Chapter Text
Wemmbu sighed loudly as he draped himself all over Eggchan.
"Eeegg can we please do something else? I'm tired of studying." He whined.
The two were in Wemmbu's home, or well, more like in his library. There were books scattered all around them and both of them had their laptops open for their research.
His thoughts went back to the times when people accused him of only hanging out with the 'richest guy in school' was for his money.
Which was a bold faced lie, making Wemmbu laugh so hard that he was wiping tears from his eyes. Eggchan personally never knew what was so funny about it but.. sure.
"Wemmbu, we still have a project to finish."
As much as Eggchan didn't like chemistry, he knew that finishing the project sooner would benefit both of them. Especially with Wemmbu's reputation not being the best with the teachers.. therefore dragging down Egg's too.
"The project we have to turn in like.. two weeks? Eeegg don't be like thiiiis, i wanna go and play the new video game that Mane got me. It's multiplayer.." His friend trailed off while wiggling his eyebrows and grinning.
He raised one of his hands to push away Wemmbu's face then sighed loudly. "Fine, fine! We can go play that game you got."
The way the other's face brightened made Eggchan have no regrets about his decision.
"Did you see or hear what Flame did yesterday?" Wemmbu whispered to him, even though Eggchan was paying attention to class. Or well, better to say he was trying to pay attention. It was pretty hard to with his seat mate.
"No, what did he do?" He whispered back.
"So like, you know how Spongs is pretty mean to Lomedy? Yea well, let's just say that Flame found out..." He trailed off, gesturing with his hands.
Egg most likely made a face of distress because Wemmbu started to snicker so loudly that he had to kick him in the leg so that he would stop. Since the teacher was looking right at them.
The class went on but after twenty or so minutes until the other poked him, then whispered to him again.
"And like.. let's just say that he happened to catch Spongs in the act of.. well being mean to Lomedy." He took a glance in the teacher's direction, upon seeing that they were clear, he continued to mutter to him.
"And you know how he is, pretty protective and allat.. so he just grabbed a fistful of Spongs' hair and just went–" Wemmbu then demonstrated with his closed fist of how Flame smashed Spongs head "–against a locker. Bro it was insane."
Eggchan looked at his friend in disbelief. "There is no way he actually did that."
"He did tho!" Wemmbu smiled at him, then shook his head slowly, "Ohohoh, you don't wanna know how much trouble he got from Mane for having to leave his classes because he was called in by the principal!"
"What did Mane say? Bro, i swear i'll feel bad for him if Mane kicked his ass for it."
"That's the best part! Like, yes, Flame did get in trouble but at the end of Mane's rant about 'you should know how to control yourself, Flame! You're seventeen, you gotta be more responsible!'–" Wemmbu tried to imitate his oldest brother's voice.. it wasn't the best.
"– and then he just told him that he's actually proud of him because he stood up for his friend. And i'm like.." He made a face of utter shock which then turned into a questioning one as he waved his hand around.
"Yea so, it was a pretty wild night, tho i totally forgot to text it to you." Wemmbu went back to copying the things that the teacher wrote on the board in lighting speed.
"I would bet my money, that Mane definitely did this a lot of times back in his day." Eggchan whispered, following the other and also copying the stuff from the board.
"Oh, you bet he did. Our parents were so fed up with him all the time. I remember when i was adopted into the family, Mane got into trouble because he beat up kids who were mean to me." He stopped for a second to bite his pen, it was a habit of his.
"And i mean that, he was.. is the most protective older brother ever. It's annoying sometimes." He sighed, "But i'm glad to have those two."
Eggchan hummed in response.
The bell rang, the teacher's voice drowning out amongst the loud chatter of the students as they were getting out from the classroom.
"You should sleepover at mine tomorrow." Wemmbu chimed up, "It's been a while, plus uh... my parents are planning a fancy event and i do not want to be alone there. Flame is inviting Lomedy, Mane will probably be in his room."
"Alright, sure."
"Wemmbu." Eggchan spoke up, breaking the silence between the two nine year olds.
They were sitting in Wemmbu's garden, waiting for Egg's father, MinuteTech, to arrive to pick him up.
"Hm? Yea, Egg?" His friend answered, looking at him with a smile.
"Did you know that i can see spirits?" Wemmbu's face twisted into a funny expression, not understanding what he meant by that.
"Spirits? What are those?"
"Ghosts."
"You can see ghosts?!" Egg nodded, "That's so cool! Does this mean that you see ghosts here right now too?"
The other's face was pure excitement, his eyes looked like they were glowing and he had a big grin adorning his face.
"I can't always see them. It's usually when i'm more tired or unfocused."
"Do they scare you?"
Egg shook his head. "Not always...from the few spirits i've met, they're not malicious."
