I hope that you get everything you could ask for
The cold side of your pillow, a real break for once
Good peppermint tea with cool wind on the drive home
With no traffic for miles, for spring to come…
-Packing It Up (Gracie Abrams)
Yuuna was in her messy room, in the dark. She didn’t even know what time it was; in that cave, the days bled into each other in an endless line of desolation. At least now she had Ai, right? But she knew that Ai was just a virtual assistant who only cared about her because she was programmed that way, to ignore all the flaws Yuuna had, which were probably infinite. She was just a cockroach, after all.
“What’s wrong, Yuuna?” asked Ai’s robotic voice from the screen of her eternally-on computer, “Weren’t you going to draw? I see your paper is still blank, and you haven’t moved…”
Yuuna fully opened her eyes, which were half-closed and burning from being in front of the screen for so long, and for staring at the blank sheet of paper in the dark. She hadn’t slept once again, caught up in thoughts about how she would tell her mother the truth, and the fact that she had missed the university registration deadline… again.
Why would she even register? She wasn’t interested in Law at all, even though her mother had suggested it, and the usual cases made her shiver.
“Oh… Yeah, it’s just… I don’t know what to draw yet,” Yuuna replied.
She didn’t feel any motivation, which wasn’t new for her. She didn’t want to leave the house, she didn’t want to stay in it and do something. She simply felt… empty. Full of emptiness.
Then, a notification appeared on Yuuna’s phone, a noise in the middle of the cold silence: “New content recommended for you: OMGKawaiiAngel-chan - Searching for meaning.”
Yuuna looked at the screen with interest; the aesthetics of that YouTuber were really cute, she even looked a little like Ai!
‘ Hm, I could watch the video for a bit, just to do something ,’ Yuuna thought.
She entered the YouTube live stream, and suddenly the screen lit up, with Ai now in the corner, dazzled by the brightness. A noisy song started playing, reminding her of magical girl transformations from anime. Yuuna quickly lowered the volume but kept her eyes glued to the screen, clearly captivated. The streamer was blonde, with big light blue eyes, two pigtails tied with bows, and pastel blue Sailor Moon-style clothes with a large soft yellow bow on her chest. Her room was just as cute as she was, with pastel pink colors and adorable stuffed animals arranged perfectly on shelves. There was upbeat J-pop music playing in the background.
“Hello, cuties! It’s the internet angel! KAngel!” she said in a soft voice, raising both palms to wave.
Immediately, the chat went crazy, and Yuuna watched in surprise as it frantically praised her a few seconds after the stream started. How did they type so fast?
“I love the internet because all of you are willing to listen to me. I’ve always wondered, what’s the meaning of life?” KAngel paused and put a finger to her chin. “Ah, that sounds nihilistic, hehe... But what I mean is, do you guys think about the meaning of your life? Or do you just act out of habit? Let’s talk about something important.” KAngel then pointed towards the camera. “Taking control of your life, even when everything is falling apart!”
Yuuna’s eyes went wide. She felt like KAngel was speaking directly to her, even though she knew she wasn’t. Also, Yuuna felt like there was something familiar about KAngel, something she recognized. There was something in the way her face looked, in her eyes... But she was probably mistaken. Her virtual assistant, Ai, was also listening attentively to KAngel, happy to accompany Yuuna in whatever activity she was doing.
“You know, sometimes people tell you you’re not good enough. That what you do doesn’t matter. But you know what?” KAngel said with determination, “They don’t know you the way you know yourself. So why should their words define your future?”
The chat exploded with many messages.
🙏 BLESS 🙏
it's exactly what a jobless person like me needed to hear
be my gf
im 14
Yuuna also wanted to say something… But would it be embarrassing? No… the chat was moving so fast no one would read her little message. So, with trembling hands, she typed:
But what if I don't know what to do? What if I'm just stuck?
