In the hallways of a certain hospital, is a girl with long blonde hair that covers her entire back, running desperately and breathing heavily, passing through each closed door that never responds to her calls, each closed door bringing more heavy breath the more she takes her step every second, and each step making loud thuds enough to be heard in miles, and sweats that falls down her face like traces of waterfall. Every room is closed, clearly no response to her call, until she runs past one room that has its door opened… for her to go in and try to fix everything that was at fault.
Inside that room, is a dying remnant of her memory—another girl, yet no hair flows in her head, restrained from freedom of speech with a rebreather mask, and a skin so pale it represents death in its coming, as it turns slowly to the girl who just entered her room…
Trizha: "Wyne!"
…Trizha shouted, her voice loud and clear. Expecting for at least anyone to be standing before her in that empty path of the mirror maze house. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone who dared stare back to her purple eyes, as all there were simple walls that reflected each other with the mirror they held tightly. Noticing nothing, Trizha brushes off some of the sweats from her face, sighing deeply and near exhaustion as she left to right just to double-check.
Trizha: "Geez, I could've sworn Wyne was there… it's probably just my imagination."
Trizha says to herself, making another double check before deciding to make a continuation of her journey to find her friends on the way. Meanwhile, at the other side of the empty path, is Nomoro emerging out of it. While Trizha didn't see him, Nomoro saw her thanks to her shout. If he isn't wrong, Trizha went to the left next to the other side of this path, so he went to chase after her, having both of the intentions of leading her back where her friends actually are, and… to finish their conflict first.
———
Somewhere at the west side of the park, is a waiting center room made solely for lost individuals. Inside is Wyne, nervously walking in circles and biting her index finger hardly as she waits for anyone familiar to enter the center. It's been fifteen minutes since Margaret left her to confront Nomoro and after doing exactly that. Suddenly, a soft knock appears in the door which startled Wyne for a second before rushing towards it with a face full of expectations, opening it fast and desperate, hoping it is 'whoever' and not 'someone'.
Wyne: "Trizha!"
Wyne shouts as she looks desperately to the person in front of her. Seeing whoever is in front of her, she sighs in relief, realizing that it is Margaret who entered. However, Margaret had a gloomy look on her after what happened minutes ago.
Wyne: "Oh Margaret, it's you… wait, where's Trizha? Also, have you seen Zack yet?"
Margaret: "...Trizha's not with you?"
Wyne: "Yeah… so, is Zack with you?"
Margaret: "He is right behind me, I think…"
Wyne looks back behind Margaret, but she sees none. No one was following Margaret. She turns back to Margaret, wanting to remind her that Zackier wasn't there, but not until she saw her gloomy expression.
Wyne: "Margaret…? What happened to you?"
Margaret: "it-it's nothing… I'm just, just a bit tired trying to get here…"
Wyne: "I see, go sit down. I'll go find Trizha by myself."
Margaret nods gently and silently, as she walks past Wyne to go and find herself to sit. She wasn't really tired, just exhausted after enduring so much for minutes that seemed forever for her. Meanwhile, Wyne storms out of the waiting center to go and search for Trizha, unaware of the fact that she just entered the Mirror maze house not so long ago.
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"Margaret!?"
Trizha shouts yet again as she forces a person to turn around and look at her, thinking it was Margaret because of their hair. But no, it was just another female student who just looked like Margaret from behind. They glared at Trizha for forcing her to turn around like that.
Female Student: "How dare you??"
Trizha's eyes widened in surprise as she immediately let go of her with her hands up in the air in surrender, with some of the female student's friends laughing and giggling at Trizha.
Trizha: "S-sorry, wrong person!"
Trizha immediately storms off, trying to hide her embarrassment, muttering "damn it, damn it, damn it" in her mind as she couldn't hide her embarrassment. And before those girls knew it, Trizha was already gone. Suddenly, a voice speaks from behind them a gentle, deep voice that is accompanied with a sense of danger… well, in their opinions.
???: "Uhm, hello… Did you guys see someone with blonde hair just run past you guys?"
Female student: "Uh, yeah. She went that way just now–"
The female student makes a dramatic pause as she turns around and realizes that in front of her… was Nomoro, the so-called demon of the school. Fear instantly forms in the faces of the group of girls, as they begin to slowly take one step backwards without saying a word of response for Nomoro. Lucky enough for them, Nomoro just gives them a face of silent "It's fine" before walking past the group to continue to find Trizha.
Nomoro: "It's fine…"
Nomoro says softly, before running past the group of girls to continue chasing Trizha, his face shows the determination to end their conflict, even if it means being judged by others along the way.
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One backs away from others, and the other is backed away by others. Last time, both Trizha and Nomoro went their 'own' separate ways, with Trizha having to deal with others and Nomoro having to deal with himself. But now, it's the other way around. Trizha is trying to isolate herself but fails, and Nomoro is trying to connect with others but also fails. Yet still different, with both of their motives having only replaced one another.
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But while the motives have been replaced, the similarities didn't. They still have the goal to apologize to one another. The focus was previously on Trizha, and now onto Nomoro.
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And previously… only two people had a story. But now, more have to come:
Margaret is isolating herself for now in the waiting center, trying to calm herself just so that her friends won't mind her vulnerability, just like how she tried to perfect herself just so that society will stop judging her.
———
Wyne tries to search for Trizha so that the three of them are together once more, doing it while running in the crowded area filled with individuals who have already done the same. It's ironic, because their friends are ending while others just started.
———
Nomoro tried to reach up to Trizha when no one had done the same. But to him, that is fine. This is his problem, and he will have no problem trying to fix it for the better.
———
And then… Trizha. Compared to those stories, she had all of them combined. Yet, she isn't aware; She wants to isolate herself and calm herself down before going out as perfect because she felt embarrassed, like Margaret. She wants to go back to her friends to spend their last time together, like Wyne. And she wants to fix everything by herself because of the mistakes she made, like Nomoro.
So… what is her main motivation right now? Well, if anything, it is mixed. Whichever comes to her first, becomes the last serve.