Wemmbu hummed, "Well if they ever do, tell me! And i'll protect you! Mane's been teaching me swordplay and how to fight so i'll be your protector!"
Egg smiled and muttered an embarrassed thank you.
"Does Minute know?" The other asked after a few seconds of silence.
"Yes, he's the one who usually helps me. He's been teaching me more about them too."
"Why didn't you tell me before? We could've tried to communicate with them or something!"
"It's a pretty new discovery... and i'm not sure if we can talk to them... or if it's a good idea."
There was a car noise then a loud honk. The two looked in that direction and saw Minute's car pull up.
"We'll talk about this next time, okay?" Wemmbu said as he stood up then helped his friend up. "Because i won't let this go."
Eggchan sighed, then nodded. The two hugged as they said their goodbyes.
"You know what i am really, really, fed up with?" Wemmbu gritted out as he slammed his locker shut.
"With what?" Egg asked as the two started to walk out of the school building.
"With people thinking that they have the right to bad mouth you. You. Like, i swear on everything i have that i am on the verge of actually starting a fist fight so bad that their teeth will fall out."
Wemmbu fumed, gripping the handle of his backpack so tightly that his knuckles were white.
"Their 'jokes' aren't funny. And the fact that all of those things have something to do with me! Because guess what, people don't like me and in return they hate you."
Wemmbu stopped in his tracks to grab his best friend's shoulders.
"And i don't know how long i'm gonna be able to keep control over myself."
The two stayed quiet after he finished talking. They were looking into each other's eyes, having a silent conversation.
Wemmbu let out a defeated sigh, letting go of Eggchan's shoulders.
"You're too nonchalant about this." He started walking again, the other followed suit.
"I don't care because whatever they say is wrong."
Wemmbu hummed in response before shaking his head. "I swear, that one day i'm gonna do something i shouldn't."
"I know Wem, i know."
"Do you think you could see my spirit if i died?"
Eggchan looked up from his book that he buried himself in at Wemmbu's room.
"If you didn't pass on, then yes. But i would want you to pass on, and not... well, be stuck here."
Wemmbu looked over at him from his phone, then put it down.
"I mean, i think i would only stay here until you pass too. I don't think i would leave you here alone."
Egg felt himself smile and murmured, "What an odd thing to say."
"What?"
"Why did you even ask me that?"
"Oh!" Wemmbu looked kind of taken aback at the question, even though it was obvious that Eggchan will ask it.
"Well, i was just wondering i guess. Since one day we'll all die and uh.. well, i wanted to know your opinion."
"Spoke, Mapicc!" Wemmbu shouted at the two younger boys in the hallway, he waved his hands at them when the two friends looked at him.
Eggchan lifted up one of his hands to greet them too.
Spoke, upon seeing them, darted across the hall to jump into Wemmbu's arms.
"Wemmbu! I missed you!" He said in a loud, excited voice. It wasn't unusual for him. Mapicc arrived at the scene a second later.
Wemmbu hugged back the younger, then gave his hair a ruffle when he put him down. "It's been a while since i saw you, buddy! You too, Mapicc, come here."
He opened his arms, inviting Mapicc into a hug. The boy sighed but embraced the older anyway.
"Spoke, aren't you excited to see your big bro? Give him a hug too." Wemmbu asked him in a teasing matter, as he let go of his friend.
The boy in question looked at Egg and then looked back at Wemmbu with a deadpan face. "I literally see this guy everytime i go home."
"Wow, you're so mean to me bro." Eggchan made a fake sniffle as he wiped at his eye. "I'm telling dad when we get home."
"What!? Do not! You know that he's been on my ass all week because of the fight i got in!"
"Dude, i don't even know why you thought it was a good idea to take on that upperclassman." Mapicc said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Spoke spluttered as he looked at his best friend with a betrayed look. "You know damn well that it was your and Jamato's idea to prank that guy! And it's not like Letty didn't deserve it!"
"Wait, it was Letty, as in, LettuceK, that you guys pranked?" Wemmbu asked with a smile on his face, and at the nod of the two boys he started to laugh in that rich-mocking way of his.
"Please tell me you guys have that on video! I have to see that!" He was lost in his own world as he tried to get himself together.
"I swear, the dislike that he has against that guy is insane." Egg whispered so that only the two could hear.
"Yea, i realized..." Mapicc said.
"Oh, right, Spoke, dad wanted me to tell you to you know.. charge your phone so he can reach you."
"Ooohh, uh.." He scratched the back of his neck in an embarrassed manner, "I blame it on the fact that Mapicc wanted my powerbank."
"Bro, don't blame me! Blame Jamato, he was the one who asked for it after me!"
"Then i blame them."
Eggchan sighed, "I don't care who to blame, just charge it next time. He literally woke me and Wem up, even tho we didn't have first class. And he didn't calm down until i saw you."
