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「 But seeing you tremble
Makes me dance 」
Vivid Street is the most lively place in whole Shibuya for sure. At very least, An thought so. With every second and every step along the night street, she started doubting if that was the place she knows well. The hell are those dark blots and puddles? It wasn’t raining now or before, then why…
An wasn’t able to even think about this, as she saw a figure peeking out of the corner. She felt like it’d be a good idea to turn around and go the opposite direction. Lights weren’t working properly, so An was getting a little nervous.
Maybe it’s a ghost? A ghost? For real??? An stopped for a second to look back. Nobody was no longer standing behind the corner. She was relieved.
Before the heard a scream.
Until she heard a scream. A loud one, lingering, desperate, hysterical, full of pain… The cry echoed in an almost empty street. And soon after, nothing. Literally nothing. No screaming, no dripping sounds, no hits. No sounds. Her legs went weak. What is happening? Where is everyone? Why is she all alone in such a creepy place?
And then she heard her own name.
And a short question after,
“Oi, An.”
“Where are you?”
A ghost! An thought to herself. Definitely a ghost! A ghost that murders people?! It knows my name and it’s coming after me…? If it’s someone’s joke again, it’s not funny… Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes, and her ears rang mercilessly.
But…
Oi?
Was that…? Akito’s…
“Akito?” that was very stupid of you, An Shiraishi. Now something that was hiding in the night alley will know exactly where she is. But An didn’t want to think like this. She was sure it’s just another silly prank from Akito.
“Correct”, the guy chanted. That totally wasn’t a thing Akito would do… But it seems there’s no turning back. “Can you see me, An?”
“Umm… No, I can’t see you at all! It’s too dark!” An shouted, making sure Akito hears her.
“Really? And I can see you very clearly”, he laughed as he said those words, “Isn’t it amusing?”
“N-no it isn’t! Akito… Please come out already”, An sobs as her eyes close, too scared to look anywhere, “There are ghosts in here, I feel it… So please, please come out! It’s not funny anymore!”
“Are you crying?”
“Why would you ask that, you dumbass Akito?! Of course I am! I’m scared shitless right now!!”
“Okay then”, his voice lowered. An heard a strange sound somewhere in the street, but didn’t dare to open an eye. Until he started speaking again. “I’m here. Behind you. All you have to do is turn back, An”.
That was quite a challenge. A tough one. An impossible one. Her heart was beating like crazy, she was cold and sweating at the same time. Who might be behind her? A murderer? ‘Cause she heard screaming earlier. A ghost? A monster…? Or if today An was fortunate enough, could it be her boyfriend behind her…?
Or maybe four in one. Or only three in one. Or two in one. Any option is terrible. But it’s not even possible, right? Girl, keep believing in it.
Having gathered all her courage and will into a fist, An turns sharply and then only slowly opens her eyes.
That was…
…
…Akito!
An almost jumps at him and hugs firmly. For some reason, he’s body is cold, but An isn’t bothered by this fact now. Instead, she just buries herself in his chest.
“Don’t do that again. You are the worst boyfriend ever, Akito…”
An continued crying and clinging to him, but it seemed like he’s not going to even hug her back at least.
“Is that so?” his eyes became darker, as he lowered them to look at An. She, in turn, carefully removed her hands from him.
“…What?” she raises her brow in annoyance, “Are you mad? I’m the one who should be mad, thanks to your stupi-“
She never finished the line because she was grabbed tightly by the neck and pressed against the nearest wall. An hit the back of her head quite painfully, gasped and soon winced. She was trying to get out of the guy’s grip, shaking her legs and digging her nails into another’s hands, but failing. An feels like she’s about to run out of breath.
“…Ah…kito”, she moaned hoarsely. The guy in front of her isn’t Akito. He looks just like him, but still, An’s boyfriend would never try to choke her. The world feels dizzy… What a funny feeling.
Her body was trembling, tears were flowing down her cheeks, and soon An decides to shut her eyes completely.
…
Akito abruptly removes his hands from the girl's neck, causing An to simply fall to the ground like a rag doll. A moment later, she begins to cough uncontrollably, clutching her own neck. An looks at the red-haired guy in a terror through a veil of her own tears.
That’s when she lowers her eyes.
To see a bat in his right hand.
Covered in something dark, the same shade as the puddles the saw before. His hands are dirty too. Due to lack of light, it’s difficult to understand whatever this dirt was.
Another moment.
And another realization.
Blood ? she asks silently. For an unknown reason, metal smell pierces through her nose, and she reflexively covers her mouth with a hand so as not to vomit.
No, no, no.
It just can’t be.
She’s not here, not here.
