2019

Heavy rain soaked the earth at noon, full of the hustle and bustle of the journey of human daily life. Doing all sorts of work utilizing their own capabilities.  Various colours of umbrellas are seen colouring the scenery when viewed from above. In the middle of the busyness, there are two glimpses of humans standing on the ridge board of the gable roof. The building is quite tall if compared to others around it and looks like an ordinary apartment. The green painted building stands out a bit from the surrounding buildings because of its bright colour. It is impossible to see the two of them with the ***** eye by the humans below even more so with the rain.

They embrace the rain without an umbrella to cover them from the cold. Oddly, their clothes don't even get a little wet. Their perfectly neat clothes are still intact and unsoaked.

“I believe this meeting is important as our life, that we have to hold it here with rain...Professor Yamato,” a dashing-looking man wearing a black suit with a black bowler hat said formally.

“Nah, nothing left to be valued in my life, Goro...I just want a breath of fresh air to make some decisions about a certain subject…the air conditioning will only worsen my thought,” an old man wearing a white lab coat with grizzled hair said calmly. He uses a long brown cane with almost half his height at his right side to maintain his stability on the roof.

"Hahaha, this rain sure is solacing for an old man like us. So, which subject are you referring to?" Goro asked.

"WW1...It's meaningless to try to fix it," Professor Yamato explained in short.

"I see...our first subject...hm, now I know why you chose this place. It does evoke some memories..." Goro said after he can relate this place to the purpose of the meeting.

“Hahaha...I know, some endings are fitting to be settled at the beginning of it…it's just a cycle of the purpose and outcomes of it,” Professor Yamato looks into the sky like he recalls some memories.

Perhaps we should end it when we have a chance before even starting it, so there will be no cycle at all...but it's too late now. Professor Yamato monologues within himself.

“The relationship between the beginning and end huh… I rather replace outcomes with achievement...We have gone so far and accomplished so much to just call it outcomes," Goro said while touching his chin that is adorned with a thin anchor beard.

"Hmm, sacrificing one subject for another to thrive...that sounds pretty much like an achievement for everyone with a rational mind…" the professor said.

"Yes, efficiency is a human motto after all. So, straight to the point, destroy it then?” Goro asked without wasting any time.

"Hmm, let's see...I have something to experiment with...so I want to ask your permission, can I use it? You know...it will be a waste to destroy it just like that," Professor Yamato asked politely.

"Garbage isn't needed in my work, you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn't impact another subject, and make sure to report it to me from time to time, I don't want someone doing something without my knowledge," Goro said straightly while holding the tips of his hat.

"My pleasure then…" Professor Yamato expresses his gratitude.

“Zup!” 

Goro suddenly fades in a blink of an eye without a trace left on the roof like a ninja leaving Professor Yamato all alone on the roof.

"It was just a matter of time before it came. Suddenly, everything is 'my' work only," the professor muttered alone, "Poor boy…exploited half-dead, abandoned with eternal pain. Nevertheless, incapable of feeling the pain anymore, for it was already a part of him."

He gazes far into the sky before fading away just like Goro.

…

2020

In class 1-F of Yamazaki High School, the midterm examination went on in full intensity. The student all focused on their mind to answer the exam question. The boys were wearing formal white shirts with red ties matched with black slacks. The girls wore a sailor-style white uniform with red ribbon and black skirt.

"5 more minutes left! Make sure you have already answered all the questions. To anyone who is already done, make a double-check. This is your last paper, make sure you don't make silly mistakes." 

A chubby teacher with wavy short hair announces to her students before the examination reaches its ending.

but I just answered half of it…and everything that I answered is based on my feelings...I don't even know the right answer

Hiroshi stared at his English paper helplessly with his mouth opened slightly. He scratched his head making his already messy black hair more chaotic.

"Time's up! Put down your pen! Check your name!"

guess I will just let it slide, ahh how can anyone answer this…? Did they speak English at home? I should try with mom and dad

With the thought that he will never finish it in time, he put down his pen accepting his fate.

"Last student in each line, please stand up and help me pick up your friend's paper."

All the intended 5 students carry out the task given by the teachers. Three of them are boys and two are girls. The one in Hiroshi's line is a boy.

Hiroshi, who sat at the front row in the middle line of the class just waiting with patience for the last midterm paper to be gone from his sight.

