9/18 - Fri - Iwatodai Dormitory - morning - Kazuki
Today is noticeably colder, but in a way where it's still warm. The weather report said dark clouds were going to cover the sky today, so I brought my umbrella, just in case it rains. Odd how I rarely had to use this thing; almost like it never rains around here. Weird…
"Ah, Kirijo-senpai," Fuu-chan, standing next to me, calls.
Her scarlet hair sways as she turns her head to us. "Yamagishi, Kazuki."
"I thought you'd have taken off by now," I said as I gave a curt bow.
"I had a few things to sort through," she answers, closing a file on the reception desk.
With Kirijo-senpai, I never know what's on her mind, let alone what to say other than a greeting. "...Do you want to walk with us, senpai?"
"Sorry, but I am waiting for a car to take me to school."
"You get a ride?"
"Yes, but I have the driver stop near the school instead of at the gate."
"It draws attention?"
"Unfortunately. I had the displeasure of arriving to my first year of middle school in the family limo."
There's no way I can relate to that!
"...Oh, I remember that. It was a sleek white limo, like a limo from the West."
Man, a common peasant like me can't even begin to imagine what it looks like.
"I hear whispers of it every now and then. I'd like to bury the memory."
Kirijo-senpai doesn't strike me as someone embarrassed by her wealth. More like she's conscious of her standing as a student and person, so arriving at school in a limo might not have been ideal to her.
"But, if you don't mind me asking," Fuu-chan says, sheepishly. "...what were you reading over?"
Senpai presents the file on the desk. "This is a report on the damages at the beginning of the month." My heart skips a beat. "...Millions worth of damages inside the city. Several casualties and a few fatalities. Yet, no one is able to discern what happened. However, one commonality has been noted: they felt tired."
A lump forms in the middle of my throat, blocking my need to exhale.
"...However, that's not the end of it. A headcount for the student body was made, and a few students, all who had marked attendance for that day, were missing," That monster in the school building must've killed them, that's the only logical conclusion. "Other than the hole in the 2-E classroom, the damage to the school was negligible… Looking over these reports is sobering. Whatever caused this, it was not human, but I can't imagine it to be a Shadow."
Cause it wasn't. Shizuka told us not to tell anyone else what happened since it would complicate things, she said. I don't know why it would, but even if I wanted to, I can't bring myself to say anything…
One of the doors to the dorm opens slightly. A man dressed in black bows courteously to Kirijo-senpai. "Kirijo-sama, your car has arrived."
"Thank you."
He leaves as quickly as he entered. I'd be impressed, but seeing all those maids at Yakushima opened my eyes to the type of luxury senpai has.
"Then we'll be going to," Fuu-chan says, tugging at my arm.
"Right. See you later, senpai."
"Of course. I'll you two back here."
We leave the dorm ahead of senpai. The morning clouds threaten to reign down rain upon us any second now. Fuu-chan strolls next to me with her pink umbrella in hand. People in business suits and school uniforms populate the sidewalks. They're all going about their lives without paying any mind to the construction happening around the damaged parts of the city. Without a concrete reason as to what happened, I guess they just choose to not pay it any mind… I can't blame them for that.
"What senpai said, about the damage to the city," Fuu-chan opens with. "...I can't stop thinking about the people who got hurt.."
The very thought people died because of the fight makes me nauseous. All of those people who got hurt, or worse, all because of some monsters.
"Me neither. All of those people… I keep thinking about the people who died during the fight and what their families are going through."
Fuu-chan, you're too kind. I never even thought about it. It's not like I don't care, I do, but it just never… Huh? Isn't that wrong? Shouldn't I be sad about all of this? People died, and some of my classmates are gone, but I never even thought about them; not once! All I've been thinking about is Tartarus.
"...But, I'm glad everyone is alright. Especially you. I don't know what I would do if…" she trails off her sentence, also stopping dead in her tracks. Fuu-chan faces her feet, then speed-walks past me. "But...I'm just glad you're okay," she ends with a bright smile.
