Kyoichi's eyes were half open, downcast towards the ground.
"If he h-hadn't..." he stammered, practically choking in the words. "If... if Sho hadn't b-been..."
His whole body was trembling, as if a chill had taken him. The anger that'd burned in him, that'd fueled him, was sputtering under the rainfall of guilt and grief.
"F-fuck..."
See You At The Crossroads
New Battle Royale AU Endgame
Moderator: BRAU2 Director
-
almostinhuman
- Posts: 641
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
Yuichiro felt bad for Motobuchi-san. He really did. He could see how much he was suffering, how much the events of the past few days were weighing down on him. He wanted nothing more than to say something to make him feel better, to reach out, and keep telling him that it wasn’t his fault.
But there was no magic word that could undo all that. There was only one thing that worked anymore. The only thing he could really do to help anyone. And Kyoichi’s dropped guard was the only opportunity Yuichiro needed.
His hand curled around the grip of Niida-san’s uzi. “Hey, it’s OK.” he said softly. He wanted Motobuchi-san to go out hearing some kindness, before all the pain was gone. “It’s OK, Motobuchi-san. You couldn’t have done anything.”
Yuichiro raised the weapon. He couldn’t hesitate, he might not get another chance. Goodbye, Motobuchi-san.
He squeezed the trigger.
But there was no magic word that could undo all that. There was only one thing that worked anymore. The only thing he could really do to help anyone. And Kyoichi’s dropped guard was the only opportunity Yuichiro needed.
His hand curled around the grip of Niida-san’s uzi. “Hey, it’s OK.” he said softly. He wanted Motobuchi-san to go out hearing some kindness, before all the pain was gone. “It’s OK, Motobuchi-san. You couldn’t have done anything.”
Yuichiro raised the weapon. He couldn’t hesitate, he might not get another chance. Goodbye, Motobuchi-san.
He squeezed the trigger.
-
almostinhuman
- Posts: 641
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
Suddenly, there was no time for this wallowing. The flit of movement snapped him out of it. There was still work to be done, and he couldn't let himself be beaten to the punch.
Takiguchi's gun was already in his face. It didn't matter. It might honestly be a blessing, them taking each other out in the same moment. Meant Kyoichi wouldn't have to do himself in, meant Hirono wouldn't have to do it for him. It was perfect, really.
Kyoichi raised Vijaya, pointing it at Takiguchi's chest. An automatic, almost instinctive movement. Not truly aimed, but pointed roughly where it needed to go. It would have to do.
As Takiguchi pulled the trigger, Kyoichi did so in unison.
Takiguchi's gun was already in his face. It didn't matter. It might honestly be a blessing, them taking each other out in the same moment. Meant Kyoichi wouldn't have to do himself in, meant Hirono wouldn't have to do it for him. It was perfect, really.
Kyoichi raised Vijaya, pointing it at Takiguchi's chest. An automatic, almost instinctive movement. Not truly aimed, but pointed roughly where it needed to go. It would have to do.
As Takiguchi pulled the trigger, Kyoichi did so in unison.
There should’ve been a spray of noise. Yuichiro had used Niida-san’s uzi so many times by now, the sound was burned into his memory. A spray, followed by silence.
But there was only one gunshot, and it wasn’t his. All that came from his own weapon was the familiar Tut Tut Tut.
He looked down at himself. Red fire was spreading all over his shirt, burning a hole in his chest. His left hand went limp, as the empty weapon fell to his side. A fitting state for such a bleeding heart as him.
He reached for Katsu-kun with his right, but it was hard to squeeze, and the worst part was that he couldn't feel his best friend's warmth. Everything was feeling numb.
“Darn.” he muttered. What else could he say? “Sorry, Motobuchi-san. I... I screwed up.”
But there was only one gunshot, and it wasn’t his. All that came from his own weapon was the familiar Tut Tut Tut.
He looked down at himself. Red fire was spreading all over his shirt, burning a hole in his chest. His left hand went limp, as the empty weapon fell to his side. A fitting state for such a bleeding heart as him.