"Okay, thank you for helping me! All of you, wait for a moment! Let me check if everyone has already sent it!" She starts to count the answer sheets quietly after all of the paper arrives.

"Okay! All 25 of you are here! You can be dismissed now!" 

The teacher says while packing the answer sheet into plastic. After she finishes it, she leaves the class in an instant without telling anything more.

"Ahhh, it's so hard!" a boy beside Hiroshi, with glasses and curly brown hair said to his friend while standing up from his seat.

"Really? Not that hard honestly," a boy who is staying behind him with side fringe back hair, still packing his stationary, replied.

"You are gifted with your brain...You will never understand someone like me."

"Forget about that already, let's go to the arcade. It's already our last paper."

"Hahaha, yeah let's forget about the exam already! It's just a midterm."

Hiroshi heard the chat of some of his classmates from his seat right after the exam. They don't even bother to chat with Hiroshi.

Most of his classmates are already leaving their seats. Getting ready to walk their way home. Chatting about how hard the English exam was and what they will do after this. 

Yet Hiroshi just stays in his seat staring right at the whiteboard. No one comes near him to have a chat or to invite him to go home together. The other two who he heard their conversation before were also gone. It looks like he doesn't exist in that class. Ignored by everyone like a ghost who can't be seen by anyone. 

A minute after minute passed, the class became empty. The mixed sound of everyone's voice was already lost from Hiroshi hearing. The clock showed 3.30 p.m. 

They are a bit late today...I want to go to the grocery store

"Hahaha! Is he still here?"

"Yeah, that's him!"

A voice came from outside the class.

"Shrkkk!" 

The sound of the front door sliding filled the deserted class. Three boys suddenly enter the class. 

"What a good boy you are!" a tall, skinny and bald boy says out loud.

"Hahaha! What are you talking about Yuji? He is always a good boy!" a boy with an average height, style with a black undercut haircut agreed.

"Shrk..." 

The third chubby boy with curly hair didn't say anything and just proceeded to close the door slowly.

They all go straight into Hiroshi and stand around him who still sits in his seat. 

"Oi, Hiroshi! Do you bring it?" Yuji asked in a low voice as he whispered.

"Hahaha! Straight to the point huh?" the undercut boy said.

"We shouldn't waste time here, Yori...the faster we can get the better," Yuji said.

"I know, I know, so Hiroshi...give it to us already…" Yori said.

Hiroshi doesn't say anything. He suddenly stands up and takes a step to the back of the class. The wrinkles on his shirt can be seen clearly after he stands up.

"Oi, where do you want to go?" Yori grabs Hiroshi's left shoulder.

"The things...in my bag…" Hiroshi said in a dry tone, emotionless. His deep voice makes it like he doesn't even have an interest in everything that happens now.

"Oh…faster please" Yori let go of his shoulder.

He leisurely takes a step toward the student's locker behind the class. He reaches the farthest part of the locker, the top, near the window and opens it. He takes out a plain orange bag inside it and goes straight to the boys who are waiting at his seat.

After he arrives at his seat, he puts his bag on his table and takes out something from it. 

"Here…" Hiroshi said while holding a pack of cigarettes in his grip.

"Oi, lower it...we will be in trouble if someone sees this," the chubby boy finally said something.

"Relax Toshi...no one here now, they already go home," Yuji said to comfort Toshi.

"Not the teachers…" Toshi replied in a low tone.

"Whatever, let's go already! They will wait for us," Yori takes the pack of cigarettes from Hiroshi's grip and walks toward the front door.

"Wait…" something seems to bother Yori.

He stops right before he opens the door and checks the pack that he took from Hiroshi.

"Why is it so light...huh?" As he opened the pack, surprisingly he found out that there's only one cigarette in there.

"Oi, Hiroshi...what is this?" Yori shows the inside of the pack to Hiroshi with an annoyed face.

"Huh? There's only one?!" Yuji comes closer to Yori to verify what he saw from afar.

"Oi, explain this Hiroshi! Does it fall off into your bag?" Yori asked in a serious tone wondering where the other cigarettes went missing.

"Oh, I tried it last night and for breakfast a little…It is so bad, I vomited it into the trash," Hiroshi answers straight and flat without any guilt written in his facial expressions. He doesn't even try to make excuses to fool others. He straight out confessed that he was the one responsible for the missing cigarettes.

"You what?!" Yuji shouted as anger and shock filled him. He walked furiously toward Hiroshi who was still standing near his seat.

