"Yashiro... come on now, deep breaths. I knew you guys were going to be curious, so I prepared this. I thought it would be fun!" I grin and look at everyone's shocked faces. "Everybody, FOLLOW ME!"

A few days ago, I had commissioned a very special painting out of pure need for nostalgia.

Everybody follows me out of my boundary as I lead them to the music room. Beside the piano is a smiling green-haired girl holding a painting in her arms.

"Shijima-chan!"

"(Y/n)-chan! Long time no see!"

"My Mura-Joudai sent you the specifics earlier, right?" I run up to her and smile. "Did you get it ready?"

"Of course! It's a request from you, after all."

"Good! Now, let's get started, then."

"(Y/N), why's she here?" Tsukasa wanders around No. 4 as she shivers spitefully, "Say, is it another fake world? Can I help you?! Can I, can I?!"

I shoo the rat away, flapping my hands. He's still mentally a 5 year old.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Wanna come?" I shout at the quiet girl at the back.

"No, it's alright. I can stay here and wait for your arrival."

"Okay then. By the way, tell Teru I'm on a business trip if he's looking for me, which he probably is."

"Uhm... (Y/N), what are you planning?"

"Just wait and you'll see."

Shijima-san reveals a canvas with a drawing of an old house. She picks up a paint brush and points it to the canvas. She gives me a nod as I grin mischievously.

"Here we go!"

There's a chorus of "WHAT?!"s and "HOLD ON"s as I gleefully shove everyone into the painting.

-------------------------------------------

"Uhm, (Y/N) where are we?!"

We all land uncomfortably on the hard floor. I'm the one to stand up first and help everyone up.

I could've asked for a better landing....

"Oh! I know this place!" Tsukasa yells, running around the room.

It's a hospital. The place we were born, to be exact. I clap the dust off my hands and look at my three companions.

"Basically, I asked Shijima-chan to make another fake world." noticing the shocked and horrified look on their faces, I quickly added. "Don't worry, this'll be the last one. And the thing is, now we're watching my life!"

Yashiro shrieks. "But... won't we be here for 14 years then?!"

"Oh no, that takes up too much time. We're just going to skip to the good parts. This trip will end in about...," I stop to check my imaginary watch, "three hours, at least?"

"THREE HOURS?"

"Shut up, Tsukasa. It's about my life and I have a lot to show you guys. Hmph."

"But... (Y/N)... Why...?" Amane whispers to me, holding onto Yashiro. "And why is Yashiro here...?"

"You know, there are things I want to tell you, too, right? It's not all about you, Amane." I fold my arms. "And if I recall correctly, Yashiro asked me about you. So, I'm doing her a favour too!"

He opens his mouth to say something, but I stop him by walking away.

"C'mon, we don't want to miss anything! And Tsukasa! Stop messing around with the patients!"

-------------------------------------------

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: kutsurogisshu

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◄◄⠀▐▐ ⠀►►⠀⠀ ⠀ 1:17 / 3:48 ⠀ ───○ 🔊⠀ ᴴᴰ ⚙ ❐ ⊏⊐

"Congratulations! One is a girl and the other two are handsome boys. What would you like to name them, Mr. Yugi?"

"The first will be Amane, the second can be Tsukasa and this girl here is (Y/N)."

...

My brothers and I watch ourselves and our happy parents.

The dim lights of the hospital create a heavy aura of, well, hospitals.

"..."

Hmm, I wonder... Where did it all go wrong...?

If we lived in another world, where everyone is happy... I wonder what position we would be in.

...But there's really no point in thinking of that, is there?

-------------------------------------------

I remember this...

This is when we were at our mother's friend's house...

When I first touched a piano.

"Hey, what's that?"

"That's called a piano, Tsukasa."

A giant, sleek, black piano stood in front of me. I turned to my mother with enthusiastic eyes, as if something clicked inside of me. "Can I play it?"

"Well, (Y/N) you need to get Mrs. Hinata's permission."

"Mrs. Hinata, can I try playing the piano?"

"Sure!" Mrs. Hinata dragged out the bench as we both squeezed onto it. "Let me teach you some notes."

I nodded eagerly. Mrs. Hinata laughed. "This is do, re, mi, fa..."

Her teachings continued on for another half an hour.

After I had a good look at the notes, I tried playing something from the top of my head.

"Oh my gosh, (Y/N), you're a natural! You never played the piano before, right?"

And just like that, my life had changed.

After a little bit of persuading, my parents gave in and got me a piano tutor. After a few years I attended many competitions and recitals, winning quite a few awards. Quite frequently, I think.

