Hitomi (2)

After dropping my newly acquainted angel off at her house, that brief encounter refuses to leave me alone. Even as I help my mother out with chores and do my homework, I can’t stop thinking about my sister’s adorable young friend. I think I was able to speak to her pretty well. Maybe it’s because she’s younger than me or maybe it’s because Eri was there It’s a sort of…powerful feeling. I wonder if I will get to see her again. Ahh, being so shy makes her seem even cuter. Maybe she is afraid of boys and needs someone to help her get used to them… Maybe she has a crush on me!? That’s why Eri wanted us to walk together!

…

No way. Even I can’t be that delusional. We’ve only just met, right? Regardless, as long as she is friends with Eri, I’ll have a chance to see her again. Maybe she is exactly what I need after Misono broke my heart so brutally. It’s a good thought to go to bed with anyway…

…

———————————————————————————————

This seems… familiar. One minute I was lying in bed, the next I am somewhere else… A school? It’s not mine but it se-.

The girls school.

Eri’s school.

I’m standing outside again… At least this time I know it isn’t real. Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, then I’m the idiot. Were my feelings for little Hitomi really so strong that it’s causing me to dream about her already? I wonder what the setting is this time. This is damn weird, though. What’s causing these delusions… I know everyone says that teenagers are horny but does it cause this sort of thing? Maybe I just have an active imagination but it could even be something more. Maybe I’m some sort of chosen one and this power allows me to be a hero of the people? Or that- wait, what am I talking about? Regardless of what is causing this weird phenomenon, I suppose I should just ride this out until morning. Well, going by the pattern of last time, Hitomi will probably be here any second anyway.

“Th-thanks for waiting, Yu-Yusuke.”

There it is. The angel’s heavenly voice. If I am stuck having these delusions, I may as well enjoy them.

“That’s no trouble, Hitomi… You’re out of breath? You didn’t run here, did you?”

“I-I didn’t want to make you wait…”

CUTE! 

What sort of adorable animal have I stumbled upon? Her little face looking up at me, I struggle to stop myself from hugging her there and then. She’s even sweating a little after running after me. I don’t care that this is a dream, it’s nothing but cute. Nice work brain.

“Haha. That’s so kind of you. Once you catch your breath I’ll take you to a cafe I took Eri to recently, okay?”

“Y-yes.”

After a minute or so of semi-awkward silence, I finally gather up the courage to gently take her tender little hand and lead her away from school and down the street. Hitomi’s cheeks grow red, likely from slight embarrassment but she tightly clenches my hand back, filling me with a sort of kind warmth. A different sort of warmth to that I felt with Misono. She feels like somebody I need to protect; like I am a great knight defending the kingdom of Hitomi from horrid interlopers. I see the blurry gaze of the boys we walk past, jealous as I hold a Japanese National Treasure-level jewel in my slightly sweaty left hand. The short walk to the cafe didn’t take long but was enough to get both of our hearts racing.

“W-wow. What a cu-cute little c-cafe you’ve found. B-but it’s so crowded…?”

“Do you want to go somewhere else?”

“N-no. Th-this will work fine… I’ll try my best!”

Hitomi seems weirdly self-assured all of a sudden but it’s still cute so who cares. Let’s just go inside and get to know more about her anyway. As we shared an obnoxiously sweet strawberry parfait and oddly expensive coffee, the atmosphere between us grows sweet and strong. If the atmosphere was visible, the whole cafe would be full of a thick pink smog that suffocates any single man with the overpowering feelings of jealousy. I’m not afraid to admit that it feels good to make other men jealous. Even if they don’t really exist. This is all material I can use to make the real Hitomi fall so hard for me that she will never get up. A cheat sheet to being her ideal man. After shooting the breeze and talking for a while, Hitomi stops eating the strawberry parfait, the sight of which lit her face up like a Christmas tree, she looks up at me and asks a question.

“A-Are you sure you’re ha-happy being with me Yu-Yuusuke? I-I’m sure there are loads of gi-girls at your school who are in-interested in you.”

