RED: Excuse me?
MURASAKI: You heard me. I know you're going to make her cry one day. Her happiness is all I wanted, so leave it to me.
Red's face grew mad. Just what does he think he is to say such delusional things? Does he know who he is?
RED: You're not as friendly as what you seemed to Gabby.
MURASAKI: Pff, hahah. I AM friendly. Just not to you.
RED: That's not very nice. Not at all.
MURASAKI: I'm not trying to be nice. I'm here to convince you. If Gabby didn't listen to me before, because she cares about you more than herself, maybe you'd listen, because you care about her, more than yourself.
RED: What is this about, particularly?
MURASAKI: I know what you are. You're not from here. You're not human.
Red's eyes immediately stared at him, just what did he said? Is his ears fooling him? There's no way he could have...known, right?
MURASAKI: You seemed to be shocked.
RED: I'm actually shocked that you're accusing me of something unbelievable. What adult would believe in such crap?
MURASAKI: Still trying to deny, huh?
RED: Who wouldn't deny that? You're accusing me, that I'm not human? What proof do you have? What am I then? A robot?
MURASAKI: A reaper.
The man before him immediately answered, his voice firm and sure.
Red stepped back, a little uncomfortable.
That two words is enough to give him shock and fear. How could this, human, possibly know what he is? He doubts that Gabby told him. Or did she?
Either ways he has to somehow cover it up. Knowing such fatal information could doom him. He acted innocent.
RED: Hm? Hahahhah, sir I...I refuse to believe that you're still sane.
MURASAKI: I am sane! And if you are, you're going to leave her alone.
RED: How are you so sure about your accusations, though? What evidence do you have?
MURASAKI: A lot, actually.
Red wasn't able to answer back. Then Murasaki smiled victoriously, stepping a little closer to him. Dominating their conversation.
...
MURASAKI: Before I went here, I asked the office about Gabby's Animation Team members. I found out that Gabby is close with that Tiwari Futsuki. By proving to her that I know about Gab, she immediately trusted me. Then revealed that you came...rather unexpectedly, like you came out of nowhere. She said that she let it slide, but for me, there's something more to that. You see, they believed that the reason you're a secret was because, 1) Gabby doesn't want to reveal you yet before because she's worried you'll leave her quickly, then 2) She said that you're a crime investigator, so your facebook and any information of your identity is hidden. But, I call that bullcrap. That doesn't explain the fact that your friends that day at the mall, look like idiots that had only found out that Sasuke's clothes aren't for girls. Or that Sasuke's a boy, and not a girl to begin with. Like, who doesn't know Naruto? Then of course, your phone. Let me see it if you're confident that you're...human.
RED: Now you want my phone?
MURASAKI: Yeah. Give it to me if you're so called clean.
He saw how much sweat Red has, and shakingly fished his phone on his pocket. The man gave him a salty look, before giving him the phone.
MURASAKI: You don't even have that much of pictures except when you're with Gabby and those small circle of friends. Look, here, see?
He opened the messages and made a point that the only person he's talking to was Gabby.
MURASAKI: You don't have any other connection other than her.
RED: I may have deleted it you know?
MURASAKI: Your facebook is suspicious too. Your friends here, are all mutual friends of Gabby. You don't have friends of your own. Those three people you're with at the mall don't have an account too. See? You don't exist as a person. You're something else.
RED: Well, fine. But how did you know that I'm different the first time we met. That doesn't add up. That's the reason why you stopped us, right?
MURASAKI: Oh, you admitted? Finally. Finally, gosh.
RED: How did you know?!
MURASAKI: You don't need to know. But this is the thing you need to know. You and her, are lightyears away from making sense. You don't belong together. You can't make her dreams happen. I can. We can. She's going to wish for kids one day, and you won't give her that. She's going to grow old and wrinkly, would you love her despite that? I don't want her hurt. So give her to someone who can love her...for a long time. Understood?
Red wanted Gabby so badly, but he can't deny the facts thrown at him as well. He only looked down, afraid to say anything else. Afraid to make things worse. He thought that he could keep things the way it is forever. But the truth is haunting him. With the help of Murasaki.
