The deafening sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the place like a lost echo. When I saw the murderer with his hands over his ears and his gun pointed at the sky, I knew my chance had come.
My mind began to work, forcing my legs to move towards him. I was able to get too close too fast, but he turned out of nowhere and his gun was pointed right at my face; then he slightly opened his right eye, firing a bullet that went through my skull.
Without a second thought, I tried again, but instead of running, I threw an axe towards a pillar, creating the echoing sound. I hurried to hide, then threw the same axe towards another beam. After causing the noise, I came out from behind the beam to attack him, but he aimed his gun at me again. One shot missed, but he fired two more times in a row; one bullet went wide, while the other hit me in the right shoulder; then he finished me off.
I didn't stop trying the same thing over and over. Each time I died, I looked for solutions, but I felt like I was just in a circle from which I would never be able to escape. My mind slowly broke. I felt how pain and sadness took hold of me; at some point, I was only able to throw the first axe after entering, but I didn't move from my spot, knowing the result would be the same.
I didn't have a mirror nearby, but I could bet my face was that of someone tired and pathetic. Who did I think I was?
When I arrived, I should have called the police. At this point, I can't make progress. His hearing is something out of this world: even though it hurts him when a loud noise is caused, he recovers quickly and kills me without a doubt. Why am I here? I'm supposed to save Himari, but I'm so pathetic that I can't even withstand so many deaths myself.
While thinking, my knees gave way; the cold floor only made me feel worse. Each of my senses stopped working.
Small drops that had never come out of me before began to flow naturally, wetting my face.
"Uragiri!"
A small buzz managed to enter my ear. A girl with red hair and eyes, with a bear at her waist, was running towards me. No, actually, she was on top of me by that point.
She wrapped me in her arms, her head sinking into my chest. Her ear was against my heart. "Uragiri, I told you not to come..."
Himari readjusted; her chin was against my heart, her gaze penetrating my eyes, seeing even the deepest part of me.
She moved up, put her face against mine, and gently stroked my cheek. "You look good like this... It's nice to see you in a new stage... Uragiri. If this hadn't happened... I would have loved to know you, to have you by my side until the end of my days, or to move on if it didn't work out. Uragiri, I would have loved to love you, to be by your side unconditionally in every moment until the end."
She hugged me; with this last hug, her skull was pierced by a bullet, making me go back in time. Soon I felt her warmth replaced by the cold grip of the uni's main door. I lost my composure instantly, but I recomposed myself just as quickly. If I want to save her, I must think.
I entered and began practicing throwing the axes until I achieved brutal consistency; then I resolved to make the next attempt the last one.
I felt the cold of the door handle again. Without a hint of doubt, I opened it; I threw the first axe at the beam, then threw the other at the murderer's right arm. Instead of hiding, I ran towards him; this time he couldn't aim properly, so I managed to get into close combat. I grabbed his right arm that held the pistol and then pulled out the axe.
I felt the sound of the flesh releasing the axe was music, but I didn't stop there; he wasn't dead. I grabbed the axe and held it in front of the murderer, then drove it into his throat.
Today we are in a courtroom; a courtroom whose judge is unfair, has favorites, and helps them win. His side is clear and he has no problem using his gavel to deliver the final blow. That judge will hold his third trial today, and the first one consciously. Rest in peace, criminal.
With a small effort, I cut the murderer's throat, leaving him to drown in his own blood.
Soon I felt a peace embrace me. I saw the ceiling of the uni, then the top of the wall behind me, and before I realized it, I was on the ground, exhausted. I closed my eyes and sank into a deep sleep.
Suddenly, I felt a pleasant warmth. When I opened my eyes, I noticed several people standing in front of me. One in particular was babbling things that made no sense to me, as I wasn't yet fully in my right mind. After a few seconds, I understood what they were saying. In short, they were using me as an example to explain certain things to the medical students. The teacher forced me to stay lying down and made me move when he needed to teach specific things. He told me all my absences would be justified, so I had nothing to complain about.
When it was over, I could get up. I tried to grab my phone, but remembered I had left it where the kidnapper was. I stood up and went to the main entrance, where there was a police officer who seemed somewhat old, around 50 to 57 years old. Next to him was a woman around 27, who had a badge that made it clear to me she was just starting the job. The old man noticed me and approached.
"Hello. I'm Sub-officer Ajgul. Nice to meet you, Mr. Uragiri."
I guess they told him about me. I gave a small bow. "Nice to meet you. How can I help you?"
He gave me a small smile at my gesture. "I would like to know why you acted this way?" His tone surprised me; more than a reprimand, it seemed like he was playing. "My friend...Well... that doesn't matter so much. A person told me there was a shooting when I was on my way, so I decided to help before it was too late," I said almost sincerely.
The man's gaze became terrifying and somber for a few seconds, making my skin crawl. "Today, 3 dead, 7 seriously injured, and 2 injured have been confirmed." He moved a little closer to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "You are the one who prevented these numbers from rising. I want you to sleep tonight knowing that 12 bullets didn't get to harm anyone, all thanks to you."
Even knowing the old man's good intentions, I couldn't help but feel threatened. I inhaled and exhaled; then I looked him straight in the eyes. "Actually, there's something else. When I was on my normal way here, someone kidnapped me, but I managed to escape, although his fate was the same as the shooter's," I mentioned. The tension in my body and words seemed about to break me.
"Give me the location," said the old man; he was extremely somber again. I scratched the back of my head a little. "Better we go; I have to because I dropped my phone the moment I saw my friend's message."
He nodded gently, then guided me to the patrol car, where the girl began to drive until we arrived. When the officers saw the horrendous scene, they called another patrol, but they let me go without further ado.
Noticing it was all over, I didn't know what to do. On one hand, I could see if Himari was free, and on the other, I had the option to work. While thinking, I received a message: "Hey. Apparently, they just bought a story you love in the literature club," from Sameru. When I saw it, I knew I had to go read it.
Later, I finished devouring the story. It was good, but I didn't like it as much as I expected. When I stood up, I saw the rest of the members, but I found myself crossing gazes with one in particular. She had hair that was straight at the start and curly at the ends, perfect; her black eyes seemed like holes that sucked you in, and she had a hair accessory of a character I don't know. I didn't pay much more attention to her and left the room.
Upon leaving, I remembered that the last thing I read of "That Time I Fell in Love" was precisely that the protagonist finished off the guy with the gun, so from now on, everything that happened would be 100% unknown to me. Even so, I didn't memorize the events, and actually, most weren't happening as they should be.
I took out my phone and looked at the time: 5:33. I could try to invite Himari out. I felt my heart become faster and my face soften. Even though I couldn't see my face, I was sure a small blush appeared on my cheeks.