"Yuuki."

             The sleepy Yuuki flinched in surprise at the booming voice of his father sitting across the dining table, sporting casual clothing after successfully requesting a day-off yesterday. A coffee-filled mug in a calloused hand, Toshiro Yoshioka noticed his son seemingly struggling to stay awake. 

             "You've slept for like fifteen hours straight," he said. "And it still wasn't enough for you."

              "Quite the opposite actually," Yuuki replied drowsily, stabbing the egg on the plate with his fork repeatedly. "I slept way too much and I ended up feeling like… l-like shit." 

              "No swearing at the table, please," declared Toshiro with a raised eyebrow. 

              "You guys never really… <yawn>… bothered to wake me up for dinner?"

              "We were about to," Miku, who sat on the right side of the table from Yuuki's perspective, joined in the conversation. "But the smell coming from your room was absolutely unbearable." 

               "I left your dinner in the fridge," his dad continued. "We never expected you to sleep all the way till morning. You sure your brawl with that Enrico-whatshisname didn't give you more than just a wrist injury?"

               Yuuki sighed. "No, Dad. It just happened, I just… slept."

                "Oh, okay," said Toshiro with a shrug before taking a sip of his coffee. 

                "By the way, about that, you're… not gonna lecture me or anything?" asked Yuuki with a frown.

                "I don't find it necessary. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I wasn't proud of you teaching those thugs a lesson. I believe you did more right than wrong. And whatever wrong you've committed, I do think suspension's enough as a punishment." He paused as he looked up and placed a hand on his chin. "Although… I won't deny the presence of an ineradicable hint of bias in my judgment."

            

                 Miku tilted her head in curiosity as she and Yuuki asked the same question at the exact same time. "Huh. In what way, Dad?"

                 Toshiro returned to staring at Yuuki again with a chuckle. "'Cause you're my son, obviously. Why wouldn't I be on your side? And besides, it's exactly how your mother would handle the situation." 

                 "Huh," Yuuki's eyebrows were raised as he felt his ears widen in welcoming anticipation of his father's next words.

                 Toshiro continued. "The older you grow, the more you remind me of your mother. Deep inside, Yuuki, you're exactly just like her; someone who isn't afraid to stand up for what is right, and perseveres nonstop in achieving the goals they're deeply passionate about no matter what."

                  "And quite a hothead too, if I may add," said Miku. Exactly like Yuuki, Liliana was an individual one should never dare anger, as her personality was as fiery as her hair (and that she had a higher black-belt rank than her husband in shotokan karate). But overall, she would effortlessly make an impression out of anyone as being the nicest person they'd ever meet; she had been the type of individual to sacrifice their own time and opportunities to lend a helping hand to those who needed it. She once gained popularity all over the town for being some kind of a real-life local superhero— out of her insistence, she and her husband once hospitalized a couple of street thugs trying to mug a random woman; a couple of times, she was able to save a handful of folks attempting suicide by jumping off the Willowson Bridge and into the river of the same name; and there was once a time when she risked her own life to rescue twelve children stuck inside a burning building. She sustained multiple burns of varying degrees all over her arms and back in the process, giving her a hospital vacation, completely free of charge in courtesy of a grateful parent. And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg. 

                These stunts rightfully earned her gifts of gratitude from countless town folks and the mayor himself, nearly all of which she did not keep after respectfully refusing to receive them. Immediately after her untimely death, unfortunately, her existence was seemingly all but forgotten by Harvine itself. 

                 Wet hot tears began building up behind Yuuki's eyeballs. Deep inside, his father's words were caressing his soul, as they confirmed he was doing perfectly well in following his mother's footsteps. Yet overall, the words did more harm than good; they were exacerbating the severity of his mental wounds. They were strengthening the PTSD-induced Yuuki's longingness for his mother much more than it already was, which in turn inflicted self-loathing, regret, and a plethora more of varying negative emotions on him. In response, he sighed and briefly shut his eyes, slowly increasing the pressure of his lids into a hard squint to prevent any drop of tear from spilling. He then tightened his lips after feeling them tremble. As soon as they stabilized, he spoke abruptly. "Dad, can we please… not talk about Mom?"

