Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a cold, dreary night outside. With the moon shining brightly in the sky. In a place called Faraway Town. Except for the gentle white noise made by nocturnal animals like grasshoppers and owls, everything was dark and silent. The birds, cats, and, presumably, the majority of the human population of the town were all fast asleep. With the exception of one small child.

A small family lived in a big house. A room was shared by two siblings, one of whom was sleeping and the other who was awake. Sunny was the name he went by. 

He is shy and timid by nature, but his imagination can take you anywhere.

Sunny was fully awake. Due to his occasional nightmares, he was unable to rest. He closed his eyes in an effort to get some more shut-eye, but he was unable to do so for two reasons: the nightmare was still fresh in his mind, and the bed was only moderately comfortable.

Sunny shifted his gaze to his older sister, Mari, who was snoring peacefully on the right side of the room. Sunny carefully made his way through the darkness to his sister's bed, grabbing one of his many stuffed animals, Nosegoes, from his bed.

Moving carefully so as not to disturb the silence, he tiptoed across the wooden floor. Shortly thereafter, he arrived at his sister's bed and cautiously climbed up onto it.

"Mari...Wake up..." 

He gently called for his sister to wake up while gently shaking her shoulder so as not to startle her. She shifted slightly as a result of the motion.

"Hmm..."

Mari mumbled softly before opening her eyes briefly to investigate the noise.

"Sunny...?" Mari exclaimed as she discovered her brother sitting on the edge of her bed, a guilty expression on his face. Mari quickly realized what was going on. 

''Another nightmare?'' she asked softly.

He gave a mute nod while maintaining his guilty expression. Mari merely smiles at her younger sibling and invites him to join her by patting her side.

Sunny did not waste any time before jumping into the loving embrace of his sister. They slid closer together. Mari cuddles up to him and gently strokes his head while murmuring sweet nothings.

"Shh... It is only a nightmare. You have got your big sister to keep you safe."

Hearing his sister's anglicized voice brought comfort and peace to Sunny, who was no longer afraid. Even though the nightmare no longer occupied his thoughts, he was unable to fall asleep.

"Are you still having difficulty sleeping?" 

Sunny remained silent while ensconced in his sister's embrace as they continued to cuddle. Mari came up with an idea. "Oh, I know! What if I read you your favorite story? You always fall asleep while listening to it."

Sunny rapidly nodded his head. She could've sworn she saw his eyes glisten.

"Okay, I will go get it right away." Mari laughed as she got out of bed and went to the bookshelves. She quickly scanned the many books in search of it. Her gaze eventually settled on some recognizable text.

"Ah, there it is," Mari then headed over to the bed, where Sunny was sitting patiently. She started reading aloud to the kid from an open book.

~ { Wondrous Tales of Mystical Dreamland } ~

"Once upon a time, in a land of fairytales and fables, two sisters held the reins of power."

"They did not like the way the world had become today. As technology progressed in the modern world, the sister was destined to become a relic of the past, a story told around the campfire. A mere urban legend."

"People are becoming less imaginative, less motivated, and lazier as the magic of the youth mind gradually fades with each passing generation. The sister power relied on those resources for sustenance, but there were hardly any left."

"As a result, both sisters left this world and went beyond the world border, and using their combined powers, they created an Uptiopian they named the dreamland."

"They created a space brimming with creativity, hope, and meaning.  A place where everyone is accepted. There is no need to pretend to be something else in order to be accepted. A place where dreams are meticulously crafted, brought to life, and become a reality!"

"A safe haven where you can be whoever you want to be. Let your wildest imagination run wild with no boundaries. A place to be creative and inspired."

"The freedom to be or do anything you want—create your own story as if you were playing with a toy box."

"The ideal world that both sisters imagined became a clear reality. But it lacked vitality, and the two sisters soon found themselves lonely."

"Then they merged their abilities into the creation of two new beings. Both a boy and a girl. Both of their first names were combined to create their children's names."

"They then created four more friends for their first creation so that they would never feel lonely as well."

"Soon they created more creations in a variety of shapes. Things were going great and peaceful for a long time."

"The land was equally ruled by both sisters." However, they both had different perspectives on how they operated. In spite of their differences, they complement each other perfectly."

"One day, however, one sister developed feelings of envy and jealousy toward the other, became overwhelmed by her feelings, succumbed to corruption, and set out to terrorize and destroy the land."

"The other sister tried to reason with her, but to no avail. But it was all for naught, as it fell on deaf ears."

"The sister prevailed over the enraged sister and cast her out of the land where she had imprisoned her."

"The sister vowed to return and exact her vengeance on her sister someday, and with each passing day, the sister was gradually regaining her powers to break the barrier."

"The sister was heartbroken by what had happened, but she forced herself to maintain her composure so she could manage the land. Even without her sister, she manages to maintain peace in the land."

"But the sister knew that her sister would return someday, just as she promised. The question of when was moot."

"It was prophesied that four courageous warriors would emerge at some point in the future. She will aid them on their quest to vanquish evil and restore tranquility to the dream world."

"The heroes will emerge victorious. They will live on in legend throughout the Dreamlands. As brave heroes, the sister will also lavishly reward them."

"But in order to..."

Mari paused mid-sentence because, sure enough, her younger brother was merely snoring away.

Mari merely smiled at the sight of her little brother's sweet face as he slowly snorted and dove into his own dreamland world. She kept an eye out for him, like he had a guardian angel.

She put the book away quietly, then wrapped her arms around her sleeping brother and gently kissed his forehead.

"Sweet dreams, little brother," she murmured before falling asleep.

Together, they rode the train to the land of slumber. She made a solemn vow to herself that she would do everything in her power to keep her little brother safe.

(OMORI)

As the sun gleamed brightly into the room, Sunny blinked open his eyes. The sky was cloudy and the birds were chirping, suggesting that it was already late in the morning. He does not usually wake up this early, but there is not much he can do about it now that he is.

He had not dreamed of going on his usual adventure with his friends today...

He knew it had to be Omori.

Sunny got out of bed, the memory he vividly recalled still fresh in his mind, and paused for a moment before moving on. He felt a deep void in his life because of his older sibling's absence.

She will be back... She has not finished her classes at the university yet. 

As Sunny descended the stairs, he saw that the house was completely filled with boxes. Oh right, we'll be moving very soon to the city, he suddenly remembers.

He was not bothered by it at all, and in fact, now that they live closer to his sister's school, he may be able to pay her a visit or meet up with her in the city.

Sunny let out a quiet sneeze.

And also dust, apparently. I think I caught some dust bunnies as well.

Sunny sniffed, rubbing his sensitive nose. He entered the kitchen, expecting to find his mother there. The sight of her son seemed to take her by surprise.

"Oh my! Sunny? You seem to be awake earlier than usual." His mom expressed her astonishment.

Sunny shrugged rather than responding verbally. He was not known for being a talkative person, preferring to use signs and gestures to convey his thoughts.

She smiled warmly, having grown accustomed to her son's peculiar way of communicating. "Good morning, honey. I’m almost done packing up the last few boxes in the house. Have you finished packing up all of your belongings yet?" she asked.

Sunny made a shaky motion with his head. "Well, make sure you do that, honey, because the movers will be coming very soon. Okay?" 

Sunny merely nodded. His mother resumed her previous activity—packing old books—after receiving his response. She was soon finished packing the last box. Among the stack of boxes, he noticed the same book that he remembered his sister reading to him many years ago. It has accumulated dust over time.

"Oh, and honey, later today I’ll be out of town, so I will leave you in charge of watching the house. I’ll write down a list of chores before I leave. Can I rely on you to do the chores until then?"

He gave her a thumbs-up instead of relying on her. 

"Of course you would," She smiled. "Look how grown up you are now."

"Anyway, I am sure you are hungry by now, so help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen." 

"There is not much right now, but I will get you something to eat for dinner before I leave town." 

"Here's some cash in case I have to spend a few days there." She gave him $30 in cash.

This should keep you going for a couple of days at most, so try not to blow it all at once, sweetie. Without saying a word, Sunny accepted the money, nodded, and put it away.

"I have to get going right now, honey." Before she left, she gave him a kiss on the forehead. Now, as usual, Sunny was on his own while his mother was busy providing for him. For Sunny, it was not a huge deal.

Sunny rummaged through the kitchen for something to eat. Unfortunately, the only perishables he discovered in the fridge were milk and cereal. 

Not the healthiest breakfast, but it will suffice.

He got out a bowl and spoon and started putting the cereal in first, then the milk, as any sane person would, before eating in silence.

His mind then wanders to his other alter ego, dubbed "Omori." His best guess as to why he did not visit headspace is that Omori was not there in white space to perform the switch with him. He spent his time in whitespace just waiting and wondering where Omori had gone before he eventually got consumed by a dream when he and his sister were young.

To say the least, Omori was a mystery to just about everyone. This was not the first time Omori had vanished without warning, so he did not worry or feel particularly concerned about it.

When questioned about it, Omori always acts dismissively or makes up an excuse. Omori had kept too many secrets from him for unknown reasons, but he had given up on getting answers from him. 

He also started behaving strangely for a while. Besides disappearing on random days, like today, he often seems distant and preoccupied.

He still has his expressionless face, but anyone who has spent any time with him at all knows that he is hiding something very deeply and is doing his best not to show it. Some people in his headspace started noticing a shift in his attitude as well.

He also started keeping his guards up at all times and on high alert for some reason, which is the polar opposite of his calm and relaxed demeanor. And he started to look around, like he was trying to find something—or someone. However, he has no idea what has led to his current state.

He was already frustrated by the secretive nature of the situation, and the stranger's refusal to explain the reason only added to his frustration. The reason was that was very personal to Omori, which took him by surprise. He also added that it was not his place to say, and that it was ultimately up to Omori to decide whether or not to share.

It seems that Omori did not want anyone else to know about this either. Furthermore, there was also a time when he caught him and Stranger arguing a lot. Which was to be expected given that they are not exactly on the best terms, though they always manage to patch things up in the end. Now, however, this phenomenon is occurring more frequently than before, and he is willing to wager that Omori's sudden change in behavior is the cause.

He also recalls that there was a third person there who acted as a peacemaker and always intervened when the two were fighting and demanded that they make up. But they were not there anymore... 

Perhaps this is why Omori is acting the way he is.

Perhaps this person meant a lot to him before they mysteriously disappeared...

He can't recall them since he doesn't like going to or thinking about that place at all, which he refers to as ‘Black Space’. There, Omori can be found lounging around when he is awake.

The only thing he can do is speculate, but the next time he sees Omori, maybe he can ask him. He was not sure if he should bring it up or not. After all, it is a rather private matter for him at the moment. However, his insatiable curiosity has gotten the better of him. 

With a silent sigh, he finished his meal and placed the dirty bowl in the sink with the other dirty dishes. Knowing he would have to do them as part of the household chores made him groan. Sunny, however, did not feel like doing anything and instead wanted to go to headspace until the day had passed. 

Not being able to sleep, his options were limited in terms of what he could do. After a few moments of deliberation, he began to wander aimlessly around the house. Following that, he lay on the living room carpet for several hours while staring at the wall.

Even though it was getting late in the afternoon, he was still not tired. Sunny was deep in thought when something struck him. 

The book.

Somewhere on one of the boxes his mother had packed, he spotted it.

He rose to his feet and began searching through the boxes for the book. He eventually found the book after some digging. The book saw better days, for sure. Sunny blew away the dust that had accumulated on the book before it spread throughout the room and caused him to cough.

He took up the book and began poring over it as if it were a long-lost relic from another era.

'Wondrous Tales of Mystical Dreamland'  

This... This was his favorite book. He enjoyed reading it, and he especially enjoyed it when his sister read it to him before bedtime or when he was having trouble falling asleep. He must have read it hundreds, if not thousands, of times. But he never got bored of it, even when he grew up.

The boy would eventually become what he was because of this book. A person who constantly zones out and never seems to emerge from his own world of daydreams. It gave him an active and vivid imagination when he was a kid. A young boy who was brimming with tales of his many exciting adventures.

He liked other books as well. The Kite Kid, Humphrey the Whale, Pyramid Food, and a slew of others. However, this one tops them all.

He thought the concept of a dreamland was fantastic and longed to go there for real. Your own space where you could do whatever you imagined and write your own story—the sky's the limit. He loved it and desperately wanted to go to a place like this.

Enter his imagination or headspace if you wish.

In some ways, he has his own dreamland where he can go on adventures with his friends.

And yet, he still feels a profound sense of emptiness, unfulfillment, and dissatisfaction. But that's impossible since that's what he always wanted... right?

Of course it was, he reasoned before dismissing those thoughts.

Once Sunny had the book in his possession, he headed for his bedroom. He walked over to his bed, which had previously belonged to his sister but had been switched to his.

Sunny got into bed, cracked open the book, and read in complete silence. In his mind, he heard his sister reading it to him in her soft, soothing voice.

It was not long before he became drowsy. The charm appears to be effective even today. Keeping his eyes open was becoming increasingly difficult.

Shortly after he gives in, tucks himself in, and closes his eyes, sleep overtakes him, and he passes out.

Having placed the book at his side, it looks like he is about to embark on yet another adventure with his friends.

He hoped Omori would be present this time in headspace.

.

.

.

Welcome to White Space.

You've been living here for as long as you can remember.

Sunny was lying on his back, staring at the white ceiling and the white light bulb suspended in the air. He was back in headspace once again, and there were no signs of Omori yet. He decided to wait here until he showed up.

Moments later, he hears the sound of approaching feet from behind him. Knowing who it is, he does not bother to turn around.

Omori walked around to stand behind him, squatting to his height. 

"Hey, Omori." Sunny greeted the boy in black and white.

"Sunny." Omori nodded back. 

"You did not show up yesterday." This was the first thing that Sunny brought up.

"Sorry, got caught up with something." 

Sunny suspected that he had made up an excuse again, but she refrained from prying. 

"So, are you all set to go?" Omori asked.

"Yeah, um, but before that... could I ask you a question?" 

There was a moment of hesitation on Omori's part before he gave his assent. "Sure, just make it quick, though."

"It's about you." Omori, annoyed, averted his gaze and closed his eyes "You have been going missing and acting strange, and it has got me worried." Sunny blurted it out.

"Look. It is nice that you are worried about me, but please don't. I'm fine."

He wasn't, and Sunny could tell, but his attempt failed as he brushed it off. 

"I usually stay in black space, but if something comes up there that requires my immediate attention, I might not show up here." 

"Ok... And what about you and Stranger? I know you both don't get along, but you've been arguing."

"A lot more than before, I mean." He quickly added.

Yes, Stranger is being the same old pain in the neck. Omori scowled in frustration. "It is probably for the best that you do not get involved in our problems." 

"Is that all? Or do you have anything else to say before we wrap this up?" Omori asked.

"Just one question: there was this third person I recall being with you and Stranger before." Omori stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide, for a split second. Sunny has taken note of the intensity of his reaction to this.

It seems like I was right about it.

Omori was deep in thought for a while before he let out a weary sigh. "Look, Sunny. I know you mean well, but there are some things I keep hidden from you for a reason. And this one is a little more personal. So, could we just leave it at that and move on?" Omori calmly and politely asked.

Sunny bit his lip, clearly not wanting to stop, as he tried to find out what had become of the person who had meant so much to Omori. But he soon dropped it at the request of his alter ego.

"Okay..."

"Good. Come on, we are already running late and our friends are waiting. Omori extended his hand to him.

Sunny nodded and stood up, taking his hand in his before disappearing, leaving Omori alone in white space with his thoughts. He knows that Sunny is fine and prefers to watch from afar, like an observer who witnesses history unfold before his eyes while Omori and co. adventure in headspace.

He is aware that Sunny is onto him, but he prefers not to bother Sunny with his personal matters. This was something personal to him, and he wants to be the one who deals with it since it's his own after all, and Sunny already has his own problems too.

Omori studied the white door in front of him for a moment before walking up to it and reaching for the handle.

I suppose it is time for another adventure.

He turned the door knob and entered, where his friends awaited him on the other side.

Chapter Text

"N-No That can't be... Mari...She's— " Basil's voice trailing off as he studied the photo that had mysteriously fallen to the ground. And then everything went dark.

.

.

.

"—She's back!" Basil let out a yell.

The news came as a complete surprise to everyone. However, as they hurried to meet her at the door, their shock turned into excitement soon after.

The group had gathered at Sunny's house for a sleepover. Given that their parents were out of the house getting food and other necessities, the kids decided to play a game of hide and seek in the various rooms. Hero was entrusted with their care while they were gone. 

"Mari! Mari!" The others called out as they sprinted to her. Sunny went to hug his sister, but he nearly brought down the house on them with his embrace because she still has a bad knee.

Regardless, she hugged him back and began stroking his head as he buried his face in her chest. "Hehe. There, there, little brother. Big sis missed you too." She whispered softly as she squeezed him even tighter.

Meow joined the others by rubbing her legs and purring.

Hero, who had just arrived late to the party, greeted Mari. "Hey, Mari. You came back quite early today." 

"Yeah, the tutor canceled today's classes early because something came up." Mari shot back a response. They eventually released each other from their embrace, but Sunny stuck close to his sister.

Hero responded with a nod. "Here, let me hold these for you." Hero offered to relieve Mari of her burden by taking her bag.

"Hehe, always a gentleman, huh, hero. Are you trying to impress me, handsome?" Mari began teasing him with a smug expression on her face. With these two, there is never a dull moment. 

"Ugh, gross." Kel expressed her disgust by making a silent gag gesture. 

"Mari! Please not right now..." Hero muttered as his face began to warm up. "I’m sorry, but I can't help myself. You are so cute when you are all flustered." Mari declared with a broad grin.

Hero was too embarrassed by the teasing to say anything as he took the bag and went to put it somewhere.

"Yo! Mari! We were just playing hide and seek." Kel ran up to her.

"Yeah! You should come and join us, Mari! It'll be fun!" Aubrey suggested as she took her hand, and Mari allowed herself to be dragged. 

"Yeah, the more the merrier." Basil added.

"Hehe... Alright, I'll play one game, then I'll go change, and maybe we'll watch some movies later." Mari agreed.

Yay!! You count, and we'll hide. Scatter everyone." Aubrey yelled before everyone else left and began looking for a place to hide.

Everyone except for Hero.

Mari quickly turned around, covered her eyes, and started counting.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1... Ready or not, here I come!" Mari declared loudly before heading out to look for them. Almost immediately, she overheard two arguing voices from another room.

Hey! Go find your own spot! That's mine!

No way, I saw it first!

Well , I got there first. So I've got dibs!

No fair! You pushed me!

Nah ah! You're just too slow.

Grr, you're so annoying, Kel!

While they continued to bicker, Mari rolled her eyes playfully. 

These two, Mari chuckled to herself before she went to the dining room and peeked under the table.  

"Found you~" Mari sang.

"Aww man. Look what you've done. You made us both lose." 

"Me?! You were the one who blew it away." Aubrey retorted.

"Yeah? Well-" 

"Come on, you two, knock it off." As usual, Hero arrived to mediate the situation between the two.

Kel and Aubrey stopped arguing, but not before exchanging mocking looks. "Come on, I need both of you to help with the movie preparations." 

"Okay!" Both responded simultaneously as they dashed to the kitchen to assist. Almost immediately, they forgot about the brief argument they had just had. The spectacle made Mari chuckle. 

Two down, Mari thought to herself as she went to find the other two remaining. 

She took a peek inside her piano room, and after a quick scan, she concluded that no one was there. Then she heard a ruffle coming from the closet. Mari's smile turned evil as she made her way slowly toward the wardrobe.

"Found you!" Mari exclaimed as she opened the closet door and discovered Basil hiding inside. "Hehe... Oh well, I found out," Basil chuckled as he emerged from the closet and joined the others in the kitchen.

Only one left,  Mari thought. 

Sunny was a master at hiding, but she'll find him. Mari started her search downstairs first, then moved on to the backyard and finally the upper floors. Some time had passed, but there was no sign of her brother yet.

Hmm, I looked everywhere except here, Mari thought, as she was now upstairs.

She looked at the bathroom before she knocked, of course, then her parents room, and found nothing.

Hmmm, he must be hiding in our room. Mari pondered. As she approached the bedroom door, she turned the knob and opened the door to discover...

(OMORI)

Sunny woke up in the middle of the night. He stared at the wall for a little bit. Yet another memory he dreamed about. 

I've been seeing them a lot lately...

He must have missed his sister so much. He got out of bed, still in his casual clothes, and slept on.

Upon reaching for the light switch and flipping it, he was greeted with nothing but darkness.

Seems like there is a blackout or something.

Sunny thoughts were interrupted as his stomach let out a growl. He felt a bit famished and thirsty after waking up in the middle of the night. He'll go to the kitchen later. No doubt that his mom left some food in the fridge.

The moonlight provided a bit of a light source for him to be able to navigate through the house. The first thing he looked for was the book. Upon inspecting the bed, the book was now on the side table. Probably his mom put him in bed after he fell asleep earlier today.

He looked outside the window. It seemed like it was late midnight. Sunny wasn't a stranger to waking up late at night. He would usually just roam around aimlessly for a bit, stare at the wall, then go back to sleep. Pretty simple.

Sunny decided to do the latter. He saw a flashing red light coming from the phone. 

Mom Probably left a message for me.

Which meant that she'd be staying in the town.

He'll check it later, first thing in the morning. For now, he wants to be alone with his thoughts. Sunny got out of his room and into the hallway. He listened closely to the sound of the night bugs outside and looked out the window outside, where the full moon was fully visible.

He kept staring at it for a while. He lost track of time as he was drawn to the sight of the moon. Suddenly, a knock on the door snapped him back and cut off his train of thought.

Huh? Who is... Could it be?

Sunny went to quickly open the door, but immediately stopped at the sight of the stairs.

It stretches endlessly. Sunny gulped and took a minute before he closed his eyes, went to grab the stairs' rail, and moved slowly. He could feel himself getting more nervous with each step he took as she struggled to move.

I can do it. My sister is waiting for me at the door. I need to be strong for her.

Sunny mustered the courage to keep going. But it felt like it kept going and going. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the bottom of the stairs. As he hears another knock, he quickly rushes to the door to open it for his sister.

Alas, he reached for the door and stood there. "Hello? Sunny? It's me, Mari! I'm finally home, but I forgot my keys... Hehe, silly me. Could you open your door for your big sister?" Mari's voice seems a bit off.

Sunny stood doing as he listened for his sister on the other side and nothing for a while there. He got a bad feeling about it.

"Hellooo? Sunny? Are you there? I also brought over our friends to have a sleepover like we used to. Come on, little brother... Open... up." 

What am I doing? My sister is outside with my friends. 

Sunny thought as he slowly went to grab the doorknob.

He felt like everything was in slow motion. He began sweating, his heartbeats increasing. His body is screaming for him not to open it and run. He didn't know what was happening to him, as he was getting cold feet.

Sunny slowly backs away from the door, sensing that something is awfully wrong.

No. Mari would never forget her keys, and she wouldn't bring our friends this late. This... must be another dream I'm seeing.

He was fully convinced that this wasn't real and that the person behind this door was not his sister.

He turned back to make his way to his bedroom and hopefully wake up from this dream. Suddenly, he hears the doorknob slowly twist behind him and then click. Sunny was now horrified as he froze in place and didn't dare to turn around.

RUN!

He heard a voice faintly shouting at him to run, he didn't need to told twice as his flight system quickly activated as he quickly ran to the hallway. He quickly stopped at a wall. 'The stairs are gone!!' Sunny panicked.

Then he heard the door behind him open. "Suuunnny~ I'm home. Where are you, little brother? I see you want to play hide-and-seek. Come on, guys, let's all play together! I'll count to 10." Mari's voice is now distorted.

"10...9...8...7...6...5-"

Sunny went into full panic mode. He was breathing heavily as well. He had nowhere to run. He looked around quickly, saw the room on his left, and ran towards it. He stopped at the doorway.

"4..3...2..1... Ready or not, here I come~" 

HIDE QUICK!!

He fought against his will, listened to the voice guiding him and entered the dark room. There was a piano in the middle of the room. Sunny quickly dove and hid under it. He heard footsteps approaching, and he covered his mouth with his hand so as not to make a sound.

He saw Mari poke her head out the door as she peaked. He didn't dare to move. He could hear his own heart beat clearly. Despite being dark, he could make out her features. There was Mari She wore a white nightdress. She was tall, with long legs, arms, and hair. Her eyes were both missing and were pitch black instead. She had a wide, sinister smile across her face. 

She slowly scans the room for a bit before she eventually leaves. Sunny finally let out his breathing, which he hadn’t known he was holding out.

This isn't a dream; it's a nightmare. This thing... he's going to call it HellMari, since it looks like something that came from hell.

Steady your breath... You can do it, Sunny.

He followed the voice and took a deep breath before he calmed down, and eventually he got out of his hiding spot and slowly walked towards the door, peeping to check if the hallway was clear. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone. 'Okay, I just need to get back to my bedroom and my bed while avoiding this thing. And hopefully I'll wake up from this nightmare.' Sunny thought. Honestly, this feels way too real for a nightmare.

With his plan in motion, he slowly got out and went to the stairs. Fortunately, the stairs were back. But his happiness was short-lived, as there was something blocking the stairs.

It was cobwebs.

Sunny tried to tear it off, but to no avail. He needed something sharp to cut through it. He silently cursed as he felt helpless. He had no choice but to go back and fetch his steak knife from where the monster came from.

He slowly made his way back. He was extra careful not to make a noise and did a double check before he proceeded to the living room. He stops in his tracks as he notices two figures. One stands in the main door, and the other in the backyard door.

Don't let her catch you. Avoid them at all costs. They are not your friends.

Sunny felt a shiver up his spine as he heard that. They only stood there, not moving. It seemed like they were blocking both doorways. He couldn't make out their features, like HellMari, but he recognized their silhouettes. As it belongs to none other than Aubrey and Kel, both were twitching.

He remembered HellMari saying that she brought their friends over, which means that they are also part of the nightmare like HellMari. Seeing that both didn't move, he slowly and quietly made his way to the kitchen.

He saw a shiny object on the counter and quickly went to grab it. It was a steak knife he picked up—perfect. Now he could use it to cut through the web. Before he went back to the living room, he heard footsteps approaching from the hallway.

As he listened closely, it seemed they were roaming in the living room. He couldn't go that way in fear of being caught by whatever was in the other room. He had to find a way around it so he could make a run for it. After thinking for a bit, Sunny came up with an idea. A dangerous one.

But he was out of options right now, so he went to the dining room. He saw one of the many scattered boxes in there. He went to one of them and knocked it over, as it made a loud noise upon impact.

He immediately hears footsteps quickly approaching from the living room. That was his opportunity. He wasted no time and went back to the kitchen, then took a turn in the living room. He finds no one there except the two who still blocked the door.

It seems the other one took the bait. He quickly rushes back to the stairs, not wanting to stick around any longer when the thing comes back. He slashes wildly through the webs and runs upstairs as quick as his feet can run while still holding onto the grips. The trip up took longer than before.

He felt himself getting more tired as the stairs kept stretching. Thankfully, he reached the top, but he heard someone approaching from the bathroom. He bolted the other way, where his mother's room is. He could hear footsteps approaching from behind. 

The thing must have heard him.

He went and hid under the bed like before and held his breath, waiting. Seconds later, he saw someone enter the room and begin looking around for a few moments. He could see very well, but the figure was a bit strange... It looked like Basil, but it was not him but rather similar. The thing he recognized was the flower crown. His clothes were different from what Basil wore. Other than that, he could make out that he was dark, and his face was distorted too, which didn't help at all. Not to mention, his mind was occupied trying not to get caught, so that was the least of his worries.

Sunny brushes it off, saying he can't see well in the dark or that the nightmare is playing tricks on him. If that was Basil, then the other must have been Hero, whom he distracted.

The Basil figure finally left the room after supposedly finding no one. After waiting for a few seconds to make sure it was gone, Sunny got out of bed and peered through the door. After sensing there wasn't anybody out, he slowly made his way to the bedroom. 

Just a little further. You're almost there. Don't stop!

When he neared the stairs, he heard a faint moan downstairs. Sunny froze in place as he slowly turned his head towards the sound. To say he was petrified is an understatement. He saw HellMari on all fours crawling out of the living room. She slowly turned her face to him while still maintaining the creepy spinster smile he had seen before.

Then suddenly, her neck snaps to 180 degrees upside down as he widens her smile much more.

"Found you~" HellMari sang in a sweet and unsettling voice.

Sunny dropped the steak knife, which made a loud thud noise that echoed. His eyes widened in fear as he felt his blood pressure increase. He made a run for it to his room as his life flashed before his eyes. He reached the room and immediately closed the door behind him. He rushed to the bed and covered himself with a blanket.

He could feel like his heart would jump out of his body. He was sweating so much he could fill an entire bathtub. He hears footsteps approaching, and then he hears the door slowly creaking. 

Please end it, let me wake up from this nightmare.

Sunny heard the footsteps slowly coming towards him. He didn't dare peek as he tried to remain motionless.

"Awww... It seems like he fell asleep... Poor thing, hehe. Don't worry, we'll come back later~ " HellMari whispered. Her voice remained distorted like before.

"After all, the fun just had began... Hehe~"

He hears the thing leave and a door close. He senses no one in the room. But Sunny didn't want to take a chance and tried to imagine himself waking up, but all his attempts didn't work as he was too stressed.

Take a deep breath Sunny... It's not as scary as you think. Those nightmares can't hurt you, you know. Be a strong little brother... You've got your big sister to protect you.

It's over... for now. Rest up, little brother.

Sunny finally recognized the voice, which belonged to his real sister, reminding him to calm down and comfort him, like when he was young and had a nightmare in the middle of the night.

He listened and followed the voice as he took a deep breath multiple times. He felt his heart rate returning to normal, and he was no longer feeling afraid as he distracted himself as he remembered when his sister comforted him and told him his favorite book.

He felt himself drifting slowly back to sleep as the darkness began to consume him.

.

.

.

Welcome to... Black Space...?

Sunny expected to be back at White Space, but instead he was in what looked like a church? Confused and scared, he looks around before suddenly a voice behind him calls him.

"Hello Dreamer." Sunny quickly turns around. The voice belongs to none other than Stranger. "S-Stranger? W-What... Where?" Sunny was perplexed and tried to come up with words.

"You may want to sit and make yourself comfortable. We'll be staying here for a while." Stranger put his hand behind his back and stared at him.

(OMORI)

Mari slowly shut the door behind her so as not to wake Sunny up. While she was looking for her little brother, she found him sleeping on the bed.

It seems like the violin classes he took took a toll on him. My little brother is hardworking, I'm proud of him.

Mari went to join the others downstairs before she bumped into Hero on the way.

"Oh Mari! There you are, so where's Sunny? We’ve almost finished preparing for movie night." 

"He's sleeping right now. We'll wake him up later for now and let him rest a little." Mari replied. Hero only nodded in response. Both made their way down, and Mari made one last glance upstairs and whispered. "Sweet dreams, little brother."

"Mari, come on! We're deciding on which movie to watch." Kel yelled.

"Coming!" Mari went and joined the others in the living room.

Chapter Text

You see a boy sleeping in his room... What's his name?

~ { O M O R I } ~

.

.

.

Omori opened his eyes, and he felt something wasn't quite right after a few seconds of observing his surroundings.

First, the ceiling wasn't white, nor was the room, so that means he isn't in headspace anymore. The next thing was that he was lying in bed, and it was late morning, judging by the sunlight. 

Yup, I'm not in white space. The question is, how did I get here?

He tried to recall the event beforehand to see if he could remember anything. 

He was in Headspace with his friend before the reset, and they began their adventure yet again. Things went as usual. They met up with Mari and Basil at the park, went through Basil's photo album, and decided to go to Basil's house to hang out, not after some playing hide and seek and fighting boss later. We all went for it this time. Basil showed him his collection of plants on the way that represent each of the friend groups and helped him with some pest control sprout mole problems they encountered on the way.

Of course, no trip is fully complete without Aubrey and Kel fighting at any given chance, getting poor Basil in the crossfire and knocking him and his photo scattering all over the place. After that, we went to his house, and thankfully, with my good memory, we managed to get all the photos in their proper place. And after that was the same: some mysterious photo drops down, Basil finds and picks it up, and he learns the shocking truth before suddenly everything flashes and disappears, along with poor Basil too, and that marks their next quest.

He was back in white space after that. The white door that led to headspace had disappeared. With nothing left to do, he didn't have a choice but to stab himself to wake up. And that's what he did, and everything went black as his creator must have woken.

Then it was all black.

All he remembered was that everything was black, and then he found himself where he is now.

Something wasn't quite right. Sunny would have asked or given permission for him to take over when he had his body... But he didn't. This doesn't add up. Omori was lost in thought for a while.

STRANGER!

His mind comes up with the only person he knows who is capable of doing this. That son of a... What the hell is he thinking?!

Omori was furious. He'd surely give Stranger the beating of a lifetime. He really went too far this time. At least he knows he is safe with him for now.

Damn it... This isn't the time for this... I still have unfinished business left at headspace.

Omori cursed to himself while also cursing at Stranger. But alas, right now he can't do anything, and he's not feeling a drop of sleep in his body yet. He sighed before he got up from the bed and examined himself, or rather, his creator's body for now.

Great, now what?

He doesn't have much to do right now. He decided to explore the house for a bit out of boredom, as he wasn't keen on spending all day staring at the wall. While yes, he used to just sit doing nothing, now he has a mission to do in headspace, and every second he spends here is precious time wasted. Just what the hell is Stranger planning? So many questions yet little answers. He'll have to wait for now.

Omori noticed some sticky notes that were hanging next to the bed's cabinet and decided to check them. It read,

'Hey, Sunny! This is a note from Mommy. I left some food in the fridge for you downstairs. It's steak—your favorite! Love you XOXO.'

Upon reading that, his stomach growled to remind him that he was hungry. Actually, he was starving.

Geez, didn't Sunny eat anything at all before he went to sleep?

Omori wondered. He'll see if there's the steak that Sunny's mom mentioned in the kitchen.

He noticed an old phone flashing, indicating that there was a message for Sunny, but he wasn't here at the moment. But curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to press the button to see what messages Sunny's mom left him. He heard a loud beep.

"You have... two new messages."

"Hey Sunny, it's Mommy! I'm still in the city setting things up for our new home. Oh, have you finished packing your stuff yet, honey?"

"The movers are going to be at our house in a few days, so I left a list of things for you to do, like I mentioned yesterday. I left it by the table next door. Could you finish it before the movers arrive?"

"Also, sorry! Mommy messed up! I forgot to tell the electric company that we need a few extra days before we're ready to move, so the lights might cut out sometime tonight, silly me. Anyway... I know moving to a new place can be a little nerve-wracking right now, but I think a change of scenery will be positive for both of us, don't you think?

"I know you haven't talked to anyone in a while, but you might want to say goodbye to your old friends before we leave. Kelsey has been trying really hard to get a hold of you ever since we put our house up for sale. He's been calling us every week for the past few months! He seems a little lonely... Maybe you should pay him a visit sometime before we leave... So think about it, ok, dear?"

"OK, that's it for now! Mommy loves you! Bye Honey! I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully."

There was a pause before another loud beep came.

"Hey Sunny! It's Mommy. How are you doing? Are you eating well?"

"I was hoping that I could make it back to see you today, but it's the last day of the big furniture sale, and I just can't resist a good bargain! You can take care of yourself for a few days, right?"

"Hopefully the 30 is enough to cover you until I get back."

"After all, you're a big boy now! But you'll still be my little baby in my eyes, of course."

"Remember to finish your chores before I get back. I left a list on the table next to your door. Okay, that's all for now! Mommy loves you! Bye, honey!"

"So, Sunny and his mother are moving for a few days," Omori couldn't say he was surprised. Rather, he kind of expected it to happen sooner or later. It was inevitable. This house is probably a bad memory and a reminder for Sunny of what he did... 

Omori's eyes then stumbled on an old computer beside him, and he went in front of it and examined it for a bit before deciding to boot it up and clicking on the only thing that was on it, which was blackjack. Also, Sunny's inspiration for Last Resort and Mr. Jawsum in the dream world. He immediately shut down the computer since it wasn't time to play now and he wasn't up to gamble all his virtual money away... yet.

He then went to the table next to where Sunny's mom left the to-do list paper. He picked it up and examined it.

Mom's to-do list:

1. Sweep the floors.

2. Clean the dishes.

3. Pack bedroom stuff.

After reading through it, Omori slowly puts the paper back on the table. Not really feeling like doing "his" chores right now. Besides, these are the least of his worries.

He decided to go to the kitchen to deal with his hunger first. On his way to the stairs, he saw so many boxes scattered around the house that he was so distracted by the sight that he didn't notice the shiny object on the floor. His foot knocked over something on the ground. Omori looked down to see... his steak knife?!

What the—How did it get here?

He kneeled down and picked the knife up. He saw himself—the real him—in the reflection of the knife. He stared at it for a bit before he put it in his pocket. 

 ~ { Acquired Steak Knife } ~

'Why the hell Sunny pick it and leave it here?' Omori wondered. The best he could come up with is that he had one of those nightmare episodes and picked it up, but that didn't explain why he left it here. This is getting all confusing, and this day was full of it.

He tried to think as to why, but in the end he couldn't come up with an explanation, and he just got roll with it, I guess. Omori was glad Sunny didn't have the knife on him when he woke up. Otherwise, he would have woken up to a pool of blood... He would rather not think about it and be glad it didn't happen. 

But he's glad that he's got his weapon of choice with him now, as he's got something to defend himself with. Plus, he’d feel naked without it since it's become a part of him in the dream world.

Omori went downstairs and made his way to the living room. Before he turned to the kitchen, he saw an odd sight. There was a knocked-over box by the dining room doorway. He went to examine it and found some stuff lying on the ground.

One thing caught Omori's attention: there was a small old satchel or handbag you put on your shoulder, if you will. He picked it up and wore it on his shoulder. ' Great, now I have a place to store things in it if I need to.' Omori thought.

~ { Equipped Satchel } ~

He doubted he could store everything in his pocket unless he got some kind of pocket dimension like in headspace, which isn't possible since he was in the real world and the headspace rules don't apply here as he can imagine.

Omori also found two bandages and a first-aid med kit in the pile. 'Might come in handy later,' Omori thought before pocketing them in his satchel. Better safe than sorry, as he likes to say.

{ Acquired 2x Bandages and First aid med kit }

After that, he went to the kitchen and spotted the refrigerator. He opened it up and found a Cold Steak covered up, just like Sunny's mom said on the notes. Other than that, there wasn't anything in the fridge.

Empty...

Omori was disappointed, to say the least. Yet another thing he has to worry about later: the steak won't keep him sustained for a long time before nighttime. Omori checked Sunny's wallet... It seems like there is $30 on him, like his mom left him. 

He wastes no time and picks it up from the fridge. Omori then puts the steak on the counter behind him and uncovers it. He was pretty sure that you're supposed to heat it up or something before consuming it.

Eh, food is food, whether it's cold or not, so whatever.

With that being said, Omori doesn't waste time and begins digging up the cold, medium-rare, not-so-well-made steak...

After finishing up the meal, Omori took the empty plate and put it in the sink with the other dirty, unwashed dishes. Not long after, he felt a sudden nausea rise up and overwhelm him, and his vision started getting blurry... Oh no.

He quickly rushed to the bathroom upstairs to empty his stomach.

After feeling nothing coming out, he flushes the toilet and gets up, still feeling dizzy.

Well, there goes dinner... or breakfast, I guess.

Omori thought, while groaning annoyingly and still having a sour taste in his mouth, that this was not the best way to start the day. He probably deserved it for not heating it up.

Omori then went to the sink and washed his mouth to get rid of the taste. After doing that, he quickly caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, checking his reflection. Nothing out of the ordinary, if you didn't count that he was now in Sunny's body, which was in a horrible state.

The first thing Omori noticed was that Sunny's body looked a bit pale, probably from not having had direct sunlight for, who knows, how long. It looked almost as pale as Omori's. The second thing he noticed was that he was a bit taller and looked thinner than normal, looking malnourished from not eating enough.

He doesn't seem to take care of himself at all, that kid.

Omori was a bit surprised at the sight and concerned for him since he did wake up starving after all. He then noticed another sticky note on the mirror next to him—yet another note left by Sunny's mom reminding him to brush his teeth every day. 

Eh why not? Sunny could use proper hygiene once in a while.

Omori grabbed the toothbrush and beginning to brush them. He should take care of Sunny's body while he's away, and hopefully it will hide his awful mountain smell after he throws up.

After he was done spitting the toothpaste and washed his mouth and face before he returned the toothbrush, he made a last glance at himself in the mirror. He suddenly heard a knock on the door, snapping him back from admiring himself.

Huh? Who could be knocking this early?

Nonetheless, Omori made his way downstairs to the main door to check.

Chapter Text

Kel knocked again, then waited patiently for a while, not moving from his place. He's hoping that his old friend Sunny, whom he hasn't seen in four years, will come out and hang out before he leaves town for real. He's been trying for the past few months, ever since the sale sign was put up in front of his house.

He tried calling and knocking on his door every day, and today is no different. But every time Kel doesn't get a single response, he grows more desperate each time but is still determined not to give up on his friend.

So he yet again knocked, then waited and waited, the silence killing him, and after a while he grew uncomfortable and uneasy from not getting any response, almost as if the house was abandoned and looked haunted by the lack of life in it.

Kel finally let out a big sigh and lowered his head to the ground. "Nothing again this time too..."

He could try again tomorrow, but Kel just didn't feel like he had it in him anymore... All the times he tried, the result was still the same, so what's to say tomorrow won't be any different?

After a while of thinking, Kel has decided to fully give up and call it quits for real this time. It's about time that he finally accepted the reality that maybe his friend doesn't want anything to do with him anymore

Kel was finally depressed, and he thought he should probably return and help out his mom with the preparation of his brother's visit from college and also buy a hero a gift. But Kel didn't have the energy to go back to his house yet.

He thought about going to the park, practicing basketball, and talking to strangers and his other friends from school to distract himself while also putting on a fake smile and happy-go-lucky persona. He finally cast one last sad glance at the house. 

Before turning around and making his way back to his house, he felt like he bumped into somebody from behind. To his surprise, he faced someone awfully familiar standing behind him. Both had a staring contest for a bit before the familiar person finally uttered a single word.

"Hello." 

Kel, dumbfounded, started quickly blinking before his brain fully clicked, then he did the next logical thing that came in his mind, which was...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kel screamed his lungs out, probably having woken the whole neighborhood. Before stumbling back on the ground from the sudden shock, while his eyes were widening.

Omori tried to hold himself from bursting out laughing after witnessing his friend's reaction, but couldn't help but crack a small smile. Omori, having snuck out of the backyard, positioned himself quietly behind his friend like a ninja.

Kel quickly got up and pointed at him before making a double takeback and finally managing to form somewhat of the word "Sunny... When did you... How did... I thought... huh?!" Kel spurted out before his brain crashed after overworking itself.

KEL.exe stopped working. 

I think I might have broken him... Opsie.

After what felt like an eternity, Kel finally recovered from the shock of "Sunny! Is that really you?" Kel slowly approached like a wild deer that is wary prey of a predator.

Omori shrugged in response. Kel then poked him several times, much to Omori's annoyance, before realization quickly hit him like a truck. He widened his eyes and yelled, "HOLY CRAP! IT'S ACTUALLY YOU!" Kel was experiencing all kinds of different emotions at once, with happiness being the dominant.

Kel couldn't contain his relief, excitement, and finally his genuine happiness for the first time any longer and immediately launched at his best friend before picking him up and giving him a bear-crushing hug while yelling in joy, "SUNNY! YOU ACTUALLY CAME OUT! I'M SO RELIEVED AND HAPPY RIGHT NOW, I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING WITH ME ANYMORE, AND AND..." Kel struggled to find words after that, but that didn't matter. All that matters is that his friend is here and finally out.

"Kel... can't... breathe... hah..." After being suffocated by his friend's hand-crushing hug, Omori struggled to let out a wheeze... Is this how I'm going to die? being hugged to death? What a way to go. Omori finally went to the light...

Ok, jokes aside, he can't die yet... He still has to kick Stranger's ass back in headspace and still has a promise to keep...

Anyway, back to them. He was still being bear hugged by Kel. He really hoped Kel would notice his pleas soon. Because he's really a moment away from meeting Sunny's dead sister.

Thankfully, Kel noticed his friend's loss of color before realizing the situation and finally letting go of him. Omori then wasted no time and began coughing and inhaling oxygen.

Oh, sweet air, how I longed for you.

"Crap, I'm sorry about that, haha..." Kel quickly apologizes while sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. Omori soon regained his composure. Kel stood uncomfortably, not knowing how to approach this.

Omori takes this moment to probably examine this Kel. The first thing he noticed was his clothes. He was wearing an orange sport tank and shorts. Then his hair is a bit long and brown instead of colorful purple, which is to be expected. But so far, the most noticeable thing was his height, and holy crap, he was so tall. Omori particularly had to move his head up a bit to face him.

"Tall." Omori suddenly blurted out.

"Huh? Sorry, what was that?" Kel asked as he tilted his head.

Omori pointed at him. "You've... gotten quite tall."

"Hehe, yeah, I did get taller since the last time you saw me! Though I can understand your shock, we haven't seen each other in years, and a lot of stuff has changed!" Kel scratched his cheek. 

"I have also been getting into sports and have even made a lot of friends. Oh, I can't wait to introduce them to you! And also my basketball team. Man, we've got a lot to catch up on. Oh, I can't wait to tell you all about..."

As Kel went on, Omori stood there, tapping his foot on the ground as he waited for him to finish.

Still the same old Kelsey.

Kel then stops as he looks at Omori. "Hehe, sorry, got a bit carried away there for a second. Anyway..." 

After that, Kel folded his arms, feigning being hurt. "That was kinda mean, Sunny." 

"I actually was going to give up on knocking had you not come out... I thought that you'd cut ties with us and just be done with us... with me." Kel paused before his head lowered, but then he shook his head and returned to his usual demeanor. "Well, no matter, you're here now! And you still like pulling pranks."

So I, uhh... didn't expect you to actually come out, so I didn't plan that far ahead, haha..." Kel laughed before he coughed in his hand. "Hey, I got it! Let's go to Hobbeez! The pawn shop is in Faraway Plaza. We used to go there all the time when we were kids to keep up with the latest issue of the Capt. Spaceboy comics series, games, and Sweetheart movies! Do you remember? Don't worry. I can help you keep up to date with series if you want to." 

Omori simply shrugged. He tends to shut his brain when his friend begins ranting.

"Anyway, you remember the way, right?" Kel asked.

"Not really." 

"Eh, no worries. The place hasn't changed much. Come on! LET'S GO!! Lead the way, Sunny! I'll direct you." 

"Yeah, okay. Not like I can say no anyway..." He muttered the last part. He knows his stubborn friend will drag him if he tries to go back to his house.

Omori stopped at Kel's house and stared at their pet dog, Hector. Before he could proceed to pet him, Kel stopped him by gently grabbing his shoulder. "Uh, this might not be a good time to hang out at my house, heh heh... Trust me, the house is not in a welcoming state right now since my mom is preparing for Hero's arrival tomorrow from college. She's a clean freak." He whispered the last part to his ear as if he were fearing that his mom might have had super hearing. "Maybe sometime later, I promise, after Hero comes. It's been a while since we hung out at my house, and you're probably excited to see a hero like I am, but for now, let's go to Hobbeez! I know it's probably been a while since you've been there."

He went to pet the dog. Hector noticed him approaching him. He wiggled his tail in excitement, began sniffing the floor, and finally sat in front of him, waiting to be petted. Omori immediately kneeled down and began petting him.

Good dog

Hector, pleased with the shower of affection he was getting, began barking and rolling on the floor. Omori was done with the petting before he got up. He was more of a cat person. Dogs were fine, and it's a crime not to pet them.

"Hehe, Hector must be so excited to see you, Sunny." Kel chuckled. "I remember when I got him the first time. He was still a puppy. Hehe... now he's all big now, but still the same Hector we used to play with." 

After that, the duo set out on their way to the plaza, but not before Omori noticed a stray cat on the way, sitting beside a pink pinwheel. Omori couldn't resist the urge to pet it. Omori approached the cat and kneeled to pet it. The cat let out a meow before purring.

"Hehe, you must really like cats, huh, Sunny?" 

"I guess." Omori only shrugged in response, more focused on the cat than him.

"I remember you having a black cat called Mewo. Heh, you both were inseparable, and you sometimes acted a lot like a cat, Sunny, haha." Kel let out a chuckle. "Though if you don't mind me asking... whatever happened to Mewo?"

Omori hesitated for a bit. "I don't know... She ran away, I guess."

"Oh, I err... sorry to hear that... I hope she's okay wherever she is. Maybe we can try looking for her." Kel mentally slapped himself for accidentally bringing up such a sensitive topic.

"Don't worry about it." 

He also hoped she was okay. But Mewo ran for a long time after the incident, since no one bothered to take care of her. Sunny locked himself in his room, and his mom was absent most of the time. Poor Sunny didn't get over the fact that she ran away, as evident by the replica he made of her in white space.

Before either of them can continue, they both get interrupted by a voice yelling behind them across the street, 

"OUT OF THE WAY, NERDS!!"

Both Omori and Kel turned around and saw a bunch of people riding scooters, minus the person in front who was riding a bike, while the others followed behind her.

"Ugh, not them..." Kel's face turned sour. "Those guys call themselves the 'hooligans,' and they're nothing but trouble."

''Come on, hopefully we won't bump into them again." Kel grabbed his wrist. "The plaza should be north of the park behind us." 

Omori simply nodded and allowed himself to be dragged by his friend. 

(OMORI)

The duo finally came across the park before Omori stood and examined the place. "The park is still the same. We used to hang out a lot here... Oh, I know! Let's hang out at the park after Hobbeez! What do ya say, Sunny?" Kel asked.

Omori nodded. It's not like he has anything better to do at the moment.

After a bit of walking, they finally reached the plaza. Hobbeez was just across the parking lot, to the far left of the plaza. They both entered the shop and soon went ahead and turned towards Omori excitedly. "Here we are... Hobbeez! The place hasn't changed all that much. Same old stuff... Capt. Spaceboy games, Sweetheart movies, a few pet rocks... except now they're vintage." Kel explained.

"Anyway, while we're here, let's buy a gift for Hero. Like I said before, he's in college studying to be a doctor." Kel put his hand on his chin. "So maybe we should, uh... buy him some medicine?" 

 Omori just gave him a deadpan face before he made a big 'x' with his arms.

Kel scratched his head. "Hehe, Yeah... You're right. I admit, it's not the best of my ideas."

I doubt your ideas are that brilliant, Kel.

"Let's look around for a gift. Come on, help me pick out a gift, Sunny, since you're the better judge." 

Omori looked around the store for a bit, trying to find a suitable gift for Hero. They were video game consoles, some CDs and DVDs, comics, and small figurines. Which wasn't all that Hero would be interested in, from what Kel had told him.

He finally stopped at a bookshelf with one book that caught his interest. Kel immediately saw what Omori was staring at. "Yes! That is it, the perfect gift!"

He grabbed the book and read it's title out loud. "Papa Chip's Chip-Off-The-Old-Block Cookbook! Yeesh, that's a mouthful..."

"Hero had a copy of this when we were kids, but Hector destroyed it." Kel out the book under his armpit. "He's going to love this when he sees it..."

"But first, let's see how much it costs." Kel examined the small price tag. "hmm... 20 DOLLARS?! This is... extortion!" 

"Ugh, fine. It's for Hero..." Kel then reached for his pockets to get his wallet, only to feel nothing.

He turned to look at his friend with an innocent smile. "So, uh, funny story. You see, I might have accidentally left my wallet at home while I was in a hurry, haha..."

Omori didn't look impressed in the slightest, which made Kel cough in his hand.

"Look... can you cover for me this time, Sunny?" His friend suddenly clapped his hands together. "Please, Sunny... I promise that I will pay you back later!" 

Omori silently sighed and nodded. "Fine."

Kel's face perked up. "Thanks, bro! You did me a solid one!" 

Ugh, even in the real world, Kel still finds a way to screw you financially...

Omori thought to himself in defeat, having remembered one of the previous resets where Kel managed to gamble and somehow lost 11k of their clams on the casino.

He still hasn't financially recovered from that...

Omori shook those depressing thoughts away as he noticed a worn-up poster of a purple monster with chainsaw hands and a psycho mask next to the bookshelf. Kel was impressed by the poster and loudly whistled, "Man, this monster sure looks realistic! I bet fighting him will be a tough battle. Don't you think so too, Sunny?" Kel asked him while nudging him on the shoulders.

Omori looked unconvinced. It looked a bit cartoony, plus he could take it on without breaking a sweat. That's gotta be a secret spot to hide something if he ever sees one. He then gently pulled the poster, and suddenly a CD fell from behind the poster.

"Whoa! A CD fell from behind the poster... That's a weird and random place to hide it... Why even hide it there in the first place?" His friend muttered. "I guess you should take it, Sunny, since you're the one who found it in the first place."

Omori crouched and grabbed the CD from the ground. Finders keepers, as they say, and he won't turn down free stuff. He examined the CD before spotting the name 'Merry' on it before storing it safely in his satchel.

{ Acquired Merry CD }

"Hey Pedro! We'd like to buy this cookbook, please!" Kel leaned on the counter.

"Kel! How've you been, buddy? Been a while since you've come around, hasn't it?" The Shopkeep—whose name is apparently Pedro—asked and then noticed a new face. "Ah, I see you've brought a friend with you this time." 

"Yeah, that's my friend Sunny!" Kel introduced him.

"Ahh, I haven't seen you before here. Welcome to my shop, Hobbeez. We sell all kinds of stuff: comics, CDs, games, you name it! Comics are on your left. CDs are on the table behind you. Books, magazines, and action figures are on your right. There's also a new game console that has been out if you're interested and many games. Do tell me if you need any help or don't find what you're looking for." Pedro was done giving his explanation before switching to business mode.

"Ahhh, that's Papa Chip's Chip-Off-The-Old-Block Cookbook! I see you have good taste, my friends!" Pedro nodded.

"Yeah, my bro used to follow his recipes all the time! His cookies were my favorite—well,  second favorite, haha. Nothing tops Mari's baked cookies." 

Mari's cookies were indeed delicious... They were made with love.

"It's rare that I see another fan of Papa Chip's work. That would be 20 dollars, please!" Omori paid the full price. "Thank you, kind sirs! please enjoy! And be sure to come back again too!"

~ { Bought Hero's Gift } ~

Kel waved goodbye to Pedro before leaving the store. "Thanks a lot, Sunny! Hero will surely love the gift we picked out for him. Alright, next stop is Faraway Park!" The duo walked from the plaza back to the park.

(OMORI)

"Shoot! Don't look now, but it looks like the hooligans are here too." Kel whispered as he noticed the same scooter gang sitting on the right side of the park. "We should probably avoid this side of the park and stick to the other one." 

"The hooligans are notorious for causing trouble, like I said, and sometimes go as far as to look for them! Though a bit of a warning, try not to make eye contact with them if possible. They're a bit hostile and territorial towards outsiders, as they call them." Both finally reached and stood at the entrance of the park. "And err... me and the hooligans don't have the best of relationships as of now, especially with her. So a bit of a heads up. I don't want you to get caught with them because of me, okay?" 

"Um... I'll keep that in mind." Omori nodded. His friend's concerns were unwarranted, as he knew how to defend himself. Kel nodded, looking relieved at the response but still a bit on edge from their presence. The two were interrupted by a familiar voice in the distance.

Wait, please don't go!

Sorry dude. I can't help you. You're on your own!

Both Omori and Kel looked at the commotion that was happening in front of them—a boy desperately pleading with the person on the scooter. Omori quickly recognized the voice.

Basil...

It seems like poor Basil has gotten himself into a pickle yet again. It seems like there's always a Basil that needs rescuing.

"Shoot, sounds like trouble is brewing..." Kel's face turned serious. "I'll go check it out. Sunny, you stay here, alright?" 

Omori simply ignored his friend, he didn't like being told what to do. He quickly felt his pocket to make sure he had his steak knife with him before he followed his friend.

Chapter Text

Important note: Hi, I'm sorry to say that there are some technical issues as there's a bug in the site where this chapter gets overwritten and gets replaced with the first chapter each time I try to update the story. Since I didn't back up, I have sadly lost the original copy of this chapter. Thankfully, I have an older version of this chapter but it contains a lot of errors and might feel out of place since I updated my writing style. Sorry for the inconvenience but it's not the end of the world, and I made sure to back up this time. After reading the old version, I gotta say, damn, I'm surprised at how bad my writing was when I started but also glad of how much it got improved over time. So bear with me and mind the mistakes, as I have no time or energy to go through the whole chapter and rewrite it from scratch, only for it to be overwritten anyway. Instead, I'll be using my extension grammar AI tool to automatically go through and fix some of the mistakes. Maybe one day, when I finish the story.

For the love of god, don't change the publication date of any story! Or else this might happen to you.

-This note was posted on 7/1/2024 (Not the best way to start the year)

Soon the duo went to check on the commotion in the park, but they soon ran into trouble with the nefarious gang, the "Hooligans," and got into a fight with them to protect Basil. Resulting in meeting with an old friend and making new enemies as This can't be said for Basil, as he noticed Omori making eye contact with him, which made him stunned to see his best friend out after many years. Omori waves a little but Basil was still in a state of shock to notice.

Afterward, Kim made a snorting noise and said, "Weeeell, aren't you acting high and mighty? Well, guess what? You don't make the rules around here! So scram or you'll regret ever crossing the Hooligans, NERD!" Kim angrily shot back at him before finally noticing the new black-haired boy behind him. "Great, there are two of you nerds now." Kim said this while being frustrated at the new challenger, who mysteriously appeared out of nowhere.

"Is that one of your friends, Kel? You know it won't make a difference." Kim said something semi-sarcastic to his backup buddy, who looked weak and not threatening at all. Kel looked confused at what Kim said before turning his head back and catching the glance of his friend behind him, not at the entrance like he thought he would be. Kel was shocked for a bit before he whispered at his friend. "Sunny! I thought I told you to stay back! You gotta get out of here before—"

"WHAT'S GOIN' ON OVER THERE?!''

Before Kel can finish, he's interrupted by a yell: "Dang, too late now. Here come the rest of 'em. Sunny, just stay behind me. I'll try dealing with them." Kel continue to whisper back to his friend. Before five other people roll in and stop by Kim's side,. Before a pink-haired girl got out of her bike with a nail bat on her shoulder,?

'What the hell?' Omori thought to himself and quickly hurried to his pocket as if to draw the knife if things escalated, not to mention the sight of a nail bat is a bit concerning to say the least and raised many red flags.

"Oh, hey Aubrey..." Kim greeted her friend before explaining what was happening. "This nerd Kel showed up and he thinks he can boss me and us around!" Kim said in a vexed tone. "Let's show him what's what, Aubs!" Kim smugly said,.

'Shit, so that's Aubrey. Great.' Omori cursed himself before continuing his train of thoughts. 'Maybe using the knife isn't a good idea right now, but I can still use it as a means of intimidation or last resort of self-defense against the nail bat.' Omori thought to himself and process the predicament he's stuck in. But before he decided his next course of action, he began feeling his body acting weird and unknown emotions began building up. 'What's going on?' Omori wondered to himself as he started to feel picnicking and began having breathing difficulties, but still tried to keep himself together. 'No, Not again...'

The girl, now named Aubrey, confronted him before saying. "What do you want now, Kel?" Aubrey said in a bored tone, from having to deal with the loud mouth.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe stop messing around with Basil!" Kel semi-sarcastically said while looking mindlessly infuriated at her before carrying on. "How could you?! We all used to be friends. Doesn't that mean anything to you?!" Kel said while looking hurt by her action towards Basil.

Aubrey looked at him for a bit before letting out a snort and saying, "Yeah, used to be. Now leave it, Kel. It's no business of yours." Aubrey said in a cold voice. Basil then took a step forward towards Aubrey in an attempt to make sense to her. "Aubrey! please... just listen to me." Basil said in a slightly worried and scared voice, but before he continued, Kim rushed to him and pushed back before Basil stumbled back and started covering his eyes in fear while kneeling. SNAP Something snapped inside Omori...

"Hey, knock it off!" Kel yelled at Kim before Aubrey took a step closer to him. "I said, leave it, Kel. It seems like you have hearing problems." Aubrey said in a miffed voice while antagonizing him.

"Like heck, like it isn't! Just what the heck is wrong with you, Aubrey?!" Kel fired back. Both seem to start bickering at each other, not noticing the boy behind him shaking like a leaf. Omori reached a breaking point, having witnessed Basil, then Aubrey, then a bat... Omori began seeing flashes of his dream Basil got knocked out, then Aubrey came with a raised bat, and Basil started begging before she bashed him with the bat. Leaving only the image of dead Basil bashed in the head, with his head bleeding and him lying lifelessly on his own pool of blood, burnt inside his head, it triggered him.

He didn't want to hurt Basil, but Sunny's feelings for him reflected in blackspace. The worst part was that he couldn't do anything about it but watch the many Basils that died a gruesome death in blackspace. Even if there were a replica Basil that went missing, it still doesn't make it any better for him. He hated it. The feeling of hopelessness... Him not being able to do anything, it's all coming back to him. Omori then notices that he has already pulled his knife out. He looks at his shaking hand holding the knife. Omori is having a panic attack, not reacting well to the flashing memories and he does not want to let it happen again to the real Basil. He made a promise to not let it happen again. Not after he failed to save her...

'Shit, I gotta calm down...' Omori screams at himself, knowing he will do something irrational if he doesn't overcome his PTSD.

{ Omori used Deep Breaths. }

Omori steadied his breath and took deep breaths multiple times before successfully calming him down and all those tense emotions faded away. Omori then pocketed the knife once again and finally took a step forward to confront Aubrey. 'Let's see if dialogue is an option.' Omori thought to himself, not very confident in the method but he's got to try at least. Aubrey now noticed Omori after he got next besides Kel, looking a bit taken back by the sudden appearance.

"Is that?" Aubrey said in a shocked tone, having ignored Kel and focused on him. Kel followed her glance to see his friend now beside him but still having not looked away from Aubrey, his eyes set dead on her, before Aubrey came out from her shocking state soon after. "Wow, it's really you. You haven't changed that much after all these years." Aubrey calmly said before smirking, "How long has it been since you left your house? Three years...? Maybe four? Aubrey said in a taunting voice, but Omori just continued to stare at her. "Must have been nice to live in your own little bubble, but it seems like Kel dragged you out of it, so why don't you crawl back where you came from." Aubrey continued to taunt him, but Omori looked unfazed and just continued to stare daggers into her.

"Hey, watch it, Aubrey! You don't know what you're talking about or what he's been through." Kel said, defending his friend. Before Aubrey shrugged him off and said, "Hmph. Whatever. So, have you come looking for a fight too? Or are you just going to stare at me, you freak?" Aubrey said while cracking her neck, while Omori didn't move one bit. "Psh, whatever comes your way, I'll take the two of you alone! how does 1v2 sound?" Aubrey said while menacingly smiling and pointing her bat at them.

'Well, here goes nothing...' Omori thought to himself before speaking and hopefully she buys the bluff. "Just drop the tough act. You're not fooling anyone." Omori said in a cold tone that Aubrey was taken back by his sudden burst. Omori not breaking eye contact and his voice becoming more unsettling as he goes. "It's pathetic, and what's more pathetic is that you and your gang just pick on who's weaker than you, which shows how much of a coward you really are." Omori continues to hit his opponent with the painful truth, hoping to break them.

Aubrey recovered from her shock, now looking beyond livid at the boy. Even the gang looked a bit uncomfortable at the sight of their leader and the boy's words, while Kel looked a bit shocked and scared at the sight of his new side of a friend he hadn't seen. Omori then continued one more time, still standing firmly. "That's low, even for you, Aubergine. I don't want to fight but if you have a problem with Basil, then you also have a problem with me and Kel. So I suggest you and your gang leave Basil alone." Omori finally said what he had to say and waited to see the reaction.

In silence, no one dared to speak for a while, until a laugh just came from none other than Aubrey. 'Well, that's about what I expect...' Omori internally thought to himself. Aubrey laughed hysterically for a bit until she said, "Those sure are big words, but can you back them up? And please, you of all people telling us what to do? You must have forgotten your place." Aubrey mockingly said:.

"Enough talk. Make your first move or I'll make mine. I'm going to make you eat and regret those words, you freak." Aubrey said now, putting her nail bat behind her and making her pose fight while having death glare.

 'Guess dialogue is out the window. Time for plan B.' Omori thought to himself before simply replying. "Gladly." Omori quickly took out his steak knife, made a slice gesture and put his knife to his side. Aubrey looked startled at the sight of the knife, Omori paid it no mind and said, "I'm giving you one last chance to leave him alone before things get ugly." Omori said in a frightened voice and put on his best intimidating face to boost his bluffing. 

{ OMORI Became Angry } 

Which worked since now Aubrey is frozen in here, not able to form a word for a while and it didn't that his stare breaking into her soul, now making her feel uncomfortable and unsafe so she stood there, not making a move. . . . After not receiving a reply, Omori grew impatient and angrier. "I said LEAVE HIM!" Omori partly yelled at them. Aubrey took a step backward, looking horrified for a bit at the sudden outburst from the boy.

 { Omori became Enraged } 

The Hooligan surrounded their leader, who was still in a shock state, as a form of protection from the now-enraged boy. "You all should be ashamed of yourselves. You all are pathetic." Omori now began lecturing the teens in a low-threatening tone. 

"Holy, he's crazy! Come on, let's get Aubs away from him!" Kim instructed the rest of the Hooligans before Aubrey recovered from the shock but still looked nervous, sweating a bit and not able to make eye contact with him any longer

 "You'll pay for this. This... isn't over yet." Aubrey tried to look cool-headed but to no avail, as she shuttered. Soon after, she got on her bike with the rest, got on their respective scooters, and left.

 Both Omori and Kel made a way for them to move but Omori kept his knife and glanced at them until they fully left and then, having calmed down, pocketed his knife once again. 'Welp, that went about well as he thought. Crisis averted.' Omori thought to himself before looking at his friend Kel, who looked shocked and awed.

Kel then turned around and faced him, saying, "That was awesome... and a bit frightening at the same time." Kel before continuing, "I mean, wow, Sunny, didn't know you had it in you! That was both brave and stupid, but you really showed them who's boss." Kel praised him before his eyes turned in concert. "But may I ask why do you have a knife on you?" Kel sounded troubled and a bit disturbed by this fact while raising his eyebrow at him and crossing his arms at him, acting as if a parent caught their child doing something bad. 

Omori just shrugged and replied, "Forgot that I had it with me?" obviously lying. Kel looked a bit convinced. "Ok, I'll take your word for it but still, you shouldn't just wave that thing around like that! It's dangerous and not to mention you could have hurt someone else or worse yourself!" Kel scolds Omori, while Omori gives him an unimpressed look and simply says, "She had a nail bat." Omori raises a good point. 

"That's true, but..." Kel said before letting a defeat sigh and said, "I mean, you probably thought that she was going to hurt Basil or me so I don't blame you." Kel said in a soft tone. "But just keep the thing in the bag and never ever take it out." Kel said to him:. Omori put the knife in the bag like he told him to. Kel nodded and said, "Come on, let's check on Basil for now. We'll deal with this matter later." Kel said in a bit stern voice but still trusted his friend enough not to use the knife after confirming his intentions weren't malicious. 

'Sure thing, Dad.' Omori sarcastically said in his head and rolled his eyes but kept it to himself. Soon the duo went to check on Basil. "Hey, Basil. How are you holding up?" Kel asked in concern. Basil finally looked up and said, "Ah, I'm fine... Thank you, Kel, and Sunny." Basil said it in a low voice before getting up and nervously eyeing them.

"Eh, no problem! Though Sunny did all the work, he deserves all  the credit." Kel said while grinning. "Heh, what a reunion that was, am I right?" Kel half-jokingly said before asking Basil "So, you want to hang out with me and Sunny? We have plans for the day! The more, the merrier!" Kel said in a bright tone.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry... I'd love to but... I should probably head home now." Basil said in an uneasy tone before continuing, "My, um, My grandma hasn't been feeling too well lately." Basil said anxiously while averting his glance away.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..." Kel said sympathetically before coming up with an idea. "Hey, how about we walk you home? It's the least me and Sunny could do. Besides, it's been a while since we've all hung out together, plus we'll keep you safe from hooligans if they somehow show up. Better safe than sorry." Kel said in a friendly and companionable tone.

"O-Oh... A-Alright then... Thank you." Basil thanked the duo before agreeing to join them to walk to his house. The walk went quietly but fine nonetheless, with Basil occasionally glancing at Omori nervously and turning away whenever he noticed him. Thankfully, they reached Basil's house with no trouble, and as you would expect, his house was filled with flowers around it, though they don't look to be in good health, Omori noticed.

"There's Basil's House! The one with the green roof!" Kel pointed out. 'Wow, really? I wouldn't have figured it out. Thanks, captain obvious!' Omori jokingly said in his head, slightly annoyed at his friend for pointing out the obvious but not commenting on it.

Basil then went to his front door before facing the duo and thanked them, "Ummm. Thanks for walking me home." Basil shakily said, before Kel replied, "No problem! If you need anything from us, just ask, okay?" Kel repiled while warmly smiling at him.

"Anyway, me and Sunny gotta go! Catch you later, Basil!" Kel said goodbye to him and gave his farewell before he and Sunny left. Basil just stood there shaking, not wanting to be left alone again, suddenly burst out and accidentally shouted at the duo, "PLEASE DON'T GO!!!"

The duo looked shocked at the sudden outburst from their friend, Basil looked horrified after realizing what he did and tried to come up with an excuse. "Ah-h, I mean, I'm sorry. I actually have a favor to ask." Basil said while shuttering, before Kel replied, "Of course! Anything Basil. What do you need?" Kel asked his worried friend.

"Well, you see, Something important was taken from me." Basil said in a desperate voice. "When... we... used to be friends... Do you remember how I used to take photos of everyone." Basil asked.

"Of course I remember. Those photos meant everything to you! Don't tell me..." Kel said he was hoping to be proven wrong but Basil answered. "Yeah, right, Aubrey..." Upon hearing her name, Kel connected two and two together before yelling, "AUBREY STOLE YOUR PHOTO ALBUM?! Grr, the nerve of her!" Kel said, looking displeased at the revelation.

"Well, she won't give it back... I tried,  but she won't listen to me at all. That's why I tried to talk to one of her friends at the park." Basil managed to spill it out. Kel looked beyond unhappy and yelled, "God! WHAT A SCUMBAG!! CAN YOU BELIEVE that, Sunny?!" Kel shouted out loud. 'Somehow I can believe that.' So that means she found out about the marked photos and blamed Basil. God, what a mess!

Omori annoyingly said to himself while messaging his front. Kel then reassuringly said this to his friend. "Don't you worry about a thing, Basil? Me and Sunny got you covered, ain't that right, Sunny?" Kel said that while asking his friend for input, Omori just gave a simple thumbs up and simply said, "Sure."