"Oi, oi...we ask you to buy and bring it to school only right? Right?! Is there anything we ask after that? No! Right?!" He yelled right in front of Hiroshi's blank face and threw the pack of cigarettes at him. The only cigarette inside it came out from the pack.

...What should I eat for dinner…? I'm so hungry right now. Cigarettes don't help to reduce my hunger...How do they eat that?

"Look, he gave that look again...it seems like he already forgot all our lessons before!" Yori said while standing beside Yuji. 

...I have to buy ingredients…

"Oiii! Hiroshiii!!!" Yori pulled Hiroshi's collar and shook it a little bit to ensure he paid attention to him.

Chicken curry...sounds good…mom and dad must like it...it's their favourite after all

Hiroshi's mind was indeed lost from its body, figuring about the future dinner he will have a few hours from now. An image of a few dishes already appeared in his imagination. He completely ignored the others. 

Yori on the other side already lost his patience. 

“Dush!” 

A direct punch from Yori's right hand landed perfectly on Hiroshi's left cheek. 

“Bang!”

Losing his balance due to the hit, Hiroshi collided with one of the tables near him. The table and the chair that was put under it went upside down due to the impact of the collision. Hiroshi just remains to lie on his side without any effort to get up.

...Or, fried rice is not bad either...but, we already ran out of rice at home…

In complete ignorance of the situation he is in, Hiroshi has a small dilemma of what he should eat to fill his stomach rather than thinking about how to fix the situation. Whether full of flavour curry or simple yet satiated fried rice are his two top choices to choose from.

Yori's punch does make a little red imprint on his left cheek, but it doesn't seem to annoy him even a little. His expression doesn't change.

"Hey, don't make such a loud noise…" Toshi spurted out a message to his friend that seems a little too late than it should be. The thunderous noise is already produced by Yori and definitely heard by someone nearby.

"Do I look like I care? he really gets on my nerves!" Yori yelled.

"Oi, oi, I think we should settle this outside the school, there must be someone who heard that loud noise already…" Toshi advised them after thinking rationally without giving an interest in Yori's words. He starts to act uneasily. His eyes darted nervously like someone who worried about something.

"What the hell are you thinking Toshi? The boss will already be waiting for us right after we step out of this school!" Yuji holds Toshi's shoulders with a pair of his hands to bring him back into reality.

...Oh, but don't I want to buy ingredients anyway? I can buy rice too…

"We will done anyway if we bring just one cigarette for them! Let's just soothe our soul by kicking him!" 

Yori is approaching aggressively toward Hiroshi who is still lying on the floor and makes him lie on his back. He placed his right knee on top of Hiroshi's chest while his hands grabbed Hiroshi's collar.

"Now, eat this!" 

He swings his right hand as far as he can before landing a similar punch as before to Hiroshi's left cheek. He repeated the same way with his left hand toward Hiroshi's right cheek. And the loop continues without stopping until he is satisfied.

"Dush! Dush! Dush!"

But, if I want to make curry anyway...I want to eat it with what? Of course, rice

Yuji and Toshi, knowing the nature of Yori when he lost his patience, just leer toward Yori's action. 

"H-hey, Yori...that's enough…" Yuji said even though he genuinely felt satisfied seeing Hiroshi being beaten up.

"Oi, oi, he's bleeding! It will be troublesome if someone notices it! Stop it already!" Toshi is worried if someone finds out, but he doesn't even make any effort except for shouting his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh! If you feel the bleeding isn't enough, I will leave bruises on his face so anyone can see how bad he got schooled by me!" Yori deliberately misinterpreted Toshi's words. Anger has already taken over his sanity. He continues to hit Hiroshi.

...So, whether it's fried rice or chicken curry...I have to make rice…So, rice will be my top priority to buy today.

Lost in his own world. Nothing can stop Hiroshi from thinking of food for himself. Although the blood already flowed from his nose, he took Yori's punches without showing any sign of pain in his facial expression. 

"Shrkkk! Dum!"

A sudden loud sound of the sliding door being slammed that came without any sign startled all the individuals in class 1-F except Hiroshi.

"What is happening here?!" 

A female teacher in a matched navy blue office dress and skirt, with her black hair tied in a ponytail, stormed into the scene from the front door. Glaring at them fiercely with her upturned eyes after scanning the situation in a glance. Her hard angled eyebrow highlights her ferocity. Standing firmly while crossing her arm.

