"it...feels cold, it feels eerie...it feels weird. Where am I?"
Aiko feet could not be lifted,
The reason, it wasn't a glue though.
"Why am I...unable to hff...move?" He cried.
It was because,
He was loosing an excessive amount of blood.
"The fire...it got me, what a bitch..." He sighed, as he rested at a nearby wall.
Sfx: crowd panick noises
AAAAAAAAAAA!
The factory workers went BESERK.
"FIRE! FIRE! IT'S A FIRE! WHY HASN'T THE POLICE ARRIVED YET?" a man shouted.
"FIREFIGHTERS! SOMEBODY CALL THEM!' another man shouted.
"Ah... The fire is getting them too, huh?"
[Aiko's Perspective]
"How did I end up like this...again?" I wondered.
Sfx: pant
HAAAH....
"Ah, that's right. I jumped into the fire myself, isn't it?" I said to myself.
But why did I do that, again?
[Flashback]
"Aghhhh....! I have to get this information to Lee! That Ray and Aimi aren't siblings...!" I shouted.
First...it's my sister, Lisa. Whom I can't find. Then,
"Damn you...where are you, Miko?!" Miko had disappeared too.
With all these situations perfectly in fit, Lee and Harold can definitely lead upto a conclusion, right?
Ah, that's what I had thought.
Sfx: stand
"Agh, I must get this information to Lee atleast. He will pass it onto others..." I grunted as I stood up.
But suddenly,
I SAW SOMETHING.
"HELP! HELP!" A voice came within the fire.
Huh?! Who was it?
I imagined,
What if it were my sister?
Brother! Help! Save me, Aiko! I will die here...Aimi, she will kill me! Save me save me save me save me save me.... Words echoed through my mind.
Save me
.
.
.
Save me
.
.
.
.
.
.
Save Lisa
.
.
.
.
.
.
My sister, Save her
.
.
.
"Save her save her save her save her save her....AGHHHHHHHH AAAAAAA WHOM TO SAVE??" I shouted.
I WAS NO LONGER HUMANE!
"FUCK IT, I'M JUMPING IN TO SAVE WHOEVER THAT IS."
And with that thought, I jumped into the fire, with no hesitation whatsoever.
Sfx: fire
"AAAAAAHHHH! I'LL- I WILL BURN HERE! someone, SAVE MEE....!"
LEAP! JUMP!
.
.
.
And with that, a shine of light within the already emitted fire came in,
This light, was brighter than even the fires.
"HOLD MY HAND!" Said Aiko, as he reached out his hand.
"H-Huh...?" She was surprised.
"I SAID, HOLD IT!"
"O-okay!"
And they held their hands, rushing out from the fire.
"Are...are ...y-you another of the workers??" She said in a trembling voice.
Aiko didn't notice, he said
"Huh? I don't know..." He had no sense of what he had said just now.
All he was focused on, was to save this person.
Sfx: crack
...crack
Due to the fire, some cracks started forming on the roof.
This was not a good sign.
"T-the...roof of this room...its-s IT'S CRASHING DOWN!" She panicked.
"Huh?" Aiko was surprised.
And as he turned his head upwards, to see
What has happened
HE SAW SOMETHING
.
.
.
BUT, it became too late
"THE ROOOOOOOFFFFF.....!"
"WHAT THE-"
.
.
.
CRASH!
THE ROOF CRASHED ONTO AIKO
"AAAAGHH!" He shouted
"What do I do? Wh-what do I do?!"
"Fuck it, escape, idiot! Escape!" Aiko shouted.
"I- I HAVE TO?!"
"OFCOURSE YOU DO, GO ESCAPE AND LIVE! I-i might die here...i-i dont know!"
Tears came out from Aiko's eyes, as his life flashed before his eyes, his sister, would he be okay?
.
.
.
Aiko began taking his last breaths, thinking what to say for his final words.
.
.
.
Death, is nobody's preferred timing to occur on. Blessed are those who die peacefully with their loved ones surrounding them by their side.
