Hiro slowly rose from the comfort of his bed, his hand gently reaching up to wipe away the lone tear that had escaped his eye, his mind contemplating on the thoughts of a recurring nightmare that plagued his sleep.
"Hiro, wake up, today's the beginning of your second year at the academy." said an elderly voice from the kitchen.
"I'm already up Grandpa" said Hiro as he went to the toilet to freshen up.
Hiro emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed, made his way directly to the kitchen, and rummaged through a cupboard in search of coffee beans.
"Grandpa are we out of coffee beans by any chance." Said Hiro as he continued rummaging through the cupboard.
"Ah yes, I forgot we were out of coffee," Hiro's grandfather said in an apologetic tone as he realized it. "I'm sorry, Hiro, I should have checked our supplies sooner."
"Don't worry, Grandpa," Hiro reassured with a calm tone, "I can always grab a cup at the canteen"
Hiro sat on the dining table, the scent of freshly toasted bread and sizzling eggs floating through the air, as he dug into his simple breakfast.
"You had that nightmare again last night, didn't you Hiro?" Hiro's grandfather asked breaking the silence.
The fork, which Hiro had been absentmindedly twirling in his hand, slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the surface of the table when grandfather mentioned the nightmare again. which had haunted Hiro for as long as he could remember.
"Grandpa we promised not to talk about 'IT'." Hiro said with a bit of frustration in his voice.
"Hiro I know we talked about this but please listen it's not your fault." said Hiro's grandfather in a pleading tone
"What's not my fault Grandpa." Hiro asked with a questioned expression.
"I mean what happened that day, your parent's death. it's not your fault. So stop blaming yourself Hiro." Hiro's grandfather said with a worried expression.
Hiro, his eyes wide with fear and a shiver running down his spine, suddenly felt a surge of terrifying memories flooding back to him. He instinctively clutched his head, his breath quickening and his surroundings blurring before him. Through the haze, he could hear the piercing wails of two voices, followed by an earth-shaking, monstrous roar that sent a jolt of panic through his body. Hiding inside a cramped cupboard, the young 4-year-old boy, Hiro, pressed his small hands firmly against his mouth, desperate to stifle any sound.
Suddenly, as if emerging from a dense fog, two pairs of eerie, indistinct arms belonging to two ghastly figures materialized and swiftly encircled the terrified little boy. The figures began to emit piercing screams of agony, their voices twisted in torment as they desperately shrieked out Hiro's name.
"HIIIROOO SAVE US HIRO SAVE US. RIGHT YOU WON'T YOU COWARD ."The two figures continued wailing
"HOW CAN YOU LIVE IN PEACE AFTER ABANDONING US TO OUR GURSOME FATE??"
"HOW ARE YOU EVEN LIVING WITH THIS GUILT?"
"RIGHT YOU DON'T EVEN FEEL GUILTY, DO YOU?!"
"HOW CAN YOU EVEN ENJOY YOUR LIFE!?"
"YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENJOY!"
"WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!"
"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE???"
"WHY?"
"WHY?"
"WHY?"
"WH-?"
.
.
.
"HIRO!?" The neverending wails of agony and anger were replaced by a voice full of worry and guilt
"HIRO WAKE UP, IT'S NOT REAL!!"
"HIRO!"
"HIRO"
"HIRO WAKE UP." The voice of an old man filled the room as the ghastly figures slowly vanished.
Hiro slowly opened his tear-filled eyes as the overwhelming emotions started to fade away, stopping the panic attack. He gazed at his beloved grandfather through the haze of tears and then, embraced him in a tight and heartfelt hug.
Hiro let go of his grandfather's embrace and got up from his chair while wiping off his tears.
"Grandpa please don't bring up this matter again." after saying that Hiro left while waving a bye.
"HIRO!, wait I'm sorry AND YOU FORGOT-." Hiro's grandfather shouted
Hiro swiftly ran towards a colossal building and stopped after reaching it, gasping for air. As he tried to catch his breath, his eyes focused on the prominent logo atop the structure with bold letters, that spelled out 'HETROID HUNTER{HH}-ACADEMY'.
