"Footsteps echoed in the quiet school corridor. Kashikoi Kazuki walked calmly, reading a novel in his right hand. His eyes were glued to the open page, reading with concentration. A school bag hung on his shoulder, resting behind his back...
"Kashikoi-kun!"
"The familiar voice called his name from the end of the hall. Kazuki lazily lifted his gaze from the novel he was reading. In front of the teacher's room stood Miyazaki-sensei, his homeroom teacher, with a worried expression he had seen too often.
Ah, not againā¦ Why does she always bother me? he grumbled inwardly.
"Yes, Sensei?" Kazuki replied calmly, slowly closing the novel and tucking it into his bag.
"Aren't you joining your classmates again today?" Miyazaki-sensei asked, her voice gentle yet filled with concern. "They are discussing the upcoming cultural festival."
Kazuki held his breath for a moment, then let out a long sigh. "Sorry, Sensei. I promised to go home early today," he said, searching for an acceptable excuse.
"Lie. I just want to continue reading the novel I bought yesterday. Festival discussions? That must just be about the cosplay cafƩ or some silly things they always do. Why waste time on something so boring?...
"Kazuki-kun," Miyazaki-sensei continued, "you are a smart student. Your grades are always good, and you are quite well-known in school. But Sensei is worried you are isolating yourself from social interactions. You know, interacting with friends is also important, right?"
"Kazuki merely nodded without saying anything. Just hearing that statement made him tired. It wasn't that he didn't understand the importance of socializing. He just felt that their conversations didn't bring him anything new or interesting. It was better to spend that time reading his favorite novels or mangas...
"Oh, fine, Sensei," he replied flatly. "I will try to do better."
That sentence he had uttered countless times before, and he could even count down in his mind how soon Miyazaki-sensei would let out a sigh. Threeā¦ twoā¦ oneā¦
"Haahā¦" Miyazaki-sensei sighed, just as he had predicted.
Bingo! It seems I can predict the futureā¦
"On his way home, Kazuki heard a small voice calling his name from a distance. When he turned, he saw his younger sister, Akira, running towards him with a bright smile on her face.
"Brother! Let's go home together!" Akira exclaimed, hugging his arm warmly.
"Yeah, let's go," Kazuki replied with a faint smile, patting her head.
"On the way home, Kazuki's thoughts drifted to his family. His mother, Hayana Hinoko, was a doctor who cared deeply for him and Akira. Once, she was a famous artist, having received numerous awards in the entertainment world, but suddenly decided to quit. That decision left many wondering, but for Kazuki, what mattered was that his mother was there for them.
"His father, Kashikoi Kazuya, worked as an FBI agent. As a father, Kazuya was strict but always cared for his family. Every time he came home, despite being tired from handling difficult cases, he always made time for them...
"And beside him now was Akira, the adorable younger sister who aspired to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a doctor. Akira often forced him to do various things, like play in the park, go shopping, or help her study. However, Kazuki didn't mind because she was the only person who always understood him...
"I'm reminded of the past," Kazuki thought to himself.
"Brother!" Akira called insistently, tugging at his shirt. "Let's play in the park!"
"Kazuki frowned and sighed. "I don't feel like going outā¦"
"Ehh, come on, Brother! There are a lot of people playing in the park, it's fun!" Akira tugged at him again with enthusiasm, as if she couldn't accept Kazuki's answer.
"Akiraā¦ I don't want to," Kazuki replied somewhat sternly, trying to resist his sister's wishes.
"Akira's face immediately changed, her eyes welling up with tears, ready to cry at any moment. Kazuki felt defeated.
"Damnā¦ her ultimate moveā¦ Kazuki thought.
"Alright, alright. Let's go to the park for a bit, but not for too long," he said resignedly. Seeing the bright smile on Akira's face, Kazuki knew he had fallen into his sister's trap.
"Hehehe, I love you, Brother!" Akira jumped for joy and hugged him.
"What a little manipulator...
"Upon arriving at the park, Kazuki let Akira play. He sat on a park bench while reading the novel he hadn't finished earlier. However, his enjoyment was interrupted by the sound of commotion. When he turned to look, he saw Akira surrounded by three girls who were roughly pulling her hair.
"Without thinking twice, Kazuki quickly walked towards them. In an instant, he was gripping one girl's hand tightly enough to make her wince.
"What are you doing to my sister?" his voice was low and cold, his eyes radiating anger.
"What are you doing?! Let go of my hand!" the girl screamed in panic, but Kazuki ignored her. With a sharp glare, he leaned in closer to them.
"If I see you bothering her againā¦ don't expect to be forgiven."
"The three girls immediately fled, some nearly tripping over themselves in their haste to escape.
"Hmph, cowards. They only dare to pick on my sister...
"Brother, I'm scaredā¦" Akira tugged at Kazuki's shirt and moved closer to him, her body trembling.
Kazuki gently stroked Akira's head. "It's okay, you're safe now. Let's go home...
"Back to the present...
"The sky began to darken as they neared home. The sun was setting behind the horizon, creating a beautiful view at the end of the road. However, amidst that beauty, Kazuki's eyes caught a suspicious figure. In the distance, a man in a red cloak was seen dragging a woman toward an abandoned, rundown building.
"Akira, you go home first. I have some business to take care of."
"But, Brotherā"
"Just go home! I'll be back later...
"Reluctantly, Akira nodded and headed home first. Kazuki cautiously followed the man in the red cloak. But suddenly, his instincts screamed danger, yet his curiosity was too great to ignore.
"Kazuki was someone who loved mysteries, just like what he was doing now...
"Kazuki crept, looking for a hidden position to observe them. Behind the building, he saw a group of red-cloaked people gathered around something large, as if performing a ritual.
Thud!
A sense of unease crept into his heart. However, it was too late. Before he could move, something hit him from behind. An excruciating pain struck, and he felt a strange liquid seep into his skin.
"ARGHHHH!" Kazuki screamed, his body trembling violently.
The liquid felt like it was entering his body and burning from within, like hot lava flowing through him. Blood began to flow from his eyes, thick smoke escaping from his skin. Every breath felt like swallowing fire...
"You little brat, you shouldn't have meddled with us...
"That's what you get for daring to interfere; what a shame for your life...
"The people looked at Kazuki with sharp gazes,
"Kazuki could only hear their voices, their faces hidden by something...
"Kazuki fell to the ground, his vision blurry. In his fading sight, he felt his body being lifted. He heard faint laughter, then his body was thrown into the cold river.
"The dark, cold water swallowed him, carrying Kazuki's body away in an unclear current. Slowly, everything faded to darknessā¦"