The next Friday, 02:49 PM.

Forgave.

"It had been exactly a week since... I properly forgave Raphael. Honestly, Lynn, now that I came to realize that he is, indeed, a flawed person just like all of us... I felt nothing but... pure relief. I never have this kind of feeling before. Rena gladly congratulated me, and the moment I heard her made me feel like... I was over the moon. You're right, Lynn... she's the one who understands my feelings so much. She makes me feel special... in some way. She even motivated me to also tell Seb the story, but he only thanked me for stepping up. Heh, typical Sebastian, huh?"

I found myself chuckling quietly as I crouched beside Lynn's grave, caressing the tombstone. I had brought some forget-me-nots along, placing them just exactly on the ground where she had rested six feet under. I knew she wasn't physically here, and that people nearby would view me as crazy since I was talking to myself, but I knew she was still listening from up there.

She promised me that she would always watch me... and keep me safe.

"From that day on, I tried to... well, talk with Raphael like usual, just like when we were young. I have his phone number now, so we would always plan on meeting up at the park, then we would talk about life and shit. He would reveal about his current life in Minnesota, his family and his new friends there, and I simply listened. He would also tell me about his therapy too, and how he was still felt the immense guilt pressing against him. I would just tell him again.. that it's fine and that it doesn't matter anymore."

I took a deep breath, before continuing.

"There were still moments where we would be completely silent, until either him or I initiated a conversation. Also, I kinda felt the need to keep a distance, since I wasn't really comfortable with him yet. In fact, I still have flashbacks of what happened back then, but that didn't bother me so much. Like what my therapist advised me, it's completely normal."

"There's no need to rush, dear." Her words echoed inside my head. "You just need to move through the problem little by little, just like a baby taking his first tiny steps. If you fail, that's okay. Everyone always fails on their first try."

"Speaking of the therapy, it was... going really well. Guess what, you're right again about opening up my mind... if I only did that, Lynn, then things would be easier. I should have... at least let go of my stubbornness. Oh well, I can't just keep regretting what I had done, right?" I knew the question would be left hanging, so I decided to resume.

"Well, I was slightly better thanks to it, but my parents continuously warned me to never quit visiting therapist until further notice. It was to the point I got bored of them reminding me all over again but... I have no choice to obey. I had learned my lesson, and I didn't want the events from weeks ago to be happening again."

I wiped the sweat that was about to trickle down my forehead, as I sighed profoundly. The heat that lingered around was seriously killing me... this was worse than the days before. It was to the point where I wanted to drink liters of water until I was satisfied enough. Even the thin white T-shirt and shorts I was wearing didn't help at all.
Just hold on... I still have some things that I have to tell her, and then, I'll get out of here...

"Today and the following weekend... well, there will be no schedules for a visit. I heard that she'll be really busy, but that's okay, I think I'll be through it. Besides, I can use this opportunity to, you know, meet up with Rena, and have some fun. I'll be meeting up with her this afternoon and go to the mountains together... just the both of us. It's like a date, I guess....? After all, I feel like it's my time to... ask her out."

At the last words, my heart pounded heavily, feeling its impact against my ribs when I put my hand in my chest. The dry, sweltering air might made my entire face warm, but this time, it was unusually hot. My skin began to somewhat tingle, and my guts were filled with nothing but fluttering but powerful butterflies. I forced myself to stretch my lips and formed a small smile, even if it came out ugly and hideous.

"I don't think Rena and I can stay as friends for any longer, Lynn. Well, I wasn't so sure about asking her out back then, but now, I do. I'm ready... to take our relationship to the next level. Besides, she liked me back... so it's a perfect opportunity to take. I know I'm still recovering from my depression but... maybe... it will at least help guide me through the healing process."

It took me a lot of effort to say this, and I probably looked like a stupid tomato right now. Thankfully, so far, no one was around to judge me with their stares, so I was pretty much safe to resume on what I was doing.

