Chapter Text
“I–”
Sunny couldn’t gather the courage.
“Okay.”
Hero’s eyes widened. “Really? You mean it?”
Sunny nodded meekly, mustering a tiny smile. Hero immediately engulfed him in a tight embrace, shaking. Soon, Sunny could hear quiet sobbing.
“Thank you thank you thank you–”
Hero could barely catch his breath, constantly muttering the same thing over and over. Sunny raised his arms, returning the hug. He strangely felt like he was going to collapse. At that thought, his legs gave out. Hero made a sound of surprise.
Hero caught Sunny, making sure he didn’t hit the ground. “Are you okay?” Hero snapped out of his repetitive rambling, eyes full of worry. Sunny nodded, trying to ignore his own trembling.
Looks like the fear he’s been repressing was rising without permission as if to spite him. It left a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach. A buzzing in the back of his mind was increasing in volume.
“–so don’t worry about a thing, okay? I’ll get it all handled.”
Sunny blinked. Hero had been talking. Sunny looked up to meet Hero’s gaze, then quickly looked away. “Okay…” Sunny was barely able to get his voice out. Hero smiled fondly, ruffling Sunny’s hair.
“We should head back before everyone gets worried.” Hero stood up with Sunny in his arms, before carefully placing him on the ground. Sunny took a moment to steady himself, glancing over at the bag holding the violin.
…Perhaps…it was never meant to be played.
“Are you okay getting home on your own?” Hero asked, concerned. Sunny nodded, clutching his keychain. Hero smiled again, bringing Sunny into one last hug before moving to leave the clearing. “I’ll see you soon, Sunny! Remember to get up at two!”
“Okay.” Sunny followed Hero out into the street. Hero waved at him as he walked away, a hopeful smile on his face. If Sunny only looked at that smile, he could see Hero’s old self shining through. But whenever he looked into Hero’s eyes…
Sunny turned away and began walking toward the vending machines.
With each step he took, the world around him grew more and more distant, until everything became white.
****
Omori stood, holding two bags of chips. He blinked slowly, walking back to Basil’s house with a blank expression. He opened the door and stepped inside, kicking off his shoes.
“Sunny! You’re back!”
Omori looked up, making direct eye contact with Basil.
“…Omori?”
A curt nod in response. Basil’s eyes wavered. “Did…something happen?”
Omori shrugged.
“Omori?” Aubrey walked forward, mustering a casual grin. “It’s been a while. You want to watch a movie or something?” The worried crease in her brows went unnoticed, Omori simply nodding and making a beeline toward the couch.
After sitting, he opened the bag of chips and popped one into his mouth. Aubrey plopped down next to him and switched the T.V channel to something more interesting–more interesting to Omori, at least. He had weird taste.
Basil sat on Omori’s other side, radiating concern.
Both friends were lost in thought, trying to piece together reasoning as to why Omori was fronting. It should be fine, though, the two decided.
After all, whenever Sunny went to get snacks, he would go on short walks. Perhaps he was lost in thought and got stuck in a memory, causing Omori to take the wheel.
…
Omori chewed on his chips.
He felt nothing. Which, usually was the case, but…
Hm.
Omori thought about what was to come and tilted his head.
Hero’s plan…didn’t really make sense, did it? Hero still wanted to go to college, yet expected nobody to come looking for them? Even if Hero was paying for his own apartment, his parents were still paying for his college tuition, which meant there had to be some kind of communication.
It didn’t make sense.
…
Unless…
…
Hero was lying.
****
“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better, son.” Hero’s dad grinned widely, patting him on the back. Hero smiled in response.
The energy of the house lifted the moment Hero came home looking more at ease than he had in weeks. Kel even found himself grinning, watching his mom tearfully pull Hero into a strong hug.
“I’m…looking forward to tomorrow.” Hero had said, holding the bag the violin was in. It looked like Hero was finally feeling that hope that everyone else was, and it was relieving to see. Kel had been really worried recently, wondering when Hero would finally reach a somewhat stable point.
It turned out being patient really was the answer.
…
It…was bizarre, almost. The rest of the day, Kel felt happy. He was experiencing the warmth of his family without that overarching worry and unease that had been plaguing everyone’s minds. Now, there was confident hope that Hero could and would get better.
It’s not like Hero went directly back to how he was before this summer–that wouldn’t make sense. But…just in the way he carried himself, the way he smiled and spoke…all of it was so reminiscent of his old self. It was like his brother was finally back.
Kel really believed that the recital would be the turning point. It would work as closure for all of them, and then Hero would fulfill his promise. Kel wasn’t sure what would happen after that, but it felt like the right next step. Whatever happens because of it would just be the natural course of events–something that needed to happen. And it looks like Hero understands that too.
Kel's positive beliefs were finally being proven right. His optimism was being supported by reality for what felt like the first time in forever. And he was glad.
Kel was happy, and so were his parents.
…
Happy enough to not sit with doubt.
Happy enough to not think about how strange it was.
Happy enough to not slow down and realize how unrealistic the sudden recovery was.
…
For just a moment, everyone was happy.
Everyone smiled together, looking toward a brighter future.
…
Unaware that the futures they were looking toward were completely different.
****
Hero felt bad for lying.
Sunny didn’t deserve to be lied to.
…But it was for the best. Sunny would’ve said no otherwise, which, Hero would have respected, of course! He didn’t want to manipulate Sunny or make him do anything he didn’t want to do.
Sunny was just…too nice, so shielding the truth a little was only natural, right? After all, with what happened with Mari…
Sunny really wouldn’t like what Hero was going to do next.
…
Hero placed the note on the table, rereading it one last time. For a moment, his head throbbed, a sharp pain causing him to waver. But, he steadied himself, steeling his nerves.
He was already irredeemable…so adding this to the list of horrible things he’s done wouldn’t matter. It would probably help everyone get over everything more easily since if everyone hated him, they won’t really grieve him.
This…was for the best.
Everyone would be happier.
Hero took a deep breath and walked up to the front door. He left his phone upstairs since he already got in contact with a specific friend who was willing to help him with everything. He…may have lied about the situation, but it didn’t matter.
One of the good things about being nice was that people, even ones generally considered bad, were willing to help you when you were in trouble.
Hero turned around, staring into his home. One last time, hesitation weighed on his shoulders–
But the flowers beckoned him, covering up a family photo he had tried to zone in on.
…He could never be happy here.
Hero opened the door and walked out, quietly shutting it behind himself.
****
Omori stared up at Hero, tilting his head. Hero gently ruffled his hair, giving a warm, comforting smile. “Are you worried? You don’t have to be. I’ve got it all handled, okay? We’re going to be just fine.”
Hero was a bit concerned about Omori being in the forefront but figured it was just because of the big change they were about to experience. It’s only natural Sunny would be overwhelmed.
Hero didn't mind. He would take care of both Sunny and Omori. They may not be completely the same, but both housed Sunny’s body, which meant Omori was just as important.
As they began to head toward the sidewalk, Hero suddenly stopped, remembering something. “Omori, do you want to leave a note?”
“Note?”
“Well, don’t you want to say goodbye to everyone?” Hero gently pulled Omori back toward Basil’s house, and Omori found himself nodding along. He did want to say goodbye to his friends, after all.
After going through the front door, Omori walked to the couch, ripping a page out of his sketchbook before grabbing a pencil and heading toward the dining room table. Hero followed, looking over Omori’s shoulder. “How about I help you write it?”
Omori looked up at Hero, tilting his head. Hero smiled warmly. “Here, just write down what I say, okay?” For a moment, panic flashed through Omori’s gaze. But it disappeared too quickly to be picked up on.
Omori wrote down everything Hero said, not questioning what he was writing, practically on autopilot. Once done, Omori’s hands trembled. He stared down at the note.
This…can’t be right. Why did…he feel like this was bad? It was all about leaving…right? About how he was sorry for leaving. But, the note was kind of…
“It looks great.” Hero pat his head, and Omori found himself folding the paper and placing it on the table without changing anything, not wanting to upset Hero. The note Omori had just written became foggy in his mind, already hard to remember.
They both left the house, shutting the door quietly. Following Hero's instructions, Omori didn't bring anything at all. He didn’t even bring his phone or wallet.
Omori was confused as to why he and Hero couldn’t bring anything but didn’t bother asking. Hero grabbed Omori’s hand. “Ready to go?” Omori nodded, despite not knowing where they were going.
