Their Epilogue

“People think a soulmate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soulmate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your attention so you can change your life.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

As she waited patiently at the reception, her heart started to beat faster and faster. She could feel the distance between her and Haru shorten.

She still couldn’t believe that he was brought here as if he had some kind of sickness, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he was ok.

“AIKO!” He screamed as the girl turned around to face him.

He wasn’t wearing his purple shirt. His body was covered by a white robe and he got visibly thinner.

“It’s still my happy boy!” She thought to herself as tears formed in her eyes.

They both run to each other, ending in a tight hug. They were parted for a week or two, but it felt like ages. They got used to hanging out together all day long.

“I’ve missed you…” She whispered only for him to hear.

“I knew you wouldn’t leave me!” His voice cracked as he showered the girl with affection.

Luckily, there weren’t a lot of people at the reception. The nurses that witnessed their reunion looked with widened eyes. Was he crazy? Maybe that’s why the Prime Minister’s son was in that place. He was out of his mind.

Chimon understood pretty fast the situation so he told the workers to stop staring and do their job. So she was the person that Haru’s father didn’t know about. Meiko told him about her, the universe traveler.

No matter how much she enjoyed the hug, she felt those strange glares that the boy got from the ones around. She slowly lessened her tight, letting her hands slide from his neck.

“Haru… You should let go of me. They think you are hugging this air.” She said with a sad tone, but his grip got even tighter.

“Let them stare! I need a reason for my presence in this hospital!”

“But you are a sane person. Don’t give yourself more problems!”

She suddenly felt his arms retiring. He made a step back just to look at her. She also looked a little sick.

“Lovesick.” He declared in his head with an amused look.

She was wearing the shirt from the first day they met, the blue one with flowers on it. It suited her the best.

“I’m also here, you know?” Hoshi’s voice broke the silence.

He looked at her with questioning eyes, but he answered himself shortly after. Hoshi was the visitor, not Aiko. The girl was invisible to the rest. He forgot because she looked normal to him, as always.

“Nice to finally meet you, Aiko!” A manly voice greeted from a corner.

He could see her? Was it because he had a special object?

“Aiko, he is Doctor Chimon. Doctor Chimon, she is that special someone I told you about.”

The doctor smiled and waved his hand in a friendly manner.

“CHIMON?” Hoshi interrupted again.

“Hello there, Meiko’s bully!”

“I’m not his bully!”

The doors behind her open and Meiko appears with a grinning face,

“You are not my bully, you pick up on people in general!”

There it was, Haru’s most precious treasure. Four out of six special object users and Aiko. Having them around was the greatest blessing that he could ever get.

They will have a lot to encounter on their path, but everything will be fine. They will support each other and achieve their goals in no time.

The five of them went into the garden for a walk and caught up to anything that happened when someone wasn’t there to witness it. With a little persuasion from Meiko, Chimon decided to join their group and entrust his life to Haru.

“Two more to go.” The boy thought to himself, but little did he know that his team will soon get larger than expected.

Will everything go well? Will they succeed?

No one knows. But they will find out together.

*****

Kibo took out a little note and handed it to Haru. It was the same one from before.

“Dear Haru,

Before my 100 days with you are over, I want you to know the truth. I already made my promise to the one I came here for. After all this time spent here, I can say, without any doubt, that the person is worth more than my promise. Believe me, if I could, I would give all the stars and the moon to him. Each star means a wish and the moon should remind that person of me.

I asked you the first day we met if you believe in such a thing as soulmates. If you had asked for my opinion, I would have said no.

But guess what? People change, and so do their opinions. I’m not who you think I am or at least who I presented myself as, but I learned something that I wish to share with you.

Soulmate sounds exaggerated, but the right person does exist for everyone. We chose who is suitable for us and the rest comes naturally. Since you're blinded by the sense of being constantly high and having butterflies in your stomach, the one you like appears to be ideal in your eyes.

I want you to find your special someone just like I found mine. Everything might be temporary and one-sided, but it’s worth it.

                                                                                                                       With love,

                                                                                                                             Kibo Maboroshi”

After he read it, his attention fell on the name.

“Who is Kibo Maboroshi?” He asked trying to understand.

The letter was written by Aiko, but why didn’t she sign it herself?

“I am her. That’s the name I should have told you at the fountain.”

He looked even more puzzled.

“Then who is Aiko? What’s the point of telling me this?”

“I once asked if you believe in soulmates. Do you remember?”

He simply nods with his eyes focused on the girl as she took a deep breath.

“Aiko was my best friend, she was like a sister to me, but one day… She was shot and died.” She paused for a while but continued knowing she didn’t answer his questions. “We have this thing called ‘House of Cupid’ where you can find your soulmate by giving them some information about yourself. Before she died, she wanted me to act like her and find her soulmate. It turned out to be you, Haru. After that, you can guess what happened, but you don’t know that the promise I came to make was for you. She wanted me to find another girl for you, to replace her, and I did my best. Do you know what happened while I tried to find a good match for you?”

She suddenly turned her head, inches apart from Haru’s face.

“Tell me what happened.”

He waited for an obvious answer but hearing her say it would make his heart skip a beat. He wanted her to confirm his assumption.

“I grew fond of you and I must say that I’m not the type to share. I couldn’t bring myself to look for a girl.”

Their eyes were locked.

“I like you, Haru Chibana!”

“You are very lucky, suicide girl.” He said with a sly smile on his face. “From the moment we crossed the road up to this moment, you were the only one that wandered my mind 24/7. I also like you, Kibo Maboroshi!”

Before she could react, his arms slid around her waist pulling her closer.

“Haru, it’s not the right moment…” She tried to say while her whole face was burning up.

“It’s now or never.” He added as if he knew what was going to happen.

She felt a rush of helplessness, as her heart shrank to the size of a nail. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the cruel truth. Even if they would stop and tell him, what would it sound?

“I’m sorry but we will never see each other again. I know I made you fall in love with me and I also confessed. What can we do, this is how is going to end.” It sounded so pathetic. Besides, he had already known about her for 100 days, so he would understand soon why she won’t return, right?

“I know this isn’t the same park we met, but I will still remember this moment forever.” He said with a sincere smile.

He was right, screw the future. The present was the only thing that mattered now.

She felt a ticklish sensation in her feet and knees. Maybe it was because she started to disappear or maybe because she was melting into his embrace, but one thing was for sure. She waited so long for that kiss that it would be a shame if it won’t happen.

They both fell in love all over again as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes. Her orbs were like a chocolate explosion with little shades of honey in the light, while his orbs were a whole field of lavender.

She bent his head a little to the front and kissed him softly. He was fast to answer back, sending Kibo tremors along her nerves. His arms tighten around her, feeling the urge to not lose her.

Slowly, her body withered under his strong grasp. He tried to hold on to her, but in no time she was almost gone.

She reached with one of her fingers to wipe his tears as her lips parted into a smile.

“Until next time!” She whispered as she vanished right through his hands.

His legs felt weak and an inexplicable pain shot through his heart. The boy fell to his knees with tears of frustration rolling down his cheeks. This wasn’t the first time she disappeared in front of him, but he was afraid it was the last time.

What will he do if she won’t come back?

A small blue flower was placed right in the middle of the note that was resting near him.

Unlike the rest Kibo left behind, this one wasn’t opened. He picked it up along with the paper.

He went to a round of beautiful flowers and dug a little hope between them. Then he placed carefully the little forget-me-not.

“As I thought, it outshines the rest!”

A sad smile bloomed on his face as the dawn painted the surroundings in dark colors.