Well… well shit. These last few hours did actually happen. It wasn't all a hallucination… and honestly, I'm not even sure that I could treat anything as a hallucination anymore. I'm sitting at a bench, in the park where I'm supposed to meet up with Yui on saturday, staring at my right hand.

The same that shook Frank's own appendage, reinforcing our pact of mutual understanding and tolerance. Possibly even friendship, down the line. The leader's words still weigh heavily in my mind. Now… a lot of things make so much more sense.

That's why Julie would have those… flashes of pain in her eyes. Why she would wince when the subject turned to family. Why she sounded so… angry, yesterday evening when talking about the runaway mother. Everything is falling into place.

She resisted, endured and did her best to smile through the adversities, while her father worked his ass off to make up economically for what Nadia took… and her brother wallowed in self pity, unable to be the support that she required. Because, as much as both Frank and Susie mean well… they just can't understand.

I lean my head down, feeling a wave of contempt wash over me… aimed it all at the previous owner of this body. Jason…

How could you? How could you be so selfish? So blind? So… cowardly?

I want to apologize. I want to go back home, wrap Julie in a massive hug and tell her how sorry I am for everything… but I can't do it yet. Frank advised me to wait a bit, before trying to mend things back together, while he talked with her and scouted if…

If it's even possible to be forgiven. If she hates me for abandoning her when she needed me the most. The only thing that I can do, at least for a couple of days, is to wait and pray.

So lost in my own thoughts, I fail to hear the footsteps approaching me from beyond. Which is why I jump when Joey's voice abruptly brings me back to reality.

"There you are. I was wondering where you were hiding".

My eyes lock with his, a lazy grin spread on his lips.

"Whoops. Did I scare you? My bad, I didn't mean to…"

I don't even need the confirmation to know that he was making fun of me. I'm really not in the mood for his bullshit…

"How did you find me? Why were you even looking for me at all?"

He seats down on the bench.

"Frank sent me a message, asking me to come check up on you. If he did, that can only mean one thing…"

His gaze settles on me.

"You two finally decided to man up and talk like proper adults, didn't you? About fucking time, watching you constantly glare at each other like spoiled children was starting to grate on my nerves. How did it go?"

I look down.

"Depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, the two of us agreed on a truce, for Julie's sake. But on the other… his words made me realize how much of a failure I've been. Both as a son… and a brother".

He doesn't say anything, while I play with my fingers.

"Frank's right. I've been running away. For this last year, I refused to accept that… that she was gone. That she abandoned us. And I've unconsciously started doing the same thing. Only my feelings were important to me. I was hurt, which meant that the whole world had to stop to allow me to catch up. That nobody else FUCKING MATTERED!"

I bang my fist on the bench, not giving a single damn about how much it might or might not hurt.

"But… the world didn't stop. And I wasn't the only one suffering. Julie… she tried so hard. So… so hard to bring everything back into working order. And I did nothing but row against her, refusing to accept our new reality. Three days ago… she reached her breaking point".

I can feel tears welling in my eyes. Damn it, I thought that I had it all under control when I was talking to Frank about all this. But I'm still vulnerable… and lost.

"Didn't the two of you made up? I remember Susie saying something along those lines…"

"We did. Or… at least, I thought that we did. But I had no idea how deep the rift between us actually is. At this point I'm… scared. Scared that no apology will ever be enough to truly allow us to move past all of this. That all the times that she said that she loved me since… were lies. And if they are… I have no idea what I'm going to do…"

He hums, looking up at the evening sky.

"So, that's the deeper issue. Fear. You're scared that you're going to lose another member of your family, so soon after losing the first. You feel terrified… guilty. Helpless. Like nothing will ever be able to make up for what happened. Am I right?"

I nod. He practically nailed the core of the problem. He understands, somehow…

Joey leans forward, in his usual calm manner that I have grown accustomed to seeing.

"I suppose that now is as good of a time as any to tell you this. You are my best friend, after all, so you deserve to hear it. And I hope that my experience… will be enough to tell you what I wanted to hear myself, back then".

I nod, drying my tears, while he starts narrating.

"As you know, I currently live alone with my mother. She's been sick for a couple of months, but is steadily getting better. What I never told you is that… her illness was all my fault. It started somewhat similarly to you, but in reverse. Your mother dipped on you… while in my case, it was my father. The bastard was a spoiled son of a bitch, unable to realize that, if you wanted to be rich and live comfortably, you have to work to earn it. But he… he believed that gambling was the way. Until the day he lost everything. Him and mom had a big fight, which ended with him at the door, running away from all his problems and responsibilities".

