POV: Isozaki Izumi.
Date: 24th Nov – Monday.
Timeline: *After the Demon Threatened Hoga Yasahiro*
A mysterious ominous muddy field extended before my eyes. Drop by drop the rain started raining forming a lake on top of it, I backed away not to get water on me, but my back was stopped by a tall white wall that was behind me.
Curious about what was on the other side of this fancy wall I tried to jump over it, but whenever I got close to the top, it extended further up preventing me from seeing the other side.
I looked upward to see that the sky was split in half, one was glooming with a dark grey sadness that lit up once in awhile from the thunder that resounded fear in the heart of the one who heard it, the other half was unbelievably clear blue sky that shined with an envious warm light.
The wet muddy ground that continued to wrap itself around my feet kept pulling me further inside as if to prevent me from leaving, and the ominous sound of laughter that would raise up from the other side of the wall that seemed like it was from a fairy tale, a completely different side of the world, a side I was not able of seeing or reaching out to.
It was like the world's way of telling me, "you do not belong on the bright side, stay on the side you belong to."
But even in this dim side that was on the verge of breaking up, I was not alone, a kid was constantly scratching the white huge wall in front of him, his hand was bleeding red from the nails he continued to scratch the wall with, painting the wall red wherever his palm reached to.
It was a futile struggle of a human trying to change the side he was born in, the great wall won't break, won't budge and won't give a damn about the puny life of a pathetic person.
Anger rushed to my head and my thoughts looped around talking to the kid in a voice that he could never hear, 'stop it, stop seeking it, stop reaching for it, with your small tiny hands you will never be able to attain it, no, you won't even be able to catch a glimpse of it. Stop struggling, give it up.'
What is on the other side? Why do you want to go there that badly?
The laughter that was coming from the other side died out and from the unattainable side screams which belonged to kids raised up,
"Help me, I don't want to die!"
"Why … Why is it us?"
"Run away! Leave!"
"I'm scared, I'm scared!"
"It hurts… father, it hurts…"
"I can't breathe!"
I looked upward again shocked by the words I heard to see a bigger surprise, the blue sky was dyed black that was lit up red by the flames that raised up so high that it was visible even from the other side of the wall.
"No, no, no!" the kid yelled as tears fell from his eyes and he started slamming his head against the wall, "Stop! Stop! Don't go! Don't leave me!" his lungs screamed loudly but his voice was unable of covering up the voice of the tragedy that was happening on the other side, and no one answered to his lonely tears.
Perhaps, this boy wasn't trying to get to the other side but was trying to get the others to this side.
The boy sobs got louder and with his hoarse voice he kept calling out rejecting the events before his eyes, calling out again and again the same sentence over and over, "I'm here, I'm here, I am here."
I unconsciously reached for the boy's shoulder and as I was about to touch him the phrase he kept saying over and over started to change, "if I knew it's going to be like this brrrrrr if I knew brrrrrrr I would have brrrrrrrr"
"What? What are you saying? I can't hear you?" I yelled asking the boy, he turned my way and told me, "brrrrr brrrrrrr it's like that brrrrrr"
"Like what? What is that sound?" I shacked the boy with both of my hands, but the boy's body turned to black ashes and got mixed with the mud on the ground.
I opened my eyes and heard my phone ringing, "so it was an alarm sound?" I mumbled half awake, I started looking around me but instead of a view of the ceiling above my bed, the shoe case that is beside my front door.
"Why am I here?" I mumbled confused about how the location I slept in was different from the one I woke up in, eventually I got up and quickly ran toward the room I supposedly was to wake up in and forcefully opened the door to find the sheet on my bed tidied up and the boxes filled with my clothes and other stuff that I didn't fully unpack yesterday was unpacked, hanged up, put in their right places inside the room.
I gulped after closing the door immediately and rushed toward the kitchen and as I entered it, I was surprised to see that the plates and cups that I used yesterday and didn't wash yet, were already washed and the fridge that I didn't know how to plug it in was working just fine.