.
.
.
But it seems, Aiko wasn't the case.
Or was it?
.
.
.
"Aimi wouldn't allow that." The girl said.
"Huh? A-aimi?" Aiko gasped, what had he just heard?
"Yes, her. I must save you, this is the only way to show you what she has taught me." The girl said.
"H-huh..? Who are you...?"
"Me? I'm Ayumi. It's not the time for m-me to introduce, r-..right? I'll save you..somehow!" Ayumi said while stuttering.
And suddenly,
Ayumi began pulling onto Aiko.
"This won't work..." Said Aiko, while panting.
"You don't decide that, this will work!" Ayumi said with a voice of dedication and determination,
"Huh? Are you stupi-"
.
.
.
Pull!
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.
"...what...?" Aiko was surprised.
What did he just witness?
"Times like these turn anybody into a strong a person, isn't it?" Ayumi smiled.
Sfx: bleed
"Haah...huff...maybe..." Aiko panted.
"Oh wait, stay right here. I'll bring first aid, I'LL SAVE YOU!" Ayumi ran off.
.
.
.
And that's how,
"I'm currently here...laying for my life. Ayumi might be coming anytime soon..." Aiko said as he covered his wound.
"But that's not going to stop me. I'll... I'LL MOVE!"
STAND!
Aiko stood up, but suddenly
"AUGHF-"
"I FORGOT...THE WOUNDS..."
As Aiko stood up, he fell down the other moment.
Thud!
"Ughf...will I...will I...die like this?" Said Aiko.
.
.
But suddenly, a saviour came.
"I'm sorry for the late!" Ayumi crouched as she began covering up Aiko's wounds.
"This isn't enough, but you'll atleast remain alive..." She said.
Sfx: wrap
As she kept wrapping around Aiko,
"Umm..." He was blushing.
But this wasn't a form of love,
IT WAS INSANITY
PUSH!
"WHA-"
"GET OFF ME!" Aiko shouted
Pull!
He pulled out his phone, and suddenly called Lee
"This bastard didn't pick up..."
Then it was Harold
"If he doesn't pick up... I'LL BE PROVEN RIGHT."
THEN, TAKASHI
"Damn you...taxi driver, pick the call!"
But none of them picked it up,
"...all of this, leads to one conclusion..."
.
.
.
And as Aiko called Minoru, He realised something...
"Huh? Aiko?"
"Harold and Mai, Along with Lee and Takashi..."
He added
"ARE DEAD."
.
.
Chapter 56: Aimi's Plan
"WHAT??"
Minoru couldn't believe it.
"...Lee too?"
To which, Aiko said
"Listen... I don't have much time... I might not live much and so..."
Hang!
He cut the call.
And in the nearby wall, Aiko panted as he took his final breaths.
"Ahh...Lisa, I loved you. Remember that." He said.
Before,
His eyes closed.
"No...n-no...my..." Ayumi trembled from a distance.
Rush!
She ran towards Aiko, as she held him in his arms, she said
"I'LL SAVE YOU!!!!!!!"
"NOOOOO!!!!!"
"AIKO!!!!!!!"
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.
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Outside the Main room
"Oh my~ don't be so shy, come further! Come forward!" Aimi invited Ryou.
"N-no, I'm fine." Ryou was straightforward.
"...EH?" Aimi stared at Ryou.
Her eyes were blank, it was that cold look again.
"No Aimi, I'm not afraid of you." Ryou said.
"W...WHAT?" Aimi pointed her knife towards him.
"I might just break the contract, you know~" she referred to the new contract they had formed,
Aimi promised to never take a life.
But she didn't specify, IT WAS AFTER THIS INCIDENT.
"You already did. Thrice." Ryou said with a blank look on his face.
And that's when Aimi realised.
"Oh my..."
RYOU HAS BROKE APART.
"Sigh..." Aimi sighed as she walked a little closer to Ryou.
Her hips swayed, as usual.
She sat near him, as she put her hand over his.
