Three simple knocks on the door.
The sound of it caught MARI off guard while she was still busy rearranging the living room to decorate it with more of SUNNY's toys.
It couldn't be…
He had only just left a short while ago. MARI knew that he wouldn't be back until later, once he was done playing with BASIL. They had the whole day ahead of them.
Yet a part of her felt so hopeful and optimistic that it was still him. Enough that she immediately dropped what she was doing just to rush over to the door to welcome him home.
Even if it was only a short visit- maybe to grab something he forgot or to ask her a quick favor- she would still be happy just to see him again.
She practically hurled the door open, fully expecting to see her little brother in front of her.
"SUNNY? You're back already?"
"Uh… Uhhhh…" Not SUNNY mumbled dumbfoundedly.
She blinked as her smile disappeared, her mind taking a moment to process what was obviously not her little brother in front of her.
…
Oh. It was just KEL.
Because of him and his stupid knocking style, she ended up screaming at BASIL's face for no reason last night.
What, did he finally learn how to knock like a normal person just to come over and steal her brother again? Jerk.
She didn't have time to deal with his annoying bullcrap right now. SUNNY wasn't even home anyway.
"Hi, MA-"
She slammed the door in his face, hoping it would be the end of that.
Just before she was about to go back to organizing the living room, she heard the door getting body-slammed against as KEL's desperate cries rang out.
"Wait, MARI! Hold on, please! Let's just talk!"
MARI had to grit her teeth just to control her temper. Why did KEL always insist to butt in on her life every single time he showed up?
"MARI, don't shut me out again! Please... Please just hear me out!"
Wasn't it already enough that she let him steal SUNNY away yesterday? Just leave her alone already!
Honestly, she was about this close to ripping the door off its hinges just to club the idiot. The only thing even stopping her right now was the fact that she knew she wasn't strong enough to actually do that.
But she would definitely try to if he kept pushing her buttons like this.
There was a brief moment of pure silence while MARI tensed up behind the door.
MARI had thought that the tanned boy finally got the hint. She gave a gruff sigh to herself, thinking she was finally alone again. Just when she was about to go back to her business though, she could hear him calling out once more.
"MARI, I'm so sorry."
MARI froze in her spot, eyes slowly widening as she heard KEL speak to her through the door.
"I don't want you to hate me anymore. I know what I did was stupid and mean and wrong and you must think I'm a horrible person for giving up on SUNNY for all these years. But please, believe me when I say that I'm so absolutely sorry for everything! I just... I don't even have any good excuse for why I gave up on him. I was just so tired of being stuck in the same place, over and over, that I thought that I would go crazy if I didn't try to move on. But I didn't mean to abandon SUNNY though. I never meant to abandon you either... I never meant to hurt you…"
…
Why?
Why was he saying this now all of a sudden?
MARI could only turn around, staring at the front door as she imagined the face behind it.
All she could see was a familiar twelve-year-old little boy standing at her door. A sad frown on his face as he laid his head against the wood grain. His arms resting against the door, hoping for someone to open it again.
…
She heard him sigh to himself before he continued.
"I should've told you the truth back then. I shouldn't have ran off and left you in the dark about how I was feeling at the time. Maybe if I did, it would've ended up hurting you less. Or maybe you would've understood where I was coming from. Or maybe–... I don't know... I just wish I could've said something to anyone at all instead of trying to push you all away. I was so desperate for things to change, I didn't even consider what would happen if I left you all behind... I'm so sorry..."
…
It took him so long to say something to her. Four whole years to finally say all of this to her.
Why did he take so long…?
So many conflicting thoughts and emotions were overwhelming her mind as she stared at the pastel boy in front of her.
MARI remembered last night when SUNNY had told her about KEL. How he wanted to apologize first because of her. How SUNNY already forgave him since it never really bothered him that KEL left.
How SUNNY wanted her to forgive KEL too.
She was so angry right now. Why didn't KEL ever say any of this to her face before? Why did he end up taking so long to finally apologize in the first place? What kind of excuse was that anyway, that he just wanted to move on before he went crazy?! The hell was that supposed to mean?! Just because SUNNY forgave him doesn't mean that MARI could just forget all those years of neglect and abandonment! Especially not for such a selfish reason!
Yet she was so happy right now. Knowing that he finally cared again. Knowing that he felt so bad enough to reach out to apologize like this. Even though he already had SUNNY's forgiveness, he was still here to try to get her forgiveness as well. Maybe they were still friends after all, if he was willing to risk seeing her again after what happened the last time they were face to face like this.
She felt her heart break apart. The four years that passed by without him felt like such a waste. Why couldn't he have done this sooner? It would've been so much easier to forgive him if he had just come to her a few years sooner than this… Why couldn't they have waited for SUNNY together anymore? Why did KEL feel like he couldn't see SUNNY anymore in the first place? Why didn't he ever tell her so that she could understand? Whenever she visited SUNNY, it always hurt her too after all…
…
It was like her body was moving on its own.
She didn't know why, but her hand reached out to open the door again.
KEL had to lean back and step away from the door, looking at her in surprise.
