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2024-10-29 19:42:56I went straight for the door of my neighbor and rang the bell. Through the intercom, I spoke.
“Hey, are you alright?”
There was a long pause before she answered.
“K-Kageyama-san? Why? Did something happen?”
“Don’t try to dodge the question. I just heard you scream. What happened?”
“Oh, it was just a cockroach. It came flying out of nowhere. Really, these days I feel like I will die because of these little flying evils.”
A cringe excuse. One used too often by women. I knew that a lot of women get scared by cockroaches and maybe Nakamura is also scared of them. But, I wasn’t buying her excuse.
“Is that so? Then, why don’t you let me come and purge that evil? You are scared anyway to approach it and there’s a chance it will appear and scare you again.”
“N-No. There’s no need for you to go that far?”
“I don’t thi
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How My Life Was Ruined 051: The Food Was Delicious
I applied the ice pack to the area on her leg that was swelling. Every time I did so, a painful moan escaped her mouth. Looking at the swelling around the injury she was without a doubt in a lot of pain.“Does it hurt?”“Yes.”“Your fault.”“I am sorry.”After I finished applying the ice pack, I wrapped another bandage on her leg.“This should do for now.”I put the remaining ice pack back in the fridge and when I returned to check up on her I heard a grumbling sound. The sound of a stomach grumbling. No, it wasn’t me.When I looked at Nakamura, with a somewhat embarrassed face, she said, “I’m sorry.”“Nothing to say sorry for. Have you eaten anything since noon?”“No.”No wonder she would feel hungry by now.“Got it. I will whip something right away.”Saying that, w
How My Life Was Ruined 052: Loneliness
I was stunned into silence.I looked at the girl on the bed in disbelief.It was only moments ago that we were having a cheerful back and forth and she was smiling but now, suddenly, out of nowhere, she started crying. The change was too abrupt.It took me some time to fully take in the fact that Nakamura was now crying.I took slow steps towards her and sat beside her.The bed bounced a little when I sat.“What’s wrong, Nakamura? Why are you crying?”She looked at me. Her face was scrunched up.She opened her mouth. Then closed it again. Then she covered her face with her two palms and started crying again.I didn’t have any words to comfort her. Of course, since I didn’t know why she was crying in the first place.I extended my hand and just patted her head twice.For a moment, she stopped sobbing. Then, she started crying. Without trying to hold back her tears and voice.
How My Life Was Ruined 053: 'How My Life Was Ruined'
The golden week was now over and today was the first day of school after a week-long holiday. And as is the case always, many students were heading towards the school will reluctant faces and scowl. The vacation syndrome. The condition when you don’t want to go to school on the first day after the vacation ends but have to go anyway which puts you in a sour mood all day long. It was a common disease that affected every student and every person. However, there is nothing to fear about. After a few days, they will get used to the normal, hectic life again and the syndrome will fade slowly.The school building was the same. The road leading to the school was the same. I looked up at the hot, burning sun.“You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”Ever since I was a child, whenever I looked up, the sun was the same. Not changing. Unchanging. Not being able to change. But, in my opinion, that was a good thing.I could feel what the
How My Life Was Ruined 054: I Don't Like This
The bell rang, signaling the end of the fourth period and the start of the lunch period.From the first period till now, Aina had been doing her best to ignore me. The effort she put astounded me. It was so exciting to watch her hold her ground.Aina was keeping her books in her bag, preparing to leave for the cafeteria.“Hey.”“What?”She answered, without looking back at me.“Why are avoiding me?”“…I am not.” I didn’t fail to notice the pause in her response. “I just don’t have anything to talk to you about and so I am not talking to you. That’s all. Is there anything wrong with that?”“No, nothing. If it were just that, that is.”“What else is it supposed to be then?”“I can see you are deliberately trying to avoid me. Is there a reason for that?”“No. It’s not deliberate.