He reached for Katsu-kun with his right, but it was hard to squeeze, and the worst part was that he couldn't feel his best friend's warmth. Everything was feeling numb.
“Darn.” he muttered. What else could he say? “Sorry, Motobuchi-san. I... I screwed up.”
-
almostinhuman
- Posts: 641
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
Kyoichi lowered the gun, surprised that he was still sitting upright. Takiguchi's gun had failed to fire. Kyoichi had shot him, but hadn't been shot in return. A shame, that. It meant he'd have to finish himself off after all.
Still, at least Hirono was safe. And Mizuho was avenged - for whatever that was worth now. Kyoichi could take no real satisfaction in it anymore. Watching him bleed brought him little more than a weak, queasy guilt.
"... it's not your fault," he replied, a note of sadness under his even tone. "It couldn't be helped."
Still, at least Hirono was safe. And Mizuho was avenged - for whatever that was worth now. Kyoichi could take no real satisfaction in it anymore. Watching him bleed brought him little more than a weak, queasy guilt.
"... it's not your fault," he replied, a note of sadness under his even tone. "It couldn't be helped."
Heh. Not his fault. The kindness made Yuichiro smile. “Thanks, Motobuchi-san.”
He wanted to do something, but his tempest of thoughts were becoming a thick fog. He didn’t think he’d be able to stay awake much longer. Guess this was the end.
His face was hot, he realised. Tears were running down his cheeks, but he didn’t have the strength to wipe them off. Who was he crying for, anyway? He didn’t think he could figure that out anymore.
“You should-” it was getting hard to speak, “probably find Shimizu-san. She’s waiting for you.”
He wasn’t sure he could believe it. He hoped he was wrong. Dying was painful, he was discovering. It seemed obvious, but here was the proof. He didn’t want Shimizu-san to have to to hurt like this. He didn’t want anyone to have to hurt like this.
“Hope I- I can see you again. Someday.” He said, smiling again. It was true, but he didn’t think it would happen.
He wanted to do something, but his tempest of thoughts were becoming a thick fog. He didn’t think he’d be able to stay awake much longer. Guess this was the end.
His face was hot, he realised. Tears were running down his cheeks, but he didn’t have the strength to wipe them off. Who was he crying for, anyway? He didn’t think he could figure that out anymore.
“You should-” it was getting hard to speak, “probably find Shimizu-san. She’s waiting for you.”
He wasn’t sure he could believe it. He hoped he was wrong. Dying was painful, he was discovering. It seemed obvious, but here was the proof. He didn’t want Shimizu-san to have to to hurt like this. He didn’t want anyone to have to hurt like this.
“Hope I- I can see you again. Someday.” He said, smiling again. It was true, but he didn’t think it would happen.
-
almostinhuman
- Posts: 641
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
Kyoichi's lips formed a minute smile that didn't reach his eyes. For his part, he hoped they didn't. He couldn't quite forgive Takiguchi for what he'd done, even if he understood better now why he'd done it. And really, he hoped there was nothing after any of this, anyway. The last thing he wanted was an eternity to mull over his failure.
But he didn't say that. It would be little but pointless cruelty now.
"Yeah, I... I hope so too," he lied.
Kyoichi unsteadily stood up. He felt especially aware of everything now. How the grass felt under his bare feet, how the wind blew through his hair, how the light of the moon played over the orchard. How his skin was covered in blood and dirt from days of being unable to wash it off, how his mangled hand still pulsed with agony, how there was an indescribable coldness burning in the pit of his chest. All of it felt important, now. Perhaps it was because he was so close to never feeling any of it again.
"... I need to check on Hirono," Kyoichi said, looking down at Takiguchi for what was almost certainly the final time. "I..."
He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to him now. Would it even matter, these final words between two doomed boys? No one else would hear or remember them.
"... I wish I'd known you better. I wish things had been different."
He quietly turned from Takiguchi, limping away before he could respond. Hirono still needed him.
