I am at a funeral.
The funeral of once the greatest magician of all, Kuroba Toichi. Kuroba Kaito's father.
Everything is in black and white. The attire, the flowers, the casket. Everyone is mourning for his death.
Oh… Chikage-san is in front. She looks so restless. She cried all night, hadn't she? Of course she would. He was her husband, after all.
The room is filled with grief and sadness. Sobs and condolences resound over and over again.
My father came with me. He sympathized with the family and even cried a little.
I never knew who my mother was, so I didn't know what it felt like to lose one.
And there he is, the kid who had just lost his father. The person of his admiration.
He, whose smile goes from one ear to another, eyes always sparkling with excitement.
Blank.
Expressionless.
In disbelief.
I don't think I ever want to know how it feels like for someone I love to lose to death.
At least, not until I can take it.
It was my first time attending a funeral.
Same goes for him, too.
And I decided that a funeral is my most hated event of all.
I am at a funeral.
This isn't the first time I've been to a funeral.
I've known how it felt like to be at a funeral.
10 years ago, when the greatest magician in the world, my dad, lost his life.
Everything is in black and white. The attire, the flowers, the casket, the faces of the people. They are still in disbelief.
Everyone is mourning.
Who could blame them, though? Someone they knew just lost their life.
The room is filled with grief and sadness. Sobs and condolences resound over and over again.
Inspector Nakamori is in front. He's wearing a formal, black suit. He almost looks like he's going to a wedding. He is silent, trying to hold back his tears even though his tear tracks can't be concealed. The inspector had never been good at keeping his poker face. He lets out his emotions like an open book most of the time, after all. He has never looked more pitiful.
There's mom in front too, wearing an elegant long dress.
Of course she would be there. She just lost someone very important to her, after all. Even now, she's still crying. Softly sobbing. Of course she would be. It would be unnatural for her not to. She's had enough of poker faces.
And then there are the people from school. There's Keiko, Akako, and Hakuba.
Keiko is sobbing onto her white handkerchief. It already looks so dirty in some moments of nonstop crying. She couldn't stop. Her friend since middle school is suddenly lifeless. It was just natural.
Akako is wearing black contacts, most likely produced in that big cauldron of hers with a spell that prevents any tears from leaking. After all, she couldn't risk losing her powers by attending the funeral of a friend. That's right, a friend. They weren't exactly in the best terms, but it was for sure that they really considered each other a real, genuine friend.
Hakuba is shedding quite a few tears too. I actually didn't expect he would. It would be inappropriate to snicker at him for crying because it's only natural that he should cry at a funeral, but I didn't expect for him to cry. Or I guess I just underestimated the strength of the friendship.
And there are a few other acquaintances from school that came because they knew that one of the legendary magic-mop-riot pair is suddenly taken away from the world. The news came shocking and sudden, after all.
And then there's her. Motionless. Like a rock.
Her eyes red and abused, almost swelling.
She doesn't even blink, nor does she take the effort to wipe the tears that keep on flowing like a broken faucet.
But who could blame her, though? Not me.
After all, she just lost her first friend. A valuable best friend since childhood.
And she couldn't help but blame my death on herself.
But who could blame me for dying?
If it would be a way for her to live on, if it would mean Aoko could breathe a little while longer, without a second thought, I'd die again.
Even if it means she couldn't be with me anymore.
This is my second time being at a funeral.
Same goes for her, too. Except today would be my last.
And I decided that a funeral is just a pitiful ceremony.
And it's my most hated event of all.