I love you, SUNNY || HIKIKOMARI au ||

Chapter 3 - Real World

I peeked through the doors keyhole and see that is is the real HERO. He seems to have slightly grown more as his facial features have changed. I open the door as the bright sunlight blinds my eyes. It's warm but I could barely see the person in front of me. "Ah... Is the sun too bright?" HERO speaks. "I... Yeah... kinda..." I just awkwardly turn my head towards the ground. "You know... I didn't really expect you to come out. Not to be rude or anything though." He awkwardly scratches the back of his head. "You haven't changed a bit... Awkwardly giggling as always! Ehe..." HERO steps away feeling rather offended. "Huh do I really? I-... Well you sure have changed a bunch." I raise my head to look face to face with HERO. "Huh? What do you mean...?" HERO steps forward looking at me directly in the eye. "You're skin is paler and your hair is slightly messier. You're tone has changed and you seem a bit exhausted too. I can see slight bags under your eyes and your voice has become slightly deeper." HERO's words slightly offended me though they were the truth. 

Should I come clean about the fact that I haven't been out in ages and that I still haven't gotten over the death of SUNNY? "Well- Yeah, but... Y'know..." HERO  taps my shoulder and pulls me slightly closer to him. "I think we can leave the explanation alone for now. Would you like to go to that playground that we used to visit when we were kids?"

"Why? What will we do there? Aren't we too old?" HERO awkwardly laughs. "Ehe... I know, but for old times sake! I know it might be a bit sad, but it will still be worth it for the nostalgia!" I nod. "Doesn't sound like anything bad. Alright!"

I begin to follow HERO to the location. All though I have lived here for as long as I can remember I still seem to almost not remember a single thing. All of the little shop stands aren't here anymore. Everything is purely gone. I continue to follow HERO. I have an uneasy urge to hold his hand, but I'm afraid it might startle him. It would be slightly embarrassing anyway. We reach the playground. I don't even see any of the children here anymore. They have all completely changed. "Sure has changed huh..." HERO awkwardly grins.

"Y-Yeah... Sure has..." After walking around the forest area a bit we see some two familiar faces near the lake. "W-Why can't you just give it back?" They boy had blonde hair and was wearing a white shirt with a vest on top of it just like Sunny used to wear while doing rehearsals. "I-I'm not giving it to you!" A girl with pink hair responded back. I remember how my friend Aubrey always wanted pink hair. If she's still into that idea she would've been in love with a person who has pink hair in general. "I-I'm begging you! That album has our best childhood memories together! Don't you feel at least a bit bad for stealing it from me...?" 

"Oh quiet down! Stop being such a baby! You are always so whiny about everything. You've been like this ever since the beginning of nothing..." HERO  looks at the pink haired girl with a concerned yet mad look on his face. He ran towards them as I follow him with nothing particular on my mind. "Just give it back, AUBREY! You've been hiding that photo album from him forever! I think It's time we settle this..." What? So these two are AUBREY and BASIL? This isn't like them at all. When AUBREY was younger she was rude yet passionate, but now she seems nothing but rude. This can't be them... "Fine! I-If you think I'm a b-baby! Then I'll just have to show you that you're not that strong either!" AUBREY slightly backed off as BASIL approached her rapidly. "Huh...?"

BASIL pushed AUBREY into the lake as she sank deeper and deeper into it. This isn't like him at all. I get that all he was trying to was to prove that he is more than just a whiny baby, but judging by his current shocked expression this is not what he wanted to do. "I... I-I'm so sorry! This isn't what I-I wanted...!" BASIL was hesitant to jump in the lake to go after AUBREY. I wonder if after these four years he learned how to swim. Before he could jump HERO stopped him and already prepared to jump and get AUBREY, but just as I blinked AUBREY swam up and spat out some of the dirty lake water. "Gah...! Basil... You little-..." Before she finished her sentence she swam out of the lake and as water dripped from her clothes she approached BASIL and was ready to swing her bat until BASIL shouted. "The photo album...!" 