If I didn’t already have diabetes, this question would have given me it. There’s no way any girl at school, not Sakura or Misono or even the Class Madonna, could ever compare to the sheer ‘moe’ that Hitomi naturally exudes… I can’t let this girl wait for a response any longer. I have learnt enough. I will be bold and tell this girl, delusion or not, that I love her. It should be easy, especially as this is just a practice.

“Out of all the girls in the world Hitomi, you would always be my first choice. You are cute and beautiful- cutiful, as I have now coined it. You are charming and… I want to protect you. Be by your side from now on.”

Looking at her face, I can guess that I have nailed this one. All of those romance novels are coming in handy now. And coming up with a new word? Genius. Nothing gets the ladies more excited than clever wordplay. Let’s seal the deal.

“There is one problem though…”

“Pr-pr-problem?”

“If we get together, I’m going to have to thank Eri for introducing us.”

A joke and a smile and my route into her heart is secured. The flags have been raised and planted. Route complete; this girl is mine! If I feel really bold, I might even kiss her on the way home… Although that might be too big of a step right now. Regardless, we flirt a little more before I stand up and pay the bill. A little expensive for a student but well worth it. Dream or not, it’s still right to pay your debts. Seems like society’s rules are deeply embedded in my subconscious. But I don’t hate it. We stand up and walk outside. I take Hitomi’s hand but, oddly, I feel her pulling in the opposite direction, away from where she lives. What could she want down this alley anyway?

“What do you want down this alley anyway, Hitomi?”

“I-I-I thought I saw a ki-kitten. I wanted to pe-pet it.”

CUTE! Personally, I hate cats. Their little spiky tongues send shivers down my spine but if my cute little gerbil of a girlfriend wants to pet one then I will fulfil my role by finding the-

“Easy.”

—————————————————————————-------------

Pain. Then darkness. All I did was turn away from Hitomi for a second before being hit with something. God my neck hurts. It’s like a burning sensation… A stun gun? Is the dream over? Am I waking up? No? Then why the pain? I hope Hitomi is okay… Gradually, I gain the strength to open my eyes and…

I’m not in my room. This must still be the dream, right? What sort of place am I in anyway? I try to stand up but… I can’t move. Glancing down I see… ropes. I’m tied to a chair… What the hell is this! Where is Hitomi? Did a group of teenagers abduct my special angel!?

“Hitomi! Hitomi! Hitomi where are you!?”

Shit. How can I confess to this girl in real life if I can’t even keep her safe in MY fantasy… Wait. Someone’s coming…

“Thanks for waiting, Yuusuke.”

“Who are you? Where is… Hitomi!? Is that you?!”

“Yes, dear Yuusuke. I brought you here so we could be… alone together.”

“What!?”

“What you said made me so happy that I didn’t know what to do. It was hard to hold back my emotions that I needed an excuse to be with you and only you. I’m sure you understand, don’t you my sweet.”

Her stutter is gone. She is weirdly…confident. And she is in her… her underwear. Oh my God, what have I done? I can’t escape. It’s not just my arms tied up but my legs are taped to the chair. It’s mental that I didn’t notice this before but I’m… I’m in my underwear… Oh, what sort of hell is this!?… I need to stop her, illusion or not. I can’t allow myself to become a criminal this early in life!

“Wait Hitomi, you’re acting crazy. You can’t do this, it’s too soon.

“I thought you said you loved me Yuusuke? Did you lie? Lying is a bad thing to do. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you that. We are going to be together forever, after all… Hehehe.”

Shit. There’s no way I’m getting out of this… Maybe if I tell her I don’t love her, she’ll stop! Yes.

“I lied! Hitomi, I don’t love you. I just wanted to flirt with a cute girl. I’m sorry.”

I shut my eyes in anticipation, waiting for the inevitable tears after I break this… fragile (?) girl's heart. A rejection from me, even in my underwear, would be hard to take… But nothing happens. I bravely open my eyes and…

She’s got a knife. I made it worse. How did I make it worse!? This can’t be happening!

