CHAPTER DISCLAIMER:-
This chapter contains dark emotional backstory, violence, horrifying/traumatic events, family lose and many violet things, if you're a sensitive reader or someone who overthinks so much, I will suggest you to skip this chapter. If you still choose to continue reading despite the warnings, please take care of your mental well-being.
I won't be responsible if any heavy themes in this chapter affect your mental health negatively, your safety matters first
----
The night passes and morning comes. The sun peeks over the horizon while the trees outside stir with the wind.
Reijiro wakes up even before his alarm rings. Determination sparks in his eyes.
"I NEED to meet her today! You can do it, Rei!"
He tries to motivate himself. Pushing himself off the bed, he drags himself to do his morning chores.
Meanwhile, Ryuji waits outside Reijiro's mansion, wearing a cap and mask to hide his identity.
"I wonder when he will com–"
Before Ryuji could finish his words, the front doors burst open.
"I'M READY!"
Ryuji just stares at him, stunned. It's literally the first time in his life seeing Reijiro awake this early in morning.
"Woah man, save this energy for later, you might need it."
Ryuji notices how full of confidence Reijiro is. But before Rei can step inside the car, Ryuji grabs the back of his shirt and drags him back.
"You plan to show yourself like THIS in public? Wear a cap and mask."
Reijiro freezes, realising his mistake. He scratches the back of his neck before running back inside. A moment later, he returns wearing a cap and mask.
"Now good?"
Ryuji nods.
They both get inside the car. Reijiro decides to drive himself today because he gave his driver a day off.
---
After what feels like hours (for Reijiro), they finally arrive at the public gym.
Reijiro already feels excited, until Ryuji speaks.
"Hey Rei… you're sure you can meet her here? This gym has separate areas for women and men."
"Wait–WHAT!!!"
Ryuji can't hold his laughter as he points at the poster stuck on the gym wall.
"See? Separate areas."
Reijiro's head drops.
"So you mean… I won't be able to see her?"
Ryuji thinks for a bit.
"Well… we can wait for her outside."
"GOOD IDEA!"
They sit on a street bench across from the gym. Ryuji scrolls through his phone while Reijiro taps his foot impatiently.
After some minutes, he finally sees her– Rin, walking toward the gym entrance.
He quickly nudges Ryuji.
"HEY!! she's here!"
"So what do I do, man? Go talk to her."
Reijiro glares at him. But when he's about to walk toward the gym, a strong arm wraps around his neck, almost choking him. A trainer from the gym grins widely.
"Heellooo young man!!! Want to have a training session with me?"
Reijiro tries to break free from the trainer's strong arm, reaching his hand toward Rin– who already disappears inside.
The trainer laughs, thinking Reijiro is desperate for training.
"That's the spirit boy!! LET'S GO!!!"
"NOOOO LEAVE ME!!! RYUJI DO SOMETHING!!"
He looks back at Ryuji, who is casually pretending to watch clouds.
"You crimson carrot… I swear I'll make you PAY for not supporting your dear friend!"
Reijiro's last thought before the trainer drags him into the men's gym.
Ryuji sighs and decides to follow them inside from behind.
---
Their whole day is basically spent doing gym sessions. Whenever Reijiro tries to escape, the trainer drags him back and makes him do push-ups, deadlifts, and planks. Ryuji can't help but enjoy the chaos, though he feels a little bad for Rei.
When the intense session finally ends, they run straight to a café, mostly to hide from the trainer, who gave them "free time," but they used that to escape.
Reijiro drops his head on the table, completely drained. Ryuji sits across from him, checking the menu and thinking of what to order to cheer him up.
"Nooo… why… I didn't even get to see her properly…"
Ryuji sighs and puts the menu down.
"Don't worry. We'll come again tomorrow."
"But what if she doesn't show up tomorrow?"
Silence fills the table.
*Well… he isn't wrong… we don't know her schedule…*
Ryuji thinks.
As they're planning what to do, the café door opens. Both boys quickly fix their caps and masks to hide properly.
But when they hear the voice, Reijiro's ears shoot up.
It's Fumiko and Rin!
The girls sit at the table right in front of Ryuji and Reijiro.
Fumiko speaks first.
"Thank you so much, Rin, for joining me! It would've been awkward to wander around alone!"
Rin relaxes on the couch.
"Well, after gym I wanted to hang out with someone too. Thank God I met you."
"I was just passing by actually, I went out to buy snacks, hehe…"
The girls continue chatting while ordering drinks.
Reijiro silently vibrates with excitement. Ryuji quietly sips his coffee, satisfied.
While talking, Fumiko laughs.
"Haha! You know, I feel like you were a thug in your childhood."
Rin bursts out laughing.
"Well, I won't say thug… but I was a quiet kid."
Fumiko's eyes widen.
"Quiet?! Really? Since you never tell me, Ami, or Yuki about your past, we'd love to hear it someday!"
Reijiro listens silently.
He's curious too.
*Her past? If I know what she likes or hates, I won't accidentally make her angry… let's just listen a bit more… it won't hurt, right?*
But when Fumiko mentions Rin's past, Rin's expression changes, playful to regret… sadness.
Fumiko notices tension building up inside Rin.
"I… didn't mean to trigger something. Sorry Rin…"
Rin stops her quickly.
