Chapter 33 – A Dreamy Final Confrontation

Miharu's POV

"She's been in there for a while. How long does this usually take?"

"Well, Tsuyaki-san did give her an hour." Azusa said to me. "And from the look on Mugi-senpai's face, she seemed pretty satisfied with it."

"An hour, huh?" I looked at the clock on my phone. Half an hour had already passed since Mugi had jumped into this "Other Side" to find and confront her father's soul. Kaho never said what would happen if Mugi didn't make it in time. So, right now…I'm worried as all hell for her safety.

"*sniff* Onee-chan…"

Though not as much as Sumire.

"I-It is okay, Sumire-san. I-I am sure Kotobuki-san will make it in time." Mikuru said to her.

"*sniff* Thank you, Mikuru-san. But that is not all there is. I am also upset that I made Onee-chan…Ojōsama…play out her life as if there was nothing wrong with it. I even turned a blind eye to it. When I knew from the very start that she was unhappy. *sigh* Some sister I am."

"Hey. Come on, Sumire. Don't say that." I said. "You're a way better sister than I am to put up with Mugi's rebellious antics for so long."

"You are only saying that because you only knew her for 6 months."

"W-Well, yeah but…"

Damn. She got me there.

"Hey, Miharu-senpai." Azusa said to me. "I've been meaning to ask…just how did you and Mugi-senpai become sisters?"

"Huh? You're asking that now?"

"Well, when you think about it, that was the start of this whole thing."

"Azusa's right." Ritsu added. "Ever since you both found out that you were related, it's been going downhill for Mugi. Kicked out of her mansion, lost her funds, got into a feud with her father…she's been hit hard."

"Yeah…true." I said with a sad sigh.

"H-H-Hey…i-is the ghosty-chan gone now?" Yui asked as she and Mio shockingly came back after being scared off by Kaho.

"Yes, Yui-senpai. The ghost is gone now." Azusa said.

"*sigh* Thank goodness." They both said with relief.

"You know. You two could be a little more supportive in this." Ritsu said.

"Hey, we are being supportive!" Mio yelled. "Just as much as the rest of you!"

"Really? Cause I don't recall running away in tears over the sight of a ghost girl ever being supportive."

"That's because no one ever mentioned that we would be making a freaking summoning circle! What the hell do you freaks consider "normal" nowadays?!"

"Freaks?" Kyouko and Sachiko were rather offended by such a statement.

"Look, Mio." I joined in. "This whole thing may look and sound ridiculous…and I honestly agree with you that forming a summoning circle connected to the world of the afterlife in the middle of a shrine at 11:33 at night is the most insane thing I have ever done since moving to Japan.

But this here is for Mugi's sake. She's been through total hell ever since we found out we were sisters. Hell, since the day we met. And even then, she's put my needs before hers. She helped me cope with my feelings for the death of my mother. She came with me to her grave and helped me say my true and final goodbye to her.

Meanwhile, I've been doing nothing but standing in the sidelines. Watching how her problem would just magically disappear from her life. I couldn't do a damn thing for her because her family wants nothing to do with me. To them, I'm nothing more than an illegitimate child. But yet, Mugi gave up them AND her rich-as-hell lifestyle just to be with me.

And yet…all I can do is hope she comes out of this "Other Side" place alive. She's helped me overcome my life's struggle while I can't help with hers. As Sumire pointed out with her…Une putain de soeur que je suis."

"Wh-What?" Sumire asked.

"Some ****ing sister I am is what she said." Azusa translated.

"I see…but I do not remember swearing like that, Miharu-Ojōsama." Sumire then gained a sweatdrop.

"Eh, it was close enough."

"You know French?" Kyouko asked Azusa.

"I learned it in middle school. It comes in handy now since Miharu-senpai constantly swears in French."

"I see. I learned it two years ago out of boredom and it comes in handy whenever a senpai of ours switches between French and Engrish."

"Engrish, huh? That's interesting."

