Sayonara Bye Bye (Itsuki, Shu, Ai, Cameo of Momo)
Itsuki stared at the annoying sunny skies over his head. A part of him has come to greatly enjoy basking under its warmth, despite the pain that still resides inside him.
Why did such a thing suddenly make him feel great about himself? Why did it make him happy? His lips curled, twisted; he found no answer within himself besides the fact that he liked it.
The world was easier when he gave no fucks about anything, when he felt so numb to the world that it meant nothing. Now his eyes got so easily overwhelmed.
With so many colors, feelings, and things, it was not easy. The world had become so much harder to bear and understand; it made him want to get sick, but he couldn’t, somehow, he still liked that feeling of liveness in his life.
His consciousness and unconsciousness fought for what they liked and disliked, at odds with each other, because he was at odds with himself. He wanted simpler, easier-to-understand terms, a reality he could passively accept, but now he had to be active; it was no longer a game of passive existence.
The hollow pain within himself ached.
That emptiness begged to be filled, or cut out entirely from him, that love left to fester, now was cleaned and brutalized through the fires and flames, but it was left there.
It would no longer fester; it had been treated with searing methods, but it was there, it was what made Itsuki so annoyed.
The pain made him wish for his numbness back, so at least he couldn’t feel it anymore, but he thought it was no longer something that could be done.
He was at one of the parks within the Kageoka Center. Reiji gave him a free day after seeing how messed up he was after the run-in with the Perverted Idea and that Shinigami servant.
“Pssss, hey, do you have a minute?” Itsuki ignored the words; he thought it wasn’t with him… until he snapped his eyes open. He recognized that voice!
It was Shu’s!
“What are you doing here? Don’t you have school today?” Itsuki was startled. He was not ready to see Shu Jinko of all people, skip school.
Shu smiled widely. “I had to make sure you are not throwing yourself into danger again! You may not die easily, but man, you always get wrecked!” Shu laughed off concern as humor, trying not to startle or worry Itsuki too much.
Itsuki thought about telling Shu off; he was well enough alone. Then, Itsuki remembered Shu’s track record and how he was assaulted by some insane guy who busted through two floors.
It was better for him to keep an eye on Shu. At least it would allow Itsuki to help him if anything bad happened. Itsuki got up and groaned. “Alright. Do you have any money so we can hang out? Or know a place where we can go that doesn’t need money?”
Shu’s smile faded out, but it immediately came back. Shu was broke as hell, as always. Itsuki groaned even louder before picking up his wallet and checking how much money he had.
Not much, but enough to hang out for a day or so. “Wanna hit the Arcade? I miss playing Ghosts and Goblins.”
(...)
They went to one of the Arcades in the center of Kageoka.
Itsuki walked up to a machine of Ghosts and Ghouls, staring it down as if it owed him something. He had brought a pouch full of coins. Shu stared at Itsuki with wide, somewhat disbelieving eyes. “Will we use that amount of coins?”
It required suspension of disbelief that a machine would be so hard, and require so many coins to beat; it was simply too much, but a look at Itsuki’s face showed he was stone cold, and already anticipating that reaction. “If we hope to beat it? Yes.” Shu seemed to have a hard time believing it.
“If we are lucky, we will manage to beat it today. It is your first time playing this game, right?” Itsuki questioned, and Shu just nodded his head, making a wide smile appear on Itsuki’s face. “Then it is set. We will make your first time luck count on this one.”
Itsuki cracked his knuckles, and then his shoulders, and lastly his neck, as if he was getting ready for a fight. It made Shu increasingly worried. “Are you okay, man? I have seen you not take a single warm-up in the P.E classes. What is in that game?”
While Shu didn’t agree with many things Itsuki did, he knew the man was not a soft one; he wouldn’t flinch at most things, and it was a hard time to make him bothered or annoyed enough for warm-ups or even to care about something not Fujiwara-Senki related.
If a single machine could make Itsuki have that reaction, he had to worry about what the contents of the game were. “Yeah, we will be here for a few hours. I need a proper warm-up.” Itsuki checked his wallet again, counting how many yen he still had.
