Chapter Text
Rui’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of a familiar tune. One he recognized without a second thought. He missed the warmth his father brought into the world. Looking around, he spotted that worn out piano in an endless void.
He paced over and sat in the chair. Muscle memory kicked in, and his fingers moved on their own. As if trying to recover a lost melody. He was accompanied by his father, who came over and cheered him on.
“Look at my boy go.”
And for a moment, a smile crept onto Rui’s face.
“Thanks dad.”
This was the kind of life he wished to relive.
Every day.
But then his father withered away, and a mutilated corpse laid on the ground. A rotten stench filled the depressing void of memories.
Someone was in the distance. Rui tried to make out the figure. Eventually, he could see the features clearly. It was his mother.
“GET OFF THE PIANO!”
Rui stared at her as she walked over the dead body, delivering a slap to him.
“GET A JOB! YOU DON’T PAY BILLS YOU USELESS RAT!”
Tears welled up in his eyes uncontrollably. All his memories shattered, and he was brought to hell.
“I’m sorry.”
Rui stood up from the rotting wood and trudged in the opposite direction. He didn’t know what to do. He just wanted life to end.
But he noticed a white light up ahead. A warmth enveloped his cold body. He rushed for the light, which purged the abyss. Rui closed his eyes, unable to handle the glow.
A loud beeping sound filled the quiet room.
Rui’s eyes shot open. He turned to his right side.
10:36. Fuck, I missed breakfast. It doesn’t matter anyway.
He got up from his bed, not bothering to change clothes. The house felt suffocating.
I should take a walk.
He opened the front door and closed it behind himself. The sky looked a lot cloudier than on most days. He sighed and crossed the street.
He noticed his friends chit chatting in the same corner. He couldn’t bring himself to walk over there, not after what he had overheard.
He paused for a moment in the road. A rope descended from the sky. A noose. It called out his name.
No one would notice if I never came back to school.
He contemplated, looking at the rope.
The screeching of tires brought him back to his senses. A car braked in front of him, continually honking at him. He couldn’t react because his arm was pulled, and he fell onto the sidewalk. He looked up, getting a better look at the person who tugged on him.
“Hey pal— y’know it’s not safe to stand in the middle of a road?”
“Oh…sorry.”
“It’s no problem, really. Are you from the senior class?”
“Yeah.”
“Ooh! You seem lonely. Wanna grab a bite?”
“Uhhhh…”
Rui didn’t really feel like it. But this person genuinely seemed good.
“No pressure or anything.”
“Sure.”
“Let’s goo!”
Rui was dragged to a restaurant. He didn’t really mind, and he hadn’t realized how badly he was starving.
“Name’s Andy, by the way.”
“I’m Rui.”
“Well, Rui, you seem like a good person. Nice to meet you.”
“Thanks.”
“Soooo, do you have any toppings in mind?”
“Not really.”
“Alright, pepperoni it is.”
And they ate and chatted. For the first time, Rui felt heard and understood, instead of feeling neglected.
“I wanna meet your parents sometime!”
“Oh. My dad is…”
“…”
It got awkward for a bit.
“Hey. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring back any unpleasant memories.”
“It’s fine.”
They left the restaurant and walked back to Rui’s house.
“Do you wanna watch a movie tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Alright. Cya at the cinemas at 3 PM!”
Andy waved at him as they parted.
Rui reluctantly waved back and headed inside his house. Life didn’t seem as bad for now. He had found some company that he desperately longed for. He laid in bed, drifting off into slumber with a faint smile on his face.
The pitch black welcomed him again. He looked around, spotting Soul, sitting underneath a tree. He walked over, and the darkness transformed into light. He sat beside them.
“You look brighter today. Have you found what you wanted?”
“Yeah…”
“Don’t give up on life. Tomorrow will always bring something new.”
Rui turned to stare at the hopeful angel.
“Thank you.”
“…”
Rui leaned against the tree and closed his eyes. Fatigue caught up to him, and he fell asleep.