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Trizha runs, ignoring the reflections that follow her most of the time like a hundred men going into a battlefield that god knows when they die. In the path she has stepped are the paths that were previously stepped by many of the individuals in the path, the many that have chosen their very own path and legacy, the many that have moved on after everything. And now… it is her turn. Her turn, to choose her own path between the three existing motivations she has deep inside. Yet that might only happen if they came first before the other. But still… She holds the responsibility and the right of choice.
Trizha runs and runs, until she eventually finds a wider path which then leads to a public restroom. Trizha's eyes would then widen in hope as a wide grin of relief forms in her face, her steps becoming slower the closer she gets to that public restroom. After all, she needs to 'flush' away those embarrassments moments ago and relieve herself so that she can continue going out there with a smile.
She walks into the restroom, opening the door slowly, hoping no one is in it. But hey, this is a public restroom… of course there's someone in it; the people inside turn to Trizha the moment they enter, wondering why she seemed nervous to enter when it is fine unless she goes to the boy's restroom…
Trizha: "H-hi…"
Student 1: "Uhm… you can come in…?"
Trizha: "No, no thank you…"
Alas. She was too embarrassed to go in, so she decided to slowly close the door in front of her and make her leave slowly and avoid making any unnecessary noise that could worsen her already worse situation. The last thing she expected is only less or no people at all in the bathroom. Sadly, she has to accept the fact that this is a "Public" restroom to begin with.
At the same time, Nomoro notices her and then turns to the bathroom. He thinks she just recently went there to clean herself up from the bottom before taking her leave, but that's probably not the case because she seemed embarrassed. Though he just decided to shrug that thought off and went along to keep following her until she finally started paying attention to him.
———
Trizha then keeps running around, her own reflection still following her movements and existence, calling out either Margaret's or Wyne's names if they are around, though her voice is quieter than before because of her unflushed embarrassment and that she doesn't want anyone to judge her this time. Soon enough, her running slows down as she is about to reach the climax of her stamina, making her first stop to take a deep breath.
Trizha: "Geez… where… I thought they said to meet up in the mirror maze house… w-where are they…?"
Trizha says, her voice clearly shows a sign of exhaustion. Suddenly, in the corner of her right eye, she sees a little boy running into the path where Trizha passed through just a second to get to where she is now. To what she last saw to that little boy, he seemed hurt. So, out of concern, she stood straight and went after that little child, only to be stopped by someone, another girl, calling out her name…
"Trizha…!"
This caused Trizha to startle and stop in her tracks the instant she heard it. By the voice, she couldn't tell whose voice it was. Was it Margaret's? Or was it Wyne's? She couldn't tell. And now she is torn between the decision to continue going after that injured child, or go to her friends.
Trizha: "Ugh, which one…!?"
Trizha looks at the path where the boy last went, then back to the path that led to where she was called out, and then to the boy's path, and then to their path. She is disoriented just at the thought of making a decision, as for once in her life, she became aware that one of those decisions would be reckless to perform. She gave herself five seconds, but in just three seconds, she gained an idea already.
Trizha, in her thoughts: "I see…! If I go to Wyne and Margaret first, I can have them help me find that kid!"
Trizha smiles widely at that statement of hers, as she immediately turned around and went to the path where she last heard someone call out her name. She does hope that kid doesn't go too far ahead.
However… she didn't know that she chose the reckless idea. As Nomoro is walking out the path where Trizha was just about to enter if only she decided to chase over the kid without having the thought of reconsidering anyone's help. He didn't see Trizha, but he did her steps, so he went after her as he entered the path where Trizha entered herself as well.
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A few moments after that, Trizha is approaching the part of the mirror maze house where she heard her name being called out. However, she suddenly grew more suspicious. Because the more she got closer, the more the first letter of her name, which was "T", slowly started to sound like "K" instead.
Soon enough, she got close enough to hear her name clearly, and when she could hear it more clearly now, she started to hear unfamiliar voices having a conversation. They weren't Wyne and Margaret, but another trio of friends; one of them is a young man with a bowl haircut and wears a girl's make-up such as a black lipstick, a short skinny girl with short hair and big eyes that represents sarcasm, and a tall girl who is taller than the man, who wears a purple sweater with puff sleeves and has a black slick-back ponytail hairstyle. The other two are facing where Trizha is hiding, while the one with the sweater is showing their back, their faces hidden.
Girl with a purple sweater: "Krisha…! Bars! You two found me…!"
Krisha: "Where have you been?? You should've reminded us that you were entering the mirror house!"
Bars: "Yeah… you kept sending us cry emojis in our messages like you were getting assaulted by a pervert. Now you left us to worry!"
Girl with a purple sweater: "Hehe, sorry… I found someone selling Vanilla ice cream on the way here, so I got distracted, hehe."
Bars: "That again…? You do know that you've eaten at least four vanilla ice cream today! Don't you get worried that you're gaining weight at all?"
Krisha: "Girl, if you become way chubbier than you already are, don't come to me and say 'help me in diet'!"
Girl with a purple sweater: "Okie, I'm still beautiful either way. And just for the record, I only eat two vanilla ice creams a day!"
Bars: "...that's still a problem, you know."
Trizha sighed softly in disappointment of herself, knowing that this WAS, in fact, a reckless and surely the wrong choice she chose. These were just another group of friends with their own story. And so, she turned around to leave, a little bit frustrated with herself as she realizes that the little boy is probably far away now.
Till suddenly, the same little boy from earlier appeared in front of her, crying with its back shown. Trizha herself is shocked that the boy did not go further at all, but it got closer instead.
Trizha: "...Hey there…"
Trizha gently and softly says as she extends her arm to the little boy very slowly, trying to persuade him to calm down. Before the boy makes a sudden move by running away yet again, moving to another path of the mirror maze.
Trizha: "Hey…! Wait up!"
Trizha groans in annoyance as she chases over the little boy yet again. Meanwhile, the girl with the sweater notices Trizha, watching her from behind. Her face is shown; beautiful, and playfully nonchalant face with
light blue eyes that sparkle even in the dark. She doesn't know about Trizha's situation, but she can tell her frustration. And suddenly, yet again, Nomoro exits the path where Trizha last passed through, panting slightly as he looks at the trio.
Nomoro was just about to ask about where Trizha was, but he stopped himself as both Bars and Krisha backed away, recognizing Nomoro as that infamous demon in their school.