"Ah... Okay... Thank you..." Basil didn't know how to respond, especially the way Sunny casually agreed, but tried his best to show gratitude. Kel then walked up to Basil and put his hand on his shoulder. Basil jolted all of a sudden but said nothing before Kel began saying, "Hey, about what you said before... We're still friends. I want you to know that, okay?" Kel said in a warm and gleeful tone while smiling at his friend. Basil looked for a bit before answering, "Okay." Basil said in an unsure tone.

Basil then went back to his home before turning back and taking one last glance at them before hurrying back to his house and slamming the door.

"Come on, Sunny! We have a photo album to find. Mission Lost and found is on the go!" Kel said energetically, and Omori groaned at the stupid name but tried to stop him and shook his head. "Huh Sunny? I thought you agreed to help Basil? You're not going back on your word, are you?" Kel asked in confusion.

Omori then quickly tries to clarify things to his friend before he gets the wrong idea. "It's not like that. It's just that I need to find some part-time jobs." Omori said while Kel still looked confused and asked, "Huh? Why do you need to do part-time jobs?" Omori then simply replied, "No money, and no food at home."

Kel understood his friend's situation and felt a bit guilty about him asking him to pay for him after learning that. Omori then continued to say, "Besides, it's still close to noon, so we have plenty of time. So how about we meet up at the park around late afternoon to start there? I doubt she got far. It's a small town after all." Omori said this while also raising good points.

Kel thought about it for a bit before agreeing and saying it cheerfully. "Okay! See you later, then, Sunny. Oh, the faraway plaza is the best place to look for jobs, so good luck and work hard, Sunny! I believe in you." Kel said before waving goodbye to his friend before going to whatever he does. Omori bid farewell too before going to the plaza with a plan set ahead...

~ { Alternative scenario / What If } ~

Omori failed to calm down and began hearing ringing in his ears. Omori, everything began spinning, and Omori felt nausea and dizziness overwhelmed. But he still got the grip on the knife. He slowly looked at it with only a goal in mind.

KILL

Aubrey and Kel still bickered back and forth until Aubrey said, "Haha, are you really trying to pick a fight, Kel?" Aubrey finally took notice of Sunny, but he didn't have a knife in his hand. "Huh, is that... Sunny?" Aubrey then turned to Kel and said, "So, you've brought him out with you." Aubrey said before evilly smirking and began pointing her bat at them.

"How about the two of you fight against me? How does that sound? And I'm feeling generous today, so I'll let you make the first move." Aubrey said it in complete confidence. "Come on, come at me! I'll take the both of you down!" Aubrey yelled at them before she put the nail bat on her shoulder and did the fighting pose.

She waited for the duo to attack first or expected Kel to attack and Sunny to back out and hide like he did all those years he did. Aubrey would soon severely regret those words, as she didn't expect Sunny to actually come at her. In frightening speed, with a knife in his hand and his face expression screaming death, he soon launched at her with a quick swipe of his knife. Aubrey was thankfully quick to react, and she put her arms out to shield herself.

"Gaaaah!!"

Aubrey yelled as she fell back as she examined her burning, bleeding wound on her right arm. It hurts like hell. It felt like her whole arm was on fire, but she tried to hide it. Soon after, the rest of the Hooligans took notice of their leader and rushed to her side, with Kim being the first to say, "Shoot. Aubs, are you alright? You're...you're bleeding hard!" Kim asked in a worrisome tone at her friend, then yelled in shock. Aubrey shrugged it off so as not to look weak.

"I-I'm f-fine..." But Aubrey failed, as the pain was unbearable, so he ended up tearing up from the pain. Kim shouted back at her friend, saying, "No, you're not! You're bleeding so much. Come one, we've got to get you to the hospital quickly!" Kim helped her friend get back on her feet. Aubrey, now looking like a mess, shot the boy a glare filled with hate despite having tears in her eyes. "Damn... you. I'll get you back for this, you psycho. I swear." She shot back at him with a voice filled with venom before she picked up her nail bat.

Soon after, the Hooligans set out to seek medical help for their bleeding leader. Kel was still in shock at what just happened. For Kel, everything moved so fast before he could process what was happening. One moment he was shouting with Aubrey, then she challenged them both, and then Sunny stabbed her in the arm. After a bit, he recovered from his shock state and saw the Hooligans leaving and turning to where his friend was before yelling, "SUNNY, WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THIN?" Kel then stops mid-sentence, having witnessed his friend kneeling breathing rapidly and his hands and whole body shaking and muttering sorry to a name of someone he hadn't heard of before. He then begins cursing a lot and begins pounding the ground.

Kel, at the sight of him, just went running to him to calm him down. "Sunny!" Kel yelled in concern, having to level with the boy under him and then Kel put both his hands on his shoulder while saying, "Sunny! Look at me, look at me, You're ok... You hear me? You're ok.." Kel said to him, trying to reassure him while he put his hands on his friend's cheeks to force him to look at him but eyes and body were shaking in panic, Omori finally looked at him but still, his panic attack didn't go away.

"Take a deep breath, in and out. hoo hee, hoo hee, hoo hee." Kel said while mimicking his friend breathing rhythmically. Omori then mimicked his friend, and bit by bit, he finally managed to calm down. Kel, having noticed him calm down, said one more time "You're ok. I'm me and Basil is okay too, so there's nothing to worry about." Kel reassured Omori and finally snapped back, as realization began hitting him on what he had done.

'Shit, that went way worse...' Omori thought to himself, he's glad Aubrey got fast reflexes because he was aiming to Kill. So he was thankful for that. Was the crisis kind of averted? Kel hasn't gotten up and picked up his steak knife and pocketed it before saying, "I'll keep hold of this for now, as to not accidentally hurt someone else like you did to Aubrey and yourself too," in a distressed voice before continuing speaking. "You probably just panicked at the sight of Aubrey having a nail bat and thought she would hurt me and Basil with it and wanted to protect." Kel said in a soft and understanding voice now.

'That was somewhat true to an extent,' Omori thought and he probably looked annoyed at his knife being taken away from him but said nothing since it would help his case so Omori chose not to say anything.

~ { Lost Steak Knife } ~

Kel looked at Omori before saying, "It's my fault. I should have explained things properly to you. I hope Aubrey isn't hurt too badly." Kel took the blame on himself and put his hand on his head, looking guilty, probably not thinking that his friend had been cooped up in his house for years so he would have reacted irrationally in these situations. Kel then asked his friend. "Are you okay now?" Kel said while holding his hand out for him, Omori then nodded and took his hand and Kel slowly helped get up before saying, "That's good. we should probably check on Basil. We'll deal with the rest later." Kel said in a comforting voice.

'Can't argue with that.' Omori said to himself while looking a bit defeated. Soon the duo went to check on Basil. He swore he'd keep his promise and never let another tragedy happen again.

Chapter Text

Omori reached the town plaza once again and decided to look first at Gino's pizza. The best pizza in the area, or at least the only one. As soon as he entered, the smell of pizza grease hit him.

The place is as you expected from a pizza place: tables, an arcade machine that's out of order, and a jukebox to smooth the atmosphere.

Luckily, there was a help-wanted job poster on the counter. The two men with glasses were having a conversion with each other,

Cesar, my good friend! How are you?

Ahhh, if it isn’t Gino? Haha. Doing good and business is blooming as usual.

Glad to hear it.

By the way, happy birthday!

Thanks! I’m surprised that you remembered.

Of course, I wouldn’t miss my favorite customer's birthday, now would I?

Haha, you flatter me.

Well, allow me to offer you a free pizza on the house.

Thank you, my good sir.

Don’t mention it. The usual?

You know it!

Alright, I’ll get right away. Just sit back.

Thanks again, Cesar!

He waited until they were done before he went to the pizza man. As soon as he saw him, he immediately greeted Omori.

"Ah, hi there! a new face. Welcome to Gino's, home to the best pizza."

"You can have a look at our menu to the left of you, but if you're unsure of what to get, might I suggest pepperoni pizza? It's a very popular choice here." Cesar gave the boy a brief introduction.

"What can I get for you?" The man asked.

"Uh, I saw that help wanted poster right there and was wondering if you were hiring by any chance." Omori politely asked as he pointed at the Help Wanted poster.

"Ah yes, so you are interested in a quick job?" Cesar asked. He nodded.

"Excellent. I'll get your uniform right away so we can get started." Caesar left soon after and went to the back door. 

Omori saw the jukebox there and remembered that he had the Merry CD from earlier. He decided to insert the CD and play it to liven up the atmosphere while he waited. He didn’t have any use for it anyway.

There was a boy standing next to the jukebox, looking around for someone, from the looks of it. The boy noticed him approaching before deciding to talk with him, ugh. 

"Hi, there! I'm Rai!" 

The people here are friendly—perhaps too friendly. He wanted to see what kind of people there were that he could meet, and this was his first one.

"Um... Sunny, but you can call me Omori." Now that he thinks about it, he could say that his name, ‘Omori,’ is a nickname like Hero. 

"Nice to meetcha ya!" He extended a hand to which Omori accepted.

"Likewise."

"I usually hang around Gino's most of the time. Also, I take pride in being a musical connoisseur of sorts." Rai puffed his chest.

"Yeah?" 

"Yup, I bet you I can tell you the name of the track and its artist name if you play any CD in the jukebox." Rai puffed his chest. "So go on ahead if you have any." t.

{ Donated the Merry CD }

"Oh, I know this one! That’s an easy one. It's an original song by Toby Fox!" Rai did a V pose.

"That's cool." Omori feign being interested but in reality he was bored out of his mind.

"Anyway, I'll be right here most of the time if you want to learn more. Take care now, friend!" 

Omori waved before he went back to the pizza man, who had prepared his uniform. "Alright, put this on if you would, umm...?" 

"Sunny, but I’d like to go with Omori." He took the uniform.

"Omori it is then. Well, go on ahead and change to your uniform. There should be a changing place in the back." Cesar pointed back. "Don’t take too long." 

[ Pizza Time! ]

The first thing he noticed was that it was a bit loose, and he looked beyond ridiculous wearing this.

"What's with the look? Wear your uniform loud and proud! You're part of the family now, haha." Caesar jested, which did not impress Omori in the slightest.

"Now, onto business." He started.

"I got some bad and good news... I'll start with the good. We only have three different pizza orders that you're gonna have to deliver!" Cesar explained..

"Bad news is... our delivery boy suddenly called in sick today yet again." He paused."These customers are all our regulars, so we stopped recording their addresses a long time ago. But fear not, even though I don't know where they live exactly, I can recall what their houses look like!" 

"Anyway, I put the delivery notes on the scooter with the orders. I hope you know how to drive one." 

"I can try."

"Anyway, check them, and you ought to find the places. After you're done with delivering, return to the shop and park the scooter. Be careful with it! These things are expensive, so handle them like your own child." He warned him, to which Omori gave a thumbs up in acknowledgment. He never drove a scooter before, but he thought of it like riding a bike, plus he’s a fast learner, so he could get the hang of it quickly, so that shouldn’t be an issue at all.

"You may start now. I'm counting on you, kid." Cesar then dismisses the boy.

Alright, this should be easy enough.

After all, how hard can it be to deliver a few pizzas?

(OMORI)

What the hell am I looking at?! Omori checked the notes that Cesar gave him, and to say it was all gibberish was an understatement and a half.

Even a first grader can write better than that!

Luckily, Omori could tell a few of the writing, thanks to him having to deal with his dream Kel's handwriting is as bad as these notes. Omori severely regrets his previous words and mentally curses himself for tempting fate. 

A ladder on a tree, and a light brown roof.

Omori read, while looking around to find the described house. After running around for a bit, he finally found the house, or at least hoped it was the right one. Omori knocked on the door and waited for the door to be answered. 

"Oh, hello." Omori held out the pizza box. "Oh, the pizza's here? Oh, great, thank you. Here's the money and some tips for you since you got here quickly." 

The lady took out the pizza and gave Omori the payment plus a five dollar tip.

"Thank you." He thanked the lady before moving on to the next neighbor. This time, Omori had difficulty finding the right house and accidentally knocked on a vegan house.

Geez, how could I've known that he meant the ladder on the tree and not on the front?!

Omori curses himself and the pizza man's bad handwriting. He found the right house this time and gave the pizza to the man before the guy made the payment, but there was no tip this time. Now onto the last delivery.

Omori was busy trying to decipher the notes when some wild raccoon smelled the pizza in the delivery bag and snatched the bag in his mouth while Omori wasn't looking. The raccoon tried to make a run for it, but Omori noticed the thief.

"Hey! Drop that right now, you damn rodent!" he yelled before he ran after him in the woods. Omori cursed Sunny's poor stamina. Sunny wasn't known to be an athlete, not doing anything besides sleeping for the past four years tend to do that.

Fortunately, the raccoon had difficulties carrying the big bag in his mouth and quickly gave up on his plan and dropped the bag before it disappeared in the woods. Omori was already out of breath by the time he reached the bag, and he was already sweating hard before he took a moment to catch his breath and retrieve the stolen goods.

"Don’t… ever… come back… you hear? haaa…"

"Haaa... getting humiliated by a damn raccoon... haaa, that's embarrassing... haaa, I'm basically like Hero after he ran a few meters..." Omori stopped to take a breath between the lines.

After resting, Omori went back to the scooter to deliver the last pizza. Thankfully, the pizza wasn't damaged, and he found the right house this time.

Although the customer complained about how late he was and how she shouldn't be paying now that the pizza was 30 minutes late.

Omori was kind of fed up, but he kept his cool and took all the words that the angry Karen threw at him. He had half a mind to just throw the pizza at her face, but it was not worth it at all. He’ll do the world a favor if he slits her throat and makes her shut up.

Finally, she was done with her angry rambling, and she gave him the payment with no tip and threatened to give him a bad rating.

What a Bitch.

Omori mentally cursed at the lady after she slammed the door on him. He went to the scooter and drove back before he parked it and headed inside Gino's to report to the owner, Cesar. 

"I delivered all three pizzas, and here are the payments." Omori hands out the cash he made from the deliveries.

"Ah, excellent job, newbie! According to recent feedback, your customer satisfaction is 6.5 out of 10." 

"We also got two complaints from one vegan household and a customer who was dissatisfied with the pizza not being delivered sooner." He added.

"My friend, you ought to consider changing to be a doctor or a pharmacist." He handed Cesar his notes back. "Because your handwriting will put both to shame, and maybe then there'll be fewer angry vegans out there too." He spoke sarcastically.

"Very charming, although since it's your first time, I'll let it slide this time." Cesar spoke in an understanding tone as he adjusted his glasses. 

"I also ran into a raccoon problem, but I handled it." Omori chose not to elaborate any further so as not to stain his pride.

"Not the first time it happened." He sighed. "The city should seriously try to put a stop to this pest problem, but nooo… they're too busy to care." 

"Well, it’s not your fault, so don’t sweat it, newbie." He reassured the boy.

"As for the lady who gave you a bad rating, don't worry about her. She always tries to find an excuse to complain to the manager, and even went as far as to accuse us of reusing old pizza." He spoke in an irritated tone.

[ Pizza Time! ]

"Anyway, here's your pay for today." The pizza man handed him $20.

"And since you've been a good sport, here's another freebie." Cesar handed him a another CD.

Omori gladly took both. He pocketed the money and examined the CD.

{ Got Otherworldly CD }

"It's one of my all-time favorite tunes! So take good care of it, or you can play it in the jukebox right down yonder!" Cesar pointed to the jukebox

"Cool, thanks." 

"Anyway, thanks for your help today, newbie."

"Come back tomorrow if you wish to take another job here! We definitely need more hands these days. If there were only more kids like you and fewer kids like those hooligan kids,"

"Do come again, newbie!"

Omori then went to the jukebox, put the CD in , and played it for the sake of the pizza man.

{ Donated Otherworldly CD }

"Oh, I know this song! This is a cover of "Stardust Diving" by Samm Neiland." Rai, having easily recognized the song, did a V pose.

Omori rolled his eyes before he left the shop to look around the plaza for another job.

(OMORI)

Omori went to Othermart first to look for more jobs. He looked around for a bit. There were two split paths, one led to the pharmacy and the other to the candy shop. He saw two job posters on the wall next to the meat section. He took the blue flyer first and examined it.

 'TUTOR HELP WANTED! Looking for a local language tutor for my daughter, Joy! $20 a day! Please bring this flyer to my house for a quick interview!'

He then flipped it and saw a map of the house. He then folded it and put it in his satchel, just in case. Then he went to the second green flyer and examined it as well.

'TUTOR HELP WANTED! Looking for a local math tutor for my son, Brent! $20 a day! Please bring this flyer to my house for a quick interview!'

He once again flipped it and saw the map of the house before folding it and putting it in his satchel. He might take them later for a quick buck. He then went to the fish section and saw another Help Wanted poster. He went to look around and found no one at the counter.

"Hey! 你在找一个 job?"

Omori jolted and quickly turning around. He saw an old lady who spoke gibberish and broken English.

The hell?! Where did she come from?!

 He didn’t even feel her sneaking up on him, which was enough to make him tense up. It took a minute for him to recover and regain his composure before he slowly nodded and watched the lady cautiously while keeping his guard up the whole time.

The fish lady eyed him while her hands were behind her back, as if she were inspecting him before handing him a flyswatter?  

{ Acquired a Flyswatter }

"You kill flies with a weapon, then come talk to me," she explained simply before she left without saying anything else.

Omori stood there dumbfounded. He looked at the lady and then at the flyswatter for a bit before shrugging and deciding not to question it any further. Although he can’t help but feel that the lady wasn't what she let on, she has this mysterious aura around her.

Perhaps she is a martial artist or a Kung Fu master? This might be stretching too far.

The job went as easy as he thought. the flies were slippery bastards and even managed to make him slap himself occasionally by landing on his face and buzzing around him, which irritated him, but they went down easily. There was also a wasp among the flies. Omori hated wasps, and everyone on the planet can agree that wasps shouldn't exist. They're just there to hurt and contribute nothing, unlike bees. I wish I had a flamethrower so I could burn those fuckers, Omori thought.

Omori went back to the lady after confirming there weren't any more flies, or wasps, hopefully, and handed her back the ‘weapon’ before she took it. 

{ Returned Flyswatter }

"Good job!" She handed him $20.

"Thank you,"

Omori took his payment and went to buy a snack—an apple will do—before checking out at the cashier. He went outside and ate the apple since he is still starving, so this will keep him going and the doctor away, hopefully.

Omori then noticed the orange guy silently looking at him judgingly. but Omori paid him no mind. What's his problem? Omori wondered to himself. He went to the shop to the right called Fix-it, minus the t, which fell down, and this place looked a mess from the front. The door was half painted and the roof wasn't done.

For a place called Fix-it, it seems like no one bothered to actually fix

(OMORI)

There were all kinds of various tools on display, but some were misplaced based on their looks. Omori saw a wanted poster and went to the guy who works there, he read his name tag read: Mando.

"Ah, another new face. Have you moved in recently like the other couples right over there?" He asked.

"Anyhow, welcome to Fix-It, where we provide all kinds of tools to help you fix-it yourself! We also have a house decoration display and a flower section in the back." The worker gave him a brief introduction.

"Now, how can I help you?"

Omori simply pointed at the wanted poster. "Ah, are you interested in taking a quick job?" Mando asked, to which the boy nodded. "Awesome, I'll help you get started then."

"Alright, you probably noticed the mess in the tool section since people are either lazy or don't give a crap to put things back where they should be... I hate working retail..." Mando muttered.

"Anyhow, your job is to organize the tools and put them into their rightful place, simple." He explained.

"Alright, I'm counting on you, kid. Come see me after you're done." Mando made himself comfortable and dozed off while the boy did all his work.

The job went smoothly, and it didn't take that long to sort things out. Omori went back to report to Mando but found him sleeping.

It would be a shame if someone disturbed his quilty sleep, wouldn’t it? 

He slammed his hands on the counter, making Mando jolt awake from his sleep. Heh, shame. Omori tried his hardest not to laugh.

"Uh, ahh, BOSS! I SWEAR I WASN’T SLEEPING ON THE JOB I-" Mando stood straight and blurted out before noticing it was only the boy who had an innocent smile on his face.

 "Oh... it's just you... so you're finally done, I suppose?" 

"Yup, see for yourself." He pointed at the now-organized tool behind him.

"Well done, kid! Here's some money for your work. Don't spend it all in one place!" Mando handed over $30.

Omori decided to go to the back, where he encountered some couples talking, more like filtering with one another.

After all this time, we’ve finally moved in together! This is so exciting, isn't it, Sean?

Yeah… this is the start of the rest of our lives!

Now it’s time to make our first important decision… What color should we paint our house’s walls?

Hmm… I think anything would work! I like all of the colors! What do you think, Sean?

I could go any way too… Don’t worry about me! You can choose, Karen! What color would you like?

Oh, Sean! You’re too selfless! I don’t need to pick a wall color! I’ll be happy with anything as long as I’m with you!

...Karen… If we keep doing this, we’re going to be stuck here forever...

Hmm… You’re right… What if we just closed our eyes and picked a color?

Oh, that works! That way, the result will be completely impartial! Let’s do it!

Okay, sounds good!

Close your eyes, Karen…

W-Wait! Hold on! It’s okay! You should be the one to do it, Sean… I insist!

No, Karen… It should definitely be you! What if I pick a color you don’t like?

...Oh we're not getting anything done here, are we? Hehe..."

I have an idea! Let’s get a stranger to help us!

"Hey, you! Could you please come and help us for a second?" The lady called him out.

"Sure, here comes your stranger to save the day." He jested before approaching the couple.

[ The Newly Weds ]

"Haha, sorry you had to see us like this. I'm Karen, and this is Sean." The lady introduced herself and her partner.

"Sunny, but you can call me Omori." They all exchanged handshakes.

"We recently moved in together in a brand new house, and we're thinking of having a housewarming party at our house near the church two days from now."

"Well, I'm actually moving out in three days, unlike you, but welcome to Faraway. I hope you find it nice here." 

"Oh, thank you! So far, we did." Karen replied.

"Anyway, right now we can't decide on which color to pick since neither of us is willing to be the one to pick a color, haha." Sean explained. 

"So, how about you pick a color sample for us? Just make sure it’s completely random!" Karen added.

"Alright." He closed his eyes and went to pick a color, but instead he picked up a floral wallpaper sample? weird, but not surprising considering the shop is in a mess. Omori thought.

"Huh, what's this wallpaper doing in the paint section? Hmm... It must have gotten misplaced." Sean wondered out loud.

"Well... it's not what I expected, but I'm kind of digging it... What do you think, my dear Karen?" Sean asked.

"A wallpaper seems neat! I think it just works fine! Let's do it!" Karen chimed.

"Thank you so much for your help, Omori! We would be stuck here forever if it weren't for you." 

"Please do visit our house. It's the one with the yellow roof on the street near the church! It would be amazing if you could join before you move out!" She invited him.

"Sure, I might swing by if I get the time. Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day." They exchanged goodbyes before the couple went to the cashier to buy the wallpaper that he picked.

Omori carried on to the back. He stumbled on some house decorations, and there was a big guy looking around at the toolbox section. Omori couldn't help but feel like the man looked kind of familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hey stranger! How's your day been?" The gruff guy asked when he noticed the boy's staring. 

"Oh, fine, I suppose."

"That's great! Mine is also doing great! Wanna know why?"

Not really.

"Because today is the day that I'm finally going to be fixing the damn leak in my house! My problem began a few weeks ago... There is a stubborn leak in the corner of my living room... How it got there, I don’t know..." The gruff guy turned to see if the boy was listening. "It wasn’t very noticeable at first, but the leak has been slowly getting worse and worse every day. To tell you the truth, I’ve already gotten used to hearing the sound of dripping water and the feeling of damp carpet!

"Sounds horrible."Omori fought the urge to roll his eyes, Why does the people of this time feel the need to vent out their problems to complete strangers? He couldn't give a flying fuck about some damn leak.

"But you know what? Today is the day everything changes..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Yes! I'm finally here at Fix-it! My tools are ready... and I'm... I'm going to fix it!"

Just kill me already.

"Phew... Sorry for ranting at you like that. This leak might drive me mad without me knowing." 

"Good luck with that, I guess."

"Anyway, my house is right next to the church southwest of here. If you want to watch this momentous occasion, please be my guest! Welp, gotta go. Thanks again for listening, kid." The guy left with the toolbox. 

Like I wanna waste my time watching a fat guy fix his...

On second thought, it could be fun to watch him miserably fail. Ohohoho, he can't wait. A sinister smile formed on his face as he went to the flower section in the back. As he was walking, his foot knocked over something on the ground.

It was a seashell... It kind of looked out of place here, but that's become a pattern in fix-it, but this was extraordinary since it was from the beach, so how did it reach here? He will never know.

He went down to pick it up before leaning his ear closer to listen...

Nothing.

They say that you could hear the ocean from the seashells. Yeah, right. Nonetheless, he put the seashell in his satchel for good luck.

{ Picked up a Seashell }

Conveniently, the flower he was looking for was where the seashell was. 

A White egret orchid...

He examined the flower and he found himself drawn to its beauty.

My thoughts will follow into your dreams… 

This gives Omori an idea.

He picks up the follower and heads back. "Hi, I would like to buy this, please," He put the flower pot on the counter.

"Ahhh, a White Egret Orchid. An excellent choice, might I say. The person must be very important and very lucky!" 

Important? Yes. Lucky? Not so sure about that. 

"They say these flowers symbolize love and happiness, and also something about thoughts and dreams that I heard from a young boy who used to come here a lot. Kid knows a lot about flowers, but I heard recently that his grandmother has gotten sick."

Sounds like Bagel, alright.

"Anyway, that’ll be 20 dollars, please." 

"20 Dollars!?" Omori's eyes widen. "Why?!"

"Don't be surprised, kid. These flowers are very rare, exotic, and luxurious. They usually start at 25 dollars, but for you, I'll make it 20. So whaddya you say?" Mando laid out his offer. Omori knew he was being played like a fool.

What a rip-off.

Omori mumbled before took Sunny's wallet out. He had $74 at the moment from the money he earned from the previous jobs. 

"Here." He slammed the amount on the counter.

"Thank you for shopping at Fix-It! You won't regret it."He took the money and handed him a receipt. "Anyway, I'll get this ready to be shipped out to your house. Just need you to fill out this paper with your home address." Mando handed him a paper. He took it and quickly began filling it."Oh yeah, since today is Sunday, there will be no shipping today, sorry. Expect it to arrive somewhere around the evening tomorrow. Does that sound good for you?" 

"Fine by me." 

"Excellent! Anyway, come back tomorrow if I want to take on another job. See you soon, kid!" 

Omori left the shop having spent a quarter of his money already.

(OMORI)

He was once again outside the plaza, wondering. He saw a street musician that he remembered hanging around the town plaza and playing songs for money. The musician stopped adjusting his guitar and looked at him as he stopped. "Yo! I'm Michael, a soon-to-be traveling musician! I've been playing the guitar here at the town plaza for years now, but I think I'm ready to move on!" 

[ A Musician Kickstarter ]

"Sunny, but call me Omori. I'm actually familiar with your street performances."

"Cool! It's nice to know I still have fans here! Don't worry, I'll make it to the big screen one day, but my father doesn't support the idea of me traveling through. But I'll achieve my goal and make my dad proud, hopefully. Just gotta stay positive!" He focused his attention on the boy. "Anyway, your name is Omori, right? Cool nickname, like the piano brand, right?" 

"Yeah."

"Cool. Do you play it?" Michael asked. "I mean, you strike me as the type to play high-class instruments." 

"No… I used to actually play the violin. My sister was the one who played it."

"Oh, that's awesome! I've never met a violist before. Are you perhaps planning to become a famous violin player?" 

"Like I said, used to." 

"Oh... why is that, if you don't mind me asking?" 

"The gist of it is that I wasn't cut out to be a violinist after all." Omori left a lot of details out, and for obvious reasons.

"Oh, that's a real shame. Sorry to hear that. I hope it works out for you! There are other things you might be good at, so don't give up! Anyhow, I'm trying to reach my goal, and I think 30 dollars should be enough to help me set out! So, will you help me? Anything will help!"

Omori thought for a bit before he reached for his wallet. "Thirty dollars isn't chicken feed, but I can't think of a reason to say no." 

"Oh, are you sure, dude? Like, really sure? That's like a lot of money, dude..." Michael was hesitant about whether to accept it or not.

"Eh, don't worry about it. I’m pretty sure you need it more than I do." He dropped the money into the donation box.

"Wow, thanks for everything, dude. With this, I can finally leave town!" The musician was thankful for helping him achieve his goal.

"But I don't know... how... I'm going to break it to my dad..." He paused. "Guess I'll start with my little sis, Joy, first, and I should also say goodbye to everyone here." 

"Thanks again. I owe you a lot. I'll never forget what you did to me when I reach the big screens, I promise." Michael picked up his guitar. "I'll play you an original song as a thank you!" 

The musician started singing a familiar song while he just stood there and listened.

After a while, he finished singing as he sat his guitar down. "Well, I'm going to have to prepare to leave for the city, though I don't have a lot to pack, so I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow, so if you want another song request, I'll be happy to! Don't be a stranger!" 

"Good luck on your journey."

He then stopped at Othermart to buy a few things. He bought fish, fruits, and snacks like chips and crackers. This should keep him sustained for today, hopefully. As for the fish, he bought it to feed stray hungry cats if he found some in his way.

On his way out of the plaza, he found a coin on the ground near the parking lot. He picked it up, and saw that there was a fountain nearby. He recalls people just dropping a coin before making a wish, hoping it would come true.

Omori didn't know why people do it or believe in some miracle... Omori eyed the coin for a bit before going to the fountain and throwing the coin while making a silent wish himself.

"So what did you wish for, there?" A sudden voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned and saw a girl with short gray hair. 

Omori took a moment to recollect himself at the sudden question, "Um, don’t they say that if you say your wish out loud, it won’t come true?" 

"Oh, that’s just nonsense. I’ll even argue that saying it out loud makes it more likely to happen!" The girl let out a dreamy sigh, like if she were a high school girl in one of those romantic movies. "I just made a wish that I would meet my one true love today…"

"Well, since you shared... mine is also about this girl who’s dear to me." Omori didn’t elaborate any further due to it being personal.

"Sounds romantical!" Funny, he doesn’t see himself as the romantic type. 

"Don’t want to burst your bubble, but making a wish won't magically alter the universe."

"Maybe, maybe not. But there's nothing wrong with hoping." 

"I guess." He shrugged. " Well, I do hope that you find your ‘true love.'" He did a double-air quotation.

"I do too! I’m going to wait here until I find him!"

He left the girl alone with her fantasies and left the plaza. As he was walking, he came across a cat. The hungry orange cat sitting on the hanging bars.

[ Little Orange Cat ]

Omori took pity on the kitty and gave him the fish he bought earlier from the old lady. The cat seemed satisfied before he got up and left, but not before he left him with a gift, which was a piece of Trash.

Guess that's their way of saying thanks.

Sunny probably misses having a pet cat, and it will probably do to have one. But what should Omori call him?

Hmm… How about Claus? Yeah, that name fits nicely.

(OMORI)

He reached his neighborhood's street, and while he was walking, he took and ate the snacks he bought from Othermart. 

He could also hear some noise coming from Kel's house. He wasn't lying when Kel said his mom was a clean freak because, hell, you can hear construction happening inside.

Yeesh, it sounds like a war zone in there. 

He came across the next-door All-American neighbors, whom Omori recalled from Sunny's memories when he had visited a couple times in the past either with his mom or his friend Kel. He also remembers him playing with a blond-haired girl called ‘Cris’ when they were young.

He knocked on the door before he heard a yell from inside. 

"The door is open!" He took that as his cue to enter. 

He went inside and checked the interior of the house. It seems like nothing changed. And there was the All-American Guy, as usual, sitting on the coach and watching TV.

"Hey, Kiddo! How’s it hanging?" The man greeted the boy when he noticed him.

"Okay. And you?"

[ Lost Remote ]

"I gotta say… There’s nothing like enjoying a long weekend with my favorite couch and my favorite show on TV." He shifted comfortably and put his legs on the table.

"But... There’s only one thing that’s bothering me right now on this otherwise perfect day…" He paused. "You see… I can’t find my TV remote anywhere, and I’m way too comfortable to leave this couch! Oh no, how terrible…

"If you see it, could you bring it to me? Thanks, Kiddos!" He then returned to watching TV like usual. "Number 85 was wide open! What kind of pass was that?!"

These things are prone to getting lost, aren't they?

He then catches a glimpse of the TV remote under the couch. He went down and  picked it up before tugging the man's shoulder to grab his attention.

"Huh, what is it, kiddo?" Omori handed him the TV remote.

"Hey! That's my TV remote. I've been looking for it for a while, haha." The man took the TV remote from him. "Thanks kiddo! You saved me from having to leave this comfortable couch. Here, have some OJ on me since you've been a good sport,"

All-American Guy handed him a can of Orange Joe that was on the table… Gross. "Um... Thank you, I guess."

Kel would probably love it.

{ Got Orange Joe }

"Anyway, back to watching my favorite show! Feel free to join if you want." He offered. Omori politely declined before he was drawn by a delicious smell from the kitchen, he followed it.

"Oh my, if it isn't Sunny! It's been too long since I've seen you." The lady warmly greeted the boy when she saw him enter.

"I hope things are okay! I heard from your mom that you're both leaving pretty soon." 

"Look at you all grown up. You were so little back then." The all-American mom began pinching his cheeks, much to his dismay. It was a stab to his pride.

"You haven't changed much, but oh my! You look a little bit too thin! Have you been eating properly lately, Sunny?" asked in concern when she noticed his physique. He didn’t know what to answer, which prompted him to try to come up with an excuse.

"Uhh… Oh, ah, I think I smell something burning!" He quickly pointed it out.

"Oh no, I forgot my pie!" The All-American Mom quickly rushed to the stove, took out the two pies and sat them at the counter to cool off

"Phew… That was a close call. Thanks for warning me. unfortunately, it’s a little burnt…" She showed her disappointment.

"At the fair, it would probably rate an 8/10, but I promise it’s still quite delicious!" She insisted. "I’m working on perfecting my recipe for the summer-end county fair!" She let out a laugh. "I’ve won every year I’ve entered so far, and I hope this year won’t be any different!"

 "Oh, don’t take my word for it. You must try it yourself! Ohohoho!" The all-American mom handed him a delicious-looking pie.

"Oh, I know Cris is upstairs in her room. How about you go and talk to her and catch up?" She came up with a suggestion.

"I remember when your mom used to visit us and bring you along with her. You and Cris would end up playing with each other when you were both young, ohohoho! How time flies." 

"She might even give you some advice on being accustomed to moving out since she was sent out to a boarding school on an island before, and you can both share the pie while you talk!" All-American mom clapped her hands together.

"Thank you. I might just do that."

Run along now and have fun, dear!"

He went upstairs with the pie and went in front of the girl’s room before he softly knocked with his knuckle on the wooden surface.

"Come in!" 

Omori entered the room and was instead greeted by a blue-haired girl?

"Ah, hello, who might you be?" The blue-haired girl asked before she recognized the boy soon after. "Oh wait! I recognize you! It's Sunny, isn't it?" 

"Yeah." He nodded.

[ A New Hobby ]

"Sorry, it's been a while. I think we only met a few times when we were kids..." She noticed the pie. "Oh! Mom cooked a pie. How about we dig in while we talk?" Cris suggested. 

"Sure," Both sat down and began eating.

"Hm, this reminds me of the time Mom used to bake pie for us whenever your mom visited and brought you with her. We would eat and play, and sometimes Kel would join in too!" Cris said between bites

"Have you seen Kel recently? He's gotten really tall."

"Yeah, you're not the only one who is surprised." He replied as he recalled seeing the tall boy for the first time and couldn’t help but be amazed by his height.

"Kel used to be such a troublemaker when he was a kid and sometimes manages to rope you in on his shenanigans, hehe." Cris chuckled as she recalled.

"You two were almost inseparable and almost did things together. I'm kind of jealous of the friendship you both had." Yeah, used to be…

"Anyway, how's things, Sunny? I heard from my mom that you're moving out of Faraway Town to the city soon." She asked..

"Yeah, in three days from now on." 

"And how are you taking it?" 

"Okay… I guess... " Omori answered a bit hesitantly.

"That’s alright! Moving can be a bit scary sometimes, especially since you'll be away from your friends." 

"It may be tough at first..." She paused. "But you'll get used to it eventually, since change is a fact of life!" Cris exclaimed cheerfully.

"It's the memories we make that we should cherish." Cris concluded. Let's make some new memories together, okay? Those words reverberated in Omori’s head...

"Anyway, you probably noticed the decoration in my room." Cris pointed to the interior of her room.

"I love everything about the ocean... the beach... the sound of the waves... the way the water just carries you like their child...the sense of the warm sand...and how the waves break the tension and swipe your worries away... swimming with fish..." Cris went on and babbled for a bit.

"Ah... hehe, sorry, I got a bit carried away." She stopped after she noticed that she was rambling and apologized. "I must sound a little obsessed."

"That’s fine. It’s good to have a passion for something, I guess." 

"Hehe, you were always a good listener, Sunny!"

"But I guess it all started because I went to boarding school on an island while my family stayed here. I studied there for a few years and just came back about three years ago, I think?" She wondered out loud. "Anyway, I really enjoyed my time there and made new friends too!" 

"The ocean reminds me of the friends I made there... I hope I can see them again one day. Oh, I also dyed my hair bright blue to match the ocean, if that isn't obvious enough, hehe."

"Anyway, for the time being, I’ll just be collecting seashells and stuff." 

"What about you, Sunny? What have you been up to lately in the few years since we met? Anything interesting?" She asked.

"Not really. Everything is the same, I guess." He replied. Cris hummed in response before she came up with something.

"You know what? I just decided something." She started. "If you see any seashells, can you bring them to me?" 

"It's pretty hard to find some here since there isn't an ocean here, but I'm certain if you look hard enough, you’ll find some!" 

"I'll make sure it's worth it!" Strange request, but who’s he to judge? Omori thought before he remembered about the seashell he picked up earlier.

"Actually… I do have one with me." He handed her the seashell. 

 { Gave seashell }

"Oh, thank you! It's such a cute one too, hehe." Cris took it and examined it before she turned around and began fiddling with it in her hands for a bit. She then turned around and pointed at him. "No peeking allowed, mister!" 

"Okay, princesse." He raised his hand and let out a heartfelt chuckle. "Anyway, I'd better be on my way now. It was nice meeting you, Cris. I'll keep a lookout for any seashells around." 

"It was also nice meeting you as well, Sunny!" Cris smiled in return. "Good luck with moving out, and keep looking for seashells for me if you can!" He waved at the girl before he left.

(OMORI)

Once he was outside, he took the two flyers and checked the map. Hmm... It seems like they're on the next street from here. He folded the flyers and made his way to the destination.

Once he reached the next street’s neighborhood, his foot bumped into a pair of garden shears that were lying on the sidewalk.

That's strange… oh, well.

He tossed it in the air as if to test it's lightweightness before putting the tool in his satchel. Though it could be a great alternative weapon to use, nothing will top his favorite weapon, the steak knife, of course.

{ Picked Garden Shears }

He went to the house that was on the green flyer and gently knocked on the door. A lady wearing a principal's outfit answered the door soon after. 

"Well, hello! How can I help you, young man?" The lady asked the boy.

"Um, I saw this flyer." He handed her the green flyer.

"Ah, I see! You're here to tutor my son, Brent! Please come in." She invited him "You look trustworthy, so I don't think an interview is needed!"

Lady... I've got a steak knife on me.

[ Math Wizz ]

He was baffled at how people are quick to trust. Nonetheless, he followed the school principal inside.

"Make yourself at home! Brent is waiting for you in his bedroom upstairs. I'll check up on you two later." The lady then went to her schoolwork and began grading them.

"Okay." He went upstairs and entered the lady’s son’s room. 

"Hey, you must be my new tutor! Nice to meet you! My name is Brent." The young boy introduced himself.

"Sunny, but call me Omori." 

"Well, Mr. Omori, should we get started now?" 

"Sure." He didn't know how to feel to be called 'Mister.' It makes him feel a lot older when he’s not.

They went to Brent's study table, and started with his worksheet. "Alright, so this is the worksheet that I'm struggling with." 

"Alright, lemme see." Omori take a glance at the sheet.

1)  4 x 51 =

2)  5 x 3 + 15 - 1 + 6 / 2 = 

 3)   -3x + 4 = 7x + 24 = 

Ugh... math.

He put his feelings aside, as he had a job and he was getting paid to teach the mother's son. It shouldn't be hard. He spent the next few minutes explaining and solving the equations.

"Now it makes sense! Phew... I think I got a much better hang of this than before... Thank you! You've been very hopeful, Mr. Sunny!" Brent thanked him before his mom came in soon after to check on them both.

"Hey, Brent! How are you doing?" The lady asked before she examined her son’s worksheet. "Oh! I see you've completed your worksheet! Well done, Brent!" She praised her son.

"Well done, tutor... Here's the payment for your help!" She handed him $20. "Feel free to come back tomorrow!"

He waved before he left the house, seeing that his job was done here.

(OMORI)

Alright, next stop is...

He briefly checked the blue flyer before making his way to his next destination. He stumbled on a red-haired lady with red glasses on his way. She looked a bit frustrated and was looking around as if she were looking for something.

"Is everything okay, ma'am?" 

[ Shear Confusion ]

The lady sighed. "Let me tell you a story..." She started. "I was walking back from Fix-it after making a purchase with my hard-earned money... When I reached my house, I looked down... and lo and behold... my brand new garden shears were missing!" 

"Sound terrible." Omori feign being sympathetic as he rolled his eyes mentally. 

"Yes, it's true—my garden shears tore a hole open in my plastic bag! Oh, how silly I felt just then! Would you be so kind as to help me find them? They should be around here somewhere." She asked.

"You mean these?" He took out the shears. "I found them when I passed by here earlier." 

"Ah, that's them." The lady took them from his hand. "Thank you! You're such a gentleman, young man. I'll be sure to never make such a silly mistake again."

[ Shear Confusion ]

"Happy to assist, I guess." Oh well, the thing wasn't going to be much use to him anyway.

"It's rare to see young boys willing to help a stranger these days." 

"Please feel free to come to my house any time! You will always be welcome." She invited him.

"Thanks. I might pass by some other time." He then left and made his way to the house next door, knocking a few times before receiving a response from an old man with thick eyebrows. 

"Hello there! What can I do for you?" The man asked as he eyed him.

"Yeah, hi. I saw this flyer, and was interested in taking the job." He handed him the blue flyer.

{ Give Blue Flyer }

"Ah, you must be Joy's new language tutor!" He paused. "Hmm... An interview is too much trouble! You should know 2nd grade language, right?" 

"Well... I speak English. Is that enough?"

The old man let out a hum. "Good! Hurry and come in! My daughter is waiting for you in her room!" 

[ The Joy of Tutoring]

He followed the old man inside. "Joy should be in her room right now. Thanks for your help!" The thick eyebrow man thanked him before he turned to look at a photo of a lady.

He nodded before he made his way upstairs to the man’s daughter’s room and entered.

"H-Hello... I'm Joy. Pleased to meet you, mister! You must be my new tutor." The small girl introduced herself in a shy and completely polite manner. 

"Sunny, but call me Omori, and likewise." 

"Should we begin now, Mr. Sonni?"

Again, with formalities... and Sonni?

Omori didn't look that old, but maybe in the child's eyes he did. "Yeah, let's."

They both went to Joy’s study table and started with her worksheet. "This is the worksheet that I’m stuck on…"

1)   My pencil is _ _  the table.

2)  In the phrase 'silently  read your book.’, what type of word is "silently"?

3)   Which one of these sentences is written correctly?

A) "Eggplants taste better when it is cooked."

B) "It is definitely tastiest than tofu."

C) "I think eggplant is the better-tasting soft vegetable."

Heh, this shouldn't be too hard.

Compared to the math, this was tenfold easier. He had no issue answering the question, and Joy seems smart despite her age so she picked up quite quickly.

"Thanks! I think I understand a little better now…Hehe…" Joy thanked him before the little girl’s dad came on to check on their session.

"Hello! Hello! Joy! How are you doing? Is the tutor any help to you at all?" He asked.

"H-Hello dad! Yes, he's been a good help!" Joy showed him her worksheet.

"Ah! I see you have already completed your worksheet…" The old man adjusted his glasses "Well done, Joy!" He praised his daughter before he turned to him. "Amazing work, tutor! You should consider tutoring full-time!"

Yeah, no, thanks.

"Anyway, here is your payment, young man!" He handed him $20.

"Feel free to come back tomorrow!" Before he left the room, he noticed the girl was now looking a bit down, which made him a bit concerned, so he couldn't help but ask.

"What’s wrong?"

"Dad is extra hard on me because my big brother Michael stopped going to school to become a musician... He plays guitar at the faraway plaza sometimes! He's really good, but I miss him..." she sighed.

"Oh, I did meet him today at the plaza earlier." The mention of her brother piqued the interest of the small girl, who turned to look at him with curious eyes.

"Don't worry, your brother also misses you. And as a matter of fact, he has something to tell you, so expect to see him soon."  

"O-Oh he did! What did he want to tell me?" 

"Sorry, it's not my place to say. It's best if your brother is the one who breaks the news to you and not me." He replied.

"No fair! I can't wait! I want to know what my big brother is going to tell me, meanie." She pouted petulantly as she slammed her tiny feet on the ground.

He cracked a smile at her attempt, but he wasn't going to give in that easily. "Sorry, no can do. You're going to have to wait, kid."

"Fine, hmph." The petite girl huffed and puffed her cheeks before she crossed her arms and looked away. He gives the small girl a pat on the head, which causes her to be content with the gentle gesture, as if she completely forgot the reason of why she was mad in the first place. That's kids for you. "Hehe..."

Is it kind of weird that he finds this… cute?

"Well, I’ll be on my way out."

"Bye, Mr. tutor!" He waved and left after finishing his job for today. Seeing that he had nothing to do at the moment, he decided to visit the red-glass lady's house that he helped earlier.

(OMORI)

He went inside the house, and he went upstairs to where the red-glasses lady was. She was snipping the small trees upstairs with her shears before she noticed the boy.

"Ah, hi there, young man! I didn't expect you to come this soon!" She was a bit surprised at his quick arrival.

"Sorry, bad time?" 

"None of that. I already told you you're welcome anytime, dear." She brushed off his apology. "I didn’t catch your name... um."

Sunny, but I like to go by Omori."

"Ah, Omori. Well, look here Omori. Caring for these bonsai is a hobby of mine. It helps me... relieve stress." She took a deep breath.

Sounds like she got anger issues.

"After this, I'm going to start preparing dinner for my children, Kim and Vance, tonight." Oh, so she's Kimberly and Vance's mother? Interesting... "They are about your age. Do you perhaps know them?" She asked the boy.

"Yeah, I did meet them earlier. Let's just say… not the best first impression, to say the least." 

"Oh dear, I'm sorry if they bothered you. I've gotten so many complaints from people about their delinquent behavior." She sighed before she rubbed her nose bridge.

"If they keep causing you trouble, just let me know, and I'll knock some sense into them one way or another." She spoke in such a tone that it made his spine shiver. "And they also better not be late again...or else..." To emphasize her point, she began snipping the leaves on the bonsai tree violently 

"You're welcome to join us for dinner if you wish." The lady offered before she closely examined his physique and noticed how much the boy looked malnourished. "Speaking of which, you look as if you have not eaten anything for a long time, dear.."

"Are your parents neglectful of you, dear?" She asked, a bit worried for the boy. 

That wasn't far from the truth. Sunny's mother loves her son but she has been drowning in work and doesn't know about what state her own child is in. She just assumes he needs time or that he can take care of himself now, which cost him his mother's absence in his life plus his father, which disgusted Omori, and he wished her suffering for what she had caused his creator.

"Um, thanks. Your concern, while appreciated, is unnecessary." He wasn’t sure what to make of this woman's kindness towards him, even though they had just met. "I can manage myself, miss."

"Kim usually brings one of her friends to stay over since, from what I heard from Kim, she doesn’t live in a… functional house..." Ugh, now this just makes him feel even worse for how he treated her when they first met but she kinda had it coming.

Aubrey thinks everyone just abandoned her, and that gives her the right to be angry towards everyone when she didn’t even try reaching out to any of them.  

"So don't be afraid to come if you want a place to stay or if you're feeling hungry! I mean it. It's not a bother. Ok?" She offered while speaking in a comforting tone.

Okay, this is getting too weird for him. He's not used to kindness and honesty and doesn't like the idea of people pitying him. He doesn't need help or pity, damn it. He can manage himself just fine.

"Thanks... I'll keep it in mind." He replied hesitantly. "Anyway, I best go on my way now. Got errands to run."

"Oh, Alright. I'll be here if you need me." The lady returned to take care of the small trees—or bonsai, as she call them. Before leaving, he stumbled on a room filled with four bonsai trees in a square formation, a TV, and a yoga mat in the center.

Yoga is good for you as it strengthens the connection between your body and spirit… or some bull crap heard Sunny’s mom utter. 

Personally, Omori didn’t see the point of these things. Rather, he argued they do the opposite and weaken your mind. While he had some points where he spent time alone in white space, red space, or any void, he wasn’t entirely human. He’s confident anyone will go insane if they trap themselves in a void and only meditate.

Though he wondered if Sunny ever took those yoga classes with his mom, would it change headspace? Assuming that the strengthened connection part is true, that is. He pondered for a bit before he quickly dropped the thought and left the house.

(OMORI)

He took a stroll through the neighborhood street he was currently on. He came across a house where there was a yellow-haired bun granny who was outside, and it seems she's looking around for someone. 

"Cough… cough… Excuse me... Sorry to impose, but I have a request. You seem like a trustworthy person. Do you think you could help this poor old lady out?" The grandma kindly asked the boy when she saw him pass.

"Um, sure... How can I help, Miss?" 

[ Granny’s Meds ]

"Oh, thank you kindly, dear! I need to pick up some medications at the pharmacy, but I'm feeling a bit weak at the moment. I usually send my daughter Charlene, but she's not here right now. Can I trust you to go and pick it up for me?"

"Okay, sounds easy enough. I’ll do it." 

"Thank you again, dear. Just talk to the man at the pharmacy. he'll understand." she handed him a prescription and her ID Card. "I wish you good luck, dear." 

{ Got Prescription and ID Card }

He nodded before he made his way to the town plaza once again.He entered Othermart and went to the pharmacy area on the left side. Once inside, he headed to the pharmacist but there was a lady standing there before him,

 Excuse me, but could you point me to where I can find this type of medicine? I need it for a sick grandmother of a boy I’m looking after.

Absolutely ma'am. It should be on the last aisle in the back on your right. I wish her a speedy recovery!

He gave directions to the lady, who politely thanked him before she went there. He then approached the man.

"Ah, hello there! I don't think I've seen you before. How can I help you?" The man asked him. He handed him the Prescription and showed him the ID Card from the granny. 

{ Give prescription }

"Ah, I see. You're here to pick up some medication!" The pharmacist  examined the ID card closely. "...Oh, I know who this is for! I’ll bring it right out." 

"So you're picking up her medicine in place of her daughter today?" The pharmacist asked the boy as he handed him the medicine.

{ Got Granny's Medicine } 

"Yup." Omori nodded.

"I'm not supposed to give out medication like this... but I usually make an exception for her since she doesn't have a way to come here herself." He explained. "Thanks for helping her out, kid! If you are in need of Bandages or First aid med kits, I've got you covered here. You have a nice day now!" 

He went to the back, where he saw the lady from earlier. He remembered hearing her mention that she was looking after a boy whose grandma was sick. The only one he could think of who fits this description is… Basil…

"Is there nothing I can do..." The lady muttered to herself as she let out a defeated sigh.

"You okay, miss?"

"Oh, ah, hello there… Yes, I suppose everything is alright for the most part." She answered. "Sorry you had to see me like this, but things have been stressful lately."

"I could tell. Sick patient?"

"Yes, I'm picking up medicine for the grandmother of a boy I'm taking care of. She has been sick lately and bedridden for a while now and has shown no signs of getting better." The lady once again sighed in despair.

"And that has negatively affected the poor boy, I wish I could do something…" She let out a sigh. "Anyway, thanks for listening, and I'm sorry for ranting. I had to let it out of my system." 

"It's no bother, ma'am. Seems you've got a lot on your plate." 

"Thank you... Anyway, I'd better not be late to the boy's grandmother." The lady left to buy the medicine.

He did the same too. not wanting to make the granny wait any longer, he made his way back to the yellow bun grandma's house, where she was waiting for him at the door when she noticed the boy was back. "Oh, you came back!" 

"Here you go, ma'am." He handed her the medicine and her ID Card. 

{ Gave Granny’s Meds and returned ID Card }

[ Granny’s Meds ]

" Cough… cough… Excuse me... Thank you so much, dear. You have been a big help! It's nice to see some youths helping us old folks." The granny thanked the boy.

"You're welcome to my home anytime. in fact, would you join me for a cup of tea? It's the least I could do." offered to invite him to have some tea with her and keep her company for a bit.

"Umm… Sure, tea sounds nice." He was a bit hesitant before accepting her offer.

"Wonderful! You can come and make yourself comfortable in the dining room while I prepare the tea." He went inside with the granny into the dining room while she went to prepare tea for them in the kitchen.

He paced around the room for a bit. He saw some photos of the family hanging on the wall and a slew of certificates and awards hanging on the wall. He then checked the books on the bookshelf. There was one particular book that caught his attention. Wondrous Tales of Mystical Dreamland.

As he took the book out and examined it. This is Sunny's all time favorite fairytale story, he recalls as he opened a random page from the book and began reading,

'But in order to break the cycle, there will come two of their creations who will put aside their differences, work together to inspire the two sisters to do the same.'

"I see you've taken an interest in that book. It's one of my daughter's old books she used to read when she was young." The granny came back with a tray of tea kettles and two cups. She put it down and poured tea in his cup, then hers, then sat down at the dining table. He closed the book before putting it back on the shelf before joining granny.

"I made some chamomile tea. I hope you don't mind it, and there are some sweeteners if you don't like it bitter." She handed him his cup. "Careful, it’s hot." She warned.

He blew on the tea multiple times and waited for it to cool down to a level that hopefully didn’t burn his tongue before he took a small sip from his cup.

"It tastes good... Thank you." 

"Glad to hear it, dear." The granny took a sip from her cup as well. "My youngest daughter, Charlene, is usually so attentive to me..." She paused. "I wonder where she is now. She's always been pretty quiet, but she's made a lot of new friends recently. I hope she doesn't forget about me..." She spoke in a worried tone.

"I'm pretty sure she won't." He reassured the granny.

"Oh, I know, but I can't help but worry. Ohoho, it's in my nature to do so." Granny let out a weak laugh.

"So, have you got any siblings, dear?"

"Not anymore, sadly." He paused briefly before continuing. "I had one older sister. Mari was her name, but… she’s not with us anymore." 

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear of your loss, dear. I hope she's in a better place now." She showed her sympathy for the boy.

"It's alright. It was a long time. Besides, I have some people who I consider siblings or family." 

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to ask your name, dear." Grandma asked. 

He looked at his cup of tea for a bit before he answered.

"It's... Omori." 

"Well, Omori, if you don't mind me asking, you look a bit troubled and distressed. Is everything alright?" The granny asked out of concern. 

"Yes... No... Maybe? I don't really know, to be honest." 

"Do you perhaps want to talk about it? " The granny offers to listen. Omori was about to object at first, but stopped. He hasn't had anyone to talk to in a long time in terms of actually venting out, not to his friends, Sunny, or anyone else... except for one.

"...I had a friend once..." He started. "Abbi was her name, and she was so dear to me."

"We would spend so much time together talking. Until one day, a tragedy stuck: she was attacked, and she was badly injured. We still don’t know who's responsible." He paused before he let out a long sigh.

"I blame myself for not being there and preventing her from getting hurt in the first place... If I had been quicker, maybe I could have done something. It still haunts me to this day." He felt like a load was lifted from him once he let it out of his chest.

"I'm sorry to hear that, dear. Don't beat yourself up. You couldn't have predicted it would happen in the first place, so it's your fault." The granny spoke in a comforting tone.

"Don't dwell on the past. What happened in the past is over. Instead, focus on the present and future. You'll have to learn to accept it, as life can sometimes be filled with both joy and pain." 

If only it were that simple...

He took a sip of his tea, as it was beginning to get cold, before finishing it. "Thanks for the advice and for the tea. I should get going now. I have to meet with my friend soon." 

"Ah, it's quite alright, dear. Thanks for keeping this old lady company. Take care of yourself out there."

"You too." He waved before he made his way out and left the granny’s house.

(OMORI)

He remembered the gruff guy from Fix-It inviting him to watch him fix the leak in his house. He decided to go for the hell of it, seeing as he had nothing to do at the moment and he might get some amusement out of it.

He was on Church Street, walking. On his way, he saw four people walking towards the church, whom he recognized as the unbread twin siblings, walking with their parents.

I think their names were Daphne and Bowen.

He also came across the couple's house, whom he helped earlier at Fix-it. There were boxes littered all around the front. 

He finally reached the gruff guy's house, which was next to the church. He gently knocked on the guy’s door and waited before the door creaked open. "Hey Kid! Didn't expect you to actually show up!" 

[ An Easy Fix ]

"I had the time, so I thought I'd pass by." He shrugged.

"Well, you're here just in time to watch me fix this pipe once and for all! Come in, come in!" 

Once he was inside, he watched the guy grab a tool from the toolbox and go to the pipe that was leaking in the right corner of the room.

"Just a few more last-minute adjustments, and I can finally put this baby to rest..." He began working on fixing the leak while he silently watched. Soon, the man was done with the adjustments. "Ahhh... the sweet sound of silence at last..."

Until the pipe started leaking again.

Spoke too soon, buddy.

"Grumble… grumble… Rats... I guess I'll try again tomorrow..." The gruff guy grumbled before he turned to him. "Here's 1 buck, kid. Go get yourself some candy or something." He handed him a one dollar bill.

"Um, thanks, I guess. Um, bit of a weird question, but you kinda look like one of those kids I saw earlier with the hooligans gang or whatever they’re called." 

"Oh, you mean Vincent! Yes, I'm the father of both Vincent and Kimberly. They usually come over here and stay at the weekends." The gruff guy answered. "In fact, there's a housewarming party in two days for the couple who moved in recently next door, and I plan to take Kim and Vance with me there."

Great, he somehow went and befriended both of the kids' parents.

"Have you met them?" The man asked the boy.

"Once, we ended up fighting with their leader though."  

"Yeah, they might have caused some troubles here and there, getting into fights. But that's kids being kids, y'know, can't stop their rebellious phase, haha." The gruff guy let out a laugh.

"There are good kids once you get to know them." 

"I’ll… take your words for it. I should go now."

"Thanks for passing by, kid! You have a nice day now." He waved at the man before he left the house.

(OMORI)

He was on his way to the park. He was pretty much done with doing jobs and meeting people while helping some as well. So it’s about time he met with his friend Kel now.

He's gotta say, all in all, today was going just fine. Suddenly, he found himself tackled on the ground as something came at him at lightning speed.

Spoke too soon…

He started to feel a bit of moisture forming on his face. It was a dog who was started assaulting him by licking all over his face.

"Easy!"

Slurp

"There! 

Slurp

"No!"

Slurp

"Stop!"

Slurp

"Gross!"

Slurp

"Hey, that's... enough!" 

Slurp

"Get… off of me!" 

He tried to wiggle free, but he was no match against the dog opponent.

Damn people! Put some leashes on your dog or something! 

"Lucas! Get back here this minute!" A voice emerged from a distance, followed by rapid footsteps approaching them.

"No! Bad Dog! Get off the boy right this moment." Thankfully, his savior, whom he presumed was the owner, came and grabbed the dog from him.

"Ugh… What is it with you?" She asked before she sternly pointed at the dog. "Lucas! Get back to the house, or no more treats for you, you hear!" She commanded her dog, Lucas. He seems to understand her as he lets out a whimper before he bolts back to the house.

"Sorry there, stranger." The girl let out a sigh. "Darn dog just bolted on me again." 

"No harm done." He got up on his feet and began wiping the dust from his clothes and the saliva from his face. "Just keep your dog in check."

"I'm sorry for my dog, Lucas. I don't know what has gotten him to suddenly tackle random people out of the blue." 

"Well, be more careful with your dog in the future, would you?"

"I will! Sorry again." She paused briefly before coming up with an idea. "Listen, stranger, I have a favor to ask. I know it's sudden, but I really need someone to help critique my latest work in progress! Would you be so kind as to help me finish my work? Pretty please?"

[ Budding Artist ]

"I would love to, but I-" 

"Great! Come with me!" He didn’t have the chance to finish before the girl grabbed his hand and dragged him to her house. Omori had no choice but to be willingly abducted by the stranger.

Once they were inside, the girl led him to her canvas. "Look at this sketch for me. What do you think?" 

"The drawing looks too stiff, doesn’t it?" The artist asked.

He glanced at the drawing. He didn't know much about art, so he decided to just go along with her and agree with everything she says.

"I guess?"

"Yes! I thought so too! Yes... it's all coming to me now! INSPIRATION HAS STRIKETH!!" She started furiously painting, almost as if she were fighting with the canvas.

"And... VOILÀ!! Ah, that looks so much better." She let out a satisfied sigh before she did a double take at the painting. "Hey, can I poke you for a minute?"

"What?" Omori wasn't even paying attention to her at this point.

"I feel like this piece is missing something. Maybe the character needs more details. ...Oh, I know! I can add some detail right here, here, and here! That would work, wouldn't it?"

"Sure."

"Of course... It's obvious, don't you think? Yes... it's all coming together! INSPIRATION HAS STRIKETH ONCE AGAIN!!" She started painting furiously yet again. "And... VOILÀ!!

Ah, beautiful. The extra detail really does make a difference!" She hummed to herself before she examined the painting for a bit. "Hey, could I get your opinion for a sec?" 

You mean, ‘your’ opinion?

"Yes? "

"What do you think about the color here? Should I make the background red or blue?" He opened his mouth to answer, but she interrupted him yet again. "Wait, don't answer. It would definitely look better with a red background, right?" 

Why do I even bother?

"I completely agree! Red is undoubtedly the right choice here. Red will bring this painting to the next level! Yes... it-" He ignored her as if he were skipping dialogue  by repeatedly mashing the skip button. "And... VOILÀ!!"

The piece is finally done!" The artist took a moment to admire her so-called masterpiece. "Thanks stranger! I couldn't have done this without you."

[ Budding Artist ]

Trust me, you could. You just wanted someone to agree with you.

"Well, I must finish my painting now. Farewell stranger!" The artist returned to painting. 

He crouched and patted the dog before leaving. He seemed content and wiggled his tail excitedly before letting out a bark, and the dog gave him a piece of Trash...

"LUCAS, QUIT YOUR YAPPIN'!"

I can see why he tried to run away in the first place.

He soon left the artist's house and hurried to the park, seeing how late he was going to be for his friend after he got roped in against his will with the obsessed budding artist.

(OMORI)

He reached the park and began looking around for his friend, but he wasn’t here yet, it seemed. He decided to pass the time by exploring the park in the meantime. He saw a lady in a stand handing out pamphlets and preaching about saving the plant or whatever."Hello, young man, please take this pamphlet about keepin' the planet clean from waste." She handed him a pamphlet which he took.

"Thanks, I guess."

[ It Really is a Concept ]

"I don't know if you've been watchin' where you steppin', but there's quite a bit of trash around this town. If you happen to find any, can you bring it to me so I can dispose of it properly? I'll make it worth your while!"

"I actually have one on me." He handed over the trash he received from both the cat and dog.

"Oh, I see you have some trash with you! Thanks! I'll be sure to dispose of this properly!"

"Here's money for your help! hoho! And there's more where that came from! Keep doing your part for the planet, young man!" She handed him $2.

"Thanks."

Guess it pays to be a planet sympathizer

"Glad to see some younglings take care of the planet like those recycultist kids." She laughed. "Let's help the world, one step at a time! You have a good day now, young man!" 

There was an artist who was sketching near them. She seemed to be focused on drawing on her sketchbook. He took a quick peek at the sketchbook from afar and saw that she was drawing the park—the playground, to be more specific.

He gotta admit, that looks good.

He admired the artist’s drawing for a while without feeling that he was staring for a long time from behind her. The girl stopped sketching because she felt that someone was watching her. She turned around and saw a boy just staring at her.

"Eeeeeep!!" She squeaked.

"Ah, sorry! Didn’t mean to stare." He quickly raised his hands. 

[ Motivation for Mincy ]

"My god! You surprised me there." She put a hand on her chest as she felt her heart hammer. "A bit of a heads up would be nice!" 

"Sorry. I was, uhh… admiring your drawing." He quickly came up with an excuse not to seem like a total creep. "It looks great."

"My… drawing? O-Oh! Thank you... I’m just practicing." The girl fidgets around before mustering the courage to speak. "So… um… My name is Mincy… What's yours?"

"Omori… I mean, Sunny! But you can call me, um… Omori…" For some unknown reason, he seemed to forget how to speak for a moment as he fumbled on his words.

Real smooth dumbass.

"Right. Um… It might be rude to ask this, and I know it sounds weird, but..." She paused for a bit. "Do you perhaps have a... dissociative identity disorder?" 

"Uhh... a disso-what now?" His face twisted as he tried to comprehend the strange word.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder." She repeated. "Y’know, like somebody who has two or more distinct personalities and alter identities that they switch from time to time?"

He was about to refute it before he paused for a bit and thought about it for a bit.

Well, that's not actually further from the truth.

"Yeah, sure… Let's go with that."

"Ooooh, that’s so cool! I heard about this from one of my relatives, but seeing it in person is different." She clasped her hands together. Her nervous demeanor seem to fade away like a cloud of smoke.

"So what is it like? Oh! How many personalities do you have? Oh, how many identities do you have? Oh what about…" She bombarded him with questions, and he had difficulty keeping up.

"Um, slow down, girl." He raised his hand to stop her from bombarding him with more questions. "One question at a time, please." 

"Oh, sorry! I got carried away there, haha…" She laughed nervously as she scratched her head in embarrassment. 

"Okay, but don’t look at me like I’m crazy." 

"I won’t! I promise."

"Alright, to keep it short… I guess I only have two. Right now, I’m Omori, the other is Sunny, and we each have our own personalities." He began answering. "I guess I’m a bit more talkative and confident than him… And no, he’s not here at the moment, so you can’t meet him yet." He quickly answered after he saw her open her mouth, already knowing what she was going to say.

"Does that answer all of your questions?" He hoped he got all of it. Of course, he didn’t tell her anything. She’s going to think that he’s more crazy than he already is if he tells her. He can imagine it going like this: Yeah, I’m actually an alter ego born due to a traumatic event or was created by the boy, which was the same thing anyway, so he can block and forget his trauma, and become a shut-in now he’s been kidnapped inside his own head by a shadowy person… So, how’s your day, anyway?

"Yeah, thanks!" She was satisfied with the answers he provided for her.

"Great, now can we please get back to your drawing?" He pleaded, wanting to change the topic away from him.

"Oh, yes, um, it’s just a portfolio. I'm actually trying to get into art school next year." Mincy then paused before looking at him. "Do you... also draw Omori?" 

"Ehh, not really. I do have a sketchbook where I draw from time to time if I ever get bored, but not as much as before." 

"Oh, can I see them some other time? I’m interested in seeing what kind of drawing you drew." She closed the distance between them but not enough to invade his personal space.

"You probably shouldn't." Trust me for your sanity's sake. "Plus, I don’t have it with me at the moment." 

"Oh, I see..." Mincy's face suddenly dropped, and she let out a sigh.

"Huh, what’s wrong?"

"I'm sorry… It's just that... You're the first person to say something positive about my drawings." Mincy looked down as she rubbed her arm. "Sometimes when I'm feeling down, it makes me question myself, and it gets hard to move my pencil." 

"Hm, it’s normal to doubt and question yourself sometimes."

Mincy looked up and gave him a puzzled look. "H-Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"I guess what I'm getting at is..." He paused to choose his words carefully. "Is that you don't need someone to tell you if your drawings are good. You just need to have faith and believe in yourself. You're improving for yourself, not because of others."

"Y-Yeah! You're right! I'm just being silly. I've gotta cast away those feelings and focus on being good. Thank you." Mincy gives him a genuine smile. "It was nice meeting you, Omori."

"Likewise, Mincy."

"I'll try to finish this now. I hope we see each other again." She began delightfully sketching away now that she had her motivation back. 

"Good luck, Mincy." He waved at the artist before leaving. "Who knows? Maybe we will."

He was just walking around the park, having reached the basketball court, where he saw a jock just jogging around the court and two people with... trash bins on their heads?

The hell is wrong with this town?

The two trash bin heads went to pick up some trash by the trees until suddenly a hobo came rushing at them like a wild animal,

HEY, GET YA HANDS OFF MA’ TRASH!! THEY MINE!! GRRR!! He began throwing stuff at them from the ground.

Woah! Crazy old hobo!

Come on, let’s get out of here!

He watched the two trash bin boys quickly leave. He went and slowly approached the smelly hobo.

"Who’re ye? Whatcha want?" The hobo demanded.

"Nothing." He shrugged. "I’m nobody."

The hobo eyed him for a bit before calming down. "Ugh, buncha no good thinks ze can c'mere and take ma trash? Who do ze think are they? How’da like it if one came and stole from them house?" 

"Yeah, I would be very upset if it were to happen." Omori's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "One man's trash is another's treasure."

"Damn right ya are. Um, listen, bub... Could'ja be kind and spare a few nickels?" 

"Um, yeah... here." He handed him ten bucks, hoping he would not bother him if he accepted. "But I suggest you get something other than booze, my friend." 

"Thanks! You're a real pal, unlike those trash cult kids, ohohohoho." He accepted the money "Since you've been so generous and a pal to me, I've got you a gift. Just close your eyes and stick your hands up." 

"Uhhh ok?" Omori closed his eyes

I swear, if it turns out it's one of his trash…

He felt something cold and a bit heavy in his hands. He opened his eyes and saw a Gold Watch? He examined it closely and did a test to check the authenticity by taking his knife out and scratching a tiny part of the metal, and sure enough, there was a small fragment of golden streaks on his hand from scratching it.

Well, I’ll be damned…

 ~ { Got real Gold Watch } ~

"Ya like it, huh? thaz real gold, I tell ya." 

 "Uhh thanks? But... shouldn't you be needing this more?" 

"Nah, got plenty of em. I only give them to my pals like you, ohohoho." .

"Uh, yeah.  Well, you take care now." Omori waved before he left the smelly hobo alone with his trash. He went to the other side of the park and found yet again an old hobo laying down beside some trees. At least this one seems more friendly than the last one.

"Hey, mister."

