kscriba

[kscriba]

"She wasn't what I expected. Considering your personality, I thought she'd be more zesty."

Masami laughs, wiping the tears with a napkin. "She's sent four birthday cards with cash over my entire life, twice on the wrong day. I wasn't expecting much." Her lip trembles again, and she wraps her arms around Harriet. "But I thought she left because she couldn't get along with my dad. I always told myself that somewhere, deep inside, she loved me… But she doesn't. Not even a little."

Harriet's heart pangs. It's not something she can deny, not when Masami's mother said so herself. "She agreed to meet with you, though. Besides, I know you, Masami. I don't think you were expecting a fairy tail ending."

"No, but I'd like to get one, once in a while. Thanks for coming with me. I'll see you at graduation. Yours is on Saturday?"

"Mine is on Sunday. Harper's is Saturday."

"Right… Is she doing okay?" Masami bites her lip, forbearance slowing her words.

"I don't know. But you wanted change and she's making that happen. We'll have to see if it's the kind you were hoping for."

[kscriba]

"Who's this?"

Harriet was expecting a svelte woman with an ombre brown balayage and red puffed lips, French tipped nails and eyelash extensions. Instead, Masami's mother can only be described as frumpy, with short-cropped hair, nervous darting eyes, and nails bitten to the quick.

"This is my best friend, Harriet. I've known her since I was little. Which you would know, if you had anything to do with my life."

"Is this how we're going to start this?" Masami's mother's voice is gravelly, worn down. "If you just want to berate me, I'll go."

"Wait, I'll stop—" Masami pleads.

"Don't beg her," Harriet cuts in, eyeing Masami's mother. "She's allowed to be angry with you. After abandoning her her whole life, the least you can do is put up with some criticism."

The woman lets out a grating, barking laugh. "Fine. If it makes you feel better, go ahead."

"Right." Masami glances at Harriet, then down to the paper she prepared. "The most important question: Why did you leave?"

"I wasn't cut out for motherhood. Wish I could say I had some grand plan involving my career, or I thought Shingo would be fine without my help, or we were young and stupid, but it wasn't any of that. I married Shingo at twenty-five. Had you at twenty-seven. Realised that when I looked at him, or you, I felt nothing. No love, no hate, no frustration, just… apathy."

"You mean… Postpartum depression?" Masami leans forward, unflinching.

"Mhm. They say most women with it get over it after two months. But mine just got worse. I would feed you, but I wasn't changing you. Shingo had to quit his job to take care of you. He tried to get me to see someone. But I wasn't thinking about that. The only thing that kept me going was the six month mark. Six months. That was my commitment to you. After that, you would get by without me. And you did, didn't you? You got by just fine."

Masami looks down in her lap, a frown crevassing her face.

"You left at six months, then? When Shingo was unemployed?" Harriet urges.

"Yep. I felt this surge of lightness. I filled as many baby bottles as I could. I packed my necessities. I wrote a note so Shingo wouldn't look for me. I left my phone. The entire time, adrenaline coursed through my body. When I left, I couldn't stop laughing. I had no job, no child, no husband… no responsibilities, no need to do anything. I was free. I walked outside all night. Then I caught a plane back to Japan, back to my parents. I had never told them about the baby—Masami. Just told them Shingo and I divorced." She sighs, sipping from her coffee. "So I stayed. I ate Japanese food, spent time with the chickens, slept twelve hours every night. When I got my strength up, I talked to Shingo. Told him to send whatever paperwork he needed me to sign for a divorce and full custody. I felt guilty, you know. About the money, that is. He was sleeping four hours a night trying to pay for the two of you. But I didn't feel guilty about leaving you. I never could've been a mother to you."

Masami sighs, staring at her mother blankly. "Do you feel like you're talking to a stranger, then? You don't feel even an ounce of connection?"

Her mother lifts the corner of her mouth, tapping above her lip. "A little bit. You don't look like baby you. But we have the same mole, right here. And Shingo sends me updates on your life. You've grown up to be beautiful, smart, and successful. I'm sure you won't make the same mistakes I did."

Masami glances away, a tremble catching her lip. "How do you know? Before you had me, didn't you think everything was going to go fine?"

Her mother lets out another raspy bark. "Ha! That's true. I never thought things would go ass-up. Maybe you're as fucked as me."

