Chapter 6: The Truth

"She's dead."

The words rang in my head like a school bell. It now hit me that I was prepared for every possibility imaginable, except this one. How could she be dead?

Haru stood there with unsure eyes. He was quiet too. I mean who wouldn't be when a random stranger you've barely known suddenly brings up your apparently dead sister?

"H-how could she be dead?" I muttered.

"You haven't talked in years. A lot can change." He responded.

I looked down and stared at the letters in my hand. The product of the hours I'd spent all those years ago were all here but the person they were meant for wasn't. I couldn't wrap my head around it and that probably explains why the tears started flowing. I don't like crying. Not because crying is cringe or whatever the school playground teaches you. It's because I'm an ugly crier and once I start it takes me a while to stop.

Haru sat next to me and wrapped his arm around me gently. We sat there for what seemed like hours as I cried into his shirt. He rocked us back and forth in an attempt to soothe me. Probably a reflex from taking care of Megumi. A part of me wanted to whack him and berate him for treating me like a child but that part of me was apparently grieving as well.

After I'd calmed down, I pulled away from him. I didn't want to make him any more uncomfortable than I probably already have.

"You good?" He asked.

"I think so yeah. Are you?" I replied.

"I think I am. I forget that she's gone sometimes so it comes as a shock to me too. It's nothing I can't deal with but I really miss her." He said sadly.

We continued sitting there in silence.

There are people in this world who I see never passing. This is for a number of reasons. There are the usual intelligent people. The ones who will become great in one way or another and the world would be all the better for it. Then there are the people who are just genuine delights. People who light up a room just by being in them. People whose numbers are dwindling by the second and Akira was one of them.

"Is it ok to ask how she died?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's alright. There were complications when she was having Megumi. They said it was a heart problem. She died while holding her. It really broke us. Especially since she was so excited to be a mother. She wanted nothing more than to share the love she had with her." He said.

I'd heard enough. I didn't want to start crying again. I'd much rather sit in the silence again that never seemed to end.

The mystery was solved. The questions in the back of my mind had finally been answered and now I didn't know what my next move would be. What I did know was that this wasn't over for me. There must be a reason why this had bothered me for so long. Fate brought me here- to them for a reason.

Haru stood up and started picking up his stuff. I didn't stop him. After his revelation, I just wanted to sleep.

He gave me one final smile before heading out.

"Wait what about the letters?" I realized I still holding on to them.

He paused for a moment then said "They're yours now."

He left before I could object.