It was a rainy Friday in Bluebell when Kamil stepped off the train, knuckles white from balling his hands into a fist a little too tightly. His train arrived in Bluebell as usual, and just on time – he was expected by noon. Annie knew he was going, and even wished him a safe trip the day before. She knew he was visiting his old town, but Kamil never told her why.
He hoped to speak with Mayor Rutger over some tea, to "catch up", but more importantly… to settle things once and for all. For Annie's happiness.
His wet dress shoes squeaked against the porcelain tile floors as he walked into the town hall. In Bluebell, it wasn't odd for the villagers to spend some time with the Mayor and his wife. He couldn't imagine doing the same in Oak Tree Town – Mayor Victoria still felt so distant, like an actual mayor… Meanwhile Bluebell felt like family.
Mayor Rutger and his wife lived upstairs and when he tapped the bell at the front desk, he could hear their footsteps shuffling from the ceiling.
"Cam, dear, is that you?" Rose called out. The couple walked downstairs and greeted him with a smile.
"Welcome back, how's life treating you?" Mayor Rutger said, extending his hand.
Kamil took it and gave it a firm shake, before the three walked into one of the halls, where a table and tea set waited for them. "I've been well, thank you, and you?"
"Doing just fine. The town hasn't changed much, but there are a few new faces. You should introduce yourself to them next time you visit!" The mayor took a teacup and let the warmth seep into his palms.
"Although, we do miss your flower shop!" Rose said with a smile, as she passed Kamil a teacup. He noticed the minty smell… he loved herbal tea. "I'm sure you've impressed Oak Tree Town with your knowledge."
"Thank you, I hope so…" Kamil replied politely. "I've learned a lot in Oak Tree Town too. There is still so much I want to do." It was his usual answer.
The three continued to make small talk and share little stories, until their teacups were empty, and the cookies Rose had prepared were almost gone.
"The tea and snacks were delicious, Rose," Kamil told her once he had his fill.
"That's a big compliment coming from you… You're so used to Howard's baking!"
It's been a while since Kamil felt so visibly nervous around these two. He remembered when he first met them as a child – he was quiet, he kept to himself unless spoken to… Mayor Rutger even said to Kamil once that his emotions were hard to read. He changed so much over these years. He was an adult now and they viewed him as such, so why was he trembling like a small child? As he was about to speak again, he felt his throat tighten and the air felt cold around his skin. His habit of nervously playing with his clothes resurfaced. He twiddled the collar of his shirt. It wasn't like the topic was hard for him to bring up – no, he chose to do this. He wanted, needed to do this. For Annie's happiness, he told himself again.
With the stress and anxiety still pulsing through him, he spoke. "It's hard to believe so much time has passed since I moved to Oak Tree Town. You know how I told you all that I wanted to expand my knowledge on flowers?"
Mayor Rutger and his wife Rose listened attentively, simply nodding.
He continued, "That was one of the reasons, but the main reason was because I became unhappy in Bluebell. I'm alright now, I think I've learned to forgive myself, but at that time, I was overwhelmed by guilt, confusion, anger…"
"Oh Cam…" Rose whispered sadly. "Why?"
Kamil thought he could finally do it – "Press on", like Ash told him to before he moved; "Accept all of his memories", like Dr. Marian said during his appointment… The negative emotions were coming back as his burning question was approaching, but Kamil was fighting it this time. He sat up in his seat and took a breath, as if he were about to dive into water. He was treading on thin ice talking to the Mayor about this, he might as well just get it over and done with… break it and jump in headfirst.
"Lillian." He said it. It was like her name was a curse. Mayor Rutger and Rose froze. "After that incident, I couldn't even apologize, couldn't even say bye to her. Something was definitely going on with her that none of us knew about and we – I couldn't save her in time."
"Cam, Dr. Ayame said-"
"I think you misunderstand, Mayor Rutger," Kamil cut in, "but I'm not just talking about how she crashed her cart and fell in that water current. She left Bluebell without a trace, and we allowed her. That's so unlike her. I don't think she was in the right state of mind to make these kinds of decisions. It was… it was irresponsible of you."