Harriet tuts, grabbing Masami's hand. "I don't think you can ask for advice from someone who runs away, Macha. You face things head-on. And if you do experience the same thing, I refuse to let you head down such a dark road. There are systems in place to help the thousands of people who go through similar struggles. You never have to fight alone."

Masami's mother glances at her phone, and stands up. "I've got to run. You caught me just before my flight. But your friend is right. I had no one. We're not the same person. I'm glad you got to live a life without my dark cloud hanging over you. Besides, you're a lesbian, aren't you? Why worry about childbirth?"

Masami and Harriet stand as well, Masami reaching out her arms before tucking her hands back in her pockets. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me. It's still too hard for my dad to talk about you."

"Yeah, can't blame him. He's had a shit time of it. But he kept your name, and that makes me happy."

"What? He always said he named me—"

"I named you Narumi, after my grandmother, when you were no more than a worm in my belly, with the kanji achieve and beauty. Shingo kept the kanji, but used a different pronunciation instead. We seemed to have named you correctly." She offers Masami a light squeeze on her arm before darting into an awaiting taxi, leaving her only daughter watching her mother with wet eyes.

[kscriba]

"I have a favour to ask, but you can't tell Harper under any circumstances."

Harriet's heart skips a beat, happy to hear from Masami after weeks of radio silence. "I want to say yes, but you know that I'm a terrible liar."

"Come on, Hattie. I need you. Can you promise me that you won't tell Harper? You can tell Ty, if you need to…"

"What's going on? I promise, I'll try my best." Harriet checks the time—still another ten minutes before she has to head back to the set.

"That'll have to do. I'm meeting my mother. Just to talk, but I want a third party there. I would rather ask a friend who doesn't know Harper, but you're the only one I've known since I was a kid, so… You're the only one I don't have to explain anything to."

"Of course. Just tell me when."

[kscriba]

When Bilbo's farewell feast starts, Harper hits pause. "I have an appointment with a therapist this week."

"That's good!"

"Yeah. Also." Harper tugs down her hoodie. "So. I did this." 

Harriet stares at her twin's freshly shorn locks. "Hm! That's definitely short! Wait, you did that yourself? Like, a two-AM post-breakup breakdown?"

"No, I booked an appointment at a barber shop. What, you think I'm going to risk my appearance over a little broken heart? Get real." 

"It'll take some getting used to, but… It looks nice. And if you plan on being bed-ridden, it's a good thing you cut it short."

"It's not just that… I've always experimented with hyper-feminine styles. And I've been scared of trying more masculine styles because of what my audience might think."

"But now that you're not posting, you might as well try out more masculine styles? Ooh, stone butch!"

"Cringe," Harper grumbles, a smile spread across her face. "I'm probably going to borrow your clothes, by the way."

"Sure. They'll fit you like a bag."

"That's exactly what I want." Harper unpauses the movie, then pauses it again. "Wait, I didn't mean that to be rude, but you have got massive tits—"

"And you're a stick. I know. Let's just watch the movie."

[kscriba]

"You're glowing," Harper, a hoodie pulled snug over her head, laptop balanced on her knees, snaps as Harriet makes her way back to her room. "The two of you finally fucked?"

Harriet pauses, taking in Harper's pathetic appearance. "Hey, Harp, how far did the two of you go?"

Harper raises an eyebrow, but her breakup with Masami had drained her venom. "We kissed, held hands, hugged… All on camera, and only on camera."

Harriet leaps onto Harper's bed. "Any tongue?"

The expression on Harper's face tells Harriet enough, and she laughs. "Gross. Especially after all the places his tongue has been? I don't know how you can bear it."

"Mm, just the thought of Ty's tongue makes me think about all the places I want it—"

"Shut up," Harper scowls, suffocating Harriet with her pillow. "Nasty ass."

Harriet tucks herself into bed with Harper. "What're we watching?"

"Our Love Story."

"You mean My Love Story? Ore Monogatari!!?"

"You're such a weeb."

"Korea-boo. Wait, this is a lesbian K-Drama? You managed to find, like, the only lesbian K-Drama?"

"So?" Harper's voice is very small.

"From what you told me, it sounds like the only way you can get back with Masami is if you improve yourself. Which I get. Like, you need so many improvements—"

"Not helping." Her words have no bite, and Harriet softens her tone.