He…trusted Hero…?
Sunny…said okay. That meant Hero had to be trustworthy.
Omori was puzzled by the emotions he was feeling, still not able to process them correctly as he was currently more shield than empathetic person.
All he knew was that he needed to listen to Hero or something bad would happen–right, Hero would die. Sunny didn’t want Hero to die, so Omori was making sure to follow directions.
…
Even if he was shaking as he did them.
****
Basil woke up with a tiny smile, having had a wonderful dream. He couldn’t really remember it, but the warm feeling it left him with was a good indicator that it was great.
He stretched, grabbing the clip on his bedside desk and adjusting his hair. He stood up, quickly changing before heading out of his room. He made a beeline toward the kitchen, stomach grumbling. As he walked into the room he looked around to see if anyone else was awake.
Looks like he was first today. Basil opened up one of the cupboards, grabbing a box of cereal. It was another leisurely morning, but with a tangible excitement and slight nervousness. Today was the day of the recital, after all.
Basil poured his bowl then opened the fridge and grabbed some milk.
“Mornin’.” Aubrey walked out of the hallway, rubbing her eyes. Basil smiled.
“Good morning!”
Aubrey looked around, before frowning. “Where’s Omori?”
“Isn’t he still asleep?”
“No, he wasn’t on the mattress.”
Basil tensed but quickly relaxed himself. “He must be in the bathroom then.”
“Mm.” Aubrey hummed, heading toward the kitchen as well. Suddenly, something caught her eye. She walked to the dining room table and stared down at the scrap piece of paper. She snorted. “Omori’s leaving paper around again.” She reached out and picked it up, unfolding it to see the drawing.
“It’s a little cute that he leaves a paper trail.” Basil chuckled, grabbing a spoon and taking his first bite. He looks at Aubrey and realizes that she was standing strangely still. “What’s up? Is…is it another one of those drawings?” Basil’s brows furrowed in concern.
Sometimes Omori would draw depictions of his…past. Usually abstract, but still recognizable. Basil set down his bowl and walked over, standing at Aubrey’s side and looking at the paper.
I’m sorry.
I’m so sorry.
Everything is just too hard. I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough.
I love you all so much. Thank you for being my friends.
Goodbye.
…Huh?
Basil blinked owlishly. He glanced at Aubrey’s face and saw her intense frown. Basil felt his own heart rate starting to pick up, but forced himself to calm down by taking deep breaths.
“We should go get Omori,” Aubrey mumbled, placing the paper down. Basil nodded, and they both rushed toward the bathroom.
Basil knocked on the door. “Omori, are you in there?”
No response.
Basil’s eyes wobbled. He started banging on it. “Omori, this isn’t funny! Just…just make a sound! You don’t have to talk! That–That weird message didn’t mean anything, right!? It doesn’t make sense! I don’t get it!”
Aubrey checked the door and after realizing it was unlocked, abruptly opened it.
The bathroom was empty.
“Omori?” Basil rushed inside, looking around. “Sunny?” He tried, but nothing in response.
Aubrey felt chills down her spine, a horrible nauseous feeling suddenly rising in her throat. She raced towards Polly’s room, barging in. “Polly! POLLY! Omori’s missing! Sunny’s missing!”
Basil took deep breaths.
It’s fine.
It’s fine.
Basil shouldn’t overreact, right?
Omori probably just went on a walk.
That message didn’t mean anything.
That message didn’t…
It sounded like Sunny, not Omori.
Was Sunny back, then?
If so–
Basil stumbled as he ran throughout the house, searching for Sunny. It didn’t take long to confirm that he was nowhere to be found. All that remained was Sunny’s stuff–including his phone. It left a cold feeling in Basil’s stomach.
“Basil!”
Polly burst into the room, staring at the blond. Basil looked up from where he was, tears dripping onto the note in his hands. His eyes were blown wide with panic. “P–Polly!” He rushed toward her, grabbing her arm tightly. “We need to go find him!”
“Wait!” Aubrey ran to them. “Let’s go to Kel’s house first!”
“Why–” Basil’s eyes widened. “You don’t think…”
“Let’s go.” Polly quickly grabbed Basil’s hand, trying to ground him at least a little. Aubrey opened the door, and the three of them ran to Kel’s house.
Hoping desperately that the note meant nothing.
****
“Mom? Dad?” Kel walked into the living room, immediately confused. Neither looked up at him. His dad had his arms around his mom, and both were…crying? Kel felt his heart start pounding. He rushed to their side, entering their line of sight.
His mom looked up, face a mess of tears. She was heaving out sobs, unable to even form words. Kel turned to his dad, who was audibly weeping. Kel felt horror beyond what he’d experienced before. His dad never cries. The last time he cried was when Mari died, and…it wasn’t even close to this.
Kel’s ears started ringing. “M–Mom, dad, what’s going on?” He tried to smile, not yet able to process what was happening. His mom shook her head rapidly, mouth opening and closing, yet no words came out.
“S–Son…” His dad reached out to him, gently grabbing his hand. “We…” His eyes narrowed, and he choked out a sob, breaking down without finishing his sentence. Kel rapidly glanced around the room.
“Where’s…where is…” Kel’s voice cracked, his eyes landing on a piece of paper on the table. He immediately grabs it, ignoring his dad’s shout. He ran further back out of his parent's reach and quickly read.
To my family that I love,
I’m sorry for everything that has happened. I never meant for things to get to this point, and I can’t hide it any longer.
Mom, dad, I’m an awful person.
This summer I have made everyone around me suffer. I drove Sunny to try and kill himself. I pushed Kel down the stairs. I tried to kill Basil.
And I pushed Sunny’s mom into traffic. I murdered her.
I’ve done so many unforgivable things, yet I still tried to find redemption. You both showed me so much love and support, but now that you know what I’ve done, I know you can’t keep loving me. I know you can’t forgive me.
Kel, Aubrey, Basil, and Sunny have all known the truth from the beginning, hiding it to protect me. Despite that, all I gave them in return was more pain.
Kel, I was a horrible brother, and I am so sorry. I know fulfilling my promise in this way is cowardly, but I’m just not strong enough to live with myself. Not after everything I’ve done. Not when I know there’s nothing left for me after this.
Mom, dad, I hope you both can move past all of this, and forget about a son like me. I’ve been a fraud from the start. I’m a pathetic coward who causes pain. I’m choosing to die instead of facing the consequences of my actions. I’m an insufferable burden.
I know nobody will forgive me for what I’ve done. It might be selfish of me to do this, but it’s just who I am. A selfish parasite.
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything that I’ve done.
Thank you for everything, mom and dad.
Thank you for being my brother, Kel.
I love all of you so much.
Goodbye.
Kel continued to stare at the note. His eyes were hollow, expression completely blank. He looked to his parents and found his dad rushing to his side, pulling him into a tight hug. His mom followed, and in a moment of desperate confusion, asked–
“I–It’s a lie, right!?” Her voice cracked. Kel turned to her.
“It’s…all true.”
And she collapsed. His dad caught her, falling to the ground by her side. He kept his eyes on Kel, actively processing it. If it was true, then that meant their son…
The door suddenly slammed open, Aubrey rushing inside while huffing. She immediately saw the scene, and her face went stone cold. She looked at the paper in Kel’s hands, then at Kel.
Polly and Basil rushed in next, Basil gripping a note of his own. Basil whipped his head around, landing on the trio further into the living room. His heart stopped.
“Kel…” Aubrey was trembling. “Kel…don’t tell me…”
Kel merely held up the note. “He told the truth.” Kel blinked slowly. “He fulfilled his promise.”
Aubrey looked momentarily relieved. “Oh…so it’s that…” But quickly, she realized that it didn’t make sense. “Why…with a note?”
Kel’s mom cried louder, unable to be consoled by her husband.
Aubrey stumbled forward, ripping the note from Kel’s hands and skimming it. She was pale, almost green. Basil didn’t speak, ignoring Polly’s warnings and rushing to Aubrey’s side, almost shoving into her to see the note as well.
Kel glanced down and saw something in Basil’s hand. He took it without asking, reading the sentences on the page.
“Sunny…” Kel blinked slowly, brain working to process what was going on. “Hero…?” His ears were ringing, loud enough to hurt.
Aubrey fell to her knees, blankly staring forward. Polly rushed to her side, now also able to see the note. Horror contorted her expression.