Rose glanced at her husband, who was pressing his lips together in thought, soaking in every word Kamil uttered. He knew Kamil was right. Mayor Rutger let out a small sigh. He relaxed in his seat a little, as if he gave up acting oblivious, and knew he would be there a while. "Cam, is that why you visited us today? To find out the truth?"
He didn't deny allowing Lillian to leave.
"Of course, since there was never an explanation. How else could she have moved to a new town without help from you, or Konohana's mayor, Ina?"
"It's… a long story."
Kamil had to stop himself from raising his voice. The air still felt cold around him, goosebumps rose on his arms. It wasn't anger that boiled inside of him. It was sadness… how long would they have kept that "story" to themselves, until someone forced it out of them?
"I'm ready to hear it. Maybe I won't understand the whole story, but I was close with Lillian. I was her friend and there had to be something I could've done to help her. If you're hiding information from us because you think it's easier to simply forget about her, then you're wrong. The villagers can't just force themselves to forget about someone like Lillian. So please… please just tell me why she left, because I would rather face reality than turn away and act as if she never existed." He took a deep breath after spilling his thoughts and feelings out on the table. The burning questions he had kept for so long were extinguished. "I'm sorry…" was all he could muster after.
"No, Cam, we're sorry." Mayor Rutger said in a tone Kamil had never heard. It was low and filled with regret. "I suppose… you are ready to hear about Lillian, then…"
Kamil felt as if his heart had dropped to his stomach upon hearing the Mayor's explanation.
"We did a small background check on Lillian when she first moved here. She suffers from anxiety and occasional mood swings due to her life before she moved here. Her father left her when she was young, and she lived with her mother, who we have not heard from. Dr. Ayame had been keeping a close eye on her ever since we found out."
Rutger's words were heavy, pressing down on Kamil's shoulders, his chest, pushing his heart even deeper. Kamil knew of Lillian's anxiety – Dr. Marian had hinted at it, he saw her take pills, he saw her show symptoms – but he never thought of what might have caused it.
"She's a rather clumsy girl, as we all know… After the incident, she woke up with a start – a panic attack. Dr. Ayame had to control her and it slipped our minds that contacting her mother might make things worse, since of course, we know nothing of her. Her mother refused to visit and simply spoke with her on the phone. We thought nothing of it at the time, especially because in that week Lillian proved to Dr. Ayame that she was alright. She said she was just in shock, which is completely reasonable. She took her medication and was functioning like the Lillian we knew. But maybe, you're right, Cam, she still wasn't in the right state of mind… She suddenly told us that she wanted to move, that she had caused enough trouble. Why she wanted to move, we still really do not know – perhaps she truly convinced herself she was a burden. She begged us, over and over, said that it was unfair to try to keep her in one place. We had no choice but to help her and to promise her we wouldn't tell anybody, but on one condition: that she would move somewhere close enough where we could keep tabs on her…"
"Oak Tree Town," Kamil concluded, "and you let her stay at Eda's place until she could get a farm of her own and have all of her things moved."
Mayor Rutger and his wife Rose let out a long exhale. "Correct," the Mayor confirmed. "Only Rose, Mayor Ina, and Dr. Ayame knew of this. But it seems that… you figured it out by yourself. I should've seen this coming when you said you wanted to move as well."
"So… I was right…" Kamil whispered to himself, in absolute disbelief. "Annie is Lillian. I'm not crazy. It really is her."
How long he waited for an explanation – a concrete answer. It was like he could finally plant his feet on stable ground and walk forward. Kamil felt at ease. The feeling washed over him and the cold air had disappeared. His cheeks flushed with colour as warm tears fell down his face. He quietly sniffled. The tears of relief didn't stop, causing Rose to pull out her handkerchief and dry his eyes. She soothed him, rubbing his back, which shook from his sobs.
