Chapter 16:

One step Away from endgame

who I am is not who I want to be


The year was 2019, and the end of the year was fast approaching. Rin, my younger sister, was excited to meet her old friends. Our mother had given her permission, and she hurriedly selected a cute dress to wear. One of her friends was waiting for her, and they were in a rush to head out. Before meeting their friend, they decided to buy some cupcakes as a gift. As they hurried towards a bakery, an unexpected encounter occurred.

Rin collided with a young man.

Before he turned to see who had bumped into him, the man reacted with irritation, saying, "What are you doing? Are you blind?"

The boy, named Haru, and Rin stood there for a moment, staring at each other in surprise. Haru quickly realized his mistake and felt deeply sorry for his harsh reaction.

He swiftly apologized to Rin, realizing that he shouldn't have spoken to any girl like that. Rin, too, was taken aback and felt embarrassed by the encounter.

Haru said, "I suppose people can bump into each other anywhere, whether it's at a crosswalk, a doorway, or in the middle of the street. It's not a big deal. I apologize."

Rin expressed sympathy for Haru, knowing that he was not financially stable. She said to him, "I understand what happened, and I'm sorry. But do you think you might also be to blame?"

Awkwardness lingered in the air, and out of nowhere, Rin asked Haru to accompany them to meet an old friend from their school, Yui.

She asked Haru, "Haru, we're going to see Yui, an old friend from our school. Do you remember her?"

After some thought, Haru responded, "Oh, yes, I remember her. She was in the same class as us."

With a charming smile, Rin continued, "Will you accompany us to her place?"

Haru sensed that this meeting could be the start of something new and agreed without hesitation. They purchased cupcakes and headed to Yui's home.

Yui was surprised to see Haru and appeared curious about his presence, seemingly concerned about the dynamics between Rin and Haru. She accepted the cupcakes from Rin, but upon opening the box, she made an unpleasant remark about the choice of chocolate cupcakes, which she disliked.

Haru chimed in, saying, "Rin loves chocolate cupcakes. I remember."

Yui's annoyance with Rin was evident. She gave them a bewildered look and served a meal for everyone. As they reminisced about their school days, Yui asked Haru if he still aspired to be a hacker.

Haru confirmed, "Yes, that was my dream."

The evening passed without incident, and it was time for everyone to part ways. Haru and Rin walked together for a while, enjoying the moonlit night. Haru noticed a banner with the word "Hacker" and reminisced about the time when I had invited him to learn hacking.

Haru mentioned, "Back when your brother Zack invited me to your house to learn hacking, I had high hopes. I'm sorry for what I said to your brother; I was desperate and disrespectful. He asked me to return, even though I knew he was at your home. I had no choice; I couldn't afford to pay him."

Rin, with a puzzled expression, had no idea about their past interaction. She asked for details, and Haru reluctantly shared what had transpired between him and me in 2017.

Rin stood in disbelief, saying, "Are you sure it was my brother Zack?"

Haru affirmed, "Yes, I'm sure. He even called me to his home. It was your home. Who else could it be?"

Rin apologized to Haru on my behalf for the disrespect he had experienced due to my actions. After a brief conversation, they bid each other farewell and went their separate ways.

Meanwhile, I returned home after a day of bug bounty hunting with Karma. I had a pleasant day with her and was looking forward to some rest. As I laid down in my room, I heard the doorbell ring. Rin had returned, and we sat down for dinner.

I couldn't help but notice that Rin was acting strangely. It was unlike her, and I couldn't fathom the reason behind her mood. I expressed my concern and asked how her day had been, but she remained silent. After finishing her meal, Rin requested a private conversation in her room.

As we entered her room, she divulged everything Haru had shared with her that day. She was upset about how I had treated her classmate and insisted that I apologize to Haru.

Confusion washed over me, and I wasn't even sure who this Haru was. I asked Rin to clarify, but she seemed frustrated. She told me, "You asked him to come to our home. You knew he couldn't afford to pay, and you offered him help."

I was baffled and replied, "I don't know any guy named Haru. I don't know any of your classmates except a few. But if you want me to apologize to him, I will."

After our argument, I returned to my room and went to sleep.

The next morning, I prepared to accompany Rin. We met at Cafe Sunshine, where Haru had worked in 2017. I offered my sincere apology to Haru, and we settled the matter amicably.

With that resolved, I headed to my training classes, lost in thought about the strange incident Rin had brought up. I couldn't understand the connection between Haru and me or why he had accused me of inviting him to learn hacking.

As I walked, lost in thought, I suddenly bumped into Saho, a colleague from the cyber forensic department. He seemed to want to start a confrontation, but I had no interest in engaging with him and chose to ignore his provocation. Saho was known for his arrogance, considering himself above friends, family, and coworkers. He was infamous within the organization, but I had little interaction with him.

While continuing my journey, I remembered a phone call Karma had received from a guy named Haru. She had seemed deeply upset, turning off her phone without answering the call. Though I couldn't recall the year, I dismissed the notion that this Haru could be the same person. After all, there were countless individuals named Haru.

However, the puzzle in my mind remained unsolved, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Was there a connection between the two Harus? It sounded illogical, but doubts nagged at me.

Four hours later, I visited Karma and shared the Haru incident with her. She feigned ignorance and attempted to divert my attention from the matter. She changed the subject each time I mentioned Haru's name, as if she wanted me to forget about it.

Yet, the mystery lingered, leaving me with unanswered questions.

What did Karma know about this Haru, and was there a connection between them?