The two teenagers were just about to break out. Only one hurdle left that they had to overcome.
Everyday during the classes, there was a teacher who was sentenced to make sure no student left the school without a signed excuse.
This time it was Mr. Takatora, their mathteacher. He was standing in front of the gate in his brown suite with the green tie. Judging by his grin face, he wished to be anywhere else but here.
Yukiko looked up to Hiroto.
„You said, you had a plan."
Her friend nodded. His eyes shone with unbelievable self confidence.
„Charge forward."
No. That couldn't be his plan. That couldn't be even called a plan to begin with.
„Excuse me?"
Before the girl could say any other word, she was cut short by war cries.
Hiroto screaminly ran past the teacher. Now there was no going back for Yukiko. She followed along while screaming as well. Her cry of war was more like a panicked cry for help though.
Mr. Takatora seemed to be to confused to even take action.
The last thing Yukiko heared him say was "Stop!"
It was already too late. She didn't know where she was supposed to run so she stubbornly followed Hiroto on his way.
After a while her friend came to a halt and both of them could take a deep breath.
Yukiko was surprised by herself. Sports was never one of her strengths. But this time she had an adrenaline rush. That was the only explanation.
The minute Hiroto's breath normalized he started to laugh out loud.
"That went way better than I expected!"
"I can't believe that your only plan was to rush forward."
"I can't believe nobody tried this thing before us. Yukiko, you know that makes us to something like pioneers."
A lot of things were wrong with that statement, but she would break his heart if she shattered that image.
"Aren't you afraid about what you parents are gonna say? Your mom is very strict after all."
When his gaze were directed to Yukiko, his smile seemed to be lonely and distant
"My parents won't say anything. Don't worry about it."
He flicked his fingers against her forehead. A gesture he repeated many times when the girl asked him something that made the boy uncomfortable.
The two of them were on the westward playground. It was about 15 minutes away from their school. Hiroto layed down on the soft green meadow. Yukiko was on his right side and sat next to him. It was completely silent. Only the rustling of the leafes on the tree disturbed quiet. The dark brown hair rung in her friend's face. She would love to just brush it away, but the boy never liked that.
"Just lay down and sleep."
Hiroto smiled at his own suggestion. His brown eyes were still closed.
Yukiko didn't argue and did as she was told. She closed her eyes and hoped she could be just as calm as Hiroto.
Calm.
Quiet.
At peace.
It almost worked, if it hadn't been for the sudden ringing in her bag.
Her mother called. It marked the end of their littler getaway. Yukiko picked up the call.
"Your school just called me."
No greeting. Her mother was angry.
"Come home. I need to have a word with you."
Hiroto pressed his face against the phone as well now. He didn't say a word.
"Okay. I'll be on my way."
Yukikos response was obedient.
„Deine Schule hat mich angerufen."
Both teenagers stood up together.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
The red haired girl shook her head and smiled at him reassuringly.
"If they already called my mother, then they probably called yours already too."
He remained mute and simply nodded. His eyes were fixed on the ground.
"I'll see you tomorrow then, right?"
Whenever these two got in trouble and had to face the consequences, Hiroto had such a guilted expression on his face. As if he was standing in front of a judge. While it was true that most of the time he was the cause of their shenanigans, Yukiko would never fault him for that.
"Of course! And thanks for all the fun on our breakout."
Her smile got wider and his worries disappeared.
They went their separate ways.
Sie gingen ihre getrennten Wege. The way to her apartment seemed so much shorter without anyone to talk to.
In front of the door she didn't even have to fully step into the living room and her mother was already standing in the middle of the room.
A single mother with a black bobcut and dark brown eyes. Yukiko definitely didn't take after her mother when it came to her appearance. She looked more like her father, whoever that was.
"Hello mom."
No greeting again.
"Can you imagine how embarrassing it is, to be called in the office during my work and find out my daughter ran out of school like a maniac?!"
The woman in the black pantsuit sat down on the old couch.
"I hope you have a good explanation.", she added.
"I-"
"Yuki, there is no good explanation! Go to your room!"
She didn't even let her daughter finish. But that's how it was.
It always went down that way whenever there was the slightest problem.
Yukiko loved her mother. This woman had raised her despite all troubles and tribulations. Her mother provided her with everything that she needed. Yukiko loved her without a doubt and yet she wished for this woman to listen to her more.
Yukiko sighed and went to her room. Quietly she closed the wooden door behind her.
Her room hasn't changed since the fifth grade. It was still decorated after the "London" theme Yukiko adored so much. Her mother helped her choose the furniture back then. It was the only thing her mother ever told her about her father. He was British.
The girl let herself fall into her bed and buried her face into the soft pillow. Her head felt heavy. Contrary to that playground it was easy to fall asleep in her room.
She sunk into her bed.
Then she noticed.
Yukiko literary sunk into her bed. Her eyes shot open.
She fell. She fell down a black hole. It had to be a dream.
She felt like Alice who fell down the rabbit hole and entered wonderland. Yukiko wanted to scream but for unknown reasons she just couldn't.
It felt like an eternity when she finally hit the ground.
That place was not the colourful wonderland. Everything around her was pitch black. The redhead stood up in panic and struggled to get a hold of something. Anything.
It's was like an endless room. No matter in which direction she moved, there was not a single wall.
At some point she knew, she wouldn't arrive anywhere. But Yukiko continued her way with outstretched arms in hopes to find a wall.
Then it happened. First it was something tiny. A popping blue that seemed to sparkle.
After the first one a giant pile of confetti rained down on her. Yet it didn't stick anywhere. It fell onto the ground. So that dark eternity had to have a ceiling.
A big white banner rolled down from it and seemed to be floating above the room.
The letters on it were colourful and glittering. It was decorated with different stickers of smileys, rainbows, unicorns and all kinds of cute stuff.
"The End of the World" was written on the banner.
Yukiko couldn't believe her own eyes. Such a thing written on such a cute banner. It had to be a joke. Nobody could take something like this seriously.
That was already the first mistake.