"Some stories do not reach a happy ending," Xyla turned back at us. "And some stories were never meant to reach their ending."
She closed her eyes for a moment but opened them again. While me and Kaede, didn't say a thing. She crossed her arms, her face, emotionless.
"Do you believe in fate?"
⁰-⁰
Meow
Haru still lingers on my mind. Others might not see or sense my longing but I still am. I've always wanted to feel his touch again. The way he gently touches my hair, his soft touch on my face. Even the sandwich that he especially made for me.
I don't know what to call this feeling. But the weirder thing is that, after all this time. Why is it that I can start feeling now. Why now?
Meow!
"Oh," I quickly got woken up by a loud sound. It sounded like a cat, but I don't remember having one. "Huh?"
I looked at the white bedsheets by the bed's footing and there's a small bulk that's moving. I crawled towards it and removed the bedsheets. It's a cat. No it's not just a random cat, but the cat that accompanied me before when I got lost from Kaede.
"Don't be scared," I said to the cat.
...
It responded by peeing on my white bedsheets. Nice.
I'll let it be for now, since I'll do laundry soon anyway.
I reached for my phone that's under my pillows. Only one notification popped up. A message from Kaede.
'Lets meet up tomorrow afternoon - - - at - - -. We'll be meeting your boyfriend.. in a way,' Kaede texted me and it seems to be from last night.
I checked the time and I'm already an hour late. I quickly stood up and reached for my oversized orange jacket on the chair beside my bed. I don't have time to change clothes, so it's better to just cover what I'm wearing right now.
I was about to go out the door but then I remembered the cat who is still there, sitting on my bed. Sitting beside the mess it made while looking at me.
I quickly grabbed a bowl, left some milk and left then and there.
⁰-⁰
"Did he already leave?" I asked myself as I breathed heavily. Panting from running non-stop from the place I got dropped off to the meeting place.
Kaede asked to meet at the place where we had a picnic under the Sakura last time. Didn't think he'd want to do it again though. The place is less crowded than before. The Sakura's petals, being drifted away by the wind.
"Get away from me," I heard a soft voice nearby. It sounded like it was from an alley. They're being loud, as if people are fighting.
Just a moment ago it was really peaceful, no disturbances at all. Are my ears getting impaired?
Out of curiosity, I approached the alley and peeked. There's a tall man that has his hands up, looks like he's being threatened.
He has his back on me but I can tell that he's dangerous since he's holding a knife on his left hand. I can't see much since the man is big, but there's another person in front of him, they're not moving.
I can tell it's someone he's with since they both have the same tattoo on their hands.
Behind that man though was a person in a black.. dress. Even though it's dark, I can see that that person also has some sort of fabric on top of that, probably a veil, that reaches down to their waist.
"Run. And leave your friend to die, or stay and both of you will die. Kindly choose," A soft voice questioned, it made me shiver.
I can't feel anything but if I can, it's definitely fear.
The tall man moved back a little and I got a glimpse of the face of the person in black. Xyla?
The tall man threw his knife at Xyla's direction but she quickly avoided it with no effort. I also noticed that Xyla's holding the other person hostage, a gun pointed at his head.
The man doesn't have anything now. He tried to run but Xyla moved quickly. It looked impossible but she quickly approached the man and hit his neck with the gun, making him pass out while still holding the other hostage. Dragging him with her in the process.
Didn't know the flash actually exists..
She stepped on the man, who is now on the ground with her left foot and looked at her gun.
"Pew, my gun's not scratched," She sighed in relief.
"Please let me go," The person that she has been holding pleaded, almost crying. He's weak, she's only holding him with her arm around his neck. His arms are freely moving, but he's too scared to do anything.
She only looked at him coldly and put him to sleep the way she did the other.
"You guys are annoying. Look at me now, I look like a mess," She complained, even though they can't hear her.
"Hello," I greeted her with my usual monotone voice. I can't feel anything so I don't really put effort into mimicking emotions when talking.
"Oh, hello. I just said goodbye last night but here we are talking," She replied calmly and composed, dropping the scaredy cat to the ground beside the tall guy.
She approached me.
"Is that the real thing?" I fixed her veil while asking. She didn't answer and just gave me the gun.
"Wanna find out?" Xyla dared me, her face wearing a grin. I held the gun and looked at it carefully, it looks real.
She walked behind me, held my hand with the gun and pointed it towards the unconscious scaredy cat. "And now, pull the trigger."
I don't want to kill a person right now but..
Click
"I had a feeling," I said right after I pulled the trigger of the gun without a bullet. Xyla only replied by laughing like a monkey. No, I meant gorilla. I just looked at her sharply.
"C'mon now, don't look at me like that!" She scolded, still laughing. "These ones," She calmed down in just a second and looked back at them on the ground. "These ones, weaklings. I don't even need to use a real gun, I can handle them without it. Also, even just a little smear of blood would ruin my outfit."
She kept on going on and on about her outfit but then I realized why I'm even here right now. I checked the time with my phone and I'm already an hour late.
