Focus On my Eyes

Sasaki sat on an isolated bench on the sidewalk, clothed in a white t-shirt, a dark green jacket, and dark pants. During his time, he glanced through his phone, looking at his notes with intense concentration. 

Yesterday, he wrote about the arrangements in a message sent to Nara on his flip phone, memorizing them thoroughly while patiently waiting for Megumi with a smile. 

He couldn't keep his mind off her the entire time because she was the only girl he saw. Whenever he closed his eyes, it felt like a dream to Sasaki. 

He couldn't help but notice the sensation of Nirvana streaming through around his brain. 

While staring blankly in the distance with a tiny noticeable grin, he felt a soft hand tap on his shoulder and turned to see who it was, only to see Megumi with a smile wearing a dark vest under the white silk fabric of her long sleeves, pairing with a dark long skirt. 

"Hey, let's go now."

"Sure, where do you want to go first?"

Megumi slightly looked at Sasaki's phone as he carelessly left it on, revealing his plans to Megumi. 

"Well, I couldn't help but notice the plans on your phone, so I'm curious to see where you want to take me."

Sasaki looked at his phone and blushed slightly before turning it off in a hurry and sliding it into his pocket. 

"Ah, uhm. Let's go on a movie."

Sasaki took two movie tickets from his jacket pocket and showed them to Megumi with a thrilled look. 

"I bought two tickets for the new Metal Parade movie."

"Are you for real? I love that show; I never thought it actually had a movie!"

"Yeah, it's going to be so cool, mostly because it's focused on the final arc."

Sasaki checks his phone for a moment to look at the time. 

"We should get going now, or else there will be no seats left for us."

"Yeah, you're right."

Sasaki walked with Megumi to the movie theater, and the two continued to talk about the show on the way as they walked the streets of Sumida. 

While walking, the burning heat of the sun scorched the two, so Sasaki grabbed a tiny flask from his pocket and drank a little water before tapping Megumi on the shoulder. 

"You want some?"

Megumi looked at him for a moment with a fatigued look. 

"Sure..."

Megumi snatched the flask and drank a small amount of water when she heard small jingles from the other corner of the street and turned to see an old guy selling ice cream. 

Sasaki noted her expression as she stared at the ice cream man, seeking a cold, soft serve in the searing heat of the city. He tapped her shoulder and looked at her curiously and slightly shook his head in the direction of the ice cream man. 

Megumi stared at the ice cream cone with a delightful look while they were heading their way to the theater after they had stopped in the corner to get some vanilla ice cream, as Megumi ate it little by little with a satisfied look. 

After a while, they finally arrived at the counter. Megumi had finished her ice cream as they walked to the counter and showed the tickets to the usher. 

"Two tickets for the Metal Parade movie."

She took the tickets and scanned them, escorting them as she opened the door, hinting that they might now enter the cinema to see the movie. 

The two proceeded to the back seats to get a better view of the movie while sitting comfortably in the cool atmosphere provided by the well-built air conditioning. 

Sasaki felt something was lacking after realizing he had forgotten to buy some snacks at the counter. 

"Hey."

Sasaki tapped Megumi's shoulder as she turned around with a curious look. 

"What is it?"

"Can you look after my seat for me? I'll have to buy some snacks. Is there anything you would like?"

Megumi repeatedly tapped her chin for a moment and thought of what she wanted to eat. 

"Mm, yeah, I'd want some cheesy popcorn and some iced tea as drinks."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then."

"Just be back before the movie starts. 

Sasaki got up from his seat and went to the counter to get some snacks for the two of them, while Megumi calmly waited for Sasaki to return, staring blankly as commercials began to play endlessly on the movie screen. 

While Sasaki was out getting food, two teens were laughing as they walked into the cinema. Carefree Megumi, unable to focus, stared at the two boys who were causing a loud commotion. 

"Dude, thats basically what I said dumbass!"

"No, it isn't; a tomboy is completely different from a lesbian!"

"You know what? Forget it; you're always right."

"It's because I am!"

Megumi sighed annoyingly, her gaze returning to the continuous advertisements on the movie screen. While partially witnessing, the two boys began whispering to one another while slightly glancing in Megumi's direction. 

