Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
“He’s waking up!”
“Oh my Masashi, oh my poor Masashi.”
“I’m so sorry, if I knew something like this could happen, I wouldn’t have sent you to school.”
“Ma’am please settle yourself, this doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
What’s going on?
I’m in a hospital right?
Ah, Oba’s here too.
Damn my head hurts like crazy right now.
“Oh Masashi, I’m so sorry that you had to go through that incident in school.”
She’s really hugging me, oh I must have had her worried.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Well, from what I’ve been hearing so far, Nishi-ko was attacked by a group of people. My apologies, but I don’t really know all the details.”
“But they couldn’t figure out who or what caused it. Right now there is only one person in custody.”
“Also Ma’am, he’ll make a healthy recovery in about a day or so.”
“I am sorry for my little outburst, but seeing my nephew like this really had me.”
“Are you sure you’re alright Masashi?”
“It’s all alright Oba… I am fine, sorry for getting you worried like that…”
“Oh thank goodness.”
Is she a bear or what?
These hugs are killing me.
Damn.
My head though.
“Excuse me, both of you have visitors.”
“Oh who could it be?”
“Ayo dude bro, Masashi you alr–”
“Move you fool!”
“Hey, what’s your problem?”
It’s Surabukādo and Okemia.
“Aye man, are you okay?”
“Yeah I’m doing good, just injured a bit.”
“No but for real, what was going on at school that caused that outage. From what I heard some students think it was some kind of prank or something, but April ain’t even here yet, maybe an early April fool’s?”
“Yanagidate! Are you okay?! Like seriously, are you okay? ”
“Yeah Hyuganatsu, I think I’m doing fine. No need to worry.”
She’s shaking her head?
“What are you talking about Hyuganatsu? The only thing we’re lucky to survive is the finals. Some students are saying maybe some ‘hero’ caused this to happen because of said finals.”
“What are YOU going on about fool, what kind of sick joke would that be? They could have seriously harmed someone!”
“Woah chill out, I’m just saying. Why are you so pressed about that?”
“I’M NOT! Of course you didn’t experience what I experienced!”
“Sheesh, alright I see.”
“Hey Surabukādo? What day is it?”
“Huh? It’s the 20th right now.”
“I thought I was knocked out for way longer…”
“Masashi, Hyuganatsu told me you were with her and her friend at the time of this, so yeah my bad for not understanding the situation.”
“It’s all good Surabukādo, I still didn’t know what attacked me. I’ll find out what happened soon enough, I still need answers.”
“Well, I heard they’re shutting the school down for about one or two weeks. The finals are being pushed back on the schedule, I’m pretty excited about that.”
“So no more information about that, huh?”
“Yeah pretty much.”
“So, what are we going to do now?”
“Well dude, if I am being honest, a break sounds nice right now. Everyone could use it.”
So all the events that happened from yesterday don’t seem connected?
Or they are but are planned by different parties.
Huh, It’s a lot to think about.
“Masashi.”
“Yes Oba.”
“I want to stay by you until you get better. But I’ll have to go to work soon, I don’t want to leave you here.”
“I’ll come back tomorrow to check on you okay?”
“Alright Oba you should be getting on your way soon. Don’t be late.”
“Mwah!”
“Bye!”
“Damn bro, you’re a big mommies boy huh?
“Man, that is my aunt…”
“I’m just messing with you, but are you going to be fine by yourself?”
“Yeah I just gotta think about the situation, that just happened.”
“Heh alright, adios dude man.”
“Right back at you dude man.”
“Are you leaving too?”
“Yeah, I have to hit up Hotaru, because she is recovering from what she saw.”
“But when I get time, we’ll talk about this later.”
“Oh alright.”
“See you later, Yanagidate, I guess.”
Click
I’ll just rest for now.
There are so many things on my mind right now.
Finals, the encounter yesterday, even today.
Guess I can sleep for a bit.
It’s kind of tiring really.
So I can ease my mind.
Yeah that would be nice.
BRIRINGRING!
Who’s calling me?
“Hello, this is Masashi. How can I help you?”
“Masashi, Surabukādo here!”
“Yeah what’s going on?”
“How have you been lately? It’s been 5 days since you got discharged from the hospital right?”
“More or less yeah, I am doing fine, though what’s up with finals? Isn’t it usually at the end of the month? So what would be the point of pushing it back?”
“To be honest I think it’s just to ease the minds of students, I wouldn’t think they’d push it to April. If anything it is more of a rescheduling of the classes, not the finals. Since the school has to figure out things before moving forward.”
“Well it does make sense… But I don’t know how they’ll explain it to the public. I mean people are probably scared to come back or be cautious, while some might write it off as a joke or prank as you said.”
“Yeah, haha, but most importantly no one got seriously hurt, from what I heard.”
“Hmm yeah I think that is the best outcome from this whole situation.”
“Oh right Masashi, Hyuganatsu wanted us to meet up at Omiyamae Park.”
“Wait, she went to you?”