"I understand needing a break after finishing school, but you've spent the past month doing nothing but studying, and now you're doing nothing but watching TV."

"What're you, my mom?"

"Don't be stupid. We don't have a mother. What about your social media platform? You haven't posted at all since your video with Masami."

"Yeah… It feels nice not to post. I think I might just quit."

"Right. And, um, do what?"

"Nothing. We're rich. I can just spend the rest of my life lying here watching TV."

"Please don't. These sheets are already starting to smell." Harriet grabs the laptop and, ignoring Harper's protests, types something into the search-bar. "At least for tonight, we can watch something. But no romance."

"...Is that the extended version of The Lord of the Rings?"

[kscriba]

Harriet traces her finger down Ty's chest, snuggling into him. "When you invited me over, I thought we were going to spend the night in bed a different way."

"I'm still not ready yet, Harriet. I want our first time to be romantic."

"You know that I'm the virgin, right?"

"After having sex only to make children, it loses its meaning."

"Eventually we'll be having sex for kids too, so you'd better get used to it."

Ty stares at her. "Oh. You want kids?"

She pulls her hand away. "I assumed…"

Ty groans. "Fine. We can have kids."

"You were easily convinced."

"I lost Mel because I wasn't ready. I've had 107 kids. There's no way I'm risking anything with you, Harriet. If you want kids, we can have kids. Besides, it would be nice to have kids within marriage once in a while. It's something I've dreamed about…"

Harriet nuzzles into his neck. "Want to start practicing?"

"Harriet…"

"What? Is it so wrong for a girl to want to fuck her boyfriend?"

Ty smirks. "You graduate in a month. I'll plan a special night for us then."

Harriet rolls her eyes. "'What are you getting as your graduation present, Harriet?' 'Oh, my boyfriend is finally going to shag me!'" She rolls into Ty's arms, the bed shaking with laughter. "If you need that time, Tyrone, I can wait. But I want you to know that the only thing I'll have under my convocation gown will be a candy g-string."

"Ma'am, as a worker in the food industry, I have to object." He tugs one of her curls, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "I've never had sex for the first time after falling in love with someone. Sex has been more of a handshake for me. I'm looking forward to this too, Hattie."

"Is every time after going to be a big ordeal?"

"Nah. Once I've had a taste of you, I won't be able to help myself. I'll take you to my favourite rose bush…"

[kscriba]

Harriet waves goodbye to the last child before sinking onto the couch. "Those are your youngest?"

"Yes. My older ones come and go on occasion, or when we have family get-togethers, but the youngest I always see in groups."

"You… you don't really act like their dad." He looks hurt, and she stumbles to explain. "There's no discipline or arguing… They clearly love you, but I guess they see this as more of a playdate?"

"Mm. I guess I understand what you mean. I haven't been able to spend that much time with the younger ones. And all the decisions in their lives are made by their mothers. I'm really close with my older kids, but they've also gone through more turmoil because of me."

"Tyrone… I've been wondering, but why did you have all these kids at once? Was there some time-limit stipulated by the curse?"

"Not exactly. It was something like… You will never enjoy life until you learn what it is to be a father, even if it takes one hundred kids with one hundred different women. I wouldn't be able to get a job, travel, or do anything in life unless it involved my kids somehow. The more kids I had, the more the pressure lessened, the more I was able to have fun again."

"Isn't that… irresponsible? Even if you weren't having fun, wouldn't it have been better to learn to be a father the usual way? By being there for your kid, through every moment, everything hardship?"

Ty groans, head in his hands. "Look, I know it doesn't make sense. Jasper talked to me and explained that it wasn't my fault—that there were other forces at work. But if I'm being honest, the real reason is that I was afraid. If I didn't have those one-hundred kids, I wouldn't age, which would mean that I would watch everyone I know die."

Harriet frowns, taking his hand in hers. "Hold on—so this is all so you can die before your children?"

"Is that so crazy? I've already had to watch the mothers of some of my children die. One that I even loved."

"But… Tyrone! My whole family is immortal! We all took these potions that Jasper made for us. And I expected you to take it as well."

His eyes widen. "Jasper can make others immortal? Can he help my children?"

"I… I don't know. It took him eight months to brew each potion. You'd have to ask him. And Chase already made Argus, Cris, and Noah vampires, right? Between the two of them, you might be able to work something out."

