I Can't Kill Him [Akabane Karma]

8 | Birthday

CHIHARU'S POV

"Chiharu~" Karma chanted repeatedly, trying to get my attention.

"WHAT?" I shouted in an annoyed tone.

Doesn't he see that I am trying my best not to talk to him? Especially after what happened two days ago... Ugh. He knows about that already... Though he did save me...

"Yay! I got Haru-chan to stop ignoring me!" Karma exclaimed happily with an innocent smile plastered on his face.

I blushed slightly, but continued reading my book.

"Say Haru-chan, can I come over today?" He asked.

"No," I replied.

"But it is an order," he whines.

...

"Very well, I shall tell Nagisa-" he says then standing up.

"Wait! Fine! I'll let you come over!" I shouted immediately and blushed.

"Hehe, that's great! What would you like for dinner?" He asked.

"Dinner? You are cooking dinner?" I asked then my eyes glanced upon today's date.

2nd May...

"Sorry, I am not free today," I told him.

"You won't be at home?"

"Nope."

"That's too bad then..." He replied in a disappointed tone.

I sighed and closed my book.

2nd May... How could I have forgotten? Today is...

+++

"Ding dong" I rang the door bell of my parents' home. I looked up at the mansion, it seemed to be bigger than it was the last time I was here. They must have renovated it again. I sighed.

"Who is this?"the telecom answered my ringing.

"It's me," I replied.

"Oh! Miss Chiharu. Welcome home! I will open up the gate right now for you!" it chimed, but even I knew the owner of this nostalgic voice... Right on cue, the gate opened and led into a garden. I walked in and glanced around at the flowers and trees. To think that this was the same ground where my parents and my ancestors did most of their assassination jobs and the grass I stood on before were stained red. It sends chills up my spine as I recall the assassination stories they told me as bed time stories.

I see my family head butler, Carlos, standing at the door.

"Welcome back Miss Chiharu," he greeted. " Happy birthday."

That's right. Today's my birthday...

"Are my parents home?" I sighed.

"Yes, of course. They never miss your birthday," Carlos replied.

Lies. We never celebrated it.

"Very well, you can relay to them that I visited... I will be leaving now," I said and turned around.

"Not so fast young lady," a familiar voice suddenly said. I turned around and see my father coming out of the house.

"Father..." I mumbled and looked down.

"Happy birthday my dear," he said and Mother stepped out from the shadows and slapped me. I winced in pain and rubbed my slapped cheek gingerly. I refused to allow my tears to flow. It was a sign of weakness in my family and often led to more torture.

"I heard from that you failed the last job given to you," Mother said angrily.

"It was a trap to kill me," I replied.

"Then, why didn't you kill off the pests?" she asked angrily.

"I..." I can't tell her my reason...

"Your sister was so much better!" she whined.

Then, why aren't you supporting her?

"It is just such a sad thing that she died and we have to make do with a failure like you," Mother complained. "You even moved to that failure of a class!"

Hari-chan is not dead! And...

"I am only there for a job, I need to assassinate the teacher..." I replied.

"... Is it that fast octopus I heard from the hackers?" Mother asked and I nodded in reply. "You have until Summer and back to 3-A, understood?"

"Yes... May I leave now... Mother?" I asked.

"You may very well do so. I do not wish to see the face of failures at all anyway," Mother said and left.

I looked up at my silent Father and bowed to show respect to him before leaving. To think that all happened at the Garden of Death. I walked home silently crying.

I hate this. I hate this. I hate this! Why can't we be like a normal family? That's all we wish for... Hari-chan and I just wish that we can be a real family.

Then, I crossed by that hospital. I stopped and stared at it for a moment before walking in.

+++

With a heart in my mouth, I entered the hospital room. I see her.

My unconscious little twin sister, lying on the hospital bed.

I walked towards her. Afraid.

"Hari-chan... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... It's all my fault," I cried silently as I gripped onto a cold hand.

~flashback~

I killed them all. I was so scared, but every glance at my unconscious sister made me think twice and just shoot. I panted and fell to my knees as I glance at the pile of corpse in front of me.

I protected her... Right?

I went beside Hari-chan and checked her pulse. It was beating normally. I tried to wake her up, but she did not...

"Hari-chan! Wake up please!" I cried and shook her.

"Hari-chan..." I mumbled, then carried her to the nearby hospital.

~end of flashback~

"It has been a year... How much longer are you going to be sleeping? Didn't you say that you will always be by my side. So please... Faster wake up... It's so cold without you here... What happened to that warm little home of ours? All I wish for is... For you to finally wake up..." I cried. "It's been a year Hari-chan... Happy Birthday..."

THIRD PERSON POV

Unknown to the little girl, a certain red head is watching her outside the door.