. "Oh boy, too much laughing makes my throat dry," she rubbed her neck. Ray finally recovered from his annoyed state and looked at her.
"Want me to buy you something to drink? We haven't had anything other than games after games," he offered, and Anna nodded with a small thanks.
"Wanna go together?" Norman offered—jokingly, of course—and Ray visibly cringed at him.
"Are you kidding? You stay here and watch these for me," he handed the bags of toys over to him, but glanced over the girls at the word 'watch'. Norman smiled innocently, satisfied with his response.
"Do you guys want me to get you something while I'm at it?"
"We've had hot chocolate earlier, so we're good," Norman declined, and nodding at his answer, Ray was off.
"So are you having fun so far?" Norman opened the topic and asked the blonde girl who nodded with a wide smile.
"Plenty. It's been a while since the last time I laughed this much," she sang, and Norman smiled knowingly.
"Tell me about it. The quiet, diligent Miss Secretary is showing us her carefree side... My, I guess we owe Ray big time for pulling you out of your timid shell."
"I know, right? I remember that two months ago—exactly a week before you had painting assignment for Art Class—you shyly asked me to give that book to Ray for you because you were too nervous to approach him first! Who would've thought things would escalate so quickly?" Emma chimed in, paying no heed to the heavy blush covering Anna's pale face.
"Emma! You don't have to remind me the exact time!" Anna whined, her face looked as if she was on the brink of explosion.
"Why? Recalling scenes from my memory is like playing a Blu-ray, clear and in high-definition! What else do you want to recollect?" Emma cackled when Anna landed a playful jab on her ribs. "Ow! You're welcome, Anna!"
Norman flinched and instantly spun his head to the ginger-head. Upon seeing her gleeful laugh, he sighed and relaxed. Any mentions about Emma's memory had been a delicate topic for him, he couldn't stop himself from being so paranoid about it. And that incident at his house only made it worse for him, as he'd become rather jumpy and got alarmed easily.
Perhaps he was just worrying too much, but he was unable to shrug away the uneasiness that kept building inside his chest.
I'm being paranoid again. Not good. At ease, enjoy today's festival as well as I should.
Norman was about to join the conversation when he felt his phone vibrating inside his pocket. Gathering the bags in one hand, he took it out and his brows furrowed at the name flashing on the screen.
"Excuse me for a sec. I have to answer this," he told the girls, and slid away after receiving their permission.
"Hello, father? What is it?" he spoke to the caller. His father already knew that he wouldn't be home until late at night, so whatever reason for this call must be urgent.
'Norman, sorry for interrupting while you're on a date but I can't wait till you get home to inform you this. I just got a call from Lambda.'
Norman's thick eyebrows knitted together at the name of the elite research facility he'd lived in five years ago. His father had taken him there to meet his colleagues in encephalology and fellow researchers to propose a new research, introducing his rare ability as the main data source. For almost three years, he had let the scientists utilize his unparalleled brain as an object of observation, all the while helping them with the experiments in hope of achieving one particular goal.
Unfortunately, they had failed to bring the research to fruition by the due date. When the three-years limit had been up, Norman had to come home empty-handed, and was given no other choice but to continue participating in his father's research via study of literature—this time with Ray's aid as well.
The whole ordeal had been far from pleasant, but at least Norman was glad Ray was with him this time. His wisdom and thoroughness were extremely helpful, like how he'd notice the small details in the composition of the active agent from—
...Eh?" Norman whispered breathlessly, his eyes went round in disbelief. "The test results of the prototype drug have come out...?"
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Emma stared worriedly at Norman's stiff back a few meters away. His voice was hushed and his facial expression wasn't visible from this angle, but it was apparent that he was having a serious talk over the phone.
"I hope everything's okay..." she mumbled to herself. Anna followed her line of sight, and instantly understood her concern.
"If you're worried, why don't you ask him after he's done?"
To her surprise, Emma shook her head. "No, it's fine. Norman already has a lot on his mind, I don't want to bother him more. If he really want to tell me, then he will do it himself," she smiled.
Anna stared at her, puzzlement clear in her serene features. But instead of explaining, Emma's expression then morphed into one of Cheshire Cat's, leaning towards the blonde who took a step back in reflex.
"Me aside, don't you have more important things to tell me, Anna? So tell me, how did you guys become official within half an hour?" she waggled her brows suggestively, startling Anna to the core.