My legs gave out and I fell on the floor dumbfounded, I shifted my eyes toward the empty room that I didn't know what to use it for to see that something was inside it, I pulled myself to stand but my legs gave up again and were unable of supporting me, then I tried again and ran to the supposedly empty room to see a huge T.V screen come in my view with a huge sofa in front of it.
These aren't mine… D-Don't tell me… again!?
When I realized the unusual furniture I quickly rushed back to the front door and reached for my phone and rushed in the bedroom then as I entered and closed the door behind I checked the messages,
[The current balance: ¥35,000]
I sat on the chair near the desk inside my bedroom, "haha…" I laughed freaked by the changes in the house that I don't remember making and the sudden abnormal decrease in my bank account that had all my hard-earned money.
It's happening again, whenever I get close to collecting the full amount it vanishes. Even though it stopped recently, why did it suddenly vanish again? This can't be a mistake, no signs of people breaking in, new things that I didn't own suddenly showed up, stuff that I was supposed to do gets done without me doing them, everything is the same. A thing that doesn't look like the work of a thief but like a ghost that knows me far too well that does stuff without leaving any trace of themselves, or more like … it's as if I was the one who did it…. sleepwalking … Did I sleepwalk and bought new furniture with my money? I barely have enough money to last for one month, the rent was ¥160,000. Am I already in trouble for next month's rent?! my annual salary is ¥3,740,000 so around ¥312,000 monthly if I tell the landlady to wait till I get my salary then next month's rent will be handled that way and I will have enough money to get by but that means I have to get by with mere ¥35,000 this month! If I cut back on ordering food and cook instead I'll save up around ¥20,000, thankfully I already paid the rent when I moved in, and the company is near here so I don't have to use bus, train or a taxi but won't that mean that if I get fired I will be living on the street!? Wait a minute, did I just calculate that really fast? I guess my brain is really handy in dire situations huh? Hahaha.
I stared at the floor of my bedroom and mumbled, "so, I have to collect it again…"
I quickly changed my clothes and headed toward the front door and as I put my hand on the handle to unlock the door, it opened.
Huh? Did I forget to lock it?
Then I got outside and locked the door behind me, properly this time. And as I started heading down the stairs the door of my neighbor apartment opened and from it creaked a very familiar irritating face, Hoga Yasahiro.
When our eyes met he kept staring at me while frowning, and got closer saying, "good timing, I was about to call you, I discovered a bit of stuff about your ability that I wanted you to know."
Ability!? Dude, I'll be late for work, we can talk about that later, I'll just go and ignore him.
"We can go with my car, get inside." He said as he started getting down the stairs waving his car keys in front of me.
Car?! Well, that will be faster I guess.
As I rushed to the car and got inside, wore the seat belt and started flipping through channels to find songs on the radio.
Author Note: Always remember to wear seat belts 😊
"You know, it was always my dream to put music on while driving, it feels cool, nah!?" I said excitedly as Hoga entered the car.
Hoga started the engine and began talking ignoring my remark, "remember how I said my immortality is a bit different than yours? There is a problem that when you die, Izumi, the person who killed you or caused your death dies too."
"Friggin' cool!" I said excitedly and continued, "that means everyone who kill me will die and I will end up living anyway, truly marvelous! I don't see how this is a problem though?"
He looked at me silently then moved his head forward and kept driving without saying a word.
"But sadly, I don't know how to drive! I failed my driving test three times already! Afraid of being like SpongeBob I stopped haha!" I continued my previous remark that got ignored.
He looked my way again, sighed and said with a slight smile on his face, "you are sometimes too childish, Izumi. No, rather than childish it's more like being a natural idiot!? And to think that this guy looked scary makes me feel so stupid."
This jerk he made a routine of calling me an idiot!? So frustrating!!!
"But why do you keep calling me by my first name, Hoga?" I asked him while continuing to search the radio for a song that will make this frustrating conversation with this frustrating person end.
"well," Hoga said slowing the speed he's going at and continued, "I don't really know your last name."
