cake of reunion

Why the hell are you two walking so slow?!"

Viora skated toward them effortlessly, coming to a stop with perfect control. She glanced at Gwishin, who was trailing behind Cyrus, before shifting her curious gaze to him.

"What did you do to Big Sis, you mean creature?"

Cyrus sighed before punching her lightly on the head—not hard enough to seriously hurt, but enough to sting.

Viora clutched her head, lowering herself to the ground as a single teardrop welled up in her right eye. She let out a loud scream.

"Why the hell did you hit me?! That hurt!"

Cyrus looked down at her with a stern expression.

"You and that out-of-control imagination of yours… Why is the first thing you assume is that I did something to Gwishin?"

Viora got up, a teasing expression on her face.

"We can never be sure with you… I mean…"

She leaned forward, pointing straight at him.

"Just look at you."

Before Cyrus could punch her again, Viora skated away, laughing as she called out,

"Follow me, my humble servant! The bakery is just down the street! Ha ha ha!"

Cyrus watched her disappear into the distance, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Her and her annoying antics..." he muttered under his breath.

Cyrus heard Gwishin giggle as she stopped beside him. With a gentle tone, she said,

"I've always found it cute how you interact with Viora… She really knows how to bring out that side of you."

Cyrus sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he started walking forward.

"W-what the hell are you even talking about? She just knows how to annoy me…"

As he walked away, Gwishin followed, her voice laced with amusement as she giggled.

"Sure, sure… if you say so."

Then, for the first time in four years, they walked side by side, making their way toward the bakery.

***

"Isn't that Viora? It's been so long!"

A tall girl with brown hair, dressed in a white culinary uniform, looked down at her with a smile.

"It's been a while since I last came here…" Viora replied.

Then, the girl noticed Cyrus and Gwishin standing behind her. With a curious look, she asked,

"And who are those two attractive fellas behind you?"

Cyrus blinked at the way she described them, his thoughts immediately echoing—

Attractive fellas?

Viora nodded and gestured toward Gwishin and Cyrus with a bright, proud smile.

"These people behind me are my friends! The ghostly, pale-looking boy is Cyrus, and the mannequin-looking girl is Gwishin!"

Gwishin gave a respectful nod to the woman in front of her.

"My name is Gwishin. Nice to meet you."

Cyrus, on the other hand, remained silent, simply nodding in acknowledgment. As he did, a thought echoed in his mind—

I need to have a serious talk with Viora about how she introduces us to strangers…

The girl grinned at Viora, then gently patted her head.

"Well, would you look at that? The pipsqueak finally has friends!"

Viora, flustered, slapped the woman's hand away, her face turning red as she yelled,

"Who are you calling a pipsqueak?!"

Grinning, the woman suddenly pressed her forehead against Viora's, forcing her into a bow. Caught off guard, Viora stumbled over her words.

"W-what are you doing, Sarah?!"

Sarah ignored her protest, instead bowing deeply to Gwishin and Cyrus as she spoke in a gentle tone,

"Thank you both for being Viora's friends. She may be annoying and eccentric at times, but she really is a kind girl… So, truly, thank you for being there for her."

Gwishin smiled gently as she spoke.

"It's nothing, really. Viora is… an entertaining girl, and she's very nice."

Viora didn't say anything, simply looking down at the ground, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

Cyrus, on the other hand, just sighed and muttered in a low tone,

"It's nothing, really… and I owe her a lot. She's nice to have around."

Cyrus couldn't help but ask, noticing the familiarity between the woman and Viora.

"You two know each other?"

Before the woman could respond, Viora slapped her hand away again and straightened up with a sigh. Though her face was still flushed, her eyes held a hint of melancholy.

"I used to… come here a lot after Ipoh died. In fact, after she passed, the chef was kind enough to take me in for a while before they found me another foster family. I used to help out in the kitchen, played with their youngest daughter… They even paid for Ipoh's funeral since she didn't have any family that we knew of."

She lowered her gaze slightly, her voice softening.

