Stepping outside the confines of his prison for the summer, Jay gazed up into the bright, blue sky; the first he'd seen in a good long while. He watched as the other students began to walk off.
"Goodbye! I hope to see you again someday!" he called to them. Jay remained behind. Now, he was well and truly alone once again. He sat down on the front steps and examined the tattered remains of his patch; the one thing he'd made to remind him of Jeremy and an obstinate reminder to never give up hope. He still had Sakura's origami teaching cap of course, which he tried to keep in perfect shape. It would be proof of his friendship with Sakura. For now though, Jay just wanted to sit and think. Think about all the friendships he'd made. Think about the ones which he would be able to continue: Sakura, and maybe Flo and Ryuji too. He also thought about the ones which were cut off before their time: Sayako and, one he'd realized way too late, Arthur. He thought once more about the one he was able to tie off nicely just before it was too late: his friendship with SiRReN.
Jay felt like he'd been sitting there for well over an hour. Then a cheery voice blasted out behind him.
"Hey you, what are you still doing here?" The voice had come from the strange rabbit creature who had introduced herself at the very beginning: Monomi.
"Oh, it's you," Jay remarked flatly, "Monomi."
"At your service!" the rabbit responded, "What's got ya feeling so down?"
"I... I'm not ready to be done with this," Jay replied, "I must go find my brother, but... t-them." He motioned, indicating where the others had walked off.
"Of course you're not done! You haven't forgotten, have you?" Monomi asked, suddenly reaching a hand out to Jay's belt pack.
"Oh!" Jay interjected, quickly pushing away Monomi's hand, "Yeah, of course I remember. S-SiRReN's last wishes. I... I can never forget what she told me." Jay decided to reread his notes once again anyway.
"Hocus pocus!" Monomi shouted, waving her magic wand. Jay turned around to find the contents of his and SiRReN's rooms together on the ground nearby. There was a clothes rack with Jay's suit, several changes of clothes, and a large bag containing miscellaneous items hanging on it. There were several more racks filled with various cosplays, most of which Jay didn't recognize, and a myriad of sewing materials and fabric, a machine Jay recognized, and one he didn't. Monomi explained, "I can't have you leaving your stuff behind and the rooms remaining all messy now can I? So I took the liberty of cleaning everything up."
"O-oh, thanks!" Jay chirped, glancing at the strange machine, "Um, what's that?"
"Gimme!" Monomi said suddenly as she snatched the patch out of Jay's hand before he could protest. She took it over to the machine and went to work. Jay could only watch in awe as the patch was restored to its former state before his eyes. In fact, it was in even better shape: embroidered letters replaced the hastily painted-on ones and there was a nice, thick border around the patch to prevent it from fraying. Monomi also grabbed some gold-colored material from nearby and created three star-shaped patches with the numbers 1, 2, and 4 on them.
"Ta-dah!" Monomi called out as she presented the patch and three stars to the Wordsmith.
"W-wow! So is that like a 3D printer or something?" Jay asked, gladly receiving her handiwork, "And what are these for?"
"Well, um, not quite; it's just an embroidery machine," Monomi corrected, "But with someone possessing the proper talent behind it, or a magic wand--hehe--it can pretty much make anything, so I can see how you'd make that mistake. Oh! And the gold stars?" Monomi rushed back and began making more: two more with a 1, two more with a 2, two with a 3, and one with a 5. She tossed them wildly into the air, sending them flying in all directions. She continued her explanation, "Why, they're the MVP badges of course! Wear yours with pride! Oh, don't worry about those other ones; they'll get to where they need to be."
"Oh my, thanks!" Jay gasped, holding the stars and new patch close, "But... what about all this stuff? I can't just haul it off with me!"
"Already covered!" Monomi stated. Suddenly, a clipboard with paper and a pen appeared in Jay's hands, nearly causing him to drop his badges.
He quickly put them away while asking, astonished, "What's this for?"
"Dedication! Now!" insisted Monomi.
"O-oh! Right! Of course," Jay replied, complying. Putting pen to paper, his hand flew across the page, then several more times as a dedication letter appeared in the midst of the frantically-writing hand. The following is the result:
Jay's Dedication Letter wrote:
Dear Family, Friends, and Fans of Sarah, A.K.A. SiRReN,
It is with utmost sadness and regret that I must inform you that the amazing, wonderful, and talented SiRReN, the Ultimate Cosplayer, passed away several weeks ago. She was involved in an untimely accident, the details of which I do not wish to discuss here. Instead, let me leave you with her last words to me, and maintain the positive impression which you no doubt have of her.
Before that though, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jay Slezak. I am what some call a Wordsmith. I felt like I had known Sarah even before I met her just a month and a half ago. She arrived at the same summer school I did and we became fast friends. She taught me to sew and together we made outfits for a grand banquet to be attended by all the students. It... pains me to say this, but through no fault of her own, she had lost her talent. I'm thankful I was able to assist her with the creation of the outfits, but the events which transpired subsequently wounded me deeply.
Anyway, before she left me for the last time, she gave me this final message to send to all of you: "To my parents: I love you very much. To my fans: Always work towards your dreams. Even if you never get recognition for it, remember why you're doing it - because you love it. Because no matter what anyone says, you want to do it. Don't lose sight of that."
