He informs Aqua and Ruby of it that night.
He explains everything. His fear. His guilt. His longing.
And his question.
Should I provide Happy with a soul?
Aqua is a very introspective person. He does possess an extremely deep understanding of what it really is to have the fear of one's self.
Ruby appears sad—but then she smiles.
"Give him a chance to love you completely. Don't let the fear of the reaction stop you."
But what if he doesn't?
Then love him anyway.
Aqua continues:
You always discuss how much you have to guard us and care for us. Perhaps the time has come for you to catch up on some vulnerability practice. Perhaps it is time for you to allow someone else an opportunity to truly. choose you.
Souta leads Happy slowly to the peaceful and quiet room, the very same room where he expertly tended and healed Ai's broken finger years ago.
He sets him down carefully and gently upon a soft, cushy pillow.
He gazes intently—not with the self-indulgent attitude of a child who feels invincible and playful like a god, but with the respectful quiet of a young boy softly expressing a deep longing to the faraway stars above him.
The faint glow emitted from his hands is noticeable.
Similarly, Happy's button eyes also possess this quality.
"I want to make clear that I have no intention of exercising control over you in any form," he states reflectively. "Furthermore, I do not want to control your emotions or force you to love me." I simply have a need to know. I want you to love yourself for who you actually are and be the person you truly are.
The light pulses.
There is a low, consistent hum filling the air everywhere.
And then—
The bear blinks.
Moves.
Rises to a sitting position slowly.
And speaks, with a gentle, little boy's voice:
".Souta?"
Souta stops.
The bear looks around and then up at him.
"You finally gave me a voice…"
"I… well, yeah. I really apologize. I wasn't sure if I should go on. I wasn't sure if. if you would.".
The bear inclines his head.
"Imagine if I disliked you?"
Souta nods, tears welling up.
The bear stands, walks up to him with little gentle steps, and embraces him.
You were broken. And sad. And angry. But you were never unloved.".
I decided to stay here because I felt deep feelings of love for you. Not because I had to. But because I wanted to.
Souta breaks down, holding Happy tightly.
All the pent-up emotions, like guilt, fear, and loneliness, burst out in a flood.
"Thank you," he whispers. "Thank you for staying."
The following morning, Ai discovers the triplets on the couch once more—this time, with Happy sitting in between them, very much alive, munching (well, pretending to) on a pancake Ruby had made specially for him.
Aqua softly pats Happy's head as a little brother.
Ruby colors him a small jacket.
Ai smiles broadly as she looks at the four people standing before her.
"Guess I am officially mother of four children."
Souta chuckles, wiping away a tear.
He is my brother, as well. He has been my brother always, no doubt.
And Happy giggles, hugging his big-little brother again.
Happiness increasingly becomes part of the routine of their everyday life.
In his own home, he's Souta's shadow, Ruby's dress-up dolly, Aqua's game partner, and Ai's fourth child.
But one strange thing that relates:
No other human being can perceive his presence.
To everyone else in the world, as well as his classmates, teachers, and even his neighbors who live nearby, Souta just basically keeps lugging around a cute and much-loved teddy bear that has obviously belonged to him for a very, very long time.
Only his family knows that he is still alive.
Aqua conducts a series of tests, during which it carefully records a video featuring Happy as he speaks.
When he spends time replaying it?
Silence only. The bear stirs not.
It is as if the very nature of Happy's being is only contained within the borders of the reality that they share.
Ruby: "Like a secret miracle."
Ai: "No… like a bond too strong for the world to comprehend."