And just like that, all of my doubts get pushed to the back of my mind. Fuu-chan and everyone else are safe, that's what matters. I never made a mistake thinking about their safety, and I won't allow myself to think I did. Maybe I'm just overthinking things with not thinking about the people who got hurt during the fight. Even if I didn't know them, they were still human beings, living breathing people who lived on this earth like me and her… Yet…
"Kazuki-kun, we need to hurry! We'll miss the monorail ride!"
Seriously!? Crap that is not good!
"Okay, let's book it then."
"Ho-hold on! Don't run without me! You know I'm not a good runner!"
She's right, she isn't, and in the end, I had to run with her, holding hands to the station. Whatever thoughts I had on the incident quickly faded to the back of my mind, replaced by a warm feeling in my heart just from holding her hand.
…
A man slides open a worn shoji door to a beaten-up, ragged restaurant. It's a store, despite its terrible state, that draws no attention to it. In a city, there are several shops like this, just as run-down and isolated to small pockets of space in alleyways or main streets. People see this as a common thing for a city, so why bother paying it any mind when it'll be condemned in a year or so? This shop is no different. Its time will eventually come and no one will bat an eye. However, that's fine for anyone needing it for discrete purposes.
The inside is slightly better than the outside. The tables are well-kept, no mold on the wall, and the kitchen is in use. If anything, this place serves as a decent meetup spot. Which is what it is for M, who had walked into the store, wearing a baggy hoodie, wearing the said hood, obscuring his face.
He doesn't bother to search the place for his target, who doesn't know what subtlety is even if he got bit by it. Wearing a buttoned-up black suit with a red tie, sits someone who doesn't belong in a place like this; where men of suspicious appearances gather. He sits on a stool, keeping his hands in his pockets with his legs crossed over the other. Appearing to be in his 30s', he's a handsome man who people wouldn't take their eyes off of, or perhaps they can't when it comes to him.
"Wow, we have the whole place to ourselves, huh?" M says, skipping the greeting.
They both heavily contrast the other in both presentation and tone as the suited man keeps his eyes on M.
"You're late," the suited man says, speaking with a sophisticated accent. "...Is this your idea of a joke? If so, I am not amused."
"Come on, I was only 8 minutes late."
"20."
M takes his seat across from his associate. The two, dressed so differently from the other you'd think they would be strangers to the other sit in silence. M rocks back in his chair, facing up at the dirty ceiling.
"Yo, boss!" M's summons was answered in the form of an old man appearing from the kitchen in the back. "Two Yaki Udon bowls, please."
The old man nods his head and strolls back into the kitchen.
"What makes you think I would eat what swill comes from this place?" the suited man says, seeming somewhat irritated.
"Come on, don't be like that. We can't just come in and not eat. I mean, that's just rude."
"You, scolding me about proper etiquette?"
"Nah, common sense. But I guess you ain't common…" He presses his foot against the table, lifting himself with that one foot. "Are ya, Nyarlathotep?"
The outer god smiles, amused by the remark. "Then you and I do not have the sense of what is common."
"I guess not."
Rocking back and forth from the dark god, he snickers. "So, if I had to guess, the demon from the other day was your doing, right?"
"Is that a problem?"
"Oh, not one bit. Just wanted to know what was up."
"Are you curious why–"
"Nah, I get the gist of it. You wanted to test Kazu-chan, right?"
"As though you've read my mind."
"Nope, nothing so fancy. It just makes sense. You wanted to test the waters, so ya drop a huge ass pebble."
"An apt way to put it, yes."
"Hmm, you don't seem too jazzed about it."
"Funny. Never imagined I would be easily read."
"Guess you met your match."
Nyarlathotep simply chuckles. Whether or not he was amused by the remark is unknown.
"...I'm stumped, as pathetic humans would say. On one hand, Kazuki displayed an amazing performance. His power was simply incredible. In fact, I had no idea he was capable of the feat he did with 'it'."
"Yeah, he looked juiced up."
"But on the other hand, I still lack information on him."
"Saying that demon you sic'ed on him wasn't enough?"
"No…not enough, but that was the best I was capable of releasing. Anything more, and the summoners would be on my trail."
"Yeah, those darn pesky Devil Summoners. Always gettin' in the way." M jeers, speaking like a cartoon villain.