I really wish it was possible for me to make up for the immense void that the loss of such a great talent as SiRReN has no doubt created. I pray that this letter will suffice, along with all of the impeccable costumes which she left behind. I am leaving said costumes in capable hands to be distributed in the best way possible.
Finally, I must admit I will probably be unable to answer any lingering questions you may have, but if you ever wish to talk about it anyway, wish to know more about me, or have any other questions you believe I can answer, please do not hesitate to contact me at the email address enclosed. SiRReN was taken from the world way too soon, and it has been very difficult writing this letter. Rest assured that her spirit resides in a much better place now, no doubt making fantastic costumes for all those who also live there. She will be sorely missed and I cannot apologize enough that it had to be me who broke the news. All I can say though is: Heed SiRReN's final words. Keep being your amazing selves, never give up your hopes and dreams, and as they say in my hometown: Don't Forget To Be Awesome.
Sincerely yours,
Jay Slezak
Ultimate Wordsmith
Jay was crying hysterically after he completed and signed the letter. Monomi gently pulled it away from him.
"Thanks, Mr. Slezak. Final preparations are now done. I'll make sure everything goes where it needs to. Do you trust me to take care of it?" Monomi peered at Jay with a look which would seem more genuine if it wasn't coming from an anthropomorphic rabbit.
"Y-yes. Do what you will," Jay conceded with a sigh, wiping away his tears. He had no idea how he would have handled the process, but he assumed whoever Monomi really was was perfectly capable of keeping it under control. With another wave of Monomi's magic wand, Jay's letter, along with the racks of costumes, disappeared into the ether, all except for one. Another quick flick caused the costume to appear around Jay. A full-length mirror also materialized right in front of him. This startled him, nearly causing him to tumble to the ground. With a quick sidestep, he regained his balance and simply admired.
Jay was now dressed in a white button-up shirt. He was also clothed in a predominantly dark blue waistcoat, dress pants, and top hat. These three items displayed a pattern that consisted of various square cutouts of letters in various styles, colors, and typefaces thrown together in a pile. Dark blue-framed reading glasses now decorated Jay's hazel eyes and he was surprised to discover similar mechanisms to his magnifying monocle along the arms, allowing him to zoom and focus each eye independently.
"O-oh my words, she made this for me!?" Jay exclaimed with a cheer, performing a pirouette ending in a flourish. The mirror vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
"Yup! You really look the part now," Monomi declared, "Though I kinda... helped, a bit."
"Vintage... with a flair for the dramatic. It's perfect!" remarked Jay. Another wave of the magic wand, and Jay's belt pack reappeared around his waist.
"Whoops, almost forgot that. Sorry!" Monomi apologized.
Jay looked around him and saw that the clothing racks were now empty and the two machines were gone. In their place, a large steamer trunk, now containing the aforementioned items, rested on the ground. An official Hope's Peak luggage tag was tied around one of the straps and contained Jay's personal information. A carry-on suitcase sat on top of the trunk sporting an identical tag.
Monomi suddenly gasped, looking a bit flustered, "Jay, you'd best hurry! The plane's leaving soon!"
"P-Plane? What are you talking about? Where am I going?" he asked, worried.
"Off with you now! Can't dilly-dally any longer! Good luck on the quest to find your brother," Monomi called as she retreated into the school and closed the doors behind her with a loud thud.
Suddenly, a first-class ticket and a stack of currency appeared in his hands. Before he knew what was going on, a yellow taxicab pulled up.
The driver, dressed in standard cabbie garb, yelled out, "G'day, mate! You called for a ride, yes? What're you waiting for? You said it was urgent, didn'tcha? C'mon then."
"R-right! Right away!" Jay shouted with resignation as he hastily grabbed the handle of the steamer trunk and ran for the rear of the cab. With a lot of effort and the assistance of the driver, he loaded his luggage and himself in the back seat and the two sped off towards the rest of Jay's life.
Along the way, Jay attempted to recount the events that had transpired over the summer. The cabbie seemed to listen intently to his words, letting out reactional grunts and gasps whenever a twist was discussed. Before long, they had arrived at the passenger drop-off area of the airport.
"...And that is how I spent my summer." Jay concluded.
"Crikey! Mister Jay, if I wasn't in the driving business, I'd totally write a book about your story!" The driver complimented as Jay handed him his fare, "I've always wanted to compose a brilliant mystery book like that one famous author. Ranpo, was it? Anyway, gotta run! Enjoy your trip!" The driver exited the vehicle and assisted Jay with unloading his luggage, then reentered the driver's side and hurried away to his next waiting passenger. Jay sighed with relief and finality. It was over. It was all over. Even though Jay had no idea where he was off to, he would welcome his new destination with open arms. He strolled inside the airport and began the next leg of his journey.
Jay spent the next few weeks putting his life back in order. The mysterious plane ticket led him back to his hometown, somewhere in the eastern United States. He had no family to go back to and hadn’t really made a lot of friends in middle or high school, so he was pretty much left alone. He found some comfort in returning to his parents’ old house, discovering that a monthly maid service had kept it clean for the duration that Jay was away at Hope’s Peak. They showed up and did their work on the first of the month, so Jay found out about them just a couple days after he had returned.
