With a soft click, I closed the door behind me. As soon as I entered, my room greeted me with its familiar scent. Two weeks wasn't that long of a period, if I think about it. Yet it felt as though I'd been away for years.
I dropped my bag on the table and collapsed onto the bed. An overwhelming sense of comfort and warmth quickly took over.
"Missed you too, buddy." I muttered to the mattress while stretching my arms up and down, almost like making a snow angel.
But the moment didn't last.
'Drawer Number Two'
The bus driver's words crept back into my mind. A simple, offhand remark. It could have been nothing, a meaningless phrase muttered by an 'overly friendly' old man. Yet, the moment he'd said it, something deep inside me had stirred. The way he'd looked at me, felt odd. And a knowing smile that didn't feel random.
Instinctively, my eyes were drawn to the nightstand by the bed.
It looked the same as I'd left it... or did it?
"...."
Something felt off. The drawer was perfectly shut, seamlessly aligned with the frame. On the outside, it would seem completely normal.
But I remembered leaving the drawers slightly ajar before the trip. It wasn't out of rush, or anything... It was a habit. I, for sure, wasn't meticulous enough to have left it like this.
'To think someone might've gone through my stuff in this room.'
I pushed myself up from the bed, and leaned forward to pull the drawer open.
Notes, a knife, sleeping meds, prescription papers, bandages... A letter?
Inside, everything was as it should be. My belongings were exactly where I'd left them, untouched and undisturbed. All, except for an extra item there... The letter.
It was neatly folded, as though it had been placed there with care. My name was written on the front in immaculate handwriting. The strokes were fluid and elegant and written in cursive English.
Levent.... Bayrakter.
"..."
The sight of my name... my 'Real' name, made my throat tighten.
For a moment, I simply stared at the letter, unwilling to touch it. My instincts screamed at me to leave it alone. But curiosity... or something stronger, overpowered my sense of hesitation. Slowly, I picked it up and unfolded it.
What was written in the body sent chills down my spine...
[ To the One Out of Place,
The choices you made were... very interesting. And you've done well to adapt and improvise. But let's be honest, some doors cannot remain closed forever. You've seen the signs, haven't you? There's a reason why you were sent here. And it's about time you know it. Keep going, but tread carefully. The truth waits for no one.
Be careful. I will personally see you soon. ]
There was no signature.
I read the words over and over again, hoping to find clarity. But the meaning only became heavier with each repetition.
Someone knew. That bus driver knew who I was, or worse... what I used to be.
The paper trembled in my hand. I folded it carefully, placed it back in the drawer, and slid it shut. My head fell back against the soft pillow. But the unease wouldn't leave me.
"Drawer number two," I whispered to no one. Now, with context, it almost sounded like a warning.
There was a bright and cheerful day waiting outside the window. But nothing felt cheerful or relaxing anymore. My eyes unintentionally formed into a frown. On the deepest pit of my stomach, I felt it.
This wasn't over.
🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁
Afterwords:
E: Yeah, no.. Sorry, Levent, but it's over.
Levent: ....Hah~ What a relief!
E: ...What?
Levent: What... I'm finally free from your procession. I no longer have to go through all that sufferings that you made me go through.
E: Huh? The fuck do you mean? And in the first place, who do you think you are?
Levent: Your victim, unfortunately.
E: Shut it! Go sit in a corner and reflect on your actions, you ungrateful bastard!
Levent: *Grumbles as he walks away and closes the door with a loud bang*
E: Ah, finally... Some peace. Honestly, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my chest
Now, to you, the viewers. Did you see what I did there? I used to make banters like this back in the early days of the fic in the afterwords. Ah, how nostalgic... Perfect way to end this don't you agree?
Also, I- Hey! HEY! Put the gun down! We can talk about this!
First of all... hahahaha! Let me laugh at you all, I wonder how angry you all must be feeling right now... Yes, I will discontinue this fic with a fucking cliffhanger! Mwahahahah!
Uh, sorry about that. Kind of a beginner at this villain arc thing. Haha-
*click
Wait! Relax! RELAX!! DON'T SHOOT! At least, let me make my excuse!
Okay.. so, um, the thing is...
I... just lost motivation.
Simple as that. I will not make excuses like 'ColLeGe SuCKs' or 'I'm SiCk aND mEnTaLLy DpreSSed' or shit like that, (Though, those are BIG factors for this ending). I just no longer enjoy writing this fic anymore. Reason, I dunno? I feel like it's not being productive in any way. I mean, It's not like I'm contributing to anything by writing a fanfiction.
The biggest reason is, I want to create something new.. Something, I can truly call 'MINE'. I don't want to brag to my friends and family about a story I wrote based off of an existing story written by a guy name 'Kinugasa' who's way past their peak. I just have this newfound ambition.. or narcissism? I dunno.
But hey... That just means I'm ditching this book... but not writing books as a whole. I will still write stuff... But just not this one. I will also be focusing more on Youtube I guess? (I dunno, editing a video is kind of hard ngl.)
All that being said, I want to be a bit emotional...
Whoosh~ It's been three years, this journey... I remember back in the first years college when I first got my phone and moved away from family to an unknown city. I remember how excited I was when they released season two of classroom of the elite. I remember being so excited and wanting immersion so bad that I searched up fanfics of this series. I remember being disappointed with many fic with potentials and said, "Fuck it, I'll do it myself" and instinctively creating this book. I remember using my breaktime to type a new chapter every day on my phone. I loved seeing all the comments and interacting with you all.
Many old commenters are no longer active, many old writers are quitting, many fictions with potentials are now dead...
I guess it's time for me to be like them as well.
Welp, that was a longas speech. Sorry if I'm being too cringe... And thank you for reading through my cringe everyday.
My name is Easin. And I will see you in another book, in another chapter in the future.
Farewell. Ciao ;]