But he didn't say that. It would be little but pointless cruelty now.
"Yeah, I... I hope so too," he lied.
Kyoichi unsteadily stood up. He felt especially aware of everything now. How the grass felt under his bare feet, how the wind blew through his hair, how the light of the moon played over the orchard. How his skin was covered in blood and dirt from days of being unable to wash it off, how his mangled hand still pulsed with agony, how there was an indescribable coldness burning in the pit of his chest. All of it felt important, now. Perhaps it was because he was so close to never feeling any of it again.
"... I need to check on Hirono," Kyoichi said, looking down at Takiguchi for what was almost certainly the final time. "I..."
He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to him now. Would it even matter, these final words between two doomed boys? No one else would hear or remember them.
"... I wish I'd known you better. I wish things had been different."
He quietly turned from Takiguchi, limping away before he could respond. Hirono still needed him.
Yuichiro watched his last living face leave his line of sight. At the end of it all, he still hadn’t been able to live up to his goals. But at least a lot of people hadn’t had to suffer because of his actions. At least he wouldn’t have to suffer much longer either. It was still selfish, but maybe he could afford himself a little selfishness as he died.
He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or scared. He didn’t know if he’d see any of his friends again. If he’d see Katsu-kun again.
He didn’t know what came next.
He wondered what was on TV back home, as the wind blew through the trees around him and carried the smell of death and blood.
Now that he thought about it, RepubiMan wasn’t a very good show.
He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or scared. He didn’t know if he’d see any of his friends again. If he’d see Katsu-kun again.
He didn’t know what came next.
He wondered what was on TV back home, as the wind blew through the trees around him and carried the smell of death and blood.
Now that he thought about it, RepubiMan wasn’t a very good show.
B13 - YUICHIRO TAKIGUCHI: DECEASED
-
almostinhuman
- Posts: 641
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
It was almost over.
Kyoichi was certain he was moving at a perfectly normal pace - or as normal as it could be given his injuries. But his movement felt ponderous, practically glacial. He was keenly aware of how every muscle in his body participated in each step, and of every ache and pain that'd been racking them this whole time. Every breath, in and out, seemed to take ages, as did every pause between them. The pad of his feet over the grass, once near-silent, had become deafening and thunderous. But not as thunderous as his heartbeat, roaring in his ears like ocean waves.
It was almost over.
No more terrified, near-sleepless nights. No more startling at every little sound. No more dirty glasses and torn clothes and lost shoes. No more scratched face and twisted knee and ruined hand. No more making connections only to lose them. No more hungering for something your whole life only for it to be snatched from you right when someone finally offers it. No more repaying someone rescuing you by sitting back and watching them die. No more grieving for Mr. Hayashida and Utsumi and Sho and Inada and every other classmate he'd never really gotten to know beyond a name and a face. No more remembering the way Noriko Nakagawa slumped over when Kyoichi shot her. No more shame at his failure to get anybody else out.
It was almost over.
As he arrived at the tree Hirono and him had ducked behind, he suddenly felt weak. He stumbled, tripping over a root, and caught himself against the tree before he could fall to the ground. He wasn't sure if this wooziness came from blood loss or just the fading of adrenaline. Maybe it was both. Or maybe his body was aware he was trying to end his existence and was trying to stop him from taking that final step to her.
He saw Hirono's shoulder from around the tree. She was sitting upright, quietly waiting for him. All that was left was to do his best to patch her up, and then...
It was almost over...
He called out to her, a quiet rasp. Somehow his voice had left him, so it was all he could manage.
"Hirono... it's over. They're gone."
Kyoichi was certain he was moving at a perfectly normal pace - or as normal as it could be given his injuries. But his movement felt ponderous, practically glacial. He was keenly aware of how every muscle in his body participated in each step, and of every ache and pain that'd been racking them this whole time. Every breath, in and out, seemed to take ages, as did every pause between them. The pad of his feet over the grass, once near-silent, had become deafening and thunderous. But not as thunderous as his heartbeat, roaring in his ears like ocean waves.
