Prologue
"I always imagined my life would turn out this way."
Issei Sakamoto stood atop the very edge of the building as the pouring rain hit his calm, collected face.
The rain's been coming down for two weeks straight, with no signs of letting up. Most of the streets were flooded, and water rushed through the drains, heading to the waterways and rivers.
But today...
This feels like a never-ending dream rather than reality.
Issei glanced down at the streets below, taking in the brilliant glow of ambient and street lights.
"Hehe..." He let out a short, quiet chortle, then another longer one.
...I'm sorry... But, this is it for me.
He took a small step forward, letting gravity do its job of taking him under, and before long, he was lying sprawled on the bottom as blood spread from him.
Chapter 1
"You're going to lose again." Two high school students were playing an RPG during a self-study period.
"Not this time."
All the teachers were in a meeting at the staffroom, leaving the students to catch up on their studies during this final period. Yet, Yuuki and Souta were messing around as the other students studied around them.
Inside the RPG, there were two teams separated by different outfit colors, which were red and blue.
The red team was taking out the blue team with precise ease, while the blue team struggled to keep up, losing their numbers with every move the red team made.
[DEFEAT] The words appeared on Souta's screen after the red team completely wiped out the blue team.
"See, what did I tell you?" Yuuki said, his facial expression beaming with excitement.
Souta shrugged, placing the game box on the desk.
"Now you owe me the next update coming out in two days," Yuuki uttered softly as he exited the game.
"Yeah, yeah, I will buy the new update for you, but you'd better stop cheating the next time we play... I don't know what you did, but your characters were just insanely fast. I could barely keep up."
"Again... I wasn't cheating. The fact of the matter is just that you suck, that's all."
"No, I've been playing that game longer than you, and I know all the ins and outs of it, but ever since you started playing, it's like I'm playing a whole new, different game."
"No, the problem is that you focus too much on hiding, waiting to ambush me... I already told you, those kinds of tactics don't work on me." Yuuki stated, placing his game box in his backpack.
"Anyways." He muttered. "Since we're done, I was hoping we could hit the bathroom."
"Yeah... No. I'm good." Souta replied awkwardly.
Yuuki let out a sigh, standing up as Miyoko sitting four desks away from him, stared at him with hesitant eyes while she clenched the fabric of her skirt.
"Well." Yuuki stretched his arms outwards. "I guess I'm alone on this one."
Souta nodded awkwardly, darting his eyes to Miyoko for a second as Yuuki was about to leave.
"Oh... Before I forget," Souta began, getting Yuuki's attention back at him.
"Just make sure you're back in time before Miko and her friends quit on the Karaoke plan."
"Sure, I'm just going for a leak. I'll be back before you know it." Yuuki replied.
As he was leaving the classroom to use the bathroom, a few moments later, Miyoko stood abruptly from her desk, following him.
Miko, who sat near her, was taken aback by this, and she looked at her friends with a complicated expression, her lips slightly parted.
"What did I just witness?" She asked.
Her friends glanced at her with puzzled expressions on their faces before replying. "Ahh... D—didn't you know already?"
"Huh?"
"...Miyoko has a crush on Yuuki," they continued.
Miko's eye twitched as her complicated expression intensified.
"You're joking?"
"No, it's true." One of her friends replied.
"Why didn't I know of this until now? Why didn't any of you bother to tell me?" Miko pressed, her voice slightly calm, yet furious.
"...C—calm down, you're starting to lose your temper... E—everyone knows that you're into Yuuki... And, and I even think Miyoko knows as well," Her first friend to speak explained.
"Calm down?!" Miko shouted. "You don't even know if she knows the truth!" she continued condescendingly. Everyone present in class shifted their attention to Miko and her friends, curious about what had prompted the sudden outburst.
Concurrently, Miyoko rushed down the school hallway, trying to catch up to Yuuki. Most of the students strolling in the hallway looked at her with curious eyes.
"Hey!" she called out, hoping Yuuki would notice her.
"Oh, it's Miyoko?" Some of the students recognized her because they were in the same club, while some just knew who she was. Yet, Miyoko didn't pay attention to them as she passed them by.