Wait, someone who switches between French and Engrish? Why does that sound…familiar?

"Miharu…" Mio said with a sad look on her face.

"Hey, Sachiko-san. How risky would it be for us to jump inside that thing?"

"Huh?!" We all yelled in total shock.

"W-Wait! Mio, are you suggesting that we go INSIDE that thing?!" Ritsu asked.

"This is a rare thing for me to say, but…you're right, Ritsu. I could and honestly should be more supportive of this. Two of my friends are struggling with huge personal problems and yet here I am complaining about fourth-wall breaks and the amount of insanity we've been experiencing is on the same level as Yuru Yuri."

"Actually, you're nowhere near close to the insanity we experience."

"Shut up, Sachiko." Kyouko retorted to her friend.

"Point is, I should've been a lot more attentive about this. And from the very start, too. I don't know if I'll ever fully make it up to either Mugi or Miharu, but for now, I can start by helping Mugi find her father's soul. As weird as it may sound."

"Guys…" I said.

"I wanna go, too!" Yui cheered. "I wanna make-out…I-I mean make-up with Mugi-chan, too!"

Why did she say make-out?

"You know…it's rather rare on its own right for you to be making risky decisions, Mio." Ritsu said. "I'm usually the one doing it and I get hit in the head for it."

"Well, don't get used to it. This is only a one-time thing."

"Kinda wish it wasn't…"

"Well, if you two really want to do this…then I'm going with you." I said. "I want to help Mugi as much as she helped me in the past."

"You too?" Ritsu then went silent for a bit. "*sigh* Even though I think that this is a very bad idea, I'll tag along. Who knows what could happen with you three running around the world of the afterlife."

"Wow, Ritsu-senpai." Azusa said. "This has to be the first time I've ever seen you think rationally for once. You actually look a little respectable."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Ritsu gained a pissed-off look.

"Hey, I just asked Kaho if this was alright." Sachiko said. "She said that due to the limited time and how too many of you would cause suspicion, only two more can go in."

"Huh? Only two?" Yui asked.

"And you might also want to hurry up. This thing's about to close in 20 minutes."

"Only two, huh? Well, that's an easy decision." I stood up from the ground. "Sumire. Let's you and me go."

"Huh? Wh-Why me?"

"You wanna help Mugi too, right? With this, it's now or never. It's your chance to finally make up for what happened during her childhood. To help your sister be happy."

"M-Make Onee-chan…happy…" Sumire went silent for a bit. Then grew a huge smile as a single tear ran down her face. "Okay…I shall go. I wish to make Onee-chan happy! I will make that happen!"

"That a girl!" I cheered.

"She didn't correct herself that time." Ritsu said.

"I think it's safe to say that Sumire-san has finally started believing what's right in her own heart. And not just in the minds of others." Mio said.

"If that's the case, then she's must've come a long way." Kyouko said.

"Alright." Sachiko called out. "Those who are going, make a deep cut on your finger and jump in."

"W-Wait, huh?" Mio asked.

"That's how you get in. You make a deep cut on your finger and your blood opens the path. Mugi did it."

"You know, I would question that statement hard as hell right now…but after what I said before I'll just look like a hypocrite."

"I can just do it for you." Ritsu said with a smirk.

"Shut it."

"Good luck, you two!" Yui cheered.

"M-Miharu-san. S-Sumire-san. Pl-Please come back safely. A-And help Kotobuki-san, too." Mikuru added.

"Don't worry, Mikuru. We'll be back real quick." I said.

"You have my word, Mikuru-san." Sumire said with an added bow.

And so, after we made a cut on our fingers with a random shard of glass, Sumire and I each stepped inside the summoning circle to be transported to the Other Side to hopefully meet up with Mugi and even more hopefully help her find her father and have this whole life struggle pass on already.

Hang on, Mugi. Soon, we'll all be happy. Together.