"Oh wow, that's great but I gotta go," I quickly said but before I left, Xyla held back my hand.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"Meeting Kaede," I replied. "And I'm already an hour late."
"Oh, you have friends other than me?"
She probably asked without thinking. If I can feel anything, I'd probably be offended with what she said but good thing I can't I guess.
"Can I come with?" She added.
"Sure."
⁰-⁰
We walked around the area. The sun's already setting and the place looked gloomy, unlike what it looked like a day ago.
I saw Kaede from afar, sitting on a bench. We approached him and upon closer inspection, he's sleeping.
I don't wanna bother Kaede since he's sleeping peacefully, but I have a feeling that the reason he called me here is important. I poked his face again and again, he's sensitive to touch so it's enough to wake him up.
"Hiki?" He called out as he scratched his eyes. Upon seeing me in front of him, he immediately hugged me. "Where were you, you didn't even text me."
"Ew, what a baby," Xyla yawned who is standing behind me. Making Kaede sit up straight, realizing that we weren't alone. "You have a boyfriend?" She asked while still staring at Kaede.
Kaede just looked at me, his eyes still looks confusing as always.
"That's the reason I called you here Hibiki. Yamamoto's here," He stood up and walked off while we just followed behind him.
I looked at Xyla who's walking beside me, still confused with what was happening. We walked and walked, and it just kept getting darker and darker.
We stopped walking and ended up in front of a Sakura tree. This one's different though, this specific tree is withered, unlike the other trees around it. It's found deeper in this place.
"Yamamoto's resting now," Kaede said, breaking the silence.
It's silent, really silent. To the point that the only sound I can hear is the wind, crashing with the leaves that have already fallen.
"His ashes were scattered here in this tree. I asked his father," Kaede, who is standing in front of us, walked past me and stood still behind my back.
I looked at Xyla, knowing that she doesn't know what's happening. Before I could say anything, she sighed which stopped me.
"You can fill me in later," She said with a soft smile and proceeded to walk in front of us. Walking closer to the withering tree.
"Some stories do not reach a happy ending," Xyla turned back at us. "And some stories were never meant to reach their ending."
She closed her eyes for a moment but opened them again. While me and Kaede, didn't say a thing. She crossed her arms, her face, emotionless.
"Do you believe in fate?" Xyla looked at the tree again. "You don't have to answer that right now."
She took her last step forward and fixed her posture.
She touched the tree with her right hand, and at that exact moment, the winds blew stronger. Her hair and dress is being blown away. She pushed back her veil that's covering her face and held her dress.
"My dear soul, death's not a mistake," She softly said, her voice, blurry because of the roaring wind. "Give thy power to one who's wake. Walk, pass on to another life, midnight's masses that'll soon alight."
After a few seconds, she took off her hand that was on the tree while the roaring winds also calmed down.
Xyla, still facing the tree, puts down her veil and slowly faced towards us. "He's not here."
"What do you mean?" Kaede asked.
"They whisper another person's name. I'm assuming that the deceased person you came here for is supposed to be Yamamoto, right?" Xyla replied as she walked towards us.
"Yes," I answered.
"Well, that just means your friend isn't dead yet," Xyla followed, fixing her dress that was messed up by the wind.
"What do you mean? Yamamoto's dad told me that they scattered his ashes here," Kaede asked, confused.
"Kaede, how did he die?" I answered him with a question. He hesitated a little, but continued. "Well.. he died while he's in a car. There was a bomb inside, and when his body was found, he was already burnt and unrecognizable. They only knew it was him because Yamamoto's wallet was-"
"I see," Xyla interrupted. "They just all agreed that it was this.. Yamamoto? Isn't it possible that someone just took him and put his wallet on that person?"
Silence greeted us after she expressed her doubts. We didn't even realize it but the sun has already set, it's dark out. Especially here because this area is deeper than where people usually go.
"How did you even know? And what was that that you were saying?" Kaede broke the silence.
"Family tradition. Don't think of it much, it's only to comfort the soul. I.. I've only done it once though so it's a little embarrassing," Xyla stammered.
Kaede just looked at me, I sensed his doubt about what she just said. I do, already believe Xyla. She's a person that never lies, I learned that during the time we were together and she mentioned it once. She can't lie because it's a family rule.
But if Haru's not dead.. then what now?
"From what I've heard, there were letter engraved in the body's forehead. P.D," Kaede said, making Xyla's eyes open wide in shock, she quickly calmed down.
"We should go home now. You guys don't have to think much about that stuff now but.. we can only confirm two things," Xyla announced. "This Yamamoto person is alive. And that.. P.D. is one of the major Yakuza's. It's better to stay away," She coldly added. She walked past us and was about to leave but stopped to look back at us.
"But if you have a death wish and wanna do something. Make sure to call me alright?" She added, with a smile.
She's mysterious in her own way but.. she's someone we can surely trust. Still, Haru's alive. The Yakuza's are surely behind his disappearance.
If I were to do something right now, I'd probably die, but if I could choose to sacrifice my life for his life.
Then..
I'd take it without a moment's hesitation.