"Yuuki~!" Her voice was soft, almost like someone sealed in a room with no doors and windows. Yet, it was enough to carry.
Forcing herself to sound louder was hard, though; this time, she was doing everything she could to get Yuuki's attention.
"Hmmm," Yuuki muttered as he was about to make a turn to the washroom.
Who's calling out my name? He pivoted, finding Miyoko almost out of breath.
"Oh, it's you... Your Miyoko, if I'm not mistaken?"
Miyoko's face flushed, and her voice trembled. "Uh, ye—yes," she replied, playing with her fingers.
I wonder whether she's here of her own accord, or someone sent her to take me?
"Did you need something?" Yuuki asked curiously.
"...Kind of," Miyoko answered, fidgeting. Then continued, "Would you kindly allow me to come with you?"
"What?" Uttered Yuuki, puzzled.
"...N—no, no, that came out wrong... I meant, can I come along with you to the karaoke bar?"
◊◊◊◊
A cold breeze swept through the school grounds, and an awkward silence fell between the two, only to be disturbed by the sound of falling water droplets from the washroom.
His curiosity piqued, he tried to remember if there might be someone else he had told, aside from Souta, Miko, and her friends, that they were going to karaoke after school—and that person had told Miyoko about it.
"Auh... How did you know that I was planning to go karaoke?" Yuuki asked, awkwardly.
"...I overheard you talking to Miko, and I..." Miyoko murmured, casting her face to the floor.
"Ohhh... Come to think of it, you sit next to Miko, don't you?" You pressed a hand behind his neck. "…Though why not ask her?"
Miyoko didn't reply, but only bit her lower lip, and glancing to the side, still playing with her fingers.
Sensitive topic to start... But meh. Yuuki wondered.
"Sorry." He apologized with a slight bow. Miyoko shifted her face, looking at him with a guilty expression, at the same moment wondering what Yuuki could be apologizing for.
"...I—it's okay... Wh—why are you saying sorry?" She asked nervously.
"Oh, my bad, I thought I said something that offended you, but if you say it's okay, then thanks." Replied Yuuki, lifting his head and smiling softly.
Miyoko stood stunned for a second at the sight of Yuuki's smile.
"Anyway... I don't see the harm in you tagging along, so I'll be waiting when the time comes." Yuuki elucidated, then after a second, pivoted to continue his journey.
"Thank you," Miyoko said, bowing her head.
Yuuki, glancing over his shoulder, paused and turned as some students walked past at the end of the hallway.
"Okay, okay, okay, stop bowing... aren't you a bit worried that someone might see us? I mean, it's kind of embarrassing to watch. So, raise your head, okay," Yuuki said, panicking slightly. He was caught off guard by Miyoko's sudden display.
After a few seconds, Miyoko stopped bowing, but her face remained flushed.
"...You look flushed, are you feeling okay?" Yuuki tried to change the subject, raising his hand to check Miyoko's forehead.
Bu-damp... Bu-damp... Bu-damp.
Miyoko's heart raced the second Yuuki's hand was pressed against her forehead, and her face flushed even brighter as her eyes slightly enlarged.
***
"I—I'm fine," Miyoko said, taking a step back from Yuuki. "Anyway. See you," she quickly swiveled, awkwardly running away from him.
Yuuki was dumbfounded for a moment, watching Miyoko as she made a turn at the next exit.
"What an odd person," he muttered, shrugging while pivoting. "Though, for a second there, she looked a bit like Souta."
They could be related. He continued to the washroom, pondering.
After a few seconds, "Like that would ever happen." He said to himself.
Moments later, Miko was getting more anxious about what her friends had told her about Miyoko having a crush on Yuuki.
She grew impatient with every passing second, keeping a close eye on the class entrance. And at the moment, her friends had gone to buy some drinks at the vending machine in the school's cafeteria.
She clenched her teeth, anxiously tapping her finger on the desk as Souta at his desk was playing a solo match of the same RPG that he had just beaten him in.