"Dealing with them at this point would be troublesome. With Hypnos, we could chalk that up as a demon let loose by another summoner."
"So was its sleep spell an accidental stroke of genius?"
"Course not. It served to hold off any nearby summoners. Quite effective, if I say so myself."
"Yep, even I felt like taking a nap."
"So you were watching?"
"...Well, I just happen to happen by and all that happened. So I thought, why not just watch what happens."
"You happen to be there? I sincerely doubt that." The dark entity puts both legs on the ground. It points at M, who continues to wear a mischievous smile. "...Let me be prudent: what are your plans for Kazuki?" Nyarlathotep's cool grin fades. "...What is it that you are hiding from me."
A person's fight or flight instinct would kick in at the overwhelming sensation of Nyarlathotep's ominous presence. Dark and as deep as the blackest pit, the outer god throws it at M.
"...What if I said…I wanted to kill him?"
M's bombshell of an answer sets off Nyarlathotep. The eatery soaks in darkness as the single light in the shop is wrapped in darkness. It swirls about like raging waves. Time is at a standstill in the void that covers the two.
In the epicenter of the constantly folding darkness, the outer god trains every inch of his hostility at M. With overbearing pressure, a lesser person would have lost their mind, or even turned into stone. But M isn't normal.
"Kidding," he says, making light of this nightmarish experience. "...You really gotta lighten up.
Light returns to the restaurant. The flow of time returns to normal, and the owner is none the wiser.
"You must get a kick out of danger, huh?"
"Hey, I'm not that interesting. I just wanted to see how you'd respond."
"Is that supposed to calm me?"
"Not really. I just needed to see if he was important to you or something… Looks like he is, but why?"
The outer god relaxes his seat as he fixes up his posture. "You could say I have…stock in him. That is all I shall divulge."
"I see, I see… How vague."
"A vague answer for irritating me."
M chortles, Rocking harder in his seat. "Welp, I sure did shoot myself in the foot."
"But on Kazuki. I didn't obtain a good grasp of his abilities from just that one fight. And as you said, 'I am stumped'."
"And sending another demon would bring attention to this city, or Kazuki, in particular."
"Summoners would complicate things."
The old man walks up to their table with two bowls of Yaki udon in his hands, placing them in front of the two. The smell of meat and vegetables mixed in with soy sauce creates a wonderful aroma that dances towards the noses of the only customers. However, while M revels at the smell of it, Nyarlathotep simply examines it with a keen eye.
"...Ya know, if you can't freely send demons after him here, why not just bring him to you?"
A single brow raises on the outer god's face. "May I inquire on what you mean?"
"I mean, you got the perfect place for it. I just thought that usin' it would pop into your noggin."
"Hmm…interesting… Yes, yes! I think it can work. It would be a simple matter to capture him and–"
M crosses his arms into an x. "Bzzz! Wrong!"
"How come?" The outer god, expressing further curiosity and amusement asks.
"Simple. Kazu-chan ain't the type to fight for himself. He'll need an incentive to go all out."
A crude smile creeps over the malicious god's mouth. "Oh, do go on."
"...You take a stick and throw it, a dog will fetch it. Put bait on a line, and fish will bite. If you want Kazu-chan to come…" M picks off a piece of meat from Nyarlathotep's bowl. "...you take something from him."
He throws it down his mouth, chewing on it in malicious delight.
The plan, although simple, is pure genius under the outer god's eyes. He always considered throwing enemies at Kazuki until something happened. But that would no longer be possible for the scale Nyarlathotep wants to reach. But in an environment he controls, where Devil Summoners would have no idea about; it was brilliant.
"Yes…yes! That would be more than sufficient! Given the right preparation, I can set up obstacles that would be more than arduous…" Crazed laughter emanates from the malicious deity, unable to control itself at this point. "...It will take a bit of time, but I'm more than capable of setting it all up."
"Nice. And as for what you need to take, I think you can guess."
"That I can…"
And like that, a dubious plan has been made inside of a rundown restaurant that nobody takes note of, and one that history will never remember. A plan between a Dark god and a man who wears hoodies to hide his face. That, and with two bowls of delicious, untouched yaki udon.
