October 14, 2044, she gives the last masterpiece she've made in Gracefield, which is handmade chocolate that is placed on the box before she steps out on the house with Mama. Every time she hands the chocolates to them, she forces herself to smile because it is painful for her to see them in a verge of crying while taking the sweet from her.
After that, it's time for her to depart. She waves her hand unto them and they return it with pieces of advice.
"Take care, neechan!"
"Send letters to us!"
"I'll miss your food!"
"Don, you're horrible."
"E? She is the only one who bakes and makes sweets here! Of course, I'll miss it!"
Everyone laughs on Don's retort to Gilda. She breathes heavily, mumbles. 'Ah, I don't really want to go.'
One last time, she fixates her gaze to the certain ten-year-old boy, who is staring on the chocolate box, and then, suddenly looks at her, wearing an unusual expression on his face.
Seeing him like this.....
"Mama." Abigail calls Isabella. The woman turns her head on the little girl and speaks, "Yes?"
"May I have a moment with Ray?"
Her eyes travel on the subject and immediately answers with a smile on her face. "Sure. But be quick."
She bobs her head as a sign of thanking her. Then, her eyes drown on a specific person, breathes heavily and starts to sniffle. Abigail can't hold the stored tears from her tear ducts anymore, especially when his eyes are saying something to her. "Ray!" she shouted while running towards him, crying. His eyes widen when she is about to charge herself unto him, "Oi, d—"
She circles her arms through his neck and buries her head on his shoulder, sobbing. "Don't look at me like that, idiot!"
He embraces her back. "What are you talking about?! I'm just looking at you!"
"I don't want to leave you, too. But I don't have a choice!"
They are like that in a few seconds until she eventually raises her head from his shoulder, realizing that it's soaking wet. "Oh, I'm sorry." she whispers, followed by the blubber of her nose. She faces Ray, who's already gazing at her but transcends by a coltish smirk. He releases his arms from her back as his hands contact through her eyes, wiping her tears. "You look ugly, Abi-neechan."
She snorts in the middle of her snuffle when he emphasizes the formality and chuckled, "I cringe. Please don't do that again."
His longing eyes come back to its usual intensity as he tucks the few strands of her hair behind her ears. "You will never hear it again. You are leaving, remember?"
"I regret to cry. Thanks to you." She pouts at him and because of that, Ray starts to laugh.
Later on, the time comes to an end. She leaves the house with a smile on her face.
When everyone is busy eating her chocolates, Ray vacates himself from them and goes to their usual rendezvous, which is the kitchen. He sits on his typical spot and opens the farewell gift to him, containing 10 pieces of heart-shaped dark chocolate and a folded small note on the side.
His heart lumps a little and mumbled, "Do you really like me, don't you?"
He takes the letter, unfolds it, and the legible handwriting is a view taken on his sight. It's just a short message for him.
'Hi, Ray! If you read this, it means I'm not there anymore.' Ray chuckles on her first sentence. "You're pretty hilarious." Then, as he takes a piece of dark chocolate and shoots it through his mouth.
'So, uhm, I just want to say thank you for staying by my side! Although I almost failed everything at first, you are still settling yourself here, waiting for me to finish the product. Actually, I am really grateful when you said that you like sweets because I like the way you are being blunt to me. By that, I am improving myself until the food I've made reached everyone's satisfaction.
I am being honest with you. I really don't know anything about you. I think you really don't have a plan to spill it. Sometimes, when you are immersed in reading your books, you have this troubled face. I really want to help you, as much as you help me, but I feel that you created an inner barrier within you and I never trespass there. So, I don't have a choice but to swim in my curiosity. If you keep it by yourself, you may destroy yourself, which is very wrong because there are people, especially Emma and Norman, who treasured you a lot. If you make such a reckless and horrible decision there, I'll haunt you in your sleep.'
"I am sorry, Abi." That's the only thing that he says. The flavor still lingers on his tongue while taking another piece of chocolate and continues on reading the dispatch.
'Albeit silence and the clanks of the metal accompanied us, we've been stayed as friends. I don't know if you feel this way but I really felt warthm everytime we've spent time together. I thought that it is just the temperate air that scattered in the room — but it is not. There are times that I really want to be with you outside the kitchen, but you are nowhere to find. I think you will not understand.'
"Stupid. I'm just ten years old and I already know that meaning." He snickered between his tongue.
'By the way, how's the chocolate? It's bittersweet, right? I intentionally made it. I'm sort of conveying my feelings through my works. Do you get it now?
So, I need to end this note now. I hope you do well when I'm gone. It's okay to be distant but please, do not bottle up your problems by yourself. Once again, thank you for everything. Love lots!'
Sincerely yours,
Abigail'
"Bittersweet?" Ray asks himself while taking the sixth chocolate. He already ate almost of its content and a trace of bitterness was still unknown. He opens his mouth to put the sweet on his tongue and the chocolate starts to melt on his tastebuds. When it completely disseminates on his tongue, he starts to feel it.
On the seventh, the flavor intensifies and its level stacks until on the last chocolate he've been swallowed. That moment, the fragment of their moments aggregates, unlocking the meaning behind her sweets.
His head inclined on the counter, etched with a crestfallen expression. "Ah, it hits me close to home."
•••
A/N: That's the end page of the book! Sorry if it is expected but I hope you like it!
To Abi, tangina sana magustuhan mong hinayupak ka hahahaha kasalanan mo to e
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Sixth Chocolate | Ray (The Promised Neverland Fanfiction)
Фанфик❝Everything became repetitive when a typical flavor numbs through his tongue, forcing him to chew until the atrocious truth emerged unto him. Nonetheless, someone pinched an eccentric ingredient in his augury - that temporarily withheld his swarming...
