Masks

Oath

- Sunday, 09.30 A.M. Arifiyanto's Inn, Alor Island -

It's now or never.

Or so I thought when I saw a chance to drag Kudou out from the kitchen, while the girls had been busy helping Ari-san preparing the table for our breakfast.

"What are you trying to do, Kudou?"

"Whatever you mean?" urgh, not with that innocent face again. You could deceive people by that look on your face Kudou, but not me

"Why do I have to share my room with that Ahou rather than with you?"

"Oh, so this is about that, huh?"

"I know you are scheming something, Kudou. But it's not gonna work"

"Sigh. I'm not"

"Then, lets switch our belongings"

"Listen, Hattori. First, I really don't plan to intrude your romantic relationship with Kazuha-san. Second, I do that only because I want to spend as much time as I can with Ran. You know that I can't be in this state for more than 24 Hour. Third, because this time will gonna be the last I'll spent with her before I took my leave" he said the last words with that serious face as if stating he'll be gone forever...

"... what do you mean by that?" of course, it wasn't just my imagination. I need to crosscheck this thing with him.

"I guess this is time for you to know my plan, then" as he said that, he made that I can't help it kind of face with a bit of a forced smile.

That made me have this kind of a bad feeling.

Really, really bad feeling.

- Sunday, 03.30 P.M. Lingal Beach, Alor Island -

I should thank Ari-san for spotting this place to me.

That is what I thought after we land our foot in Lingal Beach, or so he said about the beach's name. After a bit of adventuring the rocky little path that surrounded by luxuriant array of tree from the Inn, the rocky path eventually smoothened when its rocks replaced by gentle and soft sands.

The sounds of waves hitting the shores were clearly getting louder as we traveled down, as if it was some kind of a gentle strokes to the mother earth from deep within the calming sea. Smells of ocean and blue hitting our nose every time the summer breezes go past us.

It was such an amazing view we had there; it was like we are looking at the end of the earth as the line of sky and ocean only been able to be separated by the different color of blue along the line. It was a perfect light-blue water coming up to white, smooth sand beach; altering it depths by the degradation of blue. The seen through crystal-like sea water enact the colorful coral reefs below, enlivened by colorful little fish swimming around, make it looked like a true underwater kingdom of little heaven on earth.

We took our time to be mesmerized by it, inhaled the peaceful atmosphere while carving the sights into our memory lane, making it an unforgettable pieces of experience. Especially with her beside me as we intertwined our hands, walk through the sands and getting wet by the splashing waves that hit our bare foot. It was so peaceful and calming, as if none of the harms could break away the silence in this separated world.

This is absolutely what I need before facing the dark, evil creature named after alcoholic brands. I will squeeze this time in my heart as one of my forte in facing the dread that awaits me, not long after this. I am fully aware that I made myself in grave danger by doing so, and by Hattori's strong rejection to the plan, I know it has everything to do with the continuation of my life. Risking not only my own future, but also Ran's and everyone involved in this. But no matter what, this is the only way for us to be able to capture them and make this dreadful event of life ends, without hurting another innocent life that threatened to block away their path. I have to do this.

The most difficult part is to tell her.

How am I supposed to tell her that I willingly get my neck in the guillotine for the sake of eradicating the black organization? There's too many lives that depended on the successful of the mission, and for the most part, my life and the ones I cared for the most. Not to mention, the promise I made to Mamoru-kun not too long ago. Can I really shoulder all of that? Am I really able to do this right?

I don't know the answer.

I can't predict future nor can I change the past.

All I can do is just to try my best.

And to try my best is what I'd done when I did tell her all of this, to make her understand why I had to do this, and to hope my true intention could reach her. Although she was crying while listening to me, shaking and not able to sustain my words that made her flopped onto the sand, all of her body limp as if no amount of energy left inside her. No amount of happiness left as I enchanted the dread plan to her; as if I sucked all of her souls. Nothing left. She was like an empty shell.

And it hurt.

It hurt me so much to see her like that, because of me. I want to severe my tongue apart, that only speak things that hurt her. I want do drown my body into the ocean, that only brought her pain. I want to torn my heart apart, that only able to broke hers. I feel like I was nothing. I feel empty inside. Even my tears felt like string of curses, weighing too much for me to hold back.

"I'm sorry..."

I fed up to say sorry to her.

But that's the only thing I was able to say to her

"I'm so sorry, Ran..."

Again and again. No matter how many times I said it, I know it wasn't going to be a remedy to her pain. It worsened the pain instead.

"Sorry..."

But again, that's the only thing I was able to say to her.

I flopped into the sands, trying uselessly to hold the sobs, the tears, the anger, and the dread within my heart. I don't know what I would become after this. I don't know if I will still be able to come back to her.

Today, everything will begin.

Or end.