Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the sound of drizzling taps infiltrated his ears, Takumi found himself leaning on his desk, pressing his face down between crossed arms.

He didn’t like the rain.

The feeling of wet sneakers, the pounding of water, the smell of dull rain, the foggy memories that lurked his head, the oncoming headache that he feels; it doesn’t bother him that much, but he doesn’t like it.

Unlike a certain friend of his.

“Ah, this rain is lovely isn’t it?” Arrives from his side, Takumi turning to face his classmate, a curious look glimmering in their cobalt eyes while their face remained masked.

Eito, a transfer student he met at the beginning of the year, was eagerly chatting with him.

The two were fast friends since their first day, while Takumi preferred to keep to himself, the white haired male was outgoing and invasive, infectiously cheerful yet pleasant enough to read the room.

It only took hours for Eito to whittle down his barriers, and essentially securing his spot as his best friend in no time.

“Ah. Can’t say I agree, I can’t stand getting soaked or how musty I get at home after walking.”

“I suppose getting drenched in rain must be annoying for most. I personally love the smell of fresh rain, even if it often overwhelms my senses.”

“Ugh, it gets so foggy afterwards though because of all the mist. I can barely see anything, let alone anyone.”

“A bit of ambiance never killed anyone,” Eito chided, although dropping the subject soon after.

“Any plans after class today?” Takumi brings up, earning a smirk from the taller boy.

“None at all. Are you trying to convince me to invite you over to my place?”

“Aha, if it’s not too much trouble that is.”

“I’d never mind having you over, Takumi!”

As the sound of the bell dismissed the pair, Takumi let out a sigh of relief as he left the class.

Leaving alone on rainy days was a bad sign.

…

“Forgot your umbrella again, Takumi?” Eito comments as the pair make their way through the street, the splashing of water resounding in the normally quiet path.

“Sorry! The weather report didn’t say that it would rain at all.”

“It doesn’t hurt to be prepared you know.”

Pressed shoulder to shoulder to Eito, Takumi felt a little bad for the other male, surely he’d be getting wet from having to huddle under such a small covering.

Takumi would bring his raincoat next time, he thought as they continued their trek.

“Speaking of the news, have you heard about the recent cases lately?” Eito questions, making the shorter male pause for a moment. “I usually just read the paper though, so I’m just curious to see what you’ve heard.”

“Are you talking about that serial killer on the loose?” Takumi questions, getting a nod. “Talking about this while we’re walking alone like this gives me the creeps. Stop it.”

“Eh? But isn’t it the perfect time to talk about things like this! Plus, it’s good to be informed about what’s going on.”

“I-I guess? But all the killings that occurred are completely random from what I’ve heard on the news.”

“Strange isn’t it? Usually a serial killer has specific victims or an area they target, but this one has no candidates in mind. The only thing linking them is that all the victims are murdered by brutal stabbings.“

“And if we don’t walk faster, we’ll be the next targets. Let’s go Eito!” Takumi snapped as he tugs on the other boy’s sleeve, urging him to speed up.

“Alright I get it, I’ll stop!” His friend only said as he let himself be pulled along, rushing as the clouds above them remained gloomy.

…

“Sorry to stay so late, the weather just keeps getting worse,” Takumi commented as he watched the drizzle from earlier become a burgeoning storm.

“I had a feeling this might happen,” Eito muttered as he put the book he was reading down. “Shall I prepare the spare futon for tonight then?”

“I’d really appreciate it. Here let me get it.”

Before Takumi can stand up, Eito shoots him a shake of his head.

“Let me do it, my closet is a mess,” his classmate comments, stopping the other from getting up.

Messy? Takumi wondered, the other boy always seemed pristine to an even unordinary state.

But it wasn’t his point to argue, he was relying on the other for the night.

“I’ll make sure to treat you to lunch for tomorrow then, thanks!” Takumi says, settling down again as he contemplates whether he wants to scroll on his phone more.

“It’s no problem,” the taller student replies as Takumi watches him leave to grab additional bedding, talking from across the hall. “Although you can get those sandwiches I like from that one bakery.”

“The one across town…?”

“Those are my favorite~!”

Takumi prayed for his legs tomorrow from the trek he’d have to make to buy Eito his pretentious sandwiches and to make it to class on time.

“Fine, I owe you for this anyways.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet Takumi,” his friend cheered with a bright smile. “Any sandwich would’ve done fine, you always go the extra mile, that’s what I appreciate about you.”

Of course Eito managed to twist his arm without even lifting a single finger, well, by just lifting a futon.

As the taller male finished setting up the bed, Takumi took another glance at him.

It’s not the first time, but it was a bit unusual to see the other unmasked, although he kept his gloves on as always.

“Has your condition been getting better?” Takumi asks, earning a tilt of the head from Eito. “You told me you had some condition that forced you to wear your mask all the time.”

“It’s been getting a little better,” the white haired boy states as he places a hand on his chest, visibly a bit exhausted. “My condition is sensitive, but it never bothers me too much from stop me from attending classes.”

“Must be rough. I can’t imagine having to wear all the stuff you do all day.”

“Ha ha, I don’t mind it too much. You get used to having to it on. Plus, it’s much more interesting than having to be at a hospital all the time.”

Eito was a mystery, always cloaked with innocent actions and impermeable thoughts, yet always happy to lend him his time of the day and a smile to add.

He was kind, and just a little strange, but Takumi liked that about him.

“You don’t mind if borrow a set of pajamas, right?”

“Not really, it’ll just be oversized because of how tiny you are.”

“You mean how abnormally large you are?”

“Whatever makes you feel better about yourself.”

…

“Dude, you look terrible!” Gaku commented as he took a look at the male in front of him. “Yeesh, even I know how to clean up after doing a part time job.”

Waking up early to catch a train to the opposite side of town, running to catch another train to take back to his side of the town, and then having to dash into the gates of the school would do that to someone, Takumi reasoned within his mind.

“Had to do a favor for someone,” he instead groans, still feeling the burn in his legs. “God I never want to do that again…”

“Was it a hot chick?” His friend immediately assumes. “Oh, like that one girl in your class with the absolutely massive set of-“

“No,” Takumi denied immediately, knowing better to entertain the other’s delusions. “I was doing a favor for Eito. He let me stay over last night because of the thunderstorm.”

“Oh, it’s like that huh?”

“No need to look so disappointed!”

“Hmph, and here I was expecting some good news from you for once! Unless…”

“What are you thinking about now?” Takumi asks begrudgingly, anxious at whatever plot line the other is about to spew.

“You don’t go for hot chicks, hm?” Gaku accuses, with a scandalized look on his face. “It makes total sense! I’ve never heard you even crush after girls, and always hanging out with other dudes, hm?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re implying!” Takumi stammers, trying to ignore the heat rising in his face. “And even if it was like that, don’t judge!”

“Now hold on a minute! I’m an ally of course!” The black haired boy retorts, ignoring the redhead’s grimace at his words. “My pharmacist is gay and I still go to him, so how could you say that!”

“How do you even know your pharmacist is gay?”

“He flirts with me and gives me a discount if I go along with it,” Gaku says almost proud at the bargain he gained of being gay for pay.

“This conversation is done Gaku,” Takumi excuses as he attempts to leave, only having the other boy chase after him in a weird mixture of worry and frustration.

…

After his… conversation with Gaku, Takumi found himself wandering in the hallways, alone for once.

Class had just ended for the day, and as he was packing his bag and contemplating on what to do on his way home, he noticed an eerily familiar girl at the front of the school.

Hair as light as snow, eyes that shone a gentle violet, a voice that invoked childhood memories.

Immediately, he found himself going towards the girl, in an almost frenzied yet barely-contained rush.

“K-Karua?” He says, scaring the poor girl.

“Karua?” She responds, shaking her head as she tries to decipher what he’s saying. “I’m sorry but, I don’t know anybody like that.”

“S-sorry! You reminded me of somebody else, again, really sorry!”

Karua was a girl he known as a child, someone who he tried to stop thinking about, yet ebbed in his mind like sporadic showers.

Any memory of her was clouded, yet he knew that she existed, but couldn’t find any proof that she ever did.

As if she never existed to anyone but him.

“Nozomi! Is this guy bothering you?” Arrived another voice, followed by a black haired girl with a serious expression. “I’ll slice him in half at your command!”

“I’m so sorry!” He apologizes again, bowing his head at both girls. “I mistook your friend for someone I knew.”

“It’s alright Kyoshika, he seems like he genuinely mistook me for someone else,” the white haired girl spoke calmly. “It’s alright really, I didn’t mind it that much.”

“I-if you say so, but I’ll still slice him in half if anything were to happen!” Nozomi’s friend threatens as she places her hand on the wooden kendo sword at her side. “I swear it upon the Holy Jumonji Sword’s cousin!”

“I-I’m going to go now…” Takumi decides, before the weaboo to his side actually does thwack him over the head for being a creep.

As he retreated from the gate of the school, he couldn’t stop thinking about the girl with lavender eyes and blank hair, and how his fleeting memory only made his headache worse.

…

Walking his way home, he couldn’t get his mind off her.

As if something was missing within himself, as if the truth was isolated deep within his body, something so important that it wove him together and tied him shut.

He remembered her face.

How she spoke.

How she would call him ‘Takky.’

How she would spend days alone with him.

How they went exploring the world.

How she showed him all her favorite spots.

How she took his hand.

How she asked him to trust her.

How she lead him-

stop

Takumi felt such an intensity in his head as if he was being split open in half, any and all sensation in his body being relaxed with an agonizingly sharp pain.

Gasping for breath, he fell onto the concrete, holding onto his head as he let out shaky breaths and rummaged for his phone, attempting to search for any help.

H-He needed help!?

Looking at his first message, he noticed an address from Gaku, alongside a cloying message.

Gaku: “You can thank me later for the date ;)”

Immediately grabbing his bearings, he dashed off in search of the pharmacy that the other boy promised.

…

He couldn’t believe he was doing this.

The so-called pharmacy, that Gaku claimed of, was a shady drug store that exuded of being kidnapped and trafficked away.

The unannounced pounding in his head slightly weakened, but he couldn’t last much longer if the sensation continued.

Walking into the store, he was met by a dimly lit store covered in LED signs of numerous creatures that would haunt his dreams later on.

Immediately zooming for the counter top, Takumi noticed a boy stocking a shelf, seemingly preoccupied.

“E-excuse me!” Takumi groaned, trying his best to be polite even despite the raging pain in his skull. “Do you have any pain medication for m-migraines? I have a really bad one right now!”

The boy turned around to examine him, eyes that quickly darted from his pained face to his tense mannerisms, quickly nodding his head before grabbing a bottle from the shelf he was stocking earlier.

“I recommend this for your discomfort,” the pharmacist smoothly says, sliding the bottle over. “Feel free to take it now, you look absolutely tortured.”

He examined the unlabeled bottle, ominously tar brown as he contemplated whether he should take drugs from such a back-street store like this.

stop

Despite his mind screaming no, he couldn’t handle the pain anymore and quickly screwed the bottle open, ingesting a pill without a second glance.

Immediately, his head felt clear.

“T-thank you… so much,” Takumi said, visibly relaxed as he watched the vendor smile eerily. “So uh, how much do I owe you?”

“I’ll let you have it for free, cutie,” the boy in front of him says, still eyeing him much to Takumi’s embarrassment.

He deeply understood Gaku at that very moment, he’d also pretend to be gay if it meant free drugs.

“Oh! Thank you so much,” Takumi responds, visibly grateful to not be put into excessive debt for what possibly may have been illicit ibuprofen.

Taking a moment to look at the vendor, he noticed the other’s… strange assets. An eyepatch, choppily dyed blue hair, and makeup that made him look like he just arrived from a B-rated horror movie.

Takumi was genuinely shocked he didn’t get kidnapped at that very moment.

“So, mind telling me your name?” The male in front of him asks, smiling casually as if Takumi wasn’t in grave agony a minute earlier.

“O-oh uh, my name is Takumi. I came here because my friend Gaku recommended the place. And my horrible migraine, haha…”

“I figured. Most people around your age who come here are students like you,” the pharmacist explained. “I’ve been asked for all sorts of medication, anti-nausea, anti-hangover, anti-anxiety, you name it, I’ve probably sold it.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Gaku is a good customer of mine. I let him have a discount if he brings more customers in for me.”

That explained why Gaku sent him a message of the address, for a moment he seriously thought that Gaku was convinced he was-

“And he’s so fun to flirt with,” the vendor remarks with a dark look, sticking out his tongue as well.

Never mind.

“Haha, yeah Gaku mentioned something like that as well. I didn’t know you two were friends though?”

“Oh. I should properly introduce myself, I’m Yugamu Omokage, a pharmacist in training and hopeless romantic. Pleased to finally meet you, Takumi.”

“Pharmacist in training…?”

“I only have a training-license currently. My parents are the actual pharmacists, I just help out after my classes for the day.”

“Okay…”

“But, I can’t say my skills aren’t the real deal though. That drug you took worked like a charm, right?”

“It did. I’ve never had anything so powerful that it just took all my pain away!”

“Heh, glad to see it worked so well for its first trial,” the enigmatic male notes. “Here, take the whole thing cutie.”

“F-First trial…?” The redhead asks, realizing the nature of the drugs he just ingested.

Yugamu only gave him a wink before turning away to continue stocking the shelves, ignoring the stream of frenzied questions from Takumi.

…

Finally resting on his bed at home, Takumi found himself exhausted to the bone.

First, it was the ordeal with Gaku introducing him to Yugamu under the pretense of setting him up, which he needed to get him back for.

Second, it was scaring that Nozomi girl he met thinking that she was Karua, even despite the almost identical similarities.

Third, it was actually meeting Yugamu and ingesting random, albeit very effective medication.

Letting out a giant huff, he settled himself on his mattress, ready to call it a day.

His mother wasn’t home again, but he wasn’t surprised. He actually hadn’t seen her in a long time, yet he knew she was still here.

He’d find notes in the morning from her and the fridge filled with ingredients on the occasion, but otherwise she was always gone for work he assumed.

It was fine.

Placing his head down onto the pillow of his bed, his eyes traced onto the dim lights that filtered through his windows.

Tomorrow would be a normal day, he’d hangout with his friends, maybe stay over at Eito’s again if he felt lonely, argue with Gaku over pointless things, and just… live his life.

He was fine.

Shutting his eyes, he tried to avoid thinking about a certain girl.

…

When Takumi woke up that morning, his alarm hadn’t gone off, but instead the blaring of sirens and the pounding sound on his front door.

Groggily getting up, he slowly rounded his way to the front door, opening it to see an officer in front of him.

“Sir, we’re here under an investigation for the disappearance of your neighbor. Please evacuate the premises so we may conduct our investigation without interruption,” the officer said, eyeing Takumi with a solemn expression. “If you can, please come with us to the police station for an interrogation as well.”

Takumi spent the rest of his morning at the police station.

…

Emotionally drained, Takumi found himself zoning out during lunch, even the prattling of his friend being unable to snap his stupor.

“Takumi, are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Eito asked, sending him a worried expression. “I’m sure the faculty won’t mind sending you home early if you’d ask.”

“I’d… rather not be home,” Takumi murmured, still taken aback from his interrogation in the morning.

The police pretty much grilled him out of everything he knew of the neighbor, which was very little aside from them being an elderly person.

“It was a disappearance, yes?” Eito asked, earning a nod from the redhead. “Then I doubt it’s related to the serial killer we talked about a few days ago.”

“Because it wasn’t specifically a murder?”

“The serial killer always leaves their victim’s body out, but they’ve never taken them away like this,” the white haired male explained with a perturbed look. “Or that we know of.”

“All this bad news is making me feel worse, I think I’ll just skip class or something.”

“Would you like me to tag along? I’m sure the school wouldn’t bat an eye if you asked me to walk you home,” Eito suggested, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

“You know what. That sounds good actually,” he agreed, letting the white haired male lead the way.

Right now, all he needed was a distraction from everything.

…

“I can’t believe you just took random drugs like that, you could've been killed Takumi!” Eito scolds him as Takumi bows his head like a son being chided by their parent.

Using Eito’s excuse, the pair snuck off to the library, which again was Eito’s recommendation.

“I know, I know!” Takumi responded. “But my headache was so bad that I needed anything just to make it go away. And it all worked out in the end, so you live and learn I guess.”

“Just make sure to reserve a spot for me at your funeral,” his friend scoffs, although not pressing the topic any further.

“Haha, very funny Aotsuki.”

