Episode 3
Brett Whitney's flat, Easthaven, August 17, 2230 hours
Brett arrives at the door of his flat.
He opens it impatiently and storms inside.
Brett Whitney
Aaarrggghhh!!!
Brett breathes heavily while closing the door.
Brett Whitney
How dare they...!
Brett walks slowly to his writing desk in his bedroom.
He turns on his laptop and goes online.
Brett sees that he's gotten an e-mail notification from "Connect2u" - the social media platform.
He sees that Courtney Carr has written a post at 2135 hours.
In other words, Courtney wrote the post about one hour before Brett came home!
Courtney Carr
"In mourning."
Brett clicks on Courtney's profile.
Brett sees that Courtney has also written a personal message on Larieke Owens's profile page.
Courtney Carr
"On August 17, 7 o'clock in the evening, we received the tragic news of Ms. Larieke Owens's passing."
Courtney Carr
"I have known Larieke since my teenage years."
Courtney Carr
"I remember the days of laughter and sadness we shared with each other."
Courtney Carr
"We were always there for each other."
Courtney Carr
"I remember all of our trips to Cherokee Falls and many other places."
Courtney Carr
"I know that Larieke loved nature very much."
Courtney Carr
"So when Larieke got this opportunity to study abroad regarding environmental studies, she took it."
Courtney Carr
"Larieke, I will forever miss you."
Courtney Carr
"Rest in peace."
Courtney Carr
"I have already given Mrs. Owens a phone call."
Courtney Carr
"My thoughts are with Larieke's family during this hard time."
Courtney Carr's eulogy on Larieke's profile has got hundreds of views and likes from Larieke's family, friends and other acquaintances.
Brett's eyes are filled with tears.
Brett Whitney
I have been such an idiot!
Brett breathes heavily while looking around his room in despair.
Brett Whitney
I must apologise to the girls.
Brett Whitney
But I can't call them now.
Brett Whitney
It's already more than half past ten at night!
Brett sees that Courtney is still online and "nudges" her.
Courtney replies after a while.
Courtney Carr
"Have you calmed down now?"
Brett Whitney
"Yeah, I guess."
Brett Whitney
"I want to apologise."
Courtney takes a long pause before she types her reply.
Courtney Carr
"You acted like a real dummy there."
Brett Whitney
"I'm sorry."
Brett Whitney
"I really am!"
Brett Whitney
"I just felt..."
Brett Whitney
"I didn't think clearly..."
Courtney Carr
"No, you seriously haven't."
Courtney Carr
"But what can I say?"
Courtney Carr
"You have always been like that since I became acquainted with you."
Courtney Carr
"Headstrong and foolish."
Courtney Carr
If it wasn't for Larieke and me, I doubt anywone would dare to be friends with you!
Courtney Carr
"Now do you have anything else to say?"
Courtney Carr
"Because I'm actually going to sign off soon."
Courtney Carr
"Wait for what?"
Brett Whitney
"Will you forgive me if you tell me about Larieke's phone call?"
Brett Whitney
"I mean, right here."
Brett Whitney
"Right now?"
Courtney hesitates for a long time before she types again.
Courtney Carr
"Idiot, idiot, idiot!"
Courtney Carr
"You HAD your chance to hear me out at the café."
Courtney Carr
"But no, everything just had to be YOUR way!"
Courtney Carr
"And now you seriously think it's a good time right now?"
Courtney Carr
"When everyone is supposed to go to sleep?!"
Brett Whitney
"I know, I know!"
Brett Whitney
"I know I'm wrong."
Brett Whitney
"Please forgive me!"
Courtney Carr
"Forgive you?"
Courtney Carr
"Seriously?"
Courtney Carr
"After all of those times you had hurt our feelings?"
Courtney Carr
"You know, Brett."
Courtney Carr
"I did forgive you a lot in the beginning."
Courtney Carr
"I'd hoped you'd change eventually."
Courtney Carr
"But I have for a long time stopped taking you seriously."
Courtney Carr
"I know that you can't change yourself."
Courtney Carr
"This time?"
Courtney Carr
"You've crossed the line."
Courtney Carr
"Now please leave me be."
Courtney Carr
"Maybe we'll talk more later, but NOT now."
Courtney Carr
"Good night!"
Courtney quickly signs off Connect2u.
Brett slumps in his chair, feeling beaten.
Suddenly, he sees a familiar name on the laptop screen.
Mizuki Kuba is now online.
Brett quickly "nudges" Mizuki.
Mizuki Kuba
"You couldn't sleep either?"
Brett Whitney
"No, Mizuki-san."
Brett Whitney
"I couldn't."
Brett looks up for a while.
Brett Whitney
I better not tell her that I recently came home.
Brett Whitney
That's just...
Brett Whitney
"Mizuki-chan, I had a talk with Courtney-san earlier."
Brett Whitney
"She was mad at me."
Mizuki Kuba
"I'm not surprised."
Mizuki Kuba
"You were really rude back there."