"MARI… Hey." KEL breathed out with an awkward smile, "I didn't think you'd actually open the door again."
…
MARI had to stop and study the boy in front of her. The KEL that was standing right here was so different from the one she remembered all those years ago.
When did he get so tall? He used to be such a short-stack, but now he was practically a head taller than her now.
Did the time really go by that fast?
…
She didn't really know what she was doing right now. Why did she open the door for him?
MARI wanted to tell him to take his apology and shove it somewhere else.
But deep down, she knew that wasn't what she actually wanted to do.
Not knowing what to really say, she ended up just telling KEL, "SUNNY's not here right now. He's out spending time with BASIL."
That was what KEL was here for, right? To spend time with SUNNY now that he was awake again? It'll be good for SUNNY to spend more time with his friends now that he was back.
"Oh, really?" KEL perked up at that, "That's great! BASIL must've figured out the puzzles in my note then!"
Puzzles? What? The heck was he talking about?
…
Well, whatever. He got what he wanted. Hopefully, the boy would leave her alone now.
"If you hurry, you can still catch up with them." MARI simply told him, ready to close the door again.
She barely pulled the door in by an inch before KEL already called out "MARI! Wait just a second!"
MARI couldn't help but hold in her breath as she froze up again.
She listened to him gulp nervously as he took a deep breath. Then, he finally asked, "Can I come in? So that we can talk? I promise I won't take long."
Why…?
She already told him where SUNNY was. Wasn't that the reason why he came here? Why did he still want to reach out to her?
Should she even let him in?
Let him in, let him in!
Do not let him in.
Maybe?
…
She didn't know.
She really didn't know.
…
…
…
MARI decided to take a few steps back, standing away from the front door after choosing not to close it.
She didn't know why she left it open for him, but it was what she ended up doing. Whatever happened next would be beyond her control. All she had to do now was wait.
Wait for something to happen.
It didn't take long for KEL to follow her in right after.
He had a nervous smile, but there was a gentle warmth behind it that she didn't expect.
"Thank you."
"Sorry boys, he's just not here."
BASIL widened his eyes as he stared at KEL's mom, barely able to make out the words she was telling them.
"What?! What do you mean he's not here?"
KEL's mom gave a helpless smile as she shrugged, "Oh, I'm so sorry, BASIL. He was already gone by the time I woke up. I'm guessing he's snuck out today because I planned to take him out grocery shopping."
BASIL practically went slack as he sighed at his rotten luck striking again today. First AUBREY was gone, and now KEL too?
No MARI, no AUBREY, no KEL, HERO was still in college– Dang it… It was like some force beyond their control was just trying to delay their group reunion as much as possible.
Meanwhile, OMORI stood beside him as he gave the flower boy some consoling head pats. "He might still be in town. We could find him later."
BASIL gave a small sigh, his mood feeling sedated even when his best friend tried to make him feel better. Shaking his head clear, he worked himself up to bring back a small smile, "I guess so."
"If you do see KEL, can you force him to come back here? I have a few choice words for my little darling~" Despite the sweet tone, KEL's mom had quite a cutting-edge smile as she asked.
Heh, it was no wonder why KEL tried to escape. Though BASIL tactfully kept that thought to himself.
"I'll be sure to pass the message, ma'am." BASIL nodded appreciatively, "Thanks for letting us know."
KEL's mom was practically sparkling as she reached out to pinch the flower boy's cheek.
"Oh~ You are so very welcome, BASIL! It's been so long since you last visited, it's absolutely wonderful to see you again! You've grown so handsome and tall since the last time I've seen you!"
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow-
BASIL grinned and beared with the pain, not wanting to seem impolite.
"I-I appreciate the compliment, ma'am." He laughed out awkwardly.
After a while of that, KEL's mom finally granted him mercy and released the tortured cheek, "Well, I won't keep you waiting. I'm sure you've been planning this day out for ages, waiting for SUNNY to come back. You two have lots of fun today, okay?"
The two boys waved goodbye as KEL's mom closed the door.
Now that it was safe to do so, BASIL rubbed his cheek to comfort the pain.
"Well, that was hilarious." OMORI said stoically.
Still holding onto his cheek, BASIL looked towards the direction of the PLAZA, "Where do you think KEL went off to anyway? I would've thought he'd try to head over to your house as soon as he woke up."
OMORI shrugged, "Maybe we just missed him when we went over to AUBREY's."
"Yeah, maybe…" BASIL hummed in thought.
But if that was the case, where would he have gone now?
BASIL gave a curious glance over at the neighboring house, wondering to himself.
He wouldn't happen to be with MARI right now, would he?
As BASIL continued to think about it, he eventually shook his head and brushed the thought off. Even if KEL had dropped by just to check in on SUNNY, there'd be no way he'd still be there now.
With the way MARI rejected BASIL's offer to join them earlier, the flower boy doubted that the girl would have any reason to welcome KEL in or let him stick around. More than likely, she gave him the boot the moment he popped his head in to say hello, or just kept herself locked inside the house.
