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"Sunny, get in the car. It's time to go,"
He hears his mother call out to him from outside the front door. Everything was packed, his bed, possessions, everything except the things that were difficult to say goodbye to. Mari's piano was left in the small room he always avoided for whoever moved in. He wished he could take it with him. He was also relieved that he wouldn't have to see it again. It's the very thing that shattered his life into small, crushable pieces. Like glass, his life had now become fragile.
All because of that piano.
Sunny sighs as he stands in his now empty room, taking one last painful look at it before he leaves. He turns around, deciding that he wouldn't look at it again. From now on, it was a thing of the past, an unpleasant memory to leave behind. He bumps into the half-open door on his way out. Having only one eye, moving around had become difficult.
"Come on, Sunny. We have a long drive. I don't want to have to pay for a hotel if we're not there by midnight," She says again.
Sunny stands at the top of the stairs, intimidated by the thought of falling. Sunny clings to the railing with both hands and closes his eyes. He couldn't trust his eyesight anymore to keep him safe. Using only his sense of touch, he slowly descends the stairs.
"Nevermind, honey. Take your time. Just please don't take too long," She says in an old, tired voice.
He hears the door being shut and is surprised when he doesn't feel another step. Finally, he reached the bottom of the stairs. He avoids looking at the room where Mari's piano was left. It was now just another thing of the past.
Sunny exits the hallway, enters the living room and stares at an old fan that hangs from the ceiling. Below it is a stained rug. He walks past the fireplace over to the sliding door. He can't stop himself from opening it and going outside to visit the treehouse.
He climbs the ladder and hoists himself up into the treehouse. It seemed so big before, but he was younger and smaller then. Back then, he had thought life couldn't get better. He had thought that it would always stay that way. He was naiive.
The treehouse looks the same way it did four years ago. It's not the same, though. This time he was alone. It was silent, contrasting the usual bickering of Aubrey and Kel or the flirting of Mari and Hero. The treehouse was just another thing he couldn't take with him even though he desperately wanted to. He would have to leave it behind along with everything and everyone else, even though, in a way, he already had left it behind. Why would it matter if he moved? Not a single thing would change. He would still be a shut-in. He had already left his friends behind when he became a shut-in. In realizing this, his eyes well up with tears.
He feels the guilt creep into his heart as he thinks of his friends. He ruined their lives, and he could barely save Basil.
Basil.
He had to see Basil again.
The tears stream down his face as he quickly goes down the ladder. Sunny sprints through the trees so his mom wouldn't see him. He only exits the small forest when he's past Kel's yard. He keeps running though his stomach hurts and breathing is difficult. He doesn't stop until he's turned the corner off his street. He only lets himself walk until he can breathe well again, then runs the rest of the way to Basil's house.
He stands just before the door to Basil's house, breathing heavily. He waits to catch his breath while wiping the tears from his face. When he can finally breathe again, he gazes at the many plants surrounding his house, trying to find a reason not to knock on his door. Reluctantly, he knocks on the door. He points his eyes toward the ground, digging his nails into his arm.
The door slowly opens. Sunny had expected (and was half hoping) that Polly would open it, but instead, a shaky blonde boy does. Basil stands behind the door, hiding from Sunny. He didn't know whether he should run away or hug him. He stands frozen as he tries to choose. Tears come to his bright blue eyes and fall fast. He finds himself laughing for an incomprehensible reason.
"Sunny, you came back for me," His voice sounds weak.
Finally, he opens the door and extends his arm toward Sunny. Almost trying to prove to himself that he wasn't a figment of his imagination, he gently touches Sunny's face. He immediately flinches and sends his hand back.
"No. No, I can't- I can't hurt you again. I can't be around you,"
He turns around and tries to run back inside. Sunny grabs his wrist before he can go, feeling tears fill his eyes again. Basil struggles to free himself from Sunny's grip but fails no matter how hard he tries. Basil gives up and turns to face Sunny. This time, their eyes meet.
"How can.. How can you look so emotionless while you're crying?" He slightly chuckles, "You're still the same Sunny you've always been. I've hurt you so much. Why did you still come back for me? I don't deserve you. I really should have just died that day."
Sunny subconsciously digs his nails into Basil's wrist. He can't have anyone else die. It would be his fault if Basil killed himself. Sunny's hand slides down Basil's wrist into his hand. Basil tries to leave again, this time slowly, not so sure of it. Sunny holds his hand more tightly. He reaches for his other hand but misses.
"You can't see correctly, can you? I hurt you. Please let me leave. I can't hurt you again," Basil begs.
This time, Sunny does take his other hand and sighs in frustration.
"If you won't let me leave, then I guess we can go inside and talk," Basil gives up.
