“Everything feels the same. The air feels the same, it doesn’t feel terrifying anymore. That is what makes it feel off.” He grits his teeth.
Unknowingly Masashi can’t help but think that coming back to the school felt surreal.
To him, it just feels a little too real to be back here after that happened.
After all, it has been days since Masashi has formally come back into his normal life.
He’s still under someone else’s supervision.
Masashi wonders where the hell Surabukādo is at this moment, he didn’t even see him on his way here.
More reason to look out for anything, it’s like everyone doesn’t know what really happened on that day.
Despite the closing of the school a lot has happened.
Nobody would suspect anything of the ordinary.
After all, the main cause for the closing in the minds of many, was a prank.
He wonders if Okemia came back to school, despite her brother taking her.
Simply wondering if it’s all for family business or is there more to it.
He strides down the hallway lost in his head.
Approaching class, he enters the door.
To his shock, it was relatively quiet.
While it makes sense why everyone is working, it doesn’t feel like when everyone was bantering.
Masashi thought maybe because everyone had spent so much time studying during the shutdown, they were so focused on the finals.
That and it being March 24th, a lot has changed in just two days.
He sits down, unloading his bag.
Skkrrr
The chalk on the board never felt so grimey to hear.
Though much has changed, Masashi himself feels like he can move forward from here, to stand on equal ground to the abnormal.
Creak
The classroom door opens.
Hotaru walks in.
While glancing away from the window Masashi notices her.
His eyes sharpen as he realizes what this means.
Jolting up a bit he wonders where Okemia is, the two of them are inseparable, so if they both don’t come.
That could only mean one thing.
“Oh?”
After all he has to take action, while it’s not a promise to defeat Okemia’s brother.
It’s determination he has to follow through with.
Hotaru sits down.
Masashi notices that despite all that has happened.
She is not sad, or even down in the dumps.
Oddly she is calm, to some extent.
He’ll just take to Hotaru after class, after all he needs to know if she had contact with Okemia.
Even a phone call is enough for him.
Some time later.
“Ichibangase! You have a minute?”
While at lunch, Masashi calls out to Hotaru.
She is shocked to see him again, her expression is sonorous as she approaches him.
“Hey Yanagidate.” She says in a nuanced tone.
“How have you been?”
“I’m good so far.”
“Actually I want to know if you kno-”
“You want to know what happened to Okemia right?”
“Yeah”, he says quietly.
To move to a more quiet place, they head outside near the school during the lunch break.
“So have you contacted her? Has she called you, hell did you see her in person”, Masashi says with eagerness in his voice, knowing that any of those can lead to a good breakthrough.
Hotaru puts her arms slightly up to block the onslaught of questions.
“Hey hey slow down a little.”
“Well, I did call her. I was so happy that I did, because it gave me closure to her current status.”
Hotaru smiles a bit knowing her friend is safe.
“She’s home right now, it looks like nothing horrible has happened. From what she said, her brother took her. Because something big was going on in her family”.
Hotaru looks up at Masashi with a slightly determined look.
“I don’t what is going on with her, but all I know she’s fine.”
He is shocked by what she said, it does answer his questions.
But it just doesn’t feel right to him.
“Ichibangase, thank you.” He says with a genuine smile.
Knowing that even if it’s little information to the bigger picture, as long as he knows the small bits of important details.
He’s fine with that.
“Yeah, you got it.”
“Well we ought to get back, don’t want to waste the time for lunch.” Masashi remarks, with that Masashi and Hotaru head back.
Half way into the building, he hears a very familiar voice.
“Aye dude bro!”
Something flips into Masashi, something of genuine joy.
As they speed walk to each other, almost running.
They ready their arms, for the most-
CLAP!
After hitting a seamless handshake.
Surabukādo, responds with joy, “Aye, how have you been?”
Masashi’s grip tightens, with great enthusiasm.
“As great as I can be!”
There’s a warm air of silence for a moment.
“So, did you ever find out what happened to Okemia?”, Surabukādo questions with intent.
