The Twenty-Seventh Day
[It's much harder to take care of a turtle, even one who is actually the turtle form of your best friend, when he's not there. So when Shiki goes to the little aquarium she keeps Neku on his loss in and sees him not there... she's actually quite happy. His loss has to be over now! She's missed being able to talk to him. Or, rather, she's missed being able to talk to him in a way in which he could respond.
She flips out her journal as she walks down the hallways, trying to get to his room.]
Neku, your loss is over! That's awesome! You didn't have to leave, though... you could've just stayed in my room until I got you some proper clothes. I can't imagine that the castle brought you back to human form with decent clothes!
...Neku? Neku, helloooooo? I just took care of you for, like, forever. You could at least respond to me, you know?
......Neku? If you're asleep, then that's... that's... I dunno, that's stupid.
[She gets to his door shortly after saying that, cutting her short. And she notices something about the door. Something that makes the bottom of her stomach begin to sink, even as her mind doesn't comprehend it, refusing to accept what part of it knows has to be the truth. She speaks into her journal again.]
Hey, Neku, you know the nameplate on your door is gone, right? Did you take it off for some... Neku-y reason or something?
[She knocks on the door.]
C'mon, Neku, it's me! It's Shiki!
[She knocks again.]
...Neku, you're starting to worry me...
[One final time, she tries knocking.]
Right... um, I'm coming in. I hope you're ready for me.
[She opens his door, and looks inside to see... the empty room.]
...Neku...
[She really thought he was going to stay this time. She sinks to her knees in the threshold of what used to be Neku Sakuraba's room, and she does not move from there. Not at all. Not for a long, long time.]
She flips out her journal as she walks down the hallways, trying to get to his room.]
Neku, your loss is over! That's awesome! You didn't have to leave, though... you could've just stayed in my room until I got you some proper clothes. I can't imagine that the castle brought you back to human form with decent clothes!
...Neku? Neku, helloooooo? I just took care of you for, like, forever. You could at least respond to me, you know?
......Neku? If you're asleep, then that's... that's... I dunno, that's stupid.
[She gets to his door shortly after saying that, cutting her short. And she notices something about the door. Something that makes the bottom of her stomach begin to sink, even as her mind doesn't comprehend it, refusing to accept what part of it knows has to be the truth. She speaks into her journal again.]
Hey, Neku, you know the nameplate on your door is gone, right? Did you take it off for some... Neku-y reason or something?
[She knocks on the door.]
C'mon, Neku, it's me! It's Shiki!
[She knocks again.]
...Neku, you're starting to worry me...
[One final time, she tries knocking.]
Right... um, I'm coming in. I hope you're ready for me.
[She opens his door, and looks inside to see... the empty room.]
...Neku...
[She really thought he was going to stay this time. She sinks to her knees in the threshold of what used to be Neku Sakuraba's room, and she does not move from there. Not at all. Not for a long, long time.]