"We did all we could but didn't think of how the villagers would feel. I'm sorry you had to shoulder this all by yourself," Rose said softly.
"You did, too," Kamil replied, catching his breath. "You were burdened with keeping it a secret. Everyone suffered in their own way."
"But you saw Lillian, didn't you? You recognized her right away even when she went by a different name. She seemed healthy, right?"
"Maybe so," Kamil answered. He did remember times when she seemed genuinely happy, but something about her still seemed off, as if she was haunted by something. "However, meds are only short term. I think she still needs help." After a small silence, he collected himself. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Now that I know the truth, I'll try to make amends. If there's one thing I learned while at Oak Tree Town, it's that you grow from all of your experiences – good or bad. I'll do all I can to bring our friend Lillian back and make her realize that."
"How do you plan to…" Mayor Rutger's eyes widened in surprise. The announcement made by the young adult in front of him seemed noble, as if he were a knight making an oath to bring back the princess.
"I promise, I won't cause trouble. I won't tell everyone just yet – they may not be ready like I am, but… I will bring her back when the time is right. When she is ready, as well." Kamil stood up. "Again, thank you so much. I should be going."
Before he left, Rose hugged him tightly and so did Mayor Rutger, which was unlike him, but Kamil felt some comfort from them. He felt no anger, no sadness, anymore… just strength. He tipped his hat slightly, gave them a smile, before closing the door behind him.
"My boy, Cam… he's grown so much," Mayor Rutger told his wife, once Kamil was out of sight. "Are you sure we can entrust this all to him?"
Rose gave her husband a reassuring smile and his hand a gentle squeeze. "He knows he has his family here in Bluebell if he ever needs help."
Major Rutger and his wife weren't the only people Kamil had made plans with that day. Besides, Bluebell wasn't the only town affected by Lillian's disappearance. He would make amends, he promised Mayor Rutger and himself. He would do it one step at a time.
"Good to see ya, dude." Kana, the Konohana villager, pulled him into a quick embrace. "Last time I saw you, well, you look much better now. I'm happy for you."
It seemed like he was doing well, too. He grew taller, was more built, and seemed more mature – other than the way he spoke. Kana flashed Kamil a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes the way it usually would. There was a hint of sadness lurking when he made eye contact with Kamil. Kana offered Kamil a seat in his house and they spoke a bit about their lives. Kana even considered moving back to his old town to work with his father. Kamil was surprised to see how Konohana moved on with their lives, with Lillian being a bad memory for them. They had no choice but to move on and simply wonder forever what happened to her. It was etched on Kana's face.
"Thanks for having me over," Kamil paused, lowering his head with guilt. "I know it's been some time… and I don't mean to bring up any bad memories, but I came here because I want to apologize about the way I acted all that time ago."
Kana scratched the back of his head nervously. "So that's why, huh? It's all good, Cam, you were in shock. We all were."
"Still, you helped her when I couldn't. You helped me save Lillian… and all I did was mope around and act like I was the only one hurting. I wasn't strong before and I couldn't face the guilt and sadness I felt… but now, now I know what to do, and I'm trying to fix this."
Kana raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean? Do you know where Lillian is?"
Kamil waved his hand and shook his head. "I hate keeping people in the dark about things, but I promise, I'll explain everything once the time is right. Please, just trust me on this one."
"S-Sure," Kana still wasn't convinced, but accepted anyway.
"So, I'm sorry I didn't even try to check on you and the others. I just ran away. I was selfish."
Kana wrapped a strong arm around Kamil's shoulders and gave him a small, reassuring shake. "I said it's all good, yeah? No sweat. I really appreciate it, man. It takes a lot to recognize these things."
"Okay, I just had to get it out. It's been bottling inside for a few years, yeah?" Kamil found himself copying Kana's speaking habits to lighten the mood. "I had to talk to you about this sooner or later." The two young men laughed.