Krisha: "Hey, isn't that…?"
Bars: "N-no way…"
Nomoro, noticing the fear in those student's eyes, decides to keep his words to himself. He gulps as he looks down, taking a step back as he was just about to take his leave without saying anything as well. Not until the girl with the sweater raises her left arm and confidently points directly at the path of the mirror maze where she last saw Trizha, smiling kindly at Nomoro without any sense of fear at all.
Girl with a purple sweater: "If you're looking for a blonde-haired girl, she went that way!"
Nomoro's eyes widened as he lifted his head to the girl with the sweater. He didn't expect her to answer him without fear at all, as he just simply smiled back in appreciation.
Nomoro: "Thank you, whoever you are…"
Nomoro softly says, before going off to continue chasing Trizha. When Nomoro is gone, Bars and Krisha sighed deeply in relief, before turning to the girl with a sweater in concern and surprise.
Bars: "Girl! What was that!? That was the famous Nomoro just now!"
Krisha: "Yeah, how can we be sure that however he was looking for is not his victim?"
The girl with a sweater stayed silent for a moment, before sighing softly and turning around to look at her friends, giving them a show of her own bright and kind smile as she put a hand on her hips.
Girl with a purple sweater: "Well… why not?"
Bars: "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"
Krisha: "Girl, you freaking idiot…!"
The girl with a sweater just laughs at the two's exaggerations, before continuing her speech.
Girl with a purple sweater: "I mean, he did look like he was looking for help. If he was looking for his victim, he'd be aggressively desperate. If anything, I didn't see that side of him when I looked at his face."
Krisha and Bars' expressions soften as but still a bit upset the girl with a sweater, as both of them sigh at the same time before speaking.
Bars: "Then you're saying that he's just looking for a friend… you're way too optimistic."
Krisha: "Yeah, even when around that guy."
Girl with a purple sweater: "Hehe, sorry. Can't help it."
Bars: "Oh, whatever. Let's just go now, I'm getting bored of this place."
Krisha: "Same… let's go to some fast food restaurant or something, I'm starving."
Bars and Krisha nod in agreement, as both start to turn around to head for an exit, until Krisha stops to turn to the girl with a sweater.
Krisha: "How about you? Are you coming with us, Fenella?"
And so, Fenella gives Krisha a bright smile, before shouting: "Sure! As long as the restaurant has some vanilla in their own menu!"
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Meanwhile at that time, Trizha is still chasing over the little boy, her breathing growing slightly faster each second, slowly losing her breath due to the speed at which the little boy is running. And in each run, the more steps to take, and the more paths to enter. And the more the paths, the bigger the mirror maze seemed than expected. And the more the maze seemed bigger, the more of Trizha's confusion grew.
Trizha, in her thoughts: "What's wrong with the mirror maze? I've been running for so long, is there even an edge?!"
Trizha thought as her eyes slightly made their quick glances on each glass that reflected them, each empty path leading to another she ran past, and each time her blonde hair shines whenever a bulb of shining light hits her reflects through her body. All she could hear the entire time was her own steps, her continuous heavy breathing, and just the whimper of the little boy.
And… the more she chases the little boy, the more she becomes isolated from the world around her—She hasn't sensed any sign of life around her, as if the area she is in has no people in it. She had previously used her phone earlier to call her friends for backup, but there isn't any signal. And that signal loses its traces completely the more she chases the little boy.
Suddenly, she finally noticed that the little boy's injuries were dripping blood, and yet, there wasn't anything dropping into the ground, as if the drop of blood itself had been erased from existence. She couldn't hear the sound of his steps either, as if his feet are so soft they don't make a sound at all.
Trizha: "Hold on! Hey…! Please stop, I'm here to help you!"
Trizha says desperately, wanting to make a stop to their long-term chase. Unfortunately, the little boy did not listen no matter how much she tried to persuade him. The little boy then makes a sudden right turn, catching Trizha off-guard and causing her to crash on a mirror wall in front of her, making it look like she hit herself with her own reflection in that mirror.
Trizha: "Ow… dang it…"
Trizha groans and mutters to herself as she places a hand on her face, before shaking her head and continuing to chase over the little boy, knowing she can't waste time taking breaks when a child is at severe risk. However, she soon realized that she already lost track, her eyes widened as she stopped her tracks and looked around for any sign of the little boy.
Trizha, in her mind: "Where is he?!"
Trizha then places her hands on her hips and makes a very deep sigh, letting out all the breath that was used in the chasing. She then shrugs off the thought of continuing to chase over the little boy.
Trizha: "Whatever, there's more fish in the sea. Others will probably find him and eventually get him treated..."
Trizha says to herself, deciding that she won't be chasing the little boy anymore, since he was too stubborn to even listen. She thought it would be pointless to help someone if they won't even turn back to you, unless you are an altruistic person. And so, she turned around to make her leave, her initial motive to find her friends had returned before her.
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But… before her, Nomoro was already there, standing in front of her face to face, seemingly breathing heavily after a long chase on Trizha as well. He straightened his back as he looked down to Trizha, trying to keep his composure. However, at the same time, Trizha looked up to Nomoro in shock, her face widened and body trembling.
"What is he doing here? How did he find me? Why is breathing so fast? Did he chase me like what I was doing to that kid earlier?"
This was what was flowing through her thoughts. She didn't expect Nomoro to show up so suddenly, thinking that this is just a mere coincidence, but the sweating and heavy breathing would say otherwise. It confuses her, but at the same time, she just found out that she was trembling in her own sense of fear. A fear… that was formed the moment her eyes set foot directly to his face.
"Ah, that face… looking up close, it reminded me of the same face he made last time… a face that he made… last time…?"
And so, her mind automatically started to recall old memories from several weeks ago. The Nomoro in front of her right now is wearing a black jacket with a grey t-shirt underneath, which was changed back into his school uniform with the same face, and then the jacket, and then the uniform, again and again and again, until she could no longer tell which was which, whom was whom, all because he bare the same face.
