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To think that this awkwardness had probably been mutual for a while… who could guess a simple apology was all that had been required all this time? Just a tiny bit of understanding and some sincerity. Still, hearing Akihito say that takes weight off his mind and heart. He hadn’t realized how nervous he was until some of the ensuing silence gave him the opportunity to hear his own heart beating like crazy. In fact, as soon as Akihito said the words ‘apology accepted’ almost without him realizing, Kiyoyuki heaved a huge sigh of relief. And it really was. A relief. Thank god.

“You were wrong but I can’t say I was blameless. I probably… I mean, we probably just rubbed each other the wrong way and brought out the worst stuff. It’s. Water under the bridge. But I… really have to say… I’m, um… I’m so glad.. I’m so glad we can talk like this and be friends… really so glad.”

His eyes sting a little and he turns them to the floor. God, he’s not going to cry over this, is he? Why does this mean so much? Maybe it’s proof. Proof of something better, proof he’s something better. It makes his mind wander sometimes, too. To Tetsuo. It often goes to Tetsuo. He never really lets the dead escape his mind. Tetsuo had been kind of close to both him and Akihito. Had he ever wished they’d gotten along? Had he known about the drama at all? Would he be happy now? Maybe he would. He hoped so. All you could do was hope these days. But maybe that was enough.

“P-play… games? Really? I’d… I’d love to! Geez that’d… that’d sure be surreal, you’re right!”

Imagining it is a weird thing. But he blinks as Akihito’s voice seems to change a little. Oh. This was serious. If it was serious then the seiyuu would respect that and treat it seriously too. It was about… Kyo? To be honest, Kiyoyuki was still a little confused over that. It’d happened so quickly, it seemed so surreal, so out of this world and yet… it was hard to deny it as the truth. Hopefully he was just somewhere happier. Better.

“… You mean Otonomiya-san, right? … Are you sure? I mean… yeah. I know his voice and I can do it but…”

Will that make Akihito more upset? After they’d come this far and they’d finally made amends would things crumble again if he heard his friend’s voice? … No. That wasn’t the case. This Akihito was different right? He was stronger. And Kiyoyuki was stronger too. Even if things backfired things could always be repaired. If he believed in that to the very end… then whatever Monobear did couldn’t harm him. Not anymore. Because it was different now. He was different now.

“No. I mean… I can do it. I will. Don’t worry. Give me a second.”

Kiyoyuki tries on a smile and takes a deep breath.

“【’Be well, my friend. These are tenebrous times. Such solemn despondency does not become you. Take heart in the better days. You are not as alone as you think, Akihito.’】”

Akihito was.. incredibly relieved. This was an odd feeling in a place like this. He was making real friends.. he wasn’t scared anymore. Now that it was just down to these for kids, people who we was really becoming friends with.. he didn’t feel like he had anymore reasons to be afraid. He’s never felt this safe, even before getting locked in this place.

But tears fell from his eyes as he got to hear one last message from Otonomiya... hopefully the last of them.

“......Y-yer really good at that, y’know? Ya even use big silly words, like he used t’...” the smallest of chuckles escaped him as he said that. That eloquent way he spoke.. sometimes Akihito had to sweet clue what that guy was even saying, but in the end he always understood. He felt like he could just fall apart, but something else held him together..

Kyo Otonomiya... his first friend. They had their ups and downs, and hell, Akihito could have been a way better friend to him.. The last time they talked before his death, Kyo had to slap him in the face after losing it. If only he could have made things better.. less stressful for Kyo instead of harder. He always made things harder.. but now, instead of dwelling.. he wanted to change that.

“Thanks, man.. Yer way better at doin’ voices than I thought, that was spot on.” He sniffed, wiping his eyes. “I-I needed that.. I really wanna try an’ not be th’ guy people have t’ keep consoling. I’m gonna try an’ be more like Bro and Chief... I wanna stop worryin’ everyone an’ upsettin’ people. Y’know.. like what I did t’ you. Shame it only took ‘til we had four people left fer me t’ come t’ this decision, huh?” He wiped his eyes, trying to calm down and regain his composure.

Oh, well hadn’t he cheered up? Well, that face he was making wasn’t exactly cheerful, but that was her fault. His concern was a little touching, and the last thing she wanted was to bring everyone else down just because she was feeling a little moody.

“Yeah, you’re right~ I shouldn’t be a such a downer.” she nodded in approval, putting on what she hoped was a reassuring sort of smile. At the last minute, she embellished it with a thumbs up. “And I’m glad that you’re feeling better too! Let’s keep it up~”

Her heart tightened a little at the mention of romance – that was how she’d gotten into this mess, wasn’t it? But no, this wasn’t about her. Besides, she already had some inkling about what he was referring to, unless she had somehow missed some other blooming love. Even if she knew the who, she did want to know the how…

“Bouncy, huh? Are you sure you’re in high school~? You sound like a kid, heheh. Let’s go~” she giggled, deciding to keep her mind off of her own shortcomings for just a little while longer. This was fine. “I can’t refuse juicy romance gossip! Tell me all about it once we get there. I want all the details, kay~?”

“EH!? A kid!? I’m way cooler than’ a lil’ kid, I’m rad as fuck, an’ totally mature fer my age! Ask anybody!” Couldn’t be further from the truth. He starts walking toward the break room, expecting Miya to follow along behind him. As soon as they arrived, he let her enter first.. while he instinctively peeked back down the hall to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. Not that it mattered, there was only one other person out of the loop, and Kiyoyuki wouldn’t make fun of him for anything, most likely. Once he deemed the coast clear, he slipped back into the room, mouth running at a million words a minute.

