Killing Yuki

Chapter 1.8 - A Stranger at the Funeral

There was also his curiosity about how things would develop from there. He wanted to know the lady's intentions and plans and how he could stop her. 

Unable to approach the front again, Yuki observed from a distance, swiftly gazing off whenever he felt the lady flicking in his direction. 

Even as the ceremony ended and the guests started to disperse, his target stayed at the couple's tail, keeping a safe distance to avoid getting caught. 

He began to move, opting for the alternate route to the exit. Although this path was slightly longer, it enabled him to approach from the rear.

He preferred this approach because walking past the lady was too risky. Nobody could predict her reaction if she felt she was being pursued, and things could get messy if she had a weapon. 

Yuki learned from experience not to trust people exhibiting malevolent traits, as they wouldn't hesitate to harm anyone if backed into a corner. 

Also, there were fewer obstacles along that route, which made it easier to keep an eye on them unseen regardless of their direction. If the lady's movement changed, he would know.

Yuki was itching to call out to the couple and warn them about their stalker, but he restrained himself. Not only was he still too far away and couldn't come to their rescue if their stalker suddenly charged them, but he also didn't want to be mistaken for the villain. 

He had seen similar situations in action movies, where the one who alerted others often ended up in police custody while the real culprit walked away scot-free. He wasn't about to make things complicated, especially because he was also in trouble himself.

"Please go elsewhere. Please go elsewhere," Yuki prayed.

He knew that once the couple managed to get in their vehicle and drive away, the lady would lose her chance to pursue them. Therefore, it was likely that she would attack them before they could reach the parking lot. 

This is why it would be wiser for the couple to go elsewhere first, at least before Yuki could intercept.

Finally, Yuki made it to the parking lot. A few cars lined up between him and the couple. Behind them was the lady closing in fast. Yuki sprinted through the aisle to catch up. 

The couple was facing away, chatting in front of their car, and unable to see him approaching from behind. The wife waved at an older lady from a distance, seemingly telling her they had to go. 

The older lady reciprocated the gesture and bade farewell to the attendees she was talking to. They were all oblivious to the impending clash between two opposite forces in front of them.

The lady still seemed unaware of Yuki's presence and plan to stop whatever she was scheming. Yuki was thinking of catching her off guard. Maybe in confusion, she'd be forced to retreat. 

As luck would have it, he managed to reach the couple first. He then swiftly positioned himself in front of them, casting a stern glance at the lady as a warning to deter her from getting any closer.

The lady hesitated, seemingly contemplating her next move and how to bypass Yuki. Suddenly, a sharp pain surged through Yuki's back, followed by the mysterious draining of all his energy. Before he could grasp what was happening, he found himself on the ground, wheezing for air.

"Wait, what's going on?"

He couldn't figureout who had attacked him or how they had done it. He was certain the lady wasin front of him and couldn't possibly have hurled anything from behind. 

Thecouple? Probably. But why would they do that? The last thing Yuki saw beforethe world turned dark around him was the couple inattentively standing next tohim and the lady gradually walking into the frame, staring at him with a lookof rage.