Chapter 2 - Those Eyes I've forgotten

Returning home, I am greeted by my girlfriend, cooking up a meal with a half-smile.

“Oh, welcome home dear.” She lets her smile grow.

“Good to be home.” I return her smile back at her. I start switching to my casual clothes. “How was your day?”

“G- Good.” She states, putting our plates on the table. “The doctor says our baby is good and healthy after 12 weeks now.”

I give a fake smile. “That’s good.”

Eating our meal, I feel my phone vibrate.

“Who would be texting you this late?” She asked.

“I wouldn't have a clue.” I lie, taking a look to my phone. “Oh, I acquainted with a coworker a few weeks ago, she had questions on a report.”

“She? You’re talking to another girl?” She asked with attitude.

“Yes, work seems to be getting out of hand as of late, so we’ve all been keeping contact and-”

“You never kept contact before your recent promotion, why are you talking to some girl I don’t know?” Her tone getting aggressive.

“It’s only work dear, it’s-”

“No! You're cheating on me! I know it!” She accused, her eyes reflecting betrayal.

A night of arguing pursued.

The train this morning had me dead, I couldn’t even read my book as I was exhausted from the night of back and forth.

I looked to the couple. They once more were close, getting more personal than before.

What! What happened since, I can’t figure it out, this doesn’t make sense!

My brain goes on overdrive. Their story is impossible to fully comprehend without all the details. Was it a friend? Was it a simple misunderstanding that will soon cause the breakup?! I’m at the edge of my wits trying to piece it together.

At the office, I’ve gotten familiar with Imani, as she would regularly stop me on my way through the halls.

Where is she?

I ponder. I take a quick look around the office, finding my way to her desk.

She’s doing her work as she should be, not taking the initiative to greet me as she has the last few weeks.

“Hey Imani.” I greet first.

“AH!” She jumps in her seat. “O- O- Oh, hi....”

Her demeanor had me curious.

“Is everything alright?” I asked.

“Y-Yes... Did... You get my text?” She asked.

“Yes, is there something more to this meet up?” I recalled the text that started a fight.

“Um... Yeah... Can we meet after work... I had something I wanted to ask you...”

“Sure...” I responded confused.

Keeping to the fact I can have off days, things today have me in a loop

Walking to my desk, I bump into a stronger build, spilling their coffee on them.

“Woah man watch it.” Onizuka demanded.

“S- Sorry.” I apologized.

“You good man? You seem distracted.” He observed.

“Huh?” I was taken aback. “Oh... Yeah... Me and my girl had a fight last night.”

“Sorry to hear man, don’t worry about it, things will get better with time.” He smiled.

The itch was strong.

Despite the hot coffee he was trying to wipe off his shirt and our underline issues with one another, he seemed exceptionally in a good mood today. He even seems to be a genuinely good guy.

Wait...

As Onizuka walked past me, I give an over the shoulder glance, studying his very soul as he strides.

His usually tight pace is loose, his walking had larger steps, and the air of distaste for me wasn’t present after our brief encounter even with my intentionally spilling of his freshly brewed coffee.

I’m missing something.

After a long day of work I take the train home. I took the day off unusually early.

My brain takes a lap, something I have never noticed before is happening.

The high school girl is with another boy!

I keep my nose in my book but let my eyes read the situation.

A new boy is with the girl, and they also are poking and prodding as she does for the other boy. She seems to be in equal delight with him, giggling and let him touch as he pleases.

Of course. Something so basic had me stumped, the first boy is in sports! He must have heard a rumor or even spotted her when he was off schedule.

Whatever the case is my brain is satisfied to know the answer, but sad their story wasn’t different.

Reading the book once more, the women who seemed to be creating distance with the protagonist wasn’t leaving him, she was upset he was talking with other women.

It is a harem, why did I ever assume the story would do something different, as if there was a good reason for her character to change is any meaningful way.

Her being a quiet girl should have made it obvious that she can’t express herself right, and her early on tsundere vibes were made clear. Though the plot twist being she was going to kidnap the protagonist was interesting and a bit yandere.

Human nature is boring.

Entering my home, my girlfriend was in the shower.

I looked upon the second pair of shoes in the hallway. It looks like I was right.

I’m already bored.

I sat on the bed, taking in the moment. My heart didn’t beat any more than usual, feeling dead in my chest. I readied myself, organizing my thoughts before the big moment.

“H- Honey!?” My girlfriend hastily threw on a towel in surprise to my presence. “Y- You’re home early.”

Stereotypical response, she couldn’t even do anything to make this interesting or different.

I sigh. “I’m guessing if I go into that bathroom right now, Onizuka will be there.”

Her face went as white as a ghost, he legs trembled just a bit.

“W- What are you talking about? Are you mad? Don’t ever say something like that!” She demanded.