“Alright. Food and snacks are on me. Let’s lay the ground rules: when one of us loses, we swap. The one not playing gets to eat and drink while the other is playing. It will avoid us getting tired.”
Itsuki grinned ear to ear. Unconsciously, his brain remembered the good memories of the times he went with his friends to an Arcade, and they played games for hours on end, swapping as they went on losing tries. Shu looked somewhat lost, almost sheepish.
In a way, it would be like teaching the sibling he never had how to play games.
He walked forward. “I start, go grab yourself something to eat, Shu.” Itsuki tossed Shu the wallet.
Shu grabbed it. He didn’t feel that good about using someone else’s money, so willy nilly, even with strict permission. He knew that Itsuki was not that well financially, but the look on his face.
It was a face of resolution and acceptance. Shu felt his gut twist a little, but he relented. If Itsuki was alright with it, and didn’t seem bothered with using that money, then all was well, right?
Shu brought up a soda and a yakisoba bread. When he came back to Itsuki, he was in the second stage. His eyes centered on the machine’s screen. His movements were calculated, no wasted jerk of his hand or micro movement.
It was total concentration. His character, a knight, was climbing up a few ice platforms. His heart was beating so loud that even Shu could hear it. “So, what is the game about?” Shu asked, trying to make small talk.
“A knight trying to save a princess from a Demon King. Hard ass game.” Itsuki complained as a demon hit the character, breaking off his armor.
Itsuki managed to survive for a few moments before he died, overwhelmed by the enemies. A loud groan escaped his mouth, but that groan turned into a small laugh and a defiant smile. “I forgot how hard this game is.” Itsuki walked away.
The countdown ended, and they were back to the first stage. All his life on that try ended. Shu looked at Itsuki’s smiling face as he pointed at the machine, signaling it was his time. “But I would start eating now…” Shu complained, looking at his yakisoba bread and soda.
Itsuki merely gave him a Cheshire grin that promised naught but hell. “Don’t worry, Shu, you will be back here in noooo time. I will hold it for you.” Shu looked reluctant to part with his yakisoba bread.
He trusted Itsuki… but enough to hand him that piecemeal of divine food? He was not so sure. But, looking at the intensity of Itsuki’s eyes, his faith, he decided to give him a vote of trust. He handed him the unpopped soda and the yakisoba bread and went to the machine, putting up a coin and starting the game.
Shu didn’t manage to last long. He died halfway through the first stage, all of his tries wasted right at the beginning. It was no time, and Itsuki was back on the machine. Shu grabbed his lunch and stared at Itsuki intently.
Losing so easily left a somewhat bad taste in his mouth. He was lucky; he hoped he could do better than what he did. It was strange, as if the machine, or even something supernatural, was playing against him.
“Don’t worry, it is always this way with Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, or Ghosts ‘n Goblins. These games were made by the devil itself.” Itsuki said with a laugh, his movements calculated; not even a single drop of sweat ran down his forehead or on his palms.
A single misinput or wrong movement on the joystick would be his end. Itsuki saw how it bothered Shu that he died so easily. It was as if the game cheated against him, and it made Shu pout, or at least, something close to it.
“This game is that way, Shu. It is not fair, and it does not play nicely.” Itsuki said, his eyes reflecting the screen before him.
“Then why play it? If it is going to frustrate you, shouldn’t you go play something actually enjoyable?” Shu was bugged by how Itsuki seemed to enjoy the experience. He took a big bite out of his yakisoba bread, staring at the machine as if it were an evil-doer or Tokusatsu villain.
“Because when we get to save the princess, it feels so sweet after going through the bitter hell that is playing this game. I only managed to do the true ending once, but damn, it felt so good.” It was a hard fight, but Itsuki managed.
It was one of his best gaming experiences. Shu seemed to think about it. What Itsuki said made sense. A sweet reward made sense when you were forced to eat a bitter food.
Yet, it seemed there was more to it. More to why Itsuki liked to play the game. “Hm. Is that all? If it was the reason, there are many other games we could play, no?” Shu had heard Contra was like hell, so it was an option.
