The morning of April third.

It was around five or six o'clock when I woke up, I believe. Despite that I've slept very late on that busy bustling night, I still managed to wake up really early.

"Time to get up."

I quickly sat upright on the bed and eventually, stood up. The sun was about to chase the dusk, so I quickly searched for any kind of first aid kit. I regretted not asking that part of the plan because while fighting fire with fire was an eventual outcome, me hurting myself wasn't.

Scouring under the bed, I finally found a first aid kit in a plastic white finish. Inside the kit was sufficient at best. I first patched up my left cheek to cover that horrible bruise. Then I went on to wrap my left arm up to my hand with some bandage. I didn't really have first-aid experience, so looking at the mirror, I looked like a mummy who escaped out of the Pyramid of Giza.

"Huh."

I looked around the room, all the knives that I knew were thrown to the wall were gone.

Not sure if it's me who has a hazy or false memory, but did Tomo clean up the room to clear suspicion?

"Meh," I shrugged. I went back under the bed to look for some plastic wrap.

"There we go, my clothes."

The same old grey hoodie and jeans I had.

From Ala-chan's sleepwear, I hurriedly changed my clothes because I lied. The plan between Ala-chan, Aka, and I wasn't all of that. Ala-chan still reminded me to get out of the house early in the morning since she boldly claimed to her parents that she'll be out early in the morning to catch up with her grandparents by late morning. So yes, I can still mess up the plan despite the heavy part done already (which was last night).

"Looking good." I mumbled to myself while looking back at my mirror with my clothes again... except for that huge white patch on my face and my mummy-like appearance on my left arm.

Anyway, I tidied up the room a bit and went to the hallway. I went in front of the window where I pointed out to Ala-chan that it had a ladder on it.

I poked it.

Slide. A square-like shape bordering the entire window slipped.

"As expected." Tomo did enter and exit here last night. I wouldn't even question it. The point is that I have a stealth exit. I can't just use the front door.

Making use of the window to 'escape' and placing back the square window pane in place. I climbed down the ladder, went for the little alleyway between the tall fences and the walls of the house. I checked for a while to see if there are any people wandering around. None it seems, it's a Sunday anyway. So I casually walked in front and headed my way to my apartment. I took the route on the way to school as opposed to the opposite direction to MinnaMart.

"Man, is this what Ala-chan feels when she's on her way to school?"

Despite the rise of houses in this neighborhood, the morning sure is breezy around these parts.

. . . .

For some reason, I felt a buzz in my pockets. I checked it, then I forgot I had my smartphone. I grabbed it and unlocked it.

There was a message bubble icon on the top-left of the screen.

"I was told this is a notification."

Old-school as I may sound, I headed to the Messaging/Chats application.

"Heh." I chuckled.

I opened the message thread.

It read, "Hey Akkochii! I just arrived at my safe place! I am super-duper okay here! Text me when you're still alive mkay? Until we meet again."

Sender: Ala Mann

I replied to the thread with a "Yo." I know she won't reply back, but I'll reassure her.

"A lie for a lie, huh?" I mumbled as I kept my smartphone back in my pockets.

She really pulled off that lie by lying that she'll actually go somewhere far away.

To be frank, I'll miss her. It's that kind of sizzling feeling at the end of an action movie where the gang finally achieved their mission successfully and they gradually winded down, driving to separate ways back to their homes to be with their families again.

The road curving to the right, I was met with a Y-intersection, the point where Ala-chan and I would diverge when walking home from uni. I went to my left where it's my way home. After passing two railway crossings which both didn't stop. I was finally back at the apartment.

I went up the staircase and walked past my room, as I knocked on Aka's door.

Knock, knock, knock. It opened after a couple of moments.

"Oh hey. Morning 'kid." Greeted Aka holding a coffee and presented herself with some grooming this time.

"Plan success, Aka commander." I saluted.

"Hah, what's that kid? Alright alright, come on in."

Aka's arm was around my neck as she warmly welcomed me to her room for the first time ever. I felt like I was comforted by my wife back into my home during Veterans Day or something.

Anyway, I was greeted with an unusual and unexpected breakfast. Apparently, Aka prepared hotcakes and hot choco for the both of us on each side of the dining table.