“Hotaru told me she’s fine. What happened that day when we went to the movies.”
“Well, knowing that she’s fine shows us that her brother hadn’t done anything drastic yet.” Surabukādo answers with an assured foot.
“Despite the fact that kidnapping a family member for family business, isn’t an excuse but a crime. As I said the day it happened.”
An intense expression forms on Masashi’s face, almost like he has no restraint.
A mix of emotions surge in him, but his face returns to its normal expression, shocking him.
“What the?”
“Hey man no need to be so intense looking ha.”, Surabukādo makes a funny comment.
He mimics the intense features on Masashi’s face.
“Haha, chill out. It’s not really like I wanted to protect her, I guess, it’s more I wanted to help get away from whatever her brother was doing.” Masashi laughs with a sigh of relief.
“Well then Surabukādo, shall we get on with our day?”, Masashi says with excitement for the first time.
“Let’s get going then.”, Surabukādo fires back.
Walking down the halls there is a sense of normalcy, maybe for the first time Masashi feels school is feeling like school.
Even if it’s the last few months as a freshman, so much has happened at the end point of all things.
“Surabukādo, do you think that new movie will come out?”
“What new movie do you speak of?”
“Kanasan: Tales of the golden ape!”
“I don’t know, maybe. To be honest I am looking towards ReClipse”
“What movie is that?”
“It’s a new movie, from what I’ve seen it’s being directed by Makoto Shinkai. I’ve seen a good amount of his works. You should maybe check em out”
“Shinkai? Alright I’ll be sure to check it out.”
“Masashi.”
“Yeah?”
“When summer comes around, do you think we’ll have a good one, maybe the best one? Like I ain’t talking about the babes, the sun, or even the parties.”
“Like I am speaking about the general vibes!”
“Haha, yeah man. I hope to make the best out of it, I just hope I can make time for myself this year around.”
“Yeah, I still haven’t seen you at some sort of party. What’s up with that now eh?”
“Maybe I’m not the largest party fanatic. But don’t count me out, like I’ll get around”
WHACK!
“Hey hey, enough with the back thing!”
“Well you gotta stay in guard at all times, right? But lowkey your back has gotten stronger don’t you think?”
“Eh? You can tell from that?”
“Of course! My dad told me. That if a man has a strong back, he can lift the weight of others around him.”
“That’s why I occasionally hit your back, if your back were to get weaker. I’d think you die.”
“So I guess that’s why you always hit my back? That is a funny one, I’ll give you that.”
“But hey, thanks for getting my mind on Hyuganatsu’s situation. Even if it’s not a permanent thing, heck, how does her brother think she’ll pass the finals, if she’s cooped up in her home?”
“Aye man, I don’t know. She’ll probably just study, I think, oh well I don’t think she’ll miss the test because of ‘family issues’.”
“Ha yeah, I think that too.”
“Well, I probably gotta skadaddle soon.”
“I guess then catch you later.”
“Yeah.”
“Heh.”
CLAP!
“See you later dude bro!”
“Back at ya, dude bro!”
As he leaves the school premises exiting after a long day of school.
A man stands near, waiting for his arrival.
“So are you ready to go home?” the man says with a firm tone.
“Yeah, let’s go, Mr Hashimoto.”
Despite all of what just happened, Masashi was kept under watch from none other than Hashimoto Kyo.
After what had happened yesterday, the higher ups were not adamant of sending Masashi off, let alone keep him alive.
The fear of cults, insurrectionists, or even dangers to the like.
Could probably have their way to awaken that monster inside.
Saijou was sure Hashimoto could handle the situation, after all, he had fought the UnWritten one the day after that.
“Hey kid, not that I am aware of anything further than your current. But I think they should have assigned the man himself to watch over you.” Hashimoto says in a curious tone.
Even mentioning the UnWritten makes Hashimoto uneasy, at his current state.
It frightens Hashimoto a bit, despite his pride in strength he thinks otherwise.
Saijou himself thinks that if The UnWritten one were to somehow take control over Masashi again, at this level Hashimoto could handle the fight.
