Bocchi the Unforgiven (A Bocchi the Rock AU)

Chapter fourteen - Revenge

I was afraid, I've always been afraid. 

I can't deal with strangers, that's why I never left the house. But the person I'm dealing with now, is completely a stranger to me. Yet I feel like I'm not afraid to face them.

From Nijika to me, it was her wish for me to take down Ryo Yamada, as it is my final challenge.

Ryo's always someone I looked up to, she was always confident in her abilities. She had a "I don't care" ideal which I envied her for, something we all wish we had.

But everything I thought of her changed that day I encountered her in the woods. She was marked as a missing person for more than a year, until me and Kita had found her in the woods. Ryo was a completely different person then, she had the blind belief of me being a criminal. Which I know better now that I'm not.

She attacked me, but Kita saved my life that day. The person that admired Ryo the most, was killed that day.

So now, I push away my fear to face her, this stranger. To avenge one friend, and to fulfill another friend's wish.

——

It didn't take me too long to locate Ryo's location. My last encounter with her was in Greshein Forest, a place that locals say she would be commonly spotted. So that's where I was going to go.

When the clock struck 11:00 PM, when my family was asleep, I knew that's when I had to strike. I headed down to the kitchen where I grabbed two kitchen knives that I was going to use.

Unfortunately, I have no experience with knife fighting, so I had to wish for my best bets for this. I was almost hesitant to go on with this, I was scared. But I knew in my heart I had to do this.

I grabbed the knives and left the apartment, taking the elevator down to the parking lot garage.

Based on what I'm saying, most people would believe that this sounds like a suicide mission, but that's wrong. This time, for once, I want to keep living. I want to wake up in the morning with my family knowing I'm alive, and that none of this happened at all.

I'm not alone on this either, I have Seika with me. It took her by surprise when she heard of my plan, but she agreed with it in the belief that this is revenge. As she believes that Ryo was the one who poisoned Nijika.

I met with her in the garage, her car pulled over and she let me in, the ride to the forest wasn't that far from here.

"Gotoh." Seika said, starting a conversation, "You're the last person I'd expect to do something like this." I understood her words.

She continued, "When I first met you, you were a shy and awkward guitarist. But now you're going to take down the very girl who killed my sister."

I nodded in agreement, "Thank you."

She soon drove me down to the forest, and I was the only one who left the car.

Seika unrolled her window, "Remember, if you ever feel like you're in danger, press the signal on your phone or call me. I have myself and the police to back you up."

I went with this and we exchanged our farewells, I then headed off, preparing to trek through the forest.

I gained an eerie feeling from the forest, it was late at night and not a single sound filled the woods. No animals were out, but I felt like a pack of wolves could jump at me any second.

I started to shiver, but then I looked at my dual knives and my phone in an attempt to reassure my own safety. Then I continued walking through.

The heat of the summer weather overtook me, causing me to sweat, adding even more vulnerability to myself. It made me tired, and it was getting harder to walk. All I could do was pull off my sweater, only leaving a tank top on now.