It was almost over.
No more terrified, near-sleepless nights. No more startling at every little sound. No more dirty glasses and torn clothes and lost shoes. No more scratched face and twisted knee and ruined hand. No more making connections only to lose them. No more hungering for something your whole life only for it to be snatched from you right when someone finally offers it. No more repaying someone rescuing you by sitting back and watching them die. No more grieving for Mr. Hayashida and Utsumi and Sho and Inada and every other classmate he'd never really gotten to know beyond a name and a face. No more remembering the way Noriko Nakagawa slumped over when Kyoichi shot her. No more shame at his failure to get anybody else out.
It was almost over.
As he arrived at the tree Hirono and him had ducked behind, he suddenly felt weak. He stumbled, tripping over a root, and caught himself against the tree before he could fall to the ground. He wasn't sure if this wooziness came from blood loss or just the fading of adrenaline. Maybe it was both. Or maybe his body was aware he was trying to end his existence and was trying to stop him from taking that final step to her.
He saw Hirono's shoulder from around the tree. She was sitting upright, quietly waiting for him. All that was left was to do his best to patch her up, and then...
It was almost over...
He called out to her, a quiet rasp. Somehow his voice had left him, so it was all he could manage.
"Hirono... it's over. They're gone."
Through all of the conflict, gunfire, and death, Hirono had remained siting under the same tree. Her hand was still over her chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding, doing what she could to keep holding on. In her other hand was the cigarette that Yoshimi had left her. The message, VERY GOOD LUCK, was face-up in her hand, relaying what had carried her through the game, and what she needed in the island's closing minutes.
Motobuchi's soft, tired voice didn't seem to reach her initially. Her eyes were closed, and her face still held a similar expression. Focused, determined, and steadfast in the face of the island. And now, possibly as a reflection of those same virtues, only herself and Motobuchi were left. No more running, no more shooting. Everyone who posed a threat to either of them was now dead, apart from the organizers who they didn't have the option to fight.
What came next may have been the worst part, though. They made it this far, but both of them couldn't leave the island alive. One of them would have to watch the other die, despite everything that they had been through. Even though the two of them had become friends despite their past interactions never implying anything of the sort. In the end, it came down to the rebellious delinquent and the shy bookworm, neither of whom wanted to pull the trigger. And with Hirono's injuries, she would probably have to let Motobuchi make that call.
The only comfort was that it was almost over.
Motobuchi's soft, tired voice didn't seem to reach her initially. Her eyes were closed, and her face still held a similar expression. Focused, determined, and steadfast in the face of the island. And now, possibly as a reflection of those same virtues, only herself and Motobuchi were left. No more running, no more shooting. Everyone who posed a threat to either of them was now dead, apart from the organizers who they didn't have the option to fight.
What came next may have been the worst part, though. They made it this far, but both of them couldn't leave the island alive. One of them would have to watch the other die, despite everything that they had been through. Even though the two of them had become friends despite their past interactions never implying anything of the sort. In the end, it came down to the rebellious delinquent and the shy bookworm, neither of whom wanted to pull the trigger. And with Hirono's injuries, she would probably have to let Motobuchi make that call.
The only comfort was that it was almost over.
-
almostinhuman
- Posts: 641
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
(Written with some assistance from Ruggahissy)
“... Hirono?”
Hirono felt like she had just pulled an all-nighter, and had to drag herself out of bed to trudge off to school without letting her parents see how tired she was. She had a hard time believing that she missed those annoying mornings. At least that feeling would fade after a few hours and she could go through the rest of the day like normal.
Now she wasn’t waking up to another day of attempting to evade her parents’ disapproval until she can get out of the house. She was going to have to face Kyoichi and see if he was going to follow through on the promise that he had made. If he did, then that was it, she won. But in return, she would probably get a front-row seat to his death, unless decided to do it behind the tree or something so that she wouldn’t see it.
