Koujo Lin: The Account

Chapter 15: Epilogue

Koujo Lin stood on a desolate plot of land, surrounded by assorted flowers. The place was beautiful in its own melancholic sort of way, however Lin would have given anything not to be standing there. At the foot of the small area of land, a tombstone rested, covered in moss and other foliage that had begun growing up around it over the years that it had been sticking out of the spot. Etched into the front of the tombstone was a name, as was the usual case with burial stones. The only difference was that though all burial stones caused some degree of sadness for the people seeing them, they didn't cause Lin the wave of pain that seeing this one did.

The name written in a delicate cursive script was Shun Song. Lin stared at the etching though he felt like he was looking through it. This was where his best friend had been buried so many years ago. For awhile after Shun's death, Lin had ritualistically visited the site.

He had stopped around the time that his nightmares had started, due to the fear that he would see the ghost of Shun or something of the sort. It had been a superstitious believe, however his superstitions had turned out to be valid concerns. Kanon had been Shun's spirit, encased in what had more than likely been nothing but a temporary body.

Shun, under the guise of Kanon, had done terrible things - there was no denying that. However Lin now realized that he had felt justified when he'd committed his wrongdoings.

It was no different than how, at the beginning, Lin had felt justified by his intent to kill Kanon. In the end however, it had ended up being the most painful thing that he had ever done.

He knew that only time would take away the pain that the event had caused him.

Lin walked away from the tombstone and headed back towards home.

Back at his mother's house in Hong Kong, Lin stretched leisurely as he sat on the living room couch, stroking Madoka's hair as she laid her head in his lap.

She'd awoken and come to the living room to be comforted - she had been feeling unwell all morning.

Lin had suggested that the pink haired woman had simply eaten something that didn't agree with her stomach, though she had seemed unconvinced.

Lin's mind wandered back to the conversation that they'd had weeks before, just before his father's funeral. She had announced the possibility that she was pregnant.

And now weeks later, she was feeling nauseous this early in the morning, and the day before he'd spotted her eagerly eyeing the dinner that Lotus had laid out before pushing it away when she caught a whiff of it.

Lin was no fool. He'd learned from the experience of witnessing his mother being pregnant with his younger two siblings that nausea was a common sign of pregnancy.

When he thought about it, fatigue was as well. Madoka had began sleeping later than usual, typically being unable to rise until late in the afternoon.

Lin sighed deeply. Could it all really be coincidence? He shook the thought off - it was senseless worrying about something that he couldn't control, especially if he didn't know for sure if his concern was valid.

He had a far more pressing thought on his mind in the meantime. The small black box resting on the dresser in his bedroom popped into his head.

Nestled inside the box in purple velvet was an engagement ring. Lin planned to present it to Madoka and ask for her hand in marriage whenever this stomach bug or whatever was ailing her resolved itself.

His heart beat loudly as he pondered the idea of proposing to the love of his life. Madoka raised her head up and met her boyfriends gaze in concern as she heard the deep thumping in his chest cavity. "Lin, are you alright? Your heart is racing."