Shien: "Mom, wake up! I made breakfast."
Shien's voice filled the room. His mother slowly got up from her futon, rubbed her eyes with her hand, and smiled at Shien.
Mother: "Aug... Aaaaa..."
Shien: "You're as cheerful as ever, Mom. Come on, let's wash your face."
Shien took his mother by the arm and led her to the sink. After washing her face, they went to the kitchen together. Shien carefully seated his mother in a chair, picked up a spoon, and began feeding her the meal he had prepared.
Shien: "Does it taste good, Mom? I may not be as good as Dad, but I hope you like it."
Mother: "Aaaaa... Aug..."
Shien realized it was time to go to school. He quickly cleaned up the table, washed his hands and face in the bathroom, hugged his mother tightly, and then left the house. But there was something he didn't know— the bullies who had tormented him yesterday were secretly waiting for him to leave.
At the corner of the street...
Kazuya: "Uh, Souta... Are we really doing this? Isn't this going a bit too far?"
Souta: "Kazuya, do you want us to try it on you instead? Is that what you're saying? I already stole this gun from my dad by force. And come on, what's the big deal? It's just one less lunatic in this town. We're not gonna kill her, just shoot her in the leg or something."
Kazuya: "If you say so..."
Just then, someone silently approached them, placing his arms around Souta and Kazuya's shoulders and stepping between them.
Tatsuya: "Hey, idiots! What are you up to? You're gonna be late for school. Whoa, what's that? Did you get a toy gun? Looks real. Let me see, Souta."
Souta and Kazuya exchanged grins.
Souta: "Do you really want to try it, Tatsuya?"
Tatsuya nodded eagerly. Souta smirked mischievously and continued.
Souta: "Alright, I'll let you have it. But on one condition. You have to test it on Shien's crazy mother."
Unaware that the gun was real, Tatsuya agreed to the deal. As the three friends made their way to Shien's house, Kazuya and Souta whispered to each other.
Kazuya: "Are you sure about this, Souta? What if things get out of hand? Shouldn't we tell him it's real?"
Souta: "Don't be stupid! I want to see the look on Tatsuya's face when the gun actually fires. Just start recording."
Kazuya reluctantly nodded, pulling out his phone and starting the video.
When they arrived at Shien's house, Souta spoke quickly.
Souta: "The plan is simple. I'll give you the gun. We'll knock on the door, and when his mom comes out, you pull the trigger. Don't worry, that crazy woman won't even feel it. After all, it's just a toy gun, right?"
Tatsuya examined the gun in his hands.
Tatsuya: "This toy looks so real… And it's heavy. You got yourself a high-quality fake."
Souta subtly winked at Kazuya, signaling him to keep recording.
Souta knocked on the door. Tatsuya aimed the gun at the spot where Shien's mother was expected to appear. Footsteps could be heard from inside the house. As the door slowly opened, Tatsuya stood ready. The moment the door fully opened, he pulled the trigger.
The gun was real.
Tatsuya was thrown backward. His ears rang, and his vision blurred. Shien's mother had been shot in the stomach. The woman collapsed to the ground, blood pooling around her.
Tatsuya turned to Souta and Kazuya in sheer horror, his eyes wide with shock.
Tatsuya: "What did you make me do? You said it was a toy! Tell me I didn't just kill this lunatic!"
Souta: "Get your hands off me!"
Souta shoved Tatsuya away, but as he fell to the ground, Shien's mother grabbed one of his legs.
Tatsuya: "I'm not a killer… This is just a nightmare!"
Souta slapped Tatsuya hard across the face.
Souta: "We don't have time for this! We need to get out of here now."
The gunshot had echoed through the neighborhood. People began rushing toward Shien's house.
Tatsuya: "How can you be so calm? I just shot someone, even if she was crazy!"
Souta: "Are you an idiot? We're not even legal adults yet, so we won't go to prison or anything. Besides, you didn't hit anything vital. Moron, Kazuya already called an ambulance. It'll be here soon. Now let's get out of here before anyone sees us!"
Tatsuya: "You're the idiot! The cops will come, they'll check the security cameras! What do you think is gonna happen then? It's easy for you to say because you weren't the one who pulled the trigger! You tricked me!"
Souta smirked as he picked up the gun that had fallen from Tatsuya's trembling hands.
Souta: "Don't worry, there are no security cameras around here. We already checked. The only footage is Kazuya's video. And we'll show it to Shien and make him delete it. Seeing his face will be priceless. I wonder how he'll react. You got everything on tape, right, Kazuya?"
Kazuya: "Yeah… I recorded everything… Can we leave now?"
Souta: "You heard Kazuya, Tatsuya. Get up, let's go!"
The three of them ran off toward the school. Meanwhile, the neighbors, alarmed by the gunshot, rushed to Shien's house in panic. When they reached the front door, the sight before them took their breath away.
Shien's mother lay motionless on the ground, drenched in blood…