8:00 AM
RING RING RING RING
BASIL slowly opened his eyes as his alarm clock brought him awake.
His hand went out to press the silence button, his body already moving to stand up and get ready for the day.
BASIL had to rub his eyes a bit, giving his mind some time to catch up with everything that happened yesterday night.
SUNNY… He really was awake now, wasn't he? That wasn't just a long fever dream from working himself too hard?
BASIL inadvertently got his answer by the chirps of some birds outside his window. Looking out, he saw the shattered glass still in its broken condition from last night, with two blue jay birds casually perched right in the broken center of it. Broken, presumably because of KEL trying to break in to give him that nearly undecipherable letter while he was out.
Speaking of…
Pulling the letter out from under his pillow, he reread the most important sentence on the back that proved he hadn't gone insane yet.
BASIL! SUNNY IS BACK! :D
Yesterday wasn't a dream. It all actually happened.
SUNNY really came back.
With the realization now settling in, his morning drowsiness was wiped away in an instant to make room for the new giddy excitement growing inside.
SUNNY was back!
BASIL had to go get ready to pick him up soon! Today was going to be a fun and busy day!
8:05 AM
Brushing his teeth merrily to a tune in his head, he swayed his head from side to side while smiling in the mirror.
Spitting the paste out from his mouth, he did a quick rinse and gargle before cleaning his face up.
"How do I look? You think I need to touch myself up a bit before coming over?" He curiously asked, studying his facial features.
The image of his best friend casually leaning against the doorway stared back at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, you're right. I probably look fine." BASIL reassured himself, splashing some more cold water on his face to hype himself up.
He had been taking proper care of himself for all these years. BASIL shouldn't need to worry about looking unkempt or something in front of SUNNY. He should be fine the way he was.
8:20 AM
BASIL was practically scarfing down the eggs and toast he made for himself this morning, impatiently speedrunning through all of his morning rituals as the excitement for the day practically fueled his blood.
Usually, he liked to practice his cooking whenever he got the chance, but today was going to be an exception for him. Besides, he and SUNNY were probably gonna go out to eat later when he showed his best friend around. Gotta make room in his stomach for all the best places!
8:35 AM
BASIL calmly and methodically checked every single plant around his house.
Despite his ever-growing excitement to go out and pick up his best friend as soon as possible, he knew that this was a part of his morning ritual he just couldn't rush through.
His plants were also his friends. It was his job and duty to take good care of each and every one of them.
"Aw, Mr. Hyacinth… You're dropping petals already?" BASIL murmured sympathetically, examining the wilting purple flower.
Hyacinth. Named after the Greek god Hyacinth, lover of Apollo. Accidentally killed by Apollo during a friendly discus game.
In the language of flowers, a purple one usually meant sorrow, grief, or regret. As a gift, it was used to represent wanting to make amends or asking for forgiveness, with the hopes of new beginnings and a brighter future.
BASIL wondered why this plant was dying today while it was still so young… He had been taking good care of it so far, even changing its soil just a few days ago.
What sad luck that it was dying today of all days.
"Maybe I can still revive you before it's too late… I hope…" BASIL murmured, preparing to move it to a better spot.
8:45 AM
That's right, the camera!
BASIL quickly scrummaged around his closet until he eventually found the old relic from his past.
It had been so long since he had used this thing! He hasn't taken a brand-new picture in forever!
Now that SUNNY was back, it was high time BASIL started getting back into the hobby again!
Finally… To be able to make new memories…
BASIL gave his old camera a small kiss, feeling the waves of fond memories wash over him as he held it in his hands again.
MARI gave this to him all those years ago, that one Christmas night. It was the best gift she ever gave him.
…
BASIL's fond smile turned into a soft frown, thinking back on the past again.
Now that SUNNY was back… He was sure things should go back to the way they used to be.
When everything goes back to normal, all six of them could finally be together again. Just like he always hoped and dreamed.
He had absolute faith in his best friend.
8:50 AM
"Bye, everybody! Wish me good luck today!" BASIL waved goodbye to all of his plants.
Even though it was completely silent, he could already imagine all the warm farewells and good luck being given to him by all of his plant friends in the house.
With the camera strapped to his neck, he took the first step outside to finally start his brand new day.
Finally, after all this time…
He was finally going to play with his best friend SUNNY again!
WELCOME TO BRIGHTSPACE
HIKIKO lied still on her blanket as she stared at the bright endless void in front of her.
It took her a few moments, but once she realized where she was, HIKIKO slowly sat up to look at her surroundings.
Back in BRIGHTSPACE again, where nothing bad ever happens.
She had some sort of feeling in the back of her mind that she was forgetting something.
Hm…
Probably wasn't anything that important if she forgot about it. Maybe it would come back to her eventually after she stretched her legs out and did her usual routine.
HIKIKO stretched her body out while she stood up, before taking a look around.
The door to HEADSPACE was gone again. Looks like it won't be back until tomorrow.
…
HIKIKO went over to fill out her journal on the laptop, as she always did. The bottom of the laptop warmed her legs as she typed away her record of the day.
…
HIKIKO played around with MEWO for a bit, the black kitty pawing at her hand and playfully biting her fingers before licking them.
"Not much to do around here, is there?" The kitty lamented.
HIKIKO couldn't agree more.
…
She pulled out another piano key that somehow mysteriously found its way into her pocket, once again.
Where did they keep coming from?
Regardless, she placed the key in its rightful spot on the toy piano.
It was starting to fill up nicely so far. Hopefully, she'll find more soon.
…
With nothing else left to do, HIKIKO decided that she might as well choose to wake up again.
Another important day today.
Just like last time. She stepped up on the chair to tie the noose, before placing it around her neck. She checked to make sure it was as tight as it could be.
A satisfied nod later, she kicked the chair from under her.
She enjoyed the brief weightless sensation for a bit before the sudden-
…
…
…
MARI blearily opened her eyes as the sun shined over her face.
Blinking her lethargy away, she steadily hoisted herself up to a sitting position as she got her bearings.
