12 Homeless no.2

In the heart of the bustling Tokyo city, Ishihara a rookie policewoman stood as a beacon of unwavering righteousness. Her commitment to true justice was strong, but beneath her exterior was a layer of vulnerability born of her innocence and lack of experience in lies. 

Enter Shido, a smooth-talking member of a notorious gang, whose silver tongue and charismatic demeanor proved to be Ishihara's downfall. In her naivety, she found herself drawn to him, captivated by his charm and seemingly genuine intentions. Little did she know Shido's affections were nothing more than a facade, a mask to conceal his true intentions. 

As their relationship deepened, Ishihara began to see cracks in the illusion of love she had constructed. It became painfully clear that Shido's feelings were as fake as the promises he whispered in her ear. But by the time she realized the depth of his deception, it was too late. 

Shido, cunning and manipulative, used Ishihara's position as a police officer entangled with a gangster. With cold calculation, he twisted their relationship into a weapon, blackmailing her to serve his own pleasure. 

For Ishihara, her belief in the goodness of humanity shattered, replaced by a profound sense of betrayal. In her quest for justice, she had unwittingly become a plaything for Shido. It was a tragic end for her. 

As I left the police station, I took one last glance at her. "She doesn't deserve that future," I thought to myself. "I need to make sure that doesn't happen." 

-Kishimoto- 

"We're finally going home after that hell we just went through," Kei spoke, breaking the silence in the car. 

"I don't even want to think about it right now," Kato muttered. 

I looked beside me to see Kato, who was trembling and looked defeated. I agreed with him; what we just went through was a sick game. Most of the group who were there had died so easily, and I would have been one of them if it hadn't been for... 

I shook my head, pulling myself out of the thoughts. "I'm back home; everything is over," I reminded myself. 

"This is my stop," I said as I got out of the taxi. I bid my goodbyes to Kato and Kei. Kei seemed like he had something to say to me, but he held back. I felt wary around Kei because of his lecherous eyes; he always tried to sneak a look. But Kato was different. From how he had acted earlier, he seemed like a good person. 

"The lights are still on?" I remarked, glancing at my house. I noticed they were still illuminated, even though our family had strict curfew rules. "Oh no," I thought to myself. Maybe Mom is waiting for me; she'll definitely be very mad. 

"Ah, here we go, the keys," I muttered, reaching for the spare key hidden under the plant pot. I went inside and noticed it was unusually quiet. 

"Mom?" I called out, but there was no response. So, I searched the house, finding no sight of anyone. I wondered if she was out right now. Then, I stumbled upon the bathroom. 

It was freshly dyed red. There was no body, but it looked like a messy crime scene. 

"Oh, right... I killed myself" I said to myself. I was really stupid. How could I have done this even if I was high on stress? Even if Mom's expectations of me were too high, I should have never done this, I reflected on myself. 

*Ring, ring, ring.* 

The house phone rang, jolting me from my thoughts. I hurried to pick it up. 

"Hello?" I answered. 

"Shiori," came the urgent and slightly frantic voice of my mother from the other end. "Have you finally come home? Why wasn't your cell phone on?" she demanded 

I realized she must have mistaken me for my sister. 

"No, Mom, it's me," I began to explain, but she cut me off. 

"Come to the hospital right now. Yamanouchi Hospital," Mom instructed urgently. 

Hospital? What was going on right now? I tried to explain to Mom that I wasn't my sister amidst her hasty talking, but I couldn't get through. 

"Mom, listen, I—" I attempted to interject, but she spoke over me. 

"We found your sister, Kei," Mom's voice softened, heavy with sadness. "In the bathtub, she tried to commit suicide. Don't worry, she's—" 

Me? I thought, confusion swirling in my mind. I wanted to tell her I was doing fine and there was no reason to worry. 

"Mom, it's me, I'm—" I tried again, but she cut me off with a single word that sent shivers down my spine. 

"Alive." 

A cold knot formed in the pit of my stomach as realization dawned on me. This was far worse than I could have imagined. 

"There's... no way..." I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. "Alive?" I questioned aloud, confusion swirling in my mind. If Kei was at the hospital, then who was I? Why was Mom saying that I was there? 

"It's true. They said it was a miracle. She had flatlined, but the amazing doctors managed to revive her, and soon enough, she will make a full recovery," Mom's voice overflowed with joy. 

But her happiness only deepened my despair. "But Mom, I am Kei Kishimoto, your daughter. I'm alive, doing well, and I'm at the house right now," I thought desperately, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. It was as if something invisible held me back. 

Then Nishi's words echoed in my mind: 'We are copies, documents sent out like a fax.' It hit me like a ton of bricks. 

"I am a copy." 

Breathing became difficult, and my hands trembled as I gently placed the phone back on its cradle, ignoring my mom's concerned voice on the other end. I hung up, feeling numb. 

Returning to the bathroom, I stared at the bloody mess once more, feeling a wave of anguish wash over me. "Why, why, why..." I thought, my mind reeling. 

Then, I looked into the mirror and saw my reflection staring back at me. But it wasn't real. I wasn't real. I had died. Tears streamed down my face as I confronted the harsh truth of my existence. 

"I can't be here," I thought, overwhelmed by the realization that I didn't belong in this world. I wandered aimlessly around the house, memories flooding my mind—Mom scolding me for my grades, Shiori and I arguing over petty things. They felt so real, yet they were all fake. I was fake. 

Staring at the house one last time, tears streaming down my face, I whispered, "Mom, Shiori... I'm going to miss you both." 

With a heavy heart, I turned away and began to sprint out of the house. I had no destination in mind; I just ran until I had no more energy left to continue. The world blurred around me as I disappeared into the night, leaving behind the life I never truly belonged to.