"Sheesh, are you trying something new Aka?" I said as we settled down and got ready to eat.

"Well," Aka was rubbing her cheek with a finger, clearing her throat. "Let's pretend that I'm trying something new, and I want to have a second opinion."

Figures. It's unusual for Aka, someone who is heavily of Japanese descent, to cook something American. Or maybe she's planning to renovate her business downstairs?

I took a bite.

. . . .

"It's good..!" My appetite went on a frenzy spree.

"Huh, didn't know Akko can smile for once. Oh well, it's good then."

How can you not mind the tastiness of food? It's unexpectedly the world's most objective judge.

Anyway, that was a refreshing meal. Especially after that horrendous and draining of a night that I had. I really needed some palate cleanser to the point that I chugged the hot choco to the brim.

"From the looks of it kid, you fought with the killer, aye?"

I nodded. "That was one hell of a serial killer. How'd you know that the killer's going there yesterday?"

"Well, I thought seven days is a pretty sweet spot. That was mostly what happened with the prowler case years ago when the security department realized that the murder cases have an interval of around six to eight days, where seven is the median. Also, that's an ample amount of time to be vague about anything a week ago."

That and to account that Ala-chan's neighborhood almost consists of old people which is inconsistent from Ala-chan's observation and I's. Everything carefully worked like the first moon landing.

It's just another way of saying we were lucky. Hadn't we planned that, Ala-chan would've been killed that night.

"Oh, speaking of, how's Ala the young 'lad?" She asked.

"She's okay. She texted me while I was on my way here, saying that she arrived at this so-called safe place safe and sound?"

"Where?"

"She didn't tell me."

"Huh. I guess the young 'lad really keeps her word when she says that she'll conceal herself far away where nobody knows—not even one person." Aka added.

"Yeah. Don't people in movies tell others where they're going before concealing themselves far away?"

"Yup, but kid. That's even a bigger risk because you just implanted a potential blackmail."

I leaned my head sideways, perplexed.

Aka groaned and raised a finger. "If the victimizer manages to get ahold of the person who knows where the victim is, it's only a matter of time before that innocent friend of the victim gets into trouble. A ransom is an ideal advantage to the victimizer—tell where they are or get your life done for."

"So you're saying Ala-chan also safeguarded our backs as well?"

"Mhm. While we really don't know where the young 'lad is, I'm pretty sure she'll come back one day. Most likely in unexpected places though."

The world goes tick and tock.

We wouldn't know when I or Aka would move out of this apartment, move back home, to another school, or completely move into another country. Or, we wouldn't be expecting that Ala-chan would just suddenly spring back to life back in my hometown?

Just goes to show there's no such thing as a constant in this world.

It'll continue to run whether you'd like it or not. In a sense, we're practicing adaptation and mitigation everyday without even knowing.

Wherever Ala-chan is now, I hope she's okay. I'm more than welcome to see her again. I lied, she bears the title of "The Most Mysterious Girl I Met."

"Aka, I have something to ask."

"Hm? Go ahead."

"Can you forgive your own existence?"

Upon asking that question to her, she pondered for a moment while holding her hot coffee then said, "No—rather, I'd never get to that point."

"W-why?"

"Because why the heck would I do that? I'm already contented that I'm alive and kicking."

She has a point.

I guess asking that question isn't a good idea. It's one of those hidden communication rules again. Nonetheless, I bet most people would just be arriving at the answer of "Why ask that to yourself?"

"Hmm.. Ala and Miko..." Aka mumbled, then flinched all of a sudden. "Kid, how about your Tomo girl, have you talked at all after a week?"

"Yeah. Sorry to break this late to you, we broke up." I plainly said.

"Ooooo... Okay. That's why she was dead silent for the past week."

As much as I wanted to talk to Aka about it, I don't want to go into further detail about the two of us. Even though we broke up, our relationship with each other is still complicated. Like are we still friends, strangers, or mortal enemies? I don't know. She's totally dead silent, so I'm left questioning myself on that thought. I'd be more than happy if she decided that she'll be friends at the bare maximum—I mean that's the worst-best thing you can achieve even for boys who got dumped after confessing.

At least that's the thing where you don't doubt at the end.

