Chapter 41: December the 13th

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It was Friday, the day Hideaki's sinister birthday surprise for Seiji was set to unfold.

Seiji was still at work with Ken, who had been roped into the plan as both co-organizer and guest. Meanwhile, Hideaki busied himself transforming the apartment. Dark decorations draped over every piece of furniture, the lights dimmed, and the cake - a grisly Black Forest monstrosity - sat ominously on the table. The apartment was like a scene from a horror movie, complete with torn curtains casting eerie shadows. All that was missing was blood - splattered over walls, floor, and furniture to complete the macabre look.

Hideaki scrolled through recipes for fake blood. "One tablespoon of water, one tablespoon of glycerin, gelatin, food dye... ugh! This is too complicated!!! It would be easier for me to use real blood! ...Wait a moment..." His lips twisted into a grin as a dark thought surfaced. "Why waste energy on crappy chemical stuff when I can get real blood myself!? Hehehehehe!!" Chuckling to himself, he slipped out onto the balcony, his gaze sweeping the street below.

A wrinkled, elderly woman shuffling by caught his eye. Perfect.

"That old hag wouldn't have lived long anyway! Hehehe!!"

He quickly took his winter jacket, put on boots and climbed down carefully from balcony to the pavement.

Moments later, in a shadowy corner between buildings, a crimson glow emanated from Hideaki's hands, and with a flick of his fingers, the woman collapsed, bleeding out on the pavement. A few passersby noticed, some screaming, others pulling out phones. Hideaki muttered a curse under his breath, irritated by the attention. "Tch! She's drawing a fucking crowd. Guess I'll need to find someone else." He checked the time on his phone and the sky above him. 'Nearly dark. Even better.' on his face appeared a wide sadistic smile.

Under the cover of dusk, Hideaki struck again and again, with a help of his bloody weapons to not draw much attention to his hiding place, leaving trails of panicked onlookers as he collected fresh blood in a bucket. Each kill was a thrill, a twisted game. He chuckled to himself, the thrill of his "hunt" distracting him from every other worry.

Eventually, he tore himself away, bucket in hand, his face still lit with that deranged excitement. "Enough," he muttered, returning to the apartment. With a gleeful flourish, he splattered blood across the walls, the floor, and even the furniture, until the rooms looked like the set of a slasher movie.

Hideaki stood back, admiring his work, his laughter filling the air. "Hehehe! This will be a birthday Seiji never forgets."

***

After work, Seiji and Ken were leaving the building together when Ken suddenly spoke up.

"Uh... Seiji, listen, could I come over to your place today?"

Seiji glanced over, mildly surprised. "Hm? Didn't you already have plans with Rika?"

"Well... things have been rough with her lately. I just need a break, you know?"

Seiji nodded, his tone pragmatic. "If that's the case, then come over. Sometimes space helps."

Ken grinned. "Thanks. You're really saving me here."

The two made their way toward the subway. Midway, Ken's phone buzzed with a message from Rika:

"Hey! I'll be a little late for the party. My boss needs me to stay a bit longer."

Ken quickly replied, "Aw, dang. Alright. Hope you can still make it!"

"I'll try!"

Ken sighed after reading her reply.

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