INFERNO ( the GazettE Tale )

Chapter 18 : Crucial Misdeed

She stilled, frozen as she stare on the white paper where Reita's other mission's name was scribbled. When everything settled from her chaotic mind, she crumpled the paper in her fist and hugged Reita even more tightly.

"No. No...You don't have to kill this person."

He was silent for a while and slightly loosened his grip on her. "I don't have a choice, Aika. Even before, I don't have a choice. He's suspicious because I haven't.... you..." He groaned and pulled her to him, securing her tightly around his arms, burying his face on her stomach.

They fell quiet, both thinking of how to get out of this mayhem that they fell down together. Yet, both were sinking into the warmth that they were giving for each other.

The next day was in favor for Aika's wish for it to be "normal". Well, she thought it was.

She was relieved that Reita hadn't gone out the school like what he did yesterday and he looked like he had no intention on leaving her there too. They stayed at the rooftop and ate the bento she did this morning. He laughed when his food looked like panda's face.

"Don't you dare make fun of my panda again!" Aika warned when Reita was about to say something.

He chuckled then shook his head right before he took a bite on his rice ball. They continued to talk about each other, mostly about Aika and her friends until the bell rang. The class resumed and they head back home still laughing at each other's craziness.

It was "normal" until Reita stood up from the couch where they were watching early that night.

"I have to go somewhere, I'll be back soon. Go to sleep, Don't wait for me." Reita smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. When he turned back he looked back at her again.

"Tora will be looking after you, don't worry." When he disappeared right then, Aika glanced at the digital clock on the stand next to her showing it was 8:34 in the evening.

With a rapid pulsing she turned the television down and head to the dining table. She remembered she threw that paper somewhere there. When she looked over near the curtain she saw the crumpled paper near the corner. She picked it up and shrugged a coat and head out of her apartment.

She wasn't sure if she was doing right, but she wanted to make sure that he won't be there, that he won't do such a thing. Her breathing hitched when she arrived at the train station. She bought a ticket with sweaty palms. The whole ride to her destination was her, contemplating what to do when she got there, if she got there. Another whole new anxiety woke her sleeping tension; she looked around finding a suspicious person and try to stay away from them as possible as she could.

Then she remembered Tora. She groaned and leaned her head against her seat as she look outside the window. What if Tora got there and found her missing? He will report to Reita for sure, right? What if Reita was already back? What if this suspicion wasn't right? What if he already got to that person and....

She shook her head rapidly. "Reita won't do that... Reita won't do that..." She repeated like a mantra, trying to normalize her breathing, trying to convince herself.

Aika stopped from walking in front of a three storey white house. There were plants, vines curled up all over the wall that was designed elaborately. It was beautiful. The wide gate with different carvings on the gold plated metallic bars separated her from the elegant house inside. She was at the right address as she looked back down the paper.

With a shaking hand, she rang the door bell. She didn't wait that long when a woman in her late thirties walked down the gate, she had a smile on her face when she opened it for her.

"Hey, How may I help you?"

Aika smiled and tried to put on a nice act. "Hi. Is Mio there?"

"What do you want from my daughter?"

" I'm from her school."

"Oh." She frowned like she didn't like the idea she was from Mio's school. "She's with her friend at the playground." That's all the woman said and locked the gate before she walked back to the two door entrance.

"Playground?" Aika murmured, her brows pulling together. Her heart beat more than necessary when she realized Mio was a kid. A girl. She looked back at the crumpled paper with the kid's information on it, it was staring back at her like it was mocking her. She fisted it in her hand and ran towards the sign three blocks from her where it says the place where she needed to go.

She was breathless when she reached the play ground, it was already dark and the only light was coming from a distant post. She spotted a little boy playing with cars on the ground, smashing some of them together while making sounds of crushes and bombs through his little mouth.

Aika walked to him with a smile, hiding the anxiety that there was no little girl in sight. "Hey there!"

The little boy looked up at her and blinked as he waited for her to speak more. He'd stop from playing with his toys.

"Uhmm... What's your name?" She squatted down beside him and made an effort to widen her smile.

"Suki, but my real name is Satsuki, they call me Suki. My mommy and daddy calls me Suki." He looked at her innocently and he continued to play again.

"Okay, Suki... I'm Aika." She smiled, and he repaid it with an acknowledgement smile.

"Do you know Mio?" At this time, her breathing halted until the little boy answered.

"Yeah! She went to the tunnel with the guy. I don't want to go with them, they said it's dangerous there." He said pouting and she wanted to break out.

"Do you know where the tunnel is? I need to talk to them." She said, more desperate to ran and follow them.

The boy pointed his little pointing finger towards south east. "The tunnel is there, it's dark though, I don't think you can see it at this time. You must wait for the sun to come up."

She smiled at him forcefully and patted his head. "I will. Thank you Suki, you take care okay?"

With Suki shouting good bye to her she was already running towards the direction where he pointed. She hoped the guy wasn't Reita. She hoped nothing happened. She hoped she wasn't late.

As the street became darker and darker she saw a silhouette of a guy walking forward with his head down. She squinted her eyes to see clearer and as a post suddenly flicker open and the silhouette was now clearer and recognizable, she froze.

Reita was walking slowly, his head bowing down refraining anyone to see his face, Aika gasped loudly when she saw his right hand was dripping some blood down the ground.

He heard someone and titled his head up slowly to look who was there. His eyes widened when he saw her with her hands covering her mouth. He looked away hurriedly and fisted his hand that was covered with blood. He couldn't look at her, he couldn't bring his self to reach towards her and touch her.