Sigh…
Oh well. If they ended up being lucky, they would come across AUBREY and KEL lounging around somewhere in town and join up with them later. But if not…
Well, BASIL supposed that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have SUNNY all to himself today. Hee hee hee~
Regaining his good mood again, the flower boy turned to his friend and asked, "I guess we'll just have to see when we head out there. You ready to explore the town, SUNNY?"
OMORI gave his usual thumbs up.
BASIL gave an excited grin, "First stop, memory lane!"
KEL did his best to wait patiently after MARI sat him down at the dining table.
His leg seemed to have a mind of its own, twitching and bouncing around restlessly as he gave a cursory glance around the room.
Since MARI kicked him out so soon the last time he had been here, he never had the chance to really take the time to fully observe the place.
Lots of nostalgic memories surfaced as he remembered all the times he once came here with everyone during slumber parties. It actually surprised him to see the living room decked out in so many toys and board games when he first entered. Seemed like MARI was doing some kind of Welcome Back party for SUNNY, or something.
The thought of MARI still keeping that kind big sister energy despite everything that happened did give KEL some relief. He was hopeful that, if things panned out, he'd catch a glimpse of that energy soon for himself.
Oh, MARI was back.
KEL watched the older girl enter from the kitchen door while carrying a hot teapot with some teacups on a silver tray. She roughly placed it down, the clattering noise making him flinch a little.
MARI went on to put the hot teapot on the dining table and set down a cup for each of them. Though her movements seemed almost mechanical, the way her arms stiffly moved around. Once she was done, she sat on the opposite end of the table and poured a drink for herself.
"Oh, uh... tea." KEL blinked dumbly. He began to mirror her and pour tea out for himself as well, giving a nervous nod, "Thanks."
MARI didn't say anything. She just stared at her cup, waiting for her tea to cool down.
…
…
…
God, this was so awkward.
The atmosphere was uncomfortably tense, and KEL had no clue what to do next. He didn't even know how to begin, especially after watching her move so stiffly around like a robot.
All he could do at the moment was blow on his cup, hoping that MARI would make the first move. Or at least stall long enough to brainstorm what he could possibly say to her.
"You've gotten taller." Her strangely emotionless voice rang out.
KEL was actually surprised to hear her starting the conversation first. He glanced up, seeing her eyes staring at him from across the table.
The way she stared gave him a weird icy feeling on his back. He almost wanted to change his mind about all of this and just run away.
With a nervous chuckle, he gave an awkward, "H-Haha, yeah! I've been drinking tons of milk pretty much every day! One for every meal!"
"You hate milk though." MARI stated.
"You remember that?" KEL smiled embarrassingly. He was starting to appreciate the fact that she was getting the ball rolling conversationally, even if she did have a bit of an edge in her voice. Jumping at the chance, he continued, "Yeah, I did. I still do, to be honest, but it's not that bad once you get used to it. Plus, it paid off pretty well! I'm pretty much the tallest boy on my basketball team now! It helped out a lot back when I was doing tryouts!"
KEL accentuated this by turning around to point at his high school team's logo on his orange hoodie.
"Hm." MARI hummed to herself.
She took a small sip of her tea as she kept staring at KEL. The intense look in her eyes did not wane in the slightest.
…
While KEL was still posing, he began to feel awkward again when MARI didn't say anything else. After a while, he sat back in his seat again.
KEL was starting to feel like he was really REALLY bad at this.
There was a long period of awkward silence between the two of them again. Though he did his best not to make eye contact, he would every so often try to take a quick peek at her to figure out what was going through her mind.
Not once did she let up her glare on him. It was starting to feel really suffocating, the way she looked at him. It made him feel like a little kid again. A small weak tiny kid who was about to get in serious trouble for spilling juice on MARI's carpet.
Agh, out of all the memories, why did that stressful one have to pop up now?
"Why are you here, KEL?"
KEL snapped back to reality.
MARI was still staring at him with her indiscernible expression.
Guess the mindless chit-chat part of the conversation was over.
Sigh…
KEL scratched his cheek as he carefully thought out his words. In the end, he simply admitted, "I don't want you to hate me anymore. I… I really want us to be friends again. For you to be my friend again, I mean."
…
MARI lowered her teacup as her fingers slowly tensed up.
"After everything that happened? Why?" She asked bluntly.
KEL frowned, "Because I still care about you! I mean, I know you probably don't believe me… but..."
Dang it, the words just aren't coming out of him for some reason… The way she was staring at him made his mind totally blank, and he couldn't help but second-guess every word.
What if he said the wrong thing and made her angry again? Or got himself kicked out of the house like before?
Why was this so much easier through a door?
"I know you don't think we're friends anymore. I haven't acted like a good friend toward you either." KEL took a moment to gulp as he felt his mouth going dry. "I wish I knew how much I hurt you. If I had known, maybe I would've–" KEL stopped, shaking his head and retracting his words, "That's not an excuse. I know I can't ever say it enough, but I really am sorry. I can be really stupid a lot of the time, so I get that maybe I don't deserve it yet, but I hope you can forgive me so that we can start over again."
