Paradox

22: Subterfuge

| | Yay, yay, yay! To say this chapter is way overdue is an understatement... So to those who are following this story, I'm so, so, so sorry and thanks for reading this!

| | Sorry if there are mistakes I may have missed. I reread my chapters every now and then, so I might do edits after that. I might also have to go back to several chapters and change up a few things. Been reading on Japanese culture and it seems I've got some things wrong. Will update regarding that.

| | Dedicating this to ckelvin87 for always supporting my writing and encouraging whenever I have my writer's block <3

| | All right, enough talk! Enjoy <3

22: Subterfuge

March 20, Saturday. 7:15 PM

She shot for the door.

“S-Sonya! Wait! Wait!”

Etsuo miscalculated his step, hitting his shin on the low table. He shut his eyes and cried out both in anger and pain. Hearing the door slam made him realize that Sonya was already out of the house. He fought the pain and tried his best to ignore it. He ran out, not bothering to put on shoes.

All that he saw was the arm where she wore their friendship bracelets before she disappeared. He ran to the corner where he saw Sonya, snapping his head from left to right in hopes of finding her. But she wasn’t anywhere. He ran farther.

“Sonya!” he called.

He ran a bit farther, dodging a kid and his puppy in a bicycle, but ramming himself against a woman carrying a watermelon in each hand.

“S-sumimasen,” he apologized with a shallow bow just as the woman bit angry words at him, but he kept running. He couldn’t lose Sonya. What just happened?

He reached a busy intersection and his heart dropped into his stomach at the sight of a crowd.

Sonya was gone.

*          *          *          *          *

March 19. Friday. 2:21 PM

“Here, Etsuo-sama.”

Etsuo bowed in thanks and took the guitar from Masafumi. “Izo?”

“He’s out of the house, Etsuo-sama.”

“Any chance you know where he went?”

Masafumi gave him an apologetic smile accompanied by a bow and said, “I’m afraid not, Etsuo-sama.”

“Looks like he’s been busy.”

Masafumi nodded. “Yes. Yasu-sama has recently just returned from her trip. And they also have a friend over.”

“I see.”

Etsuo didn’t really care much for Izo’s sister. They didn’t see her often and had her own set of friends to bother.

Now why couldn’t Sasako be like that? Like hang out with kids her age?

“Ja,” Etsuo nodded and saw Masafumi give another bow just as he turned on his heels. He hoisted the heavy guitar case with his left hand and headed on his way.

A smile broke on his lips when he saw the Mulsanne pull over beside him. He set the guitar case and propped his arms over it and waited for the window to roll down.

“Were you planning to walk with that thing?”

Etsuo grinned. “I was going to take the subway, actually. But now that you’re here, you can drive me over to my apartment.”