BASIL rushed towards the lake and wanted to dive in until AUBREY tapped him shoulder. "It's fine... I'll get it..." AUBREY slowly walked in the lake and lets herself dive in. "Isn't she going to steal it again?" HERO steps back a bit. "I-I don't know... The album must be wet and saggy anyway so I don't know if it will be any use to her anyway..." I'm confused. Why is the photo album given to AUBREY and why Isn't she giving it back? "Guys... What's happening? Is everything okay?" BASIL turns his head towards me. "Oh... I-It's just you MARI... W-Well she has been stealing and hiding my photo album recently so... No the situation Isn't really that good..." AUBREY swims back up with the photo album in her hands. Walking out of the lake she was still dripping wet. Suddenly we hear a slight gasp.

Turning our heads it turns out it was KEL. He seemed so surprised that he dropped his orange joe. "I- Uhhh..." KEL had also a photo camera in his hands. If I'm not mistaken he used to take pictures of himself whenever he tried to pretend like BASIL. "KEL, Why are you here?" AUBREY goes up to KEL  seemingly angry. "Ah! W-Were you taking pictures?" BASIL goes up to KEL and unlike AUBREY he goes up to him in a nicer way. 

"Oh- uhh... Yeah..? I mean... I kinda did yeah take two photos..." BASIL  seemed happy and moved closer to KEL. "Can I see?" KEL nodded. "Sure! They aren't any good though..." BASIL takes one of the photos. The photo had shown how BASIL pushed AUBREY into the lake. You could even see the big splash that AUBREY  made once falling in. "Ah... That picture wouldn't really be necessary to add in the photo album..." BASIL looks down at the picture sadly. "After all it doesn't really picture us having fun... Right?" HERO  nods. "You are right, MARI. Since most of our pictures in the album are good memories to cherish." KEL speaks up. "Oh! But what about this picture?" KEL shows the second picture where you could see AUBREY step out of the lake while holding the photo album in her hands as BASIL on the side faintly smiles knowing that his photo album is okay. 

"I think I like this one better. What do you think, MARI?" BASIL looks up to me expecting an answer. "I like this one a lot too. It shown AUBREYS  good side where she saves BASILS  photo album." HERO nods. "Yes! This one would be a nice memory to cherish." KEL slightly looks away. "Although I hate how a person who is part of those gross hooligans I guess It's ok..." We all then look back at AUBREY  as she had slight rosy cheeks. "I-... Uhhh... Thank you... And uh... Here's your photo album..." AUBREY hands BASIL his album. "Thank you! Also sorry for pushing you in that lake...." BASIL awkwardly smiles to the side. "Isn't the photo album wet though?" KEL asks as BASIL nervously giggles. "Ehehe... I-It will need some drying... But other than that thank you, AUBREY!" 

"Uhh... You're welcome? Anyway I'll go home to change clothes. I can't be walking around like this after all..." AUBREY runs away without saying goodbye. It's nice seeing us back together again. I hope we could hang out some time again....

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After having a fun time with the others they walk me back home. "It was fun, guys. Thank you!" I awkwardly and quietly speak up. "I think it was really fun to...!" BASIL awkwardly looks at me with a faint smile that disappears again once he blinks. "It must be hard for you now that SUNNY is gone..." I nod. "I can't imagine how the feeling of losing your own sibling could be like.... But now I think we should all get over it. After all SUNNY would be proud if we overcome our guilts. Right?"

"You're right, HERO..." BASIL nods. "Yes, but we should really get going. Sunset is already here and if we don't go home soon enough it will be dark outside!" HERO agrees! "Alright, MARI! See you!" They both walk off. Guess I have to return to my cursed dream world again... I open the front door and close it behind me. Dust particles floating in the air makes the atmosphere feel slightly unsettling. I lock the door and put the keys back in my pocket. I walk upstairs as I reach my bedroom. 

As I open my room suddenly I see... Something... Not sure what is is but it was a weird creature who was black and had an eye in the middle. It approaches me by just floating. "I love you, MARI." The weird eye creature said. Its voice sounded like a distorted version of SUNNY'S voice. As I go up to my bed the thing approaches me. I crawl into bed and keep my eyes shut. Maybe I'm just hallucinating...

But It's time to go back to the dreamworld...