'Let's start…'
A white streak arced through the air, coming down with a silent command that brought the orchestra to life.
It started with a few notes, a lone piano trying to tell a story with each keystroke. The melody, highlighted by the chords softly reverberating, filled the stage, spreading to the audience like raindrops on a still pond.
Renn stood poised, his baton serving as the guide for the hundreds of skilled artists in front of him. He calmly watched the pianist, feeling the melody intertwine with his own heartbeat as his arms moved to maintain the tempo like flowing water, in a continuous and orderly movement. The rhythm connected them, making the whole orchestra move as one single entity as the cellos started to fill in with a low hum.
His gaze swept across the sea of faces illuminated by the stage lights, each one a thread in the tapestry being weaved by his hands. Noticing their eyes focusing on himself, he smiled reassuringly at the musicians, looking at every section and changing his movements as a sign to either come in, or come out, following the sheets each of them had. His attitude seemed to appease them, as some of their shoulders relaxed slightly.
Satisfied with the response, Renn looked below to the left side of his platform, his movements unaffected.
There stood a young woman with orange eyes and crimson hair cascading against the stark black of her gown, with a determined expression framed on her delicate face. A violin nestled beneath her chin, akin to a silent partner awaiting its call.
'I entrust this to you.' He thought, meeting her eyes.
The strings started producing an ascending melody underneath, hinting that something was to come as the girl took a deep breath, preparing herself. For the moments to come, she would be a vessel for the intentions poured in his arrangement.
Renn turned towards her and waved his hand down, giving the cue. The first stroke was but a whisper, but soon, a melancholic tone filled the hall, hauntingly beautiful as it gripped the hearts of the audience.
When the last note lingered in the air, then came the silence. A collective intake of breath in stunned stillness before the applause erupted, crashing against the stage in a thunderous wave.
Renn lowered his baton with a smile, acknowledging the musicians who had brought his work to life. He put it inside his suit and turned to the audience, bowing deeply, with the orchestra following in unison.
Glancing at the soloist once again, he stepped down from the conductor's platform and approached her with a smile, extending his right hand, "Thank you for coming with me, Lyssa. I knew I could count on you."
She put her hand on his, and bowed once more with him while answering under her breath, "I'm the one who should be grateful for the opportunity and trust, Renn."
Renn smiled at her words, straightening himself after the bow. He intended to go down and greet his friends and students that accompanied him as well, but was interrupted when she suddenly leaned forward.
The members of the audience were still paying attention to the stage, and her unexpected gesture sent a ripple of surprise through them, cheers rising fervently once again. Feeling the warmth of her soft lips linger on his cheek, Renn was speechless. His hand moved up, touching the spot as he stood there, absentmindedly.
"Thank you." Her voice sounded beside him, breaking Renn from his daze as he turned.
A soft smile adorned her blushing face, the ambient light reflected on the curves of her hair creating a scene of almost ethereal beauty.
Renn wasn't able to appreciate it for long, however, since moments after he started to hear very annoying cries coming from the front row of the audience seats, which were very close to him.
"Haha, that is just like teacher Renn! So shameless to make big sister Lyssa do such a thing in public."
"Look at his face! He looks so dumb, wow!"
"Liz, that's a rude thing to say, even if it's true."
"Shut up, Chris."
"See? I always told you guys Renn was a womanizer, but you didn't believe me! We let our guards down!"
"Yeah, now I finally understood it. Sorry, Mel."
"It's okay, Mary, there are things we must see with our own eyes."
"You girls complain too much! That's how a man lives!"
"Yeah! Renn always said harem's are reserved for the true Chads in life! I'll become like that one day!"
"You two are just trying to make excuses for being perverts. No way someone will want to date either of you if you're like this."
"What?!"
"Guys, I think he can hear us…"
"Shit! He's coming down!"
"We're done!"
The bunch of kids and teenagers down below stopped in their tracks when they saw their 'boss' coming down.
Renn had black hair swept back and fixed with a pomade, green eyes and a light tan on his skin. He currently wore a formal black suit with a black shirt and a cyan necktie, accentuating his lean yet muscular build, and approached with a wide smile. His eyes weren't part of the smile, however.
From the amused looks his friends on the orchestra were giving him and the way Melissa was holding back her laugh, he knew they could hear the "enlightening discussions" these little devils were having about him.
