Hello, I'm back with the update for the one-shot. I'm sorry if the first half was short, so this update is a few times longer than the first half
Errr... if you're super sensitive and love AtsuMina very much, please prepare a box of tissues OTL
When you get to number 10, if you want to, please go on youtube or anywhere you want, and search for the song Daiji na Mono wa Mabuta no Ura by Kokia~
Once again, the old man is Aki-P~
Warning: Death and angst/sadness/craziness ahead.
Hallucination: Forget-me-not1.
The clouds changed shapes in the sky, allowing transparent rays to cover the earth with light. The air was completely still, unlike the previous day. It had rained quite heavily yesterday; a second of carelessness could have caused an accident. In the joy of rain lurked the pain of death.
A certain woman had predicted today to be dry and burning. The heat was visible on the streets as the air expanded, swaying and distorting images of everything.
In the middle of this hellish purgatory, a little girl was running, sweats trickling down her forehead. Her shirt was soaked with the salty liquid. She ignored the heat and ran as quick as her little feet would carry her. Something greater than the heat was waiting for her: she and her friend had promised to meet at the park every day.
They were neighbors. Their mothers also became good friends and each viewed the other’s daughter as her own; therefore, she could see her friend almost daily, but they both preferred to play at the park than at home.
“Atsuko!” a low voice called her name. She slowed down before coming to a stop and turned to whoever called her. An old man was waving at her; despite the heat, he was clad in a long sleeves shirt and long pants. Although old, his eyes were glistening with youth and boundless kindness. His face contained infinite understanding and knowledge.
He was the same man who told her about the story of Forget-me-nots. Minami seemed to be quite fond of the man and the flowers. She blinked. Certainly she knew nothing about him, but there was an indescribable sense of familial security about him.
Ignoring the fact that he had called her by name without her telling him, she silently gazed at him questioningly.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
Tilting her head slightly, she replied, “I am going to play with Minami.” She had never talked to other kids her age, always staying in a dark corner of the park, until Minami spotted her. Minami—the small friend that she would treasure for the rest of her life—was the first and only one to notice her.
Amongst dozens of other kids, Minami’s eyes had found her. Instead of being intimidated by her gloomy appearance like others, Minami had complimented her, “You have beautiful eyes.” That was the first time she met Minami, even though they were neighbors.
The man stared at her, making her feel uncomfortable. However, something about him saddened her. He looked pained.
With eyes that observed her every action, he asked her, “Atsuko, do you love Minami?”
A small breeze passed by, so small that it could not lessen the heat that wrapped itself around everything. But somewhere, away from prying eyes, a tiny flower, bowing alone in the dark, was blown off into the sky and turned to dust. No one knew; no one cared. Only God knew what he did. Only God knew what he would do.
At the mention of her friend’s name, Atsuko’s eyes sparkled with affection. “Yes!” she replied firmly. “I love Minami the most!”
He bent down, patted her head, and smiled. “I will go with you to the park.”
Not minding his presence, she nodded and, together, they headed to the park. To her dismay, Minami was not here at their usual place. Minami was never late; the short girl always said, “I would rather wait until I die than let Atsuko wait for me.” Perhaps Minami had to help her parents do something. With that thought in mind, she sat in the shade, next to the bush of Forget-me-nots, and waited patiently for her friend to show up. Sighing, the old man sat down beside her.
Today, if would seem as if God wanted to tantalize his angels. They had been sitting in silence for hours. With every passing hour, hope seemed to be shrinking bit by bit. Atsuko, her back now leaning slightly against the bushes behind her for comfort, buried her face into her arms that were hugging her knees. Minami had never broken her promise before.
Her wet shirt had long dried. The heat was not burning anymore; it was prickling her skin like needles as the sun traveled to its zenith. Soon, the shade reduced to a single lump on the ground, leaving her exposed to the merciless sunlight. Standing up, the old man said, “It has been hours. She won’t come,” as he took off his jacket and hung it on the branches above her, providing a new shade. She glanced up at him but said nothing. They resumed waiting.
