302 Youve Been Having a Really Long Dream (1/2)

Truth? What was... the truth?

Reo didn't understand.

”You can't remember the last time that you saw your real mother Hinako Tachibana because you intentionally forgot.

”You can't remember the real appearance of the 'mother' that accompanied you here for so long because you never truly looked at her for who she was.”

Seiji talked to Reo using the gentlest—yet serious—tone he could.

”You're dreaming, Reo-chan. This is your dream world, not reality. You've been having a really long dream.”

Reo didn't know what to say.

She heard what Brother Harano said to her, but she didn't understand.

'I'm dreaming? How is that possible...'

”In this dream, you believed that your mother Hinako Tachibana was still alive and treated another person as your mother. Even if she told things to you herself, you couldn't accept it.

”You treated her as your mother, but you didn't actually listen to her at all or see her for who she truly was.

”This was a terrible thing to do to her.”

'This can't be,' Reo thought. 'This can't be possible...'

”Her name is actually Mayuzumi Amami. She was your mother's high school classmate. You forced her to act as your mother, which made her suffer.

”She didn't hate you for this. She just felt that having you continue like this wasn't good, so she hoped that you would be able to become braver and stronger, so that you didn't have to dream anymore, so that you could face reality.”

'It's false. This is all a big lie...'

Seiji looked deeply at Reo, who was obviously confused.

”Look at me!” he suddenly boomed.

Reo trembled involuntarily, spooked by the abrupt noise. She focused her gaze on the boy in front of her again.

”Don't run away, because this is impossible to run away from! Don't avert your gaze, because you must look at it! Don't think that this is just a lie, because this is the truth!”

Seiji looked into Reo's eyes and continued in a powerful voice: ”Even though you are just a child, if you meet with something like this, you still need to face it head on.

”This is cruel. This is painful. However, it has to be this way, because there's no running away from the truth. Be brave, be strong, Reo.”

If possible, Seiji would have preferred to use white lies to fool her and let her know the truth once she was slightly older.

But due to the mysterious power, this was no longer possible.

'I'm sorry...' he apologized inwardly.

”I know that you don't want to accept or admit it, but... you saw it for yourself, and you actually realize it as well. It's just that you've always been lying to and deceiving yourself.

”If things continue like this, your heart will eventually break. I want you to get better! I'd like to be able to play and laugh together with you in real life rather than living like this in a dream.”

”Brother Harano...” Reo looked at him; she felt his heartfelt intentions.

”Listen well, Reo-chan,” Seiji said. ”The truth of the matter in real life is actually... your mother Hinako Tachibana has actually died already. Together with your father Kazuya Tachibana... you were there at the scene.”

Reo's mind went blank upon hearing this.

'Mommy... is already dead? Together with Daddy? Impossible...'

However, some memories gradually resurfaced.

Bloody streaks, broken car seats, a terrible stench, snacks scattered all over with blood trails on them...

”Wahhhhhhh!” She was scared to the point where she suddenly screamed.

That was because those memories were so clear; it was if they had really happened.

They had indeed happened!

She didn't want to admit it, but that was what her memory was telling her.

This was the truth.

”Reo...” her bloodstreaked mother said, looking at her. ”I'm sorry...”

Her eyes lost the light of life.

”Mommy!!!!!”

There was nothing but icy darkness. In it, something tremendous and fearsome rushed over her...

*Boom!*

Seiji broke out of the apartment.

He was forced to do so, as Reo had transformed into her dark form and integrated into the apartment.