This chapter was requested by sxngowo

Yumeno's POV:

I used to not care about you. I thought I didn't care about you. You were so weird, and clingy all the time.  It was annoying.

And then you died.

It could have been me- it was supposed to be me. But you died instead. I was lazy and didn't even respect you, I never gave you a single compliment when you showered me with them every single day.  Yet you decided to stay by my side.

You died, was it unintentional?, For me.

That's when I cried for you, showed that I cared about you...and you weren't even there to see it. I'm sorry, Chabashira...Tenko. 

But...you didn't die that day. Not really, you're here in the same facility as me, alive and breathing...when I first heard the news I just wanted to find you, wherever you are in this place and...I don't know what I would say, there are so many things I want to tell you. 

But...do you still care about me as you did back then? Or are we too different now? I think I have changed. I...I want to put on a magic show for you, I can only remember a handful of card tricks nows, side effects, but I still think you would like them so...I will see you again.

~-~-~-~

Her hair was short. 

That's what I first noticed, her hair used to be in two braids, that was noticeably missing, unlike some other glimpses I had of the others her hair wasn't cut by her hand, it was too neat and in an actual hairstyle, more like it was done professionally, it made my own crudely trimmed hair feel embarrassing by comparison.

She looked healthy, which made me feel even worse, underneath my eyes were dark bags and my body was still thin, apparently, even before the coma I had been dangerously thin, and it only made my bones stick out like a sore thumb. Her on the meanwhile still seemed fit, not like how she was in the game, but definently better than the skeletons I had seen so far.

Her eyes were reddish and teary-eyed, destroying the image of the put-together person. She was crying at the sight of me, with a big giant smile on her face as she brought her hands to her face. When she saw me her eyes widened, and she immediately sprang up "Himiko!" she cheered, I felt my body stiffen as she crushed me into a hug "you're going to break my ribs" I choked out, she immediately broke away but still held onto me as if she was worried I would disappear if she let go.

It should be the reverse, given the circumstances.

"How are you?" she asked, she was giving me a look over and I could see her eyes tinged with worry, "I was like this before the game, I'm not starving myself," I told her, and she let out a small sigh of relief, but she still looked worried.

Why am I not crying? I should be crying, screaming, doing ANYTHING! But no, I'm just here...she's right in front of me like she's always been back there...why...I thought she was dead for weeks...and even when I knew she wasn't dead I didn't cry...I just nodded...WHY? Why am I being like this?!

"I saw you," Chabashira told me, my eyes widened in surprise, "I watched the footage of the game the second I woke up...I saw you after...you know, I saw you cry...I'm proud of you Himiko! You're showing your emotions to people" she congratulated. I stared at her in disbelief, "aren't you going to scream at me...?" I mumbled, "huh?" she asked, "I was never nice to you when you were alive! I never told you if I cared about you! I didn't care about you for a long time! I never told you how much your friendship meant to me, yet every single day you told me how amazing I was! How could you have stood me?! WHY WERE YOU SO NICE?! Why are you still being nice to me...? I didn't even cry when I showed up here...you're crying and I haven't! Not even when I knew you were alive! I didn't even arrange this meeting, it was you...it was always you putting in the effort...so why?" I asked.

She didn't say anything for a while. Just rubbed my back while I finally started sobbing, they weren't what I was expecting, how I cried after the third trial, a mess, but little streams and soundless cries as I sniffled. She still said nothing until I looked back up at her, "you are crying" she told me.

I am crying.

"You bottled it up, you bottled everything up...that's it...I don't expect you to change overnight I hope you know that Himiko..." she told me, I rubbed the remaining tears out of my eyes, I didn't know what to do or say.

"Hey...do you still know how to do magic?" Chabashira asked, breaking the ice, I laughed a little, "I know some tricks...it's weird, I forgot how to cast any of my spells or charms but the second I saw a magic book I remembered most of it immediately" I told her, "for me, it's the same as back then, according to the physical therapist I did study martial arts before I went into the game, I don't remember any of that" she told me with a small shrug.

"It's ok, I don't remember my life either, I don't think I want to know, it would be a pain trying to sort all of that out," I told her, yawning. Chabashira smiled brightly, "aww you are still my Himiko," she remarked, "huh?" I asked, "I was scared you would have grown up so much or your memories would change you so much I wouldn't even be able to recognize you, but you only changed in ways to improve yourself...I'm glad," she told me.

"You haven't changed a bit," I told her. I was grateful for that.

I pulled out a pack of cards I had in the pocket of my gown and showed them off to Chabashira, "Want me to show you my magic? It's going to improve a lot now!" I promised, Chabashira clapped her hands excitedly, "as long as you don't jump into a piranha tank I would like to see any spell!" she told me, "but that's one of the only ones I remember"