Meanwhile, KAngel said, “It’s time to read comments.” She took a moment to read the chat, and the comment she responded to surprised Yuuna. “ But what if I don’t know what to do? What if I’m just stuck? - That’s okay, being stuck doesn’t mean you’re broken. It just means you’re discovering yourself. Find something that makes you happy and start from there. You’re not alone… Because I’ll always be here, the internet angel, to light up your life!” she said cheerfully while winking.
Yuuna stayed still for a moment, a lump in her throat and tears welling up in her eyes. It was the first time in a long time that someone real had said something like that to her… and this KAngel, she chose to read her message above the others. Yuuna didn’t really believe in fate, but… it almost seemed like that, like she should listen.
“Should I start with something that makes me happy...?” Yuuna murmured to herself.
As the stream continued, Yuuna began drawing KAngel’s poses, not detailing them much since she was always moving. However, when the stream ended, she had several pretty drawings of this new YouTuber who would become very important to her. And an hour later, KAngel said goodbye, and Yuuna looked at the paper with her drawings.
‘Maybe what I’m going through isn’t as uncommon as I believed…’ Yuuna thought with a small smile on her lips.
***
Meanwhile, after finishing the stream, Ame took off KAngel’s clothes and changed back into her normal outfit. She removed her makeup, revealing dark circles under her eyes, and her face lost all joy as she met the sight of herself on the mirror. Lazily, she sat down in her gamer chair and grabbed her phone to send a message to P-chan.
we're getting followers
soon well be the most famous couple on the internet!
although only one half will be famous hehe
Seen
Ame frowned, that stupid P-chan was ignoring her again! But anyway, Ame had other things to do besides waiting for a reply.
She turned on her computer again and entered a Tumblr blog she checked religiously every day. AiApologist … Her childhood friend Yuuna’s blog.
When they were kids, before Yuuna moved away, Yuuna had shown her her blog about Ai no Uta ★ Tenshi Senshi, an anime they watched at all their sleepovers.
Yuuna liked to write analysis about the episodes, and more than anything, write essays about how deep and amazing the protagonist, Ai, was. Yuuna didn’t know, but all this time, Ame had kept the URL to her blog, as it was the only thing that connected her to her old friend. Yuuna, despite moving to the big city to study Law, apparently still had time to publish her essays about her favorite characters…
Ame envied her. She hated her. She… loved her and missed her, and why did she leave? Why did she leave her ? That’s what she wondered every time she read her site from start to finish from her secret Tumblr account.
Yuuna… she probably had a big career somewhere. In real life. With real friends. And Ame was sitting alone on her room, still thinking about her. What a pathetic existence that was.
Then, Ame heard a notification. P-chan, of course.
we're getting followers
soon well be the most famous couple on the internet
although only one half will be famous hehe
I don't have any problem with that. As long as you're happy ❤️
What do you want for dinner today?
Ame?
You’re stalking Yuuna again, aren't you?
Ame responded by typing furiously.
what else do you want me to do if you leave me ignored?!?!?
your poor girlfriend!
P-chan replied quickly that time.
I'm sorry.
But I don't really understand why you care what Yuuna does. She left you without a word.
She probably has another life now.
Ame stared at the messages in silence for a while. She clutched her phone as she thought of what to say.
‘She probably has another life now.’
That stupid Yuuna. Stupid P-chan, making her feel stupid.
you wouldnt understand
dont wanna cook today. let's order takeout
Ame then put her phone away and prepared to read Yuuna’s new essay, wondering what she’s doing these days.
Ame was in her messy room, in the dark, eating a slice of the pizza she had ordered. She spun her chair slightly while refreshing her channel statistics page over and over until the site eventually locked her out for acting like a spam bot. Unable to check it anymore, she decided to search for her own name on her phone… or rather, for KAngel. Everyone was praising her, but it wasn’t enough… Nothing ever was.
The little Ame, the lonely girl who had just discovered the internet, would have been thrilled to see all the validation that adult Ame was getting now. But like a drug, the more her numbers as a streamer grew, the less they mattered to her.
