tick tock: exploration of love's end | Nanami Kento x OC

V

-p a g e 05-

Riko died.

It has been a year and ever since what happened way back in the underground chamber, Umi felt herself growing more and more exhausted by the minute, as all her energy was drained completely. She wasn't her anymore.

She lay in her bed, her mind racing with catastrophic thoughts. She was lost in a spiral of self-doubt and worry, unable to escape the cycle of negativity that had taken hold of her. It was my fault. It was my fault that Riko died. It was my fault for surviving until now.

The more she thought, the worse she felt. It was like a never-ending battle, a war within her own mind that slipped further and further into distress, consumed by the darkness within her mind.

Umi, get yourself the fuck together.

She mumbled, reminding herself that her indefinite negative emotions would leak and scattered around as it would manifest into powerful cursed spirits — These species would attack naive and helpless people. It was unsettling to imagine and witness horrible consequences. If this continues, I will be the cause of everyone’s tragedy. And she didn't want that to happen.

Masamichi was aware of her current condition and wanted to help her in some way, but Umi refused to take any help. She had her worse and would handle this situation by herself alone again. Her only request was to take the long suspension despite not breaking any rules that her teacher reluctantly accepted.

She missed out on every mission that her classmates had. Because of her long absences, it felt like they were three 1st year students to begin with, not four students at all. Umi can only do now was to stroll around the school and isolate herself whenever her classmates were around. Just like that, her old habit never died.

She took a seat on the bench alone under the cherry blossom tree as the cool breeze turned greeted her, likely mocking her being here. Her eyes gazed up at the clear expanse of the sky as it began to fill with white clouds. The cherry tree blossoms above her, slowly buds to bloom, watching the petal drift lazily from the branches above her.

Ah, I missed them…

The memories of her friends came rushing back to her, the times they had together, the laughter and the love they shared in this place. But as the memories played out in her mind, a sense of fear crept in. What if I hurt them? What if these happy times ended just as they had before, in pain and heartbreak?

Umi closed her eyes tight, the memories still playing out behind her eyelids. She wanted so badly to hold on to them, to never let them go. But the fear was too strong, too real. She knew that, in the end, she would eventually end up hurting them.

She sat there for a long moment, the memories and the fear battling within her. Finally, she opened her eyes and was greeted by the presence of her classmates, gazing down on her.

“How long was it? Half of a month?” Misako asked as she took a seat beside Umi, taking off the petals on her head and allowing her to rest on her lap. “You know it was pretty long for you to distance yourself from us.”

So, they noticed at all. Her head rested on Misako's lap while gazing at Yu and Kento, who were just standing distance from the bench.  She couldn’t say anything when she found herself guilty.