He didn’t vibe with that arcade machine in particular. It felt cursed. Shu was someone who tried to see the good in all things, but that thing… it exhaled an aura, a presence. Were they sure it was not a cursed object seeking to cause hurt?
It seemed to mock him…
Before Shu could dwell on why that machine bothered him, Itsuki gave him an answer. “Yeah. There are others, but this one is special, you know?” A bittersweet smile on Itsuki’s face. “I like it because of the knight, you save the princess. You play the role of the hero, the good guy, and save the girl from the demon. The hero always gets the girl in the end.”
It made Itsuki feel like he could save someone. It left the bittersweet taste even deeper in his mouth, and the acidic taste burned in his tongue. It reminded him…
“Oh, it is cool then.” Shu’s demeanor seemed to take a 180° turn. If it was meant to be a hard journey, for a fulfilling ending, it made sense that the game was hard. It was not to mock or curse, but for a greater purpose.
Itsuki took just enough time for Shu to eat before he lost that round and walked away. “Hey, the game doesn’t change, it is always the same, so take time to memorize stuff,” Itsuki said, tapping on Shu’s shoulder and walking away.
Shu nodded, his confidence renewed, and ready to take another shot at the machine. This time, Itsuki was the one who went to buy snacks. When he got back, Shu had just managed to get into the second stage before dying.
Then, it was his turn again.
And then, it was Shu’s.
They went into this back-and-forth for a few more minutes.
Itsuki saw how much more determined Shu was when he said the purpose of the game was to endure a bitter path to save a princess. He was just… so determined when he came to know the true objective of Ghouls ‘n Ghosts.
It made Itsuki envy him a little.
As if he had saved someone in the past. ‘Wait, he went through a burning building to save people. He did do it before.’ Itsuki’s envy panged in his chest.
An empty taste in his mouth. Maybe, if it was Shu who talked about it… “Hey, how does it feel to save someone? No, sorry, I said it wrongly.” Shu’s ears perked at the question. He could feel Itsuki thinking behind him.
Finding words to speak.
How to put feelings into his question. “Shu… tell me, did you save someone from death, say, a girl your age?” Itsuki looked at the ground. “If you did… how were you able to convince her to live on?”
Shu understood it immediately. Itsuki was talking about suicide. There was no moment to think. He answered confidently. “I was just nice to her, I showed there were reasons to live, I think. I don’t know how to save someone if they just… decide to kill themselves, you know.”
For a moment, Shu’s heart felt heavy in his chest. “But I can try to show them there was a reason to live despite the pain, man. It is not an easy thing, and it is on a case-by-case basis, but I think that we should at least try to be good and show our hearts to others so we can save them.”
Itsuki wondered about that. In his past, if he had shown his heart more, maybe she could’ve been saved? It was pointless to think about those things now.
Itsuki understood what Shu meant: to be honest and good, to be the best person they can be, so they can help others and show them there was more to life.
It was what he wanted to believe, and if it was what Shu meant… Itsuki didn’t know and lacked the courage to ask him.
Was he not enough for her? Did his attempts fall on deaf ears? Did it even matter to her heart at all? Itsuki wondered if there was a time and place where he could’ve reached her heart at one point, understand her, and stop that tragedy from unfolding.
He was not enough.
He wasn’t enough.
Maybe, no matter how much he tried to do it right, he was destined to fail anyway. He was not a hero, was he? If he were, he could’ve saved her; maybe saving lives would’ve come as easily as well. The timeline he lived in wasn’t the ideal one.
Itsuki swallowed his bitterness like fiery wine, the acidic lump of disappointment choked down.
Shu died, and so it was Itsuki’s turn again.
Shu stared at Itsuki’s back. He already had broad shoulders in the past, but they seemed even broader now. As if he was swelling, growing bigger.
He remembered all the things Itsuki endured, how much he went through, and all the damage, the pain, the hurts, and wounds he carried both inside and outside. He was a hell of a man, nearly as tough as Ran, which was not an easy feat.
While Itsuki was unstable and violent, he also had a code of honor he abided by and followed, and lacked the fear reflex to risk his life for others; if he had to do it, he would do it.
He was like a wall that endured damage and never folded. He lacked flexibility, but made it up with toughness. Ran was better than Itsuki in that regard; he had flexibility and stability to make good decisions.