He looked up at MARI again to see her reaction.
She only stared back at him without so much as a twitch. Absolutely no hints to whether she was happy or upset with his apology at all. The only possible hint he got was the way her hands were absolutely clenched white from the vibrating grip she had on her cup.
KEL felt like he wanted to bite his tongue, doubtful if his words had sounded sincere enough. He couldn't help but wonder if he was giving a lackluster shot in the dark, carefully picking his words like this.
Yet all she did was continue to stare at him. He didn't know if it was his mind playing tricks on him, but it was as if she was trying to drill holes into his head from the way she continuously bore her eyes into him like this.
Does she forgive him, or does she want to throw that cup into his face? At this point, anything was preferable instead of this maddening silent staredown.
The longer this went on, the more he felt pressure building up.
He really felt like he couldn't take this anymore.
"MARI, please…" KEL finally felt himself crack first from the silence, "Just say something already… I'll understand if you don't want to forgive me. I just don't want to walk away without at least trying to tell you how sorry I was first! I'll do anything it takes to get you to believe me, but if you want me to leave, then I promise I won't bother you aga–"
MARI couldn't take this anymore.
She suddenly slammed her cup down on the table with a loud clack.
She watched KEL nearly jump with a startled expression.
Furrowing her brows, she glared at the nervous boy while a storm raged within her mind. It was so hard to keep herself calm as the overwhelming emotions inside of her felt like bursting after hearing everything he had to say.
"Why should I even believe you? Is that all you have left to say?!" Standing up from her seat, she stared down at KEL as her emotions came flooding out, "You waited FOUR WHOLE YEARS just to say this?! Do you know how angry and hurt I've been ever since you left SUNNY?! How could you do that to him?! How could you give up on him so easily?! You were one of his best friends- You were one of the cheeriest optimistic kids I've ever known! So how could you be the first one to give up on him out of everyone else?!"
Each word came out a decibel higher than the last. KEL could only wince back into his seat further and further as each word cut through him.
"The worst part is the fact that you never said anything to me! You used to be so eager to check up on him with me, then all of a sudden it was like you stopped caring! WHY?! Every time I ever mentioned SUNNY anymore, you would just find any excuse you could to disappear! How was I supposed to interpret that?! Tell me how I was supposed to feel after that, huh?! Even when I asked you directly to your face, 'Why don't you ever visit SUNNY anymore?' All you could do was make up a random excuse just to avoid me!"
Her hands slammed the table as she leaned forward, gasping for air. Her head felt so lightheaded all of a sudden, letting out all of her anger like this.
KEL was at a mix between looking worried for her well-being as well as looking scared for his own.
After a moment to catch her breath, she gained her second wind, "Even just a few days ago, I asked you point blank! And you still never answered! You never say anything whenever I mention SUNNY! It was like his name was a curse that you never want to acknowledge! Tell me how I'm supposed to take that as anything other than you abandoning him just so that you could forget about him?! Why care about any of us anymore when you can just easily replace us with someone else?! Make as many friends as you can so that you can finally block out our existence from your life?! WHAT KIND OF FRIEND DOES THAT, HUH?!"
With a furious cry, she grabbed the teapot and threw it to the side, letting the porcelain crack apart to fly off everywhere as the hot tea soaked the floors. KEL flinched back while covering his face against the loose shrapnel.
MARI felt tears welling up in her eyes as her rant went on. Her voice started to waver as the hurt and sadness overwhelmed her anger.
"And now that SUNNY's back, you think you can just waltz back into our lives? Expecting me to welcome you with open arms?! After all these years of abandonment and neglect?! We were supposed to be more than just a group of friends! We were supposed to be a family! We were supposed to look out for each other no matter what!"
…
MARI leaned back as the anger suddenly left her body. Her tears kept streaming as she stared at the mess she made, the cracked broken pieces of her teapot scattered all across the floor.
"You… AUBREY… HERO… The six of us were all supposed to be together forever."
She collapsed back into her chair, burying her face in her hands.
"I just kept waiting… Waiting for something to happen. Waiting for you to come around. To start caring about SUNNY again and be there for him like you promised. But you never did. You all just left us behind."
KEL was only able to look on helplessly, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears after seeing MARI break apart like that.
Did giving up on SUNNY really hurt MARI that bad? He genuinely had no idea that she had been going through so much pain and suffering this whole time. It was so far worse than he ever thought.
He… He really was a terrible friend, wasn't he…?
MARI finally turned to look back at KEL in the eyes, no longer blankly staring at him like before. For the first time in a long time, she was instead crying out to him.
"Why did you stop visiting him, KEL…? Why did you leave us? Why can't you tell me?!"
…
KEL understood now.
He really thought he was sparing MARI from getting her feelings hurt by keeping his reasons to himself. He thought that telling her directly would just hurt her even more, because of how selfish it was. He thought that she wouldn't have understood.
Even KEL never understood his own feelings or reasons for why he gave up on SUNNY, not until a while ago.
…
Sigh…
KEL ran a hand through his hair with a shameful frown, finally confessing his feelings, "It was because I couldn't stand being around the shell of a person I once cared about anymore."
