One for Three

Chapter 47

I woke up in the guest room, the bed was empty. The whole apartment felt deserted, mirroring exactly what I felt inside.

There was a note on the coffee table, and as I read it, I felt a pang of regret.

- Good morning, Bunny. I'm on the early shift, call me if you need anything. Mamo -

Beside it lay the empty wrapper of my chocolate from last night – he actually had my chocolate for breakfast.

I made myself a latte and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to sort out the turmoil of my thoughts. There were so many things I needed to discuss with Yaten and Taiki – from Seiya's funeral to the matters with Diamond and Saphir, and our shared apartment. There was just so much to clarify.

With trembling fingers, I sent a message to Yaten: >Can we meet?< I hoped he would bring Mina with him, as I could really use her support now. I left the phone on the table and shuffled to the bathroom. But even here, I was overwhelmed by memories. When I stepped out of the shower, I felt like any moment the door would open and Seiya would walk in with his mischievous grin. The loneliness in this apartment, filled with memories, was unbearable.

I put on Seiya's jogging pants and his oversized sweater, put the phone in my pocket, and set off. At first, I walked aimlessly through the streets, but then I noticed that my legs had led me to the Crown Arcade. I took a deep breath and entered the familiar place.

Motoki stopped in his tracks when he saw me. The mix of compassion and sadness in his eyes was enough to activate my tear glands again. I fought back the rising tears and forced myself to collect myself, not to sink into despair again. With trembling hands, I took my usual spot, while Motoki silently placed a chocolate shake and a blueberry muffin in front of me. His silence spoke volumes – he knew I couldn't bear any more condolences.

>Yes, when and where?< A message from Yaten popped up, he seemed to be awake now.

>I'm at the Crown Arcade, just come whenever you have time.<

Motoki kept glancing at me, but he didn't dare say anything. He sensed that I wasn't ready for a conversation and wanted to wait for me to take the first step. But at this moment, I just didn't have the strength for more conversations. My thoughts were still spinning like a carousel, and the emptiness inside me seemed to swallow me up.

Eventually, I broke the silence and turned to Motoki. "Toki, could you give me a piece of paper and a pen, please?" I asked with a broken voice in the stillness. Motoki placed a notepad and a pen in front of me, and I gratefully took them. I felt overwhelmed by an avalanche of thoughts whirling around in my head. I needed to write everything down to clear my mind. The apartment, Seiya's things, the funeral, Diamond, and Saphir – those were the major topics I needed to address and explain. I started jotting down further details for each point, while my hand could hardly keep up with the writing.

Motoki occasionally glanced over the counter and peeked at the paper. He understood that I was in some kind of exceptional state and needed to sort out my thoughts urgently. His silent support gave me some strength.

The point about the funeral turned into a torrent of words. I wrote down everything that came to mind – from the floral arrangements to the choice of music. It was the last thing I could do for Seiya, and it had to be perfect. Tears mingled with the letters on the paper, but I didn't let that stop me from writing. It felt like I was trapped in a frantic state, driven by the need to plan and organize every detail.

By now, almost three sheets were filled, when suddenly someone tapped on my shoulder from behind. I flinched and turned around.

Surprised, I looked up from my paper, and there they were - Yaten and Taiki. Their faces still reflected the agony we had been through in the past days. My heart ached at the sight of their drawn faces, and I felt a lump in my throat. Slowly, I got up and clutched the notepad tightly to my chest.