Another dream.
Most of the details were already beginning to fade away from her memory, but she knew she must've had some kind of nightmare.
Again.
If this kept up, she wondered how long her sanity would even last…
"Morning."
MARI turned to see her little brother sitting right next to her with the usual stoic face she was always used to seeing.
It was enough to give her a smile, "Y-You're still here."
"Yeah." He nodded, "Just in case."
Remembering what happened last time she woke up when he wasn't there, MARI gave an embarrassed laugh.
That was definitely not her proudest moment… But still, it was considerate of him to stick around to keep her calm this time.
"Thank you." Mari went in to hug her little brother, "I seriously appreciate it."
"Mm."
Once again, she thanked her lucky stars that her little brother was back from his coma to be here with her again. It was really nice to start getting used to his presence after being gone for so long in her life.
MARI will never take her little brother for granted ever again.
She let her hug wash all the bad memories of the dream away until they were barely an afterthought anymore.
With a gargle and spit, OMORI finished brushing his teeth before moving on to wash his face.
Replacing his white eyepatch with a clean one, he covered his missing eye up and stared into the mirror once more.
Seeing the monochrome reflection staring back at him, OMORI had to wonder if this was going to be a new daily habit of his.
Once again, he forcefully closed his eyes tight before opening them.
Back to reality. Or as close as it was gonna be for him.
OMORI took the time to recount everything that happened to him so far, an idle hand reaching up to touch his eyepatch in thought.
Back to being numb again…
Let's tackle the biggest issue out of the way first… HIKIKO's reaction to him when she saw him playing the violin.
Seeing all that happen in front of his eyes for the first time… While it was admittedly startling to watch, it was also a much too familiar experience that he had dealt with countless times already.
The time when he first reacted that way towards ABBI, one of the first imaginary friends from his HEADSPACE dreams, when all she did was try to help him confront the truth about MARI's death.
Several other times after that, when other inhabitants in HEADSPACE refused to go along with his escapist adventures.
Sigh… Never got to say sorry to you guys…
DOROTHI… CINDI… LILI… MERCI… NANCI… SALLI…
BASIL.
The multiple times when BASIL would veer off the path and remember what truly happened to MARI. Over, and over, and over, and over again.
Now that OMORI had finally experienced what it was like to be on the other end of that himself, it really put things into perspective for him.
To think that MARI ended up being just like him to an extent like this… Two apples really didn't fall that far from the tree, did they?
…
For OMORI, it was the mentioning of what happened to MARI that would usually set him off. Being reminded of her death in any way was what caused him to immediately start repressing things back into BLACK SPACE.
For HIKIKO though, in this specific instance at the very least, it was the violin.
Black ropes, instead of red hands.
The way she shouted at him when she pulled the violin away from his hands had been so unnerving. He wondered just how close he was to getting the same treatment as the crab if it hadn't jumped in to stop her the way it did.
Was he ever in any danger though? If the crab hadn't been there to save him, would HIKIKO actually have done what she did to her own little brother as well?
"You'll be safe like always." She whispered comfortingly, "I won't ever let anything happen to you."
Somehow, OMORI kinda doubted it. A part of him somewhere deep inside stopped fearing for his safety at some point during the whole incident. Maybe HIKIKO had a soft spot for him that made SUNNY the exception if things ever stopped going according to how she wanted.
He was probably the same way. He couldn't imagine ever hurting MARI like he could with BASIL or the others.
Maybe that was why it was so easy for her to break character sometimes just to talk with him.
…
The violin. Beyond the obvious reasons he knew, what other things about it would make his own sister react so viscerally towards the violin?
It used to be everyone's hard-earned gift for him. MARI had been so angry with him that day when he threw it down the stairs. But now it was as if she would rather make sure her own brother would never have to touch another violin ever again.
Was it because it took his eye in this reality? Was she assigning blame towards the violin for crippling his eyesight for life, and that was why she hated it so much? To prevent the violin from ever hurting him again?
Or was it because he threw it down the stairs in the first place? Did MARI internalize that moment in her mind as an important aspect of her little brother's character? She just didn't want her little brother to be angry from another violin again?
There were so many ways to interpret this, yet OMORI wasn't sure which one to fully make of it.
Despite the vagueness of it all, it was still one hint towards figuring out the truth that MARI was hiding from herself. On its own, would've been considered a huge boost of progress for OMORI ever since he started this mystery.
If he didn't already count the other elephant in the room.
The tree from HIKIKO's BLACK SPACE.
While MARI was busy in the kitchen making them breakfast, OMORI was in the living room staring out the glass screen of their house's back door.
OMORI had to admit, it took him much longer than it should've to investigate the backyard in this reality. A part of him still wanted to avoid it, just so that he didn't have to relive that memory of hanging his sister again.
He put it off long enough though.
With a deep breath, he rolled the glass screen door open to explore the backyard.
…
The place was still as large as ever. Sometimes he wondered if he took his own backyard as inspiration for the forests in his dreams. Being surrounded by so many trees, you'd really think you'd get lost if you traveled far enough.
A perfect place to set up a tree house.
But that wasn't why he was here right now.
It took him a bit to work up the nerve, but OMORI finally forced himself to stare at the tree near the end of the clearing.
Once upon a time, it used to be his favorite tree. He often took naps underneath it just to pass the time.
It wasn't his favorite tree anymore.
Just like what he was slightly afraid of, the tree in this reality was never cut down by his dad. Since MARI was never hung on the branches, it was still standing tall and proud, left untainted from the sins of his actions.
He… He'd really rather not look at it for longer than necessary.
Focus. Calm down. It's not as scary as it seems.
Reminding himself of what was at stake, he took in another deep breath to force his emotions down. Now was not the time to get distracted by personal issues.
OMORI came closer to the tree with his fears suppressed, taking the time to study it analytically and understand it better.
After what he saw during his out-of-body experience within MARI's BLACK SPACE, he could confirm that the tree in that dream and the tree out here in the backyard were definitely the same.