"Well... I guess it's time for me to go... otherwise Rena will be spending more of her time waiting rather than having fun. See you, Lynn." I brushed the tombstone for one last time, before tidying up the flowers I had left for her. Standing up to my feet, I gave her a moment of silence as a respect, before I finally left her grave and the cemetery altogether.

I just hoped Lynn was proud of me for being able to tear down my walls apart and gradually allow everyone in, including Rena. I believed that she was happy, since somehow, the ambience became much lighter and I just felt... much more at ease than before. Despite the loud beats it produced, my heart was completely overwhelmed with relief, which, in turn, calmed most of my nerves down.

Now, it was the time to meet Rena, and the first thing I told myself was to get a grip together and not get fucked up.

Instinctively, I tidied up my clothes, getting rid of any wrinkles or dirts that were stuck on the fabric. I kept brushing my hair, so that none of the strands was standing up awkwardly. I used wax on them, but it seemed that some of them were rebellious. Right after the short groom, I began journeying through the road, lowering my head so that people nearby couldn't clearly see my flushed cheeks.

The sounds of the sea might be spectacular, but the nature noises at the mountains were no less fantastic. If I could spend the whole day at the park, I could also do it here as well. Listening to the rich, powerful songs of birds and the quiet rustling of the leaves, while observing the lush green peaks... were intriguing. They majestically towered through the skies, that I could even see them from here.

If that wasn't the definition of 'amazing' then I had no idea what it was.

Rena was so going to love this. I was confident that she will because she... she was always impressed with everything I had shown her. Climbing the mountain and seeing the entire view of our town with her was just... making me unable to contain my excitement.

After all... I never felt so worked up before.

This was just one of the days where I could throw off the stress I endured from weeks before and enjoyed what I has gained.

During the way, I noticed a familiar but blurry figure moving in the distance, riding on what looked like a bicycle. I wanted to brush it off as some stranger cycling through here, but when it neared me, I immediately stopped with whatever I was doing. My eye widened, and once again, the butterflies inside of me struck back.

It was Rena.

As usual, her gorgeous looks was a panacea for my sight. Her long, chesnut hair flew along with the wind as she gently pedalled through the streets. Instead of her renowned pink hat, she was wearing the black one, embowed with a large white ribbon, her second favorite hat of all the others she have. She have yet to notice me, though, as her gaze wandered around the area, observing her surroundings. When I noticed she had the brightest smile on her face, the flutterings got even worse.

Oh, Rena...

I gulped forcefully, struggling on opening my mouth to call for her, but unfortunately no voice came out. I didn't need to make another attempt though, since her eyes suddenly landed on me, which made me tense up even more. I never gave a shit about my appearance or did I feel self-conscious about it, but with her around...

...it changed me completely.

"Hey Ed!" Rena greeted, but my brain wasn't processing properly, so there were no response. She slowed down on her tracks, slowly braking her bike until she completely stopped right beside me. The next thing I knew, she was staring straight at me, somewhat scrutinizing me from up and down. The pressure was really getting into me... and if I didn't control myself more, I would have melted into some puddle.

"You know, I... I'm actually a-about to go and pick you up as some sort of a surprise..." Rena murmured, her words faltering. "But, I d-didn't expect your visit to be that fast..."

"Oh, sorry... I thought you're already waiting up there, that's why I cut it short." I scratched my head, and couldn't help but to observe her carefully. This time, she wasn't wearing a thin, summer dress but a white crop top that showed some of her... stomach covered by a knitted cardigan, and a high waist, jean shorts. I immediately forced myself to look away, not wanting myself to become a creep.

"Ah, that's okay!" She dismissed, laughing silently. "I thought after all the therapy you have, I wanna cheer you up for a bit."

"Thanks Rena, but everything's going fine." I mumbled. "I'm feeling better by each day. I just need to learn how to be more mentally stable. Now that I could take a break with you, I'm trying to keep myself as optimistic as possible."