And the result of that revelation… is a feeling of nervousness. Anxiousness. Regret. Self Anger. Self Hate. Self Hatred. All combined as she recalls that one time when she treated him horribly out of her own selfishness, and her own pride. She was glad that it hadn't appeared yet during her time in the hotel, until now. She had the chance to end it when she was in the aquarium… and she blew it. All because she found the man she 'loved'. And now, all her mind has to say is…
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"I'm not ready."
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And as a result, she makes her first step back since forever, her mouth open wide, trying to endure all those emotions turned into one familiar, complex feeling she only gets when meeting with Nomoro. She hates it. She wants it gone. And yet, she can't. She couldn't do it. She prioritizes her own popularity, her own Influence. She was trying to run away from this one responsibility after she blew her chance to solve it, thinking she was out of sight… but here she is, standing in front of her responsibility.
Trizha: "N-no… no, no…"
Nomoro's eyes widened in realization after observing her facial expression. He gulped as he stopped himself from breathing fast and sweating, as he tried to take the initiative by raising his hands up to show that he was unarmed. However, this method did not work, because all Trizha sees about Nomoro… is an unfinished responsibility. And the cause of that is the reminder of his face…
Nomoro: "Calm down, calm…–"
Trizha: "D-don't…"
She took another step back, her hands clearly shaking, tears clearly forming in her eyes that are left unshed. She isn't ready. She doesn't want to deal with this anymore. She wants to run away, away from this unfinished responsibility and meet back with her friends already to finish their final voyage. To stop meeting… with this cruel reality of hers.
But… suddenly…
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"Don't run away. Face it."
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At that moment, she freezed. Those words struck her as her mind cleared by itself. Suddenly, all those bad memories disappeared, replaced with determination instead. The determination… to end their conflict. The determination that singlehandedly returned her chance, a second chance, to end all of this. Just like how she felt it in the aquarium. However, she was in a battle of decisions; while her determination was growing, the mind kept telling her that she wasn't ready. She is still afraid of taking responsibility, yet determined to end it.
At the same time, Nomoro started to see it himself; she was calming down, quickly. What he is witnessing is an overly complex combination of emotions… both being positive and negative. And so, he noticed that eyes stopped forming tears, the shaking stopped, her mouth closed, and not to mention, she stopped backing away after the second step back… it was all replaced with the determination he sees. Feeling connected to what she is feeling , he felt ready as well.
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And now, she clenched her fists, bit her lower lip, as she faced Nomoro's face, her eyes never leaving his. With the newfound determination along with those combined emotions, she wants to run away. But she also wants to end it. She has enough of it.
Trizha, in her thoughts: "That's right… why am I running away now when he is here now?"
Trizha takes her first step forward after what seemed forever, and then another one, and another, until she is close enough to fully face him, with Nomoro doing the same. Both of them have different facial features, and yet, they bear the same expression.
Trizha, in her thoughts: "Run away? Why would I do that? Why should I run away and have fun for myself out there when they are out here waiting for me to take them on…?! My mind is always telling me that I'm not ready, but… I AM!!!"
And so, she stood for herself, she pouted. All of those emotions… were ignored by her. The determination to the long term conflict… was noticed. And so… she finally says the few, simple words she always wanted to tell Nomoro ever since that day.
Trizha: "Nomoro, I…"
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"I'm sorry!!"
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…Nomoro says. His tone apologetic and gentle, yet that didn't give the slightest sense of relief for Trizha. Instead, she was left speechless, her eyes staring down to him as he vow down his head and apologize before her, before… she could have done the same. As a result, she… unfortunately loses all that sense of determination in an instant. And now…
Trizha, in her thoughts: "You…? Wait, why you? What are you doing? Why are you apologizing to me? Why you…?"
…those complex combinations of negative emotions have completely overwhelmed her as she lost hold. Without a disguise, she could no longer hide it. She could no longer hold it. She could no longer endure it. She covered her mouth with both of her hands, as she took her third step back, her mind suddenly marking the conclusion of what this apology of his would have meant, a sudden conclusion that changes how she viewed herself for eternity.
Trizha, in her thoughts: "Nomoro… no… please don't tell me that you…"
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"...Are you apologizing because you thought that you were the one at fault this entire time…? Nomoro, no… that's not…t-that's not… no…!"
A CLEAR MISUNDERSTANDING OF, NOT NOMORO, BUT TRIZHA.
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Nomoro starts to hear Trizha, her tears falling from her face clear and sound, thinking she is in relief because he knew she was undergoing a lot of stress. Ending this conflict by himself for a better end is what Nomoro initially had in thought, so he smiled for a little before he lifted his head to see her reaction. However, it wasn't an expression he was expecting; What he thought was relief, became disdain. Not to him, but to her. All for her. All for herself. She felt worse about herself, about her well-being, everything… about her. And so, she mumbled a few "sorries" to Nomoro, before turning around and running away at a speed she never noticed herself.
Nomoro: "Trizha–! Wait–"
Nomoro stood up rather quickly and tried to stop Trizha from running away by extending his arm and tried to reach for her hand with his, realizing that something wasn't right about her. Until suddenly, a small shockwave hit the back of his hand that pushed away his chances of making another amend with her, cutting him off and stunning him for a good two seconds as he analyzed what and where that shockwave came from, before turning his eyes to Trizha and following her. From what he knows, there are no longer any other paths on this one path that Trizha had entered, because it led to the very exit of the mirror house.
—
After minutes, Trizha exited the mirror house with her fists clenched so hard that they bled. She doesn't realize it, as the same words overflow her head, words of apology from Nomoro. She was feeling so much disdain of herself that her body, by instinct, subconsciously started to hurt itself. And before anything could get any worse for her—Zackier, who was standing right in front of where Trizha was heading, catched her as she crashed into his chest and instantly stopped her own attempt to hurt herself. She looked up to him, his expression that of concern as he wrapped his arms around her intimately.
Zackier: "Hey there, sweetheart… what's wrong?"
Trizha: "Zack…?"
Zackier: "You look sad, what happened to you?"
Trizha: "I…"
Suddenly, Nomoro shouts Trizha's name as he exits the building as well, panting as he stops running as soon as he sees her in Zackier's hands, clenching one of his fists as he secretly grits his teeth underneath his mouth. At the same time, Zackier looks up to Nomoro and smiles slightly, realizing the situation at hand.
