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[selfconcept]

HELLO

"..."

GOODBYE

TEXT | VIDEO | VOICE | ACTION

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[isdf]

[Residual powder from myriad chalkboard erasers dust his uniform, which Yuma ignores in favor of staring at the words on the diploma he was surreptitiously given before returning to the flower field. While Edamura has a potential existential crisis, Yuma moves to put it away in his pocket when he feels something and fishes out the strawberry candy inside.

What the? He looks up and around at the others.]

[selfconcept]

[ He looks down at the candy. ]

"Is that melting?"

[ He looks up to see Yuma's face. ]

"Holy shit you're also melting."

[ no he isnt ]

[isdf]

Melting?

[He glances down at the candy, then looks up at Hien.]

No, that's not true. Both the candy and I are perfectly fine.

[selfconcept]

"Huh..."

[ He looks at Edamura and goes over to him and then returns. ]

"Yuma, can I touch your face?"

[isdf]

[What the.

Yuma blinks out of his daze, the long mental image of kissing with fervor between Hien and Edamura imprinted in his mind's eye.]

I have no objections, but why?

[selfconcept]

"I need to confirm something."

[ But he'll wait and ignore the thoughtshare. ]

[isdf]

[Yuma nods after a brief pause. He'll not be commenting on what just transpired with Edamura.]

[selfconcept]

[ Poor Edamura. Hien is good at ignoring things if he wants to.

Anyway, he puts a hand on Yuma's cheek. It's nothing out of the ordinary, but he's gentle about it. He lightly touches the other cheek too, then his shoulder.

...

Time to test something else. ]

"Does the thought confuse you?"

[isdf]

[Touching is already unusual. The fact that it's gentle makes this even more out of the ordinary.

Yuma stays still, letting Hien conduct his test.]

To what thought are you referring?

[selfconcept]

[ To Hien, Yuma also starts to feel very waxy and his movements gradually diminish. Of course, he's just seeing things and has no effect on the real Yuma whatsoever. ]

"Makoto's."

[ He's half convinced that it's there to prevent more testing. ]

[ordimame]

[this is the choked noise of a man only just now realizing that everyone saw and heard that thought]

[isdf]

[And here he was, trying to be polite by not saying anything.]

No comment. It is not my business to speak on others' private lives.

[selfconcept]

[ Okay, that's fair. It's also the answer that Hien expected. Which... Hm. ]

"Alright. Thanks, Yuma."

[ To Hien, Yuma has stopped to become a full wax statue now.

"These hallucinations are so in-character..." ]

[isdf]

Hm?

Hien, do you suspect me of being a hallucination?

[ordimame]

[he is having an existential crisis but at least he looks cute while it's happening]

. . . Yuma?

[said like he can't believe that Yuma is here?]

[isdf]

[Why does he sound so surprised?]

What is it, Edamura?

[ordimame]

[he says nothing]





[just lurches forward to pull Yuma into a tight hug]

[isdf]

[The hug takes him by surprise, enough so that he doesn't react when he's pulled into the embrace, his arms hanging at his sides.]

Wha . . . Edamura?

[ordimame]

[that's okay. he doesn't have to react. Edamura is still holding him close, face buried against his shoulder]

I— I really, really missed you!

[isdf]

[?]

We were only apart for a short period of time. What happened?

[ordimame]

A short time for you! But for me, it's felt like--

[. . .]

. . . I was living with a family of anthropomorphized bunnies.

[isdf]

. . . I see.

How long did you live with them?

[ordimame]

Years, Yuma.

[said quietly]

. . . I watched their kids grow up.

[isdf]

[Okay.]

And then?

[He doesn't understand the problem here.]

[ordimame]

And then. . . I got bigger, and remembered the life I had before meeting the rabbits.

[. . .]

And then I was back here?