Slight Disorder (An OHSHC Story)

Connection

"What...?" Was the only word I could utter at that moment. My older sister had finally broke down, tears dripping off her chin.

"They died, Jun. It happened a week after I left Grandpa's house," Maika stopped to sniffle a little. I handed over some tissues, earning a small 'thanks' in return.

"I never told Izumi and Maya that I was leaving the next day. They came over just as I was about to leave the house. We ended up arguing and Izumi said he would never forgive me. The few days after that I kept thinking back to Izumi's words. I realized how wrong I was, and how I should be the one apologizing. It was just that simple; find out where the Asao siblings stayed during the summer, go over there and apologize. I just wanted to say sorry."

Her sniffles grew louder and so did her sobs.

"It... h-happened that morning of the trip. I was in the living room, all ready to leave when... when..." Maika shivered as she choked.

"When...?"

"... I saw the news... of an apartment building in Shizuoka collapsing. It was the Etheria Towers incident happening at that time..."

Etheria Towers incident, there's no one in Japan who would ever forget that gruesome tragedy of six years ago. An eighty-four floors building towering in Japan, it was considered one of Japan's most beautiful apartment building. Anyone living there would be living in paradise. However, God decided that everything must come to an end.

All it took to destroy Japan's 'paradise' was a flaw in the design. One of the support beams had given way leading to total disaster. Only a handful survived that horrible disaster, the remaining eight hundred residents still trapped and dead underneath the building. A certain loss was felt from all of Japan after the incident was made known worldwide. Until now, remains of the once-gorgeous building stayed onJapan's green landscape, a reminder of the greatest architectural disaster in history.

I didn't cry when I saw it on TV, I was too young at that time to understand anything. However, now that I seen that vision, that vision of Izumi torn away from his sister, tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I understood what lead to that painful memory. Pain struck the very depths of my heart, resonating too loudly for myself to bear.

It was just too depressing for words to describe. Paradise collapsed too easily, ending the lives of hundreds of people just like that. Leaving behind nothing but scattered pieces of Japan's dark history, making up that one chapter of darkness.

Grief was the only thing left after immeasurable pain.

"Why... it's just..." I couldn't find the words to say.

"Terrible, I know..." Maika sniffled, "I cried for days, thinking how I could never see them ever again. That was, until that incident  three years ago."

I didn't have to ask, I already know what she was talking about.

My first time switching with Ren.

"What... about it?"

"Ever since that time, I couldn't help but wonder if your other personality... really is  your other personality..."

"What?!" I leaned forward in shock. The one main thing I believed in to explain this whole Ren phenomenon, that one thing I could stay sane  by learning of it...

Maika... was denying that?!

"What are you talking about?!" I couldn't help but yell in disbelief. Maika looked toward the side, avoiding my stare.