RUN
A Night Like This
"You got reborned right? And you don't even know you're sleeping in the same room as the person who made your life miserable." Sousuke said, his face turned pale. Hakuro's smile faded and looked at Sousuke.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Hakuro asked. "You really don't remember do you? It's such a shame that you can't remember how cool I was, but it's good because we get to live happily together." Sousuke grinned, his eyes turned to the moon seen up high on the window. "I don't understand." Hakuro faced Sousuke. "You better not, just forget about it and sleep." Sousuke grinned again.
I thought so, I can't sleep. Sousuke said those words that made me unable to sleep. Is he just dreaming when he said those to me? No he couldn't, his eyes were open and he grinned. Why would he say those words? I can't even comprehend him. "What're you doing here at the middle of the night?" Jin appeared from the dark behind Hakuro. Hakuro's thoughts faded as he saw Jin nearing him. Jin sat beside Hakuro and stared at the almost invisible clouds because of the great Einbroch dust. "Hm? So what're you doing?" Jin asked again. "How about you? I want to ask you that." Hakuro replied with a grin forgetting all about what happened the time before Jin came. "I can't sleep at nights like these, it's a pretty long story if you ask me why." Jin turned to Hakuro and grinned. "Come on tell me, there's a long time for that long story you want to tell." Hakuro said. Jin laid his back on the dirty bridge and stared blankly at the sky.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Mother, father, brother, my family, what happened?
"Oi Jin! Go buy some vegetables for dinner! Mother is out today and father is working as usual, and there's someone I'm going out to meet Kiromu! He fetched me girls today!" Sousuke shouted looking up the stairs calling Jin. "What? Just as I thought, you're suck with girls! Always depending on your handsome friend!" Jin shouted back. "Look who's talking!" Sousuke teased and ran away. God I wish Sousuke would just disappear, Jin put on a jacket and got ready for the market.
This is so unlucky, I was even supposed to meet Karin today, she might hate me for this. It's already an hour past noon and we were supposed to eat lunch together, I might just lose my chance of stealing her heart today. It's all because of --- "Ouch!" A boy who was about 2 years younger than him fell on the floor. Jin's thoughts shredded away as he saw the boy. "Sorry sorry! I was spacing out and didn't notice you." Jin reached out his hand to help the boy. The boy grabbed his hand and stood up. He brushed off the dust that formed in his worn out pants. The boy had short brown hair that sticked out like he hasn't combed it yet and pure blue eyes that seemed it were the sea. This boy is very pitiful, his shirt and pants are all worn out and full of patches, Jin looked at the boy's clothes. "W-what do you want…" the boy stuttered noticing Jin staring at his clothes. "Huh? Oh sorry, my name is Noru Jin, 12 years old." Jin turned his eyes back on the boy's face. "I'm Ashwin, just Ashwin, 10 year old." The boy responded while reaching out his hand. Jin stared at the boy's dirty hands and looked unwilling to shake it. "Oh sorry, I hadn't washed my hands yet." Ashwin blushed. "Um, so, what're you doing here? Fetching vegetables for your lazy brother?" Jin smiled. "No, my master ordered me to buy vegetables for him, I mean, for me to cook for him." Ashwin's face turned pale. So he's a slave, that's why he was dirty. "Ah I see, well I just said what I was doing here." Jin smiled again. "Jin! Jin! You ditched me again!" Jin turned around and saw Karin waving at him. "I better go Ashwin, I'll see you again!" Jin waved and ran to Karin. "I'm sorry! My lazy ass brother ordered me to---" A man appeared almost out of breath. "Noru Jin right? The boy next door, you better go back to your house, there's a fight going on there." The man said while breathing heavily. "Thank you uncle, now excuse me." Jin answered. He ran to the house surprised at what he heard. Mother, father, brother, my family, what happened?
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"---and I saw father holding a katana on Sousuke's throat. Before I could say anything Sousuke was pierced, I didn't know what was happening and I just screamed and cried---" Jin cleared his throat.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"Brother! Brother!" Jin screamed at the top of his voice and cried. "Jin stop it!" Karin screamed as he cried with Jin. She put her arms around Jin and whispered, "Stop it…" Jin stopped for a second and faced Karin. She held Jin closer to her arms and touched her lips against Jin's. Jin's tears fell down continuously on his cheeks. Karin stood up and went closer to Sousuke. "Sousuke, Sousuke, are you okay?" Karin moved Sousuke. "It's okay, it's not that fatal. Jin's presence weakened the paralyze effect of father's hammer fall so I was able to defend a little." Sousuke smiled and Karin. Jin walked closer to Sousuke, embraced him and cried more, "I'm sorry I've been wishing for you to be gone brother, but please never leave me again, by myself." Sousuke put his arms around Jin and whispered, "Don't worry Jin, you're not alone even without me, I was wrong about saying you didn't have any girls like me, you always have Karin on your side." Jin embraced Sousuke more firmly and Sousuke smiled.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"--- and that happened on a night like this. Even if Sousuke lived, he might seem just the same as before but something is different about him. I don't really know what but that's what it is." Jin brushed his hair and sat up. Before Jin could say another word, Hakuro was shivering and breathing heavily. "W-what's wrong?" Jin worried. Hakuro still fell silent. Jin moved closer to Hakuro and just realized a dagger pointed at Hakuro's back. Jin put his hand on his mouth and almost shouted for help. But the boy holding the dagger held it more firmly on Hakuro. Blood dripped from Hakuro's back. Hakuro is in pain, he's holding everything in, Jin reached out his hand to Hakuro. "Don't come near me, Jin." Hakuro whispered. The boy held the dagger more firmly that it pierced it shallow on Hakuro's skin. Hakuro gave out soft but painful groan. "W-why…" Hakuro stuttered.