“Hero…and Sunny both wrote notes…” Kel said dully, loud enough for everyone to hear. His dad’s head shot up, eyes widening in disbelief.
Basil staggered backwards, shaking his head. “No–no no no no–this isn’t happening–this isn’t happening!” Basil gripped his head. “Sunny wouldn’t do that! Sunny wouldn’t DO THAT!”
Aubrey remained on the ground, like a marionette with her strings cut. Only her eyes convey emotion, reflecting bottomless dread. Polly brought her to sit on the couch, before rushing to Basil’s side. “Basil, it’s–”
Basil squeezed his eyes shut, and let out a blood–curdling scream. He thrashed as Polly tried to hold him, continuing to scream without stopping. Kel’s mom and dad stared at each other, the new realization making them sick.
Kel continued to mumble to himself for a few moments, until all at once, everything clicked in his head. His dad pulled his mom to her feet, both knowing they needed to try and help calm everyone down despite their own despair.
Suddenly, soft laughter could be heard. The quiet chuckling gradually grew in volume, until Kel was doubled over, laughing hysterically, almost as loudly as Basil’s screaming. His dad stared at him with horror, reaching out to try and comfort him.
But Kel slapped his hand away, stumbling back with a huge grin on his face. Laughter continued to spill uncontrollably from his lips, preventing him from getting any words out. Soon, Kel’s face scrunched up in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks as he clutched his stomach, unable to stop.
“Kel–” His mom tried to reach him this time, rushing forward and attempting to grab his hand. But once again, Kel rejected his parents. Both stood, not knowing what to do. All the news piling on one after the other was overwhelming.
The screaming stopped, Polly now holding Basil tightly and brushing her hand through his hair, gently shushing him as he sobbed into her cardigan. Mumbled denial continued to flow from his lips, Basil refusing to believe what was happening.
Aubrey stayed on the couch, staring forward as her body remained limp. Despite usually being the one who expressed herself outwardly, she was completely silent. Kel’s mom decided to be of help to at least one child and rushed to Aubrey’s side.
Kel’s dad continued to try and reach his son, who refused over and over.
“Kel!” His dad’s voice cracked, hands shaking as he reached for him. “Please! We–we’re here for you–”
“NO!” Kel’s shout rang throughout the room, loud enough to make his dad flinch. Kel’s smile fell, and in its wake was an expression of pure rage. “I–this–” Kel couldn’t breathe, still hiccupping with laughter. “This is ridiculous!”
While Kel’s dad tried to comfort his son, the other adults in the room were similarly trying to gain control of the situation.
Basil’s eyes were withdrawn, no longer mumbling. A tiny, hopeful smile lifted his lips, and he looked up at Polly. “It’s–It’s not really what happened, right? We just have to look for Sunny! I know he wouldn’t just leave like that!”
Kel, picking up on Basil’s words, cracked. “Sunny wouldn’t–Sunny wouldn’t! But Hero–” Kel grabbed the nearest object, throwing it on the ground in an attempt to relieve his tense muscles. “Hero would!”
“Kel, please–!” His dad tried to interrupt, unable to come to the same conclusion. Unwilling to.
“I can’t believe him.” Kel seethed, hiccupping through his tears. “Why couldn’t he leave Sunny ALONE!?”
Finally, Kel’s dad brought him into a tight embrace, working to calm him down before he became too rash. Kel immediately fought against the grip, enraged and unable to think straight. Disbelief and anger suffocated him in a way he’d never felt before.
Everything he’d been trying to work through with optimism came crashing down in a moment, and it left him grasping at nothing. He had nothing. Kel could feel himself crumbling, the shock not keeping his brain foggy enough.
His mom was on the phone, hastily making a missing person’s report for both Hero and Sunny. As she spoke through the phone, she felt terror, wondering if they were found, what it would mean. Her hope that they were alive was faltering. Hero’s note left her in hysterical confusion, her son’s deeds fully beginning to set in while she called multiple people to get the word out.
Aubrey leaned into Kel’s mom, letting the woman hold her in a side hug. She still remained silent, having not yet shed a single tear. It was as though she were an empty husk, the shock from the news causing her to dissociate.
“He’s wrong, right!?” Basil gripped Polly’s shirt, blue eyes gleaming. “He has to be! Sunny–Sunny wouldn’t–there was no sign of–” Basil’s grip suddenly loosened. “A–Ah…yesterday, Omori was…” Basil became confused. “Omori was out yesterday…”
Kel’s head snapped toward Basil, on high alert because of adrenaline. “Omori?” Kel had yet to catch his breath. “Omori was out?”
“Y–Yeah…Sunny left to get a snack and came back as Omori–”
“What time!?” Kel stiffened, eyes wide.
“Around…three?”
“That’s–!” Kel had a bruising grip on his dad’s arms. “Hero went out at the same time!”
Basil’s expression began to change. “If Hero…saw Sunny…if he talked to Sunny…” Basil felt weak, and Polly stabled him. Basil pressed his hands to his eyes, taking quick and shallow breaths.
“Hero was suddenly happier when he came back…” Kel almost gagged.
“Let’s–let’s just wait for some news, okay?” Kel’s mom spoke up loudly, trying to cut into the spiraling conversation. She still cradled Aubrey to her side, gently rubbing her arm. “I already contacted the authorities. I’m sure they will be found soon. I’ll…also go to the police station later to make a more detailed missing person’s report.” She mustered a confident smile, despite the possible meaning behind her words.
“Right!” Basil immediately latched onto her words. “Everything will be okay! Everything…everything will be okay.” He mumbled to himself, and Polly brought him into a tight hug, unable to prevent her own tears any longer.
Kel stared at his mother. “Haha…” Being optimistic again–being hopeful again–that…“Okay. Let’s wait.” Kel’s dull gaze didn’t match his words. He finally was able to separate from his dad, and immediately left the room, ignoring his mother's call to stay. His dad quickly followed, and Kel whipped his head around to look at him. “What?”
“We should all stay together right now.” His dad offered a weak smile, obviously trying to comfort him. Kel sighed.
“I just want to be alone for a little bit, okay?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea–”
“Please.” Kel bit out, staring at his dad desperately. “Please just…give me a moment.”
“I…” His dad, still not yet thinking straight, nodded. “Only for a minute, okay? I’ll…be close by…Sally might be awake, I should go check on her.” His dad was completely out of it.
“Okay.” Kel climbed up the stairs, entering his room without looking back. He closed the door behind himself.
…
Kel fell to his knees, catching himself on his hands. He heaved for air, trying to find a way to ground himself. He looked up at the bedroom and felt a strange, burning sensation in his body. Something bubbled under his skin, and as he looked to Hero’s side of the room–
Ugly.
It looked ugly.
It was unsightly.
Kel got to his feet and stabled himself, walking toward Hero’s side. He looked at the closet, the bed, the trophies, and medals–
“You’re so lucky to have such a good big brother!”
“I wish I had a brother like that…”
“Wow, you’re Hero’s brother? I would’ve never thought that!”
“You really look up to Hero, don’t you?”
“Aren’t you proud of your brother, Kel?”
He blacked out.
****
“Are you comfortable?” Hero adjusted his turtleneck sweater, putting a hand on Omori’s shoulder as the bus went over a speed bump. Omori nodded, rubbing his eyes. He’d just woken up from a nap.
“I’m glad. Is Sunny doing alright?”
Omori shrugged.
“Well, I hope he has a nice rest.” Hero smiled warmly, patting Omori’s head. “Have you traveled before, Omori?”
Omori nodded. There was transportation in headspace. Plus, Sunny traveled, and they were technically the same person, so that should count too. Omori kicked his feet, glancing around the bus at random strangers.
“It’s like we’re on an adventure. That’s pretty exciting, right?” Hero grinned, tone light. Omori blinked. An adventure? He liked adventures. As if sensing that, Hero continued. “Maybe we can see some cool stuff on our way to our new home.”
Omori hummed. “New…home?”
“Yup!” Hero popped the ‘P’. “For just a little bit, we’re going to be staying with a friend of mine. Just until I can secure an apartment for us.” Hero smiled easily, no tension in his body. “He already got me a job as a helper at a nice bakery, so we’re all set.”
Omori’s brows furrowed just slightly. “College?”
Hero’s eyes softened, and he gently rubbed Omori’s head. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got everything handled, okay? Just trust me.”