The two walked towards her with a confident grin, then sat next to Megumi, and before she knew it, she was sitting between two freaks; one of them (a blonde boy) placed his arms around her. 

"Well, well, why is a beautiful girl sitting alone in the cinema—single perhaps?"

She placed the blonde guys arms away from her with an annoyed glare. 

"Someone's sitting there; please move away."

The blonde guy looks around sarcastically before turning to Megumi, insulting her indirectly. 

"I don't see anyone sitting here, do you?"

The other boy sarcastically imitated him as he too looked around sarcastically searching for no one. 

"No, I don't."

"Well, the question's answered, lady; we don't see anyone sitting here except for us."

"Please, just move away."

"Aww, don't be such a killjoy. We're just trying to have fun."

The blonde man seductively caresses Megumi's thighs softly as they gradually rise to her delicate chest, squeezing it lightly before throwing his arms around Megumi's neck and aggressively leaning in for a kiss as Megumi slightly dodged it, with him ending up licking her ear. 

"Ahn! Stop it!"

She kicks the blonde man repeatedly, but he refuses to move as he quickly pulls down his pants, unbottoning Megumi's vest slightly and throwing it aside to the other chair, slightly revealing her cleavage.

The other lad began recording as he leaned in closer, and Megumi strained to keep his face away from hers. Suddenly,  the blonde man felt a tight grip squeezing his neck as he was elevated from his position.

"Hey... what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Sasaki forcefully grasped the blonde man's neck and gently placed his body on one of the chairs in the movie. He gripped the man's chest strongly, locking him in place while staring deeply into the blonde man's soul—Sasaki was bloodlusted. 

—In Megumi's perspective, Sasaki was gently smiling as, while he was tapping the man's shoulder, he turned to her with a reassuring look and said:

"I got this handled."

While he was glancing at Sasaki, the blonde man noticed something different than what Megumi had—His vision was suddenly blood red as he witnessed Sasaki's face sprout innumerable fangs around his face and his eyes transform into a little red ball while tentacles formed, slowly crushing his skull. The blonde man's eyes were waterfalls of dark red liquid flowing as his limbs were separating one by one. 

—Although none of this truly occurred, it was simply a perspective the two teenagers had seen. Sasaki carried the man's unconscious body and flung it at the edge of the cinema as he approached the other teen, unable to move after what he'd seen. 

"You got that on camera kid?"

The boy gazed at Sasaki—his eyesight turning dark red as he heard laughter ringing throughout the room while he was visually being stabbed by everyone close to him, his head rolling off the ground. 

Sasaki waved in front of the boys faces as he was unresponsive. 

"Jeez, what's with these kids?"

Sasaki walked to his chair and took the snacks he had left there, leaving the kid frozen next to Megumi. He pulled out the treats Megumi had asked for, and the movie began playing. 

Megumi patted Sasaki's shoulder with an uneasy look and motioned for him to transfer seats, pointing his index finger at him and then moving it to hers. 

They switched seats while the movie was playing, and Sasaki gave the boy next to him stiff as a stone a slight glance before turning his attention to the riveting movie in front of them and sat back to munch some popcorn with Megumi while watching the enticing scenes. 

Sasaki took the boy's phone and placed it in his pocket while eating popcorn and watching the movie, saying:

"No phones during the movie."

' I could sell this phone for a high price... '

They continued to watch the movie, and Megumi leaned closer to Sasaki, placing his head on his shoulders while watching a beautiful scene in the movie. 

—The main character saved the main villain, a lady, and when the villain asked why she saved her, the character hugged her and broke down in tears but did not respond to her question. 

Megumi burst into tears while watching the movie. Sasaki looked at her, grabbed a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, and hugged her from the side as the film came to a close. 

The film ended, and Megumi was still wiping her tears while Sasaki wrapped his arms around her and led her to the lobby as they sat down to rest after the movie. 

"That was the best ending I've ever watched so far."

said Megumi as she wiped her tears using Sasaki's handkerchief. 

Sasaki didn't understand why Megumi was so distraught after the movie ended; he assumed it was due to his lack of sympathy or what he had done to his parents, which had left him numb. 