Mugi's POV

*18 MINUTES UNTIL DREAM WORLD DEPARTURE*

We arrived at the music store…but the trip itself took longer than I remembered it to be. Dreamy Yui-chan kept stopping at every single store that came up. Clothing stores, jewelry stores, a sweets café, a toy store, a "desu desu" store…

I don't even know what the hell that one is…

Point is, so much time was wasted and now I got close to 20 minutes to find my father and actually speak with him. It took me a while to notice, but Azusa-chan was freaking right about us being unreliable. I honestly feel sorry for her dreamy self since she's going to experience this nonsense every day for 2 years.

I just hope she keeps her sanity much like the real world version has up to this point…

"*sigh* Finally, we're here." Dreamy Mio-chan said. "You made us go through so many detours, Yui."

"But there were so many cute stores to see. All of those clothes and shoes and jewelry and sweets and desu desu…"

"Seriously. What the hell is a desu desu?" Dreamy Ricchan and I asked with huge sweatdrops.

"Don't you remember why we came out here in the first place?"

"Of course, of course. To get my guitar. And there are so many amazing ones, too. *whine* I dunno which one to chose…"

"Don't worry. We'll help you out." Dreamy Ricchan said. "Right, everyone?"

"Um, actually…I'm going to go look for my friend. He should be around here somewhere." I said.

"Aw. Tsumi-chan, are you leaving already?" Dreamy Yui-chan asked in a sad tone.

"It's been fun. Really, it has. But I'm rather busy at the moment. Maybe we can meet up in the future sometime."

"*sigh* Oh, alright."

"In that case, I'll help you find him, Tsumire-chan." My dreamy self said.

"Um…I can find him myself…"

"But you are new here, right? Won't you get lost?"

Damn…I did say that I moved here from Okinawa. I'll just have to play along for a bit longer.

"Alright. Thank you for the help, Tsumugi-san."

That felt weird to say…

"Anytime, Tsumire. I'll meet with you girls in a bit." My dreamy self then said to the other three.

"Don't take long." Dreamy Mio-chan replied.

We left the other three to their guitar-picking and left the music store entirely. Well…not exactly. My doppelgänger actually took me through a door that took us to the inner works of the mall. Usually reserved for employees and such. I was rather confused as to why she did this. And I was going to ask, too.

But then…

"Okay, Tsumire. You can drop the act now."

Huh?! W-Wait, don't tell me…

"Huh? What act? What are you talking about?" I asked. Hoping to defuse her suspicions.

"Quit playing dumb. I know who your "friend" is, Tsumire. Or should I say…Tsumugi?"

"Y-You…You knew all along, didn't you?" I asked after mentally accepting the fact that I've been caught.

"You honestly believed that I didn't notice that you look and sound just like me? And then there's "Tsumire Katabuki"…never did I believe that my own doppelgänger would stereotype me as the gullible rich girl."

"Well, you are me. It was worth a shot." I gained a sweatdrop.

"*sigh* Whatever. You want to meet with Father, right? He's actually up ahead. I'll take you to him."

"R-Really?! You will?! Just like that?!"

"Yes. I will. You and…"

*BANG*

"What was that?" Before my dreamy self could finish, we started hearing loud banging coming from the ceiling above us. And as the banging got louder…

*BANG*

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

*BOOM*

"WAAAAAAA!"

*THUD*

"Ow, my head…why did that girl had to drop us through the damn ceiling?"

"Well, we were in a rush. I guess it was kind of a sudden decision."

"Yeah, but still…"

"M-Miharu?! S-Sumire?!" I yelled in shock as Miharu and Sumire had fallen in front of me…or rather us(?).

"Hey, Mugi. Looks like we found you rather easily." Miharu said.

"Found me? You mean you two ACTUALLY jumped in?!"

"It was originally going to be all of us together. But it was deemed too risky." Sumire said.

"You can thank Mio for that idea, though." Miharu added.

"What the hell?"

Since when did Mio-chan make risky decisions?