Evening came; darkness fell on every being. Urged by her mother, who had come to look for the child that had not been home for the whole day, she finally stood up, bowed at the old man, and left with her mother. When they got to the house door, she asked, “Mom, where is Minami?”
The woman froze. Slowly, her mother turned to look at the direction of Minami’s house that was a few blocks away. Trying to find her words, Atsuko’s mother could not bear to bring the news to her child. “Atsuko, Minami,” she paused, “won’t be seeing you again. She moved away.”
~~~~~~
It was early summer. Cicadas came out and the whole park was filled with their singing. Grandfathers and grandmothers were sitting on the verandas of their houses, reading, drinking teas, chatting, or reminiscing their youth. Adults were busy working; some took a day off to take their kids to the pools. As everyone enjoyed the summer, the old man sat on a bench in the park, gazing at the sky, his eyes narrowing as the vehement light lay on his irises.
For the last several days, he had been accompanying Atsuko to the park. Every time the girl did not see her friend, she became more and more gloomy. Despite the sadness, she still came every day, knowing she would not meet her friend anyway.
A human’s life was like a flower. Blooming in the dark, a flower radiated its beauty to no one. It gathered more and more burden with time; until one day, it withered away. No one saw the flower; it burgeoned alone in a corner of life and turned to ashes in the same corner. Its life was lonely; its beauty was acknowledged and appreciated but never seen.
Gathering her sadness, the girl would nurture it until the day she faded away. In pain lived hope. After hope came pain. Only God knew what he was doing with his chessboard.
The old man rose from the bench and left. As he rounded the corner, he caught sight of the girl, whose head was bowing in despair.
~~~~~~
2.
Atsuko had not seen Minami for days now. She did not believe her mother’s words. Minami’s promise to meet up every day had a stronger effect on her. In the back of her mind, a little voice was consistently telling her that her friend would never come, but she kept believing in the opposite.
The cicadas were singing. Minami loved cicadas; she would always remind Atsuko to watch them when summer came. Minami never let a chance to see them slip.
It was blazingly hot today. The occasional winds were not enough to soothe the heat. They were not enough to cool the welling hotness in her eyes. Her nose was pricked with an irritated feeling; the lump in her throat grew larger. The cicadas were here. Her eyes were stung, as if someone threw an onion at her; she stood in front of a tree by herself. Her shoulders shook slightly; she tightened her fist and bit her lip to keep herself from crying. Maybe she had done something to make Minami angry.
Some blue flowers lay scattered on the ground, lifeless and detached from their roots. As a wind blew by, a few more swayed before falling down, spinning in circles along the wind. The leaves rustled slightly; some of them descended and joined the foliage below by her feet. The sunshine danced on the Forget-me-nots, producing a wavering aura like the ocean.
“Atsuko,” someone called from behind her. The voice was awfully familiar; it struck a chord in her small, childish heart.
Turning around, her tears finally came pouring out. She could not believe in her eyes; it must be showing her hallucinations. She had hoped for this to happen, but, when it occurred right before her, she could only stare and cry.
There, in front of her, was Minami, clad in her usual attire. Her ponytail was there; her typical shy smile was there. The tears kept on streaming down her face, drenching her cheeks.
Minami frowned, closed the distance between her and Atsuko, and raised her hands to touch the other girl’s cheeks. She wiped away her tears and, as though this was just another normal day, asked innocently, “Why are you crying? Did the other kids bully you?” As if those past few days never existed, she gazed into Atsuko’s eyes.
Not caring about her friend’s behavior, she shook her head and showed Minami her brightest smile, enjoying the warmth of her hands.
~~~~~~
3.
Not bothering herself with Minami’s protests, Atsuko was dragging Minami back to her house to show her mother. The sun glared down on her back and she pulled her tiny body forwards. Her legs suddenly felt stronger than before. The heat could not tire her anymore. She was overflowed with her simple happiness.
The roads never seemed so different before; the long way home had shortened significantly.
“You look so happy,” the old man called from afar. He had just seen Atsuko not long ago, but now there was a major change in her mood. He was about to go to the park to check up on her when she appeared, practically skipping. She never skipped.