“Okay, okay…” She said in a groggy voice, in comparison to the soft one that had just been calling to her. She lifted her head and opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times as they adjusted.
“... Yoshimi?”
Hirono looked at her friend with confusion. The collar was noticeably absent from her neck, and she didn’t have the same island-worn look that she did the last time that Hirono had seen her.
“Hey Hirono.” Yoshimi replied, looking calm, but also somewhat sad.
The first scenario that came to Hirono’s mind was that somehow, they had been saved. Yoshimi survived her drive in the truck, and someone had gotten them off the island. That would explain why Yoshimi didn’t look as dirty and battle-scarred as she had during what she thought was their final meeting.
Sitting up, Hirono moved and felt around her own body, not noticing any of her injuries either. However, there was one that she couldn’t imagine having disappeared so soon. Running her hands over her abdomen, she couldn’t feel the bullet wound that had drained her so greatly. She couldn’t even feel where a bandage would have been placed over it. Pulling at her collar to look down the front of her shirt, she only saw her own chest and stomach, free of any damage.
That was when it struck her. Why Yoshimi was here, and why she wasn’t waking up in front of Kyoichi wearing what would have probably been a weary smile at best. Now that she was fully coming to, she didn’t even recognize her surroundings as the jungle where she had last closed her eyes.
“I died.” Hirono stated bluntly, her voice quiet and eyes wide with shock.
Yoshimi took a knee next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She wouldn’t have to break the news to Hirono, but she was going to have to guide her through the aftermath. “I’m sorry. I know it’s weird to think about…”
Hirono sat in front of Yoshimi, still looking shell-shocked. She was so close. There were only four people left, and Kyoichi… well, he had already made his promise. If she had been able to hold on for a few more minutes, then she probably would have survived. If she hadn’t been shot, then she probably would have survived. Instead, everything went wrong just when it seemed like she had a chance.
Once again, Hirono Shimizu’s wishes had been denied. And this time, it was final.
With her shoulders tense and a great lump building in her throat, Hirono leaned into her friend, who picked up on the cues and embraced her. With neither the reason nor the ability to put up a front, Hirono cried into Yoshimi’s shoulder, feeling the weight of what she saw as her failures.
“I’m sorry.” She said, her voice making its way through her tears. “I wanted to live. I was going to live. I just… I didn’t want us to…”
Yoshimi bent down, smiling, glowing, happy, to pick Hirono up.
"You did so well. I know you might think you failed me, but you could never do that. Not as long as you tried, and I know that you always did. Always."
Yoshimi held Hirono’s face in her hands.
"We're not fortunetellers, so we could only do the best in the moment with what we had. And we didn’t have a lot — we’re children. Maybe if both of us had believed in ourselves the way we believe in each other, we could have seen things more clearly. But if there was anything good I ever did, it was being your friend. I love you."
That did admittedly make Hirono feel a little better. Maybe it was the encouragement that she had desperately needed, but there were also those three words, "I love you", that she had heard far too few times in her short life that gave her comfort. But there was still one big question that was left unanswered. With nerves still present in her voice, she looked at Yoshimi. “So… what happens now? To us, I mean.”
In response, Yoshimi gently took Hirono by the hand and lent her another warm smile. “I promise, you don't have to worry. It's alright now. Now let’s wake up.”
Feeling a warmth in her chest, Hirono nodded. Together, the two girls walked away from the island and the Republic, and towards someplace new.
“... Hirono?”
Hirono felt like she had just pulled an all-nighter, and had to drag herself out of bed to trudge off to school without letting her parents see how tired she was. She had a hard time believing that she missed those annoying mornings. At least that feeling would fade after a few hours and she could go through the rest of the day like normal.
Now she wasn’t waking up to another day of attempting to evade her parents’ disapproval until she can get out of the house. She was going to have to face Kyoichi and see if he was going to follow through on the promise that he had made. If he did, then that was it, she won. But in return, she would probably get a front-row seat to his death, unless decided to do it behind the tree or something so that she wouldn’t see it.