As the conversation died down, Takumi took another look at the building they were in. It was a decently filled public library, although a bit deserted from the looks of it.

“It’s very quiet at this time,” Eito commented, turning a page of the history book he was currently reading. “Back when I used to live at the hospital, I’d ask my family and staff to let me read books from here all the time. Now I just come during my free time, it’s relaxing.”

“You never mention your family,” Takumi finds himself focusing on.

“You never ask,” Eito retorts, although there’s no malice behind his words.

“Fair point.”

“But there’s not much to say about them, they passed away a few years ago and I’ve been living on my own ever since.”

“Oh. I’m sorry for your loss, Eito.”

“It’s okay, they’re probably in a better place now,” his friend commented, their eyes still traced onto the book he held. “I’m just happy I can attend a school now to talk to more people around my age. And, that I could meet you.”

“That's right Eito, and I’m sure your parents are proud of you right now for doing your best. I am for sure!”

Eito only gave him a smirk, Takumi taking comfort in it.

“Why don’t you try reading something? It’ll do you some good rather than just playing on your phone all day,” the pale male remarked as he pointed to a bookshelf behind Takumi labeled ‘Children’s Fiction.’ “You know, something around your reading level.”

“Hey!” Takumi groaned, despite the fact that Eito clocked him and his reading preferences.

…

As the pair exited the library, Takumi noticed a familiar face on the street.

“Ah!” he yelped, noticing the white haired girl he met yesterday.

“Something the matter?” Eito added, noticing the boy’s gaze. “Oh? Love at first sight?”

“D-don’t say that!”

“So that’s the girl you must’ve mistaken then,” Eito concluded, inspecting the girl alongside Takumi. “You should talk to her.”

“Yeah… I’d like to talk to her, but I don’t even know what to say.”

“Alright then, let me handle this.”

Watching as Eito approached the other girl, Takumi only stood nervously as he awaited the other to come back.

And he did, alongside a girl in tow.

“H-Hi!” He squeaked, now an even more nervous wreck with the girl in speaking distance.

“Oh, you’re the guy from yesterday?” Nozomi said as she took a quick glance at him.

“You two know each other?” Eito said, earning a subtle scowl from the redhead. “Well, I just asked her if she had any recommendations for nearby coffee shops.”

“I know a good place right next door, I was planning on heading there actually. I don’t mind showing you two as well!

“Cool!” Takumi said as he eagerly followed the woman, his friend only smirking as the trio departed.

…

“So, uh, who are you waiting for?” Takumi asks, noticing that Nozomi was waiting alone for some time. “Uh, not that it’s much of my business but…”

“It’s my friend from another school. She just finished wrestling practice at her club, the girl responds. “I believe it’s the same one you attend? HLA.”

HLA, or Hundred Line Academy, was the school that Takumi attended alongside Eito and Gaku.

He just started this year, but he really wasn’t familiar with the many of the students aside from Eito and Gaku.

And the only reason he was friends with either of them was because Eito pried into his business and Gaku begged him for a dollar.

“Oh, do you attend another school?” Takumi realized, noticing the alternate uniform the girl wore.

Unlike the traditional black uniforms his school provided, Nozomi’s uniform was pale white, but otherwise resembled somewhat close to his own.

“Yeah! I’m a student at Second Line Academy or SLA, the sister campus to your own,” Nozomi explains as he points to the emblem on her jacket, designed with a signature blob wearing a beret.

“I never knew we had a sister campus?”

“It’s a specialized school. Most students who attend take college-level classes or are trying to get licenses early.”

Before Takumi could further comment, footsteps interrupted the pair.

“I’ve heard of it somewhat,” Eito stated as he held multiple bags in his hands. “I’ve got our orders, yours as well Nozomi.”

“Thank you!” The girl replied, taking her own bag from the white haired man, before taking a bite of the rolled egg bites she ordered.

“Thanks, and how do you know about it Eito?” Takumi commented, accepting a bag as well, indulging in his own pastry.

“I was almost recruited to attend SLA, but I declined and went to HLA instead.”

“Really? It sounds like such a good opportunity, and you’re so smart too…” Takumi voiced, genuinely surprised that Eito would pass up such an offer.

“After living in the hospital for so long, I think I needed some time as a normal student. SLA is a good institution, but I preferred the atmosphere of HLA more.”

Takumi wonders how Eito was in the hospital.

Lonely, he thinks, considering how kind the other has always been to him.

“I understand that,” the girl next to them agreed. “I spent a lot of my time sick as a child as well, but because of that I’ve always wanted to learn more about medicine, and so when I got the offer, I chose to attend SLA.”

“When you say licenses, does it include pharmaceutical licenses?” Takumi asked, earning a blink from the other girl.

“Well, yes if I think about it. Why do you ask?”

“Oh sorry, it’s completely unrelated!” He brushed off, although the thought of the certain blue haired male did come up.

“Oh! I just got a message from my friend, I better go see her. It was fun talking to you two!” Nozomi said as she perked up, turning towards the entrance. “Thanks for keeping me company!”

“O-oh uh, want to exchange numbers?” Takumi asked, causing the girl to halt.

“Sure!” She said, quickly giving her number with a beam to both boys. “Okay I gotta go now, bye!”

Watching as Nozomi departed, Takumi let out a sigh as his friend nudged his shoulder.

“How smooth,” Eito teased, earning a swat from the shorter male. “Do I hear wedding bells in the distance?”

“Shut up!” Takumi fumed, only watching the other male sip his beverage smugly.

…

Returning back home, Takumi took a quick shower before changing into his pajamas and plummeting headfirst into his bed.

Despite his hesitance to return home, he didn’t have anywhere else to go when it got so late. He didn’t want to bother Eito either, especially with how kind the other was to spend the entire day with him.

On the way back, he couldn’t help but stare at his neighbor’s house.

The entire house was sectioned off and only a few officers were patrolling, yet the sight alone just made his skin crawl.

He barely even knew his own neighbor, but the incident alone just heightened the looming dread of the incidents that kept on occurring.

Turning on his phone, he noticed a message from someone.

*Nozomi*

Nozomi: “Hi, this is Nozomi.”

Flipping over to his back, he immediately responded back.

Takumi: “Hey this is Takumi.”

A moment passes, maybe she’s asleep?

He hears a ding right afterwards though, making Takumi scramble for his phone.

Nozomi: “Hey Takumi!”

He smiles, it’s been some time since he’s last texted someone new.

Takumi: “How was your hangout?”

Nozomi: “Fun! We went shopping together and chatted, just a good hangout after class.”

Takumi: “Sounds great. Me and Eito just hung out after as well, I’m pretty exhausted to be honest from all the walking.”

Nozomi: “LOL.”

Takumi: “Maybe we should have a hangout together sometime?”

Takumi finds himself blushing a bit sending that message, fidgeting with his fingers.

Nozomi: “I don’t mind. I’ll invite some of my friends and we can make it a group hangout! How does next weekend sound?”

A bit disappointing, but he gets it. With things how they are, staying together in groups was always the best choice.

Takumi: “Cool! I’ll invite Eito and another friend of mine.”

Nozomi: *Thumbs up emoji of white blob*

Takumi: *Excited emoji of white blob*

When he went to bed that night, he wasn’t focused on all the bad news for once, but his upcoming plans with people he’d wish to know better instead.

…

When the hangout does happen, Takumi stumbles upon a few familiar faces.

Kyoshika, the girl who attempted to beat him with a sword, is standing valiantly by Nozomi, although the excited expression on her face betrays the intimidating stance she tried to adopt.

Nozomi, who stood next to her, only smiled awkwardly as she whispered something to the black haired woman. Nozomi’s other friend next to them only let out a hearty laugh as she watched on, earning a laugh from the duo.

Moko, who he just met, was encouraging her friends while making small talk with anyone that passed her by. Takumi assumed she must’ve been the wrestler friend that Nozomi mentioned as he noticed the bulging muscles she had.

“It’s rude to stare at a lady too long, Takumi. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m totally flattered!” Moko teased as she put her hands on her face with a blush.

“S-sorry! I just never seen a highschooler as strong as you before,” Takumi comments, earning a chuckle from the other girl.

By his side, he watches his two friends talk casually, both engrossed in their own conversations.

Eito, who sat right by his side, was talking with Kyoshika. The two were engrossed in some dispute about manga writing and anime adaptations, he didn’t want to know much more than that however.

Gaku was doing his usual prattle of complaining yet subtle flexing while Nozomi kindly listened. He’d step in but even he knew better than to try to stop Gaku mid-rant.

“So, is it true that you met Nozomi by calling out another woman’s name?” Moko asked him, earning a jitter from him. “No need to get nervous, I’m not mad or anything. Mistakes happen! Like when I accidentally dive-bombed the wrong clubmate!”

“Yeah I accidentally called her someone I knew, she just looked like her,” he muttered, knowing it wasn’t a big deal but still feeling awkward about it.

“Oh, do you have a pic of her or anything like that?”

“Yeah, I’d also like to see a picture of her if possible,” Nozomi chirped, seemingly curious.

“Eh? Is this about some girl you’ve met Takumi?!” Gaku added, his attention now focused on the redhead. “Bro, you should’ve told me you had a crush on a girl! Would’ve saved me the trouble of trying to set you-“

“Are we speaking of Miss Nozomi’s doppelgänger you spoke of?” Kyoshika blurted, further adding onto his spotlight.

“I’ve been curious too, if I have to admit,” Eito commented, his own eyes catching Takumi's.

Takumi felt himself sweat at all the eyes upon him, of the girl he knew that existed despite not any trace of her being left.

“Sorry to disappoint but-“

Before he could finish, another voice interrupted him.

“Sorry, it seems I arrived a bit late. I didn’t miss anything, did I?” A familiar person asked, earning a sputter from Gaku.

“W-what are you doing here!?” The black haired boy admonished as he watched the student sit next to him.

“Hm? Didn’t Nozomi tell you? We’re friends.”

“I’m glad you could make it!” Nozomi remarks, followed by other cheers from the girls at the table.

“Sir Yugamu! It’s great to see you again!”

“Jeez it’s been too long! You know beautiful maidens need to see their girlfriends, we’re social creatures!”

“Sorry, you know how it is. I’ve been busy with the family business and classes, and I just get so distracted working on my own projects,” the boy reasoned with a devious expression, an eye lingering a bit too long on Takumi.

He assumed he was making drugs, Takumi would know first hand.

“Ahaha, it’s good to see you again, Yugamu,” Takumi greeted, genuinely surprised to see the other so soon regardless.

“What a surprise, Nozomi didn’t tell me she knew such a cutie! Couldn’t help yourself for seconds, huh?”

“Cutie?” Eito asks, wiping his glasses as he takes another look at Takumi.

Takumi only took a sip out of the drink in his hand, soon to be covered by the conversation that took place soon afterwards.

“Eh!? What do you mean by you prefer girls with big-“

“Takumi. You don’t mind if I start practicing my moves on Gaku, right? A little chokehold might help with his loose mouth!”

“Ehehe, if we’re doing stuff to Gaku then I’ll-“

“Stop it! He probably just worded himself wrong! …well probably.”

“So Gaku… it was you who introduced Takumi to Yugamu, hm?”

Takumi only let out a relaxed sigh as he took his usual place to rope the other boy out of trouble.

…

Walking back to the station, Takumi’s entourage was himself, Eito, and surprisingly both Yugamu and Nozomi.

“Hey Takumi,” Nozomi brings up, causing the boy to look at her. “We never got to finish our topic earlier about that girl.”

Takumi feels a pit in his stomach.

“A girl?” Yugamu follows up, also curious on the subject. “Are we speaking of the person that you mistook Nozomi for?”

“Yeah I accidentally called Nozomi, Karua, when we first met.”

“Do you have a picture of her?” Eito comments. “If not that’s okay, I believe you either way.”

“I don’t have a picture unfortunately,” he groaned, feeling a bit bad.

“That’s ok! We all get confused sometimes anyways, it’s not a big deal,” the white haired girl said with a reassuring expression.

“Well, I do have some memories of her if it helps?” He offered, earning an intrigued look from all three friends.

Taking a moment to concentrate, Takumi thought of the girl he used to know, one that struck a parallel to Nozomi almost uncannily.

“She was very nice, like a sister to me. I remember spending a lot of time with her growing up,” he described, envisioning the time he spent with her. “She’d always take me to strange places to explore since she has a habit of wandering around and getting lost, and her parents were always gone for work, leaving me and my mom to watch over her.”

“What did her parents do?” Nozomi asked.

“They were doctors. Or at least, I remember her mom being one. I think her father may have passed away…”

“Do… you know what hospital they worked at?” She asked, seemingly a bit cautious.

One time, he met Karua at the hospital. She was crying, although he couldn’t tell what she was saying, almost as if she were inaudible. He just remembered how she pointed to her stomach, a long jagged scar fresh on her skin, all the while crying.

“I think it was…” Takumi spoke, before a searing pain tore through his head once more.

stopstopstopstop

“Takumi!” Nozomi yelled as she watched the boy buckle over, groaning in pain as he grabbed onto his head. “W-Whats happening?”

As if in a frenzy, the white haired boy jumped to Takumi’s side, trying to shake him for any response.

“TAKUMI!” Eito screamed, desperately checking his vitals as the redhead leaned onto him in discomfort.

“Takumi, did you bring the pills?” Yugamu ordered, getting a guttural groan in response as Takumi motioned towards his jacket.

Immediately, Yugamu thrifted through the other’s clothes in search of medication, finding the bottle and shoving a pill onto the redhead’s mouth, watching as the boy gradually stopped trembling in pain.

In a daze, Takumi couldn’t help but notice the dreadful expression on everyone’s face.

Nozomi who stood helplessly in worry, Yugamu who seemed lost in thought, and Eito who only watched him with a morbid expression.

Why did the world hurt so much when he thought of Karua?

…

At the last stop, it was only him and Nozomi left.

“Are you sure you’re feeling better now…?” The girl asked, making sure to give him a look over. “I don’t mind walking you back if you want me to.”

He shook his head, although he’d like to spend more time with her, it was probably best that the two split up for the day.

“It’s okay. I’m feeling better now, see?” Takumi said as he gave the other a smile, watching the other student relax a little.

“Well, I can’t force you but, I’ll walk you half-way! That shouldn’t be too much trouble, will it?”

“If you insist,” he accepts, hoping he isn’t blushing too obviously at the other’s insistence.

…

“It’s a bit odd having to take a back way,” he comments, a bit wary of the alley they found themselves in.

“They were doing construction on the road you usually take, so the map is telling us we need to take a small detour,” Nozomi explained as she looks at her phone, the light of her device lighting up the alley.

“Er. I don’t mind walking back alone if you feel uncomfortable.”

“It’s not too bad actually,” the girl next to him retorts. “I like to take walks around the city whenever I have free time. It’s kinda like exploring!”

His thoughts went to Karua, but he quickly shook his head out of those thoughts.

He has more important things to worry about.

Walking a bit more in silence, Takumi wished his nerves would stop getting the best of him. Just because it was getting dark doesn’t mean anything bad will happen, and there’s two of them as well!

“Look! There’s the exit, once we exit this alley, we’ll be back on the main street and you can walk back home easier.”

“You’re right!”

As the pair waded through the alleyway, they broke through the darkness of the corner, finding themselves back on the street.

“You see Takumi, everything is going to be fi-“ Nozomi said before noticing the boy next to her trembling, his shaky finger pointed towards a shadowy figure hidden in a crevice, only steps away from both of them.

There a boy was forgotten in disarray, his face lifeless and body covered in multiple stab wounds, drained of all his blood as it seeped onto the street.

…

Takumi vaguely remembered how he spent the night after discovering the student’s body, just the image of his once standing classmate being diminished into a hole-ridden corpse.

All he knew was that he and Nozomi were escorted into the police station for an interrogation, similar to his neighbor’s disappearance, although this time with a shaky friend brought along.

He was pretty sure everyone he met yesterday was also called in, and that they all had the same look of horror when they found out the news.

When they were finally dismissed, Moko offered to walk home with the other girls. When Gaku decided to come along, also in an obvious state of panic, none of the girls put up a fight, perhaps knowing just as well as he did their own fear.

Eito and Yugamu both offered to walk with Takumi, although Takumi couldn’t help but feel anxious at the thought of leaving for home again. In response, Eito offered to let Takumi stay at his house, to which he only weakly agreed to.

Eito also offered to let Yugamu stay over for the night if he wished, but the azure haired student declined his offer and made his way back alone. He’d promise to leave a message once he got home, just to reassure them of his safety.