Ryou didn't resist, rather, he ignored it all.
"Huh? Are you ignoring me? Why?" Aimi sounded concerned.
"Just what the hell do you want? Why do you kill them?" Ryou said with a terrified emotion.
"Ah, that?" Aimi felt confused
But yet, she felt relieved.
"Well, it's simple. I don't want any obstacles in our way, how can it be a complicated reason?"
"Muuuuu" Aimi smooched on Ryou's shoulder.
Push.
Ryou shrugged Aimi off his shoulder.
"Don't play dumb. We could have just escaped this very moment."
Sfx: stand
Stand!
"If you wish to remove any obstacles between us, THEN LET'S ESCAPE RIGHT NOW!" Ryou said while panting.
"..."
"Why? Don't you wish to spend an eternity with me?"
"I-..." Aimi stuttered.
She was too stunned to speak.
"Before I came to save you, I could have just easily let you be tortured by Harold and the others. But I made up my mind and decided to go back into this 'Hell' others call..." Ryou said.
"And now, you're afraid? Why, I sacrificed my own freedom just for you to reject it? Do you want everything to go your way?!" Ryou shouted.
"YES! YES! I want it to go my way!"
Sfx: cry
Tears fell out from Aimi's eyes, as she wiped them off quickly. Not letting Ryou see a single sign of weakness.
"Your tears won't solve the problem Aimi, you're a murderer. A DAMN MURDERER! I want to believe in you, so please, let's... LET'S RUN AWAY!" Ryou said with a glitter of hope.
"No! I can't!" Aimi replied, as tears kept sprinting out of her eyes.
"WHY?"
Aimi couldn't reason with Ryou.
She had alot to say, but seeing how Ryou was.
She believed it was better not to do so.
"HAAA-"
Wham!
Thud!
"What are you-"
Aimi leaped onto Ryou, as she climbed on him,
"Stop it!"
"Shut up."
She pinned him to the ground, as she brought her face closer to him...
Her lips opened, while Ryou couldn't maintain an eye contact as they...
"Ryou..."
Kiss...
They kissed, their tongues interwined, as Aimi tried delivering her saliva into Ryou's mouth...
"Mmmh.."
But it happened partially, Aimi spread the rest of her juices onto his lips, lubricating his dry mouth as she whispered
"You don't know me ever since that day, right?"
.
.
.
[Flashback]
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.
.
At Old Master's Mansion
"Son, I'm going for the business trip today." The old Master said.
"Again?! That's the 5th time you're leaving me alone this month!" Ryou protested
Ryou was angry with his father, had he never gotten motherly love, but also he had never recieved his father's affection.
For him, the world might be satisfactory, being rich surely left him with no needs,
But what about his share of love?
And so, he raised his voice,
"Dad, you always leave me like this! I HATE YOU!"
To which,
"Grr..." The old Master had gotten
Angry.
Sfx: scream
"You're SIXTEEN! ONE, SIX, SIXTEEN! YOU MUST LEARN HOW TO LIVE ON YOUR OWN, DAMMIT!"
WHAM!
"Haa- dad!" Ryou took a step back,
As the old Master smashed, the vase!
"Clean it up." He said as he regained his composure.
"ofcourse, Master." The Maid said.
"huff...huff..." She heard a voice.
It was full of tears, or a weak frail voice against a brute force, it seemed.
"...?" She turned around,
To find the young master crying.
"Ah, perhaps I shall console the young master?" She asked his father.
"Huh?! I do not wish to see him at this moment, get him out of my sight!" The old master replied.
"Tsk. Haah....sniff, hhuf..." Ryou sniffed as he cried.
"Oh please, master, you shall take a look!" The maid insisted.
"Huh?" The old master decided to take a glance.
"W...WHA?" He was surprised.
To find his grown son,
Crying?
He couldn't figure out why,
Maybe it was too awkward for him aswell.
"Wha...what happened to you, Ryou? Ryou!!" He shaked Ryou.
But Ryou couldn't answer.