"Ohohohoh... Hello... Cough… A-hyeck! A-hyeck! " The old hobo starts coughing violently for a bit. "Sorry… Ah... today is such a beautiful day, don't you think?" 

"I guess."

"I may not have the money, but at least the sunlight is free!"

I guess money doesn't always buy you happiness.

"Cough… So anyway, lad... could ya spare me some change during this hard time?" 

"Here, get yourself something to eat." He handed him ten bucks as well.

"Thank you for your kindness... I'll pay you back someday, I promise." 

"That’s alright. You don't have to." 

"What's your name, pal?" The hobo asked the boy.

"Sunny, but call me Omori." 

"I hope you don't mind me saying this, Omori, but you have a look in your eyes... " He paused after he saw the boy’s eyes. "The look that you've seen things. There's fire and brokenness. It's like you're seeking revenge..." 

"Yes, I'm seeking revenge." He didn’t deny it. "One of my dearest friends was attacked, and I’m seeking the one responsible." 

"Well, don't let hatred consume you and blind you, I saw many who fell in the cycle of hatred, unable to move on." The old hobo advised him. "They say an eye for an eye makes the world go blind. But I personally say it’s a fool's game."

Yeah? They didn’t show mercy to Abbi, and neither will he.

She didn’t deserve what happened to her. She would never hurt a soul! "I'll keep that in mind... "

He quickly left as he felt his hand gripping from anger. He went to cool off on one of the swings.

He sat down, alone with his thoughts, slowly swinging while he waited for his friend to come. He stared at the big yellow cat that was in front of him. He was definitely smaller than Sunny imagined him in headspace.

He looked at the sand for a bit before he came up with an idea in his head.

Oh, this might come in handy.

Chapter Text

The Faraway Park was full of life. The sounds of birds chirping and people chattering filled the place. The place was crowded with people due today's weather was nice and the atmosphere was peaceful and calm. 

There were two kids who had just entered the park. They were Angel and Charlene. They rolled with the infamous scooter gang, or the Hooligans as they call themselves.

They went on their merry way and settled on the right side of the park. Angel decided to climb a tree like a monkey and sit on a branch, admiring the view and also observing his surroundings like a ninja. Charlene settled in, smelling flowers nearby.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched from afar. There were two people sitting on a branch nearby, holding newspapers. The two slightly peaked and spied on them closely.

"I see Angel and Charlene," the boy beside him whispered. "But… I don’t see Aubrey anywhere." 

"I can see that," Omori replied, still maintaining his low voice. "Also, why are we using the newspaper as a cover again?" he finally asked. The 2000 newspaper read it on the front page.

"Because it looks cool on TV." Omori rolled his eyes at the response. Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer, he thought.

"Come on, let's go ask her. She might know where Aubrey is." Kel he got up before he folded the newspaper while his friend following him.

"So, that's Charlene, but everyone calls her Charlie. She's well not like the other Hooligans members she's the kind of person to never hurt a fly from what I've seen, and that makes me wonder how she fell in with some gang like the Hooligans..." He mused. "But she might actually be willing to help us if we make her understand." The duo approached the girl.

"Uh, hey, Charlie, was it?" Kel asked. The girl turned her attention towards them and simply stared and didn't utter a single word, before she turned her back on them and simply ignored them. 

"..."

"Listen, we're sorry about fighting Aubrey earlier, but she started it," Kel began saying. "We were simply defending our friend."

"But she stole something valuable from Basil, and we need to know where she is so we can get it back." Kel kept pushing despite receiving no response.

"..."

"Please, we're not going to fight her. We'll just ask her to give it back. Please, Charlie... we really need your help." Kel kept begging the girl. She finally turned to look at them. her face was still unreadable, but it was obvious she was thinking.

"..."

Charlene just walked towards a nearby tree. she punched the tree hard. Soon after, a kid just fell out of the tree. Holy hell, that girl is packin' some power, he thought as the two boys were equally unnerved.

She could crush the both of us like a tin can if she wanted to... The mental image disturbed Omori, and he was thankful the quiet girl was not the violent type but rather the loving type.

"WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE NOW?!" Angel started yelling in confusion before looking around. "What'd you do that for?!?!" He angrily shouted at the girl before he noticed both of the newcomers.

"Ah! If it isn't Kel and that scary knife kid!" Angel yelled. "Worthy adversaries for the great and mighty Angel." 

Scary knife kid? Really ? Omori was annoyed about how stupid that nickname was. 

"Finally, it is time for you to meet your doom!" Angel loudly exclaimed before he struck a pose, ready to fight.

Both Omori and Kel shared a look, with Omori being unimpressed while Kel had a ‘not this again’ look on him.

"Angel, we don't have time for this..." Kel rolled his eyes. "We just want to find Aubrey. Do you know where she is?" 

"You seek Aubrey, do you? Interesting!" 

 "I will tell you what I know... but first you must best me in a battle!" He challenged them.

There was a bit of silence in the air between them before Kel spoke up. "I'm not getting into a fight with a kid." 

"HAHA! You won't be able to lay a finger on me! " C'MON, LET'S SICK 'EM CHARLIE!!" Angel proudly proclaimed it and called for his friend to join.

"..."

Charlene stood there for a bit before joining him. She only stood there beside Angel, not showing any sign of fighting. There was only one time that she attacked, if you can even call it that. She lightly punched both Kel and Omori once, but they barely felt it.

"Well, I guess we can't talk our way out. Let's just rough him up a little bit... I can't believe I'm going to fight a kid..." Kel muttered. He couldn’t say he was surprised nor wasn’t expecting it. He took out his weapon of choice, which was a basketball.

It seems like those kids are obsessed with fighting. Do they watch a lot of TV or something? He asked himself before preparing his fists. using the knife was no go.

He can't do much while he's in this body, but he wasn’t keen on giving only lip service. He could provide healing support if needed and help attack with Kel. It’s mostly on Kel to carry the fight, and he's there for moral support.

Both boys attacked, with Omori having punched him, albeit with little damage done to him. Kel just threw his ball at Angel swiftly, which dealt a lot of damage to him based on the kid's pained expression.

"Heh, You surprised me, Kel! You would make a worthy rival for my master!" Angel swiftly punched Kel, which was weak. Kel could have dodged it but didn’t.

This went on with them exchanging blows, but in the end, they emerged victorious. 

"You... You'll pay for this..." Angel let out a sniff before falling on his back. Both of the boys recognized their win and stopped.

"How could this be?! My training was all for nothing!" He spoke in defeat. "Owww, my head hurts..." He let out a whine as he held his head in pain.

"Well, you're the one who started it, so..." Kel’s tone lacked any sympathy he had for the boy. "Serves you right." Omori joined in.

"YOU BULLIES!!!" He shouted.

Really? We're the bullies now? He thought.

"Ok, Angel, it's time to be serious now." Kel's tone turned serious. "We beat you and Charlie, so tell us where Aubrey is."

"Hmph! A promise is a promise, I suppose. I will honor my word and tell you what I know." Angel paused for a moment. "The truth is... Aubrey is... somewhere... in Faraway Town… probably," Angel finally concluded.

This brat… Omori annoyingly thought. 

"Dang it, Angel! You better not be messing around or else—" 

"I told you I'd tell you what I know! And the truth is... I don't know anything!" Angel admitted.

So all of this was for nothing? Did this idiot just want an excuse to fight? Omori tirelessly thought before massaging his forehead in frustration: Seriously, what is wrong with this town? 

"Angel... You better tell us where she is now..." He paused to let the weight of his tone settle. "Or else I'll tell everyone about that time you wet your bed at summer camp." He threatened.

Kel used blackmail. it was very effective!

"H-huh?! W-W-W-What?! You can't do that! That's cheating!" Angel stammered. "A-Anyway, I really don't know!" 

"Maybe you can ask my master, the Maverick. He's the keeper of all knowledge! He told me himself!"

What kind of name is Maverick, anyway? Omori thought. And here he thought the scary knife kid was stupid, but this one takes the cake.

"T-The Maverick?" Kel was confused before a painful realization suddenly dawned on him. "Oh, no... You mean that weird kid, Mikhael?" He groaned. 

"Don't you dare call him by that name! He would take great offense to that." Kel just rolled his eyes in response.

"I see... so... it is him..." 

"Where can I find Mikhael—I mean, uh, The Maverick?" Kel, having corrected himself mid-sentence while doing a double air quotation ironically. 

"I'll tell you what I know... but... you'll have to beat me first!" 

"Or... I can tell everyone about the time you—" 

"GAH!! Ok, fine, I'll talk. Master went to the fountain at Faraway Plaza." He told them the whereabouts of the weird kid. "He said he was going to meet some girls there for... a date or something." 

"Ugh... disgusting." Kel almost gagged. "Come on, Sunny. Let's go to the Faraway Plaza... I think we're done here..."

Kel turned to Omori again while they were walking and struck up a small conversation. "So I don't know if you remember the weird kid from school, Mikhael, and apparently now he wants to be called the "Maverick" for some reason now."

"To be honest, I can't think of a reason as to why Aubrey let someone like him into the gang other than maybe to be the butt of the joke, I guess."

"Anyway, his family runs the bakery at Othermart and usually attends church regularly too. But you've gotta admit, their bread is the best! Too bad today is Sunday. Otherwise I would have gone for bread right now." Kel muttered as he felt his mouth water before he shook his head and cast those thoughts away to focus on the task, which was finding Mikhael.

(OMORI)

The walk was pretty short, since the plaza was next to the park. The duo went there and saw the supposed "Maverick" like Angel told him in front of the fountain with two girls besides him. He pretty much wore a blond wig and green shirt, that's what was notable about him from what Omori saw.

The duo neared towards him and heard some of the conversation that was going there. "And then I told him... It's not Maverick. It's the Maverick!" Mikhael loudly exclaimed, Omori will not in a million years call him that.

Before the two of the girls beside him let out a laugh—a fake one. "Oh, The Maverick, you're so funny! Ho-ho! Wow, what an amazing story, The Maverick!"

"Girls, girls... Please! There's enough of me to go around..." Mikhael he put his arms on their necks.

' Jeez, how much did he pay them anyway? I don't think it's worth having to endure this. ' Omori thought to himself whilst Kel looked like he wanted to puke.

Both duo now stood in front of them, and Kel decided to announce their presence by saying. "Mikhael... What are you doing." Kel rosehis eyebrow. Mikhael now having noticed them, pushed the two girls off him, Omori could have sworn one of them just silently cursed at him, and went to Kel.

"Ah! If it isn't Kel! My... Archnemesis!" Mikhael loudly proclaimed, a bit too dramatic if you ask him. "What? Archnemesis?" Kel asked, confused.

"Finally here to admit defeat, are you?" Mikhael cockly asked him.

Kel just let out frustrated sigh. "We don't have time for this, Mikhael. We're looking for Aubrey. Have you seen her around? They say you were the "Keeper of knowledge". 

Mikhael looked nervously before he loudly whispered to Kel. "S-Stop calling me that! I cast that forsaken name a long time ago!"

"Mikhael, do you know where she is or not?" Kel tone became more sharp.

"Again with that godforsaken name! H-How dare you make a fool out of me!!" Mikhael growled at he pointed at him. "You're the one who's making a fool out yourself to begin with.' Omori thought and had a hunch he'll ask them to make him a bigger fool than he already.

"I, The Maverick, will not stand for this! PREPARE TO FACE YOUR DOOM!" Michael yelled before he turned around to the both girls. "WATCH THIS, LADIES! I'll wipe the floor with this loser!" 

Kel facepalmed as she shook his head. "Please, Mikhael... Just stop. Look, I'm going to ask one more time—"

"FIGHT ME, YOU WAD!! DON'T BE A CHICKEN!!!" 

"Fine... We'll do it your way, just don't say I didn't warn you. C'mon, Sunny. Let's just take him down quickly." Omori nodded ashe duo readied themselves and made the first move.

"Ohoho Kel, you pitiful fool... You both don't stand a chance against the Maverick!"

Like last time, both struck Mikael first, with Kel bouncing his ball on Mikhael's face.

Heh, I'm describing it as it is.

Anyway, Omori was up next as he struck him with his fists, giving Kel a bit of offense support but generally will switch to the support role if things get messy. Now, it was Mikhael's turn as he turned as he went and punched Kel, but it was almost as weak as his punch were.

"Hehe, I must admit... You're a worthy opponent. But we're only getting started! So prepare to lose." Mikhael loudly exclaimed. While he was monologuing, Kel gave Omori some words of encouragement, something like 'Hit him where it hurts the most.' and he did... specifically, he kicked him in his family jewels.

Mikhael let out a yelp before he crouched down as held his groin and groaned in pain. Kel seems to cringed from the shock and let out an ooh sound, he and every male in a mile radius felt. As Kel felt a little pity for him, while the girls behind him let out a small laugh, both amused at the display.

"Sunny, When I said hurt him badly, I meant his face... Not there!" Kel winced.

Omori turned to his comrade and simply shrugged"All fair in love and war, my dear Kel." 

"Yeah, but I mean that was kinda low and a cheap shot..."

Well, he didn't have any of his power, he had to improvise somehow and use any dirty tricks if he wanted to survive... So no regrets.

Mikhael slowly picked himself from the ground as he held his precious place. "YOU... Y-You can't do that... That's c-cheating... argh...ow..." 

He took a moment to collect himself. "This won't stop me, it seems I have underestimated you both, you had some techniques up your sleeves... but you're not the only one. I was honing my own technique too. I will make you both regret having humiliated me."

Mikhael he went to strike Kel but his attack whiffed due to him still limping.

'Probably a side effect from the previous attack he gave him...hehe.' Omori thought while looking proud of himself. His movement was a bit sluggish, resulting in him not landing a solid hit.

Both duo attacked yet again, and this time no more hits below the belt... boo. This went for a while, as they exchanged attacks, with Mikhael occasionally missing a few times and having to throw insults at them each attack they dealt to him.

Kel seems a bit hurt but he walks it off and continues fighting, after a while Mikhael seems to be tired out and at the brink of defeat lets out a huff and weezed for a bit before he says. "Curses... I won't let it end like this!"

Mikhael crouched on his knew. "No... it can't be over for me."

"People of the earth... LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!! HIYAHHHHHHHHHHH" Mikhael screamed on top of his lungs as he raised his hands in the air.  

Does this fool thinks he's the main character in some kind of a show?

"Ew, what is with this guy? He's so lame." One of the girl suddenly spoke up. "Yeah, this isn't worth the 10 bucks. Let's get out of here..."

"L-Ladies! Wait! Please, come back! I have more money!" The blond boy called out as he watch them leave.

I wouldn't spend another 5 minutes with him even if they offered me all the money in the world.

Mikhael stood there a bit before he let out a sigh and lowered his head which caused the wig to accidentally fall off. He scramble down and grabbed it.

"Well, that was... kinda pathetic and sad, and mostly a huge waste of time." Omori crossed his arms.

"Yup." Kel nodded in agreement as he popping the p.

Kel then went beside the blonde boy. "Mikhael..."

Having heard that name, Mikhael let out a growl. "THERE IS NO ONE HERE BY THAT NAME!!" 

"Please... Just tell us where Aubrey is and will be out of your hair! I promise to never ask you for anything in my life after that." 

Mikeal stopped to contemplate for a bit. "Okay, fine. I happen to know where she is, and I'll tell you... But on one condition." He raised a finger.

"Ugh, what is it?"

You must call me by my true name, the great Maveri—" 

"Screw this." Kel did one eighty and turned to him. "Let's just go find Kim. She has to know where Aubrey is for sure."

Omori just nodded and Kel stomped his steps towards Othermart. 

Before he followed him, he faked a kick attack to the boy's groin which made Mikhael cower back and cover his area. Omori sniggered at his reaction before he left.

Mikhael just let out a growl while cursing at himself before he went to the opposite way.

(OMORI)

Both Kel and Omori now stood in front of Othermart. "Alright, I didn't know why I didn't think of this sooner. Kim is Aubrey's close friend now, both are inseparable so she 100% knows where Aubrey is. She and her brother Vance are major sugar heads, so... I bet all my money they'll be in the candy shop, probably stealing again... Only problem is, knowing Kim, she probably won't spill the beans about Aubrey. So we most likely will have to fight to get her to. So let's keep our guards up." 

Omori gave thumbs up as usual, before he suddenly noticed something at his friend. His cheek was bleeding, probably from the fight earlier. It was small and barely noticeable and from the looks of it Kel didn't notice it too.

Omori reached for his pockets and took out a bandage that he took earlier from the house. Kel looked confused by his friend's action, before Omori gestured at his cheek before Kel finally realized what his friend meant. He was bleeding in his cheeks and his friend wanted to treat his wound.

Omori gestured him to crouch to his eye level so he can do his role as a healer. Kel was about to protest and shrug it off as it was nothing too serious he couldn't handle, and besides he got used to these injuries since he also sometimes gets from playing basketball.

But he wasn't gonna take a no as an answer, by the look from his cold stares which made Kel just doublethink and finally give in and just let his friend treat him

{ Used Bandage }

Omori applied the bandage on his friend's wound. "Aww, thanks, Sunny! You didn't have... but I appreciate it that you're looking after me." 

"Don't mention it." Omori just nodded. Even though he won't admit it loud but he still deeply cares for his friends whether they where the dream version or Sunny's real.

"Alright, we're burning daylight. Let's hope this is it, Kinda tired of going around in circles to look for clues if I'm being honest." The party made their way inside Othermart and then to the candy shop.

"I don't like going into places filled with candies... Since y'know, I get massive sugar rush ever since I was a kid and still do now, so I intend to stay away from places or things that have high amounts of sugar on them... with the exception of orange joe of course, but sadly I'm banned from drinking one inside the house hehe...  And not to mention, the aftermath is the worst. But it's worth it, can't imagine a world without orange joe... Man, I love orange joe...hehe~"

Of course you do... 

Omori recalled having oj on him so had to do his best to keep it away from him unless he wants to see the city in flames. Well, kinda does but that besides the point.

Both now went inside the candy shop, and holy shit there was, so much, candy. Everywhere.

"They should be around here somewhere." Kel let out a hum before coming up with a plan. "Let's split up, I take the aisle on the left and you take the right. If one of us finds them, we signal to another."

Fortunately for Omori, he found them on the first aisle on the left. Both siblings were trying to steal candies.

"Hurry, Vance... Let's shove it all in our pockets before someone sees us!"

Omori wasted no time and put his fingers on his mount and let out a whistle.

"SHOOT!! WE'VE BEEN FOUND OUT!! IT'S THAT CREEPY KNIFE KID!!" Kim pointed at him.

Again with the name... 

"There they are! Good job Sunny. Listen Kim, we need to know where—"

"THE NERD KEL IS HERE TOO!!" Omori had to cover his ears from the loudness.

Can we stop with the shouting?

"C'mon Vance! Let's get out of here." Vance nodded and the two tried to make a swift gateaway, but Kel simply blocked their way. Kim was struggling to bypass Kel as he mirrored her movement. On other hand, him and Kim's brother just stood as they stared at each other before he spoke up. 

"Hey."

"Sup."

Both still continue to stare at each other while Kim and Kel were fighting as if they were parents arguing while the kids didn't pay them any mind. 

Well, this is awkward.

Meanwhile Kel kept preventing Kim from slipping."Wait, whoa. Hold on there you too! You both didn't pay for those candies. You're stealing them aren't you?"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, NERD!! YOU DON'T KNOW ME!!!"

"Hey, Hey! Hold on Kim..." He raised his hands. "I'm not going to snitch on you, we just need to know where Aubrey is and will leave you guys alone."

Kim's body tensed up as she began looking around. "H-Huh? Aubrey? I-I don't know what you're talking about..." 

"Kim, we both know that's total Bull crap." Kel locked eyes with Kim. "Just tell us where Aubrey is please."

"I don't know anything and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you! Now scram nerd!"

"I had enough of this for today." He muttered to himself. "Ok, this is how this will go Kim. You're gonna me where Aubrey is, or else I'll—"

"Hah, or else what Nerd?" Kim gave him a challenging look as she crossed her arms.

Kel didn't answer, instead he simply pointed behind her with shit-eating grin.

"What? What are yo-" Kim felt like the room suddenly turned freezing. She felt a shiver down her spine as she sensed a threatening aura emitting from behind. Kim slowly turned around and was met with a menacing smile from the infamous sweetheart lookalike shop owner.

Miss Candice looked at her with a deadly look while still maintaining her usual facade smile. How can someone manage to pull a happy and angry face at the same time? Omori would never know. 

"Oh dear, it seems I wasn't clear enough about what I said last time. Smiley, smiley." Miss Candice's eye twitched. "I thought I told you both to NEVER COME BACK AGAIN IN HERE!! SMILEY, SMILEY!"

Vance silently mouthed an uh oh. "We've been busted."

"You two better hand off those stolen candies this instance, or else I'm going to call the cops on you kids! Smiley, smiley!" Miss Candice's raised her fist in the air. 

"FINE!! HERE'S YOUR STUPID CANDIES!!" Kim threw the candies on the floor before storming off. "C'mon, Vance... Let's get out of this dump."

On her way out, she purposely pushed Kel with her shoulder Omori simply stepped to the side to let Vance pass.

Miss Candice let out a sign and while she hid her anger under her cheerful demeanor. "Well, that's done... Smiley, smiley. I appreciate you two both stepping in and stopping those two criminal thieves from stealing from me and escaping. I can't offer you anything other than my gratitude. Smiley, smiley."

She rubbed her temple as she looked at the scattered candies on the floor. "Now where is that girl? CURTSEY!!" 

Shortly a cute girl with gray haired came from the backdoor behind the counter. "You called, Madam Candice?" 

"Yes! Be a dear and  clean this mess, would you? Smiley, smiley." Miss Candice handed her a broom.

"Right away Ma'am" Wasted no time and began picking up the candies that were scattered on the floor.

"Ugh where did I left my painkillers?" The pinked haired girl muttered before leaving.

"Oh, here let me help." Helped picked up the candies on the floor. "Here you go."

"Oh, thank you, but you didn't have to, really. It's my job." The girl bowed her head.

"Hehe, don't worry about it." Kel offered as smile as he rubbed his head. "Besides, it would be rude to stand here and not to offer any help."

"My, what a gentleman." Curtsy let out chortle in her hand. "Anyway, I should return these candies back before Miss Candice gets angry again. You both have a lovely day!"

"Heh, they got what they deserve. Right Sunny?" He nudge him in the shoulder.

"Yeah sure, but uh... How are we going to find Aubrey now?"

Kel stood there smiling for a bit before he put his hands on his face and let out a groin in frustration. "That's right, we were supposed to ask them that and we just let them go. Dang it, C'mon Sunny. Let's go after them before we lose sight of them."

Both duo made their way out of the candy shop. Halfway through Kel suddenly stopped in his track as an idea lit up in his head. "Wait, Hold up a second. I think I have an idea! Be right back." Kel went back inside the store for a moment, and came back out with 2 big bags of candy on him. Kel threw one bag at Omori, he caught the bag before he raised his eyebrow at his friend in curiosity.

"Alright, we can trade these candies with Kim to tell us where Aubrey is!" Kel exclaimed, Omori asked him where he got the money. "Oh yeah, I made a quick stop at my house house earlier and got my wallet and thankfully lived to tell the tale."

"Also sorry Sunny, I still don't have your 20 bucks since I spent it on those bags of candies. I will next time, I promise! Now c'mon let's catch up to them." 

 ~ { Got Big Bag of Candy } ~

Well at least he bought it this time.

(OMORI)

Kim and Vance stood outside of Othermart, both looking disappointed that they didn't manage to pull the heist and get their daily dose of taffy. Kim grumbled to herself, looking a bit annoyed before she turned to her brother and said to her brother in an apologetic tone. "Sorry Vance. No candy today for us..."

"No... Not again... I don't know how much longer I can last. We're going to die." Vance said in desperation, Kim sighed and said. "Let's just go home already. We're going to be late for dinner." Before they did anything, the automatic door of Othermart opened behind them which caught Kim's attention. Both Omori and Kel emerge and make their way towards them before Kel calls her out.

"Wait up Kim! I have something that might interest you." Kim wasn't thrilled to see the person who ruined their chances of getting some candies, instead she gave him a hated look and said. "You again, Nerds? You're like an annoying fly. Just leave us the heck alone, We're done talking."

"Oh that's a shame, because I have this whole big bag of candies~." Kel whips out the bag and he begins shaking them in front of them in temptation, both siblings looking in shock in return. "I'll give you this whole bag, if you tell us where Aubrey is~." Kel said in a playful tone while smiling.

"R-Really?! The whole bag?" This caught both Kim and Vance, as both mouths began to water. Before Kim suddenly snapped out of it and shook her head before saying. "Wait a minute! Did you honestly think that we would sell Aubrey out for a bag of candies. Ha, what do you take us for nerds?" Kim said mockingly, refusing to accept the offer.

On the other hand, Vance looked unsure before he went behind his sister and said. "I don't know Kim... We haven't had candy for an entire week... And there's a whole bag right in front of us. We don't even have to pay for it!" He tried convincing her with his points, before he whispered something to her. "can you at least ask if he has any taffy in there?" 

Kim turned and scolded her brother behind her. "Stop it, Vance! We ain't rats. We have to stay strong and not lose to the nerd Kel. Besides, When we go to Dad's house, we'll be able to have all the candies that we want." Vance still looked a bit unconvinced, but decided to endure for his sake of his sister. "Okay... I'll do it for you, sis." 

Kim~ Vance~... Sunny's Also got a bag as well." Kel cued his friend, Omori played along with his comrade and lazily took out the second bag that Kel gave him earlier and showed it to the siblings. "So that's two for each of you~ Come on we're waiting..." Kel continued to lure out the siblings with candies.

Kim turned once again to face Kel, still determined not to give in. "Heh, nice try. But you can't bribe us with candy." Kel turned to his friend as face drops, it seems that the sibling won't give in so easily. "Dang, it's not working... Now what do we do." Kel whispers to his friend for a solution.

Didn't answer, but instead he opened the bag of candies and began searching. Kel looked at him in confusion, before he took out a taffy candy and handed it to Kel. "Double Down." Omori just simply said before Kel takes out the candy and smiles at his friend. "Good thinking Sunny!" Kel complimented his quick thinking.

Meanwhile both siblings eyed the two boys who looked like they were planning something, Kim decided to call them out. "Are you both done? I hate to disappoint you nerds, but you're both wasting your time. Whatever you're planning, it won't work on us."

Kel once again the siblings, and decided to go with what his friend suggested, which is to use their wild card. "Oh, that's a shame. Because you see, I also got some taffy in there too~ "Both siblings froze up as soon as they heard Kel mentioned their favorite candy. And both now in focus on him, or precisely the candy that he was holding in his hand. "Did he say... Taffy?"

"But, since you don't want it. I guess Sunny and I will help ourselves~." Kel said while he slowly unwraps the candies, the siblings' mouths now were beginning to water again and more than before.

"With this delicious~ chewy~ taffy~ " Kel slowly takes the taffy and brings it out near his mount and fakes taking a big bite of it. Vance eyes widened, unable to stand the torture he yelled. "STOP!!"

Kel did so and went to them and said. "Oh What was that?~ Did you both have a change of heart? It's not too late y'know~ Just tell us where she is and I'll give you the bag, nice and simple. And we can go about our merry ways." Kim looked a bit very conflicted at the moment, cursing at the dirty play Kel pulled on them. For a while they stood there and said nothing.

"I see, that changes everything." Kim said, while she looked like she lost the battle with her inner self. Kim takes a step near the too, with her brother following behind as usual. "Alright, you really wanna know that badly, huh?" Uh-oh. was the only thing Omori thought, as he knew what's gonna happen next.

Both siblings went into fight mode. "THEN LET'S SETTLE THIS WITH OUR FIST NERDS!" Kim yelled out loud. "Okay, this is how this will go. If you win, I'll tell you where Aubrey is... But if we win, you give us that bag of taffy and never talk to us again."

Kel looked a bit caught off guard but he knew this would happen, but he nonetheless tried to de-escalated and defuse the situation. "Hold up now, there is no need to fight! Look Kim, Aubrey took something important from Basil and we're only trying to help a friend out. I get that you both are friends and stuff... but as her friend, you gotta admit she goes far sometimes." Kel said in a dead serious tone.

"That might be true... But unfortunately for you nerd, I want to fight and also to get back at you for screwing us over earlier at the store." Kim said to him. "But-" Kel tried to explain himself, but Kim cut him off and said. "Save it, now run your hands up, you two! Enough talking, it's time to duke it out and settle this once and for all!" 

Kel sighed and looked that he lost hope on being a pacifist forever. "Just what is with you guys and fighting?" Kel mumbled to himself, before he turned to his friend and said. "Well, we tried and now it doesn't look like we have a choice. Welp, you should know the drill by now Sunny. Let's do it." Both Kel and Omori prepared themselves to fight yet again.

Kim cracked her knuckles and then adjusted her glasses, while Vance cracked his neck and smiled menacingly. "Heh, I'll show you that size isn't everything! I'm not going to lose to nerds like you!" Kim said confidentiality. "And that taffy will be ours." Vance said determinedly.

"Alright, Sunny. We can do this together like last time, you take on Kim and I'll take on Vance. Alright, do your best Sunny, I believe in you!" Kel gave Omori some words of encouragement, Omori raised his fist to fight. 'Wait, could I bring myself to hit a girl? And she's also got glasses as well' Omori briefly thought, obviously things here are not like in the dream world here.

'Hah! Of course I could!' Omori saw a golden opportunity and quickly punched Kim who was distracted by her phone ringing, and it seems like it was a wrong number unlucky for her I guess. Despite it being a weak one, Kim seems like she took it badly since she doesn't look all that strong. 

'I mean it wouldn't be a fair fight since men typically are physically stronger. .. and then there's Aubrey, but she's a whole specimen on her own so we'll leave her at the side. 'Equality at its finest.' Omori didn't care since his fists are rated E for everyone. That can't be said for Vance though, man built like a truck and it will take more than them to take him on...

Vance then threw some old candies at them, which didn't do a lot to be honest other than to annoy them. Kel swiftly threw his basketball at Vance, then Kim attacked Omori back by punching him which he admitted hurt a lot. "Your face annoys me." and both siblings occasionally throw insults at them which made both duo in a sad state then later depressed for Omori. 

This fight went for a while, but sadly for them. Things we're looking for are great for the duo, Because of a certain gruff guy who didn't go down easily no matter how hard they try. Kel was at a critical condition, as in he was about to pass out from fighting and if he does it's game over for them since he doesn't have a chance against the two nor he got the time to heal him without risking getting caught in the fire since he's also about to become toast... metaphorically.

Vance went for the finishing blow and punched Kel hard and immediately K.O him, Kel fell back from the punch and mutter something. "Ahhrgh... Hamburgers..." This was Kel last words before he blacked out. 'Shit, not good.' Omori silently cursed himself, desperately trying to look for a way out.

"Heh, that'll teach him. Looks like it's only you left. You don't stand a chance, it's 2v1 so might as well give up nerd and make this easy on yourself." Kim mocked him, soon her brother Vance did too. "Yeah, if you hand over the bags of taffies we won't beat you like we did with him." Omori remained silent, still thinking of a plan. "Not so tough without your sports buddy, huh?" Kim continued to throw insults at him. "Yeah, so pathetic and weak." Vance joined in with his sister.

 ~ { Omori became Miserable } ~

'Damn it, no way out of this' Omori thought to himself, as he couldn't take down both of them. 'There's only two options, and neither of them is good.' Omori thought about the option available he got, the odds seems against him.

'Screw it, might as well die trying.' Omori thought to himself before he took a deep breath to calm down, now that his mind is clear from any emotions. Omori stood his ground and prepared himself for the worse, as he looked determined to carry on against the odds.

{ Omori Used Deep breaths }

"Psh, looks like you're not giving up, huh? Well you asked for it, don't cry after we beat you." Kim mocked him before she continued. "Well since I'm feeling generous, we'll allow you to make the first move before we do." Kim offered to him. "Heh yeah, we won't even move to make it easy for you." Vance said cockly, he seems very confident that victory is theirs.

Omori will take any chances he gets, so he gladly accepts. Suddenly, it dawns on him as he recalled something Kel said to him a little while ago. This might turn the odds in his favor. 'This is a risky play, also not sure if it will work either.' Omori thought to himself. but seeing that there weren't any other choices, he went and searched for something particular in his satchel.

'Ah here it is.' Omori said to himself, before he took out a... can of orange joe. 'I owe one for the All-American Dad, guess helping folks does have its benefits after all.' Omori silently thanked the guy in his head. Meanwhile the siblings blinked several times, trying to process the sight. Shortly both broke down laughing at him and mocked him.

"Really? A can of soda? What are you going to do, beat us with it?" Kim mocked him while still laughing hysterically. "Ohhh~ careful, he got a can of soda that he'll beat us with." Vance said mockingly before joining in with the laugh.

Omori didn't give them a thought and waited till they were finished. 'Laugh all you want, soon y'all will be very sorry soon and I'll get the last laugh.' Omori villainously thought, after a bit they finally stopped and faced him before saying, "Alright, enjoy your last soda since we beat you soon after. Can't believe you're wasting your chance to drink some soda. Heh, you're not very smart aren't you?"

'Oh, bad choice. You should have gone for the kill while you still had the chance. Now it's too late.' Omori couldn't hide his menacing smile anymore, as there was no turning back. slowly he reached to open the orange joe can. As soon the can made a bssst sound, Kel eyes shot wide open.

'Sorry for what's gonna happen later, it'll hurt a lot after that with your injuries.' Omori apologized to his friend in advance. As if his senses were going off, Kel quickly sat up and said. "I smell orange joe!" Kel quickly looked at him and said.

"Gimmie." Omori went to his friend and handed him his favorite can drink orange joe, Kel swiftly took the can from his friends hands and wasted no time before he started chugging down the whole thing in mere seconds. After that he made a satisfied noise before he crushed and threw the can away. Kel felt the sugar rush through his bloodstream. 'Come on sugar rush... work your magic.' Omori thought.

{ Used whole can of Orange Joe on Kel... }

Kel got up as if nothing happened, feeling refreshed, energetic, new and 10 times more powerful. And not to mention his sudden increase in speed, sudden and brief burst of energy, as the sugar rush effects quickly on him. This is what Omori calls a Kel nuke. But it won't be long before it wears off, so he better make use of it quickly.

'Give 'em Hell Kel.' Omori silently cheered for his friend as he took a step back so as not to get caught in the crossfire.

Both siblings looked shocked and still trying to process what just happened. "What the heck?! How are you still up?! You just drink some soda... How is this possible?! It's just soda?!" Kim yelled in confusion. "It's as if we didn't beat him..." Vance said, in the same state as his sister.

Kel smiled maniacally as he started bouncing his basketball at rapid speed that no human can pull it off. "HAHAHA, FOOLS!! YOU BOTH UNDERESTIMATE THE TRUE POWER OF THE ALL POWERFUL ORANGE JOE!!" Kel yelled energetically as he was moving left and right the whole time, not stopping for one second and also was twitching the whole time. Geez, just how much sugar did they put in this crap Must be a lot, judging by how Kel was acting right now.' It's safe to say that Kel power was over 9000.

 ~ { Kel Became Manic } ~

"W-Whatever, we ain't scared of you. We'll beat you like last time." Kim and Vance try their best to put on a brave face but fail as both are filled with dread at the sight of the now terrifying boy, who was knocked out a few minutes ago and now he's walking as if nothing happened. Both now were regretting their choices.

Both Kim and Vanced tried to attack Kel at the same but they failed miserably, since Kel was fast and kept dodging every attack with ease and without breaking a sweat. And to add salt to injury, he throws taunts at them each time they miss which further annoys them. 

"MISSED!"

"MISSED AGAIN!"

"NOPE!"

"STILL MISSED!"

"OH! ALMOST GOT ME!"

"HEH, JUST KIDDING!"

"COME ON KEEP UP!"

Both siblings were now panting from exhaustion having constantly attacked. And both were enraged from not landing a single hit on him AND from the constant taunting from Kel. Omori smiled as Kel got the upper hand with both being exhausted and it’s happy against angry . 'This couldn't go any better' Omori thought to himself.

"What... the... heck... is... this..." Kim said while panting. "Sis... I'm scared... He's not a human..." Vance said in a terrified tone. Kel was still going fast and not showing any sign of stopping. "IT'S OKAY! YOU BOTH TRIED YOUR BEST BUT NOW IT'S MY TURN!"

Kel began bouncing the ball very fast before he swiftly threw the ball at them. "THINK FAST!" Kel gave the siblings a hand up, but unfortunately for them it proved to be useless as they both didn't have time to react since the ball was going at them like a blur.

The ball hit Vance first in the face which knocked him back a bit, then it bounced off to the side and hit Kim square in the face resulting in her glasses falling off and immobilizing her temporarily which was the perfect opening for him to deliver the finishing blow. 'That was an impressive shot, two birds with one stone or ball and two idiots in this case.' Omori looked impressed at his friend's display of power. 

Omori didn't waste any more time and quickly went to attack the defenseless girl who was on her knees looking for her glasses, he quickly went and kicked her which resulted in her losing her balance and she fell down on the ground groaning in pain and grumbling to herself. It didn't look like she'll get back up anytime soon as she fainted from exhaustion, so she's down for good.

"KIM! NOOO!" Vance called out for his sister, before he angrily went to attack him to avenge his fallen sister. 'Well, shit.' Omori thought, as he surrendered himself as to what comes next. Thankfully, his friend Kel quickly came to his rescue and picked him up in a bridal style and quickly moved away to safety.

"WOAH! THAT'S A CLOSE ONE! ARE YOU OKAY SUNNY?" Kel said to his friend while still maintaining his energetic, maniacal smile. Omori just nodded, and felt a bit weirded out by the current situation that he was in. After confirming that his friend was ok, Kel put him down on his feet.

Kel picked his ball up, and shouted to his friend. "COME ON SUNNY! LET'S BOTH FINISH THIS!" Kel then turns to face Vance who still looks enraged because of what they've done to his sister. "WELL! WELL! WELL! LOOKS LIKE THE TABLES HAVE TURNED! I'LL MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU AND STAY STILL!" Kel did true to his word, stood there while still twitching.

Vance's face turned red as he blindly charged at him to attack him, unfortunately for him he was blinded by his rage and only focused on Kel, failing to notice Omori who simply raised his leg up to trip him. Vance's eyes widened as he tried to stop himself, but unfortunately failed as he prepared himself for the fall.

Soon he tripped and fell down flat on his face, before he groaned in pain and muttered something about just only wanting some taffy. "NICE TEAMWORK SUNNY!!" Kel said in celebration before he pats his friend on the back which considering the state he was in, he unintentionally made Omori stumble over. 

"Ughhh, I can't believe we lost to those nerds... I'm sorry Aubs..." Kim said in a defeated tone, somehow managed to miraculously recover from the fight. Kel noticed it and like a flip of a switch his excitement spiked up instantly.

"OH GOOD! YOU'RE AWAKE NOW, SO THAT'S MEANS IT'S ROUND TWO NOW!" Kim looked horrified at him and quickly said. "W-W-Wait! Stop! We yield! You already won so please no more!" Kim surrounded and announced their defeat in fear.

Kel looked a bit disappointed at the response. "Ohhhhh... BUT I WANT TO FIGHT!!" Kel whined and complained. "BESIDES WEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO WANTED TO FIGHT SO BADLY IN THE FIRST PLACE? EVERYONE IS KEEN TO FIGHT SO... IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM... RIGHT?" Kel said in a happy threatening voice, before he was dangerously getting closer to them with the same manic smile he had only more maniacal now.

Kim was beyond terrified at this point, she turned to look at Omori to call out for help to him in desperation to make him stop his manic friend. "Please, we'll talk! I'll tell you where Aubrey is... Just make this lunatic stop and get him away from us! I beg you." Kim was beyond desperate and was literally begging now.

'Oh Alright, only because you said please.' Omori jokingly thought he ultimately decided to step in before things got out of hand. He puts his fingers in his mouth and loudly whistles to catch his friend's attention. Kel wasted no time before he teleported in front of his friend. "YO! WHAT IS IT SUNNY!" Kel asked his friend in curiosity.

"Need you to do me a favor." Omori said to him, to which Kel quickly replied with. "OF COURSE! I'LL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU SUNNY!! JUST ASK WHAT YOU NEED!! Kel said keenly and eagerly. 'Okay... That's kinda creepy.' Omori thought as he was creeped out from the way his friend phrased his words.

It sounds like he would jump off a building without a thought if I told him to, and he doesn't know if his friend genuinely meant what he said or if it was sugar talking... It was probably the latter.

"I need you to go and run a whole 5 laps around the neighborhood. Can you do that for me?" Omori asked his friend, Kel quickly replied back. "SURE CAN! I MEAN I DON'T GET WHY, BUT ANYTHING FOR MY FRIEND!" Kel without second thought did what his friend told him and ran before him leaving a trail of dust and wind behind him.

'Annnd... there he goes, now that's taken care of now he's distracted for now.' Omori thought, as this should give him time to talk with the siblings. And by the time Kel finishes, the effects should already be worn off if Omori calculations are correct/accurate. Omori also took the bag of candy from his friend while he was distracted as a safety measure, as he doesn't want to add more fuel to the fire.

Omori turned to the siblings. Kim began searching for her glasses after she confirmed that Kel was gone, she had difficulty finding and while she cursed as she kept struggling. He took pity on her, and went to where her red glasses were and picked them up. Thankfully, it wasn't broken.

"Here,"

He handed her the glasses, Kim took them and examined them for damages before she wore them and adjusted them while she muttered thanks under her breath.

Omori went to where Vance was and said. "Are you alright?" Vance simply just groaned and said. "No..." Omori stretched out his hand for him and said. "Come on." Vance gladly accepted the help as Omori tried his best to help pull the boy off the ground. In the end he managed to but mostly the guy he did all the work. "Thanks." Vance voiced his gratitude louder than his sister, Omori just nodded in response.

"Well, that's not very smart, huh? We could have avoided all of this, so I hope that it was all worth it for you both." Omori said sarcastically, which earned him a hated glare from Kim, and an unimpressed look from Vance but both didn't say a word to him as both were humiliated enough today, Omori was pleased at their reaction. 'It feels good to talk smack to those who once were.'

=

"Alright, time to be serious now. Kel is gone for now, and we all made a deal. It won't be long before he comes back so you both better be quick." Both siblings shuddered at the mention of his friend's name and quickly nodded their head in response.

"Good. I highly suggest you start speaking and tell me where Aubrey is so both of you can go, the sooner the better." 

Both didn't say anything for a bit, before Kim sighed and finally decided to spill the beans. "Aubrey's at the church, okay. The one near her house." Omori nodded in response. "Thank you, that's all I need."

Suddenly the church bell rang, both siblings looked distressed as they lost track of the time. "Come on Kim, we're almost late. We gotta head back home, it's almost time for dinner and you know how mad our mom will be if we're late." Vance said to his sister.

"Shoot... I hear ya, let's get out of here." Both were about to leave, until Omori called them out and said. "Oh, before you go." Both siblings looked back at him impatiently, not wanting to be held back any longer in fear of Kel coming back or being late, which both can't decide what's worse.

Omori reached for his pockets and took out the two bags of candies he had. "Here, catch." Omori said before he threw the bags at the siblings, who both caught them in ease. Both looked confused and caught off guard by his action. "Huh? But... we lost the fight. Did you forget the deal?" Kim turned to him and asked.

"That's true, but the deal didn't include that if we win, we wouldn't hand you the bags. And we did say if you told us where Aubrey was we would give the bags out to you. And not to mention, having candies near Kel isn't the greatest idea considering his severe sugar rush that he has. Any more of this, and they might have to call the national security to catch him." Omori jokingly said.

Both siblings tried to hold their laughter but couldn't. "Haha, and here I thought we were candy crazy. That nerd Kel is on a whole nother level." Kim made a joke about his friend.

"...Thanks, I guess you're alright in our book. Also, if Aubrey asked who ratted her. Say it was..." Kim said, before she pauses.

"Mikhael?" Omori decided to humor her and answer for her, Kim nodded and smiled. "Yeah, something like that. Heh, I like the way you think. You're smarter than you look." Kim said in approval. "Takes one to know." Omori replied.

She snorted before she and Vance quickly took off. Omori was now alone, now the only thing left to do is wait for his friend to come back. If Omori learned today, it's Kel and sugar don't mix and having Kel means easy wins.

'I wonder if that's the reason why Sunny gave his dream Kel one of the strongest skills.' Omori thought, normally it would be considered cheating to use it but my world, my rules. But he doubts that he could abuse the power of the real world Kel without risking killing him. 

It didn't take long before Kel showed up behind him. 'Speak of the devil.' Omori thought as saw his friend who didn't look like he broke a sweat. "HEY SUNNY! I DID WHAT YOU ASKED!! WAIT... WHERE DID KIM AND VANCE GO? DON'T WORRY! I'LL GO FIND THEM SO WE CAN CONTINUE THE FIGHT!" Kel said both determined and still full of energy.

'It won't be that way for long' Omori didn't give his friend a thought, as he took out the gold watch and examined the time. '3...2...1' Omori counted down.

As on cue, his friend suddenly froze up before he muttered. "Oh... feeling... sleepy all of sudden..." Before he shuts down completely and falls down flat on his face. Omori made his way to his friend, who spent all his energy and now he's drained. The first thing he did was check for any pulses, and thankfully they were. 'He's alive at least so that's a plus.'

Omori was relieved, before he examined his friend who was yet again knocked out cold, his mouth was wide open and also he was drooling. Omori tried to wake his friend, he poked his face a few times which his Kel gave a weak response by muttering.  

"Just five more minutes Mom~..." Then he gently slapped him a few times, again nothing. Ultimately he then slapped him hard, and as he expected did nothing.

Omori sighed before he examined his friend's body which was lying on the ground and trying to come up with a solution. His eyes went to his friend's unshaved legs for a moment, before rubbing his hands together in preparation before he kneeled down and grabbed his bare hairy legs and began dragging him.

'Offf... he's packed some muscles, or I'm that weak... Or both.' Omori struggled to drag his friend's body, the display was both ridiculous and worrying from anyone's perspective. But we're talking about Faraway town, and to them this would be mundane. Considering that no one gave a damn that some kid had a nail bat for a weapon so he doubted this would be any different.

After some time, he managed to reach the other side of the plaza where the fountain was. Omori let go of his friend's leg and went to the fountain, before he grabbed a handful of water from it and went back to his lying friend. 'Well, there goes nothing.' Omori silently hopes for this to work before he splashes his friend's face with cold water.

The sense of cold water made Kel jump out from his sleeping state, before he sat up and let out a gasp of shock. "W-WHAT'S GOING?" Kel said in complete confusion and cold, before he looks around and spots his friend standing in front of him. "Brrrr... Sunny! why the heck did you do...?" Kel stopped mid sentence, his body was still in mid rebooting and processing the pain. 

After a mere seconds, Kel eyes shot wide open as he experienced all kinds of pain sliming into him, before he crouched down . "Ohhhhhh fuuuuuuuuuuu... nnnn." Omori went to his friend's side and lightly gave him a few pat on his back as a gesture of support and pity. 'Nice save there.' Omori thought as he expected this would happen.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, everything hurts... ow." Kel closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in pain before he let out a hiss. He tried to endure the pain while taking deep breaths to calm himself. Omori still stood by his side and continued to pat him on the back.

They stayed there for a while, before Kel composed himself and tried adjusting himself to sit up. "I'm ok now, I think? I just need to sit down for a bit." Kel said while he looked at bubby to reassure him. Omori stretched out his hand to him to help him get back up. Kel took a few seconds before he grabbed his hand and struggled against the pain.

Omori tried his best to lift him up while his friend hissed in pain but kept going "Slowly... one step at time... Hooo." Kel said to himself as an encouragement, before he leaned on his short friend for support. Omori slowly guided him to the bench that was near the fountain. 

The duo finally reached the bench, before Omori helped him to sit down. "Thank you, Sunny." Kel thanked his friend for helping him, before layed back on the bench and putting his hand on his forehead. "God... This headache is killing me." Kel said as he messaged his forehead.

Kel then turned and looked at his friend and began asking. "Just... What happened? I can't recall what happened, it's all blurry." Kel said as he tried hard to remember what happened but that just resulted in the pain to worsen, Kel soon gave up and recalled what he could remember and hopefully his friend will fill in the gaps.

"The last thing I remember was us fighting Kim and Vance and then the rest is blurry." After he said that he looked around and saw no signs and the siblings before his face fell. "Aw man, I don't see them anywhere. Did we lose? I guess now we won't know where Aubrey is..." Kel said in disappointment before he let out a sigh.

Omori shook his head and said. "Aubrey at the church." Kel turned to look at him in bewilderment and said. "Huh? Aubrey's at the... church? That seems... bizarre? I think?" Kel said before he realized something. "W-Wait Hold up... How did you know where Aubrey is? Did they tell you? If so, that means that we've won somehow..."  

Kel immediately boomed Omori with questions, before he took a step back and said. "Ok, let's start at the beginning. Sunny, could you explain to me what exactly happened during the fight and after?" Kel asked him.

Omori just nodded his head in response, before he took a seat next to his friend. "Better make yourself comfortable then." he said to him, before he took out his first aid med kit from his pocket and said. "Also need to check for injuries." Kel didn't protest this time and let his friend treat his injuries.

Omori began telling him the events that happened, with the first being about how he got knocked out and then giving him orange joe. "I drank some orange joe...? Oh god... don't tell me I drank the whole can in one go." Kel said to him, hoping it was not the case. Omori just nodded to his friend's question, Kel signed.

"And I started acting weird, right?" Kel once again asked, already knowing full well what the answer was gonna be.

'To say that you were acting weird is understatement and half, you went full manic, buddy.' Omori said in his head, before he said. "Yup." while popping the 'p'. Kel looked down in shame for a bit.

"Well, this explains the excessive headache and the pain, since my body will not feel pain whenever I get a massive sugar rush. And also as to why I got banned from drinking orange joe in the house and also your house when I spilled some on the rug... hehe." Kel cracked a broken laugh remembering an incident a few years ago.

"Me and orange joe usually don't mix well, since the oj is mostly sugary drink despite them claiming it's not and it's also high in caffeine. Which most of the time causes massive sugar rush to me. But that won't stop me from drinking the best drink on the whole planet! Since I usually tend to drink a small portion of the can one at a time, and usually not in one go... So I learned that the hard way."

Kel concluded in a casual tone, before moving the next question. "Oh yeah what happened at the fight, and also where did my bag of candy go?

"Well long story short, after you got insane, you beat both Kim and Vance. And they spilled where Aubrey is like we agreed. As for the bags, I give both to them so we won't risk you getting another one or worsening it." Omori explained to his friend who was listening the whole duration.

"Eh, fair enough. I don't think I want to see any candies for a long time. And we got to know where Aubrey is, so it's a win-win for everyone... Ow." Kel winced in pain as Omori applied some alcohol on one of his slight bleeding injuries to stop infection, before he finished wrapping the bandage around his wrist where the injury was.

"Thanks again Sunny! You're a lifesaver. Y'know, this reminds me of when we were young. I was so reckless back then and often got myself injured all the time, from playing sports to claiming a tree and injuring myself on the way back hehe. Mari... She used to tend all of our wounds, her and hero. I guess you learn that from Mari, when she used to tend my wounds all the times when we used to hang out." Kel recalled the good memories, before his face suddenly dropped instantly and he let out a sigh.

"We all used to be friends... I just don't get why Aubrey would do something like this! There must be a reason as to why we need to get the bottom of this." Kel said determinedly.

"I'm just tired of all this pointless fighting, I just want us to be back together like we used to. I know things won't be the same, but that still doesn't mean we can't still be friends and just hang out together." Kel said, a bit of frustration escaped from him. 

Kel then looked at his friend and smiled brightly and returned to his usual self. "I think, no I believe that we would be able to restore the old group." Kel said inspiringly, before he put his arm around his head and pulled Omori close. "Because I got you right besides me Sunny! And together we would accomplish it before you leave and that's a promise."  

'Very touching, though I would refrain from making such promises.' Omori pretty much didn't react at all to his friend's gesture move, as he's pretty much used to Kel being Kel and his dream Kel does it whenever he tags him in the dream world. The duo stood there for a while, with only the sound of the running water from the fountain and the bird chirping served as an ambiance. Omori has to admit that it was... kinda peaceful?

"Alright! Now that we're all rested, let's go to where Aubrey is!" Kel got up and announced energetically. "To be honest, I still find it hard to believe that Aubrey would be at church and not to mention it could be a trap..." Kel said skeptically, before he sighs and says. "But so far, it's only our lead we got and we don't have many options left either."

Omori stood there, in deep thoughts. 'Wow. Kel must have really matured after all these years.' He thought about what his friend said earlier. "Oh man, I'm so thirsty..." Kel whined, before his light bulb lights up. Ooh I know! I'll go drink water from the fountain back there." Kel said

'Never mind, I take back what I said. He is still the same.' Omori mentally facepalm, before he went after his friend to stop him from doing the dumbest thing today. "Don't." He said sternly as he took hold of his friend's hand to prevent him from doing so. "Not safe."

"Huh, I thought water fountains are safe to drink from. It's probably fine." Kel said in a confused voice.

'Kel, you're confusing two different water fountains. One is for drinking and the other is for decorative for fuck's sake.' Omori mentally said to himself. At this point he wasn't even surprised at the slightest at his friend's behavior, rather he was surprised that his friend isn't dead yet. We'll call it dumb luck.

"We'll get a water bottle for you on the way, there are some vending machines near the park now come on." Omori said to him before he led the way towards the park. "Okay!" Kel responded cheerfully before he followed behind his friend and put out his usual carefree persona. But deep inside, he really hoped things will be alright. Right?

[ Alternative/ what if scenario ]

'Damn it.' Omori silently cursed, and took a deep breath to calm down now his mind is clear from any emotions. Seeing there's no use in continuing to fight since he's at a disadvantage without his friend.

He chooses the only thing he could do now. He slowly raised his hand in defeat as to signal that he yielded and gave up. Both Kim and Vance both looked pleased that they had won. 

"Heh... Smart choice, nerd. You both never stood a chance to begin with." Kim talked smack at them and continued on. "Let that be a lesson to never stick your nose in other people's business and mind your own."

"So... uh... Can we get that taffy now?" Vance wondered out loud. "Oh yeah, that's right!" Kim said as she remembered the deal they made, she turned to him and began demanding.

"Come on, cough it up nerd. We had a deal and we won fair and square. You better honor your end of the deal and give us those two bags of taffies right now or we'll just take them from you." Kim threatened him at the end.

Omori didn't react at all to the threat, but he still had no choice but to comply. He went to where his friend was laying and reached for his short pocket and took out the bag of candy from him and then he took out his, now he was holding the two bags of candies as he stood there motionless. Trying to come up with anything.

"That's right, now hand them over. Nice and simple, and never speak or bother us ever again." Kim instructed him, as both she and Vance waited impatiently. Suddenly, it dawned on him as he remembered the words of a certain red-haired lady earlier. 'I'm an idiot, can't believe I didn't think of that.' Omori thought, as he was confident this method would work, which called blackmailing.

"Say, Aren't you both gonna be late for dinner? Your mom would be upset if you turn up late y'know." Omori said to them as he recalled what the red lady said as she made it very clear there will be consequences.

Both siblings looked caught off guard and fear began filling them. "W-What...How did you... I-it's none of your business! J-Just hand over those bags of candies already!" Kim said while trying to hide the nervousness in her voice despite feeling afraid as the image of her brother being mad was enough to scare them.

Vance turned to his sister and said. "Kim, he's right... We're going to be late soon if we don't go soon." 

"Actually, it is my business." Omori said as he began tossing the bag of candy up and down in his hand. Both siblings began to look at him, as continued on. "Since you see, I made an acquaintance with her earlier today." Omori pauses as he sees both begin to sweat intensely and both know where this is going. 

"So it'd be a shame to tell her that both of her children are up to mischief yet again, first is bullying her acquaintance and the second is caught stealing candy of all things." The color drained from both siblings as they began shaking. "Y-Y-You're lying... Y-You're just bluffing..." Kim tried to call out his bluff in hopes' that it's true.

"Maybe I am, but does that matter? Are you both ready to take the chance? At the end of the day, you're both taking the risk, not me." Omori began pressuring them, it seems like both are beginning to break, just one more to destroy their barriers. "That's just playing dirty and cheating!" Kim yelled out loud in frustration.

"Yeah and? Just ask yourself this, who she’s gonna believe? You, who are known for causing troubles… or the kid who helped her today?" Omori said, completely ignoring her protest. "So what's it going to be?" Omori finally said before he waited for their final response. 'Bingo and now we wait.' Omori thought.

"FINE! We'll talk." Kim shouted to him, before she stood there for a bit and said. "Aubrey is at the church, okay? There! Are you happy now!" Kim finally spilled the beans, as she chose to sell her friend over the wrath of her mother for their safety.

"Very, that wasn't so hard now, was it?." Omori began teasing the now looking guilty teenage girl who muttered. " I'm sorry Aubs, I hope you can forgive me." Before she sent him a death glare and said. "You're still giving us the bags of taffies like we agreed."

Omori nodded before he threw the bags of candies to them and said, "Here, now you both won't feel guilty or bad for selling out your friend." Omori said jokingly, as Kim and Vance catched both with ease.

{ Give bag of candy }

"Can it nerd! You're acting very cocky right now, Aubrey will definitely kick your butt. And this isn't over yet, next time the Hooligans gang will make you regret ever crossing us. You'll see." Kim threatened him, before suddenly the church bell rang.

"Uh oh, now we're going to be late if we don't hurry now sis." Vance said to his sister, who nodded in response and said. "Yeah, we're done here. Let's go." As they left, Kim called to Omori without looking back. "By the way, if she asks who ratted. Say it was... Mikhael or something. You didn't see or hear from me." Kim said dismissively.

With siblings now gone and he got Aubrey's whereabouts, he examined his friend who was still knocked out cold. Omori tried to wake his friend, he poked his face a few times which his Kel gave a weak response by muttering.

"Mmm yes I would like some orange joe hehe~..." Then he gently slapped him a few times, which made him move a little bit. Ultimately he then slapped him hard, before Kel was now wide awake and yelped in pain as he rubbed his cheek and said.

"OW! Sunny! What the heck?! Why'd you do that for... Ah." Kel said in confusion, and groaned in pain both from his bruises and injuries from the fight.

Kel then quickly got up and began looking around and found no signs of the siblings. His face fell. "Aw nuts, where did Kim and Vance go? I don't see them... Did we lose? I guess now we won't know where Aubrey is..." Kel said in disappointment before he let out a sigh.

Omori shook his head and said. "Aubrey at the church." Kel turned to look at him in bewilderment and said. "Huh? Aubrey's at the... church? That seems... unexpected? I think?" Kel said before he realized something. "W-Wait Hold up... How do you know where Aubrey is? Did they tell you? But how could that be... I thought we've lost." 

"Ok, let's go to the bench over there and sit since I need to take a breather." Omori just gave him a thumbs up in response, before they went and Ke sat down and said. " Come sit with me and tell me what exactly happened when I got knocked down" Kel said to him as he gestured to him to sit next to him, Omori nodded and sat down. "Better make yourself comfortable then." before he took out his first aid med kit from his pocket and said. "Also need to check for injuries." Kel didn't protest this time and let his friend treat his minor injuries yet again.

Omori began telling him the events that happened, with the first being about how he got knocked out mid fight and then him surrendering. "I'm sorry, Sunny. It's my fault, I should have been more careful and stronger... " Kel apologized to his friend as he looked in shame, Omori just shook his head and dismissed his apology by saying.

"Don't be, it's not your fault. You did your best at least." Omori said in a supportive attempt, I guess. He then took out a can of orange joe from his pocket and gave it to his friend to cheer him up.

{ Give orange joe }

Kel eyes lit up before gladly took and said." A can of orange joe for me? Sunny, you're officially my bestest friend ever for life. Hehe, I mean we already are but you get what I mean. Thanks, you really shouldn't have,"

He smiled brightly at him and thanked him, Omori just nodded back. Kel wasted time and popped open the can before he lightly took a sip from it. "Ahhh... that hit the spot, I can already feel the pain fading away." Kel said blissfully and felt a bit of energy coming to him, he offered some to Omori to which he politely refused. 

Kel put the can aside, Omori looked at him weirdly for not leaving the rest of it. 'Did Kel not like the orange joe? Is this the end of the world?' Omori wonders to himself, which kinda defies the whole universe's logic, just what did the world come to. Thankfully Kel saw his look and began explaining to.

"I can't drink more than that because of my sugar rush problem. This way I prefer the bottle glass orange joe, because I can seal it back and save it for later." Kel then moved to the next question. "Oh yeah what happened at the fight, and also where did my bag of candy go? Did you give it to them?" Kel asked as he noticed the bags were gone that he had bought earlier.

"Well long story short, after that I managed to blackmail them into telling me where Aubrey is. As for the bags. Yes, I give it to them since technically we've lost and we had a deal with them." Omori explained to his friend who was listening the whole duration.

"Wow... you blackmail them? Jezz Sunny, but I approve! I guess you learnt it from the best hehe... Ow." Kel winced in pain as Omori applied some alcohol on one of his slight bleeding injuries to stop infection. He finished wrapping the bandage around his wrist where the injury was.

"Thanks again Sunny! You're a lifesaver. Y'know, this reminds me of when we were young. I was so reckless back then and often got myself injured all the time, from playing sports to claiming a tree and injuring myself on the way back hehe. Mari... She used to tend all of our wounds, her and hero. I guess you learn that from Mari, when she used to tend my wounds all the times when we used to hang out." Kel recalled the good memories, before his face suddenly dropped instantly and he let out a sigh.

"We all used to be friends... I just don't get why Aubrey would do something like this! There must be a reason as to why we need to get to the bottom of this." Kel said determinedly. "I'm just tired of all this pointless fighting, I just want us to be back together like we used to. I know things won't be the same, but that still doesn't mean we can't still be friends and just hang out together." Kel said, a bit of frustration escaped from him. 

Kel then looked at his friend and smiled brightly and returned to his usual self. "I think, no I believe that we would be able to restore the old group." Kel said inspiringly, before he put his arm around his head and pulled Omori close. "Because I got you right besides me Sunny! And together we would accomplish it before you leave and that's a promise."  

'Very touching, though I would refrain from making such promises.' Omori pretty much didn't react at all at his friend's gesture move, as he's pretty much used to Kel being Kel and his dream Kel does it whenever he tags him in the dream world.

The duo stood there for a while, with only the sound of the running water from the fountain and the bird chirping served as an ambiance. Omori has to admit that it was... kinda peaceful?

"Alright! Now that we're all rested up, let's go to where Aubrey is! I'm very bumped right now! The orange joe really works its wonders." Kel got up and announced energetically.

"To be honest, I still find it hard to believe that Aubrey would be at church and not to mention it could be a trap..." Kel said skeptically, before he sighs and says. "But so far, it's only our lead we got and we don't have many options left either."

Omori stood there, with his deep  thoughts. 'Wow. Kel must have really matured after all these years.' He thought about what his friend said earlier.

'Oh who am I kidding, he's still the same old Kel even if he's all grown up.' Omori thought to himself, as a smile accidentally slipped into his mouth before he got up and went ahead with his friend.

"Oh well, off we go I guess. Lead the way Sunny!" Kel called his friend to take over the lead yet again and both set out to the church to where Aubrey is. Omori then went to his usual cliff face. But Deep down, he really hopes things stay that way. But the reality is, it's the calm before the storm... As things will go downhill from here.

Chapter Text

Following the events that happened before and now having known Aubrey's location, the duo made their way out of the plaza and set their way to the church. Not before they stopped outside the faraway park, precisely at one of the vending machines since Omori did promise him to stop at one.

Omori went and paid this time for his friend's sake. He inserted one bill into the machines, before he selected one bottle of water for his friend. Soon after the machines dropped the bottle and he kneeled down and picked it up, before he handed it to his thirsty comrade.

Kel wasted no time and wanked the bottle from his hand with no second thoughts whatsoever and opened it, before he quickly chugged down the whole bottle to satisfy his extreme thirst.

"Ahhh that's better. Thanks a lot Sunny!" Kel said in satisfaction before thanking his friend. "Alright. Now that we got rid of my thirst, we can move on. So do you know the way to the church, Sunny?" Kel turned to his friend and asked him. "I have a hunch that you do but if not I can give you the directions." Kel said.

Omori nodded his head and said. "Yup, I know the way. Been at the street there earlier." He said, Kel smiled back at them and said. "Awesome! Lead the way then. C'mon we should hurry so we don't miss Aubrey." Kel said to him.

Omori said nothing before he made his way out of the faraway park to where the church was. Both duo walked in silence for a bit before Kel breaks it and initiates a small talk with his now best friend like before. 

"So, if and I mean if what Kim said is true about Aubrey being at the church. We're gonna have to plan this very differently on how we approach this since we're going to a holy place and there will be a lot of people present there and not just her." Kel said in a thinking tone.

"We'll just go and wait for her outside the church, then we'll ask her to return Basil's photo's Album. This time there might be a slight chance that she'll be calmer and at least listen first without resorting to violence." Kel said.

'You should know by now this isn't going to happen by now.' Omori thought. "Let's try and not give her a reason to fight, I'm really not in the mood nor can I fight after what earlier." Kel said in a tired voice. "After that we'll ask her about her beef with Basil, and hopefully get it resolved." Kel said. 'You and me pal.' Omori thought, as he hoped the same thing too.

Omori simply nodded but asked. "And if it doesn't work? Knowing our luck, I have a feeling we will." 

"Let's hope not, but if it does... guess will have to knock some sense on her." Kel said before he turned to Omori.

"And while on the topic if a fight does happen... Sunny, I know I said this before but please do not pull out the knife like you did before for any reason. Ok?" Kel instructed him before continuing. "Aubrey is just putting this tough act, she doesn't go around and actually hurt anyone for now reason. And don't worry about the bat, it's just for the looks. If the Aubrey we know is still inside, she'll listen to us." Kel said.

"I won't." Omori obliged, not like he was planning to anyway...yet.

Both continued to walk in silence after that as they made their way to the church.

(OMORI)

After some time, they both reached the church entrance. "Well here, we are. Honestly, this is the last place I would expect Aubrey to be." Kel said in uncertainty, before he turned to him. "I don't know... I'm still kinda skeptical about this whole thing. This could be a trap or a red herring so Kim could go and warn Aubrey." Kel said.

Omori didn't say anything, before he noticed something lying on the side of the church. He simply turned to his friend and pointed at the direction of the object. "Huh? What is Sunny?" Kel asked before he turned to where his friend was pointing "Wait... That's Aubrey's bike? Yeah there's no mistaking it. Then that means she might be inside the church... huh." Kel simply said.

"I'm going to take a peek inside and see if I can locate her first before we do anything." Kel said before he went to the door and opened the door a little. "Hmm... looks like they're in the middle of a sermon..." Kel whispered back to him, before continuing. "Yup, there's Aubrey's on the right... just sitting? All normal I guess... This is so weird to see." Kel said before he closed the door and faced his friend.

"Yeah, I'd feel pretty awful if we interrupted this. We probably should wait until they finish with their sermon and wait for Aubrey to come out." Kel said, "So... What do you think about Sunny?" Kel asked him.

Hmm... We could either wait outside for how long or... we could just enter and quietly confront Aubrey inside. He thought about it for a bit before making his decision. Direct or subtle, which approach should he pick.

'Hmm... seeing that I'm not a religious person, might as well go with the direct approach.' Omori thought. After making his decision, he immediately went to the door without saying anything. 

"Wait, Sunny! What are yo-" Kel called him out from behind, Omori completely ignored him as he entered.

(OMORI)

Omori was now inside the church, he observed the place for a bit. People were sitting and listening to the priest who was giving a sermon right now and preaching like you would expect from entering into a church.

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."

His eyes set on Aubrey, who was sitting on the right in the third row pew. Before he slowly quietly made his way behind her. He hears the door behind him slowly open. "Sunny!" His friend Kel loudly whispers behind him, Omori turns to see his friend join him.

"A little heads up would be nice. Anyway Sunny, what are you doing?! I told you we should wait outside, we shouldn't disturb others during a sermon." Kel said to him while still whispering

Omori just casually dismissed him and said. "It's fine. We'll sit behind her and confront her about the photo album. Besides I doubt she'll start fighting with us now that we're inside."

"Well, you raise a good point... But still, I have a bad feeling this is a bad idea... Well, there's no turning back now. Let's try not to attract any attention and be real quiet, ok?" Kel said to him, before they slowly made their way to the forth right pew and sat behind Aubrey as the preacher continued to preach.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Aubrey was sitting with her eyes closed. She was meditating while also listening to the sermon. She was trying to find peace. But unfortunately, she heard someone quietly calling from behind her.

"Aubrey...psst...Aubrey!" 

Aubrey was surprised before she turned around and faced them. "W-What the-? What the heck are you two doing in here?!" Aubrey said. "Not much, just sitting." Omori jokes. Aubrey just gave him an unimpressed look in return.

"In all seriousness, we want you to return Basil's photo album, Aubrey." Kel said, as he glared at her. "You're both still on that? For the hundredth time, it's none of your business. Get it into your thick skulls." Aubrey said as she insulted them.

"Really? None of our business? We all used to be friends, best friends even! But now, it's not our business? Are you serious?" Kel said to her. "Yeah Kel... Exactly. We used to be friends and now we're not... And yes I'm dead serious." Aubrey fired back at him.

Kel was at a loss for words, as he was a bit hurt by what Aubrey just had said.

"You know, Mari would be really sad to hear that and see what became of us... of you." Kel said, trying to make her rethink. Aubrey let out a snort and said. "Heh... Really? You wanna bring Mari into this?" Aubrey semi-sarcastically asked, before she turned to him.

"Who cares what Mari thinks? Mari's dead." Aubrey challenged.

"Hmm, I don't know Aubrey, you tell me. How about her little brother, maybe, Hero, her friends." Omori who was quiet the whole time decided to chime in, both Aubrey and Kel were surprised at his sudden burst.

"Also, From what I see, it looks like you do too. Otherwise you wouldn't have taken that photo album, and not to mention you dyed your hair pink like you and Mari promised would do." Omori said.

Aubrey was stunned and speechless at his statements. She didn't like to admit it but he was able to read her like an open book which greatly infuriated her. All she could do was just glare at him as she didn't know how to respond for a bit.

"W-What the hell do YOU know huh?! You were in your house for 4 years. So don't come here and talk as if you know me!" Aubrey angrily replied, as he glared daggers at him. Omori wasn't unfazed by the slightest.

"Sunny is right. Listen Aubrey, I get that you have new friends and all, but that doesn't mean you can just forget your old friends just like that! It's just not right." Kel said, "Sunny is also leaving in a few days, you know?" Kel added.

"Is that so?" Aubrey now averted her attention to him. "Well, good riddance. Heh, not like it make much difference nor anyone would have noticed if you did." Aubrey threw a jab at him. Omori glare only grew more.

"Aubrey..." Kel warned, but she completely ignored him. "Whatever, my old friends weren't there for me when I needed them." Aubrey somberly said. 

