Chapter 14: Miss You...
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The night was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. Akira stood by the window, staring at the sky, his thoughts far away. The stars above seemed so distant, as though they were mocking him, unreachable and cold. His mind wandered, as it often did when he found himself alone.
Then, the memory hit him.
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It was a time long ago, when things had been simpler, or at least he thought they were. Akira was walking from home to his middle school, his thoughts preoccupied with the usual adolescent distractions. Rin Suki had always been a bright spot in his world—a girl with pink hair, a smile that could melt the hardest hearts, and a personality as vibrant as her appearance. They'd been close, even more so as time passed. She was his girlfriend, though Akira hadn't understood love back then the way he understood it now.
That day, they had been walking to school together, reminiscing about their time in middle school. The kind of carefree conversation that made Akira's heart feel lighter, despite the heaviness he carried within. But, as was always the case with Akira, the weight of his past had never fully let him go.
Soon after, Gao Drefan, his childhood friend, caught up with them. Gao was the outgoing one, always quick to make a joke and lighten the mood. The three of them spent the rest of the morning walking to school together, as they had done countless times before. But that day was different—Akira could feel it. A subtle shift in the air, an unease he couldn't shake.
When school let out, Akira's cleaning duty kept him at school long after the others had gone home. By the time he finished, the streets were empty, the sun already dipping below the horizon. It was later than he had planned, but his thoughts remained scattered as he made his way down the familiar street, headed home.
That's when he saw it.
Gao's dog, a scruffy thing always hanging around, sat near the entrance of Gao's house. Akira, always fond of the animal, approached it. But as he neared, a faint sound reached his ears. A moan.
He paused, confused. The sound seemed to come from inside Gao's house, muffled yet unmistakable. Curiosity got the better of him. He glanced up at the window, half-drawn curtains revealing a sliver of the scene inside.
What he saw next would haunt him forever.
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The images flashed in Akira's mind—Gao and Rin, together in the most intimate way, their actions raw and unfiltered. The betrayal was immediate, sharp. His breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding in his ears as he stood frozen, unable to tear his eyes away.
Rage surged through him, dark and uncontrollable. He didn't understand it, but he couldn't stop it.
Before he even realized what he was doing, he found himself standing at the door. It swung open with a force that seemed to reverberate through his chest. Gao and Rin froze, their expressions shifting from shock to guilt. Rin attempted to speak, her voice faltering as she stepped toward him, trying to explain.
It was then that Akira's world fractured.
His hand found the knife on the table, the one beside the apples. It felt cold in his grip as he turned toward Rin. She was too close.
"Akira, wait, please—"
The plea didn't reach him.
In one swift motion, the blade found its mark. Blood sprayed, staining the floor. Gao scrambled, trying to flee, but Akira's eyes never left Rin. His hands, shaking but determined, drove the knife into her over and over. The world blurred, the violence becoming a blur of sound and fury. The happiness he once felt around her was gone, replaced with a sickening satisfaction.
When it was over, Akira stood over her body, chest heaving, blood staining his hands. His mind was a whirlwind of confusion and madness, but one thought rang out above all others: It's done.
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The memory faded as quickly as it had come, leaving Akira standing alone in the dark. His fingers clenched into fists as he looked up at the sky, the stars now an unreachable void.
"I'll never miss you, Gao," he whispered to the silent night, his voice cold, empty and evilly...
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