What!? What kind of a stupid excuse is that- Oh, we never actually introduced each other, and I know his since Nao told me about it… But this guy can read thoughts!!! So, shouldn't he have known by now!?
"Then you should have asked, wasn't it awkward for you calling a complete stranger by their first name?" I asked glaring at him, "not really. Up till now I always thought 'Izumi' was your last name." He answered.
Who is the idiot now!?
"It's Isozaki Izumi." I said as I shut down the radio as I gave up on finding a good channel, "Isasukii?" He said while raising one eyebrow of his, "Isozaki!" I corrected him in a louder voice, "Isazasoki?" he asked while frowning.
This jerk, is he messing with me!? Isazasoki is way harder to pronounce than Isozaki!
"ISO… ZA!!!… KI!!!!!" I yelled at him, "I get it, I get it, anyway just make sure you be beside me when you are about to die, Zako" he said while opening the front window.
Who in the friggin' world is Zako!!? He was acting all smart, but he can't even say my name correctly.
"Why should I be beside you?" I asked him with a disappointment in my voice, "didn't I just tell you? Do you want to be a murderer that caused someone's death, Isoki?" He said in an annoyed tone.
STOP MAKING A FREAKING NEW NAME EACH TIME YOU CALL ME!!!!
"When will we reach?" I asked trying to prevent me from slamming his head against the steering wheel.
"We're here already," he said as he started parking in what seemed to be a hospital parking lot.
"This is not the company though?" I stated the obvious looking at him to explain the reason for coming here but he said, "yeah."
'YEAH' WHAT!?!? Explain why we're here you piece of chewing gum.
"c-chewing g-gum!?" he asked with a surprise look on his face, "why are we here, Hoga-san-sama?" I asked sarcastically trying to change the subject from my thought.
"That scum's sister, is in this hospital. I thought we should meet her since it will make healing her later on much easier if we knew her beforehand?" he explained while looking outside the window.
"That scum? You mean Nao? I get it and all, but how are you planning on meeting her? I never knew she existed up till yesterday, I think Naoki didn't mention me to her either. Basically, we would just look like creepy old men to her," I said glaring at him for being unreasonable, and continued, "So, let's just meet her when we can heal her then we'll get Nao and he can explain to her-"
"Are you an idiot, Isabio?!" He interrupted me, I yelled back, "who the hell are you calling Isabio!? You are the idiot, you idiot!"
"I'm planning on healing her while her brother is not around, so go meet her now, Fuboriko" he ordered me and opened the door of the car.
"Wait, what? I'm going alone?" I asked confused by the sudden order, "I hate crowdy places, they give me headache." He replied.
What kind of a self-centered bastard are you!? Like hell I'm accepting- Ah, back at his apartment he did seem in a lot of pain after reading my thoughts… maybe it is better for him not to come.
"Your ability is really handful," I said as I exited the car, "don't forget to tell her that he's out of the city for the time being," Hoga said as I started heading toward the hospital front gate.
"Juwan Central Hospital," I said out loud as I read the huge sign on top of the front gate, "and here I thought after becoming immortal I won't need to come here," I mumbled as I sighed away.
Juwan Central Hospital is the only hospital in Juwan City, it collects famous renown doctors from all over the world and no patient who entered got out without being completely satisfied about the treatment.
I started heading to the hospital reception desk and as I reached there I asked, "um can I know which room Hisakawa Naoki's sister is in?"
The nurse in charge glared a hole in me and said in monotone, "I'm sorry, but what is your relationship with the patient?"
Here we go again, always people give me these judging eyes.
"I'm her brother's…. f-frien-d?" I answered hesitatingly.
The nurse started looking at me upside down and answered with her monotone, "the patient doesn't wish to see any visitors, thank you for visiting."
WHAT!? If that's the case, why ask me about my relationship with the patient?! It's definitely a lie, she thinks I have a bad intention.
"It's important, I have to tell her something, it won't take more than five minutes, promise," I begged forcefully, "sorry, there is nothing I can help you with," she answered back with her I-couldn't-care-less attitude.
"You're looking for me?" a girly hoarse voice came from behind me, as I turned around I saw a girl who looked exactly like Nao but with a brown long curly hair.
She must be his sister! They look so similar!
"Y-Yes," I answered quickly, she started walking toward the rooms, "I can't stand for long so can you come to the room?" she asked in her tired weakened voice, I nodded and followed her quietly.
The girl kept dragging her body along like it was a heavy metal, her black eyes were beet red on the sides, and she had heavy black bags under her eyes.
"Are you allowed to be moving?" I asked curious about the reason she's outside her room despite being in obviously bad state.
"I'm not," she answered without looking my way, unlike Nao she doesn't force a smile on her face and is not embarrassed to show her weakened side but this side of her made her seem stronger than anyone I saw in my life.
I was mistaken. They aren't similar at all.
She stopped walking and froze in her place looking worried, I shifted my eyes toward the place she was looking at to see a man who seemed like yakuza standing in front of a room door, "is that your room?" I asked her, and she nodded.
"Wait, here," I said and rushed to the man standing outside her room and asked him, "is there something wrong, old man?"
"o-old man!? … it's nothing I just wanted to talk to the owner of the room," the man answered looking bothered by the way I called him, "what do you want from her? If you're looking for trouble, I think you should go elsewhere," I said in annoyed tone trying to scare him away.
"Ah, sorry for late introduction, my name is Yabuta Junzo, I am a detective not someone suspicious," the man said nervously.
I got annoyed when people judged me by my appearance and I done the same thing to this guy, so embarrassing…
"Sorry for misunderstanding," I apologized hiding my embarrassed face and asked, "but why is a detective looking for her?"
"It's the patient's brother whom I'm looking for, he suddenly vanished yesterday even though I had so many questions to ask him," he explained with a disappointment look on his face.
He's looking for Nao? Right, Nao left the city yesterday but why is a detective looking for him? GYAAAAAAA I totally forgot Nao turned himself in!!!
"Ha…haha…ha…" I laughed nervously, and he asked me, "do you perhaps know Hisakawa Naoki?"
I said nervously, "hahaha… who!? Fuboriko?"
To think the name Hoga came up with will be handy in this situation…
"N-no, Hisakawa Naoki," he corrected me, "Nah, sorry doesn't ring a bell, hahahaha" I answered looking suspicious as hell.
Even I can't believe myself, to think the day where my bad lying skills are put to test come…
"Is something the matter?" Nao's sister said as she approached us slowly.
Oh, no… she can't know that Nao turned himself in! She already has her hands full with her illness!!!
"Hello, my name is Yabuta Junzo, I'm a detective, and," the man started talking and continued, "I want to ask you questions regarding your brother-" I interrupted and yelled, "Nothing!!! Let's go!" and pulled her hand and went inside the room.
t-that…. that was close!!
"um… my hand…" she said as she was staring at her hand that I was grabbing, "s-sorry!" I said panickily and let go of her hand.
She started laughing and said, "it's fine, I don't mind."
She laughed.
"So, you can laugh like this too, huh?" I said unconsciously, and corrected myself as I realized it, "I m-mean of course you can…"
"Why did you come here, mister?" she asked as her smiling face got erased after my remark, I answered her doubts, "I-I wanted to tell you that your brother will be out of the city for …a while."
"I see," She said and started heading toward the bed and lied down.
T-that's it!?
"You won't ask why?" I asked getting closer to her, she looked at me with an emotionless face and asked, "why is he going out of the city?"
She's not asking to know the answer, she's asking to satisfy me?
"It's because he's going to bring you the greatest present ever," I said attempting to make her show more emotion and act more excitedly, instead she wore a sorrowful look and her pale hands grabbed the sheet and squeezed it, she said, "I wonder w-why I can predict what the gift is already, he didn't give up on healing me yet, huh…"
"What's that?" I asked with serious tone and asked angrily, "did you tell Nao to give up on trying to find a way to heal you?"