Jay spent the entirety of his first day back home organizing his emails, deleting all the irrelevant ones and flagging really important ones to respond to later. The trunk remained in the middle of the living room until Jay heard a knock on the door--the maid service--and had to be hastily hidden in the closet of his bedroom. Jay discovered that his letter had made it to several message and discussion boards and social media sites that the Ultimate Cosplayer had frequented. The reactions were, as Jay expected, mixed between skeptical disbelief, genuine shock and sadness, and nostalgic discourse. He found login instructions to the accounts, which were created in his name and used to post his letter, emailed to him by a mysterious sender calling herself “monomi11037”. Jay wished he could take a break and allow the tragic events of the summer to drift out of his mind, but he also didn’t want his story to be forgotten. Thus, he did his best to explain himself and the letter, expand upon details of the events of the summer school, and find out exactly where all those costumes had been sent.
He never forgot about his other friends. Every day he searched for new info about Flo Yates, Ryuji Arisato, Sakura Himawari, Matt Cognomen, and even Solomon Cox. The ones who didn’t make it certainly hadn’t escaped Jay’s curious mind: Connie, Karega Shinda, Subaru Musashi, Cesar, SiRReN, Susan Brown, Alchie Elwyn, Van Waterfield, Charlotte Bloom, Sayako Amachi, and Arthur Ranpo. SiRReN, Sayako, and Arthur were the most difficult for Jay to deal with of course. The pictures and descriptions he found only served to remind him just how fond his memories of them had become. He even searched for information on the new students he’d briefly met just after Arthur’s execution: Sonny Copperfield, Collin Reed, Daniel Elwyn, Karemo Shinda, and Grayson Brown.
He logged everything he found particularly relevant into a document of important people. His time at summer school had taught him that the more you can write down about someone, the better friendship you have with them. He actually managed to locate the channel on which Sakura livestreamed, but noticed she hadn’t broadcast anything for a couple months. He followed it on the off-chance that she’d go live once again someday.
Jay’s obsession with finding out what happened to his friends finally caught up with him when he realized that he hadn’t eaten anything or taken care of his routines for two days straight. It was then he decided something had to change. He set up an auto-response and shut down his computer, vowing to not turn it on again until he recovered.
The next three days were the most difficult for Jay. Constant anxiety, random emotional breakdowns, and spontaneous fits of depression plagued him. Every night, he had dreams and nightmares relating to the various happenings he’d experienced during summer school.
Suddenly, the fourth day, things changed. The night before, he’d had a vision about his brother. In the dream, Jeremy looked concerned but slightly disappointed. He told Jay that he needn’t worry; what he was experiencing was normal and that if he could be strong for others, he needed to learn to do the same for himself.
“Don’t let your loneliness get to you,” he advised, “You’ll see the others again someday. I’m sure of it. Until then, there will be nobody to help you, but you already have the skills you need to persevere. Cry for me, cry for the others, but then move forward. You’re almost there, Jay, even if the goal seems so far away on the horizon that there’s no hope of reaching it. I know you know better than that. Keep following your instincts, and they will show you the way. Until then, I have work to do. Come find me when the time is right.”
Jay woke up the next day and dragged himself out of bed, determined to perform his morning routine. “I…” he muttered, suddenly surprised by the sound of his own voice. He hadn’t spoken a word in days and had almost forgotten what his own voice sounded like. “I want some donuts. Donuts, and a nice hot cup of coffee sound really good right now.” That was the tastiest breakfast he’d had in awhile. Sometimes, all it takes to remember to enjoy life is indulging in simple pleasures. A nice, fresh, unhealthy breakfast turned out to be Jay’s reminder of this fact.
His momentum restored, Jay stopped into a local hobby shop and purchased some origami paper and instruction manuals for creating origami models and sewing basic garments. He desperately searched for books written by the ones who would have been most skilled in those talents: Sakura and SiRReN, but alas, he had no luck.
Undaunted, he rushed back home and enjoyed a nice lunch of cold cuts and sliced cheese on wheat bread. As he ate, he studied the books he’d bought. Before Jay realized it, his house was filled with diverse origami creations and random assortments of patterned garments. One can say this about Jay: When he puts his mind to something, he’ll follow it to its logical conclusion. He could easily be a candidate for Ultimate Overachiever--just like this story seems to be.
Anyway, after unloading his assorted collection of boredom-fueled creations, giving most of them away but managing to make a pretty penny with a few of the others, Jay set on the task of returning to Hope’s Peak proper. His senior year was about to start after all, and Jay began to prepare himself. He never did find out what happened to his friends before he had to go back, but he never gave up hope. Every day he’d stare at his patch and remember the mantra he’d left for himself and for others. With that, the first day back to school arrived. Jay set foot back into Hope’s Peak, very much alive, and very much ready to take on the world. This is where Jay’s story draws to a close for the moment. Full of potential and most of all, full of hope.
Jay End: or
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Keep On Writing.