He sighs, likely because he's reaching the actual difficult part of the story.

"But even then… I still loved him. I still cared for him. And, in my head, it was all my mother's fault. I don't know why I believed that as strongly as I did… probably because I didn't want to admit that my role model was nothing more than a lie, and so I threw all the blame her way, as a way to cope. My poor mom… she worked her ass off, like your own father is doing, to make ends meet, while I screamed, buckled and complained every step of the way, not doing anything to help her, or make things better for her. You know… my mother, she's always been delicate, when it comes to her health. It takes nothing for her to get sick… and it takes a long, long time for her to recover from even the simplest of colds. I knew that, obviously… which makes what happened after, particularly unforgivable in my eyes".

His breath hitches for a moment. Is he… holding back tears? Him? The most stoic bastard I've ever met?!

"It was a rainy day. Or… more like it was absolutely pouring. An actual storm. I was inside, while my mother was coming back from work. She used to have a wearing job, which teared at her already sickly body, so she was likely tired. She had forgotten her keys home, probably because of how exhausted she was. Her umbrella had been taken by the storm already, so she had no defense against the elements. That day… My resentment towards her was at an all time high, because of some pictures of my father that I had found that she hadn't gotten rid of yet. She arrived and rang the doorbell, to get me to open the door. But… I didn't. I left her outside, to get drenched by the rain and tormented by the wind".

He breathes in and out for a bit, while I reach out and massage his back soothingly.

"Serves her right, I thought. I was enjoying hearing her shout my name, banging her hand against the door and ringing the doorbell insistently. Until… until I stopped hearing her. And when I looked outside through the windows… she was flat on the ground, completely still. My heart stopped. In a rush to reach her I even fell down the stairs and bruised my forehead. I brought her inside and called the doctors, tears and snot running down my face, more scared than I've ever been in my entire life".

He dries his own tears with the back of his hand.

"It took her a week to wake up. The doctor said that it was a miracle. That she had been only a step away from dying. That if I had been just a second late, I would have never seen her again. The second that she was awake and we were alone, I cried harder than ever. I lost count on how many times I apologized and pleaded for forgiveness. Something that, even now, I'm not sure that I deserve. But it didn't matter to her. She just smiled, ran her fingers through my hair and accepted it all. She forgave me, like it was the easiest thing she ever did. She told me that I'm her son… and as such, she will always love me, no matter what I did or said".

His gaze sweeps to me, a small smile on his face.

"You and Julie are siblings, Jason. The bond that the two of you share is unlike anything that you will ever have. You are everything to her… and she is everything to you. There is no single universe in this reality where she won't forgive you. That… that I promise. The two of you will get through this. Because no force is stronger than family, and no bond is tighter than the one between siblings".

Joey… how much did it take for him to tell me all of this? How much courage? I have no idea… what I do know though, is that I'm feeling a hell of a lot better than before.

"Joe… thank you. Truly, from the bottom of my heart… thank you".

He grins, holding his fist towards.

"No need to thank me Jas. What are best friends for?"

I grin right back and bump my fist against his.

We remain there for a bit longer, talking about any stupid thing that comes to mind, until we decide that it's time to go back.

Before we go though, I have one last thing to ask him.

"Say… you told me that, even when he left, you cared about your father anyway, even after he left. Do you still feel the same?"

He takes a second to ponder on the answer.

"Yes. I do. I still care about him. He is my father, after all. But… that doesn't mean that I'm going to welcome him back with open arms, should he ever show his face again. If he wants my forgiveness, he'll have to earn it".

He smiles in my direction.

"Just like your mother will probably have to do with you and Jules, correct?"

I nod, his words ringing true within me.

"That she will. That… she will".

I wave at him while we split ways. The strength of family, huh?

I understand now. And I will not let your story be told in vain, Joey. I promise.

I'm walking back towards the Kostenko household, psyching myself up for when I'll have to act like nothing happened in front of Julie, when a song starts blaring from somewhere.

The opening notes of Trials by Starset reach my ears. Following them brings my attention to my pocket, where my phone had started vibrating. Someone is calling me, apparently.

Taking the piece of technology out, I read Susie's name on the display. What could she want…? I hum curiously, while hitting the accept button.

"Yallo, Kostenko Pizzeria for Dummies speaking! May I take your order?!"

