Chapter 33 – Another Prologue

A week had passed since Rokkaku Gouji formally resigned from his position as the mayor of Tokyo. Since then, the Rokkaku Group was officially dissolved and a politician outside of Gouji's circle was appointed to be the interim mayor until the proper election is held. Progress was moving slowly but surely.

Corn was sitting alone on a rooftop in Rokkaku-dai Heights, looking out at the evening sunset. His legs dangled above a waterway that glistened orange from the glow of the sun. Away from the bustling city, he was at peace with his thoughts.

He heard someone approaching from behind and turned around to see Gum standing over him.

"I've been looking for you," she told him as she sat down next to him. She joined him in looking out at the horizon. "Wow, it's such a beautiful sunset. I guess Rhyth was right about this place. She always seems to be right about things, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," Corn replied quietly.

The two sat in silence for a moment, admiring the view in each other's company.

"I still can't believe that Gouji is gone," Corn said. "I don't know why we waited so long to do anything. We had the power to oust him all along."

"I guess we were just busy with other things," Gum presumed.

"It's not like those things were important," Corn remarked.

Gum glanced down at her dangling feet. She couldn't contain her feelings for him any longer. Every passing day since he'd been rescued from the Rokkaku Building, the pain of keeping her love hidden from him had grown stronger and stronger. Even at the risk of getting rejected or having their friendship ruined, she had to tell him. She was at her breaking point.

"Corn, there's something important that I want to tell you," she said to him anxiously.

Corn turned and looked at her. "What is it?"

She looked into his eyes. Her hands began to tremble and she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't sure of how to present her feelings to him. Should she tell him about how much she cares about him before slowly transitioning into saying that she loves him, or should she just come out and say it right away? Before she could think about it, her thoughts began spilling out of her mouth.

"Last year, when we broke up," she began, "I wasn't being honest to you. Or to me."

Corn continued to stare at her while listening intently.

"I… I wasn't thinking straight when I broke up with you. I still loved you then, and I still love you now. I did something stupid and broke your heart, I know. That memory has haunted me since the day it happened, but I was too scared to tell you how I really felt. I didn't want you to get mad and leave me forever. I know how much our breakup hurt you, and I'm so so so sorry for what I did. I promise I'll never do anything like that to you ever again. I care about you more than anyone, that's why I'm finally being honest with you. I wish I could go back in time and undo what I did. I wish we could just pretend that it never happened. I wish… I wish that we could be together again."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "God, this past year has been killing me. Every night, the same thoughts go through my mind: 'What if you've moved on? What if I can never have you back? What if I have to live with my mistake for the rest of my life?' I've kept it inside me all this time, but I can't force it down any longer. I love you, Corn. I love everything about you. You make me happy like no one else does. I don't care anymore that you might reject me. Maybe I deserve it. I just can't live with this secret anymore. I love you so much."

Corn's eyes never drifted away during her entire emotional confession. Once she could say no more and was reduced to sobbing, he finally spoke up.

"You know, after what you did to me, I still wanted to be friends with you."

"W-Why?" she asked him in between whimpers. "That was the only thing that gave me hope that I hadn't lost you forever."

Corn lifted his legs back onto the roof and sat cross-legged facing towards her. "The Love Shockers still had a hold on you," he said. "I was just waiting for the day that you'd break free from them. I knew it would take time for you to work up the strength to do it, but I was willing to wait. For you."

Gum began to wipe her tears away. "You waited for me?"

Corn nodded. "Whenever the opportunity arose, I challenged you to confront the Love Shockers on your own. Most of the time you just came back feeling depressed, but I never gave up. You never gave up either, I think because deep down you wanted to conquer your inner demons, too. And now that you have, we can finally begin again."

"Begin what again?"

Corn reached for her hand and gripped it softly, a gentle smile forming on his face. "I never stopped having feelings for you either, Gum. I want to be with you again."

Gum was speechless. Corn said the words that she always wanted him to say. A wave of relief washed over her and took away the emotional burden she had been carrying for so long. Before she could say anything, Corn began to lean into her. She knew what was coming and eagerly closed her eyes. Corn placed his hand on the side of her face and their lips locked. They held the kiss for just a moment, but they both treasured every second of it. Once their lips parted, they stared into each other's eyes. Gum's eyes were now dry, but she was still filled with so many emotions that she tried to articulate.

"Corn, I… I'm just so—"

Corn put his index finger over her lips. "I know what you're feeling, Gum. You don't have to say a word. Let's just enjoy this view together."

He smiled and resumed watching the sun fall below the horizon. Gum still had so much that she wanted to say to him, but for now she was content with enjoying the moment in silence. The two sat and stared at the golden sky, smiles on both their faces. Gum shifted closer to Corn and rested her head on his shoulder. He pulled her in even closer by wrapping his arm around her waist. That simple embrace signified the mending of their relationship. In that moment, Corn said something that perfectly encapsulated what they were both thinking.

"It really is a beautiful sunset."

Now, a new chapter in their lives could begin.

~The End~

Thank you for reading Architects of the Rebellion. I hope you enjoyed it. All reviews and comments are appreciated.