Chapter 3: Yashinori

Your name is Yashinori (頼命). A young man in high school, prepared to leave school for summer vacation. If a random person would see you in the streets, there have been cases where you’ve been mistaken for a girl because of your relatively long hair. You are friendly with others and are often seen helping others, but of course, you know that people can’t be defined by their outward appearances. The question is, do others?

You walk out of your classroom with your head held high and a big grin. Vacation officially starts today and you can’t wait for no school. You walk to your locker, basking in the pleasantness of freedom, when a friend walks over.

“Akane!” You greet her with arms wide, paired with an equally large grin.

“Momo-chan reserved a karaoke place, wanna come?” She asks, innocently enough. You are somewhat cautious though.

“I don’t know…” You stall a bit, half distracted by packing your backpack.

“Oh please come, Yashinori-kun.” You look to the side to see the world renowned puppy eyes. Your defense crumbles at the sight of it. “I promised Momo-chan that I would get you to come, so please don’t make me break my promise.”

“Oh, alright. I’ll come.” You sigh with a small smile. “How long does it go for?”

“The reservation lasts the entire day, but we’ll probably leave around 10:00. Depends.” Akane murmured, almost pondering. “Oh, we’re inviting all sorts of people too, so don’t worry about it only being us three.”

You smile at that. “I would never worry about such a thing.”

Akane stuttered and flushed red at that. “We…well, you can…invite people too! Momo-chan said that, yes. Hehe…” Her weak chuckle trailed off into a groan. “See you later, Yashinori-kun.”

“See you!” You call after her retreating form. You chuckle heartedly before slinging your backpack around your shoulders.

Looking around, it didn’t take long for you to find the group of people who were waiting to go to karaoke. You chat amongst them, laughing and cracking jokes. You hear that Momo was having a fashion emergency, so a bunch of her friends were consoling her in the bathroom. You shrug, not particularly worried about time. Then out of the corner for your eye, you spy your friend.

“Kousei!” You call out, partly out of obligation, but mainly because of the panicked face that was so clearly painted across his face. Not surprisingly though, when he turns around to face you, he stays silent. “Aw, don’t be like that, Kousei. I was just invited to karaoke, wanna come?”

“No thank you, Yashinori-kun. I’m a bit busy tonight.” His face looked so stricken, but his voice was well tuned. Years of stress, keeping the vocal cords taut.

“Tcha, well, I’ll text you the address in case you still wanna come over.” You say with a grin but inwardly, you worry. You worry because ultimately there really was nothing you could do. The matter lies solely within that family, but still, you offer a salvation away from everything, the only thing you know how to do.

You walk away, uncertain, when fate decides that you will intervene once again. Akari walked listlessly away from everyone else. Her movements, slow and sluggish. You, knowing what you know, decide once again to offer the only thing you know.

“You’re not going home, right?” You ask her after inviting her. As ghostly as your classmates suggest, your presence always seems to light her up even if it is barely a dim glow.

“No, no. I’m going to the cafe and read my book.” Her smile turned a bit more genuine, but it still held a quiet sort of pain.

“Haha! That book is hilarious, the real thing is totally different!” You burst out laughing because you don’t know what else to do. If you laugh, will that allow her to forget her pain, even if it’s only for a moment?

“Aw, come oooon. How do you always read the books before I do!? You don’t even like books!”

“Blame my sister.”

“Blame her for me!” Akari harrumphed. You smile softly as you notice that her shoulders were visibly less tense.

“Don’t worry, I already do enough of that. Alright, I should get going. I should be done around 11-ish, if you need to come over to my place, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Akari went silent for a moment. “Thanks Yashinori-kun.”

You walk back to the group, your thoughts and feelings a mess. You follow them as they chatter amongst themselves, heading towards the bus. The questions that get thrown your way slowly but surely break through the quiet thoughts. By the time you get off the bus, your mind is already clear and ready for whatever fun there is to be had.

The sizable amount of eight walked into the karaoke bar. You grin at a joke a friend made as Momo explained to the man behind that counter that she had a reservation. You then get shown to a karaoke room.

