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“We’re here,” Elly said as she, Zul, Mizuha, and Shimizu finally arrived at her family’s tombstone.
“I see, so she’s no longer with us,” Mizuha remarked.
“So, both of you actually planned to visit her grave today?” asked Shimizu.
“Yes, today is her death anniversary, so I come here every year on this date. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys earlier, but I really wanted to bring you here to introduce you to her, I’m sorry, to not telling you the truth” Elly explained.
“Elly-chan….” Mizuha with sad expression.
“Onee-chan, I’m here again this year. I’m in my first year of high school now, and today, I didn’t just come with Zul like usual—I brought my friends from class to meet you,” Elly said, praying at the grave.
“Arisa, I’m here too. I’ve come again this year, just like I promised Elly since middle school...” Zul added, wanting to share with Arisa how much Elly has changed. After that Elly and Zul is cleaning up her family tombstone together, also with help of Mizuha and Shimizu, “Elly-chan, here let’s we help you too” said Mizuha. “Mizuha-chan, thank you,” said Elly.
Then someone is walking to them suddenly. “Ah, someone’s coming,” said Mizuha.
“Huh, this person... she is...?” Elly murmured.
It was Miku slowly approached them, carrying a bunch of flowers while in her high school uniform too “Huh? Who are these people? I’ve never seen them before,” Miku said, confused by the number of people visiting Arisa’s grave today.
Suddenly, she noticed Zul. “Oh, it’s you, Zul! Long time no sees. You’ve grown so much and gotten taller,” Miku said. It was Miku the Arisa and Zul classmate in elementary school since back then.
“Oh Miku, huh!?, long time no see, I see you doing well too” Zul replied. “I don’t see Elly, she not coming today?” said Miku looking for Elly.
Suddenly, Elly approached Miku. “I knew it, it's you, Miku-san! It’s been a while. Long time no see, since elementary school” Elly greeted Miku in her usual polite tone and manner.
“It can’t be... Arisa-chan? You’re alive? Then whose grave is this?” Miku asked, shocked by Elly’s appearance, thinking it was Arisa.
“No, no, I’m not my big sister. It’s me, Elly, her younger twin sister.” Elly explained to Miku.
“Eh!? You’re we’re Elly, that boyish girl that always argue with me back then? I can’t believe it,” said Miku. “Hey Zul, please tell me my eyes aren’t lying,” Miku added.
“You’re not wrong, Miku. She really is the same Elly you knew before. It’s a bit surprising, right?” said Zul. “Eh, are you kidding me…!!” said Miku shocked.
After Elly explained everything to Miku, Miku responded, “I see, you’ve changed so much, Elly. Your appearance is completely similar to how she looked in the past now. Not only that, but the way you speak now is also just like her, with such politeness. I thought I’d seen her ghost earlier.”
"I think this is how she would look now, if she hadn't passed away," Miku wondered.
“I’m sorry for shocking you earlier. I didn’t mean to surprise you like that,” Elly apologized.
“I only granted her final wish, which was for me to change into a proper girl and to avoid fights or violence, unlike how I was before. I used her as a role model to change myself because I respected her so much. "So, I ended up resembling her more and more as time went on because we came from the same essence.” “Even though I resemble her now, I haven't inherited her smart thinking or her genius specialties.” Elly chuckled.
“Elly…” Miku said, suddenly seeing Arisa’s influence within Elly and she drop her tear suddenly.
“Thanks, Elly—I mean, Elly-chan—for granting my best friend’s final wish,” Miku said, hugging Elly and crying. Elly also laid her arm on Miku's back and accepted the hug from Miku.
“Thank you for visiting her grave today. You remember this day, right? It’s the anniversary of her death. I also want to apologize for the mean things I said to you earlier, “said Elly also drop a tear.
“No need to apologize. You were right back then. I know you just wanted to protect her from my foolishness, you really love your sister since back then” Miku said, chuckling. Miku put the flower at the tombstone area, and pray for Arisa and try telling what her doing now to Arisa.