"The tears, why do they sprint from your eyes? I want to know the reason, please, do not do this to your old man!" The old master pleaded.
"Master, it must've been a cause of your early judgement. I shall give both of your beloved masters some space, I have faith in you, master." The maid left.
Sfx: walk
Sfx: door close
*Creaaaakk, THUD, CLOSE!
"Listen...son, I-...."
"Wha...what is it, fa-..master??" Ryou was still crying but decided to hold onto the etiquettes, so his father doesn't scold him again.
"Perhaps I made a huge mistake, my son! Let's not talk formally-"
Hug!
"But like men, like a father and a son, tell me, what have I done wrong?" The Old Master's tried his best.
"I-...I don't know, b-but...you never paid any attention to me, even now...you're just leaving me! How can I be rich when my father obbed me of my love for the family!" Ryou said as he raised his voice from his tears.
To which, Old Master stuttered
"Uh, I-"
"Tell me dad, WHERE IS THE FAMILY?"
WHERE IS THE FAMILY?
WHERE IS THE FAMILY?
These words kept echoing in Old Master's mind.
Perhaps, he was shot with a very close line to his heart.
"Family...?" The master giggled.
Hug...
"Raise a family son, do what I couldn't. You will raise a beautiful family and distribute your wealth, live in the countryside and have a huge farm. That's, where the true happiness and your definition of family is." The old master said.
"But then again, in order for these times to come, I shall raise an enormous amounts of wealth, so you shall never work in your lifetime ever again. Life is about living, not earning. My son, I hope you understand." The old master adjusted his glasses, and held back his tears,
As he left the room.
Outside the room
"Say, were you able to convince him?" The maid asked.
"You were listening to us this entire time, huh?" Master said.
"Yeah, I needed to supervise, that's all."
"Well, you're like his second mother, Carla. Please take care of him when I'm gone." The master said as he wiped off his tears.
"Oh master, isn't it just another week?"
"Yes, but after I come, we will only have a month together, after that he...he has to go to foreign country!" The master said with concern.
"And in that case, don't we just have the perfect girl to take care of him?" Carla said.
"A-Aimi...?"
"Yeah, her. I recommend you sending along with young master-"
"No, Aimi shall not go. I wish to make Aimi be independent of herself, that way she could lead... My son." The master said.
Carla didn't react, instead, she just nodded.
"Very well, master. I shall be making preparations for you then, may your trip be filled with prosperity." She said.
.
.
.
And with that, The Master and Maid Carla had left the mansion.
The mansion was left in the hands of the other maids, however even with so many people
Ryou felt lonely.
In Ryou's Bedroom
"Its not enough..." Ryou said as he, scribbled onto something.
"Hm? What's not enough?"
"Don't you see? The chest and waist ratio, it's absurd!" Ryou explained.
It seems he was drawing something, perverted?
"Ohh, I see. Nice anatomy over there, Master-"
"Ofcourse. Wait-"
"UWAAAAAA-" Ryou was surprised!
"When on earth did you come here?!" He asked in a high voice.
"What do you mean, I was always here, Master."
"Okay okay, Aimi, stop with this 'Master' thing, call me by my name would you?" Ryou said with an embarrassed yet flustered face.
"Oh okay, master, you sound quite annoyed today, why is it so?" Aimi asked.
"Huh? You're not gonna stop calling me a master would you?!" Ryou said in an annoyed voice.
He just proved Aimi right.
"You didn't answer my question though..." Aimi said with a frowned face.
"Aughhh...okay, I'll tell you."
"It's my father. When you don't have one parent, it's expected by the remaining parent to always serve both the roles. But could you ever gain the love of a parent if he's too busy just preparing his son's future while ignoring his present?" Ryou said with a blank face.
This wasn't a first timer for Aimi.
Ryou had always been like this, and so,
"Hufff...I-..."
This was a time for Ryou to get,
ANOTHER MENTAL BREAKDOWN
SCREAM!!!
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
He screamed.
It was a state of panick.