"They were very kind. They didn't have to do any of that for me… but they did, simply because…"

Then, from the back of the bakery, an elderly man emerged. He wore a long white kitchen hat, his face lined with age but softened by a gentle smile.

"We couldn't stand by and watch a young girl suffer without doing something," he said warmly. "And what better reason to help than simple kindness?"

Viora's eyes widened as she whispered in a low voice,

"Boss…"

The old man scratched the back of his head, still wearing that same carefree yet gentle smile.

"Anyway, I'm just glad that the girl I used to see crying from loneliness finally has friends… I'm happy for you, Viora!"

Sarah let out a sigh, crossing her arms as she glanced at her father with an exasperated look.

"You didn't have to push yourself into the conversation, Dad," she muttered.

Then, with another sigh, she turned back to Viora, her expression softening into a smile that mirrored her father's.

"But yeah… we really are happy for you."

Viora's eyes widened even more, and the moment a tear rolled down her cheek, she quickly wiped it away. With a small, trembling smile, she said,

"Thank you… for everything you two did for me three years ago. And… sorry for not visiting sooner."

Just then, Viora's stomach let out a loud growl, the sound awkwardly echoing through the bakery.

Without an ounce of shame, she lifted her head—her face still flushed red and pink—and shamelessly asked,

"I'm hungry. Can we have cake?"

Gwishin giggled quietly at the scene, while Cyrus stared at Viora, dumbfounded. Meanwhile, the old chef and Sarah burst into laughter.

Amid the chaos, Cyrus sighed internally.

We were having such an emotional reunion, and she just had to ruin it with her complete lack of delicacy… She really has no shame!

***

They ended up eating their cake inside the bakery, seated around one of the round tables. The cake—a traditional French vanilla—was delicious, and they also received their bread at the same time.

Before leaving, Viora and Gwishin both went to the bathroom.

As they washed their hands, Viora glanced around. The bathroom was surprisingly beautiful, with a traditional design that gave it a warm, elegant feel.

As Gwishin washed her hands, the water flowing over her palms, she asked,

"Viora… I have a rather sensitive question. Do you mind if I ask?"

Viora turned her head toward her friend, the mirror reflecting her movements. She shrugged casually.

"I don't mind."

Gwishin took a deep breath before continuing,

"You mentioned that when you were in that fiend dimension, you and Cyrus shared the same memory for an instant. Is that right?"

Viora glanced down at her hands, the water running over them, then looked up at the ceiling as she spoke nonchalantly.

"Yeah, we did experience that… Even though I've lost most of my memory of the canvas world, it's all blurry. But I do remember being stabbed multiple times. I probably don't have trauma from it since I lived years of memories in the canvas... and from Cyrus, too."

Gwishin looked at her with sympathy.

"It must've been a terrifying experience… poor you. If you can't answer, I'm not forcing you to."

Viora shook her head, offering a carefree smile.

"No, it's fine. Trust me, as the week's gone on, my memory's become more and more blurry, so I don't have nightmares about the whole thing. Go ahead with your question."

She lowered her head to the sink, taking a deep breath before asking,

"When you were experiencing Cyrus's memories, did you feel… something in particular?"

Viora stayed silent for a few long seconds before speaking in a low voice. Her eyes grew melancholic as she replied,

"I don't remember most of it… I don't think anyone should be able to live years' worth of someone else's memories. But I did feel a lot in those memories, actually. Some things I remember quite clearly…"

Gwishin looked at her, her black eyes piercing as she listened.

Viora continued, her voice carrying a strange, sad tone.

"All I could feel from Cyrus's memories were sadness, doubt, anger... and at the end of it—though the memory we shared was just an instant—I still felt, for a moment, less than an instant... I felt intense guilt. A guilt so overwhelming that it felt as though I had killed someone with my bare hands. It was… scary, Gwishin. I know there's something Cyrus can't forgive himself for, but what did he do that would cause him guilt this intense? You knew him in the past, didn't you? I thought maybe you'd know something…"

Gwishin, while looking down at the sink, closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them slowly, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and said,

"I don't know."

chapter eighty-four end...