2 Death

Chapter 2 : Death

[ Warning: This chapter contains some incidents that might turn you off, but if you want to know the backstory or the reason, then you can go to chapter 82 and read till 87 or 88 after reading chapter 2, without getting spoiled perhaps. Up to you~ ]

*yawns*

A jobless middle-aged man stirred awake from slumber.

He glanced over at the clock on the wall, its surface marred by several cracks.

*Tic Tok Tic Tok*

The echoing sound indicated the emptiness of the room, and it reverberated with a clear audibility, even to the slightest ear.

"Its noon already?" The man sighed, his face reflecting the disappointment he felt.

Reluctantly, he roused from his slumber, appearing as though he would rather stay in bed indefinitely.

"Let's get some fresh air," he said, and hurriedly opened the door to step outside.

A warm gust of wind rushed by, adding to the discomfort of his already frustrating morning.

"Ugh... this heat is unbearable!"

He had an unusual preference for colder things, showing his dislike for anything that was hot or warm.

Hastily shutting the door to his cramped balcony, he hurried back to the washroom and splashed his face with refreshing cold water.

"Ah, that's refreshing." The cool water brought a sense of relief, soothing his senses.

He wiped his face clean and headed to the empty kitchen, hoping to find something to eat.

"Well, it doesn't look like there's much to choose from here," he muttered to himself. Cockroaches crawled along the dirty floor while several decaying mice lay among the scraps of food that had long since gone bad, emitting a putrid odor.

Suddenly, he swiftly retreated toward his room to rest once more, but his progress was interrupted by a misstep.

"Ouch! That really hurt!" he groaned as he fell.

As he glanced down at the object that had caused him to stumble, he realized it was his archaic cell phone.

It was unclear whether he had truly tripped or simply slipped on the phone, but ultimately it didn't matter. What did matter was that his old-fashioned cell phone had caused him to take a tumble.

As he examined the object that caused his fall, he noticed a crack on its screen. It dawned on him that he had actually slipped instead of tripping.

Examining his phone, he attempted to determine whether or not it was still functional.

"Thank goodness, just a crack," he sighed in relief as he examined the phone, "It's still working perfectly fine--" 

Suddenly, the phone switched off. "What? No, come on!"

Frantically, he tried to power on his phone but to his dismay, he realized that the display screen had been shattered under his weight.

"Could this day get any worse?" he muttered to himself, just as his phone rang. It was the bank he had taken a loan from six months ago.

It wasn't a legitimate financial institution, but rather a group of loan sharks who masqueraded as a bank.

He hesitantly picked up the call since he couldn't see the name or number due to the broken display.

He was subjected to a barrage of insults and humiliating words from the people on the other end of the line, leaving him feeling utterly degraded.

The voice on the other end of the line sternly instructed him to repay the loan plus interest within one month, threatening legal action otherwise. He accepted their ultimatum before quickly terminating the conversation.

"Ugh, looks like today's the day I kick the bucket. When am I even supposed to find the time to pay back these goons?"

He remained silent, feeling defeated. He then checked his wallet and discovered a 500 yen coin and some loose change that he had been hoarding for a while.

He hurriedly made his way to the nearest convenience store, determined to grab some instant noodles, ice cream, and a pack of cigarettes. 

He felt like he wouldn't be able to make it through the day if he didn't smoke.

However, ice cream was not his true objective today. There existed other reasons behind his desire for chilly refreshments. It was in fact quite simply because he liked cold things more.

Even his instant noodle meals were enjoyed cold, doused in ice water instead of boiling hot liquid. 

He rushed back quickly, avoiding the sun which he disliked.

Hungry and in a hurry, he mixed ice cream and cold water with the instant noodles, creating the weirdest combination he had ever tasted.

"Perfect. Just perfect."

He finished eating in ten minutes and started smoking, pondering over where he went wrong in life.

"Ha, looks like my demise hasn't made headlines yet?"

"..."

"Why should I be held responsible for paying the loan? The company went bankrupt and it was my uncle who took out the loan in the first place."

"Just because I was supposed to be the company's successor?" 