Yet, Shu saw himself drawn to Itsuki, at least in one regard.
He fought, and fought again and again, for what he believed was right and his objectives. His fight made him realize how much he was lacking, lacking in tools to defend himself and others.
Itsuki lacked the reasons, but he always went all in to protect the Fujiwara Senki, no, Momo, and to do what he believed was right. In a way, they were alike in that regard, so Shu felt compelled to ask.
“Hey, Itsuki, how do you fight foes stronger than you, that outnumber you?” Itsuki was a hell of a man, or was before he got so messed up.
He also had no formal training, much like Shu himself.
Maybe Itsuki could shed some light on the path ahead in his martial training, or at least give him topics to think about.
His heart palpitated loudly.
“I… just do what I gotta to do. I think no one will do it for me if I can’t do it, so I stand up and fight. I got so beaten up that I learned to wait for he best moment to strike, you know? Have patience amidst violence, and know my limits, and when I have to break them.”
Itsuki was always messing himself up and going far beyond the threshold his body could endure. It was not because he believed in anything, but because he believed in nothing, so every cause was just as worthy of fighting for.
Only recently, he had relearned the meaning of truly going past your limits for what you care about. “I know it sounds generic, but if they outnumber you and outskill you, you have to make it up with other things, patience, precision, hit them where you can knock them out, don’t be wasteful.”
Itsuki gave a toothy grin, his fangs bared as he played. “Most important of all, those who are unskilled like us must learn how to tank hits and how to dodge them. Protect your core, your solar plexus, trust me, it sucks to be hit there.” That mummy came to his mind.
“A hit to the chin will knock you out if you are not a freak of nature.”
Shu nodded.
“And beware of your back, don’t want to have the back your skull hits, avoid concussions.” Shu nodded even harder. “Most important of all, know that even the toughest foes need to breathe, so be sure to always know how to do a good rear-naked choke .”
Shu opened his mouth slightly before nodding even harder, making mental notes.
That advice was not violent or malicious in nature as Shu expected. Itsuki was surprisingly… chill in how he described it. No dirty shots advised, or some nasty technique, just… solid things he had learned throughout his fights and time as a brawler.
Some of these Shu knew, well, most of them, but having them reaffirmed to him reinforced their idea as solid and basic knowledge he needed to internalize and reinforce with other teachings.
Itsuki died on the third stage and groaned loudly. He walked away and raised his hand. Instinctively, Shu high-fived it, and they swapped places.
They continued on this back and forth for another whole hour.
Then, Shu managed to beat the game. His happiness was short-lived, however.
“Wait. This is not the true ending… we need to beat the game again?” Terror dawned on his face, but it was quickly replaced by righteous fury. Itsuki laughed.
“I said this game was evil… I thought I said it, anyway. Now, the rules change. Instead of giving up and starting over from the beginning, if we die, we put another coin in and swap. Now it is our rush towards the ending!”
(...)
Unbeknownst to the two young men, a shadow hid in a closet with them in her direct field of view. It was caustrophobic. It was crowded with a bunch of trash and other things. The air was thick with many smells, a combination of bittersweet acidness, with a foul, deep, and bitter one.
The stale air inside the closet was hot and sticky; her sweat clung to her skin for dear life, as the small space heated over like an oven, as if it was cooking her alive.
The straps and band of her bra dug and nearly cut into her flesh, her shoulders and side reddened as flesh threatened to cover over the bands, and the rings almost branded into her back like a searing brand.
Hot air escaped her mouth, a choked-out attempt at suppressing unsightly noises; her jaw trembled, as her blood heated in the presence of so many ‘’relics”.
Of course, in the eyes of other people, it was trash, but for her? They were the most sacred relics of his. Things she should take back to her lair.
She had gathered a hoard today, but what was to be a joyous occasion filled her heart with stormy feelings and anxiety. She gnawed at her fingertips obsessively, biting into flesh, tearing off skin, shedding her blood into her teeth and tongue.
The vile taste of her own ichor and stained flesh filled her mouth with the taste of a despicable bile.