"I see you're having a lot of fun down here, brats. Would it be a bother if I joined? At least that way you can embarrass me properly instead of doing it behind my back, right?" Renn's voice was warm and calm, but his words were the complete opposite.
No one answered.
"I see, so you don't want to let me in on the joke. Okay then, when we get back I'll have a nice surprise for you." His smile widened, giving chills to its targets.
"Okay, Renn, cut them some slack. They're already terrified." Melissa had come down as well after she fought tooth and nail against the impulse of laughing at Renn's blushing face from the words of his students.
A deadpan look was cast at her slightly strained expression, with the corner's of her lips still twitching as she restrained a smile.
His mouth let out a sigh, "Wait for me in the bus, please. I'm too tired to deal with you guys right now. I'll greet and thank some friends, say a few goodbyes and be there soon so we can leave."
He left after saying that, going towards a few people in the audience.
[At the same time, atop in the VIP section…]
"Say, that wasn't my eyes playing tricks… Right?" A cold voice sounded, slightly shaky.
For a moment, there was silence, but a deep voice echoed in response, "Young master, there are already clips and videos circulating on social media, and one of the branch family members has shared it in the groups."
Hearing these words, the man who asked the question gritted his teeth, squeezing the armrests of his chair with so much strength his fingers became white, "That.. bitch!"
Taking a few deep breaths to control himself, he got up.
"Deal with the one that shared it. As for rest… I'll do it personally." The young man ordered.
"Understood. I'll prepare a jet, please take some of the men with you." The older one, looking like a butler, answered.
His young master nodded, making his way towards the stairs while pointing at a few of his bodyguards, saying, "Let's go."
[A few hours later...]
Renn was sitting inside a bus, trying to ignore the excited chatter of his students, when he suddenly received a request for a video call.
"Hey mom, sorry about the noise. How are you? Did you watch the live stream?" He said with a smile.
"I'm doing well and yes, I did watch it. You were great, child." A soft voice answered.
On the screen of Renn's phone was the image of a caucasian woman with long auburn hair and green eyes, lounging on a balcony with a view to the sea while looking at him with a smile. It was still bright on her side, and she appeared to be wearing a blue swimsuit.
"Heh, thanks. I'm kind of a prodigy, y'know?" He rubbed below his nose with a smug smile.
"Sure. Let's see how smug you'll be once I sit down to make an analysis and breakdown of your performance in each song." She smirked, responding in a teasing tone as a glint flashed through her eyes.
"Ma'am, please have mercy on my soul." A cold shiver ran through his spine.
"Hmpf, you say that now, but didn't tell us anything until yesterday." She faked a pout.
In response, Renn smiled wryly, "I didn't want you guys to cancel the wedding anniversary trip for me, and besides, there was still the live stream, so don't be like this, please." He tried to appease her mood.
Before she could answer, the camera started to shake as it turned around, showing the figure of a huge, shirtless muscular man with tanned skin and sharp facial features, with a scar on his cheek, looking quite menacing if coupled with his black sunglasses that obscured his deep, black eyes. He had short black hair and the tattoo of a skull stabbed with knives on his left forearm.
"Brat, if you make your mother cry I will fly all the way to your loner apartment and beat your sorry ass until you never dare to do it again." A loud, raspy voice sounded from the phone's speaker, and the man grinned menacingly, "Just like old times."
Seeing the person who appeared on the screen, Renn made a disgusted expression, clicking his tongue, "Tch, you're there, old man? Wearing those gross swim trunks, do you have no shame? I feel like my eyes have been cursed now. How are you going to compensate me?"
"Haha, you're just jealous of my amazing, stylish, chiseled body that looks like it came out of a classic painting." His father answered while flexing, "It's not my fault you're so scrawny, so weak!"
A chuckle escaped Renn's mouth, "Heh, more like a kindergarten drawing. And besides, I am just as strong, but have a leaner build, that's all! The only one jealous here is you."
"You're so cocky now, huh? What, just because that redhead gave you a kiss in public you're suddenly on a high horse, eh?" The hunk seemed annoyed by his words, and decided to play dirty.
Renn paled, but tried to dismiss it, "I-I don't know what you're talking about. Are you already becoming senile?"
"Hahaha, don't even try, I just got the news. It reminds me of my old days, my harem of beautiful girls…" His gaze turned distant for a moment, but then both he and Renn felt a shiver in their spines, signaling danger.