Suddenly, a rush of panic washed over Hiro as he reached to pay for his wallet. "OH SHIT," he thought in frustration, his hand patting down his pockets in disbelief. "I FORGOT MY WALLET! How am I going to buy my much-needed dose of caffeine now?" Feeling a wave of helplessness creeping in, he frantically searched his memory for any other option. It was then that a familiar face floated to the surface of his thoughts - Aratsume. "Well," he mused, giving a small, appreciative smile, "I guess I have to depend on Aratsume for today."
Hiro quickened his pace and steered himself towards the 1st-year block. As he maneuvered through the bustling halls, the sound of his footsteps echoed against the walls. Entering the first-year block, Hiro's eyes scanned the area in search of Aratsume.
Out of the blue, a pair of soft hands swiftly covered Hiro's eyes from behind which alerted Hiro. Without hesitation, Hiro instinctively grabbed the unknown person's hands and skillfully executed a shoulder throw to throw them forward
"Guess whoo- AHHHHHH!!!!." the person screamed in horror as she fell to the ground with a loud *THUD*.
"OUCH...WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?." The person yelled at Hiro
Hiro finally recognized who it was"Aratsume??? PFFT-" Hiro called out to her realizing what he did while trying to hold his laugh.
Hiro extended his hand with a gentle smile, offering her support to stand up. However, as she was in the process of getting up, he unexpectedly let go of her hand, causing her to stumble and fall once again. *THUD*
"HAHAHAHAHAA." Hiro started laughing at Aratsume
'ha, I really needed that laugh.' Hiro thought to himself. While Aratsume stood up on her own, her eyes blazing with intense fury, she glared at Hiro as if she was on the verge of killing him any second, while her cheeks made a cute pout that revealed her anger.
"I'm sorry tsu." Hiro said in an apologetic tone
"HIRO CAN YOU GIVE ME ONE REASON WHY YOU TOSSED ME TO THE GROUND LIKE A RAG DOLL!?." Aratsume said with a voice full of rage.
Hiro hesitated before saying, "Well you see I kind of had a small hiccup with hands holding me from my back this morning."
"Let me guess is it that nightmare again, isn't it?"Aratsume asked hiro
"Well, it was a panic attack actually." Said, Hiro
"oh ok... WAIT WHAT? A PANIC ATTACK!??." Aratsume exclaimed with an astonished expression.
"Why didn't you take a day off then." Aratsume asked worried for Hiro.
"Well let's just say things happened." Said Hiro while thinking about his grandfather.
"Well, I will forgive you this time I guess." Said Aratsume
After taking a deep breath, Hiro gathered his courage and in a hopeful tone addressed Tsu with a polite request, "Tsu, please forgive me, but would you be able to lend me some credits for coffee?" His puppy dog eyes expressed both his desire for coffee and forgiveness.
'SOO, CUUUTE.' Aratsume thought to herself trying to stop a nosebleed.
After Aratsuma regained her composure she asked Hiro "What kind of friend shoulder throws their friend and asks them for money?."
"A Best friend." Hiro replied with a shameless expression
"Understandable." said Aratsuma.
"How about a race if you win I will buy you coffee but if I win... I get to have 5 requests that you must fulfill," Aratsuma suggested, her eyes sparkling as she smiled mischievously, when she thought about the things she could make him do.
"Alright, bet," Hiro said confidently, but a sudden inexplicable chill sent shivers down his spine, making him question if he had signed a deal with the Devil.
Both Hiro and Aratsuma swiftly got into position, their anticipation palpable as they surged forward towards the canteen. It was Hiro who, fueled by determination, surged ahead, gradually outpacing Aratsuma
but suddenly Hiro collided with something or someone.
...........
Saki POV-
Saki moved with slow steps, careful to avoid any noise that might alert others of her presence, as she made her way towards the canteen, aiming to maintain a low profile and go unnoticed.