"I—" To Harriet's bewilderment, Tyrone collapses into sobs. "Time has always been the one thing I never had enough of. If we can make this work… Maybe I can make up for all the moments I missed."

[kscriba]

In the pandemonium of final exams, student films, contract signing, and sizing for the show, Harriet hasn't seen Ty since they kissed goodbye at three in the morning at the airport.

You just wrote your last final, right? You should come over for dinner. And bring your PJs :-)

"Only old men add the nose," Harriet snickers, high off post-exam adrenaline. She barely notices Harper, curled up on her bed absorbed in K-Dramas, where she's spent the past three days after her exam, in her eagerness to pack an overnight bag and speed over to Ty's.

She holds her tongue when she opens the door, greeted by an eruption of giggles and chatter from the living room. Ty, busy in the kitchen, pokes his head around the corner to greet her. "Hey, Hattie. I thought it might be nice if you could meet some of the kids I'm always going on about. Kids, say hi!"

"HI!" The kids chorus back.  

"Are you going to start having babies again?" Tyrone's youngest, Kourtney, bellows.

"I thought we were the last!" Kourtney's twin, Pace, adds.

"This is Harriet. She and I have been dating for a few months."

The kids turn back to the TV, Harriet no more than a forgotten memory. She edges into the kitchen. "Were you planning on having me babysit or something…?"

Ty laughs, folding a dumpling. "I was planning on making a big dinner for you, but I forgot about the play session I had with the kids. Just as well, I don't think the two of us could eat all this."

"Do you need a hand?"

"My kids scare you or something?" Ty adopts his usual smirk, but he watches her intently.

"As if. I was a free-range kid too. But I think they're having fun without me getting in the way, and these dumplings look like they'll take you all night."

"I've got a better idea. KIDS! It's dumpling folding time!"

The kids stream into the kitchen, now casting curious glances at Harriet, hands diving into the dumpling wrappers.

"You've got bigger boobies than my mom."

"How old are you?"

"Are you marrying my daddy?"

"Have you ever met the Easter Bunny?"

"How do I fold this?"

Harriet latches onto the last question, showing the boy how to fold his dumpling, taking care not to overstuff it. He pushes his glasses up his nose. "Thanks. How did you meet my dad?"

"We work together, at my family's restaurant."

One of the girl's eyes light up. "WHOA! Dad took us there once! It was SO GOOD! Marry her, daddy, then we can eat there for free!"

"What, all 107 of you?"

"YES!"

Ty laughs, plopping some dumplings in the steamer basket. "That's a pretty good reason to marry someone." He glances at Harriet, but she's already ducking her head to help another kid with the dumplings, hiding her blush.

[kscriba]

first / previous

The rest of the week passes by as a dream for Harriet, who enjoys an idyllic snowy romance with Ty, and a nightmare for Harper, who watches her follower count plummet after her failed proposal and braves a frosty reception from Masami.

"If you're planning on breaking up with me, then just do it," Harper laments, Masami's gaze stony as they share a quiet meal of nabemono.

Masami dips her final piece of thinly sliced beef in the broth. "I love you, Harper, but being with you is hard. You don't seem to understand me or what I want."

Harper scowls. "That's because you never let me in. I can't know what's on your mind without you telling me. You said you wanted us to be public, so I figured that since we're public now, there was nothing stopping us from taking the next step."

Masami breathes a weariful sigh. "The logical thing to do was ask me in private how I felt about marriage. Enough, I'm tired of us having the same conversation. I want a break. We've known each other too long. I think you need some time to grow… to become an independent adult."

"If you want a break, it means you want to break up."

"I just want you to be different."

Tears sting at the corners of Harper's eyes, but she blinks them away. "Let's break up, then. And while I'm working on myself, the least you can do is work on your relationship with your mom."

"I don't owe my mother anything," Masami snaps.

"See? You have hang-ups about marriage and relationships because of her. I'm not always the only person at fault," Harper manages, wiping away her tears.

"It would make you feel better to think that way, I'm sure." Masami smiles sardonically, shaking her head. "Fine. We fly back tomorrow. We'll get through final exams and focus on our careers. And ourselves."

Harper clicks off the burner, watching the steaming dregs of the hot pot. Her plans for the future were built upon her fame. Now that she's lost the trust of her followers… There's little left for her to focus on.