Why was Shu, in all of his perfection, hanging out with someone as crude… as violent, as that sinful barbarian? He was not worthy of being in Shus's presence, of sharing his happiness, partaking in his company.
Yet, Shu still granted him the time of his day. He skipped school for him!
It made her heart skip a beat with outrage. She was but a mere creature before Shu; she had no right of questioning him, but it was he just choosing to skip school, tarnish his perfect record for someone like that beast… it made Ai’s heart fill up with jealousy.
Shu never looked at her that way. That expression of fun he had on his lips. The enjoyment on his face, that silent, and great determination to beat up that game, save that princess…
What did that princess have that she didn’t?
Was it her perfect pixels? Her clean skin, the fact that she was captured by a vile demon king?
This was what made her worthy of Shu’s attention, his dashing heroics and attention, his undivided attention and will?
Ai was jealous.
It was but an image on a screen.
She didn’t care.
She was deserving of Shu’s attention, not it.
No, wait.
She was getting ahead of herself. She would only be worthy of Shu’s attention if he chose to give it to her.
Still, she wanted to wreck that machine.
Her hands trembled.
It was so unfair that the brute made Shu smile and enjoy himself. Pay for his snacks.
Slowly, she brought a paper wrapping to her mouth. A wrap of one of Shu’s yakisoba breads that he discarded after it no longer had use.
The only thing that brute gave her, if anything, was the opportunity to gather more from him, to feel his taste.
It has been two hours already, and Shu didn’t seem to get bored or want to get out of that machine.
Her heart panged so hard in her chest that it made it hard to breathe; it felt as if her airways were both clogging and unclogging at the same time.
She stuck her tongue out and licked the stains on the yakisoba bread wrapping. Her tongue trembled, her hands trembled, her whole being trembled.
It was wasteful to consume it so mindlessly; she should guard and cherish it, but Shu had given her so many of those today… Overindulging in him was not bad, not today. It was not bad! IT WAS NOT BAD! IT WAS NOT BAD! SHE DESERVED IT! JUST A MOUTHFUL!
And a mouthful she would get. Her tongue tasted the wrapping slowly. Its muscles tensed and convulsed, she wrestled control over every micro movement, to consume his taste slowly.
The taste of his saliva still fresh, she could almost taste the wetness and heat of his mouth through the paper.
Her tongue caressed that taste, very, very lethargically, so that the salty taste of his saliva could travel at snail speed through her taste buds, to make the savoring last longer.
Her tongue twisted in unnatural ways; it was tense, yet strangely flexible, like she had grown a second brain at the base of her mouth just for the sake of not wasting her indulgence and devouring it too quickly.
The tip of her tongue pressed flat, and then its body flattened against the paper; her tongue stuck out, drying, so as not to mix her sinful saliva with his.
To not ruin such a feast.
With her in that closet was a heavy-duty pair of scissors, just in case that beast tried to do something to him. He may have made him laugh now, but she would tolerate no harm towards Shu.
Even as she feasted, her eyes were cold, focused, without a hint of hazy ecstasy, just the will and drive to do what needs to be done.
Her little eating escapade was but… a nice reward she gave to herself.
(...)
Three hours have passed, and they finally managed to beat the game twice for the true ending. Shu had the honor of striking down the final boss.
He tried to play one more time, but didn’t even manage to exit the first stage anymore. It seemed his beginner’s luck had finally run out. And so did their coins.
Itsuki checked his wallet. “Well. Wanna hit a hot bath? I still have some money left for a good one.” Itsuki said. He was sweating after the intense concentration during their playing of that cursed machine.
Shu nodded, but then it felt as if a lightbulb turned on above his head. “Hey, I know a nice place. I helped an old lady that one time, and she allowed me and my friends to use the hot bath for free.” Itsuki smiled slightly.
That was sure convenient. “Well, no complaints on my end. Wanna go hit it, then?” Shu nodded, and they strolled together out of the arcade, side by side. They were, of course, unaware of the shadow that trailed behind them.
They had to take a subway to reach the hot bath house, not something Itsuki was the biggest fan of, but hey, free was free.