Zackier: "Hmph, I see..."
Zackier loosens his arms off Trizha and looks down to her, his gaze turned to her eyes as he makes a charming smile and speaks in a soft tone to persuade her into admission.
Zackier: "Trizha, what did that devil do to you?"
Trizha looks up to Zackier, and then to Nomoro. His expression seemed… vulnerable. By the looks of it, she realized that he is still trying to fix their conflict, even when they are in public and people are starting to surround the area to watch and observe the scenery. Their mutters state the recognition of Trizha as Malacca City's most popular Influencer, and Nomoro as the merciless demon. But that didn't matter to her at all… all she cares about is Nomoro.
Trizha, in her thoughts: "Nomoro… I…"
Trizha then turns slightly from Nomoro's face, into his very eyes. They seem to be shaking slightly, twitching, just like hers. But then, she calmed down and her expression softened as she released her hand from Zackier's chest and extended it very slowly towards Nomoro, slowly raising her index finger…
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At the same time, Wyne finally appears as she emerges out of the surrounding crowd of students, panting after countless minutes searching for her friend. She observes from a distance, recognizing three people for a few seconds, with one of them being Nomoro and the other two being Trizha and Zackier.
Wyne: "Nomoro? What's he doing…? And Trizha? What is…"
All of the sudden, her eyes widened as the image of the situation she is witnessing is similar to the situation she saw when Trizha confronted Nomoro just to "return the favor". She realizes that this situation… Might end up similarly to the last time it happened. And that realization made her take a step forward, and then another, and another, until she starts to throw the crowd, trying to get to stop Trizha once and for all.
Wyne, in her thoughts: "This… this feeling, I've felt it before…"
She recalls that one time when she called Trizha another idiot besides her after she messed up. Now that was mentioned, a fang of realization hits her. Thoughts overwhelmed her that time seemed to slow down around her and only she could hear. And that sound… was just her.
"Trizha… ever since that day, I always thought that you were 'the' idiot. But now… I just found out—I wasn't paying attention to the smaller details and let it all happen. I realized that I… I was an idiot the whole time, for not trying to stop you from making the conflict happen. And now… I will stop you this time!"
———
Wyne: "Trizha…! Stop!!!–"
And so, something appeared before her—a miniature, purple sphere. It is spinning fast, yet time is even slower. Wyne was cut off as this mysterious sphere caught her eyes. She stared at it, before it exploded right in her face, instantly making her lose consciousness as she fell into someone's back, causing them to startle and turn to her, trying to wake her up and help her after realizing her current state. And… at the same time… Trizha's index finger is pointing directly at Nomoro, her expression shows no emotion, almost… cold.
"Nomoro… for the second time, I will hurt you again. But this time, without being selfish. And… I never thought that I was such a bad person to begin with, and you gave me a chance to make amends for you and for myself… And I blew it. Wasted it. Made it worthless. And I genuinely hate myself for it. That's why… I'm choosing to run away, for the purpose of preventing myself from hurting you again. So please… just…
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"...Stay away from me."
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Trizha: "Nomoro, he… no… this demon…! He was harassing me, trying to touch me in my private parts… it was so scary… Please, anyone…! GET HIM AWAY FROM ME!!!"
And there. Everyone gasps in shock, even Zackier becomes surprised. Trizha's words were clear, and they are pointed directly to Nomoro, just like how her index finger did. Female students looked at Nomoro in shock, and male Students looked at Nomoro in rage as they stepped forward. The teachers nearby noticed this and started to make their move, but the crowd was too much, almost like a barrier. Zackier held Trizha tightly, as they pulled themselves back while the men pushed forward with their fists ready to punish the man who they thought was the devil itself.
Nomoro, in his thoughts: "Trizha… why? Why do this? What did I do wrong now?"
Nomoro's expression is replaced with sheer fear and vulnerability as he tries to raise his hand in surrender, when he realizes that it is useless—these men are coming to kill him. Whoever, his eyes kept on Trizha, trying to figure out the reason behind her actions. But she has already disappeared with Zackier, blinded by the men entering his sight.
Nomoro, in his thoughts: "Trizha, if I did anything wrong… I just want to say that I'm sorry."
His last words, before someone punches him in the face, and then another kicks his stomach, and another and another, until he can't endure it all and falls down, blood dripping from his nose as he is constantly receiving blows from several men at once. And yet, he didn't fight back. He wants to defend himself, but he is accepting those blows because he thinks that he, for some chance, hurt Trizha again. A demon… is a demon, no matter how sad it looks.
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Timeskip. Hours pass by and surely… the Japanese park event is over. Students have returned to their dorms and hotel rooms, everything seems to have calmed down after such an incident happened… and as it happens, Wyne wakes up from her bed, her eyes slowly flutter open and twitch, trying to adjust her body condition to her current state. She doesn't know what just happened, as she slowly sits up from the bed and holds her forehead with her hand.
Wyne: "...What just happened…?"
She asks herself, before looking with her eyes wide open, her eyes slowly clearing from blurriness until she can recognize a simple object. She sighs in relief, realizing that she is in her room, the one she is staying with Margaret with. Until suddenly, she remembers the time when she last saw Trizha and the others before she was knocked unconscious, so she panics a little and immediately stands up from her bed and rushes out of her bedroom.
Wyne: "Trizha?!"
She shouts, but then, she stops on her tracks in surprise as she is greeted a very familiar individual she often meets everyday;
Trizha: "Oh hey Wyne! How are you feeling?"
It's no other than Trizha herself, smiling at Wyne as if nothing bad had happened, but she did have a look of relief on her face, as she is sitting down on the couch.
Wyne: "Oh… I'm feeling fine, I guess…"
Wyne says shyly, as she rushes out of the door frame and turns around to go to the kitchen, until she is suddenly bumped by Zackier, startling her for a second as she looks up to his looking-down gaze of his, his soft smile forming as he takes into Wyne's current condition.
Zackier: "Hey there, does anything else hurt in that head of yours?"
Wyne: "Oh–uhm, no… no, I'm really fine."
Zackier: "Hmph, I see. Well then… Now that you are fine and awake, can you do me a favor? You're free to decline."
Wyne: "Uh, I'm not really in the right condition, but, fine…"
Zackier: "Good."
