BURN

In the middle of the silence inside the nullum room, Kisaragi and Koichi sat facing each other. Koichi asked listlessly, his voice almost a whisper:

"Do you know what I regret the most?"

Kisaragi looked up at the ceiling and snapped his fingers as he tried to think. But there was no answer, only silence. He leaned forward, looked at Koichi, and asked curiously:

"What?"

Koichi narrowed his eyes and replied: "Not questioning."

Kisaragi replied with a slight smile: "You're absolutely right, my friend. There's nothing we can do. I'm here now."

And so the scene shifts back to the past.

---

Koichi and Yousuke are sitting at one of the white tables in the dining area of the complex, eating breakfast with toast in their hands. Yousuke, as usual, is talking with his mouth full, stretching out the cheese on his toast:

"You know, my favorite thing about this toast is the ketchup. You put the ketchup on before the toast is done, then you put it in the machine. Hot, hot... I love it, man."

Koichi responds with a quiet laugh. "Oh, come on! No way, I like it without sauce."

He then takes a big bite but winces from the heat. Yousuke laughs out loud when he sees this.

Some of the cafeteria staff whisper, "The boss has been hanging out with this kid a lot lately... He never used to leave his room."

At that moment, Yousuke's father, the president, enters silently but with deliberate steps. His hands are in his pockets, and although he is not large, his presence changes the atmosphere.

When Yousuke sees his father, he puts his toast aside. The smile on his face disappears, replaced by a cold expression. When the president reaches the table, Yousuke says in a harsh voice:

"What is it?"

Koichi immediately stands up, about to bow in greeting, but Yousuke raises his hand and motions for him to sit down. Yousuke doesn't take his eyes off his father.

"You're not hanging around here. Go to your room," says his father.

Yousuke stands up. "I'm not a 12-year-old kid anymore. This is my place. I'll do whatever I want. You old fart."

Just as his father is about to yell, a bodyguard steps in.

"Mr. Tayo!"

Tayo turns around angrily: "What is it?"

The bodyguard bows his head: "I'm sorry, sir, but everyone is looking for you outside."

Tayon says threateningly: "If you're lying, you're fired," and quickly walks away without looking back.

Koichi looks at Yousuke: "Friend, what happened?"

Yousuke grumbles angrily: "Stupid old man." Then he gets up. "Come," he says.

They walk quickly to Yousuke's office and sit down quickly. Yousuke begins to speak:

"You idiot. He never acted like a father. All he ever cared about was his job. My mother was ruined because of him. He let me build this place, as if he were leaving something behind for me, as if I couldn't do it without him."

Koichi shakes his head. "I never knew my father. But I did everything I could to be a good father to my family."

Yousuke looks at him and smiles: "I can't be like you. A madman who gave everything for his work, I'll die alone."

Koichi slaps Yousuke on the arm. "Come on, man. You won't be alone."

Yousuke laughs sincerely for the first time.

---

About four months have passed. They are playing cards on the floor in Koichi's room. Yousuke tries to cheat every hand, but Koichi catches him every time and scolds him. They are talking as they play.

"Do you know what the hardest part was?" asks Yousuke. "The machine had to be super durable. I still don't understand how I did it. Who knows how many years I spent working on it."

Koichi quickly gets up. "You showed me the first time we went, but you haven't shown me since. Let's go again. Let's see what you've got."

Yousuke agrees. "If anything happens to me, make sure you write everything down." He says with a smile.

They both laugh out loud. They quickly set off. When they arrive at the Nullum site five months later, Koichi eagerly waits for the door to open. As soon as it opens, he slips inside and looks around. He gazes at every detail with admiration. He asks the staff to open the warehouse. The sand looks like concrete, but it is actually made up of tiny grains. When Koichi reaches out to touch it, Yousuke slaps his hand away.

"Don't, my friend. These substances will kill you the moment you touch them with their heat and nuclear energy."

He shakes his shoulder and continues with a smile: "Don't worry, nuclear energy won't harm us. After all, I made it."

Koichi thinks to himself: "What a joker..."

Yousuke sighs. "Ugh, Koichi! You write too much, I'm getting bored," he says and immediately takes the notebook from Koichi's hand and

begins to examine it: "Look, this is almost full. I'll give you a flash drive. Write it there."

He takes the notebook from Koichi's hand. "You should appreciate every moment."

Yousuke sighs. "Pff, okay. You keep writing."

Yousuke confidently and excitedly explains the pipes as if he were performing. "They may seem too complicated and too much, but each pipe has its own meaning."

Then he quietly leans toward Koichi's ear: "Actually, I did it to show off. One pipe is enough."

Koichi bursts out laughing. Yousuke: "But these things cost me a fortune," he says and hits the pipe.

But the screw is loose. The liquid spills out of the pipe and pours over Yousuke. The acidic liquid burns his entire body in seconds.

Koichi's laughter freezes. His eyes widen. He looks at Yousuke lying motionless on the ground.

Officials rush over. They hold Koichi back as he tries to go to Yousuke.

"YOUSUKE!!" he screams.

But it's too late...

Yousuke dies burning in front of Koichi's eyes.