"The sound of footsteps echoed in the quiet school corridor. Tap... tap... tap... Kashikoi Kazuki walked calmly, reading a novel in his right hand. His eyes were glued to the open page, reading with concentration. His school bag hung loosely over his shoulder, resting against his back...
"Kashikoi-kun!"
A familiar voice called his name from the end of the hallway. Kazuki lazily lifted his gaze from the novel he was reading. In front of the teacher's lounge stood Miyazaki-sensei, his homeroom teacher, with a worried expression he had seen too many times.
Ah, here we go again… Why does she always have to bother me? he grumbled inwardly.
"Yes, Sensei?" Kazuki replied calmly, slowly closing the novel and slipping it into his bag.
"Aren't you joining your classmates again today?" Miyazaki-sensei asked, her voice soft 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.
"Liar. I just want to continue reading the novel I bought yesterday. A festival discussion? It's probably just about cosplay cafes or other silly things they always do. Why waste time on such boring stuff?...
"Kazuki-kun," Miyazaki-sensei continued, "you are a smart student. Your grades are always good, and you are well-known in school. But Sensei is worried that you are withdrawing too much from social environments. You know, interacting with friends is important too?"
Kazuki simply nodded without saying anything. Just hearing that statement was exhausting. It's not that he didn't understand the importance of socializing; he just felt that their conversations didn't offer him anything new or interesting. It was better to spend that time reading his favorite novels or manga...
"Oh, very well, Sensei," he replied flatly. "I will try to do better."
He had said that line many times before, and even in his heart, he could count down when Miyazaki-sensei would let out a sigh. Three… two… one…
"Haah…" Miyazaki-sensei sighed, exactly as he had predicted.
Bingo! It seems I can read the future… Kazuki smiled a little inside, satisfied that his guess was always right.
"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 cheerful smile on her face.
"Brother! Let's go home together!" Akira exclaimed, hugging his arm warmly.
"Yes, let's," Kazuki replied with a faint smile, patting her head.
"On the way, Kazuki's thoughts drifted to his family. His mother, Hayana Hinoko, was a doctor who deeply cared for him and Akira. In the past, his mother had been a famous artist. She had received many awards in the entertainment world but suddenly decided to quit. That decision left many people 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 very strict yet always cared for his family. Every time he came home, despite being tired from dealing with difficult cases, he always made time for his family...
"And beside him now was Akira, the adorable younger sister who aspired to follow in her mother's footsteps to become a doctor. Akira often dragged him into various activities, like playing in the park, going shopping, or studying together. However, Kazuki didn't mind, because his sister was the only one who always understood him...
"Brother!" Akira called insistently, tugging at his shirt. "Let's play in the park!"
"Kazuki furrowed his brows and sighed. "I don't feel like going outside…"
"Ehh, come on, Brother! There are lots of kids playing in the park, it'll be fun!" Akira pulled at him again with enthusiasm, as if she couldn't accept Kazuki's answer.
"Akira… I don't want to," Kazuki replied in a slightly firm tone, trying to resist his sister's wishes.
"Akira's expression immediately changed, her eyes glistening with tears, ready to cry at any moment. Kazuki felt defeated.
"Damn… her signature move… Kazuki thought.
"Fine, fine. 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 squealed with joy and hugged him.
"Such a little manipulator...
"Upon arriving at the park, Kazuki let Akira play. He sat on a park bench, continuing to read the novel he hadn't finished earlier. However, his enjoyment was interrupted by the sound of commotion. When he looked over, he saw Akira surrounded by three girls who were tugging at her hair roughly.
"Without thinking, Kazuki quickly walked toward them. In an instant, he had grabbed one of the girls' wrists 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 shouted in panic, but Kazuki ignored her. With a sharp glare, he leaned in closer.
"If I see you bothering her again… don't expect me to forgive you."
"All three girls immediately fled, some nearly tripping over themselves in their fear.
"Hmph, cowards. They only dare to bully my sister...
"Brother, I'm scared…" Akira tugged at Kazuki's shirt and huddled close to him, her body trembling.
Kazuki gently patted Akira's head. "It's okay now, you're safe. Let's go home...
"The sky grew dark as they approached home. The sun began to set behind the horizon, creating a beautiful view at the end of the street. However, amidst the beauty, Kazuki spotted a suspicious figure. In the distance, a man in a red cloak was seen dragging a woman toward a dilapidated building.
"Akira, you go home first. I have something to take care of for a bit."
"But brother-"
"Go home! I'll be back later...
"Reluctantly, Akira nodded and headed home. Kazuki followed the man in the red cloak with cautious steps. But suddenly, his instincts screamed danger, yet his curiosity was too strong to ignore.
"Kazuki was someone who loved mysteries,
just like what he was doing now...
"Kazuki crept stealthily, looking for a hidden position to observe them. Behind the building, he saw a group of people in red cloaks 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 him, and he felt a strange liquid seep into his skin.
"ARGHHHH!" Kazuki screamed, his body shaking violently.
The liquid felt like it was entering his body and burning from within, like lava flowing through him. Blood began to stream from his eyes, thick smoke billowed from his skin. Every breath felt like swallowing fire...
"You little brat, you shouldn't have meddled with us...
this is the consequence for daring to interfere, what a pity for your life...
"Kazuki could only hear their voices, their faces obscured 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 engulfed him, sweeping Kazuki's body along an unclear current. Slowly, everything turned dark…