The Contract - I

"Hah... I did... You are right... So, everything has been my fault, isn't it?" 

Haru's voice wavered as anger gave way to self-loath and deep emptiness in his heart as he said, "I did everything... forced a situation on Aki because I was desperate and a coward who couldn't let go of her... Hah... I couldn't see Akio's true colors who made my life a complete mess behind my back... And despite everything, I still failed to protect, again and again... Ha-ha... Why did you even choose someone as pathetic as me?" 

"Pathetic? Are you sure about that?" Mimi asked with a small smile on her face and walked toward Haru as she stood up, "You really have no idea just how special you are."

"Special? Ha-Ha" The words echoed in his ears, prompting a bitter, sarcastic laugh to escape his lips as he asked with dull eyes, "Special in the way as how my life got twisted by someone I thought was close, and how you're also probably just using me for your own gain?"

Mimi had been a lifeline in his darkest moments, a source of support when he needed it most. In his desperation, he clung to her, wanting to believe in her sincerity because of a reason. However, the revelation of her potential connection to the devil which helped Akio had made a mockery of that trust. After being betrayed by a friend, doubt now clouds his judgment, making it impossible to trust Mimi again.

"Why? Haven't I done everything to help you?" Mimi asked.

"You only helped when I was about to fall apart... It's true, isn't it? You somehow changed my normal System to Gold, and only initialized the system after Aki got infected. It was then at the right moment that you gave me something, fully aware that I couldn't refuse, and... and-" Haru's voice trailed off as his heart ached, making it difficult to continue. Mimi, however, completed the sentence on his behalf.

"—And how I manipulated you into thinking I could be your friend, the one you killed with your very own hands?" She circled around him, a sinister edge to her voice. "But can you blame me for thinking I could be her, alive and not dead, a source of comfort for you?"

"Shut... up." 

Right after Haru uttered those words, an unexpected action from Mimi shook his heart with pain even more. She wrapped her hands around his waist and rested her head on his right shoulder before he could even react.

"What are you doing!?" Haru questioned, attempting to move, but for some reason, he found himself unable to budge or resist, as something mysterious held him in one place. 

"Me?" Then, using her one hand, she easily turned his face towards her face where only her lips were visible while rest of the face was hidden under the fog. When their faces were just a few centimeters away, she then continued as if stating something obvious, "Playing the role of a 'Girlfriend'?"

"!!" The moment she recreated the same scene, uttering the familiar words, his heart shook, and his emotions became more turbulent as memories of Miami flooded his mind, memories he had locked away.

"Oh~ It looks like you haven't forgotten it~"

"Don't..."

"How sad it is that after reuniting with Aki, you forgot your ex-girlfriend."

"Shut up."

"You know, it was very cold to be left behind alone on the terrace." 

"Please..."

"And that too after being killed by my boyfriend's very own hands--"

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!" 

Haru shouted, or rather begged in pain, as tears leaked from his eyes. Her words touched on something he desperately did not want to remember.

Haru was broken after having to end Miami's life. At that time, as he looked at her lifeless body, he almost gave in to despair. But then, Aki's call reached him like a lifeline, giving him a new reason to go on. Despite the chaos and despair, she became his motivation to stay sane, urging him to move forward and protect her from the same fate that befell Miami.

However, when Aki also fell to the infection, teetering on the edge of becoming a zombie, Haru at that time truly lost his will and mind, not knowing what to do. The failure to fulfill his promise weighed heavily on him, plunging him into a deep abyss of despair.

However, things changed when his system finally initialized, and Mimi offered him the help which he desperately needed the most. 

Despite his high hopes for Aki getting better, even if the method wasn't conventional, he was slight doubtful. But he forcefully suppressed his doubts because his broken mind couldn't help but trust Mimi, who sounded like Miami and teased him in a similar way, forcing himself to believe that maybe Miami was still alive and he did not kill her. 

However, after encountering Akio and being betrayed by him, his good friend with whom he had shared good times, a crack occurred in his heart, and the mind that used to deny the reality of things happening became doubtful of everything. 

When Mimi appeared before him, her appearance strikingly similar to Miami despite hiding her eyes, anger erupted inside him as he realized he was being manipulated by her, preying on his shattered emotions because he knew she was not Miami. 

The time when he jumped from the building, she confidently mentioned it was his second time jumping from a tall place, sounding more certain than anyone would. This raised a doubt in his mind about whether she could read his memories. This fact also made him certain that she wasn't Miami but someone else, pretending to be her to take advantage of his emotions.

However, as she recounted a scenario reminiscent of the one he shared with Miami before her demise, despite knowing she wasn't her, Haru couldn't help but find himself unable to contain the overwhelming surge of emotions, breaking down even further.

Witnessing him in such a shattered state, Mimi distanced herself from Haru and remarked as she retreated to her throne, "You can't put the blame on me, Haru. It was your own doubt that led you here—doubt in me, your friend and the only help you have."

"Why... Why do you pretend to be her when you're not? Why?" Haru questioned, his eyes reddened with tears after controlling his emotions a bit.

"Because why not? Although, I never claimed to be her," she replied. Then, the same mischievous grin returned to her face as she added, "Nor did I ever deny it."

Observing her reluctance to reveal her true identity, Haru, questioned with broken heart, "Why are you doing this to me? Why!? Is it about that contract!? Do you believe you can regain my trust by pretending to be her!?"

"Well, a contract with you is indeed one of my goals, but I can't proceed if you disagree and unfortunately, it is something that can't be forced upon. But even before that, the most crucial factor between us is trust, and it seems you have lost that after a little scene with your psycho 'friend'," Mimi replied and giggled when mentioning about his friend.

"Trust with whoever you're pretending to be and manipulating my emotions? Forget about trust. Do you really think I'll agree to the contract?" Haru demanded, his tone reflecting both anger and betrayal. 

"Yes, you will," Mimi continued with a sly smile, "After all, you still want to save Aki, don't you? You haven't forgotten the words your 'friend' spoke, right? If you think death is a pleasant ending for you both, then you are so wrong, my dearest Host. After killing her, they will capture her soul, the very essence of her being, and who knows what they might do with her."

"!!" Haru's eyes trembled as he heard her words, not knowing what worse fate would await Aki. He wanted to deny her words, but he also remembered Akio's words very clearly. 

"I won't deny, it's true that I sort of manipulated you and your thoughts and am still doing it, but you can't deny that you needed my help, and you still do. But as I said, to make things normal between us again, we need the trust back between us."

"Hah... And how do you expect to regain my trust when you are still trying to pretend yourself as Miami?" Haru asked.