"So, that's what this is all about..." Kel said. "Is that what you believe? If so, have you asked yourself why?" Omori yet again challenged her.

"Listen here you knife freak. I don't know when you decided to grow a pair, but I suggest you know your place and stay quiet like you've always been. Or this bat wouldn't be for looks, y'hear?" Aubrey began threatening him as she got fed up with him.

Omori was about to reply back but felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to his friend Kel who in return gave him an unapproved look while he shook his head, gesturing him not to reply back. As not to add fuel to the fire.

He decided to comply and remain silent and not humor her any longer, since he got a bit carried away and forgot that their goal is not to provoke her. He crossed his arms and looked to the opposite side while mimicking a silent hmph. Aubrey also let out pssh noise, when he didn't say anything back. 

"What Sunny meant is. When Mari... passed on four years ago... we were all with our own stuff. We were kids. It was hard! No one knew what to feel or do."

"You think it's all so simple. You've always been simple, Kel." Aubrey said now in a much calmer manner as she shimmered down, but also in a cold tone.

"So what if I am? I'd rather be simple than be complicated like you are! How could you do that to Basil?! You know how important his photo album is to him! Just what exactly is your problem with him huh?" Kel annoyingly said.

"It's important to all of us..." Aubrey corrected him, while also ignoring the last question he said. "Yeah duh... But that doesn't justify you stealing it from him, now can it." Kel accused her.

Aubrey looked pissed and said. "Is that what that little lair had told you?! HAH, I'm the one keeping it safe from that creep." Kel was angry that she was calling Basil names but he restrained himself and said "Look Aubrey, we're not here not to fight, ok? We just want to know what happened between you and Basil so we can resolve it once and for all. There must be a reason for you to do what you did, so we want to hear your side of the story."

Aubrey was quiet for a bit. "No..." 

"What?! Why!" Kel said as he was a bit shocked and angry at the same time.

"Because I said so. If you really want to know why, then go ask him yourselves, I won't stand letting that creep put lies on me. I want you to hear it from that cow's mouth and then you'll both know why I did it. Until then I have nothing to say to you two." Aubrey said.

"Aubrey please... Just tell us already... don't be like this." Kel kept persisting. Aubrey turned around and sighed. "Ugh... You're so persistent Kel. I already said no twice, and I won't change my mind no matter how many times you ask."

"When Mari died... You moved on so fast. You both know why I come here every week?" Aubrey asked.

'Literally no one asked.' Omori decided to keep that thought to himself.

"Even after all this time, I'm still trying to find some peace... But it doesn't look like it's happening today." Aubrey said. "We haven't talked in four years, Kel. A lot has changed in four years." Aubrey continued talking, while both Kel and Omori stayed silent.

She then turned to face them, now looking a bit irritated. "You and Sunny think you could just barge back into my life and tell me what to do? Heh, Don't make me laugh." Aubrey said. "You might look different and act differently, Aubrey... But we all know you're still the same person just hiding behind this mask." Kel calmly said.

"Drop the philosophy talk and all that crap. That old Aubrey you knew is long gone. And the Aubrey, who was your friend... she's long gone too, dead." Aubrey said in a dead serious voice.

Both stayed silent for a bit, until Kel said "Look, I get that you're angry and all. If it's an apology you want, here." Kel said, "I'm sorry, ok? I-... We should have been there for you when we lost Mari. We're both sorry. Right, Sunny?" Kel turned to his friend for his answer.

'Not really.' Omori thought, but he decided to play along and said. "Yeah sure, sorry I guess." Omori gave a half sincere apology instead. "See?" Kel said to her despite the apology was not all genuine but he went along with it.

Aubrey was yet again silent. "No... apology not accepted. I'm done here." Aubrey refused and got up from her pew to make her to the exit. Kel got also fed up with her acting like this and stood and blocked her way as he unintentionally yelled at her "DANG IT AUBREY! JUST STOP BEING SUCH A STUBBORN CHILD AND TELL US WHY DID YOU STOLE BASIL'S PHOTOS ALBUM ALREADY YOU THIEF!!"

Everyone began looking at them and quickly whispers and gossips began rising up,

What's happening? ... Basil? ... Isn't that boy who's grandma is sick? ... I've seen Aubrey and her friends bully him ... And now she's stealing from him as well ...

Kel was still glaring at Aubrey before he quickly realized what he had just done. His expression changed from angry to someone who just messed up and simply uttered. "Shoot..."

'Real smooth there Kel...' Omori said to himself about his friend's stupid mistake. Aubrey was a bit taken back from his outburst and him and now her being the center of attention when he revealed to all presence that she was a thief, she began sweating.

I always thought she would be trouble... The pastor should have kicked her out a long time ago.

"So, what happened to try not to attract any attention Huh?" Omori jokingly said as he did an air quote. "Sunny. Not. Helping. Also, is it really the time to make a joke?" Kel annoyingly whispers back to his friend.

'Yes, it is.' Omori thought as sarcasms is all he got left. He got up from his pew as well and joined his friend's side since it was useless hiding seeing their cover was blown anyway. He can't say he didn't expect this if he's being honest.

Look at her clothing... It is completely inappropriate for a church...

Aubrey took a breath and closed her eyes before she turned to him as she smiled menacingly and said. "Heh, You think you're the good guy, don't you Kel? And I'm the big, bad bully... here to terrorize poor, defendless Basil.

"I didn't say that..." Kel said. "Which is exactly what you're doing, no matter how you put it." Omori bluntly said. "Shut it! You're the one hanging out with the psychopath who carries around a knife!" Aubrey angrily yelled.

"And you're also carrying a nail bat, what's your point... You hypocrite, at least have some self-consciousness." Omori shot back at her, as he didn't appreciate being called out like that, especially when she was also carrying a weapon that's more deadly.

"Both of you please stop! Now's not the best time or place to do this, Aubrey... We're in a church for crying out loud." Kel said trying to calm the now raging fire but his attempts did nothing but add more fuel to the fire. "You don't get to say that! You both barged in here!" Aubrey yelled as she was filled with rage.

"Oh, so now you own the church?" Omori fired back. "Sunny, please! Look, we both already said sorry for everything!" Kel begged one last time.

Aubrey didn't listen as she pointed her bat at them and said. "If you want me to be a bully... THEN I'LL BE A BULLY!!"

I can't believe she would bring a weapon in here... How uncivilized...

"You two better come at me quick... OR I'LL COME AT YOU FIRST!!" Aubrey yelled at them.

That girl is a threat to this neighborhood. There's no hope for sinners like her!

"At least let's take it outside!" Kel yelled back, but unfortunately it fell on deaf ears. 

"I said COME AT ME OR I'LL COME AT YOU!!" Aubrey repeated one last time before she charged at him to attack him. "HAAAAAA"

Kel dodged it and went to grab both of Aubrey's arms, completely mobilizing her. She tried struggling to break free from his grips but he was stronger because of how he was built and of the gender gap. In short Kel got the upperhand. "Aubrey stop... I don't want to fight you..." Kel said to her, trying desperately to defuse the situation they both got themselves in.

What do those delinquents think they're doing? This is a place of worship!

Aubrey didn't listen to him and continued to break free as she was gritting her teeth in rage before she kicked him in the groin, prompting him to release her but not after she delivered a swift headbutt at his head making him stumble back. She took this moment to rest as she was panting heavily from trying to break free but she kept her guard up and prepared her bat if one of them attacked again.

Someone needs to stop them... Where are their parents!?

Kel slowly got up, still recovering from the attack as he held his nose and the burning feeling he got from receiving the kick. "Ow- That hurts a lot." Kel said in pain before he turned to his friend and said. "Well, I'm open for suggestions... seeing I left my ball outside and I'm not in the best condition to fight. Do you have any idea Sunny? Kel asked him.

"Well I got two." Omori said as he held two hands.

"For the love of god Sunny... Please don't tell me that one of them includes you using your knife." Kel asked him in a warning tone.

"Well in that case I only have one." Omori said casually, as he put one finger down. Kel screams internally, but he decided to ignore that part for the sake of his sanity. "Well what is it?" Kel asked.

"You'll see, just wait until I make my move and I'll single you out to attack." Omori instructed him, Kel wanted to argue about the secretive plan but decided not to see he doesn't have many options. He nodded and said. "Alright, if you're sure then. I hope you know what you're doing." Kel said to him.

Children these days have no respect... I hope my kids don't turn out like her.

Omori was completely fed up with all the people here too. They're quick to judge someone. Pick on others who are less than them so they could feel better at themselves and act like they're better than them.

'At least they finally showed their true colors.' Omori thought. People don't give a damn about religion, it's something people use for their own benefits and selfish needs as an excuse. And that's why Sunny and him weren't religious people.

Omori slowly approaches Aubrey. She spat near his shoes, he wasn't fazed at the slightest. She turned to look at him. "Why are you here Sunny? Why now? Why didn't you just stay at your house like you've for the past four years!" Aubrey asked.

"Answer me DAMN YOU!!" Aubrey demanded him to answer. "Well... I guess I was just bored and got nothing better to do... and before you ask, it wasn't by choice." Omori simply replied.

"Oh... I'll knock the boredom out of you alright that you'll return to back to your hole, you psycho." Aubrey said as was now pissed and went to attack him. Omori just stood there - hiding a smug - as she charged to attack him, he went to reach for his pocket and grabbed something and waited until she got too close.

Gotcha.

"Pocket Sand!" Was the last thing Aubrey heard before she got temporarily blinded. As Omori threw the sand in his pocket from the Faraway park sandbox at her face while she was unsuspecting. "AHHHHUGH WHAT THE HECK!"

"Now!" Omori gave his friend his cue before he quickly went and crouched behind her while she was stunned. Kel immediately wasted time as he went for the blow and pushed Aubrey. She tripped over him and fell backwards while also dropping her bat in the process.

Omori then got up and swiftly kicked the bat in the floor very far across where they were standing until it hit the entrance door. Leaving Aubrey disarmed and weak without her bat in her possession.

"You two cheating bastards!" Aubrey got back up and angrily yelled while trying to rub the sand off her eyes. "Come on Aubrey, that's enough..." Kel said. 

Ah, ever since her father left... ...She's so uncontrollable... ...Disrespectful... ...I feel bad for her mother...

Aubrey began tearing up and shaking a bit at all those words. Fortunately, on one seemed to notice since they thought it was due to the sand in her eyes. She quickly dashed towards the exit and shoved both him and Kel out of the way. She picked her bat along the way and ran outside.

"Aubrey wait!" Kel called her out but she was already long gone. "Shoot... Now we've really done it..." Kel said in remorsefulness.

"I told you this was a bad idea, we should have waited outside instead." Kel turn and scolded him. "And you're the one who provoked her into fighting. So technically, we both messed up." Omori shrugged.

"yeah, I guess you're right... Man even though Aubrey is acting all messed up lately... I still feel sorry for her." Kel said in sympathy before he sighed. "While I can't deny I wasn't impressed with the sand trick... It was a bit too far, don't you think?" Kel said to him in disapproval.

"Well considering that my options were limitless to what I can do... I had to get creative somehow." Omori replied, no hint of regret was present in his voice. "Let's Leave her and give her some time for now, we'll try again tomorrow. But for now let's go and apologize to the pastor for disturbing the whole sermon." Kel said, despite Omori objecting silently.

They both made it to the pastor who was still observing the situation. They earned a few scolds and unapproved looks along the way from churchgoers. "Uhhh, we are both sorry for the trouble we caused here. We didn't mean for things to escalate that way..." Kel apologized to the pastor about the whole situation.

"It's quite alright young ones, I was about to wrap things up anyway. Usually I don't condone fighting in the middle of a sermon... but that seems really important." The priest said.

"That girl Aubrey has come here every week for the past few years, but she never talks to anyone. I tried to approach her a few times... but she keeps calling me... err ...bad things to say the least." the priest continued.

"She seems very troubled. Perhaps she could use a friend. It seems both of you tried to reach her." He said. "Yeah, it didn't go well and we got more than getting called out by bad things." Omori repiled.

"Wel, I pray that things will turn around for you. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Anyway, I must bid you farewell children and may the lord help us all." The preacher said before he left and most of the churchgoers began leaving as well.

Leaving both him and Kel just standing there. Omori caught a glimpse of the piano behind them, he couldn't help but approach it and examined it. 

'OMORI'

These words were carved on the piano. Thinking about it, Sunny's wasn't the best at naming but he can see why he chose to name him that... And the name kinda stuck up to him and became his identity.

"Oh I remember Mari having the same piano. Speaking of Mari... Do you want to visit her grave together? I uhhh... Didn't visit her in a long time and I assume you didn't either. But that's up to you of course if you don't want to." Kel said to him.

Huh, Omori never actually went and saw Mari's grave before now he thought about it...

"Sure," Omori agreed. "Alright let's go, I'm right behind you" Kel said semi excited.

(OMORI)

Both duo went outside to the graveyard, they made their way to Mari's grave which was on the top left side. They were now standing in front of her grave, her gravestone read.

~ { OUR DEAREST MARI, THE SUN SHINED BRIGHTER WHEN SHE WAS HERE } ~

"Mari... It feels like so long ago already. I still think about her all the time. I'm sure you do, too Sunny." Kel said. Omori turned to look at him. "You know... When Mari passed away... Hero... Hero really stopped caring about everything. He didn't want to get out of bed for school or even eat." Kel began telling him a memory of his.

'Sounds awfully like a certain someone he knew...' Omori thought, as those descriptions match with Sunny a bit too accurately.

"He stopped taking care of himself, stopped baking and cooking... It was like that for almost a year. Mom and Dad didn't know what to do either. We all tried to help him and be supportive, but... Nothing was really working." Kel said, "One night... I went over to him while he was all huddled in his blanket and started saying stuff." Kel said and paused for a bit.

"Stuff like how we all missed him and how we want him to get all better... How everyone is really worried... How Mari wouldn't want to see him like this..."

"I thought I was helping him, but... Hero got really angry. He suddenly got up and started screaming and yelling at me about a bunch of stuff. Some of it was pretty hurtful, too... But I think I blocked out a lot of them." 

'I would kill to see, to see Hero swears....' Omori thought of the mental image of Hero cursing in spanish. That would be quite the sight, heh.

"His eyes were already super red... but the more he yelled at me, the harder he cried. I tried my best to calm him down... but whatever I said just made him worse." Kel said as he recalled his painful memory, While he continued to listen to his friend ranting. "I'd never seen Hero do anything close to that before. It really took me by surprise. And I was so scared of that... Well ...I started crying too."

"Eventually, Mom and Dad ran to our room and rushed over to hug him and calm him down... But they completely... ignored me... Heh, heh... " Kel said, almost sounded a bit bitter. "I think that's where Hero got his senses back because he ran to me and hugged me right away. And he just kept apologizing over and over..."

"But... At least Hero got a lot better after that. He started taking care of himself again... and focusing on school a lot more... and joining a bunch of extracurricular stuff. He's naturally good at everything but he still works really hard, so I'm proud of him!" 

"I guess he's a little more closed off now than he used to be, but... I'm glad to have my brother back." Kel was finally done with telling his story.

"Anyways, sorry for the long story. I don't think I've ever told anyone that before." Kel apologized. "It's not his fault, but... I still think Hero blames himself for Mari's death. Hero never visited here... Not even once. I know it can really hurt, but maybe it might be good for him. I don't know." Kel sighed.

Both stayed in uncomfortable silence after that for a while, neither one of them knew what to say next. 'Well this has gotten so awkward. What do I even say? I'm not the best at comforting people...Damn it.' Omori cursed.

'What would Abbi do to comfort someone?' Omori thought for a while before something clicked in his head. He went to his friend and...

"Uhhhhh... Sunny? What are you doing?" Kel asked. Completely confused at his friend's action. Omori was now awkwardly hugging his friend Kel, well it honestly didn't help due to the height difference between both.

"I'm providing you with what you call, emotional support." Omori simply replied. 'Damn you Abbi...' Omori thought embarrassingly, thinking how she would react if she saw doing... this. She would completely lose it... heh...

"Oh hahaha...ok I guess?... But ...You really don't have to do this Sunny, really! It was a long time ago and I've gotten over it since." Kel said. He after a bit broke the hug. "Just don't expect another one." Omori warned.

"Hehe... Thanks... I appreciate it, Sunny!" Kel thanked him in gratefulness. "Don't mention it. Like ever ok?" Omori said to him. "Hehe, sure thing." Kel teasingly as he winked playfully.

"Anyway, I gotta ask but not to come off as rude or anything but... Why are you telling me all this... or more specifically I why exactly is it me that you chose to tell?" Omori asked, very intrigued.

"I mean we haven't seen each other for four years now, and you've mentioned that you made a lot of friends, and you've never told anyone this ever? It just seems bizarre to me that's all." Omori said.

"Of course I'd tell you. You're still my friend Sunny even after four years. Also you're a very good listener too, the best I'd argue. I don't know if it's some secret power you have, but honestly I feel super comfortable telling you my problems for some reason. It's like talking to a mirror." Kel said.

"...Can I be honest for a second, Sunny?" Kel asked his friend to which Omori nodded. "When Mari passed away and Hero started behaving like this... I was afraid you'll become like him But there was little I could do to help other than leave you to grieve. After what happened with Hero... I was afraid if I tried something like this, I'd just make things worse for everyone."

"I was afraid if I approached to help you I'd mess up like I did Hero and ruin our friendship. After all you were the most who've had it hard since she was your sister, so I doubt no one can feel the level of pain that you've felt when she passed away."

"I had to other choice but just leave you until you hopefully moved on I guess. I waited and believed that everything would fix itself if I didn't intervene and you would eventually come out and I fully convinced myself this was the best for everyone."

"Soon days turned into months, months into years. I still hadn't lost hope and when I saw the 'for sale' sign on your house, I  started to try to get you out by knocking and calling so we could hang out one last time before you move out for good."

"Those last month I grew desperate, And to be blunt with you. Had you not opened the door today... I would have completely given up... At this moment I finally realized my biggest mistake..."

"Everyone was grieving in their own way and silently suffering... I did not try to help anyone in fear I would mess up so I thought this was the best solution for everyone... But ironically, as it turned out... it did quite the opposite and did more harm than good." 

"I was angry at myself then, even though I wasn't the reason our group fell... I didn't even try to help and repair it just because I was a coward back then... Heh, pathetic. I'd argue I had a part in our group being what it is today. I feel like it's my responsibility now to try to make amends for my mistake."

"...When you came out... I saw that there was still hope left to maybe get the group together and undo my mistake... I swore that I would not repeat the same mistake ever again that I did all those years ago."

"I'm glad that you came out Sunny and for that you've given me hope... So thank you... And I'm sorry for not being there for you back then, when we needed each other... I hope that you will forgive me." Kel said. It seems he was almost near a breaking point but he managed to hold himself together.

No one said anything for a long time. Until Kel suddenly did a fake cough and said, "Well, I'll be outside the church waiting for you in case you want to spend some time alone and catch up with Mari."

He gave his friend a few pat on the back as support gesture before he left the graveyard and left Omori alone with his thoughts after dumping all those rambling on him

'Fuck.' Omori just simply cursed. The universe sure has some ways to still mess with him as he is completely unsure what to do now. He turned to look at Mari's grave for a while. "Ugh... I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

"I got so caught up that I forgot about Sunny, and my purpose and mission..."

"Things are even worse outside now that I've seen it with my eyes... Sunny and I wouldn't have known about it..."

"Fuck... Everything is a mess..."

"It feels like everything is falling apart around me."

"What should I do? What can I even do? Huh?"

No reply, not that Omori expected any. He sighed, it was times like this he wished Abbi was here to tell him what to do and tell him everything was going to be ok...

He touched the tombstone and said, "I'll look after Sunny, I promise."

"I still have another promise to keep but... I need to fix this mess right now."

He stood there staring at the grave for a while before he noticed the sun began setting. Omori got up and said, "See you on the flip side I guess..."

On his way out he bumped into an old beardly man. "This lot is pretty quiet, isn't it? You can't hear the hustle and bustle of the streets here after all..." He said, "Heh... The only things here are wandering spirits..." 

'All except for one apparently.' Omori thought.  "Oh and me of course!" Old beardy said as if he heard what he thought. "We are all going to die someday. Some of us sooner than others though." 

"Hey, have respect for your elders! I AIN'T DEAD YET SONNY!!" He scolds him. "Well with all due respect, I wasn't referring to you." Omori neutrally replied. "GWAHAHAHAHAH!! None of that nonsense!! Enjoy life while it last SONNY!!" Old beardly advised him.

'If only it was that simple... but he's not going to complain now.' Omori thought. He's still got a job to do and promises to keep.

He turned to leave the graveyard and group up with his friend who was waiting for him outside and didn't plan on making him wait any longer.

(OMORI)

Omori was now outside the church and he immediately spotted his orange friend waiting for him as he bounced his basketball up and down to kill time. As soon as he saw him he called him out. "Yo! Sunny! So are you all done here?" Kel asked, to which Omori nodded.

"Awesome, come on it's getting late. Let's return to Basil to deliver the news and we'll try again tomorrow. It's almost near my curfew so we gotta hurry." Kel said, "Come on then, you lead the way as usual." Both duo made their way slowly to Basil house which was across the other street so it shouldn't take long.

As usual Kel initiated a small take while they walked. "So... I gotta say Sunny. This new side of you is uhh... well I wouldn't say weird but still needs time to get used to I guess." Kel said. "You don't say..." Omori replied, a bit uninterested in the conversation.

"I mean back then you used to be the quiet and shy type... But now you're completely the opposite and definitely talking more now, it's almost like you're a different person now... in a good way of course." Kel quickly added. "Is that so?" Omori replied.

"Yeah, those changes are defeatistly positive and I'm happy for you and to see all confident and social like I am... though you still lack fitness but I can help you with that don't worry." Kel offered.

"Tempting..." Omori said, not interested in his taking his friend's offer anytime soon.

"But then again it's been four years so things definitely changed so I wouldn't say I'm surprised or anything. I mean look how Aubrey turned out from what she was four years ago. If you had told me back then that she'll become like that in the future... I would say that you're not right in the head."

"I remember all those stories you used to tell us when you dozed off. You should write a book about those, who knows it might become a hit." Kel suggested. "Maybe... I would rather let the future decide and go with the flow." Omori said. 'If I have one that is.'

"Mhm, but in all seriousness, I'm glad you didn't turn out like Aubrey did. But you're still the Sunny I know, even with those changes so don't worry buddy. nothing will get into our friendship in a million years!" Kel said confidently and loyally. "That's reassuring, I guess." Omori replied to him, still unsure if that will be the case much later.

Both walked in silence before they came across Aubrey's house, Omori heard the door open and quickly hid behind one of those trees while he dragged his friend with him. "What's wrong? What do you stop-" 

"Shhhh... look." Omori whispered before he pointed at the person who came out from the house.

Kel squinted his eyes and saw...

"Aubrey? What is she doing?" Kel asked his friend. "I don't know, let's just see." Omori whispered back.

Aubrey went to the trash can and opened the lid before she dumped something in it. She went back to the house before she turned around to look one last time before she went back to her house.

"Did you see that? Aubrey just dumped something in her trash can... Did you see what it was?" Kel asked him. "No... but it looked like a book or something." Omori replied.

"...Let's go check it out, it might be worth a look." Kel said, Omori nodded in response. Both Kel and Omori went to the trash can before Kel could do something stupid, Omori kicked down the trash can and all its contents fell over on the ground.

"SUNNY! Why did you do that?!" Kel scolds him. "You're welcome by the way, unless you're telling me you rather want to dig through the trash like some kind of wild raccoon?" Omori said as he picked something up from the trash.

"Well I mean-" 

"Also look." Omori held out Basil's photo Album.

 ~ { Got Basil's photo Album } ~

"Whoa! I don't believe it! It's Basil's photo Album! I can't believe she would just throw our memories away just like that. It's a miracle we looked through this trash back otherwise we would have lost it forever." Kel said in a sad tone.

"But on the bright side, at least we got Basil's photo Album now... So we're not completely empty handed so I would proudly say it's mission complete." Kel said, "Even though it took us half a day, I don't think there was gonna be another day had we not found it... Best not think about it."

"Anyway, now that's what I call teamwork! We both make the dream team eh Sunny? Oh I know! How about a high five to celebrate our successes, what do you say Sunny?" Kel said as he held his hand high. "Come on, don't leave me hanging buddy." 

Omori held his hand out, Kel leaned back a bit before he gave him a high five.... perhaps a little too strong, As Omori yelped in pain from the powerful slap.

"OWWW!! Fuck! I can't believe you've done this." Omori hissed in pain. "Oh dang! I'm sorry Sunny! Are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you." Kel said as he quickly apologized.

"Ugh... I'm fine, just give me a minute. Please, next time go a little bit easy on me, would ya." Omori said while still rubbing his hand which became a bit red, he dropped the Photo Album and the process. "Hehe...Sorry. I'll try to in the future , I promise." Kel said sheepishly.

"Come on, let's give this to Basil before it gets dark. He'll be overjoyed when he sees it!" Omori finally recovered from the pain, crouched and picked the photo Album off the ground and put it in his hips. "Let's go... I had enough of fighting for one day."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go! Lead the way Sunny." Both made their way to Basil's house.

[ Alternative/ what-if scenario]

"Hmm... looks like they're in the middle of a sermon..." Kel whispered back to him, before continuing. "Yup, there's Aubrey's on the right... just sitting? All normal I guess... This is so weird to see." Kel said before he closed the door and faced his friend. "Yeah, I'd feel pretty awful if we interrupted this. We probably should wait until they finish with their sermon and wait for Aubrey to come out." Kel said.

"So... What do you think about Sunny?" Kel asked him.

Hmm... We could either wait outside for how long or... we could just enter and quietly confront Aubrey inside. He thought about it for a bit before making his decision. Direct or subtle, which approach should he pick.

'Yeah... as much as he's not the religious type, the smart choice is to be subtle and wait I guess.' Omori thought.

"Let's wait." Omori simply said. Kel nodded, as both went and sat on the sidewalk in front of the church. Both wasted time by either chatting, playing catch with Kel's basketball, or watching.

After a painfully long minutes of waiting, the sermon finally concluded and churchgoers began leaving the church one by one. The sun also began setting as well and the duo began looking to spot a certain pink hair girl.

After a while they spotted her leaving and going towards her old bike. She mounted her bike and went back to her house. Unbeknownst to her, both Kel and Sunny were following her until she reached her house and got off her bike."There she is! Come on, now's the best time to confront her." Kel said, Omori nodded.

Both went to where Aubrey was. "Hey, Aubrey!" Kel called her name. Aubrey was shocked for a bit before she turned around and faced them and quickly her expression changed to annoyed. "Ugh, it's you two again... Just want do two want now Kel? And what exactly are you doing here in my house?" Aubrey annoyingly asked.

"To get to the point, we want you to return Basil's photo Album." Kel demanded as he glared at her. "You're both still on that? For the last time, it's none of your business." Aubrey said. Really? None of our business? We all used to be friends, But now, it's not our business?" Kel questioned.

"Yeah Kel... Exactly. We used to be." Aubrey replied.

"Please Aubrey, you know how important his photo album is to Basil?" Kel said calmly. "It's important to all of us..." Aubrey corrected him.

"Yeah... But that doesn't justify you stealing it from him." Kel said. Aubrey looked pissed when he said those words. "Is that what Basil told you?! I'm the one keeping it safe!" Aubrey shouted back.

"Look Aubrey, we're not here not to fight, ok? We just want to know what happened between you and Basil so we can resolve it once and for all. There must be a reason for you to do what you did, so we want to hear your side of the story." He said. Aubrey was quiet for a long time.

Aubrey silently went inside her house without a word. "Aubrey Wait!!" Kel called her out but she ignored him, both decided to wait to see whither she will would come back. Thankfully she did after a short amount of time passed, she was holding Basil's photos Album before she threw it at Kel.

"Offf!"

"Here, here's your stupid album back. If you really want to know why, then go ask Basil himself. I want you to hear it from the cow's mouth and then you'll both know why I did it. Until then, we're done. Now leave me alone." Aubrey said. Kel was surprised, but he quickly opened and scanned through the Album real fast...

"Wait... Some of the photos are missing!" Kel called out. "Yes, exactly and I'm not planning on returning those. You can keep the rest." 

"Aubrey you can't just-"

"Listen. You're both lucky that I'm in a good mood today otherwise I would have beaten you up. Don't make me repeat myself and get lost!” Aubrey said to them, before she turned around and left.

"You know Aubrey, you might look different and act differently, But you're still the same person just hiding behind this mask." Kel calmly said.

"Heh...That old Aubrey you knew is long gone. And Aubrey, who was your friend... she's long gone too.." Aubrey said without looking back. "You both got the damn Album back. Don't make me change my mind." Aubrey threatened them before she shut the door behind her.

Kel sighed and went to his friend and said. "Well, we got what we came for and without fighting too so that's something." Kel said, as he was surprised things didn't escalate. "Come on, let's give this to Basil before it gets dark. He'll be very happy when he sees it!" 

"Sure," Omori replied

"Well, Lead the way Sunny." Both made their way to Basil's house, with Kel happily humming behind Omori.

[ Alternative scenario #2 ]

"Hmm... looks like they're in the middle of a sermon..." Kel whispered back to him, before continuing. "Yup, there's Aubrey's on the right... just sitting? All normal I guess... This is so weird to see." Kel said before he closed the door and faced his friend. "Yeah, I'd feel pretty awful if we interrupted this. We probably should wait until they finish with their sermon and wait for Aubrey to come out." Kel said.

"So... What do you think about Sunny?" Kel asked him.

Hmm... We could either wait outside for how long or... we could just enter and quietly confront Aubrey inside. He thought about it for a bit before making his decision. Direct or subtle, which approach should he pick.

Yeah... as much as he's not the religious type, the smart choice is not going direct.' Omori thought, Although he had something better in mind that would hopefully save them time and trouble.

"I got a better idea, follow me." Omori simply said before he slowly shut the church door and motioned his friend to follow him. "Huh?! Hey Wait! Where are we going?" Kel called his friend out in confusion as he catched up with him and began booming him with questions.

"You'll see." Omori simply replied, which didn't make Kel feel any better but decided to go along with his friend's secretive plan. The duo made their way to the other side of the neighbor and stopped in front of a house littered with garbage all around.

"Here we are." Omori announced. Kel still looked a bit confused as he examined the house. "This Aubrey house if I recall correctly, so what are we doing... here..." Kel asked out loud, before it suddenly clicked and his expression quickly changed from confusion to worry as he looked at his friend who was smiling at him.

"Sunny... No." Kel said. "Sunny. Yes." Omori repeated back. "Sunny! This is wrong! This is breaking and entering, We're breaking the law!" Kel hissed at his friend who wasn't bothered by the slightest. 

"So? Aubrey also stole the album and we're just stealing it back from her." Omori tried to make his friend see his view. Kel immediately shook his head in disagreement. "You can't do two wrong to make it right!" Kel said.

"Sometimes, two wrongs can make right I believe." Omori tried to justify. "And if you are concerned about breaking the law or whatever, I'd take the fall since I'll be the one who enters the house while you... just stand here and act naturally and by naturally I mean keep a look out and warn me if someone comes by." Omori said.

"That still doesn't make it any better!" Kel objected. Omori just let out a sigh and said. "Look, do you honestly believe Aubrey would easily give us the Album back if we ask her to without getting into a fight? This is our chance to get it back without resorting to violence." 

"Maybe you're right, maybe you're not. We at least gotta try, and we still need to ask Aubrey about why she stole the Album from Basil in case you forgot." Kel reminded him. "Well seeing how things went last time-"

"You mean when you pulled out a knife on Aubrey?" Kel interrupted him mid sentence as he raised his eyebrow.

"-Regardless! It's very apparent what will happen if we try again. For now let's focus on getting the Basil's Album back and leave the questioning for another day shall we?" Omori said.

"That's great and all but aren't you forgetting one problem? How are we gonna get inside without forcing our way inside and possibly alerting the whole neighborhood in the process? Like do you honestly think Aubrey would be that dumb to-" 

Creeeeeeak

Kel got interrupted by the sound of the door opening as he looked at his friend who simply turned the doorknob and the door magically opened. "-leave the door... open... huh." Kel was at loss for words as he stood there staring while processing the scene before him.

"I guess she left it open." Kel muttered to himself, before he turned to his friend and said. "Well no turning back I guess, go and find the Album Sunny. I'll keep a watch, just be quick ok?" Kel whispered to him, Omori replied with a thumbs up.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this..." Kel said in disbelief. Omori went inside the house and closed the door behind him, he was instantly greeted with an odor smell as there was trash scattered around the whole house. There was also a woman sitting on the couch watching some kind of channel for a show about some kinda mafia gang or something but she seemed to pay no mind to him as she was focused on TV.

Omori covered his nose as the smell was unbearable as he crouched and quietly snuck around the woman who he presumed was Aubrey's mom. 'And I thought Sunny's mom was neglectful but this one takes it to a whole nother level...' Omori thought and couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Sunny's friends. All things considering they were not all that different, both had their father left and both had a neglectful mother to some extent but he'd argue Aubrey got it worse. 

He made his way out of the living room- err - non living room? Honestly that woman didn't look alive at all. Moving on he was now in the hallway, he noticed a ladder that led to the attic. If he had to guess, that would be where Aubrey's room was. 

He began climbing the ladder up until he reached the top. Once he was at the top he began quickly examining the room, he saw a bunny rabbit in a cage who stared at him in curiosity. Omori paid him no mind as he began focusing on finding the Album.

Easily enough, he found the album sitting on the table in front of him next to the TV and also the other pictures of Mari that were hanging on the billboard and were no longer marked with the black marker.

'Seems Aubrey managed to get rid of the blacked markers on the photos.' Omori thought. He quickly took all the photos off and put them in the album where it belonged and picked the album up.

Before he made his way to the ladder, something caught his attention. He went to the window and saw his friend Kel stalling Aubrey from going to the house. 'Shit.' Omori cursed. As he couldn't go the way he came from, not without getting detected by Aubrey and he was not keen on getting a bat to the face.

Omori looked around for a possible escape, he noticed a hole in the wall blocked by a side table. 'Bingo.' Omori said as he got to work.

(OMORI)

Back to Kel, things weren't looking good on his side seeing that the sermon finished earlier and saw Aubrey riding her bike towards him while his friend was still in the house. He had to choice but to buy time for his friend.

Aubrey suddenly noticed him and abruptly stopped. "What the? What the heck are you doing here Kel?!" Aubrey demanded an answer. "Uhh- I uhh was actually looking for you?" Kel said in uncertainty.

"Ugh, look if this is about Basil then I'll say it again it's none of your business!" Aubrey said as he went past him and ignored him.

"WAIT!! Why did you steal Basil's Photos Album?! Isn't it enough that you bully him and now you're stealing from him as well! What is wrong with you? Do you think Mari would be happy to do all this to Basil?" Kel called Aubrey out in desperation to hopefully distract her and buy his friend some time.

Aubrey stopped halfway, and got off her bike and turned to face Kel. Her face was almost red from anger. "Don't. Bring. Mari. Into. This. She's dead, You hear!" Aubrey angrily shouted as she poked him hard multiple times with her finger.

Kel was about to reply back but he noticed something in the distance before his eyes widened. His friend, Sunny was standing on the roof and he held the album up before he motioned him with his hand to abort immediately.

Kel couldn't believe his eyes for a second, as he stood there opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Meanwhile Aubrey was still going at it while poor Kel was still processing what he just witnessed. "-So This is the last time I'm going to say this! This is none of your business and none of that knife freak or anyone else, it's between me and that creep so leave it Kel because I swear to- ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING!!" Aubrey was livid and yelled at him when she saw Kel wasn't paying her any attention and just got the dumb look on his face like he was making fun of her.

"Huh? Wha?" Kel said after his brain was fully rebooted, and quickly recovered when he saw Aubrey filled with rage in front of him. "Uhh... I mean you're right Aubrey!" Kel quickly said.

Aubrey's anger quickly turned into confusion as she was caught off guard by Kel's response... Did she hear that right? Was she imagining it? After a few seconds of confirmation by pinching herself and making sure she wasn't in a dream.

Not in a million years would she think that Kel out of all people would agree with her. "This is something between you and Basil that both need to workout privately and we shouldn't meddle." Kel said forcefully while giving a fake smile before he looked at his imaginary watch and loudly exclaimed. "Oh would you look at that! It's getting late. AnywayIgottagobye!" Kel quickly muttered before he waved and made a dash to pass her and then to the right.

Leaving Aubrey perplexed at Kel's behavior as he looked down and began questioning everything she knew after what she had witnessed. While this was unfolding Omori was up there quietly observing the scene below him. He saw his friend made it like he left in a hurry but in reality he hid behind some tree, waiting for Aubrey to leave.

Eventually Aubrey let out a sigh and began massaging her temples before she said. "Ugh this day can't get any more weirder... Speaking of weird, where was Sunny? I haven't seen him with Kel now I think about it." Aubrey said in suspiciousness. 

. . .

"He's probably crawled back to his house, ugh I think I might get hold of those beverages in the fridge so I could just forget about today." Aubrey joked before she made her way inside her house and closed the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone Kel quickly went to his friend and looked up. "Sunny!! How did you get up there?!" Hissed at his friend's recklessness. "Nevermind come on before we get found out. Jump and I'll catch you I promise." Kel said to him before he held his hand out in preparation. Omori was a bit hesitant but quickly steady himself. 'You better catch me or I'll haunt you.' Omori silently threatened him before he leapt off the roof.

Thankfully his friend caught him in bridal style with ease and couldn't help but notice how light his friend was. "Wow, Sunny. You're lighter than I expected." Kel said bluntly which earned him a deadpan look from Omori and bonk on the head by him as he used the album in his hand to hit him but it didn't hurt him in the slightest.

"That's gotta be the craziest idea we've done now come on let's go before-"

"WHAT THE?! WHERE DID THE ALBUM AND PHOTOS GO?!" 

"Well that's our cue, come on." Kel said before both ran away from the crime scene while Kel was still holding Omori in the bridal style as he ran as quickly as his feet could take him.

Chapter Text

Both Omori and Kel made their way back to Basil house after successfully retrieving the album back. Not after getting into a fight with Aubrey in a church of all places and paying Mari a visit in the graveyard and having Kel vent to him of all people.

This day was hectic, but thankfully it was about to end soon hopefully. Omori was not looking forward to meeting up with Basil but he's got no choice but to confront him since they did promise -or rather Kel - to return his Album back.

The walk didn't take long, with Basil house across the next street. They reached their friend's house, Omori noticed the orange cat he saw earlier today at the park on the roof. Seems like it followed him and wanted more fish he presumed.

Kel immediately went to the door and began knocking loudly and shouted cheerfully. "KNOCK, KNOCK!! BASIL! It's your friends Kel and Sunny! And We brought a special delivery for you~" Kel sang the last part in joy.

Both waited for a bit until they heard footsteps approaching. The door opened and instead of their timid friend answering, a lady with brunette hair greeted them. Omori recognized the lady from the pharmacy.

'So this is Basil's caretaker? What are the odds?' Omori thought as he put two and two together, this was a small town after all. "Oh, hello there! Who are you?" The brunette caretaker asked them.

"Oh uh, ahem. Sorry for intruding ma'am. We're Basil's friends and we got something for him." Kel quickly replied. He was caught off guard, expecting his friend to answer. "Is Basil in here?" Kel asked.

"Oh I see! Ah forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Polly. I'm Basil's caretaker." The brunette lady whose name was Polly introduced herself. "I'm Kel and this is Sunny!" Kel said as he pointed at himself and then at him.

"Nice to meet both of you." Polly said as she bowed. Her eyes then fell on him for a bit until she recognized the black hair boy. "Oh, I remember you! Sunny was it? You're the boy I saw at the pharmacy earlier, I wasn't aware you were Basil's friend." Polly said in a surprised tone. Omori just gives a simple wave as an acknowledgement.

"Oh right, you both want Basil?" Polly asked before she turned around and called him out. "Oh Basil! Your friends are asking for you~" After a bit, Basil poked his head at the door and said in low volume. "Oh hey Kel, S-S-Sunny... W-What is it?" 

"Hi, Basil! Guess what? You're not gonna believe it, but me and Sunny got your photo album back!" Kel said ecstatically as he smiled. "H-Huh? You did? Wow... Thank you." Basil said, his tone indicating that he completely forgot about it Omori noted.

Omori went and handed him his Album back. Basil was hesitant for a bit before he eventually took it from him.

~ { Give Basil's Photo Album } ~

"Basil! You didn't tell me you had friends coming over. Would you like to join us for dinner?" Polly proposed. "I always seem to cook just a little too much." Omori was about to decline but Kel beat him to it.

"Dinner? Sure, sounds delicious! It's been a while since we came over to Basil's house." Kel said. Polly nodded and gestured to them to follow. "Come along, I'll prepare dinner shortly." 

'Dammit Kel...' Omori silently cursed at his friend for unknowingly forcing him to come close to the unstable flower boy. It was supposed to give him the Album back and leave but noooo. Kel had to agree because of food, that glutton. 'I prefer living.' Omori thought.

Kel turned to him and said while stretching. "Come on, Sunny! Free dinner! I don't know about you but all this running around the town got me hungry." Kel went inside and Omori followed behind wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. 

Once they were inside, Polly turned to them and said. "Please make yourself at home! And please refrain from making too much noise as Basil's grandma is sick and sleeping at the moment." Polly advised them as both boys nodded their heads in acknowledgement. "Alright, I'll go ahead and finish up the food now." Polly went ahead to the kitchen oven.

Kel began looking around the house and noticed the shelfs of the many flowers in the room. "Wow, it's been a while since we've both been in here. You definitely have a lot more plants than you used to!" Kel commented. "Ahh... Yeah. I like them a lot. Actually, there's some that are still alive from when you guys came more often." Basil said nervously.

"Wow, you sure are very dedicated." Kel was impressed. "Yup That's Basil for you... Flowers and photos..." Kel said before coming up with a brilliant idea and went to the couch. "Oh, that reminds me! Now that we got your photo album back... How about we all go through the photos together? For old time's sake y'know." Kel suggested.

Basil didn't look eager at all the idea and began uttering nervously. "A-Ah... T-That's- Uh... I don't know." Kel tried to encourage him. "It's been a while since you've looked through them, hasn't it? Come on! It'll be fun! Kel said.

Omori was a bit conflicted on whether he should take Basil's side or Kel's. Since he didn't want to spend too long with Basil - or in this whole place - at all. But he'll be lying if he wasn't curious to see the actual photos other than the ones in headspace. One day his curiosity will bite him back and he knows it... Curse his childish mentality.

Basil still looked unsure but eventually agreed. "Umm... ... S-Sure... Okay." Basil said. Before he and Omori joined him after having no choice. Basil took out the Album and put it on the carpet. "Here it is." Basil said. As they sat and looked through it.

The photos consist of the group - minus Mari - doing various activities. Omori examined the photos, he remembered seeing some of them in headspace except for small differences. All the photos of Mari were missing since they were someone marked them off with black marker so he wouldn't be surprised if it was Aubrey's doing and he really can't blame her for doing, but not for bullying Basil when Sunny's the one who did it.

It seems he wasn't the only one who noticed the missing photos. "Oh man... It looks like a lot of the photos are still missing. Maybe Aubrey kept them for herself... We'll have to get those back later from her." Kel said in disappointment.

"On the bright side, Look how short I was. Haha!" Kel tried to lighten up the mode. "I know I've grown at least a foot since Hero left for college. I can't wait until he comes back and we compare height... This year, I'll finally be the taller brother. Heh heh!" Kel said proudly and blissfully at the thought.

There was an uncomfortable silence after that for a while, No one said anything until Kel did a fake cough and said. "Ahem... Anyway, don't sweat about the missing photos, Basil. Me and Sunny will take care of it for you! You just focus on going back to your happy, carefree self."

Basil forced a smile and said. "Okay. Thank you... I'll try." Kel nodded and smiled back at his friend. Not long before he remembered something important. "Oh right I almost forgot! Hey Basil, can I ask you a question real quick?" Kel asked him, his face turned serious. Basil looked a lot more nervous at his sudden and said. U-Uh... I-I mean... Sure." 

"It's about Aubrey, we asked her why she stole it from you." As soon as Kel uttered those words, Basil began tensing up like a deer that had been caught and his colors were drained from his body. "Just to make things clear, I'm not taking her side or anything." Kel reassured him when he saw how he reacted. "But, she said that you've done something that made her do it." Kel began looking at him now in the eyes.

"Basil...As much I hate to say it but, we all know Aubrey isn't the type to just do this kind of thing for no reason especially to her friends no matter how she tried to hide it and this goes for you too." With each word Kel said, Basil began feeling like something heavy on his shoulders pressing. "Please be honest with us and tell us what really happened with you and Aubrey that caused her to do all those awful things to you" Kel pleaded with his friend. "We just want to help and resolve this issue and I promise I won't be mad if you told us, okay?" Kel tried to reassure him one last time.

"I-I... I c-can't... I-I mean... U-Uh...Ah..." Basil couldn't come up with words as if he was a child caught stealing candy. Thankfully Polly -his caretaker- came in and announced. "Sorry about the wait... Dinner is taking a lot longer than I thought. Would any of you boys like to help?" Polly asked. "I know I'm asking a lot and you're guests but I really need a hand." Polly apologized and looked a bit ashamed for asking.

"Oh sure I'll help!" Kel immediately was fast to volunteer to help. "And don't worry it's not a problem at all ma'am." He reassured him before he got up and completely forgot the question he asked Basil. "In fact, I got some experience helping my brother cook and stuff." Kel said.

'Kel... What are you doing? Don't you dare leave me alone with... him.' Omori silently yelled at his friend not to leave him alone.

"Oh, that would be lovely. Please follow me to the kitchen." Polly simply said as both made their way to the kitchen and began working. Leaving both him and Basil who sighed in relief from having no to answer the question. 'Betrayal! I'll remember this…' Omori growled at his friend for selling him out.

Both stood in complete silence and awkwardness, unsure what to do or say. It stayed there for a while and after what felt like ages, Basil finally broke the silence and said. "S-So... It's nice to finally see you again Sunny... Haha..." Basil said nervously. "I guess..." Omori simply replied without making eye contact, then falling to silence yet again.

'Can somebody just end me already please...' Omori complained as he shifted his body a bit from feeling discomfort, wanting to be anywhere else but here. Hell he’d prefer to be in black space than here right now.

"U-Um... Sunny? Is...Is everything okay? Y-You've been staring at the floor for a while... Haha..." Basil said. 'I wish you would shut up.' Omori thought as he tried to come up with an excuse to get away. "I'm fine. I'll go check on Ms. Polly and Kel if you excuse me." Omori said as he got up from his sitting position. "U-Um... It's fine... I'll be here I guess haha..." Basil said as he still got his eyes on him as if he was scared he would disappear if he looked away for a second.

He made his way to the kitchen which was connected next to the living room. He heard both Kel and Polly talking. "Tonight for dinner, I thought about making some chicken vegetable soup! How's that sound?" Polly asked for Kel's opinion. "Soup and veggies?! That sounds both nutritious and delicious!" Kel said before he turned to him and asked for his input since he joined them. "How does that sound Sunny?"

"Sounds good, I guess. I'm not too picky about food, so whatever." Omori replied. "Y-You really think so? I thought you'd both be a bit disappointed... People always tell me that my taste is a bit bland..." Polly said, unsure whether she should believe it or not. "Don't worry about what other people think! All food is good to me! I'll eat anything you throw at me!" Kel said gleefully.

"Yeah, his living embodiment of a vacuum. He'll eat anything even if it's expired, so don't worry if your food is bad." Omori cracked a joke at his friend as he patted his back. Kel turned to him and frowned. "Hey, come on... that's not true... most of the time." Kel said and muttered the last part as he recalled eating some expired leftovers that were left in the oven when he was still young. While it still tasted somewhat good, it came and bit him some days later. He really ought to learn not to put anything in his mouth.

"I'm actually surprised you haven't set the kitchen on fire yet. That's gotta be a new record!" Omori said as he pretended to be amused by it. Kel just groined and said. "It was one time! You're not gonna make me live it down, are you?" Kel asked. Once he tried to bake a cake for his brother's birthday and you could probably guess what happened next. "Nope." Omori said as he smiled innocently at him. 'Heh, that's payback for leaving me alone with Basil pal.' Omori maliciously thought. Kel just rolled his eyes in defeatance and decided to just ignore him.

Polly put a hand on her mount and let out a small giggle. "You both are quite the pair. Anyway, dinner will be ready soon. I already prepared the chicken beforehand, it’ll take a few minutes at most to be done. Now all that is left is to cut the vegetables and add some seasoning. Can one of you do it?" Polly asked.

"I'll do it!" Kel immediately said as he quickly grabbed the knife and went to the cutting board. "Don't worry, Sunny! I'll handle it since uh... I'm quick with chopping, yeah!" Kel hesitated for a bit before coming up with a reply. Omori was fully aware and knew damn well what he meant, he knew how to handle wielding a knife thank you very much. He wasn't that dense. 

Despite his face showing annoyance, Omori didn't comment. "Sorry Sunny, I know you want to help but there isn't much to do. And besides, the food is almost ready. How about you keep Basil company until then, hmm?" Kel suggested to him before he and Polly return to whatever they're doing and leave him yet again.

Omori took a glance at Basil who was still looking at him the whole time breaking eye contact with him and followed his every movement. 'Yeah, no thanks. I'll pass.' Omori thought as he was a bit uneasy about it and decided to make an excuse to go to the bathroom just to get away from the room.

He went inside the hallway, since he didn't actually need to use the bathroom. He decided to explore for a bit until the food is finished by the time hopefully. He didn't want to go to Basil's room and neither did the bathroom so that leaves the far left room which he presumed was Basil's grandma room. He recalled one of Sunny's memories of the granny when Sunny and the group used to visit Basil to hang out and sometimes help with the garden work.

It's a shame that she's sick and most likely won't have long before she passes away. He quietly opened the door so as not to wake her up, he wanted to see her one last time and hopefully this memory will be passed to Sunny later when he switches back. The sight of the bedridden grandma reminded him how humans are fragile. He didn't stop and think about what would happen to him when Sunny died. Would he also die? Or continue living? Can he even die? Or is he still part of him... 

'I guess I'll find out eventually. But for now it's not time to have an existential crisis...' Omori thought, as he shook his head as he banished these thoughts away and kept an iron mind. He had other things to worry about and most importantly he needed to focus on getting Sunny's back and that hasn't changed but he also has to keep babysit his friends too and make sure things don't escalate and go smoothly in these last three days.

Omori sighed, he seriously isn't paid enough for this. But what can he do? Apparently nothing since and no one is paying him but he knows what his purpose is. Basil's grandma was still breathing steadily, he noticed a familiar white flower next to her. It was the white orchid egret, the same one he saw at the fix-it shop earlier today. He approached slowly towards it, he was drawn by its beauty.

He already knew what this flower symbolized and it made sense that he got one for his grandma. Although, he ordered one himself to test some theory he had. For some reason he could feel something that the flower is emitting but it's very faint so he can't tell what it is for now. He was a bit lost in thought that he didn't hear Basil enter the room behind him.

"Oh Sunny... I didn't expect to see you here... haha..." Basil said, making Omori jolted and swiftly turned to face him with his hand on his satchel as he was about to reach for his knife as his survival instincts were kicking in. But soon after, he calmed down so as not to speak to the flower boy and possibly traumatize him even further. Although, he kept his guard on high alert the whole time while keeping his eye on him, since they were both alone away from the others.

Both stood in silence for a bit, both experiencing deja vu. Basil began sweating a little bit while trying to come up with something to say before he took a one step towards him which made Omori tense up for a bit. "H-How are you doing Sunny? Is everything okay with you?" Basil asked yet again and falsed a weak smile to hopefully break the tension between them. "Good... And uh... You?" Omori replied before he asked the same.

"...T-Things are okay too... haha..." Basil said nervously, before his smile wore off. He approached his sick grandma before he sighed as he became devastated. "Grandma can't hear us you know, you know? She hasn't been feeling very well lately..." Basil tried to keep his voice down despite what he said about her not hearing them, he also couldn't hide the hint of sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry." Omori tried to show sympathy to him. Basil looked at him and said. "W-Why are you apologizing S-Sunny? It's not your fault." Basil said to him as he tried to reassure him." Y-You're a good person S-Sunny, you wouldn't do anything bad... haha... I just know it..." Basil said in complete denial, as he rejected the idea of his friend doing something awful. 'Well hate to break it to you, but. You're not a good judge of a character and clearly lying to yourself.' Omori thought, not happy at the idea of Basil idolizing Sunny as a saint when he knew what really happened.

before both fell into obscure silence. "It's already been four years, hasn't it?" Basil said out loud. Omori didn't know what to respond with other than remain silent and let him finish talking. "It's nice to see that you're still around... even if it's only for a little while." Basil said as he made his way towards him. Omori tried to keep it together, Basil then handed him his photo Album to him which made Omori a bit confused at his action.

"Here. Take my Photo Album... I want you to have it." Basil said to him. "Are you sure about this...?" Omori asked, still a bit skeptical as he stared at the album then at him. "Yeah... I just think... you can probably use it more than me. So I'm trusting you with it, okay?" Kel said to him as he explained his reasoning. Omori simply just nodded and slowly took the Album from him.

~ { Got Basil's Photo Album } ~

"A lot has happened since these pictures were taken. Sometimes, it feels like it was all a bad dream." Basil said in a dejected voice. "It's hard to remember now, but... I think... at the time... I took photos of what I was most afraid to lose."

"Flipping through this album, you can still see the good times... Maybe one day... Things can go back to the way they were before." Basil said, his voice is filled with a small bit of hopefulness. 'It's impossible but one can certainly dream.' Omori thought, as nothing is simple and change is a fact of life like that girl Cris said as he recalled her saying.

Suddenly the door behind them opened, making both teens snapping out of their thoughts and snapping their heads towards the source of the sound. "Oh there you both are! ... Oh, sorry... am I interrupting something?" Kel whispered as he apologized.

"Oh no... we're both done now... haha.." Basil nervously said. "Okay! Just want to let you know that dinner is ready and we are waiting on you both!" Kel said, "Okay, we're coming now!" Basil repiled, before Kel quickly left and soon after Basil who turned around and looked at him one last time before leaving too. Omori stayed behind for a bit, alone with his thoughts as he still carried the album in his hands.

'I have to come clean about what Sunny had done about the pictures of Mari.' Omori thought this whole thing was getting ridiculous and gone far too long. While Basil deserved more than that, he won't let him suffer for things he didn't do or any of Sunny's friends. 'Not to mention dealing with breaking the news to Basil that Sunny was leaving soon...' Hell what a mess he got himself into. 

Omori sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time, before he collected himself and went to join the others. It will be a cold day in hell...

Omori went to the living room where the dining table was, not before Polly told them to wash their hands first before joining. Kel already began digging through the food as usual, Polly and Basil just started filling their plates. Omori took a seat next and sat next to his friend Kel, with Polly facing towards him. He put the album next to his seat so as not to accidentally spill something on it, he took a bowl and began filling it with some soup. While Omori didn't enjoy eating much, he'll have to get used to these last three days hopefully.

The dinner went quiet for a while, with everyone eating slowly minus Kel of course. Until Kel initialized a small talk like he always does since the atmosphere was a little bit cramped overall. "Everything tastes so good! You're the best, Polly!" Kel complimented her while was still munching the food in his mouth. Ugh.

Polly was flattered, she waved it off with her hand and said. "Oh it's nothing... I'm just following grandma's recipes. Thank you for your words and help Kel." Polly thanked him. "Anytime munch...!" Kel replied while still eating while others may find it gross and to be fair it is, we all got used to Kel's table mannerism. And more surprising that Polly doesn't seem bothered by it for some reason.

"Munch... munch... munch... munch... Anyway... So as I was saying before, Polly... Tomorrow... munch... My older brother, Hero, is finally coming back from college." Kel said, having to pause after each bite and finally gulping it all. "Ahh... My mom's all crazy right now preparing the house and everything for his arrival..." Kel said before he began eating once again, just how much could he fit in his stomach?

"Don't want to be anywhere near that mess haha." Kel said as he let out a small laugh. Polly who was still listening to him hummed and nodded as he continued without interrupting as not to be rude. "Although... munch... I am pretty excited to see him... munch... Every time he comes back, the first thing we do is compare heights... munch..."

"This year is the year... munch... that I'm... munch... finally gonna be taller than him... munch... I can feel it in my bones!" Kel said, Polly let out a giggle. "Hehe... You and your brother seem close from the sound of it. That's good... Family is important!" Polly said, Kel nodded in agreement and said. "Totally!"

"You're both probably wondering who am I right?" Polly asked, Kel nodded while Omori didn't show any interest at all in the conversation and focused on his food "I'm nobody really... just a nurse who is taking care of Basil's sick grandmother. A few months ago, Basil's parents hired me as Basil's caretaker since they travel out of the country frequently." Polly said.

"So, long have you been friends with Basil?" Polly asked. "For long... munch... me and Sunny met when he... munch first moved into town... munch... since we were next door neighbors! We met Basil somewhat around when we were around 6 or 7 years old. But we lost contact when we were 12." Kel said, as he looked at his friend.

Soon after Kel notices Basil's album that was beside him. "Oh, hey! munch... What'cha doin’ with Basil's photo album there, Sunny?" Kel asked him as he pointed at where the album rested. Thankfully, Basil is the one who went ahead and answered. "O-Oh... I... I gave it to him. I just thought he should have it, that's all." Basil said nervously.

"Whoa, really? munch... That's so nice and cool of you to do. Makes sense... munch... especially since Sunny's moving- OWWW!!" Kel yelled in pain as he held his leg in pain. He turned his head towards his friends who kicked him, he was about to ask why he hit him. He noticed his friend giving him a warning look, telling him not to finish the sentence.

"I-I'm sorry, b-but did you say that S-Sunny is moving?" Basil slowly asked him. Kel then turned to Basil then Omori who was now motioning him yet again not to answer it with his hand under the table. Fortunately, Kel seems to get the message and quickly begins looking for an excuse. "O-Oh... I meant that Sunny and I are moving now  to our house since it's almost getting late and all... haha..." Kel said.

Luckily, for them, Basil took the bait. "O-Oh... Okay then..." Basil said, as he was a bit relieved now. Omori felt let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He almost went into panic mode after Kel was about to drop the bomb on Basil. Thankfully, he managed to stop him from doing so.

"Oh which reminds me, I think it's about time me and Sunny went home. It's almost past my curfew." Kel said as he got up from his seat after he was done eating his food quickly his food, it's honestly a miracle he hadn't choked yet. Omori got up as well after grabbing the album from the floor. "Oh my! You're right, it has gotten late. I also need to check on grandma and give her meds." Polly said as she got up to say goodbyes and Basil followed right behind.

"Yeah... Wish we could've stayed longer. But there's always next time!" Kel said gleefully, before he went and grabbed a pen and a paper and began writing something on it. After he was done he went to Polly and said. "Anyway, Polly, if you ever need me, here's my address. I live just down the block next to Sunny!" Kel said cheerfully as he handed her the paper containing his address.

Polly gladly accepted it and said. "Thanks, Kel. You're sweet. Thanks again for your help today" Polly politely thanked him as she bowed in gratefulness. "Heh, heh... Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, Oh and Basil, we'll see about the missing photos tomorrow like we said we would!" Kel said and reassured him. ".U-Um... Y-Yeah... Thanks..." Basil said weakly.

"Anyway, bye Basil! And it was nice meeting you Polly!" Kel said his goodbyes, Omori just simply waved goodbye. "It was also nice meeting you both, Kel and Sunny. I bid you farewell and come visit us again sometime, you're both always welcome." Polly said as she said her goodbyes to the boys. "B-Bye... Kel... S-Sunny..." Basil also said his goodbyes after her.

"We definitely will! Bye and see you both later." With that said Kel and Omori finally left the house. Basil looked at them while they left and stared for a bit before he rushed back to his room, Polly tried to call after him but he was already gone.

The boys were out now and the sun still hadn't set yet. Once they were outside, Kel immediately turned to him as both began walking slowly. "What was this about? Why didn't you want me to tell Basil you were moving away?" Kel asked, still a bit confused at his actions. "Oh, I don't know...  Let's see, Basil got bullied and got his Album stolen, and now his grandma isn't feeling well." Omori held his fingers as he counted. "So tell me, how do you think he'll react when he hears that his best friend is leaving on top of all other things he had to deal with, huh?" Omori asked rhetorically, his friend was silent as he didn't know what to answer. "Exactly, let's not add more to the pile." Omori said.

"Shoot... You're right... I thought he knew..." Kel said, his face filled with shame as he rubbed his backhead. "Still... You are moving in three days so you'll have to tell him eventually... unless you're not planning to, which is even worse if he found out by himself." Kel warned him. Omori sighed and said "I know, I just need to find the best time to break the news to him... preferably after we clear this conflict between him and Aubrey." Omori said.

"Yeah, good idea. But... Neither of them want to say what happened. And we still have to deal with the missing photos too, I don't think we have a chance if both are willing to admit and come clean about the whole thing..." Kel said as he scratched his head in frustration. "Don't worry, I think I understand what actually happened between them." Omori lied, since he knows all the time.

Kel turned to him in surprise and said. "Wait, so you figured it out then? Did Basil tell you then?" Kel asked his friend. "Something like that, It's best we get both Basil and Aubrey together and not having to repeat myself too." Omori proposed. Kel nodded. "Sounds like a plan!" Kel said before he let out a yawn as they both stopped at their neighborhood street. "Anyway, I'm going to call it a day. I'm extremely exhausted and my whole body is sore from running and fighting all day and overdosing on orange joe."Kel said as he stretched himself.

"There's still time left, the sun will be setting soon. So do you want to walk with me to our houses or do you want to stay outside?" Kel asked him, waiting patiently for his answer. Omori thought about it for a bit before deciding. "Nah, not feeling sleepy right now, I'll stay outside until night falls." Omori said.

"Sure! Well thanks, thanks for hanging out with me today Sunny. It was mostly fun and it was nice seeing you after all these years." Kel smiled and thanked him. "And sorry for all the trouble we faced today. Not what I had in mind, but it was quite the crazy adventure, huh?" Kel said, as he nudged him on the shoulder.

"Anyway, Hero's coming back from college tomorrow like I've seen countless times, so I'm sure he'll want to see you before leave." Kel explained to him. "So... if you don't mind... I'll be coming back for you again in the morning. Just a heads up, I might break your door down if you don't answer." Kel said playfully, obviously joking. Omori rolled his eyes in response. "Yeah, yeah, sure." Omori said. Kel let out a small laugh in return.

"Anyway, I'll be off. Goodnight Sunny. And Have fun!" Kel bid him farewell and Omori returned it with a wave before they parted ways, Kel went to the direction of his house wanting to sleep it off. And as for him, he decided to go to the park first to clear his mind after the whole disaster that was Basil and this whole day in general. He set off with the album still in his hands.

Chapter Text

Omori arrived at the Faraway park entrance. The park was now quiet and there weren't many people at this time of the day except for a few, perfect time for him to relax... That's what he would say if a certain someone wasn't present, but sadly he took notice of him and decided to bother him. Omori was thinking if he could possibly cover up a public murder.

"Ah! If it isn't Sunn-" He completely ignored him and went past him, hoping he could slip away. "Hey, Wait! Where are you going?! I'm talking to you!" But alas he shouted after him. Omori closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he turned around. "Oh, I'm very Sorry, Mikhael.  I didn't see you there." Omori half sarcastically said.

"Grrr... You're mocking me, aren't you?" Mikhael angrily snapped at him. "Wouldn't dream of it, pal."

Soon he noticed something off. "Where's my arch nemesis Kel?" Mikhael asked as he looked around. "He went home." Omori annoyingly replied, not happy he was being bothered by him of all people. "Hah! Of course. Clearly, the coward is hiding from me because he knows he'll lose to me this time." Mikhael smugly said.

"What do you want now Mikhael? Really not in the mood for your-" Omori asked. "MAVERICK! Hmph, you may have witnessed my humiliation earlier today but... now is the time that I, the maverick, redeem myself once again." Mikhael said, gloating.

"Listen, Mikhael... It's admirable that you very confident... but don't mix confidence with arrogance." Omori said, while putting his hand on his shoulder. "HAH!... Meaning?" Mikhael said, while crossing his hand, not looking happy at what his implying.

"Meaning..." Omori slowly said, before he used his vacant hand and quickly pushed away his blond hair wig from him. The wig fell down and the wind carried it far away. Mikhael let out a shriek before he immediately chased after it. "That." Omori said, as he slapped his hand together. And that one thing being dealt with. 

He tried looking for the nearest wooden bench, there was one behind the fruit cart, there was a sports guy who was running in place. He didn't need to connect dots to know he was the owner of the cart, he was sweating so much and honestly the odor was too much to say the least.

He tried to not make any contact as he didn't want to be bothered once again. Unfortunately for him, the guy took notice of him and called him out despite his effort not to draw attention. "Hey, Kid! Huff... Can I have a word with you? Huff... " he said, while trying to catch his breath from the running.

Oh for the love of...  "Not interested in buying, buddy." Omori said, without bothering to look at him and continued walking as he ignored him completely. But he didn't get the message since he went after him and blocked his path. Son of a... 

"No! Wait! Huff... Ahem I actually need a favor to ask. Can you help me?" He calmly begged the boy. That got Omori's attention as he listened to him. "Hmm... I'm listening." Omori said, a bit intrigued.

[ Like Apple and Orange ]

"There's some guy who goes around and sells fruits like I do in the town plaza, next to Othermart." He explained. Omori instantly knew the person who he was talking about and judging by his tone, the two must have a history of rivalry with each other. "Yeah I think I saw him once or twice there." Omori replied.

"Good, I want you to go there and sabotage him by destroying his cart." He said.  Now Omori was really intrigued now, but still had a question in mind. "Not like it's my business or anything... but can I ask why?" Omori said, raising his eyebrow.

"Apart from selling oranges, there's two kids who keep pulling all sorts of pranks. It must be that dirtbag doing, he must have sent them to mess with me... Yes! It must be it! It all makes sense." He explained. "Well not anymore! I won't stand here and take this any longer. I shall fire back and make him think twice about crossing me." He said, pointing at him. "And I need your help to do it kid." The apple guy said.

"Well that's interesting to say the least but... I don't see any reason why I should help you or even risk doing this." Omori explained, crossing his hand. "I'll make it worth your while." He replied. "Really? Ok now you got my attention." Omori said.

"Good. Now here's the deal: you do it and I'll give you... 5 dollars and free apple juice, sounds good" He said to the boy. "Make it 10 ." Omori quickly fired at him. "Fine! Ugh... Kids these days." He grumbled, as he took the 10 dollar bill and gave it to him. "Thank you kindly." Omori said, as he gladly took the bill. "So got any tips? I doubt I can just walk up to him and just do it." Omori said.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. The guy owns an orange car in the parking lot on the far right, you can't miss it. You can distract him by setting off its alarm, which should give you a window to do it. Also there's a loose screw on one of the wheels, go for it and it should take it down." The apple guy explained the plan to him. 

Omori thought about it for a moment. Well it's better than to just sit around, and it'll be a fun little prank to pull as well. "Well, I got nothing better to do so alright. I'll see what I can do." Omori said as he made his way towards the plaza. 'This will be an interesting and frankly, a better way to take my mind off things' Omori thought. Nothing like a good o'l prank to finish the day off.

Omori arrived at the town plaza, he checked around and found his target standing in his usual place. He looked around the parking lot and spotted the orange car sitting on the far right like the apple guy told him. Looking at the guy it seems he's not paying attention... perfect.

He took a rock off the ground and snuck around the parking lot, hiding behind the cars. After he neared the guy's car, he prepared the rock in his hand and threw it at the orange's guy guy err... orange car.

Soon after the car’s alarm set off after the impact and the beeping grabbed the attention of the orange guy. Confused, he went to check it. Omori slipped away from the crime scene, he went to the guy's cart while he was distracted. He doesn't have much time. better make it count.

Omori quickly looked around and made sure no one was looking, before he crouched and took his streak knife and carefully began unscrewing the loose screw on the wheel. It didn't take long before he unscrewed it and made the wheel fall off. Soon the cart fell down and all its contents scattered across the floor.

Omori quickly got up as he pocket his knife and left the crime scene, and decided to enter Hobbeez as not to stick around and cause suspension. Not before he heard a voice behind him yelling. "No, No, NO! How could've this happened?!" Omori took one last glance, the guy trying to pick the fruits off the ground. 'Mission complete hehe.' Omori amused, smiled before entering the shop and laying low for a bit.

Well that was certainly fun and worth it.

Inside Hobbeez, there weren't any customers except for one or two. There was an old man looking around the shop, unsure. Omori went to the comic section and took a random issue of captain spaceboy comic and opened a random page and started reading them to pass the time until things got cleared outside.

"Hmm... Hmmm... Hmmmmmmm..." The old man hummed, before he let his frustration out. "Confound it all! I have no idea what I'm looking at here!" He said, frustrated. The old man then took notice of the only one who was only present next to him and called him out. "Hey. you! You're young right?" He asked. 

Seriously?! Can't I have a moment of peace?! Omori turned to face the old man who had a wrinkly forehead. "Well... Let me See..." Omori said, doing a thinking pose  "Seeing I don't have facial hair on me and looking a bit scrawny, and not to mention, me wasting my time reading some coming... I'll say yes. I'm young, or at least compared to you." Omori replied. 'I'm much younger in actuality.' 

[ Birthday Boy ]

"Ah splendid! Could a young guy like you help out a old guy like me?" He said, pleading. Why are you asking me? You have a damn shopkeep there, go bother him for fuck’s sake. Omori let out a silent sigh before he closed the comic and returned it. "Sure... what do you need?" He said, impatiently. 

"You see, it's my son Jesse's 10th birthday tomorrow, and I was hoping to get him something he'll actually like. Could you look around the store and pick something for me? I trust your judgment, young guy." He said.

Omori, wanting to get over this quickly, went to grab the nearest thing to him without any consideration. He picked up a video game called Super Mole Sprout something, something. It was too long to read so he didn't bother and went and handed it to the old man. "Here."

The old guy examined the game. "So... this here is what kids are into these days? Super Ultra Sprout Mole Eater - Revenge of the Moles Ⅲ? I can't say I understand the appeal, but ok!" He said, before handing something to him. "Thanks for the help, young guy. Here's something cool I found while I was sweeping earlier... You can have it, it's no use to me anyway." 

{ Got a Seashell }

"Thanks, I guess." Omori said, not complaining. He put the seashell in his satchel. The old guy however missed the game tag price. "Gah! This game's price tag is... Oof... My wallet." He sighed. He can imagine the prices are between 40 to 50 dollars, yup definitely overpriced. "Well... as long as my son likes this, it'll be worth it!"

