"I like you, Itsuki!!"
I—who own the name—immediately freeze when she shouts. I can sense her passion behind the powerful sounded sentence, stunning me in confusion with countless weird feelings crossing my mind, questioning myself about the current situation I'm facing right now.
I'm turning blank in an instant.
I just had a love confession; it's normal to get shock when someone just scream over your name along with such words, clearly addressed to you by no mistake. But what's really surprising is the fact that it actually came from a childhood friend, someone I already knew from long long ago. Someone who have been with me since we first learned reading as kindergarteners, doing things together as a duo that can't be separated away, just like a pair of shoes staying next to each other on any action.
Nothing breaks the silence. None of us say even a word while minutes keep passing us by, under this huge cherry tree. We end up exchanging eye sights this way because I previously received a message to come to this place.
I thought someone or a group of bastards might hit me to death since I already get used to get beaten for being so close with this idol. This idol who has the tip of her hair reaching her waist, fine slim body shape and is even taller than me. A walking charismatic magnet who makes people immediately put their eyes on her anywhere she goes whether young or old. The kind of person that should be beyond my capability; she is standing in front of me, had her love confession towards me.
All I do is helplessly scratching my hair though it doesn't feel itchy at all, running out of idea about what should I properly do to handle this uncomfortable atmosphere. I don't even hide how I currently behave to her, showing actual expressions I make as a reaction to her confession.
Her blue eyes are crystal clear, staring straight at me as if it's stabbing me deep with a strong will. She wants an answer—like for real—that I have never expected it to come from her in my whole life time.
"Itsuki…"
She calls, again, sounds fragile than before. I don't know why.
"I love you…"
She keeps repeating, and for some unknown reasons it multiplies the heavy weight in this heart, instinctively telling me that I have to reply sooner.
But… .
Do I really have the right to answer from the very beginning?
"Shiina…"
I begin, preferring to call her surname instead, turning her face as pale as a snow drop as if she's facing the end of this universe. The way I call her just broke the tension.
"I don't want to be your boyfriend."
Of course I'd say that, anyone could expect it only by seeing how I call her name, how cold I was when replying. I'm totally turning into someone else.
I continue with silence, deciding to shut my mouth and wait instead. She might just disappear or taking a slap on my cheek before running off my sight, leaving me alone under this cherry tree with its blooming flowers which also fall at the same time around us. The beautiful view, the cherry petals dance with the wind; the sight that I'd never witness with joy.
"But why?"
Her eyes get watery, imitating the stars I've seen during night skies. I definitely know what will happen next. These mixed uncomfortable feelings strongly dwell in me, but I'm gripping on the commitment. Being in a relationship with her is impossible.
"'Cause we're different…" I'm saying it with a single take of breath then looking back at that flawless pretty idol who's known as a very heartwarming one. You can say only brainless people would refuse dating this super eye catching girl; anyone would rather judge how irrational the person is, if it really happen.
"Just, why? Is it really your actual reason in refusing my confession? We can pass through everything, together—"
"—Not just that."
"Huh…?"
She stops all of sudden—from what I sense—as she understands that I have a few more thoughts to add.
"We're different because you heart's been tainted to the core, while I'm the type of person who hardly keep idealism. Shiina Uzuki—Loser Rejecter, exactly."
An audible whispery soft giggling breaks the chill. I see her facial expression changes; we've been barely meet each other lately. We usually miss each other, at least that's what should have happened minutes ago as we met.
Just, a few issues mess it up and things don't go well.
I slip a hand into the pocket, pulling out the note—which was placed inside my locker by an unknown—off my pants and show it to her. I start questioning her along with a slight grin.
"You didn't wrote these.
"'Meet me under the cherry tree. You're gonna regret it if you don't come.'
"Those are what have been written on it. But what's bugging me is not the content but more to its writing style. I know Uzuki since we're kindergarteners. I remember everything about her very well. Her writings; her way of scratching the ink from the beginning to the end of any word, even her unique handwriting font size, also the angle of each alphabet she makes.
"You asked someone else to do this, don't you?"
Uzuki stares back at me with those wide clear blue eyes, turning her head to her surroundings. She lightly shakes her head, trying to play naïve about everything I said.
"What do you mean, Itsuki…? I asked my friend to do so because I was too shy, is it wrong?"
Her voice lowered slowly along with her head, pestering my sight to see her face obviously unless the gap between her lips. She takes a short breath.
"You have discovered everything, eh?"
At the same time, I quickly spin to my back with a punch landing on someone who's trying to beat me from behind accurately. I just broke the jaw of my ex junior high school's student council president. He groans in pain, and I bet it was huge blow to him because I didn't hold myself at all and I'm hella sure I accurately broke something in him physically.
His eyes are both full of rage, but the tears which come from the pain I made makes his look even pathetic than a lonely stray puppy under the heavy rain.
"Why—why… Itsuki?"
"I know what you've been continuously planning after all this time, telling those slaves of yours to hit me for the revenge you're holding. Don't you?"
