(I'd be lying if I said I was unaware how harmful my omission about Aika's death, revival, and subsequent memory loss really was.)

Isabella was at the mall, shopping for new jeans and sweaters for the approaching cold seasons. She simply picked out whatever she saw and liked, without having to worry about money. In the corner of her eye, she saw a girl trying to reach for an item that was just a little to high for her to reach. Upon taking a second gander, Isabella recognized the girl as Aika.

“Aika?” Isabella called out.

Aika was so startled she yelled out in fright, slapping her hand over her mouth to not embarrass herself further.

"Umm...yes?" she politely responded, surely thinking the shrieking blonde before her was crazy.

"What are you doing here? Where have you been for the past two weeks?” Isabella interrogated. “You just up and left without saying anything to anyone! I mean, I know you live in a house full of complete cunts, but come on! Aren't I at least awesome enough to say goodbye to? You were gone so long, so you must have a place to live now, right?

Fumbling in her words and thoughts along, Aika mumbled, "Well...I..."

"You even cut your hair? What is this?!” Izzy continued. “Aika, you’re even wearing bright colors and dresses now? Geez, it's almost like you're a completely different person now! Did you go to Slut Rehab or something?”

Aika blushed and mumbled, unable to answer Isabella coherently. "Uhhh..." she continued to mumble.

"Hmm? Hey, the Slut Rehab thing was a joke. You know humor isn't really my strong point. But seriously, what's up? Where were you? We were worried sick, Aika."

"I'm sorry...it's just..."

"What?" Isabella asked in confusion.

"Have we met somewhere before?"

Isabella was momentarily stunned. ”Huh? You...you are Aika, right? Aika Mihara? There's no way I'm confusing you with someone else..."

"You know my name?”

"Of course I do, dumbass! Why would I not know your name? I even know how to write it out! Aika is written as "Love Song" and Mihara is written as 'Three Plains', right?"

"Yeah, that's me all right. I don't think you're confusing me for anyone else, but still...how do you know me?"

This extended ignorance began to reveal to Isabella that Aika wasn't kidding. She really had no recollection of Isabella.

"Aika...I...I'm so sorry! Maybe it really is someone else! Sorry for bothering you!"

Isabella dropped her clothes and ran away. Aika reached out for her, but couldn't call her, since she could not remember her name. The nonplussed Isabella could only make her way home and carry the news to the rest of the group.

(Isabella came home...and my lie was broken.)

Yoko stood on the porch watering her grass as Isabella ran home, bending over and catching her breath.

"Ah, Gaijin. I was just watering my grass so that your grave would be nice and healthy. What would you like written for your epitaph? ‘Here lies Gaijin, she made rhe fatal error of using Yoko's razor to shave her legs.’. Or maybe, ‘Here lies Gaijin, all the blood in her body went to her breasts and left her head empty.’ Or perhaps we could have a Jisei engraved on it, hmm?" Yoko teased.

"Now's not the time to be a yandere bitch, Yoko! There's a serious problem right now!” Isabella retaliated.

"You're very fortunate this hose isn't funneling out pure hydrochloric acid. Otherwise, I'd find a point in spraying you with it.” Yoko threatened in return.

"It's Aika! I saw her at the mall today!” Isabella shouted.

Yoko immediately turned off the hose. "Really? And you still managed to fail in bringing her back?”

"Don't talk to me like I'm some dog refusing to catch a bone in its mouth and listen! Aika doesn't remember me!"

Yoko's eyes widened with upon her staggering realization. Her intuition was as sharp as a blade's edge.

"Izanami and Osamu were both absent the night Aika went missing. Ever since then...they've both been weird." Yoko retrospectively observed.

Another realization crossed Yoko's mind; the possibility that Aika may have tried to kill herself. It was in this moment that Yoko dropped the hose and marched back inside the house, her fists clenched in anger.

"Wait, where are you going?" Isabella nervously asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"To have a little talk with Osamu. I'll be right back." she calmly replied.

"Wait, Yoko! Are you sure you—"

"I'm just gonna talk to him, Izzy." Yoko said as her fists clenched with a vice grip that could kill a small animal.

"No, I'm almost positive you're going to do something irrational!” Isabella reasonably observed.

"Wherever could you have gotten that idea, my dear?” Yoko asked. “I'm not irrational at all. Never have been, never will be. I, Yoko Akiyama, vow to you that I will not commit an irrational action when I step inside of this house. You have my word and honor, Isabella Bailey."

