Drums of a Different Song

Chapter 5: Headtrip

Makoto and Sekai walked awkwardly down the morning street in their uniforms, with other students just beginning to join them, on their way to school. Makoto had arrived earlier at Sekai's place to coax her into joining him. She protested at first, not wanting to go or deal with anything that was happening, but because Makoto had not made any advances on her, she changed her mind.

She did not hold his hand, more because she did not want anyone to see and that it might bring about more of her worries. With what they had done, and then Eiichi showing up, things had become so complicated that she just wanted to get away from it all, and she had been coping with the sinking guilt that she had betrayed someone she use to call a friend.

"Katsura-chan hasn't been texting much lately," Makoto started.

Sekai use to receive texts from Kotonoha, but they stopped some days ago. She used to ask her to lunch so many times that it had all just become agonizing. Sekai had stopped looking at her phone for the past two days. When Makoto texted her that morning, she hadn't noticed, but he arrived anyways.

"I wonder, if maybe, she's finally starting to back off. Maybe, she finally understands."

Sekai was silent. She did not want to deal with this right now, she just wanted to get through the day. However, she knew this would be impossible.

***

"Kuzoka-kun, you're here early."

Eiichi had been waiting for Kotonoha at the school gates, leaning against the wall in the morning light.

"Yeah, funny right?" this was not regular for him, but this time he had a reason for being here. "Hey, are you feeling alright today?" He didn't know why he was asking, he could already tell if she was or not.

"Yes, why?" he could tell this felt off to her.

"Oh it's nothin', I just wanted to make sure," he was only looking at her, but his mind was scanning every corner of her output, looking for anything amiss.

"You're acting very strange today, Kuzoka-kun..."

"Oh, ya think?" he scratched the back of his head, "I guess staying inside the last few days has made me a little jumpy."

"As long as you're alright... Oh, Torio sent me a message about some recipes on this website, I tried making one of them for today. He says he would like me to come over for another visit so he can teach me..."

While Kotonoha was talking, Eiichi had just noticed a disturbing sight.

Across the walkway, he could see Makoto and Sekai walking to class together, and they could see Kotonoha and him. They had stopped and were staring at them, looking like what they were seeing was just as appalling as their own misdeeds.

To Eiichi, they looked like walking corpses. Makoto's school uniform was riddled with stab wounds, Sekai was bleeding from a slash in her throat, her stomach cut wide open, with a complementary decoration of hanging entrails.

He blinked and they were normal again. They walked off, holding their stares, and then continuing through the gate.

"Kuzoka-kun, are you listening?" Kotonoha's voice faded out of the background.

"Y-Yeah!"

"You're pale!" she leaned in very close, making him seize up. "Did you get enough rest? You should go back home."

"Nah, I'm-I'm fine," with her face that close he probably wasn't pale anymore, his cheeks felt very warm against the cool autumn air.

"That's what you always say, and you never are."