MARI's eyes slowly widened as she kept staring at him.
"Whenever I visited him at the hospital… I didn't see SUNNY anymore… I just kept getting reminded of what it used to be like when SUNNY was around. Back when he was still someone I could play games with or hang out in the park or just… do something other than just sleep on that bed."
KEL had to stop himself from pulling out his hair. Instead, he dragged his weary hand down his face as he stood up to properly face MARI so that he could look her in the eye.
This felt right. He wasn't going to run away again. Not like all the other times she ever asked him before.
"It's not that I didn't care about SUNNY anymore!" KEL insisted, his voice thick with remorse. "I'd never try to forget about him or what he meant to me. All the things we did together, all the times he was there for me… There's no way I could forget any of that."
It was like a dam inside him was breaking apart the more he went on. All the words he had kept secret from her were now spilling out like an unrelenting waterfall.
"But I was just a stupid, dumb kid who didn't even understand what made me so uncomfortable back then. I thought it would be easy at first. I thought that I could keep visiting SUNNY and he would eventually wake up soon and things would go back to how they used to be! But I never realized how much it would hurt, or how much it was supposed to hurt, trying to support someone who might not even wake up again! It's just… It's so hard to stay connected with someone when they're never awake anymore."
KEL shook his head, forcefully wiping a tear away as he continued with frustration, "I didn't know how to process what I was going through back then. I didn't know what I was feeling. I didn't even know how to talk about it! I thought that if I actually did say anything, I would just say something dumb and insensitive that would end up hurting you even more..."
More tears kept coming, so he kept shoving them off of his face. His voice dropped to a shameful murmur. "That's why I thought it would be better to just… run away from all of it instead. To avoid having to deal with any of it. I felt like the whole world was moving on without me while I was stuck in the same spot, still hung up on what happened to SUNNY. I was scared I'd go crazy if I got stuck any longer. I wanted to move on before that ever happened. I didn't want the world to pass me by, even if it meant…i-if it meant avoiding my old friends and leaving them behind."
The more he kept going on, the more he could see MARI's face slowly growing angry again. The way her teeth clenched together as she kept listening, yet she squeezed her eyes shut to stop herself from crying still. KEL knew that he was going to be in for it now. Maybe that was what he deserved after everything he did to her.
Slumping to his knees, he bowed his head towards her. "Saying I'm sorry to you doesn't even cut it at this point. I never meant to do this to you, MARI. I didn't think that leaving SUNNY behind would end up hurting you so badly. I should've told you sooner why I didn't want to see SUNNY anymore. I wish I figured all of this out earlier. I'm such an idiot for not realizing it until now. I am so absolutely, seriously sorry…"
…
MARI slowly brought herself to her feet as she wobbled herself in front of the selfish idiotic brat.
She couldn't even think straight anymore. Her mind was a jumbled mess from being so absolutely livid.
She almost felt like kicking KEL right in the face, if only something else inside of her didn't manage to stop her.
"You..." She began, angrily wiping her tears with a sniff, "You absolute idiot! You stupid selfish short-sighted jerk! How could you think like that towards SUNNY?!"
KEL didn't respond. He just sat there to accept it all. This had been a long time coming for him, and he realized that now.
No more running away.
"Some friend you turned out to be! Why couldn't you have told me any of this back then?!" MARI stomped, though it had no energy in it. "Did you think you were the only one who felt like that?! You think I wouldn't understand what you were dealing with?! I've been visiting Sunny practically every single day– More times than you ever did even before you stopped visiting! You think I wasn't constantly hurt by seeing him too?!"
MARI watched KEL raise his head up from the floor.
It was heartbreaking, seeing him silently cry.
"I'm so sorry, MARI… I'm seriously so sorry…" KEL breathed out pathetically.
But she wasn't done tearing into him just yet.
"You're the absolute worst! You always do these things without thinking about others! You just do whatever you think is fun for you, and then dash out the moment you get in trouble!" MARI then pointed to herself, "Did you think I just visited SUNNY because it was fun for me?! It was even worse for me because everything that happened to begin with was all my fault!"
KEL widened his eyes.
MARI finally felt the wind taken out of her sails. She breathed heavily, trying to regain her energy.
With a frustrated grunt, MARI stumbled back so that she could lean against a wall to support herself. Even then, it didn't do much to stop her from slumping to the floor.
KEL was left to his own devices, blankly staring at the floor.
Once again, an oppressive silence filled the gap between them.
After everything was said and done, what else was left for them to do?
…
…
…
KEL managed to pick himself off the floor first, wiping his face with his sleeves.
Looking at MARI again, KEL was starting to understand her a little better now.
Even though he knew it certainly didn't help, it wasn't just what KEL did to make her like this.
She still carried that guilt from six years ago that she never worked out by herself. KEL felt naive to think that just because SUNNY was back, those issues would magically go away.
If only KEL had stuck around, maybe he could've helped her much earlier.
Although hesitant, KEL worked up the nerve to tell her, "MARI… You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to SUNNY. That was all just an accident-"
"Stop."
