Epilogue

Sometimes I wonder if this is all just my imagination.

That if I actually jumped off that bridge, and this is me imagining what I wanted to happen.

If that were the case, I wouldn't mind it.

I think, therefore I exist.

Even thoughts exist, so what's happening in my head is reality.

What is projected from my eyes, and into my brain is reality. There is no escaping that.

But I'm not afraid anymore.

It's true that life has refused to give me what I want, 90% of the time.

But that just means you have to work harder.

Live harder.

I never realized this back then.

It's pointless to attempt to attain perfect normalcy. No one is 100% normal.

It's been 12 years since that day. I'm 30 now.

Ai Nishimiya was right. There is meaning in this world.

It would be plain disrespectful to say it was easy to find, though. In fact, I could just up and have an existential crisis any day now.

After the events of that evening, I was taken to a mental health center.

It was the best decision I'd ever make.

Eventually, I would make it into a nice college, and major in literature.

2 years after I finished college and 5 years after highschool, I published my first book. I guess you could say writing became my meaning.

Throughout the 5 years that I struggled through life, Ai was there, making sure I was never alone. She kept her promise all that time.

But the night after I published my first book, she disappeared without a trace.

Deep inside, I knew she would leave.

It still hurt for a while, though.

I knew all along that I needed to stop relying on her, and she knew that too.

So she left me.

That was 7 years ago.

My books became a huge success. I had the hearts of my fans with me. I still do to this day.

That's not to say I didn't miss her though.

The future is uncertain. It always has been.

But I'm not scared.

There is always meaning to be found in this world.

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.