"Me too; the ending was so good."

Megumi pulled herself together, dried her tears, and smiled briefly. Sasaki stared blankly at her, entranced by her while also feeling sympathy and uncertainty. 

"So, it's my time to shine next."

Sasaki remembered what she had said before, and he was eager to visit the location she'd told about him earlier. 

"So where are we going?"

Megumi stood up and smiled at Sasaki walking outside the cinema, and Sasaki slowly followed her, matching his pace to hers as they walked together. 

"It's going to be a surprise."

The two went through Sumida's streets, past many eateries and parks, as Sasaki looked about, wondering where they were headed. 

In a moment, Megumi faintly stared at Sasaki as he was slowly wandering away from reality in a glimpse. She held his hand for a minute as Sasaki looked at her, and time suddenly stopped.

' It's warm...'

Sasaki was entranced as he stared blankly at her hand; all he wanted to do was hold it for longer, lay his head on it, and sleep blissfully by her side forever. 

"Hey, stray away; just focus on me."

Sasaki's face brightened up somewhat as he approached Megumi's side, with a mix of embarrassment and delight on his face as he looked at her glimmering hazel eyes. 

"Alright..."

Sasaki and Megumi continued strolling side by side, Megumi gripping his hand tighter as they walked around the city, the sky turning a mixed shade of orange as the sun gradually closed its eyes.

Megumi had grown exhausted from all the walking and sat on a seat overlooking the river and the sunset; Sasaki sat next to her, looking around the riverbank. 

"Where are you planning to take me?"

He asked Megumi curiously after walking through half the entire city earlier. 

"No where; I just wanted to be with you and walk by your side."

Sasaki froze in shock as he stared deeply at her eyes while not letting go of her hand. 

"Seriously?"

"What, you don't like my plan?"

"I do; it's just that it's unique."

Sasaki stared blankly at the river for a while as he slowly processed what he'd said. 

"I'm not saying it's weird! It's just..."

"I trust you."

Sasaki remained entranced by the golden shade in front of him, while her words struck his heart forever imbeded into his soul. 

He instantly felt a sense of nostalgia as he sat on the riverfront bench, and as he turned to look at the rubbish can on the riverbank, he remembered all of his childhood memories, both good and bad. 

Suddenly, a man was searching through the same garbage can he was staring at while holding Megumi's hand; he remembered something and saw a reflection of his former self in the man. 

The shabby man smiled as he discovered a loaf of bread in the rubbish and began savoring every mouthful of it, and in a while, Sasaki shed little emotion for the man. 

"Can you wait for me here? I'll just give the man some money."

Megumi hadn't expected that response from Sasaki as she let out a curious expression. 

"What's with you today?"

"It's nothing."

Sasaki approached the man and offered him five hundred yen, which was more than enough to buy a reasonable supper at a cheap ramen store. The man looked at him with a nostalgic expression and pointed at Sasaki. 

"You... you're the guy who sat on me months ago!"

"I know, now use that meal to buy a good meal."

The man placed the coins in his nose and sniffed them to see if it was real money or if Sasaki was playing a cruel prank on him to ridicule him.

"It's real money; now scram and buy something to eat!"

The man bolted away, shaking with a joyful smile on his face; Sasaki couldn't tell if he was terrified of him or excited that he was about to enjoy a decent supper. 

Sasaki returned to the seat, sighing, and leaned back to watch the sun set with Megumi, as the balmy mood faded into a cool, starry night as Sasaki sat closer to her. 

"You had fun this day, right Sasaki?"

"It was a blast."

"I'm glad to know that."

Megumi wrapped her hand around Sasaki's waist, hugging him from his side. For a moment, Sasaki wanted to experience this warmth to relieve himself of the cold, dark night, so he hugged Megumi tightly and closed his eyes. 

' It's been years; I don't remember if someone except my sister ever hugged me tightly like this.'

' All I could say is that it was a blast. '

"Thank you, Megumi."

Suddenly there was a warmth in Sasaki's chest that he didn't want to let go, so Megumi pushed it in deeper and suddenly... 

It was just a mere experience. 

TO BE CONTINUED——————————