Shu talked with the owner, and Itsuki merely nodded and answered shortly to questions thrown his way. Once upon a time, he would be standing side by side with Shu in the conversation, making small talk and trying to get to know the old lady.
Sadly, those times were long past him now. He had embraced violence and had an easier time speaking with his fists rather than with words.
Who would’ve thought that a meek and violence-averting boy like he was would become the thing he had become.
Itsuki was the first to make his way towards the bath. Naked, he submerged himself in the hot water. Its touch caressed his long, exhausted muscles, with numbing and yet freeing relaxation, different from the shackles of apathy he held around his neck and limbs not so long ago.
He rested his back against the pool’s walls, letting himself relax his posture, strength, and tension vanishing out of his muscles like a spring losing strength.
He felt his head clear a little, not as many intrusive and dark thoughts in it. Yet, he felt something bubble inside of himself.
A quite nice feeling of peace, as if everything would be alright.
Music gently whispered in his ears. Its vibes were quite good.
Whoever had put the song in the speakers had good taste.
Itsuki half-lidded his eyes, letting that peaceful feeling overcome him.
“Hey, man,” Shu called to him as he too entered the hot bath.
Shu never had the time to notice it every other time, as Itsuki had a slightly hunched posture and carried himself lowkey most of the time.
There, he had none of those things. He sat straight in the pool, his large size full in view. He was large, larger than he had been in the past, as if his muscles had swelled and strengthened in the meantime before they met again during his suspension.
Alongside a myriad of scars, Shu was sure they weren’t there before.
Three immense gashes on his torso, as if flesh had imploded from his insides, and then hastily mended together.
It was gruesome, even if it had already scarred. His arms, legs, and everything else had the sight of many scars. From cuts, impacts, lacerations, and piercing, it was as if Itsuki’s body was a map to hell.
“Man, did you always have those?” For a moment, Itsuki opened his eyes lazily and analyzed himself. Scars, too many to count, all over his body.
Each one was a memory unlocked for him, each a new blood grove that had been filled and healed, but its marks remained. Each fight he remembered quite well.
Once they were buried under his skin, the marks of combat and medals of honor from battle now in full show.
The stasis that held him together, that held himself together, has been broken, and now the full impact of his crusade showed on his body.
Shu was also buff, but not as buff as his friend. Few people could tower over him, and fewer were wider than him. While Shu was no Ran, he took some pride in his physique and fitness.
While he had the body, he lacked the skills to fight. Something he would rectify as soon as possible.
He sat beside Itsuki.
Two young men nearing the prime of their lives. Were it a mixed bath, they would be drawing quite a few looks, in consideration of their trained physiques, beauty, and in one case, scars.
“They always were there. They just showed themselves now.” Itsuki answered lazily, as Shu became quite confused. For Itsuki, it made sense, but for Shu, it was strange, for all he knew, scars couldn’t hide themselves.
One could hide them with makeup and clothes, but they couldn’t hide themselves from the body itself; they could be shown and exposed.
It never seemed the case with Itsuki.
Shu also sensed he wouldn’t get a better answer than that, so he didn’t pursue the topic. “So, what are you planning to do with your suspension? You still have four days left.”
Itsuki laughed. Four days left. Plenty of time.
“I will run some errands and try to sort my life.” Itsuki looked over the palm of his hand. He still couldn’t feel his Idolon quite right.
He also felt something else in him, some sort of power waiting to be unveiled, but as of now, he had no idea how to use it. Maybe that cursed Monkey Mummy could provide some help and guidance.
“I see,” Shu said dryly. He had his hands and head full of stuff from the Student Council, Higan, the Idea World… days have been hectic at best, and that was ignoring events such as the battle against the Census Club!
They all had problems, but still could take a day out of their insane life to spend time together and just enjoy the small things in life. It was good.
Some semblance of peace where nothing worries them.
They stood in silence, enjoying the song and the hot bath. There was nothing to say but to enjoy the relaxation and peace of mind they had.
The first to rise was Shu. “See you, man. Soon it will be sundown, and I have some things to do. See you.”
Itsuki waved at Shu and just stood there for a few more minutes.
(...)
