16

"Out of my house now!"

"W-Wait, Father, please listen to– "

"Do not let me repeat myself, boy. Get out now!"

Umi tried to stop her father again, "F-Father, please, he's my– "

"Umi, you keep out of this. I will not tolerate someone of his–" he said the next word distastefully, "upbringing," it was as if the word itself was a venom poison, " being with my daughter."

Honoka could only stand there, wide-eyed, jaw hanging open at the sight of his lover's father holding a sword in his hand. The sword, Honoka could tell was the sword that resembled the Saul family's honour, its ocean blue hilt and sharp edge emphasising how Umi's father was dead serious about killing him.

"Saul-san, I'm really serious about your daughter." The ginger haired boy said seriously, his blue eyes shining with determination. "I will not let any harm come to her, and I will protect her at all costs."

"You brat! I'm not going to allow it. Who do you think you are?! Some commoner trying to lie his way through by using such pretty words to trick my daughter! Even if you're serious, I will never allow it! A commoner has no right to be with my daughter, who is of a certain status. You'd do well to remember that!"

Umi couldn't believe how everything went wrong so quickly. She'd gotten together with Honoka a few days ago and thought it'd be prudent if she introduced Honoka to her father. She'd actually been looking forward to it, hoping that her father would accept Honoka. Unfortunately when she'd introduced Honoka as her boyfriend/lover, her father's calm face contorted into one of utter rage within a split second.

She didn't understand why her father was so particular about social statutes. Why couldn't she be the one she loved? By then, tears were already glistening in her eyes as she choked back her tears.

"I've tolerated your acquaintance with my daughter because the King's daughter gave her word about you, and she is also your acquaintance. But this is getting out of hand. I will never allow you to be with my daughter. Now get out of my house before I hack you into pieces of human meat!"

Saul's enraged and cold voice shook Umi to the core. She didn't want this to happen. She didn't think it would even happen…but it did. Tears had already sprung out of her eyes and in the last act of defiance, she yelled, "Father, I'm going to be with Honoka no matter what you say! I do not care if I do not have your approval!"

She ran out of the house, as her father stood dumbfound and shocked.

When Umi had ran out of her house, Honoka clenched his fists together, and turned towards Saul, his marine orbs determined, yet with an edge of steel.

"Your daughter had really hoped that you'll accept whoever she wants to be with. I don't care if you don't accept me, I love Umi-chan and I will stay with her until the end."

Before the older man could say anything, Honoka was off – running and chasing after the blue haired girl.

"I'm sorry, Umi-chan."

"Apologising doesn't change anything." Umi said quietly.

"I-I...Believe me….I really do want to stay with you, Umi-chan," Honoka said earnestly before a defeated look replaced it, causing the blue eyed boy to look downcast.

"…But I can't."

"Why?" Umi demanded, gnashing her teeth to withhold her brimming tears as she clenched her fists tightly. "..Why…?" Her voice broke, as she shivered. Her heart felt like it would break the longer she stood standing in front of the boy who was trying to cast her away.

"It's better if someone like me…doesn't get in your way," Honoka's voice sounded painful even to herself. From the emotion displayed on the ginger head's face, it was obvious that the ginger haired boy didn't want to leave the bluenette yet, there was a certain degree of hopelessness reflected in those sapphire orbs, begging for the blue haired girl to understand his reasons.

For her.

For him.

For them.

"Umi-chan…!" Kotori called out to her friend – who seemed to be in a daze – for the fifth time that evening.

"..."

"Umi-chan!" The grey haired Princess sounded worried as she touched the younger girl's shoulder.

"…K-Kotori?" The bluenette finally snapped out of whatever she was in, turning to look at her friend.

"What's wrong, Umi-chan? You don't seem to be enjoying yourself here." Kotori's voice was soft and warm, her eyes filled with concern for her friend who had been standing by the side of the magnificent ballroom since the start of the party.

"I…I don't even want to be here." Umi sighed. She wasn't there by choice – her father had ordered her to attend the gathering, or rather, the ball as a representative from the Saul family. To form connections for the betterment of the House of Saul. Umi dully recalled her father's forceful words.

Not that Kotori was here willingly too, but since the Princess of the Monte Family was the host of this gathering, she had no choice but to be there. It was a ball held to celebrate Kotori's coming of age, and many noblemen and the rich were present as well.