Walking in the moonlight alone with the other boy, Takumi wondered when did all this misfortune begin to follow him?

…

Takumi took the day off school, after the news broke out, nobody questioned him any further when he asked for a sick day.

Eito unfortunately, had to still attend, although he promised to come back early if Takumi needed anything.

“Just message me and I’ll try my best to come back as soon as possible, promise!” Eito offered, taking a load off the student’s shoulders.

Scrolling on his phone, he tried to ignore all the news outlets reporting his classmate’s death.

It was of general assumption that the victim, Shouma Gonzaki, was a victim of the serial killer that he heard of, with multiple stab wounds being present on him and the body being found in public.

And the estimated time of his death was prior to when he and all his friends met up, although none of them would need to take the backway that they found Shouma’s body in.

Not that he was trying to pin it on any of them!

None of them were even friends with the boy, although apparently he was in the same homeroom as Gaku.

Gaku himself has little clue about the other though, claiming that he frequently skipped classes and was just an overall recluse.

Takumi felt frustrated, although he knew there was little he could do if even the police were having trouble finding out who the killer was.

Soon after, he hears a quick ping on his phone.

*Yugamu*

Yugamu: “Hey Takumi, do you happen to be free right now?”

Well, it’s not like he had much better to do.

Takumi: “No I took the day off, what’s up?”

Yugamu: “Care to join me for a date?”

Despite all that occurred, his curiosity happened to get the better of him as always.

Takumi: “You know what. Why not.”

Yugamu: “I knew you wouldn’t turn me down, meet me outside my store.”

…

“So glad you could make it,” Yugamu tells him, offering Takumi a seat to take in his room. “I don’t have guests too often, but I figured some company would be nice.”

“T-thanks,” Takumi responds, a bit nervous to be alone with the other again. “I didn’t expect you to have such a big house. And a traditional one at that.”

“Hm, why not?”

“Well, your drug shop is pretty small so I kinda assumed…”

“You should know there’s ways to make money by owning a smaller business,” he comments, a usual mischievous look on his face. “Services I’d be more than happy to provide if you ever ask.”

Yugamu only laughed at him before taking a seat across from him, creeping Takumi out but that was to be expected.

“So, what did you call me here anyways?” Takumi comments, trying to get rid of his thoughts of Yugamu’s family possibly running a drug scheme.

“Hmph, and here I thought we could have a little bit of conversation before we got to the good part. Well, I don’t mind skipping the foreplay for a moment.”

“Just say what you want normally…”

“I’d like to get to know you better,” his friend spits out, quite blatantly. “Both as friends and as caregiver and patient.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Your symptoms yesterday, I’ve never seen someone react so viscerally to recalling their old memories. I’d like to help you with that.”

“I really appreciate it, but well, why?”

“No real reason,” Yugamu claims, sitting laxly with a smirk. “I like you, and so I want to help you.”

“A-are you trying to hit on me?” Takumi mutters, finding it hard to meet the other’s gaze. “B-because if this is what Gaku said-“

“Nope, this is between friend to friend. Of course, I won’t decline if you’d like to take it any further,” the other teases, making Takumi look even more red.

“W-well… your medication really did help with my migraines, and it’s seems so much more powerful than any over the counter stuff I’ve taken, so I know you’re the real deal.”

If he could trust the other, this could lead him to the truth he’s been waiting for, behind the blurry horizon of his cranium.

“I… I’ll trust you, Yugamu,” Takumi admits, wanting to understand the secrets within him even if it meant walking across a line of no return. “Just, don’t make it hurt too much whatever you’re planning.”

“I knew you’d be perfect, Takumi,” Yugamu says, taking one of Takumi’s hands into his own. “But first, we’ll need to prepare.”

“Prepare what…? D-don’t tell me-“

“For our date!”

…

“Some date this is,” the scarlet haired male groans as he lets himself get strung along by the other. “I didn’t expect to go clothes shopping though.”

“As much as I love spending time with my girlfriends, and Gaku, it’s nice to actually have a guy friend to shop with,” Yugamu commented as he thrifted around a store that Takumi wouldn’t be caught dead in. “Gaku is fun and all, but he hates shopping for new clothes so, I thought you’d enjoy it.”

Takumi didn’t want to admit it, but he did enjoy himself somewhat.

Even with all that was going on in the world, taking a moment to indulge himself and just casually talk to his friends always made him feel okay.

“It’s not my style but, it’s not bad,” Takumi chooses to say, earning a snicker. “You really like this kind of stuff huh?”

“Black suits me best. I’d even transfer to HLA just for the uniform if SLA didn’t offer to give me my license.”

“If you attend SLA, how did you even meet Gaku in the first place?”

“He visited my family’s store in a frenzy once,” his friend said with a nostalgic expression. “Apparently one of his siblings got sick and he needed medicine right away. Couldn’t afford the normal stuff without insurance so he begged me for anything that could help.”

Taking a shirt with a tacky skeleton and putting it against his chest, Yugamu gave a small nod before dumping it into the basket that Takumi carried around, also filled with countless jewelry and more emo shirts littered with demons or insects.

“I’m not usually allowed to give out medication for free but, I can’t help but spoil such adorable and pitiable men that come my way,” his friend chirps with a lustful glance, earning a shudder from himself.

Takumi assumed he was one of those aforementioned men.

“That’s really nice of you, Yugamu,” he opts to compliment, deciding to not focus on whether the other is harassing or teasing him.

“Of course it did help that when I gave him the drugs he asked for, he was a sniveling and bawling mess. Ah, it’s my favorite expression he makes!”

“I take it back.”

“You come crying to me any day Takumi and I’ll make it worth your while~”

“I’ll remember to not take that advice,” he retorts, but otherwise continues to browse around with the other man.

Despite his best attempts, he ends up leaving with a tacky shirt that makes Eito snort loudly once he gets back.

…

“Things have been real awkward in class ever since that student just up and got killed,” Gaku comments, taking a look around to make sure nobody is overhearing. “You been feeling alright dude?”

“I’ve been better,” Takumi responds, although a bit uncomfortable at the topic at hand. “Why’re you bringing it up now?”

“Because, the guy who got killed was in my homeroom! Er, well technically was.”

“I’ve heard about that,” Eito adds, seemingly a bit intrigued. “He was pretty much absent most of the time wasn’t he?”

“He was! Although, wouldn’t that make him a harder target to kill?”

“How so?”

“Well. The guy's a recluse, and barely anyone knows him. In fact, it’s been said that outside of walking his dog, he pretty much just stayed inside all day. So whoever must’ve targeted him did it intentionally, hm?”

“You have a point,” the white haired male agrees. “Ginzaki would be a really hard target to find, although you could also say he’s also perfect since nobody knows him. In fact, he was reported dead hours after his death. But, these are just random assumptions.”

“This is all interesting stuff but can we not talk about this? I’d rather keep my lunch within me.”

“Oh, sorry bro. It’s just, I had this idea.”

“Uh oh.”

“Shut up! Anyways, if we solved this crime, we could totally make big bank outta this, you know! Total documentary in the making, haha, I can see us being big shots in the future if we can do it!”

“Of course you’re only interested in the financial gain…” Takumi chides, getting a swat on the shoulder.

“I also have no personal interest in making money off this case,” Eito supports. “But I won’t lie and say that it doesn’t intrigue me to find out who it is.”

“Right?”

“It’s because you’re a total thriller-buff,” Takumi off handily mentions, earning a tilt of Eito’s head. “You read history books all the time, so I’m not surprised you’re interested in true crime and stuff.”

“You understand me so well, Takumi!” His friend only says, hugging him to the point where Takumi is lifted off the ground.

“So, when do we start our investigation?” Gaku excitedly picks up, earning a groan from Takumi as always. “We can even call ourselves the investigation team!”

“I’m free tomorrow!”

“Not happening!”

…

“The weather section says it might rain tonight, and probably tomorrow morning,” Eito reads as he puts down his newspaper. “Did you bring your umbrella this time?”

“Er, I have a raincoat?” Takumi chimes, getting a sigh from the other man.

“I don’t mind sharing again if it’s bad.”

“Thanks Eito, you’re always taking care of me,” he says a bit flustered, scratching his cheek with a slight flush.

“It’s the least I could for you, Takumi,” the other boy says softly.

He owed a lot to Eito, even if they did just meet at the start of the year.

Quickly, the snowy haired male climbed to the top of ranks of friendship, becoming his best friend the moment Eito first invited him inside, a rainy day like soon-to-be-today, and with no one waiting for him at home any longer.

Even now, he finds himself relying on the male, even circumstances aside, Eito was sharing his abode and resources to Takumi out of pure goodwill.

“Hey, one of these days, let me treat you out to anything you want to do,” Takumi announced, glancing at the other boy. “Anything you’d like, it’ll be on me!”

“Why so generous all of a sudden?”

“I just, want to do something nice for you, that’s all.”

Eito looks at him with a bit of shock, before soon melting into an amused expression.

“Alright, if that’s what you insist. I’ll hold you onto this though!” His friend remarks, once more picking up the paper he put down.

It never rains that night, but it wouldn’t bother Takumi for once, as he was long asleep by then.

…

“Hey Takumi, do you like me?” Someone asks him, in a gentle voice akin to silk.

He looks to his side, it’s Noz- no, it’s Karua for once.

Lilac eyes, hair as pale as snow, and a soothing voice that reminds him of days long gone; all Kaura.

Looking upwards, he sees her, now the same age as him instead of the little girl in his fading memories.

“So, do you?” She asks once more, combing through his hair lightly, him leaning into her touch.

“I do,” Takumi confesses, he does like the girl next to him, the one that lives and breathes only within him.

“I’m so happy that you feel the same as I do, Takky, she whispers, although he wonders why her eyes look pained. “I really do.”

He tries to raise an arm, to cup her face and tell her it’ll be alright, but he finds himself unable to lift anything.

She only holds onto his hand and brings it up to her face.

“It’s okay Takky, I know exactly what you mean.”

Things feel blurry again, as if the world were being imploded by hundreds of missiles, with him right in the center.

It’s okay Takky.

…

“You had a dream about her?” Yugamu inquires as the pair meets within his bedroom once more. “Did you feel any pain waking up or have any gaps in your memory?”

“No pain at all, but I can’t exactly remember what exactly happened in that dream if I’m being honest.”

“How about you try recalling it?”

“What if my head starts hurting again?”

“You trust me, don’t you?” The boy in front of him only utters, looking Takumi dead in his eyes. “I’ll make sure you don’t feel a thing if anything happens.”

Taking a deep breath, Takumi mentally prepared himself.

Karua…

He remembered her face.

How she spoke.

How she would call him ‘Takky.’

How she would spend days alone with him.

How they went exploring the world.

How she showed him all her favorite spots.

How she took his hand.

How she asked him to trust her.

How she led him behind his house.

How he followed her somewhere new.

How the water looked that day.

How her tears spilled as she cried endlessly.

How he promised to make her happy.

How she sunk-

STOPSTOPSTOPSTOP

…

When Takumi next awoke, he found himself on the other boy’s bed, and the boy himself staring directly at Takumi’s face on his side.

“WHA-!?” He screeched, before finding his mouth covered by a hand.

“Did you enjoy your sleep?” Yugamu asked politely, waiting for the boy to calm down, before watching him nod.

“D-do you have to watch me like that though?” The redhead huffed, getting a laugh from the student.

“You were unconscious for a few hours, not even my medication could snap you out of it. At least you have a cute face when you sleep though. And a diagnosis of bedhead and drooling!”

“H-hey!” Takumi fumed at the other’s usual flirting. “Wait, what do you mean your drugs didn’t work?”

“Well, the pain medication worked like a charm as always,” Yugamu noted with a serious look. “But you didn’t wake up immediately, in fact, it seemed you were almost comatose.”

“H-have I gotten worse?”

Yugamu only remained silent, as if even he were rendered speechless for once.

“I don’t believe so,” Yugamu spoke. “But I believe, we need to try a different method.”

“Different method?”

“If recalling your memories is causing such distress, then I could perhaps concoct something that can eliminate the root of all your problems.”

“Do you mean… getting rid of my memories?”

“It’s only a hypothetical solution. But even I have my qualms about it.”

“Well, thanks for trying at least,” Takumi said, a bit reluctant but thankful for the other’s assistance.

“Heh, we’re only getting started,” Yugamu said with renewed vigor. “I don’t plan on stopping until you’re begging me to spare you from being so healthy.”

“Y-you’re joking right!?”

“Am I?”

“At this rate you’re going to kill me before you treat anything I have!”

“Hahaha!”

…

On his way back home, he noticed a ringing in his pocket, finding a call from Nozomi.

“N-Nozomi!” He said, trying to hide his excitement at the other’s call. “Is something up?”

“Uh, nothing really,” she responds, seemingly a bit down. “I just wanted to check in on you, it’s been a while since… that happened.”

“Oh. Uh, I… could be doing better, honestly. I just came back from Yugamu’s, but everyone has been so supportive of me, so I hope I can get back to normal soon.”

“That’s good to hear. I feel the same actually, all the girls have been so sweet to me, and even some of your friends even texted to check up on me!”

“Really? They never told me that, but that’s good! I hope your friends are doing good too.”

“Thanks! Moko and Kyoshika also hope to hear back from you soon, they’ve both been pretty worried.”

“Haha, tell them thanks for me. I really appreciate it, Nozomi.”

“Hehe, it’s no problem. Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask, did you also get a message from Gaku recently?”

“A message?”

“He invited me and the other girls to join him on this documentary he’s trying to make about the recent murders going on.”

“Please don’t tell me you took it.”

“We didn’t. Well, Kyoshika almost did and Moko as well since Kyoshika was interested in finding out who the ‘villain’ of this case was, but I stopped them.”

“Good.”

“But, I am curious to see how he’s doing. I haven’t heard from him ever since.”

“Don’t worry about it, he’s hard to reach. He’s always working part time jobs or babysitting so he tends to neglect his calls and messages.”

“Really? Well okay, that makes me feel a bit better.”

“Here, let me try calling him.”

“Okay! Let me know how it goes, Takumi. Thanks, bye!”

Hanging up his phone call, he immediately dialed Gaku’s number.

He hears it ring multiple times, but it never picks up, probably busy either working or taking care of his family.

Knowing he’s not going to get through, he leaves a voice mail, before continuing his way back to Eito’s house.

Oblivious to the eyes that remained on him.

…

Takumi wakes up sore the next day, perhaps the walk from Yugamu’s house took more out of him than he expected.

He however, does receive a visitor after homeroom.

Gaku immediately approaches Takumi, once more speaking in a hushed tone.

“I need to speak with you after class today,” the black haired boy says, once more scanning the hall for any eavesdropping. “I have a massive scoop I need to share.”

“Can’t we do it here…?” Takumi asks, earning a shake of the head from the other male.

“Of course not! I’ll need your help anyways, I know who the culprit is!”

“You… do?” He asks again, earning a proud huff from his classmate.

“Don’t underestimate my journalism skills, I’ve been pretending to write papers and reviews for companies for years. I know how to filter through information and rumors easily!”

Takumi had to admit, he was genuinely impressed by the other’s tenacity, and his sheer confidence in being able to assume he’d solved such a convoluted case in a matter of days.

“We’re not gonna do anything dangerous, right?”

“Don’t worry, I also brought some back up for us! Just meet me behind the school after class ends, we’ll round up the killer and create the ultimate documentary of a lifetime! Trust me, we’ll be getting so many royalties that we’ll never have to work again!” Gaku said with an unbridled excitement, even making Takumi himself want to join in.

Unable to dampen the boy’s enthusiasm, Takumi just nodded to Gaku’s plan.

“Just promise me you won’t do anything reckless, this is a serial killer case after all.”

“I promise! I have too much to live for anyways, who else is gonna provide for all my siblings?” His friend tuts, eyes still shimmering with the prospect of fortune.

If Gaku was correct, they’d discover who the killer was and finally return to peaceful days.

…

“Takumi! Were you also called upon by Sir Gaku?” Kyoshika announced as she showed up behind the school, followed by another girl.

“What’s up Takumi! Long time no see, glad to see you’re doing better!” Moko greeted with a wave.

“Ah, so you two are his backup that he called?”

“Yup! Gaku said he had this massive lead that he needed us to help him with. He needed someone with muscle, and who knew exactly who to call!” The purple haired girl announced with a flex, also flashing a shining smile as well.

“Sir Gaku said he found the villain responsible for all these cases! Me and the Holy Jumonji Sword will finally smite this evildoer who dared to terrify both you and lady Nozomi!” The swordswoman said as she held the blade by her side, prepared to wield it at any moment.

