Watch your steps

[The Ueno park] was calm and quiet, the evening air cool and refreshing.

It was next day.

Seiji and Hideaki walked side by side along the concrete path. The sunset cast a soft orange glow over everything, making it the perfect time for a peaceful stroll.

Seiji's thoughts, however, weren't on the scenery. His mind was stuck on the project he was working on at his job.

'That segment's efficiency could be improved. Maybe rewrite the function to reduce redundancy? No, that would complicate debugging later. Focus on the database query optimization first... The structure needs tweaking; it's taking too long to fetch the data...'

He mentally listed tasks.

'Add error-handling for the API integration, review the UI adjustments for responsiveness, and double-check compatibility with older browsers. The client's requirements keep shifting, so I'll need to implement a modular approach - something flexible but efficient. Did I account for all edge cases?'

He frowned slightly, already mentally rearranging lines of code and planning fixes.

'Ugh, and that legacy code... It's like trying to untangle a knot in the dark.'

He sighed inwardly, already picturing the long hours ahead.

'Focus on one thing at a time, Seiji. Optimize the database first; the rest can wait.'

But no matter how much he focused on work, the memory of his coworkers' mocking voices crept back in, sharper and more cutting than usual.

"And you thought that excused you? Hah! You didn't think I'd just let you off the hook after the nomikai? It was said. The next day. ONLY the next day. And now, get the hell to work on all that programming nonsense you do."

They laughed, their voices full of venom.

"Maybe if you worked as hard on getting some magic as you do on your computer, you wouldn't be so pathetic. Oh wait- YOU CAN'T! AHAHAHA! AHAHA!"

Seiji clenched his fists at the memory, the familiar bitterness creeping in. It wasn't just the words; it was the way they looked at him - like he was beneath them, unworthy of respect.

'It is exhausting.. I wonder how much longer I can keep enduring it...'

He glanced to his side and saw Hideaki walking quietly, his back hunched, his eyes fixed on the ground. He looked completely lost in his own thoughts, unaware of anything around him. Seiji raised an eyebrow.

'He really is an odd one,' he thought. 'No matter what's happening, it's like he's living in a completely different world.'

In the meantime, Hideaki also had an intense internal monologue, but his one was focused on something completely else than Seiji's one...

'Why...'

'Why did it turn out like this?'

Images flickered before his eyes, out of order.

Kaiji.

Screams.

Blood.

That moment of silence, when it was already too late.

'He was already dead...

He really was dead...'

He clenched his teeth, though he wasn't sure if he still had control over them.

'I didn't feel it.

Not like I always do.'

That was the worst part.

Not the words.

Not "you're sick."

Not the look in Kaiji's eyes.

Just the absence.

'Why wasn't there any relief?

Why wasn't there that warmth in my chest?

That... satisfaction of killing someone.'

For a brief moment — far too brief — the image from Kyoto returned.

The first blood.

The first trembling of his hands.

The first "what have I done."

'I thought I had killed that part of me long ago...'

Hideaki felt a sudden sting — not fear, not shame.

Something worse.

Something he couldn't name.

'I didn't want you to...'

"Tch—" he hissed quietly. The thought surfaced on its own — and was immediately rejected.

'No! Shut up... I enjoyed it when he was dying. Hehehe... when I watched him suffer slowly... Heh... heh... I—I...'

Somewhere deep beneath the layers of laughter, blood, and madness, a single, small, disgustingly human thought emerged:

'I panicked when I saw that he was dead... that I had killed him... Did I really do the right thing when I...—'

The thought cut off halfway.

Because suddenly, he heard Seiji.

It looked like he was muttering something under his breath.

'Tch. He's mumbling about some programming nonsense again...'

Hideaki glanced to the side, hostility burning in his eyes — but also something else.

Something that almost resembled remorse.

Or at least the seed of it.

He glanced at his hands, and clinged his teeth hard.

As they walked, Seiji caught a flash of blue in the corner of his eye - police officers, wearing bulletproof vests. His sharp instinct kicked in. Hideaki, however, seemed too engrossed in his own twisted imagination to notice the potential threat.

Without a word, Seiji swiftly grabbed Hideaki's arm and pulled him off the path.

"H-hey, what the hell are you doing?" Hideaki asked panicked,

Seiji clamp a hand over his mouth.

"Keep quiet. We're taking a different route," he said calmly, his voice steady, though his eyes stayed focused on the police.

Hideaki glared, confused. "What? Why? And why cover my mouth like that!?" He snapped, tried to look at the direction Seiji was pushing him away, but Seiji blocked him completely.

"No reason," Seiji responded bluntly, steering them both down another path away from the patrol. "Just trust me."

