Rena awkwardly took as sip of tea; Ashton did the same. Inside the Herlie Inn Cafe, countless other people drank, ate and talked. For Rena and Ashton, however, the room was silent. Chisato had refused to even come eat. Bad headache was her excuse, but Rena knew that meant "I don't want to eat dinner with HER." Rena guessed that she understood.
She looked at Ashton for a moment. "...Thank you for the night voucher, I don't have the money to stay the night without it."
"Least I could do", Ashton replied.
"Give Chisato my wishes for good health?"
"Sure."
They sipped their tea's again.
"Ashton...I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"I have no right to be mad at you. I've been holding onto this grudge for too long. I should've been there yesterday when my friends became husband and wife."
Ashton sighed and looked at the ground. "Neither of us understood WHY you did what you did. Our fault was a mistake, but..."
"Yours was malicious", they heard Chisato say from a table near them.
"How's your headache?", Ashton asked.
Chisato pulled up a chair. "Fine, Ashton, thank you." She kissed him, then turned to Rena. "I think the main problem I have is with apologies. There's no limit to the number of times we tried to apologize, but you? Until now, never once...and I think that's what drove the rift between us, at least in my book."
"We had no-", Rena began.
"YOU had", Chisato corrected.
"I had no reason to do what I did. I can only apologize...I had a thought a couple days ago that...hurt me after I thought about it. You were both my friends once. I can't stand you not being so anymore."
Chisato was silent, then exchanged glances with Ashton. She took a sip of Ashtons tea, then returned to Renas gaze. "I don't know if I can ever return to the time before, to the friendship we had. Maybe. though, we can build a new friendship, if we both want it. But I don't think I'm ready for that. Not just yet.
My headache is acting up, excuse me please." She got up to walk away.
Rena stood up and ran after her and embraced her. "Chisato, please don't hate me!"
Chisato held Renas hands. "I could never hate you, little Rena, no matter how much I thought about what happened. Maybe someday soon, I'll call you friend.
Chisato pushed her away gently and walked out the door. Chisato then realized that the pain in her head had disappeared. Rena had healed her when she hugged her. Chisato smiled. Maybe that day will come sooner then she thought.
~
She looked at Ashton for a moment. "...Thank you for the night voucher, I don't have the money to stay the night without it."
"Least I could do", Ashton replied.
"Give Chisato my wishes for good health?"
"Sure."
They sipped their tea's again.
"Ashton...I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"I have no right to be mad at you. I've been holding onto this grudge for too long. I should've been there yesterday when my friends became husband and wife."
Ashton sighed and looked at the ground. "Neither of us understood WHY you did what you did. Our fault was a mistake, but..."
"Yours was malicious", they heard Chisato say from a table near them.
"How's your headache?", Ashton asked.
Chisato pulled up a chair. "Fine, Ashton, thank you." She kissed him, then turned to Rena. "I think the main problem I have is with apologies. There's no limit to the number of times we tried to apologize, but you? Until now, never once...and I think that's what drove the rift between us, at least in my book."
"We had no-", Rena began.
"YOU had", Chisato corrected.
"I had no reason to do what I did. I can only apologize...I had a thought a couple days ago that...hurt me after I thought about it. You were both my friends once. I can't stand you not being so anymore."
Chisato was silent, then exchanged glances with Ashton. She took a sip of Ashtons tea, then returned to Renas gaze. "I don't know if I can ever return to the time before, to the friendship we had. Maybe. though, we can build a new friendship, if we both want it. But I don't think I'm ready for that. Not just yet.
My headache is acting up, excuse me please." She got up to walk away.
Rena stood up and ran after her and embraced her. "Chisato, please don't hate me!"
Chisato held Renas hands. "I could never hate you, little Rena, no matter how much I thought about what happened. Maybe someday soon, I'll call you friend.
Chisato pushed her away gently and walked out the door. Chisato then realized that the pain in her head had disappeared. Rena had healed her when she hugged her. Chisato smiled. Maybe that day will come sooner then she thought.
~