"Honey, are you still thinking about that? We need to have a talk later." Renn's mother's voice sounded icy cold, and the giant paled.
'Ha! Serves you right.' He felt vindicated, but not for long.
Taking the phone from her husband's hands, she turned to Renn "And you, Renn, what's that about? Why haven't I heard it yet?"
'Shit, the old man set me up!' He could imagine the sneaky grin on his face.
Renn seriously wondered how it was even possible for his instincts to flare on the other side of the world, but didn't have the luxury of time right now.
"Oh no, the connection's bad, I can't hear you, mom, hello?" He faked it through and ended the call before she said anything else.
"Whew" Renn slouched back on his seat.
A smile donned his lips as he recalled his mother's praise. It had a different meaning coming from her.
As the bus made its way through the evening, he felt thankful for the support that got him there in the first place, but couldn't shake the bittersweet feeling in his chest.
'Am I… really worth it?'
[Renn's city, 6 hours later - Night…]
There was a peaceful quiet, broken only by the gentle rustling of trees neatly arranged on the sidewalk, the distant chirping of cicadas, and a few cars passing by.
Winter had settled in and if you looked closely, snowflakes were flashing in and out of the light coming from the light poles, contrasting against the darkness of the night.
Hardly anyone was out at this late hour. Most had already headed home to their families or to unwind after a long day.
Against the chilly winter breeze, a young man in a black suit walked home. He looked tired, with his tie loosened and his gait unsteady, carrying a peculiar black case over his shoulder and a large navy backpack. Despite the cold, he seemed unfazed, not really worried about his tired appearance and clothing that offered little warmth.
"Almost there... I wonder if there's anything in the fridge. Probably not," he muttered with a wry smile. "Well, maybe it's for the best." Anything inside would likely either poison him or confine him to the bathroom for days.
It had been a long day, and he didn't feel up to cooking. 'At least it's the weekend,' he sighed, finding solace in that thought.
He reached an aging six-story apartment building and took the elevator to the fifth floor. Standing before apartment 506, he set down his black case momentarily to fish out his keys. Finally inside, he almost left the case in the corridor before remembering. "Ugh..."
Once he had everything inside, he looked around his home with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
"Home sweet bunker," he chuckled, though there was no one around to hear. It looked exactly as he'd left it before his trip two weeks ago.
The apartment was decent, popular among young bachelors and couples in this part of the city, though the rent was a bit steep. It had a living room, kitchen, one bathroom, two small bedrooms, and a balcony. He slept in one room and used the other as a home studio.
Suddenly, his stomach growled. "Easy there, buddy. I'm too lazy to cook right now." He poured himself several cups from the kitchen filter, hoping to appease it.
Leaving his belongings on the couch, he took a hot shower and crawled into bed, looking at the ceiling while conveniently ignoring the mess around him.
"That kiss… felt pretty nice…" Now that he was in the comfort of his home, memories flowed back as he closed his eyes.
"I'll… ask her out… this week…" He muttered, dozing off.
[Next Morning, Saturday…]
Beep~ Beep~ Beep~ Bee-
"Argh! It's 6:30 on a Saturday, shut up already!" Renn bashed the nearby alarm clock until it relented, narrowly saving it from tumbling off the cupboard.
"Tch, it was a nice dream, but you had to ruin it!" He punched the clock again with a vengeful glare, 'Maybe if I hit you more I'll get an apology…'.
As he sat up, squinting at the sunlight filtering through the curtains, memories of yesterday brought a smile to his face.
Renn Walsh, a 23 year old musical composition graduate, worked as a substitute professor at the same university where he was currently studying for his Master's degree. This normally wouldn't happen, but thanks to the director being a friend of his mother and him being one of their alumni, they agreed to let Renn take a test to ascertain his skills both as a musician and as a teacher.
To the faculty's surprise, Renn demonstrated enough expertise to rival some of their teachers who already had a PhD or Doctorate. That, coupled with him already having a teaching methodology helped them have no qualms about letting him in, but they required him to get a Master's degree in order to become a full-fledged member instead of a substitute, to which he easily agreed.
Yesterday, Renn had returned from a two-week trip to a large-scale convention on the other side of the country. He was invited to conduct a full orchestra and choir, nearing six hundred members in total.
The original conductor was a friend of his and had fallen seriously ill, asking Renn to take his place. He was eager to help, and also used the opportunity to ask for a few of his own arrangements and compositions to be played, which they agreed.