"T-that was kind of... A bet."
"Huh...?"
Anna blushed madly and had to hide her face behind the cactus plushie. "I was sulking because he kept scoring higher than me. Then as the final showdown, we had a bet on who could claim this cactus toy. If he won, it would mark his thirtieth win and I had to listen to anything he'd say. Otherwise, I could ask him anything if I won," she told her quietly.
"So you won, and asked him out as the reward?" Emma guessed, and at Anna's nod, she doubled over.
"E-Emma!" Anna protested, agitated.
"Sorry, sorry. It's just... That idiot must be too shy to confess so he thought of a way to make it less embarrassing," she held her aching stomach from laughing too hard.
The blonde got flustered at her sentiment. "E-eh? But the whole confession thing was my idea, right? How—"
"Ray is smart. Knowing him, he must have annoyed you on purpose by winning so many times that it prompted you to think of a selfish payback—all the while preparing his own confession in case you still couldn't beat his half-assed attempt in that 'final stage'."
Anna was stunned, then Emma hugged her tightly.
"Either way, you would still come out as a couple at the end of the game. So CONGRATS!!"
Anna was barely staying conscious due to deep embarrassment, but even then still managed to curve her lips into a sweet smile. "Thank you... It's all thanks to you, Emma."
The ginger-haired pulled away, grinning from ear-to-ear. When a particular booth was caught from the corner of her eye, an idea popped out in her head. "Ah, I know! Come here, Anna!" she exclaimed, pulling the confused girl along towards the booth.
"...A shooting booth?" Anna queried. Emma hummed happily as she paid the worker and was given a toy rifle gun.
"Yup. I need a gift to congratulate our new couple, right?" she winked and caused Anna to blush again. She giggled and gestured towards the prizes available. "Which one do you want?"
Taking notice that Anna was hesitating, Emma added, "You can also give it to Ray later as a remembrance of your first date. C'mon, just choose one," she reassured.
Anna smiled shyly before finally giving in, pondering over the various items. Her scanning stopped at the topmost shelf for a moment, yet after biting her lip, she shook her head imperceptibly and continued scanning.
Her actions didn't miss Emma's sharp eyes though, and following her gaze, Emma smirked upon finding the expensive-looking fantasy novel sitting at the top the rack, like a king in his throne.
"The grand prize, huh...? You've got a good taste, Anna," she complimented and began positioning her gun. Anna jolted and flailed her hands around in panic.
"W-wait, Emma! It shouldn't be that one, I'll choose another one from the lower shelves!" she grabbed Emma's arm to prevent her from shooting.
"It's fine, I love challenges. Just wait and see," she took a deep breath, aligned her sight with one of the moving targets and began shooting. She hit all targets cleanly, earning an amazed whistle from the shopworker. She squealed in delight as she was given the prize.
"Here you go, Anna! It's the popular novel everyone talk about, right?" she handed the thick book to Anna, who accepted it while still trying to recover from her amazement. "Ray must be really happy to have that."
The blonde stared down at the book as if it were a jewel, then hugged it close together with the cactus plush, eyes closed and cheeks colored with joy. "Yeah," she breathed, "thanks, Emma."
"My pleasure!" Emma beamed and enveloped her in another bear hug. They bounced around and giggled childishly.
"Um, sorry to interrupt, young miss, but you deserve another prize for successfully hitting the bonus target. So here, you can have this," the shopworker took another prize from a cabinet on the other side of the booth, which turned out to be an item smaller than the size of a palm.
Emma squealed again and let the worker drop the prize on her open palms. "Yaaay! Thank you so much, Sir! We hit the jackpot today~~" she sang, looking at her bonus prize—a fluffy white rabbit keychain. Despite the small size, anyone could tell that it was a good quality one.
Anna peeked at the item in Emma's hands and beamed. "Wow, so cute! It's the same as the mascot I saw earlier outside the bazaar's entrance, Emma! The big, fluffy rabbit mascot I mentioned we should take pictures with!" she exclaimed, but she didn't get any response from her friend.
"Emma?" she glanced up at Emma's face, and her confusion grew as she saw wide green eyes staring blankly at the keychain, her face lacking any emotion.
Anna's worried calls didn't reach Emma's ears. In her eyes—or more specifically, her mind's eye—the keychain morphed into a simpler one, the rabbit plush looked handmade but didn't lessen its cuteness. A scenery then came to accompany the keychain, fleeting yet clear as a sunny summer day, showing a spacious room full with birthday decorations and smiling children.
