29th July 2021
It’s 6 o'clock on a Thursday morning and the alarm goes off waking Yuki from his slumber. One look and a person could tell he's still tired, “Those weird thoughts kept me up last night. Yesterday it was that scream… or was it a nightmare? Whatever it is, I'm not being able to sleep properly.” He pondered about his condition.
Even his morning routine was not the usual. His mind constantly flashed him with thoughts, sometimes it's the sound of a ball dribbling on a court, the squeaks of snickers, and thenー thoughts of Naomi. Even his Jasmine tea tasted sour today.
While walking his way to school, to his bad luck, he ran into Naomiー
“Heyyyyy! I have something interesting to show you today, meet me during break time.”
“Huh? Didn’t I tell you yesterday to not torture your classmates, I don’t want to see anything, I won’t com一”
“You WILL come, it’s really important and interesting hehe.”
Yuki couldn't help but wonder what Naomi was up to this time. “Ever since she joined the school, she has been a constant source of annoyance for me. It is as if she had taken a peculiar interest in me, always finding ways to pester me or involve me in her schemes. Now, she claims to have something interesting to show me during break time. What could it be? What was so important that she had to drag me into it?”
These thoughts raced through Yuki's mind as he observed Naomi's cheerful but mischievous smile. He couldn't deny a sense of curiosity building within him, despite his initial resistance. Perhaps there was more to Naomi than met the eye. Maybe, just maybe, she had stumbled upon something genuinely intriguing. The allure of the unknown and the possibility of a unique experience compelled him to give her the benefit of the doubt, at least for now.
“...fine... I'll come.” Yuki reluctantly agreed, wanting to get this over with… or was it something else?
“HUH!? Did you just agree with what I said? Am I hearing right?” Naomi was taken aback.
“I'll take that back.” Yuki quickly retracted his agreement.
“NONONO! DON'T! You are coming.” Naomi insisted once again.
“...hm, okay.” Yuki sighed, giving in to her persistence.
“...” there was a brief silence between them.
“Okay! See you soon”
“...” Yuki remained silent, staring at Naomi's retreating figure as she left. He then proceeded to his class, contemplating the upcoming encounter. Despite not having enough sleep the previous night, he found himself disinterested in sleeping or paying attention in class. Instead, he spent the entire period gazing into oblivion, lost in his own thoughts and perhaps even contemplating life's deeper questions.
As the break time approached, Yuki made his way to Naomi's desk, finding the classroom empty. Soon enough, she entered the class with a bright but rather concerned smile, concerning for Yuki that is.
With a mixture of apprehension and a flicker of genuine interest, Yuki spoke up, "Alright, Naomi. I'm here. What is it that you want to show me? I hope it's worth my time."
Naomi's smile widened, a spark of mischief gleaming in her eyes. "Oh, trust me, Yuki. It'll be worth your while. But first, we need to make a quick stop. Follow me."
Yuki reluctantly complied, trailing behind Naomi as they left the empty classroom. As they made their way through the corridors, Yuki couldn't help but notice the curious glances from other students.
As Yuki and Naomi made their way towards the back of the school, traversing the sprawling playground, a mischievous glint appeared in Naomi's eyes.
“Can you tell me where you're taking me?” Yuki asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Oh, you'll soon find out.” Naomi replied with a playful smirk.
Just as they were walking, a group of guys from their class decided to interrupt, displaying typical bully behaviour.
“Yo, happy boi, what are you doing here? You're usually reading your stupid novel during the break.” One of them said,
“Leave us alone man.” Yuki sighed.
“Why are they calling you happy boy? Is it supposed to be ironic?” Naomi enquired.
Yuki gave her a stare and replied, “One of the other readings for my name is happy.”
“I wonder whether you'd really be happy if that was the actual reading of your name.” Naomi commented. To which Yuki just gave her a deadpan stare.
“Hey! What are you guys talking to yourselves? I'm talking to you.” the bully retorted.
“Oh yeah? You know what happened to the other guy who tried this with me?” Yuki revolted.
“Oh, so you're with the new girl. You already scored her? Don't you think she's way out of your league?” The bully said.
“As if you were ever in the league!” Naomi and Yuki said simultaneously, then stared at each other in disbelief.
“Huh. It seems you really did score her then. Happy boi has got a happy gurl.” The bully remarked.
“It's nothing like that, you idiot.” Yuki hissed.
“Who are you calling an idiot?” The bully retorted.
“It's you, you fat fー”As Yuki was about to snap he was interrupted by Naomi.
Before things could escalate, Naomi jumped in between the bullies and Yuki, addressing them with sass. “Yo big bois, we're kinda busy right now. Mind talking to him later?”