"Oh…so, this is Miharu. Never thought I would meet you this soon."

"Huh? H-Holy crap! It's another Mugi!"

"Miharu, keep it down!" I yelled. "This place is known as the Dream World and this is the world's equivalent of me. Created by my father."

"So…she is like a doppelgänger?" Sumire asked.

"Pretty much."

"Oh…"

She sounds pretty amazed by that…

"Now…if the three of you are ready, follow me." My dreamy self said. "Father is just down this hallway."

"One quick question." I quickly spoke. "This whole thing was planned from the start, wasn't it? He knew I was inside his Dream World and sent you to come get me, didn't he?"

My doppelgänger didn't respond at first and started walking away from me. As she did, I could hear my own giggles coming out from her. And while still walking, she said to me:

"I'm sure you already know the answer to that, Mugi."

"*sigh*"

She's right. I did knew the answer. I just wanted to hear it from my father's own cognition.

And based on the response…it's pretty much what I expected.


Down the hallway, we walked and soon we arrived at a pair of big brown doors. With a small plaque on the wall next to it reading "Manager's Office".

"Well, here we are. The final destination." My copy said. "Behind this door will make or break this whole ordeal."

"This is it, huh?" I said as I stared the door down. "Well…thanks for getting us here."

"It's no problem. For I too want my other self to be happy. Feels weird for an alternative reality version to be the only one, right?"

"True…"

"Now, if you excuse me…I must return to the others. Pretty sure Yui-chan is still looking for what guitar to pick out."

"Huh? Wait, the others are here, too?" Miharu asked.

"Dream World versions, mind you. They're not the same ones you saw before entering this world."

"Right. Kinda forgot."

"Well, this is where I take my leave. Good luck, Other Me. Here's hoping you can start over with yourself. *giggle*"

Start…over?

"Y-Yeah…thanks again." I said as we watched the Dream World version of myself walk away with a smile on her face.

Hopefully, I can do the same after this…

"So, he's behind this door, huh? Alright, let's go. I've got some choice words for him myself and…"

"A-Actually, Miharu…I would much rather go in by myself." I stopped her.

"Huh? B-But Mugi…"

"Miharu-Ojōsama…I think this is for the best." Sumire said.

"You too, Sumire? Don't you want to help Mugi out?"

"I do. And I am aware of how you wish to do the same. But for right now, this is a familial matter. Do you not agree?"

"Y-Yeah…you're right." Miharu said after thinking it over. "Just…if you need us, we'll be right here okay? I mean it."

"Miharu…" I gave my half-sister a great big hug to make her feel better. Though even that was hard because I nearly cried myself. But I managed to hold it in. For all of our sakes.

Then as the two walked off, I mentally prepared my mind to finally face my father after 6 months of fighting with him and roughly a day after his sudden death. I'm not sure what will happen or what will be said from this point forward. But like my dreamy self said before…"Here's to hoping you can start over with yourself.".

Only thing is…I wish to start over with the people I care about the most.

"*sigh* Here I go…" I said to myself before knocking on the doors in front of me. I then gained the immediate thought to let down my hair and take out the fake contacts before going inside. There really isn't a point to keep this disguise on anymore. And plus, I prefer my normal blue eyes over those reddish-orange ones. Such a weird combination.

"Yes? Come in."

I opened the door and stepped inside the office. Not saying a word until I was fully inside. Standing just near inches from my back-facing father while staying as calm as possible.

"F-Father…"

"Oh. Mugi…you're here."

"F…Fa…DADDY!"

And then I lost all control of myself and ran up to hug my father. Crying heavy tears and holding tight as I had finally broken down after 6 long months of ignoring these feelings of sadness. It was truly destroying my sense of sanity.

"Daddy! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for causing you so much stress for all these years! Never did I believe that it would lead to your early demise! I truly am a selfish person! Please forgive me!"

"Mugi, it's okay. I completely forgive you. In fact…this whole thing is my fault to begin with."

