Happy Beginning

***Note: this is an alternate ending***

*This ending corresponds with the Universe of Motivation.*

Unlike the original ending, Mind doesn't accept the key from Dennim and doesn't die. She believes she shouldn't "run away from home" and cause her mother that kind of stress.

Mind and Dennim keep talking about how they can solve her problems, but she doesn't like any of his extreme suggestions that involve killing her parents, and prefers he not mention them again. Dennim is rendered useless by her unwillingness to listen any further.

After a few more days of having nothing established, Mind sinks into a small depression and Dennim sees it's time to throw a different solution onto the table. He offers to change her memories and convince her of having lived a normal life with loving parents and friends. Mind humors her imaginative friend by saying to like the idea, even though she doesn't believe he can do such a thing. Dennim continues that she'll wake up the next morning in this new reality, but that he needs time to implement these changes and have them occur in a natural way. This is necessary if she wants to spare her parents from his preferred fate for them; and decrease the chance her abusive father will find her location and try to bring her back home. He warns her that she'll be an adult by the time she regains control over her mind and body.

His "game" cheers Mind up a little and she decides to agree to his plan. As a joke she adds she should forget him too if they really want to make this new start official, but Dennim takes the comment seriously and promises to get it done.

Mind thanks him and gets ready for bed, without thinking much else of it.

The next morning, Mind wakes up in a 3rd floor apartment as a woman in her 20s. Her new memories make her believe she's had a regular childhood and she moved into the city just a few years ago. Dennim, or the talk she had with him when she was still 10 years old, are missing from her memories. Instead, she believes to have gone to work and had dinner with friends that night.

Waking up on a Saturday, she decides to spend her day off at the beach. There, an adult Dennim is already waiting to reintroduce himself and approaches his old friend by offering his parasol as a way to impose his company. As expected, she doesn't recognize him and becomes nervous by his approach and weird appearance. Before she can refuse his offer, though, he plugs his parasol into the sand and sits down next to her.

Mind tries to calm her nerves by starting some small talk, and asks how the procedure works on some of his physical alterations, like "the white foundation applied to his entire body" and his carnivorous dentures. Dennim replies that this is who he is. Mind takes it as an "inner me"-response and lets the subject slide, as she isn't interested in talking to a fanatic. But Dennim doesn't pick up on her discomfort and thinks he needs to keep talking in order to stay relevant; and invites her to come swim with him. Mind is quick to refuse, forcing him to head off by himself.

The lonesome Dennim pauses at the shore and contemplates on how to win the brainwashed, distant Mind over, but a few nearby parents start getting suspicious of the pale character standing there by himself. They misjudge his intentions and think his attention is focused on their children playing in the sea. A father heads over to him and is quick to become verbally aggressive, which catches the attention of the beach guests surrounding them, including Mind. He is titled a "freak" and "Satanist", among other slurs, and the man gets surprisingly alot of support from his surroundings.

Mind becomes angry and starts scolding the man for falsely judging a person he doesn't even know. The previously growing mob mentality starts to shrink down in response, but Dennim wants to act upon Mind's heart for justice and decides to push the man further in order to get more of her sympathy. Dennim releases a few off-colour remarks about the man's children, and receives a strong punch in the face over it. When he's lying face down in the sand and no one's coming to his aid, Mind takes the initiative and heads over to check on him, as he hoped for. Dennim assures her she doesn't have to worry about him and he can take a beating, information Mind doesn't find comfortable hearing.

When the father starts calling out at Dennim again from his towel, Mind threatens to call the police for physically assaulting a man. He smirks there's no case to be made, as Dennim's face appears untouched by his punch and none of the witnesses will be on his side. Mind sees the other beach guests turning their heads away and purposely ignoring the debate, proving the man right. She expresses her disgust over their treatment of someone who's crime is having an eccentric fashion style, but Dennim is satisfied to have gotten Mind's full attention and suggests they should just leave it.

But back at their respective towels, she keeps talking about the incident and wonders if things won't be better for him if he dressed normally. Dennim again answers that this is who he is and there's no changing it. Before Mind can think of a response, Dennim announces to go get fries and asks if she wants some. His attitude confuses her and she declines his sudden offer, whereafter Dennim is once again forced to leave without her.