I sigh once more. “Onizuka! If you don’t come out, I’ll report to the government your money laundering.”

A quick slide of a door from the bathroom sounded dangerous, an anger resonated throughout.

“W- What the hell are you talking about!?”

“Oniz! What are you doing!?” She demanded.

“Look. You know, and I know what you and a few of the higher ups have been up to. Your dumb, but not that dumb.”

I felt my collar be gripped by the angry man.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about Toshiro.” His eyes glared a bloodlust.

I sighed, knowing he could definitely kill me if he wanted to, but the idea still didn’t move me.

“We both also know.” I glared to my now Ex. “That isn’t my child in there.”

The room went silent, their eyes wide as they stared dumbfounded.

“How... How did you...” My Ex stuttered.

“Please, we all three were in orientation together. I could tell you had feelings since the day we all met.” I stated.

“Then- Then why did you go out with her!?” Onizuka interrogated.

“Simple. I wanted to get us to this moment.”

“Huh...?” The two were even more baffled.

“Onizuka, you have family in higher management, clearly you were hired on by nepotism. And my Ex here is obsessed with avoiding a job, even enough to fake my child so I would house her. And with both of your impulsive natures, you Onizuka would do two things that I could use to have an easy life.”

Onizuka kept his grip on my collar. “And what's that?”

“We keep things as they are, and I won’t report to your family your wedlock child, and charitably slip me some money under the table, untraceable and all.”

Onizuka’s grip went weak, his eyes no longer full of hatred but now disgust as he let me down. I dusted myself off, turning to my Ex as she was lost, but clearly afraid.

“Feel free to claim I’m that baby's child still, I know your family is old fashion and I bet you wouldn’t want them know.”

She covered her mouth. Tears fell as she gave thought to the unfolding events.

I walked past uncaring, a bitter after taste remained in my mouth.

“You know Tosh... You really are a sick bastard.” Onizuka Insulted, unable to face me.

I opened the door, ready to make my leave.

“It’s in my nature.”

I closed the door, feeling no difference.

I follow the maps on my phone. The distance was short enough that I justified a walk.

The itch was going haywire on the back of my head, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Things with Onizuka went as planned, I felt no confliction on my insight or subconscious judgment. I even used the baby as leverage to make sure Onizuka wouldn’t murder me, as he is a greedy man.

Am I still missing something?

I found the apartment, staring at it I felt off.

On to the next course of my plan.

I let the human side of my emotions take over. Even with the knowledge and intuition of my Ex’s actions, that doesn’t mean my emotional side is without grief.

Feeling my consciousness take control, I felt my heart weaken, my mind hurt, and the feeling of tears wanting to burst swelled.

Let’s see if this works.

I knocked on the door to the apartment, the sky turning twilight as the end of the day approached.

The door opened, I was greeted by a short black hair female, her posture less squirmy then usually as she held the door.

“H- Hello Mr. Kage.” Her smile was a nervous, I couldn’t see her eyes making it hard to read her.

“Hi Imani...” I let out depressingly.

“A- Are you okay?” She was concerned. “Come in. Come in.”

She urged, leading me to her living room.

"Sorry for the mess, I’ve been cleaning for a while.” She apologized.

I felt a disturbance, the trash was pretty rampant, but the bags full showed she wasn’t lying, I wasn’t expecting this.

“I- It’s okay, we all have our situations in life...” I had an urge to clean myself but knew it would conflict with my present expression.

“A- Are you okay...?” She asked, getting uncomfortably close.

“Y- Yes...” I stood my ground, knowing this was too part of the plan, despite the constant itch getting stronger. “I just broke things off with my girlfreidn today.”

“Y- You did!?” She seemed excited. “Oh! Water, you need water!”

She rushed to the kitched, bringing me a cup already made.

“Thank you.” I accepted, not giving it a second thought.

“W- What happened?” She asked.

“Well... It’s a lot...” I stated, trying to keep her in my pace of conversation.

“Ah. Did you find out about the child?”

Hm?

Even my subconscious was taken aback.

“The... Child?” I asked, unable to process her words.

“Yeah, how your child is Onizuka’s.” She stated bluntly.

My eyes widen, exactly how Onizuka’s and my Ex’s did.

“How... How did you know that...?” The itch was blaring.

“I hate how Onizuka has always been infatuated by that tramp, she jumps around to different men. You were suppose to take her hand! Yet he still pursued her!” She angerly mumbled.

I felt an urgency brew.

“I- I better get back, she’ll wander where I went off to-” As I tried to stand, my body felt numb, my heart racing as I let my subconscious take back control. “That water... You made it before I got here...”