“But…” Omori’s head hurt.
“Here we are!” Hero suddenly exclaimed. “This is our stop.” Hero stood up, and Omori followed, successfully distracted from his concerns. Hero gently held Omori’s hand as they walked off of the bus. Hero made sure to thank the driver, earning a smile in return.
As they walked around the city, Omori tried to figure out where they were. They had been driving for a really long time, long enough for him to take a big nap. He really had no clue where they ended up.
As they walked, Omori’s eyes drew towards a snow cone cart. He slowed a little, causing Hero to stop as well. Hero followed his line of sight and chuckled. “Do you want a snow cone?”
Omori nodded. Hero guided him to the cart and waited for him to point at what he wanted. Hero relayed the order and paid with some loose cash from his pocket, and the woman running the stand smiled at them once she got it ready.
“Here you go!” The woman went to directly hand it to Omori, but Hero grabbed it instead. He then gave it to Omori. Omori took a large bite.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Hero used his usual charming smile, and the woman forgot about the weird interception.
Hero and Omori walked off, Omori turning to wave at the lady as they left. While they walked, Hero gently swung their hands, humming softly.
The city was interesting, Omori thought. Despite not knowing where he was, he at least had a snow cone. He liked snow cones. Any confusion or questions he had about what was going on were pushed down again.
“We’re almost there!” Hero glanced at Omori. “Are you doing okay? We haven’t been walking too long, right? If you’re tired, we can take a break. I don’t mind.” Hero said gently.
“M’ fine.” Omori wondered briefly why Hero was talking to him like that, but once again brought himself back into a non–questioning mindset.
“Okay. I just don’t want you to push yourself.” He squeezed Omori’s hand softly, looking ahead for the right address.
At some point, Omori finished his treat, and Hero took the empty cone and threw it away for him. Soon after, Hero brought them to a small house located right outside the city–it was a city, right? Were neighborhoods that close to cities?
“There’s going to be people you don’t recognize, but they’re really nice. Don’t worry–you don’t need to talk to them at all, or…even look at them if you don’t want to.” Hero glanced away briefly, an unreadable emotion flickering through his gaze. “We’ll only stay here for a little bit, so just hang tight, okay?”
Omori nodded. “Okay.”
Hero smiled, ruffling Omori's hair. “Alright, let’s go then.” He gently tugged Omori along, and they both reached the front door. Hero knocked twice. A shout came from inside before the door opened to a slightly breathless boy, who looked around the same age as Hero. Omori’s eyes were drawn to the tattoos on his arms, as well as his large number of piercings and his dark red hair. A delinquent?
“Oh! You’re here!” The boy blinked in surprise, quickly glancing at Omori. His gaze saddened, before he stepped aside, allowing them entrance. “Come on in. My dad’s making dinner.”
“Thank you.” Hero nodded at him, face expressing a warm melancholy. Hero took off his shoes, and Omori did the same, following all of Hero’s actions. The boy watching huffed a laugh, shaking his head.
“Here, I’ll show you where you're staying.”
It was a small house, and Omori found himself comparing it to Basil’s. It was quite homey–messy–with a lot of items strewn about. They walked into a hallway, where one room’s door was open. The boy motioned for them to go inside.
“This is the guest room. Sorry we only have a crappy mattress…” The boy rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing. Hero quickly waved his free hand–the other was still holding Omori’s–and smiled.
“No, it’s great, Keith. Really, thank you so much for letting us stay here for a while. I’m sorry for suddenly springing this on you…” Hero frowned, glancing away. “I just…didn’t know what else to do…”
“It’s no problem!” The boy–Keith–panics a little seeing Hero’s sad expression. “You were a really big help this past year, it’s the least I could do!” Keith quickly starts leaving the room. “Anyways! Uh, put your stuff down and I’ll…give a tour? I guess I already did that.” He awkwardly fidgets. “We can go to the living room and…put on a show for your little brother? Maybe?”
“That’s a good idea.” Hero smiles softly and turns to Omori. “Do you want to watch something? I bet you’re tired from traveling.”
Omori looked up at Hero, nodding. Hero’s smile widens just slightly.
“Right! Well, uh…I’ll lead the way?” Keith made a face at his own awkwardness, sighing as he walked through the hallway. Hero and Omori followed behind.
Once back in the living room Omori let go of Hero’s hand, rushing to sit down on the couch. He sat directly in the middle and stared blankly at the turned-off T.V. Hero glanced at Keith apologetically, but Keith just shook his head, smiling.
While Keith turned the T.V on, Hero walked to Omori’s side. “You comfortable?” Hero tilted his head. Omori sank further into the couch, lifting his feet up and wrapping his arms around his legs. Hero chuckled.
“Alright, I don’t really know what kids like to watch…? Eh, I’ll just give you the remote.” Keith turned around and walked toward Omori’s curled-up form. He went to hand the remote directly to Omori, but Hero took it instead. Keith opened his mouth, then closed it. He decided to brush it off.
One Hero gave him the remote, Omori started clicking rapidly, trying to find the show he wanted.
Keith stepped aside, glancing over Omori one last time before facing Hero. “I’ve already told my dad what’s going on, but…” Keith frowned. “This…is a lot worse than I thought it was.” He looked genuinely distressed.
“I guess I could explain a bit more about what happened...” Hero and Keith both went to the side of the room, outside of Omori’s earshot. “I just…I really don’t know where to start.”
“Yeah.” Keith crossed his arms, eyes drawing toward Hero’s hands. “I can tell it’s a bunch of shit. Seriously, though, what the hell happened to your brother? Like, the eyepatch is cool and all, but…fuck, man.”
“That’s…” Hero wavered, fidgeting with his fingers. “Well, it’s…this whole summer has been just the worst, honestly.” Hero frowned. “That’s putting it lightly.”
“You look exhausted.” Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair. “God…I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with this.” His expression was unsure, probably trying to find a way to comfort Hero.
Hero glanced away. “I’m really thankful that you and your dad are helping us. I don’t know what would’ve happened if I didn’t know you.”
“Again, it’s no problem.” Keith grinned weakly. “I would’ve gone to jail if not for you, so just treat this as me making it up to you.” He pat Hero’s shoulder firmly, and Hero managed a smile in return.
Keith looked back toward the couch. Omori was intently focused on the cartoon that was playing. “You parents…” His eyes narrowed. “Those fuckers deserve hell.”
Hero flinched, messing with his sleeves. Keith grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so direct. I just…I feel really bad for him. I know a good amount of people with shitty parents, so I just kind of expect the worst most of the time. Your situation is probably one of the worst I’ve seen.”
Hero’s eyes watered. “I…I really just don’t know why they…” Hero trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
Keith felt horrible for Hero. Everyone knew him as the nicest person on campus, who was always up to help and treated everyone equally. To see him struggling like this was awful. Keith felt so much hatred toward Hero’s parents, especially for what they did to Hero’s poor little brother. No wonder they had to run away–that level of abuse was unbearable.
“Well, you can stay here as long as you like. As you already know my dad knows a lot of people…that’s how I got info on that job. You still need to find an apartment, right? I don’t know how much you have saved up, but they’re pretty cheap around here. Ah, we also need to hook you up with a fake I.D. They’ve probably reported you missing already, so it might be good to also change up your appearance a bit.”
Keith hummed, moving his head back and forth. “I recommend at least dying your hair. That’s a pretty easy way to change your appearance. Honestly, as long as you just act like you belong and are confident, most people aren’t going to bat an eye.”
Once again, Keith looked toward the couch. “Sorry for the change of subject, but I need to ask before I forget. Uh, your brother is…really traumatized.” Keith grimaced at his own wording, feeling stupid for being so blunt. “Anyways, I don’t want to, like, upset him? Can you tell me what to avoid doing?”
“Oh.” Hero blinked a few times, before nodding. “He…has trouble with physical contact, so avoid getting too close to him.” Keith felt a pang in his chest, knowing exactly why that was the case. Poor kid. It definitely explained the weird interception earlier. “He also doesn’t really talk, or respond to people if they say his name. I mostly communicate for him. He used to have a notebook to draw in to express himself, but we left that behind.”
“I have an old book he could use,” Keith said. “I probably have some pencils around here somewhere too.”
“Ah, he would really appreciate that. If you have markers that would be preferable, though.” Hero smiled softly. Keith nodded along, feeling pleased to have been of help. He then paused, once again feeling like an idiot.