“No, she called me, surprisingly she said I shouldn’t go writing my number down everywhere. But lowkey the better the reach, the better the prize.”
“Anyways, at three you should come meet up, alright?”
“Yeah I’ll be there.”
“Alright, catch ya later man.”
“Of course I’ll be out!”
DISCONNECTED
March 21ST- Messages: Surabukādo
I still really can’t get that off my mind.
One thing after another.
It all feels connected yet, maybe it isn’t?
I mean after the guy in the alley, the invasion of the school.
Even that weird dream-like place.
honestly it all feels surreal, I’m oddly not complaining enough.
Maybe because school is out?
But I’m not too excited either.
Tch, I guess If I wasn’t effected, then Maybe I’d be happier?
Wait a moment, where is that amulet that my Uncle gave me?
“It has to be here somewhere.”
Oh?
There it is.
Looking back on this… He told me I should pull it out to remind him of our family, like I ever wanted to do that.
But I can’t really remember the thing he told me, maybe because it was nonsensical to me at the time.
Oh right, something on the lines of
‘In the times where you feel unsure of yourself, bring it towards the place where you feel you.’
So I just bring it closer to me, what am I supposed to do after that?
TICH!
Oh?
Was that a spark?
Wait what the hell?!
Why is it glowing?
Ssswwwwoossh.
Shit?!
Shut off!
“Did he give me some explosive device?! The hell kind of man is he?”
Ssswwwwoossh.
F– It’s BRIGHT?!
TISSCSK!
No way, did i just die?
I mean there wasn’t any explosion.
But that flash…
It’s this place again.
Maybe I didn’t die, I’m starting to think this isn’t exactly a dream, how did I end up back at the same place again?
Shit, it’s just how I remember it.
“So you’ve finally come again, It’s nice to see your face.”
“UWAGH?!”
THAT SCARED ME?!
Oh…
it’s That black figure again.
“What are you? More importantly, are you even real?! Don’t tell me this is just one of those dreams again?”
It feels way too real, like my vision is actually normal.
“You’re so eager to learn? Yet you hardly have advanced yet, yes I could tell you many truths. But what good would that be?”
Understand the truth?
Uh.
“What do you mean by that?! I’m so confused, like this feels real like that thing yesterday, tch. What can I call you then?”
Wait?
Why did I say those last words?
“𝓜𝔂 𝓷𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓲𝓼 █𝓪█𝓪𝔃𝓾█𝓾, 𝓲𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓼𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝔀.
Aazuu What now?
I couldn’t hear it clearly.
“I couldn’t hear you name properly co–”
“Fantazumu.”
Fan what?
This wind, what the?
It sounds like angry hornets when they speak?
“I can see you are lost in what you’re seeing. Where you currently reside now, is a place shaped by your mind, built from your heart. Think of it as your own world, maybe your own dream. After all, this place is ever changing.”
No, none of this feel real.
“Wait a minute! Is this some type of space I can go to by dreaming? Have you always been here?”
“I’ve been here all this time, even when you dream. I try to call your name, yet you never respond, I wondered why. Truthfully it doesn’t matter if you can or cannot hear me. I’m quite impressed, you can hear a single thing from my mouth.”
All the time huh?
You mean they have been here since the start of my life.
If that is true.
“Well, if you’re another me, then what is it you want? I mean you there’s no reason you started calling me now, why not earlier in my life.”
“I sensed your life was in danger, I did my best I could to help you. On your own you couldn’t yet use your powers, I assisted in helping you, I gave you the push that you needed to survive.”
“So you helped me fight that thing back in school, I don’t know what to say really, things have been getting weird.”
“But I have a question to ask, what was that thing? Was it a Yokai? A ghost? Maybe even spirit who wants revenge on the school or something?”
They’re not answering me?
I guess they don’t know either.
But that couldn’t be it.
It’s just like before, when I couldn’t hear them at all.
“In the future, you should master what you’re lacking, and strengthen the things you’re good at. Do not fall into stagnation, then you could move forward with what I have to grant you, I’m not going to save you again.”
“This is goodbye for now.”
TICH!
O-oh, Oh?!
I’m back on my bed?
Wait the amulet, it didn’t.”
That was weird, what even.
How even?
I can’t describe it.
“MASASHI! Come down for lunch!”
“U-uh, Coming Oba!”
…
They should be here?
Don’t tell me I came to this park for no reason–
“Aye man over here!”
“Hey Surabukādo… where’s Hyuganatsu?”
“I’m behind you.”
“Oh!”
“You came before me?”
“No, I just went to get some ice cream.”
“Damn you didn’t get me any?”
“Surabukādo… get your money up, and besides we are not buddy buddying.”
“Wait a minute Surabukādo, what even is your surname?”
“Y’know what never mind, Yanagidate, I think you know why we came here.”
“Yeah… The incident at school. How are you holding up so far?”
“I am doing good myself, but we didn’t really come here to discuss that right? I mean from our eyes. Besides Surabukādo.”