"Y-yeah, it's true. The more positive your mind is, the faster you'll recover from your depression." She smiled, then beckoned me to the empty spot behind her. "Anyway, now that we're both here, why not w-we go up together? We can see all of this beauty at once and talk about s-some stuff."

"Sure." I wasn't able to count how many times I had ridden Rena's bike, that it had become a daily routine whenever we went out together. She didn't even seem to make a fuss nor did she care about it, so now, it was completely fine to just hop into the back seat without the need of asking her permission.

As soon as I settled down, Rena started pedalling, hitting the streets. She slowed her pace as soon as I could feel the road started inclining at an angle. After all, we were now at the hilly area, where every acre of the land was overgrown with grasses, adorned with dark green spots due to all the trees. The sun was still bursting its rays upon us, but the more we got higher, the air gradually turned cooler, which was always a plus.

However... there's one more thing still bothers me...

"Rena." I called out.

"Yeah?"

"How's Alyssa doing recently?" I asked hesitantly. "I know I'm asking this so suddenly, but after that time I turned her down, she seemed really off... and just not as bubbly as her usual self."

I finally have the balls to talk to Alyssa concerning her feelings for me, but through a phone call. I had tried my very best not to make my rejection blunt, even though I wanted to make it as straightforward as possible. Rena had told me that it was okay to be honest, as that was Alyssa looked for, so I decided to listen. She might claim that she was fine with it, went along the flow and tried to move on, but...

...her actions said otherwise.

"Oh, Aly? Well... about that..." I could feel Rena's body shaking as she let out a series of giggles. "Honestly, she's upset just like Seb. She's also pretty down, but don't worry. I had tried comforting her and kept her spirits high. Also, you know Aly, Ed... she's a s-strong, confident girl, and she'll never let her devastation drag her down. T-That's what I love about her."

"Yeah... but I should have tried softening up my words." I muttered.

"N-No, don't think like that. You're good to go, Ed. You tell her the truth a-and not covering it up... just like what I did to Seb. That, I definitely appreciate it." Rena convinced. "Now with that settled... l-let's try to enjoy the things we're going to do today."

"Of course." I agreed, looking at how the trees had become abundant as we went deeper into the road. "...and it's funny how we have been planning to go the mountains, but it took us weeks to finally carry it out."

"True..." Rena breathed. "Well, at least w-we're able to go now... and it's j-just the both of us. I was about to go invite the others, but then, it will just be... really o-odd... hehe..."

"I agree." Of course, if I really... wanted to go out in a date with Rena, nobody else should be involved. It was only the two of us, and that was enough. I didn't know whether I should classify this as a date... since if so, we actually have been on so many of them, like going to the mall, the park and a lot more...

"The view from up there is gonna be spectacular Ed, so we s-should really take lots of photos together, then we will have some picnic." Rena was definitely pumped up as she suggested some activities to do.

"Picnic?" I questioned.

"Yup!"

Out of all things, this one word interested me the most. It was not because I wanted to do it, but because I have no preparations at all. In fact, I didn't even carry a single food nor thing... I just brought my own self.

"I'm glad, but I don't have anything with me." I muttered under my breath, looking away. "I..."

"I figured, but t-the picnic itself is a surprise as well," she interrupted, "that's why I brought all the stuff instead. When you were out v-visiting Lynn, I made some sandwiches for the both of us, and we could enjoy it while being there."

"Oh... uh, thanks." It baffled me on how she would prepare things up and not ask for my help or something. I just felt... guilty for not at least give some assistance... and simultaneously, my affection towards her raised an another notch. "... even so, you should have at least tell me to bring some things."

"It won't be a surprise, then. In fact, I still have more to come... but that's a secret." She teased.

My God, what exactly are you trying to surprise me with? I mentally asked, clenching both of my hands. You're making me really curious...