"*sniff* Y-Yes, but…wh-what about the fight? O-Over…y-you-know-who?"

"*sigh* Honestly, that fight should've never happened. It was just me being too stubborn to accept the truth. Even after all these years…"

"Daddy…"

"H-Hey, come on! I told you I was just admiring the walls here! Haven't you ever appreciated the beauty of bricks before?!"

"Miharu-Ojōsama…please stop. No one is believing such a ridiculous story."

"Well, it was worth a shot."

"Miharu? Sumire?" I asked in shock as two guards had brought the due inside the office with us.

"Sir, we found these two walking around the back area. Should we call the police?"

"No, it's fine. I'll handle it from here."

"Very well." The two guards let the girls go and left the room. Leaving the now three of us alone with my father. A heart-warming reunion now turned into a complicated meet-up.

"U-Uh…h-hello, Kotobuki-sama. Nice to see you again." Sumire said.

"Crap. I am so screwed." Miharu mumbled to herself.

"S-So…Daddy." I nervously said. "I'm sure you know Sumire. And, uh…"

"It's okay, Mugi." Daddy went silent for a bit. "In fact, to be completely honesty…I've always wanted to meet you, Miharu Neroni."

"Huh? Y-You did?"

"It may be hard to believe…but it is the truth. *sigh* You really do look like Akiyo."

"W-Wow…th-thank you, uh…Sir."

"Daddy…if it's okay with you, we'd like to know. Why were you so adamant on pushing Miharu out of my life? Why couldn't you let us be together?"

Daddy went silent again. This time sitting at his desk with his hands clasps together and his eyes closed. Or, as known as by the family, his thinking pose.

"To be honest, Mugi…I was ashamed of myself."

"Ashamed?" We all asked.

"I felt total shame for even doing such an atrocity. And to even have the result we got only added more shame upon myself. But at the same time…it was done to save our marriage."

"Marriage?" I asked.

"A year or two after we got married, your mother was…unhappy with our relationship. I always spent my days and nights working and paid little to no attention to her. It was so bad that she was seriously considering a divorce. And I truly didn't want that."

"And so, you planned a trip with her to make it all up."

"She always wanted to go to Paris. It was always a dream of hers. So, I surprised her with plane tickets and we went almost immediately. But…our pilot got lost. And we ended up in Sceaux with nothing but our luggage and not a place to stay for the night. And then…"

"And then, you met my parents…" Miharu said.

"They were nice people. We instantly felt comfortable with them…especially since Akiyo was Japanese herself. They invited us to stay at their place for the night and we took them up on their offer. We got into interesting conversations, had some drinks, and…I'm sure I don't have to continue from there, correct?"

"N-No no no." Sumire said.

"W-We're fully aware of what happened at that point, Daddy." I said.

"Although, I really wish we weren't…"

*NUDGE*

"Ow! Mugi!" Miharu yelled after I had nudged her in the side.

She isn't wrong, by any means. But it's just Miharu being Miharu, as usual.

"When you were 2, we learned of the…special connection you have with Miharu. And that's when the shame had overcome me. I was so embarrassed of what I did…the self-hatred had risen to the max. It was then that I made the most selfish decision a person could ever make. Instead of being honest with you, I essentially erased the Neronis out of our lives. And pretended that it never happened.

Though, the thought was always in the back of my mind. I feared that down the line, the secret would be revealed through your facial features. And so that's why you were homeschooled until high school. Even though I knew you hated it. I wasn't oblivious to the 11 times you tried to run away from home."

"W-Wait, 11? I thought it was 8." Sumire said.

"Hehhehheh. Well…there might have been a few times in which you weren't home to stop me…" I rubbed the back of my head.

"Ojōsama…"

"You know, I'm not entirely surprised. Considering that this is you we're talking about." Miharu said.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"To my surprise, everything was going well. Even after we allowed you to attend high school. I truly thought I was in the clear with everything…that is until that day came. The day Akiyo Neroni died."