Takumi noticed that the girl actually had a katana at her waist, and not the wooden kendo sword he met her with.

“Haha, I didn’t show up too late, did I?” Another voice arrives, followed by a man with glasses. “Why hello there Kyoshika and Moko, it’s been a while!”

“Sir Eito, it’s good to see you again!”

“Hey there Eito! Looking charming as always!”

“Hi Eito, Gaku also called on you to help him?” Takumi asked, earning a nod from the taller man.

“He insisted I come since he had this ‘scoop’ that he needed to investigate. My curiosity got the better of me I guess.”

As all four students settled down, Takumi noticed that Gaku was late.

“Do you think something happened to Gaku?” He asked, earning varying levels of unknowing answers from each student.

“Why don’t we text him?” Moko chimed, earning a nod from each student.

“Let me do it! For whatever reason, Gaku always responds to me instantly!” Kyoshika offered, immediately whipping out her phone and messaging the missing male.

Takumi had a feeling why Gaku responded back so quickly to Kyoshika, but decided to keep it to himself.

“…”

“No response?” Eito asked, earning a distraught nod from the girl.

“T-Try again!” Takumi stated, watching as the girl immediately began to spam Gaku with gibberish messages.

*ping*

“Do… you hear that?” The white haired boy murmured, before listening again for another sound.

*ping*

“I do,” Takumi agreed, looking around for it as well.

“D-Do you think, the murderer is here with us?” Moko found herself whispering, looking awfully afraid for once. “If he comes at us, I’ll give him my worst Moko-bomber!”

“And I’ll slice him until he has no parts left to exploit!” Kyoshika supplemented, flashing her blade to her surroundings.

Desperately looking around behind the building, Takumi noticed a trashcan that seemed to have an echo within it.

“G-Guys… I think found it.”

Waiting for all his friends to come together, Takumi hesitantly put his hand on the lid, scared of what he might find.

“M-maybe, it’s just a raccoon!” Kyoshika commented, although Takumi could see the shaking of her limbs. “Or maybe, one of those massage gadgets people use to please themselves… not that I would know!”

“If you’re scared, I’ll open it Takumi!” Moko exclaimed as she ignored her friend’s strange comment. “I’ll punch whoever is trying to scare us!”

“It’s alright Takumi, I’m sure everything will be okay,” Eito consoled him, although even he seemed a bit taken aback by the situation.

Pushing down all his nerves, Takumi quickly lifted the lid of the trash can, his eyes quickly spotting a broken cellular device that glowed faintly.

Alongside Gaku Maruko, the once lively boy now crumpled in a garbage bin, hollow and devoid life as all his blood sept to the bottom of the bin, the only other thing on him was a destroyed camera he seemed to hold on to dearly.

Takumi immediately found himself regurgitating on the ground, inconsolable as his friends only watched him growing despair.

…

Takumi was far too accustomed to talking at the police station for his liking.

After the usual interrogation, all four of them were escorted home for the night by officers.

This was the second student to be targeted from Hundred Line Academy, which alerted all the officers at the station.

As Takumi and Eito were escorted back to Eito’s home, Takumi couldn’t help the growing helplessness that seemed to grow with every moment.

Suddenly, it felt like this acclaimed serial killer was getting closer to him, every victim being someone in his proximity, getting smaller with each and every case.

As he made it inside the house, he felt his legs give out, his back sliding against the door as he hit the ground.

Eito only stood next to him, before slowly sitting down near him.

Takumi leaned his head down on the other’s shoulder, silent as can be.

That night, he dreamed of nothing, unable to even feel the hands that stroked tenderly him that lonely eve.

…

“Takumi,” a voice called out to him, concerned yet tempered. “I’ve made some breakfast, want to share with me?”

“…”

He curled onto his side, intent on ignoring the world.

“School is canceled today. They’re investigating the entire building, so we have off today.”

“…”

“Oh, if you don’t eat, all this food I spent so long making will go to waste…!”

“…”

Seemingly fed up with the other male, Eito made his way into the room with a small bowl of porridge in his hands.

“It’s gentle on the stomach,” he explained, taking a spoonful as waving it around Takumi’s face. “I figured you wouldn’t want anything heavy.”

The porridge smelled nice, were he to admit. Yet his appetite didn’t seem to budge in the slightest, he was doubtful he could even stomach it.

“It’s okay if you don’t eat it, I won’t force you,” Eito whispered, taking the spoon away as he watched the other boy curl into himself. “I’d never make you do anything you wouldn’t want.”

He wondered how Eito could be so strong after seeing their friend’s body like that. He was almost envious, yet he knew the other was going through his own dilemma.

“If you’d like, I can sit with you. I’ll just, read a book and stay here. I don’t mind, really.”

“…I’d like that,” he confessed, earning a smile from his roommate.

“Let me go grab some books and blankets then. I’ll stay here as long as you want me to, promise.”

By the time he was ready to stand again, the soup that Eito prepared went cold. But he didn’t mind, he was just happy to have something made for him by someone who cared.

…

Gaku’s funeral was small, yet the venue itself had a large number of people.

He noticed many of his classmates, notably a lot of the dudes from Gaku’s homeroom and some of the girls he hit on, many relatives that he assumed were part of his adoptive family, and older people that seemed to be his co-workers or employers.

Eito, Kyoshika, Moko, Nozomi, and Yugamu were also there, each lending Takumi a hand as he attended the event, although he could tell each one of them were processing the event in their own way.

There was a cruel irony in the fact that because of his death, many of the visitors that came brought money as a farewell gift. They each knew of his poor upbringing and only decided to help only after his passing.

Although, he knew that Gaku always worked hard for his siblings, and that even after his own death, he’d give everything to them without a doubt, albeit with hollow complaints of course.

When he reached his body, Takumi couldn’t even bear to look at him any longer than he needed to.

The holes that once decorated him were gone, covered up, but not from Takumi’s memories.

For the rest of the event, Takumi tried his best to stay strong, although he could tell that his facade was crumbling, even despite his friends’ acceptance and support.

It was fine, he told himself.

…

“Thanks for coming today, Takumi,” Yugamu said as he watched the other shuffle into his room. “I’m sure you have a lot on your mind, so I’ll try not to make it too hard on you. Unless you like it that way.”

He only gave an eye roll at the other’s innuendo, before plopping himself onto the other’s bed.

Truthfully, even he was surprised he found the energy to still come to the other’s house.

Perhaps understanding the truth behind Karua made for a good distraction from reality, or perhaps it was the boy who tried to lead him to that truth.

“As much as I’d love to continue our session on the bed, I need you to test out the newest batch of drugs I’ve designed for you,” Yugamu sighed as he rolled his chair over towards Takumi, an assortment of medication and vials within hands. “I’ve decided to change up how we tackle your memory issues.”

“How so?” He murmured, his face slightly turned to face the concoctions within the other’s hands.

“Well, have you ever thought of why your body suddenly gets so reactive when you try to recall something? Heh, I don’t even need to put a hand on you to watch you squirm in pain.”

“Not really…” Takumi said, before sitting up right on the bed in thought, ignoring the usual vulgarity. “But now that you mention it, it’s strange how it only happens whenever I try to think back on something related to her.”

“Exactly! At first, I thought there may have been a neurological disorder within you that could maybe be treated, but I realized yesterday the problem runs far deeper. ”

“Er… should I go to an actual doctor then?”

“I’d advise against that. If my hunch is correct, then you may be facing something far larger than anyone is expecting.”

“Y-Yugamu, you’re scaring me!”

“Back to my point. If recalling your memories triggers a defensive reaction, then all we need to do is cause the memories to come to us, or somehow find a way to bypass your reaction.”

“This is getting a little too confusing for me to handle.”

“Basically, I’m suggesting that we perform experiments on your body that forces the body to recall the memories, rather than having you do it manually. If so, we might also be able to stop the pain as well. Two victims, one killer, you know?”

“Is that even possible?”

“Nothing is impossible when I’m doing it with you, Takumi,” Yugamu said with a gruesome smirk, but Takumi could tell that the other meant every word.

“I trust you,” Takumi said, allowing the other man to have his way with him.

…

“Takky, do you think… you’d ever hate me?” A memory asks him, seemingly sorrowful.

“Karua?” He asks, his body still motionless, only able to move his eyes to see the girl above him.

It was Karua once more, although this time the child-like version he knew from his deepest memories.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the right thing.”

He doesn’t want to believe she can do anything wrong. How could she?

“I’d never hate you,” he says, but her face remains unchanged.

“Takky,” she says, slowly. “One day, you’ll understand. I just hope… you still want to be my friend. That’s all I want.”

He feels that disparity once more, a disconnect soon to be happening.

He tries to reach out, but she’s so far away.

Everything will be okay, Takky.

…

When Takumi wakes up again, he’s back at Eito’s place, in the guest futon he’s been borrowing for a while now.

“Ah, Morning!” Eito greets, sunny as always. “You need to be more careful Takumi!”

“H-huh? Why?” He asks, groaning as he gets up, ignoring a pop coming from his back.

Yugamu’s testing must’ve done a number on him.

“Well, I just don’t want you sleeping at another man’s house overnight,” his friend said with a subtle pout, although he knew the other was only toying with him.

“What are you, my wife?” Takumi teased, getting a chuckle from the other man.

“Considering you live in my house and rely on all my utilities, that’s not a far off comparison!” Eito quips with a wink, making Takumi feel a little embarrassed.

“Anyways, Yugamu dropped you off here after your session. You really have a tendency to sleep for so long nowadays.”

“Oh. Maybe it’s just the stress, haha.”

“Hm, sounds like fainting disease…”

“What was that?”

“Nothing! Just reminded me of a disease from a book I read.”

“Alright… well, is anything up today?”

“Nozomi and the others invited us out again, but I was going to wait until you woke up to see if you wanted to go.”

“Well. I can’t say I’m in the best condition but,” Takumi responds, a bit woozy still. “I think, I should see them. It’d do me some good.”

“That’s what I like to see!” Eito supported as he headed towards the doorway of the room. “By the way, we leave in ten minutes. I already told them we’d be coming.”

“T-Then why’d you say you’d wait for me-?”

“Just to be considerate~!”

As Takumi scrambled to get ready for the day, his mind was completely taken off the cases that occurred, or the alerts that were present on his own phone.

…

“You look nervous,” he heard from his side, before poking the owner on the side of their stomach. “Hey!”

“Of course I’m a bit nervous. T-this is the first time I’m visiting a girl’s house.”

Outside of Nozomi’s house, Takumi felt himself swallowing in anticipation. Outside of Eito’s house, and on the very rare occasion, Gaku’s, he’s never been to anyone else’s home.

Although, maybe Karua’s, he thought. But he wouldn’t know the answer.

“So glad you could make it Takumi!” He heard as he rang the doorbell, soon after watching it open to unveil Nozomi.

“Hey Nozomi, thanks for having us over today,” he responded, returning her smile as he and Eito walked in.

Scanning his surroundings, he found his other friends all engaged in one activity.

Yugamu, Kyoshika, and Moko were all sitting on the couch, watching what seemed to be some kind of anime series on the TV.

“Whoa! Look at that move he just pulled out! I need to incorporate that into my next tournament!” Moko cheered as she clenched her fists in excitement.

“The anatomy of this series is so inaccurate, but I wouldn’t be opposed to trying out some of those methods I saw them perform,” Yugamu commented as Takumi swore he saw the other drool a little. “Hehe, I wouldn’t mind if we saw something a bit, suggestive next.”

“W-what are you implying Sir Yugamu! Is my ninjutsu/romcom/shonen series I’ve put on not up to your standards!?” Kyoshika gasped, covering her mouth at the other’s suggestion. “W-well, I won’t lie and say that the fan service is a bit tame b-but…”

“I think this show is just fine, Kyoshika,” Nozomi reassured, before turning to face her two new guests. “As you can see, today we just decided to watch some shows and movies.”

“Really? That sounds… nice," Takumi breathed out, relieved to be doing something normal for once. “Ah, but I don’t know anything good to recommend.”

“Well, you’ll have all our shows to watch to figure out! C’mon, sit down and get comfy Takumi, it’s all about having a good time today!”

“Yeah, and if not, I don’t mind giving everyone else a show with you if you don’t have any ideas, cutie… oh let’s make something that’ll top all the films we’ll see!”

“Oh! Like magic?”

“I don’t think he was referring to magic, Kyoshika. And I’m sure Takumi doesn’t have any interest in those kinds of activities, right? At the very least, not with you.”

“Who made you the boss of his mini Sumino?”

“Oh I know a cat fight when I'm about to see one…!”

“I don’t see any felines in the room with us? Unless they're also trained in the art of ninjutsu!?”

“You guys…”

“Aha… let’s keep it PG-rated now, alright?”

“Yes ma’m,” the entire room reluctantly agreed.

…

“That last scene was so romantic, wasn’t it?” Nozomi said as she wiped a tear from her eye. “It never fails to make me tear up a bit if I have to be honest.”

“You tell em sister! I might end up bawling my eyes out,” Moko added as she reached for the box of tissues on the table.

At Nozomi’s request, the group watched a film featuring a couple that were destined to be apart, choosing to kill one another in the end in their last reunion.

“That ending… How cruel! But, I must admit, I too have longed for an ending where I sacrifice myself for another. That is the way of a warrior!” Kyoshika bemoaned as she also teared up, getting a handful of tissues from Moko.

“I don’t think it’s right for you to die for someone else, Kyoshika,” Takumi commented, a bit emotional from the movie. “I’m sure whoever you choose to be with will want to stay with you as long as possible.”

“S-Sir Takumi… is this your way of proposal!?” The black haired female said with a sniffle, before reaching out towards the redhead. “In that case, you must ask the Holy Jumonji Sword for approval!”

He took a look at the vacant sword on the couch.

He didn’t know why, but he sensed a bit of disapproval.

…Perhaps he needed to be a little less self-conscious.

“I wouldn’t mind dying out of love,” Yugamu states, seemingly in the mood as he hugged himself. “As long as I get to kill my partner out of love too. Ah, that’s the only way I wish to go!”

“I get it though, you want a meaningful death! Kinda like when me and my opponent knock each other out at the same time! Eek, I wouldn’t mind an ending like that if it was with my greatest rival!”

“I have to agree too. I’m not sure I could live with myself, knowing that I could have saved my own partner,” Nozomi admits as she holds onto her arm, somewhat hesitantly. “But, I’d rather have a happier ending instead if possible!”

“Can’t say I’m comfortable about you two talking so openly about dying for others… but, I feel like I’d be in the same boat honestly,” Takumi mentions, trying to pry Kyoshika off himself.

“What about you Eito?” Nozomi pitched in, looking at the man in thought. “What’s your thoughts on the ending?”

“In all honesty, I’d think I’d be the one to devote everything I can to someone I love. No matter the sacrifice I’d make, I’d do anything I can to ensure that we’d both live,” the white haired man speaks, a bit sentimental. “Haha, but, I also think an ending like this has its own beauty. Even if it’s not my style.”

“You’d be the type to give everything to someone you love,” Takumi acknowledges, giving him a soft smile.

Eito only had a befuddled expression, before it slowly melted away with his usual carefree smirk.

“I think we have enough of this hypothetical death talk, no matter how delighted I am to hear it,” Yugamu coughs out, before motioning to a box in his hands. “We’ve yet to see my choice of film.”

“What’d you bring!”

“A slasher film.”

“Read the room!” Takumi blurted, earning a laugh from all his friends.

…

“I’m sad Kurara didn’t have time to come today, she loves movies,” Moko noted as she and Takumi were helping clean up. “Oh you probably don’t know, but Kurara is one of me and Nozomi’s besties from her school. She was busy with family business so she couldn’t come over, but she did have a recommendation for us at least!”

“Which one was it?”

“The boxing movie! A totally awesome film if I have to say so myself!”

“I agree, I liked the simple themes about justice, and just the fighting overall,” Takumi agreed, earning a fist bump from the other girl.

“I’ll have to introduce you two someday, she’s kinda prickly but a total sweetheart if you get to know her! Oh but, you’re not afraid of tomatoes right?”

“No…?”

What, was the girl covered in tomatoes or something?

“Good-good, I’m just making sure to check off all the boxes,” the wrestler remarked with a playful knock to her head, further confusing Takumi.

Finally done putting back all the displaced furniture, he took a look at the couch he and his friends spent the day on.