"Hehe, I bet no one expected the grand finale to be "Bleach's" 'Never Meant to Belong'." A chuckle escaped his lips.
'With this, even those old fools will understand that games and anime have music that's just as great as their favorite pieces.' A fire ignited in his chest. It was a step towards a brighter future, or so he believed.
His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing—an anime opening chorus.
"CHANGE! Nabikanai nagasarenai yo, Ima kanjiru koto ni sunao de itai no~"
"Chan-! Oops, let me check who's calling," he said, almost singing along before answering.
"What's up, Renn! It's Henry. I heard you're finally back. Is it true?" Henry's voice crackled through the phone.
"Yeah, I'm back. How did you know?" Renn's eyebrows rose, realizing he hadn't told anyone yet.
"I visited the kids yesterday after you returned. Didn't see you there, though," Henry explained. He was a good friend Renn met during college, and helped him a lot since he moved to this town 5 years ago.
"That makes sense. I was too tired after saying goodbye to them and asked the bus driver to drop me off near my apartment." Renn responded while stretching his body, recalling his exhausting journey home after getting off the bus.
He had organized the trip for the little ones to come watch him, hoping they would find inspiration in the performances.
This kind of thing was the reason Renn was well regarded among his peers, coming to be known for his dedication to helping others, especially his students. To date, he never gave up on a single one since he started teaching at 15.
"Why are you calling so early on a weekend anyway? I was having a great dream, and now it's ruined," he teased Henry, blaming him for the alarm clock's untimely sacrifice.
"It probably wasn't important anyway. Don't be salty, man, and besides, who better than me to whisper sweet nothings in your ear on this lovely morning, hm?" Henry teased back, attempting a playful tone that sent a shiver down Renn's spine.
"Who's salty, you bastard! Are you gay now? 'Cause I don't swing that way, sorry." Renn fired back, then his tone softened with concern. "Wait, don't tell me... Henry, did Fred finally tap you while I was away these two weeks? Sorry, bro, I knew he was eyeing you, but I couldn't protect your ass from hundreds of miles away," he joked, pretending to wipe a tear.
"F**k you! My ass is off-limits, it's intact and it's staying that way!" Henry snapped, then took a moment to calm down. "Anyway, now that you're up, let's grab something to eat at Anna's place. I'll fill you in on what's been happening around here while you were away."
Renn smiled slightly, "Haha, sure, I'll meet you there by 9 am."
After tidying up the mess he had left behind, Renn got ready to leave, wondering what news Henry had. Surely, not much could have happened in just a few days.
[...]
Renn left his apartment dressed in a stylish combination of white sneakers, gray pants, and a light gray turtleneck sweater, with a brown leather jacket adding a touch of sophistication. He headed towards a nearby family restaurant where he often met Henry.
The two enjoyed the varied cuisine there whenever Renn could afford it, since despite his monthly earnings being more than sufficient in most cases, his penchant for investing in high-quality tools and instruments, as well as sponsoring his students and community events, coupled with rent payments for his apartment, usually left him with just enough to get by.
Even so, he had a soft spot for the owner's daughter, Anna, a beautiful brunette with all the curves in the right places, as Henry would say, and didn't mind sacrificing some cash for a noble cause. She always treated him kindly, showing genuine interest in his travels and musical achievements. Renn appreciated her enthusiasm and often shared stories with her, sometimes even bringing along an instrument to play together.
As he opened the door to the restaurant Renn heard a voice from his right and saw Anna approaching with a smile "Renn, you're back! It's so good to see you again!"
She gave him a hug, which surprised Renn a bit, but he hugged her back for a few seconds before separating. She normally wore tight or slightly revealing clothing, much to her father's anger and the customer's happiness, but she didn't really care about it that much.
"It's good to be back, and also great to see you too. I swear you are getting more beautiful every time I come. Whoever you fancy will be a happy man, I'm sure." He said and then felt a glare on his back and saw the girl's father staring daggers at them.
She noticed this and laughed "If they manage to get pops approval, that is... hehe"
Renn had a wry smile on his face as he jokingly prayed "May they rest in peace." He saw Anna as a little sister of sorts, and could imagine the likely demise of anyone deemed "unworthy" of her.
After a little small talk, Renn asked "By the way, have you seen Henry? I'm supposed to meet him here today."
