Better Times || A Splatoon Story

Day XIII Hour 13 Part II

Song dedicated to this chapter: Men's Tears, a Piano and Cello Duet

***
"I.... I killed him..."
"I killed... Kazuhiro Koro Watanabe..."

The thoughts rushed in my head, and I couldn't believe myself. My head starts to ache, I started sobbing harder. Koro was lying there, not even going to shoot me now. My knees touch the concrete, and my hand touches his face gently. His face was drenched from the fountain, and now it's pouring outside. "I'm... so sorrry... Koro... it... it was for.... defense," I whispered to him. 'better bring him inside,' I thought, I picked up Koro's back and carried him like a sack of rotten potatoes. For a tall guy like him, he was light. "I have to hide his body, the can come pretty soon." I took a look around my surroundings, and I remembered about the furnace. I started walking towards that direction. Each step I took echoed, it was too silent, too silent to patrol. It's like in those horror movies, where something eerie my surprise you when you are in the middle of hiding the body. Me and the limp corpse of Koro finally made it to the furnace, when I hear a whistle screech really loud. It rings in my ears, it's a sign that I'm dead for sure... I dropped Koro like he was hot, and just ran. I looked back, Koro was hidden in a bush, hopefully nobody find him.

After that I never looked back, my legs never ran faster than before. And thank gosh they never noticed me passing by in my bloody uniform. But no matter what I still need to dispose his body, maybe I'll come around midnight to burn him once and for all. Sweat starts dripping from my face, I was already drenched from the rain, but almost home. Before I knew it, *SPLAT*. I tripped again in the rain, making that same spot sting for a while, which triggered a nose bleed. I got back up again to continue running, forgetting all about the nosebleed.

Finally, I arrived at home. Grandpa should still be asleep, so I creak open the door and slid right in. I lock the door behind me and tiptoed upstairs to the bathroom. I stared at my reflection. Blood was scattered all around my face, including the nosebleed. My hair wasn't up in a bow anymore and my tentacles were laying on my shoulders, and my uniform was drenched with water, blood and sweat. A bit of mascara ran down my cheeks too. I take a makeup wipe to smear off the mascara and other things. I turn on the facet to the bathtub to let it fill up, and I start peeling off my bloody uniform. The tub fills to the top, I turn it off and dipped in. It was settling, nice. But it couldn't take away the fact I took someone's life. The unwanted image of Koro haunts, like I was still at school. I dunk my head into the bath, letting bubbles rise to the surface. That's when there was a knock. I perk out of the bath, startled. "Marie? You in there?" It was Grandpa, knocking on the door. I turn off the bath, "Yes Grandpa it's me," I shouted back. I hear a faint grunt of happiness, I dry off and get into fresh clothing.

I open the door, Grandpa suddenly bear hugs me. "Woah woah, easy gramps," I pat his back. "I'm so glad you missed school...." Grandpa cries, literally. "Oh? I did? Didn't realize the time," I lied, I was a pretty good liar too. "There's been a shooting, Marie you would've gave me a heart attack if you were on time, I'm just glad your safe," Grandpa blubbers. "I'm happy I'm alive too gramps," I start to tear up. "Well, would you like to get out of the house? Just a day about me and you?" Grandpa looks up at my face. "Sure," I beam, I sure hope it takes off my mind about Koro. I take my uniform and throw it into the wash, trying to keep everything together. "Okay Marie, ready to go?" Grandpa yells from down stairs. "Yes, I'm coming," I grabbed my bag and rushed down the stairs. "You good Marie?" Grandpa tilts his head. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's go," I nod, we head out of the house and into Grandpa's car. He pulls out of the driveway and drove off towards Inkopolis.

"I heard about this bar, they have pretty good breakfast and lunch. Should we stop there?" Grandpa asks. "Uh sure," I nod, Grandpa turns on the radio to classical music. Grandpa was the one who introduced me to classical, made want to to play piano. Classical calmed me, one of the songs just ended. "Thank you for listening to Spring Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven. This next song is called Men's Tears by Yiruma. This time, will be accompanied by a cello," the radio station announces. This title sounded familiar, I didn't know it until one stroke of the cello's bow. This was, when I first ever saw Satomi.

Grandpa got us tickets to this arts competition, Callie smiles big but I was off the walls. Grandpa knows how much I love concerts like these, he was starting to make things up with me.

Me and Callie dressed our fanciest. I wore one of those tight tshirt dresses that is black, Callie wore a mermaid dress that was black and pink, and she did her hair a little different. Grandpa give us a ride to the concert hall, it was grand and rich, I fantasize just a little. Callie looked like she had interest, she followed me where every I go. We took our seats, now a bunch of people flood into the auditorium and the show was about to begin. "Thank you for joining us on this lovely evening, the competition is about to begin," the announcer bows then walks off the stage. The very first person who walked on stage was bows and pulls out their harp. This inkling had beautiful white eyes, her tentacles were curled in drills. The black dress brought out her porcelain skin, and her rosy cheeks. The song she started to pluck was no other than Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565. That girl knew what she was doing, she played it with her soul, I thought nothing can't beat that, even for the first player in a competition!

But, I was deeply wrong.

After more inklings playing their pieces, there was one more contestant. The one people kept gossiping about all night. The whole crowd was silent, as the echoey footsteps came on stage. The boy had sea green eyes, beautiful like the sea, natural. His emerald colored tentacles gleamed in the light, the boy takes a deep breath, and sits himself on the plastic chair, pulling out his rockstop and stick.(When you set up a cello at the very bottom there like this end piece that I forgot what it's called so that's my little description...) The bow looked already rasened and tight enough to play. His accompaniment sits in front of the piano, positioning his hands need to go. The cellist looks at his pianist, nodding for the sign to start playing. The pianist nods back, the cellist draws his bow on the string and started playing the song, Men's Tears by Yiruma. This version was writing for duets, and I was lost in Satomi's music. The bond of Satomi and his accompaniment, it was real and so in sync. Satomi got into it, playing it dramatically. All eyes were on Satomi, and maybe his accompaniment.

Callie was asleep, but I didn't care. Satomi, was speaking to me even when we didn't know each other. Just a far conversion, I never knew what I was feeling, but I came to realize it now.
I was deeply stolen, away from everything. All that negativity that was holding me back, away from bad memories and the past. Satomi, he saved me. And I couldn't be happier. I was, released. The piano and cello stop, they were finished. Tears ran down my cheeks, I came back to the real world. Everyone was brought back to reality, it was like nobody knew what was going on. So, I started clapping in the silent hall. Moments later everyone clapped, including Callie who was confused of what was going on.

I was hoping... Satomi won.

And... he did.
***
Thought that would be a good place that would end this memory~
But how did they meet?
Well... you'll have to find out~
This was probably my favorite part to write so far....

~Marie