The old man went to the shopkeep and purchased the game. "Ah... Super Ultra Sprout Mole Eater - Revenge of the Moles Ⅲ... A future classic! Excellent choice." He commented, before he put the game in a bag and handed it to him with the receipt. The old guy turned to him and said. "Thanks for the help again, pal."

"You know... I could use a consultant for things like this." He offered. "My son doesn't like to talk about his hobbies with me, but I need to keep up with all this newfangled stuff somehow!" He said, "I live in a small house on the street south from here! It's the one with the brown roof. Please come visit sometime!" The old guy left soon after. Omori waved him back, not paying attention to what he said.

Omori looked around the shop and tried to find something else to do. Meanwhile, he decided to play an arcade game called "Capt. Spaceboy Space Adventure Arcade". The shopkeep noticed him and said, "Yo! Champ, I see you have your eyes set on that video game! It's called Capt. Spaceboy Space Adventure Arcade." 

Yeah thanks little, I could read what's in front of me genius. "It was more popular a few years ago, but it still retains some competitive players today." He explained. "People from all over town have tried it, but I'll have you know that I still hold the high score! Heh heh." Is that a challenge coming I sense? 

"However, if you can somehow beat it, I'll give you something cool. How's that sound?" The shopkeep said, challenging him. 'Challenge accepted.' Omori though, as he cracked his neck and knuckles. Before he inserted a dollar into the machine and began playing.

It starts off easy but soon the difficulty ramps up. Soon he reached the last stages and everything was moving so fast, he was one his last life so Omori was set focus on the game and sweat began dripping from his face for a bit and stuck his tongue up. 'Come on... Almost got it.' Omori thought as he began mashing the button madly.

. . . 

'Mission Complete' He scored 19950, almost getting a perfect score, easily taking the high score by miles. It wasn't hard, he played it safe which required patience and quick reaction which thankfully, he was good at. It seems he still inherited Sunny's skills in video games which was good to know. He put his first three initiatives "OMO".

Omori let out a sigh of relief. "Amazing... You actually beat my score, not only that but you managed to score a high record that I've seen no one scored before!" The shopkeep said in a mix of shock and impressed. "Guess I should make room for the new generation... and champion, heh heh..." He said.

"Anyway, here's your prize as I mentioned! I only give this out to people I think are really cool." He said, handing him sunglasses. "And as an extra, I'll give you a 50% discount on your next purchase... On selected items of course." He quickly added.

"Oh, thanks I guess." Omori thanked him as he took the sunglasses and decided to put it on his shirt so it doesn't' get accidently get scratched. "Sure, you're welcome anytime. Also, If you got anything you want to sell, I'll gladly take it off you for a price." He said, before going back to the register. Omori, seeing he doesn't have anything left to do, he leaves the shop.

When he went to Othermart, he saw no sign of the orange guy. Seems like he packed and left after the accident, he most likely would come back tomorrow if their rivalry is anything like that. 'Oh well, not my problem I guess.' Omori thought, before he entered the market.

While he was inside, he came across a familiar face. It was the artist earlier he met at the park later that day. She was on the fruit and vegetable aisle, sketching as and focusing as usual that she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings. Omori decided to say hi to her, and possibly maybe spook her like he did before.

"Hey, heads up." Omori said, surprising the poor girl once again as a result as she uttered a yelp. "Eeep! You half scared me to death there, my god." She said, as she held her chest and managed not to drop her stuff and fall. "Sorry, but I did give you a heads up like you told me to." Omori replied apologetically, while hiding his laughs at the reactions as he did it on purpose.

[ Motivation for Mincy ⅠⅠ ]

"Sigh... That's true. You have some kind of wicked sense of humor, you know that? I'd appreciate it if you don't scare me like that." She said, before she put her sketchbook and pencil away. "Anyway, Good evening... Umm... uh... Omori, was it?" He nodded. "Sorry... I'm usually not good with names." She apologized.

"It's quite alright Mincy. So how's the drawing going?" He asked. "It's going well I suppose, I'm just trying to draw some fruits... but... I'm not as good at it as I thought I would be." She admitted. 

"It's normal that you don't get it on your first try. It just takes time and practice but you'll get there eventually. So don't sell yourself short and you'll see the fruits of your labor ." Omori said, with the pun intended at the end.

"Hehe... That was a good one." He playfully rolled her eyes. "Thank you for lifting me up, I feel better now." She thanked him. "No problem." He replied. 

"So, I didn't expect to see you here so soon. How're you doing?" She asked. "Neither did I, I'm doing alright for the most part." He replied. Mincy nodded. "Oh, I remember you said that you're trying to fix some misunderstanding with those Hooligans people, I think. So how's that going, if you don't mind me asking." She said, a bit curious.

"Ah well, not quite. Got into a lot of fights, but I'm still working on it." He explained. "Oh my... that's terrible." She said, worried. "I'm mostly ok, don't worry." Brushed it off. "Although, Can't say the same about my friend since he mostly got the worst of it." Omori added.

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that, I hope he's alright and isn't hurt too badly." Mincy said. "He'll be fine, he's a tough one. Trust me. He'll be back on his feet again tomorrow as if nothing happened." Omori reassured her. "If you say so... Well, I hope things work out with you.. Oh, and send my regards to your friend."

"Thanks, will do." Probably if he remembers that is. "Anyway, I gotta finish this before it gets late. It was nice chatting with you Omori." Both give their goodbyes before Mincy returns to sketching diligently and seems determined more than ever.

As for him, he went to the fish lady and bought a fish for the hungry cat he saw earlier, sitting at Basil's house rooftop. He made his way out of the market, and made his way back to the dreadful house with no troubles.

[ Little Orange Cat ⅠⅠ ]

He went back to where the orange cat was, she recognized him and when she smelled the fish she got up and hopped from the roof, Omori took the fish from the bag and gave the cat the fish. "Here." She quickly snatched it from and ran away with it, this time not giving him something in return. oh well, she's playing hard to keep I guess. 

Omori threw the empty bag away, he looked up and saw the sun was about to set and soon it would get dark. He had some time to waste before that, so he decided to visit the old man he met earlier than at Kim's house and tell her what had happened with Aubrey.

Only problem is he didn't remember where his house was since he was not paying attention. He recalled something about a brown roof... or was it pink? Ah the hell with it. He knocked on the door and hoped he got the right one, hopefully.

Unfortunately, he in fact did not he the right house. Instead he was greeted with some random guy he didn't recognized answered the door and yelled. Omori covered his ears. "GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! HONEY! YOU'RE BACK EARLY. LISTEN-" The guy shouted, before his surprised turned into confusion. "Oh... H-Heya! Um... Who are you?" He asked.

"Oh, um... sorry, wrong house, I'll be on my way now." He replied. he was about to leave. "WAIT! I've got an emergency here!" He called him out. "Please, my life is on the line here... Do you think you could help me? Please... My wife would kill me." The man begged in distress.

"Uhh... sure I guess, what do you need?" Omori asked. "Oh, thank you! Well, don't just stand there?! come inside quick!" He followed the man inside the house. Well might as well.

[ Wedding Anniversary ]

"Over here!" The clumsy guy led him to the part of the kitchen. "Here is the site of the incident... I was washing the dishes when suddenly... my wedding ring fell off  my finger and slipped into the drain!" He pointed at the sink. "Crazy, right! You'd think this kind of thing only happens in movies..." The guy kept rambling on and on. "Luckily, my wife is still out for the day and hasn't found out about it yet."

"I've been trying to get it out for almost an hour and my fingers are starting to bruise... Sigh... I really don't want to tell my wife and my daughter Sarah about this... I'll never hear the end of it!" He finally was done babbling. "Ok, calm down mister. I'll see what I can do." Omori said, trying to calm the nerve-wrecked man.

"OH THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!" the clumsy guy excessively thanked him. He stepped aside. "Please... I don't need a reason for my wife to be even more angry with me!" He nervously said.

Omori went and inspected the sink and found the wedding ring shining underneath. He sighed before he rolled his shirt sleeves up. Not how I imagined I'd spending my evening. 'Better get this over with, the sooner the better.'  Omori thought before he put his hand inside the sink, trying to get a feel of the ring. Thankfully, his hand went inside with ease and after some moments he managed to hook the ring up. "Got it."

"Here." Omori handed him the ring to the clumsy guy. "Hey, that's it! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't thank you enough! I'll never forget this... I swear! You and any of your friends are always welcome here at any time!" He said, grateful for the boy. "No problem, just be more careful next time." Omori advised him.

"I'll try to. Oh I think I may have mentioned this before, but I have a daughter about your age I think. Her name is Sarah... She's probably in her room right now! You both should get to know each, but uh keep this little incident between us... ok?" The clumsy guy said, before he went to wonder and looked for something on the floor.

Omori went to see the dad's daughter, he knocked before the door opened. "Oh, hi! I heard some commotion in the kitchen. Did my dad's wedding ring fall down the sink again?" She asked, already knowing the answer to the question. "Yup. I did help him with his little accident though." Omori replied. "Ugh... He always does that... Well thanks for helping by the way, mom would have probably chewed his ear off if he found out." She said. "Right time and place I guess." He replied.

"Anyway, hi! I'm Sarah! It's nice to meet you!" She greeted him. "Sunny but call me Omori and likewise." He greeted me. "My mom started going on her health rampage a while back, so we don't have any chips or snacks in our house anymore..." She complained. "But... I guess carrot and celery taste pretty good... if they're dipped in ranch sauce..." She said.

"Well, good luck I suppose. I best be on my way, it's getting late." He waved goodbye before he left. "Bye-bye!" Omori left the house and made his way into the last destination, which was Kim's house. He'll visit the old man another day, he suppose.

He went to the house with the red roof and knocked on the door. The sun was already set and it was starting to get dark. After a few moments, the door opened. "Oh, hello there, welcome." The red-glasses lady answered. "I'm making dinner right now, would you like to join us?" she asked him.

"Um no thanks, I already had lunch at my friend's house." Omori politely declined. "I'm actually looking uh... for Kim." He said. "Kim? Why? Did she do something bad to you!" She quickly said, almost about to drop hell. Omori quickly tried to defuse and explain properly. "Oh, no! She didn't do anything at all." For the most part. He decided to leave a few details and basically lie. "I just need to ask her something regarding my friend who she hangs out with. That's all." He said.

Kim's mom seems to calm down. "Oh, I see. Do come inside, I still need to finish making dinner. Oh and make sure you wipe your feet when you enter." She instructed him. Omori complied and rubbed his feet on the mat before entering and following the red-glasses lady.

"Kim and Vance are in their room. Do get to know them, someone like you would be a good influence for them instead of those kids they hang out with lately." She said, before she went back into finishing preparing dinner.

Omori went upstairs to the siblings room and knocked on the door, soon after the door opened and it was Vance who answered. "Oh hey. What's up? Munch..." He simply said, not surprised to see him at the slightest. "WHAT THE?! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE NERD!!" His sister Kim on the other hand were. 

"You're mom invited me in, I helped her out earlier today with finding her garden shears." He explained. "Grumble... grumble... Ugh you must have made friends with my mom, huh? She lets anyone who listens to her talk..." He complained. "Still! What gives you the right to barge into people's houses like that?! Ugh..." Kim said before she left the two and went to the side of the bed and sat there.

"Don't mind Kim there, she's a lot of talk but she's got a big heart underneath all of it." Vance said, inviting to come inside. "I'm sure she is, and so are you from what I see. A big giant with a big heart." Omori jokes. "Haha yeah, I got some big muscles as well." He said, flexing. "Don't worry, I got no beef with you. Me and Kim just always do the same stuff together. I'm only one year older than her, but no one believes me because of my beard... Although it had its uses."

Omori went to Kim and said, "Well your mom is so nice, and scary at the same time." Omori commented. Kim snorted. "You tell me, try living with her. Anyway, what do you want nerd? I doubt you came here to just chit-chat or whatever." Kim said, eyeing him as she adjusted her glasses.

"Very observant I must say. Yes, I actually want to talk to you about Aubrey." Omori said, now becoming serious. "Oh right... So how did it go with Aubrey at the church?" Kim asked. "Well, it didn't go well... things got escalated after Kel accidently provoked her and we ended up fighting." He recalled the event beforehand.

Kim's eyes widened, as she was shocked at what she heard. "You're kidding... Did you two really fight at the church?!" She said, still not believing what he said. "Yup, in the middle of a sermon too, the fight ended quickly though with us winning." He said, unbothered. "Wow, I never thought I'd hear this. I wish I was there to see with my eyes, it would have been great." Vance sounded disappointed.

"Aubrey ran when people started to say... not good things about her." Omori said. "Grrr... I'll show those people, how dare they say those things to Aubrey when they don't know what she's been through?!" Kim furiously said, not happy to hear that her friend is being treated like this. Which is ironic that she says this but she does the same with Basil.

"Thankfully, we did manage to retrieve the photo Album back after she threw it in the trash. But that's not the point. Kim, do any of you know why Aubrey is acting the way she is to Basil?" He asked.

"Errr... Honestly no, we only saw Aubrey calling him "creep" and stuff so we started doing it too... so we assume he did something bad to Aubrey." Kim explained, she seems in deep thought. "Looking back... we never understood why we did it, but Aubrey... she just won't tell us or me what's wrong, let alone what beef she got with that flower lover." Kim said.

"Well, I actually know. It's just a misunderstanding between the two and I'm trying to clear it before things escalate further." Omori said. "Is that so? What's the deal with the two if you don't mind me asking." Kim asked. 

"Uh... it's actually a bit too personal if you don't mind. So, could you tune down with the bullying? It'll only complicate things." He said. "Like I said, Aubrey probably won't listen but I'll try my best to do so, but there's also the others who will only listen to Aubrey so it'll come down to-" Kim said.

"Uhhh... Kim... Where are the two candy bags that we hid?" Vance suddenly interrupted them, worried. "KIM, VANCE!! COME DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!!" suddenly a yell came from downstairs from their mother, and by the sound of it. "Shoot... we got busted..." Kim said. Both siblings had no choice but to go unless they wanted to anger her more. Both went to their imminent doom, a fate worse than death.

Omori was left behind, debating whether he should step in or stay away from the woman's wrath. He decided to go after the siblings downstairs and saw the two siblings standing in front of their mother. "Now. Would both of you tell me, where did you get these bags of candies?" She demanded an answer, her cold and sharp tone made both siblings shiver and almost him too.

"Well err..." Kim tried to come up for an excuse. "Did you steal them from the candy store again?" She said, "N-No! We didn't steal them." Both replied in union. "Don't tell me you went and visited your father behind my back." She dangerously said. "W-We did not! A-And even if we did, dad won't let us." Kim was the one who answered. "I just don't understand why you hate dad so much!" Kim unconsciously and unintentionally raised her voice from the result of her getting emotional when her dad got brought up. "You better watch your tone young lady! I won't tolerate any disrespect in my house. Understood?" Her mom shot her a death glare then made her immediately silent and made Vance wince. Kim was many things, but suicidal was not one of them and she knew when to keep her mouth shut, so she gulped and silently nodded. 

"Good. We're drifting away from our original discussion. So, both of you better come up with an answer soon, since my pertinence is running out." she said, crossing her hand and not breaking contacts with her children. Both siblings looked at each other for a bit, unable to come up with anything."Ummm..."

"I'm waiting..." She warned them for the last time. Omori was watching all this display fold before him, he stayed quiet but he had to step in before things get ugly. And he did willingly give them the bag of candies for free so they getting punished for no is kinda unfair so he'll almost feel bad for them. But right now he doesn't know if he wants to face her when she's like this.

Omori ultimately decided to be brave -and also stupid- and face the beast, he cleared his throat before saying. "Uhh excuse me, Miss. I can explain." As soon he uttered these words, the lady's eyes stared at his soul and glared daggers. Which made him shiver and put his stare skill into shame. But she stayed silent and waited for him to continue. 

"Me and my friend bought some of the candies and gave them to them when we saw them at the candy store." Which technically wasn't a lie but he spared a few details out. "Is that true?" She asked them. "Uhh... Yeah! Those nerds gave us those bags of candies and asked in a favor in return. But we're cool with them now." Kim quickly spouted out. The lady started and examined them like a hawk at them for what felt like an eternity... The air became tight, no one dared to breathe or make a sound. You could hear a pin drop very clearly.

She let out a sigh after seeing no signs of them lying. " I see... Forgive me, I overacted there." The red-glasses lady apologized and finally calmed down. Both siblings let out a sigh of relief, glad they've barely dodged a bullet. "Still! I'll be taking these bags away." She added, both siblings looked shocked and groined but no one dared to object. "You can have some after dinner, and only a small portion from it." She said.

"Well, with that done I'm glad to hear that you're all getting along. Are you certain that you can't join us for dinner, even for a bit?" She asked him once again. However he wasn't the one who replied, as Kim put her hand around him before he could say anything. "Actually... me and my uh 'buddy' here were talking earlier and he said he was about to leave. Isn't that right, nerd?" Kim turned to him for confirmation while slightling tightening the grip on his neck. Translate: Better say yes and leave or else. 'Message received.' He wasn't planning on staying anyway, OWW DAMN IT!

"Yeah, like I said before, I already had my fill at my friend's house." He said, removing her arm from him. "Besides, it's gotten dark so I probably should get going to my house now." He excused himself. "Oh that's a shame... Maybe next time, you're always welcome anytime here." She said..

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... Come on! We'd hate to keep you , here I'll show you the door." Kim said, as she grabbed his shoulder from behind and guided -pushed- him towards the door and led him outside. "SEE YA NERD!" Kim said, before she shut the door on him.

. . .

Well that just happened... 'Not even a single thank you at least?' Omori thought before he left and made his way back to his house. The place got dark and quiet, he felt himself getting a bit sleepy as he let out a yawn. Hell of a day it was...

After a bit of walking, Omori reached his final destination, his house. And opened the door and made his way inside and then upstairs, then the bedroom, and lastly the bed. He didn't bother taking his shoes off nor his handbag and just tacked himself in bed with them. He was honestly too tired to care. He closed his eyes and slowly let his body drift to sleep like before.

Today was hell, and tomorrow will probably be the same or worse than the last... 

~ { END DAY 1 } ~

Chapter Text

"How is she?" Omori asked, he looked very worried and on edge the whole time.

"She's alright for now. But her body is slowly falling apart... it's uncertain how long before she can fully recover." Stranger replied.

Both Omori and Stranger were in the endless void which was Black space.

"Or if she can even make it all together, her body suffered from severe damage beyond repair."

Omori slumped in defeat. Even if he knew the answer, hearing was like a big bullet that hit him and left a giant hole in his heart. He was heartbroken and angry to hear what happened to his dearest friend - Abbi.

"I'm sorry to be the one who had to bear the bad news." Stranger said apologetically.

"The best we can do is keep the abyss for the time being, where she'll be safe and hopefully recover.

The abyss was a place which was hidden away deep in the abyss hence the name. Few people only know about this place's existence and those who try to enter only get lost and forgotten.

It was the perfect place to keep Abbi safe and hidden. Only he and Stranger know about this place and also knows about Abbi's situation.

"And what about the one who attacked her? Did you find the person who's responsible?!" Omori snarled.

Omori was restless, and eyes screamed bloodshed. He wasn't going to stop until he found the one who did this to his closest friend. He wanted revenge.

"Not yet. We're trying our best to find him, but so far there aren't any traces of them, it's like they somehow vanished in thin air." Stranger explained, still bothered by the lack of explanation.

Omori wasn't happy at the slightest. He was about to storm out before he was stopped by Stranger.

"Hold on, Omori! where do you think you're going?" Stranger demanded, already knew where he was headed.

"Where else? I'm going to see Abbi." 

"Omori. No." 

"Why not?!" Omori angrily inquired.

"You know why."

"..."

"Abbi is not in the best of state right now. You saw how she reacted when she last saw you." Stranger explained.

"I just don't get why she's only hostile towards me!! It doesn’t make any sense at all." 

"She might be confused, her injuries led her to have trouble speaking which indicates that she also suffered from severe brain damage apart from the body." 

"She might have lost her memories in the process. She most likely didn't recognize you and confused you as a threat for some reason." Stranger concluded his theory.

Omori didn't look convinced at all. He was beyond livid and also hurt... he can't even go see Abbi.

For some reason she saw him as a monster, she was afraid of him. Maybe it was because of how he turned out.

It hurts a lot. And the fact they can't do anything about this, hurts even more. Not even a reset can fix Abbi up. She is one of the... special cases in headspaces. The rules of reset don't apply to her, and even if they could, he refuses to make another version of Abbi. It would mean that all that time they spent and their relationship didn't exist.

"Abbi is safe in the abyss, no one can reach her there." Stranger reassured him, as he noticed he looked troubled.

"The best we can do is wait and hope for the best."

Hope...? Hope!! No. He won't just sit there and wait and 'Hope'. But Stranger was right as much it pains him to say, but he won't stop him from avenging Abbi. He has a new purpose now, which is 'revenge'. He'll make the one responsible sorry for what he did to Abbi. 

"I won't stop until I find the bastard who did this." Omori swore to himself and to Abbi.

As Omori was about to leave, he felt something grab his wrist. He turned to the only one who was present with him.

"Listen, I know we don't see eye to eye, and you're not who's feeling that way, Abbi was as much as a friend to both of us." Stranger said, "But, don't let this revenge mission of yours stray you away from what your and our main goal is." Stranger said, giving him a look which Omori recognized as a warning.

"I don't want to have to turn your back and take matters into my own hands if I see. I'm patient, but I have limits."

"..."

Both said nothing for a while, before Omori regained his senses and forcefully broke away from his grip and gave him the stink eye. 

Omori didn't pay any mind to him, right now Abbi was equally important too.

'Sunny can handle himself fir a while. ' Omori thought. His miision can wait, since it was ultimately his choice whether he wants to move on or not and all could do is try to convince him somehow. But this will have to wait, he will leave Sunny alone until eventually he decides to move on so he can focus on finding the culprit. 

Both soon parted ways, with Stranger's last statement coming true in the future...

'I promise I will find the one who did this and make them suffer like they did to you, Abbi.'

Omori soon woke up tired, the sunlight shined from the window and into his face, and illuminated the room. He groaned as he rubbed his eyes for a bit before sitting up on the bed. 

It seems like it was still early in the morning... ugh.

He woke up drained, even though he slept what felt like was enough and more. The unpleasant dream did take a toll on poor Omori. Having been reminded by his most painful memory. He was annoyed that he had to experience it again and constantly reminded of his past failure.

He tried to shake off those thoughts away and try to focus on something else.

He noticed he was still outside in Sunny's body. 'So, that's how you wanna play it, huh?' Omori internally thought, hoping Stranger could hear him the bastard. His power won't last very long before he can return to Head space. The only thing Stranger is doing is buying time and delaying the inevitable, but still he doesn't quite understand what his plan is exactly by trapping him outside?  

Sigh, it must have been to have him witness that whole mess with Sunny's friend group. And he would be right as much as he hates to admit it. Stranger attempts to snap him out didn't work at all as he didn't listen... He messed up big time, he was so blinded by anger, hatred and thirst for revenge that he forgot about helping Sunny move on, and even worse that he and Sunny were unaware of the fractured friends who were also suffering. He wanted to make amends which is why he took upon himself to look after the group until they left and he swore to look after Sunny.

'Well, no use dwelling on the past.' Omori thought, as he got up from the bed and stretched his stiff body out before he rubbed the tear from his eye caused by his wide yawn. It seems like it was early in the morning.

Everything looked the same as before, minus the flashing red light from the phone. No doubt that Sunny's mom left him another message like yesterday. Well since Sunny isn't here, he might as well check it to see if there's anything new.

He went to the phone and clicked on the button and tried to listen as he was half awake by this point.

*click*

"You have... one new message."

"Hey Sunny, it's Mommy. Are you doing okay? You haven't been answering any of my calls or voicemails! If you keep ignoring me, I'll start to get very worried again!"

'Didn't feel like it nor I think Sunny would either.' Omori thought.

"I hope you're pacing your chores... I don't even think I could finish everything in one day!"

'Don't worry, I haven't done a single chore or do I plan to.' Omori sarcastically gives a thumbs up in response. 

"Did you end up visiting Kel? If not, it's alright... I understand. Just take things at your own pace honey..."

'I did and it was quite the ride.' Omori thought, recalling all the events that happened yesterday.

"By the way, can you check the closet downstairs and see if there's anything you want to keep? We'll probably just throw away whatever that you don't want anymore."

"There's only two days left before I come to pick you up. Ok, that's it for now! Mommy loves you! Make sure to return my calls. Bye, Honey!"

*bzzt...*

Welp, that's that I guess...

Omori then exited the room, completely ignoring the to-do-list as he passed by it and pretended it wasn't there. He went to the bathroom and saw himself in the mirror, and he wasn't looking pretty to say the least. He looked like he was an ugly walking corpse and he had a bag under his eyes.

'I look miserable and ugly, so nothing new.' Omori thought.

He turned the water tap and washed his whole face with cold water so he could wash the sleepiness away from him. After a few washes, he took one of the towels hanging and began rubbing his face. His look was passable now, but even if he didn't look like a corpse now, he sure smells like one... ugh.

Omori took Sunny's toothbrush and toothpaste and began brushing his teeth and then his tongue to cast away the bad smell. After a few minutes, he spits out and wash his mouth with water.

Now he looked a bit human and ready to blend in with society. There were still a few traces of tiredness left, Omori wished he had a cup of black coffee right now. Well today was another day as they say. Omori took one last look at the mirror and fixed his clothes.

 'Sigh... I miss my black tank top. ' Omori thought, disappointed. This wasn't... him, and by that he means that the outfit doesn't suit him in his opinion.

After finishing refreshing up, he heads downstairs into the kitchen. No doubt he'll be hungry after waking up.

*GROOWL*

Speak of the devil... Omori headed out from the bathroom and made his way downstairs to the kitchen to eat what was apparently 'the most important meal of the day' which they call breakfast.

Thankfully, he had some leftovers left from yesterday. Good thing he made a trip at Othermart, otherwise he'll spend the whole morning starving.

Omori, curious, took Sunny's wallet out and checked how much money he got.

Hmmm... it seems he had 33 dollars plus the 20 that Kel borrowed from him - Which he didn't forget, by the way! - on him at the moment, not bad. That should cover him for the day. Although no harm in doing some jobs and earning a few extra bucks. It might not be useful to him, but it will definitely be useful to Sunny, especially when he's moving soon to the city in two days. And also doing the jobs will help him kill time and keep his mind busy from getting reminded by the chimes of his painful past. So all in all, it's a win-win for everyone.

Omori then took his gold watch and checked the time on it. It read 8:37AM... ugh. It was too damn early for him but he was fully awake so getting back to sleep is out of the window. And even if he could, he honestly doesn't want to see another of her and doesn't even want to entertain the thought.

It might also explain why he's feeling so tired after waking up, since Sunny's body isn't used to waking up this early.

Omori enters the kitchen soon after, he opens the fridge and takes out the milk and sets it on the counter and checks the provisions that he had on him. 

Hmmm... Let's see... There were some cereal, crackers, chips and an apple. That should be enough to keep him going. Omori then took out a bowl and a spoon, he poured the milk first - Yes he's a sociopath. So what? - and then the cereal next and began eating. 

Then he eats the remaining provisions that were left, filling his hunger need. He throws everything in the trash and puts the dirty bowl in the sink with the other dirty dishes without paying no mind to it at all.

Seems there's no knocking from Kel yet, which makes sense since it was early and he doubts anyone is awake at this hour since it's summer vacation, apart from workers and adults who got work and jobs. 

He also has nothing better to do as for now, he might go and take a few jobs like he did yesterday and meet other... interesting people along the way, he might be lucky enough to pull a prank or two for laughs.

He has time before Kel wakes up, if he were to guess when the sleeping beauty will wake... he'll say at most, close to noon, considering how exhausted his body was yesterday so he needs a lot of rest to fully recover. 

There's also the matter with both Basil and Aubrey, the photos album, and him breaking the news to the flower boy about him leaving in two days. Omori dreaded when the time comes, he will have to eventually, he can't run away from this and he doesn't want to. He won't let his mistakes hurt others, not again.

But he'll leave the whole truth about Mari to Sunny. Should he want to tell them or not, that's none of his business. That's got to be his choice if he wants to move on and not his.

Omori sighed one last time before he took out his steak knife and stared at his reflection for a while. "Don't worry, I won't back on my word... but I have a few loose ends that I need to take care of first." Omori said. 

"After that, I will continue seeking my revenge. And if not I'll see you on the flip side. I just hope you didn't have any regrets and I hope you can forgive me." Omori shut his eyes in remorse.

He puts his steak knife away, and heads off to the outside world. They say that today is another new day... But for me I say it's another day closer to death. Time is a limited resource and awaits no one that Omori knows too well... Heh, my time is almost near, I can almost hear the clock ticking.

Back to Sunny in black space. He was still in church. Everything was dark and the place were stripped of any color. The place also was dead quiet and a bit cold.

Stranger stood before him as there was light on top of him but his shadowy figure was still recognizable. He continued to eye him as each second passed, Sunny felt more uncomfortable. Stranger finally broke the silence and said. "I told you to sit and make yourself comfortable, rest assured I'm not here to harm you or anything." 

Sunny was hesitant at first but complied, and sat on the nearest pew and sat down. He was still nervous and on edge, the place gave him the feeling of uneasiness and creeps. He decided to ask Stranger once again, seeing who was less nervous now. "Where are we? A-And Where's Omori?" Sunny asked.

"I will explain everything, so don't worry." Stranger replied.

"To answer your first question, we are in black space." 

Sunny's eyes were widened in fear as his body began shaking from fear as long he heard the name. Stranger took notice of his reaction and said, "Rest easy, nothing here will harm you, I will insure that. This place also serves as a safezone, everything will be provided for you for the time being." Stranger explained. 

This calmed Sunny down a little. "O-Okay... But why did you bring me here...?"

"I was about to get there. I brought you here so you and Omori, hopefully can get a better grasp of what you two were oblivious of."

"W-What? I don't understand..."

"Sunny." 

He jolted up in place from having his name called out to him, never ever he heard used his Stranger real name once and always refer to him as 'Dreamer'... until now, which is why this took him by surprise.

"You've been running from the truth for too long now."

Sunny began sweating heavily and had trouble breathing when he mentioned the word. He began panicking, he wanted to run away and escape. Omori will surely come and save him...

Stranger looked at him as if he could hear what he was thinking and said, "Omori isn't here to save you this time."

That caught Sunny off guard. "W-What do you mean... W-Where is Omori?!" Sunny asked, perplexed.

"Omori is not here... he's not in headspace to be more precise." He answered

"As we are speaking, Omori is in the outside world, residing in your body for the time being." Stranger explained.

"H-Huh... How?" Sunny was beyond lost, he seems to get more confused by the second. Stranger's answer only brought more questions from him than answers.

"As I said before, I will explain everything, but you will have to sit and listen and not bombard me with questions at every second." 

Sunny was about to ask yet another question but decided against it and remained silent.

After a few seconds, Stranger nodded before continuing. "The reason I brought you here is that I can help you come face to face with the truth and hopefully come to terms with it."

"I will give you two choices, either face the truth once and for all, or not. There's no third choice and no way around it." Stranger made his statement clear.

"I-"

"I'm not finished yet." Stranger cut him off, raising his hand. 

"After three days have passed, you will give me a definitive answer... until then You will remain here for the whole duration with me, no one in or out." Stranger sternly said, before he turned his back and started speaking, with Sunny listening quietly as if they were in a real church, having a sermon.

"Whether you choose is up to you, I won't force you if you refuse."

"I will be gone either way, this has gone on for too long... This will be my last resort and last attempt to convince you."

"As for Omori... He's outside of headspace, in your body like I said before."

"Omori is not aware of the damage with our friends outside like you do."

"That's why I've switched your place with him so he can see and experience them for himself, including you of course."

Sunny gave him a questioning look as he tilted his head but didn't say anything.

"I will be projecting what Omori sees outside into here, so you can watch too." 

"By that I can hit two birds with one stone. A set up a barrier so Omori can't access headspace until the three days pass."

" Sigh... I hope that you will make the right choice. If it was only you who was suffering by it, I wouldn't even go this far and bring you here."

"But know there are others who are also suffering because of us... people who we once called friends, if we can even still call them that..."

"..."

"In three days, you will be leaving everything behind. You will inflict wounds and pain to them the more you hide and run away."

"Is this really the thing you want? How you want to live?"

"..."

"..."

"You have three days to think and give me your answer." Stranger said, before he left the the troubled boy alone with his thoughts in the unfamiliar area.

Chapter Text

Omori stepped outside the house and covered his eyes from the direct sunlight for a moment. The air was lovely, but a bit humid. The sun was glaring at him, and the voices of various wild animals could be heard. Birds chirping, squirrels squeaking, and cats meowing—wait! Meowing?!

Omori looks up to see where the source of the sound was. Up there at the far right end of the house rooftop, he found the orange-cat just sitting while he stared at him curiously and eagerly.

"Well, look who's back." Omori said. He must have been yearning for another fish, although how did he find out where exactly I live? I guess cats are that smart, or he got so lucky. 

[ Little Orange Cat ⅠⅠⅠ ]

"I'll bring you a fish later if I come across Othermart." Omori promised the hungry cat, and then suddenly, the orange-cat's back arched as he hissed loudly. Omori was confused at the orange-cat's odd, sudden change of behavior. 'Was it something I said?' Omori thought.

After that, the answer came crashing down on him, literally. "Oof!!" That answer came in the form of a dog, and right away he got tacked down and is currently receiving licks. "DAMN IT!! Why does this keep happening to me?!" Omori shouted, unhappy that he had been assaulted a second time.

Omori immediately recognized the dog and silently mentally addressed the artist girl. He tried once again to calm the beast down. "Lucas, stop! No, bad dog!" 

After a while, Lucas finally got off him and turned his attention to the cat on the roof. He started barking at it, which in turn earned a hiss from the angry kitty. 'Welp, that explains how both pets got here at least.' Omori thought as he got up before he wiped the dust off him and wiped the moisture off his face, ugh.

It seems like Lucas ran away from the house- While he didn't blame him for doing so, he would have done the same if he had to stay for another minute with that nutcase. And he got distracted by the cat and chased her down to his house, where they both ended up.

"BARK! BARK!"

Omori concluded his thoughts before he turned his attention to the dog, who was still picking on the poor kitty. He probably should intervene and get Lucas back to his owner- who no doubt is worried sick about her dog running off like that. 

"Come on, stop scaring the poor cat." Omori commanded the dog, which surprisingly stopped as he listened to his command. Huh? The orange-cat turned away in annoyance before he started licking her paw elegantly.

Lucas then turned to stare at him while looking content and still panting- as he was waiting for him to give him another command. Hey, that gives Omori an idea, 'Let's see...' He tried to come up with commands to use.

"Sit!"

Lucas sat down immediately. Which added more to Omori's surprise; it seems like he was trained well.

"Lay down."

Lucas lay down.

"Roll over."

He rolled over soon after.

Omori was feeling superb about his power to command this dog to do anything he wished. Well, fun is short lived. As he probably should get him back to his owner.

"..." 

He turned to where Lucas was, only to find him gone. Son of a... Bitch! Literally. Where did he go?! He was here just seconds ago! Omori looked around to find that mischievous, slippery bastard.

Thankfully, he didn't go far, as he found him with Kel's dog- Hector. Just sniffing each other's bums... ew. Both then barked at each other playfully before they started playing by chasing each other and biting non-violently.

Omori watched them both play for a while before he decided it was enough and they should get going now. He whistled to get the dog's attention. "Come on, Lucas! Follow me." He ordered him.

Lucas turned to him before he let out a bark and went after him.

"Come on, let's get you home." Omori said. Let's see if he remembers where the artist's house is. He started walking, -with Lucas following behind as well, in the direction that he assumed was the artist's house- it was a small town after all, so it shouldn't be hard. 

Omori decided to start a conversation with the dog for some unknown reason while they walked,

"Why did you run off like that? Y'know your owner is probably worried sick about you, don't you" 

"BARK!"

"Yeah, she can be too much sometimes, but she does care about you." Omori repiled, as if he knew what the dog was saying.

"BARK!"

"Can't go and scare her like that. It's rude, y'know." He half-heartedly scolded him.

"BARK!" 

"Well, you know what else is rude? Knocking me down without a warning."

"BARK!"

"So, you better be good from now on, you hear?"

"BARK BARK!"

"I get the feeling that she's not a girl you want to cross."

"BARK"

"I see, you got distracted by the cat. Well, be more careful; otherwise, you might get lost."

"BARK! BARK!"

"Well, gotta hurry back. I still have the photos and Basil matter that I need to deal with."

"BARK!"

"Yeah, I know, but I'm still unsure about the whole thing. I know it's not time to have second thoughts, but I can't help but get cold feet."

"BARK!"

"I know. Things will be worse either way, so it's best to get it over with before it gets a lot worse."

"BARK!"

"You think so?"

"BARK!"

"Yeah, you reap what you sow."

"BARK!"

"Well, good talk."

"BARK!"

Omori then proceeds to walk in silence, finally concluding that he has finally lost his mind altogether by trying to get advice from a dog, of all things. Omori didn't consider himself a dog person, but he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy having a dog as a pet.

"LUCAS! OH, THANK GOODNESS!" 

Soon Omori and the dog reached the artist girl's house- where she was standing outside. Upon seeing them, she called her dog's name. Lucas went running to his owner.

"Sigh... Lucas... Don't worry about me like that..." She said this while she patted him.

"BARK!" 

"I wonder if you sometimes just live here for food."

"BARK!" 

"Alright,

"Back to the house you go, Lucas." She strictly ordered him, and he didn't need to be told twice as he went inside. The artist then turned her attention to Omori before she closed the door, just to be sure a repeat wouldn't happen.

"Oh, thank you, kind stranger, for finding my dog, Lucas." She thanked him as she swiftly shook his hand. "It was no problem, ma'am. It was actually he who found me." Omori said.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. I don't have much, but please take this as a gesture of my gratitude." She handed him a paint brush. "Ahh... thanks I guess," Omori was unsure what to do with it, but he accepted it nonetheless. He put it in his satchel.

{ Got Paint Brush }

"Quite a dog, you have." Omori commented. The artist sighed and replied, "Tell me about it. Lucas is a good dog, but he always wants to get out of the house! He waits for any opportunity to get out, and today he bolted out of the door as soon as I opened it." She was a bit annoyed as she messaged her temple. 

"Well, I suppose this is done and over. I've gotta get back and start painting again," she said, before pausing for a bit. " Now I think about it... I don't think I've ever introduced myself to you yet." 

"I'm Sofie! Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I tend to get lost while I'm painting, hehe." Sofie introduced herself as she laughed sheepishly at her carelessness. "Sunny but call me Omori. And it's quite alright, Sofie."

"Well... Omori... Seeing that you are already here," she paused as she eyed him slowly. Uh oh.

"How about you help me by critiquing my art like you did yesterday?" She proposed. Omori panicked as he looked around for an excuse before she abducted him. He knows she won't take no for an answer. "I- Uh... Oh! I think I see Lucas trying to get out again!" He loudly proclaimed as he pointed behind her.

"WHAT! WHERE!" Sofie shouted before she turned around and found... nothing? "Huh? I don't see him anyway... Did you-" She stopped mid-sentence as she saw him quickly vanish from his spot, leaving dust in his place.

She began looking around. After not finding any signs of the boy, she sighed.

"You could have said no, y'know..." She mumbled as she huffed before she went inside.

Omori immediately booked as Sofie was distracted, and he was not keen on having a repeat of last time. He was panting as he was catching his breath before he looked behind him to make sure she didn't follow him; thankfully, there were no signs of her anywhere.

On his way, he came across Basil's house and saw Polly watering the flowers outside. He went to her to say hi. "Good morning, Polly." 

Polly turned to face him before she recognized the boy. "Oh, Omori! Good morning to you as well. How are you doing?" She asked.

"Okay, I suppose. How's... Basil and his grandma?" 

Polly let out a long sigh before she answered. "Basil is still sleeping, but he went and locked himself in his room yesterday after you guys left." She said, "And grandma's health isn't getting better; I'm just so worried."

"I'm sorry to hear that... Do you need any help with watering the plants?" He offered to help the lady, which she politely declined. "It's nice of you to offer, but I can manage, and I'm almost done anyway." 

"Sure, just let me know what I can do to help." He said, which made Polly smile and thank the boy. "Thank you, Omori."

"So... I take it that Basil no longer cares for the flowers around the house?" He asked.

"Yes," She started. "Ever since Grandma got sick, he has become more neglectful about taking care of the flowers. Which leaves me to do it instead." She said, "I hope he is okay... I'm sensing he's holding something but he won't say what is to anyone."

"He's going through a tough time; these things take time." He said, "Sometimes, people hide their problems so that they don't want to burden others or are not comfortable sharing them with anyone yet." He explained.

"Perhaps you're right, but all I want is to help and reach out to him." She said.

"This thing takes time; you can't rush it." 

"Well, I best be on my way. I hope things turn out for the better for you, Miss Polly." 

"Thank you, farewells. I better get to it." 

Both said their goodbyes before Omori left and walked for a while until he reached the Plaza. On his way to Othermart, he saw a bizarre sight. There, he saw Kim's mom and Miss Candice having an argument outside. He went closer to eavesdrop,but he came at the argument.

"I'm very much capable of handling my kids, Candice! Thank you very much!"

"MISS! MISS CANDICE TO YOU!"

"MiSs CAnDSidE tO YOu."

"Why you...! If you are as 'capable,’ as you say, we wouldn't even have this conversation in the first place!"

"It's MRS. And I would like to see you try raising two kids while being a single mother, not that you would know in the first place."

"Oh! Yeah? Well I-"

"You know what? This conversation is over. I'm not going to spend my time arguing with an obnoxious person." 

"Yeah! Well, I'm also not talking with a quick-tempered, arrogant person!"

Kim's mom stormed off, looking pissed off and ready to snap someone in half. Miss Candice, on the other hand, her face was as red as a tomato from the anger. She gritted her teeth and glared daggers at the lady's back before letting out a muffled scream in her hands before storming off inside Othermart.

Kim's mom then spotted him, and her expression switched to surprise. "Oh, Omori!" 

"Good morning, ma'am." He nodded at her, ignoring the fact that she had just unleashed her rage just a moment ago.

"Oh... I hope that you didn't hear our argument back there." She said, a bit embarrassed.

"Heard? Ma'am, no offense, but I think the whole plaza—or rather, the town heard you both." Omori replied. 

"Sigh... I'm sorry you had to see me like this twice now." She apologized.

"Eh, it doesn't bother that much, to be honest." 

"Even so, I must apologize for my behavior nonetheless." She said, "Miss Candice came to complain about my kids trying to steal from her store the other day. She then mentioned how I was a bad mother for not raising them. And that's what ticked me off and made me lash into her." She explained.

"Things got heated quickly, but thankfully I managed to stop myself and end the conversation before things escalated further."

"Sounds like it wasn't the best idea to put you together alone in a room." Omori commented.

"Indeed." She lightly chuckled. "Say, how about the both of us get something to eat?" She offered.

"Uhh... I don't know, actually." Omori was a bit hesitant about accepting.

"Please, I insist. Consider this an apology for what happened yesterday."

Omori stayed silent for a bit, thinking. Until he finally decided to accept. " Sigh ... Sure, why not?"

'Not how I imagined I would spend my day,' Omori thought.

Both went inside Gino's soon after and took one of the vacant tables. Kim's mom ordered some salad, and he settled on a Hero Sandwich. He wasn't that hungry, and pizza isn't exactly what you call breakfast, but it's food nonetheless, plus he didn't want to cost the lady since she offered to pay for his food- despite him trying to pay for it.

"I would have preferred eating in a cafe, but... they don't bother building one." She commented.

"Well, some things don't change. I bet even if we traveled 100 years in the future, things would be the same." He said, "Hell, there are even some constructions that they haven't bothered finishing yet." This town would be left behind in time.

"Yeah, but what can we do? It's our home, and we live in it." 

"Well, I guess it's better than nothing."

"Indeed." Both then fell silent soon after.

"..."

"With all due respect, ma'am. I don't think you brought me here so we can just have a chit chat." Omori decided to break the silence and be upfront about it.

"Hmm... You're very observant." She complimented him, looking a bit impressed.

"So I was told..."

"Yes, I did have something I wanted to discuss with you, if you don't mind, that is." 

"Sure, what are they?" He asked.

"Twofold, I wanted to apologize about yesterday, and the second is mainly about my two kids, Kim and Vance." She explained. 

"You know, I only met Kim and Vance yesterday, so I'm not exactly close with them." 

"I know, though I'll be a bad mother if I don't try, don't you think?"

"I guess... Sigh , so what do you need?" He asked.

"Miss Candice complained earlier that my kids tried to steal from her shop again." She paused before she took a deep breath. "Omori... Be honest with me. Were those bags of candy I found earlier stolen?" She slowly and calmly said, "I promise I won't be mad, but you need to know I won't tolerate both stealing and lying."

"Yes and no." He said, which earned a raised eyebrow from the red-glasses lady. "You see, me and my friend caught them and stopped them from stealing. Then we bought those bags of candies so we could get some information from them, that's all." He explained. The lady eyed his expressions and gestures to see whether he was lying or not. After not sensing any, she sighed and said, "I see... I will let this one slip up then." 

"Well, I do hope you try to get to know them better; they could use a good role model like you." She added

Omori silently snickered. Him? A good role model? That's a good one. "I'm not sure I'm the best; you're giving me too much credit."

"I'm sure; besides, I heard some good things about you from some friends of mine here." She explained, "I heard that you tutored one of my friend's sons, and that you are also hardworking and help many people around town." She said, "Furthermore, everyone is praising you and thinking highly of you around here, which is why I'm quite sure about my choice. You're the one who is undermining himself." 

Wow. Was he really that popular in town? He only helped a few people out, but he didn't expect he'd be the talk of the town despite it being only the first day he got out of the house.

"Okay, that might be true, but still, I can't change them overnight, and I'm moving out in three days, so..." He paused.

"I know it sounds selfish of me to ask, but... all I ask is that you try," she requested. "You can leave some impact on people; you never know."

"Fine... I'll guess I'll try." Omori accepted as he took one bite and a sip of his water. Sigh... It's just one thing after another, isn't it?

"Thank you." She gave him a genuine smile. "I know I might seem too hard on them, but I really want the best for them, especially for my dear Kim." 

"What do you mean by that, if you don't mind me asking?" Omori was a bit intrigued.

"Things were hard; me and my husband divorced when Kim was only a baby." 

"Me and my husband loved each other, but we weren't really exactly compatible with one another. I gave him too many chances to change, but he wouldn't, and I couldn't endure much longer, so we had to divorce."

"Although I'm not that much of a monster for stopping the kids from visiting him." She said, as she took off her glasses. " Sigh... Kim has changed since she learned about me and her father's separation." She explained. "She became more... rebellious and always caused trouble with the scooter gang." She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"I fear that I'm not doing a great job as a mother, and she'll grow up with a dark future." To say that the mother was worried was an understatement; it was understandable that she feared for her kids, but I think she worried a bit too much over nothing. 

"My father left when I was 12, and my mom did her best, but she's always out working, so I really had no one to look after me." Omori really wanted to know how it came to this, where some random woman he met yesterday began venting to him, and now he is trying to reassure her like he is some kind of family counselor. "So considering this, I think you're doing a much better job, so don't worry too much about it."

The red-glasses lady smiled once again. "Yes, I suppose you are right. No use worrying too much about it." She said as she wiped her glasses and wore them. "Thank you, and I'm sorry for venting like this all of a sudden." She apologized. Well, you're not the first one, and ironically, the first was her husband. So they must have things they share... or people are just comfortable venting to him.

"Well, I must be on my way. I have a friend that I will meet here soon, so please excuse me." She got up from her seat as she finished her bowl of salad. "Thank you again; you don't know how much this means to me."

"I can imagine; don't worry about it."

She nodded. "Please, if you need anything, my door is always open to you. Bye now." She left soon after.

Omori sighed before he took one, drank the glass of water, and got up as well, not bothering to finish the sandwich as he wasn't that hungry right now.

He got up and went to the jukebox; maybe some music would soothe him. There was only one CD in the box, so he'll settle with this one. He chose the only option available. He should try buying more CDs to play on it; it would be nice instead of playing the same music over and over.

"Hey, friend! Remember me?" Omori looked to his right and said to the boy, I think his name was Rai? who he met yesterday.

"Yup, Rai. Was it?" He said

"That's me! So however you’ve been?" He asked. 

"So-so, I guess. And you?" Omori replied.

"Oh me, I'm doing good!"

"Hey, this might sound rude, but do you only spend all your time just standing here next to the jukebox?" Omori asked.

"Oh! Haha, no. Actually, uh, you see. I have this crush on this girl that comes here often... and I'm waiting for her to come so I can ask her out." He paused. "But... I'm too much of a coward to ask her out."

"I've been trying to build up the courage to do so, but I end up failing each time." He sighed.

"So, what? You're just going to stand there and stare at her like a creep?" He asked. "NO!"

Then just go ask; it's not that hard. It's either yes or no." 

"I don't know if I can do it..." He was a bit hesitant and unsure.

"Well, would you rather live in wonder and regret it for the rest of your life?" Which he responded with a head shake. "Then just do it; otherwise, someone else will." He replied.

"Easier said than done... Hey, can I ask you something?" Rai asked.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever been in love before?" Omori was a bit hesitant about answering, "Once upon a time, I may have... why?" 

"Good, I want you to give me the push I need to do it!" Omori's expression turned into confusion, as he was baffled and lost by what he just heard. "I'm sorry, but what you're saying is... you want me to be your wingman, is that it?"

Suddenly, Rai went and grabbed onto his shirt in desperation as he begged, "Please, please, dude. I seriously need your help!" Omori was taken aback by his sudden action.

"Okay, okay! Just let go of me; you're making a scene, damn it..." Omori muttered a curse before he broke from the boy's grip.

"Oh, thank you, thank you! You don't know how much this means to me, dude." He thanked him. "Can you meet me here in the evening? She'll most likely come by this time, I hope." He said.

"Alright, I'll see if I can." He replied. And just like that, Omori had become a wingman for a random person. ' Hell... what did he get himself into?' he wondered. At this point, nothing could faze him.

Omori soon headed to the candy shop to see Miss Candice. He honestly never thought he would see her break character, but I guess everyone has limits. Speaking of her... she was leaning on the counter while messaging her head.

She didn't look too excited to see him; she let out a groan. "What do you want?" She asked, a bit too harshly.

"Uhh... Nothing; I'm the one who stopped some bunch of kids from stealing candy the other day, remember?" 

[ Minor Imperfection ]

"Yes, I remember now... Ugh ." She said as her headache was getting worse. Miss Candice felt her head throbbing. 

"Are you ok?" He asked, which earned him an angry look in response. "Do I look OK to you?" She scowled.

"Dumb question," he said, before he went to clarify. "I meant that you usually act so cheerful and such, that's all."

"Yeah, 'act'. I have an image to keep, but I can't with this damn headache in my head. Sigh... off all days when Curtsey is on a break." She muttered.

"No offense, Miss, but I don't think anyone really cares about your so-called 'image," or they are too afraid of you." Omori bluntly said he could see why Sunny would hate her and others. For him? He didn't care that much.

"AS IF I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, YOU BUFFOON!" She snapped at him as she slammed her hands against the counter. Which didn't faze Omori in the slightest, but rather he did secretly enjoy tormenting her.

"Again, didn't mean anything by it," Omori tried his hardest to hide his smile, but alas, it's best not to poke the bear too much. "Well, is there anything I could do to help? Miss." He offered.

"Before you ask, no, I'm not looking to hire anyone, especially kids. Not after what happened last time." She said, Some kids think that working here means that they get free candy. "Curtsey is the only one I need, even if she's a bit ditzy, but she's got that going for her." She admitted.

"Though, I suppose I could ask you a favor, seeing as Curtsey isn't her at this moment," she said, before she went to the cash register and handed him $10. "Could you stop at the pharmacy and buy me some painkillers?" She asked.

"Sure, I could do that." He took the bills from her. "Want a cigarette with it?" Omori was trying to fight the smirk threatening to appear on his face  as he saw he about to snap.

"SCRAM!!"

Omori obliged as he hurried to the pharmacy, which was on the other side of the market, so it wouldn't take long to get there. 

He reached the place before he went to the pharmacist and put the $10 bill on the counter. 

"Hi, I would like to buy some painkillers for a certain pink-haired lady." 

"Sure, I'll get them right away." The pharmacist took the money and went to get the medicine.

"Here, poor Miss Candice must have it hard with the kids nowadays. Glad to see some kids are nice to her." He said, "Usually she sends her assistant to buy some painkillers for her." 

"Well, it's nice of you to help her; I'm sure she'll appreciate it. Glad to see some kids are nice to her."

"Thanks; better hurry back to her majesty before the whole place collapses." He said in a semi-mocking tone.

"Well, best of luck to you! Come back anytime if you need any treatment or medicine." Omori hurried back to the candy shop once again.

"Here," He handed the painkillers to her. Miss Candice swiftly snatched them from his hand without bothering to say thanks—not that he expected any, but one would be nice. "You're welcome." She took two pills before she quickly swallowed them, took a glass of water, and drank them. She sighed in relief, saying, "That's better... Thank god."

She sat there for a few minutes before she got up and faced him. "I suppose I should thank you for helping me with my headache and for yesterday too." She said, "I guess I can let you pick one candy in this shop for free in exchange for that, but ONLY THIS TIME! No second time." She warned. "I guess that's fine," he said. She almost sounded a bit nice there. Almost.

"Well, now that's done. I trust that you can keep what you saw to yourself. Capeesh?" She made sure to send a clear warning message with her voice. She went with her usual smile. "No clue what you're talking about, Miss." He decided to humor her, not really being all that threatened at all. It was almost funny to him.

"Good. Smiley, smiley!" Annnnd... She's back, hooray... Don't know if I should be disappointed or even more disappointed. He kinda liked the real side of her and not the whole mask she put on, if he's being honest.

Omori was about to leave the shop until he noticed Mincy- the artist in training, was sketching as usual on the far left aisle of the shop. He went to greet the girl. "Hey, Mincy. Drawing as usual, I see." He said. Mincy looked at him- this time she didn't get scared, so that's a plus—rather she beamed and smiled at him. "Omori! Nice to see you again." 

[ Motivation for Mincy ⅠⅠⅠ ]

"Likewise, so how's, uh, the drawing coming?" He asked. "It's going well... I suppose. I'm just drawing all the different kinds of candy here." She explained, "They all look so delicious. I don't think I'll be able to resist buying a treat for myself at this point.

"Well, allow me to get you one," he offered. Mincy quickly objected. "Oh, no, no, no!" She repeated, "You don't have to, really! You don't have to cost yourself for me." 

"I insist. And who said that I'd have to pay?" Mincy was confused by that before he called out. "Hey, miss Candice! I'm cashing in on my offer of free candy to my friend here! Is that ok?" He asked.

"Hmm, I guess it's fine. Smiley, smiley." She said, "But only one candy! And you're paying next time! Just know that I'm watching you. Smiley, smiley." Jeez, how can someone sound so threatening- less threatening for him at least—and annoying at the same time? He definitely liked it when she had a headache. Oh well, at least he got to use his offer, which he had no use for anyway.

"There, you can pick anything you like for free on my tab." He said. "Oh, thank you; you really didn't have to." She meekly said.

"Don't worry about it; I don't really have a sweet tooth." He revealed. "So how did you get her to do that? I never heard of Miss Candice giving out free candy to anyone." She asked, a bit surprised by it.

"I helped her earlier today to buy some painkillers for her and also stopped a bunch of kids from stealing yesterday." He explained, "So I'm on her good side... for now." 

"Oh, I see." Mincy nodded in understanding. "Anyway, your drawing looks good so far. How about you show your drawing to Miss Candice after you're done?" Omori suggested, "I'm sure she'll appreciate it, I hope." He mumbled the last part.

"O-Oh really, I don't know... Should I?" She asked as she fiddled nervously, unsure if she should or not. "Yeah, or even better, how about you draw her portrait instead?" Mincy went into full panic mode as soon as he said that. "Oh, nonono! I don't think that's a good idea. What if she doesn't like it?" She whispered to herself, she couldn't muster the courage to do it.

"Come on, you've gotta take some leaps; otherwise, you might not reach your full potential." He encouraged her, "Besides, you've got nothing to be afraid of; your drawing skills are phenomenal. Trust yourself more, Mincy." He gives her more words of confidence and encouragement.

Mincy seems a bit convinced by it, or at least puts it in her thoughts. "Ah... I don't know... Maybe I will... We'll see... I'll give it some thoughts first." She said timidly, "Thank you; I'll try finishing this up now." 

"Sure, best luck to you." Omori left the artist alone so she could focus on drawing. Before he left the shop, he went to see Miss Candice one more time. "Hey, so my friend there wants to draw a portrait of you, and she was wondering if it was ok with you." He said. "Hmmm, I suppose it's alright. Smiley, Smiley." 

"I never had someone take my portrait before, so I'm very eager to see it. Smiley, Smiley." Miss Candice huffed delightly, as she was thrilled to see that she got some recognition at last. Man, she's really one self-centered person, isn't she? "Oh trust me, you won't be disappointed. My friend there is very talented, indeed."

"So... a bit of an unrelated topic, but... has anyone told you that you kinda look a bit similar to some cartoon character called Sweetheart?" He asked. Miss Candice's expression darkened as a tic vein appeared on her head. "I swear... if I hear someone compare me to that 'Sweetheart' one more time, there would be hell to pay!" She growled, clearly not happy about being associated with some fictional cartoon character.

"I don't act, nor do I remotely resemble anything like her." She said, "I'm not anything like her; there's a clear difference between me and her, like day and night."

"So... basically you're not denying that-"

"GET OUT!!" 

Omori raised his hand in surrender; not able to hold his smile any longer, he quickly hurried out of the shop. 'Heh, sweetheart. Good one.' He thought.

Omori decided to take the same job yesterday. He killed some flies around the market and proceeded to get paid for his work, half of which he spent on a fish for the orange-cat that decided to reside on his roof for the time being.

On his way out of Othermart, he got stopped by a voice calling for him. "Hey, you! Apple lover, stop for a moment. I need to have a word with you." Omori looked and saw the orange guy, whose cart was destroyed by him yesterday. Shit, did he somehow figure out that it was me who did it? 

"Uhhh, what's up?" Omori tried to play it cool while also planning an escape route at the same time. "Oh nothing. I just need a quick favor."

"Uhhh okay?"

[ Like Apple and Oranges ⅠⅠ ]

"You see, my cart got destroyed yesterday," he explained, as he pointed at the wheel that he broke yesterday. "That's terrible; who could've done such a thing?" Omori asked innocently.

"Exactly! I damn well know that it was the doing of that nitwit, apple selling, no good son of a gun!" He continued to throw as many insults as he could think of. "Well, if he wants to go to war, then he shall get one! I'll play fire with fire!" He exclaimed.

"Ok, and where do I come in exactly?" Omori asked, slightly annoyed now.

"Well, I need you to go and sabotage his cart like he did with mine." Omori groaned, " Sigh... Of course..." He muttered. Why doesn’t this surprise him? Well, he's got nothing better, and it's gonna be fun playing with both sides. Neither of the two fools will know that he's behind all of this, heh. This promises to be fun.

"No, this won't be enough." He paused before a sinister smile formed on his face. "I want to send a clear message; I trust you know what I mean." He hinted.

"Crystal clear, you want me to kill the guy." Omori said before he was about to leave. 

"NOT THAT YOU IMBECILE!!" He yelled before he took a deep breath. "I need you to inflict a little harm on him, a little prank."

"or, as you kids call it, ' a little bit of trolling' . Got it?" He asked once again, hoping this time the message was clearer. 

"Yup, you came to the right person then." Omori said, "But just to let you know, my services aren't exactly free of charge." He repeatedly rubbed his thumb over the tips of his index and middle fingers.

"Very, well. I will pay you handsomely once the deed is done." 

"Then we got a deal. I'll see what I can do." Omori said, muttering 'Too easy' under his breath as he departed and headed to Fix-i(t).

Omori went inside the shop, and surprise, surprise, everything was still the same; the shop owner was dozing off as usual. There were only two customers at the moment; one was some kid who was looking at some lamps, and by the looks of it, he seemed to be struggling to pick one.

The other was the same gruff guy he saw yesterday; guess he's not going to give up just yet. And of course, the shopkeeper, who was dozing off as usual. It seems like business is slow these days.

He slammed his hands on the counter once again. Making the poor fella jolt awake and blurt out, "AHHHH! I'm awake, I'm awake!" He scans around for a bit before his eyes fall on the boy. Hah! Never get old. Omori was enjoying this way too much, as he would like to admit.

"Oh, it's you again, kid." He said before he let out a yawn. "Welcome back again. So are you looking for more work?" He asked while rubbing his eyes.

"Sure, got nothing better to do anyway."

"Excellent; I'm in need of a hand at the moment. Wait here while I'll fetch your uniform." Omori raised his hand before he saw the guy left in the backroom.

He decided to check in with the gruff guy in the meantime. The guy was picking up some tools, like before. "Hey mister," he greeted the man.

"Hey, kid! Nice to see you again. How's your day been?" He asked. 

"So far, so good, I suppose."

"Haha, well, my day's going okay as well." He said, "This stubborn leak is making my life hell. I was tweaking around with it more last night, but it has just gotten worse!" He grumbled.

"Maybe it's time to call for a professional..." He paused before he shook his head. "Urgh... No... What am I saying?! My pride won't let me do that! I have to fix it myself!"

"Maybe... put your pride aside for now and let someone who actually knows what they're doing and learn from them?" Omori proposed.

"No... I have to! I need to prove to her that I can change..." He assumed that 'her' was his ex-wife based on what he collected. "I'm coming back for you, you stupid leak!" He said determinedly; his eyes were fired up before he let out a battle cry and ran out.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!!"

And there he goes... "Welp, I tried. "I guess it's more entertainment for me then." Omori said, as he reminded himself to give the guy a visit. He went back to the shopkeeper and found him back with his so-called uniform.

"There we go. Here, put these on so we can start." He said as he handed him the clothes. "Today is going to be long work." 

Omori quickly put on the uniform, which was a bit loose. "Alright, we'll start simple. There are these boxes in the back; I need you to empty them and restock them on their respective shelves." He explained, "After you finish, report back to me so we can start the next job. Got it?" He asked.

"Uh huh," 

"Good, I'm counting on you, kid."

Omori went to the back and saw the many scattered boxes on the ground... Well, better get to it.

Omori picked up one of the boxes and put it on the shelf. Rinse and repeat. After a long time had passed, he finally put the last of the boxes on the shelf as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He went back to the shopkeeper.

"All done with the boxes." He reported to him.

"Good, now come with me outside." Both headed outside the shop. "Ok, here's what we're going to do. First, you'll paint the unfinished door, and then I'll go up and fix the damn sign once and for all. I need you to hold the ladder while I'm up there. You got that kid?" He asked. "Yup." This is going to be a long day, isn't it?

"Good. Come one, time is money." Omori grabbed the paint brush and began painting the door with orange paint. Honestly! Why would anyone just paint it in half and call it quits mid-job?! It didn't take long, but he managed to spill a few on his uniform—I guess that's why he had to wear one.

Next, the guy took the 't' sign and went up the ladder, while he stood down and held the ladder for the man. "I'm counting on you, kid; just make sure I don't fall!" He called from above. "I hope that you wrote your will then!" Omori called back sarcastically. Let's hope his noodle arms don't fail him. He tightened his grip on the ladder. The guy had nails in his mouth and had the sign and hammer on his hands. He put the sign up before he began loudly hammering it, which he repeated on all four sides before the sign was finally stable. He soon got down from the ladder, and Omori let go of the ladder. "Phew, well, there's everything done. Come with me." He said, with him following behind.

"Thanks for the help, kid! Here's some extra money for your work today," He handed him $40 "Come back again tomorrow for more work! See you soon, kid." Omori took off his dirty uniform. He was drenched in sweat. He cleaned himself up, and the shopkeeper was nice enough to offer him some napkins and water. He thanked him before he left the shop.

On his way out of the plaza, he came across two familiar faces; one was Kim's mom, whom he met earlier. The other was the principal, whom he tutored her son with yesterday. The two were chatting until they noticed him passing by.

"Well, hello again there, Omori." Kim's mom greeted him. "Me and my friend were just talking about you."

"Did you now?"

"Yes, I've been telling her about you tutoring my son Brent; he's been doing well in his studies." She praised the boy.

"Just doing my job, I suppose." He replied.

"I'm glad to see some kids are honest and hardworking. It's a rare sight these days." 

"Indeed." She agreed with her. "Anyway Omori. I have left the door to my house open in case you came by to tutor Brent today since I'll be mostly out today running errands." She explained.

"Brent is waiting for you to tutor him today, so I trust you will do just fine." She said, "Oh, and I left your payment on the living room table."

"Will do; have a nice day, ladies." 

"Bye!" "Farewell!"

Omori decided to visit the gruff guy once again; he doesn't want to miss his favorite entertainment of the day now, does he? Before that, he took a quick detour to his house to feed the orange cat that was on the roof some fish that he had bought earlier. This time the cat gave him some bubble wrap as a gift; he's not sure what to do with it...

He was now standing in front of the house when he knocked. Soon, the gruff guy answered. "Hey, it's you again, kid!" He said, sounding a bit surprised. "You here for moral support or what?" He asked.

"Something like that." Omori replied. Moral support is underselling it, but sure, we'll go with that, I guess. Heh.

[ An Easy Fix ⅠⅠ ]

"Heh, heh... I really appreciate it." He was grateful for the quote on quote support. "Come on in! I'm almost done fixing this dang leak!" He gestured for him to come inside. He followed the gruff guy and mentally laid back as he watched the events unfold before him, already expecting the outcome.

The guy went to his toolbox and grabbed a bunch of tools before he went to the leaking pipe and started working on it for a while as he watched closely. The gruff guy put his final touch on the pipe, and the leak stopped... for now.

"GYAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" He laughed proudly at his work. 'I wouldn't celebrate just yet, buddy.' Omori thought.

"And good riddance." 

3... 2... 1...

*pop*

And there it goes again; all his work and efforts are gone just like that. The guy stared at the leaking pipe for a while, not saying anything or moving at all.

The gruff guy then began shaking violently, and he let out a roar. 

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

He ran straight to the wall like an angry bull and smashed through it like nothing had happened. And now there was a hole in the wall. 

Omori was laughing his ass off on the ground as he pounded the ground with his fist; this was the best thing he saw today. After laughing for a minute straight, he got up and wiped an imaginary tear. He probably should check if the guy is still alive.

Omori looked through the whole thing and found another hole in the other side as well. Damn...

Oh, and also a seashell? How did it get here? Or why would anyone put it there in the first place? You would think that people would stash money or drugs in here, but guess not. Well, he won't complain, yoink.

{ Picked a Seashell }

He went to the other hole on the other side of the room. He heard the guy grumbling inside the hole.

"Are you okay in there?" he asked.

"Grumble... grumble... yes... I'm going to lay here for a while if you don't mind." He said, sounding so done and defeated.

"Sure, I guess I'll be on my way then." Omori said before he left the guy to his peace and left the house. Omori wished he had a camera on him so he could make the moment last forever.

Omori was standing in front of the green brick rooftop house, which belonged to the principal lady. Remembering the lady's words, he entered without knocking. Unsurprisingly, the door was unlocked, as she said.

He went inside, and he found his money on the table and a note that said that she'd be out and that this money belonged to him. He took the $20 bill and discarded the note before he went upstairs to the boy's room to begin another session.

He knocked before entering the boy's room. Brent was standing there, thinking before he saw him coming.

"Oh, hey there, tutor!" He greeted him. "Hey. So shall we begin?" Omori asked. The boy looked hesitant, like he wanted to say something. 

"Umm... Actually, I have a big favor to ask..." He paused. "You see, I've been cramped in this room all summer... I keep hearing the other kids hanging out outside while I'm at my desk with my nose stuck in these worksheets!" He complained.

[ Tutoring Brent ⅠⅠ ]

"Sigh... I just want to go out to play at the park! Even if it's just for a day..." Jeez, do these parents like making their children's lives hell and imprisonment? This is kinda depressing, to be honest. He knew the feeling of being trapped too damn well.

"My mom said she would be out running errands all day today, so this is probably the only chance I'll get!" He said, "Could you help me finish today's worksheet? I just want some fresh air!" He pleaded.

" Sigh... Sure, you can go out while I stay behind and finish your worksheet." Omori agreed; he wasn't going to crush the boy's hopes and dreams. He's not that heartless.

"R-Really!? Wow, you're the best tutor ever, mister!" He yelled happily. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Finally..." 

"I'M FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" He shouted before he ran out of the door. Welp, that's that, I guess. Be free, I guess. I hope she doesn't find out; otherwise, I'll be in trouble too... Eh, not that he cares anyway; he'll be gone soon. Sigh , still got the worksheet to do... Well, better get to it. 

Omori went to the worksheet and began examining the questions:

1) 7 + 2 × 9 = 

2) 5×^2 = 80. What does 'x' equal?

3) Compute the S.D of the following numbers: 43, 47, 53, 39, 40, 60 Then, give the z-score for a value of 100, rounded to the nearest third decimal.

Ho boy, welp, the first two are easy. The last is too much, so take a wild guess. Omori began scribbling the answers solution, the first was 25, and the second was 4, -4 easy

The last one Yeah, he didn't understand anything; it just scribbled to him. Well, there's this trick with answering multiple questions. Let's see... 47.474 is too big, so it can't be the answer. 7.000 and 7.461 are similar, so it must have been either of those; it's 50/50. Well, it's unlikely that it will be 7.000, so that leaves 7.461 as the final answer. And he's done!

[ Tutoring Brent ]

Omori put down the worksheet before he headed out to his next tutoring session.

Omori went to the next house; he knocked and waited. There was no response; he decided to open the door, and it was surprisingly unlocked. The house was dead silent, so he assumed that the girl's dad also went out and left his daughter in the house. 

Omori went upstairs and knocked on the girl's door before entering. Joy was standing in her room as usual.

"O-Oh, hi, Mr. Tutor..." She said in a timid yet courteous manner as she twiddled with her fingers nervously. "Umm... Sorry... This may seem kind of selfish of me, but..." She paused. Omori knew what she was going to say.

[ Tutoring Joy ⅠⅠ ]

"Let me guess, your dad went on an errand, and you want to go out to play." He said, which earned a surprise look from the little girl. "H-How did you know?!" She shrieked and shrank from him finding out.

"I just had a hunch." He replied. The little girl sighed. "I've been stuck studying in my room all summer, and I just want one day to play at the park with other kids..."

"Could you please finish my worksheet for today so he doesn't notice?" She politely asked, while giving him puppy eyes. Damn it, he hated that look; he couldn't withstand it.

"I promise I'll be home before it gets dark, so please don't tell him! She begged. Sigh, he can't say no to that face.  "Sure thing," he said.

"Ahh... I thought so-" The small girl looked down before stopping mid-sentence and processing his words. "W-Wait... You mean you'll let me go?" She was a bit taken aback by the answer, not expecting a yes.