"It was shortly after that is when you told me about Miharu. And thus, the story had come full circle." I said.

"So, that's it. the truth to it all." Miharu said.

"I still cannot approve of how all of this happened…but at least we now know everything." Sumire said.

"I am truly sorry. To all three of you. I'm sure you all have been struggling to cope with this mess I selfishly gotten you in."

"Well…actually, Daddy we…"

"Tsumugi-san…can you hear me?"

"Huh? Kaho-chan?"

"Tsumugi-san…you have 5 minutes before your time limit is up. Please, you three must return to the spawn point."

"A-Already?! Can't you extend it just a bit longer, Kaho-chan?"

"I am sorry, Tsumugi-san. If I allow any more time, there may be a chance that you will become stuck there for all eternity. It is too risky to add more time."

"Oh. I see. Well…thank you, Kaho-chan."

The voice soon went away and I was left with a sad look on my face. Knowing that my time with my father is coming to an end.

"So, we gotta leave, huh? That sucks." Miharu said.

"Indeed." Sumire added. "Ojōsama looked rather happy, too."

"Mugi…"

"It's…It's okay, Daddy. I'm fine. I got to see you one last time. That's all I ever wanted."

I walked up to my father and hugged him one last time. A lot happier than when I was when I first hugged him not too long ago. And a mild amount less tears than before, too.

"*sigh* Mugi…even our last few moments together were filled with turmoil, you're still my precious daughter. And I'll always love you from the bottom of my heart."

"And I'll do the same, Daddy. I'll always love and remember you from my heart, body, and soul. From now until the end of time."

"H-Hey, uh…speaking of time…I don't think we have that much left." Miharu said.

"O-Oh, right." I then looked at my phone. "But how are we supposed to get back there in less than 3 minutes?"

"I can help you with that." We heard another voice. One that was similar to mine.

Which could only mean…

"Woah! Dreamy Ojōsama!" Sumire yelled in excitement.

"When did you get here?" Miharu asked.

"Just now. I can teleport to different areas at my leisure. Though, only to places I've been before."

"Can the others do that?"

"Nope. Just me. One of the many perks of being the daughter of the ruler of this Dream World. *giggle*"

"I see…" Miharu didn't question it much longer.

"Now, then…if you three are ready, I'll take you back to my room. Or rather our room. Whichever you wish to put it."

"Well…alright. Let's go." I said. The three of us then grabbed my doppelgänger's hands and prepared to depart from the office.

But not before I took one last look at my father…and grew one big smile on my disguise-less face.

"Goodbye, Daddy. I'll miss you."

This was the last thing I said before he disappeared from my sight. Never to be seen in a physical way ever again.

Well…I wouldn't say "never".


"Mugi…Mugi…"

"*moan*"

"Mugi-chan…time to wake up."

"*moan* Wha…Ricchan? Yui-chan?"

"Hey, sleepyhead. Welcome back." Ricchan said.

"Did you know that you're a wild sleeper, Mugi-chan?" Yui-chan asked. "Cause you were all over the place a few seconds ago."

"Huh?" I sat up and looked around…only to realize that I was back at Naminoue Shrine. With everyone looking at me with small smiles of enjoyment.

"So, I made it back…H-Hey, where are…"

"Don't worry, Mugi. We're here." Miharu said as she and Sumire were being held up by Azusa-chan and Mikuru-chan.

"Although, a bit weak, I might add." Sumire said.

"Huh?"

"From what Kaho told us, the trip took a decent amount of your energy. Meaning that you can't really do much of anything right now." Kyouko-chan said. "But with a good night's rest, you should be back to normal."

"I see. Where is Kaho-chan?"

"Well…" Kyouko-chan then pointed over to a distance and…what we saw was…highly difficult to comprehend.

"Kaho, you can't stay in the trash bin forever."