You follow them in, excited for all the songs you’ll sing, the food and drinks. You’re then surprised when the employee leaves, someone brings out alcohol and cigarettes. You participate in the resounding cheer.

“Alright, what should we play?” Momo asks while holding up the iPad. You don’t really have a preference so you simply lie back and watch the free for all. In the end, the song that ended up getting chosen was Idol by Yaosobi. A modern classic karaoke song.

The night at that point seemed to blur together. You toast somebody and downed the last of your beer. You blink. Now you’re cuddling with a boy you forgot the name of. A blink. You’ve slung your arm around a girl and you’re belting out lyrics to a song by LiSA. Blink. Cheers as somebody threw up into the trash can before passing out.

“Yashhhiinori…” Somebody taps on your shoulder. You grin sloppily and turn around. It’s Momo. “Yerrrr phone is ringing.”

“Ah, thanks.” You slap your face a little before picking up the phone. The caller ID says Kousei. You grin and exit the room to escape the music. “Kousei? You alright there?”

“Yeah…could I come to the karaoke place?” You frown at the quiet desperation in his voice. But, what can you do? You force your voice back to its upbeat self.

“Really? Let’s go! Come on over, I’ll save a mic for you!” You turn away from the phone and open the door. “Hey, Kousei’s coming over!” There was a great cheer. You turn back to the phone. “Everyone’s excited to hear your singing voice. Come over, yeah?”

There was a mute confirmation before Kousei hung up. You walk to the bathroom a bit to relieve yourself. Then a quick splash of water and you feel somewhat refreshed. The previous swirl of emotions seemed to have surfaced, but you press it down. Kousei wants to escape, so let’s give him a blast.

You open the door to the karaoke room and your worries seem to vanish at the sight of your friends lost in their own little pleasures. Time seemed to slip away from you as you helped indulge in their happiness. It wasn’t long before you got a text message from Kousei. You excuse yourself and walk to the lobby.

The immediate quiet was so drastic you snap your fingers a couple times just to make sure you hadn’t gone completely deaf. A tinkle announces Kousei and you get up with a great smile.

“Kousei! You came! Come, come, we’re in room five. It’s got some pretty sweet digs for a karaoke room.” You shuffle to the man behind the desk to assure him that Kousei was a part of Momo’s reservation.

“Sorry about coming so late, Yashinori-kun.” His shoulders were quite tense. You take that in silently.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. It’s just fun to see you out and about.” A thought crosses your mind, a thought that hopefully eases his burdens. “Now, what can I do to hear you sing?”

Kousei chuckles, but the lack of emotion behind it worries you. “Preferebly nothing. I don’t like singing all that much.”

“Exactly! So name your price.” You double down, determined to get a smile.

“100% on my test. Ha…sorry about that. Don’t worry about it.”

There it was. “So that’s the real reason you’re here? I get it, kind of breaking my heart here, but I get it. Hey, tell you what, I’ll pay you to sing a duo with me. How’s about that for a deal? We get to take the whole world by storm and be distracted from home worries all one fell swoop, how about it partner?”

“Sure, let’s take this world by storm.”

You escort him into the karaoke room to which you are greeted with great cheers. You smile at the sight of Kousei’s own apparent joy. Even if it is superficial, it is enough for you.

Once again, time danced away, leaving you hollow after a bad trip. You get up and stumble to the bathroom. It takes some time but with enough water and throwing up, you consider yourself presentable enough to go back in. But, before you enter, you notice that Kousei was sitting in the lobby.

You wander over and you talk. It is quite obvious to you by now what plagued Kousei to the point of tears, even if he didn’t realize it. You offer one last chance, an escape, the only thing you know.

“We’ll be done around 10:30, got that?”

“Yeah. Thank you, Yashinori-kun.” And with that, he left.

You walk back to the karaoke room but the thoughts in combination with the bad trip, you aren’t feeling it. You wait for a bit, sing a few songs, but you decide that it’s time. You say goodbye to the others and you thank Momo. And with that, you walk out and hop on a bus.