The bullies, taken aback by Naomi's confident demeanour, questioned, “Huh? What business do you have with our 'happy boy'?”
Naomi leaned in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “It's some really private business. Got a problem with that?”
Yuki panicked and tried to intervene. “Hey, stop! You'll give them the wrong idea, you idiot!”
The bullies, sensing the unusual dynamic between Yuki and Naomi, looked visibly weirded out. “You guys are weirdos!” they exclaimed in disgust. “Honestly, we're not interested. Just fOck off.”
With that, the bullies left, giving Yuki one last strange look before disappearing.
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“Why did you do that!?” Yuki demanded.
“Well I chased them away.” She replied.
“They're going to think weird stuff now.” Yuki exclaimed.
“Oh, it won't matter after what I'm going to show you!” Naomi stated.
“What do you mean?” Yuki asked.
“Uhh…NEVERMIND, JUST FOLLOW ME.” Naomi grabbed Yuki's hand and dragged him with her.
Yuki and Naomi ventured further away from the school campus, leaving Yuki increasingly perplexed. Irritated, he couldn't help but voice his annoyance.
“Hey, at this point, I don't think we're even on the school campus anymore! Just where are we going?” Yuki complained, his frustration evident.
“Shhh! Do you see those trees over there?” Naomi whispered, pointing towards a dense patch of woods.
Yuki's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Those ruins? That place is abandoned. There used to be a small residential area there... In fact, I used to live there. But after an accident…” Yuki paused, old memories flooding in, “it was completely abandoned... Naomi, What on earth are we doing here?”
Naomi flashed him a mischievous smile, her excitement growing. “I didn't know that… But trust me, it's going to be worth it.”
Yuki crossed his arms, sceptical. “You better have a good explanation for all of this. I don't want any more surprises.”
With a wink, Naomi replied, “Don't worry, Yuki. You're in for a wild ride.”
Despite his irritation, Yuki's curiosity got the better of him. He followed Naomi deeper into the overgrown path that led to the abandoned residential area. The atmosphere felt eerie, as if the ghosts of the past still lingered among the dilapidated houses. Yuki looked at the buildings nostalgically, walking through the woods reminiscing about the past.
The air hung heavy with a silence broken only by the rustle of unseen creatures. Here, where houses once hummed with life, an unsettling stillness reigned. Evidence of a bygone era poked through the encroaching wilderness. Jagged cracks snaked across asphalt streets, the once-proud thoroughfares of a forgotten neighbourhood. Crumbling sidewalks, once teeming with foot traffic, were now battlegrounds between weeds and moss.
Towering apartment blocks, their facades stripped bare by the elements, cast long, skeletal shadows. Jagged holes, like missing teeth, gaped from their concrete smiles. Where windows once gleamed with light, gaping black voids stared back, lifeless eyes in a dead giant's skull. Nature, ever the opportunist, had reclaimed its dominion. Trees, fattened by years of unchecked growth, leaned drunkenly against buildings, their branches clawing at the sky. Lush green canopies choked out the remnants of gardens, swallowing flowerbeds whole. The vibrant hues of yesteryear were now a palette of decay – rust, peeling paint, and the dull green of algae feasting on the forgotten concrete.
Everywhere, silence whispered stories of laughter, arguments, and the routines of daily life. It was a chilling tableau, a snapshot of a vibrant community frozen in time, then slowly consumed by the relentless tide of nature.
The duo was now secluded from everything, away from the bustling hallways and busy streets. Naomi turned to face Yuki, her expression now serious. “Before I show you, Yuki, I need you to promise me something.”
Yuki raised an eyebrow, cautiously asking, “What kind of promise?”
Naomi took a deep breath before speaking, her voice filled with a mix of determination and vulnerability. “Promise me that you won't judge me based on our past interactions. Give me a chance to show you a different side of me. Can you do that?”
Yuki hesitated for a moment, contemplating Naomi's request. He had grown accustomed to dismissing her as an annoyance, but there was something about her earnest plea that tugged at his curiosity. Perhaps there was more to her than he had realised, and this could be an opportunity to uncover a hidden layer beneath her relentless persistence.
Finally, Yuki nodded and replied, “Alright, Naomi. I promise to keep an open mind and give you a fair chance. Show me what you have.”
Naomi's eyes lit up with a mixture of relief and excitement. “Thank you, Yuki. You won't regret this, I promise.”
With that, she led Yuki further into the secluded area, ready to unveil the mysterious and intriguing surprise she had prepared for him. As they ventured deeper into the unknown, both Yuki and Naomi couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation, unsure of what awaited them but willing to embrace the unexpected.
