To the End.

Prologue

"So I have to question. Was this in the master plan?"

The driver of the black 2013 Crown Toyota sang to himself as his fingers tapped against the steering wheel in rhythm with the drums. His eyes were focused on the long road in front of him. Where he was going, he didn't know. All he knew was that it was time to get away because Sakai-shi, Osaka was no longer where he needed to be. He supposed that it wasn't so much of a matter that he didn't want to be there as it was that he couldn't be there. Before long, everything would be found out. After so long, it was about time --he supposed. After all, secrets couldn't be kept forever. It was simply impossible. Someone was bound to come along and stumble upon something that'd expose even the most private and secretive person's skeletons.

He smiled to himself.

He hadn't told anyone where he was going or that he was even leaving. It didn't necessarily matter. The few people that he spoke to wouldn't have noticed if he left, and he'd be surprised if they did. It wasn't like they were good friends but mere acquaintances instead. They were people Kazuki only greeted if they greeted him first. If he'd ever ran into them, the chances of him ever stopping to have a conversation were very slim. Kazuki was simply a private person who preferred not to form friendships with people. Having people in his life only led to problems, and he didn't need more issues at the moment. He was right when he told himself that relationships of any kind were a problem and not for him, and he'd proven it the moment he met her. Her. That damn woman who ruined everything.

Thump. Thump.

The male's hand instantly moved over to turn up the volume of the music as he let out an irritated sigh. That sound was going to drive him crazy if it didn't stop soon. The thumping was continuous after an hour's worth of driving. It was the last thing he wanted to hear at the moment. It kept interrupting his thoughts, and right now was a time when he needed to think the most. He'd left home abruptly without even the slightest bit of a plan. There were no plans of where he was headed or where he'd stay. He hadn't thought that far ahead, and it was stupid of him to just up and leave so suddenly.

But with her around, there was no choice.

Maybe he'd be stereotypical and head toward the oh-so-beloved Tokyo, but a popular area didn't hold his interest. There were too many people around, and a busy city would only get on his nerves. Perhaps he could head further away to somewhere like Aomori, but he couldn't possibly drive over twelve hours without taking breaks in between.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His hands curled around the steering wheel. His patience was beginning to wear thin. That sound. It just wouldn't stop. Even with the music playing loudly, he could still hear it. It was almost as if it had gotten louder.

"That's enough, Shioko."

Without a second thought, Kazuki's foot slammed on the brakes, and the car suddenly halted. Behind him he could hear a hard thud and the sound of a muffled scream, but he ignored it as he turned off the music and sat silently. One more sound. That's all it was going to take. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but one way or another he was going to make her shut up. Finally.

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*a/n - I'm sorry that this is so short and vague, but I didn't want to write too much and accidentally give away more details than necessary. I promise that it'll all come together and make more sense as the story progresses. I'll be working on the first chapter as soon as possible, so please stick with me.