It was odd that he was always watching from far away instead of physically being in BLACK SPACE himself. Maybe what he found wasn't an entrance, but just a window? Something to file down for later…
Let's try to understand and make sense of what he saw.
The tree being made out of piano parts and piano strings was an allegory that wasn't lost on him. Clearly, something happened between MARI and her piano for it to be in BLACK SPACE like that.
But the way HIKIKO chopped it down? Was that literal or just some kind of symbolism he didn't get? Would MARI really chop apart her own beloved piano? She spent so long, countless days and nights, just practicing on it in order to get better at playing. She was so dedicated to playing it, it was hard for OMORI to believe she could just destroy it like that.
If she did destroy it though, then why? When? What would be the point?
It wasn't like OMORI hated the piano himself, or even gave MARI the impression that he did. He loved listening to her play on it. If there was any reason for him to hate it, it would be the fact that the piano would never make beautiful music again after MARI died.
There'd be no reason for MARI to want to destroy it. Not in this reality. So then why?
"Are you the monster?" HIKIKO asked, "Were you the thing that hurt my brother?"
Hurt her brother…? Why would she ever think that the piano hurt him somehow?
Hm…
OMORI looked back up at the tree in front of him once more. On top of all of those questions, he also had another one.
What was the relationship between this tree and the piano?
On the surface, there shouldn't be any. There was no obvious link between them that would otherwise suggest a relationship.
He could see her corpse still. Right now, hanging from the branch where they hung her. No amount of repression now could ever help him unsee the truth, no matter how hard he looked away.
SOMETHING was still staring at him.
OMORI felt the urge to close his eye and look away, feeling almost overwhelmed by the memories. But he shook his head and pushed through it, continuing on to study the tr-
…
What was that?
There was a scorched mark on the branch where MARI hung from. The charred black remains of that branch looked so out of place now that he noticed it. It was like the branch got completely burnt off from the tree.
What was that? Did MARI do that, or was it something else? How long ago did that happen?
Out of all the branches, why on this specific branch?
Why on the same exact branch where they hung her from?
Meanwhile, MARI had already placed their dishes on the table in the dining room, ready for breakfast.
Sadly, it was fried tofu again. MARI lamented how shortsighted she was for only ever buying cheap tofu to fill her fridge.
She didn't even like tofu. She didn't really care at all about what she ate, actually. As long as it filled her stomach to last for the next day.
But SUNNY was back with her again. Even though he told her not to worry about it, she'd really like to give him something with more variety next time they ate. He'd need to have a proper diet beyond just the protein-dense nutrients in tofu.
Something for her to worry about next time she decides to go grocery shopping.
"SUNNY! Breakfast is ready!" MARI called out.
She waited for him to come, but there was no response.
…
"SUNNY?" She called out again, a bit louder this time.
There was that immediate rise in panic again. Her deepest fears about something bad happening to SUNNY.
She had to force herself to remain calm, reassuring herself that he was probably just exploring the house again. He hadn't been here for so long, after all. It was natural to be curious about all the possible changes in the last six years.
Ignoring the gnawing gut response, she went out to the living room to find him.
She nearly tripped on a box of board games left on the floor from her plans to spend time with SUNNY last night. They never did get the chance to play more than chess, did they? She hoped she'd be able to play more with him soon…
To her relief, the backdoor was left open. SUNNY must've been playing outside like he used to back when he was a kid.
With a smile, she checked out the door and saw him standing right in front of his favorite napping spot.
The way he was standing completely still staring at his tree, he must be daydreaming about something.
Her little brother always looked so adorable whenever he spaced out. MARI wondered how he looked now if she just snuck up on him to catch a glimpse.
A small mischievous smile appeared on her lips, something she felt she hadn't had in ages. She slowly tiptoed across the grassy clearing, making sure to not make a single sound as she crept up from behind him.
Heehee! It was just like back when they were young again!
She couldn't wait to see the look on his face once she surprised him!
By the time she finally reached him, she steadily stepped over the side to sneak a quick peek at his–
…
She paused, her smile slowly vanishing when she saw his eye.
His pupil was so dilated, with all of his concentration directly on the tree in front of him. His hands had been balled up into tight fists, his breathing almost irregular. He looked like a startled deer that froze in place out of fear.
What could cause SUNNY to-…
MARI's eyes widened, an idea dawning in her head as she remembered the story SUNNY had told her.
This must've been the tree where she-… where he dreamt that they hung her from.
Tepidly reaching out, she grabbed one of his balled-up fists, hoping that it wouldn't startle him. Whatever was happening to him right now, she wanted to make sure to ease him back to reality.
He didn't react, still staring at the tree in front of him with such intensity.
His sense of touch must still be numb…
"S-SUNNY?" MARI called out gently.
OMORI was startled from his thoughts, looking to his side to see MARI standing next to him with her hands wrapped around his.
When did she sneak up next to him?
"Oh." OMORI breathed out, "Hey. You okay?"
MARI nervously nodded, but then hesitantly asked, "...Are you?"
"Yeah…?" He nodded back, a little bit confused. "Why do you ask?"
MARI was staring at him with a concerned expression, making him wonder why she was worried all of a sudden.
"You were staring at the tree… I thought you might've been…" She shrugged anxiously, letting it remain unsaid, "You know?"
"Oh." OMORI slowly started to get why she was acting so nervous.
He looked back at the scorched mark on the branch again. So many questions still left unanswered in his head, and he still wondered if he'd ever be able to answer all of them soon.
Still, this was good progress. HIKIKO's strong reaction towards him holding a violin, and her chopping apart the piano tree in her BLACK SPACE, they served as major hints that helped him get a good grasp about the nature of what MARI was hiding from herself.
Parts of the puzzle were connected now. He just needed to find the rest of the pieces.
"This was where you dreamt that you and BASIL… did that to me. Wasn't it?" MARI asked hesitantly.
"I promise I'm okay." OMORI reassured her, "It's not what you think. Just doing a little daydreaming, like always. That's all."
