Areth: The Man and the Stone

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Jushiro

The day grayed and darkened with rain showering the city of Saitama as the ambulance's Sirens flared and sounded through the wet streets. "Hurry, We're going to lose her!" said one medical personnel. The driver stepped on it as they bolted through the damped roads. They arrived at the hospital entrance, where the medical staff hurried the stretcher inside the building. A man in a drenched trenchcoat stood in the waiting room until he saw the medical staff bring her inside.

The doctors hurried the stretcher into the emergency room. The man followed them into the room where he stood before the injured girl, bruised and bloodied from head to toe. Hooked up to a heart monitor and life support system, the man watched in anguish as the girl's heart rate decreased with each passing second. "Please hang in there," said the man. He held her hand and prayed for minutes.

Soon there was nothing but a continuous line on the heart monitor. What the man dreaded came like a blade slowly piercing into his chest. He realized as his eyes widened with despair as he wept. One doctor placed his hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, sir..."

"No, no! Hang on there! Please don't just don't, (sobbing) Don't go!"

He stood there and saw what he never wanted to happen. The man gazed at the lifeless body of the one whom he loved. His chest ached, and he struggled to breathe as he hyperventilated.

The man opened his eyes and noticed he lay in bed. He realized he awoke from a dreadful nightmare and took a moment to collect himself. He looked in the mirror to see his reflection.

He noticed his face was covered in tears and sweat. He ran the sink to wash it all off. "Th-That was a dream? Ahhh, I see. One year, one month, and seven days, since then. Still, it feels like it happened yesterday." He audibly said to himself.

He looked beside him to see his school gear on the table. He softly slapped his cheeks to snap himself out of the mood.

"Well, another day at the school for sensei Jushiro Motoshita. I hope today will be consoling," he said. He reached into his cabinet to grab a container of pills he took with water. He then took a deep breath before getting ready for work.

After having breakfast, the man walked outside his apartment to begin his day as an instructor at a local high school. While walking toward his destination, he stopped in his tracks and noticed his best friend, Seijuro, walking his way. The two men exchanged their good mornings. Seijuro observed the sorrowful look on his friend's face and tried to lighten his attitude.

"Hey, Shiro, you look like hell. Luckily for you, I have something that should help. Nothing a night at the bar can't help. Anyways, I hope you're still free Sunday evening for my nephew's graduation party,"

"Ah, I. Sure thing. I'll be there, Seijuro," Jushiro said.

Jushiro left without uttering another word. Instead, he gestured, "see you later," before moving ahead.

Seijuro watched with pity, holding his hand up. He waved in a gesture to Jushiro, "see ya," And the two friends parted ways with no words to utter in the calm winds. Jushiro soon passed near his family's home to find his younger brother Sosuke waiting for him near the front yard gate.

"Good morning, big bro," Sosuke said.

"Morning, Sosuke," Jushiro replied.

The two brothers walked toward the school together. Sosuke, fifteen years old, is a current student and his older brother Jushiro, twenty years old, worked as a substitute teacher and a club faculty advisor. He worked at the school for over a year as Jushiro had a close relationship with the current principal, who approached him with the job offer. Since then, Jushiro mainly taught in the gym as he was an advisor for the kyudo and kendo clubs. There, he cherished the times he spent with the students as they helped distract him from his depression.