Focus

Act I

Never-ending Festival

"Focus"

As the sunrays started shining on his face, he slowly began to open his eyes. Tadomeki looked at his phone to see what time it was.

- Oh fu.. - he muttered and quickly jumped out of the bed.

His sudden movements woke up Akari. She yawned and started stretching.

- Good morning Honey, what happened? - she asked, still in a sleepy tone

- Morning. Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up. I only have two hours till I leave the house, and I still need to make you some breakfast and prepare myself.

- I can make breakfast for us if you don't have time, you know? - Akari smiled.

- Yeaah... It would be better if I'm the one who cooks, and you know that.

Akari giggled and started dressing herself. Tadomeki drank a glass of water and went to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. "What the hell?" he thought to himself. He felt weird since he had woken up.

- Hooney? Have you seen my brush? - Akari yelled from the bathroom.

- It's near the sink.

- How did you know? Thank you!

Tadomeki frowned. "Why was I so sure it was there? What is this... feeling?". While he was preparing breakfast, Akari came up to him from behind and wrapped her hands around him.

- You remember what day it is today? - she asked

- Of course. Today we're going on a festival with Ren and Tsumigi.

- I wonder if Ren-kun changed a lot.. - Akari pondered - Maybe he will finally ask Tsumigi out!

- He will. - Tadomeki said with confidence.

Akari looked at him surprised.

- I hope so. They fit each other you know? And if they get together, I won't have to worry about you being stolen from me.

- Don't be silly. Nobody would ever steal me from you. I'm your property, Princess - he reassured her.

She blushed.

- We should get going, one more minute and we will lose sight of them.

- What do you mean Tadomeki? Are you okay? - Akari looked at him with concern.

He looked around his surroundings. "For a moment, I thought... Never mind. My mind is playing tricks on me..."

- I'm sorry... I don't know what I'm saying. Give me a minute; I need to go to the bathroom.

He rushed into the restroom and closed the door behind him. His left eye felt like it was burning, so he looked at his reflection to see what's wrong. Tadomeki's face looked completely normal, except for one small detail.

- What is that?! - he gasped when he saw black markings covering the left side of his face. They looked like they were coming off of his left eye. A second after he noticed them, they disappeared.

- Are you ready, Tadomeki? We're going to be late! - Akari shouted from the living room.

- Huh?

As he walked out of the bathroom, he saw his wife wearing a pink kimono.

- So what do you think? How do I look?

- Wait, it's already time to leave? Weren't we eating breakfast just a moment ago?

Akari pouted and looked at him.

- What's happening with you today? Yes, we need to go. You said yourself that you don't want to be unpunctual. Come on, let's go.

- I'm... sorry. I just didn't get enough sleep last night. You look beautiful, Darling...

Tadomeki forced himself to smile, but inside he felt like something's really wrong.

"Focus"

Because of traffic, they were really behind schedule.

- Don't worry, I've already texted them that we are going to arrive in around ten minutes - she told him and kissed him on the cheek. - Just relax, you look really stressed out.

- Okay... I don't know, everything just feels so weird today...

- We could still go back home if you want to, you know?

- No... I don't want to ruin everyone's day.. It'll be okay, trust me - he faked a smile again.

Suddenly, they both heard loud crashing sounds on their left side. Tadomeki looked in that direction, but the last thing he saw was a large truck driving straight at them.

"Focus"

As the sunrays started shining on his face, he slowly began to open his eyes. Tadomeki looked at his phone to see what time it was.

- What a strange dream... - he whispered to himself. He got out of the bed and started to put on his clothes. Today was his first day of high school.

"It can't be a regular dream... Maybe i'm some sort of a prophet? No... That can't be it. These dreams... I start to remember them more and more each time. Wait a second... each time?" He quickly took a peek at his phone once more. The date marked the day he started high school... again? He began walking around his room trying to remember the details from his nightmares. "When I die in that dream, I always wake up at this exact date... Am I in some sort of a death loop? But why can't I remember everything that happened in them?" Many questions and possible answers had flown to his head. The only thing he remembered clearly, was his wife Akari and that on the day of the festival they both die in a car accident.