KEL went silent as MARI covered her eyes.
"Just… please don't say that…" MARI pleaded with a tired tone. "Anything but that."
She hated that word. She hated that people called the incident an accident.
An accident meant there was nothing she could've done to prevent it. It was something beyond her control.
She knew that it was anything but an accident.
She could still remember the terror in her brother's eyes when she slipped from the top of the stairs, before she-
A ringing in her ears. She blinked at the memory.
She grabbed his arm just as she fell, taking him down with her. That was what happened.
It wasn't an accident, and that was the truth.
KEL rubbed his arm, giving a sad look as he reminded her, "SUNNY doesn't blame you though. He told me yesterday. You know that right?"
She did know that already. But that didn't make her feel any better.
The only reason why he didn't blame her was because he was still blaming himself. For thinking he killed her.
That was the most tragic part in all of this.
"You wouldn't get it." MARI mumbled.
KEL frowned at that.
What did that mean? What wouldn't he get? She couldn't at least try to tell him? How could she say that and know for sure, when she never even told anyone why she thought it was her-
Oh.
So this was probably what she felt like for the past four years since KEL was gone.
…
It was a touchy subject right now. He wanted to know more, but he felt like if he pushed his luck too hard, it might end up doing more harm than good.
After all, KEL could understand where she was coming from.
KEL clutched his arm, feeling a little nervous asking this again, but pushed on despite it all.
"MARI… I'm so sorry for everything I did to hurt you. I promise I'll never leave you guys behind ever again." KEL solemnly promised, "Do you think you could ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"
MARI lowered her hands so that she could look back at him.
That was the question of the century here, wasn't it? Could she find it in her heart to give KEL another chance?
…
Please give him another chance!
You know he doesn't deserve it.
…maybe?
She doesn't know.
She wanted to. But she also didn't want to.
She wanted to hug KEL again and welcome him back.
She wanted to throw KEL down a ravine and forget about him for the rest of her life.
Why couldn't she make up her mind, still? After everything that happened today, why wasn't this enough for her? Didn't she get what she wanted from him after all this time?
An explanation and an apology.
KEL's reasons for why he left were absolutely selfish. But she still understood them. It made her feel so much lighter, now that she finally knew the reasons why.
But she still hated him for it. The last four years of resentment were still like fresh scars on her mind.
God, why was it so easy for SUNNY to forgive him? Why couldn't she do it too?
…
MARI was tired.
So so tired.
Holding her head, she admitted, "I don't know, KEL. A part of me really wants to, but for some reason, I just can't."
KEL nodded in understanding, giving a sad, "Yeah… I get it."
Covering her face again, she gave a frustrated groan, "It'd be so much easier if I could. I know it'd make SUNNY happy too. If I could just get over myself and forgive you for his sake…"
Hearing this, KEL actually gave a worried glance at her, "Whoa, hey! No!"
MARI peeked up in confusion.
"MARI, you shouldn't force yourself to forgive me just because you think it'll make SUNNY happy! You should only forgive me if that's something you actually want to do." KEL reminded her, "Outside of SUNNY, you're also your own person, you know."
…
Despite herself, MARI couldn't help but chuckle after hearing that.
It was a bitter laugh, though.
What was she worth as a person, outside of SUNNY? After everything she did to ruin his life and put him in that coma, what value could she possibly have left?
She lost everything in the days after she put her brother in a coma. It was a miracle that she was even allowed to have him back in her life again at all.
MARI won't take her little brother for granted again. Never again.
Nothing else mattered besides her little brother.
Especially not her.
"I need time alone to think about it. I don't know how to feel right now." MARI said instead, rubbing her eyes.
"...that's fair…" KEL murmured sadly.
Propping herself up against the wall, MARI brought herself to her unsteady feet.
Looking at the broken teapot on the floor, she mumbled, "Don't worry about the mess. I'll clean it up later."
Knowing that he was about to be shown the door, KEL went ahead to the living room as MARI trailed behind him.
Right as he was about to leave, he rested his hand on the door handle and hesitated.
He felt like there had to be one last thing he needed to tell MARI before leaving. Maybe it might comfort her, or maybe it might not.
Still, better to at least try instead of keeping it to himself like he's been doing these past few years…
Turning around, he could see MARI staring at him quizzically.
It took him a moment to find the words, but eventually told her, "That day, the last time we talked… Right after you kicked me out, I managed to reconnect with BASIL. He talked it out with me, and… he was the reason why I started wanting to visit SUNNY again."
MARI slowly blinked.
KEL sheepishly scratched his head as he continued, "The more I think back on it, the more I realize how stupid I was. I wanted to catch up with the world so badly, but… everything was so much better when I finally stopped running. I got back together with everyone again on SUNNY's birthday. I finally visited him in the hospital with BASIL and AUBREY, and we just sat around for hours. Talking about our memories, about the times we had together, catching up on what we missed out on with each other. Even though SUNNY wasn't awake yet, it felt... awesome. To be back with them again. Things weren't how they used to be, but I was back with my friends."