“I…just realized I never got your brother's name.” Keith laughed awkwardly, tugging on his hair.
“That’s my bad.” Hero shook his head. “His name is Max.”
“Cool, cool…” Keith shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket–his hoodie had the sleeves ripped off–and rocked forward and back. “Well, uh…do you…wanna meet my dad?”
“Of course.” Hero smiled brightly. Keith found himself smiling back, and led him into the kitchen.
…
Omori sat on the couch, hugging his legs close to his chest.
This…was all very strange.
He didn’t know where he was.
He didn’t know what was going on.
…
Omori closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
It was fine.
This was fine.
It was a little scary right now, but everything would be better soon.
…
Right?
****
The storm clouds rumbled outside, a torrent of rain coming down for what has now been hours on end.
Basil sat in his bed, a smile on his face. He looked around at all the stuff surrounding him and was pleased. It was a rare moment of joy. Basil held a book close to his chest, gripping it as if it was his lifeline.
He wasn’t really sure what day it was, but it didn’t matter. It was better not to think about how long it had been since Sunny went missing.
Basil immediately tensed, shivering and shaking his head.
“He’s lost…he’s just lost…” Basil whispered to himself, reaching out and grabbing hold of a familiar vest. He held it close and tried to ground himself–tried to pretend that Sunny was here with him.
Everything left behind by Sunny Basil obsessively collected, hoarding everything in his room despite Polly’s concerns. Basil wasn’t sure why she was so nosy. He was just keeping all of Sunny’s stuff safe for when he returned.
Was it because he had yelled at Aubrey a few days ago? Was that why Polly was annoying him about it? Basil frowned, moving to lay down in a curled-up position while still clutching the vest and book.
It’s not unreasonable that he yelled. After all, Aubrey was the one who made him show his notebook to Sunny, leading to him burning it. All of those memories he could’ve had right now were all gone forever, and Basil felt deep regret every time he thought of the ashes buried in his garden.
At least he still had his photo albums. He could still see Sunny’s face–see Sunny smiling at him.
Basil remained laid down, eyes distant as he smiled at the book in his hands. He also had Sunny’s sketchbook and could see some of their old conversations, as well as all of his drawings. Sometimes Basil would run his fingers over the pages, remembering the moments in which the markings were made.
His memories were all he had right now, but that was okay. Once Sunny came back, they could make more. It was going to be great. Sunny would be so proud of him for waiting patiently.
Basil’s eyes slowly closed, and he soon drifted off to sleep, breathing softly as the rain pattered against his window.
…
Outside of his room, Polly sat in the hallway, head in her hands. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her shoulders gently shook.
She knew she should tell him–she knew she should have Basil snap out of the delusion that Sunny was coming back. But she couldn’t. She was terrified of what would happen next.
Although the two hadn’t been found and the missing reports were still out, Polly didn’t have much hope that the two were alive, no matter how much it crushed her to think that way.
Hero’s confession note was burned into her mind, the horror she felt in that moment ingrained into her soul. The realization as to why Kel and Sunny came to stay with them was beyond anything she could’ve imagined–and so many things became clear.
Clear enough that she wanted to wipe it from her memory.
But she couldn’t.
...
Sunny was a good kid. The fact he was willing to be friends with Basil after finding out about his more questionable actions made her feel indebted to him, as without his support, Basil probably wouldn’t have worked so hard to get better.
Sunny was a good kid, one who would’ve had a bright future ahead of him.
Polly took a shaky breath, biting her lip.
She too wished to believe that they had just run away. But they both left everything behind–phone, wallet, anything that would be important to a person remained.
Most of all, Hero’s note was damning. The guilt from what he had done…she wasn’t sure she could handle it either. She could almost feel pity, if not for the horrible fact that Sunny–
That realization crushed her hope. That realization made Hero’s parents lose hope. The realization made Aubrey lose hope.
It was one thing for someone to give up–it was another for them to bring someone down with them.
Polly tried to hold it together, but she couldn’t. She tried to be strong for Basil and Aubrey, tried to at least smile and maybe help them cope…
But instead, she sat here outside Basil’s door, unable to bring him back to reality.
She just cried to herself pathetically, mourning for a child she never had the chance to truly know.
****
It was late. Maybe. It didn’t really matter much.
Aubrey laid still, a disheveled mess, staring at the plate of food placed on the desk by the bed. She glanced away, feeling sick to her stomach at the thought of eating.
Polly might get sad again, but Aubrey couldn’t bring herself to care.
She couldn’t bring herself to care about anything.
Aubrey hugged her old stuffed eggplant to her chest, thoughts incoherently flowing through her mind. She felt nothing at all. It was like she was a ghost possessing her own body. The world she perceived was logically real, but the inability to recognize completely what was around her made it hard to believe she was lucid.
She spent more time asleep than awake, finding comfort in the nothingness provided by rest. Maybe one day she would really open her eyes.
But not today.
Sometimes, in the short pockets of time where she was momentarily grounded, she could think about what was going on and think about what had happened.
...She hated those moments the most.
She was absolutely despondent. She felt jealous of Basil, who could happily live in a delusion that Sunny was fine–that he was just moments away from returning. But Aubrey wasn’t someone who could believe in such pretty lies.
It was clear. It was written out. It was a confession so disgusting that any desire to believe in Hero was gone. Maybe at some point, forgiving Hero for what he had done could have been possible. Even his final decision to give up…could eventually be understood, and they could all move past it.
But Hero just had to take Sunny with him.
Sunny…he still hadn’t recovered completely, had he? Did he ever truly forgive himself? They all wanted to believe so. They all wanted to look past Sunny’s consistently self-destructive behavior and thoughts and just believe that he cared for himself like they all wanted him to. It was hope–
And hope was poisonous. That was clear now.
It was almost funny. Once again, a recital marked the moment that her life changed irreversibly. A morning of excitement being overtaken by dread–by disbelief–by the damning realization that nothing would ever be okay again–
Aubrey felt tears welling in her eyes, and for a moment, she could feel a deep, inconceivable sadness. She tried to find some reprieve from the misery, thinking that Sunny was probably happier now–thinking that Sunny was with Mari–
But all it served to do was make her sink further into bed, wondering why the people she cared about would always be taken away from her.
This…was so much worse than Mari’s death.
Because she actually could have prevented this. Basil was right.
Aubrey was the one who advocated for Sunny, saying that it would be good for him to be alone. No matter how nervous Basil was about it, she merely chalked it up to paranoia. After all, Basil was just being needlessly anxious, right?
It was a guilt that suffocated her. If she had been there, if Basil had been there, this all wouldn’t have happened.
Basil deserved to yell at her and blame her. It was her fault. If only she hadn’t been so hard-headed and self-righteous, then Sunny would still be around.
...
Grieving for Hero was…hard.
How was she supposed to feel!? Hero got Sunny to relapse back into the mindset he was in earlier this summer, and Omori was proof of that.
Why didn’t they worry more about Omori?
Whether the note was made by Sunny or Omori, they didn’t know for sure. But the fact remained that it was written.
…
So why couldn’t she be angry?
Aubrey wanted to be angry again, just like she was when Mari died–just like she was all this summer. That fiery rage gave her agency and made her continue moving, even if it was out of spite.
Yet, besides the random bouts of sadness, there was nothing at all.
She felt empty. The fire lit inside of her had burned everything up, and now there was nothing left.
She was miserable.
And she doubted she would ever feel anything else again.
****
His parents would panic once they noticed he was gone, but Kel didn’t really care. Not after what they’ve done. Not after they hid Hero’s actions from the police to protect what was left of his name.
Maybe by not telling others, they thought they could convince themselves it was all a lie. But it wasn’t. And now, everyone would continue to see Hero as just a poor soul who succumbed to his inner demons, and not the monster he really was.
Kel felt himself shivering, the ongoing storm leaving him completely soaked. In a way it felt nice–it was a momentary distraction from the thoughts in his head.
Kel looked up at the sky, at the dark clouds covering the sun, and thought it was fitting. He took a deep breath, and standing on the dock at their group's old hangout spot, yelled as loudly as he could.
The sound tore from his throat, vocal cords straining as he hunched over. The rain hid any tears that would be visible on his face.
He’d felt suffocated at home, staying in that partially trashed room.
“Kel! Kel, stop!”