"I know what to do. I will live my life just like always, but when it comes to that day, the day of the festival, I will just stay home. Then there is no way we will die."

- I promise It'll be different this time - he whispered quietly to himself, all dressed up, ready to go to his "new" school.

"Focus"

As the sunrays started shining on his face, he slowly began to open his eyes. Tadomeki looked at his phone to see what time it was.

He quietly got up to make sure he didn't wake Akari up by accident and went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee and prepare breakfast. After he ate and went to brush his teeth, he heard a noise coming out of their bedroom.

- Honey? Are you home?

- Good morning, Darling. Was I too loud? - Tadomeki said, walking out of the bathroom.

- No, I woke up by myself, don't worry - she sent him a smile and wrapped her hands around him.

While Akari was eating breakfast, he opened up his laptop and started doing tasks for his job. Yesterday he asked his boss whether he could work from home just for one day. The reason for that was because he wanted to use the opportunity to spend more time with his wife today and most importantly - ensure their safety. Akari patiently waited for Tadomeki to finish his assignments. After completing each one of them, he came up to her and asked:

- Darling...? Do you think we could maybe stay home today? I know we were supposed to go to the festival, but... I have this weird feeling that we shouldn't go...

Akari looked at him surprised. Tadomeki was sure that she's going to be angry, but she just got up from the chair and hugged him.

- Sure... To be honest, I don't feel so good too. Just make sure to text Ren and Tsumigi about our change in plans, okay?

- Of course.

He whipped out his phone and sent a message to their friends. After that, they both went to cuddle in bed.

Tadomeki woke up at 7:23PM. His throat was really dry, so he went to the kitchen to get himself a cup of water. At the same moment he started drinking the water, he felt like someone had pierced his head inside out with a bullet. Well, maybe he felt like that because that was exactly what happened.

"Focus"

As the sunrays started shining on his face, he slowly began to open his eyes. Tadomeki looked at his phone to see what time it is.

It was 9AM. Normally he would rush out of the bed at this hour, but today was Sunday. Alone in his apartment, he turned on the TV.

- Police are still looking for the person who caused a commotion at this year's Akaiwa festival. To remind you, a man looking to be in his forties drove a truck into a group of people. The only confirmed victim is a twenty-seven-year-old woman, Nakamura Akari.

- Nakamura..? Akari? - he said to himself - She died again? Wh...

Before he finished, his body exploded.

"Focus"

As the sunrays started shining on his face, he slowly began to open his eyes.

"Focus"

As the moonlight started shining on his face, he slowly began to open his eyes.

"Focus"

As the sunrays started shining on his face, he quickly opened his eyes.

"Focus"

"Shut up, I'm trying..." Tadomeki responded to the voice resonating inside his head. When he died, he always ended up in a place where he was unable to see anything. Everytime he appeared here, he could still almost feel the pain of death. Afterwards, he woke up back when he was fifteen years old once again, each time memories of his previous life clearer than before. Then he repeated the cycle trying to do something different to perhaps change the course of action. But he didn't succeed in any attempt.

"Focus"

"I'm trying, can't you see it?!" Tadomeki grew tired of this weird voice already. Every death he felt like he was being made fun of for not achieving anything.

...

Another death, another visit to this dark place.

"Come on! Why can't I hear anything this time?! Make fun of me already and revive me once again!"

"Focus"

"On me"

Tadomeki opened his eyes.

...

He suddenly remembered a certain memory from long ago. It happened a day after his wedding with Akari. When Tadomeki woke up, he saw her smiling face.

- How long were you watching me? - he asked.

- For half an hour~

- Why? Is my sleeping face this interesting?

- It is cute - Akari smiled - But I'm looking at you for a different reason.

- And what is that?

- Every time I feel stressed or overwhelmed and I don't know what to do, I focus on one thing. You know what it is?

- Is it me?

- Exactly! You always make me feel better. You should try it too! Just...

"Focus on me."

Tadomeki opened his eyes.

 Instead of pitch black, now everywhere he looked at was snow-white. And there, amidst the nothingness, he could see a table with two chairs, one already taken by a woman.

- Finally, you came to me! Sit down, we have a lot to talk about~

The person sitting in the chair was none other than his beloved wife Akari.