I sat on my bed in silence, duvet wrapped around me, a hot mug of cocoa in my hands. The woman sat on the floor in front of me with crossed legs raised an identical mug to her lips, a worried furrow spreading across her brow under a head of auburn hair.

After I got home I buried myself under pillows and duvets. I laid like that for a while – a few hours, maybe, in a continuous cycle of calming myself down only to replay that evening's events in my head and start crying again. My eyes were sore and puffed up, and my throat ached. I was pathetic. After a while, there was a soft knock on the door. "Mira?" a familiar voice was on the other side of my front door. "Can I come in?" I gazed listlessly at the door for a while before shuffling myself and my duvet nest over to the door like a slug. One hand left the safety of my duvet cove and meekly turned the lock on the door. I was met with a sympathetic smile, and wordlessly invited my visitor inside.

"Ah, so that's what happened…" Leah sighed, sipping at her mug of cocoa. "And you don't know why he acted like that at all?"

I shook my head in response. Leah had seen the whole situation in the Saloon happen. Everyone in there did. The worst part about living in such a small community… Before long, everyone knows about everyone else's business. I buried my face in my knees at the thought. Leah shuffled closer to me and patted my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mira." She let out a long sigh. "I guess this is why people just don't bother with him."

"But… We were so close before…" I whimpered.

"Sometimes it just takes a while for people to show their true colours, I suppose."

Leah stayed with me like that for a while. Inevitably, though, it started to get really late. We were both yawning, though I didn't want to admit I was tired. I didn't want to be left on my own. For the first time since I moved to Pelican Town, I really couldn't bear the thought of being all alone in my house. For the first time I actually missed my family, even if they didn't miss me. I started to wonder if I was wrong all along about wanting a fresh start, whether I was really cut out to follow in Grandpa's footsteps. "Hey," Leah shattered my descent into dark thoughts by breaking the silence, "why don't you come stay at my place tonight? A change of scenery might be good for you."

"A-are you sure?"

"Of course," she smiled almost motherly, "I'd hate to just leave you to brood."

"Okay…" I unfurled my duvet from around myself and stepped out of it, the blankets still messily standing in a cone shape on my bed. We left the farmhouse and stepped into the darkness of the night. There were no street lights around my farm or in the forest, so we had to find our way in the dark. My fields weren't amazingly clear, so it was a bit like an obstacle course of rocks and branches. We reached the clearing before long, though, and the light from Marnie's house guided us onto the foot-beaten path of the forest. Marnie's house… Huh… I stopped where I stood, staring longingly yet sadly at the front door I'd passed through so many times. Maybe I'd never get that chance again. My stomach dropped along with my head and my tear ducts started to sting again.

"What is it?" Leah noticed I'd stopped walking and turned around. She followed my gaze to Marnie's house. "Ah…"

"Marnie taught me all sorts of things…" I said quietly. "She was teaching me to dance… She also said she could sell me some animals when I'm ready and also mentor me on how to care for them… But now…"

"Mira…" Leah put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You can still do all of those things. That jerk's behaviour doesn't change a thing."

"I… can?"

"Of course," she smiled, "you shouldn't let people's opinions of you stop you doing what you love." She looked toward the forest thoughtfully. "As long as you're not hurting anyone… It's none of their business."

"Y-yeah…" Maybe she was right, I thought, though I was too tired to really think about it. I let out a yawn as we approached Leah's cabin. She unlocked the rustic, old-style wooden door and creaked it open. It was a little too big for the doorframe so it didn't close on its own. The interior of Leah's house was pitch dark – I couldn't see a thing. "I try to rely on natural light as much as possible, so it can get pretty dark at night," she smirked, almost apologetically. "My bed's just there on the left. You can take it tonight – I'll go find my sleeping bag."

"Okay… Thanks, Leah…" I mumbled quietly as I traced my hand across the leftmost wall, not a speck of light present in the room. My shin hit something hard and wooden – I placed my hand down and it met with a soft surface. Leah's bed. I crawled in from the bottom and slammed my head against the pillow in one shot of momentum. I was about to pull the covers over me but before I knew it, sleep had whisked me away.

…

The early morning sun peeped through the window and straight into my line of sight. I squinted my eyes open, only to panic when met with unfamiliar surroundings. Paintings of snow-capped mountains and green forests populated the walls atop a sophisticated blue wallpaper, presumably painted upon the easel that was directly to my left. A rustic bookshelf stood tall next to a traditional stone fireplace, piles of oak logs sitting aside it. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and at the end of the bed I was laying on was an obscure wooden sculpture, curling around in a spiral on a square base. A sculpture… That's right… I stayed at Leah's house. I rubbed my eyes and slipped out of the bed until my toes met the hardwood floor boards. I walked around the corner and saw Leah sitting at a low coffee table. "Good morning," she smiled, noticing me on the approach. "Want some coffee?"

"It's a little bitter for me…" I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly.

"Ah, no problem! I think I have some juice somewhere…" Leah rose to her feet and started to peruse through her fridge before pulling out a large plastic bottle of orange juice. I was starting to feel a bit like a kid again. Leah returned moments later, holding a tall glass of orange juice out to me. "So? Any plans for the day?"

"Not really…" I took the glass from her, "I just have to water my crops and then… Just stay in, I guess."

"Huh. Well why don't you come out with me today? I'm meeting Haley and all of those guys in a little while."

