"We met another user, you are interesting from the eyes." Ryuk hovers in the air, tilting his head down to scrutinize me with a mischievous smile. He twirls a bright red apple in his hand. Hana sits in my office chair, shaking her head in embarrassment while Edel stands above my bed, arms crossed and flexing his impressive muscles.
The two of them appear to be effortlessly suspended in mid-air, while we mere mortals are stuck standing on the ground. Being mortal has its drawbacks.
"I am . . .?" Uncertainty lingers on my tongue as I continue to portray the same persona as my deceased brother. Ever since his passing, I've been pretending to be him. But can it truly be considered acting if I have fully transformed into him?
"I have a feeling that I would prefer to have you instead of that Daisy Princess over there," Ryuk says with an eye roll.
"Hey! You know I can hear you!?" Hana yelled, stomping her foot on the ground for emphasis.
"That's the whole point, Your Majesty. Please do continue to listen." His sarcasm dripped off his tongue as he playfully stuck it out as if he had just eaten something that didn't sit well with his taste buds.
Ryuk expertly flicked the red apple up into the air, deftly catching it with his mouth as it descended. The loud crunching noise seemed to echo in everyone's ears, and when he finished he carelessly spit the core towards Hana. It landed unceremoniously in her lap, causing her to squeal and frantically try to remove it without touching it. "That was an incredibly juicy apple," Ryuk commented absentmindedly, lost in his own thoughts as Hana struggled with the sticky core on her lap.
"Gross, GROSS, GROSS. . .GROSS!" Each word she screamed seemed to reach higher and higher, like an opera singer hitting the highest notes. But it was not a melodic performance; she sounded terrified, more like a horror movie scream than an aria. "Let's be real here, I prefer Edel over you any day. At least he has manners unlike you, you sluggish being!" Hana snapped at Ryuk, who seemed completely unfazed by her outburst. The two of them were in the midst of a heated argument, although Hana was doing most of the talking and Ryuk was just teasing her. Edel and I observe the exchange, unsure of how to intervene and end it.
"Don't you have your faithful army of hormonal teenagers to entertain? Use your imaginary breasts to get them excited," He yawned loudly, scratching at his spiky hair. Hana gasped in shock at his callous words and impulsively grabbed my electric pencil sharpener, throwing it at him. Ryuk didn't put much effort into dodging it; he simply floated away from its path, causing it to fly towards me. But before I could react and avoid being hit, Edel effortlessly caught the sharpener before it could collide with my face.
Hana's voice filled with shock and concern as she shouted, "Yugin?!" She leaped out of the office chair, causing it to wobble before toppling over. With quick strides, she made her way towards me, scanning my body as if I were a fragile child. Placing her hands gently on my cheeks, she pulled my face down to meet her gaze, since I was taller than her. "I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" Her words were filled with genuine care and worry.
I was about to respond when the sound of the doorbell interrupted us. We all turned our heads to see who it could be, causing our necks to twist uncomfortably. Hana coughed awkwardly and released my face from her grip. I glanced at Edel and he raised his hands in surrender, saying, "I got it. Ryuk and I will stay put in here."
Hana's footsteps echoed behind me as I approached the door. It was almost humorous, the way she stuck to me like a frightened kitten. My scheme had paid off; she was now glued to my side. Would Ryuk even notice when I controlled her in his presence? But then again, who was I fooling? The two of them clearly loathed each other.
As I opened the door, Mari froze in place with a flushed face and her hand still raised, as if she was about to ring the doorbell again. "Who is it?" Hana whispered loudly from beside me, trying to get a better look at what was happening. Mari darted her eyes back and forth between us before finally lowering her hand to her side.
" Mari-"
Hana's loud interruption caused me to side-eye her. "Mari?! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, not realizing the volume of her own voice.
Mari nervously cleared her throat, and I noticed her hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Did I come at a bad time? Am I interrupting some-?"
I had to interrupt her before she could even finish the question, as I sensed it was headed in a strange direction. "No, please come in," I say, stepping aside to allow Mari room to enter the apartment. Meanwhile, Hana still stands by the door, watching Mari's movements with an unreadable expression on her face.
" I'm here for the camera." Mari's tone was muted and I couldn't decipher her emotions at that moment, but it was definitely not her usual demeanor during our conversations.
"I'll grab it. Want to relax in the living area instead of standing at the door?" I say with a hint of humor, hoping to lighten the mood. Hana has been quiet like she was back at the office, hinting that something is bothering her. Meanwhile, Mari is always quiet around others, but today, she seems especially disconnected from social interactions. She's clutching the hem of her shirt so tightly, her fingers are turning red against her pale skin.