After swearing such a dutiful vow and marching into the house, Yoko quickly located Osamu in the kitchen and kept on walking towards him, her head hung low and her scarlet hair draped over her ocean-blue eyes.

"Ah, hey Yo—"

Osamu smiling face was greeted with a swift, knuckle cracking punch to his cheek, knocking him off his stool and onto the kitchen floor. The commotion summoned Izanami from upstairs.

"You lying, duplicitous bastard!" Yoko screamed.

(Of course. I knew this would happen.)

Recovering from the punch well enough to talk, he immediately tried to reason with the furious Yoko. “Yoko, listen!”

Yoko put her foot on Osamu's throat as Izanami watched. She gazed upon the squealing Osamu with furious eyes.

"Yoko, please stop!" Izanami pleaded.

"Shut up, Corpse! You both lied to me and to Isabella, in my own house! I feed you, clothe you, give you shelter, and that's how you repay me? What happened to Aika that night?Why is it that Isabella runs into her in the mall and she doesn't remember a damn thing about her?”

"It hurts!" Osamu wheezed from beneath her foot.

"You better start talking! Lie to me again and I will crush your throat!” Yoko threatened.

"She died!" Izanami revealed, saving Osamu.

Yoko's foot eased up on Osamu's throat as Izanami shouted out. The two words rendered Yoko completely, uncomfortably numb as Izanami explained further.

“She killed herself down by the beach. Yoko, you know I'm the goddess of death! It's my responsibility to look after those who die until they are judged! I had to take her, but I didn't want to let her go, and I knew Osamu didn't want to either! So, that same night..."

"Izanami. I'll say the rest." Osamu interjected.

(Thank you, for saving me again.)

"In order to save Aika, we had to undo the moment in her life that was the root cause of her pain. The moment in question...was the moment she met me. I had to save her, Yoko. I had to make sure she could still live. So, I undid that moment without hesitation. Because of that, Aika no longer remembers me, or any of you. She's also changed personality wise. She's a bright girl now. She cut her hair short and it looks really pretty on her. She smiles a lot more and is actively going out more. She's wearing bright colors and dresses. Meeting me...was the worst thing that ever happened to Aika. Now that I don't exist in her heart and mind...just look at how happy she is. She won't kill herself again, not as she is now."

Izanami held her shaking hands over her tense heart, trying to calm herself down. “Yoko…”

"Don't." Yoko responded, shutting Izanami down before she could start.

Isabella stood behind Yoko, worried she might really kill Osamu.

With an initial giggle and a subsequent weakening of her voice, Yoko whispered, "It was my fault, wasn't it? I bet what I said that day really set her off..."

To Osamu's surprise and mutual heartbreak, Yoko stood before everyone in frustrated, heartbroken tears.

"You know, I was just like her once, before I met Osamu. For me, meeting him was the best thing to ever happen to me.” Yoko said. “I finally had a friend, someone who didn't look at me with disdain and prejudgement. Because I've been through that kind of brutal isolation, I thought I was the one who could best understand Aika. Stupid me, right? When I kissed her and saw her desires and intentions...it hurt. I felt sorry for her.

"Having a dysfunctional family, no friends, and a dying mother...I can't imagine how she got through it all. Most of all, Osamu, I could see that she loved you. She loved you so fiercely she could hardly stand it. Even though she felt that way, I still wanted to make sure she would at least find the will to live. And then I ruined it. I was closest to understanding Aika's feelings, and yet I'm the one who broke her down so badly she wanted to kill herself."

"Yoko, that's not true..." Osamu consoled.

“Osamu, do you hate me? Because I hate myself so much right now! One girl! I couldn't even save the life of one girl. Just how I couldn't save you four years ago. Once again, I failed someone I loved.”

"It's not your fault, Yoko. None of it is your fault.” Osamu said.

Feeling the gentle touch of Isabella's hand on her shoulder, Yoko's anger faded away, and it all turned into sadness.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"The only thing harder than letting go of someone you love is releasing the guilt that comes afterwards.” Isabella added. "I think we've all had enough of that, and I don't just mean Aika. All of us, with our connection to Osamu and everything that happened four years ago, could be a lot happier if we just let it all go, Yoko. What happened then remains in the past. I mean, just look at us. We're all here, together. So let it go, Yoko.”

Isabella's final push allowed Yoko to fully cool down. She bitterly accepted the result of Aika’s tribulation. If Aika truly was happy after such an endeavor, wasn’t that a good thing? It was such a confusing feeling, being met with such a bittersweet ending after all of that work. But there’s a reason why purely happy, purely optimistic endings are often found in fairy tales and not life. In life, very few good things come without sacrifice.