Kana grinned, the expression reaching his eyes this time. "I'm glad you're back then, and Konohana's always here for you guys when you want to come back again."
"That's the best thing about home," Raeger's words echoed in Kamil's head.
Brring! Brring!
The phone in the Konohana doctor's office cut through the silence with its sharp tone, causing the apprentice, Hiro, to jump in his seat. He closed his textbook and rushed to the phone.
"Hello, Dr. Ayame's office, Hiro speaking!" His voice was clear and confident – he was used to answering the phone and taking on larger tasks in the office now.
"Hello Hiro," an unfamiliar and velvety voice answered on the other end, "my name is Marian, I'm a doctor at Oak Tree Town. Is Dr. Ayame in today? I would like to speak with her please, dear."
Hiro's confidence slowly crumbled at the sound of Dr. Marian's charismatic tone.
Another doctor? And they sound close to Dr. Ayame… He thought, nervously looking around for Dr. Ayame for support. "Y-Yes!" His voice cracked and he felt like hanging up and hiding in his room. "She is in her office, if you could hold for a moment?"
"Thank you."
Hiro scrambled to Ayame's office and before knocking, collected himself and cleared his throat. "Dr. Ayame, Dr. Marian is on the phone and wishes to speak to you."
"Marian?" Ayame piped up, almost sounding excited, before whipping the door open to see a flustered Hiro. So, he was right, Dr. Marian was an important person. "Thank you, Hiro, you can return to your studying."
Once Hiro was out of earshot, Ayame chimed, "Hello, Marian!"
"Hello dear," Marian replied with the same energy, "I received a call from your Mayor… Ina, was it?"
The tone became more serious. The white noise from the phones filled both their ears. Finally, Ayame confirmed, "Yes. Why did she call?"
"She told me a certain lad visited Bluebell today and asked about a certain patient of ours."
Ayame knew where he was going with this. So Cam figured it out, she surmised. "It was bound to happen – they moved to the same town, after all," she told the Oak Tree Town doctor. "We underestimated all of them. We really thought they would just forget about her, they way she thought."
He nodded on the other end, his earrings making a clinking noise. "I'm still surprised you never told any of them. Kamil and Annie have done so much for your town and mine. Why didn't you just come clean?"
"And go against Lillian's wishes? It's complicated, Marian," she defended herself, "I'm just their doctor. I can keep writing prescriptions, giving her check ups and appointments, but this is something more… and you know that, too."
A smirk appeared on Marian's lips. Ayame could sense it in his tone. "Would the doctor of Konohana request Oak Tree Town to advertise in the city? You knew what you were doing – you had a feeling Kamil would see the flyer, no?"
It earned a smile back from Ayame. "Now, now, Marian… what about you? You probably did something as well to make Cam come back here for answers."
Marian scoffed in a teasing manner, recalling the timing of Kamil and Annie's appointment that one day, the amnesia lesson he gave Kamil, and even the way he so openly gave Annie her prescription in front of him. "I may have done a bit of work behind the scenes," he admitted, "but it was Kamil's decision to go to Bluebell and it's ultimately up to him whether he wants to help Annie."
Ayame sighed, twirling the phone cord around her slender fingers. "You know, Marian, not as a doctor… but as a villager in Konohana, I feel bad leaving this task to Cam, but I really think that this will help the both of them. I want to - no, I believe in them."
"As do I. It seems to have helped the boy already. Kamil has blossomed into a beautiful person – just like a flower. Don't you worry, Ayame, I'll continue to keep a close eye on them. I think we've done more than enough."
The two said in unison, and it was definitely not their first time saying it together, "We'll let fate do the work this time."
a/n: yes, yes, finally, it is confirmed that annie IS lillian! was it ayame and marian's doing, or was it fate that brought our two main characters to oak tree town? oop! also HELLOOOO i'm back once again! i'm so slow, i know, but i WILL finish this fanfic. i PROMISE! thank you for reading this extra long chapter. i appreciate it so much.