Budo x Ayano

Chapter 19

After that long awkward "staring contest" we went our separate ways before the bell rang. My bloody old uniform and knife was still in my bag, and I was planning to dispose of it after school ended, at 3:30 P.M. Which I did, ignoring all the jeers of the delinquents. Dropping the evidence into the incinerator, I walked out to hear more jeers from the delinquent. Didn't they have anything better to do? I was tempted to just whirl around and argue with them, but instead grumbled under my breath, "Stupid guardians of the incinerator...."

Budo's POV

Maya did not come today. Or the next day. Or the rest of the week, for that matter. It was hard not to get suspicious of Ayano. Then one day we heard the announcement that Maya had gone missing, and that her parents were still looking for her. I feel almost certain that it's Ayano now. Then why don't you just report her? Why'd you help her hide the evidence that one time? Why are you friends with a murderer? Those little questions in my head that I had tried to push away all this time, resurfaced. But honestly, I don't know why myself.

And that's what scares me.

The only question was, if she did kill Maya, why would she do it? What did she have to gain from killing an innocent person? Now that I thought these thoughts over and over, maybe it's not right for me to accuse her just yet without any solid proof. She could be totally innocent and I would have thought she was a murderer for no reason. Call it instinct, but I just have a feeling. Not only that, but when did Maya's death first happen? It must have been some time before the announcement. So many questions, and unfortunately no answers.

Ayano's POV

It was finally Friday, and as everyone finished up in the martial arts club and was prepared to go home (in which I could feel the gazes of most likely Juku, Sho, Mina, and Shima on my back). Budo and I shared one last suspicious glance at each other before parting ways. When I was home at long last, I took a quick shower and stayed up late, watching a movie since I could wake up whenever I want. At some point I the movie, I had dozed off....

Ahh. What a beautiful day...

The sky was a pretty blue color, without a single cloud in the sky to cover the glaring sun. I could feel myself sitting on a chair with a small, round table with two drinks to my left.... wait, two? Looking over, I saw Budo lost in his own world, staring at nothing. As if magically noticing my presence the moment I looked at him, he glanced over at me and gave a gentle smile. It could not have been anymore perfect.

Then suddenly the smile gruesome. Looking over, I saw its face become distorted, black circles where the eyes should've been, and white as snow skin. "Did you really have no regret killing her? Not even one thought of regret nor guilt has crossed your mind all this time?" For some reason I knew at once that it was talking about Maya. "Disgusting," it said.

"That's right, have you really had no sleepless nights after you killed me? Had you been sleeping peacefully all this time?" With a jolt, I realized that it was Maya. Or at least like the "Budo" version next to me, this "Maya" also had holes for eyes and white as snow skin. I notice there was a deep gash in her neck where I stabbed her. One by one they started spewing insults at me, other people joining in, including recent people that I killed, and the other members of the martial arts club.
"Heartless" "Cold-blooded" "Murderer" "Are you really a human?" "Don't compare yourself to us!" On and on it went. "W-wait, no, I-I."

And with a jolt, I snapped awake from that nightmare, brushing my bangs out of my face, which was sticky with sweat. Ah, I feel asleep on the couch....

I thought back to the place where I had last seen Maya alive, and also the place where I buried her body, and suddenly felt a strange longing to go back there, not because I was finally feeling guilty for killing Maya, but more like because I want to see it in the morning just to make sure that there is no evidence left behind. You can never be too sure, especially when you attempt to hide evidence at night.

And in the morning, I did go over to that place. Glancing at the last spot where I killed her, where her blood had stained the ground, I noticed a few blue strands of hair. Ah, see, it must have been cut off because her long blue hair was in the way of her neck when I stabbed her. This is why you can never be too careful.... I knelt down to pick them up when a soccer ball hit me in the back.

Turning around, I saw those two kids that I had gotten upset over the first time I went to the park with the rest of the martial arts members. "Hey, what are you doing?" said one of the kids with black hair. The other one behind him, with blonde hair, just stayed silent.

Ah... I wonder if I would have to kill these kids later....

Well, on another side note, I started playing Mystic Messenger again. Please tell me one of you guys know what it is! OwO I played it a few times almost a year ago (in which one time I got a bad ending because I broke the fourth wall lmao. Which is not fair cuz all the other characters (especially Seven) broke it so many time! T^T) I want someone to talk to and fangirl with over this!