(After that, Yoko broke down. I had never seen her cry that much in the many years I've known her. I suppose the heartbreak came from the fact that Yoko saw so much of herself in Aika, and yet, the two took completely different paths in life. That's the core of Yoko's being. She doesn't want to be alone. She wants to show people like her that they are not alone, that life is a precious thing to hang on to.

(And of course...a four year old cloud of guilt remained over Yoko's head over my own suicide attempt before I left Kyoto. Later that day, Yoko realized there was no point in keeping Aika's things in the house. She was going to be on her own now, fighting for her own happiness with no memory of us.)

Yoko neatly folded Aika's clothes and bagged them, thinking of throwing them out. The shelves and drawers were void of Aika’s belongings, as if she never even lived there. However, there was one last item that belonged to Aika, leaning on the wall in the closet. It was her acoustic guitar.

"You really depended on music, didn't you?” Yoko whispered in broken tone.

Izanami received a knock on her door, opening it to find Yoko carrying all of Aika's things by herself. Clothes, books, guitar, and all.

"W-what's this? Are you going to college?” Izanami ignorantly questioned.

"Huh? Of course not. Well, not yet anyways." Yoko responded.

"Oh, my bad! I heard that when young people leave the nest, it's because they're going to a place called college, where they learn a lot of useless skills and get treated like babies at a daycare!” Izanami explained. “Oh, or is that American college? Ah, I don't remember!"

"You really are clueless. Two things, Izanami.” Yoko said.

"Hmm?" Izanami vocalized with a smile.

"First, I'm sorry for calling you Corpse earlier."

Izanami couldn't help but blush. "Oh don't worry about it, silly! I forgive you. By the way, you wouldn't happen to be saying that just because I have to judge your soul when you die and have the option of sending you to a formless world of oblivion and darkness, right?"

"Yes, but I also say it with respect and penitence." Yoko calmly assured.

"Good enough. What's the second thing?"

"Where does Aika live now?” Yoko asked.

“Huh? If you want to return something to her, I can just teleport you there.”

"No. I'm going to walk." Yoko said. "I deserve to bear this weight for the walk. This is Aika's weight, and I wasn't able to carry it. I guess you can call this is my punishment for failing her, but also, they are gifts and wishes for the future. Aika's future."

(And just like that, Yoko was walking through town by herself, carrying all of Aika's things. Her guitar, the gifts that Izanami and I got for her...)

After a long walk, Yoko stopped at a small, quiet house and rung the doorbell. She was so nervous she was shivering, despite it being a relatively warm, autumn day. Yoko was shocked to see Aika’s new look as she opened the door, wearing a sweatshirt and yoga pants. Yoko almost wanted to break down right then and there.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Aika politely asked.

"You're so beautiful..." Yoko said without thinking.

Aika blushed and covered her face, stuttering her words. "L-Listen! I'm not into girl love, so if you're trying to swoon me, you can just go ahead and leave!"

"No! It's not that! I was just taken aback, that's all.” Yoko assured.

"What is all that you're carrying?” Aika asked, pointing to the bags full of her old stuff, things she couldn't remember ever belonged to her.

"Ah, these? Well, you see, I had all these extra clothes, books, and a guitar that I didn't need anymore. I've been going door to door to see if anyone wants them, but there haven't be any takers yet. That's actually why I'm here."

"Oh wow! Nobody took the guitar? It's so cool! Can I see it?” Aika asked.

Yoko smiled and took if off of her back. Aika looked so natural with it around her shoulders. "Wow, it's a little heavy! But that's how you know when it's the real deal. The strings are wounded up quite nicely too. There's a lot of slack, so the action isn't very high, but not too low either. Perfect for soloing!"

"Yeah..." Yoko whispered under mournful breath.

"Hey, are those music books too?" Aika excitedly inquired.

"Yeah, you can take those too if you want."

Aika set the guitar down and opened up the books. She smiled just as she did when she first got them for her twentieth birthday, a day she couldn't remember.

"This is good material! It's comprehensive and easy to understand. That's paramount when it comes to teaching harder genres like Jazz and Classical."

Yoko bit her lip to keep from crying, while Aika couldn't look any happier.

“Is it really okay for me to keep all of this? You sure you don't need it? This all looks really expensive.” said Aika, overwhelmed by Yoko's goodwill.

