I woke up with a mild head ache and I sat up straight and rubbed my eyes after removing my glasses. I wore it back and stood up and when I looked around I found myself in the music room. How did I get here? Didn't I fall near the door to my room? I ran out of the room and went into every single room in the house to make sure that I was robbed or not. Fortunately, everything's the same and nothing's missing. I sighed in relief and took a quick shower and changed into a good grey hoodie and and blue pants. I grabbed my phone and the keys to my cycle. I cycled my way to a flower shop and bought a small pink rose and then made my way to Ma Fille's and the bakery sign showed closed. I looked through the glass to see if anyone was there but there was no one present. I knocked on the glass door for minutes and a while later. Her father opened the door for me.

"Oh, Arima-kun," he said. His voice was duller and sadder and his dark eyes showed no sign of sleep.

"Good morning, sir," I said. "How're you doing?"

He gave me an expressionless look. "Horrible." He remained quiet for a while. How will I ask about the letter when they are like this? I'd feel pretty bad. "Come on in. I'll get you something."

"No, thanks, it's okay," I said, coming inside the bakery with the flower in hand. Her father went towards the door at a side of the room and walked behind him. Behind the door was an aisle with white wall and wooden doors and handles on either side. I guess the handles were for Kaori.

At the end of the aisle, there was a door with a pink board written 'Kaori' on it in yellow bubble letters. Her dad was walking to that door and I knew her mother was in there. He opened the door revealing her room. Her mother was sitting on her bed, resting her elbows on her thighs as it held her head. She was staring at the floor not shifting her attention to me which didn't bother me at all.

"Ryouko," her dad called her as he sat beside her placing his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at me with her swollen, teary brown eyes and started crying when she saw me.

"Come here, son," she said, spreading her hands widely inviting me into a hug.

I started to tear up because of this and I hugged her tightly. I cried along with her, wetting her shirt. Her father too joined the hug, patting us with a sad face, trying to console us. We broke the hug and she smiled at me, weakly, and got up from the bed.

"We better open the store," she said, wiping her tears with long sleeves. "We'll leave you alone so that you can talk to Kaori."

They left me in the room. I looked at the picture of her smiling brightly in uniform and her blonde hair left opened. She looked flawless. The photo frame was placed on her pink violin case with stickers on it. I placed the rose near the frame and sat back on the wooden floor. I smiled back at the picture of her.

"I'm sorry I tore your letter," I said. "and for running away on your funeral. I just couldn't face you after what happened and thank you for bringing colour into my life and for bringing me back to the piano. I..." My voice began to crack. "I've been so selfish for not bringing you more canelés when you needed them and not visiting you. You've done alot of things for me and..." Tears streamed down my face. "I did nothing in return." I bowed, my head touching the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I cried for a long time and didnt realize how time passed. I felt a hand on my back, patting me. I pushed it away, hardly. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!" I cried. "Please..."

"Ok," her mother said, placing a plate of cookies on the floor beside me. She about to leave me but I grab hold of her sleeve.

"What was written in that letter?" I said in a low tone.

"Arima-kun, I don't know what it was about," she said. "She told me not to read it when I found her writing."

I left her sleeve and got up from the floor and taking the plate of cookies to give it back. "I don't need this. But thanks."

"Ok then." She took the plate from me. I left the room and enter the door to the bakery, hiding my face with the hoodie. I went to her dad, who was waiting for a customer to pay, and gave quick hug.

"I'm leaving, so bye," I said and went out of the bakery. I took my cycle and started walking, holding it beside me. I reached my home and found the door left wide open. My eyes widened. I remembered clearly I locked the door before going out. I went back inside and locked the door from the inside and wasted my time watching the news as I ate yesterday's leftover curry.

○●○●○●○●○●○●

I woke and saw the television still on and the empty plate of curry in my hand. I turned the T.V off and washed the plate. I brushed my teeth and went down for breakfast, my usual cup ramen. I poured the hot water from the kettle to the ramen and covered the top with a lid. In the meantime I sat on the balcony floor with my legs hanging from the railings, watching student going to school. I saw Kashiwagi waiting outside Tsubaki's house. A while later, Tsubaki came out, running like a mad person and apologising to Kashiwagi for coming out late.

"Why aren't you going to school?" A female voice asked.

"I'm not ready to," I replied, looking at high school students cycling there way to school.

"That's a lame answer."

Wait, who was that? I looked to my right and saw... saw....

"K-Kaori?!!!" I shouted in shocked. SHE WAS SITTING THERE... SHE'S ACTUALLY THERE!!!!!

"Hiya, Kousei," she said, saluting at me as she smiled brightly. I ran inside and locked the door of the balcony, screaming and I washed my face alot of times. She's not real. She's not real.

I took deep breaths. You aren't going crazy or anything, are you?