AN ORDİNARY MORNİNG

June 16, 2025 - Eden 0%

Early in the morning, the outside of the house looked calm and quiet. Everything seemed ordinary in front of their two-story house, with the gray sedan parked in the garage. Inside, the lamb was still asleep. His black, wavy hair was spread out on the pillow. His long mustache twitched slightly with each breath.

The door creaked and slowly opened. Yamato slipped inside quietly. Wearing yellow pajamas with ducks on them and with his short brown hair falling over his forehead, he stepped into the room. There was a mischievous grin on his face that only a child could make. Without hesitation, he climbed onto the bed and quickly pulled his father's mustache.

Kozuki suddenly sat up in panic. With his eyes half closed and still sleepy, he grumbled, "What time is it?" Yamato burst into laughter.

"My dad's mustache is so funny!" he said in a mocking tone.

Yurika's voice was heard from the next room:

"Yamato! Don't make fun of your father!"

Kozuki frowned and turned to Yamato with a serious expression:

"How dare you make fun of my mustache?"

Yamato paused for a moment, then grinned and tugged at his mustache again. Kozuki tried to catch him, but his foot got tangled in the blanket. He lost his balance and fell backward onto the edge of the bed.

Just then, Yurika entered the room. She had a slight smile on her face. She leaned down and kissed Kozuki on the forehead.

Sitting on the corner of the bed, Yamato excitedly held Kozuki's hands:

"Come on, Dad, today's the last day! I'm so excited!"

Kozuki, still sleepy, rubbed his disheveled mustache:

"Are you going out again without eating anything? We should have eaten something first."

Yamato energetically shouted:

"I won't eat!"

---

The family was having breakfast in the small but cozy corner of the kitchen. Yamato was excitedly stirring the food on his plate. Their dog, Şuşu, was lying listlessly under the table. His breathing was weak, his eyes half-closed. Despite the smell of food, he didn't move.

Kozuki looked at the clock on the wall. There was a tired look in his eyes:

"Did you drive the car yesterday?"

Yurika looked at her plate and replied:

"Yes, there was a strange noise when I came back from work. Something like steam came out."

Kozuki furrowed his brows and put down his fork:

"Really? Seriously?"

After breakfast, they went to the garage. Kozuki opened the hood. Hot air and smoke hit his face. He started the engine, but a noise came and the engine suddenly stopped. Kozuki closed the hood in frustration.

Yamato jumped up, holding his mother's hand:

"Let's take the bus, Dad! We took it last time, remember?"

Kozuki muttered:

"I'll deal with this old thing another time."

Yurika said excitedly:

"Then we'll take the bus. We were going on a picnic, weren't we, Dad?"

Kozuki quickly nodded in agreement.

Yamato hugged Shushu and asked:

"Can she come too?"

Yurika leaned down:

"You know, Yamato, Shushu is sick right now. They won't let her on the bus."

Yamato was sad at first, but then he asked hopefully:

"She'll come if she gets better, right?"

Yurika smiled:

"Of course she will."

---

Kozuki looked at his watch. The sun was still high in the sky. With a deep sigh, he said:

"We still have a lot of time before school."

There were five minutes left before they had to leave. Yurika called out from afar:

"Hey, sweetie! We're leaving!"

But when she didn't hear Kozuki respond, she went into the room. Seeing that Kozuki was still asleep, she punched him in the stomach without mercy.

BAM!

Kozuki sat up in pain:

"Okay, okay! I'm up!"

In his mind, his face turning red:

"I guess she doesn't want me anymore..."

Yurika thought to herself:

"Did I go too hard?"

But then she furrowed her brows, her eyes blazing:

"You deserved it, Kozuki."

---

The bus approached slowly. The family boarded the bus. There were no seats left. The three of them stood, hugging each other.

Yamato cheerfully asked:

"What will we do at the picnic? Shall we play ball?"

Kozuki, trying to annoy him:

"We're not playing ball just because you want to."

Yamato jumped up:

"I didn't ask to!"

Kozuki thought to himself:

"Thank you for making me forget the past…"

As the bus moved forward, someone got on at the next stop. He was wearing a thick coat that didn't suit the season. His eyes were vacant. Despite the summer heat, he wasn't sweating at all. Unintelligible words fell from his lips in a foreign language.

Yurika whispered:

"What did he say?"

Kozuki, not understanding:

"Huh?"

Yamato was scared. The man had long, dirty beard, messy hair, and muddy shoes. His eyes were narrowed, pale, and looked like he hadn't washed in years.

Yamato hugged his mother tightly:

"He looks terrifying…"

Suddenly, the man took off his coat. His body was wrapped in cables, with small lights glowing all over him. His chest was wrapped in bomb belts. The cables were wrapped around his body like veins. Suddenly…

**A huge explosion occurred**

Everything went silent.

Kozuki reflexively pulled Yurika and Yamato between his arms. He used his body as a shield for them.

But suddenly, he found himself in the same position, outside.

The bus exploded before his eyes.

Time seemed to stop.

Flames… smoke… shards of glass flew through the air. Shattered backpacks, screams, severed arms and legs…

A small shoe… had flown off on its own.

Kozuki couldn't breathe. He collapsed to the ground. His eyes were wide, his lips parted.

And there… on the slope… a small, burned, shattered body…

All that remained of Yamato… an arm torn from his chest.

Yurika's body was a few meters away, her clothes burning, her knees gone. Her face was unrecognizable. Despite being side by side, they couldn't see each other. Death had found them all separately.

Kozuki's world turned gray. The silence turned into a roar in his ears.

**Kozuki cried out in anguish**

WHY ME, WHY AM I STILL HERE?

His cry echoed in the flames.

Time had stopped. Kozuki fell to his knees and pounded the ground with his hands as if digging into the earth.

Tears streamed down his face.

And the world changed forever.