Did they give me these opportunities for the money, or for the joy of their child?

Regardless, I won a lot of prize money. We were happy.

However, that happiness didn't last forever.

-------------------------------------------

"Hey, dad... Where's mom?"

"Gone, you useless, good-for-nothing worms.", he let out a strange, half-strangled scream, "JUST- GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, all of you!"

I had never heard his voice so harsh before.

We watched silently as the younger me I burst into tears. I can still remember that moment vividly in my mind.

I don't know what I would have done if Amane and Tsukasa weren't there.

...

My parents divorced when we turned 6.

We never knew why, but she left. Just like that.

Us triplets were not allowed to go out of our room unless our dad had told us to, much less, go to school.

-------------------------------------------

"Dad... we're eight now... and I think we should go to school."

"School? Do you even know how expensive school fees are?"

"...Some public schools are free... we can go al-"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, ALL OF YOU. NOW!"

He slapped my face and kicked me out of his house for wanting to go to school that night.

But for some reason, it gave me relief. I didn't want to stay with him anyway, and it felt that I had just been given the exit key. I would have left sooner or later.

I told Amane and Tsukasa that we were leaving.

After tireless days of searching, we finally found our mother's house.

"Yes? Excuse me, are you lost?"

"Uhm, is the house owner here?"

...

When she went to call our mom, I was excited beyond comprehension.

All I wanted was to see my mom's warm smile just one more time...

But instead, when she saw us, her eyes were as sharp as needles. They struck through my heart.

They weren't the eyes filled once with love, but filled with disgust.

"What is it?" Her words were quick and harsh.

"Mom... He... Dad..." Amane failed to make out his words. "Can you keep us here for a while?"

Right at the doorstep, I suddenly got the idea to stay at my mom's house until I earn enough money to support ourselves.

I must admit, it was a cute idea.

Our mother sighs. Not a worried sigh, but a cold and tired sigh.

"Get out of my sight." She reaches out to close the door but I grab onto her hand. "Don't touch-!"

"Mom!"

The tears come again. Warm, salty tears stream down my face as I cling desperately onto my mother's arm.

Was her love for us fake all this time?

"(Y/N), let's go."

"Amane, but- No, mom, I want to stay with you."

"Don't you get it? I don't want you here. My husband doesn't even know you exist, so stay out of my sight, or else I'll kill all of you. Don't ruin my life all over again."

I stare at her, with tears flowing down my round cheeks, dripping onto the floor.

Sighing, she handed me an envelope, "Here, take this. If you take it, it's saying that you agree to never see me ever again."

It didn't have much cash inside, but it was enough to support my brothers and I for a while.

Am I... Supposed to accept this? I thought, Is that it? Do I just give up my family here?

I started screaming and crying tears of anguish and sorrow.

There's only one answer... Isn't there?

Just as I make my mind to give in, ever so quietly, Amane whispers to me, "Don't take it. Don't take it, (Y/N)."

I didn't take the money.

Instead, I looked at my mom straight in the eye.

"Mom. Mom, we're not taking the money."

"What do you mean-"

"WE'RE NOT TAKING IT!" I spat at her face, crying more and more.

Her eyes are red and bloodshot but not from sadness. It seems to intimidate my brothers.

"(Y/N), this isn't working..."

"L-Let's go back!"

My brothers tried to hold me back but I refused.

"We'll stay at your house! We won't get in contact with you. You won't see us in your house. We'll be invisible. So please, let us stay here!"

If I could have gotten her to agree, later on, I could have tried to get her to come back to us.

From her expression, I could tell she didn't understand my intentions.

To be honest, I didn't, either.

"If we become of age... We'll get jobs and earn for you! I'll do housework until we move out! Please!"

"..."

There was a disturbing silence.

Scared of what she could do to us, I grasped onto my brothers' hands.

I looked backwards and smiled at the two.

"(Y/N)..."

They both give me a nod, as if saying, "Let's do this."

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ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: tomotomo

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◄◄⠀▐▐ ⠀►►⠀⠀ ⠀ 1:17 / 3:48 ⠀ ───○ 🔊⠀ ᴴᴰ ⚙ ❐ ⊏⊐

"Tsukasa, stop this now!"

...

"Sorry, (Y/N)."

"And?"

"Sorry, Amane."

"Amane, are you okay? Let's get some medicine to apply on. Tsukasa, you help me too."

...

The same thing had been going daily on since we moved in with our mom.

Everything was a mess.

Tsukasa's mental health worsened rapidly, day by day. It worried me, and it still does today.

