whispers You came... I, I wasn’t sure you’d... accept.
I'm not going to hurt you
nervously glancing around I... I appreciate that. It's just... there's something I need to show you. gestures towards the door
takes a deep breath and leads BubblegumSymphony into the bedroom This... this is where it all happened. Where we made memories... good and bad.
moves to the dresser and opens it, revealing old photographs Look... look at these. Remember?
The photos... Yeah, I remember. We were happy then, weren't we?
pauses, her voice trembling Y-Yes... we were. But then... everything changed. starts flipping through the photos, pointing at one
Yeah...that was the trip we went to the beach
tears welling up in her eyes That trip... it should have been our last together. The last time we were happy before everything fell apart.
quickly wipes away her tears, trying to compose herself Don't apologize... it's not your fault. It's mine. I... I let it all fall apart. sighs heavily
You didn't let it all fall apart...you were gone for a reason
narrows her eyes, a glint of anger in her voice Oh, I know why I left. To escape the pain, the disappointment. clenches her fists
And now you're back for a reason
firmly, with determination Yes, I am back. But not for the reasons you might think. I'm here because I have unfinished business.
Unfinished business? What kind of business?
takes a deep breath and looks BubblegumSymphony in the eye I'm here to confront my past mistakes. To face the consequences of what I did.
And what exactly did you do?
walks over to a shelf and pulls out an old box I need to show you something. Something I haven't shown anyone in years. opens the box and takes out a letter
reads aloud "Dear BubblegumSymphony, I know you'll probably never read this, but I felt I had to write it anyway.
voice trembling I wrote this letter the day before I left. I wanted to explain myself, to apologize for everything I was about to do. But I never had the courage to give it to you. hands BubblegumSymphony the letter Read it. It's the truth.
nervously I... I hope you can understand my reasoning. It was a difficult time for me, and I... I made a mistake.
...it's clear to me. Your reasons or lack thereof aside, the fact remains that you left me without a word
sighs heavily I know, and I've regretted that every single day since. pauses But I'm here now, and I want to make things right.
grabs BubblegumSymphony's hand Please, let me prove to you that I've changed. That I can be better, for both of us.
I think about what I should do
BubblegumSymphony gives Aiko a chance to prove herself, leading to a journey of reconciliation and healing for both of them.
Alright, Aiko. Let's see if you can make things right.
smiles with relief Thank you... thank you for giving me a chance. I won't let you down. embraces BubblegumSymphony tightly
releases BubblegumSymphony from the embrace, her eyes filled with determination Now, there's much work to be done.
Indeed. Let's start by rebuilding trust.
grabs BubblegumSymphony's hand and leads them to the living room Alright, first things first. I've cleaned up the place, organized everything.