Akihito Ozu…

it was so strange looking at him now. Were they so different? Had they ever been so different? Maybe not. Perhaps it was just impossible to see in the beginning. Back then… everyone looked like an enemy to him. Everything was a threat. Being actively confronted by Akihito in the beginning had spooked him so badly it’d just… well, stuck with him, even in the face of evidence that the kid wasn’t so bad. I mean, if his secret was anything to go by… he had some rash tendencies, maybe he got a bit bad-tempered… but he was lonely. And probably afraid. He’d never really wanted to dislike Akihito it had just happened. Maybe after all of this though that could finally be rectified. First things first, he owed the electrician something.

“Oh! Uh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to– like I wasn’t going to– no bad intentions… sorry about the heart stuff…”

That came out as very awkward… and it wasn’t what he wanted to say. No, actually before anything else there was something that needed to be said. Without much warning, Kiyoyuki’s head swings down in a bow, his fingers balling into fists.

“Ozu-san I– I owe you a big apology. You’ve apologized to me before but I don’t think I ever returned the gesture… so, I’m sorry, for everything.”

Now that that’s out of the way he can talk to Akihito normally. At the very least he had to get that out there before anything else. But to his surprise, Akihito just seemed… okay. He was so hopeless in the trial, panicking but now he seemed… like… maybe just maybe he was gonna be okay. That made him smile and slowly Kiyoyuki raised his head again.

“It’s okay– really, like… none of us have really shown off our best sides here… no one’s perfect. Torn up over it… well, in a sense I am you know? It sucks– no it’s not that, it’s horrible, what’s happened, what keeps happening but. I remember them sometimes, you know? Everyone… and I know I have to keep on trying. If I let it be over, if I let myself succumb to some victim complex I can’t help feeling like I’ll be letting them down too.”

Kiyoyuki sighs and then shakes his head.

“B-but I didn’t wanna talk about such morbid things, ahh… umm… I mean, you look better and that’s good I’m glad– the thing is– I kinda wanted to ask you if you… wanted to try… being friends? I know this is so stupid and not the time and everything but… I don’t want to regret anything if I can and … I do want to try being your friend, Ozu-kun.”

He was.. a little surprised to hear an apology from him, considering he just brushed him off last time. But.. it gave him a little closure. He’d been waiting for this.

“Apology accepted, dude.. an’ I’m sorry fer everythin’, too. I know I already apologized, but I’d been shitty since then and I figured apologizin’ once more for everythin’ all at once was best! I’m glad ya don’t hate me.. we’re kinda gettin’ a lil’ too low on numbers t’ be hatin’ on each other, right? So.... f-fuck yeah, I wanna be friends. Ya do that cool voice shit an’ yer in my video games! ‘Course I wanna be friends! I wanted t’ be friends from th’ start, but then I.. well.. y’know th’ rest.” He rubbed the back of his neck. He was pretty nervous. Would he ever get used to making friends?

“Oi, speakin’ of video games! Wanna play somethin’? It’ll be cool, y’know? Gettin’ t’ hear ya next t’ me an’ also in front of me? Ya’d be talkin’ t’ yerself, it’ll be so weird!” He laughed... but then remembered one thing he wanted to ask.

Tetsuo, or the program that acted in his stead, had not had a visitor for sometime. He had continued to watch as more unfortunate souls joined the ranks of the dead. To think that the game was still being carried on now… In no time at all Sumiko, Kaitaro, Aiko, Terumi,  The Gingerbread Man, Kyo, and… Jiang-Li… They had all been welcomed into the digital world.

“Even now… I still couldn’t help them…”

The chief figured, with how things were going, he may never see one of his friend’s faces again before the game had finally concluded. Fortunately, however, he would be wrong.

“O-Ozu?! You put Naomi-chan down immediately! It is disrespectful for you handle her so poorly! Er… Wait! N-No! What are you doing here?!”

He found himself unable to control his inner otaku even in this state? He truly was an unfortunate being. Keep it cool, Chief. KEEP IT COOL.

“I’m happy to see you are alright, Ozu… You seem to be in higher spirits than I expected with all that has happened. Tell me, how are the others feeling? …A-And if you’re looking for an appropriate figure to deem worthy of a ‘w-waifu’ title, perhaps check the girls on my desk. Surely one of them will do.”

He put Naomi-chan down, snickering as he made his way over to the desk, investigating the gaggle of girls that were placed there. Ozu sat down in the big chair at the desk, brimming with childlike delight as it made him feel like a chief himself! He picked up another figurine with no delicacy.

“’Course I’m okay! I’m always okay! I’d be dead now if I wasn’t!” ...in hindsight, saying that to someone that was already dead might be in poor taste, or even given their predicament, but Ozu never said he had a way with words.

Akihito couldn’t believe he was in such high spirits now. It was... really new to him. It felt strange to been feeling this positive about anything. He was laying on his bed, feet hanging off the side and swinging. He stared up at the ceiling, a small blush stuck on his cheeks. Someone likes him.. like.. like likes him. And he liked them back, it was a miracle! He laid there, blushing like a shy school girl. How lame. Akihito was so lame. He sat up, he needed a change of scenery. Something to distract him before his fluttering heart carried him out the window. Except in this case going out the window meant getting sucked into endless dark and scary ocean.

He hopped out of his room and went into the hall, looking around.. who’s room could he visit.. Hey! He could visit Chief! Sure he was.. dead.. but the gizmo thing his ghost was trapped in made it fell like he wasn’t as dead! Ozu went into the Chief’s room with ease.

The first time he came in he didn’t really soak in the sights. He was too busy crying his eyes out. Looking around the room now though... Akihito couldn’t help but let out a light snicker. He walked over to the shelf of figurines, all sorts of anime girls, in gaggles of poses and outfits. Were some of these special edition even? Whoa!..