Kyoshika and Yugamu were sleeping on each other, the black haired woman becoming a complete snuggle-bug once she drank soda for whatever reason, and the blue haired male plastered after his high of watching a slasher film; complete weirdos, but his weirdos.

Although, someone seemed to be missing.

“Where’s Eito?” Moko questioned, looking around for the white haired boy.

“Oh, he went to the restroom. He said something didn’t agree with his stomach.” As if on cue, the sound of a facet turning on and off was heard in the background, soon followed by the aforementioned man.

“Welcome back Eito!”

“Are you feeling better?”

“I’m feeling much better, thank you,” Eito replied, seemingly a bit paler than usual. “I’m not used to eating so much junk food at parties like this, so maybe I overindulged a little.”

“Aw no sweat, I get it!” Moko supplemented as she delved deeper into her habits. “I have to be on diets a lot so whenever I do get cheat days, I tend to go crazy! And maybe a little sick… ah, but don’t go asking about my weight now! That’s a s-e-c-r-e-t!”

“Don’t worry, we had no plans on asking.”

“Huh? Are you telling me you’re not even the slightest bit interested in learning about my figure, Takumi?” The girl asked, now seemingly a bit irritated.

Before Takumi could defend himself, another voice cut in.

“No need to tease him too much Moko, you know Takumi knows you look beautiful no matter what. Right?” Nozomi mentioned, giving the redhead a wink.

“O-of course! You’re gorgeous Moko no matter how much you, probably, uh, weigh. And probably not much either!” Takumi yelped, getting a chuckle from both Nozomi and Eito.

“Oh you flatterer! I’ll let you off the hook this time Takumi,” Moko said as she cupped her cheeks, looking away with a shy expression.

“Did you find what you were looking for, Nozomi?” Eito asked, turning to face the student. “You were in your room for quite some time.”

“Oh. Yeah I did, it just took me a while. Sorry to make you clean up for me while I was gone,” she responded with a somewhat distant look.

Takumi didn’t know why, but he felt like Nozomi sounded unsure of herself.

Perhaps he was overthinking it.

“Oh that’s okay! You hosted anyway, so it’s the least we could do, girlfriend!” Moko reassures.

“Yeah girlfriend!” Eito chipped, getting a laugh from the pair.

When did Eito become an honorary girlfriend?!

“We should probably get going now, huh?” Takumi mentioned, realizing how late it had gotten.

“Be careful on the way back you two, you never know with all these weird cases and disappearances!” Moko advised as she gave them a stern look. “I’ll stay with Nozomi and the others tonight, we’ll be just fine!”

“Disappearances?” He asked, earning a confused blink from all three waking friends.

“You didn’t know?” Nozomi mentioned pulling up an article on her phone before showing it to Takumi. “Two more people have been reported as missing. One from a while back and one last night.”

Takumi felt that bottomless pit in his stomach once more.

“We should go before it gets too late,” Eito warns, earning a somber nod from the redhead.

“We’ll see you guys later,” he says, ignoring the anxiety that blooms within him as he watches the girls bid them farewell.

…

When he returns to school, he doesn’t expect to see Kyoshika approach him so suddenly.

“Kyoshika? Is something the matter?” He asks, surprised by her appearance.

“Sir Takumi, if you can, could you… please come with me to Lady Nozomi’s after class today?” The usually ecstatic girl meekly asks. “I-I…”

“I-Is everything alright?”

“I forgot to bring home the Holy Jumonji Sword!” She cries out, making a bit of a commotion as Takumi tries to reassure the woman. “She must be so upset at me, snrk, I’ve failed her as her best friend and disciple... all because of carbonated beverages! Curse these devilish concoctions!”

So pretty much Kyoshika just needed emotional support to walk to Nozomi’s house.

“Alright, I’ll go with you. Hopefully Nozomi won’t mind.”

“You have my gratitude, Sir Takumi!” She thanks, as Takumi tries to shake the girl off his arm, as if he were a temporary replacement for the Holy Jumonji Sword.

…

“She’s not responding to any of my messages!” Kyoshika notes as she holds the cellar device to Takumi’s face, although his eyes are caught on her stereotypical anime background. “Y-you don’t think…”

“Let’s not jump to the worst conclusion,” Takumi says, calming his classmate. “Let’s ring on the doorbell, she did tell you she would be home after class, right?”

“Yes! Lady Nozomi’s would never lie!”

Ringing on the doorbell, Takumi waited for a moment, before hearing footsteps.

Opening the door, he saw an unexpectedly familiar face.

“Sir Yugamu!?” Kyoshika announces, earning a smirk from the cobalt male. “I’ve come for-“

“Yes I have it right here,” Yugamu comments as he grabs the blade by his side and hands it to Kyoshika, the girl only tearing up as she hugs it against herself.

“I-I’ll never leave you behind again Holy Jumonji Sword. I swear on it!”

“Ah, glad we got that settled with,” Takumi says, relief flooding within him as he watches the girl cradle the sword like a newborn.

“Would you two like to come in?” Yugamu offers, opening the door wider to make room for the duo.

“Is something the matter with Lady Nozomi?” Kyoshika inquires, placing a hand on the blade now at her side. “I’ll slice anything that dares to harm her!”

“Well, good luck cutting a fever,” the male student chirps, amusedly watching as Kyoshika racks her brain on how to do that.

“She sick?” Takumi brings up, getting a nod.

“She’s been home all day, she only asked for me to drop off some medication, but she looked worse than I expected. Come in, I’m sure she’d love the company.”

…

“I-I asked you not to invite anyone,” Nozomi coughed out feverishly, although there seemed to be a bit of relief present on her face. “Thanks for… coming though.”

“It’s no problem, we only came to pick up Kyoshika’s sword but we don’t mind keeping you a bit of company.”

“Sir Takumi is correct! We will stand guard and slay and foul disease that tries to ravage you!”

“Well. Cold medicine will help, I’m not sure slashing the air will do much aside from maybe spreading the disease more.”

“Huh?!”

“Takumi, do you mind keeping Nozomi company for a moment? Me and Kyoshika will help prepare some food for Nozomi, and I’ll teach Kyoshika here what an airborne particle is,” Yugamu remarked as he dragged himself and the girl out of Nozomi’s bedroom.

“Is that the foul villain in charge of Nozomi’s illness!” The black haired woman only commented as she let herself be pulled away. “I’ll be back after I unleash havoc on these vegetables to make Nozomi feel even better than she was before!”

Watching as the door slam shut, Takumi couldn’t stop the giggle that emerged from himself at the absurdity of his friends.

“They’re sweet, aren’t they…?” The girl on the bed commented, a small smile on her face.

“Yeah, they really care about you.”

He remembered that one time he was bedridden for an entire day after finding Gaku’s body, and how Eito had taken care of him throughout the entire time.

He wondered if Eito ever had days like this.

“…you do too,” the white haired girl said, looking up at Takumi. “You’re always going out of your way to take care of all of us and I-I, really appreciate it.”

“We’re friends aren’t we,” he said, beaming gently as if he had just realized. “It’s what we do for each other.”

“Right,” she agreed, comforted by his words.

Right now, all he was doing was keeping a friend company as the girl rested. It comforted him.

“Hey,” Nozomi brings up, her eyes tracing onto Takumi. “If you don’t mind, could you… tell me more about that girl? Karua, I believe.”

“Er, I guess I don’t mind. But I’ve told you most of what I know to be honest.”

“Not even a small detail you may have forgotten?” She asks once more, as if she were scouring for a clue.

Takumi remained silent, but deep down, he knew there was something he hadn’t mentioned, or at the very least, he’d forgotten to.

“I don’t remember what she told me when it happened… but, there was this cut on her stomach,” he said, making a motion towards his stomach where the cut was. “A huge scar, almost like she got into an accident or something.”

Nozomi only listened, before nodding hesitantly.

“Sorry if it didn’t help or anything, but that’s all I can really remember, promise!”

“No… that’s fine,” the girl hazily replied, before groaning a bit. “I-I think, I may know something.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah… I, trust you, Takumi,” Nozomi confessed. “After all we’ve been through, I can tell you genuinely care about all of us.”

Watching as the white haired woman positioned herself more comfortably, Takumi only waited for her to continue.

“First, I’m not Karua, nor do I have any memory of being or knowing her,” Nozomi started off with. “But, all the details you’ve told. How Karua loved to explore and get lost, how her parents were always busy working, how they were doctors, and finally, the accident she got into… those all happened to me.”

Takumi only watched, feeling a conflict as he heard his memories get amended.

“I have a feeling you aren’t lying, or that you're a stalker. But, it’s strange how close those details align with me… but anyways. My mother was a doctor, and as a child I… was ill, often like this. I’m not sure if you remember but, when we were children, there was this epidemic going on for a disease.”

“It was called… HAD, or something like that?” He mentions, getting a nod from the other woman.

He was young when it first spread, but that was all he knew.

“Correct. The Hemoanima Disease. We still don’t know where it originated from, but only that most people who caught it failed to recover and rapidly declined in health.”

“Is that what you’re suffering right now?”

Nozomi shook her head.

“No, I just have a weak immune system. Victims with HAD usually don’t make it this far in actuality.”

“That’s good,” Takumi let out, gladdened to know the other was safe.

“My mother was both a doctor and researcher, and my father a doctor. He died in an accident, leaving me with a scar on my stomach.”

“Just like Karua…” he whispered, earning a sound of agreement from the sickly girl.

“I would only get to see my mother when I was recovering at the hospital. It’s kinda sad but I enjoyed being sick if it meant I got to see her,” Nozomi mentioned with a forlorn look. “But one day, she told me of a project she was working on. She was treating a child my age with HAD and discovered something about them. I was too young to understand it at the time, but she discovered something that could potentially save their life.”

“Do… you know who this child is?”

Nozomi only shook her head.

“No. Unfortunately, I don't. Only afterwards, my mother went missing and the child she was taking care of was soon discharged.”

“Like she… disappeared?” He inquired, as if he anticipated it.

“No, they found her body. The police ruled it as a suicide, probably because of what she was actually doing,” Nozomi whispered, her eyes lowered as if she were guilty herself. “Human experimentation.”

Before Takumi could make any more comments, a knock arrived on the door.

“Ah, coming!” Takumi announced, getting up to open it.

“We have prepared the finest broth for Lady Nozomi to devour! Please, partake and defeat those airborne particles!”

“Yes, we worked very hard on this dish. There’s enough for everyone. Dig in as you wish.”

Knowing that he wouldn’t get any more of the story, Takumi settled down and let himself be given a bowl of soup.

Even though he knew that things would soon come to be unveiled, for now, he’d just take the time to relax in the company of his friends.

“So, do you enjoy the taste of me?” Yugamu commented, eying the redhead. “I added a little something special, just for you.”

“Hrk?”

“Yes! Sir Yugamu added miso paste, it added a wonderful depth to the broth! It’s absolutely delicious!”

“Why’d you shorten miso into me!?”

“Because I like to imagine myself in your mouth.”

Takumi contemplates whether he should throw the bowl of soup at Yugamu, but he has a feeling he’d probably enjoy that instead.

All the while, Nozomi is just laughing at the duo while Kyoshika insists on feeding her, a much better sound than the formerly silent room.

…

“Takumi, is there anything you’d like from the store?” Eito asks, earning a turn of the head from Takumi.

“Um, not really,” he responds. “Are you going grocery shopping?”

“I’m running low on cleaning supplies. So I was thinking about heading to the general store after class today.”

Now that Takumi thought about it, Eito did have a habit of disinfecting surfaces within his house very frequently. The house itself was so tidy, akin to its owner.

“Hm, if I need anything, I’ll send you a message,” the shorter male comments, getting a murmur from Eito.

“Works with me. Just don’t make it anything too hard to get!”

“I won’t, promise!”

“Okay let’s go now, I don’t want to miss the train because you walk too slowly,” his friend chides as he motions for the other to come, wearing his usual mask and uniform.

“Only because you have such massive legs!” Takumi retorts, giving the other a playful kick as he rushes to follow the other.

…

Since Eito was busy after class, Takumi took the opportunity to hangout with someone else.

“It’s rare that you’re the one offering to take me out for once. Have you finally fallen for me?” Yugamu flirts, obviously earning a dry scoff in return.

Like the day he met Nozomi, Takumi was the one standing outside of Second Line Academy, waiting for his friend to arrive.

“Maybe if you were the last person on Earth,” Takumi grunts, although he’s grown used to the other’s teasing by now as the pair begin to walk.

“So what I’m hearing is, I’m not off the table?” The flirt says, getting an unamused reaction.

“I have more pressing concerns than dating.”

“Duly noted.”

“Anyways, I want to invite you somewhere.”

“Oh? Where do you have planned?”

“My house.”

The pair continue down their path, Takumi tuning out the other’s innuendos as always, attempting to resolve himself.

…

“I haven’t been here for a while,” Takumi notes as he opens the door and allows the other in. “Can I get you anything?”

“I’m quite alright,” Yugamu responds as he strides in, examining the place. “Unless you’re on the menu.”

“I already explained it’s not that kind of visit!”

His house looked the exact same as it always did, as expected however since he rarely returned nowadays.

“Since it’s been a while, let me see if my mom has left a note for me…?” The redhead mentions before going towards the kitchen, but not finding any new notes for him. “Not this time I guess.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“I forget, she’s not home very often anymore. Aside from food and notes, I don’t even know whether she comes back or not.”

Yugamu only nodded, perhaps understanding the other’s feelings.

“I get it. My parents are absent in their own ways, although considering you still have power, somebody must be paying for everything.”

A small comfort knowing she had to be alive, even if he couldn’t be part of her life.

“Right. Anyways, I wanted to talk to you in my room, I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything for you, cutie.”

Walking towards his room, Takumi opened the door and found it the same as always, as if his life here was unchanged in comparison to cruel reality.

Taking a seat on his bed, Takumi reflected on whether what he was doing was the correct thing or not. Yet, watching the other boy join him, looking completely unbothered, he felt himself relax somewhat.

He wasn’t alone in this.

“So. What was it you wanted to tell me? Perhaps a love confession?” His friend remarks.

“No it’s nothing like that, I just heard some things I need you to investigate for me.”

And with that, Takumi delved into the story that Nozomi told him, and his thoughts on the next steps to take with his treatment.

…

“I see, so you want me to examine your blood to find any traces of HAD and if there’s anything abnormal within it?” Yugamu confirmed. “If so, I’d be honored to be able to look through your bodily fluids.”

“Can you not say it like that…” Takumi complained while the other made a creepy expression. “Well, you’re doing me a huge favor anyways so, I leave it in your capable hands.”

“Leave it to me, I’ll let you know once I finish processing your results. In exchange though… let’s go on a real date.”

“An actual date!?”

“Well, if we solve what’s going on in your head, we won’t have much other incentive to keep meeting up like this. Don’t you agree?”

“We’re still friends though!”

“And we could try being more than that,” Yugamu insists, much to the other’s burning expression. “Only if you’re up for it, Sumino.”

“F-Fine!” Takumi accepts, trying to not savor the other’s delighted expression. “You better make it the best first date I’ve ever had.”

“I wouldn’t disappoint you for the world,” the cerulean student said with a wicked look. “Before we leave, let me take a blood sample of you.”

“Like a prick of my finger?”

“That’ll do, I have some syringes I carry around on me, so let me just take a sample to examine at home. It won’t hurt for too long.”

Watching the other pull out a needle, Takumi braces himself as he feels a prickle in his skin.

“Tck!” Takumi yelps as he tries to ignore the blood fleeing his body.

His feet feel a little unsteady as he feels as if the room shifted somewhat. Perhaps it’s just his nerves getting the better of him once again.

“Done! You did great, Takumi,” his friend compliments as he quickly pockets the blood-filled instrument. “Let’s go to the restroom, I’ll clean up your skin real quick and cover it up.”

Following the other man to his restroom, Takumi lets Yugamu neatly tend to him.

“You’re really good at this,” he notes, seemingly a bit too professional for a supposed trainee.

“It’s the family business, I’ve been doing things like this since the moment I could talk,” the other boy explains. “I learned how to take blood and incise others alongside how to walk, although it’s hard to imagine a toddler taking blood.”

“Sounds like a strange upbringing.”

“It was. But I enjoyed it,” the man in front of him only says fondly. “It lets me explore my deepest desires, but also lets me help people.”

As he lets the man bandage him, he looks into the mirror.

He looks the same as always, although, for a split moment.

He thought he had red eyes.

…

“Wrestling match?” He says, earning a bump on the shoulder from his friend.