"No, no– it's not your fault. Actually no one was ever interested in my past… and I never felt like telling anyone. It's kinda hard to express."
Fumiko gently taps her shoulder.
"It's okay, Rin. I'm here. You don't have to feel uncomfortable. I'll always be here for you."
Rin feels relief… and after a moment, she finally speaks.
"Well...in my childhood, I was kind of a quite kid, who used to love taekwondo, always minded my own Business."
"Back in those days, I don't used to believe in friendship or things like that."
"My father was a politician, so we were quite wealthy, he helped me in pursuing my dream I held, a future in taekwondo"
"Until one day, when I came back from my taekwondo classes, I found some strange cars parked outside our mansion..."
"I felt a sense of danger and dropped my bag as I ran directly inside, only to find my both parents...dead on floor, their neck were slaughtered open with something sharp"
"And my little brother... Was crying loudly, he was held by two strange mens, my body trembled, frozen in fear, but when I saw my beloved brother crying in pain, my heart shattered and I ran straight to him, pushing away those mens from him and held my brother tightly In my embrace"
"His trembling hands clinched to my shirt, and I realised how much horrified he must've been after witnessing these all things"
"And then a man stepped infront of me, and shoved me away from my brother, he told me to bring that precious item which my family had hidden"
"I was confused first, but soon an imageof a box clicked inside her mind, my father had barely mentioned about what was inside that box, he only told that inside that box, there's something precious, actually my grandparents first got that box from a random girl one day, she told them to protect it. And that's how that box ended up with my parents too"
"My father once told me that they hide that box beside a shrine, deep under soil. It was a very old shrine, not many people used to visit that place."
"As soon as I remembered that place I ran with my all strength towards that shrine, and guess what, rain started! But I didn't stopped, the sight of my brother crying was moving inside my head, and I was determined to protect him at all cost"
"When I finally reached that shrine, I started to dig beside the shrine, that exact spot my father once mentioned, until I found that box, my hands covered in wet soil, but I didn't cared about it, I ran back towards mansion"
"But when I reached there, I froze in terror when I saw 2...massive creatures standing beside my parents dead body, they were literally...trying to tear off my parents limbs...but I had to give it to that man and save my brother, I rushed to that man who had my brother, and gave him the box before pulling my brother tightly again in my arms, thinking I finally saved him, he was the only family I was left with..."
"...until...they dropped the box infront of me, the box– there was NOTHING inside it... I felt that someone have cut off my way to breath..."
"Before I could run away with my brother, one of that creature started to pull my brother away from me, I held him tightly, not letting that creature to take my brother, I screamed, begged them for my brother's life, I screamed to leave my brother alive, instead kill me. My brother...was only 4 yrs old that time."
"...I told them he knew nothing related to our family background, he didn't even knew about this box...but they... didn't listened to me"
"One creature grabbed my hands roughly before putting them against floor and pinned my hands together to floor with an iron nail, but that didn't hurted me, because...the sight of my brother's body getting torn apart cruelly and getting eaten by those creatures right infront of my eyes made my heart stop, I forgot how to breath...all I remember is screaming out of my lungs, yelling at them to stop...but..."
Rin's head's drops down before she continues
"After all the chaos...they dared to show the audacity to leave me alive... actually they left me alive so I could die by my own...seeing my whole family shattered right infront of my eyes..."
"I remember that day...heavy rainfall took place, I was left with nothing but body piece of my OWN FAMILY scattered around in floor, it was even hard to decribe which limb is of whom, floor covered with crimson blood , so do my hands, clothes and skin too, it felt like the spot where bloods splattered on me, those spots where burning"
"But soon some people who passed by my house saw these all and called cops, police showed up soon with ambulance, and I was left with nothing but only the property of my father, now in my hands...my vocal cords were most likely destroyed...but after treatment, I had to live in hospital for some days until wounds in my hands and vocal cords world heal, but the scar left in my mind and heart...never left..."
"those creatures, or...we can say...Abyss creatures...."
The moment she says Abyss, everyone freezes.
*She... know about abyss too?!*
Fumiko and Reijiro think at the same time while Ryuji's eyebrows twitch, instantly serious.
"I...never imagined...Rin went through such cruel and horrifying past...now everything makes sense...why rin is always so protective towards us...GOD WHY I DIDN'T KNEW ABOUT THIS BEFORE?!"
Fumiko thinks while feels her heart breaking.
"Rin… I'm so sorry… I never knew… I'm sorry..."
Rin gives a small, tired smile.
"Come on Fumi. Cheer up. It's not your fault. It was my fate."
*How can you still act calm when you're clearly broken… Rin…*
Reijiro thinks, his heart shattering like broken pieces of glass.
The air finally settles when Ami and Yuki wave from across the street.
"Looks like they saw us. Let's go,"
Rin says.
Fumiko pays the bill and the girls leave the café acting normal.
Back inside, silence hangs between Reijiro and Ryuji.
Reijiro suddenly bangs his head on the table.
"Why… Why… WHY DID SHE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT!!!"
Ryuji senses the rage, the sadness, the protectiveness inside Reijiro.
"Reijiro… calm down…"
"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN AFTER KNOWING THAT?!"
Reijiro covers his face with both palms.
"I swear… I'll make those Abyss creatures regret… mark my words."
Ryuji sits silently.
The fact that Rin knows about the Abyss is unsettling.
Who knows what the future holds now?