                 Toshiro hesitated, deciphering the body language his son was conveying, before answering. "I know how you feel, bud, but if there's any appropriate occasion to talk about your mom, it's today. Today's her birthday, after all."

                 "I know. I just think we should… we should… like, can't we just save it for when we finally visit Mom later?" said Yuuki, unable to maintain eye contact with either family members. 

                 Toshiro could do nothing but sigh. "As you wish."

                 There was nothing much to discuss by then, at least nothing worth noting, and the three peacefully enjoyed their meal afterwards. This continued for a little while, causing an awkward yet tense silence to develop between them. Aside from the light clinking of utensils, Yuuki could've sworn he could hear the movement of his own eyeballs. Eventually, there came a certain point where he found the current atmosphere to be unbearable, more so than his own room. He left his seat abruptly, cleaned himself up, and went for the exit. "I'll go get some fresh air for a while."

                  "Wait."

                  Yuuki halted from his tracks. He knew it best to do so by the manner his father uttered the word. It was not a request, but an order.  

                  "When you get back, there's something I wanna give you," said Toshiro without ever looking away from his breakfast.

                  "I'm guessing I won't find out whatever it is if I try asking about it right now." 

 

                  His father chuckled. "That's right. You'll have to save that question for later. But trust me: you're gonna like it."

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                  The cold autumn wind ruffled Yuuki's thick hair as he peacefully walked along the pavement. He couldn't accurately recall the last time he took a trip to the barber. Well, not that he cared. In fact, he'd prefer owning longer locks. He couldn't pinpoint why, but he liked the feeling of hair swaying slightly in every step as fringes rested above his brows, framing his face the way he liked, no, loved it. He simply did. Nothing else.

                  There were a ton of things in his mind at the moment he could barely focus on his path ahead, nor anything around him at all. First was his broken hand temporarily preventing him from shooting some hoops, followed by his suspension, then the uncalled attraction towards his own best friend, then Miku arriving for their mother's birthday, then Evie asking him out, and don't forget Alisa's must-read letter as well, for it seemed really important. Geez. That's a lot.

                  And lastly, a dream involving Yuuki finding his own mother walking away and into the Garden's entrance had been recurring for quite a few times so far. Each time, it felt completely lucid and like a film being replayed simultaneously; everytime he was in the midst of re-experiencing the dream, he'd have no memories of it happening before temporarily, rendering it fresh and new in his brain from start to finish. His body would then proceed to make the exact same decisions and actions down to every step and gesture which would inevitably lead to witnessing Liliana step into the Garden's premises. He had been pondering for a while what this all meant; was it a sign of a deteriorating mental health? An underlying (physical) health condition perhaps? Or could it be linked to the supernatural? Yuuki wouldn't be surprised if the latter was the case. The entire town was no stranger to this aspect. Considering this assumption, what if it was his actual mother sending him a message from the afterlife? I mean, I dunno. It just doesn't add up. If Mom's trying to communicate, she'd be approaching me and fucking talk to me, not the other way around. Or… wait, wait. What if… 

                  What if she wants me to follow her? 

