Convenience store, 21:00. . .
“*Sigh* My first shift is finally over.”
Si-chan let out a sigh of exhaustion with her head down.
“Good work, Miss Future CEO!!”
We all congratulate and playfully mock her at the same time, with a smile on our faces.
“Yes, thank you, my dear friends! I appreciate your very kind words.”
Si-chan replies sarcastically.
We continued walking for a bit, and when we reached a certain intersection, we stopped.
“Alright, this is where we split up!” said Ryuji.
“Yeah, good luck with whatever you’re trying to do, Sierra-chan!” said Nobisuke.
“Thanks, Nobi-kun!”
“Alright, Sierra-chan, my home is this way!” said Sumire.
“Yow! Lead the way!”
We all then said our goodbyes for the night, and we all went our separate ways towards our homes.
. . . .
Today, I am going to be all alone again, huh?
. . . .
Wait, what am I saying? I have always been alone at home. One night spent with Si-chan, and I already thought that we were some kind of siblings all of a sudden.
. . . .
Oh, well! It’s not like she’s going to stay at my house forever. She has her own life after all.
. . . .
Maybe it’s time to find a boyfriend that I can spend the rest of my life with?
. . . .
But I have no idea what kinda man I like, though. I spent so much time alone that that kinda stuff never crossed my mind.
. . . .
But then again, what is a relationship? I am new to this whole friendship thing, so already setting my goal towards a relationship seems a bit too early for me. I don’t know some things about all of my current friends anyway, so maybe I don’t need to be rushing these things.
*!*
As I was lost in my thoughts, before I knew it, I had reached my home. I quickly go inside and immediately take a bath, and go to sleep right after.
.
.
.
Tomorrow morning at school 07:45. . .
“Good morning!”
I entered my class and greeted everyone.
“Morning, Mari-chan!”
As always, everyone in class greeted me now. I am so grateful for this outcome. I immediately go to sit in my seat and turn around.
“Sumire-chan! How was last night?”
*!*
I was surprised to see that Sumire is sleeping on the desk with her head down, lying against it. I turn to Nobisuke to gain information.
“What’s with her, Nobi-kun?”
“So, apparently, Sierra-chan kept her and her parents up all night until 3 in the morning. They said that they don’t have the heart to stop her because of how genuine her feelings and spirit were last night.”
“Eh? Until 3 in the morning? Are her parents gonna be okay?”
“Her mom is fine since she is a housewife, but we’re all concerned about her father. . .” said Ryuji, joining in the conversation.
“Eh? So, where is Si-chan now? Is she at work?”
“Eh? Did you forget that her shift starts at 15:00, Mari-chan?” said Sakura, also joining in the conversation.
“Oh, right! So, what is she doing right now?”
“Urrrggggghhhhh. . . .”
Sumire finally and slowly raises her head as she wakes up from hearing our conversations.
“She is currently with my father, going to her workplace. My father is planning to ask the company to hire her as his personal secretary since he saw how promising her skills, attitude, and performance were last night.”
“Wow! That surely would be a better job than being a cashier at a convenience store.” said Nobisuke.
“Yeah, I hope everything goes well.”
“There’s no use pondering about it! Let’s focus on the lecture so we can actually graduate!” said Sakura from her seat.
“Ah, you’re right!” said Honda.
.
.
.
After school, 16:00. . .
“Guys! Are we going to the convenience store again today?” asks Hibiki.
“Hmm, maybe later!! I have to go home and help out with some stuff with my parents!” said Honda.
“Oh, right! I need to actually clean my house! I didn’t do it yesterday!” said me.
“Also, Sumire-chan! Informed us on anything regarding Sierra-chan, alright?” said Nobisuke.
“Alright, Nobi-kun!” said Sumire.
“Well, then, everyone, until we meet again!” said Ryuji.
“Byeeeeee!!” We all shouted in harmony.
.
.
.
Tomorrow morning at school. . .
“Sumire-chan! How is Si-chan? You never messaged us yesterday, all day.”
“Ah! I apologize, Si-chan, and everyone, too! I spent almost the entire day sleeping yesterday, so I forgot to inform all of you!”
“So?”
“She was not allowed simply because she didn’t have any education. You need at least a college-level education to work at most companies nowadays. She was right.”
“Aww! What bad news!”
“So, what is she doing now?”
“Hmm, I don’t remember. She was telling me something before I fell asleep yesterday.”
*BEEP BEEP*
Honda’s phone suddenly rings.
