Silver Wish

When Lila next opened her eyes, she was in a familiar space. Several staircases led to different doors. Yes, it was the parallel world in between where legendary idols would end up. But why would she be here now?

"Are you awake now, Lila-chan?"

Lila looked around but could not see her mother anywhere. "Um."

She hears familiar laughter. "Unfortunately, I am no longer qualified to enter such sacred grounds. But ah if this confuses you." In the next second, she saw a faint outline of her mother. The outline gradually got deeper, but she was still transparent.

"This is the least I can do."

"No longer qualified?" Lila repeated those words.

"Because of my Queen of darkness powers."

Oh, that is right. She asked something insensitive there.

Sumire laughed. "It is okay, Lila-chan."

"Mother, why did you take me here?"

"Hmmm, because I think it isn't right for you not to know. Oh, since we are here, I think your memories will come back for a bit. But we need to walk a bit more."

After walking for a few minutes, Lila gradually felt a heavy pain in her head and the throbbing of her right eye. Her mother, who was walking a few steps ahead, paused and stopped.

"Do you remember Lila?"

In the distance, it felt like somebody called out to her, and in the next second, that pain she felt moments ago vanished.

"There is no need for me to explain since I am sure Haruka-kun found out and told you."

"Mother, did you have to do this? I still have to continue the act." It was just the previous night where she revealed things to Kiryu. At this stage, something might go wrong.

A dark aura surrounded her mother, and Lila's sweat fell. Uh-oh..

"When I visited Atsuro and noticed one of the flowers missing from the memory garden, I already knew something was wrong. That man, how could he give that to you without asking me first?!"

"I knew you wouldn't approve."

"Of course I won't. Lila-chan, your current state is no good. Using the powers of the flower is very dangerous. It is a good thing I found out early and interfered a little."

"Interfered?"

Her mother nodded. "The trigger is the next time you truly become one with your loved one, and you will remember everything."

Lila felt her cheeks color when she heard those words. Wh--what?! Lila hits her mother with her hands, and the elder woman laughed.

"It is not a bad deal. I am sure when Haruka-kun sees you again, he will pounce. Lila-chan, you have gotten prettier after all."

"Mother!"

"When you two meet again. I am sure he will hold you tightly and not let you go."

At that comment, Lila looked down. "It was my fault. I was the one who drove him to a corner like that. If I didn't get upset with him, he would not have felt the need to confront them. I am sure those people would not have revealed things to him either."

"Then would you have liked it if they got their way instead?"

"Got their way?"

"If they succeeded in making Shinozaki Rika no Aizawa Mei sleep with Haruka."

"I would not want that," Lila exclaimed. That is the last thing she wants to happen again. After that first time, she knew how much Haruka regretted it. It was an accident, and he did not do it deliberately, but it still hurt him a lot.

He remained cautious whenever he touched her, and she followed him one time and saw him washing his hands harshly. He kept calling himself dirty, and it pained her to see him that way. It was an accident, yes she was hurt, but he was in a lot more pain than her.

"Mother, is Haruka alive?"

Sumire nodded. "Yes, actually, I came by here to tell you. So even if Shichiro-kun did not run into Shinozaki Rika, I already located him."

"Then-"

Her mother shook her head. "But Lila-chan, you cannot see him now. You said it yourself, right? You need to lure those people. If you go to him in your current state, even if you succeed in rescuing him, you will end up in a hospital bed."

"I don't care for my life anymore," Lila exclaimed. "If he is alive, I need to save him."

But the look on her mother's face did not change.

"Please, mother, I want to see him. I can't take it anymore." Lila crumbled to the ground after she said those words. It hurts so much being separated from him.

What on earth was she thinking about leaving him behind in New york like that? Why didn't she just wait for him? They were about to leave and head back together anyway. All she had to do was wait for an extra day, and yet because of her impatience. No, because of her lingering feelings for Kiryu, she did something so stupid.

"Loving two people is hard, isn't it?" Sumire crouched down.

"How did you manage, mother?"

She hears weak laughter, and Lila mumbled an apology. "Sorry."

"Indeed, it was hard for me. I left for seven years. But in those seven years, I learned that no matter where I went, everything would remind me of Yuhi. I started that journey to repent so I could eventually wither away and join Ren, but in the end, that didn't happen. The more I saw of the world, the more I would remember your father's smile."

"Father doesn't smile a lot, mother."

"Yes, that is true, but when he does, it makes my heartbeat. I end up becoming nervous and a mess."

Whenever mother talks about father, Lila noticed that she uses a different tone. Her facial expressions are more gentle, and she is always blushing like a teenage girl in love.. So much has happened between those two, and yet they can still behave this way.