(We'll be going back to the hotel in chapter 17! But first.... a little aftermatch of Nighttime Talks.)

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*Taco's P.O.V*

Who would've thought our bond would become stronger?

Honestly..... I didn't really feel close to Balloon before. And not in a 'I'm going to betray you' sort of way.

More in a .... 'I still have no idea what to do as a friend' sort of way. 

I've never had a proper friend until now..... Other friendships were all fake.... 

Whether the person I was friends with was the fake one..... or it was me being the fake one....

... It's a little pathetic.... I never thought I would have a friend before I died. However...

Balloon changed that. No... He's changing that aspect. He is showing me how to be a real friend. And. I don't think I've ever been happier.

Of course... my goal of getting the million dollars is still my ultimate goal. But.... hmm...

What if... What if the million wasn't what I wanted in the long scheme of things?

.... Pfft- Don't be ridiculous Taco! The million is the ultimate goal! Not some silly, stupid friendship that is worthless!

That's why you're doing this! That's why you're using Microphone! That's... That's why you used... Pickle... 6 years ago.

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... Did... Did I really want the million? 

Was I changing my ways? Am *I* capable of change? Do I deserve a second chance at this whole making amends thing? .....

I have no clue right now.... 

"Taco?", I hear a squeaky voice call out.

Oh right.... Balloon was still there..... I forgot about him...

"Hmm? Yea?", I hummed in response.

"You okay? You seemed a little lost in thought?", he questioned me.

Ah.... He must've been a little deep in thought. Was Balloon concerned? About me?

"Ah... I'm okay. Just. Just thinking about things.", I semi-lied to him.

"Oh. Okay. Just thought I would check!", he said, with a smile on his face.

Huh. How is Balloon still so... happy? How is he happy when... when he ran away from the hotel? When he nearly tried to sleep forever? When he left his other two friends? When he endured backlash from EVERYONE FOR 6 FUCKING YEARS!?

HOW IS BALLOON STILL HAPPY WHEN HE WAS DEPRESSED?!

"Balloon.", I said flatly.

"U-um... y-yea?", he stuttered.

"...... How. How are you still happy?", I asked him.

"Huh? W-what do you mean?", he questioned, cautiously.

"You endured YEARS of suffering and backlash. You left your other two friends. You nearly tried to off yourself! How are you still happy!?", I asked in distressed.

"..........", silence fell upon Balloon.

.... He didn't say anything. If his face was happy a moment ago... It wasn't now. His face was now full of sadness. Shit. Did I go too deep too quickly?

We only we connected almost a week ago! Why did I ask him so fucking soon!?

"... I.. I have no clue", I hear him whisper.

"W-what?", I pryed.

"I don't know. I don't feel happy... I just smile. There's nothing to this smile of mine... I'm just... I'm just not happy anymore. I haven't been happy in.... years.", he confessed in a monotone voice.

.... Holy shit. The resident's at the hotel fucked him up bad. Like... REALLY FUCKING BAD. I... I feel so fucking bad. 

How could everyone not see the damage they did to fucking Balloon!? How is only NOW that they see that Balloon was hurting so badly!? WHY DIDN'T THEY CARE WHEN HE WAS SILL THERE!?

WHY IS IT ONLY NOW THAT THEY FUCKING CARE ABOUT HIM!? WHY IS IT THAT THEY ONLY CARE WHEN BALLOON WAS GONE!?

WHY CAN'T THEY FUCKING SEE THAT BALLOON IS CHANGED!? HE'S NOT AS BAD AS HE USED TO BE! EVEN I CAN SEE IT! AND I'M FUCKING WORSE THAN HIM!

"Taco! Are you okay?", I hear Balloon shout.

I'm pulled out of my internal rant. Shit. *sigh* I'm really fucking pissed at them.

"Yea. I'm ok.", I say flatly.

"... Y-you sure? Y-You're c-crying ....", He stated.

Crying? I put a hand up to my face.... Shit. I am. Was I that upset at everyone?

"Oh. I... I didn't noticed.... heh...", I say, still a tiny bit upset.

"You sure? I-I've never s-seen you cry....", he worried.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. I just got upset at everyone at the hotel.", I confessed.

"You? Upset? At people you barely know and haven't seen in years? Woah...", he said in disbelief.

"Heh... yea.... It's just... so FUCKING stupid that they all hurt you for years! You had to endure that for years! Now... NOW all of sudden... THEY CARE ABOUT YOU! NOW THEY UNDERSTAND THE SHIT THEY PUT YOU THROUGH!?", I rant angrily.

I sigh to get a little calmer. I see Balloon shaking a bit. Shit. Did I scare him? I did yell a little loudly.

"Balloon? You good? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell....", I apologized to him.

"I-it's ok.... I.. I don't like loud noises.... that's all....", he confessed.

He doesn't like loud noises? Yikes.... that is not good.

"Loud noises? So.. like.. yelling, storms... things like that?", I prompted.

"Y-yea..... especially storms.... I-I have a fear of thunder storms....", he admitted.

"Oh. I had no idea. Sorry again.", I said.

"Heh. It's okay Taco.", he said.

We kept eating our Indian food that I stole. Actually... Balloon was eating most of it. I... I can't handle spicy shit. (For proof of this... see the chapter before this~. I was dying after eating that chicken!)

(/ TACO! Really?/)

(Taco: What? I didn't do anything~)

(/ .... Forget it... I'm not gonna do that whole thing again... I already did that with Fan./)

(Taco: That's what I fucking thought.)

Anyways... I was just eating the white rice that was there. It was surprisingly good. I ate the whole thing. I was full. Balloon finished a little after. 

"Man.... I'm stuffed... that Indian food was good...", Balloon praised, satisfied.

"Indeed. Although. I'm never stealing Indian food again. It's too fucking spicy for me...", I said, also satisfied.

"Heheh... I know. I could you scream in agony and pain in the kitchen after eating that one chicken..", Balloon chuckled.

"Oh. I know that.", I said, flustered.

I see that he has that smile on his face. Was it fake? Or was it genuine? I don't know.

But...........

He looks happy. Whether it was genuine or not... I don't want to ruin that right now. I was going to ask about his scars and what went down before hand.... 

But that can wait. I can ask him later. I'll ask about his scars another day.

For now... I'll focus on the now. Right now. He's happy. And I don't want to ruin that. I don't care if he's not genuinely happy. He's having a good time, so I'm going to keep it like that.

.... You know... I'm not sure if the million is my ultimate goal anymore. Sure. I want it. But... do I really? .... I think I have a new ultimate goal besides the million....

Make Balloon happy. Make him genuinely happy again. That's my new goal.

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*End of Chapter 16.5*

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Hello! 

Decided to give you an early chapter!

Well... more filler chapter...

(I felt like writing today...)

Just a nice aftermatch of chapter 16!

Next chapter.....

 It's gonna have a bit of

*DRAMA*~

See ya!