Red Ink: Human versus Squid

From Good to Bad to Worse

"To live a truly happy and fulfilled life, love is the only answer." - Marina Ida

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When I had first told Nem-Nem about my problem, she was both excited and worried. She was excited that I had an interest in someone, but was worried that I may have been rushing into it, especially since Bryson was in the picture.

I stood by Nem-Nem as she dug through her closet in her room. Nem's room was rather small, and she apparently liked it that way, even if it was slightly smaller than mine. "I don't know what to do," I told her. "I... never really had feelings for Bryson, and then I find out he likes me...? How do I respond to that?"

Nem pulled out an old cardboard box, blowing the dust off the top. "Who did you like first?" she asked, opening the box.

Looking in, I replied, "I liked Ace first."

"Did Bryson ever approach you before Ace?" she asked, pulling out a seashell necklace from the box. It glittered in the light that shone through her window, the anemone smiling with what I could only assume were fond memories running through her mind.

"Ace had asked me out to the movies after Splatfest," I said.

Nem turned to me and put the necklace on me, her pupils growing bigger as she suppressed a giggle, a snort escaping her instead. "Oh, you look adorable with it on."

"Nem," I reminded. "The talk?"

"Yeah, yeah," she said, patting my head. "Look, Amelia, if Bryson didn't approach you first, I think that's his loss. Besides, he treats you pretty bad. I mean, who calls their friend a noob and insults them constantly?"

But Bryson had also saved me, but I couldn't tell Nem-Nem that just yet. She'd freak if she knew I had gone off with the enemy. I'd need to tell her when the event was way behind us. I simply sighed and hugged her, asking, "Do you really think Ace is right for me?"

"When we first met, he was very polite," said Nem. "And he seems like he really cares for you. What's not to like about him? If Bryson did this for his own friend, then maybe we should respect that."

Maybe...

Looking down at the necklace, I asked her, "What's this for?"

"Have I ever told you the time I had a crush on a childhood friend when I was your age?" asked Nem.

"No?" I responded.

She sighed sadly, saying, "Oh, he was such a sweetheart... He was the best thing to have ever happened to me. We grew up together and, well, we promised to be there for each other. This necklace was my grandmother's, and she wanted me to give it to my special someone."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I gave him this necklace and we married," she said. "But... after many years of being together, an accident happened, and we split up after that. He gave back the necklace, saying he didn't deserve my love. Oh, how I wished he would've stayed..."

"You've never told me any of this," I said, wondering what else Nem had been through that I didn't know about. Was the accident the reason she quit playing Turf War? What else was there in Nem's past?

"It's no longer important," replied Nem with a smile. "What matters is now , and I think that now is the time I give you this necklace, so that, in the event that Ace is really the one for you, you'll do what I did and give him this symbol of love."

I shook my head. "I still don't know if---"

Nem shushed me. "It's okay, Amelia. You'll find out later. For now, just keep that necklace as a good luck charm, okay? For now, we're gonna help you figure out how to approach Ace. He's obviously a sweet boy, but... he's pretty dumb ."