A/N: You know, I don't if I should stick with the stylized appearances of the characters or not. For example, in the light-novels, Chidori is described as having normal black hair. But on the cover illustrations and anime she's got the whole blue-hair thing going. I guess it doesn't matter, Chidori is Chidori so everyone can just use their imagination. But what do you guys think?
. : APATHY : .
I guess most people would have tried to explain themselves if they were in my situation. But I knew better than 'most' people.
Simply put, I ran; jolted up from the stiff bed in the room and rushed out the infirmary door like my life depended on it. In a way, it did. The syringe gripped firmly in my hand had contained a relatively new drug called APATHY. It was a drug that forcibly repressed all painful memories but left the good ones intact. The result is a feeling of euphoria with a side effect of superiority. Because APATHY abusers can no longer remember anything bad about themselves, they tend to also believe they can do no wrong and that their life just so happens to be the best life in the world. It is highly—no dangerously—addictive.
And it's also illegal because APATHY abusers generally fall into two categories.
In one case, abusers will be so addicted to the euphoria that any bad memory becomes physically and emotionally unbearable; so much so that if they run out of the drug, they often commit suicide. And not only that, people in this category tend to become useless to society because they're afraid to do anything but obsess over their nostalgic feel-good memories.
In the other case, the APATHY abusers can be reckless to the extent that they actually become a threat to the people around them. People in this category would always believe that they are right no matter the circumstances. They use their 'can-do-no-wrong' attitudes to justify crimes and think themselves gods or deranged leaders.
I belonged to the practically non-existent third category of APATHY users. Through a rigorous psychological training program, people like me learn to associate the horrible effects of the drug with good memories. So after we take the drug, we'll still remember how deadly the drug can be. And through sheer effort of will, we resist the feeling of euphoria. People like me aren't truly addicted. We only retake the drug to hold back the old memories when they resurface… or to suppress the physical side effects such as my fainting earlier.
However, addicted or not, just having the drug flow in my veins would be enough to put me in jail, or crack-house, for five to ten years, and that was being generous. More often than not, an APATHY user would be stuck in jail for life with no chance of parole. This was why I ran from Chidori. It was practically my only option.
Unfortunately, as I rushed down the mostly empty hallways, Chidori gave chase. Shit. But I should have known she would.
"Hey!" she called out. "Naruto, wait!"
Like Hell. I picked up my pace. And as I turned the corner, I almost crashed into another student. I recognized her in an instant. She had mousy brown hair tied into pigtails and wore dragonfly glasses. It was Tokiwa-san from my class.
"Whoa, watch it—" she started. I didn't bother to stop to listen to her complaint and only kept running even faster.
"Kyoko," I hear Chidori shout. "Don't let him get away."
And just like that I now had two angry girls chasing me through the Jindai High hallways. I ignored the onset of teachers and other students who popped out from their classes to reprimand us for running in the halls. The situation was dire. I wasn't running as fast as I should have been and the girls were starting to catch up.
Up ahead I spot my only chance of escape: an open window. Without thinking, I run up to the window and vault myself out. We were on the third floor.
The feeling of free falling was exhilarating. There was no fear, worry, or panic. It was good, the feeling of the wind brushing against my entire body. I was like flying. And when I landed, there was no pain, no snapping sound in my leg, no scrapes or cuts across my knees or hands as they slid across the concrete. It didn't feel like I was hurt at all. I mean how could I be? I was invincible.
Chidori and Tokiwa-san stood staring out at me in disbelief. I gave them the briefest smile, turned around, and ran off, not limping at all. I'll have to come back and explain myself, of course. Watching Chidori meant that being expelled from the school wasn't an option. But I had time. A good excuse should hit me sooner or later.
I could feel something warm, wet, and slippery in my hands and I casually take a look. Blood.
APATHY was potent indeed and I was probably in really bad shape right now, despite what I could feel. But strangely enough, I didn't really care.