Zackier then leans slowly, whispering to her ear while pointing his index finger at Margaret, who is sitting down on the chair of the kitchen table, her expression showing a sign of mental exhaustion, her eyes on her phone as she tries to distract herself.
Zackier: "See your friend over there? She's been 'down' for a while now. Me and Trizha have tried to comfort her in case she is in a state of depression, but… none comes out of her mouth."
Wyne: "Margaret…? Yeah, I think I noticed that beforehand too…"
Zackier: "Is that so? That's good. You happen to be much closer to Margaret than me and Trizha would. So I thought maybe YOU could fix her."
Wyne: "Yeah, sure…"
Wyne nods as Zackier leans away with a mischievous smirk on his face, as she starts to walk over to Margaret while her gaze is on Trizha for a moment, thinking "What is she faking a smile for?" she thought, before turning back to Wyne as she approaches slightly faster until she is finally in front of her, looking down on her in pure concern.
Wyne: "Margaret? Are you okay? You're pixelated on your phone…"
Wyne says softly to Margaret, trying to remind her of her actions as of now. However, she doesn't flinch. Her body is shaking, but aggressive, just a soft yet odd shaking. It was as if she is also experiencing a generational trauma like how Wyne saw it with Trizha before, but it isn't as bad. Wyne's gaze then turns to Margaret's phone, noticing that she is watching recent videos that were published just a few hours ago by a bunch of students from her school.
Wyne: "Oh, just a video… Margaret, can I take a look?"
Wyne says as she extends her arm and reaches her hand for the phone, and surprisingly, Margaret lets Wyne take her phone to look at it without complaining or saying anything. However, she looked away when Wyne finally had it from her… Wyne observes the video for a moment, a bit confused of what was in it. Until, her eyes slowly widened in shock the more she watched it… and what Wyne saw in the video? It was Trizha, with her finger pointed at Nomoro, as she shamelessly stated… her accusation, without any hesitation in her voice.
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Wyne stayed silent, she went emotionless after that video, nonchalant, as if she wouldn't care regardless. But deep inside, there was growing rage. Margaret looks at Wyne, seemingly to have calmed down herself.
Margaret: "Can I take my phone back now…?"
Wyne: "Sure."
Margaret extends her own arm to Wyne, spreading her fingers so that Wyne can place her phone on top of her palm. But instead of placing it… Wyne tosses it like it doesn't have any matters for this world to take. She turns around without saying another word, leaving Margaret speechless and watching her actions with caution… and to what she has observed herself, Wyne is approaching Trizha with her fists clenched tightly. And anything else? She couldn't tell.
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"I want to go to Trizha, and… Apologize to her."
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Wyne recalls those words Nomoro once told her during their time in the alleyway after Margaret brought her there. Those memories were still fresh in the stockpiled memories she had, even after she was unknowingly knocked unconscious. She is slow, and that is a fact for her character, but is fast enough to remember that Nomoro had his reasons for doing something that is absurd for her… And Trizha just had to do it.
Trizha: "Haha, that was so funny! What happened next?"
Zackier: "And then he tripped and fell face-first. It was sad, but he deserves it."
Trizha: "Totally!"
Zackier and Trizha laugh with each other as they have their own banter while both are sitting down on the couch, unaware that someone was approaching them with an intent on their mind. And when Trizha finally takes notice, she turns to Wyne, smiling brightly to her, wanting to know if she fixed and figured out Margaret's issue.
Trizha: "Oh, Wyne! How did you do?"
She asks, her laughter fading, her eyes are now on Wyne. However, Wyne did not say anything, staying silent, as if she just ignored her question and kept walking towards her, causing Trizha's smile to fade slowly as she is confused of why Wyne is not answering her; she often does answer, with less serious expression and a more thoughtful one due to her slowness.
And so… Wyne stood in front of Trizha, just a few centimeters from her knees, looking down on her with her hair completely covering her eyes and lips that never bent on any reply. For the first time, Trizha felt a sense of uneasiness from Wyne, as a sweat slowly fell from her face onto her cheeks as she slowly lifted her head to look up to Wyne and spoke in a softer tone.
Trizha: "...Wyne–"
And suddenly, her gaze was forced to turn to her right in an instant, a loud thud of flesh clashing onto one another is heard from miles away, her gaze never changing directions the moment it happened. Time seemed to slow down for Trizha, her reaction too slow to even comprehend what happened as she was cut off by Wyne. She was slapped… by her own best friend. A slap containing all her anger that was filled with rage and her own disdain coming from the concern of another person.
Trizha stumbled, Zackier failed to flinch as he watched the scene unfold, Margaret standing there in shock as her body could not move from the intensity of the slap of which was delivered, and Wyne… she then grabbed Trizha by her collar to pull her closer, before sending yet another slap that silenced The world. And then another, and another, and another. Until tears started to constantly fall from her hair-covered eyes and started to shout loudly at Trizha.
Wyne: "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! HE WAS TRYING TO APOLOGIZE TO YOU FOR WHAT HE DID IN HIS PART OF YOUR STUPID CONFLICT!!"
Trizha, by instinct, tried to defend herself by raising her forearms and covering her face with it. But that alone wasn't enough—Wyne's blows were too strong, strong enough that it became confusing to whether Trizha was just weak or Wyne was just strong. But in any case, that didn't matter.
Zackier: "Wyne, that's enough…"
Zackier says as stood up and tried to stop Wyne by holding her arm, which she swat away aggressively the instant their skin made contact, before suddenly shouting at him.
Wyne: "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!"
Zackier backed away, his eyes never leaving Wyne as she continued to relentlessly slap Trizha all across her face with no sign of stopping.
Wyne: "He was trying to end the stupid conflict you made…!! He was giving you a chance to make amends, to make things right… and to make things better than the last…! AND YOU BLEW IT!!!"
And so, after that one final shout, Wyne raised her hand higher than before, about to unleash a more devastating hit, until Trizha shouted "Get off me!!" And pushes Wyne away with all of her strength, stumbling Wyne backwards as Margaret catches her from behind before she could fall to somewhere else more dangerous. At the same time, Trizha slowly stood up from the couch, tears falling from her eyes as Zackier intimately helped her stand up. Both of the Girls panting heavily from what had just happened, almost exhausted. And there was silence, until Wyne decided to speak first.