Then the gift giver appeared to the surface. A fair-skinned boy with a rather thin stature, clad in a short-sleeved button-up shirt and white pants. His blurred face began to become clearer to show a shy smile, rosy cheeks and short platinum blonde hair with a moon-shaped curl on the left side of his head.
.
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"Okay, thanks for the info, father. Yes, I'll see you at home. Bye."
Norman hung up and stared at his smartphone in disbelief.
All these years of rigorous research...
When his father had first proposed the abstract of this project, even his colleagues had thought what they had been seeking was nearly unattainable. Today however...
His face broke into a wide grin. Their hard works had eventually come to bear fruit, and for the first time in forever, he could finally see it at the end of this long road—hope. He couldn't stop the enthusiasm and anticipation from surging through his body that his hands started to shake.
This is wonderful news! Just wait until it reaches Ray's ears—he must be ecstatic!
Soon in the near future, they would no longer have to be so overprotective towards Emma. Soon, Emma would be able to enjoy her life freely without worrying about their vigilant guard.
Soon, Emma would be saved.
With that single thing in mind, Norman turned around and walked back to where he'd left the girls, his lips still curved upwards in a happy smile.
His pace quickened after seeing the girls' figures in front of the shooting booth, but then a frown formed on his brows upon spotting the worried expressions on Anna's and the shopworker's faces.
He swore his heart stopped as soon as he saw what Emma was holding in her palms. The distant gaze in her blank wide eyes confirmed the gravity of the situation and it rang the alarm inside his head, bringing his upbeat emotions crashing down that instant. His smile vanished, his blue eyes dilated in horror as blood began to drain from his face.
And when he heard the name slipping out of Emma's delicate mouth, he knew for sure that his world had collapsed.
"...Little... Bunny..."
.
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Emma didn't know why that name just rolled off her tongue like that. But as if on cue, the handmade keychain from her memory then grew bigger, falling perfectly into the arms of a grinning little girl standing beside the bashful platinum blonde boy.
"Conny..."
Again, a foreign name oddly, smoothly slid from her lips, and her head almost burst from confusion. Just as she was about to shake her head to make it stop, the scenery changed again.
It was dark. The scent of disinfectant was strong in her nose that made her want to vomit. Flashes of images flew into her brain like jigsaw puzzles. A shady big black truck parked under an old brick bridge, a single table inside a poorly-lit small room, stacks of cooler boxes at her feet...
...And Conny's lifeless, hollow gaze staring back at her.
Emma screamed.
The rabbit keychain she had won proudly earlier was now forgotten on the ground. She clutched both sides of her head as if it would help keeping her head from exploding, but to no avail. As the dam inside her brain broke, a stream of memories crammed into her little head, carrying raw emotions of her forgotten past—the terrifying feel of terror, helplessness, denial, regret—
—Guilt.
.
"You know, Emma? I helped Norman a little to make that keychain for you, doesn't it look like Little Bunny?"
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"Emma... Aren't we wandering off a bit too far from the house?"
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"Snap out of it, Emma! Get a hold of yourself—Dammit, Norman! Stay with us, don't you dare closing your eyes, you idiot!!"
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"All right, Emma. Look into my eyes, relax. Don't be scared, just trust the process."
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She collapsed to the rough pavement as she shrieked in a heart-wrenching voice, her hands pulling on her hair as a futile attempt to make those memories go away. She couldn't make out Norman's desperate call as he rushed to her side to soothe her, she couldn't hear Ray's shout of dread as he ran to their spot, throwing away the coffee he had bought in the process. When their pale, distressed faces came into her view, she reached out to touch them, her aching heart screaming for some comfort.
Her brain didn't let her.
Her movement came to a screeching halt as she blinked. Through her blurry, teary eyes, the image of her best friends slowly distorted into a younger-looking Ray with a younger-looking Norman in his arms, face contorted in pain as he clutched the blood-stained shirt covering his chest.
The last thing Emma thought before she fell into unconsciousness was the answer behind Norman's secretive behavior—the harsh reality they had kept secret all these years.
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Conny... I killed Conny. And with these hands, I... almost killed Norman...
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To be Continued
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A/N: DUN DUN DUNN... Are all the puzzle pieces complete now?