Chapter Two

When you slip on something in public, just pretend you're dead!

"... This morning at three a.m., a highschool student was seen dead around the vicinity of Shitennoji hospital. The police officials theorized that this incident is a part of the women serial killing around the area of Shitennoji. Just like the other victims, she was strangled by a masked man and was hid in a trash disposable bag..."

"Oh, my. News these days have become even more brutal," Zaizen Haruna takes the empty seat beside her husband.

"You see, Darling,..." Zaizen Akio scratches his head and sighs. "The world has always been violent. It's just that, in this modern age, brutality can be broadcasted publicly through televisions. In our age, this kind of publicity is not yet prominent."

Haruna giggles. "My dear, please don't say it like that. You make it sound like we're past seventy."

"Another victim, huh?" Zaizen Hikaru walks into the living room, holding his bag.

"... Authorities have speculated that the victim was supposedly on her way home when the killer attacked her. No one else was in the area, so the victim wasn't able to call for help... "

"News like this shouldn't be broadcasted early in the morning," Haruna complains, "It's kind of motivation-wrecking for people."

"I'll be going to school." Hikaru proceeds to walk towards the front door.

"Stay safe, Hikaru-kun!" Haruna says.

A little boy runs to hug him. "Hikaru-ojisan, bye bye!"

Hikaru looks at the little boy and smiles. He pats the young boy's head before the boy lets go of him. "See you later, Riku." The young boy, named Riku, runs away while laughing.

He proceeds to open the door. As he takes a step outside, he sees a short person pass by. The person has short and messy black hair and happens to wear the same uniform as him. This short person is wearing a pair of headphones and is singing while hopping away.

"Kaa-san, did someone moved in our neighborhood recently?" asks Hikaru.

"Just last Thursday. The house beside ours has just been occupied. Why did you ask, Hikaru?"

"Nothing. Just that I didn't notice anything about someone moving in."

His mother chuckles. "No one really did. I don't think our new neighbors are that enthusiastic about going out of the house."

"Hmm..." Hikaru goes out of the house. "I don't really care," he mutters. "Anyways, I'll get going."


A rectangular table is placed in the middle of the club room while several chairs surround it. To its left is a long, wide bench while lockers occupy the right side of the room. A white board is in front of the table, opposite the door. Shower rooms are just beside the lockers far from the door.

On the bench, a young man with dark short messy hair is resting with the school jacket covers his upper limb. Shiraishi is sitting on the chair nearest to the bench while reading his monthly botanical magazine. He scans his magazine with a smile on his face and a hum escaping from his closed lips.

Oshitari Kenya enters the clubroom and sees Shiraishi inside. At the sound of the door opening, Shiraishi stops his humming and looks up to the man with coffee-colored hair. "Hey, Shiraishi, aren't you going to wake him up? He's been dozing off for almost two hours."

Shiraishi closes his magazine. "Well, I can't just do that, Kenya."

"So, you're not going to practice? I think the tennis club needs the captain present more than anyone else."

Shiraishi flashes a smile. "It's fine. Koishikawa's out there right now."

Kenya sighs. "Oi, Shiraishi, our second years and first years do not even know that Koishikawa is the vice-captain."

"Really? Is that so?"Shiraishi laughs.

"Zaizen's already in his second year and he still doesn't know."

"But, Koishikawa has always been there. In fact, he was never absent from practice matches."

"Must be hard to be so average looking."

"Oi! That's not a really nice thing to say."

"Sorry, sorry. I was just kidding." Kenya looks at the passed out man on the bench. "Anyway, do you even know that dude? Why didn't you just take him to the infirmary?"

"Infirmary was locked once the classes were over. Hirano-sensei left early."

"Hirano-sensei? The chick at the infirmary?"

"Kenya, don't call Sensei a 'chick.' She's already married and has children."

"For real?!" exclaims Kenya. In an instant, he straightens up again and continues, "Then, didn't you contact his parents or something?"

"His parents are living abroad."

"A relative, at least?"

Shiraishi shakes his head. "Besides, it's our fault in the first place for leaving tennis balls scattered everywhere on the ground before the meeting. We should've cleaned up at least."

"But, balls are always everywhere on the courts. I don't remember seeing someone slip on a tennis ball even once. Isn't he just being too clumsy?"

"But still..." Shiraishi protests. He sighs. "Whether it was an accident or just plain clumsiness on his part, we still have to take responsibility."

"Okay, fine." Kenya approaches Shiraishi. "But still, you need to be out there. Why don't you just go? To supervise the practice matches."

"I'm not sure. Is it alright to leave Kazuyoshi behind?"

"Shiraishi, you're overthinking. It's not like he's dying."

"But, Kenya..."

Kenya takes a deep breath. He pats the shoulder of his friend. "Go out there, Shiraishi. Let's just say it's time for my shift. I'll keep watch. You go take a break."

Shiraishi places his magazine on the rectangular table in the middle of the room. "Thanks, Kenya." He heads out to the courts, leaving them behind.

Kenya sits down to the same spot where Shiraishi was. He looks at the sleeping figure. "Who are you, anyway?"


"Uhm... where am I?" She blinks while inspecting the place.

Kenya glares at her. "Who are you?"

She sits up and looks at a new face. It was only a few minutes that had passed when Kenya noticed that the sleeping guy starts to budge and grunt. Soon after, he finds himself staring at the drowsy eyes of the person who just woke up.

"You know, you've been sleeping here for two hours," Kenya says annoyingly.

"Really...? For that... long?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's right. You're new, aren't you? What's your name anyway?"