Atsuko excitedly ran over to him, dragging Minami along. Looking up at him, she said loudly and proudly, “Minami is back!” and turned to grin at Minami.
The man glanced at where Atsuko indicated Minami was and back at the cheerful girl’s face. She was smiling; not her lips, but her eyes were. Her dark pearls twinkled with joy. It was the first time he saw her so happy and alive. He smiled softly and patted her head. “Aren’t you glad Minami came back?”
She nodded eagerly. “I am!”
“One day,” he said, “you will make a decision, Atsuko.” He stopped to look at her; she was like an angel, so white and so pure. “In pain lived joy. In joy lurked pain. Remember this.”
She frowned, confused by the old man’s weird phrase. However, she did not question it and only nodded. Giving her a final pat, he looked at Minami’s direction and smiled tenderly. To him, Minami was the girl that deserved love the most. “Goodbye Minami. I’ll see you again, Atsuko.” As he turned to leave, he finally admitted that only God could bear torturing his angels.
Pushing the door to her house open, she ran inside and called out, “Mom! Mom, come here!” Holding her mother’s hand with both of hers, she beamed, “Mom! Minami is back!”
As soon as her friend’s name was said, her mother’s expression turned from pleasant to fuming. As the woman’s eyes became filled with tears and sadness, she shook her head and said, “Atsuko, I said Minami had moved.”
Atsuko frowned and insisted, “No, mom! Minami is back!”
The woman gritted her teeth, raised her hand, and slapped her daughter. She shouted, “No, Atsuko! She is not here!” The strong woman then broke down crying.
Confused by her mother’s actions, Atsuko stood there, her face blank. Listening to her mother’s sobs made her sad; she wanted to cry as well. Tentatively, she brought her hand up to rub her sore cheek. The pain, somehow, could not match the weight in her chest. She murmured, “But Minami is at the door.” On the brink of tears again, she turned to look at the main door.
Minami was not there. Panicking, she left her mother’s side and ran outside as quick as she could.
~~~~~~
4.
Once she was outside, she casted her eyes all around in search of her small friend. It was dreadfully quiet; not seeing Minami anywhere, her mind became filled with questions and fears.
As she was about to go around the neighborhood to see if anyone saw Minami, she noticed the girl standing at the end of the street. Minami was leaning against a lamp-post, hands behind her back.
She approached Minami and bent down to see her face, which was facing down. Pursing her lips, Atsuko asked worriedly, “Minami, what’s wrong?”
Minami lifted her head and spoke in a pensive voice, “Atsuko, let’s not tell your mom. I don’t think she expects me here.” Waiting until Atsuko nodded, Minami chewed on her lip. “Atsuko, don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Then promise me you won’t leave!” Atsuko demanded childishly.
“I promise.” Minami smiled at her friend’s antic, “You know I love you the most. I won’t leave you.”
Not satisfied, Atsuko curled her fingers, leaving only her pinky straight, and said, “Pinky swear!”
Holding out her own pinky, Minami wrapped her finger around Atsuko’s and grinned, “Pinky swear!”
~~~~~~
5.
Time flew by. Soon, she had become a teenage girl. Generations of kids came and left the old park. The flowers kept blooming in the dark corner; the same scenery welcomed her whenever she visited the park. Her memories, her life rested here. Her childhood slept there, in the space by the bushes. The key to her heart lay somewhere amongst the blue petals, hidden in the shadow.
A part of her childhood stayed within her. Like an outcast, she sat alone in her classroom, not talking to anyone. No one noticed her.
Like the little girl of all those years ago, who was all alone in the corner of a large park, she kept to herself. Her radiance could only be noticed by one person like the tiny flowers blossoming in the dark, which the same person noticed. The flower’s beauty, she, was ignored.
Atsuko’s joy was her friend. After school was over, she would go see Minami before all else, who then would remind her to do her homework. Minami was a genius, if such a word could be used to describe her. Minami was never seen doing anything, yet she insisted that she was fine with school.