Sometimes he could be really annoyed with how protective Minute was. It was sweet but it's not like Spoke got lost while he was over at Jamato's house with Mapicc.
"Riiiight.. sorry."
Just as Wemmbu calmed down and was about the speak up the bell rang. Mapicc and Spoke only said a loud bye as they started running to their class, since it was with Mr.Ashswag.
"I swear, those three are gonna get in so much trouble one day."
"Egg, you say that as if we didn't do our fair share of mischief."
The other didn't say anything.
"Egg?"
The person in question looked up from the book he was reading to look at Wemmbu. They were in the latter's room, enjoying each other's company.
"Yes, what is it, Wem?"
"Didn't we plan to watch a movie today? I forgot the name of it tho.."
Eggchan's hands slightly lowered the book as he gave his friend his whole attention with a concerned look.
"Wemmbu, we finished that movie almost-.." He looked over at the clock, it was almost midnight. "-half an hour ago."
"What?" The other's eyebrows were narrowed and his lips set into a straight line.
"You wanted to watch that movie for three weeks now, we finished it almost half an hour ago."
"I don't.." He trailed off as he broke eye contact with Egg. "I don't remember." He shook his head.
"Did we really watch that movie?" He looked back at Egg, who felt a pit in his stomach because of what Wemmbu was saying.
"Yes we did. You wanted to watch it for weeks now. How do you not remember? You don't even know the name?"
Wemmbu shook his head.
"Its name is Matrix. You watched it once with your brothers but forgot about it and you knew it was good so you wanted to watch it with me."
The other stayed silent and focused again on his phone until around ten minutes later he spoke up again.
"Egg?"
"Yes, Wemmbu?"
"Didn't we want to watch a movie?"
Eggchan didn't know what to say as he looked at Wemmbu's serious face, he didn't see anything wrong with what he had asked.
Wemmbu wasn't afraid of dying.
Wemmbu wasn't scared to face death.
He was afraid of leaving Eggchan alone.
Wemmbu had been more quiet lately, Eggchan observed. It was unnerving.
His best friend was always so full of energy and talkative. This wasn't normal.
Something was wrong.
He just didn't know what.
"Wemmbu, did you take your medication?" Mane asked as he opened the door to his brother's room.
Wemmbu and Eggchan looked up from the video game they were playing.
"What medication?" Wemmbu responded as he zoned out a bit.
"He took it, i was there with him." Egg said, Manepear nodded his head and turned his gaze to Wemmbu.
He could see the sudden grief in the older one's eyes, watching his little brother go from the energetic person to just a shell of who he was.
He muttered something under his breath then looked back to Egg with a bittersweet smile.
"Thank you, for being his friend." He closed the door and left without hearing out Egg's response.
"I'm so tired."
"I know you are, Wemmbu."
"Why can't it.. just go away."
"..."
"I'm so tired."
"..."
"I don't think i'm... getting better, Egg. Nothing helps."
"..."
"Something is really wrong..."
"..."
"I'm so tired."
"I k-know you are Wemmbu. Go back to sleep."
"Don't cry, Egg."
"..i'm sorry. I can't do anything to help you."
"What do you mean?"
"..."
"..did i..?"
"It's alright Wemmbu. It's not your fault, not at all. You can't help it."
Later that night, if Egg cried himself to sleep, no one would know.
"His condition is getting worse." Mane said, trying not to show much emotion.
"There's not much we can do beside being there for him."
Flame and Egg stood there quietly as Mane continued to speak.
Eggchan didn't hear most of it.
It was common for him nowadays to zone out.
To only being there in presence and not in mind too.
He didn't want to hear how his best friend was getting worse.
He didn't want this to be happening.
He just wanted to go back to the old days, back when their only problem was having to keep their grades up.
Back to when Wemmbu was smiling and was happy.
Back to when Eggchan felt happy.
The date was August 10th, 2026.
Eggchan's phone cracked as it dropped to the floor.
He put a hand on the counter so that he wouldn't fall off from the chair in shock.
His hands were shaking as the lines in his head repeated over and over again.
The ringing in his ears muffled whatever Minute and Spoke were saying next to him.
His throat was closed up, he could hardly breathe.
One of his hands went to grab onto Minute–? Or was it Spoke? He wasn't sure, he just felt like he needed someone to ground him.
The person grabbed onto him too, sensing that this is what he needed.
He wasn't sure if he had said something but the noises beside the ringing stopped. Minute and Spoke stopped talking.
He felt relief at the quietness.
The ringing in his ears slowly stopped and silence set in.
Well, as silent as it could be beside his rapid breaths and the sound of his sobs.
His entire body was shaking, he heard a slight hiss beside him. He looked over and saw Spoke's face crunched up.
