Chapter 1 The Last Day

The Last Night.

As the cool evening breeze drifted through the bedroom window, Haruka, a 17-year-old schoolgirl, sat at her desk with her head resting on her folded arms. Her long, shiny black hair fluttered softly in the air.

She had just returned home from kendo practice and was exhausted from that day’s training and schoolwork. She sighed and thought about what awaited her in the near future.

She and her twin brother, Haruki, were about to go with their friends on their last school trip in the morning. The school will hold the graduation ceremony at the end of the week.

“Everything is going to change after summer break. Haruki will be going off to a college in the next city over to study Physics and chemistry so he can become a scientist, while he moves in with his girlfriend, who's planning on being a fashion designer

Meanwhile, here I am, with no friends and no idea what I want to do with my life.

I'm gloomy, unmotivated, and introverted.

I mean, I do like history and mythology. I read tons of books and watch videos on them all the time. But my dad says it’s not exactly a career path that’ll make much money.

Boys barely talk to me at school. And when I think one might approach me, they back off at the last second.

The girls all stay in their little friend groups and never bother to include me, either. Sure, I don’t try that hard anymore, but every time I’ve made an effort, I end up embarrassing myself or getting ignored. So what’s the point?”

Haruka moaned as she stretched her arms. She stood up from the chair and stepped out into the hallway, peeping around the corner to see what her brother was doing

Haruki was lying on his bed, tapping away at his phone screen with earbuds in.

“Hey,” she called, “are Mom or Dad home yet?”

He took out an earbud and replied, “Nah. Dad’s working late tonight, and Mom should be back in about an hour.

Mom left some stuff on the kitchen table, though, so you can grab something because no one’s cooking tonight.”

“Alright. I’ll see what she got,” replied Haruka.

She headed downstairs and entered the kitchen. A shopping bag sat on the table, filled with convenience-store snacks and drinks.

She pulled out a bottle of milk tea and her favorite flavor of instant noodles, shrimp tempura, and went to boil some water.

Back upstairs, she ate quietly while watching a video on her phone about ancient Greek gods and their myths.

When finished, she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and realized that it was probably time get to sleep; tomorrow would be an early start.

She climbed into bed and stared out the window into the darkness, admiring the faint glow of stars scattered across the sky.

“I feel that nowadays most people can't enjoy nature as much because most of us are packed into cities filled with lights and buildings.”

The soft sound of rain could be heard tapping against the window just as she started drifting off to sleep and her eyes shut for the night.

The Last Morning

The morning sunlight peeked softly through the curtains of the Asahina household, casting long golden beams of light across the hallway. Around the house, the sound of sizzling eggs could be heard, accompanied by the faint clink of a spatula tapping the pan.

Standing by the hallway mirror, Haruki buttoned up his school shirt while Haruka adjusted the pleats of her skirt in her bedroom doorway. She glanced upward at him while putting in her signature hair clip, which resembled a sun.

“Have you packed everything you need, bro? And you made sure not to forget your phone charger this time, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, yeah. I made sure,” Haruki replied, slipping on his blazer and adjusting his tie.

They both walked downstairs and into the kitchen, where they were met by their mother, dressed in a cream apron and standing by the stove, humming softly. Her shoulder-length black hair curled slightly at the ends, and her gently rounded face held a smile that could make you forget about all your problems.

“Bye, kids. Have fun on your end-of-school trip! We’ll see you tomorrow evening!” she called, glancing at them as she flipped the eggs.

At the table, their father sat there with a tired look on his face, he wore a blue-striped shirt and was reading the newspaper with a silent focus. His cream-colored hair was brushed neatly back, and a pair of rectangular glasses perched on his long, chiseled face. Without looking up, he raised one hand lazily in farewell.

Haruki and Haruka exchanged a look, then turned toward the front door.

“Alright, see you tomorrow, Mom,” Haruki said as he stepped into his shoes.

“I’ll remember to take photos,” Haruka grinned.

They stepped outside into the cool spring morning air. The street was still damp from last night’s rain, and the air smelled humid and faintly of early blossoms. As they walked, the sound of cicadas buzzed softly in the trees lining the sidewalk.

As they continued down the street, a voice called out from behind, and suddenly, arms wrapped around Haruki’s chest. His girlfriend, Yuzuki Amamiya, had run behind them and hopped onto his back. Her long, soft, peach-colored hair draped around Haruki’s face, and he caught a familiar trace of her perfume.

“Hey Yuzu, get off me!”

“Oh, what’s wrong, Haru? I was just saying hi. Or do you not want your loving girlfriend showing some affection, huh?” she said snarkily, grinning.

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t like getting jumpscared, you already know that. Anyway, hi,” sighed Haruki.

He brought her closer, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and kissed her on the forehead as they walked.

Soon, the school came into view, and rows of large coaches sat parked by the curb. Each graduating class had its assigned bus, marked by handwritten placards taped to the windshields. Teachers stood nearby with clipboards in hand, organizing students into lines.

Clusters of students wearing blue and white uniforms crowded outside the main school building, chatting and laughing in anticipation. The three of them scanned the crowd to spot where the rest of their classmates were lining up.

Once boarding began, they quickly went to claim the seats near the very back, Haruki in the center of the back row, Yuzuki on his right, and Haruka on his left. In front of Yuzuki sat one of Haruki’s closest friends, Nijima, who had already been sitting there. He turned around, grinning and waving.

“Hey, are you guys excited for this trip? I’ve never been to this lake or stayed in a cabin.”

“Yeah, especially ‘cause we’re gonna get to cook our fish that we catch on the bonfire. And I heard that there are some nice spots to hang out in the forest, especially at night,” replied Haruki.

The engine suddenly growled to life. A teacher at the front of the bus checked that every student was seated and no one was missing. The doors hissed shut, and the driver pulled out of the school parking lot.

Shortly after, they reached the city outskirts and began climbing the curvy mountain roads, following the other buses of graduating students.

Outside, unnoticed by anyone, the clouds had thickened and darkened. A soft rumble of thunder echoed faintly through the hills as the city disappeared behind them.

The bus was filled with laughter and excitement.

None of them realized that this would be their final journey in this world.

Raindrops started streaking down the windows. Soon, it was pouring heavily. 

The driver suddenly began to lose control as the bus bent around one of the corners.

The wheels skidded across the rain-covered road at high speed.

Students started screaming as the bus slammed into the cliffside barrier and crashed straight through.

Haruka grabbed her brother’s arm, holding it tight with tears in her eyes, 

while Haruki and Yuzuki’s faces froze in fear and shock as they plummeted toward the trees and jagged rocks below. A rushing river shimmered at the base of the mountain.

“God… don’t let us die… please,”  cried Haruka.

The entire class met their fates that day.