                  If so, then why? Why the Garden exactly? What will I find there, assuming it actually exists? I-I mean, it probably does, more likely than not; I'm aware of and have seen hundreds upon hundreds of photos and reports out there confirming its existence, but they're not dissimilar to ghost sightings, where you're still left to decide whether you choose to believe or dismiss it as loads of bullshit. I have a slight skepticism regarding this subject, but overall, I myself believe it is real, only because I always side with evidence (I mean, why wouldn't you?). And there are shittons of it. Regardless, the doubt is there, as it may not be anything supernatural at all. For all I care, it could simply be one of those strange phenomena with scientific explanations. This recurring dream might be just my brain playing tricks on me by randomizing frequently-recurring memories and chemicals or whatever and mixing them together to form a scenario of Mom entering the garden; the garden was a very popular topic amongst campfire story enthusiasts around these parts, so I hear it most of the time. And as its gate shares similarities in appearance to Heaven's Pearly ones, my brain probably confused these two, especially when it's a normal thing for humans to comfort themselves by thinking or wishing that their departed loved ones are within said Gates. And I'm no different. Moreover, it's even more expected for the human mind to sustain even the slightest bit of disbelief towards the existence of the supernatural itself despite getting heaps upon heaps of evidences shoved in their faces; the very concept is a foreign one when compared to the mundaneness and normalcy humans experience in their daily lives. Eat, work, play, sleep. Eat, work, play, sleep. It's what humans know the best. Anything defying what they perceive as part of their normalcy requires more than just evidence to quench their flames of disbelief. I can't get myself to specify what that is, but I'm obviously no different. 

                  … Alright. That's enough. My train of thoughts are going off the rails right now. I'll just… find another time to deal with these things.

                  A few yards ahead, a familiar guy with a scrawny build and a below-average height for a male high school student appeared to be making his way to class. Blond-haired and sporting an anime-styled backpack, Yuuki instantly recognized who he was. 

                 "Nicky!" Yuuki called from behind as he hastened his pace to approach him. The boy stopped and turned to where the source of the yell was, allowing Yuuki to see his bruised face in 4k. Nicky raised a brow in wonder why Yuuki was calling him in a manner one would an old friend. They only met just once, after all. 

                  Yuuki tapped him lightly on the shoulder, causing the boy to flinch and back away for a few inches. 

                  "Don't-don't… touch, please…" Nicky timidly stated. Spending most of his life unaccompanied by peers, he found being touched and hugged uncomfortable… unless it's a girl he fancies.

                  "Oh. Sorry." Yuuki decided to maintain a ten-inch space between them in response. "So… how are you holding up so far?"

                  "Fine, I guess." Nicky said as both continued their steps. He noticed Yuuki's outfit. No bags, and too casual for school. "You're… not heading to school?"

                  Yuuki smirked. "Suspended. Buuut it's worth it if it meant fucking with that piece of shit's fun."

                   Taking a quick glance at Yuuki's right arm, Nicky's face softened in guilt as he looked down at his shoes. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I was… if I didn't–" 

                    "Oh, don't be ridiculous. It was of my own choosing to barge in. You're 100 percent innocent."

                    "If I didn't spill my drink—"

                    "Nah. Innocent, I say," insisted Yuuki. "Shit just happens, man."

                    "I guess…?" 

                    The two walked on wordessly for a good minute and a half, before Yuuki spoke up again. "So… you love anime?"

                     Nicky nodded. 

                     "What's your favorite, then?"

                     "Can't pick between… uh, JoJo, Attack on Titan, and Evangelion."

                     "Oh, nice. Good taste."

                     Another period of silence followed suit. Yuuki was clearly thinking of what to say next whilst Nicky seemed to switch glances between Yuuki's pretty face and their path ahead from time to time. Yuuki found it obvious there was something in the dude's mind. It wasn't long before Nicky took the turn to break the silence this time. "How long have you, uh… how long have you been living here? In Harvine?"

                     "Ever since I was walking on all fours, I guess."

                     "Um… pardon?" Nicky eyed Yuuki, not quite understanding what he meant, for some reasons. 

                     "Been here since I was a baby, is what I'm trying to say."

                     "Oh," Nicky nodded. 

                     "Though I was born in Japan, a week before my family immigrated here in Maine. From time to time, we get to visit my grandparents back in Osaka, but this town is my home, no matter how bizarre things get around here."

                     "I see," Nicky replied. "Explains why you sound more British than Japanese… if, um, that actually makes sense…?"

                     "I mean, my–"

                     "No offense, i-if you do take any."

                     Yuuki smiled in a very friendly manner. "None taken. I mean, my Mom's Irish-Norwegian."

