*Author's note: Since this takes place in Japan, I'm going to try to stick with the Japanese suffixes and mannerisms. See below for definitions:
-chan: a suffix you add when addressing a close friend, more often female but sometimes male affectionately
-sensei: suffix you add when addressing teachers
-san: a suffix you add when addressing a superior or trying to be formal
Without further ado, enjoy!
Qian sighed as she placed her books in her bag. It was finally the day of her high school graduation. All the other students chirped excitedly around her, the girls boastfully showing off the flowers pinned to their chests as the boys playfully chased each other around, whacking each other with their diplomas.
"Qiqi!" A boisterous voice quipped from behind her. She turned to see her good friend, Miyano leap over the chairs next to her desk to plop down on her own. Her buttery-bright blond hair bounced in her ponytail as she gripped her scroll tightly with pride. "WE DID IT! Can you believe it?!"
The girl smiled shyly, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. Despite the tight bun she tied it in, loose strands seemed to constantly escape. "I-I know, it's so surreal." Her soft voice chimed.
"Psh! Yeah right! I know you're just saying that to make me feel better… obviously for me it is- I barely passed biology thanks to you!" Miyano scoffed, crossing her legs over each other as she pouted. "Yano-sensei was WAY too harsh!"
Qian chuckled as she zipped up her bag. "M-Miyano-chan, you need to give yourself more credit. I only gave you some of my notes."
Her friend simply waved her hand in front of her dismissively. "Psh, don't you realize your notes are literally God's given gift to everyone in our class?" She gave a dramatic bow in worship. "ALL HAIL QIAN TOMIOKA-SENSEI"
"M-Miyano-chan please!" Qian blushed in embarrassment as she began to hurriedly stuff all her belongings away.
"Ugh… You're too modest. ANYWAYS enough of the boring stuff!" She hopped off her desk and held her hands behind her back. "So? Have you decided what you're gonna do in your gap year before college?"
"Ugh…" The poor girl groaned, taking off her glasses. She rubbed her tired eyes, her green irises cloudy with fatigue. "N-No…not yet. My brother's company is hiring secretaries so maybe I'll start there?"
"His boring-ass lawyer firm?! C'mon Qiqi, you're so much smarter than that!" Miyano protested, placing her hands on her hips, her diploma crumpling with her strong grip. "You should totally be in a lab or something!"
Qian stood up slowly, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Y-yeah well most labs don't want to hire recent high school graduates so…I don't really have a choice."
Miyano's eyes softened as her friend began to walk past her. "Qi…look, I know what happened back then was scary but…you can't keep being scared to take a leap of faith! You never know!"
Qian gave a soft smile to her friend as she slid open her classroom door. "T-Thank you Miyano-chan…I'll keep that in mind."
"Close your eyes Qian! Don't look!"
But she couldn't. Her green eyes widened in horror as she saw the incinerated bodies around her. She gripped her brother's neck tightly as he continued running down the street, finally forcing herself to shut her eyes. Ear-splitting screams resonated in the air as the blazing inferno continued to spread.
"We're almost out, hang in there Qian!" Her brother roared shortly before succumbing to violent coughs due to the thickening fumes.
"Nii-san!" She cried, clutching his shirt in worry.
"I-I'm fine, don't worry." He held her tightly to his chest as he continued his pace desperately.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared ahead of them, initially masked by the smoke. Qian squinted her eyes and sighed in relief as she recognized the neon colors of a firefighter's uniform.
"Oh thank god, excuse me! Sir!" His back was turned to them as her brother approached. "Please! You have to get a team- no, a entire battalion of fighters- back there! All those people…there's still people that need help-"
But he trailed off as the man in front of them slowly turned around. Her brother staggered back in horror as the man's incinerated remains of a face met his own.
"R-run…" His voice rasped weakly, before his body erupted in flames.
She screamed.
"-iss? Miss, are you alright?"
Qian blinked, shook her head to rid of her thoughts and regarded the waitress beside her table. "O-oh yes, I'm so sorry…"
"That's alright," she took out a pen and notepad from her apron's pockets, "have you thought about what you wanted to order yet?"
"A-ah yes I'll have the uh-" the teen quickly scanned the laminated menu in front of her, "the matcha latte please."
"Of course! Coming right up!"
As she left, Qian massaged her temples, trying to soothe her mind from that horrific memory. "Ugh Miyano, why did you have to bring that up?" She whispered as she tried to even her breathing, rubbing her tired eyes.
She then took a moment to take in her surroundings. The cafe around her was not too busy given it was a weekday afternoon, but there were a few people dining around her.
She looked back at her phone at the bright purple button that awaited on her screen. SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION? She sighed dejectedly, moving her finger towards it. It's not like she had anything else lined up-
Suddenly, a loud crash shook the walls of the cafe she was in.
"Oh my gosh did you see that?!" A couple sat by the window, a few tables away from her. The girl whipped out her phone, frantically taking pictures of the scene outside.
"Jesus christ, is it another gas leak?" Her boyfriend stood up from his seat and peered through the glass.
Qian's face grew pale. Gas leak…does that mean? She nervously adjusted her glasses, shuffling her way carefully to another window. She peered timidly through the glass and her eyes widened in a mix of shock and recognition upon seeing that…thing … crashing into a nearby telephone pole.