"Gee, I… I don't know…" Spending time around a bunch of people wasn't really what I felt up to just then. Jeez… I'm starting to sound more and more like him, aren't I…

"Aw, it's okay! Some fresh air and social interaction might do you some good!" Leah grinned sunnily. I really didn't want to go out, but maybe she was right. What else would I be doing other than sitting alone in my house feeling sorry for myself?

"Well… Okay, then."

"Great! Just let me get my shoes on."

Before I knew it, I'd been whisked out of Leah's house and into town. It was a pretty quiet morning, until we headed up the stone steps to the fountain where Haley's blonde hair bobbed up and down in excitement as she spotted us. "Leah, hey girl! Mira, it's been, like, forever! I totally heard about last night-"

"Not today," Leah hissed protectively, shaking her head. Haley clamped her mouth shut pensively before returning to her excitable girly demeanour. She clapped her hands excitedly before flicking her hair. Stood just behind her were Alex, Maru and Sam.

"Hey guys," Leah waved. "So, where are we headed?"

"Well, Penny and Elliott said we could meet them at the library," Maru said, pushing her glasses up her nose in a scholarly fashion, "but maybe I should stop in at home and see if Sebastian wants to join us?"

"I doubt he'll want to. He never has before." Leah pointed out.

"Well, he might, since we have a certain someone with us…" Sam mused knowingly, and attention turned to me. My cheeks flushed. "Wh-wh-what do you mean by that?!"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Sam waved his hand at me nonchalantly but still kept that smug look on his face. I suddenly felt sheepish. Nonetheless, we decided to head up to Robin's house. Maru took the lead once we arrived, leading us all into the lobby where Robin stood behind her desk and greeted us all.

"Sebastian? Want to come out with us?" Maru shouted from the top of the stairs leading to Sebastian's room.

"No thanks." The predicted reply quietly returned, along with the sound of the tapping of a keyboard.

"Aww, c'mon, Seb!" Sam piped up, stepping forward next to Maru. "Just come out with us this once. Even Mira's here!"

Seconds later, Sebastian's bedroom door creaked open and he calmly made his way up the stairs, his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie. "That was quick," Leah teased, nudging me. I pretended not to hear her. Sebastian didn't really look at anyone or anything. His expression almost made him look like a feral child who had just left his basement for the first time.

We all started to head down the mountain again. Haley led the charge, whilst Sebastian and I lagged at the back. "How'd you end up getting roped into this?" Sebastian mumbled without changing his stone cold expression.

"Oh, I…" I didn't really want to get into the fine details of the night before. He'd probably already heard so it'd hang like an elephant in the room but, I just didn't want to talk about it at all. "I stayed with Leah. She recommended a change of pace today, so…"

"Ah," he flicked his fringe out of his eyes slightly, "I guess a change of pace isn't so bad now and then."

"Yeah…" I smiled quietly, watching everyone in front of us laughing and having a good time. "I suppose not."

Shane's P.O.V.

A bland white ceiling stretched out in front of me, my arms folded behind my head on my pillow. I didn't go to the Saloon that day. In fact, I'd darted between home and work, and back again, in the hopes that no one would see me. It wasn't my usual disdain for people though. No… I was ashamed. Of course, when I got home from work that day, Marnie stood stock still behind her counter, wordlessly staring daggers at me. She'd seen the whole thing the night before… Everyone probably knew by then… So I cowardly took shelter in my room with the lights off. I'd been laying there for hours, just staring blankly. Occasionally my mind would flick back to what I said. The look on her face. The silence in the bar. Guilt spread through my stomach and chest like wildfire. Poor Rain. She must've been so hurt. Maybe she still was. Finally, I sat up. I need to go apologise…

I approached my bedroom door and slowly began to open it when, suddenly, the front door flung open. A customer at this time? I groaned to myself, closing my door all but a slither of light. Light footsteps approached the counter, and my eyes widened as a veil of chestnut hair came into view. I froze. I couldn't open the door. I couldn't bring myself to leave the room. This scene was all too familiar, but this time, instead of wanting to avoid her, I was too afraid to confront her. W-why is she here? Did she come to see me?

"Good evening, Marnie~!"

"Ah, Mira! You're looking chipper."

"I'm feeling it, too!" she beamed, giggling. She's… Happy? "Sorry I've not been around much since the storm, but if it's okay with you, could we start my dancing lessons again soon?"

"Of course, dear," Marnie smiled, "Whenever you're ready."

"And if it's not too late, I was wondering if you had any chicks for sale?"

"Oh, of course! Has Robin finished your coop already?"

"Yep. You should've seen her go!" they shared a laugh. I stood in silence, just watching. They both left my field of vision as they walked through the kitchen's side door into the chicken coop. Before long they re-emerged, a fluffy yellow ball sitting patiently in Rain's cupped hands. "Do you have a name in mind?" Marnie asked.

"I think… I'll name her Lyra." She spoke softly as she stared dotingly into her hands. Marnie smiled, her face softening. "What a lovely name."

Before long, Rain left without so much as a second thought for me. I slowly closed my door again, laying back down on my bed. Maybe she was putting on a brave face… Or maybe, I thought, she's better off this way. Without me.

Author's Note: Hey guys! Let me know what you thought of this chapter!

Just a bit of a future plan update; for anyone who's played Harvest Moon, I was considering writing a Nami x Gustafa fanfic since I replayed Harvest Moon DS recently and they're so darn cute together! I also wanted to write a Pokemon fanfic about the character Looker, but I might wait until the new games are out since he's apparently making an appearance and I want to be sort of canon-accurate.

So yeah, let me know what you think of those ideas if you want, and I'll see you soon! ~Nyannygiri