                     Nicky frowned. "Huh. Really?" 

                     "Yep. I mean, come on," Yuuki adjusted his position to face Nicky at precisely 12 o'clock. "You're not gonna tell me this nose looks Japanese."

                     "That's true, I guess… " Nicky looked down to his shoes for a few seconds, before facing Yuuki again. "Um… regarding the bizarre part, how bizarre do things around here… actually get, if it's, um, okay to ask?"

                    "Oh, really bizarre," answered Yuuki. "Harvine's like… a haunted town and a fantasy setting mashed together. On one hand, you've got abundant amounts of strange crime cases here for the past century and loads of paranormal phenomena being recorded, like ghost sightings. Even vampires and other creepy abominations… apparently. On the other, you've got mermaids being allegedly spotted swimming around in Lake Oannes and Willowson River. And then forest elves and fairies and other magical creatures rumoured to be dwelling within Harvine's… well, forests, which, by the way, comprises more than seventy percent of the town's size. And last but not the least… " Yuuki paused for a moment. "... there's the—"

                    "The Disappearing Garden," finished Nicky confidently. 

                    "Huh. You know about it?" Yuuki asked, slightly surprised.

                    "I've been researching… out of interest." 

                    "You are?"

                    Nicky nodded. "I've been researching this town's background for an entire day now, and it just gets more and more fascinating, especially the Garden itself. There's quite a surprising number of theories trying to explain its existence and what exactly it is. Said theories range from being scientific to religious. Some speculate it could be the lost garden of Eden, some say it's the entrance to the afterlife itself, or even a portal to a parallel universe. Other than theories, there's also a handful of tales, mysteries and cases throughout history surrounding it."

                    Yuuki raised his eyebrows. "Huh. Aside from a few of those theories, my knowledge with this topic hasn't really gotten that deep. I take it that investigating the bizarre and supernatural is among your… many hobbies?" 

                    "... Yes," Nicky admitted with a blush.

                    For as long as he could remember, Yuuki hadn't invested much interest towards the garden, nor any bizarre things transpiring throughout the neighborhood. All that was on his mind ninety percent of the time was bouncing balls. Alright. That sounds so fucking wrong now. But with that recurring dream being factored in, especially when it involved his mother, everything just changes. 

                   "Well, go on," Yuuki said upon seeing Nicky pausing. "Tell me some of them."

                  

                   With Yuuki's ears wide open to every word, Nicky did not hold any back. Out of the five tales he had read(and there were tons more left for him to read), Nicky logically chose the shortest, considering he had a class to attend. It was about a man named Albert T. Sutcliffe Jr. His tale was obtained from a lost journal in an abandoned shack atop an isolated hill within the forests of Harvine on March 17, 1899. According to his writings on the journal, both it, the shack and a portrait of a middle-aged man were supposedly of his possession. But with the exception of these objects, there wasn't any evidence of him actually existing; none of the individuals residing within Harvine at that time knew or have seen such a man with the name and an appearance depicted in the portrait, which was examined to be a legitimate photograph. In the journal, the seemingly nonexistent man claimed to be a woodcutter, yet there weren't any signs of any man-made tree stumps or fallen logs within the shack's three-kilometer radius; the forests surrounding it had been undisturbed by human interference for hundreds of years. A badly worn-out axe with characteristics perfectly fitting Sutcliffe's description of the tool he used to do his job was recovered eight meters away from the shack, proving he was telling the truth. Assuming the shack wasn't built out of the trees growing around the location, it still would be nowhere near possible to transport materials and equipment through the incredibly dense forests without touching the trees. In short, the shack was never supposed to exist at all. Overall, this case only amped up the Garden's popularity. 

                    "... In one of Sutcliffe's journal entries, he tells about him having a dream about his deceased wife," Nicky continued, taking a big step over a crack in the pavement. "He described the place he found himself in his dream to be really, really foggy, and–"

                    Yuuki stopped in his tracks. 

                    Nicky eyed Yuuki curiously. "What's wrong?" 