"Yeah, you go and have fun; I'll stay and finish your worksheet in the meantime. You deserve a bit of a break." He replied. Suddenly, the small girl swiftly ran and embraced him tightly, which was also a surprise. Due to her small size, she ended up only hugging his lower torso, which looked a bit goofy and cute at the same time.

"Oh, thank you, mister! You're the best!" She said gleefully and was overjoyed. Heh, joyed, which fits well with her name. Omori couldn't hold himself back from patting the adorable girl's head as a smile escaped from his face. Soon she broke free as she twirled around cheerfully and freely; the girl who was shy and timid was no longer present, as if she had been replaced with a doppelganger instead.

"Yay! I'm really going to the park! I wonder what I should do first... I know! I want to play in the sandbox! Hehe... I can't wait!" The girl couldn't contain her excitement. "Oh! Maybe I'll visit my big brother, Michael!" She said.

"Thanks again, mister! I'm going to have some fun now!" She thanked him once. "Could you accompany my brother later, when you're done?" She asked.

"Okay, no problem. Now run along." 

"Okay, thanks a lot, mister!" She gave him one last quick hug before she took off. Omori watched the small girl disappear. ' Sigh, he is really turning into a big softie, isn't he?' Omori wondered.

You're a big softie~ you just don't like admitting it and  pretend that you're not, hehe~ These words reverberated in Omori's head. He quickly shook them off before he went to the worksheet and once again examined the questions:

1) In the sentence, "This glass of lemonade is _ _freshing", which prefix is correct?

2) What is the correct abbreviation for the word 'weight'?

3) What word means 'to move forward on hands and knees'? 

This should be a breeze to do, and Omori quickly began answering the questions. He put 'Re', 'wt.', 'Crawl', as the answers for the following three questions. These were no-brainers.

[ Tutoring Joy ]

He put down the worksheet with a satisfied look before he left. He should remind the man to pay him later.

Omori went to the park soon after and saw the two kids that he was supposed to tutor on the playground ground, playing in the sandbox. Brent was running around the slide, while Joy seemed to be doing hops. Both seem to be having the time of their lives.

Omori saw the All-American family on the left side of the park, having a picnic. He went there to greet Cris. "Hi, there,"

"Oh, hi, Sunny! Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?" She said, "Indeed, so how's the picnic?" He asked.

"It's great! Why don't you join us? Mom bought some pies with her, and dad's making patties!" She offered. "I'd like to, but I've got some things to do, plus I'm not that hungry anyway." He politely declined.

"Oh, that's a shame. Oh, well, you're welcome to join us anytime when you're free; we'll mostly be here before evening." 

"I'll keep that in mind." He said. "Oh, by the way. Have you found any other seashells lately? I'm only missing one." She wondered. Omori almost forgot about the seashell.

"Oh, now that you mentioned it... I did find one, as a matter of fact." He grabbed the seashell and handed it to her.

{ Give Seashell }

"Awesome, thanks!" She excitedly exclaimed "Come by our house later today; I'll have the surprise ready by then." She said this as she winked at him.

"Okay, I will." He replied.

Omori went to the All-Americans and greeted them. "Hey y'all," 

"Hello, my dear Sunny!" All-American Mom greeted her back warmly. "What a lovely day for a picnic!"

"Heh, sure is!" All-American Guy seems to agree. "Phew... makin' patties is hard work... But once I sink my teeth into the tender, juicy burger, it's all gonna be worth it. Haha." He said, "Mmm... I can almost taste it now..." He muttered, not paying attention to the patties that were starting to burn. Thankfully, the all-American mom seems to have noticed and quickly warned him. "Dear, pay attention! The patties are burning!"

"Oh shoot! Thanks, hun. That was close!" He thanked her. "The patties are saved, thanks to you." He proclaimed. 

"Anyway, I bought my specialties... chicken pot pie, lemon pie, and, of course, my world-famous apple pie! Hohoho!" She listed all the kinds of pies. "You're very welcome to join and have as much as you like, dear!"

"Thanks, but I best be on my way. You all enjoy the rest of your day." 

He left the All-American family's picnic and began wandering around until he met a familiar face—or, he should say, a familiar wrinkled forehead, heh. 

"Hey, mister." He greeted the old man. "Hey, pal! Good to see you." 

"These new recycultist folk that have been showing up are making a real big change around here!" He said.

"The... recycle-who now?" Omori was perplexed. "You mean those ridiculous weirdos who wear trash cans on their heads?"

""Recycultisit," they call themselves. This is the first time I've seen so many people taking the initiative to pick up trash! Makes my job a lot a whole lot easier... Har har.." He laughed.

"Unless they somehow picked up all the trash, which means that you won't have a job," Omori pointed out. "They might steal your job; they seem very devoted to their so-called cause."

"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it. There's always trash to pick up. But I can't shake the feeling that something about them feels a little fishy, though..." 

"You don't say... I might look more into those cult people." 

"Good luck, pal! Oh, today is my son's birthday! It would be nice if you could drop by later today; there will be free cake!" He added

"Uhhh, sure. What was your house again? I kinda... got lost trying to find it yesterday." Omori admitted.

"It's quite alright! It's a small house with a brown roof on the street south." He described it to him. "I hope to see you there, pal! Goodbye."

"Oh, by the way, better watch out; there are beehive here somewhere." The old man gave him a heads-up.

"Thanks; I might pass by if I had the chance." He said before he left. 'A beehive, huh?' Omori wondered to himself before he began looking around. 'Let's see... uh hah! There.'  He found the beehive near the tetherball on one of the trees... noted.

Alright, now onto his mission. He eyed the apple guy from across the park, trying to come up with a plan to both prank and destroy his cart. All without being caught, which has proven difficult to pull off considering his geographical location at the moment. Witnesses aren't an issue since most are busy.

He then saw two familiar faces—ok, he's been seeing a lot of familiar faces lately—those were the two siblings, Kim and Vance. Both, especially Kim, were also eyeing the apple guy in anger.

'Perfect.' Omori thought, as his brilliant plan was coming all together nicely, as he maliciously rubbed his hands together and a sinister smile began forming on his face.

He might not be able to pull it off alone, but he could with some help from friends—er, enemies? Frenemies? Eh, whatever it is. He might be able to convince both to participate in his plan, seeing that he is on their good side for now.

He went to where the siblings were, with the plan in motion. "Hey you two." He greeted them.

"Huh? Oh, it's you again, nerd." Kim spoke in a non-hostile tone this time. It sounded somewhat neutral and friendly. "Hey, what's up?" Vance said.

"So what are you two up to?" He asked, trying to start small talk. "Pshh, not much. We're just hanging around here for the time being." Kim replied. "Until our group hung out today," Vance said.

"So, saw you both checking out that guy who's selling apples there." 

"Yeah, that guy thinks he can just sell healthy food in our territory." Kim said mockingly. "Everyone knows that healthy food sucks, and candy rules." 'Yeah, until it gives you diabetes,' Omori thought.

"By the way, we didn't have the chance to probably thank you for standing with us yesterday." Kim said, "So thanks, I guess." 

"Sure, anytime." He replied

"You ought to be the bravest or the stupidest person for standing against my mom, y'know." Kim sorta credited and praised him for his actions.

"I would think to myself that I’m both stupid and unlucky as well." Omori replied somewhat sarcastically.

"Heh, yeah! Well, we owe you a big one then." Kim said. That was his golden opportunity there. "Well, now that you mentioned..." He paused and said, "How about you both help me with something?" 

"Sure, whatcha need?" Kim curiously said "What would you say we pulled a prank?" He loudly whispered "Now, you're talking my language! So, who's going to be our victim?" She asked. 

"That apple guy." He pointed at him. Kim's smile only widens. "Alright! So what do you have in mind?" She asked. "You'll see. First, I need you to find me a sturdy stick from anywhere." He ordered. "On it!" Vance said, before he went for a few moments and came back with a fairly big tree branch. "How's this?"

"This will do; follow me." He gestured for them to follow along, and they went to where he saw the beehive earlier, near the tetherball. "Alright, before we proceed. Vance, how's your aim?" He asked the buff boy. "I'll say, pretty good." 

"Good. Ok, here's the plan; you see that beehive there?" He pointed at it. "Me and Kim would get on top of Vance so we could reach and grab the beehive. Then I would throw it, and Vance would hit it with the stick where the apple guy stands." He explained the plan to the siblings. "Got it?" He asked.

"This sounds crazy... I love it!" Kim was excited. "Yeah, but we've gotta be quick though. Or it will be us who get to be stringed by them bees." He said, "Alright, let's do it." They went to the tree; Vance stood before he helped Kim get on top, and next was Omori. "Hey, watch where you put your feet!" Kim hissed as he struggled to climb on top of her. "Trying not to, just keep still." He called out, and he got on top of Kim while Vance was holding them together. "Hurry up; I can't hold on for much longer!" Vance said as he tried his best to keep himself from falling. 

"Oww!" Kim cried. Omori's feet were pressing on Kim's shoulders; he ignored her cry of pain and focused on keeping his balance. He then grabbed the beehive and yelled, "Got it!" Vance quickly lowered them both.

"Okay, get ready!" Omori said as he prepared to throw the beehive while Vance quickly grabbed the stick and steady himself. He threw the beehive up, and Vance hit it hard with the stick. And it went across the trees before it hit the ground. "What the-" he said before a yell erupted in the park.

"NOT THE BEES, NOT THE BEEEEEES!!"

"Home run!" Kim cheered, and both siblings exchanged high fives. "Come on, now's our chance to sabotage his cart while the bees keep him busy." He said, earning both nods from the siblings. They went to the cart and all put their hands on the side of it. "On three," Omori said before he began counting down, "one... two... three! Hnnnng..." They all began pushing at the same time; the cart was a bit heavy, but it was no match for the three kids. Soon, the cart began to slowly tilt before it swiftly fell over while spilling all of its contents. 

"Alright, let's leave the crime scene before we get caught." Omori instructed, before they booked it and fled the scene. They stopped to catch their breaths for a moment. "That... was... the best prank we ever pulled!" Kim loudly proclaimed as they all shared high fives. "Yeah, how did you come up with that?" Vance asked, as he was equally impressed too.

"What can I say? I'm a criminal mastermind when it comes to pranks." He egotistically praised himself, "My genius can be almost frightening, heh," he laughed at his own joke.

"Hahaha! That was seriously awesome. You'll fit in perfectly with our scooter gang." Kim said. "Maybe, but me and Aubrey aren't on the best of terms as for now, and I have a feeling it will only get worse soon." He replied, as he was tempting fate. "Well, I'm sure you two will make up soon. After all, she did mention to me before that you were her crush~" Kim teased him, which would have worked if it was Sunny, but he wasn't, so he gave her a flat look. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, but don't tell Aubrey I told you this." Kim said, "Well, it's been fun, but we've gotta run now. It's almost time we meet up with our gang." 

"We're going to Gino's today!" Vance cheered.

"See ya, nerd." "Later!" 

Omori waved as he watched both siblings leave. He stayed behind and saw from afar the guy slowly cursing at the bee stings on his body then falling on his knees, before he saw the damaged cart and began grieving. ' Sorry, it's nothing personal.' Omori thought without an ounce of guilt in him. He went to the park and acted completely oblivious and natural to avoid suspicions; thankfully, the park wasn't packed today.

Heh, some role model he is, Omori thought as he let out a bit of a chuckle out of the irony, the mother won't be happy if she learns about their little prank.

He went to where the small girl was, and upon seeing him, she hurried to him. "You're here! Come on, come on! Let's go see my big brother!" She said excitedly as she quickly took hold of his hand and tried to drag him. "Ok, ok, calm your horses." Omori said as he allowed himself to be dragged, the girl was quite impatient.

They walked with Omori holding the small girl's hand before they reached the plaza. The small girl let go of his hand as soon as she saw her brother standing in the distance and quickly ran to him. "Brother!" She quickly embraced him.

"Joy! What are you doing here?" He asked in both a surprised and worried tone, but he returned the hug nonetheless. "Dad, would be really upset if he found out that you snuck out, you know" He said, "Dad won't find out since he is out doing errands; I'll be back before he comes back."  She replied. "I just missed you, brother." 

"I did too, Joy..." He tightened his embrace. Omori watched the touching reunion between the siblings from afar. "Did you come here by yourself?" He asked in a worried tone. "Nope! Mister tutor accompanied me here." She replied that Michael was confused. "Who?" Welp, that was probably his cue to make himself known to the boy.

"Well, what a touching reunion." Omori said as he walked closer to them. "Oh! It's you again, friend! I didn't know you were tutoring my little sister!" He was surprised, to say the least, to learn that. "Yeah! He's the best tutor ever! He's the one who let me go out to play while he did my worksheet." She said.

"He did? Wow, that's so nice of you to do. I don't know how I could ever repay you, friend." Michael was extremely grateful to him. Not only did he help him by donating a lot of money, but he also helped his little sister, which he really appreciated. "Don't worry about it; besides, I can't really say no to that face of hers." He said, which earned a chuckle from Michael. "Well, I'm in your debt; if you need anything, just ask. I mean it, friend." He said.

"Mister tutor said you have something to tell me; what is it?" Joy asked. "Oh, yeah! Listen, Joy, don't tell my dad what I'm going to tell you, ok?" He said, "Can I trust you to keep this from him?"

"O-Okay. I'll try." She nervously said this as she waited for him to tell him the thing. "I'll be traveling soon, so I can be a traveling musician." He broke the news to his little sister, and her face turned into a mix of surprise and sadness. "W-Wait... Y-You're going to leave town?"

"Yeah, I will. But don't worry, I'll still visit from time to time." He said, "I'll also bring you a souvenir from the city once I'm famous." 

"O-Okay, but I will still miss you..." They both embraced once again. "I'll miss you even more... Promise me that you'll be good and never skip school, ok?" He said. "I promise. But you have to also promise me that you'll also come back to visit!" Michael let out a chuckle. "I promise, now... let's enjoy our time together!" He suddenly picked up his sister, lifted her in the air, and spun her around. "Weeeeeeeeeeee!" 

Soon he put the small girl around his neck, giving her a piggyback. "Again, again!" The small girl demanded in delight as she clapped her hands together. "Sure, how about I sing a song first?" He said as he picked up his guitar that he wanted to sing one last time to his little sister before he left. "Yay! okay!" The small girl was having the time of her life once again, now with her brother, which warmed his heart a bit.

"Well, I'll leave you two to catch up together, so don't let me keep you both." Omori said, "I gotta be somewhere else, so if you would excuse me." 

"Sure, and thanks again, friend!" "Bye, mister tutor!" Both of his siblings said goodbye to him.

Omori went to get his payment from the orange guy. "Ahhh, there you are! I trust that you honored our deal." He said, "Yup, I pulled a prank on him and destroyed his cart like you asked." 

"Excellent! Here's your reward, as promised, plus a few oranges from me." He said as he handed him $10 and two oranges. "I hope it wasn't a problem."

"Thanks, and it wasn't a problem. It was a pleasure, actually." Omori said, which earned a laugh from him. "Attaboy! This will definitely show him." 

"Well, better get to it. See you, kid!" 

Omori nodded before he left and decided to go to Hobbezz next to buy stuff to spend his money on. He checked his money that he had on him... He currently had $113 on him from his job today, not bad! 'That should be enough and more.' He thought as he entered the shop.

He was now inside the Hobbezz, and he decided to buy all the CDs present in the shop. "Ah, welcome back! So, what are ya buying?" The shopkeep said,

 "These," Omori replied as he put all six CDs that were on the shelf on the counter.

"Let's see, your total would be sixty ! And after your discount, it's fifty " The shopkeep said, "Sure, here." Omori handed him the $50. "Thank you! Please enjoy, and here's your receipt!" Omori took the bag of CDs and the piece of paper, which he quickly discarded.

"By the way, champ! Going on a wimp here, but... could I perhaps interest you in paying off my last pet rock ?" The shopkeep said, "They usually go for twenty five. You seem like just the right guy for this one. So, whaddya say?" He asked as he presented his offer to him. "twenty five dollars for a small piece of plastic?" Omori repeated. "Yeah, no thanks, buddy." 

[ Pet rock champion ]

The shopkeep coughed and said, "Well, between you and me, these things are more vintage nowadays, and I'm trying to sell the remaining of these... so I'll let it go for ten bucks! My final offer." He said, silently hoping that he'd accept. Omori thought for a while until he decided to humor the guy. "Sigh... fine, here." Omori handed him the $10.

"Thanks, champ! Here, you and your new pet rock would be a good match. Take good care of it!" He said as he handed him it. "Do come again!" 

Omori decided to spend his money on the gacha machine, trying to get the Chimera keychain that got his attention. Somehow he got all of the useless junk in there, and he had spent about $13 before he got the damn thing. Well, it was worth it, sorta. 

He left the shop soon after and went to the famous local pizza place next.

Omori headed into Gino's and went to donate all the CDs he bought into the jukebox, choosing the Brutal CD since the name had a tone in it. He then went to the pizza man once again to seek another job. "Ah, Omori! Welcome back." The pizza man greeted him. "So, are you interested in taking another job? he asked.

"Sure, hopefully I won't be doing the delivery like yesterday." Omori said, as he was not keen on having to deal with the man's bad handwriting and more angry Karens. "Don't worry, you won't. This time I need you to help me with taking orders, and that's it." 

"Okay, that sounds simple enough." Omori replied. "Excellent! Here, I’ve already prepared your uniform in preparation." He said, as he handed him the same uniform from yesterday… Great. Omori took it without complaining and went to change in the back before he returned. "Remember, wear it loud and proud!" He reminded him once again, which only earned an impressed look from him.

Soon, the pizza man gave him a brief explanation on how to operate the cash register, and thankfully, Omori got the grasp of it quickly. Suddenly, the telephone from behind rang. "I'll go get this; you stand at the cash register in the meantime." He told him before he went to the telephone and answered. "Hello! This is Gino's pizza; what can I get you?" He said, "Yes... Oh... Alright, one... hero sandwich... Anything else, ma'am? Sure... I'll get it ready by then... Okay, a boy will come pick up the order... Thanks and goodbye!" The pizza man hung up the telephone.

Meanwhile, Omori was standing at the cash register until a notorious scooter gang entered the shop. 'Great just what he needed...' Omori silently curses but keeps his cool; this really wasn't his day. Thankfully, the hooligans hadn't noticed him yet and took a seat in the top far right, minus Kim, who went to order pizza for others. which, of course, made her both shocked and surprised to see him here. "W-What the!? What are you doing here, nerd?" Kim asked, as she was perplexed about this strange circumstance.

"Uhh, I work here." He slowly replied, as if it weren't obvious from his uniform. "Since when exactly?" She asked as she adjusted her glasses quickly. 

"About now." He said, "What? Never seen someone who is hardworking before?" He joked.

"Whatever, just give me a large pepperoni pizza." She ordered. "Okay, that'll be… twenty, please." He said as he pressed a bunch of buttons on the machine, Kim handed him the amount, and he took it and placed it on the cash register before giving her the receipt. "Your order will be ready soon." He said.

"Cool, thanks." Before she left. The pizza man returned before Omori gave the order to the man, and then the pizza man went to the kitchen before returning back with the order, "Here, could you deliver this pizza to that table?" He asked.

Omori took the pizza and went to the Hooligans table; upon seeing him, they were all surprised—minus Kim, Vance, and Cherline. "FWAAAAAAAAAAA!! The knife kid again!" Keep saying that nickname, and I'll show you knife kid, brat. "What are you doing here?" Angel blurted out.

"Here's your pizza; enjoy." Omori forcefully said, he tried his hardest not to cringe from trying to act professional in front of them. It was a bit humiliating, to say the least. "Hah! Nice uniform there!" Mikhael insulted him, which made him a bit irritated. Could they not just start a fight for one day?

"Very funny. You do realize now that I work here, I have the full right to just kick you out, right?" Omori said, which made Mikhael stop in his tracks for a bit as he was technically right. "Psssh, whatever. Not like we have any business with you today, so just leave us be!" Mikhael replied, "Yeah! What master said!" Angel repeated.

Omori was enjoying the new level of authority he got, but he better not abuse it; the owner probably won't like him kicking out one of his customers with no real valid reason other than they were being childish and stupid. For some reason, he noticed Aubrey hadn't said a word, nor did she acknowledge his existence. 

Omori left without a word and let the scooter gang enjoy their pizza before he went back to his post. Although he eavesdropped on their conversation since there weren't any new customers at the moment,

Oh, yeah! Gino's Pizza is the bomb! This is one disgusting, dirty, greasy-lookin' cheese pizza... just the way I like it!

LET'S DIG IN!!

So... munch... munch... munch... We're still on to go to our secret hangout spot today, right!

I'm going to bring my fishing pole! munch... munch... made it myself... munch... Out of a cool stick and a jump rope yesterday. Do you think it will work, Charlie?

Heh. So we're going to our secret hangout spot? Munch... That's a perfect date spot! Munch... I'll be sure to bring one of my special ladies there.

Swimming... munch, munch, munch, munch... Sounds... munch, munch, munch, munch, munch, munch, munch, munch... pretty fun.

Well! Munch... While you're all foolin' around being babies, I'm gonna be busy skipping rocks!

I've been looking for the perfect... munch... rock all week!

Heh... Munch... You can try all you want, Kim,  but you'll never beat Aubrey's record!

Shut up, Mikhael! I bet ten bucks that no girl would actually wanna... munch... go to the lake with you without you paying them!

I told you to call me the Maver-Ack!! I BIH' MA' TONGUE!!

BAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!! What a loser!

FWAAAAAAA!! MASTER, ARE YOU HURT!?

YEW PEH' PO' DIS', KIM! YO' SHE'!

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

'Secret hangout spot? Interesting.' Omori thought. It seems like Aubrey still goes to the group's old hangout spot, which was the lake. Which they at some time stopped when Sunny almost drowned there, and also where he got his fears of spiders and drowning. 

The day went slowly, with the hooligans leaving after a while; thankfully, he stayed and worked both at the cashier and delivering orders to the table. There were only a few customers that came: the same clumsy guy who he helped get his wedding ring back and a mom with her daughter, whom he noticed was gawking at Mikhael of all people earlier. So most of the time he spent just standing around until noon, when his shift ended, which meant he got to take off this stupid uniform at last.

"Good work today, Newbie!" The pizza man said, "Here's your monie for today." He handed him $20. "Thanks," Omori thanked him as he accepted his hard work—if he can call it that—money.

"Come back tomorrow for extra work; I've already prepared your uniform with your name on it!"

"Can't wait..." Omori wasn't all that excited by the news. "I hope to see you again tomorrow, newbie!" 

Omori, before he left, took out his pet rock, wondering what the heck he would do with this small piece of plastic. Someone noticed his pet rock and asked to challenge him with their pet rock. That someone was that guy, Rai; he went against his bunny pet and won. Rai then gave him a brief explanation of the game and mentioned something about a reigning champ around here or something. That peaked his interest a little; it might be worthwhile to search and find this mysterious so-called reigning champ. Omori left the pizza shop soon after to begin his search since he had nothing better to do.

The rest of the day passed slowly, with Omori deciding to challenge people around the park and plaza with his newly acquired pet rock —because why not?—which led him to fight the so-called ‘four elites’, veterans. After defeating them, which led him to face the reigning champ, he heard from both his friend and the shopkeep. And it turns out it was none other than the lady who works at Othermart! He had a suspicion that she was hiding something, like that she was a super-master martial art master or kung fu master. What he didn't expect was for her to be the reigning champ for a stupid small pet rock game! Omori's disappointment is immeasurable, and his day is ruined, to say the least. Well, at least he got something out of this, which is a cap that says 'You Rock'... Wow. What a waste of time. But at least that makes him the new reigning champ of this pet rock game—the very best, so that's something, I guess.

[ Pet rock champion ]

The next half was him collecting trash he came across from the park and plaza and giving it to the lady, which earned him about $10 from doing this, which meant the total money he had was $70. So, he would say that today was quite productive, for sure, but he probably should get back since Kel could be up by now, so he made his way back to his house.

On his way back, he bumped into Kel's father, who was surprised to see him. They talked for a bit until the father mentioned that Kel said he was heading into his house just a moment ago. Omori then hurried back to his friend, who was no doubt going to break down his door soon if he wasn't fast enough.

Chapter Text

Omori was on his way back to his house. It was currently afternoon, no doubt that Kel was already awake and now coming to pick him up so they welcome Hero - who was coming from college to visit.

Omori was right about Kel waking up, evident by him knocking on his front door and waiting patiently. A smile formed on Omori's face; a sinister one that screamed mischief. 'Oh, this will be good.' Omori thought, excited by the golden opportunity to play another prank on his unsuspecting friend.

Omori casually walks up silently beside his friend without making his presence known and staying quiet, unable to hide his smile. "Man, where the heck is Sunny? Why isn't he answering? Did he somehow oversleep...?" Kel thought out loud; not really expecting an answer while rubbing his chin.

"Hmm... maybe he woke up earlier and went up ahead." Omori answered, still standing beside him.

"Oh yeah! That makes sense..." Kel said, smiling as he slammed his fist into his hand; completely oblivious.

"..."

After a few moment of pure silence, Kel's smile suddenly fades and is replaced by confusion then by surprise when he turns his face to his side. A wild smug Omori appears. 

"Hi, again." Omori simply said, having deja vu about his very first encounter.

"GAAAAAAAH!!" Kel screamed in fear, as he jumped back a little. Thankfully, he didn't trip like before and managed to maintain his balance. "SUNNY?! What the heck! When did you get here?!" Kel yelled in surprise.

'Heh, too easy.' Omori thought.

After a few moments, his face switched to annoyance at his friend who was smiling innocently now. "Seriously? This is the second time that you pranked - no need for that! - me by scaring the living crap out of me... could you kindly stop sneaking up on me?" Kel kindly asked.

"No promises ~ " Omori sang playfully.

Kel sighed in defeat before he turned to him and asked, "Anyway, why were you outside and where have you been?"

"Well, I woke up very early, so I decided to go out and find something to do to kill time before heading back since you weren't awake yet." Omori answered, "Probably should have left you a note or something in case you wake up whilst I was away." He shrugged his shoulders. oh well, too late now.

"Oh yeah sorry... heh heh." Kel said sheepishly.

I couldn't wake up earlier, since my body was sore and broken from all the fighting yesterday so I ended up sleeping all the way till noon... And probably the whole day if my mom didn't wake me up." Kel explained,

Although she did try before in the morning but to no avail since I was sleeping like a log, eventually she managed to wake me up by splashing me with cold water..." Kel shuddered at the memory.

"Well, good thing that Hero's not coming back until around dinner today... so we still have time to finish up the preparation, and to hang out at my house today!" Kel said excitedly.

"Which reminds me... You still have Hero's gift that we brought earlier, right?" Kel asked.

Omori nodded as he took the book from his satchel and showed his friend in confirmation.

"Great! Mom sent me out to buy some stuff at the faraway plaza before he came back, so... " Kel started,

"Wanna tag along with me? I thought it would be more fun if we went together and we got to hang out too!" Kel stated.

"Sure, not like I have a choice anyway... " Omori muttered the last part under his breath. "Awesome, come on... LET'S GO!!" Kel shouted.

"We'll go to Gino's first, then to the bakery in Othermart." Kel explained, as both began walking together.

Soon Kel and Omori noticed two people, who were writing something by crayons on the sidewalk in front of Kel's house. Both boys identified and recognized the two, they were Kim and Angel who were chuckling as they scribbled.

"What the...? HEY!!" Kel shouted at them. Both turned around and saw them, "shoot! we've been caught!"

"Come on, let's get!"

They both booked it and quickly got onto their scooters and escaped. 

"HEH, LATER NERDS~ AUBREY SENDS HER REGARDS!"

"HAHA, PAYBACK!! SHOULD HAVE NEVER MESSED WITH THE HOOLIGANG!!"

Kel tried running after them but it was already too late, they were long gone. "Ugh, dangit ... Aubrey and her scooter gang ..." Kel cursed under his breath, as he watched them fade away in the distance. Even though he could have easily caught up with them, he decided it wasn't worth it and dropped it.

Omori catches up and goes beside him before examining the hooligan's piece of artwork...

'KEL SMELLS!' 

Omori tried his hardest to contain his laughter, he found this funny for some reason.

A drop of sweat dropped from Kel's head metaphorically, as he looked at the piece of writing. He turned to his friend and asked, "...Sunny, be honest. Do I smell?" 

Omori pinched himself and said, "Well, I'm not dead and so are the plants here so that's something at least." He joked.

"Sigh ... forget I said anything." Kel said, already regretting asking his - joker - friend, who of course would take any chance he would get to poke fun of him. Kel went to the scribbles and wiped them out with his feet. 

"BARK!"

Kel turned to his pet dog - Hector - as he was happy to see them, as he wiggled happily and panted excitedly.  "Hector! Sigh... You were supposed to guard the front yard..." Kel mildly scolded Hector. The small dog tilted his head, before he went and rolled in the ground playfully as he gave him a content look, expecting belly rubs.

"Aww... I can't be mad at this face, heh come'er you." Kel said before he crouched down and gave him belly rubs and muttered, "who's a good boy?" many times. They stayed there for a while before Kel got up and said, "Come on, Mom will be angry if we're late." 

"Lead the way Sunny! Hector, please look after the house while we're out." Kel ordered Hector, even though he knows he won't, the fluffy furball. But he still loves him nonetheless.

"BARK!"

"We won't be gone for long." Kel said before he patted him one last time, before the duo made their way to the Plaza.

"Alright, we need to pick up some sandwiches from Gino's, and some cookies at the bakery... I reckon we head into Gino's first since it's the nearest one." Kel said.

Both duo soon reached the town plaza without trouble, they went straight to Gino's first. The bell door chimes as they entered, the usual smell of freshly cooked pizza was enough to get anyone hooked. The place wasn't packed as usual. there were small people who were dining in, Rai who was standing in his usual spot, and Gino - the person - was standing in front of the broken arcade machine, trying to fix it.

Thankfully, no signs of the hooligans around this time, he had enough of them for one day. They went to the cashier who recognized them. "Ahhh, returning customers, Welcome! How's my favorite employee doing?" The Pizza man asked him.

"Good, I suppose." Omori answered. Pizza man nodded and asked, "Well, what can I do for you today?"

"Hiya! I'm here to pick up an order!"

"I see! What would you like? Oh... let me guess... you want... pizza right? Nom nom..." 

'Please never do that again...' Omori thought, disgusted. He already knew what order Kel was going to pick up.

"Nah, I think mom phoned in an order for a Hero Sandwich this morning! I'm just here to pick it up." Kel corrected him.

Suddenly the pizza looked like His enthusiasm was sucked away from him instantly - like a switch flip - and looked lifeless.

"Oh... I see... You're the family that keeps ordering sandwiches... instead of pizza..." He said, his voice lacked life. 

What is with him with Sandwiches... no seriously he wants to know. Omori never saw someone who has something against sandwiches like this... ever.

"But... uh... It's... on the menu, isn't it?" Kel asked, weirded out by his reaction when he asked for sandwiches...

"Hmm... yeah... right... I guess so..." The pizza man wasn't happy by the fact and looked like he wanted to complain but he couldn't object since he's technically right.

"Sigh... Okay! I'll go get it! Please wait." The pizza man left to get the order. While they waited, Kel decided to initiate a small talk as he leaned onto the counter.

"You know... I don't know if I ever told you this, but that's how my brother got his nickname Hero from..." Kel said, "You would think it's because of some really cool reason like he saved a puppy when he was a kid or something... but no... He just really likes sandwiches! A Hero sandwich especially, heh." Kel chuckled.

"Heh, you're the one who talks... Kelsey~ " Omori teased his friend; calling him by his real name.

"Please don't call me by my full name ... It's bad that I get teased a lot from people making fun of my name for being a 'girl's name', which it's not!" Kel said in frustration.

"How about... Kelly? That could be another new nickname for you." Omori proposed.

"Nope... still sounds girly. Can we please just go back to Kel? I would much rather if we stick to that." Kel begged.

"Oh, I'm so sorry... madam." Omori received a slight punch in the shoulder from his friend, which made him snicker even more.

'Well, at least it can't be worse than my name 'OMORI' , which was named after a piano brand... and also means large grove - don't ask how he knows this - apparently.' Omori thought. Soon after, the pizza man came with the order and handed them to Kel. 

"Okay, here's your Hero Sandwich . Please enjoy!" He said, a bit forcefully at the end.

"Cool, Thanks!" Kel thanked the pizza man.

"Alright, we're good to go now, Sunny! Now all that's left is to pick up some cookies." Kel said,

"Our next stop will be at the Bakery... ready when you are!" 

The iconic duo headed out to their next destination, which was Othermart which was next to the pizza place directly. 

It didn't take long before they reached the family bakery, and the smell of toasty bread filled the air. Here's a little fun fact nobody asked for but, apparently bakers have to get up so early, - like 4 to 5am - their first job of the day is to sanitize the kitchen and prepare the dough in order to make these freshly baked goods when they open... moving on.

They entered the bakery and were greeted by the twins who muttered into their ears telling them to buy some bread... creepy. 

Anyway, they went to the cashier to pick up their next order. "Welcome to our family bakery! What would you like?" Mr. Baker asked.

"Hiya! I'm here to pick up an order! My mom phoned in an order for cookies." Kel stated.

"Hmm... Ah, yes! Your mother said you'd be coming... though I expected you to be here a bit earlier." Mr. Baker explained, "I'll go grab your order right away! Kindly wait here."

Once again both stood there waiting for the order, Kel took this as a chance to once again engage in a small talk with him.

"Did you know? This bakery belongs to Mikhael's family." Kel said, "I guess you really can't tell, because he always wears that horrible and stupid wig on his head..."

"Seems like he's making a pretty big effort to stand out and be different!" 

"Well, I guess there's always someone in the family who wants to break free from the cycle... I can't say I blame him." Omori said, while Kel hummed in response.

"But hey... there's alway the circus, they're looking for more clowns to hire and The Maverick would be a perfect fit." Omori cracked a joke, resulting in Kel laughing at the mental image of Mikhael dressing up as a clown.

The baker went back and handed Kel the order. "Here's your order, sir! We hope to see you soon! Please enjoy your baked goods."

"Thanks! Alright, we got everything... Come on, let's head back to my house and deliver the goods." Kel said.

The two made their way out of the supermarket. On their way Kel stopped in front of Hobbeez and took a look into the store window in a thoughtful look.

"Hey, Sunny..." Kel called out his friend. "I just remembered something." Kel turned to him.

"Do you remember when we were kids, me and you used to sneak out of the house to go to Hobbeez in the middle of the night?" Kel recalled one of their memories together when they were kids. 

"I guess... why?" Omori asked.

"No reason... Oh man! We could never get up early for school on time the next morning, Hero and Mari would ask why we looked so tired." Kel said, "I'm sure they suspected something was up, but I'm glad they never told our moms... heh."

"We were pretty adventurous back then, weren't we? Haha..."

"If by adventurous you mean dumb? Then yes, we pretty much were and still are." Omori snarked.

"Hey come on... we're not as stupid as when we were kids… Well, for the most part, haha."

"I hereby declare us both, Dumb and Dumbass." Omori said sarcastically. Kel could help but crack a laugh at this.

"Well, I guess some things never change, huh?" Kel asked.

"Come on, let's head back before my mom gets more angry than she already is."

Both duo left the town's plaza. On their way back, they saw a familiar blond boy headed into the Faraway Park. "Wait... is that... Basil?" Kel said, "Let's go say hi to him! And see if the scooter gang isn't picking on him again..."

'Great...' Omori half-heartly thought.

Both headed inside the park and went towards the flower boy, he didn't notice them coming as he was distracted; looking around for something. 

"HEY BASIL!" Kel shouted.

Basil jumped out and let out a squeal, while he shrunk in fear by the sudden noise. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, heh heh..." Kel apologized. 

'Way to go, you traumatized the already traumatized kid.' Omori mentally faceplam. 

Basil noticed the duo, before he finally began calming down and weakly said, "Oh, H-Hey... Kel... Hey... Sunny." 

"'Sup, Basil? Nice to see you out and about! How are you feeling today? And how's your grandma doing?" Kel asked.

"I'm... fine..." Basil answered. "Grandma... is ok too... I suppose..."

"Good to hear, anyway... I was wondering if you want to come and hang out with me and Sunny later today, the more the merrier!" Kel said.

"...I don't know... " Basil said uncertainty. "M-Maybe tomorrow..." He suggested, putting a fake smile. 

"..."

"Sorry..." Basil apologized weakly, no longer smiling. Kel took notice of his behavior and tried to reassure him. "Hey... It's ok... you don't have to force yourself. Don't worry, we can always catch up later! you've been going through a lot lately, so don't stress yourself more." 

"..." Omori remained silent the whole time.

"...Yeah, you're right... O-Okay then..." Basil said, "See you later then, I guess..."

Kel looked at Omori, waiting for him to say something to Basil. After waiting a few moments of silence, Kel sighed mentally before he put on a smile and said, "Yeah, we'll see you later Basil. Stay safe!" 

Both then left the flower boy alone and exited the park. On their way back, Kel turned to him and asked, "Why didn't you tell the news yet? This time was as good as any to tell him now." 

"I don't know... it's not gonna be easy breaking the news to him." Omori answered.

"Do you perhaps want me to break it to him?" Kel offered.

"No... As much as I wanted to , it's best if he hears it from me. I'm still waiting for the perfect time once things calm down and get resolved." Omori said.

"Well, take your time but don't bide it for too long!" Kel advised him. "We still have the album matter going on too." Kel reminded him.

"I know ... I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about all of this." Omori admitted.

"Don't worry, it's okay to be nervous. Just know that I always got your back!" Kel reassured him, as he patted his back as a gesture of support.

"Thanks... " 

Kel smiled and said, "Come on, let's hurry up so we can hang out sooner." He put his hand on his shoulder before the duo walked in silence back to Kel's house.

"BARK!"

"Hey, Hector! We're back." Kel greeted the dog by giving him head pats. "So, before we go in... I should probably mention that my mom is going to be a little bit mad since I was supposed to get groceries around noon but... I overslept and here we are." Kel explained.

"So, to counter this.. . I thought... that maybe... you should walk in first!" Kel suggested. "That way, she'll see you first and get all excited."

"And most importantly... she'll forget to yell at me so... it's a win-win for everyone! Heh heh!" Kel said carelessly.

'So basically you want me to cover for you...again. why am I not surprised.'  Omori deadpanned, as he crossed his arms and gave him an unimpressed look.

"Come on, it's not she's gonna scold you or anything... Please?" Kel tried to convince him to go with the plan.

"Sigh. .. Fine." Omori said, "But, you owe me one!" He pointed at him.

"Thanks Sunny! Come on, let's go! After you of course." Kel said excitedly.

Omori made his way inside, with Kel right behind them as they entered the house.

Both were now inside in the living room, they shared a look before Kel cleared his throat and yelled, "MOM, SUNNY'S HERE!!" After a few moments of nothing, they heard footsteps coming from the other room in front of them.

Soon, Kel's Mom came marching into the room and she wasn't happy. " There you are, young man! There's so many things left to do and we're late because you slept the whole day young man. Hero could come in at-" 

Kel's Mom stopped at her track when she finally noticed him, she ran up to him and said, "Oh my, is that Sunny? It must be!" Kel's Mom was pleasantly surprised to see him.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again after so long! How's your mother doing?" she asked, "But dear... You look so thin... Have you been eating properly?" she asked worriedly. Honestly, he was tired when people had to call out that he was malnourished like it was something he didn't notice himself.

Luckily, his friend - Kel came to his rescue. "Here's the stuff you asked for, Mom!" He handed his mom the groceries, before he went behind him and whispered, "Come on, Sunny! Let's hurry to my bedroom upstairs..." Before he dragged him from behind outside the room.

"Now wait just a second, young man! we're not-"

"Bye, mom! See you when dinner is done! Me and Sunny are gonna catch up." Kel called out to his Mom before she finished and left.

The lady stood there for a bit, before letting out a sigh - as he was tired by her son's behavior. "Oh dear..."

"Well, here we are... Welcome to my humble room... and Hero's." Kel added the last part quickly. "Make yourself at home!" Kel said as he began giving a tour to the brothers' room. The room was divided into two parts, the right part was clean and tidy and filled with a lot of awards and trophies and certificates hanging - No doubt this was Hero - The other part on the other side...

"Look! I got a basketball hoop and boombox just like I always wanted." Kel said. This part of the room was a wreck, with clothes scattering all around like a storm just passed by here. His bed was messed up and he had all kinds of posters hanging on the wall and a game console plugged into an old TV and a shelf full of action figures.

"Here, I'll play you a song." Kel said and quickly went to the boombox. "Ahhh... I don't think that's a good idea Kel..." Omori objected from behind, but it fell into deaf ears as Kel played a loud music that blasted through the room but not all the way. Omori covered his ears from the loud music, he wasn't the kind who likes loud noise and prefers the quiet.

"Yup, it's pretty sweet." Kel approved; Omori didn't. "Mom won't let me play it too loud, though, because she says it's bad for Sally." Kel said.

Omori couldn't hear him quite well and shouted, "WHAT?"

"I said, I can't play it too loud because of Sally!" Kel repeated, a bit louder this time.

"YOU MEAN YOU WOULD NORMALLY PLAY IT LOUDER THAN THAT?!" Omori shouted angrily. "Also... Who the heck is Sally?" He added.

"Oh, wait! You haven't met Sally yet, huh?" Kel asked. Omori shocked his head in response. "I haven't had the pleasure yet." He was beginning to adjust to the loud noise now and didn't need to shout anymore but had to speak a bit louder.

"Heh, Heh! Guess what, Sunny! I'm a big brother now." Kel revealed.

"Oh, congrats then I guess. So that will make you the middle child now, huh?" Omori said.

"Thanks! And yeah, Sally's my baby sister. My Mom would probably bring her downstairs around dinnertime. She's really small and cute, heh heh!" Kel said, "Can't wait till you meet her."

"Yeah, I'm shaking from excitement..." 

"KEL! THERE'S A LADY AT THE DOOR! SHE SAYS SHE'S HERE TO SEE YOU!" Kel's Mom shouted from downstairs.

"Huh? I wonder who that could be?" Kel wondered out loud, he went and turned off the boombox and said, "Come on, let's check it."

Both boys headed downstairs once again into the living room, where both saw Polly? and Kel's Mom talking to each other.

"Is that...Polly?!" Kel said out loud when he saw her. Soon Kel turned and asked, "Kel, who is this beautiful young lady?" She complimented. "Why didn't you tell me we'd be having so many guests coming over?!"

"That's quite alright ma'am I won't be staying for long, I just have a question for the boys." Polly explained.

"Hey, Kel... Hey Sunny... S-Sorry for intruding." Polly abruptly apologized. "I was wondering if you know where Basil is. I thought that he might be with you." Polly said, concerned.

"Basil? Hmm... we did see him at the park earlier when we came back..." Kel recalled. "Have you looked there?" he asked.

"I did but sadly, there was no sign of him anywhere... sigh." Polly said as she looked down.

"Well... if you see him, can you tell him to come home? I'm really worried about him." Polly requested.

"Of course Polly! Me and Sunny would be on the lookout." Kel reassured her.

"Thanks... I knew I could count on you boys!" Polly was thankful, before she bowed her head down and left.

"..."

"I got a bad feeling about this..." Omori whispered to his partner, a bit tense by the news of Basil's going missing.

"You're not the only one... Especially with Aubrey and the scooter gang still around."  Kel said anxiously. "Let's go look for him before it gets dark." Kel proposed, he nodded in agreement.

Kel turned to his Mom and asked, "Can we go look for him, Mom? Pretty please?"

"Well... that girl did look awfully worried." Kel's Mom was thinking for a bit, before finally agreeing, " Sigh... Okay. Just make sure to be home by dinner! I don't want a repeat of last year!" She warned him. Omori wanted to know the story of the last statement, but another time.

"Awesome! Oh, before we go Sunny... Let's leave Hero's gift here just in case something happens just to be sure." Kel said to him. "Okay." Omori took the book out, and they decided to leave it at the dinner table besides the red fancy purse... hmm curious.

Omori began searching inside Kel's Mom purse... Hmm, some... gums, keys... wallet... and... Ah ha! Pepper spray ! Score!

"Wait, Sunny! What are you diggin' in my Mom's Bag for?! " Kel loudly whispered, a bit perturbed by his friend's action

Omori took out the pepper spray from the purse and showed it to his friend. "Whoa! Mom had pepper spray ?!" Kel asked in bewilderment. "Uhhh... Sunny, I don't think that's a good idea... Mom will be mad when she finds her pepper spray is missing, so let's just put it back and pretend we never saw it, okay?"

"I got a feeling we will run into some trouble along the way, this might come in handy and besides... If she did find out then you would take the fall for me, simple." Omori explained, as he jigged the spray can in the air from his hand a few times while looking unbothered.

"That's not fair!" Kel complained. 

"Oh, it's completely fair. Considering that I did cover you when we came here and I did say you owe me so now I'm cashing it... plus the 20 dollars you owe me." Omori counters his argument with no effort. He turned to look at him smugly with his arms crossed. 

Kel opened his mouth and raised his finger in protest, but he found himself unable to come up with anything as he was speechless. He then sighed in defeat and said, "I... can't fault that logic... fine, we can take the pepper spray."

"But be very careful with it." Kel advised him.

"Will do" Omori replied, as he put the pepper spray at his back pocket.

~ { Got Pepper Spray } ~

"Alright, let's head out! We should look where we last saw him, at the Faraway park."

"Come on Sunny, Basil might be in trouble so no time to waste." Kel said determinedly.

Both friends soon left the house and made their way to the flower boy's last known location...

Omori and Kel reached the park and went to the same spot they Basil was standing at. "Well, here we are but no signs of Basil anywhere..." Kel said disappointedly. "Let's search for clues that may give us hints to where Basil went." Kel proposed. 

Both began examining the area. "This area seems awfully familiar for some reason..." Kel commented, before finding something interesting on the ground. He crouched down to take a closer look before he called his friend out.

"Hey, Sunny! Come look at this..." Omori went beside Kel. "It looks like footprints... and it's heading that way, deeper into the woods." Kel said, as he followed the trail with his eyes.

"Wait... this could be Basil!" Kel shouted as he put two and two together.

"Hold on, I did hear the hooligans talk about going into a super secret hangout spot or whatever earlier... Basil must have gone there." Omori said, as he examined closer at the tracks and faintly cursed, " Shit. .. looks like the scooter gang beat us to it, look." Omori pointed at the scooters and bike tracks.

This had Kel worried. "Shoot... Basil probably already ran into them and got himself in a pickle. Let's hurry befor-"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"

"Shoot, That's Basil's voice!" Kel exclaimed as he quickly got up.

"That's our cue, come on." Omori said, as he readied his pepper spray can. Kel nodded as both venture deep into the woods to once again rescue poor Basil once again...

Both made their way until they reached an opening and saw the scooter gang standing a few feet from them, and Basil was just cowering in fear and he yelled, "THIS CAN'T BE REAL!! SOMEONE HELP ME!! SOMEBODY!!" 

The hooligans were equally confused about flower boys sudden outburst. "What the heck are you yelling for, Basil?! You're making a scene!" Kim said.

"This place is our secret hangout spot! You can't be here, because you weren't invited!"

"Dang it, Basil... Be quiet! Someone's gonna find this place."

"Yeah, we're not trying to hurt you! We just want you to get out of here!"

Both Kel and Omori marched further. "HEY, STOP IT!! What are you doing to Basil?!" Kel angrily shouted.

"What the?! Oh... grud..." Kim's voice went down as she realized the two - especially Kel - Both siblings shuddered from remembering the mental image of Kel when they last fought.

"Kim... Vance... I swear... if you did something to Basil I-" Omori started.

"We didn't do jack to him! He just suddenly started screaming for no reason after we told him to leave." Kim said in defense. "Yeah, honest!" Vance vouched for his sister.

"Yeah sure, you weren't! And all those other times you weren't, huh?" Kel said, "Do you honestly think I would believe that?!"

"We're telling the truth! Just stop being such a self-righteous prick and just leave our spot!" Kim demanded.

"Oh, is this your spot now?" Kel questioned, "Well, this used to be our old hangout spot... wasn't it, AUBREY!?" Kel called Aubrey out.

Aubrey was standing there silent, not answering. The hooligans came and formed a barrier around Aubrey. "WATCH IT OR WE'LL MESS YOU UP!!" Angel shouted.

"...No. I won't!" Kel said firmly. "I just can't leave when you keep messing with Basil... and to see what kind of person you've become." The last one was directed to Aubrey, this seems to get a reaction from her, though a faint one.

"Come on, guys! Let's make sure this is the last time these two mess with us!" Mikhael shouted in declaration. "That sounds good to me! I'm right behind you, the Maverick!" Angel shouted in excitement.

Soon after, Aubrey joined in with them and pointed her bat at them and said, "Let's settle this once and for all."

"If you and Sunny are gonna pick a fight with me and my friends, then you got one." Aubrey said, "Come on, gang... LET'S TEACH THEM A LESSON!! Aubrey shouted.

"Sorry nerds, it's nothing personal." Kim said as she and the other prepared to take them on. "Yeah, no hard feelings." Vance repeated.

"Watch out for any tricks! Especially from the small one!"

'Oh, I'll show you small!' Omori thought, as he growled.

"Shoot... we're outnumbered!" Kel whispered to him, it was 6 on 2 so the odds were very much against them and more. 

"I still have that pepper spray on me, it's either that or..." Omori paused, considering his options.

"Whatever it is, just choose, quick! We don't have much time and we won't be able to hold for long..." Kel said, as he tried to evade an attack from both Angel and Mikhael who  decided to tag team him.

Omori had to make a quick choice... one's easy, and the other isn't...

. . .

'Ah screw it, pepper spray it is then.' Omori thought, as he took the can out from his back pocket and said, "You might want to stand back a little unless you want to know what getting sprayed feels like." Omori advised his friend, Kel gladly complied and covered his face just in case.

Dialogue never worked before and now... peace was never an option.

Omori took the can and pointed at them, and before anyone could react he sprayed it all over them.

{ Used Pepper spray } 

"AUGH!! MY EYES! MASTER! I CAN'T SEE!!"

"huff... Wheeze... What trickery is this?!"

"Ouch... That hurts..."

"COUGH... WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?! PEPPER SPRAY? REALLY?!" .

"Gah... You two are the worst..." 

All the scooter gang members were now coughing and rubbing their eyes and were crying in pain from getting peppered sprayed, some had it worse than others.

"AHHHHH, WHY MEEEEEEE!!" Mikhael shouted as he went and rubbed his now burning eyes and skin with water from the lake. Yeah he did spray a bit more at him from the others but he had to use one as demonstration.

This continued on for a few minutes, with Kel and Omori watching in amusement.

Aubrey was now furious at him and shouted an insult at him "Damn you and your cheap tricks! Are you that much of a coward to fight properly for once?!" 

"You can't always use brute force all the time, you also have to use your head too y'know." Omori fires back. "Now, is anyone feeling brave now?" Omori challenged, raising his pepper spray can once again. 

". . ."

Everyone backed away nervously from him and began sweating, not wanting to be sprayed once again and end up like poor Mikhael. Nobody said anything for a while.

"Nobody? ...Yeah, thought so." Omori said, "Now everybody, get the hell out of here, fun's over... don't make me repeat myself." Omori threatened in a low voice.

"This isn't fun anymore... I wanna go home..." Angel was the first one to speak and began leaving and soon the others too.

"Agreed." Vance said, all other members took off and went to their scooters and left... all except for Aubrey.

Kim stayed behind and looked at Aubrey before asking, "You coming, Aubrey?" 

". . ."

Aubrey didn't give a response and just stood there; still somewhat shocked.

"Oh... Okay. Catch you later, then." Kim said her goodbyes before leaving.

After he was sure that everyone left, "Here, catch." Omori threw the pepper spray can at Kel who caught it with ease, since it had no use to him anymore.

". . ."

Both stood there and saw Aubrey hand form into fist and her body began shaking. "Aubrey..." Kel tried to reach out to her.

"Ugh..." Aubrey then fell on her hand and let out a loud scream as she was having what he assumed was a mental breakdown.

"AUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHHHHH!!"

"Why?! Why do you guys keep coming back? I just want you to leave me alone!" She yelled, "Sunny... Why? Why did you show up now?" .

"All we want is for you to stop messing with Basil! Seriously, what's your deal with him all of the sudden?" Kel exclaimed. "You used to be friends! We all used to be." 

Aubrey then got up, all flustered and said, "You think I'm the bully, huh? But you're all messed up too..."

"Where were you when Mari died?" 

"WHERE WERE ANY OF YOU!?" Aubrey shouted, then she turned around and walked up to Basil who backed up until they were at the lake's wooden bridge, both him and Kel followed right behind and both didn't say anything but watch. "And you..." Aubrey pointed at him forcefully, she was beginning to tear up from emotional outburst.

"You're the worst, Basil. How dare you show up and still show your face to me after what you did! Huh?" Aubrey was unable to look at him and turned away.

Basil stood there for a bit before he slowly approached her and said, "Aubrey... I-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" 

Aubrey then unintentionally pushed Basil into the water. Unfortunately, the sudden shock from the cold water made him unable to swim back up and left him hopeless as he began sinking into the water and slowly was drowning. 

"...Shoot..." Was all Aubrey could say.

"Aubrey! What have you done?! You've taken this way too far!" Kel furiously called her out.

"W-Wait... Hold on! I didn't mean to-"

Omori, witnesses all of this happening in slow motion. Without thinking he took off his satchel and began sprinting before jumping into the water after Basil to rescue him before it was too late. "Sunny, wait!" Kel called from behind.

But he didn't, as he felt the impact of the cold water hit him. He began swimming down as fast as he could, Basil's body was slowly descending into the darkness below, he was already unconscious. He tried his hardest to ignore the feeling of coldness.

Soon Omori reached him and wrapped his hand around his upper body and began swimming up, he was beginning to lose oxygen from his body and he was a bit weak to carry his friend's weight against the water density but he kept pushing, he wasn't gonna let another one die today.

'Damn it, come on! Almost... there.' Omori thought, determined. Ignoring all his body's pleas to stop and rest and pain and kept on pushing himself more and more.

Suddenly, he felt something wrapped around his legs and began dragging him down. Omori was shocked and panicking as he looked down and saw an eye staring at him in the dark below. He began hearing voices in his head.

You... Failed...

You failed to protect me...

Failed to keep your promise to me...

Omori tried to struggle to break free as he began gargling and felt the water entering his body, but slowly felt his consciousness slipping away. His vision darken for a bit before he reached his out, before it slowly fell and he saw a figure coming at him before he finally blacked out.

S... 

SU...N... 

S...NN...Y...?

SU...NN...Y?

Omori heard a faint far noise that was getting closer and clearer, he tried to open his eyes but couldn't. He felt a warm sensation on his face and then his neck.

hE...

... NoT...

"BrEAtHiNG ... !"

Moments later, he began feeling his chest being pressed and pushed down multiple times for quite a while.

Omori suddenly sat up and began coughing out some water from his mouth. "Sunny!" Hero yelped in surprise, before he patted his back to help him cough up the remaining water that was still in his stomach.

He continued coughing for a while, before he finally stopped and began grasping air. "Are you good now?" Hero asked, to which he nodded in response. "Oh thank god..." Hero sighed in relief before he got up and went to check on Basil who was still laying on the ground unconscious.

"Hmm... Basil is fine, his breathing is steady... But we must bring him somewhere warm, quickly." Hero said, as he examined the flower boy closely.

"SUNNY! Thank god you're awake. You had me so worried, I thought you were gone for sure, hah..." Kel said, as he went beside his friend.

Omori didn't hear nor pay any attention to him, as he was staring at Basil's unconscious body... Something was slowly building up inside of him.

Omori suddenly stood up on his feet in an instant with no warning whatsoever, resulting in Kel getting knocked back by accident in the process. "Whoa, easy now! Don't push yourself too hard, you've only just woken up." Hero tried to advise and instructed the young boy.

But it all fell into deaf ears, as Omori was now only focusing on the girl in front of him and began approaching her, his face transmitted rage, his emotions got the better of him and now he was filled with blinded rage as he wasn't feeling himself nor was he himself anymore.

 ~ { Omori became Furious } ~

"You... Self-entitled... BITCH!!" Omori loudly swore at her, shocking Aubrey and the two brothers. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Aubrey began backing away from him in fear. "ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!! BASIL ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!! WELL? ARE YOU!!" Omori shouted once again.

"I-I didn't mean to..." Aubrey admitted weakly, her voice cracking. "Sunny, come on... That's enough." Kel tried to calm him down and defused the situation.

"Stay the fuck out of this, Kel!" Omori pointed at him, not breaking eye contact with Aubrey. Even though he wasn't looking, he knew that both Kel and Hero were equally taken back by his sudden outburst and his new vocabulary.

"ALL OF THIS OVER SOME BLACK MARKED PHOTOS OF MARI!!" 

"W-Wait... how did you...?" Aubrey was shocked that he somehow knew about this all along.

"And you know what's funny... I WAS THE ONE WHO MARKED THE PHOTOS, NOT BASIL!! YOU MORON!!" Omori finally dropped the bombshell and revealed the truth.

"W-What?!" Aubrey exclaimed in shock, not believing what she's hearing.

"He took the blame for me... and now he's the one who gets to suffer because he wanted to protect his friend... from being bullied and almost paying the price... ALL BECAUSE OF ME!! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME DAMN IT, NOT HIM!! WHY DID HE LIE AND TOOK THE BLAME!!" Omori shouted, before he broke down his voice also breaking.

"I'm just tired... tired of seeing people suffer because of me... all because I was too blind and stupid to see... too weak. Now I've paid the price... I lost A-" Omori couldn't finish before he felt exhausted all of the sudden, he wobbled back and forth until he lost his balance and fell flat on the ground, passing out once again.

"SUNNY!"

Kel quickly rushed to where his friend was. we're now in the shoes of Kel. Hero did too and checked the boy. After examining for a few seconds he uttered, "He's okay. He passed out from exhaustion." Hero concluded. "Both just need to rest for a while." He added.

Kel sighed in relief at the words. "Come on, we're running out of time, they'll get worse if we don't get them somewhere dry, quickly." Hero warned, as he saw two boys shiver from the cold, as their clothes were soaked.

"I'll grab Basil, you grab Sunny." Hero instructed, he went and picked Basil up in bridal style. Kel picked up Sunny with ease and carried him on his back after securing his friend's arms around his neck, he was cold...

He went and picked up his friend's satchel from the ground before saying, "Yeah, let's bring them both to Basil's house as soon as possible." Kel said, "Come on, I'll lead the way."

Kel turned and spared one last look at Aubrey, who was now crying. Before he and his brother left and made their way out of the old hangout spot and into the park. While they were walking, Hero couldn't help but ask, "What was that? I never...saw Sunny like this before. This is the first time I've seen him snap like this..." Hero was flabbergasted to see the least.

"Well actually, this is the second time that it has happened... The first Sunny actually pulled out a knife." Kel mumbled the last part.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Hero asked, completely missing it.

"Nothing!" Kel quickly said. "Anyway, a lot has changed when you were away, Sunny only came out from his house yesterday." Kel explained.

"Yeah... not quite the reunion I expected to be completely honest... has it really been 4 years? It feels so long ago... " Hero whispered to himself.

"You're telling me... today was rough for sure." Kel said, "By the way, you're here early Hero? Didn't you say you were coming around dinner? Not that I'm complaining or something of course. I’m glad you came." Kel quickly clarified.

"Well, I did. But I managed to drop by earlier, and I'm glad I did." Hero said, before asking, "So, what the heck happened back there?"

"Ah... It's a long story. But I'll give you the short version." Kel said, before he went to tell his brother the events beforehand.

"You see, me and Sunny went out to get stuff for Mom at the plaza. We ran into Basil in the park earlier then we returned home and later Polly - Basil's caretaker - came and asked if Basil were with us. So we went looking for him back at the park and found him at our old hangout spot with the scooter gang crying, we fought with them and won and everyone left. Things then got a bit heated as Aubrey shoved Basil into the lake when he tried approaching her and Sunny dove after him and you know the rest." Kel concluded.

"Wait... That was Aubrey back there?" Hero was perplexed. 

"Yup, don’t blame you for not recognizing her. She changed a lot, changed her clothings, dyed her hair pink and now runs in with some scooter gang."

Anyway, she's not the same anymore, she became all messed up when you left for college." Kel spatted out, "She and her scooter gang started messing up with Basil and even stole his photo album..." Kel added. 

"No way... this... she wouldn't do that to Basil." Hero paused. "It seems like it was just a misunderstanding between the two, if what Sunny said was... true."

"I just... Why would Sunny do something like this? I don't get it..." Kel was lost, his emotions were conflicted and all over the place. He didn't know what to feel after hearing what Sunny had admitted to Aubrey back there.

Sadness and confusion were the most he felt. Confused as to why his friend would do something like this and hide it, why Basil wouldn't say anything. Sad, that he almost lost his two dearest friends, and saw what had happened with their friend's group, Aubrey changing into what she is now. He knew if Mari was here she wouldn't be happy at all, especially almost losing her baby brother for a second time… and he almost stood there and watched like last time.

"I don't know either, but let's not worry now and instead focus on bringing them back safely for now... We'll try dealing with this issue later." Hero said.

Kel nodded, he was now only focusing on making sure his friends were safe. 'Don't worry Sunny... Basil... you're okay now.' Kel thought.

"Just... What happened while I was gone?" Hero said, " Sigh... Maybe I never should have left.. ." Hero whispered sadly, feeling somewhat guilty.

"It's not your fault that any of this happened." Kel tried to comfort him. "You've done all you can, and things could have gotten a lot worse if you didn't show up!"

"I guess... " Hero said, still a bit doubtful.

"So, how did you manage to find us anyway?" Kel asked.

"I heard from Mom that Basil was missing and you two went looking for him at the park." Hero explained.

"When I was running around the park looking for you, I began asking around for you two, someone told me that he saw two boys entered deep into the trees so I went there and found you."

"I guess I got there right in the nick of time, otherwise Sunny might've..." He paused, before he sighed. " Well, I don't want to think about it.. ." Hero whispered, his voice filled with sadness.

"They're safe now... Thanks to you." Kel reassured him and gave him credits for his work.

"Yeah, don't forget yourself too. You're the one who dived and got both out of the water after all." Hero said, "I'm glad that all that medical studies finally did pay off, heh."

Soon after, the brothers began walking in silence and tried to pick up their pace. They were almost near Basil's house, before suddenly Kel felt Sunny begin moving and groaned, "Sunny, He's waking up!" Kel exclaimed.

" Ugh... What... happened...?" Sunny weakly uttered.

"Easy! You're okay and so is Basil." Kel explained. "I got both of you the water, thankfully Hero came and saved you from suffocating." 

"Ugh... my... hero..." Sunny despite that state he was in, somehow managed to crack a joke like he always does.

"We're nearly there! I would gently put you down, can you walk?" Kel asked.

"I'll... try..." Sunny weakly said. 

Kel tried to slowly put him down on his feet, it proved to be a fatal mistake as Sunny's legs began wobbling before they finally gave up. Thankfully, Kel was there this time to catch him from falling once again and carried him again on his back. "Ok, maybe not." Kel said, Sunny once again passed a third time. He was beginning to get worried.

They managed to reach Basil's house and knock. They heard footsteps quickly rushing from the other said before the door opened and they were greeted with a shocked Polly who gasped before she covered her mouth as her eyes widened before she yelled, "OH MY! BASIL!"

"What happened? Are they okay?" Polly quickly asked, as she swiftly rushed to Basil.

"Ma’am calm down… Basil is fine." Hero reassured the distressed lady. "Both of their breathing are stable. Both just need a change of clothes and a warm bed." Hero explained.

"Okay, I can do that..." Polly tried calming down. "Quick, bring them both inside!" She instructed the two boys, they headed inside after her.

"Help me bring Basil to his room. You can put Sunny into the couch, I'll fetch an extra blanket right away." Polly said.

"Sure thing. Look after Sunny, Kel. We won't be long." Hero said, before he and Polly left with Basil.

"Okay." Kel complied. He went into the couch and slowly and gently laid his friend there. " Sigh ... that was intense, today was sure heck of a mess." Kel whispered to himself. He took a look at his friend before he said. "Rest up Sunny... You deserved it." Kel gently said, before he got up and went to check with Polly and Hero on Basil.

He made his way into Basil's room and before he could enter, Hero came out from the room and closed the door behind him. "Sigh... it looks like Basil is gonna be just fine." Hero said.

"Poor Basil's been through so much these past few days..." Kel said.

"We'll come back for him tomorrow, for now he needs his rest." 

"How's Sunny?" Hero asked.

"He's okay too, I hope. I laid him on the couch but he still needs some blankets to keep him warm and a change of clothes too..." Kel repiled.

"I'll go fetch a blanket, you go and see if Sunny has spare clothes in his house. And while you're at it go tell Mom and Dad that we'd be staying out late, got it?" Hero asked. 

"Yeah! I'll go get them quickly." Kel answered before he bolted outside and ran as fast as he could to Sunny's house.

Kel returns after some time passes, he has the spare clothes in his hand. He saw Sunny was already tucked in at the couch, Hero was sitting at the dining table when he heard come. "Did you bring the clothes?" Hero asked as he stood up.

"Yeah but it's not much, unfortunately." Kel said as he sat the clothes on the table. "I brought one of my old jersey jackets... it might still fit him." Kel wondered.

"That's okay, this will do nicely, replacing his soaked clothes." Hero said.

"Oh yeah I did tell Mom and Dad that we'd be late, Mom didn't seem too happy but let us stay and said to come before dinner after I explained to her what happened." Kel explained, before he sighed and put his hand around his head in distress. 

"Hey...don't worry, Things will get better soon hopefully." Hero put his hand on his shoulder, trying to lift him up. "No, they aren't... everything is a mess... God."

"I know. But it's no use beating over something we can't change now. Let's focus on how we can fix things later, everyone had it rough today..." Hero said.

"Yeah, You're right. .. " Kel said, trying to stay optimistic about it - keyword, trying .

"Well, I'm gonna try to fix something up for Sunny and Basil... no doubt they'll be hungry when they wake plus it'll help speed their recovery." Hero proposed, before he got up and went to seek permission for Polly.

Kel sat there at the table doing nothing, as he got a lot on his mind, still trying to process what just happened. Hero and the other hand began cooking some soup, it didn't take long until a delicious smell escaped from the kitchen. Hero was always better at cooking than he would like to admit.

After a while of preparing the soup, at last it was done. Hero returned back and sat next to his brother and said, "Well, while we wait for Sunny and Basil to wake up... how about we catch up in the meantime?" Hero suggested. 

Kel didn't object and so the two brothers began talking about family related and off topics to pass the time. Hours passed by, it was now early in the evening. The brothers were still talking and lost track of time. Unbeknownst to them, the boy in the couch began slowly waking up.

Back to Omori, he was sitting near a river somewhere in black space. He was reliving one of his past memories, this time it was a pleasant one.

"Omori?" A voice called from behind him. He turned to see someone approaching him - That person being Abbi. She was monochrome like him, she had short hair with both small white tentacles hanging on each side of her head. She was a bit taller than him, and she wore a short white t-shirt - that had a black question mark on it - that exposed her navel. She also wore black shorts, and was bare feet. She had a tentacle for one of her hands and she also is titled the wisest.

Despite her innocent appearance, she is powerful and holds a secret power and knowledge that she keeps hidden away from everyone. So don't let looks deceive you. Fortunately, Abbi is mostly a friendly, kind and caring person.

"Whatcha doin~" Abbi said playfully.

"Hey, Abbi... Not much I guess." Omori replied.

Abbi was one of Sunny's imaginary friends when he was young. He would talk to her and imagine as if she was with him. So naturally she's one of the first who witnessed the creation of headspace. Although, she was... different from anything in head space. Much like him she gained a bit of sentience, and not to mention her hidden powers and knowledge she keeps.

Despite that, Omori and Abbi were close. It started simple but it gradually increased, they spent a lot of time together whenever they got the chance. Omori grew the most attached to her in all headspace. They would always talk and sometimes Omori suddenly finds himself venting to her unintentionally, something he never does and did his hardest to keep his feelings hidden, yet she was able to somehow break through him.

"What's wrong?" Abbi asked, sensing something was wrong.

"It's nothing..." 

Abbi wasn't convinced, and pushed on. "You're not fooling me mister, I can tell by your face that something is eating you." Abbi puts her hands - er, tentacle - on her hips and gives him a disapproving look.

"Well, that's how my face is always like." Omori was referring to his cliff-face that he always puts on. "Yeah, but I've been with you for so long that I can easily tell when you're faking it." Abbi said.

He sighed and decided to drop the act all together, since he knew it was pointless to keep anything hidden from her. She wasn't named the wisest for a reason. "That obvious?" Omori asked.

"Duh! Now tell me what's wrong, silly?" Abbi once again asked, before she sat beside him.

"It's nothing big, I just have a lot on my mind I guess..." Omori started.

"Go on, you can tell me anything." Abbi offered an ear.

"I'm just wondering what will happen when all of this is over. Will we just vanish, or will we just continue to exist as normal?" Omori said what was on his mind, he didn't think about this stuff but for some reason he was feeling the urge to have an existential crisis today. Will this place still exist after Sunny moves on, or when Sunny bites the dust, or will it continue to exist as usual.

"Hmm... Who knows. Maybe we will, maybe we won't! Does it really matter?" Abbi asked. "I mean even if it was the case, then we gotta appreciate and enjoy each second." Abbi said. "All things must good to an end, it's the memories that matters."

"And of course you got me - Your best friend Abbi! We'll continue to spend time together until the end, won't we?" Abbi said, as she reached and held Omori's hand.

"Yeah, we will..." Omori said, as he locked fingers with her. He was already feeling better and felt a big load got lifted from him by being with her.

"Hehe~ You're always worrying, cheer up for once!" Abbi cheerfully said. "Is that all on your mind?" Abbi asked, knowing there was more that kept.

"You always know to read me, huh?" Omori asked, as he cracked a faint smile at her. "It's one of my specials~" Abbi said as she playfully winked at him, while she stuck out her tongue.

"Well, you know how sometimes whenever an adventure goes wrong in head space." Omori hinted.

Abbi's face suddenly fell as she realized what referring to. "Oh... that..." She really didn't know what and how to respond to this.

"Yeah... it's gotten so hard for me to even look into my friend's eyes at this point and it's beginning to take a toll on me," Omori revealed.

"It's not that I take joy from doing it but... I have no choice." Omori said. He felt Abbi's grip tighten.

"It's not your fault. Things sometimes get out of control and we can't predict everything, so don't go blaming yourself for something you don't have control over." Abbi said to him in a gentle, reassuring tone.

"You didn't mean it and I know for a fact you have a big heart hidden somewhere inside." She said "You're big softie~ you're just don't like admitting it and pretend that you're not, hehe~" Abbi teased him before she gave him a hug which he gladly accepted. "Unlike what Stranger said," Abbi added. 

