Academy Murder Party

~:Chapter 61:~

"W-What...?!" Yuki stared at him, stunned.

"He was my twin." Jake sighed. "Probably the only person I was close to..." Jake continued. "When our mom died two years back... my grades started to slip... I just wanted not to be on top of anything anymore. I didn't care... He was the only one there for me.  So... when I told him I was at risk of being a gray... he freaked out." He walked over to the stairs and continued up them, with Yuki following behind him as he spoke. "He told me I couldn't... That I was better than that..." He sighed. "This was our first year at the school, so neither of us knew about the games... when a teacher told me about it... I immediately went to him." Jake said as he reached the top of the stairs. "He immediately encouraged me to do it. He told me that whatever game it was... I'd win it. I believed him." Jake sighed. "I begged him to sign up with me... I told him that he'd be good at it too! He told me he would..."  Jake grunted.

"The game was hide and seek," Jake whispered. "I spent the entire game looking for him. I worried out of my damn mind... I was afraid of losing him. It turns out he was never in the damn game, to begin with. I only found it out after the game was over; of course, now knowing what the game was, I was pissed. Pissed at him for backstabbing me like that."

Yuki raised an eyebrow in confusion but continued listening regardless.

"I asked why he'd leave me alone... why he'd abandon me... and he confessed that he knew it was dangerous... His friends had told him." Jake grunted in resentment. "That only made things worse. I was pissed. I thought he wanted to get rid of me... I wouldn't even listen to him when he tried to explain himself. The worst part was... there was no one else to talk to when I avoided him for months. I couldn't even go to our dad... He started to suspect something was going on between us. I mean, we didn't talk for months! I wouldn't even look at him. I had to keep making excuses every time dad asked."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Yuki asked.

"The school threatened me to keep silent about it... They said that if anything went out about the game... all of us would vanish. Seeing as how they could orchestrate a game like this... I didn't doubt them. They made it clear they've done it many times before." Jake sighed.

"Jesus..."

"Anyway... I eventually got over it, but it was too late. We had grown apart by that point. Even though we weren't nearly as close anymore, I noticed he was changing... He wasn't as outgoing anymore. He didn't seem nearly as happy as he used to be. When the time of the game came around again, I had raised my grades. On the other hand, he hadn't, even though he told my dad and me that he'd try." Jake recalled. "Then, one day, he told me he had already signed up for the game.  I remember it exactly. His face was blank, and his voice was empty... It was just like... he had lost hope." Jake said with a sigh. "He never came back..." He explained to Yuki. The two had walked into a hallway on the second floor and continued.

"Now... seeing this is what he was forced to be in for a year and a half, it all makes sense." He said softly. "My grades started slipping again... I was almost ready to be a gray because I didn't care anymore... until I found something in his room when I decided to go through it. I did this when I felt myself missing him... or I was just bored. Anyway, It was a little note."

Dear Jake

If you're reading this, I'm probably long gone; yeah, I know, a cheesy way to start a note to you. I just wanted to say that I am sorry for what I've done. I don't blame you for not wanting anything to do with me. I was a coward, too scared to follow your lead. I should've been the brother that you deserved to have. I want you to do one last favor for your bro.

Promise me this:

Do not let your grades slip. I don't care if you have to play that stupid game again. You will win. You've done it before. I have faith in you that you can win again!