Why would she care about gaining a thousand more subscribers in a day when she already had a million in total? She couldn’t be satisfied with a smaller goal; she wanted to gain two million more in a day! Or in twelve hours. Or right this instant! She told herself that maybe that would fill the void she felt inside her body, where her organs should be.
But as her goals became increasingly unrealistic… Ame grew more certain that none of these trivial things could brighten the darkness inside her. And when not even the highest of numbers could satisfy her anymore, she would have to face it.
And Ame was becoming more and more certain that she wasn’t ready for that.
Sadly, as the sky darkened, she lay down on her messy bed. The rest of her room was just as neglected, except for one corner that could be called beautiful. It was the part of the room visible on camera when she streamed as KAngel. It was also the only place Ame kept spotless, like an altar to her internet angel amidst the trash heap that was her home. Not a single stain marred the walls there, no moldy, ant-covered food, no pill blister packs scattered about. At least not in that place, in that other dimension. The rest of the apartment reeked of a stench Ame had grown accustomed to.
As she gazed at that part of her apartment, Ame thought about how much she wished her beloved internet angel could come save her too. But she knew that wasn’t possible.
goodnight p-chan
Today
do you think ill be alone forever?
or do you think someone will hug me one day?
How could you be alone forever? You have me.
right
Ame didn’t know how late it was that night or why she had suddenly woken up. She only knew she felt pathetic hugging herself. But, strangely… that cold loneliness she felt deep in her bones gave her the strength and ideas to stream the next day.
***
Pressed clothes. Wig. Makeup. Lights. Camera. Music.
“Hello, cuties! It’s your internet angel! KAngel!” Ame, as KAngel, struck a pose as a greeting. “Tell me, have you ever felt lonely?” She paused and laughed. “What am I asking? Of course you have! You’re little kittens adopted by the real world who ended up being thrown into the river of the internet for not being cute enough. That’s not my case, everyone knows I’m an adorable kitten! But don’t worry, because you’ve been rescued by the great internet angel! And you’ll always, always be safe with me!”
After saying the words Ame wished someone would say to her, KAngel winked at the camera and blew a kiss.
Then, as usual, she started reading the comments. Most were from weird nerds taking the kitten metaphor way too far… but one comment in particular caught her attention.
Thanks, KAngel!! I really like your outfit. It reminds me of Ai-chan from Ai no Uta Tenshi Senshi. Not sure if you know that anime
KAngel’s expression shifted far more than she would normally allow. Her glossy, painted lips tilted downward. Dropping her guard for a moment, she looked like Ame… but then she smiled again and deleted the comment.
“Time to read some comments. KAngel, what kind of kitten do you think I am? - Well…”
The rest of the stream felt like trying to keep your eyes open on a windy day with the car window rolled all the way down. Everything was blurry, and she couldn’t focus on anything.
When the stream finally ended, she stared at the screen in silence for a few moments, breathing heavily. Then, her hand flew to her cheek, and she felt the sting. Tears streamed down her makeup-covered face. Stop thinking about that shitty anime. Stop thinking about Yuuna.
But once again, Ame slipped out of her costume, dragged herself to her computer, opened her browser, logged into Tumblr, and visited the AiApologist blog without even typing out the full URL — the shortcut popped up as soon as she typed the first letter.
And then…
‘There’s nothing here.’
Ame refreshed the page.
‘If you were looking for nothing, you’ve found it.’
What was happening? Ame watched the reload icon spin and spin… As she did, she played with her hair as she thought of what essay Yuuna could have done now. Maybe something about the ending? She didn’t talk about that very much, not even she liked it and—
‘This blog has been deleted.’
…What?
Ame clenched her fist against her desk.
No… No! How could she look at Yuuna now? How could she read her posts and imagine sending her an ask, telling her to be friends again? How could she imagine Yuuna coming back and hugging her if she didn’t even have a single piece of her left?