Hideaki stiffened for a split second — as if these words pulled him back to somewhere far away.

As soon as they were out of sight, Seiji finally let out a controlled sigh of relief, his mind already racing through what could have gone wrong.

But then without warning, Hideaki grabbed Seiji's shoulder and with his second hand that held a small bloody dagger he put it to Seiji's throat, "DIE!" on his lips adoren a dark, sadistic smile.

Seiji sighed inwardly gazing at the bloody dagger Hideaki was holding and swiftly broke free from Hideaki's grip.

"You know that's not going to work on me, right?" he said looking unfazed, his voice matter-of-fact.

The blood on the blade twitched slightly, as if responding to something he hadn’t yet named.

But Hideaki wasn't done. "I don't fucking care!" He blurted, his hair fall over his face, "I wanna kill!" his voice turned into sweet maniac glee, and he began to chuckle insanely "Hehehe.... RUN IF YOU WANNA LIVE!!!" He pointed his bloody dagger at Seiji with a malicious grin.

Seiji sighed, already recognizing this as one of Hideaki's reckless moments. Running away was more practical than dealing with the killer's antics head-on.

As they darted through the park, attracting puzzled looks from onlookers, Seiji could hear Hideaki chuckling behind him - clearly enjoying the chase.

'He's completely insane,'  Seiji thought, glancing back briefly. 'It's like he won't rest until he drives me mad. It would be best for him to stop this madness, but I perfectly know that he won't do it out of his own... With such attitude, he will catch up the attention of the police. Unless...'  he gazed around the area, and spotted an exit 'I'll lead him out from the park.'

Seeing where the paths were leading, Seiji took a route that would lead them heading towards the other exit of the park.

"If you wanna kill so bad, then first try cathing your prey!" He swiftly moved on turns glancing in the meantime if Hideaki's following him.

However, in a sudden misstep, Hideaki lost his balance, twisting his ankle. He stumbled, awkwardly flipped, and collapsed onto the sidewalk, sprawled out on the ground in the meantime losing control of his bloody weapon - now a crimson paddle on the sidewalk.

Something inside him suddenly went still.

Seiji slowed to a stop and looked down at him.

A faint smirk tugged at Seiji's lips, but he couldn't resist throwing in some commentary.

"You're surprisingly fragile for someone who yells at right and left about killing others," Seiji said, crouching next to him, his tone neutral but with a teasing edge.

Hideaki glared up at him, annoyed. "Shut up! My leg hurts!"

"Well, that's what happens when you're so reckless." Seiji crossed arms. "Try straightening it. Let me see." He said trying to help Hideaki straighten up his leg.

"Tch! I can't! It hurts like hell!" Hideaki hissed through clenched teeth, wincing in pain.

Seiji remained composed, though there was a faint trace of amusement in his expression. "If you didn't insist on chasing me down like a lunatic maybe your leg would be fine. But seriously... does it hurt that badly?"

"Yes!" Hideaki snapped again, attempting to stand before collapsing again.

"Alright..." Seiji replied calmly. 'This could actually work to our advantage. If we get out of here now, it'll draw less attention. No need for people to start wondering what's going on, and warning the police.' he calculated quickly before continuing aloud, "We should get that checked out at the hospital. No sense in limping around in agony because you can't control yourself."

Hideaki tried to glare at him but couldn't muster much resistance through the pain. "Fine, whatever... but you're still annoying." he grumbled.

Seiji gave a slight shrug. "And yet, you kept chasing me." He leaned hand to Hideaki to help him stad up, but as soon as the killer noticed this gesture, he hissed with hate

"I don't need your help! I can get up on my own!" he raged and then attempted to stand up, but lost his balance and fell on his butt again. "Tch! F-fuck!" he cursed.

Seiji exhaled quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Hideaki struggle to get up again."You clearly can't. And right now, you're making it worse." he said simply. "I don't have all day to argue with you, Hideaki. Just take the help."

Hideaki's glare could have cut through steel, but seeing that there was no use with him standing up straight on his own, reluctantly, but finally, took Seiji's hand.

As they took a few steps, Seiji could feel Hideaki tense up as he stumbled once more, but he maintained his firm grip, staying focused. "Watch your steps or you'll fall on the ground again."

"TCH! SHUT UP!" Hideaki erupted with a sharp snarl, looking clearly annoyed.

Seiji sighed. "You should be grateful to me for helping you. The number of times I've saved your ass from things getting worse just keeps piling up," he said with a slight, exasperated smile.

And so, both of them exit the park and took a bus that headed to this time some private one, where Hideaki wouldn't be recognizable.