"Ouch... He did say that?" Omori faked being hurt. "Oh, you know he really doesn't mean and probably is messing with you." Abbi reassured him.  

"Seriously you both like to fight over the simplest things, you two can't live a day without fighting." Abbi half-heartedly scolded. "I don't know how you two will manage without me." Abbi broke away from the hug.

"Yeah, we'll all be lost without you guiding us." Omori jokes, resulting in Abbi giggling and playfully punching his shoulder. "Anyway, stop being so down. No one has the knowledge of the future." Abbi said.

"Does that include you too? I mean you have a lot of knowledge and seem to know everything." Omori commented.

"Not exactly..." Abbi paused, "You see, I was born with a curse."

"Huh? What do you mean? What kind of curse?" Omori was baffled by what he heard.

"I... never told this to anyone but since you're one of my dearest friends and I trust you..." Abbi paused. "I'll let you know a little secret, but you have to swear to me you won't tell anyone about this." Abbi said.

"I swear that I won't tell anyone." Omori complied and gave his word to her. Abbi was satisfied and said, "Even though I have knowledge of everything, and I mean everything. My curse prevents me from sharing my knowledge to anyone in anyway." Abbi said. "And before you ask. No, even writing it down doesn't work without an invisible force stopping me from doing so." Abbi answered an unasked question.

"It's probably for the best... What I have here is enough to drive anyone insane... even me. I guess that's the reason they are hidden deep within me, to protect whatever knowledge I have inside from escaping and falling into the wrong hands." 

"It's both a blessing and a curse at the same time, but I prefer if I can't share them. I couldn’t let anyone carry my burden."

"They drove me crazy at some point, to know something but you can't share them. It's like you know the cure to a deadly disease that could save millions, but you're unable to share it and are forced to see many die where you hold the solution... it's pure torture." Abbi admitted.

"But, I eventually got used to it and didn't let it get over me. It's true when they say ignorance is bliss so I try to do that! By not trying to remember them all of the time and just living like I don't have them."

"And it works... most of the time at least."

"I never knew how and when I got them, but they existed with me for as long as I can remember. So I figured maybe I meant to keep them safe and not let anyone know them." Abbi concluded.

Omori listened the whole time, he didn't interrupt once. He was speechless. He didn't know that his friend Abbi was silently suffering, he cursed himself for not picking it up. Abbi saw his expressions change and said, "Hey! None of that now mister. I told I'm fine now so don't you go worrying about little ol’ me." Abbi said.

"I can't help but worry, it's one of my specials~ ." Omori mimicked what she said earlier. "Hehe~ It's always you with the jokes." Abbi giggled joyfully, before she took him and lifted him up. "Come on! Let's not waste anymore time weeping, let's go do something fun!" Abbi suggested excitedly.

...It's time to wake up...

Omori slowly opened his eyes, his head was killing him. The first thing he noticed was that he was laying on the couch, he recognized the house's interior. He was back in Basil's house and it seems like he got passed out and was brought here by Kel and Hero. 

BASIL!

Omori quickly panicked at first, before slowly regaining his memories. He then calms down, after a while a memory hits omori suddenly like a truck. Him unintentionally telling everyone that he's the one who ruined the photos - which he planned to do anyway but not under these circumstance - and then what he said to Aubrey.

'Shit...' Omori silently cursed at himself for not being able to control himself and letting his emotions get the better of him. Granted, he didn't mean to yell at her, it was in the heat of the moment.  He knew he was only angry because he was projecting himself for almost costing his friend's life, had he come out a bit earlier maybe this could've been avoided but of course he'd mess up like always...

It seems Kel went after him and dragged him out of the water along with Basil, and Hero helped him by getting the water out of his body thus saving him from suffocation. It seems he owes the two brothers his life for saving his...

What he did was stupid now he's thinking about it. Not only Sunny's body was weak and didn't know how to swim, top it with his fears making him panic and you got a recipe for disaster. It was a miracle that both survived, he should have let Kel jump instead of him but everything happened so fast that his body went into auto-pilot without him feeling it and jumped without a second thought.

He took off the blanket and sat up on the couch. He was feeling a bit better after resting up, but he was still a bit cold since his clothes were still a bit soaked. He saw the massive water stain on the couch under him. 'Gonna have to apologize to Polly later about this.' Omori thought, as he felt sorry that she'll have to clean this up later now. His nose picked up a delicious smell. 

Kel and Hero stopped talking as soon as they saw him wake up, Both Kel and Hero rushed to his side and asked, "Sunny, You're awake!" Kel loudly exclaimed, before he quickly rushed to hug his friend in bear crushing hug, Omori returned it by patting his back a few times. "Easy, there Kel or you might accidentally suffocate again. Sunny just woke up, let's give him a bit of space." Hero advised his careless brother, but he can’t really blame him after almost losing their friends.

"Oh, right. Sorry, haha!" Kel apologized before he quickly broke from hug, not wanting to accidentally harm his friend and sending him to another coma. Hero went to Sunny and quickly checked him to see if there’s Anything wrong.

"How are you feeling now?" Hero asked, as he looked him in the eyes.

"I feel okay, after resting up now." He replied, his body was still waking up so his movements were a bit stiff.

"What about Basil?" 

"He's okay. He still hasn't woken up yet, he probably just needs more rest." Hero guessed.

Omori rubbed the bridge of his nose and groaned once again, "How long have I been out?" He asked, as he noticed the sun is hanging low, hinting that sunset is upon them.

"For a few hours, it's now early in the evening." Kel answered, as he rubbed his chins while thinking.

Omori tried to get up, Kel offered help by lifting him from off the couch. Thankfully, this time he was able to stand with no issue thankfully. 

"We bought you a change of clothes, I'll go ask Polly to prepare you a hot bath." Hero said, before he left momentarily.

Both Kel and Omori now stood there awkwardly in silence, neither didn't know what to say to the other.

Omori sighed before he decided to be done with it as soon as possible. "Listen Kel, about the photos... I-" he tried saying.

"Don't." Kel interjected as he raised his hand. Omori was caught off by the response.

"Now is not the time. Let's focus on your health for now." Kel gently said, he was putting his friend's well-being first and was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

...What?

"Kel is right." Hero said as he came back. "It's probably not the best time to discuss it, not after what you've experienced through today." Hero explained. "We'll deal with it tomorrow but for now let's just relax, it's been a tough day for all of us."

"Anyway, your hot bath is ready. I also cooked some soup for you that would make you feel better hopefully." Hero said, "Me and Kel will be waiting for you to finish before we all can head out, it's almost getting late."

"We'll drop by to check on Basil tomorrow hopefully." Kel said, some hints of sadness escaped from his voice. Today wasn't easy for everyone.

Both Hero and Kel sat at the dining table, Omori followed them and said, "I just want to say... Thanks for saving me and Basil... Both of you. I mean it." Omori was greatly grateful for the two.

"It's alright. I'm just glad I got there in time." Hero was relieved that things didn’t escalate from bad to worse.

"Yeah, don't mention it Sunny!" Kel exclaimed. "You were also awesome back there... jumping in the lake to save Basil like that." Kel tried praising him for his brave action, despite it being also stupid at the same time.

"If by awesome you mean, nearly drowning and dying... then yes I was pretty awesome, drowning with style . But hey, at least I would have died with style." Omori made a joke, and it wasn't the best time unfortunately to make one.

"Hey come on... Don't joke about something like this..." Kel said, as he gave him a disapproving look. Hero was still sitting there as he shifted awkwardly, not sure what to say and still adjusting to the new side of him. He can’t say he blames him, I mean he almost died and now he’s standing there shrugging it off and making jokes of it like it was nothing. No wonder he finds it quite bizarre. 

"You know... Kel was talking about how ridiculous your nickname ‘Hero’ was earlier." Omori changed topic to a light heart one, trying to divert the awkwardness away from the air caused by one of his brilliant jokes.

"HEY! Did you have to bring that part up?" Kel whined, he ignored him and continued, "But now, I think you truly earned the nickname Hero for saving both my life and Basil." Omori pointed out.

"Hey! That's actually true. I mean what did you expect from Hero? He's studying to be a doctor, and soon he will save many lives there! He will be ‘super Hero’! heh, heh!" Kel proudly proclaimed.

"Ahaha, you two..." Hero said as he let out a chuckle, unable to handle the praise very well. Hero, not wanting to take all the praise for himself since he didn’t like the attention that much especially when it’s directed at him and he became the center of attention, aka every family gathering ever.

"Anyway, Sunny. You might want to hurry before the hot bath turns cold. Don't worry we'll continue chatting on our way home." Hero tried to drift the attention away. He gave him one of his signature looks of reassurance, top it with a wink as he smiled at him.

Omori nodded before he headed out to the bathroom. A hot bath did sound good... He really needs one right now…

He saw Polly by the door. "Hey, polly." he greeted the lady.

"Oh hey, Sunny. I'm glad to see oaky." She said, relieved to see the boy at least awake. But the same can’t be said for Basil, so she was still a bit distressed. 

"Yeah... Also sorry about the wet couch and for causing troubles for you." He apologized. Having her worried and now making her work on top of that.

"Oh, nonsense! It's no trouble at all, instead I should be the one thanking you three for bringing Basil back safe." Polly bowed her head down in gratefulness.

"Anyway, I prepared the hot bath for you and I put your spare clothes on the table. Please put your soaked clothes outside so I can pick it up and dry them for you." Polly said. "I'll check on you later."

"Will do, thanks again Polly." He thanked her once again before he entered the bathroom while she headed to Basil’s room soon after.

He quickly began stripping the soaked clothes and threw them back at the door. He went and checked the water and sensed it with his finger tip. 'Perfect.' He thought, not wasting anymore of his time, he dived into the bathtub,sinking deeply into the warm water as his body began relaxing. " Ahhh... much better."

He stayed there for at least half an hour before deciding to hop out of the bath, he took one of the towels that was hanging and began drying himself. He felt somewhat refreshed now.

He went to his spare clothes and examined them, his eyes widened in shock, ' No way... could it be?' Omori couldn't believe his eyes. He quickly wore them and went to check himself in the mirror.

It was his black tank top...

He began checking his new clothes. Omori was both surprised and happy, he felt complete as he missed his black tank top and shorts. Surprisingly, it still fits him. It made sense since Sunny didn't grow that tall at all and he was so thin, all that was missing was his long black socks but he doubts there's any here... Oh well, beggars can't be choosers I guess. Apart from that, his eyes were bloodshed, and he felt himself becoming a bit sick... great.

Omori also noticed a white and blue jersey jacket, no doubt this belonged to Kel but it was a bit small as his size, this probably dated back to when kel was young as he and sunny were short back then.

He took out the old jersey jacket, it makes sense since it would be weird and ridiculous if he went out only dressing in his black tank top. It's fine as long as he was wearing them, Omori wore the jacket and surprisingly it fits too. He might adapt to this new look...

Omori then picked up the soaked clothes that were on the ground and exited the bathroom after dressing decently, he put the clothes beside the door.

He made his way to the back to Kel and Hero, who both smiled at his new look upon seeing him.

"Hey, Looking good, Sunny!" Hero complimented him, as he smiled and winked.

"Yeah, I knew my old jacket would look good on you! You should definitely keep it, consider it a parting gift from me so you have something to remember me by." Kel said, giving his old possession to his friend as a gift.

"Anyway, here!" Kel handed him his satchel, which he gladly took and wore it immediately. "Thanks..." Omori said. 

"Here, I brought you a bowl, you must be famished." Hero said, as he handed him a bowl of soup. "Thanks, but you didn't need to do all of this." Omori insisted

"It's okay, I had to keep myself busy someway." Hero sheepishly said, and simply waved it off as nothing.

Omori began digging in before he finished his serving quickly, he was right about him being hungry. He ate two more bowls before he was satisfied. He had to admit that Hero's cooking was still delicious after all those years, even if he gave up his dreams of becoming a chef. He wanted to imagine what his cooking would taste like if he did chase his dreams, no doubt it would taste like heaven as he naturally would become a very famous chef in some luxury country.

"Alright, are we all ready to head out?" Hero asked once he was done with eating. He got up and eyed the two, waiting for a response.

"Actually, I'll stay here for a bit... You guys go on ahead, I'll meet you there later before sunset." Omori said as he was still sitting and avoided eye contact with the two.

Kel gave him a worried look and said, "Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us?"

"Yeah, I just need some time alone right now. I won't be gone for long, I promise. It’s been tough and I need to arrange my thoughts if you don’t mind." Omori didn’t like to make his two friends worry but he really wanted to be alone for now.

"It's fine. me and Kel, we'll be waiting on you in our house. Drop by whenever you're feeling ready." Hero said in complete understanding.

"Come on, Kel. Mom's probably worried sick about us." Hero put his hand around his younger brother's shoulder. Kel didn’t say anything for a bit, not liking that he'll leave his friend alone again, but he needs to respect his wishes if he wants some time alone.

"Okay... Be safe Sunny. But, if you haven't come by sunset, I'll come looking for you." Kel said and gave heads up to him.

All three exchanged goodbyes before the two brothers left.

Omori went to check on Basil in his room, he found Polly there standing besides him. "How's Basil?" He asked.

"He's okay. But he still hasn't woken up yet, I'm getting worried sick." Polly was restless to say the least, and her bags began forming under her eyes.

"He'll be fine. From what Hero said, he just needs to rest. So don't fret." Omori tried to reassure her.

"I hope you're right... I can't manage to lose Basil." Polly was scared of losing Basil, much like he was. But right now panicking won’t help anyone

"How are you holding up, Polly?" Omori asked her instead, to help calm her down hopefully.

"Like I said, I'm worried. I've been taking care of Basil for a while now, but I barely know anything about him... I wish he would open up to me someday..." Polly was heartbroken. In her mind, she wished she knew Basil better so maybe should have done something to help him and prevent this from happening. Omori saw that Polly did care deeply for Basil.

"You have a good heart and you’re a very nice and caring person, Polly. He'd eventually open up to you in time, I'm sure." Omori tried to uplift her.

"I hope so too... Thank you. I'm going to go dry your clothes for you now, please excuse me." Polly said, before she left the room. Leaving both him and Basil alone.

He went in front of Basil before he examined the flower boy. 'Poor bastard...' Omori couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for him. 

He was about to leave before he suddenly felt a tug in his jacket, he saw basil grabbing his jacket and his eyes were semi open as he began tearing up.

"oh, sunny... there's... no way out of this... is there?" Basil weakly whispered.

"don’t… leave me… sunny…" he weakly uttered before his grip weakened before he let go of him as his hand flopped at the side of the bed.

"No. Unfortunately, there isn't." Omori answered. Basil couldn't hear him anymore as he drifted back to sleep. 

"Sigh ... just get some sleep Basil." Omori whispered, before he took Basil's hanging arm and tacked inside. 

Before he quietly made his way out and closed the door behind and went outside the house, today was going to be a long day...

~ { Alternative scenario 1 } ~

"Shoot... We're outnumbered! " Kel whispered to him, it was 6 on 2, so the odds were very much against them and more. 

"I still have that pepper spray on me; it's either that or..." Omori paused, considering his options.

"Whatever it is, just choose, quick! We don't have much time, and we won't be able to hold for long..." Kel said as he tried to evade an attack from both Angel and Mikhael, who decided to tag team him.

Omori had to make a quick choice... one's easy, and the other isn't...

. . .

Ah, screw it; he kept delaying the inevitable, so might as well get this over with. Omori thought as he took a step forward and called out, "Aubrey!"

" Sunny, what are you doing ?" Kel slowly whispered.

"Something I should have done sooner." He replied before he approached her and raised his hands in surrender to show he wanted to talk and not fight.

"Leave Basil alone; he's got nothing to do with the photos in the album." Aubrey's expression turned from anger to confusion in mere seconds when she heard the second part.

" Wait... how did you? "

"Because I marked all of those photos with markers." He finally admitted.

"W-What?" Kel said from behind him, as he was as shocked as Aubrey when they learned he spilled the beans. The one who looked the most shocked was Basil; he was horrified that Sunny said this, and now they're going to hurt him!

"Ahaha... Sunny is being silly, I was the one who-"

"Basil. Stop!" Omori ordered him firmly, which made him stop in his tracks. "Stop taking the blame; I'm not going to let you suffer because of my mistakes anymore. We both know what really happened." He subtly hinted, which further made him more hysterical.

"Basil... took the blame for me; I didn't ask him to do it. I was in my house for four years, so I didn't know about it until yesterday." For the longest time, no one moved or spoke. You could very clearly hear a pin drop in the silence. 

"..."

"So it was you... y-you... " Aubrey started. Suddenly she sprang and grabbed him by his collar. She was livid as her face was red from anger. "You BASTARD!!"

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO IT! DIDN'T THOSE PHOTOS MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU AT ALL!! HUH?" Aubrey shouted.

"Aubrey stop!" Kel tried to interject to calm her down. "Sunny must have a reason; let's just hear him say it." 

"Screw that!" Aubrey yelled. "After what! All this time, I was bullying Basil for no reason, while you hid away in your house like a coward! It should have been you!" He didn't say anything or try to resist at all; he only stared before...

*Slap*

A loud noise echoed through the place. Omori found himself on the ground with a burning sensation on his cheek. Everyone was too shocked to react, and no one dared to speak as the atmosphere became so tense.

I-I... c-can't believe... you... " Aubrey's voice broke while tears began flooding down her cheeks. She then bolted off. 

"Aubrey! Wait!" Kim called her out, but it was no use as she was already gone. Kim tried to go after her but was stopped by her brother, Vance. "Let's give her some space." 

The other hooligan members stood uncomfortably, not knowing what to do now. 

"Hahhh... This isn't fun anymore... I wanna go home..." Angel was the first one to speak and began leaving, and soon the others too. Leaving only Kel, him, and Basil. 

"Sunny!" Kel quickly rushes to him and kneels at his level. "Are you okay?"

" Yeah... ow... I deserve that and probably more... " He hissed from the pain when he touched the burning mark that was present on his cheek. She didn't hold back, did she?

"No! You don't! No one deserves any of this!" Kel exclaimed. "What Aubrey has done is so wrong."

"She has every right to be angry." Omori replied.

"Yes. But that doesn't mean she has the right to hit you like this, not even listening at least." Kel scoffed.

" Oh God..." Kel whispered as he examined his wound, his left cheek was swollen. Omori was annoyed that his friend was concerned at him and not angry at him like Aubrey. He hates it.

"We need an ice pack for that wound. Come on let's Basil back so we can treat-" 

"Why?" Omori interjected.

"Huh?" Kel made a dubious sound: "What do you mean, Sunny?"

"Why are you nice to me? I don't deserve any of this after what I've done to Aubrey, Basil, and all of you. I-"

"Stop," Kel interjected gently yet firmly. "We've all been through a lot these past four years." 

"You did something bad once, so what? I know you have your reasons, and so does Aubrey. We'll talk it out later, but for now..." He paused.

"Making sure you and Basil are safe comes first." He concluded. He put his hands on his shoulders and stared into his eyes.

"Now come on." Kel got up before he put his hand out for him.

Omori was silent for a while and hesitant at first, but slowly took help from his hand as he helped him get out of his feet.

"Let's get Basil back to Polly; she must be worried sick about him." Kel said before he went to the flower boy, who was distressed.

"Are you okay, Basil?" Kel asked.

"I-I'm fine, not hurt." He paused. " W-What about Sunny? Is... he okay too?" Basil asked in concern.

"Don't worry, it's nothing too serious." Kel reassured, "Come one, let's get you home. Polly was looking all over for you."

"S-She did?" 

"Yeah, she must be worried sick now. Come on, we'll get Sunny some ice packs there to treat his swollen wound." Kel instructed as he put his hand on his shoulder.

"R-Right!"

The trio soon left the lake and went back to the park, where they heard a familiar masculine voice calling them in the distance. "Kel, Sunny!"

" Wait... Hero!" Kel voiced his surprise. His brother - Hero - was waving at them when he saw them before he quickly approached the three boys.

" Huff ... Am I glad that I found you two, and it seems you found Basil too!" Said Hero in relief. His face shifted to worry when he saw his wound.

"Oh my God... Sunny! W-What happened?" Asked Hero.

"It's a long story; we'll fill you in while we walk." Kel remarked, "Come on, let's drop Basil off at his house."

"Alright..." 

The quartet exited the park before Hero stopped at one of the vending machines and bought a cold drink.

"Here," Hero said, handing him the cold can. "Put it on your wound; this should help in the meantime." 

Omori took the can and slowly put it on his wound before he hissed from the pain, but he grinned and bore it.

They began walking until Hero began by saying, "So, what exactly happened back there?" Asked Hero.

"Just our typical, average day where we hang out, get into a fight with the hooligans, and rescue Basil. Except now I got bitch slapped." Omori narrated sarcastically.

"...What?" Hero was extremely confused about what he said.

"What Sunny is saying..." Kel chimed in before adding more context. "Me and him went out to get stuff for Mom at the plaza. We ran into Basil in the park earlier, then we returned home, and later Polly - Basil's caretaker - came and asked if Basil were with us. So we went looking for him back at the park and found him at our old hangout spot with the scooter gang." Kel briefly paused to gather his thoughts, "Then things took a turn when Sunny dropped a bombshell on Aubrey, and then she got very upset—like really upset—and started to cuss at him before slapping him real hard. She then... ran away." Kel concluded.

" Wait... Aubrey did this?" Hero was at a loss for words about what he heard. 

"Yeah, she changed a lot." Kel started before he counted his fingers. "She changed her clothes, dyed her hair pink, and now runs in with some scooter gang."

" Wait, pink hair ? I think I saw a pink-haired girl earlier who ran past me in a rush... So that was Aubrey!" 

"She's not the same anymore; she became all messed up when you left for college." Kel spat out, "She and her scooter gang started messing up with Basil and even stole his photo album..." Kel added. 

" No way ... this ... she wouldn't do that to Basil." Hero paused. "It must have been a misunderstanding between the two, I'm sure."

"It was," said Kel. "But we'll deal with it later once things calm down."

"Just... what happened while I was gone?" Hero wondered out loud.

"It's not your fault that any of this happened." Kel tried his best to comfort him. "We should be thankful; things could have gotten worse."

" I guess... " Hero said, still a bit less doubtful now.

"So, how did you manage to find us anyway?" Kel asked.

"I heard from Mom that Basil was missing, and you two went looking for him at the park." Hero explained.

"I came to the park and saw you guys." 

"I guess I got here a bit too late. Sigh... If I'd gotten here sooner, maybe I could've prevented this from happening." Hero spoke in a remorseful tone.

"Hey..." Kel put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "It's not your fault; you couldn't have known what was going to happen."

"You're right, but still... I'm supposed to be the adult here and look after everyone. Sigh... Maybe I never should have left.. " Hero whispered, feeling guilty.

"Hero, you can't be in two places at the same time; what's done is done. Everyone is safe and no one is hurt; that's all that matters."

"Ehem," Omori made a noise from behind, reminding him..

" Well... alive at least, haha." He chuckled nervously.

"So, Basil, Sunny... it's been so long since I've seen you. Though I wish it was under better circumstances," Said Hero. "I'm glad to see you two haven't changed a bit." 

" Haha... I guess... "

"We're still the same, and the town is also the same." Omori replied.

They managed to reach Basil's house and gently knocked. After a brief pause, they heard footsteps quickly rushing from the other side before the door opened, and they were greeted with a relieved Polly when she saw the flower boy.

"BASIL!" She immediately rushed to him and held him in a tight embrace, not letting go because she was afraid if she did, she would lose him again. "You had me worried sick..." she whispered wearily.

"... Sorry ..." Basil uttered weakly.

"Thank you for bringing him safely." Polly soon pulled away from the embrace and thanked them as she shot them a grateful look.

"Haha, it was no problem, Polly! But we need some ice packs for Sunny. He's been hurt badly." Kel explained.

"Oh my! What happened to him?" Asked Polly in shock once she noticed the wound on the boy. "Come in inside, and I'll fetch some ice."

"Here you go." Polly handed him the ice pack soon after.

"Thanks, Polly." Omori thanked her before he replaced the can of soda with the ice pack, which didn't stop him from hissing in pain due to a tear in his tissue.

"I should be the one thanking you." 

"I did what I had to do; besides, I had this coming to me anyway." 

"Well, there's nothing we can do but let the wound heal itself. You need a lot of rest, so don't strain yourself." Hero chimed in. 

" Hiss ... I'll keep that in mind." Omori replied, and soon silence filled the room. Basil then made an excuse. "S-Sorry, might I be excused? I want to head to my room and rest."

"Alright." Polly nodded.

"Yeah, you've been through a lot lately." Said Kel, "Go and get some rest; we'll check on you tomorrow!"

"Don't worry about Sunny; he's going to be okay as well." Hero reassured him.

"O-Okay... s-see you guys later..." Basil took a quick glance at them before quickly leaving and slamming his room shut. Everyone didn't pay any mind to his behavior and simply made him an excuse.

"So... you're Kel's brother, Hero?" Polly started, breaking the silent atmosphere. "Your brother talked a lot about you, mostly fondly." 

"Haha, yeah." He let out a short laugh. "My name is Henry, but everyone calls me Hero! Nice to meet you, Polly." 

"Charmed." Both exchanged quick handshakes before engaging in small talk with one another. Leaving both him and Kel alone.

Kel sat next to him and asked, "How are you feeling... apart from the wound of course. " Kel added.

"I don't even know, to be honest." He admitted. "I messed up big time, and now Aubrey and Basil are hurt because of me..." 

"It was all misunderstood. Had Aubrey talked with Basil in the first place and not jumped to conclusions, she would’ve known it wasn't him." He paused. "But she didn't even try." He spatted.

"This still doesn't change the fact that it was my fault to begin with. So don't even try defending me." 

"No. It's all our faults, not just yours." Said Kel. "We've all been through a lot, but instead of being for each other... we separated." Kel began counting his fingers. "Basil took the blame; Aubrey didn't try reaching anyone, she didn't hear from Basil, we all didn't reach for one another."

"So don't say it's just your fault alone; it's ours. And we will work on it and fix them. Together." Kel affirmed before he put his hand on his shoulder.

Omori was silent for the longest time before he let out a small, weak laugh. "Heh, you got me there. I really can't argue with you with that." 

"Little ray of sunshine, you are." Omori joked, which made him snicker. Both then shared a genuine smile with one another.

Omori felt a bit of peace and nostalgia from being with him. It's almost like he's talking to Abbi right now. He had a love-hate relationship with this feeling. Love, since it reminded him of the fond memories he had with her. Hate, since it reminded him of his failure. But I guess it's not all not bad...

"-Anyway, we better be on our way now, Polly." Hero voice made the two boys snap out of their thoughts. "Our parents are waiting for us."

"Oh, of course! Don't let me keep you." Said Polly, "Thank you once again, and do visit us again."

"We definitely will! Come on guys, let's go before mom gets worried as well." Hero instructed.

Both boys complied, and they all set off on their merry way after saying their goodbyes to Polly.

~ { Alternative scenario 2  } ~

"And you..." Aubrey pointed at him forcefully; she was beginning to tear up from her emotional outburst.

"You're the worst, Basil. How dare you show up and still show your face to me after what you did! Huh?" Aubrey was unable to look at him and turned away.

Basil stood there for a bit before he slowly approached her and said, "Aubrey... I-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" 

Aubrey then unintentionally pushed Basil into the water. Unfortunately, the sudden shock from the cold water made him unable to swim back up and left him hopeless as he began sinking into the water and slowly drowning. 

"... Shoot ..." Was all Aubrey could say.

"Aubrey! What have you done?! You've taken this way too far!" Kel furiously called her out.

"W-Wait... Hold on! I didn't mean to-"

Omori witnesses all of this happening in slow motion. Without thinking, he took off his satchel and began sprinting before jumping into the water after Basil to rescue him before it was too late. "Sunny, wait!" Kel called from behind.

Kel manages to stop him from grabbing him by the hand. Omori began thrashing around, trying to break free, before shouting, "LET ME GO!"

Kel slightly slapped Sunny to make him snap out of it, which was effective as he looked surprised for a moment. "Sunny, calm down! I'll get Basil! You stay here and keep Aubrey busy." Kel didn't bother waiting for him to respond before he ran and dove after Basil.

He took a moment to process his friend's words... Shit, I did it again . If he jumped, he would not be much help since he is too weak to carry Basil from the water and most likely would end up drowning as well.

He should have left it to his friend Kel, who is stronger and faster than he ever will be. He's glad he managed to stop him before he did the stupidest thing.

He turned his attention to Aubrey, who was still distressed and trying to process what had happened. "Great work, dumbass." Omori began insulting "You won't stop until the boy is dead, huh?"

"I SAID I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUSH HIM! Get it through your thick skull!" Aubrey fired back.

" Well , have you stopped for a moment and considered that all that bullying of yours could possibly LEAD HIM YO TAKE HIS OWN LIFE, HUH!!" Omori shouted, taking Aubrey by surprise.

"The damn boy has it hard with Mari's death, his grandma is sick, and now a bunch of kids start bullying, and you're going to act all surprised when he does take his own life as if you didn't know any better." Aubrey looked horrified 

"Just know Aubergine this, if he dies, it's all on you and- " He said in a low voice. 

"SUNNY!"

A masculine voice called him from behind them. He turned around and saw someone rushing at them. ... Hero?

"Sunny, oh, thank god I found you... huff ." Said Hero, stopping for a second to catch his breath. He begins looking around and finds no sign of both his brother and Basil.

"Where's Kel?" Asked Hero. Before anyone could answer, Kel emerged from the water, taking a deep breath as he held Basil on his back. "I got him!" Kel exclaimed as he climbed off the water and gently put Basil on the ground. 

Hero rushes to inspect the unconscious boy. "Basil! What happened to him, Kel?" He asked as he put his two fingers on his neck to check if there were any pulses.

Thankfully, after a moment, he felt a faint one. Hero sighed in relief. "His breathing is steady... but we need to get him somewhere warm and a change of clothes quickly." Hero instructed as he picked up Basil in bridal style.

"Yeah, he had a rough day." Kel nodded. "Let's get him home as soon as possible; Polly must be worried sick about him." Omori went and picked up his satchel that was on the ground before they all began to leave.

Aubrey, who was now tearing up, yelled at them, "WAIT!! Where do you think you're all going?" 

"What? I thought you wanted us to leave, princess." Omori scorned. Kel put a hand over his shoulder and said, "Let's leave her. Basil is important right now." Kel said calmly.

"Come on guys! Poor Basil must be freezing right now." Said Kel, before he turned and spared one last look at Aubrey, who was now crying.

They left and made their way out of the old hangout spot and into the park. While they were walking, Hero couldn't help but ask, "What happened back there with Basil?"

"Aubrey pushed Basil into the lake." Omori was the one who answered.

"Wait... That was Aubrey back there?" Hero was perplexed. "No way... this... she wouldn't do that to Basil." Hero paused. "It must have been a misunderstanding between the two, I'm sure."

"If there was, we don't know it yet." Said Kel. "Anyway, don’t blame you for not recognizing her earlier..." He paused for a bit. "She changed a lot, changed her clothing, dyed her hair pink, and now runs in with some scooter gang."

"She's not the same anymore; she became all messed up when you left for college." Kel spat out, "She and her scooter gang started messing up with Basil and even stole his photo album..." Kel added. 

"Just... what happened while I was gone?" Hero said, "Sigh... Maybe I never should have left..." Hero whispered sadly, feeling somewhat guilty.

"It's not your fault any of this happened." Kel reassured him.

"Yeah, let's just focus on bringing him back safely for now... We'll try dealing with this matter later." Hero said.

"He's safe now." Kel reassured him. "Yeah, thanks to you. You're the one who dived and got him out of the water after all." Omori praised.

Kel laughed sheepishly. "Heh... It was nothing... "

"So, how did you manage to find us anyway?" Kel asked.

"I heard from Mom that Basil was missing, and you two went looking for him at the park." Hero explained.

"When I was running around the park looking for you, I began asking around for you two; someone told me that he saw two boys enter deep into the trees, so I went there and found you there at our old hangout spot."

 "Anyway, a lot has changed since you were away. Sunny only came out of his house yesterday, y'know." Kel explained.

"Yeah... not quite the reunion I expected, to be completely honest... Has it really been four years? It feels so long ago... " Hero mused. "So, Sunny... it's been so long since I've seen you." 

"Though I wish it was under better circumstances," said Hero. "I'm glad to see you again after so long, but you've changed a bit in terms of the fact that you're talking more now."

"Things tend to change in four years, including people you know." Omori replied.

"Heh, better get used to his new side." Kel joked.

"Anyway, Sunny only gave you the short version without details." Said Kel, before he began telling his brother the full story.

"You see, me and Sunny went out to get stuff for Mom at the plaza. We ran into Basil in the park earlier, then we returned home, and later Polly - Basil's caretaker - came and asked if Basil were with us. So we went looking for him back at the park and found him at our old hangout spot with the scooter gang crying. We fought with them and won, and everyone left. Things then got a bit heated as Aubrey shoved Basil into the lake when he tried approaching her, and then I dove after him to save him. You know the rest." Kel concluded.

"I see..." They soon walked in silence and picked up their pace.

They managed to reach Basil's house and knock. They heard footsteps quickly rushing from the other side before the door opened, and they were greeted with a shocked Polly, who gasped before she covered her mouth as her eyes widened before she yelled, "OH MY! BASIL!"

"What happened? Is he okay?" Polly quickly asked, as she swiftly rushed to Basil.

"Ma’am calm down… Basil is fine." Hero reassured the distressed lady. "His breathing is stable. He just needs a change of clothes and a warm bed." Hero explained.

"Okay, I can do that..." Polly tried calming down. "Quick, bring him inside!" She instructed them, and they headed inside after her.

"Can you help me bring him to his room?" Polly asked.

"Sure thing," Hero carried Basil to his room along with Polly.

Chapter Text

Omori left the flower boy's house soon after, and the sky turned into an orange glow. Considering he and Basil just barely evaded death due to his idiotic, unnational thinking, if it weren't for both Kel and Hero, they most likely wouldn't make it. Albeit it's done and over, the same can't be said for him, unconsciously disclosing the marked photos. It just seems he's grasping at straws, and it's wholly his fault. Omori sighed exasperatedly before shaking his head internally to avert those negative thoughts, and now was not the time to dwell and weep.

The silver lining is that he and Basil got alive, and his friends didn't react or take it badly when he shouted the truth, and it seems they're willing to listen and give him the benefit of the doubt. And there's Aubrey... He really doesn't know if there's hope anymore, if he's being honest. Omori hand formed into a fist. His face may have been passive, but his rage was burning wildly within him. Every choice he made only led to either an undesirable or disastrous outcome; he really did screw up big time. He was having second thoughts about the whole thing. If his leaving the house and meddling with Sunny's friends lives was the right choice after all... maybe things would have been better if I hadn't intervened at all.

The boy's arms fell limply by his side. Omori let out a long, slow breath and looked up, hoping for an answer. He contemplated for what seemed like forever before he turned his gaze away from the sky and went and kicked a random rock that was on the way in frustration. Alright, he made it this far, so it's too late to just back out. Things with Aubrey may be a bit stained, although far from unsalvageable.

Though that was easier said than done.

For now, it's probably best he use this time wisely to come up with a backup plan, despite most of them not going that well, and what he'd say to his friends. He might be able to pull it off somehow, but he knows that's wishful thinking. Well, he still had some 'quests’ to do before meeting up with his friends, so that will hopefully take his mind off or at least alleviate his stress momentarily. Not wanting to dawdle any longer, he set out first in the neighborhood he was currently in.

On a side note, Omori looked like he had seen better days. He felt himself shiver from the cold breeze, and he seemed to catch a cold as he began sneezing in his sleeves. His eyes were bloodshed, and there were bags under his eyes.

Wonderful.

Coincidentally, the house next, which has a brown rooftop and has also worn out and seen better days, belonged to the old, wrinkled guy he saw at the park earlier and also helped pick up a gift for his son's birthday yesterday. I guess that's his first stop. He remembered the man inviting him to join for the kid's birthday, and by the looks of it, no one but him showed up, which Omori didn't know how to feel about, but at least one is better than none, I guess.

He went and gently knocked on the wooden surface. He silently hoped it was the right house this time and didn't want a repeat of last time. After a few moments, the door gently cracked open, and he was greeted by the same old man, thankfully.

[ Birthday boy ]

"Ah, it's you, pal! I didn't think you would actually show up." The man gestured for him to enter. "Come in, come in!"

Omori followed the man inside to a table with two chairs and a sad slice of strawberry cake on it. He noticed the absence of any friends or family present and even the lack of decoration, which he supposes since some people have preferences when they throw a party or even not throw a party at all. Although what baffled him the most was the absence of the birthday boy.

"Have some cake! I got it off the bargain bin since it expires tomorrow... but it's still pretty tasty!" The father noticed his sick appearance. "Or would you like some tea? A cup of ginger tea is good for your health." 

"No, I'm good. Thank you." I’d rather not get food poisoning just because some old dude wants to shave off a few dollars.

"So, where is the birthday boy?" He brought up the elephant in the room.

"Oh, you see... my son won't come out of his room despite me telling him numerous times to come out so we can celebrate his 10th birthday."

"Sigh... I even bought him a cake too." Well, that's a bit depressing. Did the kid hate his father that much? It's a shame too, since the father seems like a nice guy and cares deeply for his son. Well, he'll talk sense to that brat to come out of his room and spend some quality time with his father, one way or another.

"I'll try to talk with him. Wait here." The father was taken back, but he quickly left before he could say anything. He entered without knocking this time. The kid was on his computer, and he didn't hear him enter due to him wearing headphones on his head. He went to the chair and forcefully swung it around to face him.

"What the—?" The kid yelled out in surprise before he laid his eyes on the boy, which prompted him to scowl. "HEY! What did you do that for?!"

"Jesse, was it?" Omori ignored the boy's question and began by calmly calling him out by his name instead. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Huh? Who are you? What do you want?" 

"Such a shame." He ignored the boy once again. "Your father was quite sad when he saw that you weren't gonna come out to celebrate your own birthday with him. He spent a lot of time preparing it, y'know."

"So I thought, as a friend of his, I'd go and have a talk with you, from one kid to another." 

"Dad is friends with some teenager? So weird... " Jesse muttered. 

"Actually, I’m friends with many adults here, but that's besides the point." 

"So, did you magically forget that it was your birthday or something?" He wouldn't be surprised by how much time he was glued to his screen playing games."Your dad bought you cake and a present as well."

"I told dad not to do anything for me! Just tell him to return everything and get out of my room!" Omori was not having any of this anymore, as he felt his blood boil from the kid's attitude. So that's how you wanna play it, huh?

"Alright, brat... " Omori slowly and deliberately muttered before he once again violently forced the kid to look at him by spinning the chair, which took the kid by surprise yet again.

"Listen here, brat!" His piercing gaze was locked with the kid, which made him shrink. 

"I tried to be nice, but if you're going to be a little ungrateful brat... then I'd happily drag you by your chair outside myself." Jesse squirmed in his seat.

"Hell! Like, what do you have against the man, exactly?" 

"The man obviously cares about you; unless you have a good reason for your attitude towards him, by all means do enlighten me." He stepped away from the boy, stood his ground, and crossed his arms, making it clear that he's not going anywhere until he receives a valid answer from him.

"..."

Silence hung between the two boys. Jesse was reluctant, as he didn't know how to explain it to him, while Omori patiently waited for the kid to answer.

"Sigh... You see all the cool stuff I have here?" The boy pointed at all of the possessions he had in his room.

"Yeah?" 

"I... I got all this stuff from Mom." 

"Mom doesn't live here anymore, but she sends me stuff like this all the time." He paused for a moment. "But Dad... Dad isn't up to date with the trends... Whatever he gets won't be as good as what I already have. So... whatever he gets, it is just a waste of money." That's it? Omori couldn't believe what he had just heard; he made sure to double check to see if there wasn't an issue with his hearings.

Omori tried his best to keep his eye from twitching and decided to let the boy finish first.

"So even if it's my birthday... he doesn't need to get anything for me!"

Omori let out a wearily and frustrated sigh as he couldn't surpass himself from face-palming. "That's gotta be the crappest excuse I've ever heard." 

"H-Huh?"

"This is not a very convincing excuse for you to just do that to him. Even if he 'wastes' his money on stuff you already have, at least he tries, and that shows that he truly cares. So the least you can do is show a bit of appreciation and go and celebrate with him now."

"But... I..." The boy was hesitant.

"Just go! Damn it!" Omori's impatience surged, but he hastily reined in his temper. "You both obviously care about each other. Now, if you're going to be an ungrateful brat, then at least own it up to him." There were a few moments of silence. 

"..."

"Hmph... you're so pushy..." 

" Oh, that's not me being pushy..." Omori went and grabbed him out of the chair before gently pushing him towards the door. " That is." 

"...Ugh... Fine!" Jesse yelled. "I'll go see dad..." Both he and Jesse made their way back to the living room. The father was surprised upon seeing his son before he seated himself at the table while Omori watched from afar as he leaned onto the door entrance.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SON!!!" The father yelled excitedly.

"I know we don't have much, but..." The man paused briefly. "I went and got you something that I thought you'd like..." He took out the game that he'd picked out for him yesterday and handed it to him. "Here you go!"

"It's some new game called Super Ultra Sprout Mole Eater - Revenge of the Moles Ⅲ!"  

"Dad... you didn't have to..."

"I really don't understand all these new gizmos, but I thought you might like it!"

"Dad... I... I don't have the right game console for this..."

"Game... console?" He repeated. "Ahh... Sorry, I don't understand..."

"Dad... I..."

"Son!" His father interjected gently. "I know things have been hard without your mother... but I want you to know that I'm here for you too!" He comforted his son.

"Dad! Stop worrying about me!" The boy cried. "I'm doing fine! Just worry about yourself." 

"Oh, Jesse..." The father said it deliberately and softly. "You can't ask me to do that. You're my son, after all! I can't help but worry about you!"

"Even if I can't get you things as nice as your mother..." He paused. "You can't blame me for trying, right?" 

"Every time I see you, I just think about how fast you're growing up..."

"One day, when you're older... you're probably not going to need me at all anymore..." His voice was somber. "So just let me be part of your life for now, okay?"

"Now..." The father commenced once again. "I know it's your birthday... but I also know that you like to keep to yourself these days... " He said it in an understanding tone. "So why don't you take this slice of cake and eat it in your room?"

"It's strawberry... Your favorite..." He added.

"..."

"It's... It's okay, Dad... I don't mind eating it here."

"Oh! Are you sure?" The father voiced his surprise. "You usually take your food to your room..." He pointed it out.

"..."

After a moment of silence, the boy let out a few sniffs.

" Sniff... sniff... Dad... I... I'm sorry..." Jesse quietly sobbed as he felt the guilt building up slowly before it became to much. The father was caught off guard before 

"W-What is it, son!" The man was confused. "A-Are you okay? Did I ask something wrong?!" He asked in a worried voice.

"N-No... I'm fine..." The boy whispered. "Thanks for the gift, Dad... I... sniff ... I really like it..."

[ Birthday boy ]

While the father and son were having a touching moment, it almost made his heart melt.

Almost.

Omori made his way into the house, as he felt that he was no longer needed here and wouldn’t want to be a third wheel.

He continued walking on the sidewalk until he came across a fashionable lady in a dress waiting outside her house. She was impatiently tapping her foot on the ground, like she was waiting for something or someone. Her impatience seems to be almost running low; upon seeing the boy, she politely called him out.

"Excuse me, young man. Can I bother you for a second?" Damn it, why me? I’m just walking here.

"What's the problem, ma'am?"

[ Seeing the Light ]

"The problem is that I had my son go to Fix-It to buy a new lamp." She scoffed as she swung her hand. "But he's sure taking his sweet time..."

"Bah! He's always slow with those things! I don't have all day!" She vented. "I wish someone would go tell him to hurry up." She said this as she looked at the boy, indirectly asking him to do it.

"Sigh... Fine, I'll go check on him."

"Oh, thank you, darling! Please, do hurry up." 

After a few walks later, he entered the town's plaza. As he was walking towards the shop, he caught a glimpse of a familiar furry friend sitting on one of the trees in front of Othermart. The cat eyed him curiously.

"Hey... are you following me there?" 

[ Little Orange Cat Ⅳ ]

"Meow!"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. I did say I'd get you a fish earlier; I'll go fetch you some now. Wait here." He went inside Othermart and quickly bought a fish. On his way out, he encounters the same clumsy man who almost ruined his marriage and probably was about to for the second time, it seems. "Pssst here." He called him out from the candy shop.

"What's the matter?"

[ Wedding Anniversary ⅠⅠ ]

"Oh, tman. I messed up real bad this time! I was about to go to Gino's Pizza until I saw my wife there. I was confused until it suddenly hit me that today is our wedding anniversary. I almost forgot."

Yep, called it. 

"So here I am doing some last-minute damage control... So I went to the candy shop to buy my wife a gift, and this time I'll pick one that'll impress here for sure. Except... like always... I have no idea what to get, and I've been stuck here for a while. Sigh... At this point, I'd accept any kind of help I get..."

"Say... could you do me another favor and help me pick up a gift for my wife? I can't decide between these three." He pointed at the three items in question. "Thanks in advance!"

Oh, jolly... Fine, whatever. Omori went to the counter and examined the three items for a bit. "Hey, between these three, which one is the best as a gift?"

"Hmm, choosing between candy, apple caramel, or chocolate? That's a hard choice! Smiley! Smiley!" She then leaned in closer and whispered, "But between you and me, you could never go wrong with chocolate." 

"Then I'll take it, thanks." He took one of the chocolate bars and handed it to the man. "Oh, of course, why did I think of that earlier? Um, you think that'll impress her?" 

"Go for it." Omori gives him a thumbs up in response.

"ALRIGHT!! Thanks for getting me out of a pinch... again." He went to the counter. "Hello ma'am! I'd like to purchase these chocolates, please! It's for my lovely wife! Today's our anniversary!" He handed out the money to the lady.

"Of course! Smiley! Smiley! Thank you, and please come again! Smiley! Smiley!" She handed him the bag.

"Thanks for the help, kid! I can't believe you saved my marriage twice." Me neither, and I also don't know why I even bothered in the first place. "I'll be on my way now... Wish me luck!" And with that said, the clumsy man left the store.

Miss Candice then dropped her fake cheerful demeanor and turned to look at him. "Yup, his marriage is definitely screwed. I'd be surprised if his wife didn't divorce him after putting up with him for so long." It seems she doesn't do her usual act with him anymore.

"I'd be surprised if you had a man, ma'am." It took Omori all his power not to break laughing and managed to deliver it with a poker face.

"Don't be a smartass, brat! Now, either you buy something or get lost, I don’t want you to spread your sickness in my shop." She glared at him while her face was beet red. He didn't need to be told twice; he left the shop while still continuing his laughter. 

He left Othermart and offered the fish to the cat, who snatched it from him. He left something on the floor before he went away with the fish. He went and picked up the cat's gift.

{ Got Arcade Part }

Omori simply shrugged and pocketed the item before he made his way inside the 'Fix It' shop and was greeted by the shopkeeper. "Yeesh, kid. Had a rough day or something?" Mando was concerned when he saw the boy's appearance.

"Yeah, you could say that." He sniffed. "Anyway, I'm looking for a kid here."

"Well, there's one currently drawing at the flower section and one at the lamp section." He paused. "He's actually been standing there for hours, now that I think about it..." 

"Yeah, that's him. Thanks." He went to confront the supposed mother's son.

"Hmm... Which floor lamp should I get?" He began muttering to himself. "The pink one? The blue one? The fancy one?"

"Why does this even matter? It all looks trash to me anyway..." He mused before letting out a frustrated groan. " Ugh... I hate decisions... I think I'm gonna throw up..." Omori tapped his shoulder from behind to get the boy's attention, but it ended up startling him instead, and his look didn't help either. "Eh!? Who are you? W-What do you want?" 

"Yeah, hi. Your mom sent me to tell you to hurry up with the lamp." 

"Well, tell her to wait then!" The boy cried loudly. "I'm the one going out all this way to pick up this floor lamp that I don't even care about." He began throwing a tantrum in front of him, which Omori did not need to hear. "Besides... she's so picky! I don't know why she doesn't just do it herself."

“Grrr... what a trashy situation..."

"These floor lamps are trash! You're trash!" He pointed at the lamps, then at him. Okay, that's a bit uncalled for.

Before he could respond, the boy was now talking to himself as he realized something. "Heh... Yes... It all makes sense to me now..."

"This world... This world is nothing but trash!" He spat out. 

"What are you walking about exactly?"

"Hey, you..." He turned and faced him. "If my mom wants her lamp so bad, why don't you get it herself!?" The boy forcefully handed him the money before he could answer.

"I'VE GOT BETTER THINGS TO DO!!" The boy then stormed off, leaving him confused. He eyed the money before he saw the boy leave the shop soon after.

" Sigh... What a lunatic." He let out a frustrated sigh. He didn't bother going after the boy since it was apparent he seemed like a hopeless case. He checked the amount that the boy threw at him before pocketing it. Great, I’ve been promoted to the errand boy now.

Before that, he went to the flower section, where he assumed Mincy was. The artist was sketching as usual. "Mincy is drawing again, and the sun is shining brightly." He exclaimed playfully as he approached the artist, who smiled at him when she recognized the boy.

[ Motivation for Mincy Ⅳ ]

"Hey, Omori." Mincy greeted him, as she seemed more cheerful than before. However, her face turn into worry when she saw the state he was in. "Oh, my! W-What happened to you? Are you alright?" Mincy asked in concern.

"Never better, I... Achoo!" He let out a sneeze soon after.

"Bless you." 

"Thank you; I just caught a cold from taking a dip in the cold water earlier. Let's say me and water don't mix well, like cats and water."

"I see, but why did you jump in the water? Did you go for a swim or something?" She tilted her head.

"No, I had to jump to save my friend, but... I ended up almost drowning in the process instead." He laid it out nonchalantly. It wasn't his best idea since he wasn't that good of a swimmer in this body nor had the strength and stamina to pull it off, but his impulse clouded his judgment at that moment.

"That's horrible!" She covered her mouth in shock.

"Yeah, but thankfully no one's dead, thanks to my two friends who saved us both." 

"Forgive me for saying this, but... It seems you always get into some sort of trouble every time we meet." Mincy pointed it out.

"It's not like I'm trying to on purpose; blame my bad luck."

"I see... Well, I hope your luck improves."

"Me too... So, drawing flowers this time, huh?" Omori shifted the topic, and it seems to work flawlessly as Mincy returns to smiling again. "Yeah! There's so many different types of flowers, so I'm trying to draw one of each."

"Sounds like a lot of work; keep it up."

"I will! Thank you, Omori! I must finish this before night." Mincy, determined as ever before, went back, delightfully sketching away as usual.

"Yeah, don't let me keep you. As for me, I have an errand to run as well."

"Bye, now."

He returned back to the lamp section, picked the nearest lamp, which was the pink one, and went to the shopkeeper. "I'd like to purchase this lamp, please."

"Sure! That'll be... fifty dollars."

"Here." He reached for the money that the kid gave him, which was the exact amount.

"Thanks for the business, bud. Hope to see you again."

"Huff... Here's your lamp." 

"Oh my, what a nice floor lamp! Thank you, darling! You have impeccable taste! " She complimented her before she looked around and noticed that her son wasn't present.

[ Seeing the Light ]

"Hmm... but where is my son, Billy? Did he go on one of his tantrums and run off again?" 

"Yup." He popped the letter p.

"Sigh... He's so temperamental... I wish he wouldn't make such a big deal out of everything all the time. Anyway, you're such a gentleman for helping a lady out. Would you kindly put the lamp inside?"

"Sure."

"Put it in my daughters' room, the room on the left." The lady guided him inside. 

Omori nodded and went to the room before knocking. The room opened, and he was greeted with an intimidating look from the girl. "Yes?"

"I, uh... got your lamp here?" He awkwardly handed it to her. "Oh, uh, thanks, I guess." She took the lamp, and the two fell into awkward silence.

"This may sound rude, but who are you?"

"Oh, I'm just a guy who goes around lending a hand." He said it with a hint of sarcasm. "Sunny, but call me Omori."

"Brandi." She extended a hand out, which he took, and she tightened her grip.

Ow, she sure has a strong hand grip for a woman... Damn. Omori flapped his pained hand once they let go.

"So… I assume that you have already met my idiotic young brother, Billy. Seeing, he wasn't the one who brought the lamp back."

"Yeah, he yelled, called me trash, and left without elaborating any further." Brandi let out a laugh and slapped him on the back, which almost knocked him off. "You're funny, haha... Anyway, sorry about my brother back there; he's obsessed with the concept of recycling or whatever. I blame mom for enabling him." She leaned on the door; she seems relaxed now.

"Anyway, over there is my other young sister, Bebe." She pointed back at the girl sitting at the desk, thinking about it—was it the girl he saw at the fountain? Let's hope she doesn't recognize him; otherwise, her sister might have a bit of a chat with me.

"Oh, hi again!"

Welp, I'm dead. Is it too late to run?

"Oh, you know this boy, Bebe?" She glanced between him and her. "Is he your crush that you’ve been talking about, perhaps~?" She grinned as she began teasing her little sister.

Oh, no... I sense that I'm in grave danger.

"After all, I need to have some words with the boy who's going to date my cute little sister." She quickly wrapped her hand around him with a deadly smile on her face, as he felt she was slowly choking him.

Kel? Hero? Anyone? Please save me...  

She expected some kind of reaction, but to her surprise, Bede just shook her head. "Um, no, actually." 

"Huh, Really? Who is it then?" She let go of him before he gasped and inhaled the air quickly. 

I'm saved. Curse this damn town, and it's crazy people.

"I don't know his name yet..." Bebe poked her fingers together in embarrassment; she then looked and pointed at him. "But I saw him with him earlier at the fountain."

"Wait, you mean that weird kid, Mikhael?" 

"Yeah! Are you friends with him?" 

"Friend... is a strong word. I mean, we did beat him up and his gang after all, and before you say anything, they started it."

"You... beat up him and his gang? Wait, you don't happen to be the same two boys who beat up those hooligans around town?" Brandi looked amused.

"Ugh, did the news spread that quickly?" Omori didn't bother denying it anymore; he massaged his temples. So much for keeping it low; this is going to bring unwanted attention and stain Sunny’s reputation, damn it.

"Are you kidding? News spread like a forest fire; everyone talks about it, especially when you all fought in the town's church." The red-haired girl grinned at him. "Heh, you got guts. I like that. If you weren't underage, I'd offer you to go have a drink with me."

"Gee, thanks." Omori rolled his eyes. "It's not like I wanted to fight; those kids only speak one language, which is fighting. Back to Mikhael; me and him live on the same street."

"Really? In that case..." Bebe went up to him and handed him the love letter. "I hate to ask you this, but... could you deliver this letter to him, please? But don't say that it's from me!"

"Uhhh... sure, I could do that." 

"Thank you so much!"

"Well, I'll be on my way then. It was nice meeting you two." Before Omori left the room, he felt his arm being grabbed. "Before you go... here." Brandi handed him a flask in his hand. He looked at it and then looked at her with a raised eyebrow. 

"What's with that look? It's empty, and you can store any liquid in it besides alcohol, y'know. It's just a thanks for helping my little sister and also for enduring my little brother as well."

"I see. Thanks for the item, I suppose." He stored it safely in his satchel.

{ Got Flask }

"Don't mention it; see ya around." Omori soon left the room and headed back to the living room, where the mother was seen sitting on the table. "Oh, there you are. Did you meet my two daughters?"

"Yes, though I have to say, you have quite a… nice family, miss." Except maybe for that Billy kid.

"Hmhmhm, why thank you. I raised them well, it seems." She flipped her hair. "Anyway, I can't thank you enough for bringing me the lamp. I have a coffee machine in the kitchen; feel free to pour yourself some, though it's getting rather late, unless you want to stay up all night. My coffee is very strong after all, hmhmhmhm."

"Is that so? I guess I have to put that to the test." And by test, I mean testing it on Kel.  He went to the machine and pressed the brew button. While preparing the coffee, he took out the oranges he got from the sports guy and began chopping them with his steak knife, then squeezing them into the empty cup. He waited until the machine was done, then poured the coffee into the orange cup and began mixing it. Finally, he took the cup and carefully poured it into his flask.

 ~ { Made Homemade Orange Joe } ~

"Thanks for the coffee and for the hospitality, miss."

"Oh, it's nothing. You're free to come anytime; hopefully you and my son Billy can get to know each other." Yeah, fat chance. He nodded politely before he left the house.

Omori has one job left to do, and it is to deliver this love letter to Mikhael. He's probably only doing it since he doesn't want to upset the girl's sister, who will have his head. He reached his house and found Mikhael standing outside his house. How convenient!

"Hey, Mikhael—"

[ Hide and Seek ]

"Shhh!" 

"Just what the heck are you doing, Mikhael?" Omori rolled his eyes.

"I said SHHH! I'm sensing an evil presence coming from my house... And it's Maverick!" 

"What, like ghosts?" Omori looked confused.

"No... even worse."

"Whatever, listen—"

"Hey, could you go and cast these evil presences away for me?"

"What do I look like to you? An exorcist? And why in hell do you think I'd help you?" Omori crossed his arms and stared at him.

"Look, this stuff with Kel's being my arch-nemesis is just for show, okay? So, just please go check out the house for me, just this one time... please?" Omori stared at him for a while before he let out a sigh. "Fine, you big baby . I'll go and cast those "demons" away for you."

"Thanks! I'll just sit here and... Good luck!" Omori rolled his eyes and went inside the house. The house was awfully quiet, and there wasn't a sign of anyone or ghosts, for sure. The living room had chairs lined up in the middle, with a holy book sitting on a table at the front. There's also a crucifix tied to the wall in each room. Strange, decorative choice they got. Those people must be devoted, from what it seems.

Suddenly, he heard noise coming from the upper floor. Quickly making his way up the stairs, Omori stopped in front of the door. He slowly twisted the doorknob and opened the door while it made a creaking sound. The room was dark, but he could make out two silhouettes of two people in front of him, whom he presumed were the twin siblings of Mikhael.

"Hello?" He received no reply. "Uh, sorry to intrude, but..." The twins didn't move nor give any sort of response; they're just standing. Something is not right. Omori tried to navigate in the darkness to find the light switch on the wall.

*click* 

The room shone with light, and the two figures turned out to be cardboard cutouts of the twins instead. "What the...?" Okay, Omori didn't expect that. He approached the cardboard and began examining it. I think I found the "evil presence" that Mikhael was talking about. Pssssh, ghost my butt.

"Huh? What's this" He found a note sticking on the back that read:

'It seems we have gone missing... We couldn't have gotten too far...

Find us, dear little brother.

Signed,

Daphne and Bowen (Your loving older siblings)'

"Hmmmm." Yup, that kid's overacting. His siblings just want to spend time with him and bond. Suddenly, he hears a noise coming from outside the room. "I guess I'm it." Omori stepped outside the room and saw that there was something hiding under the rug. He went and slowly turned over the rug, only to find... two fluffy pillows. Huh? There was a note on the back. 

"This is the oldest trick in the book... I can't believe you would actually fall for this." Omori frowned. "Signed, Daphne and Bowen (your loving older siblings)." He put the note down and continued seeking Okay, it's on, then. Time to get serious.

He heard a noise coming from the other room. He entered the parent's bedroom and went over the closet. He rested his hands on the knobs before swiftly opening the doors. A cat suddenly jumped out and landed on top of him before it fled out of the room. "Ahh! Damn kitty..."

He hadn't had any luck upstairs, so he headed down. Omori went to the living room and saw two silhouettes of the twins hiding behind the curtains next to the fireplace. He opened the curtain and found... another pair of cardboard cutouts of the twins. "Really?!"

'Did you think we only bought one cardboard cutout of ourselves? That would be less cost-effective. Signed...'

Omori didn't bother reading the rest of the notes. This is really beginning to get on my nerves... Omori continued searching the place but found nothing; there was only one room left in the house, which was Mikhael's room. He cautiously entered the messy room. He checked the table and the closet, but nothing again. The only place left is...

He was about to look under the bed when suddenly two people jumped out. "BOO!!" Omori stood there and stared; he'd already expected this by now.

"Haha! We got you good, didn't we?!" The twin looked at him for a moment. "Hey, wait a second... You're not our darling little brother..." Gee, what gives you that idea? The twins looked at each other. "Hmm... Hmm... Our little brother is too cool for us now, isn't he, Bowen? He doesn't even have time to play games with his loving older siblings anymore!" 

"Yes, Daphne... It is very... regrettable..."

"Sigh... We barely get any time off work... And we do... Little Mikhael is never around to play with us anymore! It's unfair, isn't it, Bowen?"

"Life is cruel..." Well, that's a bit depressing, but again, I can see why Mikhael tries to avoid them. On the other hand... Oh whatever, it's not like it's any of his business anyway. Daphne then turned to look at him. "Well, that's fine. Now we have a new friend... though... I'm not exactly sure what he does. Entertain us, dear friend!"

"Yes, entertain us!" What am I? A zoo animal? Oh whatever, at least he has an excuse to show off his knife skills. Omori took out his steak knife and began performing some simple tricks with his hands. The twins slowly clapped their hands after he was done performing and gave a simple bow.

"Excellent show. Don't you think so, Bowen?"

"Yes... quite fascinating. Say, dear friend. Do you perhaps like... bread?"

"I... guess?"

"Oh, what a coincidence. We also like bread." What a shocker... I honestly couldn't tell.

"Yes... Our family has owned a bakery for four generations..." 

"Mom and dad want us to take over the bakery when we get out of school..." The twins began completing each other's sentences in perfect sync.

"So what's the point of going to school?"

"Our dear little brother has sworn off bread since he was only six years old..."

"Though... I am sure he will come around eventually." Then silence filled the air; everyone stood there and said nothing for a while. "Well, that was all very fun, but we get bored quite easily. Come brother. Let us think of more games to play."

"Goodbye, new friend. This has been... pleasant." The twin soon left the room, leaving him alone. Omori signed tiredly before putting his knife away. "Nice people around this town..." At least they didn't try to convert me to their weird bread cult.

[ Hide and Seek ]

"Ahh... So you have conquered the great evil. What did it cost you?" My time and sanity, or what's left of it. "I can still see the pain in your eyes." I'll show you pain in your eyes. 

"Sigh... My brother and sister are a real drag, aren't they?"

"Aren't you being a bit too harsh? I mean, sure, your siblings do act a bit weird, but they just want to spend time with their "dear little brother"."

"Grrr... Everyone here is the same! It's not like I don't want to hang out with them, but all they talk about is bread, bread, bread! And not to mention that they want me to work in that damn bakery with them."

"Whatever, I'm not a family counselor. Here, just take this." Omori handed out the love letter.

"Huh? What's that?" Mikhael stared at the letter.

"It's a love letter from a secret admirer."

"What? Really? Oh, ha ha. Very funny. Did Kim tell you to do this? I won’t fall for one of her foolish pranks."

"No, although that would be funny. But for real, some girl asked me to deliver this to you. Now, are you going to take it, or do I have to send it back?" Mikhael was hesitant at first but accepted soon after and began reading it. "Oh, wow... it's actually a love letter addressed to me? I-I mean... Ahem, of course it's natural that I, the great Maverick, get one... I... Oh, gosh, what do I do?! I never received a love letter before!" Thus, the great Maverick began panicking as he was walking around while mumbling to himself.

"Well, good luck. I'll leave you to whatever... that you're doing." Omori left the boy, who was in the middle of having a meltdown. Only one thing left to do...

Omori entered the All-Americans' family house without knocking. The All-American Guy was sitting on his couch as usual, watching his favorite sports channel. He noticed the boy entering. "Hey, fella! How's it hanging?"

"Hi."

[ Lost Remote ⅠⅠ ]

"It seems that I lost my TV remote again!" Of course... "I remember getting up to the bathroom, but when I came back, it was gone... Could you look around the house for it? It's gotta be around here somewhere!"

Detective Omori is on the case. He went to the bathroom upstairs and found the remote between the towels. Like he predicted, gross... He should probably wash his hands; who knows where this has been? He pocketed the remote and left.

He then went to Chris' room and knocked before entering. "Hey, Chris. You told me to come by later."

"Hey, Sunny! I'm finally done with your surprise that I told you about." She put her hands behind her back. "You have to close your eyes first, though..."

[ Collecting Seashell s ]

"Okay..." Omori did what he was told and closed his eye. Moments later, he felt something being put around his neck. "There! You can open them now."

He opened them and saw a seashell necklace around his neck. "Ta da! I made you a necklace from the seashell you gave me!"

~ { Got a Seashell Necklace } ~

For the first time ever, Omori was speechless. "My friends made me one for me when I left boarding school on the island... So I thought I could share the feeling with someone else!"

"O-Oh... Uh... Thank you..." Damn it, why was he shuttering now? 

"Your welcome! I hope that seeing it reminds you of your time here! Good luck with everything! I'm sure you'll be fine!"

Omori has stared at the necklace for a while now and hasn't said anything. "Uh, Sunny? Hello? Did... you not like the surprise?"

"What? No, no, no. I like it a lot. It just caught me off, that's all." He sighed before he gave a genuine smile. "Thank you; it means a lot, really."

"Goodbye Sunny. We're all going to miss you!" Chris smiled back, and the two exchanged their last goodbyes before he left. He began twirling with the necklace for a bit; he felt a strange sensation as he felt his sickness was slowly healing. Or maybe he was just imagining it. Either way, he headed back and returned the remote to the man before he left.

"Hey, thanks again, kiddo! I was thinking long and hard about it..." I can imagine... "And I think I accidentally brought it up with me in the bathroom and forgot to bring it back."

"You spared me from getting out of this comfy couch. I can't thank you enough." He went and grabbed one of the cans from the table. "Please take another can of Orange Joe! You earn it! See you around, kid!"

{ Got Orange Joe }

Omori accepted the can without a word. Once he was out, he popped the can open and began pouring on one of the bushes. "Never again..." He won't let another incident involving Kel and Orange Joe ever happen again. Once it was empty, he threw the empty can in one of the bins and left.

Well, I guess I'm all done with the side quests for today. Let's head back to Kel's house and prepare for my inevitable fate...

Chapter Text

Omori reached his friend's house, but not before he was greeted by Hector, who barked excitedly at him. The dog brought his ball that was in his mouth to him; he picked up the ball and decided to play fetch with him for a little bit. He threw the ball across, and the dog ran after it, retrieved it, and patted him before repeating the process a few times before he called it here.

He went to the door and gently knocked with his knuckles against the wooden surface, and this time he didn't have to wait before the door flung open and he was greeted by his friend, who looked relieved when he saw him.

"Hey, Sunny!" Said Kel, "We were just about to go out to look for you." Omori checked the sky and saw it was evening and close to sunset, oops... He did technically say he would be back before sunset, but yeah, he didn't feel the time, so that was on him.

"Yeah, sorry." He responded with a quick apology, "I got caught up with stuff along the way."

"Well, you're here now. Come in~ We saved you some leftovers from dinner! It's gotten a bit cold now," He chuckled. "Though don't worry! We can still heat it up; that's what Microwaves are for!"

"Sounds good; I'm a bit peckish at the moment." Omori replied. He went inside with his friend to the dining room, and upon entering, they were greeted by Kel's father. 

"Ah, if it isn't Sunny! How are you, son?" The man asked before he got up and went to him, "It's been a while since we last saw you!" He offered a handshake to the boy.

"I'm doing alright," he accepted it. Both shook hands briefly before letting go. "Nice to see you again."

"Haha, the feeling is mutual!" The man laughed for a bit, "Anyway, you must be hungry now! So feel free to help yourself with what's on the table." 

"Thanks, will do." Said Omori, before he and his friend went to the table and grabbed one of the cold home-cooked meals, he couldn't help but notice there was someone missing. "Where's Hero?" He asked.

"Oh, he's upstairs helping mom with Sally since she woke up earlier." Kel answered, "He should be back any moment."

"I can't wait until you finally meet Sally!" Kel couldn't contain the excitement in his voice. "Anyway, let's heat up the food and eat first, yeah?" They went to the kitchen, put the food in the microwave, and turned it on while they waited.

"By the way, nice necklace!" Kel remarked about his neckwear and asked, "Where did you get it?"

"Oh, this?" He pointed at it. "Cris - the girl next door - made me this as a gift so I can remember my time here, I guess." Omori replied as he shrugged.

"Oh! Cris did this? That's so nice of her to do that!" Soon the microwave beeped, indicating that the food was done. "Dig in, Sunny!" Kel said to him before he took the meal out and began eating in the living room.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Here," Kel handed him Hero's Gift. "Let's wait for the perfect time to give Hero his present." 

Omori put it back in his satchel. Hero came in soon after. "Phew... I'm back." Said Hero before he was surprised to see the boy was here, "Oh, Sunny! You're here." 

"I got busy, but here I am."

"Well, now that everything has calmed down... we can finally relax a bit." Said Hero, before he turned and smiled at the boy. "It's so good to see you again, Sunny! It really has been way too long! I wish it was in better circumstances."

"Hey, what about me?" Asked Kel in a joking manner, "No love for you, little bro?" He grinned knowingly at him, which made Hero chuckle.

"And it's good to see you again too, Kel." Hero rolled his eyes playfully. "So Sunny, I heard from mom that you're moving away soon! That sounds so exciting!" 

"I guess, " He replied.

"Yeah, he is. Tomorrow's gonna be his last day with us." Said Kel.

"Moving might seem kind of nerve-wrecking now, but it really isn't that bad once you get used to it." Hero reassured the boy as he spoke from a place of experience. "I think it would be good for you, Sunny." I hope so.

"You learn a lot from moving to a new place, and it's nice to have a fresh start! I and the rest of us will be sad to see you go, but it'll be okay as long as we keep in touch." Fresh start, huh? He'll see how that goes for Sunny and the keeping in touch part.

" Sigh... We sure did have a lot of memories together. Sometimes, I miss those days..." Said Kel as he blissfully recalled as he began listing them, "Lazing around... Eating food... Drinking juice..." 

"Yeah, we did everything together." Hero joins in, "We went to the park, the lake, the beach..."

But honestly," he started. "What I miss the most is hanging out at your place, Sunny!" 

"Heh, you guys had everything... A big TV, all the newest toys, a grand piano..." Hero would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit jealous. "And of course, our very own little treehouse that we built!"

"Oh yeah! The tree house was awesome!" Kel exclaimed loudly. "I wonder if it's still there." He mused before he turned and asked his friend, "Well, is it? Sunny?"

"Yeah, but it reeks of old age." He answered. Kel hummed in response.

"Oh, by the way, Hero..." Kel started. "Basil gave Sunny his photo album yesterday! But there are some missing photos that... Aubrey has." 

"Hmm... that's a problem." Hero thought to himself for a while. "We'll try to get them back from her tomorrow. Sunny and Aubrey need to talk it out with one another, and then we'll figure the rest together from there." Hero suggested. 

"Yeah, and don't forget poor Basil as well..." Said Kel in a sad tone. 

