It was a quiet night. Haruki and Tsubasa sat at the dinner table with Tsubasa's father, Kazuhiro Orinuma, and mother, Ayame Orinuma. The warm glow of the dining room lights cast gentle shadows across their faces, and the faint clinking of cutlery filled the silence.
"Your exams start in five days," Kazuhiro said, glancing at Haruki. There was concern in his eyes, but no pressure.
"Yes, Father," Tsubasa replied, nodding politely.
"We're sure you two will do well," Ayame added softly, her voice carrying quiet encouragement.
After finishing their meal, Haruki and Tsubasa retreated to their room. The air felt heavy, and the weight of unspoken thoughts lingered between them.
Tsubasa studied him carefully. "What happened? Why are you so down today?"
Haruki forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to his own ears. "Oh... haha, nothing. I was just thinking about our exams."
Tsubasa smirked knowingly. "Oh really? You think you can fool me, huh? But anyway... don't be depressed, Haruki. You have me... and my parents too. They're yours now as well."
Haruki felt a faint warmth rise in his chest. He smiled slightly, touched. "Yeah... I know. I'm happy about that."
Sleep finally came, but it brought no peace.
In the midnight hours, Haruki was plunged into a nightmare. He relived the horrific memory of his parents' deaths when he was a child. Masked criminals had surrounded them, greed glinting in their eyes, while his parents fought desperately to protect him. Haruki remembered the sound of shattering glass, the cries of strangers, and the helplessness that had gripped him as they fell lifeless to the ground. Hours later, the police arrived. A crowd had gathered, murmuring and staring, but no one stepped forward to help. Hatred and despair filled Haruki's heart like a roaring storm. The rain began to fall outside, cold and relentless, as if the world itself was weeping with him.
Then, just when all hope seemed lost, Tsubasa and his family appeared. Their faces were pale, eyes wide with shock. They rushed to him, ignoring the police, and took the bodies of his parents away. With gentle care and deep respect, they performed a proper funeral, laying them to rest. Haruki's chest ached, broken by grief that had long lain buried but now tore itself open again.
Even in the waking world, his body trembled. He awoke with ragged breaths, tears streaming down his face, the nightmare lingering like smoke in his mind. He stepped outside, seeking solace in the cold night air, and sat at the doorstep. The first hint of dawn colored the sky, pale and fragile.
Morning arrived, and Tsubasa noticed that Haruki was gone. Panic surged through him and his family as they searched, eventually finding him asleep on the steps, still trembling from the night's torment.
"I... I had a nightmare... about my parents," Haruki confessed, his voice heavy and uneven. "I just needed some fresh air."
Shocked and heartbroken, Tsubasa and his parents pulled him into a warm embrace. Words were unnecessary; their care and love enveloped him, a fragile comfort in a cruel world.
After an emotional morning, Haruki and Tsubasa ate breakfast and headed to college. Classes passed as usual, but during lunch, the conversation turned serious. They spoke of the ongoing war between their country and a foreign nation, and Haruki voiced his frustrations.
"Why do these countries always fight each other?" he asked, fists clenched unconsciously. "It's always us normal citizens who suffer. How can we ever escape this corrupt system?"
"We can't do anything unless we become rich and powerful," Tsubasa replied, his tone matter-of-fact but firm.
Haruki sighed, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "So... this is reality, huh."
"Don't be depressed," Tsubasa said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Once we're strong enough, we'll change it. Okay?"
"Okay... we will," Haruki nodded, determination flickering through his grief.
"Good, now can we focus on our upcoming exam? Haruki..." Tsubasa asked.
"Ohh yeah... not a problem..." Haruki replied.
After lunch, they took the next class, where the teacher talked about the ongoing war between their country and a foreign nation, and warned every student to be careful.
"Oh, it's the first time I'm seeing someone concerned about us... why?" Haruki asked with hatred. "All humans ain't bad you know, Haruki... remember this," Tsubasa replied.
"Hmmm... I don't think so, they got orders to warn us so that we can think of them like you though now, You know that?" Haruki replied.
"You might be right, Haruki, we better be careful," Tsubasa said with a sad tone.
"Sorry Tsubasa, I didn't mean to talk harshly but we need to open our eyes," Haruki supported him... and Tsubasa got calm.
Evening came, and classes ended. As they walked home, they noticed a plane flew overhead, dropping something toward their hometown.
"Hey... look, Tsubasa! What's that?" Haruki shouted, panic rising in his chest.
"Wait... is that going toward our home?" Tsubasa's voice trembled. "This is bad... Hurry!"
They ran as fast as they could, but a massive explosion threw them violently to the ground. When consciousness returned, horror greeted them. Their home, everything they had ever known, had vanished. Vaporized. Flames devoured the town. Their faces were etched with trauma, disbelief, and grief.
"No... no... no... no... no... no... NOOOO... Mother! Father!" Tsubasa fell to his knees, crying uncontrollably. His parents... gone.
Haruki screamed into the sky, his heart shattering. "Why... why... why?! WHYYYY?!" He sank to his knees beside Tsubasa, sobbing. "Why is this happening to us? What did we do wrong?"
Tsubasa remained silent, head bowed, broken.
Rain poured from the sky as another plane appeared, a nuclear bomb descending toward them. Haruki stared upward, eyes wide with anger and despair.
"Huh? Oh... I understand now," he shouted, voice trembling with rage. "This is the fate you wrote for us, right? You so-called God! This is what you wanted from the start... you didn't stop the war, the corrupt government, or the evil people. But us... only us who did nothing wrong..."
The sky erupted in a blinding white flash. One word burned into his mind, echoing endlessly:
"UNFORGIVABLE."