But regardless, the reason I had lived was for those two. I made up my mind years ago.

I wanted to give them a sense of family we used to have when we were brought to this world.

And most importantly, I wanted to show God that we could bend through his unfair world.

"Yashiro, you don't need to look now." I whisper to her. I didn't get to see her reaction since I was concentrating enough on the fake world.

-------------------------------------------

"Woah, today was a jackpot! Can't believe I got a one for three deal!" I held up the bags, stretching to the sky. "I hope the boys aren't too hungry."

That day, I had gone out to the shops myself.

The boys said they would arrive home after their extra-curriculum had ended.

Although I held this nervous feeling in my chest, I shoved it down, wanting to have faith in the two.

...

"Guys, I'm home! Who's hungry? You won't believe it, I got a really good deal today!"

I didn't get an answer.

Of course, by then, I knew something was wrong.

"Amane? Tsukasa?"

At first, I thought our mother had done something.

It turned out wasn't nearly as bad as that.

...

When I saw them both dead, I wished it was a joke.

When I tried checking their pulse, I couldn't feel, much less hear, anything.

Instead of shaking them and begging for them to wake up like a normal person would, I stood still.

Reality hit me harder than ever before.

That's when I realised, 'What's the point?'

'If God won't let us be happy, what's the point in having our dreams and goals?'

'What even was the point in trying to give ourselves a happy life...?'

'If I don't have my brothers, what am I going to do from now on? Do I even have a meaning anymore? I failed anyway.'

' "Get our mom back"? What a joke I was...'

Life was pointless without them.

When I said myself that I would be the one to take care of them, I had failed.

I don't even remember if I cried or not. The only thing I remember are my bombarding thoughts.

It was mostly filled with: 'Why?'

'Why, why why, why, why?'

"Amane... Tsukasa..."

Something suddenly wakes up inside me, making me stop thinking.

Despite the fact there were no conscious beings in the room, I spoke.

"Do you... Do you remember when I said, 'Whatever you do, I'll do it with you?' I'll prove that to you now."

More like, I wanted to stop thinking.

I simply did not want to live anymore.

...

I started running to the school.

I wanted my last memory to be besides the piano while feeling the warmth of my brothers.

The only place I could freely use the piano was the school. There, I always played the tune I sang for Amane and Tsukasa.

♫ Goodbye to today say hello to tomorrow ♫

♫ Don't regret the past keep smiling for the future ♫

♫ Never give up always bring your standards sky high ♫

♫ Say hello to tomorrow goodbye to today ♫

"See you soon, Amane, Tsukasa."

I take the piano stool to the center of the room, standing on top of it. No longer shaking of nervousness, I tied two ribbons around my neck and along the ceiling lamp, still humming the tune.

I climbed onto the piano stool, trying to sing the song until the very end.

Without hesitation or a single breath, I kicked away the stool.

-------------------------------------------

"And that's how I took my own life. Both of you were captured and sealed here, without knowing I was here from the very beginning."

"(Y/N)..."

After the long trip, Shijima brought us back to the real world.

Not wanting to see their hurt faces, I look away with a frown.

"(Y/N)-" Yashiro starts, but I cut her off with a show of my palm.

"Sorry, Yashiro, but could you save the questions for another time? Anyway, I was curious. For the past fifty years, was it? Why and how did both of you die, Amane and Tsukasa?"

"Ah! I can explain!" Tsukasa says, his expression not changing from the beginning of the trip, "I may have gotten a little bit overboard. Technically, I tried to stab Amane, Amane stabbed me back, and I stabbed him again on the back. He fell on top of me and he died. I think I also died because of too much blood loss, heh."

"Tsukasa, you little-"

"(Y/N), no. You're both already dead."

I crack my knuckles with a grin. "I know... I'll just put him in a little bit of pain for a while, that's all."

Whipping out my ribbons, I tie Tsukasa up and leave him on the floor.

"(Y/N)-..."

I start screaming all of a sudden. Suddenly, all my anger came out after 50 years.

"No, Tsukasa! I won't let you go. Do you even know how much pain I went through just looking at your bodies? It was too much for me. I was only 14. I thought I could have saved both of you if I took care of you better."

Suddenly, Tsukasa widens his eyes. Before I knew it, Amane kicks Tsukasa in the back.

Amane seems to be feeling the same as I am.

"A-Ack-! S-... sorry... Am..ane... (Y/...N)"

I slowly release the poor boy with a sigh.

"I guess... I'll be going now. Yashiro, you can visit anytime and ask those questions."