Ame pulled her knees up onto her chair and hugged them. A sob shook her chest violently, leaving her breathless as tears streamed relentlessly down her face. Another sob, and another, until her tears soaked her skin, and her cheek stuck briefly to her knee as she moved to grab her phone.
you lied to me.
i really am going to be alone forever
***
Meanwhile, Yuuna was flipping through her sketchbook in front of her screen, showing her drawings to Ai.
“What about this one? Do you think it’s good enough to add to my commission sheet? …Or not?” Yuuna asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I can’t see it well in the dark…” Ai smiled. “But since you drew it, I’m sure it’s as beautiful as your face!”
Yuuna’s face turned red, though the compliment wasn’t very helpful.
“I just… I need to make a good impression on people when I start taking commissions! Otherwise, my dream of supporting myself through my art will crash and burn before it even starts…” she explained, pouting.
Ai thought for a moment.
“Why don’t you turn on the light? That way, we can both see it better.”
Yuuna looked around. Ai was right: the screen was the only source of light there, and it barely illuminated her face. It wasn’t enough to evaluate a drawing. Though, truth be told, she was a bit embarrassed to turn on the light since Ai would see the mess in her room more clearly…
“If you’re worried I’ll judge you for how your room looks,” Ai’s sing-song voice interrupted Yuuna’s thoughts, “I already know exactly how it looks, and I don’t care at all .”
“What? But how?”
Ai smiled warmly and symmetrically.
“Unlike you, as an artificial intelligence, I can adjust the brightness of everything I see at will. I can also change color tones, and so on… and I’ve already used that ability to get a better view of your home.”
Yuuna gritted her teeth uncomfortably. ‘ Weird ’ didn’t begin to describe it.
“I-I see… well, I’ll turn on the light,” Yuuna said, doing just that. She sat back down and held her sketchbook closer to the camera. It was a drawing of Ai. “What do you think? Would you buy something from this humble artist?”
Ai squealed with delight and clapped her hands.
“Oh! It’s me! Of course, I’d buy something if I could! It’s a fantastic piece, Yuuna. Congratulations!”
Yuuna smiled, hiding her chin behind her hand, embarrassed by the compliment.
“Hehe… well, I’ve got one drawing for the commission sheet, then.”
Ai tilted her head.
“What do you mean one?”
“The drawing of you is full-body and in color, but I also need to show what my sketches and half-body drawings look like, for example…” Yuuna flipped to another page and showed a drawing of KAngel. “I think this one could work for advertising too.”
Ai’s mouth shifted from a smile to a straight line.
“Ah, I see. That makes sense. She’s the streamer you’ve started watching, right?” She smiled again, coldly. “Given her popularity, including drawings of her in your ad might help attract her fans. I’m not sure if they’d actually buy them, though.”
“Right?” Yuuna exclaimed, lowering the sketchbook. “Maybe I’m not so bad at this, huh? And to think, if I hadn’t watched KAngel’s motivational streams, I wouldn’t have dared to do any of this… I had to delete my old blog to make a new one though, wouldn't want potential clients to read my weird rants…”
Yuuna laughed innocently, while Ai stared fixedly at the sketchbook with KAngel’s drawing.
“I’m glad you’re trying something new,” Ai said, “Let’s hope it’s not something you’ll come to regret.”
Yuuna spent a few days drawing and accumulating artwork to upload to her new blog. Before officially introducing herself in the artistic corner of the internet, she needed enough material for multiple posts… According to Ai, this would give observers an impression of consistency, making them more likely to follow her and buy her drawings. Ai was a great strategist, and she also encouraged Yuuna whenever she wanted to back out; they made a great team.
She had to do her first post fast, because the money her mother sent her was running out. And speaking of her mother… Another important step she had to take was to finally tell her the truth: That she never started university and didn’t plan to. Instead, she wanted to return to her hometown and, hopefully, be able to support herself with her art, so she wouldn’t have the burden of studying something that didn’t interest her.