"I'm sorry... " He couldn't help but apologize since this was all his fault.

"Hey now...  it's not the time for apologies." Hero said in a calm and reassuring manner, "We can worry tomorrow, but for now... let's just take it easy and relax." 

"Besides, we all had a rough day today, so let's not pressure ourselves any further, okay?" Hero added.

"Yeah, you're right." Kel agreed. "Hey, let's go through the photos together now that Hero is here!" Kel suggested.

"Sure, let's look through the album. I'm sure there are still good memories there." Omori took the album and put it on the ground for them to see. After finally going through the album, Hero couldn't help but point out what they already knew. "Mari's isn't in any of these photos at all..." Hero was a bit sad.

"Yeah, those are the photos I marked with all of Mari's in them." Omori admitted feeling a bit guilty. Even though it was Sunny who did it, he couldn't help it, but now he's in his shoes.

"We'll get them back like we said; don't fret." Kel reassured his friend.

"Yeah, don't worry. It's not a big deal." Hero chimed in, "We can still remove those markers with a bit of alcohol wipe, so don't stress about it." Hero said.

"I'll... try... thanks." Omori was reluctant with how his friends were treating him; he felt this wasn't right, and his friends weren't supposed to react like this and just hate him instead. Honestly, it would've been easier if they did, but now he just feels worse and lost.

" Sigh... still, this album really brings back some good memories." Hero commented, "Things were a lot simpler when we were all kids... haha..." He laughed for a bit.

"Sunny," Hero begins, "I have a favor to ask."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think you could let us see your house one more time before you leave?" He asked. Kel seems to be on board with the idea. "Oh, that's a good idea! But you've gotta convince mom first."

She's probably going to be mad at you for not spending enough time with her and stuff." He muttered, "You know how she is..."

"I don't see a problem, so okay." 

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"

A crying voice interrupted them, and soon the two brothers' mother came into the living room, holding Sally with her. "Phew! What a mess that was! Sally made a little doo-doo, but she's all clean now!" The father joins in soon after.

"Pweee! Ubuuuuuu...? Sally mumbled as she began sucking her thumb.

Kel went to his little sister and tried to make her entertain the baby. "Hey there, Sally... PEEK-A-BOO!" Unfortunately, it did the opposite and made the kid scared and cry instead. "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAH!!"

"Stop it, Kel! You're scaring her!" She scolded him, and Kel muttered, 'Sorry!'.

"Ahem... So... Hey... Mom..." Hero began nervously saying to grab his mom's attention, "We were wondering if we could go hang out at Sunny's house today since he's moving away soon."

"Oh? But you just recently came back! And it's already so late." The mom said. "What about spending time with your mom?" She sounded so hurt, which made it all hard for Hero.

"I'm going to be here for the rest of the summer, and Sunny is leaving the day after tomorrow!" He tried to reason with his mom, "We have plenty of time to catch up... please?"

"I think it's okay for Hero to spend some time with Kel and Sunny, dear." The father joins in to be the second voice of reason. "I haven't seen Sunny in a long time now, and neither did the boys!"

"It's been a while since the boys have had the chance to hang out. I say we let them." The mother, unable to argue, finally agreed. " Sigh... Fine, then."

"You boys can have your fun... But!" She stopped and made a condition. "Hero has to wash the dishes with me for the next week!" 

"S-Sure... I guess... I can do that." 

"Hmph! Alright... You're free to go!" She said before she turned to Sally and said, "Come on, Sally. Let's leave your mean ol' brothers alone." 

"They don't want anything to do with us, do they, Sally?" She intentionally said it out loud before she left the room.

"Oh, mom..." Hero muttered.

"Don't fret about your mom too much, Hero." His father reassured his son, "She just misses you, that's all! She'll feel better when she calms down..."

"You guys go off and do your thing! I'll make sure she's okay." He offered before he left after their angsty mom.

"Thanks, dad!" Kel called out. "Anyway, before we go... Me and Hero need to compare heights like we always do every year!"

"Yeah, it's time to finally prove who's the taller brother once and for all!" Kel exclaimed.

"Heh, this again, Kel?" Asked Hero in a semi-mocked tone, "I Thought we were over this!"

"Come on, Hero! Let's stand back to back like always!" They both stood back to back briefly before Kel turned to his friend and asked, "So Sunny, Which one of us is taller?"

"Hmm... hard to tell... " He muttered before thinking for a bit, "I'll say... Kel is." 

"Hahaha! Looks like I'm finally the taller brother!" Kel began boasting on his win, "Wow... my life feels so complete... Yet, so empty..."

"I guess you've really grown up while I was gone." Hero chuckled before he teased him, "It's too bad that your grades are still coming in short, though..."

"That's uncalled for, Hero!" Kel scoffed. "Smart isn't everything!"

"Heh, heh... I'm just teasing you... I think you're smart too, Kel! Smart in your own way..."

"Haha! Yeah, that's what I thought! I'll race you guys outside!" Kel was on cloud nine as he ran to the door outside, leaving the two behind before Hero turned to him.

"Heh, thanks for making my brother happy, even though we both know who's really tall." Said Hero, as he was grateful for not crushing his brother's hopes.

"Don't mention it." Said Omori without looking at him. "Although... he's not going to be very upset when he finds out eventually." He pointed it out.  

"That's true, haha." Hero chuckled. "Let's hope he won't notice soon; let him enjoy it for a while." He said selflessly.

"Come on, let's go before Kel gets impatient." Both boys went outside, where Kel was waiting for them as he was tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.

"There you guys are!" He called out. "You guys sure took your sweet time..." He muttered.

"Come on, let's go to Sunny's house before it gets dark!"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry..." Hero apologized before he turned to them and said, "Hey... So I'm really glad that we get to hang out and everything... but I also feel pretty bad for leaving mom all alone..."

"Before we head to your house, let's go to Fix-It and buy some flowers for her!" Hero suggested. "I know she'd appreciate that."

" Oh, Hero... Always a momma's boy... " Said Kel in a pity tone as he shook his head. Hero decided to ignore him before the trio made their way to the town's plaza.

. . .

They entered the shop and went to the shop owner, who recognized the boy. "Hey, Kid! Welcome back." Mando greeted him.

"So what can I interest you in?"

"Hi, we would like to buy some bouquets of flowers." Said Omori.

"Sure, what kind do you want?"

"Roses would do." Hero answered instead.

"Alright, that will be two dollars!"

"Oh, wait! Before I forget..." Hero began saying. "Sunny, here's some money for my mom's flowers. You didn't think I would let you pay for it, didja?" But Omori ignores him and hands Mando $2, much to Hero's disappointment.

"Awesome! I'll get it packed for you right away!" Said Mando before he left to fetch the flowers in the back.

"Sunny... You didn't have to pay for that." Said Hero. "At least take the ten from me." 

"Keep it." Omori politely refused. "It's the least I can do, and not like I'm short on cash anyway."

"Hey, Sunny offered to pay, so it's cool." His brother said. Hero seemed a bit reluctant before he sighed and put the money away. "Well, thank you, Sunny." He showed his gratitude by smiling.

"But, I'm paying next time." 

"Fair enough."

The man returned with the flowers soon after. "Here, you go, kids!" He handed them the bouquet of flowers. "Enjoy and come back soon."

"Mom's gonna love those flowers! Let's drop them at my place, Sunny." Said Hero.

"Oh, by the way, kid!" Mando called them out before leaving. "Regarding your package... it's coming around this evening soon. So be ready!" He notified. 

"I will, thanks." They left the shop soon after, and on their way, Kel began asking, "So what did you buy there, Sunny?"

"You'll see." Omori didn't elaborate any further, which made Kel whine more but soon drop it.

. . .

They returned home, went inside, and made their way upstairs to the parents' room. " Hey, mom... I got you some flowers!" Hero sang while he handed out the flowers to her, giving her his most charming look.

"O-Oh... Are these for me?" The flowers caught their mom off guard. "They're beautiful. Thank you." She quietly said as she accepted them. "Flowers, Hero? Heh... you always know what to do." His father remarked.

"Ha! You're such a charmer. Just like your old man!" His father proudly approves, and he lets out a laugh.

"I'm sorry for overreacting earlier." She apologized, and she seems calm now. "I know that Sunny is moving away soon..."

"Try your best to keep in touch. Friends are harder to make the older you get!" She advised the boy. He silently nodded in response.

"Mom... that's so depressing... We'll be fine!"  Damn it, Kel! Don't tempt fate…

"Yes, I'm sure you will be," she said. "Take care, Sunny. Know that you'll always have a home here!"

"Thank you, miss..." They all left soon for his house.

Omori and friends were outside his house, waiting for his delivery to arrive. " Ugh... when will this van come?" Kel whined as he bounced his ball up and down in boredom while he was lying on the grass. Hero was leaning on the wall, and he sat by the front door.

"Kel, you've asked this question many times already..." Hero sighed, "Just have a bit of patience." He noticed the sun was about to set soon. They've waited for a while now; it won't be long before it gets dark.

"Sigh... but I want to see the treehouse... " His whining fell on deaf ears before they fell into silence once again.

"Y'know..." Kel began. "It's just hit me that it's been so long since we've been inside Sunny's house... even though we live next door." He stopped throwing the ball, as he was now in deep thought.

"Time really flies, huh?" He said out loud.

"Yeah, it sure does..." Hero whispered as he smiled, filled with a mix of happiness and sadness at the thought. "Hey, I think I see the van..." Hero squinted his eyes in the distance. "Really!" Kel immediately stood up. "Bout time!"

The van pulled over in front of them before a man got out and said, "Hello, I got a package by the name of... Sunny!" The man said.

"Yes, here." Omori went to the delivery guy.

"Okay, just sign here, please." He handed him a clipboard and a pen; he took them and signed Sunny's name on the paper. "Thanks, here you go." The man went to the back of the truck and grabbed the flower that he ordered. 

Kel quickly offered to carry the flower instead. 

"Thanks, here." Omori handed the delivery guy a $5 tip. "Thanks so much! You'all have a nice evening now!" The guy said before he went inside his van and left soon after.

"Oof... Come on, let's carry this inside." Said Kel as he was holding the White Egret Orchid. "Wow, this looks like a very nice flower you got, Sunny!" Kel remarked.

"Yeah, how much did you spend on this... What's it called?" Asked Hero.

"A White Egret Orchid. And it cost 20 dollars." He replied, which earned an impressed whistle from the two brothers. "That's a bit too much, but again, it looks a bit fancy, so maybe that's the reason?" Said Hero.

"Anyway, where do you want us to put this?" Kel asked.

"In my room, next to my bed, if you can." 

"Sure thing!" They made their way inside, with Kel carrying the pot with ease before he went upstairs and placed the flower where his friend told him before quickly returning. " Phew... now that's done." Kel wiped a sweat from his forehead.

"Whoa..." Kel made an alluring noise. "This place is cleared out, Sunny! Your house feels a lot bigger now that nothing's here," He commented. 

"There used to be a couch here where we'd watch TV." Hero went to the spot where the thing was. "We'd all come every weekend and watch cartoons in the morning."

"Yeah, and this is the stain from that one time I spilled my Orange Joe!" He pointed at the still-visible stain on the couch. "Mari got so mad at me..."

"Well, that's because her cat stepped on it and walked all over the house!" Hero pointed it out. This made Omori snort for a bit.

"Heh, heh... Oh yeah, huh?" Kel chuckled nervously at the thought before he went to the glass door that led to the backyard and peaked. "Aww, man..."

"It looks like it's getting too dark to see the treehouse." Kel voiced his disappointment.

"That's okay. Maybe we can come back tomorrow." Hero suggested which gave Kel a brilliant idea.

"WAIT, I HAVE AN IDEA!!" Kel shouted. "What if we stay over for the night?" He proposed his idea to the bunch.

"It's gonna be our last time in this house forever, right?" 

"And when will it be the next time we can spend the night with Sunny like this?"

"I'd love to, but... Mom's not gonna be happy about it." Hero was reluctant since he knew how his mother would feel about this.

"She'll be fine!" Kel brushed off his brother's worry. "Besides, I'm tired of waking up at night 'cause of Sally's crying anyway." He added.

"You're gonna wash dishes with mom for an entire week, aren't you? You deserve this!" Kel grinned knowingly.

" Well... that's true." Hero paused briefly before finally agreeing, "It'll probably be fine. We live right next door, so we'll only be a walk away!" 

"ALRIGHT!" Kel made a fist bump in the air. "Let's go upstairs then so we can prepare for our last sleepover." The trio left the living room before they entered the hallway. Hero stopped for a moment to observe the hallway.

"Ah, I remember this hallway!" Hero exclaimed as he slowly recalled, "The closet was to the left... and the piano room was to the right."

"I wonder if the piano is still there." Hero mused. "I'll go ahead and see!" He went ahead.

The boys went soon after and found him already seated on the piano. "Don't judge me too hard. I haven't practiced in a while." Hero said before he cracked his knuckles and slowly started playing for a while until the song came to an end. 

" Show off... " Kel muttered. It was safe to say that the two boys were equally surprised at his performance; it wasn't perfect, but it almost was. "How come Hero still remembers how to play well and stuff?" He turned and asked his friend, to which Omori responded with a shrug, "Don't ask me."

"I can barely even read sheet music anymore... " Kel muttered.

"Haha, I guess I still got it then." Said Hero before he got up from the piano and joined them. "Hey, Sunny. That reminds me! Do you still play the violin? He asked.

"Not anymore, unfortunately." Omori answered.

"Oh... that's totally fine." Hero said in an understanding tone and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Shame, I've wanted to hear you play it for us one last time, though." Said Kel.

" Hmm... " Hero began looking around for a bit. "It seems that you already packed it up."

"There was this song you used to play with Mari..." Hero paused as he recalled yet another memory. "It still gets stuck in my head sometimes, but I don't remember what it's called."

" Waltzes... " Omori unconsciously whispered.

"Yeah! That one." Hero snapped his fingers together. "You two would play it over and over. We'd even hear it from our house sometimes!" 

"I'm glad that someone's been taking care of Mari's piano." Hero said as he examined the piano, which was in pristine condition. "There's barely any dust at all." He was both happy and impressed.

"YAWN... Man, all of a sudden, I'm getting really sleepy. " Kel loudly yawned. " Maybe we should call it a night. " Kel tiresomely suggested.

"That sounds good to me. I have to get up early for my morning jog anyway!" Said Hero. "So where should we sleep, Sunny?" He asked the boy.

"Well, make a room in my bedroom so both of you can sleep there, I guess." Omori replied. 

"That sounds fun! We can sleep on the floor if anything!"

"Heh, I remember you used to hate sleeping alone." Hero recalled.

"Yeah... used to. " Omori spoke slowly, taking a little offense to that statement for obvious reasons.

"Hey, don't worry! We'll keep you company so you don't have trouble sleeping or nightmares." His friend began teasing him as he nudged him on the side.

"Kel, I swear I'm this close to letting you sleep on the cold floor downstairs." Omori threatens.

"Whoa! I was only joking, Sunny. Chill." Kel began nervously chuckling. "Keep testing me, and it's sleeping with the bugs outside."

"Okay! Jeez... " He muttered under his breath. "Anyway, I'll go find some blankets so we can use!" Kel rushes outside.

"Hold on, Kel! Wait for me!" Hero called out before he ran after his brother, leaving Omori all alone in the room.

He sighed before he went to the piano and saw those same words he saw at the church yesterday. 'OMORI' was etched across the center. He looked at his reflection at the piano one last time before he left and went after the two brothers. On his way out, he could hear a faint song playing on the piano, but he ignored it and went upstairs, where he heard a ruckus in his room.

He entered the room and saw Hero standing awkwardly while Kel was attempting to build a fort. "For the record, that was all Kel's idea. I had nothing to do with it." Hero nervously said. "Just a few last adjustments, and this fort would be complete!" Said Kel.

Hero sighed before he noticed a piece of paper lying on a table. He picked it up and examined it. "Hmmm... Looks like you still have some chores to do before moving away, Sunny." Oh, damn it...

"Oh, those... Yeah, I kinda completely forgot about them..." Omori shamelessly admitted.

"Heh, don't worry, I can handle it!" He offered his assistance. "I can never know what to do with myself in the mornings anyway."

"Just think of it as a parting gift and as a thank you for buying those flowers earlier as well!"

"Well... Thanks." 

"Annnnnnnd... DONE! VOILA! " Kel shouted as he was done with building the bedfort. He eyed his creation with a satisfied hum before diving in. "Ah, our very own bed fort..." Kel mumbled blissfully. "I Hope you don't mind, Sunny." Honestly, he was too tired to argue right now, and a bed fort doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Hero awkwardly and slowly made his way inside the bed fort beside his brother. " Here we go... "

"By the way, Hero..." Kel started. "Sunny and I got you a gift!" Omori took out the Hero's Gift and handed it to him.

~ { Gave Hero's Gift } ~

"It's Papa Chip's Chip-Off-The-Old-Block Cookbook!" Kel said without missing a beat—impressive, he'd say. "Do you remember this?" He asked.

"Of course I do!" He replied excitedly. "Man, I remember when I wanted to be a cook... It seems so silly now." He mumbled audibly.

"Hey, you were pretty good at it!" Kel gave him credits. "And you can still be a cook, Hero!"

"Ah... It's okay, I don't have time for that anymore."

"But... You really like to cook, don't you? And people have to eat, right? So, like... why not?" Kel asked, completely oblivious to the big elephant in the room, which made Omori mentally groan.

"Kel for the love of... Being a cook requires a lot of time and practice, which Hero does not have now that he is in medical school." Omori explained it to his clueless friend. "Both require his full time and attention, so there's no way for him to balance both without sacrificing the other." 

"He can be a good cook, but not a master chef with his position." 

"Yeah, exactly what Sunny said. You'll get it when you get older, I'm sure." Said Hero.

"Oh... I see... " Kel said disappointedly.

"Anyway... I also got you a gift." Omori started.

"You did?" 

"YOU DID!" 

Hero asked while Kel shouted in surprise; neither brother was expecting that. 

"Here you go; hope you like it." Omori went to his satchel and handed him the Gold Watch. "Oh, wow, that's-" Hero stopped midsentence as he examined the watch closely.

Hero wasn't expecting much, but this! This was way too much, no way he would accept something so expensive. "S-Sunny... w-where did you get this?" Hero couldn't help but ask.

"I didn't steal it if that's what you're concerned about." Omori completely dodged his question.

"Oh, what is it? What is it?" Kel Asked impatiently and eagerly. "Let me see!" He looked at the watch before his eyes widen.

"HOLY! How did you manage to afford a gold watch!?" Kel shouted.

"Let's just say it was given to me."

"S-Sunny, I really can't accept this!" 

"It's not that I like it or anything!" Hero elaborated quickly. "It's just too excessive." 

"Well, I'm not giving you a choice." Omori insisted firmly. "And you're really gonna complain when you all save up to buy me that violin for my birthday? This is nothing compared to that." He pointed at the watch before.

" Sigh... Fine." Hero set the watch aside after a bit of mental argument in his head. Kel was already fast asleep, as evident by his snoring. "Thank you for the gift and for letting us sleep over, Sunny." Omori hummed in response.

"I bet it's been pretty hard in this empty house..." He paused. "Especially without Mari." 

"It has, but not as much as now."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you anymore..." Hero apologized. "Everything feels so different now... and it seems like you did change a bit too after 4 years."

"People tend to change, like with Aubrey." Omori flatly pointed out the obvious.

"Yeah, but It feels a bit strange, to be honest." He admitted. "It just needs some time to get used to, haha! Especially with talking more and acting more mature."

"Sigh... It's really nice to see you again." Hero smiled. "I just wish Aubrey and Basil could be here, too."

"A-Anyway! Sorry for ranting." Said Hero apologetically. "It's getting late. I'll probably head to sleep soon too."

"Good night, Sunny! We'll talk more in the morning."

"Sure, g'night." Omori went and climbed on his bed before he took off his satchel and necklace and covered himself with the blanket before he took one last look at the White Egret Orchid that was on the table besides him and then closed his eyes and drifted to sleep for the second time now.

. . .

Chaos was all he could hear around him as Omori was panicking so much when he heard the news from Stranger that Abbi - his dearest friend, had been suddenly attacked earlier today. He was on his usual adventure with his friends, like always, until one time, while he was in whitespace, doing nothing, waiting for his creator to come once again. Maybe he could hang out with Abbi again today, he thought.

Stranger came running to him, which was an unusual sight to see him in a distressed state rather than his known calm posture. He came with bad news for the boy.

"OMORI!" Shouted stranger.

"Stranger? The hell are you doing here?" He asked.

"Nevermind that. You have to come quick! It's urgent." That caught Omori's attention.

"Huh? What the hell happened?"

"It's... Abbi." That triggered something in him; he became horrified when he heard him utter the name and instantly assumed the worst.

"What…? What about Abbi?! What happened to her! Answer me!" He began bombarding him with questions as he unconsciously found himself grabbing Stranger's shoulders.

"She's been attacked." Stranger dropped the first of many bombshells.

"WHAT!! BY WHOM!" Omori furiously yelled.

"I don't know... They were long gone before I got there." Stranger began explaining, "She's greatly injured; her body is falling apart." 

"WHERE IS SHE NOW?!" 

"In Blackspace, I moved her near the church, but-" Omori didn't wait for him to finish before he made a mad dash through.

"OMORI WAIT!" Stranger yelled after him, but the boy was already long gone. " Damn it... " He silently cursed before he went after the monochrome boy.

. . .

He ran and ran; he didn't stop for nothing and kept going. He ventured through blackspace until he reached the church where Stranger spends most of his time. There he was. 

Omori was shocked at the sight; there lies in front of him what remains of Abbi. Stranger wasn't lying when he said her body was falling apart; it was literally falling apart. The girl he knew wasn't recognizable anymore, as her body was drowning in black liquid that was coming out of her. She was lying there, not moving.

"Abbi... no..." He whispered. 

Abbi opened her eye; her second eye was missing. She looked around before she saw him.

" You... why... back... " Her tone was both hostile and frightened, as she didn't seem to recognize him anymore and viewed him as a threat, which further confused the boy as he slowly approached her. " Stop... Stay... Away... Leave... "

"Abbi... I-" He couldn't finish before suddenly a tentacle formed, swiftly attacked out of nowhere, and knocked him back in the air.

*Thud*

Omori found himself lying on the ground as he fell from the bed. He gasped before he began looking around in panic. After a moment, he calmed down as his memories began flooding back in. " Oww... " The feeling of pain finally hit him before he sat himself down and rubbed his back and the back of his neck. " Ugh... Wonderful... " Omori curses. My only friend, the cold floor…

He got up from the floor and stretched himself for a bit before he turned to see if the noise had woken the brothers. Surprisingly, it didn't. What's more is that one of them is missing; he would probably guess they either couldn't sleep or they just went to the bathroom and went for a glass of water.

He heard sounds of music playing downstairs; it was the same sound he heard playing from the piano earlier, but this one was more clear and audible. He went downstairs to the music room to investigate.

He saw Mari sitting on the piano and playing a familiar song, a faint blue light illuminating from above her; the window's curtain was no longer closed, and the outside was visible with the moon projecting the moonlight into the room.

"You know..." Ghost Mari started. "When I first bought my piano, I thought the name 'OMORI' was a bit silly, but it had a tone to it."

"Yeah, yeah, you sure took your sweet time, huh?" He rolled his eyes, which made Ghost Mari giggle. "Hello Omori." She greeted the boy without looking back nor stopping to play the piano.

"Mari. So did you come here to just show off your piano skills or...?" Asked Omori.

"What? Can't I see my other younger brother?" She smiled innocently.

"Just cut to the chase." Omori just gave her his 'I'm not in the mood for this' look.

Ghost Mari took a deep breath. "I don't have much time left here, you know."

"I just want to see my if brother is okay and move on, but... I might not be able to for long." She said as she looked out the window with a sad face.

"Well, a certain someone came up with the brilliant idea of taking Sunny and making me take his place, if you didn't know." He jested.

"I know about Stranger taking Sunny with him." Ghost Mari didn't seem all that bothered. "I trust that you and Stranger will work it out and help Sunny move on eventually."

"But I need to know for sure that you'll do your best to protect and help him like you have." 

"Of course I will." Omori scoffed.

"I'm glad." Ghost Mari smiled warmly. "I'm truly blessed with the best two younger brothers, hehe."

"I know you two will take care of each other, and that puts me at ease." Ghost Mari's face then turned troubled before she said, "I have noticed something... strange about Sunny's recent nightmare."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I'm not entirely certain, but... it wasn't like the others he had before." Ghost Mari explained. "It felt a bit too real at some point, and those monsters seemed like they were really out to get him." She said as she rubbed her chin.

"It's probably nothing. Nightmares tend to feel real at some point, I think." Omori guessed.

"Maybe... But I can't shake that feeling that there's something wrong." She paused before sighing. "Maybe I'm overthinking this..."

"Anyway! I've been so focused on helping my brother move on that I've forgotten you." Said Ghost Mari. "It's not just Sunny that needs help moving on, y'know." That was obviously directed at him.

"I'm fine." 

"You know you can't hide things from your older sister, right?"

"Stop saying that I'm your brother; I'm not." Omori was a bit annoyed. "I don't know who I am anymore. Whether I'm a part of him, his trauma, or maybe something more,"

"I stopped questioning it, probably for the best."

"Maybe, maybe not. Does it really matter?" She asked. "I'll always view you both as my youngest brothers."

"Anyway, I'm running out of time. This could be the last time we speak." Ghost Mari Said. "I know that you both will help each other; you two are almost inseparable." She smiled at the thought.

"Don't forget about our friends too; do your best to help them as well." 

"I know I'm asking a lot, and you might feel you won't get anything in return."

"Especially now that you and Kel have gotten so close. I believe you two will unite our friend's group."

"But you've gotta help him first before that. You both will learn to lean on each other." That was the last thing Ghost Mari said. Omori had so many questions he wanted to ask, but it was too late.

"Wait! What do you-"

Suddenly, she disappeared, and the room went dark before someone barged into the room. "Holy! You gave me quite the scare there, Sunny!" The voice belongs to none other than his friend, who wasn't sleeping when he woke up. He turned to face his friend.

"Man, I could've sworn I heard some music coming from there." Said Kel as he scratched his back head. "Was that you, Sunny? I also heard you talking." 

"No." That was a lie, obviously, but he was forced to since he had no other reasonable answer.

"Oh... I guess I must have been so tired that I started imagining things, haha." Kel nervously laughed before he cleared his throat. "So... what are you doing up this late, Sunny?" He asked.

"Funny. I could ask the same of you." He countered.

"Oh, well..." Kel started. "I kinda woke up in the middle of the night but couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to take a stroll outside for a bit." He answered.

"I guess you couldn't sleep as well too, haha." Kel chuckled before falling into silence for a while. "You must have missed Mari a lot, huh?"

"..."

"I only now noticed how empty and sad the house became after she was gone." He paused. "I can't even imagine what you've been through, living here all alone."

"..."

"But I know Mari wouldn't want to see us be sad like this and would rather watch us be happy, even without her!" Kel gave a fixed smile.

"..."

"Heh, we really should get some rest now, Sunny." Said Kel. "Come on, let's head upstairs; we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we shouldn't stay up late." Before he was about to leave, he felt a slight tug on his shirt, which prompted him to stop. He turned to see his friend, who was eyeing him in obscurity.

"Huh? What's up, Sunny?" Kel asked, a bit perplexed at his friend's action. "Is there something wrong?" Don't forget about our friends too...

"Just... How long are you gonna keep this act of yours?" Said Omori to his friend.

"Uhh, what do you mean, Sunny?" 

"This mask you put on," He said. "Behind all of these happy faces and smiles, all I see is a broken boy."

"Haha, I don't know what you're talking about; I'm fine!" He said it in complete denial. "Really!" He gave him another fake smile to show him that he was fine, but Omori wasn't having it. He ignored his friend's excuses and kept pushing to break the barrier that his friend had put up. He forcefully grabbed his friend's hand before he made him sit on the carpet and put his head on his lap.

"Uhhh... is this really necessary?" Kel asked. His voice was uncertain, but he went along with it, trying to ignore the ridiculousness of it. 

"You can't keep holding on to it; it will keep filling like a balloon and eventually pop." 

"Don't worry, I just gotta smile and help everyone like I always do."

"But what about yourself? You can't help everyone if you can't help yourself." 

"I can't; everyone relies on me to be the happy-go-lucky person."

"You've been holding this for too long; just let it out."

"Haha, I said I'm already fine, Sunny. You really are just overthinking it." They went back and forth, but Omori knew soon he would succumb one way or another.

"It's okay... Just let it out; no one's going to judge you." Omori spoke in a soft voice as he began slowly rubbing his friend's head.

"I'm-" Kel noticed his voice began cracking, and he felt his eyes slowly begin watering. He quickly tried to wipe his tears, but to no avail, as more began forming each time he wiped them.

"I- Sniff... " Kel couldn't hold it in any longer as the dam finally broke down before he began softly weeping as he covered both his eyes, which were flooding with tears, with his arm. Omori sat there in silence, still holding on to his friend's head and gently patting him as he waited for him to finish patiently.

After what felt like a long time, Kel finally stopped crying as he poured everything out that he was keeping inside of him. He felt an enormous relief filling his body that he had never experienced for a very long time after venting.

"Are you good now?" Omori asked his friend. He slowly nodded and replied, "Yeah, I feel better now... Thanks... Sunny ." He muttered a thanks to the boy before getting up and wiping the last tear from his eyes. Both boys stood there in silence; no one said anything for what felt like an eternity.

Kel once again clears his throat and says, "Let's head to bed now." This time, Kel's smile was genuine. Omori silently nodded before he got up as well. Both boys made their way back to his bedroom. Thankfully, Hero was still asleep. Kel carefully made his way inside the bed fort, and he climbed onto his bed.

" Good night, Sunny. " Kel loudly whispered.

"...Good night. " He replied back before closing his eyes yet again and silently hoping for the best of what's going to come next tomorrow...

~ { END DAY 2 } ~

Chapter Text

Omori found himself awake yet again early in the morning. He did not waste any time and got up from the comfortable bed. His friend Kel is blissfully snoring inside his pillow fortress. It looks like he wasn't the first to wake up, as Hero was nowhere to be seen. 

He properly got up to do his morning jog.

Omori, still in his tank top, began stretching his body. The flower that he bought yesterday was still healthy; he should probably remind himself to water it at some point. It wouldn't be good if he couldn't take care of a plant. He went to the telephone upon noticing the red blinking light, which only meant one thing. His pressed the button with his finger.

"You have... one new message."

*beep*

"Hey, Sunny! It's Mommy. Tomorrow is the big day! The movers will be here first thing in the morning. I gave them the key so don't freak out when you see them. "

"I also heard from Kel's mom that you and Kel went to hangout yesterday and had a sleepover at the house with Hero, which is wonderful. I'm glad that you decided to spend time together. Maybe it's why you haven't been answering my calls lately. I get it; you've been busy catching up with Kel, but do give me a call when you have the time so I can be at ease."

"Well, just remember to finish organizing your things before tomorrow, okay, honey? I'll  be picking you up in my car out front. Just come outside when you're ready."

"Okay, that's it for now. Mommy is so proud of you and loves you! Bye, honey!"

*bzzt*

Omori flinched when he heard a noise coming from his friend. Thankfully, Kel was still in deep slumber as he let out a mumble before shifting to his side and scratching his back. He let out a sigh he never knew he was holding and turned his gaze back to the machine in front of him.

I wonder how Sunny's mom would feel if she knew that her son had almost died. 

It was not a surprise to say that he was indeed quite busy alright—busy making sure those morons don't end up killing each other, that is, which almost happened. He should probably leave a message for her to let her know that her son is still alive. He clicked the reply button and prepared himself for what he would say.

Just keep it short and simple

*beep*

"Um... Ahem. I'm fine. Just busy is all; um, no need to worry. Might go out today with Kel and Hero." Omori quickly ended the voicemail. That should do it, hopefully. He probably sounds a bit robotic but he doubts she'll notice anything weird. Upon leaving the room, he noticed that the chore paper on the table was missing.

Hero...

The boy must have seen the papers and decided to do them for him. Well, that saves him the trouble, at least. That boy is seriously husband material; he can cook and clean. What more do you need? Whichever lucky girl ends up with him must have been looked after by their deity. Omori grabbed his stachel and wore his jacket before he freshened his teeth with minty toothpaste and filled a cup of water to water the flower in his room. After he was done with his morning routine, he slowly made his way downstairs, and like he predicted, Hero was currently brooming the floor from dust.

"Sunny? Oh, good morning. I did not expect you to wake up this early."

Omori nodded in acknowledgement. "You didn't have to do any of my chores; they are mine to do, you know."

"I know." Hero simply smiled. "Like I said, considered it a parting gift, not to mention the gold watch you gifted me, which I still think is a bit too much so I wanted to repay you and that is the least I could do. I hope you don't mind."

"I see... Well, thank you."

"Don't mention it, Sunny." Hero put the broom aside and swiped the sweat off his brow. "Phew... there, all done with your chores. How about I make you breakfast in the meantime? Knowing Kel, he probably won't be waking up until the afternoon and there is no way of waking him up; trust me, I tried." Yeah, he knows it too well; you could have fired a gun next to him and he wouldn't even know.

"So, how do eggs and beacons sound like?" 

"Sure, I'll take anything." His stomach seemed to agree as it let out a small growl, which made Hero chuckle. The two boys went to the kitchen after they settled on what they'd be eating. He gotta say, the house hasn't been this clean for what seems like ages.

Hero must have been busy.

Omori settled on the seat on the counter, while Hero began immediately working. He took out the needed ingredients and began heating up the pan. Soon, the room was filled with a pleasant aroma that hit his nose. 

"Listen, Sunny..." Hero began without looking back, which piqued the boy's interest a bit.

"Yeah?"

"I just want to say thank you."

"Umm... your welcome? What are you thanking me for exactly?"

"For what you did last night with Kel." Oh? Ohh!  Wait, did that mean Hero saw that last night? As if Hero could read his mind, he answered. "Yeah, I saw what happened yesterday. I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed the two of you weren't there and could have swore that I had heard music coming downstairs, so I went there and found you two in the piano room and... I'm sorry but I kinda eavesdropped on your conversation but I didn't dare to interrupt."

"I see..."

"I... didn't know that Kel felt that way. I always assume that he... well, I should have known it was all an act." Hero let out a sigh. "I haven't been there for him; what is worse is that I left Kel alone to deal with this alone when I went to college. I haven't even tried reaching out to him to see if he's alright."

Hero let out a sad laugh before he turned his head toward him. "I'm a terrible brother, aren't I?" 

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you can't be redeemable. Heck, if we're going by that, I'm probably the worst of us all since I completely cut off you all and hid, which led to me and Basil almost paying the price. Kel tried so many times to get me to go out despite my stubbornness." He's referring to Sunny, by the way. "But... he never gave up that boy; he showed up every day knocking on the door, heh. We all haven't been there for each other, but times changed, and we certainly made our mistakes. All we can do is learn from it. We can't change the past; things will keep going whether we like it or not." Omori noticed that he had been babbling for a while without realizing it. He straightened himself up and did a fake cough in his hand before turning his gaze to Hero, who was at a loss for words as his face was filled with shock and amusement.

"Wow, Sunny. When did you suddenly grow up?"

"Oh, please, I'm still a fool and I haven't grown a few inches." He should probably encourage Sunny to drink a lot of milk, lest he want to stay like a dwarf for the rest of his life.

"Yeah, you're right. I can't do anything to change what is already done. I'll try to be a better brother from now on. But still... it's no excuse since I'm still his brother but I'm glad that he has a friend who is looking after him. Thank you, Sunny." Hero was all done cooking the food and sat the plate in front of him. "Here you go, Sunny, dig in!"

"Don't mention it. Kel is my friend. Despite his... childish antics, let's just say." The two shared a small laugh before they began eating in blissful silence. Well, it was mostly him since he was eating since Hero probably had his share earlier but that didn't stop him from insisting that he joins him; after all, food is best when you share it with others, or something like that.

Suddenly, their lovely meal was interrupted by a knock on the door. Both shared a look, wondering who could be knocking at this hour. There was only one way to find out. The two made their way to the door and answered.

"Kim?" Omori was the first to speak up.

"Sunny, thank God. Listen, it's urgent."

"Huh? What's going on? Did something happen?" Hero had a worried look on his face when he sensed the girl's emotions. Kim turned her gaze at the ground and put her hands on her hips, as she had a bit of difficulty letting out the words momentarily before letting out a sigh. "It's just... It's Aubrey." 

Of course... should have known this would happen. 

The two didn't interrupt her, despite their worried faces. "She's not answering her door... or her back door... or the rocks we've been throwing at her windows."

"Maybe she needs some time for herself."

"Even so, she would have told us, or me. But to go as far as to completely avoid us? Is so unlike her." Kim let out a sigh. "She was really upset yesterday... Just what the heck did you two do to her that made her that upset?" Kim hardened her stare at the boy, patiently waiting for an answer.

"It's... complicated." Omori scratched his neck at the back while avoiding her gaze.

"Really? then uncomplicate it, or try to fix this mess at the very least." Omori turned to look at Hero, who simply shrugged. He slouched in defeat before letting out a sigh. "Fine. Take me to her and I'll try... talking to her, I guess." 

"Should I come too? I can help clear the air between you two." Hero finally decided to make his presence known.

"No, no... I should probably handle this alone." Omori shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, me and Aubrey should probably have a one-on-one talk since it's my fault that led to her doing all those things. It's best if the two of us settle things between ourselves and see if we can mend things and... I have to apologize for, um, exploding on her yesterday." Hero nodded before he looked at his gold watch. "Just make sure you come back here before afternoon. Otherwise, me and Kel will wait for you at the park."

"Sure, if things go well, I might try to convince Aubrey to come. if things went smoothly, that is."

"I'm sure she will. Even if she doesn't show it, Aubrey still cares about you and us. We've known each other since we were kids."

"Here's hoping..." Omori turned to Kim, who was still waiting, before he gestured to her. "Shall we? Come on, lead the way."

"Good luck, Sunny! See you later." The boy waved back before he left the house and followed behind the tomboy. While the two were walking side by side, Kim decided to ask once again, but this time more calmly. "So, do you mind telling me what the heck happened after we all left?"

"Like I said, it's complicated and I can't reveal too much since it's personal. So, after you all left, Aubrey got mad, like really mad at us and she lashed out at us. Then she accidentally pushed Basil into the lake when he got too close. I jumped it to save him before he drowned, but almost drowned myself. The only reason I and Basil are alive is thanks to Hero and Kel. After that, I lashed out at her; it was in the heat of the moment and I might have said things that I didn't mean to." Omori was done retelling his side of the story, and not surprisingly, Kim stopped moving, and her eyes were as wide as her open jaw. She couldn't form any words and opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of the water.

"That's... damn, I don't know what to honestly say." 

"Well, me neither." Omori let out a sigh once again. After retelling the story, he realized how bad the situation really was. Kim tried cheering him up with the best method she knew. "Um, here."

Omori saw her handing out a piece of candy for him while looking at the other side. His eyes went between her and the candy before he slowly accepted and muttered a thank-you to her. It was not every day you see the sibling hand over their satch of candy to anyone; he didn't think he was that close to them, was he?

She nodded and began walking once again; this time it was his turn to ask the tomboy. "Listen, be honest with me, Kim. What did Aubrey do to Basil that made him break down like that yesterday in the lake?"

"Look, Aubrey didn't do anything to him or hurt him; no one did! I swear, no one touched him." Kim paused for a bit as she recalled something. "Well... there was something Aubrey did say to him that made him flip out."

"What was it?"

"I don't remember much. But basically, Basil came to the spot to try to talk Aubrey into giving him the album like usual. The two went back and forth, like they do. He then said something about you being upset and asked if Aubrey didn't care about you. For some reason, this got Aubrey angry and she yelled out that you were going to move out in a few days and that you were going to abandon them like you did when you locked yourself in your house all those years. And then Basil paled and just started screaming and then the two of you came... and you know the rest."

Oh, fuck me...

Omori massaged his temples. It looks like it's one thing after the other but this time, it was his entire fault. He should have listened to Kel and told Basil sooner rather than delaying the inevitable and maybe all of this could have been avoided but now it came back biting him. Why does he feel like the universe is out to get him?

"Damn it..."

"Why did Basil react like that to what Aubrey said? Did... he not know about you leaving?"

"Yeah... I was about to break it down to him but I waited for the best time as I knew he would react poorly but now the cat is out of the bag." He felt Kim gently patting him on the back. "Heads up, we're almost there. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Yo, Kim!" Vance waved at his sister when he spotted her, which made all of the other hooligans turn their heads to face them.

"Sup, I bought the nerd with me." She pointed back at him without looking back. "He's going to try to talk with Aubrey, isn't that right, Sun?" She turned her head toward him.

"Yeah, sure." Omori looked at the door. He felt like as if he's walking straight to a lion's den. It was too late to chicken out now and he made it this far. He could feel the eyes of the hooligans staring at him in curiosity and anticipation of his next course of action.

Here goes nothing.

Omori prepared himself mentally and physically and turned to face Kim. "If I don't make it out here alive, tell Kel he still owes me the 20 dollars."

Kim snorted. "Don't worry, we'll be sure to attend your funeral."

"We'll make sure your death won't be in vain."

"Your honorable sacrifice will be fondly remembered. I, the great Maverick, bid you good luck on your mission."

"Yeah, we'll make sure your name will be remembered as a legend."

The Hooligans chimed in to give their own share of encouragement, minus Charlene, who just gave him a simple nod instead. He would have shed tears if it weren't for the fact that they were obviously just mocking him, which wasn't all that surprising if he's being honest. He rolled his eyes before he grabbed the doorknob and gently twisted it before slowly pushing the door, which let out a creak noise upon opening. He quickly entered and closed the door behind it but almost instantly regretted it.

He covered his nose as the stench of the scattered trash around the house stung his nose like a wasp. He had to fight the urge to gag and throw up, which was hard as the odor still managed to sneak into his nose. The house was a mess, so much so that he could have thought that he somehow mistakenly entered a junkyard. Omori had to slowly and carefully navigate through the trash, which felt like he was in a maze and it didn't help that the room was extremely dark with only a source of faint light emitting from the TV. He was also extra careful not to knock over anything to make a noise.

Why is that, you may ask? Simply due to Mama Bear, who was passed out drunk on the couch, there were many flies swarming her body, not to mention the many cans and bottles of alcohol beverages scattered besides her. The only source of noise was the loud static of the TV playing.

Ugh... It smells like something has died here.

He silently hoped that the body of the lady wasn't a rotting corpse. He swatted the annoying flies that wouldn't leave him alone as he made his way to the next room.

Seriously, this house has violated every safety hazard imaginable. How in hell can anyone live like this? 

Yet Aubrey lives here, and that is saying much... Poor girl. He made it into the hallway and there was even more trash scattered around and cracks in the wall. The room was completely dark, with the exception of lighting coming from a ladder. If he was to guess, that was where Aubrey's room was. He had a hard time navigating in the dark, knocking on every piece of trash on his way and almost tripping.

He grabbed hold of the ladder and began slowly climbing his way up to the attic. Once he reached the top, he took a moment to catch his breath. The room was well kept clean, with no sign of trash, which meant he didn't need to protect his nose from the smell; rather, the room was filled with a pleasant scent. He spotted the pet rabbit in his cage and up ahead was Aubrey herself. She has yet to notice him entering, as she was busy just looking at the photos and the billboard. He stood there and stared from behind, unsure what to say.

Omori, not wanting to be a creep, decided to make his presence known to the girl by loudly clearing his throat, which made the girl jerk in place before she sprang around to face him. Her face was like a deer caught in headlights, then it quickly changed to a shade between red and pink as she stammered to get out the words for a second.

"W-W-W-What the heck are you doing here?!" Her yell was due to surprise rather than anger. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM!!"

Omori raised his hands to signify he didn't want to cause trouble for her. "Uhhh... I'm sorry for intruding but... well, your friends outside are worried sick about you since you weren't answering and I... just came to check on you and see if you're okay." This made her stop dead in her tracks before she crossed her arms and averted her gaze to the side.

"I'm fine! I didn't mean to make them worry. I just... need some time alone."

"Okay, cool, I'll tell them that but..." He paused for a bit before he made direct eye contact with her and let out the words out of his head. "Listen, I came to talk and-"

"Ooh, you came to talk, did ya? I guess four years was enough time to 'finally talk.'" Aubrey did a double-air quote before she scoffed. "Don't make me laugh."

"Look. I'm sorry, okay?" Aubrey quieted down and turned to face him with a surprise look; this time she did not interrupt. "I'm sorry for marking the photos and keeping them a secret. I'm also sorry for lashing out on you like that yesterday and I..." He scratched his neck as he tried to come up with words.

"Well, you're sorry." Her voice was awfully quiet as she stared at the floor with an unreadable expression on her face. "But that still doesn't change things."

"I know., I know. Listen... how about we meet up at the lake so I can explain myself to you and come clean about everything? You don't have to now, but if I don't spot you there in an hour or so, I'll take it as a sign that you don't want to." Aubrey didn't reply and didn't move from her spot as well.

"I'll leave now." Omori made his way back to the ladder but before he descended, he called out the girl once more. "I'll tell your friends that you're fine and need some time for yourself." After being given the silent treatment once again, he made his way down and out of the house, but his trip was cut short when he heard someone call out for him.

"Hic... who the heck are you?"

Shit... not now.

The woman who was passed out and the coach turned to face him as she slurped on her words. "Are you one of hic... of Jerry's boys that he sent?" Omori, not sure what to do, simply nodded at the opportunity that was present in front of him to get his ticket out.

"Ugh... I told him I'd have the money for him, but I... hic don't have it with me now..." The woman slowly took a long gulp of the bottle in her hand. "I just need more time." The woman leaned back on the couch before passing out once again. The boy let out a sigh of relief and stared at the woman. It sounds like she gambled her money out. Hmm, alcohol and gambling—that is a dangerous mix. 

Whatever. It's not like it's any of my problems or anything. 

Is that what Aubrey has to deal with? No wonder she turned out the way she is. He made it outside in one piece, somehow. "Hey, glad you made it out alive!" Kim called out. The hooligans were patiently waiting outside and once they saw him, they began surrounding him and swarming him with questions about Aubrey, which he couldn't keep up with, so instead he raised his hand to quiet them down, which did the trick and now all of them were watching him closely.

"Aubrey said she's fine and just needs some time for herself. For now, just give her time and don't bother her." All of them shared a look around themselves before they finally nodded and decided to respect their friend's wishes. Now they know she is okay. Seeing that he was not needed anymore, Omori made his way in the other direction to take a stroll around town to find something to do to burn the time until his meeting with Aubrey in the lake. Well, if she decided to show up, that is. Before he left, he heard a voice calling out for him, which belonged to none other than Kimberly herself, who caught up to him. He looked at the girl with interest.

"Hey, thanks for looking out for Aubrey."

"Of course. That's Aubrey we're talking about her; she'll bounce right in no time."

"Heh, I know. So I assume it ended well between you two."

"Something like that, I did apologize and offered to have one-on-one talk in the lake later today, though she didn't give me her answer."

"Knowing Aubrey, she'll probably go." Kim paused before she smiled at him. "After she's done beating you up, that is."

Omori let out a snort. "I figured much. Well... I should probably head out and prepare. long day ahead."

"Yeah, see ya." Kim gave him a playful punch on the shoulder before she returned to her gang.

Well, that's that. I wonder what I should do in the meantime... 

Omori contemplated as he was walking. Well, since this was his last day here, he might as well enjoy it to its fullest and end it with a bang. He should say goodbye to the people he met as well. With the plan set in motion, he wonders where his first stop will be.

Chapter Text

"Yo, Omori!" The guitar guy, whose name was Michael, waved and smiled at him when he noticed him. He was hanging in his usual spot in the town's plaza next to Gino's, along with his belongings. "Or should I say: The great pet rock champion?"

"Huh?" Omori's face twisted as he tilted his head.

"Oh, don't pretend." Michael gave him a quick tap on the shoulder. "You beat my grandma at those pet rock thingies. No one managed to beat her and take the title of pet rock champion."

"Oh, that old lady that sells fish is your grandmother?"

"Yup. I guess you met my whole family, huh?"

"I guess. So... you're finally leaving, right?" He pointed at his traveling backpack.

"Yes, today's the day... I'm finally leaving town to become a musician." He let out a content sigh. "I can hardly believe it. It's all thanks to you. I owe you big time, bud."

"Sure. It's my final day here too."

"Wait, really?" Michael's eyes perked up . "That's cool, dude. Maybe you could come to one of my concerts if I ever make it big in the city."

Omori shrugged. "We'll see. Good luck, gotta run now."

"Ah, wait!" Michael blocked his way. "Could you do me a small favor... please?"

"What kind of favor?" He titled his head.

He fidgets for a bit before he takes out a piece of paper and holds it out. "Could you... deliver this to my dad? I know it sounds strange, but I'm too chicken to give it to him myself. So would you... pretty please? It's the last thing I'll ask, I swear!" He put his hands together as he plead.

"Okay... I'll pass it on." He took the letter and folded it into his back pocket.

"Thank you! Tell me when it's done, okay?"

"M'kay." He bid farewell before he left. He did his usual jobs at the Othermarket, Fix It, and finally Gino's. Earning him $70 in total. As he was changing from his pizza outfit, he turned to the owner, Cesar, before he left. "Hey, is the evening shift available by any chance?"

"Ah, why yes, there is. Planning on taking another shift too?" The man in glasses asked.

"Yes... but I'm only doing it as a favor for someone."

"Well, I'm happy to take any helping hands I can get." The black-haired man nodded. "Be sure to come early, and thanks for your help today, kid."

Omori waved as he walked out of the pizza place.

He made his way to the boy's father's house, the one with the gray rooftop, if he remembers correctly. He gave the door a few knocks before he stepped to the side. The door was gently opened and there was no one.

Omori was confused and looked around until he heard a small voice coming from below him. "Oh, it's you, Mr. tutor guy!"

"Oh, hello, Joy." He crouched on his knee to meet her eyes. "Is your father home? I have a letter for him."

"Yes, my dad is in the kitchen. Um..." The small girl looked down and fidgeted with her foot.

"Why the sad face?"

"Well, my brother told me yesterday that he's leaving home today to become a musician..." She twiddled with her fingers as she avoided eye contact. "And I wasn't supposed to tell... but I accidentally told dad about it. I hope my brother isn't mad at me."

"He won't. He was probably going to tell him sooner or later." He ruffled her hair gently. "And your brother isn't the type to get mad. He seems chill."

"Okay..." She muttered before she quietly headed to her room

He went inside and into the kitchen, where the thick-eyebrow father was preparing something on his cooker.

"I have a letter from your son." He took out the letter.

"A-A letter from my son, you say?" The man took the letter and slowly unfolded it. He let out a big sigh as he recognized his own son's writing. "That kid dreams way to big... He must have gotten it from his mother but... maybe I've been so hard on him these last few years."

"Thank you for delivering my son's letter." He held out a lunchbox. "I'm sorry to bother you but could you drop this off to my son before he leaves?"

"Sure." He grabbed the lunchbox. "I'll deliver it safely."

"Thanks... I appreciate it." He nodded. "I hope I see him one day... maybe even on TV, haha."

Omori nodded and left.

Man I really turned into the errand boy, haven't I?

(OMORI)

Omori for whatever reason, decided to visit the church. He wanted a quiet place to collect his thoughts before he went to the meeting spot where he told Aubrey to meet him. He won't know if she'll be there or not, which made him a bit nervous.

Just gotta calm down.

The place was empty, save for the pastor and another girl who looked quite awfully familiar.

Hey, is that...?

It was indeed the young artist, Mincy. He honestly did not expect her here, of all places. She looked like she was praying with her back slouched, but when he got closer, he saw that she was actually drawing on her sketchbook.

"I thought you came here to pray, but it turns out you were only drawing, which is not surprising." He leaned on the wooden armrest.

"Oh, hi Omori!" Mincy stopped her pencil to look at the boy with renewed vigor. "Yes, I know. I'm feeling fired up today so I'm trying to get the artistic energy before it fades away."

She moved a bit to the side and patted the unoccupied seat. "Come sit."

"Sure." Without second thought, he sat beside the girl. "So, what's on today's drawing list?"

"Oh, just drawing the stained glass windows." She pointed towards them. "They're so pretty with their lights flooding into the room like that. But one of them is slightly different, though."

"Uh, huh." Omori shifted into a more comfortable position as he crossed his arms and leaned his back on the seat. Of course he knew the real reason why, but things are best left unknown.

"So, what about you?" The girl shifted closer to him, until their knees were almost touching. She undeniably became more comfortable in his presence than when they first met. "Have you run into trouble today?"

"Hey, you're making me sound like I'm a magnet for trouble." He shot back, although it had no real bite behind it. "But, no. I hadn't run into trouble today, which is improvement, I gotta say."

"That's nice to hear." Mincy chuckled before an awkward silence followed between the two while they sat there. Suddenly, an idea popped into the artist's head. "Hey, I got an idea. "

"What?" He turned his eye sideways at her.

"How about... you draw this time?" She extended her sketchbook and pencil in front of him. "You said you used to draw, right? I wanna see."

"Um, I don't know about this..." Omori carefully eyed the sketchbook in her hand. "Besides, aren't you in the middle of drawing the window?"

"No, no, no, it's okay. I'm nearly finished anyway. You can draw on one of the blank pages." She mustered her best puppy eyes. "Come on, pretty please?"

He opened his mouth but shut it down immediately. He let out a sigh. "Okay, fine. Just stop with the pleading eyes. "

Mincy brightened up. Omori took the sketchbook and opened a new blank page before deciding what to draw. His eyes stopped at the piano. He made a mental note of it and began drawing, with Mincy watching intently. After a while, he was done adding the last touches. The drawing had a piano with an eye in the middle that had multiple tentacles sticking out.

"Fascinating..." Mincy looked completely unperturbed by the drawing. "Could I... keep it?"

"Sure, I don't mind." He handed the sketchbook back. "It's not all that great and you're probably half creeped by it."

"Not at all." Mincy shook her head. "They say artists often express themselves through their drawings and can tell you about them."

"Really? So then what does my drawing tell you about me then?"

"Well..." She put her hands on her knee, carefully choosing her words. "You seem... troubled."

Omori simply let out a snort. "Understatement of the century."

"Um, do you... wanna talk about it?"

"Well... I don't know. It's just that... I feel like I don't know the purpose of my existence."

Her eyes softened, and her hand instinctively rested on top of him. "It's okay. We're all on our own journey to discover ourselves and find our own identity."

He sighed. "It's a bit more complicated than that. I mean, I know what my purpose is, or at least I think I do, but I guess I can't help but question if it really was or if there's more to it. It's just so confusing."

"It just takes time. I had gone through the same thing and tried to find what I'd be. Then, I discovered my passion for drawing. It just comes naturally without you even knowing.

"I guess." He nodded in appreciation at her attempt at comforting him before he stood up. "Well, I should probably go. I'll leave you to it. Thanks for humoring me."

"Ah- wait!" Without thinking, Mincy suddenly blurted out before her cheeks had a tint of pink as she acted on impulse. "I-I mean..."

"Yes?" Omori stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Before you go, could you, um..." For a second, she struggled to form words out of her mouth, as if she had lost her voice. "Come to the park this evening?"

"Sure, I'll drop by later." He shrugged. "Is there a reason why?"

"No reason! I-I mean... I want your opinion on something, that's all."

"That's fine. I'll see you later then."

"Thank you!" He waved as he was walking out.

(OMORI)

When Omori passed by the park, he was stopped by some jock on the way. "Excuse me, buddy. Have you seen a boy with black hair, wearing a black and white striped shirt?"

"No. Can't say I have." He shook his head

"Damn it. Something's wrong here." The guy muttered to himself. "Well, thanks anyway, pal."

He watched the blond jock leave. Omori thought nothing of it and continued on his way. He decided to make a quick trip to Othermart to buy some snacks. As he entered the store, his ears picked up a commotion coming from the right. He quickly deduced that it came from the candy shop, judging by how people had no reaction as if it were a regular Tuesday.

Due to his cat-like behavior, he couldn't help but go and see what this was all about. Once he was inside, he was met with destruction everywhere. The shop was vandalised with candies scattered and shattered glasses all over the floor. Miss Candice's statue was broken into two pieces on the floor.

The hell happened here?

It was as if the place were destroyed by an earthquake.

"Bunch of lowlife, city kids!" Miss Candice shouted, her face was red. Curtsey was trying her best to calm her down.

"It's o-okay Miss Candice. Look at the bright side. at least they didn't steal-"

"Okay? OKAY! None of this is okay!"

Omori let out a whistle as he looked around. "What happened here?"

Curtsey turned to see the boy standing at the entrance. "I'm sorry, but this isn't the best time."

"You!" Miss Candice pointed at him, which made him flinch. "Don't just stand there, boy. Come help!"

"Um, okay." He approached the two ladies. "Mind telling what happened to the store?"

"Some bunch of kids that came from the city came here and vandalised my store after I refused to pay them protection money."

"Did you call the cops?"

"The town's cops are a joke. They said they'd send someone, but none have come." She bristed, so much that her eyes were filled with flames.

"Um, it might have to do with the amount of times you called them on the hooligans that they stopped taking your calls seriously." Curtsey whispered as she looked away while she was twiddling with her fingers.

Miss Candice shot her a glare, which made her squeak. She then let out a groan as she rubbed her temples. "Those damn kids are probably gone by now."

"They might be still in the town." Omori shrugged. "Did they take anything from here?"

"They stole my golden necklace." Miss Candice gritted her teeth and slammed her fist on the counter.

"Hmm... I'll see if I can track them. What do they look like?"

Miss Canadice looked a bit surprised but quickly recovered. "There were three. One was wearing an expensive black suit, the other two looked like they were idiots. If you find them, rip them a new one."

Omori nodded as he left the supermarket and walked to the boy. "Hey, guitar guy."

"Yo, what's up?" The musician turned to him with a smile.

"Have you seen three kids that looked like they came from the city pass through here?"

He pondered for a bit before he pointed with his finger. "Yeah, I think I have. They went through that way, in one of those alleyways."

"Cool, thanks." He was about to leave but stopped midway. "Oh, almost forgot."

Omori took the launchbox from his satchel and handed it to him. "Here. It's from your father."

Michael stared at the box with a perplexed look before noticing the boy was already gone. "Huh? W-Wait!"

(OMORI)

Omori was walking in the alleyway. He kept his eyes peeled as he looked around for three city kids. After a short bit, his ears picked up something in the distance. It sounded faint but he could make out the laughter and voice of someone taunting.

He peeked around the corners and saw three kids that definitely fit the description. One of them was beating up someone. The guy pinned the boy to the wall before he delivered a jab to his guts. The black-haired boy let out a gasp before his body hit the floor. He looked messed up, and his face was covered in bruises. The beating didn't stop as the guy delivered a kick to the boy while he was lying on the floor. "Come on, pretty boy. Get up."

Omori felt his blood level surge up, went and stepped in before he shouted. "Hey, tough guy!"

"What the hell?" The city kid turned to him before the other two boys appeared beside him. "Who the hell are you?"

"Picking up on someone who can't fight back? You three are pathetic." Omori's stare was so cold that it felt like the temperature dropped a little.

He sneered. "What's it to you?"

"You better leave him alone, you damn bastard."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did we hurt your boyfriend?" The boy taunted him as he planted foot on the black-haired boy on the floor who let out a cough. The two lackeys shared a laugh. He took out a pocket knife and pointed at him, but Omori was unfazed as he continued to glare at him. "You better stay out of this, punk. Walk away before I mess your pretty face too."

Omori didn't answer but instead took out his steak knife in his hand. "You're not the only one with a knife."

"Oh~ Careful boys." The city kid shook his hands in mock fear. "The little kid has a knife. What are you gonna do with that? Cut me some steak?"

"No, I'm going to cut you up instead."

"Oh, big words from a small shrimp. Okay, punk. You and your fag friend will get it after I'm done with you."

"Get him, boss."

"Teach this kid a lesson."

The two lackeys cheered their boss.

Omori slowly approaches the city kid, closing the distance between them while the kid's stand was arrogant and had a cocky smile as he waited for him. For a moment, neither of them moved before the city kid made the first move and came swinging at the boy. Omori quickly leaned his body up as the blade was a mere inches from cutting him as he heard the sound of the knife whizzing past him. His face turned, and he tightened his grip on his knife before he used this opening to swing his knife at him. The city kid managed to evade the blade by stepping to the side as he smirked. Omori had an advantage in being short, but he made it up by being agile.

The two of them slowly circled each other as they took turns attacking and evading the other attack while occasionally trying to counterattack the other. Omori was breathing hard as the smell of sweat and trash filled the place. Despite that, he kept his focus and blocked any distraction as the surroundings around him faded as his attention was all on the target that was in front of him as his body went into autopilot as he tried to slash wildly but the city kid was as agile as he was.

Sadly, his luck ran out as the city kid landed a hit on him. The blade glazed his skin on his upper arm. Omori winced at the sharp pain as it was cut in his jacket with a bleeding wound underneath. The cut stung like hell. He grabbed his arm and tried to ease the pain, as he felt like his body was wailing in pain.

"Ouch, that gotta hurt." The city kid taunted him. "It's not too late to run back to your mommy."

Omori paid no mind to him, as he wouldn't let him get under his skin. He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the pain as he tried to look for any way to turn the table in his favor. Suddenly an idea popped into his head, one that was risky.

"Come on, where did all that talk go?"

Omori gritted his teeth before he suddenly rushed at the boy with the knife, which took him by surprise at first but quickly recovered as he prepared to swing at him horizontally. Time seemed to slow from Omori perspective. Once he got close, he feigned a counterattack, but he dove straight down between the kid's legs. The city boy's eye got wide as he noticed the boy slipped under him. Omori didn't give him a chance to recover as he prepared to attack him from behind, but the city kid quickly turned and tried to dodge out of the way, but it was too late as the knife grazed his cheek, leaving a nasty cut with blood gushing out.

Omori was about to swing a second time, determined to finish this but he then suddenly felt himself being lifted. One of the two lackys grabbed Omori from behind by the neck with his arm. He tried slashing wildly at the boy from behind but the boy got hold of his wrist and forced him to drop his knife. He continued to struggle against the chokehold, but he felt the grip tighten around his throat as his lung desperately tried to gasp for air.

He then did the only thing he could do and bit the boy's arm, which made him let out a screech and let go of him. Omori tried to use this chance to grab his steak knife on the floor but the other lackey kicked it out of his reach and quickly pinned him to the wall.

"Oh, you've done it now." The city boy wiped the blood from his cheek with his thumb before he slowly made his way towards him with a look filled with hatred. "For a small shrimp, you had a fight in you, I admit."

Omori struggled more as he tried to wiggle free but with no result. The city kid then raised his pocket knife in front of his face but Omori kept his glare, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. "But now, I'm going to mess your face up for messing up mine."

It seemed like all hope was lost as his struggles were in vain. Omori shut his eyes and prepared for the worst. Out of nowhere, a loud yell was heard and rapid footsteps were approaching. At the corner of his eyes, he saw the same blond jock he saw earlier running towards them with his fist in the air. The city kid had no time to react before the fist was connected square in his face, which knocked a few feet away.

The lackey that was holding him let go of him but the jock grabbed his arm and twisted it before delivering a punch to his gut. The last one tried to attack him by swinging a fist at him but he ducked and tackled him to the ground and delivered a few punches to his face before the lackey managed to shake him off. While the lackey was on the ground, he used this moment to kick a garbage can towards the blond jock, but he stopped it with his feet before he kicked out of the way and slowly made his way towards the last guy who was now leaning on the brick wall. He then closed on him before he blocked an attack with his arm before he delivered the finishing blow by headbutting him before his body hit the wall.

The city boy was limping to grab his pocket knife. Before he could grab it, it was kicked away, and he found himself staring at the tip of the blade. Omori was pointing his steak knife at him as he stared at him with cold eyes. "You have something that isn't yours. Hand over the necklace."

The city boy whose nose was bleeding glared at him before he went to his pocket and threw the golden necklace on the ground. This isn't over. Do you know who my father is? You're all dead. You hear me?" His voice was muffled as he tried covering his bruised face while getting up.

"Go away and never come back." Omori advised him before he kneeled and grabbed the necklace while still keeping his knife pointing at him.

The city boy glared out of him one last time before he scurried from the otherside. Omori let out a sigh before he pocketed his steak knife.

"Guess, that's that." He winced as he remembered the pain in arms. "That was damn idiotic. Going against three guys alone."

He then turned his attention to the blond jock who saved his skin. The guy quickly rushed to the boy with striped clothing and helped him get up. "Are you okay?"

"Jay...?" The black-haired boy let out a cough as he accepted his hand. "Yes... I'm fine. The other kid stepped in and helped."

Jay turned his attention to Omori and gave him a grateful nod as he finished wrapping his arm around his friend's shoulder. "Hey, thanks for helping my friend here, pal."

Omori waved his hand dismissively. "I did what I had to do but you're the one who took all three of them down."

"I'm going to take my friend to the hospital. Are you going to be fine on your own?"

"Yeah. I have someone." Omori nodded as he grabbed the wound on his shoulder. "Best that we get out of here."

Jay nodded before he helped his friend walk while Omori left in the other direction.

(OMORI)

Omori went back to Othermart and went to the pharmacy while trying to hide his injury. "Excuse me. One first-aid kit, please."

The pharmacist noticed the boy's injury before he nodded and handed him the bag.

"How much?"

The man shook his head. "It's on the house, son."

"Huh? Why?"

"Considered it a thanks for helping tutor my son, Brent. He seems a lot happier than usual and spoke fondly of you."

"Oh, I see." Omori then grabbed the bag and made his way out before he muttered thanks to the man and headed to the candy shop.

There, Miss Candice was back in her counter with a sour face, while Curtsey was left cleaning up the mess left behind. Upon seeing him, her face turned surprise at the boy's state.

"I got your necklace back." Omori handed her the golden-shaped accessory.

"You got it back..." The lady was at a loss for words as she was overwhelmed and confused. She didn't think that someone would go this far for her, even hurting themselves in the process. "How did you manage to get it back?"

"It's for the best that I don't get into details." The boy answered.

After a moment, she nodded and simply accepted his answer. Her voice suddenly turned soft and low. "Thank you. This was my mom's before she passed away."

She held the necklace close to her neck. "I guess not all kids are that bad. Curtsey!"

"Eeeep! Y-Yes, M-Miss Candice?" The girl quickly rushed as soon as she heard her name.

The sweetheart look alike stared at her before something unexpected happened. Her face turned soft. "Be a dear and finish cleaning up the rest."

The girl was stunned for a moment before she quickly uttered a response. "Y-Yes, absolutely, Miss Candice."

The pink-haired lady nodded before she simply went to the back door, leaving the two standing.

"Wow." Curtsey started. "I've never seen her so calm like that."

Omori nodded. "I guess she does have a soft side after all."

The girl let out a sigh and grabbed the broom. "Well, I guess I should get back to it. Thank you. What you did was so nice."

"Eh, don't thank me." Omori shrugged.

At least this gave me a reason to use my steak knife.

He then turned away and left. As he walked out, he noticed the clock and realized he was late to his meeting with Aubrey at the lake. Omori picked his pace and headed towards their secret hangout spot. After going through the entrance while pushing some bushes out of his way, he spotted Aubrey sitting at the edge of the dock.

Omori let out a sigh of relief and prepared himself before he approached her. "Hey, you came."

Aubrey scoffed before she turned over her shoulder. "Finally. You sure took your sweet time."

Her expression quickly shifted to worry once she was the state he was in. "Oh my god, Sunny. What happened to you?"

"It's a long story." He sat besides her as he winced. "Got a bit into a small fight on my way."

"A fight?" She repeated before her expression turned dark. Hell really hath no fury like a woman scorned because she looked like she wasn't going to show mercy. "With whom? Who did this to you?"

"It's fine. It's dealt with, okay?" Omori waved her concern off, not wanting to risk her safety for him.

The pink-haired girl was about to protest further but she then noticed the wound on his arm. "Wait... You're bleeding."

Audrey took off his jacket and saw the huge gushing wound on his arm. She then turned to him with a serious look. "Do you have a medkit with you?"

"Yes." He nodded before he handed her the red bag. Without a word, she took the medkit and began treating him. Omori winced as he felt a painful sting when she applied an alcohol wipe to sanitize the wound. She then quickly began wrapping a bandage around the wound before she tightly tied it. "There, all done."

"Thanks." Nodded as he stared at the bandage.

"Sure, just... be careful next time." She averted her eyes away.

An awkward silence befell the two teens as they sat there, waiting for the other to speak. Omori let out a sigh and decided to speak first. "Listen, Aubrey—"

"Stop." She interjected. "I know what you're going to say."

"Y-You do?"

"Yeah, you've been in a bad place, we were all after we lost Mari." She corrected herself before she sighed. "We weren't there for each other. You had your reason when you marked the photos. Maybe if I tried to be there for you, for all of you, this wouldn't have happened."

Omori stood there stunned, as he was expecting any of that. He stayed quiet and let his friend continue.

"I'm such an asshole. I thought everyone abandoned me but in reality I was the one pushing everyone away and... I wanna make things right. I want to apologize to Basil. For accusing him of something he didn't do."

"Well..." Omori started as he dangled his feet. "Me and the others were all planning on visiting Basil today. So..."

"Cool, I'll tag with you three but... I'm not quite ready to face Kel and Hero yet." Aubrey rubbed his arms.

"Well, we still got time before we meet up at my house and I still have other businesses in town so maybe..." He paused. "You could come with me?"

"Yeah... um, that sounds good. It's not like I got anything better to do at the moment."

"Great. It's a date then. OW!" Omori earned a punch to his arm.

"Dumbass. Don't say weird things like that!" Aubrey growled at him as her cheeks had a hint of pink. Her expression changed when she realized that her friend was injured and she punched him in the same arm. "Oh, sorry! I Didn't mean to—"

"It's okay. I deserve that." He winced but tried to shrug the pain off before getting up. "Come on, we're wasting daylight."

"Okay." She got up soon after. "I'm right behind you. Lead the way."

The two left the secret hangout spot soon after.

Chapter Text

Long story short, yes and... no.

Yes, as in I won't be updating this story any longer.

No, as in I will be doing a new rewrite to the story, complete with a new plot, a new coat of paint, and an overall better writing style.

So, those who are subscribed to this story can find the new story in my profile, or look it up on the search page. 

The story name is the same. "The Sun Hasn't Set Yet: Reshine". The first chapter is already out.

Thanks to everyone who stuck around for the story. Your support means the world to me, but it's time for a change.

I know I said I won't abandon the story, and I'm also saddened to leave it unfinished with the current numbers.

I'm not satisfied with the state of the old story, it's a complete mess with no direction.

It would be too much effort to completely rewrite, so it's better to start from scratch.

Thanks for sticking this far. Hopefully, you will enjoy the new version of the story.

That's all. See you all in the other story.