“Yeah! I invited everyone to come, but Eito and Yugamu said they were busy tonight, so it’s just us girls, and possibly you Takumi!” Moko chimes with a flex of her arm.

“Sure, sounds like a good time,” he admits, getting a hug from the larger woman.

Takumi wasn’t really into professional wrestling, or sports in general, but he was interested in seeing whether the girl’s many stories about her wrestling were true.

Especially about her ability to do an intense Moko-tastic piledriver without even breaking a sweat.

“Hehe, I knew you wouldn’t say no! I’ll see you tonight then hon, we’re going to be practicing in the evening!” The cheery girl announced, blowing him a kiss.

“I won’t miss it for the world!” He replies, feeling excited for his plans later on.

…

True to her word, Moko was indeed an incredible wrestler. Of course ignoring the obvious embellishments she’d add, her skill was genuinely incredible, even making Takumi understand the thrill of throwing your opposition into mats.

Not that he would ever replicate himself, he was far too twig-like, as noted by Eito.

“Lady Moko, your skills on the battlefield are impressive as always!” Kyoshika praised as she gave the taller woman a high five. “Perhaps I should incorporate some of your techniques into my training!”

“OMG! We need to train together someday Kyoshika! We’d be unstoppable!” The wrestler realizes with a giddy face. “You two can join us as well, group exercise is an excellent bonding opportunity!”

“You know, that sounds nice actually, I’m in!” Nozomi agrees, getting a cheer from both women.

“Ahaha, I guess that means I’ll be forced along too,” Takumi concurs, knowing his usual soreness is about to get worsened tenfold.

“Hey is it just me or, does the street seem kind of empty?” Nozomi notes as she takes a look at her surroundings.

True to her words, the streets seemed emptied for once, as if nobody had even existed except for the group walking.

“Let’s stick close together, you never know!”

“Curses, on one of the few days where I couldn’t bring the Holy Jumonji Sword! Stay back any possible evildoers!”

“Let’s just go, I have a bad feeling,” the white haired girl says, earning a nod from each member of their group.

Pressing on, Takumi felt that usual anxiety flourish within him.

“Oh! There’s someone else here!” The black haired woman of their group says aloud, pointing to a figure in the distance.

In the distance was a figure, clad in some strange suit, their face shrouded.

“Uh, most normal people don’t put on what looks to be a hazmat suit…” Nozomi said aloud, although quickly regretting it.

“Remember that slasher film we saw a while ago?” Takumi says, feeling a horrifying sense of nostalgia. “I think, that’s happening right now.”

“RUN!” Moko announces before grabbing her friends’ arms and running towards the opposite direction of the masked visitor.

As they ran, Takumi swore he heard the sound of buzzing.

…

Faced with a split, Takumi felt himself seize in despair.

He didn’t know this street, or if he did, he found himself blanking.

Looking at his friends, each of them had a similar reaction; horror at the face of impending death.

“You three, go!” Moko exclaims, sounding determined despite Takumi knowing how shaky she was. “I’ll hold back this psycho, you three split up and try to get to safety!”

“Y-You can’t Moko!” Nozomi cries out, trying to get her to move. “Y-You’ll die-“

“I won’t,” the wrestler only promises. “I have a whole career ahead of me, and I have no intention of dying here. But, I’ll be damned if I let any of my besties die before me. So GO!”

“W…We need to go, you two!” Takumi whimpered. “If we wait any longer then-“

The sound of buzzing interrupted him.

“GO!” Moko yells once more, before charging ahead, towards the masked intruder.

Takumi blanked out, perhaps out of stress, or his impending doom, but his legs began to operate separate from his mind.

He finds himself fleeing, unable to look back.

Nozomi and Kyoshika also depart, the milky haired girl only crying as the swordswoman drags her forward, also wailing in hopeless agony.

He runs, unknowing of all and any sense.

He just runs.

…

His legs burn, but all he can hear is the sound of buzzing.

He’s scared, so scared.

He sees a dead end, his feet planting into the ground before he slams into the wall.

The sound grows stronger, he turns to see the covered figure slowly approach him.

He raises the weapon in his hand, the shrill of metal driving him into a corner of lunacy.

He bets the face he’s making right now is horrible, tear stricken, snot covered, hiccups of fear coming out of him uncontrollably, knowing he’s soon to be a dead man.

The saw gets closer to his face, he can feel the air that grows colder every second, contrary to the heat that blows from the machine.

He prays that death won’t hurt too much.

Maybe he’ll see Gaku again, apologize for not being there for him, and promise to make amends for not being a better friend.

He doesn’t want to die, he doesn’t want to die, doesn’t want to die-

The saw stops right next to his skin, he can feel the tremors in the air, but otherwise, he’s unharmed.

He looks at the person in the suit, even hidden, he can tell they’re hesitating.

Instinctively, he trips them, hearing the weapon fall with a metallic clink as he makes a mad dash.

Once more, all he does is run, never looking back.

“TAKUMI, OVER HERE!” He hears, but he can’t recall who the voice belonged to.

All he does is run.

And run.

And run.

…

This dream was underwater, he noticed.

He sees him and Karua speaking to one another, both their words muffled to him, bubbles emerging from their lips as they speak. The Karua he saw was the one around his age, who was strangely enough, speaking to another Takumi.

Before long however, they both take notice of him, Karua shocked while the alternate Takumi seems unbothered.

Taking a closer look, the other Takumi seemed to have purely scarlet eyes.

“Takky…?” Karua asks, with a mortified expression. “W-what are you doing here?”

“W-Who is that?” Takumi instead asks, staring right at his lookalike. “I-Is that… me?”

The red eyed Takumi only gave him a smirk, one that made him feel tense.

Inside a fantasy he didn’t know, the most terrifying thing he could see was his own self.

“You’re right, I am you,” his other self proclaims, almost mockingly.

“I-I don’t understand!” He begs, a searing yet nonexistent pain bellowing within his skull. “W-Why are there two of me? Why are you here Karua!? Just, w-why-“

He only finds arms laced around him, a sorrowful Karua’s face pressed on his chest.

“I’m so sorry, Takky,” she cries, he thinks he sees tears but can’t feel any of them. “I hope you can forgive me.”

Deep down, he doesn’t yet understand why she feels so sorrowful, but knows of why she chooses to wail; helpless to anything in the waking world.

The other Takumi only watches them, silently, as if he didn’t know how to react, yet only walks, bringing his own face closer.

Identical in every way, with the exception of their irises. Blue that clashed with red, yet morbidity matched.

He doesn’t smell anything, but if he did, Takumi imagined the other would reek of ichor even trapped under the water.

“Goodnight, Takumi,” he whispers softly, as Takumi feels the world flicker.

As if the water was drained of the pond they sunk within, everything becomes disarrayed, ceasing to be.

The last he sees is himself reflected on his eyes.

…

When Takumi next awakes, he finds himself back on a familiar futon.

“T-Takumi!” He hears from his side, followed by his roommate looking relieved. “You were knocked out for so long, I thought we might’ve lost you forever.”

“H…How long was I out for?”

“Two whole days.”

Takumi almost falls out of his bed upon hearing how long he collapsed for, a static horror that fills every fiber of himself.

“W-What about Nozomi, Moko, and Kyoshika!? Please tell me they’re alive, please, just tell me that they made it, that-“

Eito’s expression is all that he needs to know, the slight tremble from his body as his face darkens, expression unreadable.

“Only Nozomi made it,” the boy said, reeling forward as he watched Takumi dissipate into a sheer ball of frayed nerves.

Only four of them lived, out of the seven they began with.

He wanted to give in, but the thought of abandoning all of his fallen friends just to wallow made him hurt even more.

He needed to know the truth.

“Where is Nozomi?”

“She’s been resting at her own home as well. Since you wouldn’t wake up, she had to do most of the answering of the questions.”

“Is there any way I can see her again?” Takumi begs, giving Eito a desperate look. “Please Eito, I need to know what happened.”

The taller male tries his best to avoid the other’s intense gaze, but fails, eventually giving up with a sigh.

“I’d like for you to rest more but, I can’t just resist it when you make that face,” Eito submits to, earning a smile from the smaller man. “But first, you need to eat.”

“Huh?”

“You think I’m going to let you run around without properly nourishing yourself?” The taller man says, his smirk looking ever so ominous as he lets out a little chuckle.

…

“You can keep checking your phone, but she’s not going to respond any faster,” Eito remarks as he takes his place by the other’s side.

Despite Takumi’s best attempts at reaching the other woman, she seemed unresponsive.

“Urgh, I could just visit, but I have a feeling she probably needs some time alone,” the redhead concurs, shoving another spoonful of the dish that Eito prepared. “Then, do you mind running me down with the details you know?”

“Details?”

“Of the murders.”

“Why the sudden interest?”

Takumi doesn’t want to answer that question truthfully. But, he also knows the other wouldn’t judge him.

“I think… I may be able to solve the case,” he says, unsteady yet sincere. “Since I was there when the killer attacked us, I feel like I might just be able to deduce who’s been trying to kill us all.”

Eito gives him a surprised look, but only lets out a huff as always.

“I knew you’d ask me for help one day,” his roommate says, before readjusting his glasses. “I’ll tell you what I know, but it’s mainly just conjecture from what I’ve read online and heard from you all, alright?”

“Anything helps Eito, thanks!” He replied, continuing to eat.

…

As described from Eito, the clues that have been gathered were:

The first murder was Shouma Ginzaki, who was stabbed multiple times and was left to bleed in an alleyway for hours, and was discovered by both himself and Nozomi. Other than that, he was also Gaku’s classmate.

The second murder was Gaku Maruko, who was also stabbed multiple times and bled to death, although his body was disposed of within a trash can behind the school. Also discovered by Takumi and his friends. The camera and phone he had were both broken beyond repair.

The third murder was Moko Mojiro, whose body was found two days ago by Nozomi. She was also stabbed multiple times, yet, her system also seemed to show that she was sedated prior to her death. Her body was left on the street side, where she presumably charged off to face the masked killer.

The fourth murder was Kyoshika Magadori, whose body was also discovered two days ago by Nozomi as well. Akin to all the other murders, she was also stabbed to death multiple times. She also had sedative elements found within her. Her body however, was farther than Moko’s, only a few feet away from where Nozomi was found.

“How did Nozomi manage to survive?” He asked, trying to find any hints from the clues that Eito discovered.

“I’m not sure actually. She told the police that she was unconscious, and didn’t actually witness any deaths,” Eito mentioned. “She told me the same when I asked as well, if you were curious.”

“I’m glad she managed to survive. But now that I think about it… what about me? I also blacked out, didn’t I?”

“I assume so,” the snowy haired male agrees. “You’d have the best recount of what happened before you were found in an alleyway.”

“W-well, I only remember the killer cornering me, but I managed to escape last second before… blacking out,” Takumi uttered, trying to remember the details of the grueling chase.

“This all aligns with what Nozomi mentioned in her report, that you were all chased by some mysterious killer in a suit.”

Something was missing.

“Was that all Nozomi mentioned?” Takumi asked once more, making sure he didn’t hear wrong.

“All Nozomi told me was that the killer was suited up in this weird hazmat suit, he was chasing all four of you before Moko tried to stop him, and then he went after her and Kyoshika after some time. That’s all she could recall from her end.”

“I see,” Takumi says, attempting to process the other’s words.

No, there was definitely something missing from what he saw.

“Is that all your questions?” Eito asked once more, hoping to satisfy the other. “This is all I know, I’m sorry I couldn’t have been more of a help.”

“N-no, you’ve been great Eito!” Takumi says, noticing the disappointed look from the other. “Yeah. I’m still a bit confused, but I think I have a better idea now.”

“Is that so? I’m glad I could be of help to you, Takumi.”

Although he was still confused, there was one thing he was certain of.

Why did Nozomi omit that the killer was using a buzzsaw?

…

This time, Yugamu took him somewhere different.

Takumi saw a rich landscape, of gentle greens and tranquil ponds, alike the traditional home that the other lived in.

“Your house is nice, but I didn’t expect the garden to be so extravagant either!” Takumi commented, in awe of being somewhere so relaxed.

“My family is fond of traditional decor,” Yugamu noted as he also surveyed his surroundings. “I’d often spend time out here doing my… training.”

“For pharmacy school?”

“Hehe, something like that,” his friend responds, enigmatic as always.

Takumi couldn’t get a grasp on Yugamu, but he didn’t expect he ever would.

“So, did you ever get the results?” Takumi speaks out, against even the greatest of his nerves.

He couldn’t stop now, not when everything was falling into place.

“…I did,” the other male responds, almost silently. “And I suppose you’re here for answers, hm?”

“I did promise you a date if you could do it for me.”

It wasn’t often that Takumi was the one with a smile while Yugamu held a solemn face, their roles reserved for once.

If even Yugamu could be dampened, then he knew the news he’d hear would be one that he’d regret in a way.

Just another for the tally.

“You were positive for HAD,” the blue haired male started with. “The fact you’re still alive is a miracle in a sense. If you could even call it a miracle however.”

Takumi finds himself staring at one of the ponds in the Omokage household, how it remains still, devoid of any ripples or life.

“Takumi, what do you think makes someone, alive,” Yugamu questions, following the other’s gaze on the still waters.

Being alive, Takumi thought, was a privilege.

He’d seen three of his friends become robbed of their lives, of their breath, of the opportunity to spend time with others, of being more than just a memory to keep sheltered away.

Living was fleeting, he’d come to learn.

“Being alive is to be here, right at this moment,” Takumi responded, a surge of guilt looming within him. “Even if you can’t share it with others, you can do it for them.”

“Beautifully said,” Yugamu admires, eyes stricken on the redhead. “It’s so fleeting, that you can’t help but want to take it in your hands and tear it apart. To watch it fray at your own mercy, something that you once loved and admired.”

He watched the other male laugh somewhat, a depressed kind he found himself often having.

“Yet. Right now, it feels like I just, want to take all those loose threads and weave them together. It feels like the harder I hold onto something, the more it cuts right into me. Haha… it’s not as bad as I thought, but it still hurts.”

“Yugamu…”

He’d never seen the other look so anguished before, yet had never seen such a dimly lit tenacity dangled before him.

“Could you ever forgive someone that has killed beyond their control?” He asks, causing takumi to freeze up.

“I don’t know,” Takumi answered, a hollow feeling within himself. “I want to say no, but…”

He’s selfish, in a way where he knows what the right answer is, but can’t bring himself to say it.

Yugamu only gave him a sad smile.

“I’m the same,” Yugamu admits.

He only nods, knowing that there’s something inside him, something growing beyond him.

Yugamu only motions to hold Takumi’s hand as he stares into the distance, towards an untouched garden. Takumi lets the other have it, letting the other seep into him, taking whatever part of him that he could spare.

“The other thing inside you,” he says delicately, as if there was no turning back. “Is called a G’ie.”

…

When he arrives home, it’s starting to rain once more.

He hates the rain, he’s always associated it with misfortune. But today, it seemed fitting as ever.

He waits for a moment, before seeing a notification on his phone.

Nozomi: “I’ll be there.”

Takumi waits, his mind unsteady but the truth at his fingertips.

He hears a knock on the door.

There at his doorstep is Nozomi.

“Nozomi I… thank you for coming,” he awkwardly greets, ushering the girl inside.

He takes the girl to his room, sitting on his bed quietly as she carefully inspect her surroundings.

“It’s okay,” she responds, seemingly a bit nervous. “Is it just us today…?”

“Yeah,” Takumi nodded. “I figured out the case.”

“Y-You did!?” Nozomi exclaimed, surprised at the notion. “B-But, why did you call for me?”

“I need you to tell me the truth.”

“Truth…?”

“That night we got chased, the killer we saw was wielding a buzzsaw, weren’t they?”

“I… I believe so, why?”

“But, Moko and Kyoshika were both stabbed to death, not cut,” Takumi reasons. “They were also sedated prior to being killed, meaning someone had to have drugged them while we were being chased.”

“Takumi…?”

“Before I finish that thought however, I also need to focus on Gaku’s murder as well.”

Nozomi had a distraught expression, but Takumi pressed on.

“Gaku knew who the killer was, and when we met, there were only four of us who showed up at his request. Moko, Kyoshika, Eito, and… me,” Takumi stated, realizing a peculiarity of the boy’s statement. “We can’t check his phone, but Gaku wanted us all to meet at the school. We can infer that the killer was most likely a student, one that he needed a lot of strength to capture. Or perhaps, needed to corner.”

Takumi took a deep breath, it was now or never.

