This was originally a concept I planned to explore in two follow-up chapters.
Due to various real-life circumstances, I couldn’t continue the series, so that part ended up being omitted.
What I really wanted to focus on in this story was how a single choice can completely change a person’s fate, and how important those fleeting moments can be.
The “original” versions of the friends shown in the story aren’t meant to be a definitive reality.
They’re symbolic—representing the direction of regret, and one of many possible outcomes that could have happened.
So what we see isn’t the “true original,” but rather a form shaped by her regret.
In a sense, it’s her inner answer to the question:
“If Mari had died and Sunny had lived, would he really have been happy?”
I chose to present them as the “original” versions because I wanted readers to immediately grasp her regret, and bringing in other AUs directly didn’t fit the intent of this story.
By nature, AUs are diverse, and it’s possible that every AU version is “real” in its own way.
Different choices lead to different outcomes, and none of them are perfect.
We simply call one version the “original” for convenience, and perceive it as what might have been the most complete form.
I don’t know if this fully answers your question, but that was the intention behind the work.