Miko let out a deep sigh, calming herself before standing and following Miyoko, who she figured was with Yuuki. Yet, when she was about to exit the class, she collided with Miyoko.
"So—sorry," Miyoko mumbled, slightly tumbling back. Miko didn't reply or say anything in return. At the moment, she was only curious about what could have taken place between Yuuki and Miyoko.
As for Miyoko, she didn't even pay attention to who she was saying sorry to, and after a second, she proceeded to her desk, a soft smile on her face.
◊◊◊◊
Minutes later, Yuuki returned to the classroom at the same time as Miko's friends. A few seconds after walking to their desks, the school bell rang, and most of the students stood from their seats, heading outside the classroom.
"Ahhh... Did something happen?" Souta asked Yuuki, looking at Miko's friends.
"No," Yuuki replied bluntly, taking a seat atop one of the empty desks.
A second later, he opened a canned drink he brought with him while coming back to the washroom.
"Anything interesting happened while I was gone?" Yuuki asked.
"Nah... Though I'm curious."
"About what?"
"How did it go with Miyoko?"
"Why ask?"
"No reason, I'm just curious."
Yuuki slightly shifted his eyes, looking at Miko's friends before drinking the liquid in his hand. After a moment, he let out a breath.
"Nothing much, she just came up to me and asked if she could tag along when we're going to karaoke."
"So, how did it go?" Souta probed.
"I said she can come along... Also, I've taken a liking to her, and this would be the chance for us all to know each other." Yuuki explained briefly, while Miko at her desk was clenching and choking a canned drink.
"Anyway. Have you seen her around?" Yuuki asked. But before Souta could point a finger at Miyoko at her desk, in her Bluetooth connected headsets, Miko abruptly stood from her chair and rushed out of the classroom.
"Miko!" one of her friends uttered her name.
Both Yuuki and Souta turned, looking at Miko as she dashed into the hallway.
"Drama much?" Souta muttered with a straight face.
After a while, Miko was on the school's rooftop to let out her anger and forget about everything that had happened. It was already painful enough for her to learn that Miyoko had feelings for Yuuki, and now Yuuki was taking an interest in the same Miyoko.
"Damn it!"
"I can't take this anymore!"
"Why is everything happening so fast?"
Why can't I keep up?
"Auhhh!" Miko shouted furiously, kicking a tank used as a backup water storage. Though at the moment, it was empty.
She took out her phone, figuring that if she couldn't do anything on her own, then someone else would help her.
Going to her contact list, she pressed her father's number, branded with the name Daddy.
It didn't take long for her to wrap things up with her father, and the others were ready to get going to karaoke. The only person missing was Miko, but instead of waiting for her to come back, they sent one of her friends to convince her to come back. Though the moment she was able to catch up, she found Miko sitting quietly on the rooftop, observing the scenery of the track field below.
"I figured you'd be here," Her friend said, approaching her with a smile. "You like observing the track team from here, because it reminds you of the time Yuuki was doing track, right?"
"Your point?" Miko asked, still observing the field.
"Nothing, I was just worried about you... And..." She paused, hesitating for a second. Her lips slightly parted, then pressed together again. "Yuuki sent me to get you."
"Don't make me laugh," Miko said, tears sliding down her cheeks.
"...I'm serious... And right now... You don't look or sound okay... Have you been crying?"
"I'm fine. I just wanted some fresh air," Miko replied.
◊◊◊◊
Miko's father stood in his office near a window, observing the reporters outside trying to interview him. He didn't go outside, nor was he interested in attending any of the masses outside his building.
The inside of the structure was full of armored guards, ready to do anything at a moment's notice.
TAP... TAP... TAP...
"Enter." Miko's father replied after someone had knocked on his office door.
The door slid open, and one of the guards entered while holding a slight bow, giving his respects to the man before him.
Some minutes later, he gave the guard an order to assassinate Miyoko. He gave the man details about Miyoko's appearance, depending on how his daughter had described her.
Miyoko has short black hair with a white hairpin shaped like a diving dolphin, but just in case of taking out the wrong person, he researched Miyoko, finding her school enrollment data, which also had a recent image of her.