“Don’t worry, Yuusuke. I forgive you. I know that you just want to be loved. We all do. There’s no need to be scared. You should give yourself to me and then we can

“I… I love someone else. She’s called Sakura! I’ve known her for years and …”

“Stop!”

Well, that got a reaction… Is it a good one…

“I don’t want you to ever speak about other girls around me, Yuusuke! I need to make sure that Sakura can never hurt us… I’ll have to stop her… No. She will never give up…Not on my special Yuusuke… No… If I can’t have him, NOBODY CAN!”

With a deranged look in her eyes, Hitomi, knife in hand dashes across the room at me. This is the end. Damn. What wrong turn did I take?

…

Wait. This is a dream. Wake up! Please. Let me wake up! Eri! Come wake me up. ERI!

“Eri!!”

—————————————————————————————

“Yuusuke? Yuusuke!? Why were you shouting my name? Having a dirty dream?”

“Eri? Is it you? Eri! I’m alive. I’m alive!”

I hug my sister briefly before coming to my senses.

“…Some sort of weird nightmare, Yuusuke? Sometimes, I really do worry about you. Anyway, you better get up. Mum’s already made breakfast and you’re already running late.

“Ahh… yeah. Sorry, Eri. Thanks. I’ll… I’ll get changed now… The routine begins again. Change clothes, brush teeth, wash face… and think.

What sort of weird fetishes do I have if I dream that!? Maybe… Maybe these dreams do show the girl's personality, in a way? Maybe Misono really is a bookish girl but she changed herself for her boyfriend… which means that Hitomi really is a psycho?

No, no, no. Maybe the cute girl from the first half is the real Hitomi and my mind perverted the rest… Even if she was like… that, in the dream, it doesn’t mean she is a lunatic in real life, does it? Does it? Hmm. I’m going to have to think about this one a bit more.

“Yuusuke! Come on, time to walk to school. Hitomi is going to meet us on the way so don’t keep her waiting. She was saying she enjoyed meeting you so this could finally be your chance to get a girlfriend.”

Eri knows how to cut me right to the bone, doesn’t she? But she’s right. I can’t run from this. I’m stronger than before. Misono has taught me that the dreams aren’t all true. Let’s talk to the real Hitomi!

…

But first, I should probably brush my hair. Still want to give her something nice to look at, just in case. Right. Let’s go!

———————————————————————————

Within minutes, me and my rambunctious sister have reached her house. Damn, I’m more nervous than a cow on milking day. She’ll be normal right? Right? Of course she will. Eri’s here. Never have I been this thankful for having a sister.

“Go-good Morning, Yuusuke. Eri.”

“Go-good Morning, Hitomi.”

“G’morning Hitomi! You good!?”

Well, she has her stutter. That’s a good sign. After Eri speaks about flowers or something, we walk slowly towards their school through the small commercial district. It’s a fairly nice place, all things considered. Quaint. Old-worldly. The sort of place your Granny used to shop.

“I always love looking at these shops. Gets you pumped up, right Hitomi.”

“Y-yes. Th-there’s a cafe ju-just up here I have al-always wanted to g-go to. H-how about we come here on the wa-way home from school? Yuusuke, Eri?”

“Ooh. Nice idea. The parfaits look delicious! What do you think, Yuusuke?”

Wait… This cafe looks familiar… That signboard… That alleyway. No. No, no, no.

“No…NO!!!!!!”

Before my brain can finish a single thought, my legs are carrying me away from Hitomi and my sister. I hear them scream my name but don’t look back. You should never look back. Even the slightest chance that Hitomi could be the woman from my dreams scares me enough to choose to avoid her.

Cowardice. Society frowns upon this trait. They call you meek and worthless. Weak even. I disagree. Sometimes, cowardice saves lives. Sometimes the most beautiful flower is the most dangerous of them all. And Hitomi, despite her stunning looks and meek demeanour, may just be a Venus Flytrap in disguise… And that’s just not a risk I’m going to take… And now I have to stop talking… Because I’ve just run a mile…And I'm going to pass out...

Hitomi Bad End.