[kscriba]

Hosted a beautiful Sims wedding and of course... lost all the pictures somehow lol. We're not getting married until the end of this month but we DID adopt a kitten who our cat took a minute to adjust to

[kscriba]

[kscriba]

Is there an aspect of your story, say a plot line or major development, that you couldn't finish or was personally difficult for you? What was it and why? Did you clench your teeth and write through it, or was it too much and you changed it? Pass it on!

♥ I'm sure there are plenty of plot lines I had to reconsider, especially with some of the content in Coconut Pier, but the plot line I'm currently working on is actually giving me the most trouble simply because I love to give my characters HEA and this time I ultimately decided against it. I have to fight myself not to give into my HEA urge and push the characters more to see what happens. Thanks for the question!

[kscriba]

15 Questions for 15 Mutuals

Thank you for the tag @treason-and-plot!

Are you named after anyone? I was named after my grandmother, who had to change her name during the cold war because Natasha was a touch too Russian for certain individuals

When was the last time you cried? Likely just before my last period lol As I get older I've also been getting fun new PMS symptoms including extreme depression, which freaks me out until I check my period app and go "Not a mental health crisis, just my body trying its best" and wait it out a few days

Do you have kids? Nope! Still a little ways from that

Do you use sarcasm a lot? I try not to use it online, with friends from out west, or with ESL speakers, but my coworkers & family are fluent in dry sarcasm (which I dearly missed living out west & in Japan) so it's the main way we communicate with each other at this point

What sports do you play/have you played? I've tried just about every sport, with soccer being my past and present passion.

What’s the first thing you notice about other people? Their facial expression. As an unfriendly introvert, I'll approach a stranger smiling at me and avoid strangers who aren't. I'm actually pretty unobservant regarding any features or appearance and would make a terrible witness

Scary movies or happy endings? Always happy endings. I never watch scary movies :P

Any special talents? Turning my tongue upside down

Where were you born? Ontario, Canada

What are your hobbies? Writing, gaming, soccer, reading, studying Japanese, making video games

Do you have any pets? My cat and three family pets (cat and two dogs)

How Tall Are You: 5'6"/172 cm

Fave subject in school? Literary arts

Dream job? Winter author and summer hobby farmer

Eye colour? Blue

I think most of my moots have been tagged at this point but even if you're not a mutual please give it a go and feel free to tag me ♥

[kscriba]

I was supposed to take & post these pictures on VDay but... I ended up getting a job offer! I went wardrobe shopping yesterday and got a car today so it's been a busy few days :)

[kscriba]

"Hattie, when are you heading back?" Ty asks as they make their way back to the ryokan, after a tiring day of watching Spencer surpass everyone at skiing, snowboarding, and mountain climbing.

Harriet ducks her head. "Well… Jasper said my agent hasn't heard any updates, so I guess I'm not. They're supposed to give me three-days notice, and the week is almost up."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hat. Why don't you call right now, just in case? Or is it too early?"

"He's a gardener, he'll be up," Jayce says, pulling out his phone. "Let me call him through LINE." He puts the call on speakerphone, and the group huddles around the phone.

"Hi Dad, everything okay over there?"

"Yes, we're having a great time. Spencer might be having too good of a time, but that's nothing new. Oh, are you managing the new cowplant okay?"

"Cowplants are tough—I remember when my Mr. Cowplant died. It was heart-breaking," Ty adds, nodding.

"We're up to Sir Mucca IV," Jasper replied, voice crackling through the phone, "and she's a feisty one. Keeps trying to eat me."

Harper rolls her eyes. "Enough with the family banter. Have you heard back from Harriet's agent?" "Oh, yes! She called and left a voicemail, I should call her back—"

"What did it say?!" Harriet shouts. "Did I get the screentest?"

"Oh, no screentest—" The family groans in unison. "Hold on, let me finish. They cancelled the screentest because they had already decided to select Harriet for the role. Congrats, Hattie!"

"You're going to be a lead role!" Ty smiles, throwing his arms around her.

Harriet returns the hug, laughing, and kisses him before remembering where she is. Spencer raises an eyebrow while Jayce furrows both of his. "Right. So, in other news, Tyrone and I have been dating for a while."