“Okay, okay…” She said in a groggy voice, in comparison to the soft one that had just been calling to her. She lifted her head and opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times as they adjusted.
“... Yoshimi?”
Hirono looked at her friend with confusion. The collar was noticeably absent from her neck, and she didn’t have the same island-worn look that she did the last time that Hirono had seen her.
“Hey Hirono.” Yoshimi replied, looking calm, but also somewhat sad.
The first scenario that came to Hirono’s mind was that somehow, they had been saved. Yoshimi survived her drive in the truck, and someone had gotten them off the island. That would explain why Yoshimi didn’t look as dirty and battle-scarred as she had during what she thought was their final meeting.
Sitting up, Hirono moved and felt around her own body, not noticing any of her injuries either. However, there was one that she couldn’t imagine having disappeared so soon. Running her hands over her abdomen, she couldn’t feel the bullet wound that had drained her so greatly. She couldn’t even feel where a bandage would have been placed over it. Pulling at her collar to look down the front of her shirt, she only saw her own chest and stomach, free of any damage.
That was when it struck her. Why Yoshimi was here, and why she wasn’t waking up in front of Kyoichi wearing what would have probably been a weary smile at best. Now that she was fully coming to, she didn’t even recognize her surroundings as the jungle where she had last closed her eyes.
“I died.” Hirono stated bluntly, her voice quiet and eyes wide with shock.
Yoshimi took a knee next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She wouldn’t have to break the news to Hirono, but she was going to have to guide her through the aftermath. “I’m sorry. I know it’s weird to think about…”
Hirono sat in front of Yoshimi, still looking shell-shocked. She was so close. There were only four people left, and Kyoichi… well, he had already made his promise. If she had been able to hold on for a few more minutes, then she probably would have survived. If she hadn’t been shot, then she probably would have survived. Instead, everything went wrong just when it seemed like she had a chance.
Once again, Hirono Shimizu’s wishes had been denied. And this time, it was final.
With her shoulders tense and a great lump building in her throat, Hirono leaned into her friend, who picked up on the cues and embraced her. With neither the reason nor the ability to put up a front, Hirono cried into Yoshimi’s shoulder, feeling the weight of what she saw as her failures.
“I’m sorry.” She said, her voice making its way through her tears. “I wanted to live. I was going to live. I just… I didn’t want us to…”
Yoshimi bent down, smiling, glowing, happy, to pick Hirono up.
"You did so well. I know you might think you failed me, but you could never do that. Not as long as you tried, and I know that you always did. Always."
Yoshimi held Hirono’s face in her hands.
"We're not fortunetellers, so we could only do the best in the moment with what we had. And we didn’t have a lot — we’re children. Maybe if both of us had believed in ourselves the way we believe in each other, we could have seen things more clearly. But if there was anything good I ever did, it was being your friend. I love you."
That did admittedly make Hirono feel a little better. Maybe it was the encouragement that she had desperately needed, but there were also those three words, "I love you", that she had heard far too few times in her short life that gave her comfort. But there was still one big question that was left unanswered. With nerves still present in her voice, she looked at Yoshimi. “So… what happens now? To us, I mean.”
In response, Yoshimi gently took Hirono by the hand and lent her another warm smile. “I promise, you don't have to worry. It's alright now. Now let’s wake up.”
Feeling a warmth in her chest, Hirono nodded. Together, the two girls walked away from the island and the Republic, and towards someplace new.
G10: Hirono Shimizu
See you at the crossroads
See you at the crossroads
-
almostinhuman
- Posts: 641
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
"... H-Hirono..."
Kyoichi crept around the tree, steps agonizingly slow, like not seeing it would make it less real. Hirono did not move an inch at his approach, much as how she hadn't responded to his call.
As he reached her, the PA system blared to life.
"The Program has ended. Boy 20, Kyoichi Motobuchi, return to the school building at once."
Hirono didn't react to this new announcement, either. Why would she?
She was dead, after all.
