30 - Light

The night had indeed not gone as Yuuto had entirely planned.

But like any night, however dark, it soon ended.

And light came along.

It was a school day.

"Yuuto..." An old man's voice called, resembling Saki's father, whispering in his ear as he was still sound asleep.

Yuuto jolted awake, his eyes wide as he looked to the side, a firm fist ready to swing; shaking the bed in his maneuver.

But all he could see was Kanoko sleeping soundly under the blanket by his side.

He swiftly glanced at the clock next to her head, on the stand by the bed.

It was almost time to get up and go to school.

'...So why's she still asleep...?' Yuuto wondered as Kanoko gently stirred awake, looking at him.

"Oh, hey there, Hiroki," she called, her voice raspy as she yawned. "Sleep well?" she inquired.

"Aren't you... gonna go to school?" Yuuto asked.

"Nah. I decided to just ditch for the day," she replied casually, causing Yuuto a little unease as she settled herself in a comfortable position, closing her eyes again.

'Does she not remember what I did to her last night..?' Yuuto thought, recalling pinning her to the bed before she pulled him in.

"You should do it too, get some sleep," she added, her eyes still shut.

Yuuto's muscles then loosened.

'Haven't slept much at all... Might as well do just that,' Yuuto internally admitted.

'But I need to do something first,' he resolved as his eyes wandered. On his side of the bed, he saw a wooden stand with his phone on it.

Yuuto picked up his phone and texted Saki;

[Good morning,]

He sent the message and then placed the phone down again.

'And considering what Saki's mom knows now, it would be a good idea to rest up and let things play out today,' Yuuto thought as he leaned back into the bed, looking at Kanoko.

"Sure... I could use the rest," he replied, as he covered himself with the blanket again.

'Wait...' Yuuto thought as he looked at himself briefly.

'I'm stripped of everything except my underwear... She undressed me in my sleep, didn't she?' Yuuto wondered, glancing at Kanoko, who breathed easily.

'Oh well, whatever. Awfully considerate of her, I suppose,' Yuuto closed his eyes.

...But for some reason, he felt someone's presence right behind him.

He turned around, but saw no one.

He returned to his sleeping position, yet every time he closed his eyes, he could feel it... a group of people standing behind him.

Yuuto knew exactly what was weighing on his mind.

It was the people whose lives he had taken.

'You are stronger than this... Focus...' Yuuto thought, squeezing his eyes tighter. Yet, the more he ignored their presence, the greater it became.

'Goddamn it,' Yuuto then mused, 'How troublesome.' He crawled close to Kanoko and hugged her under the blanket, placing his head in the middle of her chest, between her breasts.

'I don't care how she sees it... I just...' he thought as Kanoko wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in.

'...I just need this... just for now...' He thought, gradually feeling his stress leave him. Soon, he fell asleep once more, her hand patting his head as the other held him close.

Meanwhile, at Saki's house,

"Hm...? Where's my phone...?" Saki wondered as she scrambled around, her gaze landing on the window.

'No way... right?' she thought. As she opened the window and stepped out, looking to the side, she caught sight of her phone, laid neatly on the roof tiles.

'I brought it outside with me...?' she thought.

She instinctively opened it. The first thing she saw was a message notification from Yuuto.

Hurriedly, she tapped on it, her face flushing with nervousness.

Yet, her expression and shoulders lightened as she saw a [Good Morning,] written down.

'...I don't think... No one other than my parents did that...' she thought with a faint flush, before hesitantly replying with a simple 'Good Morning' in return.

'We just... texted good morning to each other...' she thought, excited.

'Do we text something else...? Or is this fine...?' she wondered, sitting on her bed and staring at the screen.

'Should I just ask him? Will he even know...?' She began to hesitantly type her question.

[Is just a good morning alright...?] she wrote.

And then deleted it, thinking she might sound awkward or out of place.

...And then wrote it again, recalling Yuuto is more out of place than anyone else, pressing send.

It was then she noticed the time and quickly shut her phone.

"Ah, I'll be late..."

She hurriedly prepared and went downstairs.

Downstairs, she met her mother sitting at the dining table, staring blankly at her palms.

"Good morning, Mom... Where is Dad?" Saki asked as she finished descending the stairs. Her mother visibly twitched.

"W-what...?" she muttered, looking at Saki, her eyes wider than they'd ever been.

"Mom...?"

"Why..." her mother started,

"Why... didn't you tell me...?" she whispered.

Saki froze.

"Told you...? I-I... I don't... know what..." Saki stuttered, looking down as her mother got up from her seat, standing before her.

"You... you damn... bastard...!!" her mother called with a growl. Saki could feel a hand raising upward, bracing herself for a strike.

...But she was then pulled into a tight hug.

"How dare that damn bastard... do this to you!?" Saki's mother murmured as she held her head close to her chest.

"Eh...?" Saki let out in confusion.

"You should have told me... he was doing something like that to you... Mommy would have protected you, Saki!!" she exclaimed, holding her close, her sleep-deprived eyes shedding tears onto her head.

'He told her...?' Saki wondered.

Saki's legs shivered as she raised her arms, wrapping them around her mother as her knees grew weaker and weaker.

"You don't... hate me...?" Saki whispered into her mom's dress.

"Why would I hate you!? You're the victim in all this, aren't you!? HE FORCED HIMSELF ON YOU, didn't he!?" Her mother's voice echoed loudly, a tinge of uncertainty in her voice as she emphasized it was her husband's fault.

'Ah...' Saki thought as she felt her mother's uncertainty, recalling Yuuto's words.

"Yes... it w-was... scary..." she whispered, tightening her grip.

Indeed, recalling Yuuto's words and feeling her mother's shakiness and uncertainty, she said this, not thinking about herself, but about her mother's reaction beforehand.

For some reason, she felt as if she was the one who had to ease her mother's worries.

'He... Yuuto-kun lied. He had to have lied... She's just... shaken... That's why she's like this...' she thought, shedding more tears as she tightened her grip around her mother.

It was that day her mother took her to the hospital, where Saki was taken into the S.A.F.E room and examined.

Her mother's suspicions were confirmed, and an arrest order was placed on Saki's father.

...Who had yet to return home or be found that day.

Other DNA was found within Saki's body, but she pleaded with the doctor not to mention it to her mother when she was alone.

It was the other students' DNA.