The Author's POV

'…Aren't these the names of Ren's parents?'

Kevin had only met them a handful of times and didn't know them that well. The most vivid memory he had of them was seeing them cry at Ren's funeral.

The image of Ren's sister crying in front of his picture left a big impact on him.

'It's definitely their names, isn't it?'

He couldn't exactly remember them, but as he took note of their last names and the pain that was permeating through Ren's chest, Kevin could tell that they were his parents.

The real question was, why were their names imprinted on the tombstone before him?

'It doesn't make sense.'

Last Kevin recalled, they were still alive and well. He didn't remember hearing anything about Ren's parents ever passing away.

'How is this even possible…?'

Thud—!

Kevin's vision suddenly lowered as he fell to his knees and the scenery around him shifted.

It began with a soft whisper in the air that tickled the ear. A colorless pearl fell to the ground, landing perfectly on one of the blades of grass beneath the magically darkened sky.

Pitter.

The sound was like the glassy clinking of a champagne flute, clear and lifting.

Pitter. Pitter.

Accompanying the first drop was a second, and then a third, and within seconds, a heavy curtain of rain fell to the ground.

Phut. Phut. Phut.

The noise on the surface of Ren's clothes which were slowly getting drenched was like that of ripened nuts made when they hit the ground. It wasn't like the soft, clear, mellow drops that were hitting the grass; it was like baseballs being thrown against a net. Louder and fiercer.

Ren clutched his chest with one hand and grasped the tombstones in front of him with the other, oblivious to the cold caused by drenched clothes.

Pitter. Pitter.

The plummeting rain masked Ren's tears as he kept his head lowered and sobbed.

A fierce and sharp pain was invading Ren's chest as he slowly opened his mouth and muttered

"…N..not again."

In uttering those words, Kevin felt a pain that he had never experienced before, and he was struggling to keep his emotions in check as Ren's emotions slowly began to affect him.

Ren's words were followed by a shift in weather. It was sunny once again.

As the weather changed, Ren's position did not change as he grasped onto the tombstones in front of him. The cold that was previously embracing his body was gone, and his clothes magically dried.

This time, the pain was even worse than before. It was unbearable. To the point that one might go insane from it.

"Why…why…why…"

Kevin murmured through Ren's mouth. Ren's voice reflected his genuine helplessness.

...And it was precisely because he could hear the helplessness in his voice that Kevin wondered.

'Why is the weather changing? ...And why did he say not again?'

to himself, the world around him continued to

realize that all the memories were basically

the weather, the

same funeral scenario being replayed in front

thought until the scene changed again, and

'The pain…'

pain that was permeating through his chest

before...no, rather, my emotions are becoming more and

his attention on what he was feeling the entire time, and before he knew it, he was standing five meters

no longer kneeling like in the

season changed repeatedly in the background; sometimes it would snow, sometimes it would be sunny, and sometimes it would be

the changes in scenery, Kevin realized that the agonizing pain he was feeling had completely vanished, replaced by an absolute feeling of

felt

even a shred of

times has the weather

count of how many times the scenery had changed. He had been so absorbed trying to imprint what Ren was feeling inside of his mind, that he had long lost count of how many times

was certain about, it was that the scenery changed

attended his own

'He's finally moving.'

Ren finally moved his body that used to stare at the gravestones of his

'…Eh?

was faced with a scene that was

a familiar voice and seeing a familiar

wrong with you? Do you

in his direction,

'Is that me?'

was shocked. The only thing that was different about him was that he looked older than he

It was himself.

is

he was seeing. He never recalled attending a funeral in which Ren's family died...so

that you are probably shocked by what happened, but it doesn't even look like

the top of his

'What's going on?'

Kevin looked at himself and saw the anger and sorrow on his

he

"Speak damn it!"

as his other self shook his

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

flow down his

this was really him as

not feel anything when everyone has

of Ren's clothes, Kevin pushed him backward. Stumbling a couple of steps back, Kevin watched as his other self dropped

really mean nothing

dropped to the ground that, Kevin caught a glimpse of what was behind him...and it

The numbers were countless…

'N-o way…'

engraved on the tombstones, Kevin felt his

[Amanda Stern] [Jin Horton] [Melissa

'Wh..hat is happening?'

other's tombstones shook Kevin to the core as he

on this as Kevin felt Ren's body patting himself on his clothes to wipe off any

directed his gaze toward Kevin who was kneeling on the

him, Ren slowly knelt to

"Kevin."

called out for him. His voice sounded rather cold; devoid of