"..."

"I should have taken my education seriously and listened to my parents. Maybe I wouldn't be in this situation now."

He let out a bitter laugh. "Ha... but I did listen to them," he muttered to himself.

"No, that's beside the point. Looking back, I wish I had taken more time to consider my actions before committing to them."

Blaming fate seemed easier to him than accepting responsibility. While he had been an exceptional student before, he had let himself be swayed by his friends and lost sight of his goals. Did he really, now? Or maybe that was just a rumor.

His parents had pinned their hopes on him achieving top marks, but unfortunately, he failed completely which was the exact opposite of their expectations.

"I often find myself yearning for a peaceful end," he whispered, lost in thought.

"But sometimes I wonder, have I truly lived a life deserving of such a serene departure?"

His heart ached for the tranquility that had eluded him for so long. He longed for a respite, but the weight of his past actions weighed heavily on his soul.

He had been subjected to severe bullying and coercion, which had a profound impact on his mental health. Unfortunately, this culminated in the tragic and unthinkable act of taking the lives of his own parents when he was just 16 years old, again, did he now? Or was it yet another rumor?

Although he had been condemned to death, his situation was complicated by the fact that he had a younger sister to care for. In light of this, his sentence was commuted to a decade of imprisonment.

However, he fell deeper into the criminal world and tragically ended up taking the life of his only remaining family member - his loving sister. The court, taking into account the severity of his repeated violent actions, issued a death sentence without delay.

In his final moments, he made a request to the authorities to grant him one last wish. He asked for a one-month reprieve before his execution.

The request for a one-month reprieve from his death sentence would normally be rejected due to concerns of escape, but his father's friend, who held a high position in the judiciary, managed to convince the authorities to grant the request.

The circumstances surrounding his father's friend's decision to assist a convicted murderer were unclear and left the court perplexed. Many questions remained unanswered. Nonetheless, justice was served and the law was upheld, despite any potential interference from outside parties questioning the corrupt justice system.

The government consented to his request and provided him with a house to live in for the duration of the one-month reprieve. Today marked the final day of his extended time under supervision.

In a moment of despair, he muttered, "I would rather die on my own terms than be killed by those heartless individuals."

Among the food items he had acquired for his last meal, he had obtained a packet of rat poison. In addition to that, he had mixed in a handful of sleeping pills to minimize any potential pain and to ensure that he would pass away peacefully in his sleep. 

It was highly irregular for a prisoner to be allowed access to such harmful substances, but the authorities turned a blind eye to his actions. Their primary concern was to ensure that he would not cause them any further trouble by attempting to take his own life prematurely.

Despite the sleeping pills, he found himself unable to drift off to sleep as his entire life played out before his eyes. 

He couldn't help but ask himself, "Where did I go wrong?" 

The reasons for his heinous actions remained a mystery to him. Did he commit those crimes out of enjoyment or was there a deeper motive behind them? Regardless, the fact remained that he was a murderer, and the weight of his guilt was crushing.

He knew that his past deeds were unforgivable, and he wasn't expecting any redemption from nature. However, he was finally able to see the error of his ways.

As he finally drifted off to sleep, he made a small wish, "If I could be reborn, I want to be the strongest and live a life free from the constraints that led me down this path." 

"A life devoid of restrictions. An existence unshackled."

As he drifted off into slumber, guided by the sedatives he had taken, little did he know that he would soon awaken in a completely different reality, a world beyond his wildest imagination!

Did he really commit the heinous act of killing his own parents, or was he just falsely accused? Was he a mere bystander to the crime, or did someone else carry out the act while he was present? Perhaps it was his own teammate who was the true culprit?

As he slipped away from the realm of the living, the uncertainty of his fate lingered. Perhaps he was destined for another place, far beyond the reaches of this world, called forth by a higher power for some unknown purpose. Or maybe he was being called to account for his sins, to face judgment and receive punishment for the harm he had caused.

Whatever the reason, one thing was certain: his journey had only just begun, and the path ahead was shrouded in mystery and uncertainty.

avataravatar
Next chapter