Kel ignored his dad, tearing Hero’s medals from the wall. His dad tried to restrain him but was still exhausted from the emotional toll of everything. And, due to his blind rage, Kel was stronger than his dad.
“Kel!”
Until the room was unrecognizable, Kel refused to stop.
It was a little funny.
Kel had never been one to be angry, but this summer he experienced that emotion to a deep extent. Even so, no matter how angry he got, he felt like he could handle it. He always had his emotions under control–he could understand and cope with them, and choose to be optimistic and move past them.
Now, though…
Kel’s loud yell tapered off, his voice breaking as he finally came to a stop. He tried to do it again, to get the heavy weight off of his chest–
But not a sound came out. Kel heaved for air, every breath catching in his throat.
At least momentarily, his fury drowned out everything else.
…
It was all more than he could handle.
The happiness that he had a few days ago–where he felt that everything was finally getting better, that his brother was finally coming back…
It was a lie. That warm hope, that feeling that everything would be okay…
It was all just a façade.
And it was cruel. It was so cruel.
Kel stared down into the water, his reflection distorted by the rain.
“How…how is it fair?” Kel’s voice cracked, tinged with disbelief. “Why does this keep happening?”
His only response was the rumbling of thunder, the night air bringing a further chill.
“It’s not fair…it’s not fair…” Kel clenched his hands into fists, suppressing a hiccup. “Why do you ruin everything? Why are you so SELFISH!?”
The desired recipient wasn’t present, but it didn’t matter. Every ounce of loathing in his body and mind needed to be released in one way or another.
But he couldn’t keep talking.
He was tired.
He was so tired.
All Kel did for years was grip onto a positive and optimistic mindset, working to be happy and working to make the people around him happy. And it failed. Whatever good he thought he was doing was laughable in principle, because it all meant nothing.
The events of this summer played through his head so many times that he wondered if he could even trust their accuracy anymore. Remembering everything over and over…it left him thinking that his perceptions had written over how the events actually unfolded.
But at least Kel could be certain of one thing.
It was all Hero’s fault.
Hero spoke to Sunny that day and said things overwhelming enough that Omori had to take Sunny’s place.
Hero pretended to show actual promise in getting better, smiling and acting like the person they had all missed.
And Kel hated him for it.
How could he do that?
This rage…
Kel looked up again, letting the rain pelt his face. He sniffled, taking a shuddering breath. “Sunny…” Kel brought his hands to his eyes. “I was supposed to protect you…I should’ve been there…”
All of the things Kel was never brave enough to say…
All of the things he never got to do…
After four years of waiting…
…
Kel looked down at the water.
…
He leaned forward, eyes vacant.
…
He lifted a leg–
“No.”
Kel bit down on his tongue, snapping himself out of it.
“He’s alive.”
Kel affirmed that fact. It was hard to consistently believe, considering everyone else around him had already given up.
But Kel knew Hero. Maybe not completely, but after being around him this summer, after hearing his delusional ramblings–his apologies–his desperation–
Hero wouldn’t allow Sunny to die. Kel firmly believed that.
Those notes–they had to be fake. If not Hero’s, then at least Sunny’s was. It had to be. None of it made sense. Sunny knows that everyone cares about him, and how upset everyone would be if he was gone. Sunny was kind–if not a bit self–sacrificing. Whether it be because of guilt or just his desire to help others, Kel wasn’t completely sure.
But, Basil was right. Sunny wouldn’t do that.
…
Hero ran away. Hero took Sunny with him, somehow managing to manipulate Sunny into leaving everything behind. Kel wasn’t sure how they would manage running away, considering they left everything behind–Hero even left behind his wallet. That was actually a big reason why the police believed them to be–
Kel took a deep breath. Then another. He continued to slowly breathe in and out, eyes slowly closing. He focused on the feeling of rain on his body, trying to control his thoughts. He didn’t want to suppress anything–it’s not like he could, anyways–but right now, he needed to focus on the possible future.
They would be found.
Kel couldn’t say that he felt hope–he’s not sure if he could ever feel that emotion again.
But right now, he would sit in his anger. He refused to be afraid.
Kel wasn’t his brother.
He would never be his brother.
...
Kel would do what Hero couldn’t.
Kel wouldn't give up.
Sunny was out there, alive. And so was Hero. Even if everyone else believed they were already dead, he would never stop searching.
Kel was going to find them.
…
No matter how long it took.
****
Sunny woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. After a brief moment of panicked confusion, he received a bunch of blurry memories. He sat up in bed, feeling extremely disoriented. He moved his body around, yet the movements were sluggish.
How…long had he been gone?
Sunny tried to focus on Omori’s memories, but it was like there was a fog clouding them. What’s going on? Sunny used his arms to steady himself, and as he went to get off of the bed, he noticed a cat plushy.
…Okay? Sunny’s head throbbed. He lifted himself up, feeling especially heavy. Maybe it was due to him being in headspace for too long. Sunny waited until he was more steady before looking more clearly around the room.
Besides the cat plushy on the bed, there was a sketchbook with a pencil case next to it. Sunny blinked, walking over to it and opening the book. It was clearly Omori’s drawings, consisting mostly of the colorful iterations of his friends and random monsters. Sunny flicked through more pages.
It was pretty full.
Sunny blinked, coming across a page that was scribbled out. As he looked closer, he also saw signs of pages being ripped out. Sunny assumed that Omori didn’t like the drawings and tore them out. But, Omori didn’t do that often…
And there were a lot of ripped pages.
Sunny decided to stop thinking about it–in a way that almost seemed like habit. Not thinking about things, not questioning things…he felt compelled to do so.
Which was odd.
Sunny felt that nothing else really stood out in the room, and decided to leave. He opened the door and stepped out into an open area. It was a decently sized room, with what seemed to be a living area and kitchen close next to each other with a small dining room table in-between. Sunny glanced to the side and saw two doors next to his.
He opened the one right beside him and found that it was a small bathroom. He glanced inside briefly, and saw his own reflection. He honestly appeared a lot healthier, no longer the malnourished looking zombie he was before. Well, besides the fact that he was still incredibly pale and...kind of sickly looking.
Sunny decided to move onto the next room, opening the door.
Looks like another bedroom. Sunny peered inside but didn’t see anything particularly interesting. He closed the door and walked around aimlessly, looking around for some kind of clock or calendar. Or maybe a phone. Anything so he could figure out the time.
Sunny felt another sharp pain in his head and was momentarily dizzy. His brows furrowed, and with a strange annoyance, pushed back. The feeling went away, and Sunny blinked rapidly.
That…was that Omori? Why was he trying to come out? Sunny just woke up, and he wasn’t even stressed. He was more confused than anything–and now he was even more perplexed. Why was Omori trying to take control so quickly?
At that thought, a sudden spike of fear overwhelmed him. A multitude of memories became clear for a painfully terrifying moment. Memories of him waking up for brief moments–memories of Omori constantly taking control back, preventing Sunny from being conscious–why–?
And as soon as they came up, the fog reclaimed the images in his mind. Suddenly, he couldn’t remember a thing. He went straight back to his confusion, forgetting the moment entirely.
Sunny found himself walking into the kitchen area, still randomly looking around. He then noticed the window and decided to check the time that way. He walked over to it and opened the drapes.
The sun’s going down.
Ah, Hero should be back soon then.
…
Why did he know that? Were Omori’s memories finally becoming clear? Sunny focused again, closing his eye.
...Nothing.
Sunny sighed, and decided to just go sit on the couch. He felt antsy, probably because he had no clue where he was. He assumed it was Hero’s apartment–the one close to his college. If that’s the case, then it’s not terribly far from Faraway.
As he was about to sit down, though, the front door suddenly clicked, and a figure entered the room. Sunny’s eye widened just slightly, and as the person looked around, their eyes locked with Sunny’s.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Hero smiled, holding a small bag of bread. “I got you those croissants you really like. We had a lot leftover today…plus, Margaret kind of snuck some into my bag. You know how she is, always worrying a bunch.”
Sunny stared at Hero blankly, standing stupidly. Hero’s smile slowly dropped, brows furrowing in concern. “Did something happen? Did you have a nightmare again?” Hero quickly set the bag on the counter and drew closer. “Omori–” Hero stopped in his tracks.
Sunny continued to stare at Hero, unsure of how to react. Hero looked mostly the same but had a few small differences. Most noticeably, Hero’s hair was black. When did he dye it? His ears were pierced now too.