"Oh, and if we're able to stay up until evening, then we're gonna enjoy the night view of the town." Rena excitedly proposed. "I heard that the best spot for stargazing is up in the mountains, so we can see the true beauty of the night compared to when we were down below."

"I never seen much stars from the town, so it sounds interesting to do it from up here." This was my chance to share her my knowledge of the summer constellations. My hope was that she was interested in these things, and if she did, everything will be going well.

"Of course it will be. Trust me, Ed. Y-You'll have so much fun." Rena promised, and even had the guts to glance her head over her shoulders, smiling radiantly at me. Yeah, the butterflies inside of me definitely became batshit crazy and started devouring my stomach walls.

...There are sure a lot of things I want to thank her for.

***

A few minutes later, we finally arrived on the spot where Rena and I had agreed to have a picnic on. With the picnic basket on my hand, we were silent as we indulged ourselves at the amazing view in front of us.

We were pretty much high up in the mountains, since we could get a great view of the entire town that sat just below. I could make out every of buildings and houses, just reduced in size. The ocean was visible, although quite distant, but it stayed true to its navy blue color. What was shocking, the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster can also be seen. I often see them up close, now they were so tiny, I have to squint my eye to clearly see them.

"Wow.... This is incredible." I was the one who firstly commented. "... I have been to the mountains a lot of times, but... you definitely picked the hot spot."

"Hehe, right? Aly and I have been here also, so we knew some of the best places." Rena beamed. "Anyway, let's tidy up f-first. Ed, can you set up the carpet, and p-prepare the plates? I'll prepare the drinks and the food."

With no hesitation, I simply did exactly what she told me. I didn't mind at all, because... I really just wanted to help her, at least in return for all that she had did for me.

The next thing I knew, we were sitting on the carpet, having everything settled up. We toasted our fruit punches, then nibbled on our sandwiches.

While so, Rena shared her story of what happened this week. She was laughing as she told me about how Alyssa got lost again while they were trying to meet up at the mall. She told me that Alyssa wanted to try going alone... but ended up failing completely. At this point, Rena's warm aura was growing much bigger, and clearly it was affecting me both the outside and inside.

After a minute of enjoying our food, we briefly stared out at the scenery in silence before Rena... demanded for my attention.

"Um... Ed?"

"Hmm?" I glanced at her.

"Can I... sit right b-b-beside y-you?" Right as she asked this, with no questions asked, I nodded in agreement. From the corner of my vision, I watched as she moved close to me, her body making a contact against mine, which stiffened me up almost instantly.

However, this was nothing compared to her next action... which blew me away, hard.

Without any warning, she suddenly leaned herself towards me, resting her head on my shoulders. I could feel myself tightening up, and I was struggling so badly just to act all normal. Then... she reluctantly rested her hand on top of mine, and wrapped her fingers around it.

I had no idea what to react, except the fact that my head began to spin round and around. I didn't even want to know whether my cheeks are turning beet red... but I believed so. I quickly let my bangs covered most parts of my face so that she didn't notice.

Rena...

You're... on it again with pressuring me...

"Um... I-I... Is... Is it o-okay if I... d-did t-t-this t-to you...?" Rena was stammering like crazy as well. I could feel her face heating up against my skin, which made everything... even worse. I could feel my Adam's apple bobbing up and down as I gulped excessively.

"...Ye... Yeah... it's fine..." I forced out an answer.

There were so much times where we both would just be severely close to each other for no reason. There was also one time where Rena almost... kissed me as she checked for my fever, and there, I thought I was going to faint.

This time, despite all the awkward tensions we have, I... I began to grow slightly comfortable with her leaning and brushing against me.

Things... really have changed...

***

A/N: There, you have your awaited Erena moment! Hehe :D I hope you enjoy their interactions as well as this chapter in overall! Don't forget to leave a vote and some comments :) Also, this was the third last chapter before Labyrinth came into an end :")

That's all for today :) See you all next week!

- Tara