An Ajin and A Criminal

Loss Of A Friend

It's been so long since I've last seen Kei. I understand that he's an Ajin, he needs to hide... I get that. But why from me? What have I done that was so revolting and caused him to run away from me? I lost so many tears to him that night. He called me, he asked me to help him... And yet, he runs off? Why, Kei? I thought we were friends? Just because my dad's a criminal, you ran away, thinking I was going to turn you in? Why? Is there even any use dwelling on it now? Will Kei ever return? Or will he be like my slut called a mother and just disappear forever? I don't want that... Please come back...

"I can keep it out for longer now."
"Stop disappearing..."
"Hey... That's my line..." Kei let out a small, soft sigh as the memo pad in his left hand sagged down beside his torso along with his other arm. His right index finger and thumb housed a small, blue ballpoint pen. The fifth black ghost turned to fleeting black ash as the mindless wanderer rid itself of this reality.

"Why am I so tired?" Kei mumbled, his chapped lips pursuing as he stared up into the sunlight sky, filled with birds and soft, fluffy clouds.

"Perhaps I've eaten too much lunch?" His thoughts became quiet after he had murmured them twice aloud for no one to hear. Will I become energetic again if I regenerate? Red hues darted over to the knife lying against the old wooden shack that he used for Ajin 'experiments' on himself.

"Eh, no harm in trying." Kei walked over silently and gracefully, grasping the hilt of the blade with his right hand after setting the pen down on the luscious green grass. The knife's carbon steel blade felt quite cold against his throbbing neck. Before he began, he hesitated.

...He was wearing his only clean change of clothes.

His maroon shirt read: 'All men are born to gather knowledge'. His blue jeans sat atop his legs. He slipped off his shirt and placed it on top of the dusty but somewhat clean butcher's block. It's not like anyone was around to see.

Kei cocked his arm backwards to increase the distance between steel and skin. He allowed his arm to swing back, like that of a bow, and cut into his neck.

Something made his hand stop once the knife was already halfway through his neck. It was Kai. His soft smile, the way he reached out, his smiley earring, those awkward yellow strands of hair jutting out from atop his head and housing black hair under them. The image made Kei not want to hurt himself.

Silence dominated the thick, humid air for a few still moments as the black ash took over his body and repaired it. Kei was quickly pulled up into a sitting position, panting very softly.

"Kai..."