I hear her snort from the other side.

"You're not going to stop answering the phone like that anytime soon, are you?"

"Come on Suz, it's basically a trademark at this point! The meme cannot die like this!"

"Of course it can't, why would it? You're gonna get in trouble someday, answering the phone like this, I promise you that".

I roll my eyes, a smile plastered on my face. She's talking like she's scolding me, but I can hear her trying to keep herself from laughing. She's just like an open book, even on the phone.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

She seems to sober up at that.

"Right… sorry, I know you must be confused, but I really need to talk face to face. Can we meet up somewhere, please?"

… I'm not sure I like her tone of voice. Something's up. I inwardly sigh. Just one issue after the other, uh?

"How about that burger place we always pass when we walk to school? It's almost dinner time, talking while on a full stomach should be easier for both of us".

"Y-yeah! Yeah, that sounds good. I'll see you there in… twenty minutes?"

"Sounds good. Later Suz…"

We hung up, but I stand still for at least a couple of minutes, while I stare at my phone and frown. Out of everyone here, Susie is the literal last person I expected to have serious problems to discuss. But why me? Isn't Julie her best friend…?

Unless this also is about her. In which case, holy fucking shit, I'm starting to think that she should have been the one getting Isekai'd, since everything seems to revolve around her!

Speaking about the tyrant though, I should probably warn her.

.

You: Hey Jules

You: I'm not going to be home for dinner tonight

You: Something came up

Julie: Whaaaat?

Julie: For real?

Julie: Are you going on a date with one of your "lady friends"?

You: … yeah

You: Sure

You: Let's go with that

Julie: Spicy

Julie: Remember to wrap it before you tap it Jas-Jas!

Julie: Laterrrrr~

.

I shake my head, sighing. Of course she'd take it that way. At the last moment, I decided to not mention Susie, just in case this is something she shouldn't know about. And the more I think about it, the more sense it makes.

Oh well, no use splitting my brain over it right now. I'll know soon enough.

I reach the place a good five minutes early, not at all surprised to see the redhead's (technically pinkette) smaller frame in front of it, wringing her fingers together and looking nervous. Or… anxious, more like. I walk up to her, raising my hand.

"Hey Suz. You're here early…"

She smiles thinly.

"You are too. I suppose you caught on to my… nervousness, I guess…"

I nod at her, before mentioning the fast food restaurant with my head.

"Let's head inside and order something. We can take it away and eat somewhere quieter. You can tell me what's on your mind afterward, okay?"

She agrees, looking a bit relieved, and we enter, placing our orders and then heading out, to look for a good spot.

We eventually made it to a broken section of a small wall, close to school, and we settle there, eating in silence, so that she can properly gather her thoughts.

She's slightly leaning against my shoulder while she does, probably drawing some comfort from the contact. Jeez, I can even feel her shake a bit…

When we finally finish, the silence stretches on for a bit longer, until finally she speaks.

"There are only a few things that I'm actually grateful for in my life, you know? Ever since I was born I… was never the most decisive person. I've always been quiet, shy and passive. I accept who I am now, and people even like me for it… but growing up, things were different. I was shunned for all of this… people thought that there was something wrong with me. That I was… broken. And for a while… I believed them. It got to the point where I did genuinely saw myself as… not human, even. Until… until Julie came along".

She smiles a bit, closing her eyes and properly leaning her head against mine. Curses my smaller than normal stature!

"She was like a radiant sun, dressed as a wrecking ball. She came and… destroyed it all. The misconceptions, the insults, the malicious leers… she gave me something that I never thought I could have. She gave me faith… and the strength to believe in myself, finally. Take that, coupled with the fact that I had recently learned that I was attracted to both guys and girls and… well, I couldn't help myself. I fell for her. Hard. And I was sure that things couldn't get any better than that. Until…"

She opens her eyes again, staring at me.

"Until she introduced me to you. Then you brought Joey into the fray. And then again, Frank joined us, and our group was complete. I couldn't believe it… I finally found my place. I had friends, family, a person that I loved. Everything was perfect… except for one small detail…"

I don't even have to think about it too hard.

"Julie is straight…"

She nods.

"Correct. Your sister never saw me the way I wanted her to. But… I was fine with it. As long as she's in my life, I can handle being just her friend. I thought that I could do it… but then, she and Frank got together. And my resolve shattered like glass. But still, I could only grit my teeth, smile and tell her how happy I was for her. I held on for a bit… but today seems to be my breaking point…"

Fresh tears welled in her eyes. Everyone's crying like a baby today, uh?