"Is that so…?" MARI mumbled unsurely.
He had hoped that would put her at ease, but MARI still remained unconvinced. What did she see that made her get so worried about him? Did it really look like he was having some kind of panic attack from her perspective?
He's had worse. He didn't even realize that he was making some kind of face until now.
Gotta keep a check on his emotions better…
MARI continued to stare at her little brother, trying to make sure for herself if he was really as okay as he said he was.
It didn't seem like her brother was in distress or anything. Any fear in his eye that she saw before was completely gone now. Back to being cliff-faced as usual.
Was he lying to her? To make sure she wasn't worried? Or was she just overreacting?
MARI snuck a glance towards the tree.
Lightning. Thunder. A flood.
There was nobody left. She was all alone now.
MARI felt her ears begin to ring uncomfortably as she kept staring at the tree. A strange feeling arose the longer she stared. Something about it didn't sit right with her.
She didn't want SUNNY near it anymore.
"Breakfast is ready. Let's go before it gets cold." MARI recalled, lightly tugging his arm back towards the house.
OMORI wordlessly nodded before heading back inside.
MARI gave one last look at the tree as she followed her little brother.
The backyard was quiet.
Breakfast went by as fast as it came.
MARI had watched her little brother begin eating a bit faster this time around compared to previous days. By the time MARI had emptied her plate, her brother finished his shortly after.
She was glad to see him acting a bit more energetically today. It took her mind off of worrying about what happened to him earlier. Though whether he was putting on an act for her or not was still something she kept in the back of her mind.
Still, it was just nice to spend time with him again.
For OMORI though, the reasons why he scarfed down his food quicker was mostly to prevent wasting time. He only had so long before BASIL came to pick him up. It was important for him to at least ask a few questions before he had to leave.
In the cluttered game-filled living room together, the two of them carefully stepped over the mess to sit on the couch.
"So, what now?" OMORI asked.
"Anything!" MARI smiled brightly, gesturing to all the games on the floor, "We have the whole day for ourselves! Let's do whatever you want!"
OMORI was left confused at that, even as MARI started rummaging around to pick up a random game off the floor.
Bringing up two familiar game consoles to his eye, MARI cheerfully asked, "Since we played a board game yesterday, why don't we play on our GAME KIDS next? I haven't played BITTRIS in a while, but I'd like to think my BIT stacking skill hasn't gotten rusty- if you're up for that!"
MARI thought it'd be a great idea to start off with video games since that was something her little brother would be better at than her. Knowing her brother's skilled talent with anything digital, it should make him feel a bit more eased in for the day.
She even made sure to charge everything up to full battery the day before, so everything should be ready and waiting for him!
His eye bounced between the old game system in her hands and the expectant smile on her face. With an awkward frown, the boy reminded her, "Isn't BASIL going to come by to pick me up any moment?"
…
MARI's smile slightly weakened.
Oh. Right.
She… She completely forgot that they promised BASIL could spend the day with her little brother. BASIL had been waiting so long for SUNNY to come back, after all. Just as much as MARI had.
BASIL had as much of a right, if not more, to spend as much time as he wanted with her little brother.
This was literally yesterday night. How did she end up forgetting that?
"Y-You're right." MARI's smile turned embarrassed, putting the GAME KIDS down to the side. "We should probably do something light, just to pass the time. Wait for BASIL to come soon."
"We can just… talk about stuff instead?" OMORI offered.
At this, MARI's excited smile resurfaced again, "Talk! That's right, we never really had much opportunity to just catch up together! Something always kinda got in the way and interrupted us before we could really go deeper than that."
OMORI nodded.
If possible, he'd like to talk to MARI about the six years she spent ever since he got into his coma in this reality. Having her describe what she went through in her eyes would be useful, just to know what she was aware of.
But without enough time to fully delve into that right now, he figured he might as well get some insight about BASIL in this reality from MARI's point of view.
"What do you want to talk about first?" MARI kicked things off enthusiastically enough, letting OMORI have the opportunity to start the conversation.
"Well… Are you doing fine?" OMORI asked first, to gauge her.
"Of course!" MARI's response was quick, almost reflexively. "I've been happier than I ever have been for a long time. It's all thanks to my precious little brother being back in my life. I'm more than fine!"
She said that with a genuine smile as if the reminder that he was here again itself brought her joy. When she said she was happy, it definitely wasn't a lie… but OMORI knew enough to know the lack of light behind her eyes.
"I get that, but that's not what I was talking about." OMORI glanced away a bit, "Last night was kinda sudden, with BASIL coming over and everything. Even though you didn't say it, you kinda seemed stressed out."
Like the way she started growing more uncomfortable, the longer BASIL kept mentioning having a sleepover with everyone.
MARI blinked at this before scratching her cheek with a nervous, "O-Oh. Yeah. I figured you probably noticed that since you turned down BASIL's idea for a sleepover. You were probably worried about how I felt, weren't you? Hahaha…"
It felt odd, the more he thought about it these past few days. MARI has said multiple times that BASIL was one of the only people in their group to never give up waiting for him. It was the reason why she still considered the flower boy to be her friend, not showing any of the animosity towards him that she did for KEL and the others.
Unlike MARI though, BASIL didn't hold any resentment towards anyone else in the friend group. Based on everything he's heard from KEL and seen from last night, BASIL if anything seemed to be just as close with the others as much as back before the incident…
If BASIL and MARI still got along together, wouldn't BASIL know about MARI's issues with their old friends? If he did know, then why would he insist on having a sleepover reunion so fervently? There's no way something like that could've gone smoothly.
On the other hand, if he didn't know anything about MARI's issues with their old friends, then how the hell did he manage to not pick up on that for the last several years? While that flower boy was always socially awkward, he was never clueless about other people's feelings. He would've asked about it long ago. If not MARI, then at least from KEL or AUBREY telling him. OMORI knew him well enough to know that BASIL should've been aware by now.