“Sunny…?” Hero spoke carefully, reaching out a hand. “Is…is that you?”
“Y–Yeah?” Sunny’s voice cracked harshly, and he recoiled. Why did it feel so weird to talk?
Hero’s eyes watered and he rushed forward without warning, pulling Sunny into a tight hug. Sunny made a sound of surprise, trying to move but unable to. Hero’s hands trembled as he ran them through Sunny’s hair, pulling Sunny’s head into his shoulder.
“I was so worried.” Hero whispered, as if afraid of scaring Sunny. “You–you were gone for so long that I–I thought maybe it was for good–”
Sunny felt his mind spinning. “How...long?” Sunny’s voice strained uncomfortably.
“It’s been–” Hero cut himself off. “It’s been a long time.” Hero’s grip tightened, and Sunny squirmed. Hero loosened his hold, backing up a bit to look more closely at Sunny. He smiled, wiping the remaining tears in his eyes. “I’m so glad. I’m so, so glad. Do…do you remember anything? You get Omori’s memories, right?”
“Nothing.” Sunny frowned. Hero’s eyes widened.
“Nothing at all…?” Hero’s stare was a bit uncomfortable. Sunny shook his head. He really didn’t remember a thing.
“Day…before recital…”
“That’s your last memory?” Hero hid his mouth with his hand, glancing away briefly. It was then Sunny noticed that Hero’s hands weren’t wrapped, and neither were his arms. There were strangely shaped scars in place of what used to be fresh wounds. Seeing that, Sunny felt a pit in his stomach.
“How…long…!” Sunny reached out, desperately clutching Hero’s shirt. Hero started to gently hush him, pulling him back into a warm embrace.
“It’s probably really scary, right? Waking up somewhere unfamiliar, not knowing how much time has passed…” Hero comforted him using a quiet, soothing tone. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here for you, so you don’t have to be scared…”
Sunny opened his mouth again, trying to speak, but all that came out was inaudible whispering. Sunny was so confused. He felt like he was going to go crazy. Why did Omori stay in control for so long? This–this can’t be right!
His head throbbed, causing him to let out an audible groan of pain. Hero immediately pulled back. “What’s wrong?” Hero looked way too panicked. Sunny held his head, once again pushing back the sudden onset of dizziness. “A headache?” Hero first helped Sunny onto the couch, before rushing into the bathroom. He came out with a bottle of painkillers.
Hero went to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of water, as well as taking one of the croissants out of the bag. He returned to Sunny’s side, first handing him the water and medicine. Sunny swallowed the pill, and Hero smiled. “Good job.” Hero praised earnestly, handing Sunny the croissant. “Make sure to eat this, okay? Painkillers on an empty stomach can make you nauseous.”
Sunny nodded, nibbling on the bread. Hero sat next to him, frequently glancing at him as if to make sure he was still there. He made sure to keep quiet, not wanting to make Sunny’s headache any worse. After a few moments, he started to pet Sunny’s head rhythmically.
After taking his last bite, Sunny stood up. Hero quickly followed. “Do you want to do something? Is your head still hurting? Do you need anything? I…I was going to make some dinner, is there something specific you want?”
Sunny couldn’t really answer the onslaught of questions. Hero seemed to notice that. “Right, I’ll go get you your sketchbook. Don’t move.” Hero said the last part sternly, before making his way to Sunny’s room.
Sunny waited patiently, not questioning a thing. As he stood, though, he became puzzled. He was doing certain things instinctively–but he doesn’t ever remember having these habits before. It can't be muscle memory since it’s mental. Maybe it’s because of Omori. Even if he can’t recall anything, Omori’s memories were still in his subconscious, right?
Once again, Sunny tried to search his mind. He ignored the pain of doing so, feeling a desperate need to find answers.
Something was wrong.
“Here you go.” Hero had returned. He handed the sketchbook to Sunny as well as a marker. Sunny flipped open the sketchbook, going to a new page. He noticed belatedly that there were no words on any of the pages, and knowing that his throat strained from lack of use, he questioned how Omori had been communicating.
‘Exactly how long has it been?’
Sunny lifted the paper. Hero tilted his head. “I already answered that. Do you have any other questions?”
Sunny frowned. Hero hadn’t answered that question. He’d only said that it’d been a long time. Sunny pointed to the page, tapping it repeatedly. Hero’s expression fell into one of concern. “Are you alright, Sunny? Do you not remember me just telling you that? That can’t be good. Maybe being gone for so long has affected you...”
Sunny shook his head. He knows Hero hasn’t answered the question. Sunny continued to tap the page, feeling his eye watering in frustration. Hero got closer to him, expression sad. “Oh Sunny…I imagine this is really stressful for you. Your memory is really messed up right now, isn’t it?” His voice was full of pity as he gazed at Sunny with concern. “Do you want to lie down?”
Hero didn’t answer the question…right? Sunny felt confused. Was his memory really that bad? Was he forgetting things that had just happened? Sunny clutched the sketchbook tightly, the thought terrifying him.
Hero gently guided him toward the couch, continuing to say comforting words.
All of a sudden, Sunny felt shivers down his spine.
What…what was going on?
Why was Omori blocking his memories?
Why was Omori constantly trying to take back control?
This…This was all…
His friends!
Sunny opened his sketchbook and scribbled out the question, despite his mind drifting with each word he wrote.
‘How is everyone? Can we go back to Faraway soon?’
Sunny lifted the book, and Hero’s expression became strange. “What are you talking about?”
Sunny shook his head rapidly, preventing Omori from coming to the forefront. A loud buzzing was rising in volume in the back of his mind, and soon, Sunny began to realize that it wasn’t buzzing.
It was Omori screaming at him.
‘I want to see everyone again. I miss them.’
Sunny’s hands trembled as he lifted the page, and Sunny felt incredibly weak as he looked up at Hero. Sunny couldn’t look away this time, wanting to stand his ground. But, Hero’s expression was terrifying.
“Sunny…” Hero’s lips pulled into something like a smile. “Don’t be silly. You know we can’t do that.”
Once more, Sunny scrawled out words. His handwriting was barely legible at this point. He felt like his own hands were fighting against him. His body was shutting down, trying to prevent him from continuing. His mind was repeating a sentence endlessly–
Don’t ask questions.
Sunny turned the sketchbook toward Hero once more, ignoring those intruding thoughts.
‘Why not?’
Sunny changed his mind. He may have said yes that day before the recital–but he takes it back. He doesn’t feel safe around Hero. He wants to go home.
“Don’t you know, Sunny?” Hero said lightly. “They think we’re dead.”
…Huh?
“We both wrote notes. Well, me and Omori did…”
What?
“You didn’t think we could just run away, did you?”
He’s…joking, right?
“It was the only way for us to live peacefully.”
It...wasn’t funny...
“You agreed to it, right? That’s why you said yes that day. You knew this would happen. I gave you the chance to leave, but you refused. So you have no reason to be upset about it now.”
No, this...this can’t be right...
“You know, Omori asked the same question a long time ago. But, he understood why this had to happen. Now you just need to understand too. And I know you will! Because you're always so understanding.”
Sunny fell to his knees, dropping the sketchbook unceremoniously. Hero quickly crouched down next to him, gently rubbing Sunny’s back as he heaved for air. Sunny couldn’t think straight, pulling at his hair as the information began setting in.
And the memories–
All his memories were flooding back.
The note–
I’m sorry.
I’m so sorry.
Everything is just too hard. I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough.
I love you all so much. Thank you for being my friends.
Goodbye.
That was a suicide note, wasn’t it!? Hero tricked him! Hero tricked Omori into writing that! He didn’t want to do that!
“Don’t worry, we won’t be staying here much longer.” Hero smiled, and Omori tilted his head in confusion. He didn’t mind staying here at all. Keith was nice to him, and so was his dad. Why did they have to leave so quickly?
“Stay…?” Omori held the blanket close to his chest, staring curiously at Hero. Hero’s expression shifted into something else, eyes narrowing slightly.
“You’re just a bit confused. You don’t really like it here, I know that. That’s why we’re leaving as soon as we can.”
“But–”
“Omori. No.” Hero cracked. Omori recoiled, eye wide as he stared at him. Hero softened. “I’m sorry for snapping.” He pulled Omori into a hug. “I just got a bit worried...I...I thought for a moment that you wanted to leave me, but that’s ridiculous, right? You would never do that.”