It’s not Akito. He’ll never do this kind of thing to her. But still, those firm hands were the same as Akito’s… Terrifying. Horrible.
It wasn’t real, a…
“Yeah, I’m mad”, Akito’s voice lowered as he got on his knees in front of a shivering girl. An did her best to sit, trembling non-stop and covering herself with shaking hands, hoping it would save her.
“Definitely mad, Shiraishi An. Calling me the worst boyfriend, when all I do is making sure you are right next to me”, he puts the bat behind himself and removes An's hands from her face, squeezing her wrists.
“Am I a bad boyfriend after that?” Akito presses her hands against the wall, leaning a bit forward.
“…Akito, I want you to stop this. I’m scared. I’m so sorry I said it, I… I didn’t mean it. Please stop. Let me go”, An was weeping and shaking, trying to free herself.
“Are you crying again?” he said.
“Come here, darling, it’s alright”, Akito embraced her gently, as if he wasn’t abusing her a minute ago. An was totally lost, so she hugged him back, still trembling.
“You see, An, it feels like there’s a distance between us. This feeling… Is a bad one, don’t you get it?” Akito tuck her hair behind her ear.
“I d-do, but Akito shouldn’t feel this way. Because I… really love Akito”, it seems that she has to be very careful with her words from now on, unless she wants to be beaten to death.
“And I love you too, An”, he was surely smiling. An was relieved.
But it’s way too early to think that’s the happy ending.
“You do love me, right?” he asked once more.
“…Yes, I do love you.”
“There’s one thing that bothered me.”
“What was that?”
“It seems your love isn’t for me only. You love your father, mother, Kohane, Touya… Um, who else… Your friends, your classmates”, he sounded very cheerful. But An was horrified because she kinda had the idea about what he’s going to say next.
“Akito, I beg you… Please say it’s a joke. I know you wouldn’t do that”, An shook him by his shoulders. No, it wasn’t real. Concentrate. But she just couldn’t; now she was hysterically praying and shaking.
“I’m sure you heard the scream. It was loud, wasn’t it?” Akito totally ignored An’s cries.
“That coward sounded like a fucking pig. And called his mommy for help”, he laughed out loud. “It was pathetic and entertaining at the same time! Oh, I’m sure you know this guy. C’mon, dear, try to remember.”
An looked at Akito, her shocked eyes meeting his crazy ones. She doesn’t want to know who was killed in the alley before. She doesn’t want to know who else was killed by Akito. She just wanted to go home, see her mom and dad, hug them, and then call Touya and Kohane to ask if they’re okay. That’s it.
“I can’t remember”, she answers honestly. She’s not able to avert her eyes, so she continues staring.
“It was the guy who confessed to you”, Akito squinted. “You already forgot? Oh no, it seems like our little An doesn’t cherish feelings of others’ at all…!” he said dramatically.
Akito would never behave like this, she thought.
“But I thought-“
And once again she wasn’t able to finish her words, because a certain one slapped her. Hard. It felt painful. Of course it would… An covered her cheek with a hand, way too scared to look at the red-haired guy.
“Don’t interrupt while I’m talking, An”, he said sharply, “how rude of you.”
An wanted to apologize, but decided just to keep silence this time.
“I killed them”, Akito started. An didn't want to believe it. But for some reason it felt just too real. “All of them. With those hands”, he brought his bloody hands to her face. An almost stopped breathing. It felt like the smell of the fresh blood is going to kill her. “And I did this for you only. Because I wanted to remind you of my love once more”.
No…
No, no, no…
Tears were falling as An shook her head in denial. She opened her mouth, but only managed to let out an ugly sob. An just wanted to be hugged by her family and Akito, her Akito, not this psychopath.
Akito, in turn, cupped her cheek with a dirty hand, leaving blood stains on girl’s face. An couldn’t even move or protest. Way too scared, way too shocked, and way too shivering. He held her chin in place, rubbing a thumb over her parted lips. An feels it. She feels his cold hands, disgusting liquid and a terrible smell. Akito then slightly opens her mouth to put a thumb in.
All she had to do was sit obediently without breathing, so as not to smell and taste the blood. Akito seemed to be amused by this picture, since he pressed his finger all the way to her throat. She just couldn't handle it. She's going to throw up. With a trembling hand, An touches Akito's, hoping that this will somehow enlighten him. And it really helps; he carefully removes his hand from her face, slowly starting to stroke the girl's head. An, in turn, begins to cough in a panic and spits her own drool mixed with someone else's blood.
“I’m kidding”, he says. What? An looks at him in a shock. “I mean, of course I did kill this guy, but I haven’t touched your family. Yet”
Yet.