But the beach has not yet forgotten about the previous showdown and a group of young men plan to harass the now infamous Dennim on his quest to get fries. Mind notices them and runs over to Dennim before they can utter their first insult. The regular-looking Mind tries to neutralize the mood by being cheery and familiar with the goth boy, and succeeds in making the group less suspicious of Dennim. After losing the urge to bully him, they turn around.

Dennim stays clueless about the planned attack, but welcomes Mind's changed approach and buys her the fries she now claims to want.

Despite her sympathy for him throughout the day, Mind doesn't feel compelled to hang out with Dennim for longer than she has to, and decides to cut their time short. She heads home, while Dennim is again left by himself.

Mind spends her Sunday back at the beach, but this time Dennim isn't waiting for her. Without the pressure of his presence or much else going on, she stays there most of the day. Around evening she heads back home, but because she doesn't have the correct memories of the area she's living in, she enters an alleyway she dubs a shortcut, which is known to be an easy location for criminals to do their business in. She ends up in a robbery scene, but even though the men circle her with no good intentions, Mind shows little fear for the strangers and demands them to let her pass. When they attempt to drag her further into the alley, she tries to punch them off of her, which turns them more physical as well. When they start yanking her hair and shoving her against the brick walls, Dennim appears to beat up the perpetrators. Dennim's loaded punches knock out the receivers in one blow, making for a short fight.

After the men have been knocked out, Mind decides to call the police; but as she and Dennim are found surrounded by a pile of ravaged men, it earns the suspicious-looking Dennim a trip to the police station as well. He and Mind are ordered to wait.

In the waiting room, Dennim cracks many unwarranted jokes, which manages to cheer up the unsettled Mind till some extend, until they are summoned to tell their side of story. Mind fills in the cops, and she and Dennim are allowed to leave without being charged for what appeared to be a near-lethal assault towards the robbers.

When back on the streets, Mind thanks Dennim again for coming to her aid. He, on his turn, thanks her for convincing the police he isn't an axe murderer. He decides to accompany her on the rest of the way home, and Mind allows for it as a safety measure. Eventually rain starts to fall and the both of them run to take shelter in the open hallway of Mind's apartment building.

Mind and Dennim again discuss his looks and the fact the police was suspecting him, but he claims not to care for the unfairness he faces. Mind finds his positive look to be inspiring, but still doesn't know how to make him reveal the secret behind his appearance. Thinking he's still a little bit into his role, she cuts the conversation short. She says her goodbye and heads upstairs to her room.

Mind wraps herself in a bathrobe and sits down at the kitchen table next to a window with some tea. She is given a clear view of Dennim walking the streets below, with rain now falling in extreme quantities. Mind feels conflicted about leaving him to find his way back, despite her rooted distrust for him.

She figures it's a hypocritical move to judge him on his style and not show her saviour proper gratitude. She puts on a coat and runs outside after him. With the rain drenching her once again, she offers him to stay at her place until the weather has calmed. He accepts.

Back at her place, she hands him a spare bathrobe and heads off to put their clothes in the washer. Dennim guides himself to the kitchen and starts making tea and coffee. When Mind meets up with him, she sees him busy at the counter, but doesn't say anything about his bold takeover of her living space.

Dennim hands her the tea and they sit down at the table. Mind remarks that he is a strange man, and Dennim says not to disagree. She starts asking about his origin and job, but he shares little details. She decides to take the first step and tells a bit about herself. Her altered memories give nice stories about her generous parents and her many friends, who's pictures all deserved a spot on her fireplace. Dennim shows little interest in what he knows are falsehoods and is more eager to know why she's living by herself and is not surrounded by men who don't want to rob her. Mind answers normally not to entertain talkative strangers and she doesn't have the urge to date. He asks how she's able to make friends at all if she won't face strangers, to which Mind jokes "by being rescued by determined axe murderers who'll likely kill her after having made them tea". Dennim argues he has coffee.

While they're trying to unsubtly explore each other's personality and past, the jokey answers are well received and make for pleasant conversation.

But rain keeps falling and Mind realizes she won't be able to send Dennim home any time soon. The same realization hits him and he reassures her to be going home after his coffee. She feels embarrassed to have interrupted their tea party with her returned anxiousness, that he was apparently able to pick up on, and leaves the room. She announces to make a small bathroom break and go check on their clothes, but when she returns, Dennim is gone.

