Chapter Text
Teto's phone vibrated, her best friend, Gumi, had texted her.
Hey, can we call? 7:27 P.M.
Teto considered it for a moment, before deciding to turn off her phone, leaving Gumi on read. She had a long day and just wanted to go to bed, surely Gumi would understand, right? It was only this one time, they could call tomorrow night, or maybe even in the morning.
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
Gumi sobbed on the floor, surrounded by trash, the stench of old fish in the air around her. With shaking hands, she texted Teto, asking if she could call her. Teto always had time for her, or made time for her, even if her schedule was packed. Besides, Gumi could just say that the reason she was crying was because she had broken her favorite mug or something, and the reason her hair was so greasy was because she had been working outside on her garden for hours. It was hot out, so the lie was believable, as well as the mug lie. Gumi had always been clumsy.
She watched as the read icon appeared under her text, but no reply after five, ten minutes. She sobbed harder. It would be annoying to text Teto anymore, but what else was she to do? She wanted, needed, someone to talk to, or she feared she would really do it this time. Stumbling to her feet, Gumi staggered to the kitchen, maybe cooking some sardines would help? They were hers and Teto's favorite meal, and one looked back on with fond memories of their shared childhood.
On the way, though, Gumi tripped over one of the many stray, empty cans of sardines, cutting her leg as she flung forward, her upper half barely landing on the counter in front of her. Her fists weakly pounded the counter, why couldn't anything go her way? If fate hated her so goddamn much, she might as well serve them her death on a silver platter. Grabbing some rope from her 'just in case' cupboard, she tied a noose, and hung the rope on a hook that had once carried a net that held her childhood stuffed toys. She wasn't tall enough to reach it, so she grabbed a stepstool from the laundry roomโshe would need one, anyways, to actually complete the act of taking her life.
After hanging the rope, Gumi wrestled her head through the noose without hesitation, but when she was about to step off of her stepstool, she stopped. What about Teto? What about her one and only friend that she had shared her entire childhood with, the only one who had understood the parts of Gumi that she didn't hide? What about her? Gumi gave one last apologetic sob, before she stepped off the stepstool, her tears leaving one final taste of salt on her tongue.
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
Teto stretched and yawned as her alarm went off, she technically didn't need it, it was the weekened, but she liked getting up before the sun rose, so she could enjoy the sunset. She checked her phone for any new texts from Gumi, as she usually would send a 'good morning' text around this time and then go back to bed herself.
There was none.
Sorry for not calling you last night, I was tired and just wanted to go straight to bed 3:02 A.M.
You understand, right? 3:03 A.M.
We can call tonight if you want 3:03 A.M.
Gumi? 3:03 A.M.
Did you go to bed late last night? 3:04 A.M.
Hey 3:04 A.M.
I'm gonna keep spamming you until you answer 3:04 A.M.
Gumi 3:04 A.M.
Gumi 3:04 A.M.
Gumi 3:05 A.M.
Gumi 3:05 A.M.
GUMI 3:05 A.M.
GUMI 3:05 A.M.
GUMI 3:05 A.M.
GUMI!!! 3:05 A.M.
PLATONIC LOVE OF MY LIFE!! 3:06 A.M.
BEST FRIEND!! 3:06 A.M.
THAT'S IT 3:10 A.M.
I'M COMING OVER!! >:( 3:10 A.M.
Quickly getting dressed in a simple graphic tee and some shorts and after having some breakfast, Teto set out of Gumi's house. It would take about half an hour to make it to her house, but it was okay, Teto needed the exercise anyways. She checked her phone again, her messages still unread. Maybe Gumi was ignoring her because she was mad at her for leaving her on read? That didn't seem like something she would do, but still.
Are you mad at me? 3:26 A.M.
I said I was sorry 3:26 A.M.
Please forgive me :( 3:26 A.M.
Miss you already :'( 3:27 A.M.
Teto frowned and put her phone back in her pocket, it was still 25 minutes to Gumi's house, but would she even want her there? She seemed mad, or maybe she was too tired to text her a good morning? Now Teto felt ridiculous. She was going to her best friend's house all over not receiving a text at three in the goddamn morning? She had a whole bunch of other friends, at this point, she was just being ungrateful.
Ten minutes to Gumi's house, Teto texted Gumi again.
Be there in ten. You better not have forgotten to clean again!! 3:42 A.M.
Maybe Gumi had found out about Teto's crush on her? Fuck. That would be awkward. The sun was starting to rise, a weird red-orange mixing with the cerulean of the night sky. Teto was planning to confess to Gumi in a week, but she was trying her best to keep it a secret.
No, no, Teto was just bored and overthinking this.
Arriving at Gumi's house, Teto was surprised to find the door unlocked, as well as the overwhelming scent of fish when she opened it. The sun was rising now, her light passing through Gumi's windows, showing Tetoโฆ
Teto froze, as she processed the scene in front of her, before wailing, falling to her knees as she choked, tears falling onto the floor in front of her.
No. No, no, no, no, nononononononononononono. This wasn't happening. She just went to bed late last night and was seeing things. Teto screamed, scrambling to her feet and running as she swore she could hear Gumi laughing cruelly behind her. This was all her fault. She should have responded to Gumi. She should have come over. She should have been there. She was useless, a horrible friend. Teto tripped, face-planting in the dirt beneath her as she bawled like a child. This wasn't real. This was a dream. A really bad dream. When she awoke, Gumi would still be alive, and they would eat sardines together and work on her garden after cleaning her house.
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
Teto filled one last trash bag, having cleaned Gumi's entire house, as if that would bring her back. When she got back after taking it out, Gumi's body was still there, the buzz of flies filling the house. Her sobbing started again as she collapsed next to Gumi's body, finding no more strength to do anything but lay there.
She should call someone, right? And let them know that Gumi's dead? Maybe she'll do that later, but she justโฆneeded a moment. She would never eat sardines again. Gumi smelled just like them. She would never garden again. It was Gumi's thing. And it was Teto's fault that she died, so she didn't deserve to love anything Gumi loved, not even herself.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I didn't know. I'm sorry, Gumi. It's all my fault, I know."