Kuroyuki: Through the Eyes of the Shinigami

Chapter 2: I See Life

Mikan ran as fast as she could up to the rooftop. She was dripping wet—her clothes stained by egg yolks and her hair with paint. As she was running mindlessly, she bumped against a “no-entry” sign that was posted right beside the stairs leading up to the rooftop door. She was trembling. She didn’t see the debris of old chairs and desks scattered around the area, and fell down. 

“Run! There’s no place you can hide, bitch. You’ll pay for what you did to my face!” A girl insultingly shouted while following the terrified Mikan. She was holding onto her cheek that had a slight swell.

“Please, Hime, stop it! Just leave me alone!” She begged as she stood up again to reach the door.

The door to the rooftop was locked, but that didn’t stop Mikan’s desperation to enter. She grabbed hold of anything that she could use— a piece of metal from the pile of broken desks. Breaking the doorknob, she was able to go inside the rooftop area and blocked the door by pushing against it. However Hime, amidst her elegance and beauty, kicked the door open with ease. Mikan was no match to their school’s ace volley ball player in terms of strength. She fell flat to the ground as Hime walked to her.

“You little piece of shit. You’re nothing.” Hime kicked Mikan on the stomach twice and walked to the other side of the rooftop.

Mikan cried and cringed from the pain. I can’t take it anymore. Someone, please—just kill me already. She thought.

“I’ve always hated you. You’re so carefree even when you’re soooo dirt poor. What an annoying eyesore”, said Hime as she stepped on Mikan’s face, applying all the force she could. Mikan tried to catch her breath. When Hime took her foot off Mikan’s face, Mikan crawled away.

“S-s-stop… it please, I-I… can’t take… it anymore…” Mikan plead while spitting blood on the floor, her face all beaten up. She crawled to the edge of the rooftop to grab hold of the railing so she could stand up.

“Then just die already.” Before Mikan could pull herself up, Hime grabbed her by the hair and lifted her face up; glaring at her with hatred and anger.

Mikan grabbed on to Hime and slowly stood up. What did I even do to deserve all this misfortune? How unfair.

“Y-you… have… no idea… how… much I wish.. I did…” Mikan accidentally coughed blood on Hime’s face.

“You bitch!” Hime pushed Mikan to the railing but she was persistent on holding onto Hime’s arm. Mikan, feeling weak, lost her balance. Her body was thrown against the railing as she held on to Hime’s arm. Rusty as it was, the railing broke which made way for the two of them to fall. Together.

“Nooooo!” Hime shouted as they fell from the school’s 6-storey building.

Ah. How unfair.

Mikan closed her eyes while Hime panicked and tried to grab hold of something.

Blank.

Mikan landed on one platform balance scale that seemed connected to a gigantic weighing scale. She heard a loud scream from the other side. It sounded like Hime.

“We—we’re not dead? We didn’t die?” Mikan hugged herself feeling relieved. She noticed that her uniform was not wet anymore and she couldn’t smell the rubbery scent of paint on her hair.

“What the hell happened?! Is this your doing, you piece of shit?!” Hime shouted upon seeing Mikan on the other side.

“N-no! But… we’re alive… right?” Mikan said.

“On the contrary, both of you reek of death.” A petite dark figure descended from above the weighing scale.

“Who are you? Can you please help us get out of here?” Hime said as she shifted from rage to sweetness. She saw another figure accompanying the smaller one descending. She smiled so innocently; this was her specialty—to talk her way into pleasing other people and get to their good side—a useful skill if you want to enter the corporate world.