"Haa-aaah…" I let out a tired sigh, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.
A few more minutes passed, and boredom crept in, making the wait feel longer than it should. I pulled out my earphones, letting the soft melody of my music fill the silence around me. The rhythmic beat helped dull my restlessness, but soon, something caught my attention.
A sleek, black car pulled up near me. Its glossy surface reflected the dim streetlights, and the tinted windows blocked any view of who was inside. As the driver's window lowered with a smooth, mechanical whir, a woman's voice rang out.
"Hey, Rim."
Her tone carried a strange confidence, as if we had known each other for a long time. But I had never seen this woman before. My brows furrowed slightly. Only a few people ever used that name for me. How did she know it?
I took a closer look at her. She was undeniably attractive, but what stood out more was her uniform—it was the same as my sister's.
"Yeah?" I responded cautiously.
Before the woman could speak again, another, more familiar face appeared from the passenger side. Sugar leaned forward, her expression relaxed as she gestured toward the back seat.
"Hey, get in."
There was no explanation, no elaboration—just an expectation that I would comply. I glanced between her and the unfamiliar woman before finally sighing.
"...Okay."
I pulled open the door and settled into the backseat. The interior smelled of faint perfume and something slightly minty.
As the car eased forward, the woman in the driver's seat glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "You're comfortable?"
I gave her a slight nod. She seemed satisfied and returned her focus to the road.
"I'm sorry for being late," Sugar said after a beat. "I finished work on time, but Sarah here wanted to tag along, so I waited for her." She cast a playful glance toward the driver.
Sarah. So that was her name.
"I'm sorry, Rim. Did you wait long?" she asked, sounding genuinely apologetic as she met my eyes through the mirror.
I gave a small, confused laugh. "It's fine."
"By the way, I'm Sarah," she introduced herself. "Sugar and I have been good friends since college."
"Oh. Hello, I'm Ahriman," I responded politely. "Nice to meet you. And… thanks for being friends with her."
Sarah chuckled, seeming amused by my choice of words. We chatted idly about nothing in particular. At some point, Sugar mentioned we weren't heading straight home but instead taking a detour to a restaurant.
By the time we finally reached home, it was around ten. Sarah pulled up near the entrance, exchanged a few more words, then drove off after saying her goodbyes.
"Finally home," Sugar muttered under her breath. Though her mood seemed good, exhaustion clung to her expression.
As I stepped inside, something still lingered in my mind. I turned toward her. "So, what'd you tell her?"
"Hm?" She blinked at me, feigning ignorance.
"Don't act like you don't know." I narrowed my eyes slightly. "You saw how she was staring at me."
A mischievous grin tugged at her lips. "I don't know~" she said teasingly before turning away and walking toward the stairs.
I sighed. Clearly, I wasn't going to get an answer. Letting it go, I followed her inside.
Just as we were heading upstairs, a voice called out.
"Ahriman, is that you? Come here for a moment."
I stopped mid-step. The voice was familiar yet unexpected.
Monica.
I turned toward the kitchen, where the voice had come from. It wasn't normal for her to call me, we barely even talked. That alone was enough to make me pause in confusion.
Sugar, just as surprised, glanced at me. "That's… not normal."
You took the words right out of my mouth.
She seemed too exhausted to deal with whatever was happening and simply continued up to her room. I, however, hesitated before making my way toward the kitchen.
Monica was seated at the dining table, alone. Her posture was heavy, as if she had been waiting for me for a while. There was no warmth in her expression—just exhaustion.
I stopped a few steps away from her, deciding to get straight to the point. "You need something, Mom?"
She didn't react to the way I addressed her. Instead, she exhaled a slow, tired sigh.
"Ahriman, did you harass our neighbor's son yesterday?"
Her voice was flat. Emotionless.
My mind blanked for a second.
"...What?"
"He said that last night, you were alone on the road, looking panicked and acting strangely. He tried calling out to you, but you ignored him. Then, out of nowhere, you swore at him and ran away."
A memory flickered in my mind.
Wait. Was that him? The couple I had seen last night. The ones who had been nearby when… that thing attacked me.
"What? Do they mean that I was alone?" I muttered under my breath. "Didn't they see that thing?"
Monica sighed again, rubbing her temple. "What are you blabbering about?" She sounded more irritated now. "Also, we have good relations with them. What are you going to do about it?"
My head throbbed, a dull ache pressing behind my eyes.
"I'll write him an apology," I murmured.
I turned to leave, feeling the weight of my own thoughts pressing down on me. But just as I reached the doorway, Monica spoke again.
"Sigh… Isn't destroying my family enough for you?"
I froze.
The words landed like a fist to my gut. I stopped mid-step, the air in my lungs turning stale.
A bitter thought rose, unbidden.
How many times will you make me hear that?
I'm sorry.
The thought echoed in my mind, but I didn't say it out loud.
I knew what she meant. I understood.
I was the problem.
I knew that my selfishness was breaking this family apart. I knew I didn't belong here.
But even then, I had no other choice. This was the only way I could survive.
A bitter thought surfaced in my mind.
I had no choice but to exploit her.
I made my way toward Sugar's room. Reaching her door, I raised my hand and knocked lightly.
"Hey… can I come in?"
A moment of silence. Then, her voice, slightly muffled from the other side.
"Hm? Rim? Is that you? Come in."
~~~
A flick of a pen. A tap of fingers against the desk. The office smelled of paper and antiseptic, too clean, too artificial.
"So, Mr. Morris," the psychiatrist finally said, voice calm and professional. "Did you experience any hallucinations after our last session?"
I shook my head. "No, I didn't."
He nodded thoughtfully, scribbling something down. "Hmm. And what about the dreams? Have they stopped?"
I hesitated for a brief moment before answering. "No. They haven't."
There was a flicker of interest in his eyes. His pen scratched against the paper as he took notes.
"Alright," he said, his tone shifting slightly. "How about we focus on those dreams today? Tell me—what have you been seeing? Experiencing?"
I took a slow breath, my hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
"...Alright."