From her seat, she could have a good look at the school gate. Two rows of trees were planted on the schoolyard, their leaves and flowers lay scattered on the paved road. A small breeze picked them up and gently tossed them to the sides.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, the students filed out of the classroom. They all seemed to be in a hurry, pushing, shouting, running, calling each other. In their haste, they did not seem to be aware of the lives under their feet. Crushed under the heavy soles, the dry leaves broke into pieces; the fragile flowers were flattened and torn after being trampled by dozens of unseeing humans.
She could not blame them for stepping on the delicate lives but resented them for not once acknowledging that they were stamping on other lives to live. Nature’s pulchritude seemed to be a waste to them, like garbage.
Leisurely, she made her way to the gate, basking herself in the warmth of nature. That was the way she savored life; carefully, she admired the foliage on the ground. It was a gift from nature; the leaves and the flowers did not die to be forgotten but to make someone’s life more beautiful. There would always be those who never appreciated it.
The sky was clear today. The white clouds took unique shapes in the cerulean heaven.
~~~~~~
6.
As soon as she crossed the gate, she immediately turned to her right and smiled. Minami, her back leaning against the wall, looked at her and returned the gesture.
“Do you want to go to the park again today?” Minami asked, knowing full well Atsuko’s answer. Yet she asked anyway.
They began walking before Atsuko said, “Yes, but I want to visit him first.”
They occasionally visited the old man who once told them the tale of Forget-me-nots. For some reason, he was always willing to listen to Atsuko, whether he was busy or not. However, he seldom talked and only listened quietly as Atsuko shared her fun stories with Minami instead.
Nodding in understanding, Minami held Atsuko’s hand on the way to his house. “How long have we known him?” Minami wondered aloud.
Atsuko counted the numbers in her head and answered, “Ten years.” She gently tossed back the hair that got into her face and said, “But we don’t talk to him that often. Do we?”
“Yes, we don’t. Although every time you see him, you talk for hours, “Minami chuckled at Atsuko, who looked a bit embarrassed.
“Because,” she drawled, her voice sulking, “You never said anything to him. Plus, we rarely see him. That’s why I have to talk to make up for it.”
Laughing rather loudly, Minami teased her friend, “You know you are just making up excuses.”
Pouting, Atsuko changed the subject, “When are they going to bloom again?”
“The white ones already did,” Minami informed her friend. “The blue ones are going to fill the park in a few months.”
The little Forget-me-nots kept on blooming annually at the same place where the girls had discovered them. Every year, when the time came, Minami would remind her that the flowers and spread their petals. Despite lack of care, the blue plants never gave up on life.
~~~~~~
7.
He was sitting on a rocking chair on the veranda of his house. He was doing nothing, only watching the people passing by, who were busy with their jobs and problems. They all were going somewhere but never bothered to look around them; ignorance was embedded on their faces. The amount of people increased the temperature of the street; bumping into someone was inevitable.
He watched as people complained about everything, as love and humanity slowly drifted away from the majority of them. In this day, no one ever cared about the beauty of nature anymore. He sighed.
“Why are you sighing?” He turned to see the quiet inquirer and smiled. He was going to be tired from laughing after talking to this little troublemaker.
Grinning at him, Atsuko sat on the vacant chair next to his and observed the passers-by. She voiced her thought aloud, “They look busy. They don’t even care whose toes they step on.”
He chuckled, “Did someone step on your toes?” In this world of constant change, he was glad that this girl was the same kind soul she was. But nothing came with a cheap price.
“Someone stepped on Minami’s toes—no, he stepped on her foot! And that silly girl did not even get mad. If she did not hold me back, I would have made him apologize to properly!” She fumed. Having known her thus long, he knew was never truly angry at anyone.
He flicked her forehead and said, “You only talk big. Where is Minami?”
One hand rubbing where she was hit, she pointed to a far corner of the street with the other hand. “She wanted to wait for me over there.”
He nodded and resumed watching people awhile. “Are you not busy yourself?” he asked after a moment of silence.
She stretched her shoulder before replying, “I am not the people who are so busy they cannot seem to be happy anymore.”
“Big talk,” he remarked. “You just don’t want to do anything but sleep, eat, talk, and play.”