Shu bid goodbye to the old lady and walked out. He would meet with Yae, Momo, and the others to make a plan for the next week, both for the Higan Student Body and the Idea World shenanigans that were increasing.
Shu heard the scurrying of many steps behind him. His instincts told him tomfoolery was abound, and he turned around. “Hey, are you Shu Jinko?” A group of about thirty people stopped and stared at him. Their gaze was intense and worrying.
Shu felt as if something problematic would brew in the next few instances, but hey, it was better to keep a positive outlook! “Yes! I am Shu Jinko.” Shu answered with a refreshing smile. They drew out metal pipes, pocket knives, and knuckle dusters.
Shu didn’t think twice, he turned around, and ran! It was time for a strategic retreat!
The group gave chase. Shu didn’t know what they had against him, and he wouldn’t stay still for them to mess him up! He could find what their problem was later on!
As the chase started, a car stopped near the group, stopping at a red light. It forced part of the group to stop, or be run over by the car.
As Shu ran with all of his strength, they passed by an apartment complex. On a stroke of luck, a woman left a big bucket full of water fall off her balcony, hitting part of the group, knocking one of them out, while the wet floor made many more trip and fall.
“Oh, sorry about that!” Shouted the woman.
“You could’ve killed them! Don’t be so clumsy!” Shouted another woman from inside the apartment.
Shu counted his blessings and was glad for each of them. He managed to pass ahead before two guys carrying a mirror stepped in the middle of the sidewalk.
The ones in the front of the group hit the mirror, and the ones behind them hit the ones in the front, shattering the mirror as they fell over each other.
To avoid tripping and falling like the others, the rest of the group went around them to keep the chase.
After minutes of constant and frantic running, they ended up at a footbridge. One half of the group, 10 or so members remaining, went to one end, and the other kept on chasing Shu.
When Shu realized, he was surrounded.
A shadow prepared to lunge at the group to protect Shu, but before she could act, from a parallel footbridge, a gust of wind came.
It nearly ripped a role in the railing, and knocked the group down, who clung for their dear life.
It was as if the god of wind had come to rescue Shu; coupled with each turn of luck he had, it seemed as if the gods were protecting him.
However, Shu saw it differently. He saw a burst of twin waves of Blue Flames, manifested like slashes into the air, making their way towards the group. He looked around, but the source of the said wave of Blue Flames was no longer there.
Meanwhile, the miscreants quaked in their shoes. There was something wrong with Shu Jinko; aside from being a celebrity, it was as if the kami favored him.
“He is a monster!”
Exclaimed one of the members, who was helped by the ones who were on the footbridge, bringing him up before he could fall.
“The Kami favor him!”
Like a certain Fujin.
But instead of Fujin, a certain demon appeared. “Yo. What are your sorry asses doing surrounding my friend?” Momofuku had appeared, as she cast down a criticizing look towards Shu.
“What have you done this time?” She face-palmed as she looked at the sorry state of the miscreants. She saw the armband of a gang other than hers. She drew Masamune. “Know what, later you give me the rundown. Now, what are you fucks doing in my territory?”
Itsuki exited the hot baths. However, he heard a commotion. It drew his attention to it. He saw Shu and a group of 30 people.
Shu broke out in a full sprint as they drew out weapons.
Itsuki’s eyes widened with horror. The moment he stopped looking out for Shu, he got himself in trouble. His heart raced, and Itsuki followed after them.
The group was stopped by a car, and he went around it to keep the chase.
As a bucket full of water fell, Itsuki took the other sidewalk.
This allowed him to avoid the mirror in its entirety. Yet, he was not able to catch up to Shu, but he noticed where they were going.
A set of two footbridges, parallel to each other. Itsuki took the route to one, to find Shu there and help him against the much-trimmed group.
Yet, Itsuki found himself on the other footbridge, as Shu was surrounded. His heart sank to his stomach as he saw one of the gang members draw out a knife.
However, he saw something else. The shadow of a girl.
Her eyes full of mania and obsession… and love.
It was easy to draw her line of sight; the mania in her eyes allowed him to make a clear picture of what she saw: Shu.
No, it was as if she could only see Shu, and the assholes chasing Shu were only in the way.