"…Have you heard from Honoka-chan?" Kotori asked quietly. She knew it was a sore spot but she had to know. She was extremely worried for her two friends after all.

"…After the fight…we…" Umi sighed, "…came to an understanding. I understood Honoka's point – we weren't supposed to be together due to the huge gap in class status and whatever actions I take would affect the family name, as well as the reputation of the nobles. It may very well harm ties with other houses in the kingdom. It may create hate, resentment between the nobles, especially since the two greatest Houses are already at "war" and when that happens…" The golden brown eyed girl's eyes darkened a little. "It would be bad if a civil war breaks out amongst the upper-class." What Umi didn't mention was the fact that those in the lower class might take this chance to rebel and cause a riot as well.

All these may seem far-fetched but both Kotori and Umi knew the true extent of the horrors of the society they lived in.

"I see…" Kotori could only nod quietly.

"…We haven't talked or seen each other since then." Umi admitted.

"Well, Honoka-chan's missing a lot then!" Kotori tried to lift her friend's spirit as she continued, "It's such a rare sight for Umi-chan to be dressed up so beautifully, wearing such gorgeous dress after all."

"T-That's…" Umi couldn't help a blush on her face as she looked away bashfully, "I…My father wanted me to wear a dress. I couldn't phantom why, since he has always insisted on treating me like a boy."

Kotori grinned cheekily as she continued to speak, "I knew my eye for dresses was right. Wearing such a beautifully crafted and woven oceanic blue dress – with traces of golden sparkles and intricate patterns – it fits perfectly and compliments your hair and eyes~"

Flustered, Umi's face continued to burn. "Y-You flatter me, Kotori."

No doubt Umi must've been thinking about how great it would be if Honoka was by her side, Kotori thought. It made her heart ache at the spark of jealously she felt. Though she felt triumph and there was this sense of satisfaction and victory of having made Umi blush, Kotori wasn't disillusioned as to delude herself.

The greyish brown haired girl had to clench her hands tightly into a fist, trying to squash these arising emotions. It would do no good for her, or Umi, for that matter if she couldn't get a rein on her emotions.

Before Kotori could attempt to reply to her friend, a figure walked towards them. He was wearing mask – the type worn to masquerade balls. The outfit that he wore was a little special – Kotori noted. Instead of a formal white and black – what everyone else had worn – the man who had stopped right in front of them with a mysterious yet familiar smile was wearing a black vest over a long sleeved shirt with the colour of the sun.

"Shall we dance?" The man spoke deeply, yet under the guise of the mask and the ridiculous outfit, both girls knew instantly who the person under the mask was. Only he would think of wearing such an outfit to a ball.

"A mask to hide your identity huh?" Kotori couldn't help the slight chuckle as a resigned look crossed her features. After all, he would have been caught if they'd seen his real face.

"Good luck, Umi-chan," The Princess whispered into her friend's ear before giving her a slight push forward, towards the man.

Umi could feel her face getting hotter as the man took her hands with grace, leading her to the dance floor.

Honoka…

As if being able to hear her innermost thoughts, the man turned around and pulled his mask up slightly, revealing familiar sapphire orbs staring back at her, lips curled into the goofy grin Umi loved so much.

Her heart fluttered at the familiar sight as her throat went dry.

With a wink, the mask covered the ginger head's face again. Umi, still in a daze, her heart racing quicker than ever, could only follow Honoka's lead as the music start, signalling the start of the dance.

"About the ending…" Eli started as she glanced hesitantly at the two girls in their costumes before her. "After the volcanic eruption…"

"Don't worry, we got it covered." Honoka said confidently. "Right, Umi-chan?"

"Yes," the bluenette nodded with a smile.

"Well if you two say so, then I shall trust in the both of you." Eli finally said as she tightened the sash of her garment.

"Maki-chan thought it was a great idea too!" Honoka added not before steadying her wig.

"Maki did? Well…she's the one who has to play the piano after all." The older girl conceded before a smile escaped from her lips, "Well, that kind of ending…it's very μ's-like I suppose."

"We're school idols after all~!" Honoka chirped, grinning widely.

"I take my hat off you, Honoka," Eli chuckled.

The leader of μ's beamed, showing a victory sign.

"This is the last Act so let's give it our all!" The blonde smiled.

"Yea!" Both girls chorused. Eli nodded and walked out to the stage, leaving Honoka and Umi alone.

