Yoshikawa Yuko

Monday. It's the first day for everyone started their activity, and also the first day for students to go to school for study after weekend. Most of the students sighing in depression after their weekend ended very fast, but their depression ended after they meet their friends, whether friends in the same circle, hobby, or group.

But for a high school student like me, Yoshikawa Yuko, it's a routine. I'm not really hating to go to school, but life is really harsh for me.

No family relatives (I don't want to consider my abusive aunt and good-for-nothing uncle as relatives) wanted to take me after my parent death, run away from my hometown, and have to take a lot of shifts at my workplace.

But it's getting even worse when all of my classmates, including my homeroom teacher, gone mysteriously. Because of that, the press and police 'asked' me about that incident.

I know about the police since I'm the most suspicious person for that incident, but the press just wanted some juicy news for money, even if it meant fabricated the information I gave to them to make me a real culprit, just like when my parents died mysteriously.

Because of them, I got thrown to the Juvenile hall until they found out I was innocent three months later. I'm not kidding, they turned me, a child, into a 'criminal'.

I was traumatized at my parent death, and yet they decided to put a blame on me. Hopefully they got what they deserve.

As of right now, in my small and dark apartment...

"That's enough otome game for today. It's MMO time."

...playing games on my PC like a NEET instead of going to school.

To spend most of my time hiding from them, I played a lot of games to avoid getting bored. And the game I'm going to play right now is one of the most popular MMORPGs.

Adventurers of Excelia.

Like the otome game I player before, the name needs a lot of working since both games created by the same corporation called IceD, but the Excelia part seems cool in my opinion, even they released the VR version of it.

That game is the same as most MMORPGs, accepting quests from either adventurer guild or NPCs, following the story, equipping the highest rarity equipment known as artifact-class, a lot of secrets, choosing the class, and many things. The avatar I created in that game is a swordswoman I named Kagari.

While I started playing it a year ago, my avatar level and equipment still considered a midgame player, except I'm the first player who unlocked a lot of secret classes. If I become a P2P player, I'll become an endgame player in a month, but finance is a problem for me.

If you want to survive in this harsh society, the things you need are food, clothing, a place to shelter, and a stable job. A job is needed to gain an income. And without a job, you will struggle to maintain the first three part.

Since I'm still a high school student, I can only apply a part-time job, except I took a lot of shifts which looks like I applied a half-time job.

Talking about IceD, they also created a visual novel called 'The Greatest Demon Lord Wanted a Slow Life After Reincarnated'. The name of that game is the most generic name in my opinion, even though I played it too.

I guess that's all about me and IceD game company, now it's time to play Adventurers of Excelia.

When I almost clicked the login button, suddenly...

*Beep**Beep*

...my phone vibrating, which made me groan.

"Who was it again?"

I checked my phone after... how long I didn't check it? I don't remember, and saw that I got a lot of messages, mostly from my friends from school and the landlord with their usual concern about me. And of course I replied them with usual 'I'm fine' and 'sorry for the late reply'. But I didn't expect the manager of my workplace messaged me too.

I opened his message and read it.

Yuko-kun, I know you wanted to escape from being questioned about what happened to your classmates, but everyone is worried about you. My wife's also conerned about your wellbeing.

I know you have a problem with finance, but it's been ten days since you stopped working... so I'll give you four days. If in this four days you don't come to work, I have no choice but to fire you.

From the deep of my heart, I'm really sorry for giving you a warning after helping us to achieve our dream.

I sighed after reading his message and close my phone. Well, I guess that was expected after holed up on my apartment for a long time. I'll think about coming to work tomorrow, now it's game ti-

*Growl*

...eat time!

I groaned because I have to postpone my gaming time for a while. After I put my PC to sleep mode, I walked to the refrigerator. When I opened it to see the inside of it, I only laughed sarcastically.

"I guess this time has come, huh."

...it's empty, like my soul. And I have to refill it.

After closing it, I changed my tracksuit to casual outfit consisting of shorts and zipped red hoodie with plain shirt underneath it.

After pulling the hood to cover my head, I walked to the front door and open it. Before I opened the door, I muttered something.

"Hopefully no one recognize me."

Then I opened the door and walked outside for the first time after spending ten days inside my apartment.

xxxxx

On my way to the nearest shopping district, even though it's still far from my apartment, it went smoothly. No one recognize me that I'm the left out students who vanished mysteriously, but a few of them look at me like I was a suspicious person. I want to retort at them that I'm not suspicious since I didn't wear a mask, but if I do that, it'll increase their suspicions at me.