"Yeah, it's okay. You look better with all of it anyway."

"Wow, thank you so much Miss....oh goodness, I'm sorry...what's your name?” Aika asked.

"Yoko Akiyama. Yoko is written as ‘Ocean Child’.”

"That's a pretty name, Yoko! I'm Aika! I guess the characters don't really need explaining, right?"

"Yeah! Love Song, right?” Yoko smiled.

"Mmhmm!" Aika cheerfully confirmed.

She took a close look at Yoko, her gaze catching Yoko off guard. "Why do you look so sad? Are you moving?” Aika asked.

"No...I'm just glad you're happy. I didn't know who I was going to give these to, you know?"

"Thank you! I really appreciate it! Oh, do you have clothes there too?” Aika asked.

"Yeah, but they're mostly dark colors. I think you would probably look better in bright colors.” Yoko suggested.

"Wow! I get that all the time! I'll still take them though! Maybe one of my cousins would like them."

"S-sure."Yoko nervously agreed.

Having seen for herself how happy Aika was now, the weight was now off of Yoko.

"Well, thank you for your time. Have a great day, Aika.” Yoko said with a bow.

"No, thank you! Have a great day." Aika sang, waving goodbye from the front door.

The saunter home was lighter on Yoko’s back than the initial walk to go see Aika. The weight, both physical and mental, was truly gone. And yet, a phantom pain remained. Though she was sure her spirits would find their way up again, Yoko knew and accepted that what happened to Aika, and the sins committed to get her there, would remain with her forever. Still, those sins culminated in the deed performed by Osamu that ended up saving her.

Through all of the tragedy that led to this result, Yoko could find a comfortable rock of solace in that. In the end, Aika was saved and her crisis was brought to an end.

Yoko cried all the way home, more out of happiness than sorrow, but her tears were indeed of a bittersweet mixture. Aika really didn't remember anything, but at least, with a fresh start, she could start over and life a burden-free life. By the time Yoko got home, the sun was gone and the crescent moon was bright. Isabella, Izanami, Yoko, and Osamu gathered in the kitchen as they always did, knowing they'd have to get used to being short of one member of the household.

"So, that's it." Yoko sighed, sitting at the island with the others. "She doesn't remember a thing about us. Her cousins are taking good care of her. She's really happy too. She was thrilled to receive everything. At least this way, Aika can still have the gifts we got her."

"Man, with just Aika missing, the house feels so much emptier." Isabella bemoaned.

"You got that right." Osamu agreed.

Izanami, resting her head in her hand, concurred, "Yeah..."

Still, they couldn't let the mood be drab forever. With or without Aika, Osamu and the group of eccentric ex-girlfriends had come to an unspoken decision.

"Well, my room is empty now so..." Yoko lead on.

"So?" asked a suspense-ridden Isabella.

"I want to sleep with Osamu again." Yoko relentlessly declared.

(Oh boy...here comes the anarchy)

"Swallow a hand grenade! I won that room fair and square in that race! Or did you forget, Butter Thighs?" Isabella taunted.

Attempting to mediate the chaos, Izanami stood up and gently interjected. "Now now, let's not—"

"Butter thighs?!”Yoko continued, completely ignoring Izanami's diplomacy. "Mighty words coming from Cow Tits! Keep your bullshit up, Gaijin. Maybe I'll snap your femur in half and use the jagged edge to stab you in your stupid face!"

"I'll have Daddy send you to GitMo!" Isabella threatened.

(Isabella...you're trying to lighten Yoko's mood, aren't you? I've known you long enough to recognize when you thrust your own personality into a situation to relieve the burdens of others. You really are amazing. Unless...this is just two chicks fighting over nothing...)

"What's GitMo? Ooo! Is it a summer camp?” Izanami ignorantly asked.

"I'm pretty sure it’s an American detention—uhh, you know what? Yes. It's a summer camp." Osamu lied.

"I wanna go to GitMo and get my beach body!" declared the adorably ignorant Izanami.

"You're staying right here until I say it's okay for you to leave!" shouted Yoko like a raging monster.

Even Izanami backed down, covering her head as if protecting herself from someone about to hit her.

"Fine, you can have your room, Yoko. But I'd wash the sheets if I were you!" Isabella teased.

"Are you trying to get me killed?!” Osamu anguished. But she wasn't done. Isabella was about to drop the ultimate bombshell. An obvious lie, of course.

"In fact, me and Osamu…are expecting!”

"I could just die!” Osamu continued to anguish.

