p r e t e n d | Joji

e p i l o g u e

haru, brian and kiko's burial stood gracefully on the tiny hills of suburban osaka, her hometown.

joji never really found the beauty in the old houses that stood on the damp roads. he never really understood why the road lights had wires connected to them and why there was only one train station for the whole town. back in the day, when people ask about where he came from, he would just pretend to like its' non-existence beauty.

back then, he much preferred the traffic in brooklyn, newyork. he'd much prefer drinking beer in a small bar near SoHo and wonderring in the art galleries of the city over a simple drink in uncle hideki's izakaya. he'd much prefer the street hot dogs near timesquare than the local takoyaki from his hometown.

but now, now that he had lost everything that mattered to him, he found comfort in this quaint town, the friendly people and the eloquent izakaya places that are neatly tucked away at the end of the street near his parent's house.

cherry blossoms start to bloom as spring came around and he just realized how much he misses his spring, haru.

nowadays, he'd gone into a deadly spiral of drink, work and visit. sleep wasn't a part of the schedule and his body reflected that unconsciously. his countenance would often muddle up in a frown, wondering where it all went wrong. his restless body, swollen from all the alcohol he had consumed was hard to move as if it had been dragged down by regret.

everyday, he would walk along the same road he once walked with haru when they were in high school.

he'd pass the convenience store she used to work at.

he'd pass the high school where they met.

he'd pass the familiar faces she once greeted.

he'd pass some wild flowers she used to love and pick them up.

joji made it his mission to bring a bouquet of wildflowers to haru each and every day until his death. in some occasions where he had to travel overseas for work, he'd pick up a wildflower for each day he'll be away.

as if he was visiting an old friend, he'd often bring some tea and her favorite chocolate cake up with him. he'd start a cheerful conversation with her gravestone which later turned into sobs and tears.

he'd ask why each and every time he was reminded of the happiness they once shared.

"why," this word haunted his being and caused him plenty sleepless nights and restless days.

and as if god had forgiven him for the sins he commited, the words flown by in the damp wind:

because
there's

always
an
end
to
every

single
game.
of
pretend

.
.
.
.

author's notes

i honestly can't believe i finished this book!  honestly, when i started this , i didn't expect this many people to read , comment and vote.
thank you so much for each and every  person who voted, commented and took the time to read this high key shitty book.
this ending is the intended ending and i will be explaining the reasoning behind that in the story breakdown next chapter.
so if you have any questions/ confusions ask them in the comments.
the alternate ending will be published soon so stay tuned!
THANK. YOU. SO. MUCH.