After finished that, she returns back to Elly and others. “So, are all these people your friends, Elly-chan?” Miku asked.
“Yes, both of them are my classmates and close friends in school, Mizuha-chan and Shimizu-chan,” Elly introduced them to Miku.
“Mizuha-chan, Shimizu-chan, this is Miku-san. She was my late sister's best friend,” said Elly.
“Nice to meet you, Miku-san,” Mizuha and Shimizu said in unison.
“Nice to meet you. Thank you for being friends with her,” Miku responded. After that, they all talked about Arisa and other topics before Miku for 30 minutes was about to leave.
“You’re leaving already?” Elly asked.
“Yes, I think I’ve learned a lot today. Elly-chan, please keep her wills alive as she wished,” Miku said.
“You too, Zul. Make sure you keep protecting Elly-chan as my late best friend’s final wish to you,” Miku said. Both Shimizu and Mizuha were shocked to hear that Arisa used to be Zul’s girlfriend.
“Yes, we will make sure her will is kept alive,” Elly and Zul said simultaneously.
“Miku-san, let’s meet again next year on this date. There’s more I want to discuss about my late sister,” Elly suggested.
“Alright, I agree. Let’s meet again next year on this date,” Miku said.
After that Miku said goodbye to everyone, she left the graveyard.
“I think it’s better if we head back now,” said Elly.
“You’re right; it’s getting late, and we need to catch the train,” said Zul.
“Onee-chan, I’m going to leave for now. I promise to come back next time. I promise I will share more stories to share with you,” Elly said to Arisa’s grave.
“Me too, Arisa. I hope you rest in peace in the afterlife. I promise I will fulfill your wish and protect Elly myself,” Zul.
As they walked away from the tombstone, Elly, Zul, and Shimizu began to leave, with Mizuha trailing behind. Suddenly, she felt a breeze from the tombstone and turned to see an image of Arisa smiling and nodding at her. Mizuha bit shocked she her image, her appearance is really similar to Elly as Elly tell her before.
Mizuha smiled and nodded back, waving her hand. Arisa’s image smiled once more before disappearing.
“I understand, Arisa-san. Both Elly and Zul have fulfilled your final wish, and you can see that they are doing well,” Mizuha smile with tear.
“Mizuha, hurry up! What are you doing? We’re going to leave you behind,” Shimizu called.
"Wait for me, guys!" Mizuha shouted, wipe her tear, running to catch up. On the train ride home, both Shimizu and Elly were sleeping. Elly suddenly dropped her head onto Zul's shoulder beside her.
"I miss you so much, Onee-chan," Elly said in her sleep, sleep-talking with smiling. “I see, Elly really loves her late twin sister so much…” Mizuha wondered.
Zul gently grabbed Elly's shoulder and leaned it against his own. Mizuha noticed this and saw Zul give a silent sign while smiling at her. Mizuha smiled back and nodded.
After that, Zul also settled down, falling asleep next to Elly. “They really seem like siblings instead of childhood friends sleeping like that,” Mizuha wondered as she saw them.
Mizuha learned today that her close friends Elly and Zul had a really sad past, having lost the same person they loved so much after being together for a long time. She also saw Elly work so hard to fulfill her late sister’s wish. She reflected on how profoundly Arisa's influence had shaped both Elly and Zul into who they were today.
"Now I know, why she didn't fight back when the bullies targeted her a month ago. She actually made a promise to her big sister not to use violence or get into fights anymore, so she just let herself be bullied like that," Mizuha thought.
"And that's also why Zul was so upset when Elly didn't tell him about the bullying. He wants to make sure Elly is safe and protected, especially after he promised her big sister that he would look after her," Mizuha reflected.
After that Mizuha suddenly remembered that she needed to go shopping to prepare for their picnic at the mountain and river this weekend. "I need to stop at the supermarket after this to get supplies for our picnic later," Mizuha thought.
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