"...Also, who gave you permission to touch my food?"
"What? I thought you weren't gonna eat?"
"Well, I changed my mind, and since you were late, you shall pay the owner."
"Seriously!?"
"Tardiness is a showing of poor manners. It is common sense after all."
"Meanie!"
Port Island - Iwatodai strip - Afternoon -Kazuki
A downpour of rain hit the city, a little before it was time to leave school. It was a drizzle at first, but quickly turned into a never-ending shower. Everyone ran in a hurry to get back home, and I was no different. I had to use the bathroom, so I told Fuu-chan to meet me at the dorm. Needless to say, I wanna smack myself for not holding it in until I got back.
Knew the clouds weren't looking right, but this is just ridiculous! I gotta find some shelter. At least then I can take a minute before trekking any further.
"...Hm?"
In the middle of the road, a girl with long black hair stands in the middle of the crossway to the station, undisturbed by the awful weather. Her slender body strikes me as familiar, but more importantly, her presence.
"Shizuka!" She doesn't respond, still standing there. Maybe it's because of the rain. "What is she–"
She's acting weird. Why isn't she booking it for the dorm? Even if she's strong, a cold is still a cold. Besides, leaving a girl in the middle of a storm like this isn't right.
A flash of light beams from the other end of the street, approaching at an alarming rate. It's a car!
"Shizuka!"
That idiot! She'll be turned into a smear if I don't hurry! I break into a sprint. Water splashes with each step, filling the inside of my shoe.
"Shizuka!"
I lunged at her right when the car came speeding by. Our bodies hit the hard, wet concrete. My shoulder takes the brunt of the fall. I don't think it's broken or anything, but it seriously hurts!
"Kazuki?" she whispers, sounding baffled.
"What were you thinking!? You would've died if I wasn't here!"
"I…would have been fine!"
"Like hell, you idiot!"
She effortlessly pushes me off her. "I am fine. You didn't have to save me."
"What do you mean!?"
"I mean I would have been fine. So do not worry–"
"You were staring off into space and standing in the middle of the street, of course, I'd worry!"
Her face contorts into a bitter expression. "...You should not worry about me. Good day."
"Hey, Shizu–"
A throbbing pain stabs at my shoulder when I stretch out my arm. I wince at the pain.
Shizuka brings her attention back to me. Funnily enough, she looks concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just fine… Ow."
Yeah, that wasn't exactly convincing, and can anyone blame me? My shoulder feels like crap right now!
"...Come on, let's take shelter at the station."
She lends me her shoulder to the station. Out of the rain, my shivering body makes it clear how my body is. And my clothes are drenched.
"Your arm, how is it?"
"It's fine. My shoulder just smarts."
"Probably nothing serious, but you should be more careful."
"Right back at you."
I take a seat on the stairs, clenching my shoulder. My wet clothes weigh down on my body. The damp feeling of my clothes unnerved me to no end.
"Take off your jackets," Shizuka suggests.
"Yeah, good idea…"
I wrestle out of my jackets, throwing them to the ground with a splat sound. My body is lighter, but I'm still cold.
"You should take off your blazer, Shizuka."
"It's fine. I do not feel the cold."
"Now isn't the time to act tough."
"I'm not."
Although soaked to the bone, she doesn't shiver or show any sign of being over-encumbered by her wet clothes. Her beautiful hair which she usually keeps clean is all messed up, drenched in water.
Shizuka sits next to me, or rather, a foot away. Her face turned the other way. "...Sorry."
"For what?"
"Your shoulder. It's my fault… But you did not need to save me."
"Of course I did! It would have killed you!"
"I would have been fine…"
How can she be so sure of that? The way that car was going, the driver didn't see her in all that rain.
"Why were you standing in the middle of the road anyway?"
"I…does it matter?"
"Yes, and if you don't tell me, I'll have to walk home with you."
"Why would you need to?"
"Cause I don't want you to get hurt?"
"Your concern is wasted on me. I don't need it nor want it."
"Even so, I'm still worried about you!" I couldn't help but raise my voice at her. Her aloof personality never annoyed me like this before, but it's grinding on my last nerves. "...What's going on?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, just now with you in the middle of the street, and when we went to the mall the other day ago."
"It's nothing."
"But it isn't–" I sneeze loudly, interrupting myself.
Shizuka stands up with her wet blazer in hand. "We should go. You need to–"
"Not until you tell me what's going on!" She stops in her tracks. "...You said I'd regret being your friend, remember that?" She remains quiet, keeping her back to me. "...You could have said you didn't want to be, or anything else, but you said I'd regret it! So why would I? If you don't want to be friends, or you don't want me to be yours, then why are you still here!?"
Her head turns a bit but enough for me to see her eyes. As cold as they are, they seem to finally acknowledge me, maybe even showing that she wants to listen to me.
"...To be honest, I don't know what's going on in your head, and I don't get what happened in the clothing store, or the other day, at the end of giving Aigis that tour. But I want to understand…!"
The rain continues, despite our conversation. Its sound keeps an excruciating silence at bay. But the disembodied sensation of sitting in this uncomfortable situation remains.
A barely audible murmur leaves her mouth; low enough for the torrential rain to deafen.
"What?"
"I ask why," she asks softly. "...Why do you want to know?"
"If I don't…I feel like I'd never see you again."
"Why does that bother you?" She turns to me. I expected to see a disinterested expression on her face, but that shattered the second I saw the look on her. "...Keeping me around will only bring more trouble than it's worth. I don't know what it's like to be normal, I don't know how to be a friend, or even deserving of one… I'm not a normal person, let alone a person."
How to be normal? I…used to ask that to myself. My classmates would live their Normal lives; each of them having people they were able to laugh, cry, and even get angry with. Their lives were what I wanted, but I didn't know how to get them. Everyone was normal, but what's normal? Do I dress a certain way? Do I need to talk and act in some way? I knew what they were, but I never knew how to be normal. It made me jealous of them… Even hate them.
"...That's fine. Normal or not, you're my friend… No matter what, I'll never turn my back on you, I swear. After all, you never turned yours on me."
Shizuka turns around. Her face… She's blushing!? "...You truly are annoyingly persistent. Even though I've gone out of my way to push you away, you still want me around."
"Obviously."
The rain is still going strong. He'll, it's even ramping up in intensity. "Shit. Looks like we're legging it, huh?"
"Not likely. Running in the rain is not a good idea."
"Really? I thought you'd agree."
"...It's only common sense. Besides, the last thing I need is to carry you back to the dorm if you hurt yourself."
"I'd rather just limp my way home."
Shizuka lets out a short chuckle. Seems like the ice around her thawed.
"...But Shizuka, why were you in the middle of the street? Isn't that pretty dangerous?"
She once again turns her face. "...I was looking at that." She points to a billboard of a fashion model. "...She's wearing clothes I've been browsing recently."
"Okay, what's special about it?"
"I was jealous of how beautiful she looked in them."
"Why?"
"Because…I don't think I'd look good in them. None of the clothes I'm interested in would look good on someone like–"
Strange as it sounds, I just can't take her claim all that seriously. My knees buckle and my chest heaves uncontrollably; I'm busting a gut.
"Y-you're laughing!?" Shizuka says, confused but definitely sounding angry over it.
"I'm-I'm sorry…! It's just…I can't…imagine it."
"What?"
"You looking bad in…any outfit!"
A swift kick strikes my shin. I want to say it wasn't a hard one, but it was!
"Oww! What was that for!?"
"That was to teach you not to laugh at people."
"Ow, ow, okay, I'm sorry! I deserved that one."
Suffering in silence through this painful time, I can assure myself that this was deserved, yet harsh punishment on my shin…
"If we're done here, then we best get going, Kazuki."
"Yeah, just give me a second."
"I didn't kick you that hard." That's because you have no idea how to go light! "Anyway, we should head back to the dorm. Perhaps running back is for the best."
"Now you wanna do that?"
"I can carry you."
"Ha…ha."
I say that, but God, I think I'd rather be carried than run with this leg.