How My Life Was Ruined 055: Fishy
That small interaction between me and Aina was the last time the two of us talked.It had already been a week since then.It seems Aina had talked to our homeroom teacher and she had been able to change seats which, to be honest, wasn’t that far from her seat before. She had just exchanged seats with Nakamura Yui. That meant Nakamura will be taking Aina’s previous seat and vice-versa. To me, that change was as good as not changing seats at all. But, for Aina, even that may have been a good option. After all, now she can just focus straight ahead, and as long as she doesn’t turn her head back the chances of our eyes meeting will be significantly less.Talking about the one who would be on the seat next to me, Nakamura Yui, she hadn’t come to school yet. Two days ago, I had gone to check up on her out of curiosity and she said she will be able to come to school from next week. It seems she had also called a doctor to check her condition whi
How My Life Was Ruined 056: Empty
The news had spread all over the school like a wildfire.Within two days, almost everyone in the school knew about it. The student council president Shizuku Aina was dating a second-year transfer student Miyamoto Sota.This news earned different reactions from different people. There were boys who were immensely displeased. They were those who were gunning for Aina. And the number was overwhelming. Though it wasn’t surprising. Aina was a beautiful girl with her long brown hair and captivating pair of blue eyes. Her gait, her demeanor, and the aura surrounding her hit the boys like a lightning arrow to their hearts. So, it was no surprise that many boys were jealous and shot daggers at Miyamoto. He was a poor little guy.On the other hand, there were also those who thought of them as a perfect fit. Both were good-looking and said looked better together. I had also heard that some people have made Aina and Sota fan club (as weird as it sounds) and started wo
How My Life Was Ruined 057: The Slap
I see. Miyamoto Sota. He knew me. I didn’t know him. He went to the same school I went to. I went to the same school he did. But I didn’t know him. Though he knew me. That means. That meant. That could only mean. He knew about my past. My past. My dark past. My twisted past. A past I have left behind. A past that still haunts me. A past that is a part of me. A past that tells who I am. A past that shows what I am. A past where I ruined lives. My own life. Those girls’ lives. Everyone’s lives. I ruined. I destroyed. I broke. I sinned. I regretted. I didn’t regret it at all. Those girls. Those people. I don’t care about them. But, they care about me. Miyamoto said. “I hate you.” Yes. They hate me. I am indifferent but not them. They are human. Unlike me.
How My Life Was Ruined 058: Questions and Answers
What had transpired in the classroom had reached far and wide.The students in the whole school started hating me. Whenever I passed by, they will give me disgusted looks and say mean things to my face. They cursed me on my face.Some even threatened me. Some beat me up to. I didn’t retaliate. I just faced that one-sided beating without uttering a single word. I can't even remember the number of times I have passed out. It was my punishment. For having hope. For trying to divert from my original goal. This made me realize that I was a bad person. Which I was aware of already.The case had reached far enough that the old hag had called me to her office.Without knocking, I went inside the big wooden door.The director was not in her seat. She was resting her upper body on the large, wooden table facing the door as if she had been waiting for me.“Sorry for making you wait.”“What’s this ruckus with Shizuku
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- How My Life Was Ruined
Afterword
If you are reading this afterword instead of reading the story, then, please go and read the story first! However, if you are here after following the gruesome journey and the end of Kageyama Kage, then, I have to thank you from the bottom of my heart to have given this novel a chance. Now, then, about this story. You know, we humans, are contradictory in nature. In the little things we do and speak, there is always a small contradiction there. We might fail to notice them, but it doesn't mean we don't contradict ourselves. Similarly, we humans, also go through our fair share of hardships and pain. It is inevitable. I have had my fair share of them and you all have too. This story, 'How My Life Was Ruined', is a story where the contradiction is exaggerated - no - overexaggerated and at the same time, I (being the overthinker I am) took the various problems people around me faced and converted it into a story. A story where we don't see a redemption arc. A story where all that await
- How My Life Was Ruined
130: The End And The Beginning
Furukawa Maya and Maki were in the Director’s room.The atmosphere was gloomy and heavy.No one said a word but they both knew what was on their minds.“So we failed to save him.” Maki was the one to say that sentence. She clenched her fists and bit her lips. She had failed to save the person her dear sister had been trying to protect. As a sister, she had failed to fulfill her duties and that realization left a bitter taste in her mouth.“No point in beating yourself over that. The moment Kaya died, everything was as good as hopeless.”That had been the last straw.Kaya had been the one to have held Kageyama down to this world. She had cast chains on him and shackled him. But when she died, the chains came off and he plunged to his doom.No, even after that, there was still a chance to save him. If not for the girl, Hayami. The girl that didn’t exist. The girl that never existed in the first place.“Hallucination, was it?” Maki spoke.After Kageyama’s death, the Director told her abo
- How My Life Was Ruined
129: After The End - III
Aina had been hurt by the news of Kageyama Kage's death.The shock was so much that when she first learned of the truth she ended up fainting on the spot.Even after regaining her consciousness, she hadn’t been able to stomach the truth. The fact that the one she had loved was no more in this world had left her unable to think of anything for a long while.She continued to think. Day and night without an ounce of sleep.Why? Why did Kageyama end his life? She knew why he did. She knew of his whole story. Any normal person would have ended his life long ago if they had had to go through such hardships and pain. The fact that Kage had managed to act like a normal person when he had such a heavy history dragging him down was nothing sort of miracle.But, still, there were many questions she wanted to know the answers to.Like, why did they allow Kageyama the opportunity to end his life?Hadn’t the Director assured her that they were trying to prevent that from happening? She had seen tha