"The last Act…" Umi muttered, balling her fingers into a fists. Her heart had begun to thump quicker in anticipation – totally different from the nervous throb when the play was about to start. She could feel her hands becoming clammy yet there was always this flutter in her stomach, this little anxiety that wouldn't go away. As they ventured into their last Act – the events of the volcanic eruption, Umi wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, they had practiced a lot and had perfected their lines and roles. Yet, there was still this small sense of unease. What if they were caught in a trance and memory again? What would they do then? Besides, many things could go wrong, what if–

"We have come this far…" Honoka started, interrupting Umi's train of unhealthy thoughts before she turned to give her childhood friend an encouraging smile, "Let's do our best and unravel all the missing pieces from our past life!"

"Honoka…" Somehow, hearing Honoka's voice, and her words of encouragement, Umi's heart settled a little, feeling more reassured. She still had her friends beside her. Honoka was here. Everyone in μ's was here. Kotori, her lover, was always there for her too.

The bluenete finally returned the smile, "Yes, let's do our best!"

Too bright.

The stage lights were too bright, Umi thought as her body moved on its own.

Everything had been perfect – their lines and roles, what they had to act out – everything went smoothly.

Too smoothly.

It was as if something was missing.

A sense of unease had hovered around the back of her mind, as if lying in wait.

Maybe it was because they were acting out their death scenes now.

Honoka had already "died" on stage and Kotori had just finished her scene. As the curtains drew apart again, Umi had instinctively walked out, performing her role easily. The usual sense of embarrassment, hesitation, shyness that she would have encountered on stage was gone – it was as if she was someone else.

Just as the pieces of debris – in the form of cardboard on stage – fell upon her, the bluenette could feel a sudden dagger of pain crushing her skull.

N-No!

A gasp escaped from her lips and in a split second, her whole world went black.

What…happened…?

Umi's whole body hurt. She couldn't move – it was as if she was pinned down in a deadlock, unable to move or escape.

The world around her was dark, and she couldn't breathe. Scorching hot air choked her windpipe, causing her to wheeze and gasp as her head begun to swim. Her vision was blurring and no matter how hard she fought to move, it was futile.

It was as if she was paralysed and no amount of resistance she tried to put up would work. Just the smell of the air alone was enough to make her feel nauseous, choking her lungs.

Honoka…

The thought of Honoka had kept her from closing her eyes, resisting the temptation to fall asleep right there and then.

Kotori…

Kotori…?

Why was she thinking of Kotori? Wasn't she thinking about Honoka just a few seconds ago?

What am I...Umi suddenly felt a crushing pain against her skull.

That's right…I was on stage…in a play…

If that was the case…why was she here?

My head hurts all of sudden and then –

Umi eyes widened at the realisation. She had been sucked into another memory again – the one same memory that had haunted her over and over again since the beginning.

She was reliving her death.

But why was it that her conscious was intact?

Usually, when she was sucked into a memory, she became her past self, unaware she was just in a memory, yet this time, she, her current self, was conscious, and fully aware of what was going on.

What did that mean?

Yet, despite inhabiting her past life's body now, she wasn't able to control her body's actions, behaviour and thoughts. It was as if she was living vicariously through her past self, in her past life.

It still didn't change the fact that she was going to die, crushed and choked to death.

The world around her shook and rumbled and another pile of rubble smashed on the stacks of debris that trapped her.

Pain shot through her middle, her legs and arms as her ear drums rang from the screams and the collapse of the buildings around her as she finally succumbed to the darkness that dragged her away from the living world.

Whiteness.

She was surrounded by entire whiteness – it was as if a blanket of white had descended upon her.

Unsure and hesitantly, the blue haired girl called out, "A-Anyone there?"

Silence met her and she sighed inwardly. Of course there wasn't anyone here. There's nothing here after all.

Yet, a voice at the back of her mind urged her to move forward. To take a step forward.

Noting that she was – for some reason – in her school uniform, the girl with hair that resembled the vast dark ocean took a step forward.

In that instant, her surroundings changed.

Surrounding her, instead of pure white, was vast blue.

It was as if the white was replaced by what seemed like the sky – as absurd as it sounded. What was missing were just fluffy puffs of white – clouds.

"Umi-chan…?"

Snapping her head back at the familiar voice, the blue haired girl instantly felt relieved to see a familiar grey haired girl walking towards her.

