Chapter 12: The Guilt, and Rena(2).
'Friend' Is a word that Riot didn't know, or even cared about it at first. Unlike the rest of the kids who could enjoy playing time with kids their age at school or something, Riot couldn't get such an ordinary child's life because his family never even once tried to make Riot happy, other than to keep him alive and breathing since birth.
Well, it's not something that happens for no reason.
Long story short, Riot is a child born from the results of his mother's infidelity. Although Riot is the first child born from the marriage of his parents, it turns out that Riot was born from the genes of a man other than his father. Seemingly, her mother always brought a few other men to the house while her father was busy with work.
Realize that, of course, Riot's father became angry, and finally there was a quarrel between the two of them.
In the end, Riot's mother decided to run away from home, without bringing baby Riot who couldn't do anything but cry at that time. Luckily, this Riot's dad is a very resistant person to committing criminal acts, so he didn't do anything crazy like killing Riot or throwing him somewhere.
However, well, even so, Riot became to have to live while continuously receiving cold and hateful gazes, from all family members from his father's side.
'Should I not even live? There's not a single person who needs me in this world, anyway...' Once it crossed Riot's mind, taking him to try to kill himself.
But... He couldn't.
Feeling the pain caused by the knife incision he did to his hand, Riot began to think, '... What did I do? If myself would even start hating myself, then who else would love this self?' In the end, Riot stopped his suicide attempt and finally decided to keep living a life that could hardly even be called that life, even though he knew it would be very painful and excruciating.
At least, before Riot met Rena.
Unlike the other kids in his town who would always give Riot a weird or disgusted look when he tried to play alongside them, Rena was always happy to play alongside Riot.
Riot doesn't know why, but it seems that Rena didn't go to school either, so the two of them almost always spent time together on the hill where they first met.
Riot once tried to ask the reason why Rena didn't go to school like the other child even though she should have been able to easily do that with her wealthy family who loved her so much like that.
However, in response to Riot's question, Rena just smiled with a slightly different smile than usual, and said, "I've also been to school... But since I don't have much time anymore, I just want to spend the rest of my time playing and relaxing! Ehehe!"
After saying that, Rena also turned her eyes towards Riot, "Besides... There's you, Riot accompanying me now, 'isn't it? So I won't be lonely!"
After that, Rena also started laughing loosely with her cheerful and silly face back, as she always did.
Rena might say it's just to thank him sincerely because Riot always accompanies her to play together. But for Riot, those words meant a lot to him.
For the first time in his life, Riot began to feel that there was someone who needed him, someone was hoping for him, someone was wanting him. Even though it was just this one girl, and maybe only needed for trivia like playing alongside her when many others could do it too, it still managed to touch Riot's heart.
However, there's one sentence that's always stuck in Riot's mind ever since that, 'What does she mean by her time not much anymore?' That question always loomed over Riot, whenever he spent time with Rena and witnessed how wide and beautiful Rena's smile was.
And, as if the world was just trying to give Riot a little hope and then it would ruthlessly destroy it at the most unexpected moment, Riot finally found the answer to that question right at the arrival of the next summer.
Unlike before, the two of them are currently only playing in the park around the mansion belonging to the Rena family, not on the hill.
Riot doesn't know why, but it seems that Rena's family doesn't allow Rena to play on the hill today, even though they always allow the two of them to play there easily while looking at their little Rena affectionately.
Sitting side by side on the garden chair, Rena also called Riot who was beside her, looking at her two little feet that she was swinging.
"Hey, Riot."
"Yes?" Riot replied.
Even though Riot had already returned her call, Rena didn't speak immediately, and just fell silent while looking at her feet with a small smile on her face.
Soon, a teardrop fell from Rena's eyes.
"Eh? A-are you okay?" Worried about Rena's situation, Riot also asked her about it with an anxious face
Hearing Riot's question, Rena finally started to raise her head slowly.
At that time, Riot also for the first time saw an expression on Rena's face which can be said to be a 'sad expression' even though she never made a facial expression like that even when she was injured.
Staring right into Riot's eyes, Rena began to open her lips, "Even though I already knew this was going to happen and tried to hold it back... It seems... I still don't want it." Rena said as she began to shed tears.
"W-wait, wh-what are you talking about? Me - um, c-calm down right yourself first, Rena..." With a trembling and worried voice, Riot also tried to stop Rena's crying.
However, instead of stopping crying, Rena passed on her words instead.
"I-I don't want to be separated from mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, everyone!... Sob... E-even you, Riot. I don't want to part with you all!... Sob... I-I... I am..." With tears that kept streaming down her face, Rena also said all of that in her trembling voice.
However, as time went on, Rena's voice became weaker and weaker.
Until then...
"... Sob... I-I am... Sorry-..."
*Thud*
Leaving the words, Rena's body also fell limply towards Riot's chest, like a rope doll whose entire rope had been cut off.
"R-Rena...?" Staring at Rena's limp body leaning against his chest, Riot also tried to call Rena's name, hoping that Rena would get back up and laugh with a big smile as usual.
However, all Riot could feel was the disappearance of the warmth from Rena's body. Staring at Rena's face, there was no longer a big-stupid smile anymore, leaving an empty expression on her lifeless face.
"A-ah... No... No way... No!" Shaking his head, Riot attempted to think that this was just a nightmare, and the real Rena was still smiling cheerfully somewhere.
However, it is not. This is reality. The harsh reality hits Riot again as if Riot is just a toy for it.
'Rena is dead.' That very scary but real sentence also appeared in Riot's mind at that time.
"R-Rena~!!" Finally realizing that this is true, Riot begins to cry loudly, while embracing Rena's lifeless cold body.
Soon, all of Rena's family members also came to the park, because they heard Riot's screams.
After that, Rena's body was finally taken by her family and finally buried tomorrow day.
In the end, Riot finally learns the fact that Rena has precisely had a chronic disease for a long time, and her life will certainly end yesterday, after hearing the story told by Rena's father and mother. And the real reason they moved to this city was so that their little girl could get a quiet death in a beautiful and cool place with nature all around like this city.
They were initially worried when they saw Rena playing with Riot because maybe it would add to Rena's sadness at having to part ways with her friends as well. But, because Rena seemed to very enjoy the days she spent with Riot, they thought 'Maybe this will be fine.' and finally decides to just watch Rena's last days lovingly.
"I... See..." Hearing all that, all the questions that had been looming over Riot were finally answered.
After telling all that, Rena's mother and father finally went back to their home, leaving Riot alone in front of Rena's grave.
'I... Don't understand.' Staring blankly at all the fond memories he had spent with Rena and Rena's grave that was in front of him at this time, it also flashed inside Riot's head.
'Why? Why is it always happen?' Riot asked himself.
'Should I have been able to realize this earlier? But... Even if I can realize it, what can I do for Rena? None... Yes, nothing.'
"I'm so weak... Huh? In all aspects." Riot murmured, with a completely blank facial expression, to the point of almost doubting whether he was alive or not.
In the end, Riot decided to start his own life. In a new place, and a new environment. Which will eventually take Riot to an old house on the edge of a city, with a life full of exhaustion but maybe even almost useless, because he can't even change the slightest of his slumped condition. Both economically, and mentally.
However, one certain thing is, that Riot knows that he can never forget the full 1 year he spent with Rena.
Because only at that time, Riot can truly think that 'Life is such a precious and beautiful thing'.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone