She paused after reading the quick note, her eyes fixated on the word "story." That's the answer; this scene resembled something from her story. She processed the thought thoroughly.

In that instant, a surge of realization swept through her mind. If this were truly part of her story, then this wasn't the end. There were still a few more sequences yet to unfold.

She turned back, leaving behind the figure she once treasured, and dashed out to find someone. Makoto was in danger.

She took the shortest route to Makoto's house, which was about five minutes away from hers. Determined to reach him quickly, she pushed herself to run and hoped to make the journey in just three minutes.

About halfway there, her run was interrupted by a crossing road. On the other side, she spotted Makoto running toward her. Without hesitation, she sprinted to meet him.

Makoto appeared calm, but Ichika thought he was unaware of what was coming. When he saw her, he smiled at her and made a gesture towards the necklace. He seemed satisfied to see her wearing it. His eyes sparkled for a moment; it ached her heart her.

"I would save him—" she thought, but then she turned left and saw a car speeding toward her with no sign of slowing down or stopping. Time seemed to slow as she realized the danger.

Just an inch away from death, a figure suddenly pushed her out of the way. She fell hard onto the warm, rough pavement. Sitting up, she looked back at the scene— the car had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the aftermath: a human body—Makoto's.

Ichika screeched and crawled back, she's too late. Her eyes bulged and stuttered, unable to process what just unfolded. Once again, she had to see another bird fall. Another had flown away, leaving her behind.

She kept sitting on the roadside as people piled up and stared at her and the fresh body. Tears finally flowed down and dropped into the air as she was fazed by the tragedy.

Makoto's body lay still, his eyes wide open and fixed on her with a sparkling gaze. Ichika hated seeing two versions of Makoto's face: the lively masks and his stationary pale face. This imbalance was the very reason her heart felt heavy, overshadowing the logic of acceptance and reality.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Nothing was in her favour—neither angels nor demons, just a series of misfortunes.

Her weak body collapsed, lying on the same ground as Makoto. She probably couldn't explain it herself; she was unable to breathe. She tried to grasp some breath. With every breath she took, the air felt thinner. Desperately, she scrapes the road with her hands. Oh, she hoped for help to come; people just stood, fazed by what's happening.

Their idol is dying from the inside.

She only got to view the inertia of Makoto and gasped for breath desperately. Some part of her was relieved to be beside him but most were agonized with her dying like this—suffocated to death.

She stared at his dilated eyes as her breath got thinner, some memories passed through her mind—the way he covered her when she was cold, the way he talked, the jokes, and lastly, his lightened face; it was all too precious for her to forget. But again, it was beyond control; even from the start.

At once, her memories with Makoto slowly fade away. Tears flowed down once again, she hoped that she could conceal and grasp them longer. Knowing this fact; she cried and sobbed, she wept and howled.

Her howl came out to be a scratched voice box. It sounded like both screeching and a scream of agony. The air was thinner than ever. Her vision began to fade. Everything turned black slowly. Before it became pitch dark, she took one last look at Makoto. The final.

Within that brief moment, she felt something departed from her; desperation and suffocation. Although it was fleeting for us, she had longed for it. But alas, were only set for the wavering stage...

Her rapid breathing was cut short, drawing her final breath. Ichika who was just now running, screaming, crying; silent as the dark nights. Cold as the breeze is.

On that day, the lives of two idols and perfects were tragically cut short by a story written by one of them. She lost her life because of it, but it was not her fault in the slightest; it was society's.

Even as the story unfolds, the narrative continues—the society is applauding Ichika, Makoto, and anyone else involved in turning her short story into a reality. They are witnessing a masterpiece unfolded right before their eyes.

Their applause and excitement lasted for a few days. What happened next?

They simply moved on with their lives, removing one mask only to search for a new one. It's a society devoid of true identity, a society with nothing special.

The end, fin.

3539 words.

Finished on 15/11/2024.

I hereby close the story titled,

Nothing Special |「ナニモナイ」[Nani Mo Nai]