Another: The Class of 1999

Chapter 23 - Sacrifice

I didn't mean to... It was an accident... I didn't mean to... I didn't want to...

Why... Why did I let go of Yuki? If I hadn't, maybe she wouldn't have fallen... I could have saved her... But instead, I killed her...

Yuki... I'm so sorry...

I had to carefully climb down from the tables, pausing every few seconds just to take a deep breath and calm my nerves. I was shaking so much, numbness seeping into my bones.

I couldn't even look at Yuki as I picked up her knife as well as my own. I lowered the attic ladder and climbed down the stairs. I felt terrible leaving her like that, but I wouldn't be able to carry her even if I tried.

What would happen to her body? Who would remove her? How would her parents react? Would the calamity wipe their minds of her presence? Her life, all the things she'd experience, were gone. Her future, what could have been, was gone.

I wanted Riku... I needed to find Riku...

I went back to the stairs where I met Hirohito. He was nowhere to be seen, so I headed down the stairs, back to the corridor with the bedrooms. The next flight of stairs lead me to the front entrance.

Hearing the commotion, I entered the dining room. Akira and Hirohito were locked in a full on fist-fight in the middle of the room. Ran was leaning against the wall, edging both of them on, and Riku was sat in the corner cradling his arm.

I slipped undetected into the room and went over to Riku. He looked up, and he managed a weak smile.

"Tsuki-cchi..."

I knelt down next to Riku. I noticed that his left arm was bleeding heavily.

"What happened?!" I asked him.

"Hirohito got a little angry when I ran into him at the stairs," Riku explained, trying to laugh, but ending up wincing in pain.

"Here, let me see."

I pulled Riku's gloves off and rolled up his sleeve. I had no idea if it was deep or not.

"We need to stop the bleeding," I said to him, feeling rather stupid for stating the obvious. I grabbed a large pile of napkins from one of the tables. "Apply pressure as much as you can."

Riku did as I instructed, holding the napkins over his wound with his right hand. He winced.

Meanwhile, Akira and Hirohito were still fighting. Akira's hair was spiked messily in all directions, and he had huge bruises on his cheek and jaw. Meanwhile, Hirohito had a large cut on his cheek and dried blood which stained his skin and collar.

Hirohito grabbed Akira around the throat and lifted him into the air, but Akira responded with a punch to Hirohito's jaw and a kick to the stomach at the same time, which caused Hirohito to drop him. Akira then tackled Hirohito to the floor and they began wrestling, punching each other at every opportunity.

I was surprised at how persistent and strong Akira was, and how Hirohito didn't hesitate.

Ran was leaned against the wall, her eyes flickering between the action of the boys, and me and Riku. She didn't look like she was about to attack anyone, but I didn't want to take my chances.

Cho, Yemon, and Jiro hadn't yet crossed my path... Wait... Akira was here, so where was Clarissa?

Clarissa...

"Ri-kun, " I gasped, feeling guilty, "where's Clariss-san?!"

Riku blinked slowly, as if he had only just remembered them. "I... I don't know..."