Epilogue: The New Year

It wasn't long before the bus had reached its destination. The doors swung open and out came four people: Klein, Miles, the detective from before, and Rin. 

The detective walked away, taking out a pack of cigarettes as he did. The other three made their way over to the bus stop's bench and took a seat. None of them spoke, but it was only natural given the circumstances. 

The silence was eventually broken though, and it was done by the last person anybody expected to. 

"Can we stop by somewhere on the way?", Rin asked.

The other two exchanged glances for a second before obliging him.

***

Klein watched over Rin as he looked around the cemetery, scanning all the different tombstones on display. None of them had the name he was looking for. He stood there silently, listening to the gentle breeze and the birds chirping in the background. 

"I know you wanted to go to the funeral, but it was too dangerous.", Klein said.

"...I understand..."

Rin fiddled with the zipper of his jacket.

They returned to silence. Rin took his time, letting the atmosphere of the place sink in. Eventually, the detective approached them and gestured Klein to the side.

"We should get going soon.", he said.

Klein glanced at Rin.

"He just lost his cousin."

"Yeah? And he'll be joining her soon if we take too long. We don't know where Eva is, so until we catch that lunatic, we make sure no one sees him."

He was right. Klein turned back, but before he could say anything, Rin spoke up first.

"It's weird... I can't help but think of all the times I said something I shouldn't have... Or all the times I could have called this whole thing off and... stopped what happened to her." 

He paused briefly before continuing.

"But more than anything, this memory... keeps coming back to me. One of her letting me go to live with my mom."

"And you're wondering how things would have turned out if she didn't?"

Rin shook his head.

"That's what I've always wondered before, but now I'm wondering... how she felt back then."

He paused again.

"If she ever had her own regrets related to me."

Another pause.

"...If she ever thought, it would be better... if I was never a part of her life to begin with..."

He wiped away at his eyes furiously. 

"I hurt her so much... And I even got her killed, so... it only makes sense."

Klein stepped forward slightly as the kid continued to break down in front of him.

"Rin... Would you rather have never met Lena at all?"

Rin stopped to consider his question. 

"...I don't know... But-"

He closed his eyes, remembering as much as he could about her.

"I do know she was family."

Klein looked at him solemnly.

"Well... if that's how you view her, 

maybe she thought the same of you."

Rin opened his eyes in surprise. He looked down slowly as he adjusted to the weight of those words.

After a deep breath, he finally responded.

"...Okay."

He turned to face Klein.

"I'm ready to go now."

Rin walked past him, but before he could make it far, Klein called out.

"What are you going to do now?"

Hearing that question sent Rin's gaze to the sky. Nothing but an early morning blue stared back at him.

"I think... I'll start by going back to school."

Klein nodded in response. He patted him on the shoulder and then walked down the hill before him. Miles and the detective from before soon followed his lead.

Rin turned back to take one last look at the multitude of stones laid out before him. Next to one of them stood a woman. Seeing her filled him with a warm sense of calm. 

He closed his eyes again to say his final goodbyes before eventually turning to begin his new life.

The End.