Chapter 36,5
Es opened the door to the prison's kitchen, surprised to see it was still standing, and that they hadn't killed one another while she left the 9 prisoners there.
"Thank you for your patience, everyone. Get out."
As everyone started making their way back to their respective cells, some faster than others, like Akito, who walked out as soon as he was able to, some slower, as Shizuku and An.
The two girls ran back to the ninth cell, not a word uttered on the way there.
When they got there, however, Shizuku was the first to say something.
"Thanks, Shiraishi… I really wasn't expecting any of this…"
An gave her a thumbs up, then picked the same sheet and the same pen.
"Are you ready?"
She asked, she could hear Shizuku's breath get heavy, and she could see Haruka's nervous expression in the corner of her eye.
"You start, Haruka. Whenever you're ready."
An gave her a reassuring smile, Haruka took a deep breath.
"Ah, this… this is harder than I thought it would be. Uhm… Hey, Shizuku… it's been a while"
An immediately got to writing, she wasn't a slow writer, so it didn't take long before she read it out loud.
"It really has… uhm… Shiraishi… can she hear me?"
An nodded, Haruka stepped closer to Shizuku.
She bumped into An. However her feet didn't hit the floor, and her usual ghostly floating didn't break the fall.
She was breathing again. Actually breathing in and out. Her heart was steadily beating. Something she'd never noticed before daily was now all she could hear.
"Shiraishi..?"
Shizuku looked at her with a confused look on her face.
"Shizuku?"
She looked around An's cell, everything seemed livelier. Haruka then turned her gaze right into Shizuku's eyes.
"What happened just now?"
Shizuku sat down next to her.
"You went silent all of the sudden, Shiraishi. Is everything okay?"
"An"? Wait…
She looked down at her hands, bandaged up just like An's were. She could also see part of An's long, blue hair.
"It's me, Haruka. I don't know how but--"
Shizuku wrapped her arms around her.
"I'm here, Shizuku. I'm here."
"I'm sorry, Haruka…"
Haruka's…
An's arms felt heavy, but nonetheless Haruka tried to pat her back.
"Don't be. Nothing was your fault. You couldn't have known I was going to die. Not even I did."
Haruka took quick breaths every few seconds.
"... What happened? What happened to you after I left?"
Shizuku sighed.
"Shiho went missing. She's here now but I'm too worried about her…"
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Shizuku… That sounds rough…"
They were both tearing up, pulling out of the hug to look at each other.
"I missed you so much, Shizuku."
Haruka muttered out.
"Me too, Haruka… I missed you too."
A couple hours later, An woke up.
"What... What happened here?"
Haruka was asleep, she probably had been for a while.
"God, why do I feel so sad all of the sudden…"