As Yuki and Naomi ventured deeper into the secluded area, the surroundings took on an air of mystery. The area grew dimmer, with flickering fluorescent lights casting eerie shadows on the walls. Yuki couldn't help but feel a slight tingle of excitement mixed with apprehension. Whatever Naomi had in store for him, it was certainly different from his usual mundane routine. It was where an old shed-like structure caught their attention. Naomi pointed towards it and grinned mischievously. “Why do you think there's a storeroom out here?”
Yuki shrugged. “I don't know.”
“Because it's not a storeroom.” Naomi declared, adding a hint of intrigue.
Yuki couldn't help but play along. “Then what is it? A secret lair?”
Naomi chuckled. “No, something even more exciting. That's what I'm about to show you.”
A mix of disbelief and amusement crossed Yuki's face. “You joined this school just yesterday, and you're already onto some wild stuff. Just what are you?”
Naomi leaned in closer and whispered, “I'm from another dimension.”
Yuki burst into laughter. “Haha! Funny. So now you're Alien-san?”
Naomi winked playfully. “Yep, that's me. But trust me, there's a reason for all of this.”
Yuki raised an eyebrow. “What reason?”
Instead of answering, Naomi pointed towards the so-called storeroom with an enigmatic smile. Yuki glanced at her and simply said, “I see.”
As they approached one particular house, Yuki bumped into a rocking horse, he looked at it and his golden eyes widened. The rocking horse, once a proud steed of childhood adventures, now lay abandoned on its side. Its once vibrant paint sported a canvas of peeling neglect, revealing chipped wood like old scars. Yuki reached out, a hesitant finger tracing the splintered mane.
“What happened, Yuki?” Naomi asked, her voice laced with concern.
“I remember this horse…” he mumbled, his voice thick with nostalgia. Memories flooded back: a younger Yuki, with boundless energy, rocking with abandon until his stomach ached from laughter. But the joy of those memories was quickly overshadowed by a pang of sadness.
He looked up, gaze sweeping across the desolate landscape until it landed on a particular house. Unlike the others, it seemed to hold a stubborn resistance against the encroaching decay. Its paint, though faded, still clung to the walls, and the windows, though dusty, held a glimmer of defiance. He pointed a trembling finger. “That was my old house.”
A wave of unease washed over him. This abandoned neighbourhood, once a familiar playground, now felt alien and hostile. “Naomi,” he started, his voice barely a whisper, “this place gives me the creeps. Why did you bring me here?”
Naomi seemed to shrink under his gaze. The spark of determination that had fueled her actions seemed to flicker and dim. “Yuki,” she began, her voice barely above a murmur, “you promised me you'd trust me. Just follow me to that shed.” She gestured towards a dilapidated structure at the back of his old house, its wooden frame warped and leaning precariously.
Yuki hesitated, his mind a battleground between apprehension and the nagging feeling of an unfinished chapter. He glanced back at the rocking horse, a symbol of lost innocence, then back at Naomi, her usually confident expression replaced by a flicker of vulnerability. “I really hope this is worth it, Naomi,” he said, his voice laced with a hint of warning, “or else you'll have to face me.”
The die was cast. With a deep breath and a knot of unease twisting in his gut, Yuki followed Naomi towards the weathered shed, a portal to the secrets of his past, and perhaps, the key to Naomi's enigmatic behaviour.
They walked until they reached the shed, Naomi stopped in front of the old, weather-beaten door and turned to face Yuki. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “Remember when I said I was from another dimension?”
Yuki's annoyance shifted to confusion. “Yeah, and you were obviously joking.”
“Well, I wasn't.” Naomi replied, her voice tinged with seriousness. “This storeroom holds a secret portal to my dimension.”
Yuki's jaw dropped from Naomi's silliness. “Are you serious? A secret portal in a seemingly abandoned storeroom?”
Naomi nodded. “Serious as can be. And you, Yuki, are about to embark on an adventure like no other. Are you ready?”
Yuki's annoyance had reached its peak, and he couldn't wait to get this whole excursion over with. “Fine! Let's just see what's in that shed.” he grumbled, his impatience evident in his voice.
As Naomi approached the shed door, a low hum emanated from within, pulsing with an otherworldly energy. Yuki's heart hammered in his chest. This was no joke. He'd never felt anything like it before. Naomi reached for the door handle, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
"HEY! WAIT! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!” A blood curdling shriek shattered the silence. Yuki spun around, his gaze darting through the dense foliage, searching for the source of the unearthly scream. Naomi, her eyes wide with terror, mirrored his actions. A twig snapped underfoot, sending a jolt of adrenaline through them. There, amidst the gnarled branches and overgrown bushes, a figure emerged from the shadows.
<2 - Birth of the CruxーEpisode 2 - Fin>