I'll Disappear

I found out that I was sleeping for six days in the hospital and that Konno and Hikari visited me every day, which made me feel guilty for making them worry. The place that I'm currently working at knows the conditions I live in, so they granted me paid leave for the rest of the month. I tried to refuse, but they insisted that I should take some time to recover. I was also told that the driver who hit me pressed the brakes as hard as he could, which left me with non-fatal injuries. When the doctors asked me about how I healed fast, I shrugged, saying that I have a strong system, which they didn't totally buy but refrained from asking questions. They discharged me three days later, and I continued my life as before. Wake up at 4:30 AM, shower, dress up, clean the house, make breakfast, wake up Konno, go to school at 7:30 AM, get back at 1:30 PM, go to work (I'd usually go), go grocery shopping, clean clothes, pay Dad's medical bills (when needed), cook dinner, help Konno with studying, study, shower, and go to bed at 11:30 PM. That was my life until the 18th of March.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm and hit the snooze button. As I got up, I noticed a note on my desk. I walked towards the desk and grabbed the note.

Brother, I noticed that you've been pushing yourself to do your insane daily routine, so I left this note to tell you that you don't have to do all of that. From now on, I'll help you with breakfast, house cleaning, and clothes cleaning. I also have some awesome news! I got in touch with my uncle, and he said that he would cover all of the bills and give us a monthly allowance for food, so you don't have to work anymore! Isn't that amazing?! I hope that we could spend more time together now!

I silently placed the note back and got ready for the day.

She probably feels guilty about me doing everything. I remember that she used to protest a lot when I came up with it. I was 14, and I thought that this would work out. Slowly, she gave up and never spoke about it again.

I mindlessly got dressed and went downstairs.

Konno woke up shortly after and helped me with making breakfast.

"Hey, why did you get up so early?"

I asked her while mixing the pancake batter. She turned away from the stove and looked at me with an irritated face.

"Didn't you notice that I changed your alarm to wake you up at 6:00 AM? And why won't this metal block turn on?!"

Konno punched the stove and immediately started jumping around the kitchen in pain.

"OW!"

I snickered at her.

"This isn't funny! That piece of crap needs to be replaced!"

She got behind me and started tickling me.

"Ahaha! Konno, stop! Ahaha! You're—haha—not a kid! Ahaha!"

I tried to pry her off of me, but she wouldn't budge.

"This is for mocking me!"

She said in a playful tone.

"Hey! Hahaha! We'll fall—"

I lost my balance and fell face-first on the floor. Konno let go of me and caught herself with her hands.

"OW! I knew this would happen!"

I grumbled as I rolled over. Konno was holding herself above me; her face was now close to mine.

"Could you get up, please? I can't move."

My irritated tone seemed to snap her out of her thoughts, and her face flushed.

"O-Oh, yeah! Sorry!"

She started pushing herself up, but her hand slipped, and she fell on top of me.

"How can you be so clumsy?"

I rolled her off of me and got up.

"Hey! What was that?!"

Konno got up and stared at me with an irritated face.

"You fell on me. What was I supposed to do?"

My focus was back onto mixing the batter.

"You... I can't believe you!"

I heard her say before going back towards the stove with an embarrassed look on her face.

She seemed to be in a bad mood for the rest of the morning.

When we finished baking pancakes, we ate in silence until Konno got a call from her friend. I finished eating and put the dishes in the sink.

As I grabbed my bag, Konno hung up.

"Well, are you going with your friend?"

I turned towards her as she was putting her dishes in the sink.

"Yeah, we're planning on going to the mall after school."

She said as she grabbed her bag, looking a bit brighter.

"Okay, have fun then!"

I smiled at her and walked out of the house.

I'm happy that she's hanging out with her friends more.

On my way to school, I stopped at a bakery that I usually pass by. Since I have time to kill, I may as well buy myself something small for breakfast.

"Good morning, how can I help you?"

The old cashier spoke with an enthusiastic smile on his face.

Since when did workers have the energy to act nice? From what I know, I was always tired when I was working at the supermarket. Stock up the shelves, clean the toilet, unbox the deliveries, sort them in the storage, work at the register, find and throw out rotten food, and clean the store after closing. There were all kinds of jobs, plus you had to keep an eye out on the register. I can't imagine how it is in a bakery.

I got myself a small sandwich that was only 220 yen. While the old man was checking me out, I focused on the news that was on television.

"A thirty-two-year-old woman committed suicide after her seven-year-old child died due to leukemia. She hung herself in her child's bedroom, using a rope she found in her work shed. Her husband is in a state of deep shock and is seeing a therapist. Their families are in grief, and many people have donated them money to show them their support."

Oh, what a tragic way to go... Wait... Hanging... herself...

"MOM!"

A blurry image appeared in my head.

Wait...

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MOMMY?!"

I saw a vision of me standing in my room, but everything around was covered in static.

"Kid, are you—"

"SHE — BECAUSE—"

A figure appeared in front of me.

"Boy—"

"NOOOOOO!"

An animal-like scream was heard before everything faded into static.

"BOY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

The man snapped me out of my trance. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I didn't know why.

"Thank you."

I took the sandwich and got out. The only thing on my mind currently was

I wonder how Mom is doing.