Mari declined my offer by shaking her head, causing her purple hair to sway as if it had a life of its own. Once she finished shaking her head, her cheeks turned a rosy red color. She didn't look like the typical clown you see at children's parties; instead, she looked like a princess straight out of a fairytale movie. Suddenly, I was interrupted by a loud cough, and when I turned to look, I saw Hana staring at me with narrowed eyes.
"She's waiting for the camera, Gin," Her tone was unfamiliar and it made me realize that I had been staring for longer than I intended. Feeling embarrassed, I quickly scratched the bridge of my nose with my fingertip before turning around and heading towards my room to retrieve the broken camera.
As soon as I opened the door, Ryuk greeted me with a smug look on his face while Edel shook his head. Although it was impossible to tell what emotions Edel was experiencing without any flesh on his face, I could read enough from the expression on Ryuk's face. It was evident that they had both been listening in on the conversation outside this room.
" Yugin, I didn't know you were the player type." Ryuk's irritating voice filled the room and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his snide comment as I retrieved the damaged camera. I had no idea what he meant by that; the true master manipulator was Hana, who played with people's emotions without even realizing it. It made me cringe to think that my brother had fallen victim to her charms. I still couldn't understand what Yugin saw in her, but he was completely infatuated with her as if she were some kind of deity he worshipped constantly.
I reached out and snatched the object from the table, not paying any attention to the two figures standing nearby. As I made my way back to Mari, I could hear her and Hana whispering in hushed tones. Their conversation abruptly ended when I left the door behind me, causing them both to turn and stare at me in surprise.
I passed the camera to Mari, carefully keeping it in the clear plastic bag. The once sleek and functional device was now a jumbled mess of small, broken pieces. Mari's expression turned to one of shock as she took in the damage done to the camera, evident in her eyes. She seemed almost saddened by its ruined appearance.
" What the hell happened, Gin?" Hana questioned aloud.
Before I could even respond, Mari jumped in and spoke for me. "Your boyfriend ruined it," she said with narrowed eyes. This caught Hana off guard, and it surprised me as well. I had no idea Mari had this feisty side to her, and it was exciting to see a new aspect of her personality.
Hana recoiled as if Mari had physically touched her, the impact of her words striking just as hard. "He's not my boyfriend," she stammered, flustered and apologetic. " I'm sorr-"
"I'll do my best to repair it, but I had no idea it was this damaged, Yugin." Mari didn't acknowledge Hana's words as she quickly interrupted. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow." She walked out without giving me a chance to offer to walk her out, not even waiting for my response.
As Mari walked out of my apartment, purple hair swayed rhythmically with every step, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. It wasn't until the door slammed behind me that I realized Hana had also left to go inside my room, leaving me alone to break eye contact with Mari. Had I been staring? There is something about Mari that intrigues me, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
As I walked back into my room, I pulled out my phone to send a quick thank you message to Mari. But as I enter, I see Hana sitting on my bed facing the window, gazing out at the disappointing view. Her posture tells me she's in a mood, just like when we were at the office earlier. Edel and Ryuk had already left the room, leaving just Hana and me. In the midst of all this, I completely forget about sending Mari that text.
"Do you know, one of us has to die?" Hana mutters aloud as she tucks her knees to her chest. "I always meant to speak with you over the years but I couldn't. I was too much of a coward."
" Why are you talking about this now?"
" Maybe to feel less guilty? I don't know. When Dolion died no one made a big deal out of it. I felt like I was going insane how I was crying nonstop and everyone acted like it was a regular day to them but I hated myself more because I turned my back away from him too."
"The past is in the past, Hana. let it go." I can't fathom why she's bringing up Diolon, there's nothing she can say to absolve herself of her wrongdoings. That day, she revealed the harsh reality of life to him. Once Diolon learned that she was just like everyone else, he succumbed to his inner demons that set him apart from the rest.
" There are some things that shouldn't be let go of."
Before I could question her about that comment a notification popped up on my phone and it was from X. The lunatic came out to play. I went to my computer and brought up x on it to catch the Livestream on it. I heard footsteps approaching me and soon enough, Hana's hair was dangling close to me.
"What's happening?"
" The person who's been doing the sicking livestreams is on."
" That lunatic? I despise them with every fiber of my being. They are absolutely insane." The sadness in Hana vanished, replaced by pure disgust at the thought of this person.
Anthony stood with his arms bound above his head against the wall. He looked like he had been brutally attacked as if a group of thugs had jumped him. His eye socket was swollen and bulging, threatening to burst. His lips were puffy and cracked giving them a fish-like appearance, dried blood clinging to them. And to add to the humiliation, they had shaved half of his head, leaving only dreadlocks on one side. My suspicions were confirmed; this crazy person was a senior. I was getting closer to uncovering their identity.