She smiled sheepishly and stuck her tongue out. “At least I am doing what makes me happy.”
“Are you happy?” he asked. “No one notices you in this big earth. What if one day Minami left you?”
She pondered for a moment and answered, her voice deeper, “I don’t know. What am I here for…I am here only because of Minami, I think, so I’ll follow wherever she goes.”
He stared at her melancholy face, which she only wore when serious. “What if Minami died?”
She turned to look him in the eyes and frowned. “A world without Minami is not a joyful world.” She repeated slowly, “I will follow Minami wherever she goes.”
He only smiled bitterly. He lifted his head upwards and silently cursed the heaven. One day, humans shall realize they had been living an illusion. All led to the same end.
“It is fine,” he said, “as long as a beautiful soul was seeing a beautiful illusion; death is not so bad.”
“I don’t get it,” she furrowed her brows.
“Memento Mori,” he smiled and explained, “‘Remember you mortality.’ Live happily is still the top priority.”
“Now, stop talking complicatedly! I have so much to tell you!” Laughing, he complied with her order.
~~~~~~
8.
She opened the door to her apartment and was taken aback by the darkness. Closing the door, she flipped the switch and the lights flickered alive. Seeing her friend inside her apartment, sleeping peacefully on her couch, did not surprise her.
She quietly went to the couch and squatted down to watch her friend’s sleeping face. She had given Minami a spare key to her apartment so that she could visit Atsuko whenever she wanted, which was basically every day.
She had started her last year of high school, hence her mother told her to start living on her own. Of course her mother helped her pay the bill as her part-time job could not cover the expenses.
Bored with watching Minami sleep, she started poking the girl’s cheek and giggled when Minami grumbled in her sleep. She poked harder and, receiving no reaction, pulled on her friend’s ear instead.
Minami jerked awake with a start and stared at Atsuko. She then closed her eyes, and said automatically, “Five more minutes.”
She pinched Minami’s cheek, pouting and frowning. “No! Wake up! Or I will watch a movie by myself!”
Not sure how that was a threat, Minami raised an eyebrow at Atsuko, who answered, “I’ll be sad and lonely!”
“How old are you again?” Minami chuckled sleepily.
“Young enough to not talk to you for days,” she replied, narrowing her eyes and glaring at Minami.
Stifling her laughter, Minami sat up and pushed Atsuko to the bathroom. “Okay, take a shower! I’ll be waiting.”
As she passed by, the flowers in the pot next to the window swayed softly and were still again. She had bought the milky blue Forget-me-nots upon moving into her apartment, for she could not go to the park as often anymore. The flowers were something precious to her; they reminded her of Minami thus comforted her when her short friend was not here.
She came out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, feeling refreshed. Keeping a towel on her head, she went over to Minami and said, “Let’s watch Titanic!”
“What?” Minami cried out, visibly displeased about the idea. “We have watched Titanic four times already! Can’t we watch something else?”
“Only if you would stop crying every single time,” she grinned evilly. Minami was always emotional; she would cry at anything that she deemed as sad: lost love, stray animals, finding long lost relatives, etc.
“I knew it! You find my sensitivity funny!” Minami exclaimed painfully. Then she said, “Oh well, you love it anyway,” as though it was the most natural thing.
Atsuko shook her head, smiling, and inserted a disk into the player. She flopped down on the couch and turned the television on.
As she leaned her head on Minami’s right shoulder, she blinked thrice, looked up at Minami, and stated, “You smell like something.”
“What do you mean, ‘something’?” Minami asked cautiously, aware of her friend’s love of teasing her.
“Like…” she trailed off, glancing around to find the right words. “You smell like a flower.”
Following her gaze to where Atsuko was looking at, she noticed the Forget-me-nots by the window and complained, “It’s because you always make me go to the park. The fragrance of the flowers must still linger on me.” Stopping, she realized something. “Wait, did you actually smell the flowers or what?”
Embarrassed, she whacked Minami’s shoulder and hissed, “Shush! Watch the movie!” Minami only chuckled.
They watched the movie in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s warmth. There was nowhere that could make her feel as fulfilling as by Minami’s side.