“The killer was likely a student, maybe… even one of us seven,” he said, a cold suspicion lurking inside him. “But, the killer couldn’t have been the person who chased us that day.”

“…”

“I believe, the suspect who chased us was in fact, after the true killer. And that person sedated Moko and Kyoshika, who both tried to protect us the day we got hunted. And I believe you as well. Therefore, the masked killer couldn’t have been the one to kill Kyoshika and Moko, but especially since they only carried a buzzsaw.”

Nozomi only swallowed in apprehension, before slowly nodding her head.

“I… can’t recall too much but, I do believe I was also drugged,” she muttered, still a bit overwhelmed. “But, there was something else I saw before I fainted.”

Considering her placement, there was only one thing she could’ve witnessed.

“Wh did you remain silent about the weapon?” He pressed, having a feeling of exactly what she saw that made her lie.

Lilac eyes dodged his own, like a prey desperately evading its predator.

Yet, from the stiffness of her body, the subtle tremor of her hands, and the tenseness of her voice; Nozomi too was on the brink.

“I-I saw… you, Takumi. With a knife,” she said, her eyes fixated in horror as she stared at the redhead, almost pleadingly. “I didn’t want to believe it but… when you list all these facts, it’s just kept making… T-Takumi! Please, just tell me I’m wrong. I-I don’t want to know that it was you who k-killed everyone. P-please, just tell me that it wasn’t-“

“It was,” he finished, feeling the resolve crumple from his legs, the floodgates being lifted as everything dissipated from him.

It was him this whole time.

…

He finds himself at home once again, the house unlit, nobody there except for another Takumi he’s grown to despise.

“So, you learned,” his doppelgänger says, approaching Takumi, lifting his head up with a finger so they can stare at one another.

He’s smiling and Takumi hates it, just as much as he hates the rain that seems to follow him in this life.

“You’re the one who killed everyone,” he grunts, earning an irritated look from the other Takumi.

“We’re the one who killed everyone,” his clone corrects. “It’s our body, we just control it at different times.”

“You really are a G’ie then…”

“I am,” the red eyed variant of his confirmed. “Call me Takumi G’ie, or G, if you prefer a simpler way of saying it.”

“Why, why do you make me kill others!?” Takumi demands, earning a scoff from G.

“It’s our nature,” G explains, somewhat dryly. “It’s simply survival. Urges, hunger, reproduction, it’s all related to death. I needed bodies to feed my brethren. It’s not too far from how humans trample upon other animals to meet their own ends.”

“That doesn’t explain why you just leave the bodies out if you need them?”

“I only have so much time when controlling you. All my successful attempts have been from those ‘disappearances’ you’ve heard of, the murders were failed attempts. Everybody else was fed to the lake. To our kin.”

“It’s wrong, you know, to kill other people like this, even if it’s for survival!” Takumi preaches, unknowing if it’s for himself or the other. “T-They, all wanted to live!”

“I know,” G says, a hint of sorrow on their face for once. “I’m also you, since the day we needed each other to survive.”

“Needed each other…? So are you the one who helped me with my Hemoanima Disease?”

“Precisely. You had G’ie cells implanted into you to help prevent HAD from overtaking your body. Except, the doctor didn’t know that G’ie cells retained their own sense of consciousness, as you call it.”

“Just… what are you?”

“I’m you. Us G’ie, we serve no greater purpose than to feed and replicate. Sometimes we can control smaller organisms, but never beyond the reach of our lonely ponds. But you Takumi, I got to understand and be a human, just as much as you as a G'ie.”

“…”

“Karua, as you called her, is also a part of us,” G mentioned, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. “We created her to help you cope with your past. That doctor I mentioned, she loved her daughter so much that she ended up telling countless stories about her. I based Karua on her daughter.”

“It was never real…?” He speaks, aghast at the revelation.

“In reality, it may not be. But to us, it is,” G said, taking on the form of Karua.

The white haired girl only approached him, tilting her head downward to give a pitiful expression.

“I’ve always been with you, Takky. I promise,” she whispered, disturbingly sweet.

Takumi immediately backed away from the girl.

“S-Stop it! Don't ruin Karua and Nozomi for me! Please!” He cried out, covering his ears as he slammed his eyes shut, unwilling to comprehend the other.

G only reverted and swapped back to his form as Takumi, having a seat next to their other half, the boy still trying to ignore his own harrowing truth.

“I really do like you, Takumi,” G muttered, although Takumi didn’t know what expression he had.

Takumi doesn’t respond.

“So, I won’t let you be consumed entirely. In fact, the mystery has yet to be ended.”

“What?”

“Think about it, you never resolved who killed Gaku?”

“W-Wasn’t it me?” Takumi claims, feeling himself grow more distraught with every thought.

Only three people he knew were present that day.

And only one of them was left.

“Possibly, but all the evidence also points to someone else.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“He’s waiting for you,” G says, a wicked grin on him.

…

He saw Karua Nozomi in his arms, still and lifeless, blood seeping through her clothes akin to all the other bodies he’s found, as Takumi felt a pair of eyes on him.

“Welcome back, Takumi,” Eito wished, a delighted smile on his face despite the blood stained on him; a rancid contrast to his pristine self. “You got yourself all dirty again, don’t you know how hard it is for me to clean you?”

“E-Eito…” he croaked, not having the strength to move a muscle, now noticing the knife lurched in the girl in front of him. “W-what did you…”

“She tried to hurt you,” he says calmly, far too calmly. “So I stabbed her before she could even lay a finger on you. Right. In. The. Chest.”

He’s never seen the other boy’s face so contorted in pleasure at a gruesome sight, so awfully unlike the boy he’s grown to know from the year they met.

“H-How did you even get here? I locked the doors and snuck out-“

“I’m always here, Takumi,” the crazed man explains with what seems to be a key to Takumi’s home. “Have you ever wondered who took care of you in this house?”

“My mom of course…?” Takumi retorts, before realizing a grave error in his reasoning.

He hasn’t seen her in months, ever since the start of the year, right when he had met Eito for the very first time.

“Geez, whatever must be in your blood must really be distorting your memories, hm?” Eito comments with a little laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything for you as always, Takumi.”

“D-Dont tell me, you also-“

“I didn’t need to. You did all the work in getting rid of her. You just needed someone to play the role of a guardian.”

Takumi felt the need to throw up, to purge all his feelings of disgust as physical waste.

“You killed your own mother and didn’t even know. Then again, you seem to be unable to retain your memories when you enter that state,” Eito says with a slightly perturbed look. “And then afterwards, all I had to do was steal her information and pretend to be her for months. You’re awfully gullible you know?”

“E-Eito, why, why would you do this!?” He begged, unable to focus on anything but the maniacal man in front of him.

“Isn’t it simple, I love you,” Eito waxes, placing a hand on his chest as if it might jump out any second. “You’re the only person that I’ve been able to see as more than a human, far superior than these monstrosities that we have to be surrounded by. I’ve loved you ever since I watched you murder that doctor so righteously!"

“M-Murder a… d-doctor?”

His eyes traced onto the girl now lifeless on his body. Her mother died in a suicide, but even they both knew it was only an excuse for her own crime.

She created him, and he broke her.

“Yes! While you were stationed at the hospital for HAD, you looked nothing like you did currently. But the moment you were injected with something, you seemed… heavenly, truly without any flaw. And you became even more wonderful when you stabbed that doctor again and again… ah, it was love at first sight from then on.”

“E-Eito…”

“You inspired me Takumi, no, saved me! Everyone was an abomination except for you. Thanks to you, I had the will to kill my own parents. But that wasn’t enough, no, I needed to be with you again, I needed to be the only one with you! I stalked you ever since you got discharged from the hospital, I enrolled in the same high school as you went to, I even took care of you when your mother hadn’t been able to. Well, since she was dead of course, ever since you decided to purge her.”

The boy steps towards him, Takumi feels helpless, absolutely devoid of any sense of feeling that he once retained.

Hopelessness.

“It wasn’t easy being with you at first, you always had your walls up. I needed to pick at them carefully, but after that, you ended up so clingy that I couldn’t help but love this pathetic side of you too! Ah, but you probably want to know about what I did after we met, hm?”

Suddenly, the love struck expression from Eito transmogrified into one of disgust, utter contempt towards all that was human.

“It wasn’t easy keeping an eye on you whenever you wanted to kill someone, especially when your urges would stifle after doing the deed. The first was Ginzaki, all I did was hide his body in the alleyway after you failed to discard him. Nobody cared enough for him anyways to bother searching until you found him. Maruko however…”

“Why did you kill him!? H-He was our friend!” He cries out, finding his tears staining his cheeks just like the day he found the other in the trash can.

“He knew too much,” Eito snaps coldly. “Someone tipped him off about you, and he even managed to record footage of you disposing of someone. Thankfully, since Maruko seemed so eager to share his hard work, he let me in on his secret. I was the one who actually convinced him to bring the two other girls, and to keep it a secret that the plan was to capture you. And right before we needed to meet up…”

“…you murdered him?”

“Correct! I lured him to the back and stabbed him until he was reduced into a silent pile of revolting waste that he should’ve been! Afterwards, I broke all his technology and stole the camera’s SD card. I then joined the rest of you and played my part for a bit of investigation with you all afterwards.”

“Did… anything we did together matter to you?” He asks, begging to know if the Eito in front of him was the man he knew, and even admired.

“I never cared about a single one of your ‘friends,’ Takumi,” the killer in front of him utters, his face directly across from Takumi’s. “The only person that matters in this awful world. Is you.”

Takumi wants to cry, but he already is, and it never seems to stop.

“You know, I was the one who helped you escape that wannabe killer of yours the night Magadori and Mojiro were killed. All I had to do was say your name and you came running to me. And once you couldn’t help yourself, I gave you your favorite blade. Look, I even left it right next to you!”

The knife that seared into his eyes was left thrusted into Nozomi, smeared crimson from the corpse that now resided on him.

“You’re so cute, Takumi,” Eito coos, his signature smile crawling back onto his visage. “You always thought you were so sneaky around me. Finding out about your illness, the possibility of another being living within you, and even hearing you deduce your own crimes, you confessed it all with me right next to you.”

“H-How… How would you even!?”

“You should lock your doors more often, Takumi. You never know what might be under you,” the white haired boy says as he points under Takumi's bed. “I heard every word since you snuck out with Omokage here. Even the moment you let him harm you!”

Eito now has a furious look on his face, his arms now wrapped around Takumi as he watches Nozomi’s body fall on the floor with a feeble thump, himself ensnared by the reverent man.

No, he’s been ensnared by Eito for so long.

Only now he’s just realized.

“But, it’ll all be over soon,” the white haired male announces, watching as the bedroom door slams open.

Yugamu stood there, an expression so distant from his own self as he breathed heavily.

“T-Takumi!” Yugamu screeches, watching in horror as Eito’s arms tighten around the smaller man. “Eito you… you did this all, didn’t you?”

Eito only smirks wickedly, his face twisted in gleeful malice.

“I had a feeling you’d come for Takumi. Just like you did that night you tried to kill him,” Eito claims, delighting in how the other man tenses with every word. “Now, you’re here to finish the job.”

Takumi looks at the blue haired man, watching him struggle as his entire body quivers in a mixture of regret and frustration.

“Y-Yugamu…” he cries out, snapping the man out of his stupor.

“You’re right, I did try to kill Takumi. It was my duty this entire time, since the moment we met,” the boy admits. “I was hired to assassinate the serial killer that’s been disrupting our town.”

“And you found out after the second time you drugged Takumi?”

Yugamu nods, his face guilt-stricken.

“I secretly ran a blood test on him while he was unconscious. It wasn’t until I had a larger sample that I could find out what was inside him, but I’ve always had a feeling it was him. I could tell there was something off about Takumi’s behaviors, and assumed that he might be under control,” the blue haired male reasoned. “I was the one who told Gaku to record Takumi, if he was truly the killer. I hoped… that we could’ve ended this early, or that I was wrong. It’s my fault that Gaku became prey to your schemes, Eito. It was… my fault, Takumi.”

Takumi sees the other man on the verge of tears, he wishes he could tell him that it wasn’t his fault.

Yugamu wasn’t the killer.

Takumi was.

“I want to know. Why did you spare Takumi that night? You had everything planned, even drugging your own friends to ensure they wouldn’t get in your way, so why?”

He looks at Yugamu, also wishing to know why he had been spared that day.

If Yugamu had killed him, then he wouldn’t have… wouldn’t have…

“I hesitated,” the assassin uttered, sounding so weak. “When I saw Takumi’s face when I held the saw against him, I couldn’t do it. I just, I couldn’t.”

Yugamu was now crying, tears flowing as hoarse sobs broke across the room.

“It’s because you like him, isn’t it?” Eito said, his hands holding onto Takumi tenderly.

The boy nods.

“My biggest mistake, was getting to know you, Takumi. I believed that you wouldn’t kill your friends voluntarily, that I could save you from whatever was controlling, that I… I met someone just like me. Someone who killed but never wanted to, doing something so loveless against their own will. I trusted in you so much… that even at the cost of our own friend’s lives, I…” Yugamu confessed, smiling cruelly on his own fate. “I liked you so much, that I wanted to kill you as anything but yourself.”

“I’m sorry Yugamu!” Takumi cries out, knowing it’s far too late and falling upon hopeless ears. “I-I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to save you, Takumi,” his friend whispers, hollow as the truth he’s chased for.

Takumi wants to go to Yugamu, to tell him that it was okay, but he’s restrained by the man on him, Eito’s face unmoved.

“You’re wrong,” Eito retorts, offended at the other’s words. “Takumi has always been himself this entire time. Takumi is more than the boy you wanted to know, and the boy you didn't choose to know. Takumi is perfect the way he is. But you couldn’t accept him because of what existed inside him, how can you even call that love!?”

“You don’t even know if Takumi even wants that monstrosity inside him! You don’t even care how he feels!” Yugamu argues, throwing a glare at the sinister man. “You insist that you do everything for Takumi, but you’re also just as selfish as I am!”

“Takumi is the only person to make me ever be happy to be alive,” Eito admits, pressing onto the redhead akin to a lifeline. “When the world seemed twisted and cruel, everything misaligned and malformed in my own eyes, Takumi was the only to look perfect to me. He's… everything to me. And I’m the only one who can appreciate him as who he is, unlike any of you!”

Takumi doesn’t even know what to feel anymore.

Being loved tore him apart.

Being loved tore everything he loved apart.

“Takumi… it’s not too late,” Yugamu begs, his voice desperate as he looks him straight in the eyes, unwavering as he extends a hand. “Let me… kill you, once and for all. Let’s end this, together. Please Takumi, while you’re still yourself.”

He finds the arms that caged him removed, his legs staggering as he witnesses Eito walk towards the other man, with the intent of massacre.

He knows only one of them will stand in the end.

“Takumi, just stay still alright? I’ll take care of this. Once I’m done, we’ll finally be together forever,” Eito wishes, his voice full of hope amidst all the terror within his world. “It’s a promise, okay?”

Takumi shuts his eyes, finding himself drowned in the discord, the drizzling flurry of water only making him drown further in his own sins.

He glances at the girl on the floor, once full of life and trust, now sprawled as a shell of what she could’ve been, ruined by their cruel circumstance.

He looks at the man in front of him, adoration intermixed with misery, carving him into a pleading effigy of love for everything that couldn’t be human.

He sees the boy at the end, prepared to face his own choices, determination that begets his own regret, wishing for the end of his waning emotions.

He thinks of himself, a fool in his own life, yet given one last opportunity; to be Takumi, or to die as Takumi.

He can only make one choice.

IT’S YOUR FUTURE!

Chapter Text

Takumi shuts his eyes, ignorant to the world that once towered before him.

He doesn’t know how long passes before he feels himself being carried; all below him gone, he can’t bring himself to see them desecrated any longer.

Eito stares at him with absolute adoration, but he can’t help but feel empty.

“It’s okay Takumi, I’ll take care of you,” Eito whispers, cradling the boy tenderly under the eternal moonlight. “You’ll never have to suffer again. I promise.”

He’s so tired.

“I love you, Takumi,” the boy swears, leaving the other on his breast as the world drowns in crimson. “Thank you for accepting me.”

…

He feels rain on his skin, dampening the world more than the vermillion that sticks on his skin.

He lets his arm be pulled within the lush foliage as he stares at the accursed pond of his dreams, watching the other do all the heavy lifting.

The water is clear, except for the ripples of rain that come flush against the surface, invoking a calm amidst the squall.

Eito only smiles, watching them drown.