- How My Life Was Ruined
128: After The End - II
The news of Kageyama’s death had saddened both Yamamoto and Ito.For Yamamoto, Kageyama had been a good friend. He even considered him his best friend. That was how much he trusted and not to mention admired him.Kageyama had been his savior. Crushed by the guilt that he hadn’t been able to save Yua back then and unable to take any action, he had already given up. The one who gave him the push to take action and make things right was none other than Kageyama. If he hadn’t come into his life, then he wouldn’t have been able to do anything. He would have most definitely remained frozen as always while he watched Yua suffer more and more every day and he kept lamenting. Kageyama was his hero. And so he was for Yua as well.Yamamoto knew that Yua was in love with Kageyama. Although he was hurt, he didn’t hate him. In fact, he thought it was inevitable that she falls in love with him. He had saved her from what seemed like an impossible situation. He had dragged her out of that muddy world
- How My Life Was Ruined
127: After The End - I
The news had made headlines across the country.No matter which channel Nakamura switched to, everywhere, it was the same news, the same grisly spectacle and the same pain of having lost someone important assaulted her.She shouldn’t have been surprised. He had tried to end his life once. It shouldn’t have been surprising that he would try to do the same. What was surprising was how short the interval between his attempted suicide and death was. She had expected the authorities to take some action to prevent that from happening and they did take action and kept him under surveillance but he had somehow managed to escape and end his life.She turned off the TV and sat on the floor facing the veranda.A cold wind blew and sent her hair flying. She looked to her right. There was no one.If he had been alive, he would probably be outside on the veranda.If he had been alive. But the fact was that he wasn’t.Nakamura knew that Kageyama had wanted to end his life. She always had thought tha
- How My Life Was Ruined
126: The End Of The Story
“Finally.”I muttered as I stood on the edge of the rooftop holding hands with Hayami.The cold wind ruffled our hairs.I was battered. Bruise covered my body here and there and there was also a gun wound on my lower leg. Hayami had ripped her skirt to tie it around my leg to prevent blood loss. Although I found it hilarious that she was trying to prevent the blood loss of someone who was going to die soon, I didn’t speak a word and let her do her work.“We can finally die.”Although I had wanted to go in a grand way, this was good in its own way. It gave me the adrenaline rush that made my spirit pump even more.Suicide?No.Don’t term what we are about to do with something as petty and cowardly as suicide.It was the only good thing that I was going to do ever in my life. Everyone should be overjoyed that I was about to remove a corrupt and wretched existence from this world.My life, not only was it meaningless, it was sought with suffering, pain, chaos, betrayal, deceit, and every
- How My Life Was Ruined
125: The Escape
I went back and sat down on my earlier seat.My mom came out of the bathroom after a few minutes.Her face was wet. She probably washed her face so that she could hide the fact that she was crying. But her red eyes gave it away. The pain was still there in her face.I handed her the towel lying on the sofa. She dried her face with that and shortly after the old hag came in.I took out my phone and started scrolling through the feed on social media. Though I was still paying keen attention to the old hag.Hmm.Just then I noticed the two of them make eye contact. It was nothing unusual but it definitely caught my attention.The time was 3 in the morning. I ended up staying awake all night today.“Furukawa-san, why don’t you stay till morning? You probably are hungry with all the speaking and work. I will whip up something quickly and you can take a short nap to give some rest to your body till the morning.”“Hmm.” The old hag seemed to be thinking about her proposal and eventually, she
- How My Life Was Ruined
124: I Have Never Hated you
For the next five minutes after my mom dashed to the bathroom, no one spoke. I feel like these long and short stretches of silence in the middle of conversations were happening a lot to me. Was it a meaningful silence or a meaningless one? Did the silence speak louder than the words or was it just and merely silence? I don’t know.“She sure is taking long. What must she be doing?” The old hag broke the silence with a meaningful question.“Yeah, I wonder what.”Although I knew what she wanted to hear from me, I played the fool. I knew what she was doing in the bathroom. She was without a doubt crying her eyes out hurt by the scathing words of her own son.The old hag gave me a smile as if she had seen that coming.“Putting aside your words that you being born itself was the root of it all, don’t you feel angry?”“Angry? Why?”“If you hadn’t learned what your mom had been doing, things wouldn’t have gone that out of hand. Let’s say if your mom hadn’t been cheating on your dad, if Nakamu
- How My Life Was Ruined
123: The One Grave Mistake
After calming down a bit, I looked down to the dining area from the stairs. The old hag was sitting there waiting for someone. And I knew that someone was me.“Hayami, you go wait for a little longer.”“Hmm. Okay~” Although, she seemed reluctant after I gave her a kiss, she went back to the room. After hearing the click of the door locking, I made my way downstairs and sat in an empty chair facing the old hag.“Why are you here?” I asked.“We heard from Aina's parents that she had run away from home and would like our help to search for her. That’s why I am here.”So I was right that she had run away from home without telling anyone.“But, why are you here? How did you know Aina would be here?” Did she know beforehand that the only place Aina will head to after running from her home under the current circumstances will be my house? I could think of the old hag arriving to that conclusion. She was quick-witted after all.“No. We just followed her path.” She continued. “We checked the C
