ᴡᴇᴀᴋᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴠᴇɴɢᴇᴀɴᴄᴇ | ᴅᴀᴢᴀɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ✔️

XXXV: A Fragment

No... I have heard this before.

You thought but disregarded since it could be something Hotaru told you about before.

You examined her pink apron. The logo... you've seen it somewhere. "Two cups of your signature coffee, and some treats for the puppies as well," Hotaru requested. "Oh, about getting a room, they're all reserved at the moment, so if you could please wait for one of..." she trailed off as one customer came from one of the rooms.

"Oh, looks like we've got one empty room for you!" She commented, you looked at the customer who stood next to you when he pulled out his wallet.

He was as tall as you, maybe slightly taller. He wore a greenish leather jacket with black jeans. What really stood out in his appearance is his shoulder-length ginger hair. "How much would that be? Room 26 by the way," he asked.

His voice, wait, that hair. You wondered about the possibility that it all could be some sort of Deja vu. But how? Everything that happened today was the result of Deja vu?

"Okay, thank you for coming," the girl said, smiling wide. The boy nodded at her, then glanced at Hotaru. They both exchanged smiles, and he was on his way out of the shop.

"This way, follow me," the girl guided both of you.

"That boy, do you know him?" You asked. There was hesitation in his eyes, but he answered anyway. "Ah... He's just some guy that I have seen around here... multiple times," you took in that answer, wondering why the memory of them knowing each other was already familiar in your mind.

You both sat in the room, and your order soon came as well. "I'm pretty sure I came here before," you mumbled. It was quiet, you were sure he heard you, but he didn't say anything in return. The puppies then came in and the waitress handed you the treats.

The thought of the memories haunted you again as you played with the puppies.

"How long have you been working here, Yn-san?"

"Did you say something?" You asked. "No, I didn't say anything," Hotaru replied, too busy playing with the puppies.

I must be hallucinating, there are things that I know, but never did at the same time. Your thoughts took control of you as you mindlessly gave the puppies some treats. "Oh, mom's calling, I'll be outside. Those puppies are cute, but they sure can be loud," he chuckled, walking out of the room.

You were playing with the puppies when your phone buzzed in your pocket. You pulled it out to see an incoming message from someone.

Agent 7: 'photo'

"Who's that?" You asked yourself, unlocking the phone and looking at the image. It was a picture of a computer monitor. It was turned off, and you could see the reflection of someone doing a peace sign. You looked closely at the person; it was blurry you couldn't tell. A voice message was sent after.

"Hello agent 4, I am back again in my evil lyerrrrr ready to uncover the secrets of the universe!!"

That voice, Your mind took a few moments to realize who that was. Then, you remembered what you've seen in your dream. You pressed on the call icon, not believing what your eyes and ears have witnessed.

You pressed the phone closely to your ear to tune out the sounds of the puppies. You stood up after the second ring, passing back and forth, waiting for him to respond.

The line then opened, but only the rustle of noise was there. "Hello?" He replied. It's him... it's Kenta... with eyes filled with tears, you couldn't understand why you were crying. It was just a dream, he didn't die after all.

It was only a dream.

"Hellooo?" He called again. You wiped your tears quickly so Hotaru wouldn't see you crying when he came in. "Hey! How are you?" You said, managing a reply.

"Nothing much. Is... there something you wanted?" He asked, hesitant. "Uh, nothing really. Thought I would just ... check on you," you said, throat feeling sore.

The burned phone, the memory came to your mind, or was it just a fragment of the dream?

Kenta started talking about what he was planning to do after finishing his work, but your mind flew back to the dream. You remembered how your phone was burned to erase evidence of... you didn't know.

But you also knew your phone was destroyed, along with Kenta' s voice messages, and videos.

"Kenta, can we meet somewhere now?" You asked, interrupting the telling of his plan for the day. It was when Hotaru came in again. "Now? I have work that needs to be done though," he said. You didn't say anything, realizing he could be doing work for the Jackals. However, Kenta noticed how your silence could have meant it was important.

"Fine, I'll meet you within an hour at the bridge," he said, closing the line. I shouldn't have told him to come, you thought as another memory flooded into your mind; it was this room in the puppies' café. You remembered standing up and picking Kenta's call, it was the day he died in your dream. The fragment of the dream was still hazy, but you knew other people were in the room as well. You just couldn't tell who.

You told Hotaru about meeting Kenta by the bridge, and so both of you played with the puppies and talked through that hour.

You walked toward that bridge after getting out of the car with the feeling that it might be fake.

There was a little voice in your mind telling you that you were too delusional to see him again. The feeling and grief in the dream was rubbing off too much on you, so seeing him was the only way to erase that feeling.

And there he was, gazing at the moving river. The sounds of people toned out as you looked at your dear friend. He stood there, watching where the line of the river ended, his mind being somewhere far away.

You walked up to him. He waved at you when he saw you approaching. You knew your brother would question it, Kenta would, and everybody passing would as well, but you didn't care.

You went for a hug, knowing you never thanked him before. You were not into physical touch, and everybody knew it, but god it felt so long since you have seen him.

Your mind wouldn't erase the coming fragment of the dream; the memory of wrapping your arms around his head as he laid on your lap, blood trickling on your clothes, his cold skin; him dead in your hands.

It feels real, what is happening?

Your intrusive thoughts drained as you heard his fast heartbeats. He was nervous, scratch that, he was a flustered mess when you broke from that hug. His cheeks flushing red, his ears as well.

"Wah... what was that for??" He said, covering some of his face with the back of his hand. He glanced back at your brother.

"Did you know she was gonna do that?!" Kenta stammered his words out. "No bro, not into that shit! I would have sat in the car if I knew y'all would have that kind of talk!" Your brother replied, flustered as well.

You laughed, you laughed so hard you felt as if your stomach was going to burst open. They both looked at you in disbelief.

You don't remember when it was the last time you laughed from the heart like that. The sound of the river passing, the people walking on the bridge. That atmosphere... it wasn't some place new in your mind.

Then you heard the laughs of someone nearby. It wasn't your brother's laugh, nor Kenta's.

It was someone else's.