Kyoichi stood in front of her body, frozen stiff. His gaze was transfixed utterly on Hirono. Her eyes were shut, her face bearing no trace of pain or emotion. Compared to a lot of the others, you could mistake her for merely being asleep. But the trickle of blood down the front of her shirt made it clear where she'd been struck now, and made it clear that she'd bled out fairly quickly. Maybe she'd been dead before he'd even really left her side, even. She hadn't managed to stop the bleeding herself, and Kyoichi hadn't been there to do it for her. Instead, he'd traipsed off to mete out his revenge on a doomed boy and abandoned her to die. He had failed her, just like he'd failed everybody else.
Vijaya dropped from his hand. He fell back, landing flat on his back. The impact took the wind out of him, leaving his rapidly-shortening breath even shorter. Tears streaked down well-worn paths on his face and into the dirt, blurring his view of the night sky glimmering above. He had failed. She was dead. They were all dead. Only he was still alive. It took a special kind of fuckup to fuck up dying, but somehow Kyoichi had managed it. Despite everything he'd tried, he'd not managed to save a single one of his classmates. Despite bucking so hard against the Program, he'd ultimately only succeeded in fulfilling its grim purpose.
His throat closed tight. His eyes did too. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? Was he supposed to go back home, down a few fingers and any sense of love or companionship, back to a father who offered neither and a life he couldn't bear any longer? Was he supposed to just carry the guilt of his murders of Takiguchi and Nakagawa forever? And despite the cruelty of the Program, it had shown him things he'd never imagined for himself. It had given him friends, it had given him romance, it had given him hope. How could he ever return to normalcy now, knowing full well what he'd lost?
He'd braced himself as best he could for death. He hadn't counted on having to live.
Eventually - he wasn't sure how long it'd taken - Kyoichi managed to pick himself back up. His eyes stung and his back ached. It didn't really matter. There were far worse pains he felt, in both body and mind. What mattered was not getting his neck blown off, rendering Hirono's involuntary sacrifice in vain. Much as he had wished it any other way, him outliving her meant he had to keep outliving her. It was the only way to make sure all this, his friends and his class and their experiences on this island, weren't washed away forever.
He stepped towards Hirono's body. Then he knelt down and drew it into a hug. As he shut his eyes, he could almost fool himself into thinking she was hugging him back.
"I won't forget you, Hirono."
He meant it, too. He would remember her. He would remember them all.
He laid her back against the tree as close to how she'd been posed as he could manage. He scooped Vijaya off the ground, then slipped across the orchard. He knew he had to leave here soon - he doubted Sakamochi would patiently wait for him for long - but there was one last thing that needed doing.
He stopped in front of Inada's corpse. She had laid undisturbed this whole time, thankfully. He got to his knees beside her, lifted one of her arms, and tucked Vijaya into her hand before lowering it back to the ground.
"... s-sleep well," he whispered, voice wavering. "Warrior of Light..."
Some small, petty part of him felt immediate embarrassment as the words left his lips, even with no one around to hear him. But maybe Inada would hear it, somehow. Maybe she'd appreciate it. After all she'd done for him, it was the least he could do to indulge her in this one last time. He wished he'd done it more when it mattered.
He rose shakily to his feet. He took in the orchard all around him, both its beauty and the carnage that'd been wrought within, for what was now surely the last time. It felt wrong, leaving them all like this, but there was nothing else Kyoichi could really do. He couldn't get their bodies home or cremate them in place or offer any sort of religious rites. He had to hope the government wasn't going to just dump them in the ocean or something. That despite the inhumanity of the Program, they allowed them all at least that much dignity.
It was probably too much to count on. But it was nice to hope for.
He limped away from the orchard, beginning his long, slow journey back to the start.
((Kyoichi Motobuchi continued in the BRAU2 Epilogue))
Kyoichi crept around the tree, steps agonizingly slow, like not seeing it would make it less real. Hirono did not move an inch at his approach, much as how she hadn't responded to his call.
As he reached her, the PA system blared to life.