Since it's still far, I decided to stop at the convenience store to buy some eggs, soy sauce, instant noodles, and mayonnaise.

I'm not really hate mayonnaise, but it reminded me of my bad memories when I was still live with my aunt and uncle. Everytime she always gave me rice, no meat or soup, to eat while they ate a lot of delicious food. So I bought a mayonnaise and add it to my rice to give it an extra flavour since they really hate it a lot.

But when I bought eggs and soy sauce for myself, she took it away from me and patted my head while smiled mockingly. She even said, 'what a kindhearted girl you are, buying these for us.' to me. And sometimes, she even beat me just to relieve her stress while uncle just watching. I guess she treated me like that because of my reputation.

Enough about the past, I need to buy the items I need in here. After I got everything, I walked to the cashier to pay it. When the cashier listed everyting I buy, he stopped for a while and stare at me.

"Are you-"

"Not suspicious."

"I'm not finished! *sigh* Whatever, just don't cause trouble."

"Right."

Then he told me the total price I have to pay, in which I gave him the exact amount of the price. After that, I took my groceries and went to my destination.

xxxxx

On my way to the shopping district, I pass the café which crowded with people. I didn't know about that café, so I assume it just recently opened a few days ago.

I guess it's okay to try a cup of coffee in there, since I've had enough with the canned ones. But before that, I checked my phone to see if I have enough time.

"Yup, time to kill some time."

When I entered the café, it's packed. No vacant table left, until the waitress came to me and wanted me to follow her to the recently vacant table. After I took a seat and put my groceries, she asked me.

"Dear customer, do you mind sharing the table with the other customers?"

"Um, sure."

The waitress gave me the menu list, then left me to approaching to the next waiting customers. While I looked at it, the waitress back with two girls, which I assume as the other customers.

The first one is a young girl with straight long chestnut colored hair with blue eyes. Her clothes consisting of sleeveless buttoned up white shirt with blue hooded coat and black skirt. One thing about that girl which made my eyes widened is her red right arm, which possibly a prosthetic.

As for the other girl, she has scarlet colored hair tied in lower twintails reaching half of her body on the front with brown eyes and a yellow headphone covering her ears. Her clothes consisting of maple colored mid-thigh-length dress and some floral motifs on the skirt with dark blue coat and armbands with the same color as her dress. If I wanted to guess, she has some sort of witch-like vibe, or she likes cosplaying.

"Excuse us."

I only nodded at their remark while they took the seat at the opposite side. Then the waitress took her notebook and pen and asked us our order.

"Black coffee, please."

"Black coffee too, and a slice of cheesecake."

"Um, I'd like a café au lait and carbo...nara?"

Both me and the chestnut haired girl ordered the same, while the other girl ordered a café au lait. Not only that, they also ordered some food too, with the redhead confused at the name of the food she ordered like it was the first time she heard about it. After she wrote our order, she left the table and approached the other customers.

I really wanted to talk and know those girls, especially that chestnut haired girl. I don't know how or why, but I felt like I knew her or connected somehow, like long-lost sisters. Still, if I asked her that we have some sort of connection, I'm sure she will creeped out at me. So, I'll think about the best way to start the conversations, until she strikes it first.

"Are you a regular in here?"

"First timer, how about you?"

"Us too! Besides, since this café is crowded, I'm sure the coffee they serve is delicious."

I only nodded at that and couldn't help but thought about how simplistic her way of thinking. Just because this place is very popular doesn't mean everything they serve is delicious, and I'm not being a critic.

While we waiting for our orders, I decided to ask them regarding their hair colours.

"Um, foreigner or dyed?"

"Hmm... Oh, if you're talking about our hair colours, it's natural. And we're from Kagawa, right... Akane?"

"A-A-Akane?! I-I mean, yeah! From... Ka-Kagawa."

I only nodded while inside still not believe what they said. I mean, the distance between Kagawa and this city, Tokyo, is very far, except they're students in here and rented apartment or stay with their respective relatives for their stay.

As for the other things, when that girl called the other girl, Akane-san, with her name, she's stuttered and shocked like she forgot her name or it really was her name. Because of that, I'm not sure if her name is really Akane, or that girl is a smooth liar.

In my mind, they screamed suspicious, even though me too. The chestnut haired girl decided to start another conversation to lessen the suspicions.

"Um, how about we start the introduction?"

"Why?"

The way she asked us for introduction make her even more suspicious, and added even more with her reasoning.

