Time was running out for the old man. His years has been used for good and he changed a lot of people's lives.
Even though he changed many people's lives to the better, there was one person that he still could remember about and was engraved in the back of his mind.
A little girl with brown hair and crimson red eyes.
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Hoono was sitting on his chair, watching the rice fields from above. The old Hoono really wanted a time of peace. And here he was, sitting on a chair and enjoying the breeze from the mountains.
As the 54th head of the family, he needed someone to replace him after he pass away. But his daughters weren't suited to be the head of the family, he wanted a boy to be one. But all he has was his daughters who were already working hard to make their father proud.
When the wind stopped, the door to his opened office was knocked by a woman with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing the plain gray kimono.
"Excuse me, Master Hoono. I've found the locations of your brother that you were asking for since last week"
Noel gave Hoono the files about his brother. Hoono opened the file, reading the details of the location.
"Thank you, Noel. You will no longer serve me next week…"
"…!?"
Hoono was confident that his life would end next week, and that confidence made Noel shivered. She looked at her master with glassy eyes, then bowing to him.
"It's my pleasure serving you, Master…"
[And thank you for… Helping my family]. Inside Noel's heart, the feeling for crying was about to burst. But she didn't want to be seen as emotional in front of her master. Fortunately, she was able to leave his office before she started crying.
Noel walked down the hallway, covering her red and wet face.
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"Oh… Brother, please do forgive me"
"No… I'm the one who should be sorry. I gave you my… I don't think I'm even worthy to call her my daughter anymore. She was already⸺⸺"
"⸺I'm so sorry… I threw her out!!"
"Huh…?!"
"I couldn't even look at her!! She was disgusting to my eyes. I wished that she didn't exist at all!!"
The raspy voice of Hoono echoed through the hallway, where many other workers of the house overheard.
"I'm so sorry… Brother. I'm the one… *Koff *Koff. Ack.. I-"
"Hoono!"
Suddenly, having a hard time to breathe, Hoono Fujiwara started to cough, hard.
"Hey!! I need help in here!!!"
That day.
That afternoon.
The Fujiwara house was filled with yellow lights.
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"I'm sorry… He could no longer be saved"
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"⸺⸺The man who changed our lives for the better. I… Don't know how to thank him. I- We… We will forever be in debt to him."
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The small spark turned quickly to a huge flame, engulfing the dead body.
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Hibiki Fujiwara was now alone. Having lost the only brother he had, he regrets everything that he had done in the past. All that flew threw his mind was the thought of a different choice. A different world where he would listen to his brother's words and not fall into the darkness.
He was standing behind the walls of the house, leaning against it and mourning the death of his brother. He had intend to give his brother flowers but his feelings turned and made him run outside of the house and into the streets.
Hibiki looked at the flower, which have already lost some of its parts, and with great force, he threw the flower to the rice fields. Then he broke down in the next moment, his knees gave up and he fell on the concrete road.
"I'm the worst!!"
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In the pouring rain, Hibiki was still on his knees and mourning about his brother. The crying has subsided, only the loneliness was left. And he knew that it would last there, inside his mind, for a very long time.
But suddenly⸺⸺You have no rights to die now.
"…"
What did you do to deserve this life? Was it because you lack the courage to lower your pride? Was it because you enjoy of living free from the hard work? Was it because you lack the will to listen to anyone, and ended with that girl from the streets? You lived the rest of your life enjoying the darkness that life had to offer. You did realize that you had chosen the wrong path and wanted to fix it, right? But what happened to that man who wanted to turn around and go back to the right path?
"…"
You know what you did.
You took that girl from the streets and made her your tool to get money.
"No…"
Every night, you'd always get drunk and do reckless stuff.
"No…!"
This was the reality that you lived. Why are you trying to deny it? You did all of that, just because you didn't want to get help from your brother nor any of your family members.
"No!!!"
Was it worth it?
"NOO!!!!!"
Hibiki slammed his fist on the concrete floor. His knuckles cracked as the loud sound travelled through the rain, getting quieter the further it gets.
"I have no one… I don't have anyone… I lost everything… I can't go back…I don't want anyone to hate me… I want love. I want care⸺⸺"
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"⸺⸺Save me… anyone"
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"Thank you, dad"
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"I love you"
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"…???"
⸺⸺You still have your daughter.