Bloody Locket

The sun started to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues of orange and red. After bidding farewell to Mr Tanaka, Shin embarked on a journey to his next destination. He navigated through bustling streets, dodging a throng of people hurrying by, their faces etched with the exhaustion of the day. The cacophony of the city echoed around him, from honking cars to street vendors hawking their wares, several snippets of conversations carried on the wind.

Passing a maze of buildings and crossing several roads, a small diner materialised in his view. A banner stretched above its entrance with the letters 'Pippri & Poppo - Noodle Sisters'. A wave of relief washed over Shin as he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

As the door creaked open, a welcoming chime chimed. The scent of rich broth and savoury toppings instantly filled his nose. His gaze swept through the warm, well-lit interior. Steam billowed from bowls as conversations filled the air. Spotting a vacant seat near the counter, his muscles sighed in relief. He slid onto the stool as his bag thud softly to the floor beside him.

Looking above, Shin found a lady, somewhere around in her thirties. Her hands, dusted with flour like snowflakes, danced with practised ease, transforming a mound of dough into thin strands. Each movement was a silent symphony, a testament to years of honed skill. Finally, her eyes met his as the corner of her mouth turned into a warm smile.

"Oh! Shin…the usual, right?"

Looking at her, Shin replied back in agreement, a testament to the number of times he had come to the place.

"Yeah"

"Just wait for a few minutes,"

While Shin was waiting for his order, the lady glanced at the boy as her eyes shined with curiosity.

"So…any cute classmates catch your eye?" the lady raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Unfazed, Shin looked at the lady passing a grin across her face before he replied.

"No,"

"Are you sure…? Because I've heard many famous and beautiful girls go there. So…you seriously not meet one?"

"No,"

Shin's replies piqued the lady's curiosity, but a flicker of annoyance shone in her gaze.

"Come on! Shin! Tell me what happened on your first day,"

"..."

Shin kept searching her gaze, looking for any way to escape the predicament before resigning to give her an answer.

"Nothing happened sister Sachiko. We just had our classes that's all,"

"Argh…this boy…look! Shin! If you keep being this stiff, you'll never find any girl. So, let loose some time. This is the time of your youth. Where is your burning passion? Desire to have any girl you want? You have to find a girl before it's too late or you'll end up just like me, an old woman with no one to marry."

Sachiko launched into a passionate rant about her struggle with finding love. Her words flowed with a passionate energy that seemed at odds with the calmness of her practiced noodle-making. Shin, perched on his stool, listened indifferently.

"Enough with your ramblings, sister!"

Suddenly, from behind, a woman walked in. Her dress same as Sachiko's. She looked at her sister, her gaze full of annoyance, her declaration laced with playful exasperation.

"The customer needs his noodles, not your dating history," she affirmed

 "Oh! Fukumi!" Sachiko replied as she looked back and found her sister. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead as she tried to avert her gaze the next moment.

"I-I wasn't tryi–"

"Is it done?" Fukumi asserted as she looked at her nervous sister.

"Yeah, it is almost done–"

"Then, serve him. There are other orders to serve."

Before, Fukumi weaved through the diner taking orders but her gaze landed on a familiar customer, sitting near the counter. She noticed the gaze of Shin intently looking at something. She followed his gaze and found her sister. The hands of her sister, with precision, did her job while her mouth kept murmuring in low voice. The view made her understand what she was talking about.

After reprimanding her sister, Fukumi glanced at Shin from the corner of her eyes before going back to her work.

"Sometimes I wonder why isn't she the eldest one?...what do you think, Shin?"

Shin's gaze fell on Fukumi who was taking orders from customers as he searched for answers.

"I don't know…things seem fine to me," Shin replied

Hearing his reply, Sachiko's smile brightened. With her happy mood, she served his order.

The evening stretched into the night by the time Shin finished his noodles. Customers came in and many went out, however, the diner kept bursting with laughter. After eating noodles, Shin got up from his stool and slung his bag over his shoulders and bid his farewell.

But inside,

"Fukumi, did Shizuka tell you about when she'll be coming home?" Sachiko asked with a concerned face.

"I didn't receive any message from her or neither any call," Fukumi replied as both of them kept serving the remaining customers.

"Looks like she'll be late today as well. Don't you think she has been coming home late a lot lately?" Sachiko asked as her mind thought about the number of times her sister had come home late for the last few weeks.

"Is that so?" Fukumi replied with an indifferent face as if she wasn't concerned about her sister.

Suddenly, Sachiko found herself enlightened with an idea and things started to make sense for her. "Maybe she found a guy to date? That also explains why she is coming home late. Maybe they are on a date right now and that's why she isn't calling or messaging us lately." She kept mumbling in her mouth as she kept getting lost in her world.

"Again with this…" *Sigh*

With a sigh, Fukumi went back to do her work after she thought about her youngest sister for a moment.

***

Shin navigated the streets as he went toward his home. The streets were charged with honking cars and chattering crowds as he dodged them. Earn turn crackled with vibrant energy until he reached a silent intersection.

Few figures lingered on the deserted street as they scurried away with a palpable urgency, their faces etched with shared concern. The stores were closed, leaving only a few on the street. A sense of foreboding enveloped the atmosphere.

With an unsettling feeling, Shin also quickened his pace. Narrowing his gaze, he darted from storefront to alleyway, searching for the source of his ominous feeling.

Suddenly, a muffled sob shattered the eerie quiet, filled with terror, vibrated in the air, stopping Shin on his tracks.

*Stab*

"Ugggh…pl-leas-see…,"

Shin, momentarily stopped in his tracks, felt a shiver run down his spine. His gaze followed the sound, only to find it behind him. He twisted his neck to look behind and found a dark alley where the sound was coming from.

*Thud*

*Tink*

Suddenly, a glint of metal caught his gaze, rolling out from the dark alley. It was a locket with a crimson stain marred its surface. Shin froze, his gaze locked on the locket. With hesitance, he moved forward as he outstretched his hand to claim the curious object. Upon grabbing it, a heavy voice boomed in the air as it came from the dark alley.

"Kill her,"