The Sun Shines, But I Don't. (Omari AU)

The Hospital

All of us were utterly quiet when we got to the hospital. We were all exhausted from the crying, yet we couldn't sleep. We had to know if our friends were okay. As we waited for any updates on Mari or Hero's health, I was deep in thought.

The dream I had with Sunny. What did any of that mean? He said that he was missing everyone. Did Mari or Hero get the same dream too?

So many thoughts and questions echoed in my head, but eventually it brought me back to the last time I ever saw Sunny alive.

I never told anyone about that day.

The only one who knew about it was my grandmother.

And then…the guilt started to sink in. The guilt that Sunny was clearly hurting. And I did nothing to help him.

It's your fault.

I'm starting to see Something. It was surrounding me, as if it was ready to swallow me whole at any moment.

It's your fault.

Memories of that day, and the days that went by afterwards played in my head.

It's your fault that he's dead.

God…please make it stop!

It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault!

"Basil?!!"

I got my head up out of confusion. Kel and Aubrey were looking at me with concerned looks. Kel was the first to speak. "Are you okay?"

I never had the opportunity to tell anyone about what happened before Sunny passed away. But maybe…maybe I should tell them. It may not be a good time, but I have to tell them! They need to know!

"Is there an area we can go to by ourselves?" I asked out loud. Kel and Aubrey looked at each other with utter confusion. I sigh out loud as I try to think of a room we can go to.

Maybe…the balcony?

"Follow me." I tell Aubrey and Kel, as I start to walk to the roof.

"Basil! Wait up! What's this about?" Aubrey asks out loud.

The door to the balcony was surprisingly unlocked. But I passed through, and I waited for everyone else to show up.

Aubrey and Kel showed up and Kel simply asked me "What's this about?" I took a deep breath, and turned around to look at them. "I have to tell you something."

"It's about Sunny. I…I'm the reason Sunny is dead."

The air felt cold as Aubrey and Kel turned dead silent.

Kel was the first to speak. "Basil…what do you mean? How can it be your fault?"

I took another deep breath.

"I saw him a week ago before he died." Kel's expression darkened as I continued. "He came into my house unannounced. He was quiet, which was nothing unusual but…this was different. He was hiding his hands."

I continued telling them everything. "At night, I heard someone crying. When I got up, I realized that it was Sunny. He was so stressed out about the recital. Mari wanted it to be perfect, but Sunny kept messing up. The stress was really starting to get to him."

Tears began to form in my eyes as I continued. "I didn't know who to go to ask for help. I really didn't want to make Mari upset! But on the day of the recital…I told Hero about it. He told me that he would talk to Mari and Sunny about it. And then…"

I buried my face as I started to sob once again. "I didn't help him! I never helped him! And I'm so sorry! If I wasn't so selfish, so stupid, or so ignorant I would've saved him! Maybe he'd still be alive…maybe-"

"That's enough!" I stopped immediately when I realized that the one yelling at me was Kel. When I looked up, he had a look of dread and sadness. Tears were falling down his face as he began to give me a hug.

"Basil. Nothing that happened with Sunny…is your fault! It wasn't your fault! And don't ever say that to me, or anyone else for that matter, ever again!" Kel yelled out.

Aubrey walked up to me and joined the hug. "Sunny's death….was nobody's fault. It's not yours, mine, Kel's, Hero's, Sunny, or Mari. It's no one's fault that he's gone, Basil. You did what you thought was the right thing to do." Said Aubrey.

"I've had thoughts like that too, Basil. How I should've been there for Sunny. How I should've tried to contact him more often while he was practicing. It's not your fault. It's not my fault. It's nobody's fault." Kel said.

I stood in absolute shock from everything that I've heard. No…this isn't how it should be! Why aren't they mad! Why aren't they…

I lost my composure after that. I hugged both Aubrey and Kel, and I broke into tears.

~~~

We went to visit Mari. It was Aubrey's idea. The doctors said that the scar has healed, though she did lose her eye. When we got there, none of us knew what to say.

We all just stood there, waiting for something to happen.

Kel asked if we could visit Hero. We both agreed. As we walked to Hero's room, I couldn't help but think about what could have caused all of this. Why were they fighting? Why did Hero have a knife?

When we got inside Hero's room, the first thing that caught my attention was Hero's black eye. He had marks over his face. It was dead silent. As soon as Kel was about to say something…we heard someone enter the room. We all turned around to see who it was.

It was Mari.

I was immediately worried about her health. She must've been in a lot of physical pain right now, especially due to her eye. Before I could say anything though….that was when Mari spoke for the first time in years.

"I have to tell you something."

It felt like time had stopped once Mari began to explain everything that happened that day.

Aubrey was in denial.

Kel started yelling at Mari, shouting about how angry he felt, how guilty I was because of what I told them, and how he feels betrayed. He then started to get mad at Hero. "I should've known that there was more to Hero constantly talking about Mari." Kel walked up to the door, looked at Mari for the last time. He sneered angrily, and walked out.

Aubrey stood still for what felt like an eternity. She then ran out of the room, holding her mouth as if she was about the throw up.

And then…there was me.

I didn't know what to say.

I didn't want what I should say.

Mari…she killed Sunny. She framed it as a suicide. She hurt all of us. She lied to all of us.

I want to yell at her. I want to tell her about everything that I went through. How I blamed myself for Sunny's death. How miserable I've felt because of it.

But I couldn't find the strength to speak.

Tears were falling down my face as everything that Mari told us was sinking in.

I took one last look at her. She was crying. She was afraid.

I walked past her.

And I ran out of the room.

I ran out of the hospital.

And I ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, until I collapsed onto the ground out of exhaustion.

I see Sunny's tombstone near me as my eyes started to grow more and more heavy. And even then, I couldn't help but bitterly smile. Even after everything we went through, it always felt like Sunny was always there for us. Even after he died.