"Who... are you?"
It was on Sunday night, when I first met her.
With my backache tingling and my head being clouded by useless thoughts, I tiredly opened the café door which then produced a ring and slowly walked away from the classically decorated building then blended myself into the crowds.
I was exhausted. I was tired of all the people I had to face at that day, as well as the problems that they made. At this very moment, all I wanted were to lay on my bed and lazying around without having to think about tomorrow nor what happened.
"Haa..." I stopped my steps for a while and took a deep breath, trying to forget all the troublesome matters and enjoy the rest of the day.
I tried to imagine myself laying on my bed with my cellphone to make me feel better. It was pathetic, I have to say - But nothing can be complained regarding to that matter.
However, such chains of thoughts ceased to move as I unintentionally looked into the eyes of that girl.
I stood frozen as I saw a figure whom I feel familiar of. I don't know her name. I don't know when I saw her or if I have ever met her before, but for some reasons I couldn't say for certain that I don't recognize her. Her face was really familiar, but I couldn't recall seeing someone with the same characteristics.
"Aah..." Even though I didn't mean it, my voice suddenly formed a sound that escaped from my mouth.
Fazed by her appearance, I unconsciously stared at her, unable to take off my awkward gaze.
She looked like she was at least 14, but her beauty was naturally stunning. Her blue eyes were so pretty and reflected the dim light of the moon above, and as though it made its own light, her blonde hair glowed brilliantly. In addition was her red dress she wore, which glittered under the twilight.
Presumably realizing herself being gazed at, she stopped her steps out of sudden and looked at her surrounding with an anxious expression, and albeit knowing her reaction, I didn't take my gaze off from her.
Out of sudden, she stopped searching. Just as though has found the answer, she turned her face towards me, and slowly that previous visible expression faded as we looked into each other's eyes.
She gently smiled at me. Astounded by her innocent and cute smile, my cheeks reddened.
Perhaps you can call me a lolicon, but I bet you would fall in love with her beauty even if you were me.
Not long after that, she walked forward like nothing happened - or so I thought.
I flinched as my time went back and stopped freezing, then it took a while before I decided to continue walking home.
Unbeknownst to me, she was already behind me. I shuddered when was going to take my first step after a freeze, as my sense silently alarmed me about the shadow behind me. At that moment, my irritatingly ordinary day ended and in turn changed into a chaos that I unfortunately am involved in.
Chill immediately went through my spine, and my body petrified as fear sabotaged my body, to the point that I could not accumulate my courage to turn my face and to verify the existence of the person behind me. Despite that, I was completely sure there was someone behind me despite not turning back.
"Say..." She gently moved her face closer to me and whispered to my ears, giving a sensation that was weirdly horror.
Is she angry because I, a stranger, out of the sudden, gave her an uncomfortable glare?
Such a thought clouded my mind.
I wanted to move my feet and quickly run away or to call the police, but as cliche as it may be, my legs trembled instead, unable to move a single inch. I wanted to collect my courage and act brave, I immediately knew that it was just my wild imagination - that I am not strong as I thought. Yeah, I am mad at myself for being such a cowardly jerk. Annoyed at my helplessness, I tried to accumulate my bravery and responded to her short yet provocative word.
"What... Do you think... you're doing?" I asked her while acting dumb so the story would progress.
However, the outcome didn't come as I wanted. My words were full of pauses, exposing the fear I felt. At that time, I just hoped that she wasn't a psycho that would act wildly because of a reaction that is showing fear.
"That is... indeed weird," she replied with a monotonous and lonely voice as if had lost something dear.
"I thought that you're different - that you liked me."
My body trembled, unable to ignore the chill that went over my spine. I was neither able to decipher what was happening at that time, nor was I able to predict what would happen to my weird fate. My mind were clouded by a lot of things to the point I felt that my head was going to explode anytime. Even so, her words clear to my mind, just like a stone being thrown to the busy waves, they were able to penetrate my messy thoughts.
"But I guess at the end, you're just the same as them," she slowly uttered as she started to deliberately pull her head off from my shoulder.
What?
What are you talking about?
Who is this "them"?
Despite of my fear, I managed to take a gaze of her quiet figure. Smile that had been visible was now nowhere to be found, and the eyes that reflected the moonlight were now vacant. Dull expression was the only thing I could find. But why?
Why do you suddenly put on such a face?
Why are you making me look as though I had done something real bad to you?
What have I done to you to receive such a treatment?
"Don't tell this to anyone. This is a secret between the two of us," she slowly whispered as she passed through me.
I quivered. The footsteps then resonated through the crowded night street as her silhouette deliberately faded to the shadow even when I remained standing. Sweat helplessly rolled through my cheeks, telling my messy self to calm down. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't act as if I didn't know anything and forget everything as though nothing happened. Every time I tried to calm myself, those words and expression of hers will come into mind, again and again, then my heart will inevitably race once again. Just like a fool who was stuck on his own loop.
"Khh..."
I groaned silently as pain stroke me out of the blue, spreading through my body. It felt like someone just landed an abnormally strong punch on my stomache. Was it that girl? Was she that angry that she had to punch me? Did she practice boxing or something?
No... To begin with, the feeling of pain should have spread times ago, precisely before she passed me or when she was pulling her head - there were only two possibilities.
I looked down.
What is going on?
A huge cut was left on my stomach, and blood quickly stained my newly-bought white uniform. My body temperature dropped at the rate of a roller coaster's speed while my vision started to blur and turned into pink.
What... just happened..?
At that time, my vague vision went pitch black just like the shut-down TV screen, but I quickly understood that I collapsed.
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