Chapter 2: Accepting His Fate? - Part 1

As Hiroki Tanaka's consciousness clawed its way back from the abyss, he was engulfed by an unrelenting torrent of excruciating pain. It tore through Hiroki like a relentless tempest, each wave of agony crashing against his battered body with merciless force. He lay sprawled upon the unforgiving ground, eyes clenched shut, every muscle contorted in anguish.

With each passing moment, Hiroki's awareness slowly returned, bringing with it a grim realization: he was trapped in the midst of the final moments of his life. The pain persisted, relentless and unforgiving, as if mocking his feeble attempts to escape its grasp.

In the silence of his agony, a haunting thought crept into Hiroki's mind: "Why wasn't he dead yet?" The only answer he could think of was that he was receiving medical assistance from the paramedics. They probably had brought him back from the edge of the void. But Hiroki knew their efforts only prolonged his suffering, delaying the sweet relief of death.

Though he knew he should have been upset, Hiroki had already accepted the inevitability of his painful demise. He wouldn't be leaving behind any significant attachments. There were no close friends, only coworkers. About a year before his family's tragic accident, his college sweetheart abandoned him, drawn to someone she deemed more attractive and financially stable. It stung, but Hiroki "understood" her decision.

After all, at the time, he had simply continued to work at his family's noodle shop after college. Meanwhile, Rina's new partner was a successful businessman. She had refused to attend his parents' funerals, despite the fact that both of them had always liked her. After their deaths, Hiroki felt that he was not really living in the world around him. He was merely existing.

Amidst searing pain and poignant thoughts, a flicker of hope ignited—the chance of reuniting with his parents in the afterlife. Despite the absurdity of his situation, this glimmer of solace emerged, offering a semblance of peace.

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Suddenly, a vision flashed into Hiroki's mind: first responders valiantly trying to resuscitate his parents' lifeless bodies. The memory seared through his consciousness like a branding iron, leaving scars of pain and regret.

Two years prior, the tragedy struck with merciless swiftness. As their small family returned home from a grueling day's work at their bustling restaurant, the late-night drive turned into a nightmare as a horrific car accident unfolded, shattering their lives in an instant.

As Hiroki lay there, memories flooded his senses, each detail etched into his mind with agonizing clarity. The piercing screech of tires, the shattering of glass, and the sickening crunch of twisted metal echoed in his ears. Adrenaline-fueled panic coursed through his veins as their car careened out of control. A sense of helplessness gripped him as his father's desperate attempt to evade a stray dog ended in chaos. Amidst that turmoil, Hiroki found himself hurtling into darkness, narrowly escaping death's embrace by mere inches.

But it was the image of his parents' faces, frozen in an eternal moment of terror, that preyed on Hiroki the most. The realization that he had been powerless to save them, that he had watched helplessly as they slipped away from him, tore at his soul.

In the aftermath of the accident, Hiroki found himself constantly grappling with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Anger burned within him like a wildfire, fueled by the injustice of their untimely deaths. Fear wrapped its icy tendrils around him, whispering dark promises of an uncertain future without his parents by his side. And beneath it all lay a profound sense of loss. A deep ache settled in Hiroki's chest, a gaping void he knew could never be filled.

Despite his attempts to move on, Hiroki found it nearly impossible to enter his father's noodle shop. The once-familiar surroundings only served as painful reminders of the life he had lost, each visit threatening to reopen his wounds.

Seeing Hiroki's struggle, his uncle took over the restaurant, allowing Hiroki to step away from the business that held so many painful memories. With the weight of responsibility lifted, Hiroki sought solace in an office job, away from the memories that stalked him at the noodle shop.

A chilling realization crept over Hiroki as he struggled with the memories that had come to define his life in the last two years. It felt as though he had narrowly cheated death on the night of the accident, escaping its grasp by sheer chance. Hiroki couldn't shake the feeling that fate, unyielding in its pursuit, had finally caught up with him. Maybe he had been only living on borrowed time. Hence, the ominous events of the skydiving incident happened because he was fated to pay back that debt with his life.

Amidst the echoes of his deathbed contemplations, a sharp command cut through the haze, jolting Hiroki back to his present situation.

"Get up!"

Confusion clouded Hiroki's mind as he struggled to comprehend the demand. "Why would a paramedic tell me to stand?" he pondered, still a little groggy and disoriented. The absurd request weighed heavily on him, especially as he was immersed in physical torment.

"Leave me be," Hiroki muttered weakly, his voice barely audible. "Let me confront my fate in peace."