Chapter Text
Reimu is cleaning the shrine as usual. She looks at the bright sun where she zones out into her surroundings. She catches a glimpse of Marisa’s teacup. It’s dusty, but it may be useful to her one day.
She lays down flat onto the porch of the shrine. “I wish she was here.”
Memories of when they shared moments of laughter come back, realizing she took her time for granted, never being able to tell her what she felt.
Coming back home left with nothing to do, Reimu realized just how much stuff Marisa had left in here. She makes herself tea, to clear her mind for a bit.
She takes a seat, staring blankly at the table. A place where she had shared tea with Marisa on multiple occasions. It is now a quiet room, where her thoughts echo. The dusty teacup that used to accompany the table sits in the cupboard, left untouched.
She looks in front of her. “Marisa? Where have you been!”
Marisa stands by the door. “Yo Reimu, I missed ya!” She rushes up to Reimu. “It’s been a bit ain’t it? I bet ya shrine’s doing better now!” Marisa sits down next to her and looks at the tea. “That looks tasty, ze~!”
Reimu opens her arms wide, to give her a big hug. She falls down on her face onto the wooden floor, and Marisa is gone.
“Why does this keep happening to me...Won’t she just come back already?”
She rolls over, facing up at the ceiling. Tears begin to roll down her face, which fall onto the wooden floorboards. She crawls over onto her bed and hugs her pillow.
“Marisa…I miss you” Reimu repeats over and over until she falls asleep.
The next day, she wakes up. Her hair is messy and covering most of her face, while the pillowcase is still damp from yesterday, as it took her a while to fall asleep. She gets up to eat breakfast, all she has is bread from a few days ago. The bread is stale, but it’s still edible as it isn’t moldy.
Reimu unwillingly eats the bread, having no energy to make herself breakfast.
She sits down again by the table. This time, she stares at everything she never put away that was Marisa’s. Her spare hat, the cutlery and dinnerware left for her collects dust by the minute. She knows she should throw it away, but a part of her thinks that she’ll return.
“I should… probably go get some fresh air, huh?”
She gets up and goes outside, but doesn’t actually go anywhere in the end. Sitting down on the porch, staring at the sky, she watches the wind blow the leaves while staring at the sky. Until she hears a broom fly by the shrine, and then comes back.
A familiar silhouette is seen under the tree, covered by the shade. Broom on the right hand, and a small tool on the other.
“Marisa..? Is that you?” Reimu rubs her eyes, but the outline stays. She doesn’t believe her eyes.
Marisa steps out of the tree. “Hey! It’s me, ze~! Why so confused?”
Reimu tries to control herself from crying, as she's going to just be letting herself down again by expecting.
“I know I’m dreaming..” She walks up to Marisa, and rests her hand on her cheek.
Marisa lets out a small giggle. “What could ye be on about? I know I’m real!” She smiles warmly at Reimu, although her eyes don’t have the same glimmer as before.
They both stand, staring at each other in silence. Only to be broken by a loud crash onto the porch. Reimu jolts, and quickly turns her head.
“Who did that?!” Reimu runs back to the site of the crash, only to be surprised by Marisa, who couldn’t land her broom, and lies on the grass after falling. Reimu’s confused, two Marisas? She turns back to double check, but that one is gone.
The emotions get the best of her again, it’s overwhelming. She starts sobbing, crying on Marisa while she’s still down.
“Ya really wanted to see me huh? Come help me out atleast!” Marisa lies down waiting for Reimu to move “Hey! I’m here you know, I’ll hit you with my broom!”
Reimu, while crying, suddenly starts laughing, she gets up and wipes the tears from her eyes.
“Oh who am I kidding..” Reimu sighs. “I’ll go make us tea then, huh?”
The two walk into Reimu’s house, the house is still neat, but Marisa’s stuff is still collecting dust.
“Ya really knew I’d come back huh?” Reimu stays silent and takes out the teacup, blowing away the dust that it’s been collecting. Marisa makes herself at home, and takes a seat. The once empty Hakurei residence is vibrant again.