Chapter 27 The End

The evening of this day was calm and dark, to say the least. Koji was waiting for Ayumi to show up, he wants to hear the voice of a goddess. It was less than a day since they last met but he already miss her like it was a thousand years. With time ticking, he finally sees Ayumi walk towards him. 

The moment Koji laid his eyes on Ayumi, his heart was filled with pure joy. As Ayumi approached, Koji noticed something was wrong. Her skin was pale, her eyes were sunken in, and her once flowing hair now hung limp and lifeless. She looked like a ghost of her former self. As she got closer, Koji could see that she was covered in scratches and bruises, and her clothes were torn.

"Ayumi, what happened?" Koji asked in a concerned voice.

Ayumi looked at him, and Koji could see her sad eyes. "I was walking through the park, and someone attacked me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Koji's heart began to race as he realized what she was saying. "What attacked you?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"I don't know," Ayumi replied, tears forming in her eyes. "It was dark, and I couldn't see anything. All I know... It was a man."

Koji's mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do. He knew he couldn't leave Ayumi alone in her current state, but he couldn't leave his vending machine.

"You have to go home, or call for help from other people," Koji said firmly. "You have to run."

As Koji looked out into the night, he was greeted by a pair of glowing eyes staring back at him. The figure stepped out of the shadows, it was a man. He walked in a disorientated manner like he was drunk or on drugs.

 His disoriented gait immediately set Ayumi on edge. She could sense something was off about him. As he got closer, his erratic behavior only grew worse, and it soon became clear to Ayumi that he was a drug addict, a junkie in desperate need of a fix, he was the one who attacked her.

 In a manic and psychotic manner, the man began to demand money from Ayumi. She tried to reason with him, telling him she had no money, but the addict wouldn't listen. Suddenly, he pulled out a knife and push it into Ayumi's spleen. She could feel the sharp blade pierce her skin, causing a gush of blood to spill out onto the pavement. 

Ayumi fell to her knees, clutching her wound. The man didn't say a word as he ripped the knife from Ayumi's flesh, causing another wave of blood to spurt out. With a crazed look in his eyes, he wandered off into the night, leaving Ayumi to suffer in silence.

 Koji, who had been watching from inside the vending machine, immediately sprang into action. He knew he had to act fast to save Ayumi's life. With all his might, he pushed open the vending machine's door, this was the first time he left the vending machine in 30 years and took a step into the outside world he feared so much.

Koji rushed to Ayumi's side and began to tend to her wounds. But there was little he could do to help. But he was not to give up just because his magic was weak. He knew that there was little time left, and he had to act fast. 

Koji felt a lump form in his throat as he looked down at Ayumi's pale and weakened face. He knew the wound was too deep and too severe for his limited magic to heal completely. But he refused to give up on her. He gathered all of his strength, every ounce of his life energy, and focused it into one spell. He closed his eyes and concentrated with all his might, his body trembling with the effort.

As he channeled his magic into Ayumi, he could feel her body begin to relax and her breathing becomes steady. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he had done it. But as he opened his eyes, he saw that the wound was still there, still fatal. The blood continued to seep through his makeshift bandages, staining Ayumi's clothes and the concrete floor beneath her.

Tears streamed down Koji's face as he took in the weight of the situation. He couldn't help but blame himself for Ayumi's pain and suffering, "If only I hadn't shown myself to you that day," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "None of this would have happened. It's all my fault. You wouldn't be here if not for me. It's my fault, all my fault. I'm sorry."

Ayumi stopped Koji from self-loathing and said, "No Koji, that day we first met, you saved me. That day, I wouldn't have reached home. I stopped by to have a last taste of a soda, I was ready to take away my own life, but you gave me the courage to keep going on. You saved me Koji, thank you. You were the best thing that happened to me in my whole life."  

As they talked, Koji couldn't resist reaching out and gently taking Ayumi's hand in his. She looked up at him, surprised at first, but then smiled warmly. 

 Koji came in closer, feeling his heart race. He couldn't resist any longer and placed a soft kiss on Ayumi's cheek. Ayumi's eyes widened in surprise, but then she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Koji's lips. 

They lingered there for a moment, lost in each other's embrace.

 As they pulled back, Koji looked into Ayumi's eyes and said, "I've been waiting for a moment to tell you something, for a long time. I think I might be in love with you, Ayumi."

 Ayumi smiled and placed a finger on Koji's cheek. "I think I might be in love with you too, Koji." Her finger slowly slide down Koji's cheek as the last sign of her life faded from her eyes. Her hand fell to the ground, she lay motionless and cold. 

In his attempt to save her, Koji used up all of his magic and life energy. As he cried over his lost loved one, he slowly lost color on his face and turn to dust, scattered in the wind.