Omori forced himself to nod, disliking the new feelings in his chest. He didn’t know what it meant–he didn’t know why he felt this way.
He just knew he didn’t want to upset Hero again.
They stayed somewhere else? When did that happen? Keith–Keith was–someone who was really nice–
“See you around, kid. You can come visit anytime, alright?” Keith reached out a hand to ruffle Omori’s hair, before freezing in place, quickly pulling back. Omori tilted his head in confusion but didn’t have time to question it as Hero pulled him away toward a taxi.
Right, they only stayed for a little while. And then they moved here? Right–and Hero had a job, while Omori–
“It’s better for you to stay inside. You’ve got everything you need here.” Hero adjusted his own hair in the mirror, pleased with the new color. Omori frowned, noticing a strange hollow feeling in his chest at the idea of staying inside.
“I…don’t want…to stay…” Omori pursed his lips, clenching his fists. Hero paused, eyes shifting to stare at Omori.
“Well, you’re really recognizable, Omori. An eyepatch is too distinct of a feature. We’ll get found if you go out.”
“But…you go…”
“That’s different. I changed my hair, see? Plus, what will you even do outside? Just stay at home while I work. Isn’t it much better here? You can have fun all day without worrying about anything.”
“I…”
“Oh, is it because you're lonely? I won’t be gone for long, okay? I’ll come back before it gets dark. Here, I’ll even bring you a treat, how about that?”
Omori found himself nodding along, not noticing that his eye was watering. Hero smiled brightly, patting Omori’s head.
“I’ll be back soon, okay?"
Before leaving, Hero prepared Omori breakfast, leaving a cup of orange juice next to a stack of pancakes. He waited for Omori to take his first bite before saying goodbye again, reminding Omori to finish all of his food.
As Omori ate and drank the weird-tasting orange juice, he trembled. Omori quickly finished his meal and stumbled toward his room, managing to make it to his bed before passing out. The sudden exhaustion...
Something was wrong.
Inside.
He’d…been inside.
Sleeping.
Just like he had for four years–no...it was different this time. Omori didn’t want to sleep–
Omori stared at the front door, having finally gathered the courage to rebel against Hero’s words. He also made sure not to eat breakfast. He didn’t want to fall asleep right now. Hopefully Hero wouldn’t check the trash can when he got home...
Omori was a little scared to go out, especially considering he didn’t know where he was. But he couldn’t stay here anymore. He needed some fresh air.
He didn’t want to get used to being inside all of the time.
Omori put his hand on the doorknob, and with a deep breath, turned it.
…
It…it’s not opening?
Why isn’t it opening?
Omori’s breathing started to pick up as he started to pull on the door more violently. At some point, he began kicking at it, desperately trying to get it open.
But no matter how hard he tried, the door remained shut.
He was locked inside.
He banged on the door for what felt like hours, crying loudly and hoping someone would come to get him.
But he remained locked inside.
He was trapped.
Omori fell to his knees and wailed.
Why was he crying?
Why was he able to cry?
This…this was all wrong…
It was horrifying. Sunny felt tears streaming down his face as Hero continued to console him, holding him tightly.
“Don’t be silly, Omori. We can’t visit anyone. We’re already dead to them.”
Omori was afraid.
“How about I order some pizza for dinner to make you feel better? It seems like you’ve had a stressful day.”
Omori held his head, still not used to experiencing all of these emotions. To keep Sunny in headspace he’d been taking on everything. And it was hard. It was horrible. He was confused and disoriented and terrified.
He couldn’t let Sunny see this.
This was all too scary.
He had to protect Sunny from this.
That’s–that’s why–
That’s why Omori kept trying to take control.
Omori didn’t want him to find out.
But now he knew.
And…
"You haven't been talking much recently...or writing anything." Hero frowned. "Is everything okay?
Omori tensed, gripping his sketchbook tightly. He didn’t want Hero to look through it again. Last time, Hero got really upset. And…
Omori nodded rapidly, and Hero's expression eased.
"I'm glad. I was really worried!"
Omori didn't know how long he had been here. Being asleep most of the time ruined his sense of time–and he usually felt sluggish even in the times that he did get to be awake, unable to think straight and piece together a timeline.
But he knew it was a long time.
Hopefully, he would find a way out before Sunny had to come back.
His friends...probably missed him a lot...
Sunny curled up into a ball. His friends thought he was dead…that was far beyond any nightmare that his mind could’ve come up with. He hadn’t meant to say goodbye so permanently–he thought he would be returning to Faraway at some point.
He thought everyone would know he was okay.
But they don’t.
They think he’s dead.
They think he killed himself.
Sunny sobbed, hiccupping loudly as he gripped Hero’s shirt.
Were they all sad?
What would Aubrey think?
What would Kel think?
What would Basil think?
“You’re alright, you’re alright…” Hero murmured, trying to ease Sunny’s panic. “I’ve got you…it’s going to be okay…”
Sunny shook his head. Nothing was okay. Nothing would ever be okay. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to do.
“I know you’re sad right now, but after a little while, you won’t be sad anymore, okay? It’s so much better here. Omori thinks so too. You’re just really overwhelmed right now, and probably need a good night’s rest.”
“No…!” Sunny tried to get up, but Hero wouldn’t let him. Sunny cried more, not wanting to be near him anymore. He was scared. He wanted to go home. He–he wanted Kel’s parents. He wanted Polly. He wanted Kel, Aubrey, and Basil. He wanted Mari. He missed them. He missed them all so much.
“Shh…” Hero gently rocked him back and forth. “It’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay…”
It’s not.
It’s not!
Why…why was this happening?
Was it really all his fault?
He said yes, but–he thought things would be different!
He didn’t know about this!
He didn’t know everyone would think he was dead!
He didn’t know he could never go home!
He wanted to go home!
Sunny covered his face, trying to curl up as much as he could. He was shaking to an alarming extent, unable to come back from his panic.
Soon, though, a fog began to return. The fog that he vehemently rejected before was now welcomed, perceived as more warm and comforting. It enveloped his mind in a kind embrace and began to blur out all of the things that were causing him distress.
Omori still wasn’t coming to the forefront, probably exhausted from being out for so long. But it didn’t matter. Sunny felt his mind become more and more cloudy and soon, his tears stopped, and the suffocating emotions were now muffled, unrecognizable.
“Feeling better?” Hero asked quietly, searching Sunny’s expression. Sunny nodded slowly, brows furrowing slightly in confusion.
Why had he been so upset?
“Do you want to go lie down?”
Sunny nodded, eye drooping. Hero smiled softly, picking Sunny up and carrying him to his room. He gently laid Sunny down on the bed, before grabbing the cat plushy and placing it in Sunny’s arms. Sunny cuddled into it while Hero lifted a blanket over him.
“I’ll come to get you when dinner’s ready, okay?” Hero got Sunny all tucked in, before stepping back. Sunny nodded and watched Hero leave the room. Hero turned the light off but left the door open.
Sunny blinked slowly, before fully closing his eye.
He was really tired.
And…he liked sleeping.
His friends were in his dreams.
…Why…weren’t they outside of his dreams…?
Oh, because…
…
Sunny didn’t mind it.
He was pretty forgetful.
All that mattered was that he was going to have a nice rest, and then a tasty dinner.
Sunny hugged the plushy close and soon drifted off to sleep.
The buzzing in his mind faded.
…
Hero looked back into Sunny’s room with an unreadable expression.
He was glad it worked out.
Seems like Sunny accepted the situation easily. Hero had been really worried about things going wrong and having to do something more drastic, but it looks like he was worried for nothing. Of course Sunny wouldn’t be angry–he was too nice and understanding.
Hero smiled, feeling like everything was finally in place. He was happy, and he was finally fulfilling his promise to Mari. He was a good person once again.
It took a while to get here, but it was all worth it. Every lie he told further stabilized his future, and now, his life was perfect. Sure, he sometimes missed his family, but–
That was all blocked out. He had something else to focus all of his attention on now. His new family. His little brother.
At the back of his mind was a tinge of anxiety, wondering what would happen if he was found–
But, that wasn’t going to happen. Hero made sure of that.
...
Mari would be so proud of him for coming this far, and for moving on from the past.
The suffering he experienced was all worth it.
Things were finally better.
He was finally better.
Hero smiled, gathering ingredients for dinner.
…
This was happiness.