Page 6

Jun tried to maneuver to the quickest exit when his gaze snagged on something—someone—in the middle of the chaos. His heart thundered in his ears as his whole body went ice cold. At the walkway where they reunited, at the edge of the marble railing, the back of a tall figure stood still.

Jun didn’t want to recognize this person.

But he did.

People pushed against him as Jun sprinted towards him. The person raised his right arm, a large black pistol in it. Barrel pressed to his own temple.

The last time Jun ran this fast was graduation day when Ruki was on the roof of their high school’s science building. Never in a million years did Jun think he would be running to him again.

Jun bolted, knocking several people over. His shoe hooked someone’s ankle. He stumbled. Hands slammed onto the cold floor. Eyes on the figure, Jun crawled over fallen, struggling bodies, reaching his hand out when they pulled the trigger.

Smoke and blood splattered in the air, like white and red fireworks from the deafening blast. The body fell with a loud thud on his side. Jun stopped breathing.

The crowd roared around him, but Jun’s world went silent. He couldn’t look away. The head—red and black, unrecognizable. The strength drained from his limbs. Black dots ate at his vision, but through them, he saw it: a limp hand curled in a pool of blood, the gun inches from its fingers.

The same hand that begged Jun to be with him for the last time.

Jun crashed onto the cold, hard floor, and everything turned black.

2

Hallowed Gas

Alex threw the man across the grimy bathroom. The man slammed into the wall with a resounding crack, cratering tiles. The man groaned, rolling over on his back. Alex’s footsteps echoed off the tile as he crossed towards him.

“Fuck you,” he spat, spitting blood onto the piss-stained floor.

Alex inched closer.

The pathetic man squirmed, face bloodied and bruised.

Grabbing the man’s collar, Alex lifted him to his feet with one fist. “Where’s my fucking money?”

The man spat. Blood sprayed, and a tooth flew out, hitting Alex’s cheek.

Alex smacked the guy across the jaw again. Another tooth fell out. Blood sputtered from his lips. “You better start talking soon, man, or Imma make sure you ain’t gonna chew ever again,” Alex growled.

The man made a high-pitched wheeze. His lips curved into a toothy smile, blood dribbling between the cracks of his lips. “It’s in the—”

A loud guitar riff blared through the narrow space, drowning his words. Alex’s jaw clenched. Once the ringtone finished, he shook the man hard enough to rattle his teeth. “Come again?”

The guy took a few sips of breath. But as he was about to speak again, the guitar riff blared again.

“Motherfucker.” Alex dropped the guy, his heavy body crashing onto the floor. He whipped out his phone and glared at the two messages on his home screen.

Robin: to answer your question

Robin: yes this is related to ritsuki ayase

The moment Ayase’s name appeared on the screen, Alex’s world froze. It was still jarring to see his name.

He patted his front pocket, feeling the invitation he got in the mail that was technically the last time he read Ayase’s name. Another time was when Yoona came by the apartment to help him decide what to do with Jun’s things after he disappeared following the mall incident. A whole month ago.

Alex couldn’t think of anyone else who would know about his connection with Ayase.

Shuffling and panting interrupted Alex’s train of thought. The bloodied man squirmed his way across the tile floor like a pathetic worm. Alex ran over and kicked the man’s rib, feeling a bone crack against his toe. The guy whimpered and sobbed as Alex flipped him over and started digging in all of his pockets. When he felt some leather, he pulled out the guy’s wallet. The man gasped, saliva and blood gurgling from his mouth, as Alex waved the floppy wallet above him.

“Since you can’t tell me where the money is, I gotta go with plan B.” Alex shrugged as tears spewed from the man’s plump, swollen eyes. “Not my problem. You got yourself into this. Don’t borrow money you can’t pay back.”