He hadn't laughed or had so much fun before in such a long time. It really felt like he was a kid again, that day.
He remembered that day so fondly, he didn't even notice that MARI stopped staring at him.
KEL chuckled softly, "Then SUNNY woke up again, just to make everything all that much better. He even forgave me when I told him that I gave up on him. Everything was slowly starting to get better… but you're still hurting because of what I did."
When he looked back at MARI again, she was barely able to make eye contact with him.
KEL swallowed, as he finished, "I… I know that I hurt you. I know I can't expect you to forgive me so soon, but… I still really hope that we'll be friends again someday. That's all I wanted to say…"
When she didn't respond, KEL figured that was his cue to leave now.
He opened the door, one foot already outside until–
"Thank you."
It was faint. Just barely a whisper behind him. But he managed to catch it in time as he left the house.
The door closed softly behind him, and he couldn't help but look back.
…
The warm summer air blew past him as KEL stood in the front yard. He gave an exhausted sigh, suddenly feeling weary from the emotional confrontation weighing on him. Rubbing a hand over his face, he couldn't deny that the whole situation ended on a really depressing note.
Yet in a way, he felt a lot better than when he hung out with SUNNY yesterday. Being able to properly apologize this time around, having MARI hold him accountable… He felt like he really needed that.
He'll just have to wait on MARI now, to see how she ends up feeling later. Even though things weren't concrete yet between the two of them, KEL felt it was safe to be optimistic now that they talked it out.
Raising his arms up to do a deep stretch, KEL wondered what he should do next today. With his mood rapidly rising back up to his usual levels, he started running in place to think.
SUNNY and BASIL were probably out in town, right? How long did he take to talk to MARI? Would he be able to catch up with them in time if he started looking for them now?
Oh man, he really hoped they didn't go over to his house and talked to his mom. How much would it cost to bribe them to keep their mouths shut if they realized he snuck away from home?
No time like the present.
Getting into starting position, he took deep breaths to control his blood flow as he counted down in his head.
Then, boom.
He was already off to the races, sprinting down the street and heading over to the town like a sci-fi ship using light-speed travel.
WOOO, EMOTIONAL FREEDOOOOM!
"I can't feel my limbs…"
KIM sobbed overdramatically as she was being carried by her brother. VANCE, himself, gave a lighthearted sigh while continuing to hoist his idiot sister over his shoulder like a sack of bricks.
"We're going to need to amputate, VANCE! I can't go on much longer, living like this!" KIM continued to wallow in pain, feeling her sore body continue to ache after finally pulling off the impossible feat of doing five hundred push-ups in a single day.
"Yeah, yeah, quit whining you massive crybaby." AUBREY smirked, trailing right behind them. "You're acting like you haven't been through worse already."
It was actually pretty impressive that she finished so early. Once KIM managed to reach around four hundred reps, it was like she had a burst of motivation from being so close to the finish line and just kept pumping like a machine. She didn't even notice that she went over five hundred at some point before AUBREY had to get her to stop.
Now they were on their way back to FARAWAY. They should be back around late afternoon, still enough free time left in the day to mess around and relax.
Wonder if she should head to the hospital and visit SUNNY later. She did promise BASIL, and it has been a while since the last time. Might even run into the flower boy if he was already there.
"This was totally not worth it, man." KIM gave a tear-stained sniff, moaning like a kicked puppy. "I'd give up all the candy in the world just to stop this unbearable pain!"
Contrary to what her words and attitude suggested, KIM then proceeded to open her mouth expectantly with one eye peeking at AUBREY.
Rolling her eyes, the pink-haired girl plopped another candy in the girl's mouth just to shut her up.
In a quick one-eighty, KIM immediately started gushing from the sugary sensation, "Oh that's so good. Never mind, this was totally worth it. I feel like I could get used to being pampered like this."
"Just so you know, the next time this happens again, I'm gonna make you do 1000 pushups." AUBREY warned with a polite smile, "So don't get any bright ideas."
KIM had a pale look once she heard that.
"Right. Sorry." KIM wisely retracted her statement as she began to chew silently.
With everything done and over with, AUBREY gave a small yawn as she stretched.
She could use a nice boring evening to finally relax once she gets back to FARAWAY. Hopefully, nothing big happened while she was away.
OMORI took a sip of his soda while sitting at his table along with BASIL and two others joining them.
A soft sigh came out as he stared at his drink, still noting that he couldn't taste anything in this world.
OMORI would kill for some of that fruit juice he had back in HIKIKO's HEADSPACE right about now. What a shame.
Setting the issues of his broken taste buds aside, he curiously looked around the restaurant as BASIL was busy dealing with the other two at their table.
GINO's PIZZA was still a popular place as usual. Some familiar faces stuck out to him here, like the old gravekeeper thinking about his order, or even the music connoisseur RAI leaning next to the jukebox. Even though BASIL made such a big deal earlier about how much this place had changed the last few years, OMORI didn't really notice since it looked practically identical to the one from the previous world.
The only major difference so far was the big plasma TV screen on the wall, along with a karaoke set connected to the jukebox. Not much else OMORI noted other than that.