"Oh, he's right there, by that table. I have a few orders to take, so I will leave you now, ok?." Anna pointed as she walked away to get the next set of orders from a nearby table.
After hearing her words, Renn's attention was drawn to Henry lounging at a nearby table. As he approached, he overheard Henry lamenting about not having someone like Anna to hug him, which elicited a smirk from Renn.
"Someone like Anna would be too much for you to handle," Renn teased as he sat down. "Now, what's with the serious look? You had me worried from across the room."
Henry, usually jovial with his medium-long blonde hair and a perpetual smile, looked uncharacteristically grave earlier. He hesitated before speaking, his expression sobering further.
"You... have to leave town for a while. At least a few weeks, maybe months." Henry finally said, his tone serious.
Renn's frown deepened. "What? Why would I suddenly need to leave? I just got back yesterday."
"This guy named Rosario Sivori is looking for you," Henry explained, his voice low. "He's connected to the Italian mafia, and from what I've heard, he's not here for a friendly chat."
Renn scoffed dismissively. "Rosario Sivori? Some small-time thug looking to cause trouble? I can handle a couple of guys if it comes to that. Besides, I have protection if things get out of hand."
"Actually, he's not just some thug," Henry interjected gravely. "He's a renowned violinist, quite famous, and he managed to pressure the university board yesterday to revoke your professorship based on your unfinished master's degree. He's even offered to take your place."
"What?!" Renn exclaimed loudly, slamming his hand on the table, drawing startled looks from nearby patrons. He quickly composed himself but continued in disbelief, "Is this some sick joke? Why would someone like him target me?"
At that moment, Renn's phone rang.
"Tch, I'm not in the mood to-" Renn stopped on his tracks after seeing the caller's name. It was the school's director.
He quickly answered the call, "Uncle Ilsen, how are you? Is there something you need?"
Ilsen Harris was someone he owed a lot to, being that he was one of his teacher's on the musical composition course and even his mentor for the Master's degree. Back when he finished his graduation, Ilsen was the only member who vouched for him to become a professor, saying that he even deserved to become a permanent faculty member instead of a substitute. Renn considered him his uncle at heart, knowing the man since he was a kid.
"Renn… I'm really sorry. I assembled the board of directors this morning, to try and make them come to their senses, but it didn't work." Ilsen explained with a regretful tone, "There's a limit to what I can do, and it seems some of them were contacted in private by that Sivori fella."
Renn was still slightly hopeful that this was just a joke from Henry, but hearing uncle Ilsen's words and the sadness in his voice made the reality start to sink in as his heartbeat accelerated.
'What the fuck happened while I was coming home!' His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. "I've been to Italy a few times before, but everything was fine. How could I have possibly angered some mafia guy there?"
Seeing Renn's state, his friend had a sour expression on his face, and after hesitating for a moment, he opened his mouth.
"Bro, from what I was able to gather, he's Melissa's fiance," Henry dropped the bombshell.
"What?!" Renn's mouth was agape.
Melissa was the woman he planned to ask out, someone he had grown close to after she joined the Orpheus project he created. They had agreed to go on another date upon his return, and now he was learning she was engaged to this random guy all of a sudden.
"I have to go," Renn declared abruptly, pushing back from the table.
Ignoring Henry's and Anna's calls after him, he rushed out of the restaurant and hurried towards Melissa's house, determined to get answers.
[...]
A young man sprinted through the streets, taking a few sharp turns here and there and jumping over a few things, all in order to arrive even a little bit quicker. Some of the passersby were a little surprised by his movements, but he didn't care, or better, he couldn't care about it at this moment.
Renn frowned, clenching his fists until his nails bit into the skin of his hands. There was anger, sure, but also confusion and disbelief churning inside his heart. 'Why?'
Melissa's image popped up in his mind — her smile, the laughter and banter, and the kiss on his cheeks yesterday. This was clashing with the news he had just received, and he didn't know what to believe anymore.
'How could this happen? She's engaged, but never told me. Why?' His chest felt like it was being squeezed, 'Have I been fooled… another time?'
He felt afraid — afraid that everything up until this point was a lie, that she had planned this along with this fiance of her's that just showed up.
Sensing his line of thought swerving in a dangerous direction, Renn slapped himself, focusing his mind with the pain, 'Calm down, I'm getting too emotional. There's no reason for Lyssa to conspire to ruin my career with some random mafioso. I know her well enough to be sure of it.'