Which begs the bigger question…
How much of BASIL and MARI's relationship was different in this reality, ever since the incident? Did anything ever change between the two of them?
And if so, for the better? …Or for worse?
BASIL never told MARI to hang his body to protect her from getting into trouble, did he? Otherwise, she would've hated him too for even suggesting it.
"I promise I'm okay now, SUNNY," MARI reassured, seeing her little brother deep in thought again. When he looked back up at her, MARI continued, "I was… overwhelmed at the idea of getting everyone together in our house again. I wasn't ready to see any of them yet."
"I know." OMORI nodded, waiting a bit to ask, "How have things been with BASIL, the last few years? You still talk to him, right? Since you said you were still friends."
MARI's smile twitched.
OMORI noticed.
"W-We talk from time to time." MARI answered, "Not as often as before though. He always visited the hospital during different hours than I do, so we didn't really get the chance to catch up with each other that much."
"Oh?" OMORI tilted his head at that, "Why's that?"
"He works a job now, I-I think?" MARI awkwardly chuckled, "So… Yeah, just… We pass by sometimes, but not always."
Would a job really be enough to prevent BASIL from spending time with MARI? It'd seem off for BASIL to visit at different hours than her, even with a job in mind. If their friendship was still strong, he'd find a way to get around that…
MARI seemed on guard with the questions he was asking, for some reason. There must be something more going on between her and BASIL.
He'll have to ask for BASIL's point of view after this to get the full picture.
"I would tell you more about everything he's been up to if I knew." MARI smiled apologetically, "Sorry, SUNNY… But I'm sure BASIL would love to get you caught up again later when you go out together!"
OMORI nodded, brain still working overtime with the info he's gleaned so far.
Meanwhile, MARI spent a moment awkwardly twiddling her fingers as she stared at the floor.
It was wrong for her to lie like that. She knew the exact reason why BASIL chose to visit at different hours than her when visiting SUNNY. It was to avoid having to deal with her, after all.
But she didn't want her brother to get the wrong idea about BASIL though. He had perfectly good reasons to hate her, and her brother shouldn't fault him for that.
Besides, it didn't matter if BASIL hated her. He still loved SUNNY! That was the only thing that mattered to her. Whether BASIL considered her a friend or not, MARI genuinely still thought of him as her one true friend for always being there for SUNNY.
Her little brother will end up figuring out the truth eventually, but he might understand better if it came out of BASIL's mouth rather than hers.
…
A small realization made her raise her head a bit to look back at her brother.
With a nervous smile, she suddenly asked, "SUNNY? You still like BASIL… Right?"
He glanced over at her with an unexpected look, "What?"
MARI swallowed a bit, carefully thinking how to word this.
In his mind, SUNNY's coma made him live through a terrible world where he killed his own sister. BASIL ended up being his accomplice, even suggesting to hang her body to fake a suicide just to save SUNNY from getting into trouble.
It was such a cruel world his imagination forced him to go through. Even crueler for including his closest friend in it as well.
In a world like that, she could only imagine what sort of feelings SUNNY might've had for his old friend after that. For helping to kill his sister.
Which was why she had to make sure her little brother knew that it wasn't reality.
"BASIL is your best friend, you know? He still is." MARI carefully reminded him, "He never did anything wrong to you. Neither of you ever did anything to hurt me. I'm still alive, after all."
She did her best to stare at his stoic expression, hoping to see anything to give her a hint about what he was thinking right now.
"So, I just…" She hesitantly continued on, "I hope you don't blame BASIL for anything, for what happened in your dreams. They aren't real. It never happened."
…
OMORI closed his eye and reassured her, "I don't hate BASIL. Don't worry about that."
He could hear his sister give a relieved sigh.
OMORI really didn't blame his friend at all for what happened that day. It wasn't BASIL who pushed MARI down the stairs. Even if he could've blamed BASIL for what happened, she was still right to say that the BASIL in this reality didn't do anything to deserve that.
He just wished that BASIL never tried to protect him in the first place.
OMORI opened his eye, staring at his sister again.
MARI smiled back, "I'm glad."
She would've never forgiven herself if SUNNY and BASIL's friendship was ruined somehow. It would've been another thing to add to her list of faults. Thankfully, MARI at least managed not to ruin this as well.
Three knocks on the door.
The two of them perked up as they turned to face the front of the house.
…
"I guess that must be him..." MARI said softly.
"Yeah…" OMORI nodded.
It was unfortunate that they didn't have enough time to talk some more. OMORI still hadn't gotten around to asking any of the bigger questions he had. Looks like those will have to be saved for later tonight after he was done with BASIL.
MARI was a bit sad that BASIL came so soon. She had been hoping to keep her little brother for just a little bit longer. Part of her wanted to stall this out to get a few extra seconds in, but she knew that would've been selfish of her to do.
"Coming!" MARI called out, already on her way to welcome their old friend in.
OMORI stood up as well, ready to go. In his mind, he was already brainstorming what questions to ask BASIL later in the day.
With the two of them near the front door, they gave each other one last look.
MARI kept her weak smile, nodding to the door, "Maybe you should welcome him first. He'll like that better."
Yeah, he probably would.
Sigh, okay…
Mentally preparing himself, he opened the door.
Breathe in… Breathe out… Breathe in… Breathe out…
BASIL kept repeatedly doing this over and over again, doing his best to calm his overexcited mind.
It only started after he already knocked on the door, but his heart had begun beating uncontrollably fast all of a sudden.
He thought he'd be prepared for this, but he guessed that a big part of him was still in shock.
How many times had the words "SUNNY's back" passed through his head just this morning alone? How many times more will it play in his head after that?
It felt embarrassing. He was acting just like a little kid. Yet it was as if BASIL couldn't help himself, he was just so excited to see his best friend again.
Has it really been six years now? Sometimes it felt longer than that.
The moment the door finally opened, BASIL felt his breath hitch.
The first thing he saw was SUNNY's stoic expression coming out to greet him, like the first rays of sunshine after a cloudy day.
