Being Dead Sucks (OumaSai/SaiOuma) -Being Edited-

4

Shuichi took his cell phone out of his pocket and checked the time. 8:47 PM. Closing time is in thirteen minutes. He thought to himself. Well, the walk back home is already long and dark enough without me procrastinating, and I'm tired anyways. I might as well get going.

He shut the mystery novel he had decided to read after he finished his homework and stuffed his notebooks and various school garbage into his bag as neatly as he could and stood, pushing the chair in behind him and hitching his backpack over his shoulders. 

He grabbed the book and walked over to the desk where the bored librarian that looked as if she hadn't slept in years sat, glancing up from her comic book to give him a look. "Yeah?"

"I'd like to check out this book." Shuichi replied. He set in on the counter and gently pushed it over.

"Card?" She requested. Shuichi dug around in the pocket of his hoodie, eventually feeling the small plastic square and handing that to her, too. She scanned the book and the card and took out a small slip of paper from a pocket in the inner cover, scribbling the due date on it before tossing it to him. He signed his name next to the small box that had his due date written next to it.

"N'joy your book." She mumbled.

"Thanks." Shuichi grabbed the book and walked out of the library and onto the cold, empty street.

It was a dark, quiet night. It seemed he was one of the only people out on the streets at all at that time. The road stretched out on either side, lined by small shops and businesses which were currently closed and empty, their employees at home enjoying a night away from their work.

The windows were dark and under the dim moonlight, the place that Shuichi called home almost looked foreboding. The only lights other than the moon and stars were the street lamps that cast streams of yellow down in a spotlight below each one, piercing the darkness. 

He shrugged off the slight chill of uneasiness that had crept over him and began walking in the general direction of his home. He had done this a million times, so what was it about that night that made him feel so uncomfortable?

Shuichi unconsciously began to walk faster than his normal pace, wanting very much to just get home already. His ever curious and observant eyes scanned the all-consuming darkness of the street, searching, ever searching for something strange-

There.

Across the road, bathed in the spotlight of a street lamp, was a figure. He was leaning against the lamp and staring at the night sky with an unreadable expression. Short, pale, messy and scraggly purple hair, torn and bloodied white uniform with a checkered bandana...

It's him again?

Shuichi freezed and stared, dumfounded, at the boy, who continued to look up as if he wasn't there. This was the third time he had spotted this guy. It was a small town, sure, but not this small. Shuichi was pretty used to being alone on the streets at this time. Everything else except the library was closed in the time range of 8:30 and 9:00 PM, and the usually busy road was dead quiet around night.

So why was this creepy, suspicious stranger out here too, doing nothing except staring at the sky and loitering?

This was the closest look he had had at him so far. He definitely had blood on him, that or some very convincing fake blood. Why hasn't he cleaned it up yet? People are going to get suspicious. Shuichi also noticed that the boy at least appeared to be much more wounded than he had seen from afar and might require medical attention.

He simply stared at the boy across the street, his alarm and panic growing with every passing second as he took in his features. He wanted to believe it was just a coincidence, as he had never actually interacted with him or tried anything devious. But he couldn't deny how weird and uncomfortable the whole situation was.