But only for Ryou,
Somehow, Aimi smiled.
.
.
.
"I AM WORTHLESS, I AM USELESS, IT'S NOT MY FATHER. THE PROBLEM IS IN ME! I AM THE ONE WHO SHOULD DIE-"
HUG!
"AGGHHFFF- DONT TOUCH ME-"
"NO!" Aimi gripped onto Ryou, as if we're a life or death situation.
"AIMI- I'LL CALL OTHER MAIDS IF YOU DONT STOP-"
Whenever Ryou had a breakdown, Aimi would force herself onto him.
There was no possibility for other maids to know that the son of an elite man could be so emotionally weak, and knowing that,
Aimi had gained a special position. The only one to ever console Ryou.
"Call them. Let them know who you are." Aimi's grip remained tight.
It was as if she didn't let want to let go of Ryou.
They remained like for a few minutes.
"Aimi... Why are you like this?" Ryou asked, his voice remained low because of Aimi, who hugged him tightly to her chest.
"Who's like what?" Aimi played dumb.
It was clear Aimi did not want to tell the reason.
"Don't act like that...you know what I am talking about." Ryou said.
Aimi stroked Ryou's hair as she said
"Master, I don't know anything you talk about at the moment. All I know is the treasure my current moments with you."
"Ah...what did I expect? You're going to give me the same answer everytime I have a breakdown, isn't it?" Ryou said as he sighed.
Aimi remained silent.
"..."
"...Aimi?"
"..." She didn't reply.
"Ah, I said something stupid, isn't it? Forget it-" Ryou said.
"I have a feeling." Aimi said with a blank face.
"Huh?-"
"This feeling in me. It burns. It hurts. It hurts so much to not love, because if I did. My life would turn miserable." Aimi said.
"What are you-"
Loose.
Suddenly, Aimi's grip onto Ryou went cold and limp,
BUT SUDDENLY,
PUSH!
"Who do you think that is because of?" Aimi said as,
She pushed Ryou to the bed and pinned him to the bedsheet, covering his eyes with her face as her hair covered both of them.
"I- I don't...know what do you mean?" Ryou said with a flustered face.
He still didn't get the hints.
"You know, I am resisting. I am resisting my animalistic desires projected onto y-...so STOP doing this." Aimi said with a cold voice
"W-what...what am I doing? What do you mean?" Ryou went shy.
"Agh...you don't get it!"
.
.
.
But as they countinued in their game,
Another maid saw them.
"Oh my god, Maid Aimi is harassing our Young Master?"
"I knew she was a damn slut!" Other maid said.
One maid even commented
"How does our Old Master adopt an orphan, this girl is totally after his wealth isn't she?!"
And so,
Bang! Open!
"YOU FUCKING SLUT, AIMI! GET OUT OF OUR YOUNG MASTER RYOU!"
The other maids had bardged into the scene, as Aimi was on top of Ryou
They saw everything that has happened.
"This is what it looks like!" Ryou exclaimed.
"Don't worry master! We know you're being forced by this clever bitch!" The maid exclaimed.
Another maid, Samantha, snatched Aimi away from Ryou.
Sfx: pull
Pull! Snatch!
"Get off him at this instant! How dare you? You're just fourteen, and you have the guts to do such things?!" Samantha exclaimed as she used such harsh words onto Aimi.
"Haah!" Aimi exclaimed with a weak voice.
She couldn't understand, what had just happened.
But she knew the consequences wouldn't be so good.
And as she was pulled away by the other maids, she gave a death stare to Ryou.
"Eh...?"
But it was different. Ryou noticed,
These were the eyes of hunger, dependency, and lust. These weren't the feelings of hatred that Aimi longed for Ryou, but rather what she wanted to suppress within herself,
LOVE. As we know it.
.
.
.
The punishment that was given to Aimi, was to be locked within her room for a whole day.
It wasn't unusual for Aimi to be treated like this, these punishments by the other maid were quite often.
In Aimi's room
She sat there, sitting at her room with a blank look over her face.
