OMARI: When He Wakes

(17) Pain, Panic, and Moving Forward

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He did it... again.

He told his friends the truth... again. It hurt him so much to tell them all a second time, but he knew he had to tell them what happened the day of the Recital.

Everything he did. All the harm he caused them. Even though it was a genuine accident, he knew... they deserved to know. Even if it didn't make sense, or it was too hard for them to know...

He told them that HE was the one who pushed MARI down the stairs, what him and BASIL did, how he ruined everyone's lives and just abandoned them for 4 years. He laid everything out in the open, and told them all how miserable he made their lives... and his own.

He couldn't look them in the eyes when he told them the Truth, but he could tell they were mortified by what he was telling them. It hurt him so much, but... he took a deep breath and closed his eye.

SUNNY: "That's... what happened... The whole Truth. I-I... I ruined everything..." His voice was trembling, holding back so much emotion as he clenched the sheets. "I-I'm SO sorry, I just... I-I needed to tell you all this. I know... we just got back together, and I'm ruining this too, b-but... I can't lie to you guys... N-Not again..."

He couldn't muster up the strength to look at them. Even if this was a dream... or if all of this was actually happening... he couldn't live this lie again. He told them, and there's no going back now.

SUNNY: "I-I know... you must h-hate me, and... and that's okay-" His voice was meek and tired, wiping his eye and gritting his teeth.

Everything was still so numb, unable to feel anything, not even himself wiping away his tears. He couldn't even finish his sentence, shutting his eyes and sobbing while curling into a ball.

There was a few moments of silence in the room, all that was heard was the mournful weeping of SUNNY, no one saying a word and processing everything he told them. It sounded so bizarre, such a bleak reality to everything they all know. And yet, it sounded so real to SUNNY...

He didn't even realize it, but the second he looked up, he saw someone was hugging him. Tightly, by the looks of it. And he could hear faint sniffling too. Seeing the soft color of pink next to him, he knew immediately... it was AUBREY.

He was shocked, cheeks slightly flushed as he was caught off guard by seeing her of all people hugging him. She slowly pulled away from the hug and wiped her eyes, looking genuinely sad after hearing all he had to say.

AUBREY: "SUNNY... My god, that sounds like sniffle like such a h-horrible nightmare..." She put her hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye. "You... suffered so much, all alone... You must've been so scared..." She went back to hug him, holding him close as she was still sniffling.

He was... confused. This was such a stark contrast to what HIS AUBREY said to him... the last thing she said. In that confusion, he looked down and thought for a moment, leaning against her and closing his eye.

SUNNY: "... It was..."

Both of them embraced one another, KEL not sure whether to join them or leave them be, but opted to step back and let them hug it out.

HERO felt MARI cling to him, looking to see rears running down her cheeks. He immediately looked her over as she had a shocked expression.

HERO: "Hey, what's wrong?" His eyes darted over her, wondering why she was like this. MARI, staring at the ground, finally replied.

MARI: "He... He never told me all this..
That all of... THAT w-was all he went through... I never knew..." She clung to her chest, gritting her teeth after hearing the Hell her little brother experienced all those years alone.