"I can practically hear my heart thumping away as I walk through the park. While I do my best to appear casual, I don't think Hisao buys it."

"An offer to talk to Suzu once more finally came, perhaps unsurprisingly from her sister rather than her parents. It's the first contact I've had with her since that day, and I really have no idea what to expect."

"While I may have hoped that the time that's passed would have dulled my memories, they're still as fresh as ever. Moreover, if it's bad for me, it could only be worse for her."

his "You okay?"

mik "Almost pissing myself, actually. Thanks for coming with me."

"Hisao claps me on the shoulder a couple of times. He needn't have come, but I must've made a pitiable impression on him when I implied I wouldn't be comfortable doing this alone."

"As we clear the trees, a lonely wooden park bench comes into view, with a lonely girl seated on it. Only the top of the back of her head is visible, but there's no mistaking her."

"I stop in my tracks. Now that I can see her, I'm forced to admit that it feels wrong to bring Hisao into this. It's not his fault any of this happened, and I'm the one with the most time spent with Suzu."

"My mind begins to fill with all the events that lead to this situation, what might have been in her head as she stared into the abyss of nonexistence, what I did to make her hurt so badly, and what I could've done to stop it. What I saw, what I didn't see, what I did, and what I didn't."

his "Miki?"

"I take a sigh to steady myself. It makes me feel a little sheepish, but I have to admit the obvious."

mik "Sorry, Hisao, but..."

"He just smiles. It's always bugged me how easy it is to make him wear a smile, but how hard to is to make him genuinely do so. This, at least, is the latter."

his "I understand. Good luck."

mik "Thanks. I owe you one."

"He turns on the ball of his heel and begins to stroll off, hand held in the air."

his "I'll hold you to that."

"With that, he disappears into the trickle of people walking along the concrete path out of the park. It's just me and Suzu, now."

"With my heart in my mouth, I walk up to the bench and park myself beside her. My first mistake is waiting for her to greet me before doing the same, with an awkward silence lingering after she fails to say a word."

"Indeed, her only reaction to my presence is a quick sideways glance before looking straight ahead once more. The only silver lining is that I feel a little less conspicuous as I examine her as best I can."

"The most immediate observation is that she looks small. I do my best to try and work out why, but come to the conclusion that it isn't physical, beyond her slumped shoulders. She gives the aura of someone wholly defeated, the spark of life within her glowing terribly dim."

"It doesn't look as if she's been crying recently, at least. A little thinner for the experience, perhaps, but she's always been a problematic eater."

"Content that I'm not going to work out anything further from looking at the girl, I take a breath and try to work out what I'll say."

"...Which is impossible. Do I address her casually, like today's just another day? We both know that wouldn't be the case. How do I even begin to approach what happened, though? Is she mad at me for stopping her? Thankful? Does she want to break up with me, or stay together?"

"Giving up on making conversation, I simply reach out to rub Suzu's hair."

"A strange feeling comes over me the moment I place my hand on her head and begin to stroke her. A sense of calm, in sharp contrast to the previous anxiety of facing her again."

"She's just Suzu, after all. The same girl I've known for all this time. Maybe she feels something similar to what I am, as her cheeks have become distinctly rosy."

"Time goes by as I gently stroke her head, but try as we might, we can't ignore what's happened. Suzu's eyes begin to moisten, her mouth trembling as she tries desperate to hold in her emotions."

"Slowly but surely, tears begin to form, overflowing and gently rolling down her cheeks. My heart drops as I watch her, the girl weeping in sorrowful silence."

"I wrap my arms around Suzu and bring her head to my chest, holding her shuddering body to mine in a warm embrace. It's from her that the first words come."

suz "I'm sorry."

mik "Come on now, none of this is your fault. I'm the one who messed everything up, but it feels like you're the one taking the fall."

suz "Stop saying that."

mik "Isn't it true though?"

"She picks herself off of me, wiping her eyes with the back of her wrist. She's managed to pull herself together a little, but barely."

suz "You're not terrible person, Miki. You're beautiful, outgoing, kind..."

suz "Unlike me. All I ever do is constantly cause others problems. No matter how hard I try, I've always been useless..."

mik "You had the courage to confess. That takes some guts, especially to another girl."

suz "I panicked. That's all that happened."

suz "For so long I stood on the sidelines and tried to help you improve yourself, and saw your circle of friends getting greater and greater. When I saw you with Hisao, I realised that you'd finally become someone who might have a bright future ahead of them."

suz "But then, when you mentioned you that chose to come to my house..."

suz "To put it in your terms, I guess it was like instinctively reaching for something thrown towards you."

suz "I'd always thought you were straight, but even if you weren't, I was a useless person to begin with. I didn't have the right to be with someone like you."

suz "But when I heard that, when I saw the first ray of hope I'd seen for so long... I grabbed at it without thinking."

mik "You should be proud of that. I know I made things worse, but I was trying to change for you..."

"I trail off as her expression falls to one of abject despair."

suz "Yes, that's right, isn't it."

suz "Everyone has to change because of me. Everyone has to make allowances, and act differently."

mik "Suzu..."

suz "I love you, Miki! You're strong-willed, you're brave, you look out for others. You have such a strong spark of life, more than anyone I've ever known."

suz "I don't care if you think you're stupid or rough, or what you've done in the past."

suz "Miki, I didn't fall for you because of what I wanted you to be. I fell for you because of what you are. When I saw how I messed up, hurting the one I loved the very most..."

"I feel a big lump in my throat as I stare at Suzu, her delcaration of her feelings hammering home. I'm not gonna cry. I told myself that I damn well wasn't gonna cry."

mik "Damn it, Suzu. You had me scared, you know? More scared than I've ever been in my life."

"I reach for Suzu and grab her tightly, pressing her into my chest with all the strength I can muster."

suz "Miki, you're holding me too tight..."

mik "Too bad, because I'm not letting you go. I don't want to lose you, Suzu. Not again."

mik "I won't change. I promise."

"As I hold her body tightly, her arms find their way around my back."

"For the first time, I feel like we truly understand each other. There are no walls any more. All there is, is me and her."

"I lost everything, all thos eyears ago. But now, I realise I've found someone truly worth the pain I've felt since then."

"My precious Suzu, who I so nearly lost."