Kotori, too, was in her uniform and had a troubled expression on her face.

"Kotori…?" Umi started, "You're here too?" If Kotori was here too, that meant that Honoka–

"Umi-chan! Kotori-chan!" A shade of ginger ran towards them. The usual energy of cheerfulness was displaced by something else – concern.

"Honoka…"

"Looks like the three of us are here eh?" Honoka said, "What happened?"

Sparing Kotori, who was still silent, a worried glance, "I was on stage when I got pulled into the memory of my death and somehow I ended up here as soon as I…died."

"Same here…" Honoka breathed out before she turned to look at Kotori. "But I was at the backstage with Kotori-chan since my scene was over. I was getting ready for the last scene but a sudden pain struck my head."

"Me too," Kotori answered quietly.

Squeezing the grey haired girl's hand slightly, Umi said softly, "It's okay, Kotori. We're all here."

"Umi-chan…"

"Oh? Looks like I chose Kotori this time round huh?" A familiar yet new voice spoke out suddenly.

"Who's there?!" Umi called out, searching for the source of the voice. The voice sounded so similar to –

"Hello," the newcomer greeted politely, as she appeared out of thin air in front of the trio.

"You are–" Umi couldn't believe her eyes.

"Umi Adriano Saul," the girl who looked like a carbon copy of Umi introduced herself. If not for the fact that the girl before them was wearing a pure white dress that identified her as a being not from the 21st century, she would have looked exactly like Sonoda Umi.

"Umi-chan…?" Honoka tested.

"You can call me that too." The girl in white chuckled, "I can't believe Honoka really is a female. I almost didn't believe him."

"I told you!" A new, more masculine voice interrupted with a huff.

"Honoka-chan…" Kotori uttered when a male figure of her ginger childhood friend appeared next to the Adriano.

"Hi there! I'm Honoka Emillio Naso," the male in grey, a cape draped over his neck, introduced himself with a bright smile.

"So I'm last?" A new high pitched voice chimed in, appearing next to Emillio. "Hello, I'm Kotori Aletta Monte."

"Kotori…" Umi couldn't help but stare at Aletta. Despite looking exactly like Kotori, something about her countenance was different from the Kotori she knew and loved.

"As much as we would like to stand around and have fun, we can't," Emillio said before turning to Adriano, "If you would, Umi – I mean, Adriano. Man, this is so confusing. Why must I call you Adriano?"

Adriano narrowed her eyes, "Stop complaining. It's still my second name after all. We don't want to confuse these kids here."

"Right, right, so…"

Adriano nodded and snapped her fingers.

Immediately, everyone disappeared, leaving Umi alone with Adriano.

"What did you…?"

"I sent them away," Adriano said, "So that we won't be disturbed. Don't worry, Honoka and Kotori are together with their counterparts."

"I see…" Umi frowned. "Were you the one…who called us here…?"

"Yes," Adriano confirmed, "I have been trying to call you for a long time, since…what was that group's name– ah, μ's formed."

"Why?"

A rueful smile crossed the features of the girl from Pompeii. "You should know better than anyone else."

"Is it related to why we…retained memories of our past?"

Adriano nodded. "Theoretically speaking, we weren't supposed to retain the memories of our past. The Fates declared it. Yet, there will always be a portion of the human population who would retain those memories." She paused, studying her current self's facial expression.

Continuing, her voice softened, "That is because of the regrets we hold when we die."

"So…we were right," Umi finally said, her voice just as quiet.

"Yes. It just so happened that our regrets were strong enough that it transcended time and space, and the end result – you, Sonoda Umi, remembered. For that…I sincerely apologise. It must've been tough for the three of you," Adriano looked at her counterpart with a sad and apologetic expression.

"I…I understand." The blue haired archer stared at her carbon copy. "Your appearance made me understand what your – no, our regrets were." Umi's mocha eyes never left the girl in front of hers.

"I'm glad you do," Adriano finally let out a small smile.

"We knew that Honoka would blame himself from being unable to save us when we died." Umi said, "That's why…we wanted to see Honoka once last time…" Her voice trailed off as a wave of melancholy washed over her.

"…to make sure that he doesn't blame himself." Adriano finished softly.

