Chapter Nine: Out in Hiroshima:

I looked up when I heard a knock on the bathroom door.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Kichiro?” I heard Isaac ask, “Is that you? Are you about done in there?”

“Uh… sure,” I said, “What’s the problem?”

“We’re going out now,” he said.

“What?” I asked.

“The boys and I are all going out,” he said, “And you’re coming too.” I looked rather confused by that declaration.

“But I still have to study,” I said in a mumble.

“Never mind that; let’s get going!” Isaac shouted, “Chop-chop!” He pounded on the door for emphasis. I dropped my shoulders and sighed.

“Fine, fine,” I mumbled, “I’ll be out in a moment.”

“We’ll be downstairs at the door,” he told me. I listened as Isaac walked away from the door. I sat there, assessing my options. Anywhere away from Sakura-hime sounded so good right now. I just needed to grab one thing.

I opened the door and peeked around the hallway. It looked clear so far, but that crazy woman could be lurking around. I needed to make this quick. I held my breath and counted down to three in my head. I dashed across the hall back to my room. Luckily, Sakura-hime was long gone. I didn’t want to think where see went. I pushed myself to focus on the task at hand. Just get Hitomi’s journal and your phone and get out, I thought. I hurried to my desk and retrieve both items. That was easy, now I just needed to get back out again.

I can do this, I thought. I timed myself like I did before and raced out the room into the hall. I didn’t stop moving until I made it down the stairs to Isaac, Cassius, Yusuke, and Sunao waiting at the front door. Yusuke gave me a strange look on his face.

“You’re all sweaty,” he pointed out.

“Yeah!” I answered with a pant.

“Why were you running?” Sunao asked. I shook my head at him.

“Never mind that,” Isaac cut in, “We have to get going.” I looked at him rather confused.

“Why? Where do we have to go?” I asked.

“You’ll see when we get there,” Isaac replied, “Let’s just go!” I found myself being pushed out the door with the rest of them. We all got into Isaac’s black van. I tried to piece together what was going on around me. Isaac looked at all of us through his rear view mirror.

“Everyone here?” he asked.

“Yes,” we replied.

“Everyone buckled up?” Isaac asked.

“Yes!” we said again.

“Good, now let’s split,” he said. He put his van into drive and pulled out. I looked around as we were driving along the highway.

“Uh… where are we going?” I whispered to Sunao beside me. I noticed the big smile on his face.

“We’re going into the city for the day,” he said.

“Okay…” I said, “Why?”

“To meet with some friends,” Cassius answered behind me, “They are putting on a show today.” I nodded in slight understanding.

“Ah,” I said, “But what about the girls?”

“Sorry, bro,” Isaac said, “This is an all-male’s day.” I blinked at his statement.

“Wha?” I asked.

“No chicks allowed,” Yusuke clarified.

“Any more questions?” Isaac asked.

“How long are we going to be out?” I asked.

“We’ll be back late, tops,” the driver told us. I gave him a rather curious look on my face.

“How late?” I asked. Isaac tried to do the math in his head.

“About midnight, maybe?” he asked. I tried to be polite about it; no point in complaining in a van anyway. I smiled and nodded at his answer.

“Fine, fine,” I said. Isaac looked at me through the rear view mirror.

“No,” I said, “I’m good.” He turned his attention back to the road while I pulled out Hitomi’s journal that I had hidden in my jacket. I turned to the first page and glanced over it. Most of the content was of lyrics from random Dir en Grey songs. Before we went to separate high schools, Hitomi practically sang praises about that band. I could never understand it and she took issue with it.

“How can you not like them?” she came that summer before school for the year. I shrugged as I watched her walk across the balance beam.

“They’re not my thing,” I answered, “I’m not into metal.” She pouted and jumped off the beam.

“You hurt me so badly in here,” Hitomi said as she put her hand to her chest.

“Aw,” I said, “I’m sorry.” She gave me a little pout.

“Hug me?” Hitomi whimpered. I gave her a rather goofy smile.

“Alright, come here,” I said. I hugged my friend and she smiled against my chest. That same goofy smile I had back then came on my face now as I read through funny stories about her life with me hidden in the Dir en Gray lyrics. Suddenly, I stopped cold when I discovered the first of many ugly truths that possibly led to her death when I read the first sentence hidden among the lyrics of “Embryo.”

Dan Toshio was my babies’ father.

That sentence alone made my heart stopped in my chest and sink. Leftover anger that I thought had left filled my chest and started to simmer. I never wanted to see that name ever again, but here I was reading in my dead friend’s diary. I began to grind my teeth as we drove down the highway.