“Why does that bitch get to have MY Onizuka... What does she have that I don’t!” Imani pouted, balling her fists as she ignored me. “I mean what-”

Imani went silent, only now she looked me in the eyes, and mine back at hers. Her bangs moved just enough out of the way for me to see them.

“Hmm...”

Imani crawled back to my sudden expression, her eyes reflected fear.

“W... What’s that horrible smile?” Her voice didn’t stutter for once.

I don’t remember the last time my grin was this wide, I can feel the cracks of the lips as the muscles haven’t been used like this in a very long time.

“This! This is what I was missing! It’s not that I didn’t recall you! It’s that I was scared of what I saw in those eyes!”

“W- What?” She was taken aback.

“HAHAHAHAHA!!!!” I laughed a heart filled laugh, scaring her even more. “To think my own insight got me here. To think my own nature blinded me...”

I took a deep breath ready for the moment.

“Y- You bastard...” She trembled. “You think less of me too... You were just using me like everyone else.”

“HA! Don’t act innocent. You were using me to get to Onizuka, but what has me is stumped is why are you doing all this.”

I was confused, she didn’t need to go through the process of paralyzing me just to expose this secret, it’s not like I would hurt her from telling me. Is this just a precaution to protect herself? How would she handle my reaction after though, it’s not normal for people to forgive this type of-

My brain froze. A simple thought crossed my mind, something that I always overlook.

This isn’t a story.

I'm drugged in a women's apartment. This is far from normal.

The side of me that is human was panicking, unable to fight for my life. My subconscious was angry, going through every stage of grief ten times over as Imani stood up, dragging me with all her strength to the bathroom.

“AHAHAHAH!!!” I couldn’t help but laugh as she dragged me, she tossed me against the tub, I could feel the pain as my head hit the side.

“Quiet!” She demanded.

“T- THIS IS AMAZING!” I couldn’t help myself. “THIS IS HOW-”

I muffled as she shoved dirty tissues from her bathroom trash into my mouth. I wanted to throw up feeling the hairs that got stuck and the various liquids that etch a horrid smell and coated my mouth.

“You...” She trembled, balling her fist. “YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO TAKE HER AWAY!!!”

She punched my chest as hard as he could, over and over. Even with her lack of strength, being beaten without proper bracing still hurts.

“IT’S YOUR FAULT! YOU LET HER TAKE MY ONIZUKA AWAY FROM ME!!!”

She took her hairbrush, proceeding to hit me. My nose bled as the brush's hard plastic strikes, my body bruising from her punches. She continuously let out her frustrations as I laid unable to protect myself.

She stood up, staring me down.

“Why... Why are you still laughing at me?”

I glared to my aggressor. My laughs could not be held back merely by her trash. Her anger grew, her teeth grit as she clenched.

“Y- Y- Y- You're just like the rest of them! Looking down on me! Not like my Onizuka! He’s a bigger man! More then you’ll ever be!” She yelled.

My muffled laughs couldn’t be any louder, my brain filled with emotions I have never felt or long forgotten.

“Y- You...” She shook, leaving me in the bathroom alone as she returned to the living room.

AHAHAHA!!! And the big reveal!

Only a moment later and she returned, a long reflective object in her hand.

There it is! The classic Yandere!

I laughed as the knife went through my leg.

“All of you! Every last one of you think so little of me!”

My blood splattered the bathroom mirror and walls. With all her might she repeatedly thrusted the knife up and back down, stabbing me somewhere new each time.

I could feel the pain in full, even with the paralysis. The cold metal tearing holes into my stomach was a pain I couldn’t describe. My body wasn’t able to tense, I was fully laxed as blood spilled onto Imani’s face and clothes.

“I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!” She screeched with each thrust.

I realized I could move my tongue. With all my strength I dislodged the disgusting trash from my mouth, still feeling the hairs in between my teeth.

“Ahahahaha...” My laugh was quiet, my voice was weak, but even so, Imani stopped.

“You... You’re a freak...” She stated. My blood pooling around her and the floor. The walls freshly splattered let the red roll down, it was my own special canvas.

“I... I have never felt so intrigued...”

“W... What?” She was taken aback, staring down the many stab wounds.

“I wish I had met you sooner... Life would have been so much more interesting...” I stated, for the first time, my genuine self.

She stood, staring down at me in my final moments. “What... What have I done.”

She asked, staring down at her bloodied hands.

In one last glance, she looked onto me.

“I- I’m sorry.” She apologized, before disemboweling herself

Her body fell to the ground, her blood mixing with my own. Her eyes wide, she’s already dead.

“To think I was wrong about you... Human nature can be terrifying...”

I chuckle, staring at her corpse.

“I wish life was more interesting... The only thing I’m glad about... Is my death certainly was... I only hope my next life will be... Entertaining...”

I voiced my final words, letting the world fade to black.