"It just feels so lucky that we managed to catch you here, BAGELS!"
His wistful reminiscing was interrupted by something far more entertaining. As OMORI got bored of looking at the scenery, he decided to pay his attention back to the main show right in front of him.
Sitting across the table was an incredibly anxious-ridden BASIL sandwiched between two familiar girls OMORI once knew from the previous world.
"See? Isn't he such a cutie?"
A girl who was so desperate for true love in the previous world, she made a wish from the fountain around the same time MIKHAEL was nearby and immediately fell in love. She managed to get so smitten by MIKHAEL of all people, to the point that she started stalking him around whenever OMORI saw her. BEBE.
"Y'know, I was worried at first considering your usual tastes in guys, but this might be the first time you ever picked a good one! He is gorgeous!"
Someone who went to the same college as HERO in the previous world, if OMORI remembered correctly. Intimidating-looking, but seemed protective over her sister. Kept trying to flirt with HERO the last time OMORI met with her. BRANDI.
"Um, I'm flattered, you two… but…" BASIL murmured uncomfortably, "Can you please give me some space? I'm just trying to show my friend around town-"
BRANDI couldn't hear a single word BASIL was saying, already asking her sister, "How did you even find this stud? I don't ever remember a boy this cute living around here before I moved to college!"
"I was making a wish by the fountain one day, and then all of a sudden BAGELS showed up out of nowhere! He was the first person I talked to after I made my wish, and I knew it was destiny!"
BASIL blanched at this, "When did that happen?! I thought I just met you yesterday!"
"Oh, you know. Around two years ago, maybe?" BEBE playfully shrugged.
Oh wow. OMORI kept drinking, marking this as another difference between the two realities then.
"BAGELS, did you move here recently or have you always been a FARAWAY kid?"
"BAGELS, would you be open to a relationship now if I got my sister involved?"
"BAGELS? Are you-"
"BAGELS, you should-"
Out of all the things he thought he'd see today, watching BASIL right now getting preyed upon by these two girls has got to be the most entertaining thing he has ever seen in his entire life.
The sisters leaned in closer as they hounded him together, making BASIL squirm deeper into his seat as he laughed nervously. His pleading eyes silently screamed PLEASE HELP ME! towards OMORI.
OMORI watched the scene unfold with a perfectly stoic expression, draining the last of his soda. With his drink empty, OMORI stood up while giving his friend an impassive thumbs up, "Good luck, BAGELS."
BASIL could only watch as his supposed best friend left him behind, his inner cry of anguish silently screaming in his mind, I KNEW HE WAS GOING TO DO THAT.
What a cruel sense of humor.
MARI knelt down to start picking up the porcelain pieces of the broken teapot she had thrown across the room earlier. One by one, each piece went into the trash bin as the smell of tea wafted up from the soaked floorboards.
Her movements were sluggish as the emotional confrontation with KEL had utterly drained whatever energy she had left in the tank.
She barely had the wherewithal to focus on the chore.
"Ow!"
A sharp stinging pain brought her back, causing her to look at her fingers.
Oh, blood. Gonna need to bandage that later.
Continuing to scoop up handfuls of the porcelain shards into her palms, she threw them into the trash bin without any real care.
Something about this sparked a memory though. She did something like this once before, back when she was a kid.
SUNNY accidentally broke one of their mom's decorative vases while playing around a few years ago. That poor boy, he was absolutely terrified to the edge of crying when he came to her about it. MARI couldn't help but feel so bad for him. He was too young to know any better, after all.
MARI remembered taking the fall for him instead. When Mom came home, MARI came up with a lie on the spot just to get SUNNY off the hook..
God, the chewing out she got for the rest of the day. She had never seen Mom so angry before. MARI was grounded for weeks before she was allowed to go out to play again.
Even though SUNNY didn't get in trouble, he still felt so guilty for her. He ended up helping her out with chores and stayed inside anyway just to keep her company. It pretty much defeated the whole point of her sacrifice.
A ghost of a smile slowly crept across her lips.
Thinking about it now, this old teapot actually belonged to their mom, didn't it?
Heh. At least Mom wasn't here to chew her out for this one. Not like she would care anymore.
…
MARI kept running her fingers over the smooth porcelain, deep in thought. Her reflection shined back, and she could see her own red rimmed eyes from crying earlier.
She already had the feeling that BASIL must've done something to get AUBREY and KEL together again, back on SUNNY's birthday. Having KEL say so to her just kinda confirmed it further.
What did BASIL say to convince them to come back? How did the flower boy manage to break through to both of them?
They stopped coming with her for so long, then suddenly it was as if the last four years never happened at all.
Out of all of them, was she the only one stuck in the past?
…
…
…
Her hands went on autopilot as she finished bagging the trash. The blood from her fingers stained the plastic as she prepared to throw it away.
MARI wondered if SUNNY was having fun right now. What sort of stuff was BASIL showing off to him around town? She hoped he was enjoying himself.
She'll be waiting for him at home. Waiting for him like a good older sister should.
Waiting. Just like always.