Real ending

Calmly, Yoriyuki Yamahito knelt down to grab the book. Then he stood up and put it in the briefcase.

—I’m sorry, I hope you understand.

Ken was quiet.

—I didn’t want it to end like this, but there was no other way. After a lot of struggling, I managed to reach an agreement with the Witch. I’m not proud of saying that she’s the one who brought Mirena back to Sekaunmei and not me. With the portal she made to summon creatures from another world, the portal fueled by the vital energy of Mirena’s friends. Don’t worry about them though, I have a plan for the 15th volume of Sekaunmei. A way that will make everyone happy: the readers, the characters, the Witch and me. Thanks for understanding it.

—Son of a bitch!!! —Ken attacked Yoriyuki Yamahito and gave him a strong punch in the face, unleashing all his frustration, hate and sadness. The writer was thrown over the desk and fell on the other side.

—Guards!! —he screamed. After all the commotion the book made, the bodyguards were wondering what was happening. And after hearing that scream of help, they immediately went in and grabbed Ken from behind.

They were way stronger, so it was easy for them to stop him.

—Take this guy out of my face! —yelled Yoriyuki, touching his right cheek that was already purple due to the punch.

It didn’t matter how much Ken struggled and kicked, the guards took him out of the VIP room.

—Are you okay?! —asked very worried his manager that appeared out a nowhere.

—Yes, yes, it was just a punch.

—We must denounce that son of a…

—No, it’s useless. Let’s just leave this fucking country as fast as possible.

—But what about your appearances in the other events?

—I don’t care, cancel them. Let’s go.

The sky was already slightly orange when Ken was kicked out of the building. He was too exhausted both physically and mentally to keep fighting. He just dealt with the loss and the pain silently, standing there.

—Ken? What happened? —asked the recognizable voice of Eli from behind. At that moment, Ken realized that there was a mask on the ground. It had the elastic broken, but it was Mask’s mask. He tied the ends together with a precarious knot. It was fragile, but should work.

“I promised that I would never wear a mask again, but just for this time…”

He put the mask and turned to see Eli.

—Ah, hahaha, I think I went overexcited when I saw Yoriyuki Yamahito and the bodyguards kicked me out.

—Oh, you silly. And María?

—She had to left. I don’t know why though; I hope everything is fine. I’ll let you know the news.

—I see, I hope everything is fine too. Ok, let me go and look for the guys. We’ll come back with you, since probably they won’t let you in again. We can go to…

—No, no, it’s fine. I was about to leave anyways. You guys have fun. We’ll meet in other occasion, ok? All together.

—Yes. Everyone together.

She went back into the building, and at that moment, a tear appeared from below the Mask and ran all over the cheek until it fell on the ground. The elastic broke once again, and the mask also fell. And so did Ken.

3 months passed.

Grab a product, pass it below the laser, check the price, calculate the total, get the cash…

—Argh, this is so boring. Zack! Switch!

—Ehh? Again? —said the worker, putting down the box he was carrying to the other side of the building—. You know, sometimes I kinda miss the old quiet and conformist Ken.

—Welp, to bad, because now he’s and old and demolished façade. C’mon, my body feels especially unquiet today. —Zack sighed.

—Fine, but you owe me one.

—Got it.

During that time, the 15th volume of Sekaunmei was not released. Actually, there was a rumor ongoing in the internet. Some people were saying that Yoriyuki Yamahito had disappeared.

However, Ken didn’t care about it. He didn’t even saw the new season of Sekaunmei’s anime. Just the idea of watching it was too painful.

He didn’t lose the contact with the friends he made those days. Actually, the bonds were stronger. He got the opportunity to know them better, and confirmed that they were beautiful people.

The same work, the same routine, the same hobbies, but way happier. Just the capability of being himself with no fears was enough to make the world seem more colorful, and even more sharing it with amazing friends.

“Objectively, my life is better. Of course, everything has its grays. It’s not like the fears and insecurities were totally gone, but at least I’m a bit braver to confront them. It’s not like all the days are happy: some are boring, others sad, others simply tasteless. But in general, it’s a happy life.

Of course, the heart still hurts. That scar her departure left is not going to leave in a long time, probably never. It’ll remain here, lacerating my soul. But I’m fine with that: otherwise, maybe I would end up forgetting her. And it doesn’t matter how much it hurts, I don’t want to forget her.

I’m still angry with Yoriyuki Yamahito, but I understand him.

Maybe, this is how the things must be. If my life were a book, this would be the perfect ending, the real ending, wouldn’t it? After all, it’s a very common topic in anime and fiction in general: the pupil learns from the master, but the master dies close to the end, forcing the pupil to grow on him or her own.

Mirena was my teacher. She taught me how to be happy, how to appreciate the real world. Therefore, she had to die (of leave this word, in this case, if it’s not the same thing) for me to complete my growing process. I wouldn’t be so mature if she still were here, maybe I would even end up being emotionally dependent on her. This is how things should be, this is how things must end.

But if there’s an author over there, please, don’t let it end like this.”