He saw her rise with a heavy-duty pair of scissors.
The love in her eyes reminded him of memories.
Ah.
A love greater than your whole life.
Someone you would sacrifice everything for.
A person who remained the apple of your eye, no matter what.
She still had her world.
She had that apple in her eye.
Shu was that person.
The person she loved the most.
It reminded him of himself when she was still alive.
Darkness rose in his chest with the intent to see her hurt. To allow her to lose the person she loved.
How would she fare up without Shu? How much damage would it do to her if he were killed by those people?
No. How badly would her life go if she killed one of them?
This darkness screamed for Itsuki to stay idle, do nothing. Let the cycle perpetuate itself, watch someone share his pain and misery.
Get his commiseration of suffering, and let someone deal with the fallout of losing their love just like how he did.
A twisted part of him begged to smile, to be happy at her misery.
His hands trembled. He was above it.
Or was he?
Abandoning his vengeance would give him no reward in the end; he would heal. But this? He would get a least some satisfaction.
Just as these feelings, this darkness, started to rise, firm and steady hands got hold of it and choked it down to the depths of hell where it belonged.
Rather than darkness, something else rose in its place.
Hellfire, hotter than anything else. As burning as Kagutsuchi’s birth.
Indignation, envy, want, of all that the girl had, the fact that the object of her love was still alive.
And a bigger indignation, and rage towards Koharu, who had taken her own life anyway, without thinking of him.
And rage against himself for allowing this darkness to fester in the first place. The veil he felt inside himself seemed to draw a little open.
Enough for the familiar feeling of a weapon to burn in his hands, a blade made of blue fire, manifested from the depths of his wretched soul.
He swung it with all of his might. It broke free, the blade vanished from his hands, and in its stead, a conjoined wave of fire broke free, towards the miscreants that threatened Shu.
The fire damaged the railings, nearly knocking them out.
Itsuki’s heart rang like a siren in his ears as he turned around to go away. The envy, the want, the loneliness, like radiation decaying his organs.
As he turned, his eyes momentarily met the eyes of that girl. She was full of confusion.
Itsuki didn’t care, or better yet, he didn’t want to give her a silent answer. He wanted to get away. In his heart, he wished her good luck and to strive for her love, to get it before she sneezed and lost.
Maybe she could reach Shu one day.
(...)
Itsuki wandered; he was not aimless; he had a destination.
His gaze cast low. As much as he wanted to think he had left all of his pain behind, he hadn’t, not yet.
He envied her so much, but there was nothing he could do.
The night began to fall.
Itsuki made his way to a park, and in that park, he walked towards an elevated spot. He sat there, alone. Just himself and his heart.
He didn’t know what he had done on that footbridge. How did that fire manifest, or what did it mean. In that moment, he had felt focused and had intent.
Intent to save Shu.
And maybe to break the cycle of abuse he was in, stop another person from ruining their life like he did, and from losing someone they loved.
As he was reminded of love, he felt empty inside.
He wanted to fill the hole Koharu left in his heart with another love, or at least, to begin to love someone else with as much passion as he had for Koharu, yet he felt no one would accept it, or that he had no chance.
It suited him right.
The wheel of fate spun again.
He would surpass it, that pain, that loneliness, and the emptiness.
But it didn’t change how much it hurt inside of him.
Itsuki put his arms behind him, as he star gazed the night sky, the bright moon over his head, and the stars that insisted on shining in the distance.
When he was little, he and Koharu went there all of the time; they spoke of dreams, how they would live their lives in the future.
Promises made.
Promises left unfulfilled.
The clouds moved to cover the sky, but Itsuki was unflinching.
Even as rain began to pour, he continued there.
As raindrops ran over his face like tears.
Outside of his reach, but right by his side, her ghost stood beside him.
They would leave it all behind.
He would bury her, and she would pass on.
No shackles left.
For either of them.
The rain continued, but Itsuki didn’t relent.
He stood there until morning light came, and the clouds went away.
In the horizon, a black and pink Idea jumped from the buildings, a cloth sack held on its face.
Life would continue.
And so would he.
A voice called to him, and it vanished with the wind.