"Uhm... I'm... Kazuyoshi Yuki," Yume answers sluggishly, "I'm... a third... year... student."

"Oshitari Kenya." He stands up and walks towards the door. "Kazuyoshi-san, get up now."

Her head turns sideward, looking for her belongings. "My... bag. Where is... it?"

Kenya points to the bench without looking at her. His attention is glued to the events outside the windows. "Under the bench. I think that one's yours."

"Hmm... Thanks." She pulls her bag slowly and folds her jacket. Yume stands up and hangs her jacket on her arm. With vegetable legs, she sways heading to the door while Kenya watches her in vain.

"Tch. This guy... he's extremely slow," Kenya mutters.

She stops and turns to him. "I'm... sorry. What's... that?"

He grits his teeth in annoyance and snaps. "You're so slow!" he exclaims. "You're a snail beyond compare! It's annoying!"

Yume just stares at his face. "Really?"

"Really!"

"Rea~lly?"

"Really! And you're annoying me." Kenya rests his face on his palm and sighs. "Just go out."

"Hmm... okay." She steps out of the club room and sees the outside once again. Some students wearing green and yellow jersey rally on courts. Tennis balls bounce back and forth with varying speed and power. Her eyes start to follow a rallied ball.

"Oh! I just remembered," she mutters to herself.

It is Kazuyoshi Yuki's first day on Shitenhouji Chuu as a third year. Ishida Gin, her seatmate, invited her for a tour around the campus and they ended up playing tennis. She also met the tennis club captain, Shiraishi Kuranosuke, and the Naniwa's Baka Couple, Koharu Konjiki and Hitouji Yuuji. However, due to some circumstances or rather due to her clumsiness, she slipped on a stray ball on the ground.

"I went unconsciousness just because of that?" Yume says to herself. She sits on a bench, watching some of the practice plays of the members. "That's just so uncool. I should've pretended that I'm dead. It's all so embarrassing!"

"But, you did go unconscious," Ishida, who is sitting beside her, mutters. "I am really sorry, Kazuyoshi-han. We should've cleaned up the whole courts from all the scattered balls on the ground."

"No, no. Don't apologize, Ishida-san. It was my clumsiness." She laughs. "But, you know..."

"What is it, Kazuyoshi-han?"

She looks at him and her eyes seem to be spiraling on it. Her smile is one that looks like as if she has been drinking alcohol. "I feel like my head's still spinning. Watching all those fast balls going back and forth tennis courts." She laughs again. "I can't even see you clearly now."

"Uhm... Kazuyoshi-han, I think it's not something to laugh about."


"You sure you okay, Kazuyoshi-han?"

"Yes. I think I can go home alone."

"Take care, then."

"See you tomorrow, Ishida-san."

As soon as she regains full consciousness, Yume leaves the tennis club ahead. As she remains unfamiliar with bus routes around the area, she decides not to risk getting past her stop. Instead, she walks home despite the distance.

"That was really embarrassing," Yume mutters to herself as she scratches the back of her head. "And on the first day, too. I should've pretended that I was dead. Oh, right. I actually passed out. Well, that's actually worse. I should've just run home after slipped."

She arrives on the town while complaining and reprimanding herself. By that time, the skies are already turning orange. "It's getting dark already?" She looks up and her head bobs up and down, following the beat she is listening to through headphones.

"... and the lies I weave are oh so intricate... oh so intricate..." she hums upon entering a convenience store.

"Welcome!"

"Hmm... should I buy obento instead?" She has been staring at the stall where different sets of packed meals are displayed. In her right hand, though, is a pack of instant noodles. "But from what I heard, packed meals from konbini are not really good," she mutters to herself, "Ahhh... but I'm really craving for curry rice." She scratches her head. "Obento for 550 yen or... ramen noodles for 370 yen? Which should I buy?" Yume sighs.

"Toilet papers, where are you?" she hums while walking through alleys.

She sees a book whose cover is a smiling man with a top hat, wearing a flowery shirt and sunglasses."Oh! A new volume of Megane Sakura?" Yume grabs it and starts to scan the pages. "Really?! What has been happening with Tendou-san?"

Her palms touch the glass door of a refrigerator as she stares through it. "Strawberry milk or... iced tea?"

She passes by the alley where all sweet and chocolates are. Slowing down, her eyes take a glimpse of the stall before shaking her head. "No. I'll gain weight." Then, she speeds away from the sweets section.

"Please come again!"

Yume steps outside, holding a large plastic bag from the store on her right hand and a popsicle on the other. Before taking a step, she looks up at the sky. "It's... dark. Just like my whole life." She sighs. "... And I'm not even half the distance to home." She puts the ice cream on her mouth and starts her journey home after a little convenience store shopping.

On her last street, there are barely a few people lurking outside. Yume jolly skips her way past the street.

"... but I'm afraid that I... well, I may have faked it. And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place..."

There are only a few lit lamp posts, Yume has been singing with loud music in her ears. Her voice might not be loud enough to trigger the impatient neighbors, but it isn't too soft as well.

"... Praying for love and praying in naivety. Praying for love and praying in naivety, ohh oh-!"

Suddenly, Yume stops on her tracks. A shadow seems to be following her when only two lamp posts are left before her house. She turns around but sees no one out there.

~ End Chapter ~

A/N: New chapter, YAY! I really love Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco. I love them so much that my character just had to be listening to them as well. Anyways, hope you readers out there leave some reviews for this story. Feel free to criticize or comment either about the technicalities of my writing style or the plot line itself. They are very much appreciated. I'll be constantly updating this story every Friday. Thank you very much!