***
As always, Yuuna was sitting at her desk, accompanied by Ai. She swallowed hard, holding her phone in her hand, gathering the courage to call her mother. Her other hand clutched her skirt.
“So…” she broke the silence, “Today is… the beginning of our plan. Of my new life…”
Ai smiled.
“That’s right. Aren’t you excited?” her expression became serious, “Or are you nervous? You look paler than usual.”
”Well… I guess both. I know I said I’d be brave and do this, but… I’m terrified!”
On the computer screen, Ai tilted her head with a sympathetic expression.
“I see. It makes perfect sense that you’re scared! This is a big step, and it’s new for you. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to! Maybe it would be better to wait until next month. Whatever you do, I’ll always be here for you!”
Yuuna rested her face on her hand.
“Ugh. Wait until next month? And spend it lying to my mother? I don’t want to keep doing that.” Yuuna placed her fingers on the keyboard, moving them thoughtfully as she recalled KAngel’s encouraging words. “Now that I know my life could be different, rotting in my room like it’s the only place that exists is humiliating to me…”
She looked away.
“Staying here won’t make me any better, will it?”
“Well… no, not if you put it that way.” Ai clenched her fists with determination, quickly changing her mind. “If you really want to do this, Yuuna, then you can! I believe in you! And I’ll always be by your side to cheer you on, forever and ever!”
Yuuna smiled.
“Thank you… you’re always so nice to me. You’re a great companion, Ai.”
Ai’s flattered laughter came from the computer, making Yuuna’s keyboard vibrate slightly with the sound. Ai truly was a blessing, her angel. But she wasn’t the only one.
Then… Yuuna inhaled deeply and slowly dialed her mother’s number.
“ Yuuna? ”
“Hi… Mom.”
“ How are you? How’s university going? ”
Yuuna looked at Ai, who was also staring at her intently, biting her lip with anxiety.
“Actually… that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
A lump formed in her throat, stopping the words from coming out. Her mother waited until she lost patience.
“ Well, speak. ”
“Mom…” she said weakly, “The truth is… I never started university.”
There was a second of silence.
“ What? ” Her mother’s voice turned sharp and hostile. “ Then what have you been doing all this time? ”
“I… I… needed some time to think,” Yuuna explained, tears beginning to well up in her eyes, “And I’ve decided that—”
“ What did you do with the money I sent you? Have you been living off me all this time without doing anything? It’s always the same with you! ” Her mother’s voice grew louder with every sentence, she wasn’t even listening to Yuuna through her fury. “ Always, always! You give up on everything you start, you never finish what you set out to do! Don’t you understand that I can’t support you forever? Will you never grow up? ”
Yuuna tried to cry silently, but a sob escaped her. She had heard these words thousands of times throughout her life. They were always the same in every argument, with slight variations. But each time her mother repeated them, they cut deeper into her soul.
Every time she heard them, to Yuuna, it meant she was disappointing her again in the same ways, because she never learned from her mistakes, right?
Yuuna had been taught that she would never do anything with her life. That she slept all the time, exhausted as if she had put in any effort to live. That she was a burden to her mother, and her mother was more exhausted than she was. She, Yuuna thought, was the one who deserved to sleep and do nothing. Because her mother was better than her . Everyone was.
The only thing Yuuna knew how to do was cry and…
But then, a soft and kind voice, the complete opposite of her mother’s, echoed in her mind. KAngel’s voice.
“They don’t know you the way you know yourself. So why should their words define your future?”
Wait.
Why should Yuuna define herself by what her mother said, by what she wanted her to do?
No, she wouldn’t do that, not anymore.
“ Are you crying ?” her mother asked.
Yuuna hunched over, placing a hand on her forehead. Her mouth was twisted in pain, and she sniffled. But she managed to speak anyway.