"Hey, BASIL."
Even though he knew his best friend was back… Seeing him again just made BASIL so stunned.
…
Ha… Hahahahaha!
BASIL seriously couldn't control himself. He stepped through the open door to give his best friend the biggest hug he could possibly muster!
"SUNNY!" BASIL felt himself laugh joyfully, "It's so good to see you again!"
"Mhm." The quiet boy returned the hug, patting him on the back comfortably, "Same."
BASIL had been so dead tired last night, it really did feel like it could've just been a whole elaborate dream if it wasn't for all the evidence pointing otherwise.
Now that he was properly awake and everything, seeing his old friend again just filled him with an unimaginable sense of relieved joy.
Loosening up from the hug, BASIL heartily slapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Probably sounds weird for me to say this when I just saw you yesterday, but… Welcome back, SUNNY. Things haven't been the same without you."
"Get enough sleep this time? Don't want you passing out on your feet again." Despite his emotionless expression, BASIL could feel the teasing nature behind the boy's words.
BASIL nodded, giving an embarrassed chuckle. "Yeah! I got plenty of sleep this time. Sorry again for last night. You won't catch me doing that again."
A small shrug in response, he said, "It's okay. I'll let you tip and fall next time if you do."
"Aw." BASIL chuckled from the banter.
Knowing SUNNY, the flower boy knew that he wouldn't actually do that. SUNNY would probably just set him down somewhere and then stick random stuff on his face until he woke up. That was more along the lines of the stoic boy's sense of humor.
Coincidentally, at the same exact time he was thinking that, OMORI was wondering what random stuff he should put on BASIL's face if he ever caught the flower boy napping on his feet again.
As the two of them continued to tease and banter in their own unique way, MARI chose to silently stand a bit further away to give them some space.
It was nice to watch them talk like this. BASIL was probably one of the first people in their old friend group that managed to coax her little brother out of his socially anxious shell so quickly when he was a kid.
It usually took a few months, maybe half a year at best, before SUNNY would even hold a full conversation with anyone he just met. Up until that point, he'd often either stay mute or use short simple responses.
BASIL managed to cut that time down to just two weeks after they first met. There was something charming about the flower boy that helped connect the two of them so naturally.
After a while, BASIL proceeded to list off his plans for the day, "I already got the whole day prepared in my head! There are so many places we should go to! Like, so many things in FARAWAY have changed while you were gone! Even some of the places we used to go to as kids had some changes! GINO's, FIXIT, HOBBEEZ– There are even some new places that have opened up ever since construction was finished! You have to see the new DOWNTOWN area as well! And there's also so many people I want to meet- OH WAIT!"
BASIL pulled up his old camera strapped behind him. The shiny glint from the sun shined on the lenses.
MARI's smile got bigger after seeing it, a wave of nostalgia hitting her all at once. She couldn't believe BASIL still kept her birthday gift all this time!
She wondered if he brought along the photo album as well?
"We gotta take a picture to commemorate this day!" BASIL declared, already setting himself up right next to his best friend.
Wait, where was MARI?
A quick look around, it took BASIL a while to notice that she was just standing off to the side and looking at them with a soft smile.
Sigh, what was she even doing so far away like that? Trying to stay invisible or something? It was almost startling to see her standing still like that after being unnoticed for so long. She couldn't at least say good morning or anything when he arrived?
…Okay, well, BASIL could kinda see why she didn't. But come on! SUNNY was back! Everything should be changing now, so what was she still waiting around for?
"MARI, come over here next to SUNNY," BASIL called out to her, nodding over at her brother.
MARI blinked for a bit, before sputtering out, "M-Me?"
"Who else?" BASIL kept his smile, hoping that would ease the girl's apprehension. "You gotta help me take this picture together."
"O… Okay…" MARI seemed flustered as she went over to stand next to her little brother's side.
Holding the camera up, BASIL patiently instructed MARI to hold up the other side of the camera so that the whole thing could be stable while he lined up a perfect shot.
When he was sure the three of them were in the frame, he announced, "Everyone say cheese!"
"C-Cheese!" Only MARI called out with a nervous smile. OMORI remained absolutely quiet, staring into the camera with his usual stoic demeanor, just like always.
*FLASH*
The lightbulb went off with that nostalgic sound as it whirred to life. The camera gave a familiar rumble as it prepared to produce a new polaroid picture, something BASIL hadn't felt for the first time in years.
"I usually don't take pictures directly like this… It always feels more natural capturing stuff happening in the moment, when it's least expected." BASIL explained with a small giggle, "I think this warrants a special exception though. Don't you think?"
OMORI hummed, remembering what BASIL told him a while ago, "You always took pictures of the precious moments of everyone living their own lives… Moments you're afraid you might lose someday."
…
BASIL's eyes widened, stunned at his friend's remark.
"Y-Yeah, that… That's pretty accurate, actually." BASIL nodded, a bit surprised by the specific choice of words. Then with a wide smile, he complimented, "I feel like that's exactly how I would describe it. Aptly put, SUNNY!"
Seeing how shocked BASIL reacted, OMORI realized his mistake of recounting the words BASIL once said to him in the previous world.
Probably not a good idea to do that again.
When BASIL saw his old friend awkwardly glance away, he wondered what that could mean. Embarrassment from the compliment, maybe? Or perhaps he didn't mean to say what he just said out loud?
Hm.
His thoughts were interrupted by the camera printing out the polaroid picture. Pulling the picture out, BASIL felt so excited to see how it turned out as he waved the picture around to fully settle.
Gently fading in, he could see the picture coming out perfectly.
SUNNY in the middle, neutral as always. Though his right eye was covered by the white eyepatch, it didn't seem to hamper him at all. Simple, modest, comfortable. Just like a white tulip.
To his left, MARI leaned next to him with an awkward smile. Her hand was half-heartedly making a V-sign as if she couldn't decide whether she should or shouldn't hold one up. Disorganized, clumsy, but kinda charming in its own way.