Wyne: "...You blonde, unapologetic idiot… Ever since you had your hands on that stupid phone, you're always making reckless decisions! And ever since you did… I've always wanted to hurt you so badly. But… not like this… not like this… not at all."
Wyne then slowly stood straight, looking down on Trizha in half-sadness and half-disdain. It didn't feel right for Wyne, hurting the same person she always wanted to hurt. It didn't feel right. She wasn't satisfied at all. This was more of a consequence than a punishment for her. The two exchange glances, as Wyne continued her speech.
Wyne: "And, Trizha… you're such an idiot, and you know that, right? Always has been… and still, you ignored a chance for amends that were right in front of those cheerful eyes… you idiot…! You didn't have to do it…–"
Trizha: "I KNOW!!!"
She shouted, louder than Wyne's just seconds ago. Silence once again overwhelms the tense atmosphere of the scenery. Wyne slowly lifted her head to look at Trizha, a show of vulnerability instantly forming in her face as Trizha continued to speak on her behalf.
Trizha: "I know that I didn't have to do it… I didn't have to make anyone hurt him, but… I just can't handle it anymore, everything I did wrong… to him. I had to make him go away… had to make him hate me too…"
Trizha says, each word carrying each heavy breathing. She struggled, but she managed to execute it. She stood there, panting heavily, before she suddenly strengthened her back, her breathing slowly crawling away from its heaviness as she calmed down herself. Until she's at the height to look down on Wyne and stare down on her with a cold look in her face, their eyes exchanging gazes .
Trizha: "But… Why do you even care? You're also an idiot. This was MY problem.
A fang of anger masks Trizha's true feelings, her cold exterior shocking Wyne as she had never seen this side of Trizha before. And before she knew it, Trizha continued her speech.
Trizha: "What do you care about my problems for? These are my problems, my problems to solve on my own! You didn't have to interfere with your 'emotionally-intelligent' concerns of bullshit…!"
Trizha shouts, panting afterwards as she clenches her fists as well. Before suddenly, she laughs. A maniacal yet soft, sarcastic laugh that sends a shiver down the spine of Wyne and Margaret, as Trizha gives them an unsettling look they have never seen before. As the laugh dies down, Trizha continues, looking down on Wyne with a mock amused expression and wide grin.
Trizha: "Wait, no, no… no way. Wyne, please, don't tell me that you…
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"...Like Nomoro?"
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Wyne's eyes widened in shock at that statement that was heard before her ears. She was left speechless, only being able to mutter one word out of her mouth.
Wyne: "What…?"
Trizha: "Seriously? You? Out of all people? You like that good-for-nothing demon? That worthless demon who had to run and cry after just being insulted? How pathetic! Even more because you fell in love with him!"
Wyne showers with rage as she clenches her fists on Trizha's remark about her. She couldn't handle her statements, some of it were true, some were not. She has never seen such a side from Trizha, let alone one that is so unsettling to watch.
Wyne: "What is wrong with you…? What's even the point of insulting him?!"
Trizha: "Oh please, you're denying it, are you? Come on. I mean, you both do make a perfect match, considering how considerate you two looked at times! Makes it all the more pathetic."
Wyne: "You… bastard… DON'T YOU FREAKING MAKE FUN OF US, YOU BASTARD!"
Wyne shouted, before suddenly lunging at Trizha, trying to tackle her into the ground by wrapping her arms around Trizha's waist and trying to pull her down to the floor and pin her. However, Trizha held her ground and managed to prevent herself from getting tackled completely and looked down to Wyne with gritting teeth, before unexpectedly grasping her hair and adjusting it, using all of her strength to painfully pull Wyne's hair, unaware of what she was doing.
Wyne: "Ow, Trizha, no! S-stop! That's my hair!!"
Out of pain, Wyne unwrapped her arms from Trizha and started to grab her hair from being pulled by Trizha, squirming in pain as tears fell down from her eyes as a desperate plea for Trizha to let go. However, Trizha doesn't respond, instead, she makes it even worse. She doesn't stop…
Trizha: "'I've always wanted to hurt you so badly' my ass!! You just want to ruin my reputation, is that it?! Huh? How dare you stand by my side, you're just a random add-on!"
Wyne: "Let go! What is wrong with you?!?! You're hurting me!!"
Zackier decides to step in, holding Trizha's arm to try and make her let go, struggling from her grip of Wyne's hair, trying to tell Trizha to stop. And so, meanwhile… Margaret is closely watching the fight unfold. She couldn't move her body, as she was too scared… All she had in mind was Zackier's words when he once told her; "Making use of your absurd sense of humor and dark habit just for the sake of preventing idiotic arguments that your friends often do."
Those words left her with a sense of guilt, almost affecting her well-being. She doesn't like being proved wrong, especially when it comes to topics similar to what Zackier brought to her. However… seeing her own friend hurting her other friend… it hurts her just witnessing it. She's already aware herself that the trio friendship won't last long. But Margaret… she just doesn't want to end it all this fast.
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"Let's have our fun… while we are at it. And let's make it memorable, a real one. One that isn't created just for fun and jokes. I don't want to waste it all just for laughs. I want to, as I grow bigger, see your big smiles that stayed where they were once. Smiles… that once held each other."
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Recalling those memorial words that one of her friends shouted for themselves, Margaret… ran. But 'away'... but forth. She runs as fast as she can until she stops besides Trizha and Wyne, placing one hand to Wyne's head and the other on Trizha's arms. She started to try and pull Trizha's arm away, her own tears falling, and then… she yelled… for the first time.
Margaret: "STOP!!! STOP PULLING HER HAIR!! BLOOD WILL SCATTER AROUND AND HER HEAD WILL BLEED WITH A HUGE BALD WOUND IN IT!! SHE WILL ALSO GET A NECK INJURY FROM VIOLENT PULLING, SO STOP!"
Trizha: "Let go of me and shut up!!!"