Egg's hands had a death grip on his younger brother, he probably scratched him.
He wanted to take his hand away but he couldn't. He didn't have the power in him to do so.
He slowly managed to loosen his grip but not let go. He didn't want to let go.
Just like how he didn't want to let Wemmbu go but he failed becausehewasabadfriend.
"Egg..?" Spoke's voice was a low whisper, worry and concern clear in his eyes as he looked at him.
"I.." His voice was sore as he tried to speak.
"It's alright. You don't have to speak." Minute said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Take your time."
He could feel his throat close up again as his vision became blurry again.
"W-Wemmbu.." His voice wavered as he tried to speak. "He's.."
He couldn't even bring himself to say it because it would make it reality.
Spoke's face turned into one of shock then a second later, grief. Minute's was something similar but it was without the surprise.
"N-no..! That can't be!" Spoke muttered as he looked at Egg.
Egg pulled his brother into his arms, the latter embracing him back. After a few seconds, they could feel Minute's arms wrapping around them both.
Egg could feel himself starting to cry again.
It was September 27th 2026, a rainy day.
The downpour seemed like it would never end, there were no signs of the sun coming out from behind the clouds that day.
Eggchan was dressed in a black, elegant suit. Same with all the people around him.
Many people had umbrellas with them to protect themselves from the weather. Eggchan couldn't bring himself to care about it.
He didn't care about a lot of things these days. Not ever since Wemmbu had—
the thought caught in his throat, choking him.
It's been more than a month, yet it feels like it was just yesterday when he got the news.
The news about how he was never going to talk to his best friend ever again.
How he was never going to hug him and see him.
How he could never tell him that he was the most important person to him and that he made his days so much better.
He still had so many things to say to Wemmbu.
And all of that was shattered a month ago.
Or maybe it was two years ago when he started to act strangely.
The days were either going by too fast or too slowly.
He felt like he was in a constant nightmare.
He remembered reaching to his nightstand to grab his phone.
He remembered how he opened Wemmbu's contact to text him but Wemmbu wasn't here anymore.
Because Wemmbu was d—
He still couldn't bring himself to say it after a month.
Saying it would make it reality.
People were coming up to him, saying their condolences and how it was really unfortunate that this had happened to Wemmbu.
How he was such a great guy and how important he was to them.
Eggchan didn't even know half of these people.
He was dazed out during the whole speech of Wemmbu's parents and brothers.
He knew it was his turn.
He walked up to the podium and started talking about his best friend.
How he could never forget him.
How he still had so many things to say to him that Wemmbu would never hear.
He walked back to his seat after that.
The rain didn't stop.
The people went up and went down.
It was monotonous.
Everyone stood up to gather around the place where they would bu—
Bury his best friend.
The coffin was white.
It was slowly lowered into the hole then just like that one second after another he was gone.
The people started to leave soon after.
Eggchan didn't feel like he could leave.
His feet were rooted to the ground beside the grave.
He saw Mapicc holding Spoke up, trying to be strong for his best friend. Minute said something to him, probably how he should take his time, as the three left.
It was now only him and Wemmbu's family.
He wished that he was alone here right now, a selfish thought but he didn't care.
Wemmbu's parents said something to Flame and Mane. They looked bad, just like how Egg probably looked.
As they passed him, Manepear handed him his umbrella.
"Take it... the rain is picking up.."
They left.
He was alone.
.....
He was alone.
Wemmbu was gone.
He was d—.
....
Wemmbu was dead.
He was dead.
His best friend was dead.
He didn't even realize that he was kneeling in the mud now, his pants getting dirty. He didn't care.
His best friend was dead.
Wemmbu, kind and energetic, Wemmbu was dead.
Life took him.
He didn't know how long he was there, crying over his best friend's grave.
All he knew was that after some time, Minute came back for him and carried him back to their car.
"I wonder if you forgot that i can see ghosts." He said outloud as he looked at the spirit in his room.
Wemmbu— or at least he thought it was him. Was sitting beside him on the bed.
"Yet, i still can't see your face clearly." His vision blurred.
"I wonder if it's because you don't want me to see it or if it's just another unfortunate t-thing." His voice cracked at the end of his sentence.
"Why didn't you.. pass to the other side. Why?" He looked at the ghost, who didn't say anything.
He felt like Wemmbu was smiling, even if he couldn't see it.
Deep down he knew why Wemmbu didn't pass.
He knew that it was because he wanted to wait for Egg.
"Why do you want to wait for me?"
The silence was deafening.
He wasn't sure what he expected.
It wasn't like Wemmbu could answer him.
"...It's been almost a hundred days since you've left.. I.. I don't know if i can hold on more, Wemmbu."
The spirit moved closer to him, his arms wrapped himself around Egg as he slowly disappeared.
"I-i'm sorry.."