That same day, according to Urami Johei
I remember it like it happened yesterday.
It was the weekend, and I was looking forward to spending some time with Rika.
So I walked up to her house, knocked on the door, and yelled...
"RIKA! RIKA!"
As I said that, I heard footsteps coming toward the door.
The door opened.
"Hey, Urami-kun!" Rika said.
"Hey, Rika-chan... wanna hang out today..?" Urami asked.
"Hmmmm..." Rika thought, while Urami-kun nervously looked at her.
"Nah, I think I'm good. Bye." she said as she closed the door.
"But—" he said, but she had already closed the door. He stood there with a shocked face for a few seconds before he started walking away.
Rika ran outside and slapped the back of his head.
"I was joking, you goofball! Let's go to the arcade!" she said, smiling.
Urami's eyes lit up. "YES!" he said.
Meanwhile, at the arcade...
"HAHA, I won again, Urami-kun!" Rika said, laughing.
"Rika, how are you so good at this?" Urami asked.
"Rhythm games are my thing, haha. Don't worry too much—you've got other games you're good at," she said as she hopped off the machine.
Urami-kun got off as well.
"Shall we go get some ice cream, Rika?"
"Hmmmm, sure, why not!" Rika answered.
As they were heading out of the arcade, people began crowding around the DDR machine.
"WOAH, it's the white-haired guy again!" someone said excitedly.
"HE'S SO COOL!" a couple of girls screamed.
Everyone was making a ruckus.
"Who is that?" Rika asked, trying to peek at the machine. Unfortunately, it was too crowded for her to see anything.
"Rika, let's go. I bet he's not even that good—and we can't see anything anyway," Urami-kun said.
"Hmmmm, I guess you're right..." she said, annoyed.
"STAGE CLEARED!""LIFE GAUGE: FULL""PERFECT FULL COMBO"[NEW RECORD] You are No. 1
Everyone in the building started cheering at the achievement!
Rika was impressed and began smiling uncontrollably. "No way!" she shouted.
Urami saw this and said, "Let's get out of here, Rika. It's getting late."
Disappointed, Rika looked at her watch. "Ugh, you're right... What bad timing. I would've loved to see the mystery champion," she said.
As they walked away from the arcade, Urami-kun thought:
"Phew... Finally, I get her all to myself—at least for the trip back home."
Moments later
"Today... I might finally be able to tell her," Urami-kun thought.
Rika... ever since I met you, I couldn't stop thinking about you.I used to think girls were gross, but you're the first girl I've ever felt this way about.So I was wondering... would you like to become my girlfriend?
Yes... this is what I'm going to say, Urami-kun thought to himself.
Urami-kun stopped walking.
Rika turned around and asked, "Urami-kun? What's wrong?"
The way the golden hour light shined on Rika left Urami speechless. The way her honey-brown eyes lit up in the sunlight—it was the most magical moment Urami had ever experienced. It felt like time itself slowed down just to witness her beauty.
He said, "Rika-chan, I—"
But before he could finish, a dog ran out of an alley, looked at Urami-kun, and started barking while sprinting toward him.
"AAAAH!" Rika-chan screamed as she saw the dog.
Urami turned around, and as he started to run, he yelled, "RIKA-CHAN, RUN!"
They both took off, but Urami passed Rika, and she was slowing down more and more.
"Oh no... Rika-chan is slowing down," Urami-kun thought.
He looked at his legs and thought, "STOP RUNNING."
But he was simply too scared.
Urami kept running with his eyes closed, thinking:"I can't stop... Rika-chan, I'm sorry..."
Rika fell, and Urami stopped running."RIKA-CHAN!" he yelled.
The dog jumped into the air, baring its teeth, ready to bite Rika.
Powerless, she closed her eyes and braced herself."Help..." she thought, as a tear fell from her eye.
....
Huh?
As Rika-chan was about to be attacked by the dog, I blinked—and suddenly, I saw a guy with white hair standing in front of her, protecting her.
He got bit and began to crouch toward the ground.
"What is he doing?" I thought.
The dog let go and began to hug and lick him.
"What is going on!? I'm so confused..."
...
He picked her up.
...
They're talking.
...
They're laughing.
...
Why do I feel so defeated...?
Present time
Urami Johei was slowly getting up... after that powerful rising kick to the chin.
...
"Are you okay, Hinto!?" Rika asked.
"Yeah... I'm fine," Hinto said.
Urami looked at the situation and thought:
"It's just like back then... them together. He's standing in the spot where I'm supposed to be, and she's by his side."
"Urami-kun, why? Why did you do all this!? And what are you doing with those people?" Rika asked.
...
"But what good will it do for me to tell you anything, Rika...?" Urami replied.
As he said this, his vision blurred. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the exact image from the past playing out before him, like a movie.
"Rika-chan, we have to go home!" Urami said.
"Oh yeah, right! My parents are going to freak out!" she yelled.
"Good. I broke up the conversation," Urami thought.
"No problem, Rika-chan. See ya!" Hinto yelled.
Rika...?
"She's... blushing..."
"Why am I seeing these memories now?" Urami wondered.
He reached into his pocket with his left hand and felt something inside.
Flashback
"What if you have to face that White Demon guy? What would you do?" Urami asked.
Eikyuu responded, "Hmmmm... that's a good question, Jojo."
"Don't call me that," Urami said.
Eikyuu grinned, reached into his jacket, and tossed Urami a small pouch.
"What is this?" Urami asked.
"This is an enhancement pill still in its testing phase. Made for people like me," Eikyuu said.
"Where did you get this!?"
"That's for me to know and for you... not to, I guess? HAHA!"
"I can't figure this guy out for real..." Urami thought.
"Anyway, I don't know how normal people like you react to it, but it could be a lifesaver. So take it."
"What the hell? So I'm a test subject?" Urami asked.
"I mean... yeah, kinda! HAHAHA. But don't see it like that. Just see it as your last resort," Eikyuu replied.
Present
Urami thought,"This could go completely wrong... or I can finally do what I was planning to do all this time."
"Screw it..."
"GET READY, WHITE DEMON!"
Urami put the enhancement pill in his mouth.
"What the heck is he eating?" Hinto thought.
...
Nothing happened.
"What the heck, Eikyuu, you—"
—Shock—
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Urami screamed as his body began to twitch violently and his eyes rolled back.
Rika looked on in shock."Urami-kun!? URAAAMI-KUN!?" she yelled. She tried to run to him, but Nikko stopped her.
Hinto took a step back.
Urami let out a deep sigh, arms hanging loose, head tilted down.
"Hinto..." Urami said.
Hinto looked at him and thought:"I can't take it easy on him anymore. This is serious."
"GET READY FOR WHAT'S ABOUT TO COME!" Urami yelled.
"Rika, Nikko—get out of here NOW!" Hinto shouted.
"Right!" Nikko said as she grabbed Rika's arm."Rika, let's go!"
Rika was dragged along."Nikko, wait—we can't leave him!"
"The way things are going, we'll just be in the way. Let's trust him and get out of here," Nikko said.
"...Right," Rika responded.
"Please be careful... Hinto..." Nikko thought.
"Urami... you hurt me. I hurt you as well. All of these feelings come from pain—an emotion neither of us wants to go through anymore.Yet right now... it's what you want to inflict on me.And I'm not gonna lie—after what you did to Kazuo...
I'M ITCHING TO DO THE SAME TO YOU!"
Urami started running.
"THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, WHITE DEMOOOOOON!" he yelled.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Hinto yelled as he charged at him.
Chapter End – Memories