The Meaning of Love|| The Promised Neverland || (Ray x Emma)

Time Keeps in Motion

Ray stopped crying now. But he still struggled to breath properly.

"You okay?" Norman asked.
"Yeah.." He responded.

"Now, tell me what's wrong. I know Emma is no longer with us, but why am I the one that makes you cry about it?"

As usual, Norman was fast to catch on. From only two instances, he already knew that he was the one who made Ray cry like this.
It was no surprise though. He was smart. Crazy smart.

Ray took in a deep breath of air.
"I... Fell in love with her.. I fell in love with Emma."
Norman's expression turned into shock.
Ray noticed it, but kept going.

"But... I know you liked her too so I've never felt right about it."

Norman looked slightly more softer. His expression turned into a smile.

"Ray... I was 11 when I said that... I'm 16 now. And you're 17 already. And besides..."
He looked at the ceiling,
"I can't control how you feel. I'm not competing with anyone for Emma."

Ray looked down. He already knew that. Emma said the same thing. But, it felt nice to hear it from Norman this time.

"Yeah.. I've also held guilt for loving her... Like, I know this is sudden but your spirit or a kind of hallucination had haunted me more and more as these feelings grew... it made me.."

Ray was going to continue but saw Norman's reaction to his words.

"Pfft-" he chuckled. Norman held a hand over his mouth as he was about to laugh hysterically.
Ray looked in confusion.

"What..?" Ray asked. But that was when Norman broke into pure laughter.

"HAHAHAAHA ARE YOU CRAZY!?"
"I-" Ray didn't know what to say. He started blushing of embarrassment, realizing that he was talking to Norman about his Norman's ghost.

"HEY! SHUT UP, NORMAN!" Ray yelled. Yuugo face palmed as he watched the two.

"Grace field is litterally insane" he thought.

"Were you... we're you hallucinating or something?" Norman said, still laughing.

Ray looked at him angry, but... He was happy. The darkness for that whole month was starting to feel better out of nowhere.
This felt really nostalgic.

He looked away from Norman. The two hadn't changed one bit.

Norman finally stopped to listen to Ray's story but both of them were so silly just a few moments ago, that the tense atmosphere was already lifted.

Ray looked down, not wanting to look at Norman's giggly smile.
He tried to continue the story.

"So... um.. after I kept facing the ghost... I only fell for her more and... one day... she started crying."
Norman was taken aback.
Ray saw it in his face.

"Yeah... so I proposed to her and now we're engaged... And then-"

Norman's eyes grew wide.
"What.!?" He yelled.

Ray looked a bit scared. He thought Yuugo told him already. Now Norman was filled with the sudden shock. He was unreadable.

"Ray... you.." He said.
The tense aura was urging in again. Ray looked down with shame all over again.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" Norman exclaimed.

"Wha-!?" He said.
He was confused, dumbfounded and shocked. "Congratulations?" That was the last thing Ray expected to hear.

Norman smiled uncontrollably. Ray didn't know how to respond. He couldn't tell if Norman was faking the happiness. It really didn't seem like it.
That was genuine joy.
Of course Norman was like that.

"Why!?" Ray said. "You LOVED her!"

Norman looked at him with a smile.
"I did. And I also said 'that's why I want her to always be smiling'"
Ray didn't get it at first, but suddenly looked at Norman with pure shock.

"If..." Norman started, "if she's happy with you, why would I take her away? I love when she's happy."

Ray was amazed at the level of kindness Norman had in his heart. It was incredible.
He looked down with a smile.
"Of course you would say that..."
Ray looked up at him.

"You're nothing like those hallucinations" Ray said, laughing.
"Probably not, huh?" He said, also chuckling to himself.

Yuugo, who was working at his desk, ended up smiling at their conversation.

"Ray," he said. "Get a hobby... or a job. Get Emma off your mind for a bit... it might help you"
Ray looked at Norman, who was smiling at the idea.
Ray looked down and smiled to himself.
"Yeah, I will."

~~~~~
Time passed by.
~~~~~

Norman had often left their home for his own job. He had kept it a secret from Ray for a really special reason.

Ray on the other hand decided to use photography as a hobby. He went out often and barely got to see Norman.

Ray constantly talked to himself, as if he was talking to Emma.

He thought about why he does that all the time.

He walked up a beautiful hill. The grass was bright green with a tall, lovely cherry tree at the top. It's blossoms were a bright pink.

I guess its that time of year... huh?

He stared at its magnificent beauty. He had taken pictures of almost everywhere. And although this was one of his favourite places to go to, he never took a picture of it.

He reached the top of the hill as the strong wind blew against his hair. He was in the process of thought.
Why do I talk as if I'm talking to Emma? Because.
I'll never forget. I'll never take her advice.

The cherry blossom petals got caught in his hair as he looked into the light blue sky. The clouds were in motion, slowly drifting in the heavens.
Three years since that day.

It's been three years without you.
Emma.

The wind brushed across his face harder.