Spencer slaps Ty on the back. "Guess I need to promote you to head chef, then?"

Jasper laughs, and even Jayce manages a small smile.

[kscriba]

The next day, Spencer, Jayce, Ty, and Harper travel to Sapporo for a summer festival and clothes shopping while Harriet and Masami try to reach the summit of Mount Komorebi. 

"Are you going to break up with her?" It's only been ten minutes, but Harriet is already out of breath and wishing she could enjoy the warm, buttery delights of Sapporo with her family.

"No, I still want to be with her, but I want her to be better," Masami grumbles. "What did she say when you talked to her?"

"Uh-uh, Macha. No way. I'll talk to both of you separately, but I'm not going to relay messages between both of you. And if you do break up, I'm not choosing between you two, either. You're my best friend, and she's my sister."

"Don't be like that. I know you agree with me, and you think she's being ridiculous."

Harriet doesn't say anything, huffing with every step.

"See? You were never a good liar." Masami stops and sits down on a rock, waiting for Harriet.

"I guess I'm wondering if you weren't at least a little touched by the fact that she wants to marry you."

"I would be, if I thought that were the case. But I couldn't help but be turned off by the size of the diamond and wondering if she bought it ethically. Sometimes I wonder if we're just too different for this to work in the long run."

Harriet takes a seat, grateful for the rest. "Have you dated anyone other than Harper?"

"I had a few flings, a few dates, but women are really, really good at ghosting." She laughs, without real mirth.

Harriet sighs, wondering if she's going to regret her next words. "Then maybe you need to learn what it's like to be with someone who truly values you. Being with Pierce made me understand what I didn't like about Lance, and what I needed from Tyrone."

"You think I should break up with Harper?"

"I have no idea, Macha. But I will say that if you do make that decision, now is not the right time. Let's get through this rough period together."

"Mm. I think a break would be good for us. She depends on me too much. And she needs to learn to expand her world, too. She still hates meeting people. But I won't talk to her about this until after we come home."

[kscriba]

Harriet finds Harper in the last place she looks—her own room.

"You certainly took your time," Harper sniffles.

"Excuse me! I thought you'd be anywhere but here!"

"This is the only place I could truly be alone." Harper breaks down again, snot glistening under her nose, mascara streaked down her face. She always was an ugly crier. 

Harriet places a tentative arm around her sister, the gesture still unfamiliar after these past few years. "You're never truly alone. You never have been. Even in utero."

Harper doesn't say anything, her tears slowly ceding. Harriet rubs her back, unsure what to say to the person who caused her months of emotional agony. Harper is the first to break the silence. "Why is it bad that I asked Tyrone for help?"

"Because when married couples fight, they need to be able to resolve the problem on their own. But you should really be asking Masami that question, Harp."

"I mean, I did! She told me to solve the problem on my own! So I asked Ty, and he helped! How am I supposed to solve a problem I don't know how to solve?"

"Well, Masami's not perfect either. Maybe she should have helped you resolve the conflict. But I understand her point of view. If she's putting in all the work, how are you ever going to last as a couple?"

"I don't know what to do, Harriet! Why are we even fighting? Why is this so hard?"

Harriet sighs. "I don't have all the answers, Harriet. But… maybe you should go to therapy."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You obviously have problems with conflict resolution—"

"I've never fought with anyone except you two—"

"CAN I FINISH TALKING?" She glares at Harper. "You said it yourself. You don't have all the answers. And if you rely on the three of us to be your solution to everything, how are we ever supposed to rely on you?"

"Oh." Harper's eyes fill with tears. "I'm sorry, Harriet," she sobs, "I'm sorry. I hate being a burden—"

"You're not a burden," Harriet sighs.

"I AM a burden. You're right. I want to be reliable too. I'm just… sometimes it's hard to know who I am when I'm always pretending to be someone else." She curls into Harriet's arms. "I love you, Harriet. I know you hate me, and you're still nice to me sometimes—"

"I don't hate you, Harper. Not right now, anyway. And even when I hate you, I love you always." A surge of affection for her twin blooms as Harper nuzzles into her chest, wet lashes pressed against her neck. "And I'm sorry, for what I said a while ago about wishing you were never born. I didn't mean it."

"I know," Harper whispers. 

"Even if you know, I'm sure it still hurt."

"Yeah. Don't say it again."

"I won't."