2 Dandy is Back

SORA was clearly insane. How can he believe that Gumi is Dandy when it is clear as a day that Gumi is not Dandy. Gumi may have the same face as Dandy but to Maeko, she is not Dandy. And she will never be.

Dandy, Sora, and Maeko have been childhood friends. She may have ruined Dandy's last days, they may not have a better parting but she still knew who was her best friend. And this woman was not her.

And speaking of the devil. "Gumi."

Gumi stopped short as she passed by Maeko as if she wasn't already there. She looked back at her with a smile on her face.

"Maeko," greeted her chirpy voice. It was the same sweet voice of Dandy yet it was giving Maeko goosebumps. "Is office hours done? Where's Sora? Is he already here? I told him to wait for me."

"Wait for you? Why? Are you coming with us?"

A puzzled look was greatly shown on her face. "Coming where? Are you two having a date, too? But I'm…"

Sadness was greatly painted on Gumi's face in an instant. A tear was ready to fall on her face. In others' view, Maeko may look like she bullied her and making her cry. And she thought she would be shaken by that.

"Stop the drama, Gumi," annoyance was laced on Maeko's voice. "You drama. It's not working on me. You may have fooled Sora all this year, but not me. You are not Dandy. You are not our Dandy."

Maeko gasped in shock as Gumi moved swiftly to whisper in her ear. "Maeko, Maeko. Maybe the Dandy that you remember was the naïve, sweet, and loving Dandy. But six years have gone and that Dandy has been long gone. If you cannot accept the fact that I'm back, you should have done better. So that Sora would have forgotten me in those five years. Jealousy is a poison, it may kill you one day, Maeko. Be careful."

Gumi has been long gone to Sora's office but it took a while before Maeko could regain her breath. She didn't even notice that she was holding it in. Even her tears started to flow.

It was not fear that she felt if Gumi was an impostor. Instead, it was pain from the past that clearly, she hasn't overcome. She still hasn't forgiven herself. And now, someone is taking advantage of our past.

{I don't know why. But I'm taking responsibility for what I have done. Gumi may or may not be Dandy. But I must save Sora from that monster.}

***

AFTER a less than three hours plane ride, two more hours of the drive before Maeko arrived at Kamikakure. It was tiring but it coming there was like coming back home.

{Well, it is literally my hometown. Our home town, where we meet Dandy.}

Maeko just toss her things in the bed and walked out of the room she booked in at a hotel. Her ride from Tokyo to Takachiho was longer than the time she stayed in the room. She was excited to go back to where Dandy's Flowerbed was. She really wanted to see or rather feel her again. And it pains her that it will just be her alone.

A taxi ride was enough to go to the foot of the mountain where Dandy was. Half an hour hike from the foot before coming to a view of her flower bed. And it was still the same.

A few blades of grass and none of the dandelions.

"When will you really come back, Dandy?"

And as if the wind heard me, it blew with a comforting warmth.

"Do you miss Dandy, too? I miss her, too. I hope that she'd come back."

And there was no answer. With a sigh, Maeko took out her phone and took picture of Dandy's flower bed along with the old tree towering and sheltering it. She opened her messenger and sent the image to Sora.

Maeko: I'm already here. And the grasses are still green.

It took a few minutes before she received a reply.

Sora: I told you it was useless to come back.

Maeko: are you already given up on her?

Sora: I already have her here. There's no point in going back there.

Maeko: if she's really Dandy. Why wouldn't she go back here? Looks like she's avoiding coming back here.

Sora: maybe she doesn't want to remember what happened when she left.

Sora: maybe some other time. We would go back there. The two of us. Maybe she would go back if you won't come along.

Sora: I'm sorry.

"I know," Maeko silently replied as if he was there. Frustrated that up until now, Sora was still blaming her. She knew what he meant. It was painful but if it would make Gumi come here, it is okay.

Maybe, just maybe, if Gumi won't resist coming back here if Maeko won't tag along, and if that woman weren't looked too frightened as if someone would make her existence disappear, then, Maeko would be convinced that she is Dandy.

Maeko just sighed at the way things are happening. She tried to forget things about Gumi as of the moment and silently prayed. She didn't make it long before saying goodbye and was ready to leave when a gust of wind slammed her body as if someone pushed her. The wind knocked her over and was ready to hit the ground and endure the pain but there wasn't any. The sea of grass cushioned her fall.

"Thank you, guys," she chuckled softly, talking to the grass. As she was looking around for her phone, that was when she saw, a small yellow flower.

Eyes wide. Heartbeats were fast. Happiness welled in her heart. "Dandy. Are you really, Dandy?"

The flower swayed as the wind softly blows. Maeko could almost see Dandy's smile. She could almost smell her sweet morning dew scent.

"Dandy. Welcome back, Dandy." Tears slowly roll down my cheeks. "I miss you. I'm sorry. Dandy, please forgive me."

Maeko laughed and cried and the same time when a few raindrops start to fall. "You're still a cry baby. But I miss that, too. I can't wait to see you."

It took a while for her to remember to say it to Sora. It was almost dark and panicked, quickly got up and found her cellphone. She didn't even bother to check if the picture was blurry or not as long as the flower is visible, it was enough.

The image was sent to Sora immediately. The message was clearly seen by Sora but I didn't get any reply.

Wasn't Sora happy to see that after six long years, A dandelion bloomed where Dandy was?

{Sora, please. Dandy is back.}

***END OF CHAPTER***

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