Angel Beats! Reunited

Chapter 3
Otonashi

When she woke up, Moe was lying on a bed in a nurse's office. There was no one else around, and judging by the position of the sun, Moe could tell it was the middle of the next day. She got up and left only to find all of the students heading towards the cafeteria again. Moe was quick this time, stealing a meal ticket from a boy with almost pink-colored hair without being noticed. This time though, Moe figured that nothing would be done if she simply acted innocent. Much to Moe's surprise, this boy was not brainless like the others.

"You may not want that," he said, startling Moe.

"Why?" Moe replied, seeing if she could get an answer that did not sound generic.

"It's really spicy." Moe considered it for a second, then quickly handed the ticket back to the boy. "Here, take this one." The boy handed her an extra meal ticket for the same bowl of rice and sushi Moe had eaten yesterday.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. How's your head?"

"Huh?"

"You landed on your head yesterday after jumping off the roof. Are you feeling okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine, but how did you know I jumped off the roof?"

"I was there, telling you not to."

"Wait! That was you? I thought I was just going crazy."

"Well you did jump head first off a roof."

"Pretty crazy." Moe and the boy she had just met went through the lunch line without saying anything else. After receiving their food, Moe followed the boy back to the table where she had sat the previous day.

"So," Moe began after eating in silence for too long. "What's your name?"

"Yuzuru Otonashi. Yours?"

"Moe Honda. Nice to finally meet someone who seems to have a brain."

Otonashi laughed, "The NPC's are really here just to fill space Honda-san. They don't act like humans."

"I gathered that. You can call me Moe by the way. So, what exactly is this place?"

"The Purgatory. This is where people who have died young end up so that they can come to terms with their life before reincarnating."

"Oh, so if I just play along here I'll eventually just disappear."

"Sort of. The souls that come to the Purgatory have to overcome their biggest regrets and come to peace with the fact that they're dead."

"Regrets huh? What if you don't have any?"

"People generally don't end up here if they don't have any regrets. Can you not think of anything?"

"Well, I never had good grades, I always skipped class, and I pretty much avoided doing normal teenage girl stuff but I don't really regret it because I had a fun life."

"I see . . . I'm sure you'll think of something. Most people do."

"Most? What happens to the rest?"

"They find peace and disappear. If you think of anything at all, tell me and I will help you."

"Thanks, Otonashi-kun. I'll let you know as soon as I do."