"Yes…"

"It feels like we've dragged you three into this…" Adriano looked a little guilty while Umi only shook her head, "You are me, and I'm you. We are the same yet we aren't. But nonetheless, I'm glad we were able to sort out our regrets."

"You're right," The girl in white finally smiled.

Silence ensued before Adriano asked hesitantly, "By the way…since you're with Kotori now…I was just wondering…" Her face reddened slightly as she wet her lips. "How do…two girls…you know, mate…?"

Umi could only gaped at her counterpart as she felt her cheeks grew hotter before sputtering incoherently, utterly mortified and embarrassed.

"What happened?" Honoka looked shocked to see her childhood friends gone, along with their counterparts.

"Adriano sent us away separately," Emillio said as his expression turned serious.

"Why?"

"So that we could talk. Sort and lay out our regrets, I guess?" The boy shrugged.

"Regrets…?" Honoka echoed.

"Yep, I'm sure you've already realised."

"Yea…" The ginger haired girl looked away.

"I…After reliving my death again, and seeing you, I think I finally got it." Honoka admitted quietly.

"You–, or rather, we regretted being unable to save Umi-chan. We blame ourselves for our inability to save her."

"Correct." Emillio's expression suddenly looked sorrowful, "It's pitiful. I got killed by Adriano's father while trying to find her. And we just had a fight beforehand too. If…I could go back in time, I would've wanted to apologise and make up with her, and maybe…not die and save my lover."

"Not, yours, ours." Honoka corrected.

Emillio laughed lightly, "Yea, ours. Those were our last regrets. But when you three got back together in this current day and age, we, from the past were able to meet again in the afterlife. So you could say that these regrets are gone now. There was nothing we could do after all. What has happened had already occurred and no one can change the past, not even the Fates."

"Yea, I…understand." Honoka returned.

"Though…it looks like Umi-chan chose Kotori-chan this time round eh?" Emillio's eyes twinkled playfully, his voice teasing, a huge contrast from the seriousness just a second ago.

Honoka, not offended, laughed, "Yea."

"You've seen her in her undergarments right? How was it?" Emillio asked mischievously.

"Y-You…pervert."

"I'm a guy after all~" Emillio smirked.

"But she's still as beautiful as ever," the ginger haired male's voice turned wistful.

"Yes, she is," an affectionate look flashed across her features before a sudden thought popped into her mind. "By the way, why are you a male?"

"Huh?" Emillio looked at Honoka blankly.

"I mean, I'm a girl but why are you a male if you're me?"

"That's my line!" Emillio looked appalled, staring at his counterpart incredulously, "Why are you a female?!"

"Looking at you makes me think of myself," Aletta said as her amber eyes dulled slightly, "But unlike you, I didn't have the courage."

"Was that…my regret?" Kotori asked.

"Yes, but I guess it can't really be called a regret now right?" Aletta smiled.

"Because I'm together with Umi-chan now?" The seamstress of μ's said softly.

"Yes," The girl in white – similar to Adriano's answered.

"Our greatest weakness was our indecisiveness and insecurity." Aletta grasped Kotori's hands, covering her palm with her own. "Well, Adriano…the Umi-chan from my time finally knew of my feelings after the three of you were reincarnated to this age."

"But I still don't understand. Why me this time round? I thought Umi-chan loved Honoka-chan…" Kotori looked wrenched at that thought.

Aletta only gave her counterpart a smile as she patted her head, "Who knows what the Fates are thinking? Nothing is set or fixed. You are the creator of your own future. Though we may have the same soul, we are still different beings. I'm Kotori Aletta Monte, and you are Minami Kotori."

"Aletta…"

"Time is running out so let's head back to say our final farewells shall we?" The Monte Princess held her counterpart's hands with a smile.

"Kotori!" Umi called out once her lover appeared next to her.

"Umi-chan…" Kotori lunged herself at the bluenette, causing the blue haired archer to soften as she pulled the girl into an embrace, caressing her hair gently.

"How adorable," Adriano chuckled as she turned to Aletta who had a soft look in her eyes, "Yea, they are indeed cute."

"Sorry, it took us so long!" Emillio appeared next to Adriano with Honoka in tow. "This girl here – I can't believe she's me!"

Adriano and Aletta only laughed at the scowl on Emillio's face as the trio turned to the three girls in uniform, each staring and standing in front of their own counterparts.

"The three of us have to go now," Emillio started.

"So this is our farewell," Adriano continued.