The boys were left stunned for a second before doing something every culprit would do. Yori and Yuji ran briskly towards the back door, disarraying all the chairs and tables in their path.

"Hey, you two stop right there!" 

They just ignored her call with her smoky voice and ran away using the back door.

While someone is doing something a sensible student would do. Toshi standing immobile right in his place, yet he can't help his body from trembling in fear. Not that he can't run from there, he is just too afraid to do it.

The teacher doesn't seem to have the interest to chase the other two as she notices someone already lying on the ground.

She quickly goes to Hiroshi to check his condition. 

"You! Stay there!" She pointed toward Toshi.

She kneels right beside Hiroshi and moves a nearby chair and table to give him space to breathe.

"Hey? Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

The teacher shook Hiroshi's collarbone firmly to check if he could respond and still have consciousness. Hiroshi's eyes are still wide open but still have no response. She took out her handkerchief and wiped a little blood that came from Hiroshi's nose.

"Hey, if you hear me, can you hold the handkerchief so your blood doesn't flow through?" 

Hiroshi doesn't respond. She put her handkerchief back into her pocket.

“You! Help me lift him. We’ll go to the nurse room first,” she ordered Toshi.

“O-okay.”

...Ahh...I’ll go with chicken curry...it’s been a long time since I last ate chicken…

"Wait…" 

The teacher found out there's a cigarette on the ground and took it into her pocket. Toshi just gulps after he sees the teacher's action.

"You lift on the other side…"

She instructed Toshi to do exactly as she did. They grab Hiroshi's wrist and shoulder and make two human crutches to support him from both sides.

"Ready?"

"Y-yes."

"Now!"

They successfully lift him and go straight to the nurse room even though they are struggling a little bit because of Hiroshi's weight, which is heavier than they thought.

It took them about 5 minutes to arrive at the nurse room which was placed at the lowest level in the building while class 1-F was at level 2. They don't come across anyone on the way as everyone already leaves.

"Knock! Knock!"

"Yes...how can I help...Oh! Get in, get in. What's happened to him?"

The nurse on duty wearing a green jacket welcomed them. The nurse fastly leads them to the nearest bed inside the nurse room. 

"Please check if he is alright!" The teachers said in a worried tone.

"Okay, leave him to me." The nurse started to check Hiroshi from his head. She tries to find out if there's any external bleeding.

"There's just a little bleeding in his nose… Hey, can you hear me?" 

"Yeah, I'll eat chicken curry today," Hiroshi suddenly said flatly after he silenced himself from the class.

The teacher and Toshi look a bit shocked that he is talking.

"Oh...how are you?" The nurse asked.

"I have not bought the chicken yet…I don't know if he's fine or not..." Hiroshi spurts out dumb things from his mouth.

"Oh...Uhm, teacher? What exactly happened to him?"

"That's your job to explain, doesn't it?" The teacher stares at Toshi who is standing as stiff as a rock.

Toshi explains everything about his pals punching Hiroshi but he never said the name of who actually does it or the things about the cigarette.

"I see...I already double-checked his head and didn't find any other external bleeding. Do you feel bad anywhere? Should I check your body too?" The nurse asked Hiroshi who looked fine with just a little bruise from Yori's punch.

"I want to go to the grocery."

"What's your name?" The teacher asked Hiroshi after she couldn't find any nametag on his school uniform.

"Hiroshi."

"Okay, hear me, Hiroshi-san. Are you really okay? If you don't feel well anywhere, the nurse here can help you, if you don't want to, I can bring you to the nearest clinic," the teacher said in a calm tone while looking eye to eye with emotionless Hiroshi.

"I'm fine."

"I see…I hope you can say that after you eat this…" 

"Bang!" 

The teacher makes a finger gun sign using her right hand. Raising her thumb above her fist to act as a hammer, and her index fingers extended perpendicular to it acting as a barrel. A red bullet appeared from the teacher's index finger that pointed toward Hiroshi in the blink of an eye. Her hand lifted slightly like a sign of an impact from the shot. The bullet brutally split Hiroshi's mouth with one rumbling shot. The skin of his face shattered into a thousand parts that could not possibly be reassembled. His blood wandered in the room that was clean without any impurities just the previous second before. Everyone in the room was left surprised and terrified. 

Left headless, Hiroshi's body was left on the bed accompanied by the fishy smell of his own blood.