"Why are you yelling at me? What does a stranger like you know, do you know how painful it is to keep receiving kindness from someone who keeps breaking more and more with time?" She yelled at me angrily and continued, "do you have any idea how many times I wish for him to have another sister who didn't only give him trouble!? If not for me, my brother would have led a happy life with no trouble, if only I didn't exist he wouldn't have made a fake smile to cover his emotions… it's all my fault."
No, this is wrong… How is it her fault when it wasn't her wish either? Why is it her fault?
'This is your fault, Izumi… if you weren't born, I wouldn't have done this… You made me like this.'
Why… why was it my fault?
"How can you think of your existence as a regret?" I said with my hand clenched and continued, "why are you trying to act like a victim for!? Receiving kindness is hard? Not receiving it is harder! I am envious of you! Someone is willing to go so far as to give you the greatest gift showing their concern and love toward you, but you are here getting heartbroken since it's a predictable gift!?"
"Why should I hear this from a stranger? If you are done with what you came here for, you can leave-"she said annoyed by me but got interrupted by me, "you know what Nao is going through and is turning a blind eye to his efforts and rejecting his attempts to help you, seeing you living like this just makes me so mad."
"But if I wasn't around he wouldn't have suffered," she said looking down, "if you weren't around, he wouldn't have smiled as much," I corrected her.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked frowning at my statement, "I don't think I know Nao much at all, but I at least know that he's an idiot, if he didn't have someone to care for, he would probably just lead a meaningless life, but you gave him a reason to live for. I'm sure he was the happiest brother in the world when he helped you, and he was the saddest person in the world when you, the reason for his life, was put in danger he can't save you from." I said without averting my eyes from hers to show my sincerity.
I slowly got up and started heading toward the door, "you're going?" she asked me as I opened the door.
Gowd, this is so embarrassing, I was acting all cool and shit a minute ago, but now I want to go to the bathroom but if I say that the cool mood will vanish in a blink of an eye!!!
I turned around and closed my eyes and said in a calm tone trying to sound as cool as possible, "Yeah, I'm going too, and next time I come back… I'll bring in a predictable gift way before Nao does."
Unlike the eyes of admiration that I expected to get, she laughed and said, "you really are a bad person like I thought, Izumi-san."
I exited the room and closed the door behind me, "did I tell her my name?" and started heading toward the car.
In the first place, what is with people always making a habit of calling me with my first name!?
"Oh, you're back?" Hoga said with his poker face, I replied as I started getting into the car, "I think I deserve an award for being so cool today."
Hoga started looking at me suspiciously, and asked, "you didn't do anything illegal, right?"
This jerk, what does he take me for!?
"What did you do while I was away?" I asked trying to hide my frustration, and Hoga ignored my question and mumbled to himself, "did he tell her about her brother? Hopefully, he didn't use his killing sentence while introducing himself. What if they report him?" then looked at me with regretful eyes, "I shouldn't have left it to an idiot like you, baruko."
"This is it!!!! that is as far as my patient goes!!! Stop freaking calling me with all these weird names that I didn't know existed in this world!!" I yelled breaking my calm tone.
"But you are the one who told me to call you that…" He mumbled in a low voice, and I yelled back, "When did I tell you to call me that, you jerk!?!?!"
This is useless… trying to force this sadist clueless guy that enjoys my suffering is useless.
"You know what, I give up. Just call me Izumi." I said as I let out a huge sigh and continued, "in return I will call you with your first name as well."
"Sure, I don't mind, I don't even know why you are making a big deal of this," he said as he started heading back to the apartment building he suddenly tossed papers my way as I looked carefully at them I saw they were newspapers!
"Why are you throwing stuff at me!? You're that pissed about me calling you by your first name!?" I yelled at him but he said, "not that you idiot, look at the headline."
I shifted my eyes and read the headline on the thrown newspaper,
[Healing Hands That Saved a Child From Death!]
"Could this be the one we're looking for!?" I asked excitedly.
"It could be…" Yasahiro answered calmly.
And on that day, both of us completely forgot one important detail…
That it was Monday and we had missed work.