"Have you memorized her face?" Miko's father asked the guard as the guard studied the data provided.
"She seems like an easy target," the guard said, returning to his position.
"I'll take that as a yes." Miko's father uttered, moving back to the near the window. "Get going, I'll need you back here for the meeting."
***
As the guard left the office, Miko's father muttered to himself, "I hope my daughter knows what she's getting into."
Meanwhile. Yuuki and the others were on their way to their final destination. Miko and her friends walked behind Miyoko to observe her up close, while at the same time making sure that Miko doesn't lose it.
Yuuki and Souta walked in front of Miyoko, talking about what song to play upon their arrival.
"I was thinking something heavy, full of dark emotions," Yuuki said.
"You're forgetting that there are girls around." Souta followed.
"So what... And I was just joking."
"It didn't seem like a joke to me," Souta said, slightly glancing back at Miyoko. "Anyway, I'm sure Miyoko doesn't know how to sing." He added.
"What makes you say that?" Yuuki asked, shifting his head and looking at Miyoko.
"...Nothing, and don't look at her like that, you trying to scare her or something?" Souta said, signaling Miyoko to join the conversation, move closer to Yuuki.
Yuuki looked forward as the traffic light in front of them turned red, and other people who were going or trying to cross the road stopped.
"I doubt she doesn't know how to sing. She's always wearing headphones." Yuuki continued, but before Souta could respond, Miyoko interrupted. "H-he's right... I actually don't know how to sing." She said, walking next to Yuuki as Souta moved a step back, making way for Miyoko.
What's he trying to do now? Yuuki wondered. He noticed that Souta had done this on purpose, yet he decided to play along.
"I didn't know that... I figured you'd be a pro at making music," Yuuki stated, trying to look at Miyoko's eyes. Miyoko also tried to meet his gaze, but the moment their eyes met, she looked away and started blushing.
At the same moment, while this was taking place, Miko grew anxious, pressing a hand in her bag and holding on to a gun inside it. Though her friends noticed her just in time and tried to calm her down.
Souta, who was walking behind Miyoko and Yuuki, didn't notice that something was happening behind him.
Meanwhile, the guard assigned to assassinate Miyoko stood atop a nearby building, preparing to take the shot with his sniper and end everything.
As Miyoko was moving closer to Yuuki, the guard slowly pulled the trigger, aiming for Miyoko's head.
Bang!
The bullet pierced through Miyoko's head.
She slowly fell on the pavement with a loud thud, as blood quickly spread out on the asphalt.
Everyone stood stunned, including the people who were at that moment present at the scene, unable to comprehend what had just happened. But Miko, after realizing that it was her father's doing, felt a sense of relief that she was in no danger.
"Mio!" Souta cried out. Referring to Miyoko down the asphalt.
"What are you doing? Get down and call for an ambulance!" Yuuki, without thinking, immediately yelled out.
But no one dared to move; they were too taken aback by the scene before them.
"Damn it, damn damn it," Yuuki repeated, reaching for his phone, but the second he tried to turn it on, the device refused to turn on. It was currently dead.
The guard atop the building pulled the trigger again, this time aiming to get rid of Yuuki, just for the fun of it.
"Snap out of it, Souta!" Yuuki said, pivoting, trying to face Souta.
Bang!
Without realizing it, Yuuki dropped to the ground, a bullet wound on his temple, and a second later, blood began to flow out.
Miko's jaw dropped in disbelief, surprised to see Yuuki dead on the asphalt.
"...What? this, this, this isn't happening right?" She glanced at her unmoving friends, as they stared at both Yuuki and Miyoko with terrified eyes.
At this moment, Miko didn't know what to do. Tears started to form in her eyes as her hand moved on its own, grasping the gun in her bag, and slowly aiming it at herself.
"...I'm sorry." She muttered.
BANG!
Everything went dark after the sound of Miko's firing.
Later that day, the news reported the loss of three high school students who lost their lives to a terrorist attack. Though they didn't mention anything about Miko ending her own life.