“Huh?”
“We saw what went down. Something similar happened to me but it wasn’t whatever that monster was.”
“Something else other than those things?”
“Well instead of being whatever those monsters were, it was a person who gave off such energy. Thinking about it, I really don’t want to talk about this person.”
“With the history we have.”
“Uh… I kind of feel uncomfortable with what I am going to say.”
“Did they do something awful? Did they kill someone you know?”
“Woah Surabukādo, that’s extreme don’t you think?”
“Ah geez my bad, from what has been going on, I don’t think that is something out of the question.”
“No it’s not far from that, actually…”
“Hey Hyuganatsu I won’t judge whatever you have to say, and Surabukādo should know by reading the room.”
Hmm, I don’t think she’ll feel comfortable explaining her situation to people she really doesn’t know.
But she took the time to arrange a meeting here?
Huh does she put her faith in things like that so easily?
“Okay, here goes I guess.”
“My uncle and aunt were killed by something like that.”
“Though… The monster wasn’t anything like that, it was far closer than you think.”
“Wait? You’re saying that the monster was human?”
“The monster you’re thinking of was human, it was my older brother.”
!
“What motive did he have for killing your aunt and uncle? Was it because of family problems?”
“To be honest, even after I kept digging, I still didn’t know what his reason really was. It just led to a dead end at one point.”
“But everything led back to him, so that is how I felt.”
“Ah, I’m sorry that happened to you…”
“It’s not a huge deal right now, but from just being around him. I could tell, he just gave off this presence and it was sickening.”
“Where is your brother right now?”
“From what I have heard, and I don’t know if this is true but he’s currently in Saitama.”
“That’s not too far from Suginami is it?”
“It’s two or three hours from here.”
“But what are we supposed to do about your brother? Go confront him or something?”
“No, I want to stay far away from him, I’m just saying this now because the experience I had in school felt exactly like what he did.”
“Hyuganatsu. Let’s say if your brother were to be the cause of death in your family, why hasn’t he been arrested? Or more likely why has he been scrutinized about the things he did.”
“Surabukādo, Well it only seemed that I caught on to him, but everyone seems to blindly turn it away, even my own mother and father.”
“Hell, they could have saved them when they were in hospital. But decided not to, it’s like they didn’t care at all.”
“So not even your own parents gave a crap about your uncle and aunt? That is sad.”
“My father had the money, he runs a broadcasting business. Being the CEO he makes a lot too, but he didn’t seem to care about his own brother’s life even my aunts too.”
“So the whole situation is just fucked up?”
“Yeah. I pleaded for them to save my uncle and aunt but not a word came out.”
“Hyuganatsu… I-i… I don’t want to sound like I am going to cheer you up right now, despite the tragic things that have happened in your family.”
“I feel like if your family has done bad to you, it shouldn’t deter you from seeking justice.”
“Haha, what the hell was all that?”
Did I sound too corny?
“Oh don’t make that face Yanagidate, you’re funny I can tell you that. It sounds plausible, though It’s out of my power to try things like that. I’d seek justice for my uncle and aunt in the future if that’s even possible.”
“Hey Hyuganatsu, at least you came out knowing what you saw was real, right? I mean me and Masashi were shaking our heads off at that story, like you’re fine after all that? I guess luck has been on your side.”
Come on, Surabukādo, now’s not the time for that.
“I’m pretty lucky aren’t I, and yeah it was brave for me to talk about that, jackass.”
“Huh why’d you call me a jackass?”
“Because I felt like it, Surabukādo. You get ahead of yourself sometimes.”
“It just means I believe in myself. Nothing wrong with a little ego.”
“Yeah… right.”
“Hey, Masashi, let’s get out of here and go watch a movie or something?”
A movie?
What do yo-
“Wait, why a movie? I’m still processing her situation in my head. Why would I thin–”
“I just wanted to calm the vibes of the situation down. Y’know not having it be so gloomy.”
“Well considering the situation, it doesn’t make sense to bring up a movie. You’re making my head hurt…”
“Ah my bad man, I thought lightening the mood in some way would make Hyuganatsu, who is talking about her situation, less sad in a way, I don’t know…”
This is awkward.
“Hey you two, It’s okay in some regards. I mean it all happened when I was nine years old, and even more when I was eight. I’m not as shaken as I was back then. I still feel it though, but It’s like I am sulking all the time.”
“Oh? So do you still wanna go watch a movie?”
No way.
“Surabukādo! Didn’t you get th-”
“No, I think I’d like to watch a movie… I mean to me. I guess I can’t be too stuck in the past, so really thank you for trying to lighten the mood…”
“See Masashi! It worked.”
“Aha. Yeah yeah.”
Geez, this made me cringe a bit.
I have get out of these situations.
“Hey Surabukādo? What movie theater are we going to? Better yet. How are we going to get there?”
“Don’t fret Yanagidate, I’ll see if Hotaru’s mom is available.”
“Gotcha…”
Just wonderful.