~~~~~~
9.
When she opened her eyes, it was already morning. She had fallen asleep on the couch while having a movie marathon last night with Minami. Pushing herself up, she looked around her apartment. It was eerily still and empty. Minami must have left early.
She decided to visit the old man again. After all, she had a full week off from school.
After fifteen minutes of walking, she found the old man in front of his house. He wore a hat and looked like he was about to go out. As she approached him, she asked, “Are you going somewhere?”
Moving his head so he could have a good look at her, he replied slowly, “To the river,” and locked the door to his house. In this neighborhood, although no one cared, there was a river; from the riverbank, he could watch the sky without being bothered by any busy person.
She held her hand out to help him as he took slow steps. He looked at her for a moment before asking, “Do you know the story of Narcissus?”
Sometimes, she could not understand what was going through his head. Wondering what brought this topic up, she answered, “Yes. He died admiring his own reflection, did he not?”
Narcissus, who was starved and dehydrated to death, was cursed by a Goddess. He died by the riverside and turned into a flower, which was called by his name. As the old man thought about this, he muttered, “Flowers are such fragile things, burdened with tragedies for eternity.”
He sighed and asked her, “Are you happy?”
“Yes,” she replied, “you ask this every time I see you.”
“As long as you are happy,” he smiled sadly, “as long as you are true to yourself, how you live your life does not matter.”
Seeing her nod, he continued, “Say…Narcissus died loving his own reflection…Loving an illusion is not so bad, is it?”
“Loving an illusion,” she frowned, “means your love is a lie, doesn’t it?”
He patted her head. Her hair had always been straight and smooth; he wished he could have had a grandchild like she. “In this world, nothing is real. It is up to you to determine if your love is a lie or not, my child.”
~~~~~~
10.
She wanted to ask him to explain his weird philosophy when a voice called, “Atsuko, the flowers bloomed.”
From the old man’s house, they needed to pass by the park before getting to the river. At this time of the year, most flowers had already blossomed, save for the tiny Forget-me-nots, which opened in late spring.
Before her, Minami stood next to a tree in the small corner of the park, looking at the bush of blue flowers. All around her, little petals and leaves competed in the race to the earth, falling on Minami’s head and shoulders in the process.
The old man gave her a push and said, “Stay here and watch the flowers. I can go alone.” Not leaving her any room to argue, he walked away, waving the back of his hand at her.
Minami giggled as Atsuko stuck her tongue out at his back, her face scrunching up in feigned annoyance. Turning to her friend, Atsuko brushed the leaves off her head and shoulders, which earned her a comment, “You act like my mom.” She slapped Minami’s forehead and pouted.
Smiling at her, Minami grabbed her hand and led her away from the park. “Let’s go. I have something to show you.” Not five minutes later, she realized they were heading to the same river where the old man wanted to see. However, on their way, she could not see him anywhere.
Upon arriving at the riverside, Minami let go of her hand and faced the river. She asked with a faraway look in her eyes, “Atsuko, are you happy?”
Atsuko blinked. She stared at Minami, not understanding what her friend wanted to say, and blinked again. Somehow, her throat was dry, and she said with difficulty, “I am. What’s wrong with you and him, asking me the same question?”
Laughing quietly to herself, Minami bowed her head in an ominous silence. “Atsuko, even if you are happy, you can’t go on like this forever. I cannot take care of you if something should happen.” After a moment of silence, Minami pointed at something on the river and said, “Isn’t that beautiful? I want to buy one like that.”
She slowly turned to see what Minami was pointing at. There, floating on the river was an amaranth; she remembered seeing one when the old man showed her his collection of flowers. She was confused; what did an amaranth have to do with this?
She fixed her eyes at the short girl for a long while, her stare so intense as if it was boring a hole in Minami’s skull. She asked herself what could have brought this up and considered the old man’s words. Her life, her love, her everything, could have been a lie up until now. As if reading her mind, Minami spoke up gently, “Atsuko, your life was real. Everything you did was real.”
Minami shifted her gaze to Atsuko and moved to hold the tall girl’s cheeks. “Your emotions are yours; your love for…Minami is real. But you cannot continue like this.”
