You Lie That Time | NicoMaki

Chapter 9: Homecoming

Maki woke up before dawn. She quickly dressed in a stylish, comfortable outfit appropriate for air travel. When Touma finally awoke on the floor, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he saw her already packed and ready to go.

"Where are you going?" Touma asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"Going back to Japan," Maki answered simply. "My break here is over."

Touma's expression immediately shifted, a flicker of shock and panic crossing his face. "Already?"

Maki nodded, pulling her suitcase closer. "Yes. I need to."

After finishing her final preparations, Maki turned to say a brief farewell to the acquaintance she hadn't truly befriended. "Goodbye, Touma."

She walked toward the door, but before she could open it, Touma shouted, his voice suddenly sharp and desperate.

 "Maki-san! Wait! Come back, I have something important to say!"

Maki hesitated, thinking it might be a request or a final, polite exchange. She stepped back inside the room. As soon as she crossed the threshold, Touma slammed the door shut and locked it with a harsh click. Maki stared at him, noting the strange tension in his body. He was acting completely different. She instinctively took a step back, putting distance between them.

"You can't go back," Touma said, his voice low and possessive. "You can't leave me."

"Touma, what is wrong with you? I don't understand. Let me pass," Maki demanded, her voice firm despite the rising alarm.

"You can't go back there," he repeated, moving slowly toward her. "I'm not letting you see your love interest. You can't go."

Maki's eyes widened in horror. Touma's face twisted into a terrifying, unnatural smile, the grin of a scary villain. His eyes seemed to glow, turning the color of blood-red as he stared, piercing her with that unnatural gaze. Maki spotted a small utility knife on her keyring and quickly pulled it out, pointing the blade at him.

"Don't be like that, Maki-san" Touma purred, his smile widening into a sinister grin. "I just want to be nice."

"Nice? You call this 'nice'?" Maki spat out.

Touma took another step closer. "Maki-san, I just want you to be mine. If you go back, you'll just see that person, and I won't allow that"

When he was within reach, Maki thrust the knife forward. But Touma was reflexive. He grabbed and gripped her wrist, pressing her pulse point until the pain forced her fingers to slacken. The knife clattered harmlessly to the floor. Maki lost her protective weapon. Touma roughly shoved her onto the bed.

"You know, Maki," he hissed, looming over her. "It's not just that I 'like' you. I love you more than that person you love could ever love you, okay? That's why I'm not letting you go to her"

Maki's eyes darted frantically. She saw the heavy decorative vase sitting on the bedside table. In a desperate, split-second move, she lunged, grabbed the vase, and brought it down with all her strength against the side of Touma's head.

There was a sickening thud. Touma gasped, his eyes rolling back as he collapsed onto the carpet with a heavy, bleeding head.

Maki scrambled off the bed, grabbed her suitcase, and ran to the door. She unlocked it and sprinted out, not stopping until she was outside the hotel.

______________________

Maki arrived at the airport a few minutes later, panting heavily. Touma had not caught up to her as he was unconscious back at the hotel.

"Pant*... pant*... I f-finally... escaped," Maki muttered, clutching her side.

A boarding announcement blared overhead, "Japan, Gate 2-A."

Relief flooded her. She quickly boarded the airplane. Sinking into her seat, she felt the reality of her escape set in. 

Back in the hotel room, Touma stirred and woke up. He touched his head, his hand coming away smeared with blood. He ransacked his pockets and found a slip of paper. It was Maki's address.

He smiled, a chillingly calm expression replacing the fury. "You can't escape... my Maki."

FLASHBACK

The night before, while Maki was struggling against the malicious words of 'Nico' in her dream, she had started to cry and shout. Touma had woken her up with a genuinely worried expression.

"Are you okay?" Touma had asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Maki answered, still disoriented.

"You were shouting and crying just now. Are you truly okay?" Touma insisted. Maki nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry."

Touma had then smiled sweetly, "Don't worry, Maki-san, I'm here for you." Maki had then given him the hesitant offer to sleep nearby.

As Maki was sleeping peacefully later that night, Touma quietly woke up. He gently watched Maki for a moment to ensure she was asleep. He then saw a small, folded piece of paper lying beneath the vase on the bedside table. He picked it up and opened it. It was Maki's home address in Japan.

"Found it," Touma whispered, tucking it into his pocket.

The paper was a note Maki had written earlier that day at the fast-food restaurant: "Hey Touma! This is my address. I don't want to give you this, but I better do, because I saw your kind personality"

END OF FLASHBACK

Touma quickly changed into a whirt semi-turtle neck white shirt and dark-gray trouser pants, and a long black trench coat. After checking his bleeding wound, he headed straight for the airport to return to Japan.

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A few days later, Maki finally landed back in Japan. As she walked out of the gate, she saw a familiar figure waiting for her. It was her father.

"Welcome back, Maki," her father greeted her, his eyes warm with relief.

"Yeah, I'm back," Maki said, feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders.

As they settled into the car, her father chuckled. "You've grown up a little, Maki. What's your height now?"

"Umm... 162 or 163 cm," Maki replied.

Her father laughed gently. "What's funny?" Maki asked.

"Nothing. I'm just happy to see my daughter again," he said, turning serious. "Maki, I'm truly sorry that I forced you into that whole situation. I never meant to cause you this much distress. I'm so sorry."

Maki smiled softly. "It's okay, Papa. It's the least I could do."

Maki's father shook his head gently. "Not just this time, Maki... you keep doing everything we asked"

______________

A few minutes later, Maki arrived at Otonokizaka Academy. She walked directly to the school idol clubroom. When she opened the door, a chorus of voices and a blast of confetti erupted inside.

"Welcome back, Maki!" Everyone greeted, shouting their joy.

Maki gasped, tears stinging her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. "Thank you, everyone" she managed to say, flashing her best, most genuine smile before forming a warm, big, and tight group hug.

A few days later

A few days later, a figure emerged from the arrival gates at a Japanese airport.

"Finally, I'm back here," Touma said, a dark smile playing on his lips.

He immediately began his journey toward the address written on the paper in his pocket, Maki's house.