The Bad, The Bidder, and the Daughter (KBTBB)

Ota: Nineteen (FINAL CHAPTER)

Where am I?

It's dark in here.

I can't see anything.

Cold... So cold...

I can't feel my legs.

Do I even have legs?

Who even am I?

I can't remember my name.

I think I'm a girl.

I think I'm a beautiful morning...

That doesn't make much sense.

But it does sound familiar.

Asami.

Yeah... I think... I went by that name once. But not for very long. I don't remember anything else.

I think I was a bluebird.

That seems warmer, but also not quite right.

I was definitely a bird, but I think I liked to fly.

Asuka...

That's it.

I'm Asuka.

But what else is there? That can't be all, right? I must've had a surname.

And someone to inherit the surname from.

"Kobayashi."

I whipped around- or at least, I think I did- to see a young girl with short brown hair and a kind smile.

"Who are you? Who am I? Where are we?"

She laughed, "Slow down, Asuka. You're safe now. No one can ever hurt you again."

I tried to move away from her, but found that I couldn't, "T-that doesn't answer any of my questions."

"Well, you're name is Asuka Kobayashi. You were almost seventeen years old, and-"

"Wait, what do you mean by "were"!? What happened to me?!"

In less than a second she was by my side calming me down, "Shh.... You're alright now..." A dark look crossed the girl's face, "Let's talk somewhere else... I think I know just the place."

A snap of her fingers and we were on a park bench, a shower of cherry blossom rain falling in to my hair. I could now see it was an orange-blonde.

"My name is Katsumi, and my job was to watch over you. You're a good girl, Asuka. A very good girl. What happened to shouldn't have occurred, but it did. That was my fault. But you will be rewarded."

I shifted around nervously, "But what happened?"

Katsumi but her lip, "Your stepmother, Sakiko. Everyone was... Too late. I was too late."

Suddenly everything came back at once.

"Oh my God... Did... Did Saki kill me?"

Before I could have a proper meltdown, I found myself in her arms.

"Yes. You're dead, Asuka. You're family and ex-boyfriend managed to find you, but I'm afraid they were mere minutes too late. You were clinging to life by a thread... I was able to allow you to hear your mother's voice one final time before I had to bring you peace."

I nestled in to her shoulder and silently sobbed, "I don't wanna die..."

The angel held me and caressed my head, "I know, birdie. But what's done cannot be undone."

"Will I ever see my mother again? What about my dads? Any of them?"

"It'll take a few decades to be able to touch them, but you can see them anytime. In the meanwhile, there's someone waiting for you."

"Who?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Ouch, and here I thought we were best pals."

I bolted upwards and spun around to see a boy with brown hair and the sweetest brown eyes. No... It can't be.

A familiar crooked smile graced the boys handsome face, "Hey, Asuka."

Before I knew what I was doing, I was in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist. He laughed as he held me up and pun around, causing me to laugh with him.

"HARUKI YOU GOT SO OLD!"

"SO DID YOU!"

"SHUT UP I'M LIKE SIXTEEN!"

"LITERALLY SAME!"

An artificial cough was made behind us, "Well, I'll leave you two be. Haruki, would you mind showing Asuka around? I think she'd enjoy the lake," she winked, causing him to turn a little pink, "I've got to watch over Dad, but ring if you need anything."

Another snap and she was gone.

""Dad"?"

Haruki ruffled my hair before setting me down, "You know him, actually. It's your dad's friend; Mitsunari Baba."

My brows furrowed, "He never mentioned a daughter. Neither did Eito or Yushina."

"They- not their parents, for that matter- never met her. As for Mr. Baba, some pains are too great to bring up. After all, she was only fifteen when she and her mother died. Now she spends her time watching over him and being a guardian."

I'd somehow managed to forget that this was some sort of afterlife, "Oh..."

"It's fine. Well, would you like to go to the lake?"

"When do we have to be there by?"

Haruki held out his hand. I grabbed and laced our fingers together, "We have all the time in the universe."

...

AN: Well That ending was in no way planned, but alright I guess. There will be an epilogue that elaborates on what happened to Saki and how everyone copes with Asuka's death. And hey, Katsumi made a cameo. I promise I won't kill off the next girl (finally getting around to Eisuke, can you believe it?)