“I don’t get it,” she whimpered as her eyes brimmed with tears. She frowned, her tears threatened to spill, “You promised you would never leave me.”
Minami hugged her, resting her chin on Atsuko’s shoulder, and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Her tears fell on the ground, drop by drop. She managed to choke out, “I don’t get it…you’re here. And you’re warm!”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Minami said as she rubbed her friend’s back and patted her head. “‘Remember your mortality,’ right? I can’t be with you forever.” Atsuko hugged her tightly and shook her head.
From afar, an old man turned on his heels and began walking away. He looked up at the sky and sighed tiredly. There was something that cannot be erased from life easily; there were things that were supposed to be eternal but still mortal in a sense. He shook his head; of course God would never let eternity exist without mortality.
“Minami,” she called her friend’s name, “Minami, don’t leave me.”
“I’m sorry, Atsuko. I’m sorry.” Minami could only repeat her apologies as Atsuko cried on her shoulder. “I would have stayed with you if I could. But this is not good for your future.”
“I don’t care if this is nothing at all!” she shouted, her voice thick with emotions. “Stop telling me what is good for my future,” she whimpered again, tears flowing endlessly, “I should be the one to decide!”
Pushing the other girl away gently, she wiped her tears and glanced at the object flowing on the river. She took a deep breath and said, “You said you wanted that amaranth, didn’t you?”
Minami opened her mouth and closed it again after debating with herself. “Can I stop you?” she asked in a sulking voice.
“No,” Atsuko answered with a bright smile.
Minami snickered softly, “You have always been such a stubborn girl.”
“You know you love it anyway,” she stuck her tongue out at Minami, feeling like a little kid again. “I wonder,” she said, looking up at the heaven, “if Minami still loves me after all this.”
It was a pleasant morning. The sky was so clear, as though free from burdens. She felt her emotions welling up again when Minami responded, “I’m sure Minami does. Here, let me hold your hand.” Feeling a warm hand grasping her own, she tightened her hold on it.
“You’re still warm, though,” she noted bitterly.
“I know.”
Turning her head around, she stared at Minami’s face closely. “What are you doing?” Minami asked, covering her face with her other hand. She pulled Minami’s hand away with a smile.
“I want to see Minami’s face one last time.” She waited until Minami slowly nodded.
“Don’t you forget it,” Minami ordered.
With a laugh, she said, “Don’t let go of my hand.”
Moving towards the edge of the riverbank, she carefully leaned forwards, one hand still holding tightly onto Minami’s, and slowly stretched out her other hand. The floating flower was still away from the range of her arm. She flicked her fingers to grasp the flower but to no avail. As she leaned more of her body forwards, she could feel the force of gravity at work and squeezed Minami’s hand more firmly.
“Atsuko,” from behind her, Minami assured, “I’ll also follow you wherever you go. Minami will be where you will go as well.”
Nodding, she smiled tearfully. When her feet slipped from the edge, her hand also grabbed the delicate body of the amaranth. As gravity pulled her down, she threw the flower at where Minami previously was. There was a splash and she realized she was drowning. Closing her eyes, she smiled when she heard a voice say, “I got the flower… Be at peace.”
“Amaranth…” far away, an old man whispered, “flowers of immortal love… An illusory love is as beautiful as any other…”
The end.
I'm ready, throw anything at me OTL
Feel free to kill me OTL
You may now be like, "What?" or "What just happened?" Look back at the title and see if you get it
Also, the flowers are used to describe Takamina and Acchan~ because only Acchan knew about Takamina, that's why Takamina is like the flowers blooming in a dark corner, and Acchan will sooner or later fade away alone, and no one would care if she did, but she wouldn't regret it
In every odd-numbered scene, I made sure that Takamina was not explicitly mentioned. Takamina never physically appeared in those scenes. On the other hand, in even-numbered scenes, Takamina actually had a physical body and all, because... she is Acchan's *points to title*
Topic: One-shot: Hallucination: Forget-me-not (AtsuMina) Last part Updated. (Read 21170 times)