BASIL, leaning in on SUNNY's right side. A widely bright smile, bigger than he'd ever seen himself give before. Probably could've combed his hair beforehand? But that was just him being nitpicky.
Hehe, looks like when it came to picture taking, BASIL's still got it even after all these years.
When BASIL passed the photo over to the siblings, OMORI hummed in thought.
A new photo with MARI in it…
What a bittersweet feeling.
MARI started self-consciously smoothing out her messy hair after seeing herself in the picture, "God, I look like a disaster."
"The first picture taken in over six years…" BASIL said serenely.
He couldn't wait to head over to AUBREY! Not only will they have a new picture to add to the photo album after all these years, he'll finally get front-row seats to see her reaction to SUNNY being back!
AAAAAHHH~ This was going to be the best day ever!
With a giddy squeal, BASIL pocketed the photo away for later.
Turning to his best friend, he asked, "Ready to head out? I can wait if you think you've forgotten something."
…
OMORI silently nodded.
Guess it was time for him to go.
He gave one quick glance over at his sister to see how she was doing.
MARI patted her little brother's head, giving a sad smile, "You have fun and come back safe, okay?"
"Yeah."
With that being her farewell for the day, she walked over to BASIL.
Before she could even say anything, OMORI watched on curiously the way his sister seemed to clamp up. Her gaze lowered to the floor, her hands kept themselves busy twiddling against each other.
It felt so strange to see her slowly turn so frail and fragile all of a sudden.
Though facing BASIL, she never really lifted her eyes up to look at him directly.
"And BASIL…" She started off timidly, politely bowing a bit, "Thank you for coming again to spend time with SUNNY. I know you'll take good care of him. Have fun and come back safely, okay?"
BASIL, strangely enough, had this weird neutral expression as he nodded back, "I know."
When this was done, MARI stood a few steps back to give both of the boys some space.
BASIL turned towards OMORI with a smile, preparing to leave.
OMORI was ready to follow behind him.
Yet when they got near the door, BASIL actually paused for a minute, his facial expression stern.
…
…
…
BASIL didn't want to leave just yet. Not without doing something about MARI.
Instead of leaving right away, BASIL actually turned around to call out to her, "MARI."
Her natural reaction was to flinch, only to do her best to hide it under a fake smile.
When BASIL chose to walk right up to her, she instinctively took a step back.
BASIL studied the older girl as she stood nervously in front of him. Even now, she was hiding her gaze away, trying to do her best to not look him in the eye.
It was such a far cry from the gentle yet stern motherly figure she used to be, back when they were kids. She used to be so full of life, always so kind and patient with everyone around her. Someone that everyone always admired and respected.
It was about time she took the first step to change things back, shouldn't she?
…
BASIL offered a hand and gave the most sincere smile he possibly could, "You should join us."
The girl's eyes widened in shock from the sudden invitation, almost leaning back as she nervously repeated, "J… You want me to join you?"
OMORI stood near the doorway watching everything unfold in front of him.
"Why not?" BASIL asked, "I know how you've been these past few years. It's understandable, considering what happened to SUNNY… But he's awake again."
BASIL shook his hand once more in front of her.
MARI looked down at it, staring at his hand for the longest time.
"Don't you think we should all spend time with SUNNY, now that he's back? To welcome him home?" BASIL asked expectantly. "We can bring the group back together. It could be like old times again."
He gave her a chance, a long time ago. A chance to make up for everything she did and try to fix things so that everything could go back to the way things used to be.
Back then, MARI didn't take that chance. She still kept wallowing in her own misery, pushing everyone else away as she latched herself to SUNNY's comatose body as an excuse.
She doesn't have that excuse anymore.
Now that SUNNY was back, BASIL offered one more chance again.
He knew how much MARI loved her brother. He knew how much she cared about everyone. Even if he never condoned the way she acted, he still at least understood why she acted that way in the first place.
Which was why MARI should absolutely join them. There's no reason to put it off anymore.
There's no reason to stay all alone like this anymore.
…
…
…
MARI's shock subsided as she grew a small smile.
But her eyes were lifeless as she gently closed BASIL's extended hand.
"It's okay… You don't have to." MARI told him softly, "You and SUNNY should have this day together. You deserve to spend time with him, BASIL."
BASIL's smile vanished, lowering his arm to his side.
"You don't want to come with us?" He asked.
BASIL watched on as she continued to make up excuses for herself. Something about how she'll need to be at home cleaning, or to get ready to buy groceries soon, or to keep herself busy with all these lists of meaningless chores that shouldn't even matter.
They both knew it was all lies. Just mindless excuses so that she didn't have to take that first step.
"-then I guess after that, I'd need to check on SUNNY's belongings to make sure-"
"Does any of that really matter?" BASIL sharply interrupted.
MARI flinched again, staring at the floor with her fake smile.
"I… I can't face them yet, BASIL." She finally admitted quietly.
Why? Even though SUNNY was back… Why was she still acting this way towards her own friends?
Why couldn't she see how insane she was acting right now? To force herself into this meaningless situation all alone? What would even be the point now to keep resenting all of their friends for?
It had been years already. Everyone had their own lives to live. They couldn't afford to revolve around SUNNY anymore.
But SUNNY was back now! He was right here with them, alive and awake, like they all hoped and dreamed.
Doesn't that mean anything to her?! She didn't have any reason to stay like this anymore!
What was she still waiting for?
"What are you still waiting for?"
MARI kept her gaze on the ground, choosing not to respond.
Any ounce of goodwill he forced himself to build towards MARI today was instantly shattered. Seeing the way she stubbornly closed herself off by turning down his offer, he couldn't keep his disgust for her behavior in check.
Even though this all started because of her… Even though this was all her fault to begin with… Here she was, still stuck in her own world without understanding how anyone else felt around her.
She was still being a selfish hypocrite like always.
…
He…
He couldn't stay here any longer. He had to leave now, or else SUNNY would end up seeing a disgusting side of BASIL that he shouldn't have.