The bus ride is quiet, peaceful even. It calms you down after the antics of earlier. Night hasn’t exactly fallen just yet, so you witness a beautiful sunset cresting over the city skyline. As the last glimmers of light flicker across the glass of buildings, a thought pervades your mind. Tonight, something will change. Something so profound, it will change everything.

The thought came and then it went, leaving nothing but a shiver of horrid anticipation. As you walk off the bus, you can’t help but wonder how that thought came to be. Your footsteps thump softly on the dirt path leading to your house, tucked near the woods, away from the city.

You push open the hand carved wooden door and into the lodge that has been your home since you were born. The comfort that embraced you wasn’t as welcoming as you hoped so you shuffle towards the workshop behind the house. Politely, you knock on wood.

“Yea?” A gruff voice answers from within.

“Hey, dad.” You enter with a weary smile. Your dad sits hunched over a draining table upon which a dead deer was currently being drained of blood.

“Ah, son. Come, sit, sit.” He pulls out a chair before inspecting his work. “Rare for you to visit me this late.”

“Yeah…” You fall silent for a bit, unsure on how to broach the topic. “Do you…ever get premonitions?”

“Eh?” He pulls out a knife and slices something off. “Speak plainly, son.”

“The heebie jeebies.”

“Pah, of course. Any righteous parent gets them from taking care of their child.” He falls silent then glances over to you. “Son, you know I never really approved of your lifestyle, but if you have a child, you know I will support you.”

“Wha…no, no!” You exclaim, waving your hands about. A rare moment where your ears bloom with fierce embarrassment. “No, dad.”

“Ah, good. Your mother wouldn’t be able to live quietly for a while if she heard the news.” He turned back to the deer. “So what is it, son?”

“Well…I just got this really bad feeling about tonight. I…don’t really know how to explain it, but it’s going to be bad.” You fall silent, unsure of everything at the moment.

“Well, son, whenever I get those heebie jeebies, I pay attention even more. Try to prevent it before it happens and if it does happen, well, do the best I can to lessen the blow.” Your dad chuckles. “It was like that one time you were a child and there was this mudslide. We were driving down the mountain pass when warnings came from all over. I put that infernal vehicle into the highest gear and drifted like that famous Takuna.”

“It’s Takumi.”

“Pah. What I’m getting at, son, is that when it feels like you don’t have a choice, you have to find a choice and take it, otherwise it takes control of you.” He lifts the deer’s head. “What do you think? Good enough to replace the one on the mantle? You know, the one where your mom carved out the grand sloping forest?”

“No, the eyes are too small.”

“Yea, thought so.” He put the head down and frowned in thought.

You smile softly, your worries eased just slightly. “Thanks, dad.”

He just grunts and waves you away. You chuckle at that and make your way back to the house. You brush past the doorway and enter the kitchen with hopes to make yourself dinner, but before you get the chance to, you mom yells that someone is at the door.

You sigh but abandon any hopes of having a full belly. The door opens and you’re face to face with Akari. Your smile automatically gets plastered onto your face but it immediately crumbles at the state of her.

“Come in.” You close the door behind her and help her get to the living room. “Mom! Where’s the first aid kit?”

Your mom must’ve heard the fear in your voice as she burst downstairs moments later, first aid kit in hand. She zeroed in on the pale trembling form on the couch. “Oh, my poor Akari-chan. Yashinori! Water and cloth, now.”

You make haste to the kitchen and grab the asked for items and hurried back. You pass the stuff over and your mom gets to work, wiping away the tears and sweat. With each touch from your mom, Akari would make the most heartbreaking whimper, but she made sure to navigate carefully around the bruises and cigarette burns. For that, she took out a homemade burn salve and applied it with a motherly touch. Meanwhile, all you can do is just watch with bated breath.

The doorbell rings again, bringing you out of breathless terror. You pass a questioning glance towards your mom who shoos you away. Grimly, you get to the door and open it to reveal an equally grim Kousei.

“Hey.” You say, a shadow of your usual greeting.

