Monday, 03/19/2001, 9:28 p.m.
It was nighttime in Domino City. In one of its many corners, the lights of a McDonald's were gradually turning off. Its huge neon sign shaped like an M, yellow and red, flickered. Give or take a second, the scene finally went dark.
Two young women were talking to each other at the entrance of the establishment. The older one was a young woman with black hair and brown eyes, dressed in the store's official uniform. A small smile danced on her red lips as she said goodbye to the younger girl:
"Goodbye, Anzu! See you tomorrow. Take good care on your way home, okay? Watch out on the road."
Anzu, with short brown hair and blue eyes, wore pink and white on top and a short blue skirt below. With a tired smile, she bid farewell to the older girl with a quick hug. At that moment, fragments of her day returned to her mind and wrinkled her expression. A hint of irritation and helplessness clouded her face.
The first of those memories took place under a clear blue sky.
The greeting of a short boy, dressed in a dark blue uniform, with purple eyes and multicolored hair as disheveled as a porcupine, met her on the sidewalk. Not far from the boy, there was an elderly man with similar features, dressed in gray and blue work clothes. He was sweeping the ground in front of a green store. A medium-sized establishment with a large orange sign that read, "Kame Game." His greeting did not come. He seemed somewhat absorbed and was muttering unintelligible words.
"Hi Anzu! Ready for the history exam?"
Anzu, dressed in a navy-blue school uniform, frowned. A small twitch took over her left eye. Her voice came out in a questioning tone.
"History… exam? Was it… today?"
The scene shifted to another memory.
This time, a view through a large glass window.
The sky looked gray, and the rain fell nonstop. Its rhythmic sound on the ground. The croaking of frogs accompanied it.
From inside a classroom on the third floor of Domino High School, at her desk in the middle of the class, Anzu looked out of the school with a desolate expression on her face. Around her, the vast majority of her classmates were writing on papers, visibly focused on their task. On the classroom's green board, written in white chalk, were the words: "Japanese History Exam."
A stern-looking, chubby, balding teacher dressed in a dark green suit walked between the desks, strictly watching the students.
With a sigh, Anzu murmured in a complaining tone. Her expression showed frustration.
"This is so unfair. Why—?"
But Anzu's silent protests reached the attentive ears of the teacher, who interrupted her with a question. His face was defined by a somewhat sadistic smile.
"Something to say about the exam, Miss Mazaki?"
Anzu flinched. Her cheeks turned red. A stammered apology followed. Her exam, lying on the desk, had barely a couple of answered questions.
"S-sorry! It's nothing, Mr. Honma!"
The scene changed again. This time to an orange, clear sky. The ground looked muddy, and the crowd was endless.
Anzu was walking alone on the sidewalk, about to cross a street with no pedestrian crossing, when suddenly a car sped past her on the right side. The sound of the car racing full throttle over a puddle and then Anzu's scream followed.
Vroooom!
Splash!
"Kyaah!"
The scene changed again, this time to the interior of the McDonald's.
An Anzu dressed in a yellow and red work uniform was delivering an order to a table occupied by three bizarre-looking boys, dressed in black and wearing lots of metal. The one speaking was a tall young man with blond hair and brown eyes. He seemed to be telling a story until Anzu arrived. His expression changed to a mocking smile.
"…So, I told him—! Huh? Well, well, well, what a surprise we have here. Isn't this Jonouchi's little friend? Hm… You know, I hadn't noticed before, but you're quite a beauty, aren't you, sweetheart? How about we do something fun tonight?"
Anzu's face turned red and she gritted her teeth. Her reply came in a measured but tense tone. Her expression looked somewhat strange, with a half-twisted polite smile caught between fury and reason.
"I'll pass."
This made the boys glance at each other with a strange smile.
Anzu shuddered and immediately ran back to pick up another order. The three boys remained behind her, staring in her direction with odd grins.
Back in the present, still hugging her black-haired friend, Anzu spoke. Her expression showed some unease.
"Goodbye, Yumi! Take care… See you around…"
After hugging Yumi again, Anzu began to walk toward a quiet street near the McDonald's.
Sharp eyes and grinning teeth waited in an alley in the darkness.
An indistinct silhouette flickered behind the three figures, then vanished from sight in a blink.
AN/One chapter per day. 100 power stones today means one extra chapter the next day. Each chapter is made up of four acts, plus a prologue and an epilogue, and finally a special act — each ranging from 800 to 2000 words. Leave a comment and report any issues below. You can buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/s/8e7c3d4725