Roommate Wanted. No Betrayers.

Chapter 21

"You got your memories back?" Fauna and Kronii exclaimed in unison.

"Yep!" Mumei said, holding a bag of frozen peas to her still aching head. "And let me tell you, my life story? It's a doozy, and not in like, a good way either."

Kronii and Fauna exchanged a glance. The former cleared her throat. "Speaking of revelations from the past."

"Oh yeah, the whole 'being demigods' thing. Don't worry, I know. I also remembered Bae explaining it to me in the past before I lost my memories." Mumei shrugged. "Did you guys know I used to be a trucker? Very weird professional choice if you ask me, I feel like I'd look weird in a hat with a cap."

"Wait Bae explained it all to you in the past?" Kronii said, unsure how she was the one on the back foot information wise in this conversation.

"Yeah Kronii, I just said that." Mumei chuckled. "Plus I overheard most of your explanation to Fauna, this house has awful soundproofing you know? Your friends definitely heard us last night."

Kronii felt her cheeks flush, and her gaze flickered to Bae, sitting at their kitchen table, chewing gum and flicking through something on her phone.

"Acoustics and such aside." Fauna said, her cheeks also a little pink. "Did you hear about the choice we have to make? About returning to the council or staying human?"

"Oh that! Hm." Mumei tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "Well, Kronii has to stay human, right? Then I will too."

"Huh?" Kronii was stunned at the bluntness of the statement. "Are you sure? I mean. We only met a couple months ago and, it's, you know, godhood, sorta."

Mumei smiled. "I guess. But if there's anything I've learned from my memories, it's that I'd have regretted not taking the chance. That kind of regret sticks with you, I don't want to spend forever thinking, 'what if', you know?"

Fauna took a deep breath, psyched herself up and knocked on the door to Mumei's room.

"Come in!" Mumei called from within. "It's unlocked!"

Fauna pushed down on the handle and entered, closing it behind her fully before starting to speak. "Hey Mumei, how are you doing?"

"No different from when we last spoke an hour ago." Mumei chuckled. "What's up?"

"I just figured it'd been a while since the two of us just talked one on one."

"We spoke first thing this morning..."

"Ah, yeah... That's true" Fauna nervously scratched her face. "Sorry. I actually just wanted to really make sure you're really okay. The stuff from your past you mentioned... It's heavy stuff. If you need someone to talk to about it... Well I'm here."

"I think I'm fine." Mumei smiled, sweet and true, yet tinged with something darker. "It was a shock at first for sure, but... Well, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like that past Mumei would be so happy to know where I am now in my life. Back then, it really felt like nobody but Lui ever really cared about me, like I could die and only one person might notice or care. But now... I have Bae, who might be a bit cryptic and secretive at times, but is the best friend I could ask for... I have Ina. I have Kronii. I have you."

"You amaze me Mumei." Fauna sighed wistfully. "Being able to look back on stuff like that so positively... Then there's how decisively you chose Kronii over the council..."

"Is it really so amazing?" Mumei tilted her head to the side slightly. "If anything I feel like I'm taking the easy road. I figured being caught up in my past would lead to me being sad, so I focused on my own growth. I thought I might regret leaving Kronii's side so I chose mortality. I felt like being part of a love triangle would be a pain so I suggested polyamory."

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple." Mumei stood and stepped towards her. "Don't stop to think. Just choose the thing that makes you happy. Reach out, grab it and don't let go."

"How will I know what makes me more happy?"

"That's the thing." Mumei was face to face with her now. "You'll never truly know. You just have to go on instinct. You just have to pick one and believe in it with your everything."

Fauna moved to respond, but no words could make their way from her mouth before Mumei's was on it. Her kiss was a soft, gentle promise. It was a whispered secret. It was holding hands when no-one could see.

Fauna's eyes flickered open as Mumei pulled away beaming, her arms wrapped around Fauna's neck.

"What was that?" Fauna giggled, the sweetness of the moment overcoming her a little bit.

"A demonstration on reaching out and picking happiness."

Kronii lay silently on her bed, phone in hand, the glow of the screen lighting up her face in the low light of the evening.

Her thumb had been hovering over contacts for almost 10 minutes at this point as she tried to build up the courage to do the thing she needed to do.

After a couple more minutes of gathering herself it made contact, and she scrolled down to T and touched the name Tsukumo Sana.

An image of the two of them from college filled her screen and the dial tone filled her ears. It was a photograph taken by a club photographer on one of those few nights Sana had managed to drag her out clubbing. She looked so happy back then, though the strawberry daiquiris in her hands probably had something to do with that.

Kronii wasn't really looking at herself though, it wasn't her past self that made her heart ache on sight. It was the other girl with the broad smile. The other girl with the arm around her past self's waist. The other girl with the neon face paint, throwing up a peace sign. To Kronii, in moments like these Sana had always looked radiant, literally angelic.

The dial tone stopped and so did Kronii's heart.

"Hey, you've reached Sana! I can't take your call right now, leave a message at the-"

Kronii hung up, interrupting the message. "Typical." She sighed, tossing her phone aside.

The plane touched down with a hefty feeling that jostled most of those onboard awake. All save one, who, as both used to turbulence and incredibly tired as she was continued to snooze soundly in her first class seat.

"Excuse me miss." A flight attendant said, jostling her awake slightly. "We've landed."

"Oh..." The passenger said groggily. "So we have, sorry."

She set about collecting her possessions, thanked the staff and left the plane. From there the quiet night time airport offered her no bar and before she knew it she was at the taxi rank throwing her bag into the boot.

"Where to?" The driver said as she entered the back of the cab.

"Downtown please!" She smiled pulling her phone out of her pocket and turning it on to get the address proper. "Mind if I give you address on the way?"

The cabbie shrugged and pulled off.

Her attention turned back to the phone which showed, plastered across its lock screen:

1 missed call from Kronini