"Do you know a quote 'life is a series of meeting and parting'?"

"Yeah, and simply put, we'll know each other names... And meet again soon."

"Exactly! Anyway, I'm Satou Hana, and she's my best friend Homura Akane."

"Y-Yeah, I'm Akane- I mean, Homura Akane."

Not sure if those are their names but Homura-san's name looks cool, but why are you seems disappointed when Satou-san called you her best friend? As for Satou-san's name... looks very common! And no offense to everyone named Satou Hana.

Well, they already introduced themselves, I guess it's my turn.

"...Yoshikawa Yuko."

"Yoshikawa Yuko... How nostalgic."

What? Why's Satou-san think my name is nostalgic? If I asked her another question, I'm sure she'll give me another quotes. So I just nodded at what she said, even if it's look rude to her. Even Homura-san gave you a surprised look.

After chatting for minutes, the waitress came with our order. She even brought us sugar and milk if me and Satou-san wanted to dillute the bitterness of our coffee. But none of us took it.

I watched them in a little envy, not at their relationship, but their food. If I have a little more pocket money I can order a slice of cake too, but I need to conserve it.

While sipping my coffee, I watched Homura-san bombarded Satou-san a lot of questions after tasting it. While the chestnut haired girl only gave her minimum answers, she only nodded and continue eating her food.

I'm still curious about Homura-san. Why is she wearing a headphone, a wireless one to be exact? Even if I'm being annoying right now, I decided to sate my curiosity, and good thing she's already finished eating.

"Homura-san, what kind of music are you listening?"

"Hmm... Oh, yeah! I-I'm... listening to this... Holo... Idol thingy, Mi-Migu... mostly."

I just nodded silently at her answers and already figured a little bit about her. She's a terrible liar, because I'm sure that's not the reason she's wearing a headphone. And from her slow reactions when I called her name, maybe the name 'Homura Akane' was her fake name, including her best friend name, 'Satou Hana'.

I shouldn't get involved with them even further and must finish drinking my coffee. After finishing it, I decided to pay for my order and leave them, but 'Satou-san' gave me a weird question before that.

"Yoshikawa-san, do you believe that every happy story always started with tragic incidents or pasts?"

I don't know what she meant by that so I only shook my head. Maybe she's being cryptic or she's just some book critics wannabe.

"There's a lot of light novel using tragic background to build their main protagonist, so I'll try to become a novelist."

I see, a rookie novelist. Not that I care, but still, why is she asked me about that, tragic incidents or pasts equal happy ending?

I don't want to think about it even further, so I took my groceries and leave them, until 'Satou-san' gave me a weird warning.

"You'd better go home now, or something's gonna happen to you if you don't."

Now she's telling me about my future, but I'm sure it's just a nonsense.

"...whatever."

I didn't took her warning and leave the cafe after paying my coffee.

xxxxx

I arrived at the nearest shopping district after spending few minutes at the cafe, while hearing a lot of weird nonsense from 'Satou-san'. Now I'm going to buy what I didn't get from convenience store, mostly pork.

But with my limited amount of money, I can't buy more than half kilo of pork if added with vegetables, so I need a substitute to supply it even longer, like tofu or mushroom.

It's decided, instead of pork, I just buy tofu, mushroom, and few vegetables. If there's some money left, I think I'm going to buy bean sprouts and bread crusts too.

With everything planned, time to execute it. But...

*stab*

"...guh."

...someone stabbed me at my vital point.

"If I can't become your lover, Sumeragi-san, then nobody will!"

I don't know who's this Sumeragi-san, but from the voice, it's a boy, a yandere one.

While still in pain, I turn my head to get a look at the boy's face, but his face is covered by a mask.

When he saw my face, he gasped.

"You're not Sumeragi-san! Dammit, it's the third times!"

He pulled the knife roughly from my body and ran. As for me, I fell to the ground while clutching at my wound. When he said third times, then two other girls have become his victims.

I can hear people near me screamed and called the authority to help me. I even hear two people screamed for the boy to stop. Then I feel someone shook my body lightly.

"Miss, are you okay?"

"...h...hurt."

It's really hurt to speak, and when I'm coughing, I can taste iron on my mouth, which I assume is my blood.

My vision started to blur and I can't hear the voice. So I'm going to die, huh. But by being stabbed and mistaken as someone's crush is really the worst.

I think this is what she warned from me. If only I took what she said seriously this is not gonna happen, but the other girl, or this Sumeragi-san, will replace me as his victims. But it's too late to regret it, so I just accept my death.