Well, at least they are safe for now. But is it a good idea to believe the person in front of her?
“Don’t touch them, please…” she whines.
“I won’t. Now… Let’s walk a bit.”
Akito tugs on her arm, lifting An abruptly off the ground. Her legs are so numb. Akito takes the bat and hides it somewhere behind his back. An looks at him intensely: ‘cause you don't know what to expect from this guy. He stands behind An, takes her by the shoulders and starts pushing her forward.
“I’ll show you something interesting.”
「 Please don’t ask me why 」
And that’s when the strangest night walk starts. Lights were flickering from time to time, what made the situation even more tense. To be honest, any situation will be tense if the killer presses his chest right to your back.
And then she saw it. A body. A completely disfigured body. Was it a human before? You can’t tell.
An screams in terror. Now she feels the reek of flesh. It’s worse than disgusting. Unbelievable.
It’s not true…
She wants to run away, but can’t. He’s holding her shoulders. An closes her eyes, cries, sobs, screams and nervously shooks her head.
“Don’t you recognize this person? Oi, An, don’t cover your eyes. Look here.” he removes her hands from her face, pushing An closer to the dead body, trying to knock her into a bloody mess. An shuts her eyes and tries to break out of his grip. But once again, it’s just no use.
“NO! Please! I-I don’t want to look! Let’s go back! Akito, I’m begging you… Please make it stop!!” An was screeching so loud, maybe she was about to loose her voice completely.
“That’s the man who asked for your number in the cafe,” Akito shortly said.
Now he continued to push her through the street, and the farther they went, the stronger the stink of decaying flesh was. And An couldn’t even dare to open her eyes.
“That’s the guy you talked to before the event. He was smiling a lot while you were standing next to him. Gross”, he pointed his finger and cringed. An still hasn’t opened her eyes.
“Oh, and those stared at you while you were on the stage. And I saw you winking at one of them. So I decided to fuck his face up. I did a great job, don’t you think so?” Akito said as he gripped her shoulders firmer. It hurts again, An thought. But still, her eyes were shut.
“And this man had your hair on his sleeve. I wonder why…” he stroked her long hair gently.
It was confusing as hell…
“An, look here. Open your eyes. There’s something really interesting. You’d love it, I promise”.
Never. She’ll never do that. The stench was ghoulish, yet An didn’t throw up for some reason. Akito kept pushing and shaking the girl, he really wanted her to see the thing in front of them.
And so she decides on this stupid act. An, without thinking, kicks Akito and finally breaks out of his grip. She turns sharply in the other direction, staggers, and then... Then she rushes forward. Then she realized that she had made another mistake. If Akito catches her, he’ll definitely kill her. This time with no mercy.
「 I didn’t want to reveal
my hidden self 」
And of course, Akito catches her easily. Grabs her by the neck once more and drags to something he wished to show her. An knows what’s going to happen next: maybe he’ll choke her, beat to death, brake all bones or mount in the asphalt. It seems like there’s no painless option. Here goes another mistake; An slowly opens her eyes.
And here goes another piercing scream. Feels like An regained all her power to struggle when she saw this. A dump of corpses.
What is happening…
“Do you like what you see?”
No.
No, I don’t
An couldn’t say a word. She felt that she’d definitely vomit, but it just didn’t come out.
Akito throws An, and she falls on something soft.
And cold.
And wet.
Body.
Someone's body.
An squeals, covers her mouth with both hands and jumps up from this disgusting thing. Her head is spinning and she just slumps to the ground.
“I must be dreaming… Aha, I’m dreaming, it’s not real. Not… Haha. Hahaha, not real, I know”, An muttered hysterically as she curled up.
“Baby, I love you so much.”
?
Something flashed in the dark. So small and… Seems like Akito took something out of his pocket.
A penknife.
It was small, but looked terrifyingly sharp.
「 I don’t recognize you anymore 」
He knelt down in front of her, bringing the penknife to the girl's face. Akito smiled warmly as he moved closer to An.
“I love you so much, so don’t make me kill you, An”.
It's time to pinch yourself and wake up from this nightmare, Shiraishi An. Go ahead. Why aren’t you moving?
“Akito. Don’t…”
He strokes her hair with a free hand. Is he trying to calm her down? The fuck?
“No need to be scared. I’ll mix our blood. You’ll always be with me. Because… After all, An is mine. That’s all you need to know”, Akito said. Then he brings the knife to his own hand and makes a cut. Droplets of blood appear on his wrist, and An looks at him in horror.
“I don’t want to die, Akito. And I don’t want you to die either”, she whimpers quietly, completely out of energy. “Let’s go home. Just… Go home. Me and you. I won’t leave you… Please. It’s going to be okay. I promise”.
