Chapter 1: Nihility
A / N:
" - Talking
' - Thinking
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"Hey Nixy~"
"Still sleepy, are we...?"
"Well, it's time to get up, idiot!
Our next mission is not gonna complete itself..."
...
"Hehe, look at you, trying to protect your cousin~"
"I'm honored, the Great Prince is protecting me~"
She chuckled.
She then looked down, hands behind her back...
"By the way, about that offer earlier..."
She looked at Him...
"Once we finish this mission, I'll take you up on your date offer~"
...
'Then I woke up...'
"HUFF... HUFF... HUFF..."
'I woke up in bed, naked.
I clutched my burning heart and began breathing deeply to calm myself.'
'Once my chest calmed down, I opened my eyes, my sight blinded by the morning sun.
Tears flowed down my face as I breathed rapidly...'
'The same dream... more like nightmare, again.'
'Just thinking about her aches my heart to death... her absence... it's suffocating.'
'I have everything...'
'Yet...'
'The only things that mattered are gone... I wanted to end it all, end the pain, so why... why don't I have the courage to end it?'
'Is it pride, instincts, or... delusions?'
'That answer is unknown even to myself...'
'I stood up from the bed, stretched, and turned around to see the mattress soaking in sweat.
I took it off and threw it into the laundry.'
'I then went to the closet, picked just shorts, and immediately went to the kitchen.'
'At the kitchen, I took out a red meat from the fridge to cook my breakfast.
After some light seasoning, I placed it on the searing pan that I preheated.'
Once the meal was finished cooking,
Nix ate it up while looking at his phone, checking his schedules.
As Nix scanned each letter, document, report, and schedule, his attention was caught by something.
The 4th High School Class Reunion...
For Nix, things like these shouldn't be worth his attention... but this class, this very same class is what began his journey.
'It seems Yuki Enyuuka and Souzui Mizunagi are heading there too...'
Memories flashed before Nix's eyes...
He remembered it...
the time when he lost to his mother, and finding the only person to cling to... his childhood friends.
Yuki, whom he secretly liked, and Souzui, his male best friend, became a couple on the same day.
Nix was about to lean on Yuki for comfort, but when he found out about this, he was devastated...
...
Nix and Souzui eventually talked face to face.
"Hey man... I'm sorry... I-I–"
Nix cut him off.
"Souzui, it's ok... I also know you liked her."
'I gave him a smile...'
But beneath it was grief.
"N-no man, you liked her... longer than me... but she and I—"
Enough!!
Nix snapped.
"I know it already... you two fell for one another... it's natural. You won her heart fair and square."
Souzui stayed silent, looking down with guilt in his eyes.
'Souzui is a good man. He's also handsome, athletic, especially his personality... perfect for Yuki...'
As Nix turned and left, he shed a single tear with his back turned....
After that, Nix disappeared without a trace...
Already shook hands with that man...
His life is now sold to the cause...
As Nix's mind returned to the present, he closed his eyes.
Silence...
'I'm going...'
He took a long breath and stood up, heading to the shower to empty his thoughts.
Nix had decided to go to the reunion and talk it out with Yuki and Souzui.
...
After a refreshing bath, he went to his room and dressed up in a formal outfit, a long-sleeved polo, folded back tightly, emphasizing his muscles, and long black pants.
He looked at himself in the mirror, his blue eyes flashing...
Nix then turned around after finishing dressing up and went out of his room.
'When I got out of my room, a mature female maid stared at me with a blush on her face.
I ignored her and went to the elevator.'
'Once I got in, another brief silence followed, then...'
Ding!
'It opened.'
'I walked out of the building and into the street, greeted by the bustling morning of Kyoto, Japan. People rushing to their destinations.'
'I started walking.
I checked the location earlier; it's only a few steps nearby, fortunately.'
'As I caught people staring at me with multiple different emotions... awe, curiosity, and jealousy...'
'I didn't look at them because I might give a double signal...'
Nix is handsome... extremely soo, and that's both a curse and a blessing in his perspective, for multiple reasons...
...
'While walking, I caught sight of the restaurant where the reunion would take place.'
'As I viewed inside the restaurant through a window, they talked, shared stories as they drank, played games as they ate, and laughed as they spoke...'
'I walked up to the entrance and opened the door...'
'Once I entered the restaurant, I scanned the area. The place was well-kept; their cooks weren't lacking.'
'Slowly, I went to the private room, and there it was...'
'My old classmates...
They probably wouldn't recognize me anymore though...'
Upon my arrival, they all saw me.
"Hello, handsome mister~"
Alice and her friends called out.
'Mizuki and her friends were the popular girls during high school... of course, in the past, I was air to them...'
"Damn, look at his frame!"
Sato commented.
'Ahh... Sato, the cool kid everyone liked, a natural leader, charismatic, and enthusiastic... he's one of the only people who actually didn't treat me like air.'
Sato then asked:
"I'm sorry, but what's your name?"
'I looked at him for a while, then at everyone sitting at the table.'
Nix then began to reintroduce himself.
'I faked a cough before putting on a smile, the mask I prepared to wear the entire day I was here...'
"Hello, I'm Nix Niedrig..."
Silence...
"WHAT! REALLY?"
Sato was the first to react.
"YOU LOOK GOOD, NIX! LONG TIME NO SEE!"
He said, beaming with positivity.
The rest followed.
"Wow... he was that guy in our class!?"
Mizuki commented in shock.
"Damn bro, that growth spurt hit hard~"
Yukimiya, a friend of Sato, added.
