"Mr. Hanekoma...
he's really amazing..." I murmured to myself, staring at the
mural with glazed eyes. The first few weeks after the game, I
wouldn't go near the Udagawa district. Beat usually ended up having
to go to the Wild Boar at 104, about which he complained constantly,
"It doesn't have the right feeling, ya know? A store like Wild
Boar just doesn't fit in a mall, Phones!"
Of
course I felt a little guilty. But that wasn't going to make me go
back to Udagawa. Eventually, it was the mural. And as I stood there,
I felt peaceful, like the last traces of the Game had finally been
laid to rest. Now I could live my life, for real.
"Sanae
sure is something, isn't he?"
My heart
skipped a beat. No... not him... not again. I bit my lip and ignored
the voice.
"Oh Neku, you and I both know
you missed me..."
I gulped. I had to ignore
it. I was going to get played like a little, fragile toy; thrashed
around and broken, then thrown away, useless...just like
before.
"If you don't feel like
cooperating, I've got a little incentive for you."
I
felt cold metal press into the back of my neck and nearly jumped out
of my skin.
"W-what are you
doing?"
"Turn around and I'll show
you."
I scrunched my eyes shut and slowly
turned around.
"Hello there, Neku. Long
time no see. You haven't changed a bit."
My
eyes flew open. The first thing I saw was Joshua's hauntingly
familiar grin. The second thing I saw was the gun.
"Just
a precaution," Joshua said nonchalantly. "In case you
should call for help or something equally pointless." He took a
step forward.
"W-wait, Joshua, w-what are
you planning to do?"
"Just have a
little fun, that's all." He giggled softly.
My
eyes widened, and I took a few steps back. "N-no... you creep...
get the hell away from me!"
A frown
distorted Joshua's serene expression, and he waved the gun
threateningly. "Neku, really. Don't be silly, there's no place
to run, no one to save you. It's just you and me, dear."
I
backed up further, until I ran into the wall. "Shit..." I
muttered. Suddenly the mural didn't seem so comforting anymore. I was
trapped.
Joshua smirked.
"Joshua!
Y-you wouldn't shoot me again!" I pleaded, eyes darting
back and forth between Joshua's smirking face and the gun pointed at
my chest. I was getting desperate.
"Oh
Neku, don't worry. I can always bend the rules and let you back into
the Game. Hee hee..."
"J-Joshua,
please! You can't do this!" By now I was just trying to stall
for time. Stupid me, coming out here at the crack of dawn. Nobody was
here.
"On
the contrary, I can do whatever I want. Go ahead, call the police."
He motioned towards the pocket that held my phone. "By the time
they get here, I'll be long gone, watching you try and tell them that
a certain Joshua Kiryu who died 30 years ago held you at gunpoint.
Being the Composer really has its perks, doesn't it?" He giggled
maddeningly and ran a slender finger across my jaw, tilting my chin
just slightly.
I
swung my fist as hard as I could into his face-- well, at least, as
close to it as I got before he grabbed my wrist and twisted it behind
my back.
"Neku,
Neku, Neku, how many times will I have to tell you? You're at quite
the disadvantage here," he chided, digging his nails into my arm
for emphasis.
I bit my lip. I
was only fooling myself. "Joshua..." I murmured weakly,
finally giving up. "Why?"
"Because
I love you," he whispered against my ear.
"Th-this
is not a good way to t-tell someone that..."
Joshua
stepped back, a pout on his lips. "It's not my job to know these
things. Anyway... it's fun to mess with you, Neku."
I
stared, bewildered. "S-so you're not going to rape me?"
He
laughed, a short, unfamiliar tinkling sound. "You thought I was
going to rape you? Heeheehee! Oh Neku, you're so funny!"
I
glared. "What were you doing then, Mister Smart-Guy?!"
He
pecked me quickly on the nose. "Having a little fun. See you
later, Neku."
"Wait,
you can't just-"
Joshua
only smiled slyly and disappeared in a burst of light.
I
haven't seen him since. Bastard.