The city is crowded, yet the air feels silent.The people rush to their destinations, yet their steps hesitate mid-motion.…
A woman laughs with her friends, but her face empties the moment her friends look away.The billboard loops an actor's bright smile, yet the next frame shows him wiping away his tears.…
Kenshi walks through the crowded streets of Tokyo, skyscraper screens flashing faces he doesn't care to remember. A small group of entertainers sings for loose change. People gather around them, clapping until their hands redden.
Sheep…
He slows his pace. I need a quiet place to read.A statue ahead portrays two figures holding hands, some symbol of unity. He pauses for a moment.
Bonding? Not in this age.
The book in his briefcase rests lightly against his side: The Faculty of Our Perfect World. He bought it earlier this afternoon. A plain coal-black bookmark slips between its first pages.Walking toward his reading bench, he notices a classmate he doesn't want to encounter. He avoids the confrontation by taking a different path, turning his head so the classmate won't recognize him.
Not another hindrance. No time for that.
He walks toward the bench he always uses when he reads. He opens the book and flips it over, his eyes scanning the text on the back.
"Intentions are based on people's ideals."
Interesting. "So it's a book about intentions… I'm already hooked."
"If you are reading this book, have you ever considered your worldview to be the definitive truth? If you already have an answer to that question, I want you to continue searching for it while turning each page. You may discover what truth lies within your own beliefs." ~ Hinachi Yota..
…Hmmm.
The writer's name is Hinachi Yota, a famous author who never revealed the reason he wrote this book. Now that I think about it, he never even revealed his face.
Hidden identity..? Why the secrecy? What are you trying to prove?
Suddenly, a flicker of movement catches his eye from the right. A small electronics store is broadcasting a live news report, the screen glowing beside the river.
Explosions. Smoke. Soldiers running through a ruined street. A war he's never seen, in a country he's never been to. The anchor's voice trembles with urgency, but her face doesn't.She smiles. Wide. Bright. Creepy.Her tone rises cheerfully as buildings collapse behind her.
"She keeps smiling… even through all of this. Is she just following her programming?"
The crowd near the store barely reacts; a few people even chuckle, assuming the broadcast is staged entertainment. A minute later, the screen switches to an interview with a pop star.
Kenshi looks away.
Stop getting distracted, Kenshi. You should read further and faster or you'll be late for class.
While he reads, a line catches his attention.
"If humankind acted upon its initial thoughts, would the world become truthful? Or would it fall into chaos?" What a question. My initial answer would be—''
Suddenly, a man bumps into Kenshi, falling behind his bench while knocking Kenshi onto the ground.
Kenshi stands up quickly enough to help the man who hit him. "Are you alright, sir? You must have hurt yourself. Let me help you," Kenshi says. Kenshi reaches out his hand—
but the man instantly pulls back, panics, and sprints away.
"What's with him?" Kenshi asks, confused.
Huh… he dropped something on the ground. A bag with a thick rope and a gun!?
I won't pick it up. If I touch it, it'll look like it belonged to me.Should I bring it to an officer? They'd take it from me, but of course they'd interrogate me first.
Kenshi calmly picks up his book from the dark brown leaves. His expression tightens as he scans the area in confusion. The man is still running, panicking at the far end of the street. It takes only a few seconds before he trips a second time. While scrambling back to his feet, the man glances over his shoulder straight at Kenshi.
Why is he looking at me with that much fear in his eyes… as if I'm the last person he wants to be seen by?
I have the feeling this guy is going to do something strange at the end of the street. I can already visualize it happening.
Kenshi checks his black vintage watch, worried about how late he is. He walks away from the bench and blends into the crowd in front of him.
He turns his head to the left, and in that exact moment, the horrifying vision in his mind becomes reality. The man looks back at him with a smile far beyond creepy before throwing himself straight into the path of a moving bus.
"What…?" He jumped on purpose…
What's the matter with him? Was he running away from someone? And why did he keep looking at me? As if he wanted to show me his suicide attempt…
That smile… Why?
Kenshi stares blankly at the scene. A crowd quickly surrounds the bus that hit the man. Blood spreads across the ground, the driver recoiling the moment the vehicle comes to a stop. The driver screams at the injured man in panic, but there's no response from the critically injured man.
I feel numb to this for some reason. It's as if I didn't see it happen just now. But I knew it would happen… somehow.
"Sir, did you see that?" Kenshi asks the old man next to him.
"No, but I'm sad I couldn't see it. Would've been exciting to watch something like that," the man responds with a smirk.
What is wrong with this guy? How is it that humans sometimes seem to search for pain just to entertain themselves? It's odd, if I think about it. But I sort of relate to what he said. For some reason, I'm glad I saw it. Now I can reflect on my reaction. Maybe I should've reacted more intensely.
The injured man suddenly crawls to the other side of the road. Traffic is still moving. The man peeks to his left, waiting for the next car to drive his way. He leans his head forward and starts screaming.
"GOD, SAVE ME. SAVE ME FROM MY FINAL JUDGMENT!"
His voice trembles with panic, eyes wide, pupils dilated, as if the very sight of Kenshi could be the end of him.
For a moment, time stretches, waiting for the inevitable.
And then, with a twist of fate, he throws one last glance toward Kenshi a brief moment before his fate is sealed.
The man laughs a hollow, manic sound, his lips curling into a final eerie grin. A last expression of insanity and defiance before the world turns black.
In that instant, a car speeds by, its engine roaring like a bell announcing death. Before Kenshi can even blink, the man's head is severed, disappearing in a flash.
An eerie silence spreads through the crowd.
I knew it… that man died right in front of me.
Why am I feeling so empty all of a sudden? Is it because I predicted this would happen? Somewhere deep down, I already knew it would occur.
As I thought… he did it intentionally.
It's strange.
Knowing that I foresaw it…
Almost feels satisfying.
Would that make me a predictor?
Oh no, I lost track of time. I'm late for class, I should hurry.
This accident was strange, but it was…
Surprisingly exciting.