'I then gave small bows out of courtesy before sitting down next to Sato, but immediately some girls went to the empty seats next to me.'
"H-hi Nix, long time no see! Remember me?"
"Ahh... you're Natsuki, right?"
'Natsuki was a bookworm back then, just like me. We had casual interactions because of our common interests.'
Natsuki's face beamed.
"I-I see, so you do remember me."
She said softly.
She smiled, blushed, then looked down.
"You seem to be doing well, Natsuki. You've grown too."
"Hehe, not as much as you..."
She replied...
Before she could continue talking,
a batch of people came closer to my seat, asking me questions.
"Hey Nix, how have you been?"
"Hey Nix, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Hey Nix, what's your workout routine?"
"Hey Nix, what's your favorite sport?"
...
'I answered them calmly and with a smile.'
"Hehe, you're already so popular, Nix~"
Sato commented, smiling while patting my back.
"Haha..."
I reacted...
'After my other classmates calmed down, after I satisfied their curiosity,
I looked at Natsuki and gave her a gentle smile... genuine this time. She was a true friend, after all.'
'Seeing my stare and expression caused her to blush and look down in shyness.'
"You switched your glasses for lenses..."
I commented.
"Ahh y-yeah, it's way more convenient a-and it doesn't make me as ugly as when I had glasses..."
'I tilted my head to the side, raising an eyebrow.'
"What are you talking about, Natsuki?"
"You, ugly?"
"Don't say such discouraging words about yourself..."
'My heart softened. My smile became genuine.'
"I don't want an old friend of mine to think that way..."
'After hearing my words, her brain seemed to have restarted.'
'I chuckled at her reaction and left her for a while so she could process my words.'
'I then turned to the other side, seeing Sato with a teasing grin, my face straight...'
"Ha... Nix, you just got back and you're already melting girls' hearts. How envious..."
He sarcastically grieved.
'I gave a light chuckle.'
"Hmph, you just don't know how amazing you look right now.
If you were in the body of someone ugly, you'd curse the heavens after seeing your current self."
'I leaned back on the chair, chuckling...'
"By the way, Nix, you just suddenly disappeared... No contact at all after high school year. What happened?"
'At that question, my mind flashed to the moments of my past...'
"Ah, no, I just needed to be alone for a while, and I eventually figured things out."
'I gave him a soft smile...'
"Good to hear, man... good to hear..."
"By the way, Yuki and Souzui are coming later. Will you talk to them?"
Sato added.
'At the mention of their names, my heart tightened, but I gave a smooth, calculated response calmly.'
"Oh..."
"Ah."
"Yeah, I will..."
'Lies... I'm lying to myself. I mentally prepared myself knowing they were coming, but... the more I think about it, the more my will falters...'
'After that, Sato got caught up in a conversation, and the same went for Natsuki, even though she wanted to talk to me more.'
'I then looked out the window, scanning to pass time.
Then, two people.
A perfect picture of a couple, walked slowly, hands hooked to one another, talking with bright faces.'
'Yuki and Souzui... I was supposed to be happy for them... but I lied... my heart still aches for Yuki...'
Nix then stood up quietly and left the restaurant without a noise.
...
"Thanks for the gift, Souzui~"
Yuki's face beamed with happiness.
Souzui smiled and kissed her forehead.
She blushed and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked to the restaurant...
They eventually entered the restaurant and were immediately greeted by people staring at them.
"Ayeee, it's the power couple!"
"Damn, I'm so jealous!"
"Hello!"
Sato noticed them first, the rest followed.
"Hey, Ni—"
When he looked to his seat, Nix was gone... like he wasn't even there from the very beginning.
Yuki and Souzui took notice of Sato's odd behavior and raised an eyebrow.
Sato looked at them, then explained.
"Nix was here earlier, and he said he was going to greet the both of you."
"WHAT!!?"
Yuki and Souzui's eyes widened.
Nix... their childhood friend...
A friend whom they'd been trying to find since that day.
"Where is He?"
Souzui asked Sato.
"I don't know, dude... He just... suddenly disappeared. I didn't even notice a single noise."
"Is he ok?"
Yuki asked, concerned.
"Oh hell yeah he is. In fact, he's doing too well... I mean, that small lad really grew up."
Yuki and Souzui breathed a sigh of relief... but also concern.
Their minds were in chaos.
'Why did he go...'
Yuki thought.
Souzui's heart tightened... remembering the past...
...
Back to Nix.
Nix had already walked far from the restaurant.
Not a single person noticed him leave.
His mind empty, but his heart hurting...
"In the end, I'm still the same, heh..."
Tears began to pour down his face, but He immediately wiped them away.
Nix's thoughts went back to Yuki and Souzui...
He wanted to face them because he missed them as friends...
but his burning jealousy and love for Yuki were far more dominant in his heart...
What if he faced them... what then... what could he say... nothing...
Nix thought deeply as he watched down the road...
Then it came...
BEEP BEEP!!!
"HEY!!!"
"HEY, MOVE OUT OF THE WAYYYY!!!!"
A truck driver screamed in panic as he tried to stop the truck desperately, but with broken brakes, it was useless...
The people around, seeing Nix walking slowly and deep in thought, screamed at him.
"HEY MAN, GET OUT OF THERE!!!"
"ONII-SAN, WAKE UP!!"
"KYAAAA!!!"
"YOUNG MAN, WATCH OUT!!!"
Then... the truck's brakes finaly worked again, but it was already too late...
BANG!!!
Nix got hit...
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A / N:
Chapter releases will only be 3–5 chapters a week due to my tight schedule in life.