"Thank you and sorry for everything," Aletta finished.

"Emillio…Adriano…Aletta…" Umi spoke before shaking her head with a smile, "No, It's Honoka, Umi and Kotori right?"

Emillio grinned, Adriano smiled and Aletta chuckled.

Emillio raised his hand, to which Honoka slapped her hand against her counterpart's palm in a hi-5 fashion.

Adriano and Umi shook hands, both smiling at each other.

Aletta pulled her counterpart into a hug.

"See ya!"

"Good-bye!"

"We'll be off now!"

The past selves of the three childhood friends disappeared and the place went silent again.

"We should get going too," Honoka was the first one to speak.

"Yes," Umi nodded.

"Everyone is waiting for us right?" Kotori chimed in.

"Let's go!"

When Umi came to, she found herself lying down in darkness.

She could hear loud applause ringing throughout the auditorium and with a start, the bluenette realised that her scene had just ended and quickly, she stood up and headed backstage, just as the rest of the members hurriedly removed the unnecessary props.

"Umi-chan!" Kotori called out, waving at her lover.

"We're back….right?"

Honoka grinned, "Of course! Now let's get out there for the finale~!"

"Yea!" Kotori smiled.

Holding her two childhood friends' hands in each hand, Umi mirrored the smile. They had come so far and it was time to finish and end all of these. With renowned courage and strength, Umi pulled her friend's hands firmly.

"Let's go!"

The three nodded at each other in understanding and when the cue for them to step out came, the trio, their thoughts and breathing in sync, walked forward.

A certain red haired first year was already seated by the piano at the side of the stage, eyeing her seniors as they walked onto the stage, hand in hand.

Seeing Honoka's nod, Maki answered it with one of her own and her fingers pressed onto the piano, signalling the start of the final scene.

Her fingers dancing across the instrument lightly, the composer of μ's let the music engulf her entire being as she played with all her heart.

The new lit of determination reflected in the three second year's eyes had ignited a warm steady flame inside Maki as warmth rose within her. She wanted to go all out, to play her best, for the sake of her seniors. It was a strange feeling really, she thought. She hadn't felt that way ever since she saw their first performance months ago in the auditorium. The only reason the red head could think of was that something must have happened just now. But she put that thought away for the moment, concentrating on the piece before her.

As the piano continued to lead the song that the three are singing, Maki found herself drowning with warmth as Honoka, Kotori and Umi's voice melded together in perfect harmony, resonating within the audience as they sang out loud, their voice clear, beautiful and touching.

Singing about life regrets.

About being unable to save their loved ones.

About being unable to convey their feelings.

About wanting to relieve the blame their loved ones' put on themselves.

And finally, about afterlife and how everything was resolved as they continue on with their lives, this time, without any regrets.

When the song finally finished, the three were close to tears, yet their hands never left one another's, intertwined tightly, even when loud cheers and applause echoed throughout the auditorium.

A mixture of relief, closure and satisfaction rose within Umi as she stared dazedly at the blinding lights before her.

It's over.

It's finally…over.

We…did it!

A tug of her hand dragged her out of her daze as she regained enough sense for a final bow before the curtains closed, closing the final chapter of their past.

Epilogue

"You're going to get fat you know!" Umi's strict voice caused Honoka to stick her tongue out before dashing out of the clubroom, her melon bun in her hand.

"Honoka!"

"Umi-chan, calm down and leave Honoka-chan be…" Kotori tried to placate her lover, putting a hand on the blunette's shoulder.

"Kotori…you spoil her too much!" The enraged lines of anger on the archer's forehead gradually ceased as her voice became exasperated, her hard gaze softening at the gentle look on the grey haired girl's face. "…You aren't playing fair…Kotori…" Umi sighed, looking away.

"Umi-chan's so cute~" Kotori beamed as she hugged the other girl from behind, unable to resist how adorable the bluenette looked when she averted her gaze bashfully.

"S-Stop! Kotori! We're at the clubroom!" Umi tried to reason with her lover but Kotori only smiled playfully before saying, "Hm? I wonder who's the one who almost kissed me in public–"

"A-Ah! S-Stop saying that!" Umi's face became bright red as she finally gave up, giving in to her lover's display of affection.

At the other side of the clubroom, Eli chuckled slightly at the sight, commenting, "They're so adorable…"

"Elichi, if you keep saying that, I'll get jealous you know~" Nozomi, who stood next to faked a pout, her voice teasing, causing the tips of the blonde's ear to burn.

