Prologue: My last Moments

I'm a 20 year old college student, or rather i was. Yahiko Kusanagi, that was my name, and my life has been a living hell. It was definitely a manga-worthy tragedy filled with heartache and one lasting love – Akane Matsumoto.

I still remember the day we met like it was yesterday. Akane and I were both 8 years old. At the time, I was playing by myself at the park. She asked me if I wanted to be friends with her, I said “Sure” and ever since then, we've been inseparable, always at each other's side.  

When we became first years in high school, a tragedy occurred. We were on our way home when we saw smoke in the direction of our neighborhood. 

We ran towards the smoke, and when we got to where the smoke was coming from, i was welcomed by a frightening scene instead of a heartfelt one. 

My parents' house was engulfed in flames, and firefighters were trying their best to put the fire out. I was shocked, I didn't understand what was going on. I was shocked, and anxiety overwhelmed me.

“Excuse me, sir, was there a man and a woman in that house? Are they okay? Where are they?!”

I asked three different questions at once with a frightened expression on my face. I didn't want to believe what my mind was telling me, but even at that age, I knew that there were small chances of them being alive. 

Regardless, i still acted oblivious to the situation because who would believe that their parents are gone just like that? Only a heartless person or an AI is capable of doing such. 

The fire was extinguished, and the firefighters rushed in side the house. When they came out, they were carrying two body bags clearly, signaling that the people who were in that house couldn't have survived

‘They can't be dead. There's no way.’

Those were my thoughts at that moment as I waited for him to answer regardless of what i was seeing. It was like i had lost my mind because of the way I was acting.

“I'm sorry, kid... but the people who were in that house… are no longer alive”

My greatest fear was upon me. No matter how much i didn't want to believe it, my parents were really dead. I felt my heart sink, my breathing slowed, and my expression turned grave as i fell on my knees.

Akane felt sad as she saw how broken i was. She kneeled right in front of me and hugged me tightly, A single tear tracked a path down my cheek.

After that day, Akane's family took me in, at school i was shunned by everyone – they called me the orphan boy whose parents died in a tragic fire, but even so Akane stood by me, her gentle smile, my sole comfort.

Years passed, and our friendship deepened. Akane became my rock, my confidante – my everything. We shared laughter and our passion for manga and anime. 

College life was manageable with her by my side. Life was slowly starting to get better, but little did i know that everything was about to change.

ONE FATEFUL EVENING...

Akane and I decided to take a shortcut home from the ramen shop, strolling through the dimly lit road. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows – a robber with a knife glinting under faint streetlights.

"Hey there, guys... how are you... I'm just gonna  cut straight to the chase... give me your money and phones, and no one gets hurt."

But his eyes locked onto Akane... and his intentions became sinister.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here, such a pretty lady, what do you say we have some fun. 

He cackled, showing just how messed up he was. He got closer and tried to touch her, I stepped in front of Akane, trying to prevent him from touching her.

“Don't you dare touch her!"

He sneered, knife flashing towards me – but his true target was Akane. He punched me in the face and grabbed her, pulling her close…

"Come on, i won't bite, just let me cope a feel. It'll just take a second.”

Blind rage consumed me. I stood up quickly, and I gave him a strong left hook, followed by a straight, a jab, then an uppercut – he fell to the ground knife still in hand. 

“Akane are you alright?”

“Yeah, I'm fine, thanks Yahiko”

“Look out, Yahiko!!!”

I turned around, and his knife sliced through my chest, opening a deep wound as blood splattered on the ground.

My eyes glowed dimly, and out of nowhere, I felt a little bit of strength return to me as if i had some sort of hidden power.

I withstood the pain as I kicked him right in the face. The kick was so strong that it sent him flying into a wall.

Akane was surprised and shocked. This sudden surge of strength surprised me even more than her, it felt like I was superhuman, but then all that strength vanished like it was never even there as I fell backwards on the ground, bleeding excessively.

Agony spread as Akane's terrified scream echoed in my mind... I felt my strength fading with each passing second, my vision blurring – Akane's face was the only thing i could see. 

Her eyes welled with tears as she screamed 

"Yahiko!!!"

She came to me and saw that the wound was deep. if he doesn't make it to the hospital in time, he'll die. She called an ambulance immediately after coming to that realization.

I couldn't hear what she was saying but it clearly seemed like she was in distress, I hated seeing her sad, because of a useless person like me, who has been a huge burden to her, i hated myself for that, she was way to good for a deadbeat like me.

She finished her call, and all her attention was directed to me. She put my head on her lap. My voice was barely audible as i whispered 

"Akane… I'm sorry… for being such a burden to you… I've… caused you nothing but trouble… for the past 5 years… I'm a useless excuse of a person… i couldn't even protect you”

“No you're wrong! Yahiko you are not useless, you have never been a burden to me… if anything, you are my hero, you've always been my hero Yahiko, you've been there for me ever since we met… in fact I… I love you Yahiko, I love you more than anyone else in the world… So please, don't talk about yourself that way.”

Akane's hands grasped mine, her touch warm and gentle. I saw tears fall from her cheeks onto my face.

"Why! Why did it have to be you! Why couldn't it have been someone else! I don't want to you die, I want you to be with me… forever”

As she said that, her tears kept falling from her cheeks. My chest burned, pain fading into numbness. My gaze locked onto Akane's – my final words were  

"Akane… please… don't be sad… I… love… you…"

My conciseness faded, the color in my eyes also faded, and my breathing stopped, there's no doubt about It, my life was no more. Akane’s eyes widened in shock. The weight of her sadness was too great.

She was sad beyond compare. No words could describe just how sad she was. The ambulance arrived, but it was too late.

 I had already perished right there in Akane's arms.