Volume 1 - Nakamura Kurayami

[Thank you for your work, Suzumi-kun.]

[That’s not it! It’s a pleasure working with you, Nakamura-senpai…]

[Anyways, you can go on with your stuff now or you’ll be late for your date, or something like that...]

As I said that to her, one of the juniors who's currently under a different directive (club) left early before 3:30 pm as I and another colleague of mine were left inside the room to continue our remaining work on research.

[How’s your side right now, Shiro-kun?]

[This one’s already finished.]

[As fast as always huh… Pass that file to me.]

[Sure thing, Nakamura-senpai.]

As I started taking care of the rest of the compilation and finishing it before the time clocked at around 4 o’clock.

[Alright! We’re fully finished now. Thanks for your work, Shiro-kun.]

[Same to you, Nakamura-senpai. Do you mind going out with me for a bit before going home? It’s my treat.]

[Really? If that so… Then I guess I’ll partake in such an occasion.]

I smirked as the two of us started packing our things before leaving the laboratory that we were in inside the school… The Institute of Specialized Education is a government-funded high school where students wanting to study in a specialized environment and subjects are subjected to study here. 

I guess, the main reason for me being here is the fact that I’ve gained an invitation to study here during my last year at my middle school and perfected the hardest entrance exams in its history. 

I guess the way they looked at me with such eyes filled with joy, or eyes of envy surely makes me anxious a little bit. But as far as for someone that’s studying for 2 years here so far is nothing unlike boring.

[Where should we go, though, Shiro-kun?]

[I know a place to eat, Nakamura-senpai. Just follow me.]

After she answered my question with such a blushing face, I can’t help but just follow along with her. 

Kokonoe Shirokusa, but I often call her as Shiro. She's currently one of my colleagues on the Genius Directive when I held the reigns as the President after my 3rd-year senpais graduated. She’s usually timid and always formal all the time, but she can also be herself when she sometimes just takes things calmly and free of pressure.

I followed along with her towards what seemed to be a certain fast-food restaurant outside the campus. But the location of the restaurant is within the perimeter of a park square where there's also a high-rise construction site just beside it so there were the usual cranes that tower our view right now. 

One of the many cranes is currently lifting a stack of poles. And as the two of us are currently walking along the sidewalk path, I’ve heard the sound of multiple cables snapping from above… shit…

[SHIRO, GET OUT NOW!]

[WHA--?!]

Before she could react to anything that I just said, I immediately pushed her body far enough from what I thought would be the impact area of those poles would fall. But because of that, my body went out of balance and fell to the ground with my knees and hands on the ground.

When I looked up and see the poles falling vertically, I can see two 6-inch wide and multiple-feet long poles that have the potential velocity to pierce my stomach so I tried to immediately moved away with all my power but...

*STAB* *STAB*

Two poles stabbed through both the right side on the back of my chest and the other one stabbed through my abdomen. I can feel the surge of pain from those regions, but when I tried on looking at Shiro, I can see her horrified face as my vision starts to blur.

[Ah… I guess it’s the end of me huh…] 

I smiled knowing that I saved Shiro from any danger.

...

[Wh-Wha… Nakamura-senpai?! Everyone!! Please help us!!]

As Shirokusa immediately went towards Kurayami, she tried to hold his head for support. The on-lookers who were at the scene immediately called for emergency services while there were also those who were affected by that freak accident including a child who immediately cried out upon seeing her father having been stabbed through his body while holding the child's hand.

[N-No… No… N-Nakamura-senpai… Kurayami-kun… No… Please stay alive… Kurayami-kun, please stay with me!!]

Shirokusa immediately started crying in front of Kurayami's head but, with the blood being spilled from the stab wounds on his body and him being immobilized for him to be taken to the hospital, Kurayami's life was lost at that very moment.

...

Shiro's cries of sorrow...

That’s what I could only hear before the darkness fully absorbs me into the abyss. What matters the most is the fact that I saved you from it but… Ahhh… I haven’t been able to delete my hidden stash, and… to eat with... you… on that... restaurant...