The crimson image haunts you to this day. When you arrived at the place, it was already over.
Their bodies lay on the ground. Crushed. Bleeding.
Amidst the chaos, you heard that the girl survived. Before you could react, you felt the urge to throw up.
It's not that you weren't happy to hear it. Rather, it was an unpleasant sight.
You'd never seen a world so vibrant in red.
You simply couldn't look at the riotous colorsー
Looking in the train window, you escape from that image, putting it out of your mind. The forms and vistas are constantly changing, melting together into a blur.
There is nothing left to describe in this scenery.
It is a realm where both self and object are forgotten, an intimate connection that you rarely feel.
As if the world itself is part of your being.
The sound of the announcer returns you to reality. Shape and meaning return to the simpler things. Leaving the train behind, the cold air of coming winter fills your lungs.
The quiet street you walk now is not a blur but a road full of obstacles. You reach the familiar house. It looks absolutely normal from the outside, like any other.
After you ring the bell, you wait for about a minute before an old woman opens the door.
"You again." It doesn't seem like she's happy to see you. Maybe you're not happy to see her either.
She lets you inside and goes about her business in the distance, "The brat is upstairs, as always."
You go up to the second floor, each step getting harder. There is a familiar door in the distance. As you reach it, you make a few gentle knocks.
The door opens just a bit, revealing the face of your student.
"Hello, Sensei," she says quietly, allowing you to enter. She is looking rather pale, but much better than in the hospital.
The room has been dyed orange by the setting sun.
Not much has changed in this room since you were here last time.
Everything is in its place, sterile and organized. Only the color of the evening gives this place a warm texture.
Rui quietly sits at the table, looking at you just for a moment, and then opens her notebook, preparing for work.