Brett Whitney
"You all don't have to tell me twice."
Brett Whitney
"I'm so, so, sorry."
Brett Whitney
"I should have taken Courtney-san's thoughts seriously."
Brett Whitney
"I should have let her continue telling us about Larieke's phone call before making my own assessment."
Brett Whitney
"I shouldn't have yelled at all of you."
Brett Whitney
"I shouldn't have made fun of you."
Brett Whitney
"I'm really sorry."
Brett Whitney
"I'm really sorry for my behaviour earlier this evening."
Brett is exhausted after typing feverishly all of his apologies.
He is staring at the screen.
Mizuki starts to type again after at least 5 minutes.
Mizuki Kuba
"I believe you."
Brett Whitney
*Gives a sigh of relief*
Brett Whitney
"Arigato (= Thank you), Mizuki-chan."
Mizuki Kuba
"Daijobu (= It's okay)."
Brett Whitney
"Mizuki-chan, if you don't mind...?"
Brett Whitney
"Did Courtney-san tell you about Larieke's phone call?
Mizuki Kuba
"After you left the café angrily."
Brett Whitney
"Okay um..."
Brett Whitney
"Can you please tell me what the message was about?"
Mizuki Kuba
"Didn't Courtney-chan tell you?"
Brett Whitney
"She was mad at me, remember?"
Brett Whitney
"She said she needed to sleep, so she signed off Connect2u.
Mizuki Kuba
"Well, she wasn't wrong."
Mizuki Kuba
"This IS the wrong time to be talking about rumours."
Mizuki Kuba
"Why do you want to know about it now so badly?"
Brett Whitney
"Well, because..."
Brett Whitney
"I'm also a part of this group."
Brett Whitney
"Anything that happens to anyone in the group is also my concern."
Mizuki Kuba
"You REALLY have calmed down now."
Mizuki Kuba
"Eh, Brett-san?"
Brett's face shines as he sees that Mizuki is joking with him.
Mizuki Kuba
"Since I can't sleep anyway..."
Mizuki Kuba
"I might as well tell you straight away."
Brett Whitney
"Thank you!"
Brett Whitney
"Thank you so much!"
Mizuki Kuba
"Okay, I hope I'll quote the message correctly."
Mizuki Kuba
"The message was: 'The hardworking daughter of Lucy will go head to head with a huge force. Boom! Boom! Afterwards, she will return to Him.'"
Brett looks puzzled and scratches his head.
Brett Whitney
"That's it?"
Brett Whitney
"That's the message Larieke-san got?"
Brett Whitney
"Didn't Courtney-san say anything else?"
Mizuki Kuba
"Apart from analysing the strange message, she didn't say anything else."
Brett Whitney
"Thanks again."
Brett Whitney
"Btw, when did Larieke-san get the phone call?"
Mizuki Kuba
"Yesterday afternoon."
Brett Whitney
"Yesterday afternoon..."
Suddenly, Brett realises something.
Brett Whitney
"Isn't that around the same time the accident happened, although one day before?"
Mizuki Kuba
"It could be."
Brett Whitney
"I was thinking..."
Brett Whitney
"If the rumour is true, then the prediction call will happen exactly 24 hours before the result."
Mizuki Kuba
"None of us have thought about that!"
Mizuki Kuba
"That means, apart from eating and sleeping, we will have less then 24 hours to figure out how to avoid the predicted result!"
Mizuki Kuba
"I have to tell Courtney-chan about it tomorrow."
Mizuki Kuba
"She said she wanted to change her fate and not embrace it."
Brett Whitney
"That sounds much like her."
Mizuki Kuba
"Sorry for asking, Brett-san."
Mizuki Kuba
"But how close are you with Larieke-san and Courtney-san?"
Brett Whitney
"What do you mean?"
Mizuki Kuba
"I can't help but notice that all three of you only use the honorific '-san' towards each other."
Mizuki Kuba
"Is there a specific reason?"
Brett Whitney
"No reason at all."
Brett Whitney
"We don't use honorifics where we come from."
Brett Whitney
"So we aren't very used to them."
Brett Whitney
"I know Courtney-san had been an exchange student at your school before."
Brett Whitney
"Since she normally uses honorifics when talking to Aimi-san and you, both Larieke and I thought it would be best if we did the same."
Mizuki Kuba
"Well, you can stop doing that now."
Mizuki Kuba
"It does feel a bit strange when you - our friend - who isn't used to our culture try to do so."
Mizuki Kuba
"Just call me Mizuki."
Brett Whitney
"And you can just call me Brett."
And so the long and sad night is going to end well since Mizuki has forgiven Brett.
Brett and Mizuki wish each other "Good night" and log off Connect2u after commenting on Courtney's eulogy at Larieke's profile.
Now that the two of them have stopped using honorific towards each other, does it mean that something will happen between them?
But still, the threat of the "phone predictions" are still there...
...If there are such things.
Who will the next recipient be?
And when will next call happen?
Comments