Our Denouement
Changing Situations - Chapter 2

The golden rays of the setting sun shone on the horizon. Paint the sky in a beautiful palette of orange, pink, and purple. The wind gently blew making the leaves of the trees creak. The sound of unpretentious birds and the sound of waves racing to touch the sand, adding to the beauty of the atmosphere.

A young girl sat alone, staring up. He looked into the distance, his eyes daydreaming, his sadness palpable.

The sun is getting lower indicating that the night is coming soon. The girl squeezed tightly onto the cloth on her chest, as if trying to endure the pain that continued to latch on to her chest.

The beautiful twilight seemed unable to make him feel happy again.

As the wind grew stronger, the girl stood up and stepped slowly away from her seat. Slowly he walked, looking for a way out of his grief. Silence enveloped the beautiful twilight, leaving a heart-wrenching sad impression.

Again, his eyes looked at the increasingly dark sky and thought that everything would end, including his sadness.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

Kashika staggered through the front door of the apartment, exhausted weighing on her bones. The deafening bass of the music concert still reverberated in his head.

He collapsed onto the sofa, taking a black and white photo hanging on the wall of his tiny studio apartment. They remind him of his first high school days.

Suddenly his phone sounded a message notification. He frowned when he saw the message coming from Yatsuki. "Hi Side!!! Let's meet once again, TwT." Sapa Yatsuki in the message.

Seeing the message, Kashika is eager to hit Yatsuki because of her changing behavior lately. Like yesterday, he was trying to pry information while comforting Yatsuki who looked moody.

Kashika had just returned home from her part-time job at the cafe. Passing through the compound where Yatsuki lived as a shortcut, unknowingly taking her steps there. Arriving at the terrace adjacent to Yatsuki's room, his ears unexpectedly heard a frustrated sentence with a roaring sobbing, just before raising his fists to bang on the door.

"I don't want to. You kicked me out, yesterday." Kashika replies to her message, but refuses raw Yatsuki's invitation. He felt his legs very sore, in addition Kashika was upset because he felt Yatsuki considered himself a slack.

I mean, aren't they friends? Why are there still feelings of disdain?' Thought Kashika was not glazed. He had never, either, told the dark story that was still lodged in his memory.

"I'm sorry for yesterday, but I really feel fine. Also seeing you tired, I told you to come home early." Yatsuki sincerely said in the message.

"So, don't be angry again dong?" Rayu Yatsuki's trying to persuade.

"That's how subtle you're driving me away. Can you let me sleep in your soft bed?" Kashika's reply still did not accept and asked, making Yatsuki giggle at the thought of the girl's annoyed bent face.

"Can, of course you can. But when I got a sudden call, there was no way I could let this building become a snowman nesting place. You usually forget to lock the door, right? Hihihi," Yatsuki denied.

"Whatever, your excuse is a mess. Slackened. Never mind, position info?" Kashika changed her mind. After all, his worry is more domineering than his gummy taste.

•

Afterwards, Kashika arrived at the park near the beach. Her net found Yatsuki sitting on one of the benches, looking different than usual.

"Yatsuki are you really okay? You look different." Kashika fired a no-nonsense question, while sitting next to her. Yatsuki turned her head towards Kashika, her body aghast. It came so fast. "Hey, don't like to surprise others!" Yatsuki protested while stroking her chest.

"What's? I just want to meet as usual, right, hehe." The pretext was crisp, then continued the sentence of reason, "I'm fine, Really. Don't worry too much ak-" before he could finish his sentence, Kashika's voice cut off his speech.

"Are you sure? Lately you've been acting differently, and you seem to be struggling with something" Kashika said, obviously in disbelief.

"I'll never yell at you or scold you, so why did you cover up your story? Am I not a good listener?" Kashika threw the question many times, trying to voice a troubled heart.

The corner of Yatsuki's eyes looked watery, she looked at him. He knew, even without words, that an empty tongue could describe all sorrow. He never thought badly of Kashika at all, he was comfortable with their contrasting nature. He just didn't want to share the dark part of his life. Let the other just enjoy the sweet and bright side of him.

Yatsuki sighed, she rubbed Kashika's head and whispered, "You're the best at listening and understanding, you're the best at calming."

Kashika looked at Yatsuki with a hidden gaze. From a while ago, he could sense that Yatsuki was having a pretty big problem.

But even though she could see that Yatsuki needed a place to tell a story, she knew that she couldn't possibly force Yatsuki to open her heart. As of now, Yatsuki seemed hesitant and reluctant to speak the truth.

He then brushed Yatsuki's palm on his head. Yatsuki smiled faintly, put her head on Kashika's shoulder and hugged her arms tightly. Kashika returned to being a statue, speechless.

His eyeballs released a flat look and complained, "strange boy, can't you please don't squeeze me like that? I can smell your body!" Rebellious Kashika. Yatsuki's laughter burst out loud, Kashika's expression and reaction never failed to comfort her.

°

After a long walk together on a cool night, they chose to sit on the swing for a moment. Yatsuki looked more serious now, her hand held the swing chain tightly, then sighed. He looked at Kashika and suddenly said, "I will go to my hometown tomorrow, some day. There's something I need to do there."

Kashika looked at Yatsuki with a confused look, a little surprised. He wanted to ask a lot of things, but felt that he had asked too many questions. "And you're going off campus, again?"

Yatsuki nodded, she chuckled. "Yes, hehehe. Have I been ditching too much lately?"

Netra Kashika turned around again, and replied to her words, "Of course you're stupid, you're absent too much, I'm sick of it."

"Haha! But you still do it for me, right? Sisi, you are the best! I will miss you!" His demeanor while raising a pretend kiss, made Kashika shudder amusedly.

"Here you go, let's go home, you're so noisy. People will be distracted later." Kashika pulls Yatsuki's wrist, they immediately leave the park.

They both joked and talked. So unaware that something had been lurking in the shadows for hours, watching them. That something was none other than the silhouette of a man.

The man smokes, taking his eyes off them for a moment, his mind ticking with the evil plan he has. It was only a matter of time before his patience ran out and he would make a move.

The man smiled to himself as he watched those who were slowly drifting away, grinning slowly and meaningfully. 'Who knows what darkness lies ahead? Who knew what terror the man was planning?'

While the night became quieter, as if afraid to make a sound. It felt as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for the man's next move.