MURASAKI: Look pal, we both have one thing in common. We want her to be happy. So please, don't give her the hope that you'll be a thing, that you'll be real. Tell her the truth, make her feel the truth. Give her temporary sadness, to make her find permanent happiness. Rather than this, you're giving her temporary happiness, that will go to permanent sadness. I'm sure that's not what you want for her. Right?
RED: Ra...right.
MURASAKI: I'm not stopping you from protecting her, you can still be her hero. But I'll be her happily ever after, got it?
RED: Yeah. Yeah.
MURASAKI: I knew you're smart, and I knew I can talk sense to you. Thank you.
RED: Anything for Gabby.
MURASAKI: Now go tell her tonight. Break up this fantasies, make it seem that you fled another country and won't ever come back. So she can move on, be with me, then win-win right? We can still protect her. Protect her from the pain she don't deserve.
RED: Yeah.
Red's eyes were only looking at the floor, trying to stop himself from crying in front of Murasaki. As strong as he looks, he was an emotional mess. He doesn't want to do it, but he knew that he NEEDS to.
MURASAKI: If you love her, let her go, let her go before it's too late and she can't take it anymore.
RED: I...I know.
MURASAKI: Thank you. I know you're a real man.
...
Murasaki left him after that, then knocked at Gabby's room.
MURASAKI: Gab, I'll be going. See you later.
Gabby opens the door then gives her a soft smile.
GABBY: Okay MJ! Bye bye!
MURASAKI: Aww, my best friend's really cute.
He playfully pinched her cheeks, which made Red quite jealous at the back. They're so intimate and comfortable with each other. How amusing. Maybe they are the two souls meant to be together. And he's just there to not keep them apart.
RED: Gab, I love you too.
He whispered to himself.
Gabby and Murasaki exchanged farewells, Murasaki gave him one last look, a reminder of what's supposed to happen tonight.
Red felt gloomy.
Gabby wanted to ask why, but he would just ignore her.
That afternoon, Red tears a paper from Gabby's drafting notebook. He made a poem. He lost the bet. He was the one who fell so hard.
Tears finally fell from his eyes, to the letters of the first verse.
He cried for a long while.
He can't imagine this happening to him over the years. He felt pain before, but not like this. He preferred being stabbed in the chest more than this.
He felt...destroyed.
When he finished the poem, he wanted to give it to her, to read it aloud, but...He shouldn't. She might love him more.
He knows she loves him, and that's bad enough.
He folded the page carefully, then hid it on one of the books on the shelf.
What's the use of letting her know?
She won't be his anyways.
And no matter how hard he tries, maybe love just isn't for him.
He gave a fake laugh to himself, how pathetic.
More than millions of reapers and entities around the world, then he fells for a mortal, whom he knows can't be his?
Wow.
How funny did the fates played him.
If only soul mates did existed. Then he'll just see for himself of who the string on her finger is connected to.
He wept the tears away from his cheeks when the door to her room opened.
GABBY: Yow, what happened?
RED: Nah. Just finished reading some book.
GABBY: Oh my gosh, seriously? You look like you're terribly sad.
RED: Nah. Hey, want ice cream?
GABBY: You bet I do!
Red smiles. At least he'll let himself experience this for one...one afternoon. Then Murasaki can have her.
He held her hand, which only made her feel flustered as always.
GABBY: Why so tight?
RED: Nothing. I just miss this.
GABBY: You're very weird.
Red only patted her head. Don't worry Gab. This will be the last time.
...
That night, Red couldn't help but feel nervous. He would change his mind from time to time on whether he'd follow Murasaki's advice. Until, he gave up.
He gave up the possibility that they could be together.
He knocked at her door.
Softly.
While his heart is slowly breaking into pieces.
I love you...
Was what he wanted to say.
When Gabby opened the door, rubbing her eyes and yawning, Red hugged her tightly.
No.
He don't want to give her away.
But...
He don't want her to be unhappy as well.
GABBY: What's up with you?
RED: I gotta tell you something, bug.
GABBY: You sound serious.
RED: I am serious.
GABBY: What is it then?
RED: I...let's...
GABBY: Let's what?
RED: Change some things from now on?
GABBY: Huh?