“Ah! It’s Sierra-chan!”
“Eh? What’s she saying?”
“Uum, she wishes to stay in my house and talk to my parents about something. . .”
“Wow, the same thing again?”
“Ahahahaha! Good luck with that, Honda-chan!” said Sumire.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“*Gulp* I'd better prepare myself.”
And so, Si-chan spent the next three months staying at our houses in turns. She learned everything from all of our friends’ parents while still working at the convenience store during her shift.
She occasionally stays at my house as well for a few days. I also saw her carrying a book that was filled with her writings, and it already has only a few blank pages left. She wrote down any tips and tricks about businesses that she has been learning about from everyone’s parents, including her own experiences from the time she helped with her father’s work in the past, as well as her own work experiences working at the convenience store.
Looking at how hard she’s working, I got motivated as well. I started studying on my own after school so that I could graduate properly and find a job as soon as possible, following Si-chan’s path. This makes me really excited. I am already imagining a future 10 years later where we’re all still friends, having our own lives and jobs as responsible adults, meeting with each other occasionally to take a break from our busy routines. Going on multiple trips occasionally throughout the year, drinking beer together in a bar, going to each other’s marriages if we actually got partners, and whatnot.
. . . .
But unfortunately, that future never came. . .
Because Si-chan had other plans. . .
.
.
.
One day after school, Si-chan came to the school wearing our school uniform and surprised everyone. The entire class gathered around her and spent almost an hour asking and her well-being. But, of course, the six of us aren’t allowed to ask anything since we already know everything that happened. It’s only fair to the rest of the class, and we understand it.
Afterwards, everyone else has come home, and the seven of us are left. Before any of us could start a conversation, Si-chan said the first words.
“Ah, Mari-chan! Could you buy us some food and then wait for us in the broadcast room afterwards?”
*?!*
All of us were quite confused by her request.
“I mean, I don’t mind, but why the broadcast room?”
“Eehh? Please don’t ask questions, and just fulfil my request, okay?” said Si-chan as she winks her right eye.
“Uuuhhh, alright! What kinda food do you all want?”
And then, once again, before any of us could answer, Si-chan intercepts.
“You decide, Mari-chan! Hehehe! This is a chance to see if you know any of our favourite foods or not! Also, don’t forget to inform me when you’re there!”
For some reason, my fighting spirit was lifted up, and I took it as a challenge. I put my hand on my face.
“HOHOHOHOO!! SEEMS LIKE THIS IS SOME KINDA TEST TO SEE IF I KNOW MY OWN SUMMONED BEINGS WELL OR NOT!!! CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!”
And then I darted out of the classroom as quickly as possible. Si-chan also runs to the door behind me and closes it tightly immediately. Everyone was confused by her actions until she started saying something.
“GUYS!! LET’S PLAN A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR MARI-CHAN TODAY!!”
*!!!*
All of them were shocked at the same time.
“WAIT WHAT??”
“TODAAAAAAAAAYYYYY???”
“AAAHHHH!!! THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!!”
Everyone swiftly gathers at the center of the class.
.
.
.
A few minutes later. . .
I have arrived inside the broadcast room with all of the food that I picked out differently for everyone.
“I hope everyone likes what I picked for them.”
*?*
Towards the desk of the broadcast room, there was many broadcasting equipment that I was unfamiliar with, but there was a particular screen that monitors the CCTVs all across the entire school. This one monitor is just an additional screen for monitoring the school for broadcasting purposes, aside from the many screens and TVs in the security room.
“Eh? Everyone’s there?? What are they doing?”
I saw that all of my friends are inside the screen. They are still inside the classroom, but I’ve noticed that all of the desks and chairs have been put away to the sides, leaving only the teacher’s desk, making the class really spacious. They are also evenly scattered, doing something that I can’t properly see from here.
“Huh? They’re drawing something? Oh, right! I better message, Si-chan!”
.
.
.
Back in the classroom. . .
*BEEP BEEP*
Si-chan took out her phone and read my message.
“. . . it’s time.”
Si-chan puts her phone back inside her pocket and walks towards Hibiki.
“Hibiki-kun. . .” said Si-chan in a very low tone.
Hibiki is currently crafting something with papers, and he turns around to her.
“Yeah? What’s up, Sier---”
“I’m sorry.”
*BAAAAAMMMMM*
*GRAHK*
*!!!*
Everyone heard the loud noise and turned around to see Hibiki and Si-chan.