"The Program has ended. Boy 20, Kyoichi Motobuchi, return to the school building at once."
Hirono didn't react to this new announcement, either. Why would she?
She was dead, after all.
Kyoichi stood in front of her body, frozen stiff. His gaze was transfixed utterly on Hirono. Her eyes were shut, her face bearing no trace of pain or emotion. Compared to a lot of the others, you could mistake her for merely being asleep. But the trickle of blood down the front of her shirt made it clear where she'd been struck now, and made it clear that she'd bled out fairly quickly. Maybe she'd been dead before he'd even really left her side, even. She hadn't managed to stop the bleeding herself, and Kyoichi hadn't been there to do it for her. Instead, he'd traipsed off to mete out his revenge on a doomed boy and abandoned her to die. He had failed her, just like he'd failed everybody else.
Vijaya dropped from his hand. He fell back, landing flat on his back. The impact took the wind out of him, leaving his rapidly-shortening breath even shorter. Tears streaked down well-worn paths on his face and into the dirt, blurring his view of the night sky glimmering above. He had failed. She was dead. They were all dead. Only he was still alive. It took a special kind of fuckup to fuck up dying, but somehow Kyoichi had managed it. Despite everything he'd tried, he'd not managed to save a single one of his classmates. Despite bucking so hard against the Program, he'd ultimately only succeeded in fulfilling its grim purpose.
His throat closed tight. His eyes did too. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? Was he supposed to go back home, down a few fingers and any sense of love or companionship, back to a father who offered neither and a life he couldn't bear any longer? Was he supposed to just carry the guilt of his murders of Takiguchi and Nakagawa forever? And despite the cruelty of the Program, it had shown him things he'd never imagined for himself. It had given him friends, it had given him romance, it had given him hope. How could he ever return to normalcy now, knowing full well what he'd lost?
He'd braced himself as best he could for death. He hadn't counted on having to live.
Eventually - he wasn't sure how long it'd taken - Kyoichi managed to pick himself back up. His eyes stung and his back ached. It didn't really matter. There were far worse pains he felt, in both body and mind. What mattered was not getting his neck blown off, rendering Hirono's involuntary sacrifice in vain. Much as he had wished it any other way, him outliving her meant he had to keep outliving her. It was the only way to make sure all this, his friends and his class and their experiences on this island, weren't washed away forever.
He stepped towards Hirono's body. Then he knelt down and drew it into a hug. As he shut his eyes, he could almost fool himself into thinking she was hugging him back.
"I won't forget you, Hirono."
He meant it, too. He would remember her. He would remember them all.
He laid her back against the tree as close to how she'd been posed as he could manage. He scooped Vijaya off the ground, then slipped across the orchard. He knew he had to leave here soon - he doubted Sakamochi would patiently wait for him for long - but there was one last thing that needed doing.
He stopped in front of Inada's corpse. She had laid undisturbed this whole time, thankfully. He got to his knees beside her, lifted one of her arms, and tucked Vijaya into her hand before lowering it back to the ground.
"... s-sleep well," he whispered, voice wavering. "Warrior of Light..."
Some small, petty part of him felt immediate embarrassment as the words left his lips, even with no one around to hear him. But maybe Inada would hear it, somehow. Maybe she'd appreciate it. After all she'd done for him, it was the least he could do to indulge her in this one last time. He wished he'd done it more when it mattered.
He rose shakily to his feet. He took in the orchard all around him, both its beauty and the carnage that'd been wrought within, for what was now surely the last time. It felt wrong, leaving them all like this, but there was nothing else Kyoichi could really do. He couldn't get their bodies home or cremate them in place or offer any sort of religious rites. He had to hope the government wasn't going to just dump them in the ocean or something. That despite the inhumanity of the Program, they allowed them all at least that much dignity.
It was probably too much to count on. But it was nice to hope for.
He limped away from the orchard, beginning his long, slow journey back to the start.
((Kyoichi Motobuchi continued in the BRAU2 Epilogue))