Immortal (boy x boy)

Part 14

(Haruki's POV)

I wasn't sure how I managed it, but I did end up finding that guy again. It seemed that luck was finally on my side. I couldn't believe I didn't see this before. I could've already been saving Takahiro right now. I shook my head, dispelling those thoughts. That didn't matter. I was going to be on my way soon anyway. That was all that mattered. I thought about a plan as I saw him approaching.

I positioned myself so that he'd run into me. Of course, he didn't see me. He was too busy running with several things of coffee in his arms. I felt bad for him, though. He just wanted to be a good scientist, but he always got stuck with the crappy jobs. And his boss sounded horrible, but I couldn't let pity get the best of me. I had to remind myself why I was doing this. It was for Takahiro. I had no clue what they were doing to him, but if he was with these scientists, it wasn't good. I HAD to save him.

That was when the kid slammed into me again. Luckily, he managed to save the drinks. He glanced up and jerked when he saw my face. "O-oh. It's you again."

"Oh. Hey. Sorry about that. I have a bad habit of zoning out."

He chuckled nervously. "Yeah and I h-have a habit of not paying attention."

"Coffee run?" I asked.

"W-what?" He looked down. "Oh. Yeah. T-they needed something to get through this experiment."

"Well that was nice of you."

"Huh? I-I didn't suggest it. Actually, it...was an order. And the chief would...rather not spend his own money on that kind of thing."

"That sucks." Finally, I had a full plan. It would work perfectly. "Where do you work? Why don't you just go to another lab where they treat you better?"

"W-well, this is the best lab around. Besides....I've been kind of a part of this new experiment. It's....highly classified, so I-I'm not allowed to leave."

I felt bad for him. And I felt bad for prying this information out of him. Maybe, when I went to save Takahiro, I could save him too. "Well, that's stupid. What kind of project could be that important?"

"W-well it's human experimentation. We're trying to keep people from dying a-and our test subject will really help." His eyes widened at his words. "I didn't mean to say that!"

So, my suspicions were right. They did have Takahiro. "Is that even legal?"

"I-I don't know....the chief just said it was top secret. B-but I've heard that his daughter is dying, so he'd do anything to save her." I had no sympathy for that man. Whether or not he had reasons for doing this, I couldn't forgive him. He'd kidnapped my friend and now he was experimenting on him. 

"Just a word of advice, get out of that place. Leave that coffee and go home."

"What? Why?"

"That place is obviously Hell. And you have so much more potential than just being the one who gets coffee for others." I then spun around and walked off. I hoped he'd listen to me. When I broke in there, it'd be bloody. If it was so top secret, they'd definitely put up a fight. I'd try to sneak in, but I doubted that would work. People were going to die and I didn't want him to be one. He may be a part of it, but not willingly. I meant what I told him. He had so much more to give the world and he shouldn't be corrupted by the evil that 'chief' oozed. I could feel it even at the school when he was subdued.

I returned home, gathering some things I'd need. I wrote a short note for my parents, not that they'd care where I was. I doubted they'd even read it. But, I'd feel guilty if I didn't tell them anything. I couldn't exactly tell them the truth, so I'd simply said I'd be gone for a few days. I wondered what they'd do if I died there. Would they be worried when their only son never came home? Would they even notice I was gone? Or would they be glad I wasn't there? I brushed those thoughts aside. If I died, then I was meant to. I couldn't worry about it right now.

Stepping outside, I stared one last time at my house. Would this be the last time I saw it? This place was my sanctuary and my hell. It was where I could finally relax and think, but it was also the place I felt the most alone. It was the source of my loneliness. It was also the source of my hope. No matter how many times my parents turned their back on me, I still hoped they'd one day face me and see me. My entire life had been built up and torn down here. The person I was today was first created here. With a jolt, I realized I wouldn't miss this place. I'd lived my whole life here, but it wasn't my home anymore. I had nothing left for me here but pain.

I put my back to the only home I'd ever known. And finally, the weight left my shoulders. I now knew how Takahiro felt. Thinking you were going to die really got rid of a person's stress. I'd made a lot of mistakes, but they wouldn't matter if I died. If my life were to end in the next few days, I'd have nothing weighing me down. Death was the only thing that fixed everything. Now, I finally understood Hiro. But I wouldn't die yet. I'd fight, because I couldn't give up. I had to save Hiro first. If I died after freeing him, that would be perfectly fine with me. I'd give my life to see him happy. Time was running out and not just to save him. I felt my own clock ticking down. Death was near, I could almost feel it. Suddenly, I remember my 17th birthday was this weekend. Oh, the irony. I'd probably die on the day I was born. What were the odds?