A week passes and Mind hasn't met up with the stranger from the beach once. While he's not left behind an indication he'll be returning for his clothes, or bringing back the bathrobe he presumably left in, Mind decides to put his washed and ironed clothes inside a bag and take it with her to the beach. Almost as expected, a familiar face shows up to join her in the sand.

Mind's response to Dennim's arrival is almost too cheery for the amount of time they've socialized, so she tries to regain her composure and puts on a more lecturing act. She expresses her disapproval for his sudden disappearance and asks if she may have her bathrobe back.

Like her, Dennim also brought a bag, in this case carrying said bathrobe. She is given an insincere apology, followed by the question if he was missed. Mind doesn't appreciate his teasing and asks him why he left the way he did. Dennim argues her hospitality was running dry and it was better if he rudely walked out on her to rid her of the feeling of being the villain.

Mind is unsure what to think of his character analysation of her, as for his way of dealing with her emotions, and only utters the observation that he, again, is a strange man. Dennim asks if he blew his chance of spending the day with her, but she offers an indifferent response. She concludes they're barely acquaintances and he never owed her to stay for tea. She adds to have predicted they'd meet again and she'd get her stolen property back, since he forgot his clothes at her house.

Dennim doesn't respond to her assumptions and repeats the request if he can hang out with her. Mind puts on a stern face, but says he's free to do whatever.

He imposes his company on her the following weekends and turns their beach visits into a customary date. Eventually he also shows up at the bakery Mind works at. Having a more established relationship at that point, Mind feels comfortable asking if he's willing to purchase something in order to make his stalking less obvious. Dennim answers not to appreciate his victims extorting him.

Mind offers him a free bun and they start talking about their day so far, but her boss working at the back of the store isn't pleased with her generosity, or the presence of her friend. He calls her to the other room and demands she sends him out. She reassures him he's not a criminal, but her boss argues his looks will scare away the elderly, regular customers. He closes off saying they can't lose more money and the gifted bun will be subtracted from her pay.

Mind hesitantly breaks Dennim the news, but he keeps his carefree attitude. He places payment for the bread on the glass counter and takes his leave. But Mind feels awkward for sending away someone she considers a friend, and calls after him that he's welcome to come over for tea after work. Dennim gives no response back and exits, passing a few nervous elderly people waiting at the front door.

Around closing time, Mind gets scolded by her boss once more for letting Dennim camp inside the bakery. He tells her that the customers have been complaining about him and are afraid.

Mind doesn't understand the issue and argues he only stayed for an hour, and today was his first visit. But her boss claims he's seen him stand outside the building many times before and his presence is disrupting business. Mind does not accept the claims for what they are, and asks what it is he does. Her boss cannot give her a definite answer and says to only know he's been standing around in their street alot, and has been for a few years. Now that he learned Dennim is her friend, he thinks it's her duty to keep him away from everybody.

But Mind isn't feeling cooperative and says it's unfair to ban someone for no proper reason.
She guesses Dennim lives nearby and uses this street to get around. She's of the opinion that whatever he does outside of their store is none of their business.

Her boss doesn't accept her points and worries that Dennim uses his address to sell illegal substances. She asks what justifies his assumption, but he only manages to mention his goth appearance, which angers Mind. Her boss cares not for her moral outrage and again urges her to keep a leash on Dennim, and preferably break off contact.

The argument keeps on going and becomes more heated as it continues. Mind's reluctance to obey fills her boss with suspicion, and he accuses her of being member of a freak cult and secretly supporting Dennim with his illegal practices. Mind is left surprised by the surreal claims, and responds rightfully offended.

Her boss argues only he has the right to be offended and starts blaming his deteriorating financial success on her. Her statement to have known Dennim only since a few weeks ago fall on deaf ears, and her boss' mistrust in her causes her to get fired on the spot. A Satanist slur is thrown at her as she leaves through the door, and an emotional Mind heads back home.

That evening Mind is waiting for Dennim to visit, but he doesn't show up till long after she assumes he won't come anymore. She tells him to have cleared off the table already and was getting ready for bed, after which Dennim tries to excuse himself saying he had a meeting at work. As she's in the mood for company, Mind accepts the excuse and invites him in. They don't discuss her state of unemployment.

