Nothing Happens Twice |Decim x OC|

It Hurts To Dwell On The Past

Another man arrived, alone. He was served like a normal customer, but the atmosphere was slightly awkward. It was mainly because Hanashi couldn't convey to him that the second guest would appear soon.

As soon as Hanashi thought about this, she heard Decim utter those exact words. She smiled slightly, realising that one of them could read minds. Then Clavis appeared.

"Quin sent me to get Hanashi. I need help with one thing," he explained.

Reluctantly, she left Decim alone with the waiting man, sensing an inhuman aura from him. She joined Clavis in the elevator and went down.

A slightly tipsy woman awaited them, and with a smile, she put her arm around Hanashi. The sudden smell of alcohol triggered memories she had hoped to repress. The two women headed towards the information office, where Hanashi hoped to check Decim's memories.

Quin expected Hanashi to help set up memories, but she miscalculated. When Hanashi asked directly if she had Decim's memories, Quin was surprised. Eventually, she led Hanashi to the corner where the bags were the largest.

"I found it. As a reward, you can help me with the new dead," Quin said.

Hanashi sat on one of the two free machines and quickly learned what to do. When selecting parts of memories to send to the judges, Hanashi chose the most colourful ones, with one sad memory for contrast. She finished up the excess that had accumulated due to Quin's absence and reported it to her.

Quin was shocked at how quickly it went, until she saw that Hanashi had mainly selected good memories. Curious, she asked why.

"Judges have a rule for bringing out the non-existent darkness in the soul anyway, so I want them to be aware of how well those people have lived their lives," came the answer, followed by an awkward silence.

"I sent Decim's memories to him. Today is your day off, lovebirds," Quin broke the silence, causing Hanashi to blush slightly. She walked alone towards the train that took her to Clavis.

After exchanging pleasantries, the elevator went to the 15th floor. Hanashi learned that this "guest" was one of the "tests," making her heart feel strangely light.

However, the sight she saw surprised her. Decim was kneeling on the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks, and his hands shaking.

"Chiyuki was right. Oculus and Nona too," he whispered, his voice cracking.

Hanashi's face expressed incomprehension, yet she felt great compassion for Decim. She slowly walked up to the bartender and hugged him. Her jumper soaked with tears on one shoulder, she began to stroke his head soothingly, whispering words of encouragement.

"Would you like to talk about it? It often helps," she said quietly, feeling and hearing that the bartender's breathing had normalised.

That's how she heard about all the guests from the last six years. The longest story was about the woman he spent three months with. Decim also talked about all the pain he feels when saying goodbye to the dead, sorry that they didn't have time to say goodbye, that their death was not up to them.

Hanashi's hand remained on the man's head, and he was extremely grateful for it. The last time he felt this way was nine months ago. When he finished speaking, there was silence. He felt calm for the first time in a long time—the peace brought by someone's presence. Though it sounded a bit foolish in his mind, considering Hanashi had only been there for a few days.