My real friend is lonely.

  I guess that's why she needs an imaginary friend to begin with, but I still want to change that.

  It might be a little risky to shake the foundations of my entire existence, but I’m totally amazing so I’m not afraid of a little competition, and I can’t just let things be when I see Mai miserable like this.

  This time though, I’m the one who made her miserable.

  “Mai…”

  She doesn't respond and keeps her back turned to me.

  Her tears stopped a while ago, but she still hasn’t moved or said anything.

  Trying to make her confront her problems might have been a bad idea, but I don’t think avoiding everything and pretending it's not real will lead to anything good.

  “Mai, maybe you should go get some lunch?”

  Still no answer.

  “We don’t have to go anywhere, we can just hang out here like always.”

  “L-leave me a-alone.”

  “I won’t leave you alone, I will never leave you alone. I’m with you no matter what.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “W-why?”

  “A lot of reasons. Because you don’t like being alone, because you shouldn’t be alone when you are hurting like this, and because… Because I love you and I just don’t want you to feel like you’re alone.”

  “Y-you lie.”

  “I don’t think you’ll believe me, but I’m not lying.”

  “I-i…”

  I know what she is trying to say, and I know that she needs to let it out for us to move forward, but still a part of me doesn’t want her to put it into words.

  I guess we both have this instinct to avoid unpleasant topics.

  She finally turns to face me, but I’m not too happy with the tears in her eyes.

  “I-i hate myself.” Her voice breaks when she finally lets it out, and her eyes are looking towards her feet rather than looking at me.

  I didn’t want her to say that, because I knew nothing I could say could help right now.

  But even if Mai won’t believe me, I still have to say what I think.

  “But I love you. I’m a part of you that loves you, a part of you that still believes you can make things better, a part of you that hasn’t given up. I know you don’t believe me, you don’t believe anyone can feel like that about you, but I do. I just want what's best for you Mai.”

  She buries her face in the pillow without saying anything in return.

  I hope that one day she will be able to trust me more, to believe in what I tell her, and maybe to see herself a little more like I do.

  But I know she isn’t ready yet, so all I can do is wait, because I believe in her.

  When she finally gets out of bed she will probably pretend this never happened, but I still think we are moving forward.

  After all, my real friend is amazing, even if she can’t see it herself, there is nothing she can’t get through.

  She just needs a little time, and if she needs some help, well, that’s what I’m here for..

  SHOULD return in the next chapter.