"I can't bear to see them together anymore… what do I do Jason…? Please, tell me… I'm out of ideas…"

She sobs and I swiftly gather her in my arms, letting her cry on my shoulder. Fuck… I knew that Susie liked her, it was fairly obvious… but I never imagined that the situation was so critical. This poor soul…

I gently rock her back and forth, letting her exhaust her bottled up feelings. I'm willing to bet that Julie noticed. How could she not? Her best friend wears her emotions on her sleeves, so it's probably not unreasonable to guess that, if she were to confess, Julie would not be surprised.

Is… is this why she's been insisting so much on trying to set us up? She's been trying to spare Susie's feelings by… shoving me in her direction, for lack of better words.

It sounds callous when said like this… but I believe that the blonde only had the best intentions in mind. The execution… leaves a lot to be desired though. Probably all the times that the redhead blushed while I was close was due to her natural shyness. Kind of like Kate, I suppose.

We spend a full ten minutes like that. By the end of it, my shirt is in desperate need of a wash, but I don't mind. At this point, being someone else's tissue is something that I'm used to.

"Feel better now?"

She nods.

"I… I think so. I'm… sorry, for all of this. I really shouldn't burden you with my problems like this, especially on things regarding your sister… but I couldn't handle it anymore. I needed to say it to someone, and the only one that I trust enough with this, except for her, is you."

I shake my head, smiling and gently grasping her hands.

"It's okay Suz. You don't have to apologize. I know that things are hard for you… harder than I ever thought, in fact. But… I'm here for you. I'm going to stick with you through all of this until you're all better. And even beyond that. I'll keep on being in your corner… for as long as you'll want me".

I don't realize until too late that I switched from her hands to her cheeks. I'm basically framing her face. But… I don't want to let go. Not until I know that she understands.

She's staring at me, wide eyed. Bamboozling people seems to be my calling at this point, because honestly, I lost count of how many times people have been looking at me like that.

Seconds tick by… and I start fearing that I fucked up. Idiot, of course you fucked up! She's in love with your sister and here you are, acting like some sort of… creepy white knight!

I'm about to let go and apologize, when she smiles and places one of her hand on mine, tilting her head and closing her eyes.

"Thank you Jason. Thank you… so much! I'll be counting on you then, if that's okay…"

"Of course it is. You can lean on me for as long as you like. I've got you…"

When we finally part ways to get home, I'm officially drained. I am not used to feeling all of these strong emotions in such a short time frame. First Meg, then Frank, then Joey and now Susie too.

Is this how psychologists feel everyday? Because, if that's so, I have a newfound respect for them. I never understood the meaning of "everyday superhero" until now… but now, I think I get it.

I look back, watching Susie's retreating form. She's been holding a lot of negativity too, masquerading it all with her usual smile and skips, acting like nothing was wrong. And just like with Julie, I completely missed it all, until she spilled her guts to me. Like most people that I know, now that I think about it.

I start my walk back, stuffing my hands inside my pant's pockets. I have a lot of things that I need to ponder on…

Chief among all, now that I think about it... I called Julie my sister, for the fist time. Sure, I had to do it vocally, it would have been weird otherwise, but in my head... it's a different story.

She's always been Julie, or the tyrant, or that annoying blonde that I'm forced to share a house with... but I never once properly considered her as my sister. Now that I did though...

Why does it feel so... right?

Hello?! Is this thing on?! It is?! Noice.

Welcome, dudes and gentleladies, to another episode of AIOS, the show where it's always rainbows and sunshine here in Ormond!

Today's chapter is all about The Legion babeeee, we're back to the roots of the story. Because yeah, originally when I was designing the story, it was supposed to be a Legion centric story, with just them and Jason doing their things. He wasn't even supposed to be Julie's brother, nor an Isekai'd protagonist. Sheesh, the way things change while in production…

Review responses!

WhyareUsernamesTakenAlready: Yui will have her moment to shine later on saturday (in the story of course). This last two chapters took place on wednesday, so start counting from there. About Nick coming to Dbd… honestly, I'm perfectly fine with it. I thought that it was a meme at first, like everyone probably, but after thinking about it a bit, it kind of makes sense. As an actor, he starred in quite a few horror movies, so it's not like he was chosen randomly. And honestly, this opens up quite a lot possibilities for future DLCs, like with AoT collection last year.

That's all folks! Ta-ta for now!