The Bunny on the Tombstone

Mio entered Happy Burger, pushing the employee door so hard that it slammed against the wall. She held the crumpled Minamoto Tech contract in her hand, her heart pounding with a mixture of panic and adrenaline. " TOMOKI-KUN! "

Kenji, who was cleaning the counter, jumped, and Sara, who was looking at her phone, almost dropped it. They both turned to look at Mio in complete confusion. " Uh... Mio? " Kenji said. Mio froze. It was just the two of them. Tomoki wasn't there.

Shame rose up Mio's neck until her face was the same color as her hair. " I need to go to the bathroom! " she squealed, and ran off, hiding in the small employee bathroom. She locked the door and slid to the floor, burying her face between her knees. " How embarrassing! I yelled! I yelled like a madwoman! And he wasn't even here! "

A moment passed before she heard a soft knock on the door. " Hey, Mio, " it was Sara's voice. " Are you okay? It's no big deal, just a little commotion. Kenji does that every time his baseball team loses. " But Mio didn't answer. She was locked in, yes, but her embarrassment had been replaced by a colder panic. Tomoki was gone. The only one who could help with this situation, the only person who was normal, was gone. She was alone. Her mind was in chaos, but it was a different kind of chaos. It wasn't panic from being scared, it was the chaos of true loneliness.

With nothing left to lose, she opened the door and headed toward her classmates. " Sara... can I skip today?, I-I really don't feel well. " Sara and Kenji looked at her. Her face was pale and her eyes were a little red. They didn't say it out loud, but they both realized that Mio was really sick. " Sure, Mio" said Kenji. " We'll cover your shift. Go home. "

Mio left the establishment. She walked aimlessly, clutching the crumpled copy of the contract in her hand, a piece of paper that felt as heavy as a brick. She let her feet carry her through the noise of the city until the noise faded and was replaced by the silence of trees and stone.

He arrived at a cemetery. It was a huge, quiet place with traditional graves.

He found the two graves he was looking for, side by side. They were simple and humble. He knelt down gently, leaving his bag on the ground. The relief of being there was so sudden that it almost took his breath away. It was the only place where he could let his guard down.

She took two items out of her bag. A small bouquet of flowers... and an unopened can of Nexus.

Mio placed the flowers in front of his mother's gravestone. "Hello, Mom. I brought you these flowers, your favorites.

Then he placed the can of Nexus in front of his father's gravestone. " And this is for you, Dad. I guess you're still my bad influence even in these circumstances. "

He prayed for a moment with his eyes closed. Then he opened them and let out a sigh, a tremulous sound he had been holding back for weeks.

" Mother... My life is a mess. " she whispered to the stone. " A complete and utter mess. " She hugged herself, her gaze lost in the distance. 

" I'm... I'm so tired, Mom. Really tired. College is... overwhelming. And work... " Her voice broke a little. " It barely pays the bills. I can barely pay off the debts that... well, that are left. Mom, am I doing okay? Even a little... am I doing okay? Because it feels like I'm drowning. "

She wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek.

" And to top it all off... I think I've become a magnet for weird people. Seriously, I think the universe is making fun of me. " She paused, as if waiting for a response.

" First... there's that boy, Ren. " She blushed, even in that situation. " He's an idol, Mom. He's... handsome. And so... weird! And annoying! He wanted to give me a truckload of drinks. A truck! And some robot shoes... " A small, broken laugh escaped her. " He's a fool. But... I can't..." She clenched her fists. " ...I can't stop thinking about him. Why? Why does my heart go silly every time I see him? Is it because I feel guilty for yelling at him? Or is it... something else? What's wrong with me, Mom?"

" And then there's Tomoki. The nice guy from work. The only friend I think I've made. But I suspect he's the son of Miss Kaguya, one of the most important people in Shibuya!.... And now... he's disappeared. He left. Just when I needed someone the most. "

She picked up the crumpled contract. " And now this. Mrs. Kaguya. One of the most important people in Shibuya, and even in all of Japan... is looking for me. She wants me to be a model. Me. She pointed to her worn sweatshirt. Can you believe it? I feel like it's a trap. I feel like it's a bad joke. So... why me?Su mano temblorosa subió hasta su cabello y tocó el pin de conejito. Lo desenganchó y lo sostuvo frente a ella.

A memory struck her: she saw her mother in the hospital bed, pale but smiling, placing the pin in her hand. " Don't let anyone tell you that you're strange, my pink bunny. Your hair, your eyes... they are your treasure. Be brave... "

" How am I supposed to be brave, Mom? " she sobbed. " I'm scared, really scared... I'm so scared all the time. "

Her gaze drifted to the can of Nexus on the other grave. Her father's face. Sitting in the kitchen, silently staring at the wall. The empty house. The note. " You couldn't be brave either... could you, Dad? You just... left. And left me alone with all this. "

Mio finally broke down. She burst into tears. They weren't silent tears; they were deep sobs, the kind of crying that hurts in your chest, releasing years of loneliness, fear, and exhaustion against the only two people who couldn't judge her.

She cried silently for a long time, until only trembling sobs remained. She wiped her face with the sleeves of her sweatshirt. She took a deep breath. A light breeze blew, moving her pink hair over her face.

She stared at the contract in one hand and the pin in the other. She sighed one last time. The crying had drained her, but it had also cleared her head. " All right. " she said, her voice hoarse but firm. " I've made up my mind. "