For Aimi's this was meditation, to suppress her love for Ryou.
Because if she didn't do so, her curse her would activate again.
"Hush!" She heard a noise.
"Hey hey!" The voice became louder.
It was, Ryou.
"Huh... Master?!" Aimi was surprised.
Why would he come here?
"You...you lke something like poetry isn't it?" Ryou said as he climbed through the window with great difficulty.
Thud!
"Owww" he fell to the ground
"M-master!" Aimi panicked.
"It's fine... Here, take this poetry book, I think it'll help you with your punishment." Ryou said with a hopeful voice, as he recovered from his fall.
"W-...what?"
Tears fell out of Aimi's eyes.
"Y-you...."
HUG! WHAM!
"THIS IS THE REASON...WHY I WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM YOU!" Aimi cried, tears fell onto Ryou's face, as she said with a weak voice.
Pat...
"You're cute like this, Aimi... Dad adopted you for a reason, and you live upto it..." Ryou said with a calm voice as he patted Aimi's head and her back.
"T-this..." Aimi kept crying.
As she said
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!"
You don't understand!
.
.
.
Presently, At the Main Room
"You don't understand!" Aimi said, as she was on her all fours, on top of Ryou.
"Truth is, Aimi, I don't understand. I truly don't." Ryou said as he closed his eyes.
"But does that stop me, from attempting to understand, who Aimi is? Am I that cruel?" Ryou said.
"I-..I DONT KNOW!" Aimi said, as tears were filling her eyes.
"I wanted for both of us, to run away. Live a countryside. Have a huge farm, but it seems you're not interested, are you?" Ryou suggested.
Aimi understood his decision to still run away from all this mess that has been created, to which Aimi said
"No, for the both of us, I have a plan."
.
.
.
At the corridor
There was a moment of panick between all the four people
Takashi and Minoru were thinking all the ways to come up wit a plan, that could help them win against Aimi.
Even now that Lee, Harold and most importantly their main pawn:
Michael and Mai were unavailable.
What do they do?
"Shit shit shit shit what do we do?!" Takashi panicked.
"You know, this is the first time I have seen you panicking so much." Minoru added.
"Are you freaking serious?! We are on the verge of dying due to this fire and Aimi, and on top of that you're commenting about that NOW?" Takashi said in response.
"Guys, can't we just run away?" Aoi said.
"That would be too stupid. It's what Aimi wants, isn't it?" Alice added.
"What do you think is not stupid then, Alice?" Minoru asked Alice.
"Violence, that is." Alice said in response, she cracked her knuckles.
"As if that isn't what we are facing right now, hah.." Takashi and Aoi laughed.
"I didn't mean that, I meant taking down Aimi by force." Alice said.
"Are you serious? She took down an old guy like Lee, then a strong guy like Harold and even a fighter like Mai! And we know of Ryou, that guy is capable of beating us up!" Takashi added.
"He's still under the feet of Aimi though..." Aoi responded.
"That's what makes her scary, isn't it? Direct violence is what she wants aswell! She can kill us with those skills of her. Especially with the fact that we have killed exactly zero people, and she has done countless murders." Takashi added.
"No no, I am interested in what Alice has said." Minoru added.
"Are you for real?" Aoi and Takashi questioned.
Minoru normally wouldn't trust someone like he did to Alice.
"This guy knows me, fufu~" Alice blushed.
"Alice has exactly something which somebody like even Aimi can't expect." Minoru added.
"Huh? What is it?" Takashi asked.
"It can't be told right now, but know this, after she uses her skills. She would no longer be a police officer."
"Huh? Why?"
"It's a part of the plan we agreed upon, if we couldn't arrest any criminal, we would..." Minoru said with fear.
To which, Alice replied
"Oh dear, don't say that word."
"Right."
"So, what's our current plan?"
"Our current plan"
Minoru took a breath as he said this,
"IS TO DIRECTLY CONFRONT AIMI, FOUR AGAINST ONE."