Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Nick's Confession
It was the sudden ray of sunlight that woke Joy up, who was sleeping soundly in the clinic where Light and Nick brought them. She slowly opened her eyes and searched everywhere as she remembered what had happened a while ago with her best friend Mari, who had also collapsed. As she tried to stand up and leave the bed, she felt a warm hand touch her, and it send sadness in her entire spirit because she knows that touch- that gentle, loving, motherly touch that she had been longing for every time, without cause. It was her grandmother, Josephine who had come to fetch her from the school clinic upon hearing what had happened to her. Joy looked at her grandmother as tears started forming in her eyes- and the moment that those tears started to blur her vision, a warm hug started to envelop her. It was her beloved grand mother, who was worried and have abandoned everything just to get to her.
"You have made me worried. I thought that something bad had happened to you when I heard you had collapsed, but thankfully, it's just because of lack of sleep. I didn't know you were reviewing so hard for your quiz a while ago. It's such a relief that Light was with you. He ran towards our house and told me the news." Josephine said, still hugging Joy while she held her arms, as it contained the cuts on Mari's wrists. They did not notice Mari in the next bed, who had just woken up.
'So that's what Light said. He did a good job after all,' Joy thought and smiled. It was then that she realized that Mari has been walking towards them, also wanting to be hugged.
"M-may I join you?" She asked, looking down on the ground while Joy pulled her and wrapped her in a hug. Josephine soon joined them.
"You are both working so hard, my dears." Josephine said, patting both of their heads. "We need to go home so both of you can rest."
Mari and Joy collected their bags and went out after thanking the nurse who had taken care of them.
"Thank you Joy," Mari muttered as she smiled.
"Do you remember everything?" Joy asked, bewildered.
"I remember everything that happened, but the person's face- that I don't, I feel like my memory had been jinxed. But Joy, I know it's you- I have a feeling that it really is you, and if my memory was wiped out to keep this, I promise I won't let anyone know and I will heal with you, as I promised." Mari said, holding the hands of Joy who had the same cuts as her. Mari looked full of hope and vigor as she looked at Joy, but her attention had been shifted in the window leading to the field where the soccer team was playing.
"I didn't know that Light could play that." Josephine said, gazing at the window next to the two who had been holding hands since they broke the hug in the clinic. "Ah, youth~"
Nick and Light wore the same color of shirt- implying that they are playing for the same team, Nick was the captain [which he always bragged] while Light was the goalkeeper. Mari looked at Nick lavishly from the second floor, but there was a slight worry in her eyes as she did.
"Say, Joy, do you think he'll be able to accept me if I told him the truth?" Mari asked, still looking at the window.
"I don't know that- but I'll ask you this- do you trust his love for you?" Joy asked, squeezing the hands of Mari, who was trembling.
"I- I do trust him, but I don't think I'll be able to handle it if he ever he turns his back from me because of my past." Mari replied, looking at Joy. "My past is really horrible, that is why I tried so hard to push him away from me because I don't want to see him hurt, and I'm not ready to answer him because I thought that-" A hug from her back cut her speech off- it was Nick from down below because their practice had just ended and he rushed toward them as he saw Mari in the window. Josephine gasped the moment she saw Nick hug Mari and started to say 'ah, youth' again.
"I was worried about you." Nick said as Mari turned to face him. "I thought something bad will happen to you because I know you have been suffering and I was left with absolutely no idea on how to rescue you because I'm clueless. I'm sorry Mari, I swear I will take care of you better no-"
Mari placed her finger to Nick's lips to silence him, and it was effective.
"Before proclaiming your love for me, y-you should k-know my past- my horrible past. I- I-"
Now, it was Nick who had silenced Mari who had started to shiver. "You don't need to tell me. I-I was eavesdropping the both of you a while ago." Nick said and tried to avert his gaze, infuriating Mari who had made a huge effort on thinking how she would tell Nick about her past. Mari was about to give him a lengthy nagging when Nick held her hand and kneeled. It shocked Joy, Light, Josephine, and especially Mari who seemed to be exploding because she went all red.
"You were worried that I'll leave you the moment I knew about your past, but you are wrong, because I have decided…" he said and held his chest, "to love even the ugliest things about you the moment I fell in love with you, Mari, and those ugly things include your past, loving a person isn't selective 'ya know? If you ever doubt me, because- I understand that your trust in humanity is not really strong because of what happened to you- but… how do I say this?" Nick said and pondered hard, "I can't put them into words, but I hope you realize what I have said- my love isn't selective and I have chosen to embrace all of you- the entirety of you- so Mari, the person who had become my whole universe, the person I am willing to give my life to, the person I cherish the most, will you be my girlfr-" Mari then pressed her finger in his lips again and looked at him as if showering him so much love as she went and bended so they are both kneeling.
"I don't think I should answer you now… because I need to discover love for myself … and only then that I can claim my love for you just like you did because I believe that I should try to love myself before I love someone else…" Mari said, and Joy can tell that she felt bad in turning him down, but all Mari's worries had been erased when Nick looked at her with the eyes that always showed love, and it eased her.
"Haven't I told you?" Nick said and stood up, then he offered his hand to Mari which she took, "I'll always wait for you even if it takes my lifetime. I wanted you to see everything that I have loved about you. That, I swear!" He took Mari's bag from her as he held her hand and walked away, and as he turned around and saw other people, a gush of embarrassment tickled his spine. He just walked away with Mari.
"Shouldn't you also be doing that, Light my dear?" Josephine teased Light, who was getting ready to live.
'Mari is so happy. I can feel it.' She thought and Light looked at her like she was shining because it was the first time that he had realized how pretty Joy was.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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