Yet here I am, driving the happy-sad ending instead of the sad-happy one.

Still doubtful.

"So kid, now you're broke. Had some plans to find another girl?" Aka asked.

"Nah. I'll probably put everything into studies first. That fiasco sure put me into a lot of stress and trauma." I blatantly said.

"Oh, figures. Boys and girls alike will eventually go to that part of life. You'll need to reassure yourself again from that mess."

That's right. While it's not going to be a full recovery for me, that scar will forever haunt me for my entire life.

Who decided that I should fall for her? Was it really me, or was I moved by the moment that night? Anyway, it's no use lingering back to the past, so I'll take that as a lesson.

Hm, should I take up the offer of reciprocating my feelings to Aka? Hmm.. Nah, not ready.

I thanked Aka for the meal and left her room. Then I reached out for my room keys in my pockets, unlocked my room, and went inside.

"I'm home," I mumbled.

Looking around, not much has changed nor anything was moved an inch. It's just me being too careful at things, but yesterday was my first time not sleeping at the apartment. You could say that I missed my run-down grumpy room. It just goes to show that anything can feel like home no matter how luxurious or broken a place can be.

I walked around the table where I left my laptop and the A4 cork envelope Sayre handed to me. I sat in front of the two.

"Yup, nothing was disturbed."

They were all intact just as I left my room.

I rummaged through the A4 documents on the envelope then read—skimmed it all over again. It's probably just me getting animated at the work Sayre put in these papers.

After that, I opened my laptop, plugged in the SmartCard and the USB flash drive, went to all of those security hellgates that Sayre put in, then I immediately went to the TS folder because something's been on my mind lately.

"That intranet shortcut."

It's like any shortcut to a file or program. It just so happens to be an Intranet one. It's like a private internet shortcut so to speak. Basically, I need to be on a certain access point or network to access it.

Out of curiosity, I tried opening it. As expected, it just returned to me with an invalid address error.

The shortcut is even arbitrary at best, it's not a friendly URL that is alphanumeric and ends in a ".com". Instead, it's in the form of numbers, like 127.0.0.1, where there's no place like home.

Sigh.

Ultimately, this is the one I can't crack down. I trust Sayre enough because she would never put anything irrelevant or nonfunctional here. I guess she'll surprise me when I get home about this one.

I glanced at the time on the bottom-right corner

"7:30 AM..." I mumbled.

I don't know, maybe I'm just too terribly bored. Am I used to talking and hanging out with people, is that why?

Now they're all gone—well Ala-chan and Tomo are still alive. I don't know about the latter though.

"Meh, I'm fed up with HeroTom as well."

A useless hog of my time, I just closed down my laptop and neatly kept everything that I busted out on the envelope back to its place. Afterwards, I walked to my back where my futon was still in place.

"Speaking of which, I really have to wash this up soon."

If mother was here, she'd peskily ask me to wash the futon every month, especially when it's already over three weeks. This one is already a month!

I laid down on my futon.

I stared at the ceiling.

. . . .

Yeah, maybe I'm just hanging out with my mind or subconscious—either of the two.

Immersed in the elements and depths of your thoughts.

They do say the one who's with you loving you your entire life is—shocking—you. Yeah I know, it may sound stupid you may think why make an obvious quote.

Now I understand, there are sometimes where emotions blind us, clouding the basic and senseful values around us. It's why it's best to talk about heavy stuff with a friend—not only do you get a second opinion, but they'll also guide you through your clouded thoughts that aren't visible in front of you.

I scratched my head. "Embarrassing hearing my own advice from Ala-chan and Sayre," I mumbled.

Yeah, advice I'd usually give out to people? They're going to shoot back at you when you're at shambles. It's one heartfelt reminder that people grasp at the impact you give to them, and care for you in the end.

It's been a long time since I talked to myself this long and convoluted.

Maybe it's just that I'll miss talking brain candy stuff with Ala-chan.

Now I'm back to my usual life, the one average Akko who's like a shut-in in his apartment, has very seldom communication, and is introverted at best.

That was a month of a rollercoaster, as if all of that happened in summer vacation.

. . . .

Little did I know, I slept back.

