--Time: 8:00 AM — Sunday--
The morning light seeped through the curtains, soft yet heavy against my eyelids. My chest rose and fell, but my mind was still tangled in last night's nightmarethe bloodied reflection of myself, the laughter of Miyuki and Souta, my mother's cruel whisper.
When I finally stirred, I checked the clock. 8:00 AM. My body felt stiff, as though I had been wrestling with my dreams all night.
Dragging myself out of bed, I made my way downstairs. The house was quiet. Father's shoes were gone from the entryway. He already left for work, even on a Sunday. Good grief.
My mother was in the kitchen, her back turned. Her movements were sharp, clipped, as though even the act of chopping vegetables irritated her.
"…Morning," I muttered.
She glanced at me, eyes dull, lips pressed tight. "…Morning. Hurry up and wash. Breakfast will get cold."
I didn't argue. After a quick shower, I returned to the table where a simple meal waited. I ate slowly, and eventually, she broke the silence.
"So… how was your date?"
I froze, chopsticks hovering. Her tone wasn't curious it was sharp, like she was waiting for an excuse to criticize me.
"…It was fine," I answered flatly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Fine? That's all? Girls don't wait around forever, you know. If she confessed, you should at least take it seriously."
I clenched my jaw, shoving rice into my mouth instead of replying. The warmth from last night was already gone, replaced by the usual chill of her presence.
When I finished, I stood. "I'm going out."
She didn't ask where. Didn't even look at me. Just waved her hand dismissively.
---Time: 10:30 AM---
The day outside was bright, almost mocking. I wandered first to the flower gardens of Hoshikawa, where the blooms swayed gently in the wind, too peaceful for the storm brewing inside me. Then to a cat café, where soft meows briefly softened the edges of my thoughts. Then, finally, to the library.
And that's where I saw her.
"Ah, Haruto?" Yui's voice was warm, surprised. She closed the book she was holding and tilted her head. "You came here too?"
A faint smile tugged at my lips. "Yeah. Thought I'd clear my head."
She giggled, stepping closer. "I heard about yesterday… Miyuki confessed to you, right? And you went on a date?"
I stiffened. "…Word travels fast."
Her grin turned teasing. "So? Did you say yes? Don't tell me you're still making her wait."
I groaned. "I didn't… say anything yet."
We bantered back and forth, her laughter softening the air. Eventually, we sat together, reading side by side in comfortable silence. At some point, she sulked at a passage in her book, frowning childishly, and without thinking, I pressed my hand against her forehead.
"Fever?" I asked.
Her cheeks flushed. "I-I'm fine, idiot."
She turned away, but not before I caught the smile tugging at her lips.
What I didn't notice was the man in the black hoodie, lurking near the shelves, camera flashing silently. Watching. Recording.
---Time: 1:15 PM---
"Let's grab something to eat," Yui suggested as we left the library.
We found a small café and ordered tea and pancakes. She spoke about her favorite parts of the books, laughing when I teased her for crying at a sad ending. For a moment, the world felt… normal.
But it never lasted.
After we parted ways, I noticed it the shadow trailing behind me.
When I turned, the man in the black hoodie stood there. Silent. Still.
"Why the hell are you following me?!" I snapped.
His hand shifted, flashing steel. A knife.
Adrenaline surged. I bolted, my legs pumping with everything I had. The streets blurred, voices distant. But then
A truck's headlights. The deafening screech of brakes. My vision warped my bones were broken badly, body covered with blood.
And then… him.
My future self, clutching me with blootained fingers.
"Don't die… not yet. Not before you make them pay. Not before our revenge."
The words echoed like thunder inside me, snapping me back. My feet hit the ground hard, lungs burning, but I kept running. Somehow, I lost him.
---Time: 3:05 PM ---
I slowed to a stop, chest heaving. The neon lights buzzed faintly overhead, red and violet bleeding into the streets. My heart dropped. I knew this place.
The red district.
Flashes of memory hit me like knives. Miyuki's flushed face. Souta's hand around her waist. My mother's approving smile. The laughter. The betrayal.
"No…" My hands shook, nails digging into my palms. "Not here… not again…"
The neon signs blurred with my tears. My throat burned, my chest felt as if it would split open. I wanted to scream. To tear everything apart. To kill.
"Why… Why here? Why always this place…?"
The anger, the despair, the betrayal all of it crushed me. I ran again, but this time not to escape. Just to move, to breathe, to stop myself from shattering into pieces.
I didn't know where I was going until I stood in front of my house, gasping for air.
---Time: 6:40 PM---
I stopped at a vending machine, looked inside pocket for coins. When I looked up, my reflection stared back at me. No his reflection.
My future self, blood dripping, broken body,eyes hollow, staring through me.
I rubbed my eyes. Gone. Just me again.
"I'm… not feeling well," I muttered, cracking open the can of juice with trembling hands. I chugged it down, forcing the burn in my throat to swallow the fear.
Finally, I stepped into the house.
My mother rushed toward me immediately, her voice sharp. "Where were you? Do you know what time it is? What the hell were you doing out so late?!"
"Leave me alone!" I snapped, louder than I intended.
Her face twisted in anger. But in that moment, her words overlapped with the memory from last night. Useless. Just like your father.
The world tilted. My vision blurred. The pressure in my chest erupted into pain.
"Ah"
My knees gave out. I collapsed to the floor, the juice can rolling from my hand.
Somewhere, faintly, I heard her scream. "Haruto! What's happening?! Haruto!!"
But darkness swallowed me whole.