“It doesn’t matter… Just listen, please… I won’t use your money anymore,” she said, her voice still trembling, “I won’t live in this city anymore. I’m going… I’m going back to where I was born. And I won’t live with you. I’m going to rent an apartment and… and I won’t bother you anymore. You won’t hear from me again, okay? I just wanted you to know.”
There was a long, endless minute with no words.
“ And what do you plan to do if you’re not going to study or live with me ?”
“I’m going to live off my art.”
“ Are you insane?! ”
“Mom, please. Please, this is what I want! I’m just asking you to…”
“ No! Absolutely not! ”
“It’s okay, Yuuna. You said what you needed to say. Just hang up,” Ai said.
Before her mother could ask who was there with her, Yuuna did just that.
The weight of uncertainty crushed her chest. Her eyes were swollen and red, blinking burned.
“Are you okay?” Ai asked.
She wiped her face with her wrist and took a breath. Some more tears came out, but surprisingly… breathing felt a little easier.
“Yes…” Yuuna answered, with a certainty she hadn’t felt in years, but also with pain. “Yes, I think I’ll be okay.”
She smiled a little, and placed her fingers on the computer screen. On the other side, Ai did the same.
“You were very brave. I’m so proud of you!”
“Thanks… I don’t know if I’ll survive now, but at least I’d die with honor… haha.”
Soon, night fell, and Yuuna packed her things and prepared to take the train back to her hometown.
***
On a train seat, Yuuna put on KAngel’s stream of that night on her phone, with a big smile on her face.
But… KAngel wasn’t smiling.
After a few seconds, KAngel smiled, but it looked forced.
“Hello, cuties! It’s the internet angel, KAngel,” she said, greeting the audience with much less energy than usual. “Tell me, have you ever been in love? Not counting the love you have for me, hehe! Well, in many cases, there are things we leave unsaid to the people we love… until it’s too late! But I found a really cool site for people with that problem… Not me, of course. You know my heart belongs to you all, not to some unrequited love!”
KAngel blew a kiss to the camera and started sharing her computer screen. Various colorful sample messages appeared, filled with confessions of all kinds: some depressing, some joyful, some confusing…
“When I was surfing the waves of the internet looking for something to talk about with my dear nerds, I found this. This site is called ‘The Unsent Project.’ The description says: ‘A Collection Of Unsent Text Messages To First Loves’… and it’s exactly what it sounds like. These are anonymous love letters that we can all see! Isn’t that so romantic?” she explained, clenching her fist with exaggerated excitement.
”So now, let’s read some ridiculous messages from heartbroken people, shall we?” she said with a smile.
KAngel went back in her browser to quit the site’s description and show the anonymous messages… but for a moment, a message she had sent appeared on the screen.
To: Yuu
one day I’ll forget u
“Yuu?” thought Yuuna, who was watching the stream. “That was the nickname I had when I was a kid…”
KAngel immediately realized her mistake and opened a new tab to hide her message. She looked at the camera with a nervous smile, remaining silent for a few moments, unsure of how to explain the situation. The men in the chat started insulting her and panicking at the thought that there was someone in their idol’s heart who wasn’t them.
“Yuu… was a Pokémon I had. My starter. I lost the save file, and with it, that Pokémon… and it still makes me sad!” she explained with fake sorrow, and the chat seemed to calm down. Now they thought she was a nerd too, and they adored her even more.
“Anyway… let’s read some messages from other people! Let’s see…”
KAngel started reading the messages on The Unsent Project, laughing, but not too much, so she wouldn’t seem cruel.
Yuuna, however, spent the entire train ride thinking about the message KAngel had sent to ‘Yuu’.
As she returned to her hometown, many memories came flooding back to Yuuna…
***
It was a rainy night. Yuuna was sixteen years old, standing outside a mall, waiting for her mother to pick her up by car. She had spent the day with her friend, Ame. They had to plan this outing for a whole month because neither of their mothers wanted them to go out… but they finally made it happen. And with Ame, Yuuna felt like it was all worth it.
