Present day - August 7th, moments after dawn. Moments of silence

" Don't hide. He's unconscious now. Amane, come here and look at the mess he is." He said with a cold, and sassy voice, reminiscent of his past self.

Amane couldn't bring herself to look at her brother, one whom she failed to understand. One she almost failed to save, all because she couldn't detect the fake facade of guilt he put on.

To mask the truly infinitely more grim one he had been suffering for a long span of three months.

She fell on her knees before him, bawling her eyes out, deciding whether to gouge it out herself as she couldn't see him.

Not in this state.

Let alone see his pain......

*****

Nakarugi Matsuki simply stood with the support of the beam beside him as he took out his kerchief and threw it on top of Chris's unconscious body, the plank having a clear mark of oppression on its surface.

" Wipe the sauce, Amane. I can't stand the sight of it. Including one I just drew myself." He scoffed, showing his true intentions. He never wanted to truly save Chris.

The facade he had on is one goofy body who doesn't even understand the world around him when he clearly does; better than most at least.

He wanted Chris to save himself, one way or the other. He is just the pathfinder he needs.

But that doesn't deny that he had tears stinging the brim of his eyes, staying right on the edge.

Denying that he is neither weak to cry nor strong enough to care about shedding a tear.

He was just......there.

*****

Whereas Amane was too simple.

She cried when she needed to. She pretended to be strong when she had to. She fought when she had to. She was too weak in courage.

She was afraid that something might happen when her brother had a beaming smile on his face when he said he was going out.

So she followed him. Followed him to see what he was up to. And she was happy she did, as well as not.

She was conflicted.

If only she was courageous enough to fight him back and smack him and to keep him on her side.

" W-Wh-ww-why?" That stutter was all she could muster, her voice feebler than ever.

Weaker than ever.

[Author's note: Its not that she is not capable of doing so. She is a weak minded one when she is confused or sad. It's not capable to strengthen yourself when you are knocked so out of comfort. She is as human as most...]

She waited for his answer, as she picked up the kerchief, her hands trembling and gently blotted the blood, or 'the sauce' , as preferred by Matsuki as she evaded the small pieces of wood etched into his face. Warm drops of tears flowed from her eyes; and it changed to ice cold by the time it touched Chris's body.

*****

Nakarugi Matsuki. He could only take so much at once.

Only so much pressure......

Only so much pain......

Only so much death......

He wasn't human and wasn't non human.

" Why does it have to be me who does this?" He asked himself and let out a sniffle. He knelt down on his knees to meet Amane face to face as he smiled.

Another fake smile.

Yet another one....

To someone who needed one.....

Ichine Amane, the other person he needed to protect himself.

His promise to Chris, he took it seriously.

It hurt him. To slap a fake smile on his own face. Then he remembered the months his friend did it, not even caring unless he is alone.

And then the months where his other friend did it.

Two broken souls. One life remains.

He subconsciously pumped his first against the air.

But that made him beam with happiness. He finished his mission. He kept his promise to Suzuha, his love.

He kept his promise to himself.

He kept his vow to the one who was betrayed. The one who was shunned.

He sat in an awkward position, one leg on the front and on bended sideways, as he always does when he starts telling stuff.

The typical position for serious talk.

He put both his hands behind him, on the ground to support his posture.

He looked at the sunrise which seemed so far away a few moments ago.

" I guess I'm the only one, huh?"

Amane was oblivious and didn't hear this as she was busy wiping tears on the left and blood on the right, and picking out splinters somewhere in the middle.

*****

" Amane?" Mr.Savage decided to break the silence

" H-huh?"

" Your answer" He looked at her, while nudging his feet at Chris's thighs." He is guilty. Guilty that he was the reason that Har-"

He paused a moment.

" She is not in this world anymore. That's all. Nothing more. nothing more." He repeated twice, as if assuring himself that it was the truth.

But that more than was enough to make her understand, for real this time. That was how simple minded she was.

" F-fine." She wiped away her tears.

Amane wanted to change herself, to give her stupid brother the love he needed.

The love he deserved.

Even if it meant he would nearly die from annoyance.......

Even if it meant she would have to make a facade he can't see.

To repeat what has been done.

To smile even though they'll be broken.

" How are we going to get him down? Cause I ain't carring him down again."

Starting then.

Nakarugi looked at her, understand her intentions and heck; he was also getting irritated to going back the former person he once was, a total ruthless knucklehead who isn't afraid to bash others skulls in as he was reminded of the past in a loop of hurt.

" WE carry him?" He pointed at him and then, at Amane.

And that was covered almost perfectly by an awkward and almost too perfectly made silence.

" Just missing that rolling thing..." Both of them uttered in unison.

And they knew they would get along quite well.

*****

Chris opened his eyes, with the slightest hope he had survived the fall without becoming an amputee.

He just went out on a limb and decided that wasn't the case, pun intended.

That would really suck for him...

But all he was greeted was severe pain and a humongous headache.

He was in pain. Intense pain right on his face.

But he was a glad he wasn't only thinking of how to die all over again. He had to set over a new beginning.

Roll over a new leaf.......

Turn over a new log.....

Maybe when the saying is correct and accurate.

And once then, did he remember he had someone to apologise.

He remembered his messed up dreams.

Ichine Amane.

He turned his head, ignoring all the agony he felt on his nose and his forehead, he turned to his side; to his amazement, finding his sister by bond sleeping by his side, her face sideways on his elbow, holding his palm.

Indicating somehow, she knew what happened.

His first thought was that dream was somewhat accurate.....

Bloody bastard. He was gonna kill him in a bit.

" How did you get here, you little-?" His thoughts were interrupted when he turned to his other side.

He was itching to kill him.

He was as close to killing him as a war veteran when a mosquito would suck at their hand.

On the other side was Nakarugi, doing the same thing, just that it had him nearly throwing up all over again.

But it won't be topped by Suzhua and him locking mouths.

He could say things escalated pretty quickly......

He couldn't move his body for the worse as well.

He took a look up and found that the Thing didn't just walk up, and get an escalator. Instead, it found that the escalator didn't burn calories, and decided to take the stairs.

Suzuha was sleeping as well, just that she was having a book named, " The Bad Boy" on her lap and she was drooling halfway down her cheeks.

But boy, did it end there for him?

Of course not!

The last few chapters of a book needs to be funny!

*Sniff* sad face.

The nurse stepped in, with a bowl of readymade noodles. And that was supposed to be where the joke ends.

Instead, she puts it on top of his stomach and exits the door as smooth as the air, winking at Chris, like he was the main character in some sort of messed up harem.

Seems like the Thing thought that the stairs was too much effort and took the lift halfway......

He looked at the window, dawn setting off the Sun and it's daily schedule at beaming light at everyone's eyes and burning them.

He sighed.

" I love you guys" He muttered, smiling as he found his family back again, when he nearly gave it all up for someone who was willing to wait eternity to be with him again.

A bonehead move by his side.

He ruffled Amane's hair, by taking one off Nakarugi's, wiping the drool off and wiped it on his hair with a cringed expression on him; felt even weirder for a moment and smiled again.

" Live for you, huh?" He smiled at the gentle breeze blowing in, throwing Amane's hair into Nakarugi's mouth who just rolled his tongue over it, thinking it was Suzuha and did weird things to it. .

That act was truly gruesome for Chris, seeing him drool all over it.....

Cue the cringe face.

" Ew." Was all he could afford to say, before falling asleep, in peace for the first time in ages.

" I promise, Haruka." He looked at his family one last time before closing his eyes.

" Just wait......"

-The End Of A Path

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