He leads Sunny inside and closes the door, still holding one of his hands. They sit on the couch, and Sunny places his head on Basil's shoulder.
"Polly is running some errands. We can talk," he speaks in a defeated voice.
Sunny lifts his head off his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Sunny. I should never have stabbed your eye. I deserve to die for that,"
Sunny quickly shakes his head.
"When are you moving away?" He asks.
Sunny thinks for a moment, then points at the ground.
"Now?" Basil asks in a frightened voice.
He nods sadly.
"I don't want you to leave me, Sunny. Why do you always come back just before you leave? It's not fair. It's mean, Sunny. Stop being so mean,"
Basil cries as he lets go of Sunny's hand and puts his arms over his neck to hug him. Sunny accepts the hug. They fall over on the couch to where Basil is over Sunny. Sunny listens to Basil's quiet, unsteady breathing.
"Sunny," Basil whispers, "Why are you still my friend?"
Sunny musters up enough courage to quietly whisper, "I'll always be your friend. I- I love you."
Basil gets nervous and shakier than he was before.
"How do you- In what way?" He asks.
Sunny didn't want to talk anymore, though he had to elaborate since he had already said it. Talking never came easy for him.
"Sunny, what did you mean by that? We're too close now for me to ignore that," He says nervously.
"I'm- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made things weird," Sunny whispers.
"I love you too, Sunny, but what do you mean?" He asks desperately.
Sunny stares at the ceiling, feeling Basil's heartbeat against him.
"What do you mean by saying you love me?" Sunny whispers.
"I just love you. I always have,"
"In- In that way?" Sunny says more quietly.
" Yeah. Do you hate me now?"
"No. I still love you,"
"Then would you- would you kiss me?" Basil asks.
"Mhm," Sunny mumbles.
Basil moves off of Sunny, and Sunny sits up. They lean toward each other to the point where their noses touch. Sunny brings his hand to Basil's face, gently placing it there. They listen to each other's soft, anxious breaths.
"Wait. Wait, no. I can't kiss you. What was I thinking?" Basil lightly shoves Sunny away.
Sunny leans into Basil's ear so he can whisper, "Why?"
"You're better without me. Look what I did to your eye. I'll end up hurting you again. You're moving soon anyways. You'll find someone better than me." Basil covers his face.
Sunny grabs Basil's hand and looks into his eyes.
"I don't want anyone other than you,"
Basil looks at him unsurely, particularly looking at his blinded eye.
"Please, Basil,"
Basil sighs and leans closer to Sunny. Sunny closes his eyes and presses his lips onto Basil's before he can change his mind. He moves his hand to the back of Basil's head to feel through his soft, blonde hair. Basil feels paralyzed. He had been waiting for this for years.
Basil wraps his arm around Sunny's waist tightly as if afraid that he's going somewhere. They continue this until they have to break away, gasping for air.
Basil starts to shake again, feeling regret. Sunny places his hands on Basil's shoulders and leans into his neck to kiss it. Basil's face turns red as he stares at the floor. Sunny lightly sucks on his neck, leaving Basil speechless.
"Sunny- I don't want- I don't want Polly to see this when she gets home," Basil stutters.
Sunny wordlessly stops and takes Basil's hand. He lies down and gestures for Basil to lie next to him. Sunny puts his head on Basil's chest. He holds onto Basil's arm with both of his hands.
"Sunny, don't forget about me when you move. Okay?" Basil requests.
Sunny sighs. He had forgotten about moving. His mom must be furious. For now, he didn't care. He would lay with Basil for an eternity if he could.
And so he did.
..."Yes, he is here. I didn't wake them because they looked so cute. I'm sorry. I would have told you if I knew," Polly says, standing at the front door.
"It's fine. I know this is hard for him. I think he'll get used to it, though,"
Sunny's mom steps into the house and walks over to the couch where Sunny and Basil lay. She shakes him lightly.
"Hey, bud, wake up. We have to go,"
Sunny slowly opens his eyes. He tightly holds Basil's arm. Basil wakes up at the same time. They both sit up, holding each other's hands.
"We have to leave, Sunny. It's going to be a long drive," She says.
He feels his eyes water up. Reluctantly, he stands up and walks toward the door. Sunny turns to face Basil again.
"You- You'll visit, right?" Basil trembles.
Sunny steps closer to whisper, "As much as I can."
They stood in front of each other, barely inches apart.
"I love you," Sunny whispers in his ear.
"I love you too," Basil says back.
Although afraid to do so in front of his mom, he kisses Basil again. They painfully let go of each other's hands. Sunny can barely take his eyes off Basil to turn around and leave. Once in the car, Sunny waves one last time before leaving.
Omori OST 166- You Must Carry On