In the end, it was futile. Trizha pushes Margaret away, making her stumble backwards with a shock in her face as she falls down. And before she knew it… her right elbow hit the corner tip of a table behind her, creating a thud loud enough for Trizha to stop at what she's doing and look over to Margaret, Wyne finally making Trizha let go of her hair, and Zackier let's go and steps back. All three looked over to Margaret. She is leaning her back against the wall, crying softly in pain as she holds the elbow of her right arm with her left hand…
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Her elbow was dislocated.
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Trizha: "Margaret…?"
Wyne: "Oh no, Margaret!"
Wyne was the first to run over to Margaret, kneeling down next to her and gently holding her right arm, an expression of horror forming on her face as she tries to figure out how to fix this.
Wyne: "D-don't cry, I'm right here, I'm right here. You'll be fine, I'm right here, I won't leave you…"
Trizha looked down at the two, her mouth wide open in shock and disbelief, unable to believe what she had just done, let alone… everything. She lifted her arm and looked down at her shaky hands, noticing single strands of Wyne's hair in them, as she began to realize the mistake she had just accomplished unnoticed.
Trizha: "What… What have I done…? What did I just do?"
Trizha then changes her gaze to Wyne and Margaret, before she makes her step towards them as she extends her arm to Margaret, until Wyne suddenly swats her hand away and yells at her out of pure hate and sadness.
Wyne: "GET AWAY!! GET AWAY FROM US! YOU'VE HURT ENOUGH PEOPLE!"
Trizha: "Wyne… Wyne I-i'm sorry…"
Wyne: "Bullshit! You're more of a demon than Nomoro!! The world may love you, but many hate you!"
Wyne then stands up and helps Margaret stand up, as the two leave the room together while leaving Zackier and Trizha behind.
Wyne: "Come on, let's go to the clinic, quickly…"
Margaret: "Okay…"
As the two make their leave, Trizha hesitates to follow them. Slowly but surely, she is losing her mind. And when it did, she failed to realize what she just did to her beloved friends. She made a promise for them, and she also… blew it. But after a moment of hesitation she follows them outside, trying to catch up with the two, trying to make amends for what she has done to them, for hurting them in ways unimaginable… Until… She was stopped by Zackier as he grabbed her arm and pulled away from chasing the two.
Trizha: "Let go of me…! I have to–"
Zackier: "No."
Trizha: "But they– I mean Margaret is–"
Zackier: "That's enough, Trizha."
Zackier then pulls Trizha closer to him, hugging her tightly as he lets Trizha cry in his chest.
Trizha: "But they… my friends, they…"
Zackier: "No, they are no longer your friends, starting from now on. Don't chase after them. There's no point in chasing someone who doesn't stop for you."
Trizha's eyes widened in despair as she watched her own 'friends' slowly disappear in corridors of the hallway as they left her and everything else behind. She now realizes how deep the consequences that affected her. Zackier pulls Trizha close to her as he wraps his arms around her gently as a way to comfort her, while she snuggles and sobs into his chest.
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Meanwhile, Wyne and Margaret are rushing towards the nearest clinic, Wyne breathing heavily, using all of her remaining strength to keep Margaret in her arms. She knows Margaret is too weak to even stand, knowing she also used all of her strength just to try and stop the fight between her and… her former friend.
Wyne: "Come on, keep it together… we're almost there…"
Margaret: "Wyne… it hurts so much…"
Wyne: "I know, please don't cry… I'm right here, I'm not gonna leave you."
While running, Wyne, with her slow mind, clearly remembered everything Trizha told earlier. Just the mention of those words hurt her… and that backed her into a corner, left with one option to choose—And that option was a future she never wanted to end until the right time. But… there are no other choices. No more. Because what feared her, became her decision. She ended up becoming the one who ended the friendship she feared to end.
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And so, after what seemed to be forever of running in the corridors, Wyne finds a clinic and rushes towards it with Margaret in desperation. She wants to make this quick, to stop Margaret from feeling anymore pain that she doesn't deserve to have. She slams the door open aggressively, her sense of desperation ignored her aggressiveness. But before she could go inside and figure out what to do, Nomoro was there to her surprise, sitting next to the window with bandages all around his body, sunlight shining on anything that is white. Despite everything that happened to him as well, he was as calm as a snow surrounded by a storm…
Wyne stopped in her tracks, staring at Nomoro as he watched him slowly turn his gaze towards her. His face lacked emotion, yet she could tell he was vulnerable. He stood up from the chair and approached the two slowly.
———
Zackier: "But don't worry… I will stop for you. And I always will. We only met for two days, and yet I already see you as my whole world…"
Zackier says in a soft tone as he brushes a strand off Trizha's face, as she lifts her head up to look at Zackier's eyes, a flicker of affection hits her as she feels butterflies in her stomach at his words.
Trizha: "Zack…"
And so, she closes her eyes as a tear falls demise, leaning closer to Zackier's face as he does the same…
———
Nomoro: "...The nurse had left recently after treating me. But don't worry, I know first aid…"
Nomoro then grabs some first aid as he approaches even closer, his eyes show nothing. To Wyne, she became aware. She remembered what happened to him after watching that video. She became cautious, realizing that she was still Trizha's friend at the time… And even If she does understand Nomoro's feelings, she is aware herself that Nomoro still poses a threat no matter the cause. And so, she pulls Margaret and moves her behind her back as she becomes defensive the moment Nomoro gets closer.
After that, Nomoro stopped in his tracks, his eyes slightly widened at the action Wyne showed her. But realizing her intention in a second, he returns his emotionless composure… After all, regardless of situations, a monster is always a monster, no matter how sad it is.
"...Don't be afraid. You two are more hurt than I am. Please, let me."
He says in a gentle and soft voice, one that surprises Wyne as he knelt down in front of the two of them, extending his arm out to reach for Margaret's dislocated elbow. The moment she realizes that Nomoro, no matter what, poses no danger whatsoever, regret instantly consumes her as she realizes that she judged him out of caution… She fell down to her knees and bursted out of tears. She wanted to take a break, and she almost lost it. She was grateful, but also, afraid.
One who had everything, is beginning to lose everything. While the other who lost everything, is starting to gain everything. The door that led to the end of conflict was still open… open to enter and try to fix everything that was at fault. However, the Symbol of Connection did not come. And during that time, a petal of a flower has withered.