third untitled story
At that night, I realized that a dark rings under eyes like mine was beginning to appear on Rui's face. He started tightening my neck in the bed.
“I won’t kill you.”
While holding my whole body under his weight when I struggle because I can't breathe, Rui whispers to my ear weakening power a little bit. Wanting to let go, I grabbed his wrist. The bed creaks. He squeezed my neck again. Why are this person's hands cold? I think my hands have same temperature as he because we are both dead.
The morning sun spreads thinly through the gap in the curtain so I opened my eyes. One hour earlier than usual wake-up time. My neck stiffens and hurts like the morning when I slept wrong. On the side, Rui is sleeping, lying down as usual. I get up slowly and head to the bathroom.
“... This isn’t good.”
There is a red mark of finger on the neck. I can't get dressed with this. I put on a thin knit with a high neck that is too early for autumn. When I keep my hair down as usual, it's annoying because it catches on my collar, so I tied them back together.
“Aren’t you fashionable today?”
The Rui who woke up, said like ridiculing me.
“Because you did this on my neck!”
I pulled my collar to show it, and when I said angrily, Rui laughed. It wasn’t that empty smile like usual. He seems really fun.
“Lunch is in the refrigerator, so warm it up and eat it. ...Don’t go outside.”
“Okay, okay.”
He didn't move from the bed and said so.
Today is the beginning of the month, the busiest week of the accounting department. With about 20 minutes left for the lunch break, I finally finished business in the morning and stretched. The train was late this morning and I was late so I couldn’t finish all business for the morning. I haven't eaten much at lunch these days because I don't have an appetite.
“Hey, Akatsuki.”
Suddenly my name was called.
“You haven’t eat lunch today, here.”
Kaname put a chocolate on my desk. Than he stare at me with those beautiful eyes.
“Why are you wearing high neck? Today is not so cold.”
“...I’m cold.”
“Are you sick again!?”
“Stop shouting please.”
“You don’t eat so your immune system goes down! Eat!”
He makes an angry face and tries to force me to eat chocolate.
“I’m not hungry so…”
“Eat!”
“No, I will get sick…”
“You’ll get sick because you don’t eat!”
Suddenly he stopped forcing me chocolate.
“That, neck…”
I hide my neck with my hands.
“Show it.”
“This is nothing.”
He grabbed my collar and saw the hidden bruise.
“Who…”
But before he says anything, people came back so he let me go.
“It’s nothing. Thank you for the chocolate.“
I stand up and go to girls’ bathroom so he can’t follow me. My knees are shaking. What should I do? Maybe he will find out about us. Unbearable, I enter a room and vomit. I haven't eaten anything since morning, so only bitter gastric juice comes out of my stomach.
I spent all day frighteningly thinking maybe Kaname would come again, but he didn't come after all.
“You can go home early today. You look sick.”
The section chief tells me kindly, so I obedient obey it.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Bye! Your boyfriend is waiting there!”
“...What?”
I don’t have boyfriend… I saw the direction chief is pointing. Kaname was standing there with that angry face.
“Come with me.”
“...No.”
“Shut up.”
He said so and take my hand. He pulled me and took an elevator.
“Who did that.”
“None of your business.”
“It is my business. We are… friends.”
“No we are not.”
The elevator door opens slowly. He doesn't move from there. I leave the gate with my employee ID. There are many people at the entrance. I gazed at him as he caught up.
“I don’t know what you expected of me, but I’m not a decent person and you…”
Having said that, I stopped. He who followed me also stops behind me.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“...Why”
I feel my hands are getting cold. Why he is here!? The person stood up slowly as my view narrowed to a single bench by the entrance hall.
“Hi, Anne. Came to pick you up.”
I have a narrow throat. I can’t breathe well. Kaname looked at Rui.
“Who are you.”
And stand in front of me like he is trying to protect me.
“Let’s go home, Anne.”
Attracted by the voice, I start walking like a sleepwalker. Kaname grabbed my wrist.
“Did you choke Akatsuki?”
Rui looked at him.
“Is it because of him that you have been fine lately? Kaname… I remembered.”
It was a clear compulsion for me.
“Are you not going home?”
It’s the final warning. I pushed Kaname and I run to Rui.
“Hey, Akatsuki!”
Kaname ran and grabbed my wrist again. Because he yelled, the people around us are paying attention to us.
“I don’t know who you are, but stop being so violent.”
Rui held my shoulder to pull me. When I hugged him, Kaname released my wrist with a heartbroken look.
“Let’s go home, Anne.”
Rui said the same as before, as if nothing had happened.
“...Yes.”
In the car, he started talking. I didn’t know he could drive a car. I suddenly realized that I didn't know anything about him.
“You've been feeling sick for the past few days.”
Tie that cool finger around my finger. News about serial murderers is being broadcast on the radio. Street lights, car lights, and neon lights glide outside the window.
“You often vomit and I was worried.”
His nails dig into the back of my hand.
“I thought you maybe pregnant, but it’s too early to have a baby with me.”
――― The common features of serial murder victims are
――― That they were suicide volunteers
――― The third and sixth victims were in the community of suicidal volunteers on SNS
――― As a result of a more detailed investigation of the surrounding area,
――― It was discovered that other victims also hinted at suicide in some way
“And gradually, I started to suffer from stomach aches as well. ...Anne,”
He whispered in a soft voice.
“What did you do for me?”
His face, which I saw moving only eyeball, is still a smile, like a lie. He parked the car in front of the apartment and I got out of the car with Rui holding my arm. Now I'm standing at the beginning of everything. Streetlights is lighting the ground in a white, round shape like that day. “You told me you don’t want to die, so I didn’t kill you.”
Rui violently closed the door. And then he pushes me to the floor. The bag I was holding fell and the contents were scattered.
“When did you start this?”
He picks up a small bottle at his feet and mutters. Then, with his legs removed, he straddled me as usual. The only difference is that the face, which always has a smile, is expressionless. Rui grabbed my neck and asked me.
“Do you want to die with me?”
“...Yes.”
His back moved, he vomited blood on my belly.
“I wanted to die with you here, in this room, and I’ve been mixing it with meals.”
“...How nice.”
He laughs happily. Blood bleeds from the edge of the mouth, and the orbit is dull and dark. For the first time, the hands holding my neck felt warm. He kissed me as he put all the contents of the bottle he had in his mouth. His blood, his saliva, and the slowly warming poisons come and go between me and his mouth. His body is hot. Maybe my body is too. We are not dead now. Actually, I thought I'd let him drink little by little and stab him when he was weak. I loosened my limbs while feeling the Rui body temperature that came under pressure, vaguely. If we drink this much at once, we will die. You and me. Before I met you, I lived as if I had died, so it’s same if I die now or in the future. Immediately before closing your eyes, you can see the contents of the bags scattered on the floor. The chocolate. I should have eaten it. The body of Rui slid down on me. I hugged him as he did to me.
“Akatsuki!
I know you are here!
Open the door!
Anne Akatsuki!”
It's a dazzling voice. It's a dazzling and hot voice. Don’t make me listen that voice. It’s too shiny for me, who is already dead.