*!!!!!!!*
They saw that Hibiki was already lying on the floor, leaning against the wall lifelessly. His face was deeply dented inward, and blood was pouring out onto the floor. The wall around him was also sprayed with a little bit of blood from the impact. He died instantly after being punched in the face by Si-chan’s fist, covered in concrete, and with blood dripping from it.
“HIBIKI-KUUUNNN!!!!”
“HIBIKI-KUN!!!”
“HIBIKI-KUN!!!”
All the girls ran to Hibiki’s corpse as they instantly started crying.
“HIBIKI-KUUUUNNNN!!!”
They all started crying hysterically.
*GRAAHHKKKK*
Si-chan suddenly locks all the doors and windows by covering them with thick amounts of hard, solid ground.
From the broadcast room, I watched it unfold. When I saw Hibiki’s body slowly sliding down against the wall, my heart felt like it had fallen into the bottom of the abyss.
. . . .
Si-chan. . .
What are you. . .
*BRAK*
I slam the desk really hard with both of my hands and scream into the intercoms.
“SI-CHAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY DID YOU KILL HIBIKI-KUN?”
My voice was heard throughout the entire school. The security in the security room was alerted by my scream, and they immediately got ready to run towards Si-chan, not knowing a single thing that the door to the security room had already been compromised by her. The securities are left helpless inside the room.
My voice also reaches the room where everyone is. I tried to get out of the room, but I saw that the door was blocked by a pile of concrete all of a sudden. This must also be her doing.
*BAAAM*
*!*
I heard another noise coming from the screen, and I approached it with fear. I saw that Nobisuke and Ryuji had already apprehended Si-chan and pinned her to the floor.
“SIERRA-CHAN!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING??” screams Ryuji.
“WHY DID YOU KILL HIBIKI, SIERRA-CHAN? WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO YOU?” asks Nobisuke.
“. . .”
Si-chan did not answer them, and her face remained calm and serious.
“HIBIKI-KUUUNNN!!!”
Honda is crying out his name really loudly.
“SIERRA-CHAN, WHY DID YOU KILL HIBIKI-KUN!??” shouts Sakura.
“SIERRA-CHAN!! YOU’RE A BELIEVER THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOU NEVER TELL US? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLANNING FOR THIS?” asks Sumire.
“. . . Since the day I buried my father.”
*!!!!*
From the screen, I heard what she was saying, but very slightly, since the girls were all crying. I immediately think back to the time when that man from the underworld whispers something to Si-chan. This must be what this is all about.
“I’m sorry, Nobisuke-kun.”
*!*
*BAAAMMM*
*THUD*
*!!!*
Si-chan suddenly sits up and uppercuts Nobisuke right in his face with the same hand, covered in hard concrete. Nobisuke’s face was dented inward as well, and he fell to the floor, instantly dying on the spot.
“NOBI-KUUUNNNN!!!!”
“. . .”
Si-chan slowly stands up, and she approaches Sumire.
. . .
Stop it. . .
Si-chan. . .
Stop it. . .
Si-chan. . .
What are you doing, Si-chan?
My tears started falling down as I watched Si-chan cruelly kill Nobi-kun.
*BAAAAM*
“AAAAAAARGGH!!"
*DAHK*
Si-chan bashes Ryuji on his stomach backhandedly, and he is sent flying into the wall on the back of the class, and falls to the floor.
“NOBI-KUUN!! RYUJI-KUUNN!!!” Honda screams.
“STOP THIS SIERRA-CHAN!!! WHAT DID WE EVER DO TO YOU???” said Sumire.
“SI-CHAN, PLEASE STOP!!! DON’T KILL MY FRIEEEEENNNNDDSSS!!!” I shouted.
*BRAK BRAK*
“SI-CHAAAAANNNNN!!! PLEASE DOOOOONNNNTTTTTT!!!!”
My legs felt weak as I kept looking at the screen and slamming my hands against the desk.
“I’m sorry, Sumire-chan.”
*BAAM*
Si-chan punched Sumire in the face and killed her instantly.
My tears are flowing down my face nonstop.
“SI-CHAN!! SI-CHAN!! SI-CHAN!! SI-CHAN!! SI-CHAN!! SI-CHAN!! SI-CHAN!! SI-CHAN!!”
I kept calling out her name from the intercom, yet she did not respond. I saw Sakura and Honda crying next to Sumire’s corpse, and then Si-chan walked closer to them.
