Clannad - Hidden Worlds

What If Mei Died

"Ohaio, oni-chan !"
"Ohaio, Mei"
Today was a normal going day for Youhei and his little sister Mei.
"So where do you wanna go this afternoon Mei ?!"
"I really want to shop with you, oni-chan. We never took time to !"
Of course they didn't... They lived really far from each other. Mei still lived with her parents whereas her brother was renting an apartment near his highschool.

Sunohara Youhei was a 18 years old boy. He wasn't very tall, about 5.6 feets. He had a round face with large chicks but he wasn't fat at all. His eyes were blue and his hair was dyed blond.
Mei, her, was only 12 years old. But she was and looked really clever. She had brown eyes and dark hair she used to tie into braids with yellow ribbons.
"OK... OK... We'll go shopping. But promise me to stay quiet OK ?"
"You should be the one to swear such things !"she said sarcastically. She laughed with a cute visage expression. "Also...", Mei started to blush. "Can Okazaki-san come with us ?", she finally asked after taking a deep breath.

The telephone rang at Okazaki's home.
"Shopping with Mei ? I don't know"
"Come on, I'm sure you're laying on your bed because you get nothing to do !", a voice argued through the phone.
"Yeah... I guess you're right... Just give me a minute", Okazaki finally answered.

Okazaki Tomoya was Youhei's best friend. He was the same age but was 0.5 feets taller. He was quite thin which made him seem even taller. He had blue hair and dark blue eyes. He was always being calm in any situation, and you could read it in his eyes.

A few minute later, all the three friends were together.
"Okazaki-san ! Ohaio !", said Mei.
"Ohaio Mei-chan", Tomoya said while patting her head with a large smile.
"Let's go", Sunohara cut them off. "We don't have all the day !"
They started to walk to the city centre.

Mei seemed really excited as she didn't stop hopping and singing.
The afternoon passed. Sunoahara bought himself a new pant and Mei a new top.

After some hours, it was time to go home.

"Go first, I'll join you after, I have something to do !", Sunohara exclaimed.
"What is it ?", Mei asked with her cute voice
"Your brother can have secrets too.", Okazaki said winking.
"OK... Ikimashou (Let's go) !", Mei finally said.
"Okazaki !", Sunohara added."Keep an eye on her"
Okazaki only shook his head with a smile.

Mei was hopping from hapiness again, holding Okazaki's hand.
She went in front of Tomoya while walking backward.

"Say, Okazaki ?"
"Ha ?"
"Why do you still-"
Okazaki cut her off and shouted with all the voice he had.
"MEI-CHAN ! CARE !"
He jumped toward, tried to grab her arm. A curbing sound bellowed in the street. Then a crash, a breaking glass, and a young girl screaming of pain. It was too late... Tomoya stared at her. She was lying on the ground, she wasn't moving. Okazaki tried to see her breath. None. She... was dead.
"MEI-CHAAAAN !!!", Okazaki again shouted in his sorrow and despair.
A tear started to tumble down his chick. He was kneeled down, his tight fist on the cold street.
His eyes openned just like if he was getting mad.
"Why ? Why wasn't I able to save her ? I'm so weak. It's all my fault.", He continued crying.

Sunohara got out a shop and saw Okazaki 100 meters farther. He started to run towards him.
"Okazaki ? Daijobu desu...", Youhei slowly paused. "ka...", he finally managed to end.
"Sunohara... Gomen... Gomenasai ! Sunohara !"
"MEI-CHAN !?"
Sunohara jumped near her sister. He started to cry too. He held her head with his right end to see her face.
"Hoy Mei. It's Youhei-ni-chan... Daijobu desu. OK Mei ? Daijobu... Desu."
Sunohara slowly said to hislying sister. He put her head back on the ground, carefully. then, he closed her eyes.
"Okazaki ! I told you to keep an eye on her...", he added with a mix of sadness and angriness.
"Gomen Sunohara ! I'm so weak ! I couldn't even protect her ! I am so sorry !"
"I don't care if you're sorry or not." Sunohara grabbed the Okazaki's collar with both his hand. He pulled him to be able to see his face.
"Give me my sister back ! Okazaki !!!"
Saying this, he close his eyes to whip his tears. Even if he tried to be strong, we could hear the despair in his voice. Each of his tear was made of sadness. He couldn't forgive Okazaki. Never. How could he ? He considered him as the one responsible of his little sister death. Little, so small, so young, so cute. She should have live so much longer, so many years were waiting her.

Sunohara's hair was covering his eyes.
"You... You were my best friend... How could you ? I don't ever want to see you again... Never !", he finished staring right at Tomoya's eyes.
"Hai... I understand..."
Okazaki then looked at Mei. He turned back and murmured "Sayonara, Sunoharas."

Years passed. Okazaki got graduated after a long year of studying. He married Nagisa Furukawa, one of his highschool friend. He had a work, a family, all the stuff a normal man would be happy with. But something was missing. All his life, Okazaki was missing his best friend, his tomodachi, his nakamada.

Sunohara got graduated too, but he spent his whole days at home, in the dark. He started to drink, he started to smoke. He felt like his life wasn't worth anymore.
All this time, Sunohara was thinking about Okazaki. He didn't know if he hated him, or if he missed him. Each year, the gap in the Youhei's heart was growing.

More and more years passed until one day, the phone rang.
"Tomoya-kun, could you answer please ?", Nagisa asked.
"Hai."
He grabbed the phone and answered.
"Moshi moshi. Okazaki Tomoya desu"
Okazaki then stopped at once.
"Tomoya-kun ? Daijobu desu ka ?" Nagisa asked.
Tomoya covered the phone with one hand.
"Hai Nagisa, daijobu da".
Okazaki uncovered the phone and started to laugh. But a tear appeared in his eye.
"Shopping with Mei ?", he said, his face covered in tears. "I don't know"
"Come on !" A voice said through the phone with that same sad, happy, and amused tone. "I'm sure that... you're laying on your bed... because you get nothing to do !", the voice argued.
"Yeah... I guess you're right... Just give me a... minute. Baka !".
Okazaki cut off the phone.
"Tomoya-kun ? Dare desu ka ? (Who was it ?)"
"Sunohara desu.", the young adult answered quietly with a large smile.