Approaching her address, Renn felt tense, uneasiness spreading inside him. When he turned into a corner and caught sight of her house, his heart sank.
A sleek black car was parked up ahead, where five burly men clad in black suits were clustered in front of a small villa, radiating a menacing presence that didn't fit well with the peaceful and quiet neighborhood. Among them was a tall, imposing figure with auburn hair and expensive clothing.
"You still won't come back after this mess!? You shameless whore! You have no idea how much damage this has caused to my reputation. I will have your family handle you properly this time, so you better come up with a good explanation by then!" A man's voice, filled with fury, echoed through the street.
Renn's blood ran cold as he heard Melissa's voice in response, low and defiant, though the words were lost to him in the distance. A wave of protectiveness surged through him, overwhelming his own confusion and anger. Her crimson hair was a stark contrast to the bleakness of the situation, but couldn't hide her pale face and eyes filled with a chilling mix of defiance and fear.
Melissa's words had apparently offended him, as the young man — who he could only assume was Rosario Sivori himself — slapped her across the face.
A gasp escaped Renn's lips, and he felt a primal rage ignite within him. That was enough to understand his previous fears were unfounded.
"Give me your knife," Rosario demanded to one of the men, his voice dangerously low. "Maybe having to hide a pretty scar will do the job to convince our friend here."
One of the bodyguards handed out a black combat knife in response. Time seemed to slow as Renn watched Sivori raise the knife, the glint of steel reflecting the cold winter light.
'No.' The word echoed in Renn's mind as he refused to let her suffer at the hands of this crazy asshole.
He reached into his jacket, his fingers closing around the familiar weight of his pistol. Renn raised his arm with a steady aim, despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
A deafening 'BANG' shattered the tense silence.
"AAAH! M-my hand!"Sivori stumbled back, clutching his wrist, a crimson stain blooming on his expensive suit.
Before anyone else could react, Renn moved his aim and shot the other bodyguards with surprising precision. His hands flowed smoothly despite the cries coming from his enemies as they shot back at him.
Melissa and Rosario, hearing the gunshots, quickly got down to the ground. She was trembling in fear, not knowing what was happening, while the latter was squealing while trying to stop the bleeding in his wrist.
"Argh! S-shit, someone shot my wrist!" As he realized the situation better, Rosario's face paled seeing the blood rushing out.
A few moments later, the noise stopped, and slow footsteps made their way towards them. What appeared was Renn, now with a few bloody spots on his clothes.
'Shit, they landed a few shots. I think my left lung and kidney got hit.' Renn clutched his side, approaching the place where the two people were lying prone.
Seeing who it was, Melissa gasped, "R-RENN?! Oh my god! You're bleeding!"
"It's you?! H-how?" Rosario was shocked by Renn's feat just now.
Renn's hands started to tremble now that the adrenaline had passed, "Just had a crazy old man beating me up since I was a kid, nothing much." He felt a little shaken since apart from hunting wild animals, he had never killed a human being until now.
'Heh, I'm done, no way I can survive this. 4 years of zero training sure changes a lot of things.' The bleeding was not stopping, and the pain only intensified as time went on, 'What is done is done. Might as well take this guy with me so that the source of the problems goes away.' His gaze sharpened coldly.
"Lyssa, go inside. You don't want to see this." Renn told Melissa, who was shocked by the change in his demeanor. She never saw this side of him.
Noticing the slight fear and hesitation in her eyes, Renn smiled wryly.
"B-but-" She tried to refuse, but was interrupted.
"No buts! Go inside, now!" Renn stated in a colder tone, before relenting with a smile, "Please, I'll meet you later."
The young woman bit her lips, tears forming in the corner of her eyes, but eventually nodded and went back inside her house.
With only him and his enemy remaining, Renn stared coldly at Rosario, who had already lost a lot of blood, not even speaking anymore.
"We're both dying now, you fucking bastard. You'll bleed out anyway, so I'll give you a hand." Renn pointed his gun at the figure on the ground in front of him, and pulled the trigger.
Not wanting to keep looking at the mess around him, Renn walked towards a nearby light pole and leaned against it.
"How can life suddenly take a turn like this… Everything was going so well…" He felt sad, sensing the blood leave his body, slowly staining the rest of his clothes.