Feeling an eerie presence looming behind her, Saki's heart quickened, driving her to increase her pace. However, the relentless pursuer maintained their pursuit, eventually forcing Saki to break into a sprint through the busy academy corridors. Just as she reached a turn, her unsteady dash led to a collision with something or someone.
.......
Both Hiro and Saki's POV:-
As both Hiro and Saki collided in the bustling school courtyard, the world seemed to slow down around them. Their gazes locked with an intensity that made the world disappear around them for a brief moment. Amid the chaos, their lips touched, with the collision of their bodies
As fate would have it, Hiro found himself unintentionally falling on top of Saki, their intertwined bodies falling to the ground in a whirlwind of confusion and astonishment. The moment was surreal, almost as if time itself had stopped to give them more time together. Amidst the chaos of their unexpected embrace, their lips remained connected, their hearts pounding in unison with a mixture of shock and exhilaration.
A Coincidence. A collision that brought them together, the accidental meeting of their lips, was a collision of fate, a moment that would forever alter the course of their lives.
It was in that suspended moment, freezing them in an intimate movement. A flash of light illuminated the scene as a student, captured it in a photograph.
............
Aratsuma's POV:-
When Aratsuma witnessed the unforeseen moment of Hiro and Saki stumbling into each other, their bodies coming together in an accidental embrace as their lips met due to the collision, her entire world seemed to halt as if time itself paused in disbelief. The intense rush of emotions flooded her senses, causing her heart to skip beats and her breath to catch in her throat. It was as though the weight of the universe had descended upon her in that split second, a heavy burden that crushed down on her like a 1000-ton hammer, leaving her stunned and overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.
The sheer impact of the scene etched itself into her memory, every detail vivid and sharp as if frozen in time. Aratsuma found herself caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, her mind racing with a tangled web of thoughts and sensations. Confusion mingled with a strange sense of longing, as the gravity of the situation sunk in deeper with each passing heartbeat.
The world around her faded into the background, the only focus remaining on Hiro and Saki. The collision of their bodies symbolized a collision of feelings within Aratsuma herself, as she grappled with the sudden surge of emotions that threatened to engulf her completely. In that suspended moment, everything else seemed insignificant
.............
Back to Hiro and Saki's POV
Both of them stood frozen in disbelief, their eyes locked in an intense gaze as they tried to comprehend the shocking reality that they had just shared a kiss, all the while grappling with the realization that someone had captured that intimate moment in a photograph. Saki realized the weight situation and pushed Hiro away from on top of her.
Then, looking at each other, Hiro and Saki made eye contact, and they sarcastically said
"Great just when I thought my day couldn't get any better." In unison
=============================================================
In a palace floating in the abyss, two people were munching on their popcorn and sipping some tea while watching the kiss scene unfold before their eyes.
"Master, I have a small question?" Ciel asked the person
"Ask, away." the person replied
"Master, you do know that I do have eyes, ears, and a brain right?" Ciel asked the person with a calm expression.
"Are you for real, do you think I'm an idiot? Of course, know!" The person exclaimed
"Then why are you narrating this story like I'm a child for example saying things like '{A Coincidence}. A collision that brought them together, the accidental meeting of their lips, became a collision of fate, a moment that would forever alter the course of their lives. ' Do you think I can't even process the most cliche scene like this one?" Ceal said in a calm tone.
"HEY, TAKE THAT BACK, THAT'S NOT EVEN A CLICHE." The person yelled with a serious expression
"And don't I have the minimum right to narrate my origin story, Ciel?" Asked the person.
"Continue as you like I guess," Ciel said In an indifferent tone
............................
"Hey guys! Your friendly neighborhood author here. This is my first time writing a novel, so wish me luck with this series. If you like it, please add it to your library and give me some power stones. Also, sending a few gifts my way would be awesome and really help's in keeping me motivated. Let me know of any mistakes, and I'll fix them as soon as possible. Once we reach 10 collections and 100 power stones, I'll post a bonus chapter as a treat for y'all."
Hey y'all, just a heads up that I'll be setting some new targets for bonus chapters soon. I'll catch up with ya guys later. Gotta go bye!