Impending Devotion

Chapter Nine

Four months have passed by after Saito-senpai's death, there were three more so called 'suicides' that took place within that time frame as well. All three of the victims were male, and all three of them had confessed to me. The reason to why they did it was unknown, but all were assumed to be a taking of one's own life.

Others haven't seemed to notice anything and thought that something was really up with the victims. But it didn't seem that way to me anymore...

I was utterly convinced that these deaths happened because of my psychopathic boyfriend, Takabayashi Kei.

He even didn't let me attend school for almost a week one time, and tried to keep me confined in the comforts of my own room! He didn't even let me walk out my apartment door, since he either locked it up from the outside, or always caught me when I tried to escape.

Kei wasn't giving me much freedom at all. He was going too far.

It's just a week more until school's out, and we're throwing our class a little post-graduation celebration in one of our rich classmate's house. He had thrown us a pool party, even though we were still going to be third years next year. Every section in our year level was invited to his party, and any other year level who dropped by, was then invited inside as well to have fun along with us.

I didn't hear from Kei about him wanting to attend the party, but I didn't tell him that I would be attending either. I have my own rights too!

I just went with my girl friends, Rika and Kasumi. We had some girl to girl bonding time. The three of us decided to hang out by the pool area and chat along with whoever wanted to talk with us. It was fun, I felt relaxed for once.

But I had to speak too soon. Shortly after, Kei arrived at the scene, he looked calm, like his usual self with a sincere smile, and came in to kiss my cheek. Or... So I thought...

He just came in to whisper to me, "You didn't tell me you were going to attend the party. Are you keeping things from me now?"

His voice sounded intimidating, but I had to act tough, I tried to pout and retort to him, "Well... You didn't tell me you were coming either!"

"I texted you fifteen minutes ago and if you wanted to go or if you were there." he said nonchalantly. I then looked to my phone and saw that he did message me more than fifteen minutes ago with those same messages. I felt guilty, but also afraid.

"I'm sorry, I just now noticed my phone, and I wanted some girl time with Rika and Kasumi."

Kei then heaved out a small sigh, followed by a tiny smile as he then placed his hand on my head to pet it, "Alright, but tell me these things too, alright?" I nodded, and he left me with my friends to go and talk with other people at the party too.

After hours of partying, we decided to call it quits. I couldn't find Kei anywhere, so I just decided to text him. 'Hi Kei! Rika, Kasumi, and I are tired from the party, so we're gonna head home. I also want the girls to stay over at my place for a slumber party, okay?'

Minutes later, he replied, 'Alright, you girls have fun. I'll be leaving now as well. Be safe. I love you!'

So he was still at the party? Where though?

I then let my wondering slide, and just concentrate on going home.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Inside my apartment, after eating dinner and preparing for the evening, the three of us decided to huddle up and grab out some girly magazines and read each others horoscopes or luck in love and all that cliche girly stuff.

Then Rika starts to ask me something with a serious face, "Yuicchi? Do you really think those guys who confessed to you really did commit suicide?" I began to grow silent.

"Yeah?" seconded Kasumi, "I don't think they would. Like, why would they wanna die, days after confessing to you? It's not like they had serious problems now, did they?" she tried to laugh it off. But I was really silent. "Yui-chan?"

I did my breathing exercises and looked around the entire room and explain things to them in a low voice. I didn't know why I was being very secretive in my own home, but I was just feeling paranoid and the feeling didn't faze somehow.

"Ricchan, Kasumi-chan... I don't know how to say this, but I have a strong feeling that the cause of these deaths... Were by one person..."

"Who?"

"I am 97% sure that it's Kei."

"Ke-" Rika tried to yell, but I instantly cover her face with a pillow and shushed her.

"Not so loud! I don't want him to take you guys away from me as well."

Both of them were shocked to how serious I was being right now. Sure I may seem paranoid, but they believed me. They know how scary Kei can be when he's angry, but they just somehow had a little doubt that Kei could even kill people.

"Sure, Takkun can be scary when he's seriously pissed off, but he's not that insane to actually kill someone right?!" Rika laughed.

"Right. Right! Takabayashi-kun just seems too nice a guy to ever hurt anyone. I mean, he is a looker too!" purred Kasumi, which the three of us ended up laughing in.

"Hey now, remember Kei's my boyfriend~!" I chimed in.

"Haha! I know, I know. Was just stating out facts there!"

The night then dragged on as we continued to talk more about life and boys. I don't know what I would be without these two with me. Both of them truly are true friends. We always help each other out, and there's no back stabbing.

Rika is always bright and bubbly, which makes her fun to hangout with. She might act dumb at times, but she's the smartest among us close friends, which makes her very reliable.

Kasumi is the one who always tries to find ways out of crucial problems in life and has a very understanding heart, which makes her very independent and a caring friend.

I am very lucky to have met friends like these. We were even close friends in first year before they even knew that I was the daughter of a famously-rich CEO. They also might've changed how they treated me after hearing that, but I told them to stay themselves and treat me as someone normal. Luckily, they did, and we got along just fine from there.

The both of them were friends from their middle school days though, so they knew each other longer than I have. But it's fine, as long as nothing changes for the three of us, I am content and reassured with that.

It's hard to find friends like them in today's world.