"S-Stop teasing me, Nozomi…" Eli's voice sounded weak.

"Eh~? I'm not teasing Elichi at all, you know. I'm serious!" The purple haired girl looked at her best friend with a smile that seemed serious yet playful at the same time.

Eli didn't think her face could get any brighter.

"…Flirting and flirting." Nico sounded irritated, "Stop flirting in front of me you two. That goes for the two over there too." The raven haired girl glared at Kotori and Umi.

"Nico-chan is just jealous~" Rin snickered, earning a trademark Nico glare from the ruby eyed girl.

"R-Rin-chan…" Hanayo tried to stop her childhood friend from angering their petite club president.

"You could just go to Maki-chan if you want~" Nozomi teased, "Nicocchi, it's not good to resent others for your own inability to flirt– "

"Nozomi!" Nico sounded like she wanted to throttle the pig tailed girl while Nozomi only grinned, as if happy that made her friend mad.

Maki, who had been sitting by the desk reading, could only sigh in exasperation at the scene unfolding before her. It would take quite a while before the ruckus died down.

Everything had went back to normal, as far as Maki could tell. She'd heard more details about the second years' past life after the play and the events that transpired when the three were transported to another world seemed unbelievable and far-fetched, yet the red head believed them. She was glad that everything was resolved and came to a close, and was happy that her seniors had finally gained closure.

With the closure of the final chapter of their past, the three had moved on with their lives, enjoying every moment of it, as they start a new chapter.

Somewhere else

"Honoka, you're getting scolded again," Adriano laughed.

"I can't believe Kousaka Honoka is actually me," Emillio grimaced as he leaned against the white wall beside Adriano.

"She's eccentric yet lovable and charismatic." Adriano voiced out, causing Emillio's face to turn sour. "Are you serious?"

"Oh? Are you jealous?" Adriano returned with a cheeky smile.

"…You are totally different from Sonoda Umi."

Adriano laughed again, "Of course. My counterpart is more shy and reserved, yet…" She licked her lips, "She could get as wild as me during –"

A cough interrupted Adriano, causing the blue haired maiden to blush, "K-Kotori…"

Aletta cleared her throat, "Umi-chan, I'm here you know."

Adriano had the decency to look embarrassed as she murmured, "I'm sorry."

Emillio laughed out loud, causing Aletta to shoot him a nasty look, which only served to make him laugh louder. After all, Aletta's look of "anger" didn't look angry at all. It only made her looked like she was pouting. Soon, Adriano was laughing as well, and seconds later, Aletta shook her head as giggles overtook her too.

-fin

A/N:

I'm terribly sorry for the (very very very very) late update! I hit writer's block and while I sorta know what I wanted, I wasn't able to put it into words. But- but! It's finally finished!

It took a lot of thinking and pondering - what kind of ending should I have? Is this too rushed? And etc. etc. I wanted them to acknowledge their regrets and be in peace, that's why I made them face their past selves.

I didn't go into full details of the play since it would drag the word count - (sorry!) and some of you might be confused about the ending of the play. So I'm going to explain it in a couple of sentences. After the volcano erupts and Honoka, Umi and Kotori "dies", the next scene shifts to one where they start to sing. The song that they sang is like a conclusion to the play, what the trio are feeling when they died and how they meet again in their afterlife. So it's like a happy yet not happy ending? If that makes sense.

Next, Names.

Emillio = Honoka

Adriano = Umi

Aletta = Kotori

Emillio - Just a male Italian name, since they live in Pompeii. Also, since Honoka's VA is Emitsun...you know where the "Emi" comes from XD

Adriano - It's actually a male's name, named after the Adriatic Sea (Like Umi=Sea so...) I used a Male's name since Umi's father in her past life sort of trained her as a boy.

Aletta - Something about wings...I can't remember. Kotori = little bird and birds have wings so...yea.

Lastly, I would like to apologise (again) for the lack of update as well as to thank every reader who has favourited/followed and reviewed this fic. This fic isn't the best and many things can be improved (I had to stop myself from cringing when I read some of the older chapters) but this fic has finally come to a close, and end.

Thank you for all of your support! :)

And now, I shall continue with The Acacia Heart. I hope I won't take long to update that fic too (cries).