"How could you? You killed my dad!!"
Things are now getting clear, revealing the truth that she has been holding so long. That childhood flower rushes over me, pulling up a tiny folded knife off her school jacket's pocket and she aim to stab me.
I easily avoid her timid steps with a swift move aside, letting her tumble and fall as she missed her target. Her balance gets her almost stabbing the previous guy instead, gets him screaming like a feminine gay. If only I didn't hold her waist.
Uzuki struggles to free herself and I willingly let her escape since I can't really manage the strength of my hands for those abrupt moves of theirs. A fortune for that ex student council president, he managed to run away as well.
I turn my attention to my surroundings, finding out that there are students I don't recognize surrounding me. Less than ten but still impossible for me to handle just by myself. I stand still, preparing myself, intimidating them with stronger eye sight including these fists. I know I could prevent nothing but seems like the past event just frighten their guts.
"Killing your father… that's your motive to beat me in every single time, eh?"
Nothing comes from her mouth. Her blue eyes looks grizzly darker for a moment, reflecting her restrained anger. My very first time seeing her drowning into revenge this deep.
"I didn't kill him at all. All I did was killing side characters to raise the level."
I sound so damn chill when saying those towards Uzuki. I'm looking at her, still drowning in madness.
"You know my secrets, and you know what I meant. The problem is… your father himself is the real disgusting one here, compared to me."
She sharply glares at me, I can tell it pisses her off to the finest but I don't care and keep flaming on her.
"Alright. I killed him, and he had been a part of me as my experience to gain levels—"
"—Jerk!!"
She starts repeating her previous act with a faster move. She really plans to kill me with her own hands without the help of her slaves anymore. I know her well. I know how big her urge is, doing this by herself only to make sure things are going as she planned.
"You mother got assaulted by your father before the official marriage. It was an incident, which means you're an illegitimate daughter."
Uzuki immediately stops, doubting her will to murder and start freezing. Her face us turning pale even whiter than before, displaying her flimsy veins behind her skin around the bottom side of her cheeks including the neck.
"He rapped other women as well, then ended up marrying your mother just because people succeed discovering him as the suspect."
Words coming out flawlessly off my mouth and Uzuki doesn't even move an inch. I managed to stun her in various aspects—she's totally in silence that I thought her tongue gets sudden malfunction—and nothing could really come out from her to reply. Before she get the opportunity to counter, I hit her nape with the stun gun which I've pulled off the sheath quickly.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
Her scream echoes but its volume gets lower along with her tumbling body. She lies on the ground powerlessly, looks pathetic that it makes me laugh for some ridiculous reasons. What's the use of strong soul with huge flame of revenge if your weak body can't handle your will?
Her diehard fans—more to stupid obsessive lovers—immediately leave as they see me holding the gun. It's just their choice, run or be my additional experience. They're just just too many and too fast that I'd rather let them go.
"I-Itsuki…"
"I know everything, including how your father forced himself on you, right? I know. Don't say anything anymore, just stay laying down there… guess it's the right time to say farewell to this normal life I've been living so far. At least I've experienced a fine disguise."
I'm starting to move, leaving the girl alone. "I got no intention to kill anyone today. Consider yourself lucky."
I wave a lazy goodbye, disappearing from her view and go to school's backyard, intending to run into the hill.
Ping!!
A notification sound beeps inside my head as I open the gate to backyard followed with a wide transparent hologram-like screen in the air. Something's written on it.
[Quest: Handle you previous beaten childhood friend who was trying to disenchant how you behave!
Description: Shiina Uzuki, the childhood friend that's not so close to you anymore was the daughter from one of the bastards who have been slain by us to get stronger. She knew you're the murderer of her father. It was actually not a revenge but responsibility. She wants you to surrender yourself to the police though she knows her method was wrong.
Attention: This quest grants you extra bonuses! There will be some of Shiina's guards. Defeat them to gain up to 10 levels!
Objective: Handle Shiina Uzuki. Good luck!
Reminder, side objective: her guards grants you 10 levels so don't miss it!
[V] Handle Shiina Uzumaki
[X] Defeat Shiina Uzumaki's guards
Reward: By accomplishing this quest, you'll get freed from any bond with anyone anymore and start experiencing the game more serious! [Focus Passive Effect will be gained]
Unfortunately you skipped killing her guards, what a waste! Actually a few new equipment were prepared. [failed gaining New Equipment]
Sanction: If you didn't come a.s.a.p she might report you to the police and you'll get arrested! [must avoid]
Total Experience: 0]
I'm staring blankly at the screen.
A screen full of friendly sentences with heartwarming-like directions.
Various sentences that seemed trying hard to be seen friendly by me.
Trying so hard to affect me…
"This shitty scum!!"
I'm yelling to myself while running to the hill. Anger surges in my veins and I can't hold all of these any longer, right fucking now.
The police don't seem to chase. They aren't after me, I should have felt the relief.
I should be grateful for that.
But…
"I've lost everything!!"
-To Be Continued-