No Point In Trying

It was a bright sunny day, the kind where you’d never expect anything bad to happen.

Eros sat perched on the edge of a tall building, staring down at a man and a woman sharing a lunch down on the street. As Eros watched this pair, his face took on an expression of discomfort.

The man down there was a black-haired man, Sora, who had been having negative thoughts recently. Of course, this was normal. Everyone has negative thoughts. But the problem lied with the woman eating with him.

She had flowy pink hair and her ruffled turtleneck dress. She was the most beautiful creature on the block, and her voice soothed the soul. But Eros could see right through the beauty.

The girl was Thanatos, the God of Death, just as Eros was the God of Life. And she was doing what she always does— dragging the people of Tokyo to their deaths with the same silly smile across the petite face she had.

And no matter how hard Eros tried to save them as the God of Life, Thanatos was somehow able to attain her own goals. Eros hated her with all his being for this.

How disgusting. Eros thought, ripping off his red beanie to fix his short brown hair. He hopped back to the roof and started down the stairs to ground level.

Upon exiting the building, Eros spotted the two again across the street. They looked so happy to be together. But Eros could just imagine what would happen on a rooftop in a few days' time.

As he wore his beanie again, Eros crossed the street and got closer to watch as both Sora and the woman parted ways.

Eros scoffed to himself. That stupid man. Dooming himself by interacting with that stupid woman. It’s stupid, there’s not even any hope left.

Even though he thought this, Eros couldn’t take his eyes off poor Sora. Eros’s heart tugged and spoke to him—

There is hope. You don’t know when the suicide will happen— you can at least try to save him.

Eros went against the voices. I’ve tried and failed too many times, I’m over it.

Eros, look at how miserable that guy is…

Despite how happy Sora looked with Thanatos earlier, he just looked miserable and lonely now. Eros knew that if Thanatos made a move to push the man to suicide, he would do it.

Eros repeated. There’s no point in trying. There’s no point in trying. There’s no point in—

“Hey. Noticed you like YOASOBI’s music. So do I!” Eros smiled widely and tapped Sora's shoulder and pointed to his YOASOBI keychain on his backpack.

Sora’s frown somewhat disappeared. “Mhm, they’re my favorite duo.” He nodded, then turned away and kept walking.

When Eros pulled up to walk next to him, Sora’s eyes widened in surprise. “What’s your favorite song? You have a name?” Eros pushed excitedly, hoping to befriend Sora.

“U- uh, I think Probably by YOASOBI. It’s chill and I love the story behind it…” Sora scratched his head shyly. “Oh, and just call me Sora, I guess… What’s your favorite song?”

“I really love Halzion! I’m…” Eros thought up a name, “Yuji!” Sora finally started to smile after seeing Eros’s enthusiasm (which was a relief for Eros), and this time he initiated conversation. “Yep, Yuji, Halzion’s a good one. It’s very…” Sora and Eros continued walking side by side, ranting about music and such.

“Sora, did you see their song is the opening theme for that new anime?” Eros mentioned in the middle of their YOASOBI chatter.

Sora nodded eagerly. “Yeah, I heard about it. I’ve wanted to watch it but I’ve been so busy lately.”

By now, it was sunset, and these two had just reached Sora’s apartment and needed to part ways. But Eros wanted more time with Sora, just to assure himself that he could truly save him.

“Well, you busy tonight? Maybe we could watch it together at your place!” Eros exclaimed. Sora stood in thought for a while, checked his phone for notifications, then shrugged.

“I guess so. You pass the vibe check, Yuji~” He chuckled, and they high fived. Following Sora into the apartment building, they boarded the brightly-lit elevator together and passed by the other inviting-looking apartment doors.

They spent that whole evening together. Sprawled across the couch with stacks of pillows and blankets, they binged the new anime together. They snacked and had a popcorn fight. The only thing that could be heard in this room were the sounds of authentic laughter and anime playing in the background.

Eros ended up spending the night at Sora’s house. Sora turned out the lights, but left the ceiling LEDs set at a rainbow color. There was quiet YOASOBI music playing to set the sleeping ambiance. He laid their sleeping bags on the floor, and Eros grinned towards Sora.

“Has anyone told you how much fun you are?” Eros remarked as they both tucked themselves in their sleeping bags. He took off his red beanie and placed it next to him.

Sora gasped and buried his head into his sleeping bag, embarrassed. “No one’s told me that before. No one except…” Sora quieted on that last part. But Eros already knew who it was: pathetic Thanatos trying to seduce Sora.

Not that it mattered at this point. Eros had already won this game versus Thanatos.

Just keep getting closer and closer with him for, what, a few more days and Sora’s not going to fall for Thanatos’s tricks. Eros told himself.

“Good night, Sora. Don’t hurt yourself, ‘kay?” Eros had this in the bag. A simple expression showing you care, addressing them by their name, then subtly watching out for them.

“Mhm. Night, Yuji.” Sora said, as they both nodded asleep with smiles.

Eros was so reassured at this result and at the development that he could give Sora in a matter of days that he fell asleep right away.

He wished he didn’t.

Eros’s eyes struggled open, even though he had only slept for a few hours. The YOASOBI music had ceased. Blinking to adjust his eyes, he noticed the LED lights that were previously rainbow colors are now stuck on a blood red.

“Hey, the LED lights—” Eros sleepily went to poke Sora awake, only to be awakened himself.

Where’s Sora?

Eros peeked under the empty sleeping bag and found Sora’s phone. He turned it on to check the time (1:39 AM), where a notification at the bottom of the screen immediately caught his eye. A LINE notification? It was a single message— “Goodbye”. His breath hitched. Something in Eros burned, realizing what had happened.

Eros snatched his beanie and stuffed it messily atop his head. He gripped the phone tight and pushed it deep in his pants pocket. He didn’t bother to put on shoes and bursted out of the room and outside into the pitch-black, freezing night.

Eros’s head whipped left and right, he couldn’t remember where the elevator was. More accurately, he was too frantic to remember. Spotting a dim yellow light which he assumed to be the elevator, he dashed towards it without thinking, running past what now seemed like haunted and depressing apartment doors.

He made it to the elevator. Jamming the ‘up’ button more than once, Eros’s breathing was everything but steady. After all, the single chance he got to save someone disappeared just like that.

The elevator wasn’t coming. Eros shivered from the cold and glanced at his bare feet. Looking downwards, he found a red sign on the floor of the elevator that he had been too impatient to notice. Three words written on the sign: OUT OF ORDER.

Out of order. Out of fucking order.

Eros growled and started speeding to the door labeled “STAIRS”. He busted the door open and flew up the stairs.

Eros’s heart was racing, his breathing audible and shaky. Not because of the cold, or the fatigue from running, but from fear and fear.

There it was. The rooftop door, getting closer and closer. Just a few more steps. A few more steps and Eros could…

Eros, panting, reached the roof. His beanie fluttered off his head to the floor. He had been moving so fast that the phone jumped out of his pocket and the screen shattered like a cobweb next to the beanie.

The rooftop was deserted.

Hesitantly, Eros approached the edge of the roof. He needed to peek over, to see if his dreaded moment had come. He couldn’t. He had to. He couldn’t. He had to.

Eros opened his mouth wide to scream, but he couldn’t even make a noise at the sight.

Eros’s eyes blurred in despair. He groaned as if in physical pain. He stumbled up the edge of the roof. And he fell.

As Eros mindlessly dived towards the damned concrete stained with Sora’s blood, he felt a sinister grin and a dark whisper behind his ear—

“Two birds with one stone.”