“You…are you alright?” Seeing you wearing an unfamiliar face must’ve shocked Kousei deeply as he too asked an uncharacteristic question.

“I’m good. Akari isn’t.” You let him in and the door behind you closes with a soft click. The two of you quietly inch your way into the living room to see Akari with a bit more color but still tear-stained. Your mother was packing up the first aid kit and shook her head in your direction.

You nod and slowly make your way to her and wrap your arms around her. A heartbeat or two later Kousei wraps his hands around her two. The three of them shared a cry. Akari’s pain was loud, Kousei’s muffled, and yours, yours was completely hidden, but nonetheless, in that moment, your pain was shared.

What happened after that was kind of a blur, more so than the substance induced one at the karaoke place. You recall dinner made by your mom, death threats from your dad, legal action by Kousei, whilst you prepared a place to sleep for the three of you. And then, at some point, you all feel asleep.

A quiet darkness that seemed to wrap itself around you, brought everything buried to the forefront. A sense of unease that plagued your very soul that manifested into monsters oft your own making.

A noise disturbed the silent rampages and simply evaporated them. You awake quietly into a more comforting darkness. You wait for your eyes to adjust then you take a look around. You notice a mound to your right and you sigh at the sight of a sleeping Kousei. You turn to look behind you only to have your heart drop into your stomach.

“Kousei, Kousei!” You shake him awake, much to his displeasure.

“Whaaaaa…”

“Akari’s gone!” That seemed to wake him up. His eyes flicked around frantically before you could put a calming hand on his shoulder. “We need to think about this rationally.”

“Right.”

The two of you split up, first checking around the house and the bathrooms. When that proved that she wasn’t here, you looked outside.

“Do you think she’ll head for the cliff?” Kousei asks quietly, the implications scared you.

“Let’s check, just in case.” You struggle to keep your voice straight as you pull on a jacket. While it was summer, midnight in the forest spelled a different temperature. While pulling on your shoes, you notice that Akari’s are gone.

Even more panicked, the two of you burst into the forest and glanced at everything with fervency neither had experienced before. What felt impossibly long, Kousei finally found something to which you rush over with nary a thought.

In the bushes, you peer down at a bracelet, the one you gave her for her birthday a few years back. You look back at Kousei’s wide eyes. Without needing to speak, the two of you bolt towards the cliff a few meters away. The underbrush hinders your movement and whispers of your dad explaining the impacts of human activity in the wilderness, but you push through with an anger reserved for the desperate.

Finally, you break through the treeline and stumble to a stop at a cliff that spirals down at a dizzying drop. A few paces behind, Kousei also manages to emerge, but is completely out of breath. In front of you is a silhouette, one chillingly similar to Akari’s.

“Akari, please step away.” You call out, but soft enough to not scare her, but she didn’t seem scared. She turned on a dime and looked at them, her eyes reflecting the pools of despair in the moonlight.

“What happens if I do?” She replies, seemingly completely at peace.

“I don’t know, but we’ll work together to figure it out! I promise you. We’ll make it work, right Kousei?”

“Yea…yeah.” He wheezes out, but he still makes an effort to stand, even if it is a bit wobbly. “With my parents’ influence and Yashinori-kun’s parents’ willpower, I’m sure we can do something.”

“Yeah!” You smile but it’s fake. You know it, she knows it.

“Thank you guys, really.” A tear slipped down and it looked as if the starlight itself had refracted around it. You could only watch in horror as a blissful smile emerged and she started to lean backwards. “The stars are beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Akari!” You bolt forward, not sure of what was happening, but determined to do something. You reach out and your fingers brush, but it is enough for you to grip hard. Unfortunately, fate and momentum had other plans.

Your foot slips off the gravel, a hand grabs your waist, but it is too late. Akari goes over, bringing you with her. You twist around to see that Kousei had latched on as well, but with a heartbreaking realization comes forth as he too tumbled off the side.

“Hey. What are friends for?” Kousei smiled sadly, tears in his eyes.

“Yeah.” The wind rips away your laugh before everything turns dark.