HEART WORLD

~ Michi ~

"So… the son of the man who killed your father is the one you're tied to in this world…" Musca paled. "That's… awful."

"Just give me a minute, Musca, please." I curled up on the bed. Why had I done this? To escape dying, right. So, in the long run, whatever I was faced with, it would have to be worth it. I would have to keep going, make this world worth living in to justify the choice I had made.

"What are you doing?" Musca looked at me warily when I stood.

"Calm down." I smiled wanly. "Just a shower." I washed the stress away and then got dressed.

"What… what are you wearing?"

"Uh, clothes? Stop looking at me like that." A plaid dress with black and white checked tights and a jacket with big gold buttons was what I normally wore.

"How's anyone going to fall in love with you like that…? Then again, Orion mentioned that everyone here has their own unique sense of style…"

"Fall in love with me? What's that about?" No one had mentioned any mushy stuff to me.

"See, the person you're helping, you're uh, sort of bound to them by the fate of that particular world… Did I forget to mention that?" Musca laughed awkwardly. "It's called fate of love, haha…"

"More like you omitted it!" I gritted my teeth as I pulled my hair up into pigtails. "Fall in love, are you serious? Especially after what I remembered yesterday!"

"You can deny that fate if you want to, since it's not a fate that's a life or death situation. But your feelings will be swayed by your interactions, Michi. It's natural to fall in love with someone who you're going to be spending a lot of time with."

"No way in hell. I mean, I'm all for helping people… I'll hear Shin out, at the very least, but love is out of the question." Even if I didn't intend to bow down to any fate of love or whatever, it wouldn't do any good to be angry at Shin for what his father had done anymore.

"Suit yourself," Musca shrugged. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Well, I guess it'd be best to get familiar with the town first and then concentrate on meeting people after that?" I suggested.

"Alright, that sounds good," Musca nodded.

"So, will the first heroine be in the world?"

"Yes, it's quite likely that she and her partner will exist in every world you visit."

"Good, I was hoping I'd be able to ask her for some advice on how to deal with all this."

"Well, I'm not sure that's possible. After she chose one person to be with, all of her memories were erased of the supernatural."

"Well that sucks… At least I've got you though. So, what was she like?"

"She lost her personality along with her memories while she was working through the worlds, so at first in appearance and action she was a bit like a doll. But she was a spirited person, caring and loving, in the end."

"So… in the end, she only got to stay in one world?"

"That's because she chose that one world to give all of her being to," Musca explained quickly. "It doesn't have to be that way."

I nodded. "Good. Ah, it's nice and warm outside." I locked the door behind me. Keys, check. Phone, check. Purse and wallet, check. Alright, slowly starting to feel like a normal person.

"When we're outside like this, you should talk to me using your mind. You're the only one who can see me, but other people will think you're talking to yourself."

"Alright…" Um, like this?

"Exactly!" Musca gave me two thumbs up.

"Hey, the town seems familiar," I realized with relief.

"See? I told you you'd assimilate quickly! Oh, there's a café that the first heroine worked at in each of the worlds, and so did a lot of other people you might end up having relationships with. Let's start there! It's called Meido no Hitsuji."

"Whatever you say…" I trailed off when the same feeling of pricks in my head hit me again. Another memory was coming.

"You… you're really quitting?" Right away I somehow knew that this person was Sawa, and we had been friends since childhood.

"Yeah. Sorry, but I just can't be in the same place as… you know." I had worked at Meido no Hitsuji for a year and Shin had been there for a year and three months, but I couldn't bring myself to work in the same place as him after what had happened.

"Well…" Sawa was trying not to cry, so I embraced her. "What am I doing, I should be comforting you…!" She laugh-sobbed and hugged me back tightly.

"Michi."

"Manager." I backed away from Sawa and bowed. "I'm very sorry to quit on such short notice, but -"

"There's no need to explain. I understand. But please, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come here." He placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me into a paternal embrace.

I was trying my hardest not to cry. I'd been doing enough of that. "Thanks," I whispered, getting out of there as fast as I could through the back entrance.

Shin was coming in just as I was going out, and I jerked my gaze in the opposite direction and started running when his eyes widened with recognition and his lips parted as if to speak.

That memory had been of six months ago. I hadn't spoken to any of them ever since, not even Sawa.

"Michi? What did you remember this time?"

"I worked at Meido no Hitsuji up until six months ago around when my father was killed. I quit, and haven't gone back since." I felt all of the emotion from it, but it was still distant somehow since it felt like a different person was the one who was remembering that this had all happened.

"Oh… We don't have to go there, then. Maybe your university first?"

"No, I think I'll find more at the café. Maybe… maybe I'm here to help the person that I am in this world too, if that makes sense?" I felt like this was something I needed to do.

"It does make sense." Musca nodded. "Just remember, I'm here. I can't do much, but I'll support you no matter what. We're in this together!"

I smiled. "Thanks." The walk was about thirty minutes. I paused at the front entrance, feeling strange since I'd always gone into work from the back alley. "Here goes…" A bell rang when I pushed my way inside.

"Hello Madam, how…" Sawa began to greet me, but trailed off when she realized who it was. She just stared for a few moments, and then started shaking, fists clenched at her sides and face crumpled as she started bawling. "Michiiiiii!" She flew at me, making me stumble backwards when her body hit mine, her arms tight around my neck.

"Hey, Sawa…" I closed my eyes and held her back tightly, realizing that I'd missed her so damn much, every day, but had been too hollow to interact with others, drowning in my own misery. "Sorry it's been so long."

"You idiot! You never answered any of my texts or calls! I thought, I thought you were going to do something to yourself, I was so worried…!" She wailed.

"I'm okay. I'm so sorry," I apologized again. "The manager's here…"

Sawa let go of me, hurriedly wiping her face before turning back to the manager.

He was smiling. "Would you like a seat, Madam?"

I smiled back. "Yeah. I really would." He sat me down and I ordered a coffee, also known as joy in a cup.

The manager came back out with the drink and sat across from me at the table. "It's been six months. How are you doing?"

"I'm better now. You could say I had an epiphany recently," I chuckled weakly.

"Coming back here must feel like a big step."

"Sort of. I need to get back out with people, you know?"

"What have you been doing with yourself?'

It was a good question… I focused my mind, calling pieces of my life to the forefront of my mind. All I had to do was wonder with concentration, and I'd be able to remember… "I went through the motions at school, managed to pass the last semester with A's and B's somehow… I'm not making any money, though, I've been living off of… life insurance." I cleared my throat. "But I'm starting to come back to myself. How has the café been, and everyone here?"

"Business is as good as ever. Sales have gone up 8% since the summer began, but that's to be expected. We've lost two employees that graduated college and went to seek jobs elsewhere, but we simply had to tighten ship a bit in response,"

"Are you, um… looking for any help?"

"I would take you back in a heartbeat Michi, but Shin does still work here and I won't be firing him anytime soon. He doesn't deserve that."

"I know." I nodded. "I said I needed to get back out among people, and… well, Shin is one of those people, regardless of what happened. You know?"

The manager smiled warmly. "You're a good girl, Michi. When are you available to discuss hours?"

"Right now, if you are too." I shrugged.

"I will return momentarily, then." He took his long strides into the back of the building, probably going to get the schedule.

I was officially getting my life back on track. Good. I needed to shape my ass back up, get off the mope train, and live this new life that had been provided for me.

The door to the kitchen opened and closed, and an employee began to head over to my area, about to buss a table a few seats away from where I had been seated. He stopped walking when he saw me, staring open-mouthed. I froze up and stared back, a slight squeak coming out of my mouth as words failed me too.

Shin.