“SI-CHAN!! PLEASE STOP KILLING MY FRIEND!! SI-CHAN!! THEY’RE MY MOST PRECIOUS TREASURE IN THIS WORLD!!! PLEASE DON’T TAKE THEM AWAY!!! SI-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!”
“I’m sorry, Sakura-chan.”
*BAAAMM*
Si-chan punched Sakura in the face the same way she punched everyone, with rocks covering her fist. Sakura just helplessly accepts without being able to defend herself or anything against Si-chan’s Faith power. Her face was dented inward, and she died instantly as well.
“SI-CHAAANNN!!! *sobs sobs*”
All of my friends were killed as they helplessly heard my crying from the broadcast room.
Why?
Why did she start killing them?
For what reason is she doing this?
I have no clue at all.
Si-chan walks towards Ryuji next, instead of going after Honda, who was right next to her.
“SI-CHAN!! STOOOPP!!!! DON’T KILL RYUJI-KUN!! RYUJI-KUUUUNN!!! PLEASE GET UP!!!!”
*BRAK BRAK BRAK*
I scream at the top of my lungs as I keep hitting the desk over and over, and my hands start to turn red as tears keep rolling down my cheeks.
Ryuji looks at Si-chan’s eyes directly.
“Sierra-chan. . . Why. . .? Do you. . . hate us?”
“. . .”
Suddenly, Si-chan starts crying silently as tears roll down her face, yet her eyes stay cold and determined.
“No. . . I love all of you. . . I’m sorry, Ryuji-kun. . .”
*BAAAMMM*
Si-chan crouches down and punches Ryuji’s face, making it dented inwards as well. He died instantly without pain.
. . . .
My heart felt like it sank even deeper past the bottom of the abyss.
Please stop. . .
Si-chan. . .
Please stop. . .
Why are you doing this?
Please stop. . .
They’re my treasure. . .
Don’t take them away. . .
And then I saw Si-chan finally approach Honda, the last friend I have in this world who is still alive.
“HONDA-CHAAAAAAAAAANNNNN!!! PLEASE RUN AWAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!”
Honda immediately stood up as she heard my scream. She runs away from Si-chan but quickly realizes that there is no escape from this room. Honda falls to the floor with despair written all over her face. She crawls backwards away from Si-chan, as Si-chan walks slowly towards her.
“SI-CHAN!! PLEASE DON’T!!! SPARE HONDA-CHAN!! SI-CHAN!! PLEASE DON’T!! SI-CHAN!!! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SI-CHAAAAANNNNNNNN??!!!”
Honda is crying in fear of losing her life. She looks towards Si-chan’s eyes.
*!!*
She was confused because her eyes were still cold and murderous, yet her cheeks were wet because she was crying silently.
“Sierra-chan, you don’t want to do this, don’t you?”
“. . . .”
Honda braces herself and stands up. She approached Si-chan and hugged her.
“Did someone force you or threaten you to do this, Si-chan?”
“. . .”
Si-chan kept crying silently with cold eyes. Honda lets go of her hug and holds Si-chan’s shoulders.
“It’s okay, Si-chan! If someone forced you to do this. . .”
Honda grabs Si-chan’s right fist and puts it directly below her chin.
“You can kill me, Si-chan! I won’t hold any grudges. . .”
“. . .”
Si-chan’s tears flowed out of her eyes harder, but her eyes stayed cold.
“You misunderstand, Honda-chan. . .”
“SI-CHAN, DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNN’TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!”
I kept screaming into the intercoms to no avail.
*ZRAASSSSHHHHH*
Suddenly, a sharp spike made of rock came out of her hand and pierced through Honda’s head from the chin, and out of the top of her head. Honda died instantly.
*THUD*
The spiky rock disintegrates, and Honda’s lifeless body falls to the floor.
. . . .
I kept crying silently as I stared at the screen. My entire body felt weak, and it felt like a simple breeze would have toppled me over.
. . . .
I talked to Si-chan from the intercom in a very weak voice.
“. . .si-chan. . . why. . .”
Slowly but surely, Si-chan turns her head towards the CCTV in the classroom. She speaks to the camera.
“I apologize, Mari-chan. . . Fame, wealth, and power. These are the three things that define me as a Pendrago.”
. . . .
I have no idea of anything what Si-chan just said to me.
“I’m sorry, Mari-chan, but they are simply. . .”
Si-chan speaks to me with cold eyes and tears falling down her cheeks.
“My identity!”