"Osamu...." Yoko calmly sang.

Yoko brandished a cleaver in her hands. Her murderous intent was only thinly veiled by her loving smile. "You would never fornicate with another woman in my bed, would you, honey? I mean, it would be a tragedy of biblical proportions if Isabella were to disappear one day and you find one of her eyeballs in the next pot of chicken soup I make, right? Come on! Say it! Tell me you love me and you would never betray my love and trust!"

"Don't listen to her, Osamu! Stand up for yourself and our child!" Isabella demanded.

"We're not having a child!" Osamu forlornly clarified.

"All right, that's it!" Yoko shouted. "I'm going to reveal Isabella's most shameful secret!"

“Shameful?!” Izanami asked with surprise.

“Secret?!” Isabella repeated with outrage.

Yoko giggled with a smug grin on her face. ”Did you guys know that Isabella...."

"Don't say it!" threatened Isabella.

It only pushed Yoko to go further. "Has inverted nipples!"

(Fatality!)

"No! Why would you say that? I do not have inverted nipples!" cried Isabella.

"Therefore, Osamu, Isabella is unfit in every way to become anything more than your occasional concubine.” Yoko declared. “I can accept that much. However, she is useless as a girlfriend, a fiancé, a wife, and a mother. As big as they are, she cannot feed your children the necessary nutrients to grow strong and healthy."

"I really don't want to talk about breasts and nipples this late at night..." Osamu sighed.

Yoko bent over so Osamu could see inside her shirt, groping her breasts as her tongue brushed across her top lip. "But you've seen me naked before, Osa. You know what mines look like. They're perfectly suitable for breastfeeding, so I can make your children happy and healthy.”

"I absolutely do not have inverted nipples! I'll take my shirt off and prove it if I have to!” Isabella proposed.

"Please keep your shirt on!" begged Osamu, growing weary of their constant back and forth.

"Besides, my hips are wider! They're better for childbirth!” Isabella bargained.

(We've skipped love and girlfriends and gone straight to raising families.)

"My hips are wide enough!" Yoko retorted in her own defense.

Attempting to be part of something, Izanami tried expressing her own understanding of the situation. "Boobies, hips, and highly inappropriate subject matter!” she strongly and strangely shouted.

"Never try to join a conversation you don't understand, Izanami.” Osamu pleaded.

Isabella's laughs died down into a gentle smile directed at Yoko. Osamu, Yoko, and Izanami joined her in her laughter, all of them chuckling until tears filled their eyes.

After lightening the mood, it seemed Izzy had a few sincere words to share. "Yoko, next time, let's tackle our issues as a family. You don't have to handle anything by yourself anymore. I know we're an odd bunch, annoying and pesky at times, but...we all live here together. And though I hate to admit it, I've really come to love you guys."

Yoko's eyes softened in such a beautiful way. It was clear Izzy's words had eased her weary, guilt-ridden heart.

"Do you promise?” Isabella asked. "From now on, we handle whatever crisis comes our way as a family."

Isabella extended her hand out to Yoko, who gladly shook it with a bright smile and peacefully closed eyes.

"All right, Izzy. It's a promise. From now on, I’ll never forget that we're a family." Yoko sincerely and wholeheartedly agreed.

With dinner long over and the hands of the clock fast approaching eleven, everyone put away their dishes and tidied the kitchen for the night. One by one, the lights in the house were turned off. All that remained were the lights to Yoko's bedroom upstairs, where everyone gathered to bid each other a good night.

"All right folks. Pajamas are on, bellies are full, teeth are brushed, and our hearts are at ease.” Isabella sang. "I bid you all farewell and goodnight!"

“Isabella." Yoko suddenly called out.

(Hmm?)

"What is it, Yoko?" she asked.

"Let's all sleep together tonight. You're all invited to my bed.” Yoko said.

Isabella could've very well teased Yoko for her sudden change of heart. She could've made another great scene, bringing out her arsenal of insults. But there was something so honest and sincere about Yoko's request, that it activated a silent but powerful love between them, one that no one outside of that house could possibly understand.

At last, everyone truly felt like a family.

“Yoko...thank you" Isabella smiled. "Let's all sleep together!"

(And so, our home began to recover and revert to its normal, energetic state. Even without our beloved song bird, Aika. But all clouds most roll, and all rivers must flow. If our streams don't cross paths, we will all meet again in the sea. Until then, keep on singing your song, Aika. We'll be over here, our hearts and ears listening out for your voice.)

End of Day 34