                  

                    "Oh. It's nothing. Just remembered something, not important. Carry on, please." He resumed his walk. It's a coincidence. Just a coincidence. 

                    Nicky frowned. "Okay. He saw his wife through the fog. And she was walking towards the Garden, paying him no mind."

                   What in the actual—

                   Yuuki stopped dead in his tracks. 

                   "Um… are you sure you're… okay? I-is there something you don't like about the tale? 'Cause I'll, um, stop if there is."

                   "No, no, please don't. I'm fine, don't worry," Yuuki dismissed Nicky with a nervous chuckle as he struggled to keep his calm demeanor.

                  And so, Nicky went on, despite his concerns. "Um… so yeah. This dream kept on coming back to haunt him for several nights, until one morning, Sutcliffe somehow uncovered something that was hidden beneath a nearby creek's underwater rocks when he was trying to wash his face."

                  "What is it?"

                  "It's a key," said Nicky. "The key to the Garden, to be exact."

            

                  "Huh. What did he do next, then?" 

                  "He declared in his writing that he had mustered enough courage to enter it, somehow. And… it was his last entry. His fate, if, um, he actually did exist and all of this wasn't just a really, really elaborate hoax, was anybody's guess. Obviously, the most common assumption is that he was killed by whatever was lurking within the Garden."

                  "And if he did survive and got out… he would no longer be the same person as the one who entered," Yuuki stated, showcasing his own knowledge on the topic. "'Cause they'd either turn into a genderbent version of themselves or a full-on monstrous creature bent on destroying anything that moves… though these are just rumors that were passed from generations to generations, really. There are no known legitimate cases of anyone entering the disappearing gates, let alone anyone being turned into eldritch abominations."

                  "That's true," Nicky said. "But since the Garden's already been confirmed to be legit, we might as well consider those rumors as true, if only to an extent."

                  "I agree."

                  As they walked, the path eventually separated into two: the left leading to the park, and the right to school. 

                 "Where are you heading off to, by the way?" asked Nicky. 

                 "Somewhere I can be left alone with my own thoughts, I guess." 

                "You've… got some issues you're dealing with, currently?"

                Yuuki smiled. "Yep."

                As much as he wanted and needed to have a further discussion regarding the Garden with Nicky, there was something else Yuuki should do first. And if he chose to stick around, his new friend's arrival to school would be delayed. If he wanted more information, the internet and the town library would be more than enough. 

                 The two said their goodbyes not long after, before hastily parting ways. 

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                 Yuuki dug into his pocket, pulling the letter out as he leaned against the brick parapet of the rooftop. The rooftop overlooked the park below and most of the downtown area. When he began to read the letter, Alisa's first words were a request for Yuuki to read her entire message somewhere private. His room was more than qualified for the job, but he meant it when he said he needed some fresh air (and his room has the exact opposite), and he meant it even more when he claimed to be in need of a momentary solitude to sort out his thoughts and problems. Thus, the abandoned three-story restaurant building was the place for it. 

                   The building had always been among Yuuki and Adam's go-to place for hanging out alongside the park and the arcades as energetic kids. It was their sort of hideout. Aside from basketball and video games, observing the view of downtown, an outline of mountains from afar, and the majestic sunset were their favorite. The building's caretaker had long since allowed them access after they were old enough and when they had gained his trust(like assisting him in cleaning the building); before, Yuuki and Adam would always somehow find a way to sneak through the seals and fences the building was surrounded in. 

                   With a heavy exhalation, Yuuki began to open the envelope. This time, I ought to finish her letter in the way it should be done. 

                   In the process of doing so, Yuuki's lips were subtly, yet visibly, stretching sidewards, until it became a smirk. Gradually, that smirk widened, then widened, until it ended up turning into a grin of satisfaction. That grin stayed intact for a good minute into the letter's conclusion. Even when he stuffed it back into his pocket, the grin remained. 

                   "I will," mumbled Yuuki with a nod. "I will."