The three of them continued walking through the school's wide corridors, where students around them were chatting loudly about all kinds of topics-from the latest movies released, to gossip and hearsay about this person or that.
In that place, you could find every type of student, each with different ideas, lifestyles, and dreams. You never knew which of them would end up with a satisfying future, and which would fall into a bottomless pit.
Amid that noise and scattered chatter, Haruki's ears caught the voice of one of the boys from his class. That boy was named "Akagi," speaking to one of his friends with a spiteful tone, filled with hatred toward his parents, as if they had stolen all his rights from him.
"Man, they control my whole life… I can't wait until I turn eighteen! I'll leave them all alone!"
Haruki pressed his lips into a thin line, something old stirring deep inside him that he couldn't quite define.
Before he even realized what he was doing, his legs had carried him toward Akagi, and he tapped his shoulder with a finger.
Akagi turned immediately when he felt the touch, raising a brow in surprise. He and Haruki weren't friends, so he didn't understand why he had approached him.
Haruki forced himself to put on a polite smile, then spoke kindly and in a gentle, advisory tone.
"Excuse me… I heard you speaking badly about your parents. I didn't mean to interfere, but… you should respect the fact that they've cared for you since you were born."
Akagi furrowed his brows in irritation. It was clear he wasn't the kind to accept advice easily. He shoved Haruki back roughly with his hand in an arrogant, unpleasant way, shouting angrily.
"And what business is it of yours?!"
Akagi's unprovoked aggressive reaction shocked Haruki, who disliked both his tone and his arrogant behavior.
In turn, Haruki stepped forward and shoved him with enough force to knock him flat on his back, then shouted back at him.
"I was only giving advice! You deny your parents' efforts just because they stopped you from a few things for your own good! Others would wish to have their parents alive, you ungrateful brat!"
The noise of their shouting and Akagi's fall quickly drew the attention of nearby students, who began gathering around, forming a circle around the two boys, stirred by the commotion breaking out in the hallway.
Fuji and Hiroshi both noticed what was happening. Fuji was the first to move toward Haruki, pushing through the crowd in an attempt to reach his friend.
Haruki turned toward him, distracted, unaware that Akagi had already gotten up. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his eyes burning with rage.
Akagi charged quickly toward Haruki.
Fuji's eyes widened, realizing he wouldn't be able to reach him in time, blocked by the throng of students.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, desperately trying to warn Haruki before it was too late.
"Haruki! Watch out!"
Haruki turned toward Akagi, just as his fist was about to smash straight into his face. Instinctively, Haruki squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the blow. But…
Seconds passed. Nothing happened-no pain, no impact.
Cautiously, he cracked one eye open, only to see the fist still hanging there in front of his face, frozen midair.
A faint smile crept onto his lips, quickly twisting into a victorious laugh. He pointed at the immobilized Akagi with his thumb and sneered.
"Ha! Look, Fuji! This rat doesn't even dare punch me!"
He turned toward Fuji, his grin still wide, but it didn't last long.
The mocking expression faded, replaced by confusion. Fuji was standing motionless-utterly still, as though life itself had been drained from him. No movement. No breath.
"Fuji?"
Haruki called out anxiously, his voice tinged with unease and confusion. He slowly looked around, only to realize it wasn't just Fuji… everyone was frozen.
Every student. Every motion. Every whisper… as if time itself had stopped, leaving him the only one able to move within this unnatural phenomenon.
"This… isn't normal."
He muttered under his breath, barely audible, speaking more to himself than to anyone else. Panic seeped into him as he clutched his head.
"I'm dead!"
But the fear of death didn't last long, for a strange oval-shaped portal suddenly opened before him, its edges rippling with hues shifting between violet and black ,like a tear in the fabric of reality.
Haruki shuddered at its sudden appearance and stumbled two steps back, raising his arms in shock.
"Wha-What the he-?!"
___
Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