Akito looks at her. An couldn’t understand his emotions. She tried to reach for him.
“You can’t escape my love. I won’t hurt you, An-chan. Because I love you. But,”
But?
“But you should know, my love for you is special. It is very special. And I want you to feel it!”
“I feel your love, Akito. I do feel it… Um… That’s why…”
“Oi, shut up, will you?”
An snapped. He sounded and looked annoyed as ever. Or mad even.
“Maybe your father is lying somewhere here”, he nodded at the corpses next to An. He’s bluffing, she thought. But she didn’t reply. Akito was playing with her collar, dirtying An’s clothes with blood. “Or your mother. Whatever. Or maybe they’re alive? Hm, what do you think?” a rhetorical question.
An doesn’t make a sound and closes her eyes.
Good,
“An.”
?
“An.”
…
“Oi, An, I’m talking to you.”
“Akito told me to shut up”, she says bluntly. Still with her eyes closed.
“Didn’t know you are that obedient. It’s interesting…”
Akito touches the dead body, covering his hand in the red liquid once more. And then he brings it to his mouth, now dirtying it with blood. It’s good An doesn’t see it.
Maybe.
“Do what I say,
Open your eyes”,
An didn’t obey. She wasn’t moving at all.
“Hm. Okay. Then, kiss me.”
And she finally opens her eyes. She slowly looks at bloody lips. An touched her hand, getting ready to pinch herself. Time to wake up.
“You can’t do that”, Akito says, squeezing her wrists and knocking An to the ground. She hits her head again. It hurts again. Pain, pain, pain. Again and again.
“I love you Akito, but please… I just can’t… You are scaring me. I don’t want to…” she was weak. An lied under Akito and cried. She felt like something wet was dripping on her hand. His wrist was still bleeding.
“Kiss me or I’ll kill again. I’ll kill more people. I’ll kill every person in this world. Kiss me or I’ll do that. Kiss me or I’ll take somebody’s life.”
“No… No, no, no!” she was shaking her head.
It’s just a dream, everything will be fine.
“Dear An. Seems like you are the worst girlfriend ever. What a pity”, Akito says in a sad manner.
「 Please don’t ask me why 」
An feels something piercing through her chest. Lights were flashing, An was sweating until it became extremely painful and cold. It felt like she was falling apart. An is giving in. Seems like that’s what the death is.
Akito leans in to meet girl’s parted lips with his. He was kissing her so carefully and gently, so she forgets about the pain and the bloody taste completely. It’s okay, because it’s love. It’s his love. Now she understands it.
“An.”
「 Please don’t ask me why 」
“Open your eyes, An.”
「 Please don’t ask me why 」
“An?!”
?
“…An?”
“…!” the girl opens her eyes. Her whole body is sweating, her heart is beating fast, and there are tears on her cheeks. But… She also feels human’s warmth.
It’s a… Pleasant feeling.
“I can’t believe you fell asleep during a horror movie. I thought you’ll be screaming the whole time and that’s gonna be kinda funny”, the guy says.
A familiar voice.
Is it an angel?
Wait…
“A… Akito??” An asks. She was still shivering.
“Yes? You were sleeping. Guess you had a nightmare?”
An quietly nods. Akito tugs her in a warm hug.
“It’s just your imagination, not real. No need to worry. I’m right here”, he pats her head.
“You were saying something like ‘no’ while sleeping. I tried to wake you up. And even kissed you, ‘cause I thought that might help”, he blushed a bit, “That might’ve startled you, I’m sorry”.
So the kiss wasn’t a dream?
Then,
“Akito was there”, An buries herself in her boyfriend’s chest.
“I’ve done anything bad?”
“Yes… You’ve done very bad things. It was painful. And scary…” she was sobbing, as memories were coming back to her. Akito was comforting An by holding her closer.
“Woah, are you sure it was me…?”
“Don’t interrupt while I’m talking!! I…
I just don’t want this. I don’t want this kind of love.
I don’t want this mad love. It’s terrifying and wrong.
I want Akito’s love, but… I don’t want Akito to love me like this.”
An fell silent and Akito didn’t dare to say a word. They were sitting without a sound, until he decided to speak up.
“You don’t wanted to be loved like how?”
An wasn’t saying anything.
“Oi, are you asleep already?”
“I’m not!”
“Then answer my question.”
She was safe now. Akito was warm, he wasn’t covered in blood and it seems like he’s not going to attack her. It’s Akito she knows and loves.
“I don’t want Akito to kill people because of me!!!”
“Haa?“
That was the first and the last time they watched a horror movie together.