The next day Mind goes out to search for a new job, but is stopped on the way by an old customer and informed that the bakery collapsed last night. The body of her boss was found disfigured under the rubble. Showing slight disbelief for this sudden news, she goes to check and indeed finds the building in ruins, with the ones surrounding it surprisingly unscathed. She asks the workers present about the details of her boss' death, but they can't tell her anything new.
 Because of the fight they had before the accident, his untimely passing gives her a bad taste in her mouth. Mind heads back home to digest the death of the man she thinks to have known for years.

Later that same day, Dennim shows up at her door and Mind assumes he just found out about it as well. Thinking he came to talk, she confesses to have fought with her boss shortly before the accident happened and was fired over it. She expresses to feel especially miserable and wonders if she should've been more empathetic towards her boss' concerns. But Dennim responds that he got what he deserved, if this is how he treated her. Mind is not pleased with his insensitive answer, to which he responds to just want to rid her of feeling miserable over nothing. He adds that the man was hard to be friends with and always frowning at him.

His statement reminds Mind of what her boss said about his random, reoccurring visits to the bakery's entrance, and she confirms that he didn't like his presence. Out of curiosity, she asks him the reason for his visits, and Dennim replies to go there sometimes to "wait and look out for his friend Mark".

The whole situation makes Mind nauseous. She wished she was able to properly introduce him to her boss and have them work it out, but Dennim says he wouldn't have cared for the offer, nor would her boss. She's convinced of a more positive outcome, but he says that telling herself that will only fill her with pointless regret.

Dennim goes to the kitchen to make tea and they both sit at the table for a while. Mind starts lamenting about all the people dear to her seemingly disappearing, while not understanding what changed. Dennim acts insulted by her statement and asks if he's not a dear to her. She smirks, but clarifies that she hasn't heard or seen her family and friends for weeks, which is unusual. He grins they all might've been hanging out in another bakery; a joke not entirely landing with a still grieving Mind. She ignores his tasteless humor and contemplates calling them.

Dennim shows a slight hint of concern in his otherwise cheerful face, but can't think of anything to say or do to stop her from walking to the phone. When Mind has the horn in her hands, she freezes.

He asks her what's wrong, and she replies to have forgotten the phone numbers of the people she planned to call. After a short pause, she mutters to herself not to worry, and looks up a little notebook inside a nearby drawer. But she finds that all the pages are empty, confusing her greatly.

She swears to have written numbers and addresses in this notebook, and when she also can't recall the phone number of her own parents, she starts to panic. Dennim tries to convince her it's likely a neurotic response to her boss' death and she should relax. She follows his advice and sits back down. When she looks at the pictures of her friends on the fireplace, another realization hits. Dennim urges her to finish her tea before it gets cold, but Mind is too concerned over the fact she knows none of her friends' names. Dennim has nothing to say to her discovery and his silence makes her visibly nervous. She attempts to regain her composure before explaining to him she's never blacked out like this before.

The longer she watches the faces on the photos, the more they seem like strangers to her. She wonders if she should visit the hospital, as it shouldn't be a normal response to someone's death, but Dennim says that not to be a good idea. Mind insists that if she's turning mad or is suffering from memory loss, she needs to find help.

Because Dennim understands that visiting a doctor won't give her answers and then only worry her more, he suggests they try a less extreme measure first. She asks if homebrewing is the right thing to do, and he ensures her it's fairly effective as long she cooperates.

While planning to perform another memory wipe on her, he presents it to her as a yoga practise he was taught long ago, which will help her to calm her mind. His explanation sounds believable and reassuring, and she asks him what needs to be done.

Dennim instructs her to lie on the bed and takes a knee next to her. He places his hand on her head and asks her for "permission" to do his thing. Mind smirks if this is just a prank and he's about to smooch her. Dennim congratulates her for making improper jokes at a horrible time.

She says he has rubbed off on her and understands the reason for his constant comedy routines. He raises an eyebrow and asks her what she thinks the reason is. Mind replies he's unhappy.

Dennim says she's wrong and claims to feel ecstatic, but the lack of excitement in his voice makes her think he's being sarcastic with her. She pats the hand still placed on her head and tells him he doesn't have to feel lonely anymore, as he has her. Dennim confirms her statement and explains that's why he's ecstatic.

Though she's misinformed about his life and emotions, Dennim finds her care for him, as for her devotion to being his friend, endearing. While in his moment, he openly concludes she never really changes, which urges Mind to ask what he means by that.

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