Chapter 7. Sorry

"Let me at least speak to the actual Ai, okay?!"

"Fine, but just to let you know, I'll only do it because I don't feel comfortable wearing a dead girl mask"

"She isn't dead"

I stop halfway through the transformation, just my head doesn't change.

"She what?!"

"She isn't dead, I saved her. But that's beside the point, alright?"

"You say so, but you're just probably too used to it you don't even consider me! I have seen a TV speak directly to me, hell, I'm half-another person right now but necromancy?! really?! This is it! This is the line no one should be used to crossing!"

"Ugh!"

Hoshino stomps the floor, she's all red.

"Okay, the gum I gave her put her on another time and space where she can heal, alright?! I barely saved her, but it was because you were so reckless in doing it I didn't even have the option to wait! Hibana you're such a burden, I don't even know why I am talking to you in the first place! You should...!"

She stops but holds it. I start crying.

"Come on, say it!"

"You should be...!"

She cries too.

"I know.... I should die...don't I?"

Hohino slaps me and punches me with the few strength she has.

"Idiot! Why would I want something like that?! You saved me!"

"I... I didn't..."

-

"Found it"

I lift the arm from her plush high.

"Wh-why did you do that?!"

"Pftt. Because it's dumb, like you!"

I push Uzuki to the ground.

"Ha! Look everyone! The baby is crying because she lost her plush!"

Everyone starts laughing. Uzuki just cries on the ground.

-

"You did! I'm sick of pretending nothing happened!"

I push her softly. She barely moves.

"Please... just stop"

"You know it too! I saw it too! That's the reason why I got into all of this!"

"Stop it!"

-

She holds her bunny, all patched up, while I beat her on the ground.

"This is what happens when you don't obey!"

The floor is stained with a bit of blood and tears.

But I can't cry.

I can't afford to cry.

-

"Back then I thought it wasn't real, but I saw it, and I know who it was! What it was!"

"Stop!"

I push her harder, she falls.

"I hate you! I have always hated you!"

"I know you don't"

She smiles

"Because I saw it, too..."

-

I am walking towards the classroom late, as I forgot my notebook. It's noon and there's no one there. Mom accompanied me to school.

As I pick up my notebook, I see it. Cuddly, sitting on her desk.

It speaks. I barely manag to hide on the doorframe.

"I'm almost there... almost..."

I'm speechless.

"Stupid plush body... stupid brush..."

It stands up. I hide entirely, unable to see it.

"So who should I be now? Her teacher? Nah... she doesn't like her that much... Oh, I know! I'll turn into her friend. I just need to get rid of her at night and that's it! Now I can be close to Hibana forever... Always..."

I run away to my mom, tears in my eyes.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"The bunny talked to me!"

"It's alright, darling...It's alright..."

-

"You didn't see anything! I am just the wor-"

"Cuddly talked, Ai. Cuddly talked."

I freeze.

"It wasn't cuddly. I have the real one still with me. I found out about it later. You tried to act like that, so it didn't hurt me."

She comes to me and hugs me, still crying.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't do anything about it. I'm sorry for not telling you this before but... but I hoped you understood and just leave everything in the past."

"Leave everything?"

Softly, I take her arms and hold her.

"No Uzuki. You just don't get it. I... remember everything. And... I remembered something."

I start crying.

"My mom... she wasn't like that when I was little. Could....could it be that...?!"

She opens her eyes surprised.

"I don't want to provoke it. I don't know if it's still there but... I... I just..."

"And what if it isn't?"

She holds my hand

"What if that thing is gone because of the knife?"

"I...I don't know.."

"I'll tell you this. If that thing returns, I'll deal with it. We will all do the same but just... just forgive yourself, okay?"

A minute passes. Then five more.

"...Akaza's item is the keychain on her waist. The duck. Apparently, I can copy whatever the person is wearing at the moment I visualize them. I didn't knew I could also copy the properties of an item."

"I see..."

She stands up and opens her arms.

"Copy me but now focus only from the head down. I want to test something."

On a twinkle of light, I use the brush to change into her as she said. She looks disconcerned.

"It looks...uncanny. But don't mind that. Search in your left pocket and tell me what you got."

Fumbling through her pocket, I show her a pack of gum, a set of dice, and her dictionary. On the other pocket, I get a note.

"This is..."

-

"I'm making a letter so you don't forget we are friends"

"But why? You are with me"

"Because! I don't want you to forget you're my friend! And friends write letters to each other!"

She sits right next to me, swaying back and forth. I pick a pencil and start writing

"Dear... Uzuki. You are my... best... friend..."

-

"...ever. Best friens write letters. And I always will be with you matter what I love you frend..."

I stare at the paper sheet and start crying.

"Man, I had a way with words, but my grammar sucked... hehe... "

The letter gets damped with my tears.

"That's one of my most precious possessions. So please Ai just... stop blaming yourself for this."

"I'm sorry..."

"I forgive you"

I hug her with all my might. We both cry for a while.

"Oh, crap!"

I'm... still Uzuki from the neck down, so I grab the brush and go back to normal again. The note disappears.

"I almost forgot. This is what I came here for. I also wanted to tell you that-"

"Yeah. I'll go with you."

She starts packing her stuff back into her bag.

"Enough is enough. We don't need you to learn a lesson or go to a magic school like you said. You got the powers, let's end this now. Right here."

"Gotta say, we do make a nice pair"

I turn into Sayuri again.

"Let's end this, then."