Chapter 3
I’ve had enough of this! Kumiko gritted her teeth. It was already 3 days after her harassment and getting Yui was tough. She was always talking to someone and always disappeared during breaks. I have to ask her why she betrayed me.
For the past few days, Kumiko had tried to convince herself that Yui was not the one who did it. However, the night before, she finally lost it. She was mad that Yui avoided her consecutively for 3 days and that she would not face her. She must have done something to avoid me that much…ah! There’s the bell.
Kumiko dashed out of the classroom, just to see Yui’s shadow. She was about to open her mouth to call her name, but a group of girls blocked her way. Kumiko ground her teeth once more. Her fists clenched by her sides unconsciously. Oh yeah…I have to get rid of these people first. Although the event was over, the ‘aftershock’ had yet to be. People around her still gossiped and stared, and those who were more daring and angry continued to single her out and harass her.
“Hey you ****,” The leader of the gang stepped out, head held high and hands on hips. Kumiko did not raise her head. “Who are you going after now?” she sneered as her cronies giggled maliciously. Get OUT of my way.
“Too afraid to answer?” The leader bent down and screwed her face up into a terrible expression. Kumiko then realized that her face was heavily clogged with make-up, her eyes caked with eyeshadow and her face drowned in blusher. She should really get tips from make-up artist, Kumiko thought despite her situation. What a bother. She should seriously get out of my way.
“Heh.” The leader sniffed. She turned around to the giggling gooses behind her. “She’s lost her tongue! Shall we check her?” They, still giggling, managed to nod their heads.
“Well then,” the leader continued, her mouth cracking into a greater grin. “What shall we—” She didn’t continue. Or more like, she could not. Fortunately for that particular group, they could read the atmosphere, or more like the leader could. The rest followed like brainless sheep.
“Get out of my way.” Kumiko said curtly. That was all. With her voice with a steel edge, her eyes with the glint of a murderer, the air around them dark and heavy, the leader could have felt a serial killer holding a knife to her throat. She immediately got the hint, backing away.
“W-we-Well!” she had said to cover the terror she felt in her soul. “I can’t be bothered to deal with you anymore! Watch out for the next time, girl!” She turned and flipped her hair, nose in the air and marched off. Kumiko could see that the arrogant leader was well disturbed by the killer aura that she herself had given off. But I have no time to splurge on her. I have to find Yui.
~********* *****~
Where did she go? She was just here a second ago.
The wail of sirens burst through the air, disrupting the peaceful and typical student life. Murmurs of “What happened” and “What is going on” rippled through the crowds, like disturbed water. Kumiko, in her quest of searching for Yui, had passed through the main building. There, she saw the students flocking the scene of whatever that had happened. Like any typical person, she had wondered the contents of the situation, but then remembering that she had an unfulfilled mission, she decided to continue…until someone saw her.
“Look! It’s Kumiko from 2-D!”
Everyone immediately turned their heads, and so did Kumiko. What does this have to do with me? She was about to run off when the crowd started parting. What are they doing? She found out a few minutes later.
Kumiko felt her head go numb. Her nerves were paralyzed and her eyes went glassy, as if she could not believe what she was seeing. She felt nauseous and the only word to describe her shaking legs then was jelly. Kumiko wanted to cry, but no tears were coming. She wanted to scream, but she could not find her voice. The crowd had parted to form a horseshoe shape, with the gap facing Kumiko to let her see the center of attention and the police directly opposite that. The students became quiet and the only noise made was the siren of the police and ambulance. Finally, the scene registered into Kumiko’s brain, screaming the only sentence that was applicable. Yui is dead.
Yui was sprawled on the tarmac, her body splayed in a peculiar position. Her hands were held in a surrender position, her legs spread apart. Her hair was a mess and her clover clip was chipped. Yui’s eyes were open, vacant and empty. Her mouth, slightly apart, gave the feeling that she wanted to say something, but could not.
“What’s going on here!? Answer me!” barked the officer. The students of Takegawa High started their murmuring once more, but not one answering the officer. The formation of the horseshoe was broken as more students came running to find out what happened, and others who could not take the gruesome scene left. Kumiko collapsed on the floor. Why did you suicide? Now, no one can tell me the truth! What happened to you, Yui! And unknowingly, her tears started to blend with the rain that had begun to pour.
~********* *****~
She died. That was what was in Rei’s mind. He had found the corpse of Yui when he was passing by the front porch along with his clique. His friends had called the police and the ambulance as Rei tried to find a pulse in Yui. Of course, it was too late. Rei was shocked. He had known Yui since junior high and he was convinced that she was an optimistic and outward person. She was about one of the last people he would ever think that would commit suicide.
He attended to the police interrogation. And he saw Kumiko’s reaction.
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