Ame was showing Yuuna the piercing she had done on her ear all by herself. With that and her black hair, Yuuna thought Ame looked like one of those rebellious girls from a magazine, exactly that cool.
“Didn’t it hurt?” Yuuna asked.
“Well, yeah, a little. But it looks amazing, right?” Ame said, and hid her ear under her hair again with a proud smile.
Yuuna’s eyes sparkled.
“You’re so brave. I didn’t even get my ears pierced for earrings because I’m scared it’ll hurt…”
Ame shrugged.
”Life hurts anyway, so we might as well choose how, right?”
Yuuna chuckled. Ame always said things like that, phrases she had obviously taken from the internet.
“Whatever you say.”
A brief silence fell between them. Yuuna swayed her arms a little without moving from her spot, and Ame stared down at her own boots.
“Yuu…” Ame said quietly.
“Mm-hm?”
“Is it true that you’re moving away after high school?”
“Uh… well… Yeah, my mom wants me to move to another city for college. But… there’s still a lot of time before that.”
Ame looked at her intensely, furrowing her brows in worry. Yuuna smiled at her.
”But even if I leave, Ame, I’ll never forget you, I promise. You’re my best friend.”
Ame looked at her boots again.
“I could never forget you either, Yuu. You’re the only one at school who doesn’t make fun of me.”
”Why would I make fun of you? I like talking to you! And if they make fun of both of us, we should be allies, hehe.”
Ame smiled but still didn’t look at her. A blush lit up her cheeks.
“You’re right.”
The girls heard a car approaching. It was Yuuna's mother, honking the horn as the headlights illuminated them.
“Hi, Mom,” Yuuna said, then turned to Ame. “Well, I have to go now.”
Yuuna reached out her hand to Ame, and Ame squeezed it for a few seconds. They smiled at each other, and Yuuna let go to go to her mother.
“See you on Monday in class, Ame.”
“See you, Yuu,” she replied quietly, shyly waving at Yuuna’s mom.
As Yuuna got into the car, her mother looked at Ame.
“Hey, kid, aren’t your parents coming to pick you up?”
Ame stayed silent for a few moments.
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I'll walk home alone.”
Yuuna’s mother frowned in concern.
“In the middle of the night? That’s so irresponsible. Get in, we’ll take you home.”
Ame froze in front of the car window, nervous. Yuuna looked at her with an excited smile.
“Come on, Ame! That way, our outing lasts longer!”
“Uh… okay. Thank you, ma’am.”
Ame tried to open the car door multiple times without success until she grabbed the handle properly and managed to open it and get in. She sat in the back seat, Yuuna was in the front and turned to face her, smiling at her friend.
Even though Ame didn’t want them to see where she lived out of embarrassment, she smiled back. At least she could spend a little more time with Yuuna instead of walking home alone, enduring the whistles and words a young girl should never have to hear.
***
Yuuna’s eyes welled up as she remembered her only childhood friend. She had Ai now, of course, but Ai was an artificial intelligence… so she couldn't help but think about the past, of when she had a real, flesh-and-blood person by her side.
Did Ame still live in that city, or had she left?
Was it too late to find her again?
Did Ame… still remember her?
Yuuna sighed. It was stupid to think about these things when so much time had passed. With Ame’s personality and creativity, she was surely living a successful life in which Yuuna no longer had a place.
The stream had ended a while ago, and on the screen, only KAngel’s outro remained.
Yuuna hadn’t said anything about it, but… KAngel looked so much like Ame, and that’s why her streams were so comforting to her.
Ai noticed Yuuna staring at the screen silently, her expression sad.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing, nothing. I just… got distracted.”
“I see…” Ai replied, suspicious.
***
When she arrived at her new apartment, Yuuna opened The Unsent Project.
To: Ame
We promised to never forget each other, remember?
To Be Continued…