"B-But Sachiko~! I-It's too scary out there~! I-I don't wanna see it~! Pl-Please don't make me~!"

"*sigh* I swear…you are the most cowardly ghost I've ever seen."

What we were looking at was Sachiko-san talking to Kaho-chan, who is apparently inside a trash bin, of all things…and trying to get her out of there. But not having much luck.

"I don't get it…she was a totally different person in that other world." I said.

"Yeah…that's Kaho's true personality." Kyouko-chan said. "She's pretty much afraid of everything."

"Uh-huh…makes it kinda pathetic that Yui and Mio were afraid of her."

"Sh-Shut up, Ritsu!"

"Sh-Shut up, Ricchan!" Both girls yelled at Ricchan.

"Well, anyway. Now that we got everything all fixed up, let's finally head back. At this point, we only got 2 days before our big collab together!"

"Oh, yeah. That." I said with a sweatdrop.

"Wait, don't tell me you're backing out of it, Mugi!"

"I-I'm not. I'm still doing it. It's just…singing in front of a bunch of people is rather new to me, that's all."

"Wow. Mugi-senpai having stage fright? That's a shock." Azusa-chan said.

"Eh, no worries." Miharu said. "Since this is Mugi, she'll probably do well even if she's filled to the brim with fear."

"Miharu, don't jinx it!" Mio yelled.

"Just saying."

"Ugh. I give up." Sachiko-san said as she walked up to us. "I can't get that ghost girl to come out no matter what I try."

"So, I guess she wins, huh?" Kyouko-chan asked.

"U-Um…I-Ichiko-san. M-May I talk to Tsuyaki-san?" Mikuru-chan asked.

"Huh? You think you can get her out of there?"

"I-I can try. I-I mean…I-I have something in mind that could…w-work."

"Well…why the hell not? I'm all out of ideas."

"Th-Thank you, Ichiko-san."

With that said, Mikuru-chan went over to the trash bin (leaving Ricchan to carry Sumire) and crouched down in front of it. We really couldn't hear a word she was saying because she was whispering at such a crazy low level.

And if I know where this is going…

"M…Mikuru…"

"Holy crap…what did you say to her?!" Sachiko-san yelled in shock after we all saw Kaho-chan phase out of the trash bin with a lot more confidence than before.

"S-Sorry, Sachiko-san. B-But I promised Tsuyaki-san…th-that it would stay between us. I-It is a…v-very sensitive topic for her."

"Uh…okay, then."

"Déjà freaking vu…" Miharu and I mumbled with huge sweatdrops.

"Uh…anyway…let's just head back already. I'm sure the others are wondering where we are." Ricchan said.

And with all of us on an agreement, we started heading back to the hotel. Ready to put this long tiring day behind us.

It was indeed tiring. But in my own mind, I was still pepped up as ever. Because now I'm able to move on and have a new outlook on life. All thanks to a special person who I'll always love and remember for all eternity.

Rest in Peace, Daddy. Rest in Peace.

Author's Note: After a long and tiring 6-month feud and a journey of dreams, Mugi has finally made up with her now-deceased father. Now, with his love and memory always inside her, she sets herself to choose her own path in life. And finally be free.

This chapter ended up being longer than I thought it would be. But in the end, it makes kinda sense. Considering the emotional stuff that goes on in it. These kinds of chapters tend to be long no matter what I do.

So, here's the thing. I really want to finish this Golden Week saga and fast. So, for the next few days, I'm going to be putting more focus on this story and keep updating until it reaches a certain point. Mainly when the girls leave Okinawa. I already have stuff planned for future chapters and the story still being in this arc is really holding me back. So, it's time to binge-write (if that's even a thing)!

Also, I know I'm about a month late into this…but Happy 1st Anniversary to this story! I did NOT think it would be going on for this long. Thank you guys for continuing to give this story support. It really means a lot. Also, thank you for 5k views on this story. It also means a lot.

Thanks for reading. Later.