“I’ve always been so lonely before I met you Takumi, everyone being just abominations, masses of rotting flesh that spew atrocities. Just the smell and sound of those freaks made me want to mutilate all my senses from how cloying it was to be surrounded by them at all times.”

He turns to look at Takumi, lit up, as if he was waiting for praise.

“But you Takumi,” he sings, once more lacing arms around his monstrosity. “Are the only beautiful being in this hideous world, the only thing I love. You can see it too, can’t you?”

Takumi sees the masses in the pond, mangled and disfigured bodies that now sink under the surface, people he could’ve called his friends now reduced to a floating memory in his scarlet eyes; angels once, now dewinged.

He can see it too.

…

“You should wear my clothes more often, Takumi! I think it looks amazing on you!” His accomplice whispers, fingers lingering a bit too long on the other’s body with an admirant gaze.

Takumi fights the shiver that comes across his body, also stifling the growing lull to obey the other’s languid contact; Takumi still easy as ever.

“T-This is a bit embarrassing though. Your shirt is almost like a dress on me…!”

“It’d be the greatest honor in my life if you wore anything I owned. You’re so irresistible Takumi, almost like God in my eyes.”

“That’s enough flattery!”

“Haha, I need to thank you for keeping your promise! I appreciate you indulging me like this.”

“You didn’t have to spend it on me trying on your clothes, I’d do it anytime.”

“That might be true, but this is for something different.”

“Different?”

“Did you know, I’d keep the clothes that you borrowed from me stashed away? Like those pajamas?”

“I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or disturbed.”

“I’d never wash it, I’d just preserve it to have and smell, just like how I still watch that video Maruko recorded of you,” Eito speaks with a timid, yet vulnerable voice. “After long days without you, especially when surrounded for too long by nauseating aberrations, I need them to reassure me.”

Even after all he’s destroyed in his name, Takumi still feels pity for the man who simply longed for companionship, forced to be born an abnormality.

In the end, they weren’t any different now.

“I don’t know, but everything about you is intoxicating to me, Takumi. I love you so much, and I’m so blessed that you’re so much more than a human, or maybe the only thing that is even remotely close to what a human should be in my eyes. You’re the only thing I can bear to look at and feel… such bliss. You are my salvation.”

“Yeah… I’ll be whatever you want me to be, Eito.”

Friend, lover, human, monster, God, salvation, G’ie, Takumi, no title mattered anymore to him; all and any, he was still a killer in his own eyes, righteous and undeserving.

“Hey, want to go out tonight? I’ll treat you to whatever you’d like, even if it means I’ll have to bear looking at revolting humans, or having their eyes placed at you for even a moment! I’ll give you anything you want! Even frogs!”

“No, it’s okay. I’m more than happy to stay like this with you,” he declines, despite the amusing image of Eito catching frogs for him. “Alone with you.”

He finds the other coming onto him, Takumi doesn’t resist, a pathetic attempt of communion between loving defects.

“Haha, you spoil me too much Takumi!” Eito murmurs, a parasitic azure devouring any lingering remnant of Takumi that once existed, devoted to the being he always witnessed.

Takumi looks up at the boy in front of him, smiling so sweetly as if the world only consisted of them two; a paradise in this grotesque reality.

He can’t feel repulse anymore, no, he’s far too degraded to ever feel that way after all he’s done.

It was only them standing left in this game of seven.

“I love you Eito.”

“I love you too, Takumi.”

In the end, Takumi chose to accept the madness of the other; Takumi’s lips locked against Eito's own, ivory bathed in a shower of vermillion.

Eito was the only person to ever truly love him as whole, in soul and body, and he would be the only one to ever love Eito for all he’s hurt, in ardor and isolation.

He’s fine.

He’s fine, because he has Eito with him in this purgatory, coming to understand how lone a world is created from refuse and egoism; distorted at its seams and cruel to a fault.

And he would never let Eito be alone again, he promised, cradling the devout boy with his inhumane flesh, determined to never let go no matter how much of a monstrosity he’d become.

Even in a lonely world, Eito loved Takumi, and Takumi would love Eito in their crimson splattered truth.

Chapter Text

He’s mad.

No, mad can’t even describe the agonizing dread that fills every inch of his body, that drives him insane with an inanimate frenzy to return every second of grief he’s endured with torment.

He can’t forgive Eito, not for everything he’s done, everything he’s done in his name for a abomination he never wanted to be.

Grasping at the knife within Nozomi, he rushes at Eito, thrusting the blade deep into his body.

The taller student only stumbles on the ground, before Takumi climbs over him, stabbing him relentlessly.

Not as a G’ie, but as Takumi Sumino.

He stabs.

Stabs.

Stabs.

And stabs until the floor is painted with overflowing crimson, pooling together akin to the surface of a bottomless lake.

He sees a peaceful smile on Eito’s face, and it outrages him how he could never see through him, how he seems to always play into his covered hands, how he was revered for no reason besides having to survive a life of suffering; everything beyond his own control.

He’s upset at himself, but can’t find any comfort in his last action, hands tainted with a traitor's ichor.

He killed Eito.

Yet, he finds his face pressed against a warm surface, a steady pulsation he could feel, unlike his own faltering heart.

“It’s okay, Takumi,” Yugamu comforts him, feeling the blood stained boy crumble in his arms as he sobs uncontrollably, so tired of all he’s done.

“Please Yugamu, please just… end it,” he begs, wishing for this nightmare to come to its conclusion.

Yugamu can’t help but admire the man in front of him, not akin to reverence, but a deep found respect for his dignity to give his own life.

Carefully, the assassin takes the knife from Takumi’s shaky hands, angling it towards Takumi’s chest; the other still, afraid he may come undone at any moment.

Yugamu feels as if his heart might burst at any moment, a terrifying thrill that leaves him craving more of this fleeting euphoria.

Love, he realizes.

Love he felt when he saw Takumi desperately sob against his saw, their life flickering at his own mercy, wishing to live unaware of his own sins.

Love he saw with a kindred killer in a loveless reality beyond their control, wishing for their own demise, but being unable to perform it on their own.

Love he held in the other’s hand, a silent oath to the spiraling truth that bound and mutilated their souls and morals, leaving all but them to repent for their own failures.

Yugamu hesitates once more, but Takumi remains still.

This is what they both want, he convinces himself.

Yugamu thrusts the blade, professionally, like a lamb to slaughter, unlike all his morbid fantasies, watching Takumi collapse with a soft smile.

Almost angelic, he thought as Takumi scattered onto the ground, surrounded in a pond of his friends’ blood, denied a life of unsalvation with wings of gore.

“Thank you, Yugamu,” Takumi coughs, a feeble attempt to put his hand onto Yugamu’s own for the last time, embracing his own mortality. “For letting me die as… myself.”

Yugamu only weeps as the thrill within him gradually dies, leaving only a void.

…

The case comes to a halt, his friends receive a proper burial, and even Eito, no matter what falsities or atrocities he spun around all of them, is buried.

Even if he was an assassin, death deserved its due respect; a loving act in an unloving world.

Yet, he can’t let go of him.

As hopelessly romantic as it can be, he refuses to let go of a certain person, death unable to bear him apart.

Maybe he’s discovered a new aspect of something forbidden indulge in, eying the lovely corpse he’s come to admire so greatly.

And maybe, he can understand Eito just a little.

Yugamu isn’t the only one who would miss a killer, he muses as he lays his head on the once animate male, dreaming of a forlorn pulse and warmth.

…

Time passes onward, but Yugamu still looks at him so fondly.

Even despite all the horrors they’ve endured, he can’t help but admire the delicate body in front of him; the product of nurturing and Omokage secrets.

A first love can’t be killed so easily, he muses as he gazes upon the preserved corpse, resisting his urge to sully the other with any form of affection.

Not yet.

Takumi is as cute as ever, even if frozen in time since their last murder, seemingly pure even amidst their shared history of grime.

Taking a glance at the vial in his hand, he knows that what he’s doing might undo everything they’ve sacrificed to achieve.

A deal with the devil to betray the delicacy of mortality.

Yet, this is Yugamu’s chance to fulfill his end of their bargain, a promise in the same place they departed from one another.

So, he can’t help but believe.

Believe in the other’s sincerity, naivety, and trust.

Ingesting the vial, he puts his lips onto Takumi’s own, ignoring how cold the other felt.

He knows it’s cheesy to imitate a scene from a movie, but he doesn’t think Takumi would mind a kiss; like two lovers at their last breath, abandoned on Venus.

He tastes vile, but Yugamu doesn’t care, seeking serendipity within macabre.

Takumi could taste of expiration and he’d still partake, the decay and feebleness of flesh paling to his numbing desire for someone to reciprocate just how intense he felt.

He waits, his face only watching in anticipation at his own work; days of desperate research and grieving for an almost impossible dream.

Perhaps he’s made a mistake.

No, he has to believe.

Believe in Takumi’s determination to be more than what lurked in his own blood, beyond the organism that controlled him.

Believe in Takumi, who would face his own demise as himself, entrusting Yugamu to be the one to end him.

Believe in Takumi to keep his promise, no matter how insignificant it may have seemed at that moment, perhaps even a one-sided vow.

Nothing was impossible if he was with Takumi, he still thought.

Pressing his head against the other’s chest, he reminisces of the time Takumi awoke next to him after a drug test.

Late, with a trail of drool and chronic bedhead.

As he feels a pulse, he can’t help but find it typical of the other to defy his expectations, but relishes that Takumi always will somehow.

Yugamu promised he’d kill Takumi, but he never promised he wouldn’t find a way to make him come back; no matter how many times he’d have to tempt fate just to save him.

“Slept well sleepyhead? It’s about time you showed up for that date you promised me,” Yugamu says, admiring how lovingly cerulean the world could be in awakened eyes.

Chapter Text

He can’t do it anymore, he can’t bear the truth any longer.

Watching his friends fight to their own demise as Takumi created every single fault within this moment, he resolved himself.

Gripping the knife buried into Nozomi, Takumi eyes the ichor soaked weapon.

This is his choice.

“T-Takumi…? W-What are you doing!?” Cries from in front of him, Eito making an anguished attempt to prevent him.

“Takumi!?” Yugamu exclaims, body frozen in horror as he watches his worst dream unfold before him.

The blade Takumi holds is inserted into his throat, spraying the once innocent room in a spray of crimson; one last life taken by their hands.

This, is Takumi Sumino’s decision.

…

“So, this is the end for us, isn’t it?” G asks Takumi, earning a frustrated look from the student.

“This is as far as I’ll let us go,” Takumi responds, his fists balling in rage as he stares down his vermillion eyed counterpart. “This is revenge for everyone we killed!”

G only states at Takumi, before grinning almost pridefully.

“You’re right, this is the only conclusion that we deserve. Ha! I didn’t expect you to choose such a bold ending, considering how much you liked to drag your legs.”

“It’s not easy trying to figure out a case when you’re the main culprit, you know… especially with convenient memory loss and the world’s most terrifying accomplice.

“True. But still, to have my reign of terror ended by myself. It’s the ending fitting for a G’ie,” his crimson variant spoke with a satisfied echo. “Killing to survive, feed, and reproduce, it’s only fair that I also get killed for your own urges. I've never felt so appreciated by you, Takumi.”

“Appreciated…?”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have much longer left. Since you decided to kill both of us,” G instead noted, looking at his own body in irritation.

“…so this is the end.”

“It was fun sometimes, wasn’t it? Almost like a game.”

“Your definition of fun needs to be reevaluated.”

“Considering this is the only time I’ve been a human, I wonder how I should name this feeling.”

“Feeling?”

G leans closer into Takumi, eyes boring seeping out onto the unblemished version of their own.

“Being able to live through you, kill through you, and even be the one killed through you, this is the epitome of my life as a G’ie. And as you, Takumi. You may harbor resentment towards me, but I can’t help but feel a sort of kinship with you. Maybe you may even call it love.”

“Y-You, love me….?” Takumi gasps, earning an affirmative sound.

“Perhaps not in the romantic way, or maybe just as that way. I can’t tell, nor do I care to find out if it is or not. You are an irreplaceable part of me, just as I am to you, and that’s all I care about. Without you, I never would’ve been able to feel, and I’m sure without me, you would’ve never been able to feel how beloved you were when alive. Haha, it wasn't a bad life at all.”

Takumi hates the G’ie within him, for all the misery it’s caused him and the lives he’s stolen, yet without it, he would’ve never been able to become Takumi at all. He would’ve never been able to meet his friends, even if he had to lose them all in the end.

He’s conflicted, but that’s not a new feeling.

G’s face lingers too closely to his own, it makes him feel vile, yet whole. As if he were staring into a part of him trapped behind his own reach, now surfacing its hideous head after rupturing through him.

“It’s almost time,” G announces, snapping takumi from his stupor. “Do you mind if I be selfish once more?”

Takumi wants to say no, but he knows that there isn’t much to fight about anymore, they both reached their conclusion the moment he chose himself as the answer.

“Fine,” he grunts, ignoring the other’s light chuckle.

“Haha, you’re far too kind, Takumi.”

…

Takumi wakes up on his desk once more, the day reaching its conclusion as the sun sets, an orange sky above that feels so fleeting.

“Hehe, did you sleep through class again, Takky?” Karua asks, giggling lightly as she stares at him curiously. “I’m not gonna lend you my notes if you missed anything important!”

He knows it isn’t real at all, that the girl in front of him is just a projection of whatever creature lurked within himself, but he can’t help but smile at the girl that was his friend.

“We should go Takky! Or else we’re gonna miss the train back to your home! Your mom said she was cooking rolled eggs tonight, they’re my favorite!”

Letting his hand get taken by the girl, he’s rushed outside his class, his steps somewhat unsteady compared to her lighthearted rush.

He spots a certain black haired boy chatting with a short brown haired male, the two bickering about simple matters that no longer involve himself.

He finds a black haired swordswoman speaking at lengths with a purple haired wrestler, gushing at what seemed to be dreams they once shared.

He spots a white haired girl joining the two conversing women, happily chatting away with people she once proudly called her best friends.

He thinks he sees an older woman who shares a striking resemblance to him and another to a familiar white-haired lady gossiping to one another, both taking a look at him with a bittersweet look.

He glances at a boy with glasses and a blue haired male arguing for a moment, before they both turn to him with a cheerful expression, seemingly overjoyed just to see him one more time.

At the end, he sees himself, a boy who resembled him entirely except for vermillion irises, extending his hand.

“Let’s go, Takumi,” G says, walking closer to him with a tranquil face.

He takes one more look at the people he’s encountered on his way out, noticing how they all come together in a group.

“Goodbye Takumi!” They all announce, waving one last goodbye as they all express their own farewell; some with tears or happiness, perhaps even both.

He knows it’s all an illusion, a dying wish to see all those he knew, or wanted to know, all together at the end to see him off.

But he knows the tears he has aren’t an illusion, even if the world dissipates with every step he takes towards the outside the school.

Like a graduation, he can’t help but imagine.

“Are you ready to go, Takumi?” Karua reaffirms, still holding onto his hand as she stops. “We don’t have much longer.”

“I’m ready,” Takumi says, even if he knows that the tears in his eyes aren’t going to end, his legs growing heavier with each step.

G only takes his hand as well, helping Karua bring the boy forward.

Almost at the gate, he can still hear the words of friends he didn’t deserve in this lifetime.

“…better reimburse me for all the trouble you caused me when we meet again! You better!”

“…hope we can reunite. As lord and servant, or m-maybe even bride and groom! Either is okay!”

“…promise that you’ll come to my next match! And all the ones after that, okay hun?”

“…we'll always be friends! No matter what separates us, I’ll always believe in you.”

“…I’ll always find you again, and I hope we can be friends again, even if you’re a hideous monster. Not that you can ever be to me!”

“…you still owe me that date cutie, I’ll be waiting for you as long as it takes! It’s a promise you’ll keep, won’t you?”

He doesn’t look back, all he can do is press on with his choice.

“I guess, it’s time to say goodbye Takky,” Karua confesses, tears welling in her violet eyes. “I hope we get to meet again, under better circumstances.”

He takes another step forward.

“May we have the pleasure of not meeting one another again, Takumi,” G remarks, grinning as he attempts to hold onto Takumi, refusing to release even as he himself gets erased.

He takes another step forward.

“Let’s hope,” Takumi retorts, also choosing to accept his fate with a smirk, requiting the G’ie within him for once.

One last step forward, he finds himself displaced in nothingness, a silent comfort in knowing he’s finally made it to the end.

This, is his and Takumi’s choice.

Of seven players, none remained.