'If only I had some sort of crazy anime power that could obliterate everything and protect me while at it.' The thought seemed to lighten the mood as he took out his phone, leaving a few bloody smudges on the screen as he videocalled someone.
A moment later, his father's voice sounded from the speaker, "What is it, boy? I'm in the middle of my morning training, so it's kinda hard to- what the fuck happened to you?!" Seeing the image of his son with his clothes stained red from the blood and the holes in his torso gave the man a jumpscare that made him almost trip himself over.
The uncharacteristic worry in his old man's voice made Renn chuckle a bit, before he explained, "Hey, dad, remember the bet we had a few years ago? I lost, haha…"
Renn's words didn't help the situation, "I think I'm done for, for real now." He reminisced the times he used these words after a hellish training session.
His dad's voice had calmed down a bit from the initial shock, even though it was a stressful moment, "I-I can see that… you- no, just tell me this: Who?!" Anger was starting to brew, clearly apparent from the changes in his expression as he understood the seriousness of the situation.
"Heh, that ugly face suits you better. No need to worry, since I sent them to hell a few minutes ago… but I have to say… killing actual people is hard… in many ways…" Renn started panting between his words, "I think I understand why you said to never do it…"
He took a look at the blood on his hands, "Look, my time's running out. I know for sure my left lung and kidney are done for, and there's two other holes too, and it hurts a lot. I know for sure I won't make it, old man."
A few tears started forming on the corner of his father's eyes, "...Fuck… FUCK! I swear I will get whoever did it! Tell me now!" The hunk was almost going berserk in some other corner of the world.
"Stop screaming like a little girl and listen to me. The name's Sivori, a bunch of mafia from Italy, and I think their heir was the problem I left to rot a few meters near me, but that's beside the point. I need you to promise me something." Renn spoke quickly in order to save every second he still had.
Seeing his dad nod, he continued, "I need you to take care of Melissa, keep her out of danger from whatever may target her and other people that were close to me."
"... was she the reason?" A low voice came in response.
Renn smiled, "Hehe, romantic, isn't it? Just do it for me, gramps. I was going to ask her out tomorrow, so think of her as my girlfriend."
"...Fine."
After his response, Renn continued, "Apologize to Anna and Henry for me too. I kind of left them worrying for me a while ago."
"You should tell this kind of thing yourself, brat." The old man smiled wryly at his words, with a shaky tone betraying his own expression.
Hearing the grief in his father's voice, Renn held back his own tears and continued, "Another thing, I will entrust Orpheus to you and mom. Those little devils are a second family to me and one of the most precious things I have in life, but you guys already know that. Please ensure they live well and have great futures."
By this point, he couldn't keep himself from crying anymore, and tears started to roll down Renn's cheeks.
"This is the last thing, I swear." Renn was almost sobbing as he said, "I'm sorry for ruining your trip. I can't bear to talk with mom so you'll have to do it for me. You guys have to live well until you're a bunch of old bones, hear me?" By the end his voice was shaking and trembling.
"I'll do it… I'll do it." The musclehead didn't fare much better than him.
"Heh, thanks. I'll end it now. No need for you to see what happens next, since me and you are two softies when it comes to this kind of thing." Renn explained and left his last words, "Bye, thank you for everything."
"Re-" The call ended midway.
…
After pressing the button, Renn had no more strength, his knees giving out as his phone fell out of his hands.
'Now I can go in peace, thank god.' He felt relief at this moment. Being able to entrust things to someone who could do them made him feel reassured.
'He'll do fine, I know it.' A smile formed in his lips, and he coughed a few times, a thin line of blood coming out of them right after.
Renn was about to close his eyes, when he suddenly heard a loud horn approaching him. Looking up from where he sat, he saw a truck speeding it's way towards him, and it was perfectly aligned with his position.
As its front lights blinded him, Renn couldn't even finish his words.
"Shi-"
CRASH*!
And everything went black.
—
Extra Titles: ("Harem Dreams and Mafia Schemes", "An Isekai Author's Worst Nightmare", "Gets Shot and Run Over, but Mom Still Wants a Performance Review", "When Your 'Protection' is a Glock and a Prayer")
A/N: (So this took way longer than I expected, but it really got a glow up compared to the old one. I was initially thinking of just splitting it in half since it hit 6k+ words, but ultimately decided to leave it in full. Please tell me your thoughts on this new start for the story!)