Hashimoto has his concerns of being a bit underestimated, but also his bald head which he gets made fun of from his squad mates…
“Eh? I mean Mr. Syuuto said you can handle it?”
“Maybe,” Hashimoto seems lost in thought.
“Well… I think so, I’m not saying that I am weak. No, I am far from that.”
“But with a threat this big, don’t you think he should have watched over you?”
“I guess he has his reasons?”
“Maybe he does kid, maybe he does.”
Hashimoto thinks this is ridiculous.
Nevertheless, he went along his way escorting Masashi back to his home.
As Masashi finally gets to go home, he wonders how worried Oba feels for him since it’s been a full day.
It’s not the first time he hasn’t been home in a day.
Rapp Rapp Rapp
Hashimoto raps on the door, he fidgets his suit a bit.
To not give that he’s unprofessional..
The door opens.
“Good evening, how can I-” Before finishing the sentence, she sees Masashi besides Hashimoto.
Rushing at Masashi, she gives him a tight hug.
“O-h-h o-h-h g-goodness Masashi, where have you been?” Oba cries out with her heart.
Knowing that Masashi didn’t come home, in her mind she thought something horrible must have happened to him.
Hashimoto, looking at this scene, looks away.
Even he couldn’t bear the scene.
He finally speaks up.
“Miss Yanagidate. We have found your nephew, supposedly he was kidnapped by a group of gang members. Along with other people who were found.”
This was entirely fabricated by Hashimoto to keep the real truth down.
Masashi can’t think of a time Oba has cried like this, it’s not like he has seen this before.
But to this intensity, it’s like a mother has found out her child has died.
“O-oh Masashi, Im g-glad you’re safe. Oh god, I-i don’t know. I can’t fathom what I’d do if something horrible had happened to you!”
Masashi’s eyes are wide open, despite this scene.
He really can’t help to think of the exact looks that Oba has to his mom, it makes sense since they are sisters.
But he can’t help thinking about a distant memory similar to this.
“Momma! Momma! W-why are you crying?”
“A-ah I am ██████”
Masashi can’t really remember, but the feeling is still there.
“Oba, it’s all ok. You don’t have to cry, I’m fine. I promise”
Oba slightly recoils back, her tears slowed.
But it flows ever so smoothly.
“It’s not that Masashi, don’t say that. I can’t find Shimizu, even her room is empty. I even contacted her father, but he didn’t come to get her.”
Shock rings in his head.
“Shimizu is gone?”
Unknowingly, both of them do not know what happened to Shimizu.
As she ventures her way further into the other world, trying to find answers on how to get back.
“Well Ma’am!” Hashimoto surges up.
“I shall get going.”
“Thank you so much. Really thank you.” Oba cries with her heart out while still holding onto Masashi.
Hashimoto gives a smile before walking down the steps.
He gestures a wave at Masashi before getting into his car and driving away.
The fading sun in the sky brings pleasure to the end of this day, no one knows what they could expect at the end of the day.
Even in the year nothing is guaranteed.
So being able to walk ‘free’ like this Masashi himself is glad.
After getting a thoughtful dinner from Oba, Masashi feels at home, he does not have to worry as much as he thinks.
Laying in bed, he thinks about yesterday.
The fight that had happened, he remembers that suffocating feeling when his body was not in his control.
That feeling made him scared, scared of being taken over and his body being used for malicious intent.
Despite everything so far, he thinks he will be able to stand on his own.
Still his mind still drifts to that day as he recalls the first release of the Sovereign of the UnWritten.
BRINGINGING!
He picks is phone up and answers it.
“Hello?” he groans while trying to sleep.
“Yanagidate, right?”
“Yeah? Who is this?”
There is a silence that fills the air for about a second, Masashi almost contemplates about hanging up the phone.
“It’s Nagano, book club president.”
“Oh! What’s going on Nagano?”
“I’m sorry if this sounds abrupt, I had to ask around for your number to get you.”
“That’s fine, but what’s going on?”
“Did you… Experience anything on that day?”