Marx's Short Stories

Twisted Second Chance 2.0

Ama wandered along the sidewalk, thinking. Thinking of him. Unabara Mitsuki, the tall, sweet, ever-smiling boy, intelligent, self-conscious, the boy who disliked the freckles that peppered his skin, the boy who disliked himself. She sighed, softly, thinking. His words resonated in her head, head, I love you, I love you. And she'd broken his heart. Even in the dark, she could see him; his usually bright eyes faltering, his smile wavering as they touched-- And no matter how dark, she could see it, and she'd never forget the tears that had spilled over onto his freckled cheeks. She knew he hadn't meant to do it-- not in front of her-- But he must have assumed she couldn't see in the black night. But she could, and it hurt like the subtle pain of an old wound. 'It wasn't wrong, was it? I didn't want to hurt him, but Tim...I love him, don't I? Don't I?' Even as she asked it, it made her heart throb. Unabara....No, she hadn't known him for as long as Tim, but he had such a lovable air about him, he was nice, sweet, kind. She stopped, turning to look back where he'd gone, when a sudden thought struck her. 'Isn't his house right across from mine?' She sighed, and thought nothing of it, really. Maybe he'd just wanted to walk, but the thought made her feel even worse. And with a sigh, she turned the corner, and walked up the steps to her house.

Ama didn't see him for three days after that.

She felt increasingly terrible-- Countless thoughts ran through her head, 'Was it my fault, did I do this?'And though Tim tried to console her, it just didn't work. She wanted to see him, she wanted to see Unabara Mitsuki himself, with his tussled hair and freckled face and the smile she'd come to love. And if only she hadn't been so close to Tim, she would have loved the freckled boy even more than his smile.

It was the fourth day Unabara Mitsuki came back. Ama had been reading her book silently when she'd heard the classroom door open; she'd looked up, and her face had brightened, because there he was, right at the front of the classroom. But something was off about him. His usual, cheerful air was gone; his hair more disheveled than usual; his smile had vanished, and so had his freckles. 'It's my fault, isn't it?' She watched as he set his bag on the ground by his desk in the back, next to hers as always, and sat down, resting his head in his arms. She wanted so desperately to talk to him; she could probably get away with it, since it was only study hall and she has already finished what was important. And so, she leaned over, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Unabara." She kept her voice at a whisper, but it was urgent. "Unabara, please talk to me." He looked up at her, and his smile returned to his face; but it broke her heart. It was a shattered smile, she could see right through it. It wasn't the smile she loved, it was fake, broken, and he was simply trying to gather up all the pieces and stuff them together to make her happy. The light in his eyes was gone, with nothing but a pit of hidden sadness behind his features. Ama gave him a slight smile back-- it was the least she could do-- and moved her hand from his arm. "What happened to your freckles?" "Oh, I...I covered them, simply." He laughed softly, but it was forced, ragged. "I've told you, Amaiko, they're hideous." "B...But Unabara, they aren't. They're cute. I love them." He cringed, just slightly, and even she did as well. It sounded horrible, thinking about it. 'I love your freckles, but not you.' How cruel. "Wait, I didn't mean--" "Thank you." She stared at him as his smile quirked up slightly. "I just never found them quite appealing, so I decided to begin covering them again." "Why were you gone so long?" "So many questions." He chuckled softly, and she gave a weak smile. "I was worried." "You shouldn't be. Don't worry about me. My younger brother simply caught the flu, and wanted me to stay with him." "Oh..." It made her think of her own sisters and brothers, and she sighed, softly. "That's really sweet of you." "He's family. It's my job." "Yea...Look, Unabara, about that night, what I said--" "Shh. I told you I understood, did I not?" He reached over, placing a light finger over her lips. She took his hand, instead, but he gently pulled it away, and she could tell his liking for physical contact was waning. "But I- I feel so terrible, you're one of the nicest men I've ever met, and--" "Shh. I'm not angry. Slightly heartpained, but it isn't your fault, understand? I cannot make you love me if you love Tim. It's unnatural. None of this is your fault." He smiled again, and Ama nodded, her heart throbbing. "If you..." "I will never stop loving you, Amaiko, not even the day I die. I promised myself." He smiled again, and Ama closed her eyes. "Oh, Una..." "Don't cry." His hand reached out, cupping her cheek and brushing away a tear. His hand was rough, calloused, but gentle all the same. She nodded, quickly rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. "Alright."

Ama awoke the next day to the sound of screaming.
It didn't seem to be coming from her house, and she yawned, rubbing her eyes and pushing open the curtain to the window.
It certainly woke her up.

The house across the street was on fire. The whole thing was being engulfed by flames. She squinted for a moment, and suddenly she was able to make out a person from inside. 'What in the name of...?' Suddenly, her heart dropped, and dread filled her entire being.

'Unabara.' That was his house, and her dread was confirmed when she saw the tall man running out, a girl in his arms. He set her down outside, and she was coughing, telling him something; he was covered in soot, nodding vigorously, before running back into the house. Ama watched, unable to do anything, horrorstruck, as he ran out again, dropping a young boy beside her. The girl embraced the little boy just as Unabara raced back into the house. The flames were reaching higher, and she was looking, searching, searching for him, for Unabara. She saw him, suddenly, running out with an even younger boy in his arms. But she saw it. The beam of the house, starting it fall. The other girl was shouting as well, and...it happened, almost in slow motion; Unabara put the child down, shoved him; the boy was thrown forward, stumbling and landing hard in the soft grass. Unabara attempted to scramble out, but the house crumbled in a flourish of fire...

Ama sat silently on the ground, in front of the large headstone. What once had been an empty patch of grass was now a grave. His grave. The grave of Unabara Mitsuki, the boy she loved. She did love him, but it was too late, too late for that. The white envelope crinkled in her hands; the little Mitsuki boy- Etzali, his name was- had given it to her, announcing that Unabara had left it in their sister's hands, and that he had wanted Ama to have it. Wet splotches dotted the paper as her tears fell, and slowly she slit it open. Carefully, so as not to ruin it, her last gift from beloved Unabara. Inside was a single piece of paper that read "I love you. --Unabara". She was about to set it down, when something inside of it clinked; she opened it again, and the two items fell into her hand. She gasped. A beautiful diamond ring, with little, dark blue gems peppering the sides. 'It's just like the one I wanted.' The one she'd seen in the marketplace when she'd been with him, the one she'd absolutely adored. Another ring lay in her palm, as well; simple, but a golden shade. 'Wait...this one...Unabara was looking at this one.'

And suddenly, it all made sense. His promise to love her for all of his life. Suddenly, she understood, and even more tears fell from her eyes as she stared off into the distance, at a little white fox that sat just behind a bush.

"I just want a second chance..."