BASIL turned around, unable to stand having the girl in his sight anymore.
Giving a smile to his best friend who was still waiting for him by the doorway, BASIL told him, "Let's go, SUNNY! We got a full day ahead of us!"
Briskly passing by the quiet boy, the flower boy ended up taking the lead as he walked ahead.
He wasn't going to let MARI ruin his perfect day and good mood so early.
…
…
…
Behind him, OMORI looked back to check on his sister one last time.
Seeing him stick around out of concern, MARI waved him away with a smile, "It's nothing, SUNNY. I'm okay. Go on and have fun today! I'll be waiting for you here."
Bouncing between his sister and the blond boy waiting by the sidewalk, OMORI gave one last concerned look at her before closing the door.
Now the stoic boy was left wondering what just happened between the two of them.
After seeing that whole scene play out, he was left with even more questions than ever before.
What happened between the two of them in this reality that it got to this point…?
…
Looks like he had his work cut out for him today.
Sigh…
MARI stood still for a while, staring at the door when her little brother left.
Her smile already dropped long ago.
Inside, she felt… tired.
She was so so so tired.
…
Once again, she was going to have to spend another day by herself until SUNNY came home.
Just gotta wait for one more day.
Again.
…
…
…
Mindlessly wandering around the house, MARI got started on doing random chores to keep herself busy.
She washed the dishes. She dusted the walls. She organized the games and toys in the living room to the side so that there was still room to walk…
When SUNNY comes back, the house will be in perfect condition for them to play in. Once the day was over, she'd do everything she could to spend as much time as possible with her little brother. They'll play all the games they could think of and stay up the whole night for as long as he wanted.
Right! Speaking of games, MARI was actually starting to wonder if she brought out enough toys for them to play with!
There was probably still more stuff hidden away in the closet room that hasn't seen the light of day in forever! This was the perfect opportunity to sift through them so that SUNNY could play with them again!
She had an excited smile with that thought in mind, already heading over to travel through their massive closet storage room.
Flickering the lights on, she began rummaging around for anything interesting to find.
She pushed through random articles of old tacky clothes hung on hangers, getting to all the boxes that contained all of their old toys.
Let's see…
Some old Halloween costumes… Christmas decorations… Some bathtub duckies…
She ended up picking up an old rubber crab toy that she used to take baths with.
Definitely not that.
She flung the old thing away without a second thought, continuing to rummage around even deeper inside.
Oh! It was their old FONY GAMESTATION. She could definitely hook this up to the TV to play more video games together!
And setting that one aside, she found more of SUNNY's belongings hidden away here.
One by one, she set aside a collection of even more toys and games outside the closet, ready to set up in the living room later for when SUNNY comes home.
At the end of the closest, she pushed through some boxes to find the jackpot.
Their old toy chest!
Seeing this again was pretty nostalgic. This used to be sitting right in the corner of their room back when they were toddlers.
Pulling this treasure trove out, she opened it to see what wonders lied inside.
The first thing she saw was an old jump rope.
"Oh, hey…" MARI muttered in surprise, pulling the long plastic rope out.
It felt familiar and comfortable to hold in her hands.
This thing… Her trusty reliable tool, to help defend her and her friends from all the scary monsters out to get them.
In her dreams, at least.
She wondered… would she be able to actually use it like how she does in her dreams?
MARI gave the rope an experimental whip towards an empty wall.
It flung around in an entirely different direction, breaking a coat rack that was hiding in the corner.
"Oops."
Right, let's not do that again…
Curling the jump rope into a small tied bundle, she kept it in her pocket for later before looking back through the toy chest.
One of the other objects she immediately recognized next was an old sketchbook.
SUNNY's old sketchbook…
MARI blinked as she pulled it out, wiping away the dust from years of neglect.
So this was where it was hidden. She had wondered where this went. Her parents must've placed it here a while ago without her knowing.
…
When SUNNY was gone, she used to surround herself with everything that even remotely reminded her of him. Stuffed toys, old schoolwork, handwritten letters…
And his old sketchbook.
Opening the pages up, she saw the world that SUNNY drew inside.
A starry sky with constellations of toys littered across the pages.
Random worlds, filled with adventure and fun around each and every corner.
Six little purple stick figures that represented him and all of his friends. Colored in pastel crayons.
…
She turned each page methodically, studying the contents within like it was her first time again.
Back before SUNNY got out of his socially anxious shell, he was always really quiet and reserved. Never really spoke his mind or shared any of his thoughts with others.
Although he got more and more comfortable talking as each year passed, MARI always felt that her little brother still kept mostly to himself.
These drawings were pretty much the closest she could have to ever finding out what sort of things went through his mind. She understood how imaginative and creative he could really be, underneath his usual cliff-faced expression.
She'd give everything for the chance to read his mind. Just a single second of what it was like to spy on her little brother while he was daydreaming, to see how he viewed the world.
Having his sketchbook was the closest she'd ever gotten to something like that…
When she was done, she closed the book to stare at the details on the back.
Made in TAIWAN.
® Registered Trademark, HIKIKO.
…
…
…
MARI set the book to the side, reminding herself to bring it with her to their room later.
Scrounging around for more inside the toy chest, she pulled out a collection of SUNNY's old plushies neatly organized inside.
So many familiar faces greeted her as she pulled them out one by one.
Hehe, these would look great to decorate the living room. The both of them could probably surround themselves with these as comfortable pillows to cuddle up with while they played together.
Even this one here, SUNNY's old…
…
MARI went silent as she pulled out an old DINO plushie.
She… she remembered this.
When she won this at the DINO theme park and gave it to her little brother as a gift. He was feeling so down after not winning anything for himself, she couldn't help but give this to him to make him feel better.
"I want you to have it."
…
It was so odd.
Tears were leaking out of her eyes, and she didn't know why.
She couldn't help but hold the DINO plushie tightly as her body began to shake uncontrollably.
For some reason, she just couldn't calm down.
…
She really hoped SUNNY would come home soon.
MARI really missed him again.