⁂

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The next thing I knew, I was awakened to a somewhat violent barrage of knocking on my door.

Nine o'clock read on my smartphone. Groaned that my sleep was disturbed, I stood up and placed my phone on the table just around my laptop.

Knock, knock, knock, knock!

"C-coming!" I hurriedly walked to the door.

The moment I opened it, my mind immediately exploded at the sight of whoever was knocking. It felt like a chain of events were cogging and aligning together in one piece. It makes you want to question yourself, "Huh, things just happened yesterday." You know, part of me thought I was still dreaming.

"O-oh, uhm," I scratched my neck then bowed. "Good day, Ms. Omoe."

She looked at me with a stern face. She has quite a professional getup compared to when I see Ms. Omoe at home.

"How may I help you—"

Little did I know.

This just answered my question: I'm not dreaming at all. This was reality.

While asking, I was cut off with a hurtful slap on my left cheek—where I punched myself last night. The slap was so powerful that I was sent in shambles to the ground. I don't think my mother can pull that stunt off, let alone a fierce attitude. That slap felt like a slam to the floor.

Holding my cheek whilst on the floor, I looked up to her. Ms. Omoe seemed to now emit a furious gaze at me.

"Saki Omoe." Ms. Omoe immediately presented her badge and credentials in front of me and continued, "Police, Investigative, and Emergency Head of the Southern District. Mr. Akko, you are under arrest for directed homicide and filed murder."

. . . .

I just looked up to her, having no idea what just happened.

"Get up on your knees!" She yelled and kicked my torso.

"B-boss!" Another figure came in front, it was Kyoko. "Don't send any more pain to the criminal, it's in the police code. that's a give—"

"Who cares?!" She yelled back at her with a stunning and deadly gaze. Kyoko was set back. I didn't know that she'd still get scared. "Ms. Camba, arrest this criminal!" Ms. Omoe then harshly pointed at me.

"C-copy!" Kyoko stuttered, but eventually maintained a disciplined look. She rushed over to the back of my body, sat me straight, then cuffed my hands.

"Hey!" Another figure rushed in front, turns out to be Aka. "Don't be too rough! This is a silent-priority property!"

Violently, Ms. Omoe pointed a gun towards Aka. "Silence! You have no right to interrupt a highly-serial case. I will charge you for insubordination against the law as stated in Article 2 of the Civilian Code!"

Even with a death machine in front of her, Aka maintained her composure. "Even so, you don't have to barge violently like that. Weren't you taught that way? Also, where's your warrant of arrest?! Aren't you guys required to present such a thing?"

"SILENCE!" Ms. Omoe intently pointed the gun once more.

"Pfft. Such a simple and lawful question—okay, fine by me. Just remember that you need a proper warrant of arrest plus approval for that matter," Aka walked back to her room, annoyed. "For the record, Akko is not guilty of anything," she added before she went inside.

"Ms. Camba, what did I say? Arrest him at this instance! You were taught to direct orders only once! Repetitions are considered to be an act of disrespect! Giddy up!" Ms. Omoe yelled once more at her, then angrily walked down the staircase.

Finally, Kyoko helped me stand up then we both soon followed Ms. Omoe. Looking at my side, it looked like she wanted to say something to me, but felt hesitant.

Anyways, I'm glad I was carefully sat at the back of the car instead of being violently thrown into it—I bet Ms. Omoe would do that. Kyoko then went for the passenger seat, while Ms. Omoe was already on the driver's seat. After that, we were already off our way.

I expected that we'll be in a police car, but we're in a regular sedan that has a really black finish.

Ms. Omoe, I knew just now that her full name is Saki Omoe. I actually never got the chance to ask Tomo about her mother's name, let alone Tomo talking about her. Unlike her typical house wear where I could see her in Tomo's house from time to time, she's in a typical police getup with all the blue motif and badges on the upper-hand corner of her shirt. Unlike Kyoko who has a police hat, Ms. Omoe has none.

But I never saw Ms. Omoe this enraged before. Usually, she's caring back at Tomo's house. Heck, she felt like a second mother.

But you know life, tomorrow's not the same as today.

I know life's treating me like a ragdoll.

But there's just this instance I'm currently on that makes me question: