UTOPIA ✔

Chapter 22 - The Scarlet Sunset

Izumi stood near the cliff and looked at the vast ocean. He stared at the endless scarlet covering the ocean. Everyone was standing behind him, crying for the ones they lost. Crying for Kenji.

'Why...? Why won't you cry...?' Ishita stuttered. 'Why are you like this Izumi? Why are you... so calm right now?'

'Shut up brat' Izumi replied. His voice wasn't the harsh Izumi's voice but it felt dead.

'Why...? WHY ARE YOU SO COLD HEARTED?' Ishita screamed while sobbing.

'Stop... Ishita...' Enna held her hand. Ishita looked at her face. Enna's eyes were red and covered in tears.

'He is gone Enna. Ken is gone' Ishita cried. 'You admired him. You loved him. You thought of him as your family. But now... now he is gone' she said while looking her in the eye. Enna fell on her knees and started crying loudly.

'I KNOW... I KNOW BUT...' Enna cried. She screamed.

'Stop it Ishita!' Eric said. 'Don't make this worse anymore' he grabbed her hand.

She snapped out her hand, 'don't try to lie to yourself Eric. Your face tells everything. You tried to put a stronger mask but you cried. You walked away in the distance and cried. Everyone heard your screams Eric. You admired him too. You wanted to save him too. But him...' she pointed out at Izumi. 'He doesn't even feel a thing. And he was his brother.' She looked away.

'What will you get by making Enna cry and others upset' Izumi said. 'You won't get a damn thing from it' he walked further near the cliff.

'Why you...' Ishita walked forward but Enna held her hand again. Enna shook her head.

'You're wrong' Enna quavered. 'You're wrong' she held her hand tightly. 'The one who's suffering the most is Izumi.'

'How can you say that after watching him so calm, like nothing ever happened? He was his big brother' Ishita fell on her knees.

'You're wrong' Enna wiped her tears. She grabbed Ishita's hand. Ishita stood up and they walked a bit closer to Izumi. Enna looked at Ishita and then at Izumi's face. Ishita looked at his face, covered in scarlet and his eyes red.

Ishita's eyes widened 'He... was crying? His eyes are... completely red and there are marks of his tears under his eyes' she looked at Enna. 'I was wrong. I'm so pathetic' she held Enna's hand tightly.

'Don't' Izumi said. 'He wanted us to remember his smiling face. So there is no way he'll accept everyone breaking down. He saved us. He always was a kind person so remember him like he was.'

'I know' Ishita looked down. Her voice was weak.

'We couldn't do anything. He pulled me out of the darkness and showed me what my dad has done all along. I was angry and frustrated at him and didn't believe in him. Somewhere deep down in my heart I knew that he was telling the truth and I finally realized it' Eric said. He didn't look up. He held himself from breaking down in front of everyone. 'He was a person that wanted to save everyone. Especially me. But not like this.'

'He did what he thought was right. He was someone who will think before doing something reckless. And this time he did it for us. He didn't think twice before giving up his life' Izumi looked back at everyone. 'I'll make this an exception so you can cry your hearts out. After that we'll remember him for who he was' he looked back at the sunset and cried silently 'I'll never forget you, big... brother' he cried silently, under the blanket of the scarlet sunset.