First Boyfriend (Part Five)

"Is everything okay, Ai?" Koji inquires, his voice trembling with uncertainty. Ai responds, "Koji! "You must come and get me at once, hurry!" "What happened, Ai? Did something happen?" "Hurry, Koji!" Ai abruptly ends the call. With his heart pounding in his chest, Koji races down the stairs and out to his car. Exiting the parking lot, he slams the accelerator pedal to the floor and speeds through the streets like a madman, desperate to reach the hospital.

As he arrives at the hospital, his eyes catch sight of Ai, standing there with a suitcase in her hand, anticipation hanging in the air. With a warm smile, she gazes at him as he brings the car to a full stop before her. He lowers his window and asks, "Are you alright?" With a gentle smile, Ai opens the door and gracefully slips into the car. Koji can't figure it out. He asks once more, "Ai, are you alright?"

"Certainly," Ai replies. I missed you and I couldn't bear another moment confined within those sterile hospital walls." "So, it turns out there was no emergency after all?" Koji asks. "No, but I had to weave it into an urgent tale for you to come rescue me," Ai replies with a spark of mischief. While Koji feels a sense of relief knowing she is safe, a storm of anger brews within him for the way she has played him like a pawn. As he starts to drive off, his rage is visible on his face. In the car, they both sit in silence.

A few moments pass before Ai gently breaks the silence, "Are you upset with me, Koji?" "What reason would I have not to be?" He asks animatedly. A look of disappointment crosses Ai's face. Koji persists in his reprimands towards her. "How could you be so self-centered, Ai? Do you ever take the time to consider my feelings? Have you ever thought about my life?" Ai remains still, her gaze fixed on an unseen point far away while Koji carries on with his tirade. "I can't keep living this way, allowing your immature whims to control me. I believe it's time for us to split up." Ai suddenly turns to face him, a tear glistening on her cheek, "You can't possibly mean that, Koji!" "I certainly do, Ai! Enough is enough," declares Koji.

Once more, Ai pivots to gaze ahead. As the car glides through the darkness, the familiar two-lane road carves its path through the verdant embrace of the forest. The car's headlights cast a warm glow upon the winding road, illuminating the path ahead while softly brightening the interior with a gentle shimmer. In the stillness, the only sound that breaks the silence is the gentle hum of the car's engine, a steady companion on the journey ahead.

As seconds slip by, Koji's heart grows heavy with regret for his harsh words he used towards Ai. "I'm sorry," he murmurs, his voice now gentler than it was moments ago. Ai remains silent, her gaze fixed ahead, unyielding and still. As the car approaches Ai's home, Koji glances over at her. He does this without realizing that Ai's mother is standing just in front of the vehicle. Her form is illuminated by the headlights, lending her an otherworldly appearance. Koji slams on the brakes, narrowly avoiding colliding with her. Ai's body lurches forward and then retreats, tethered securely by her seatbelt. She remains fixed in her gaze, still and quiet. As Koji steps out of the car, a sense of urgency fills the air. He approaches Ai's mother, concern etched on his face, only to be met with a startling sight. The woman lifts her arm, revealing a large knife, its blade shimmering ominously in the glow of the headlights.

"Hold on!" he exclaims, retreating as the woman pursues him. Her eyes blaze with fury, her lips twist into a wicked grin. "Please don't! Stop! Koji implores her as she draws nearer to him. He stumbles over his own feet and tumbles backward, only to have Ai's mother leap onto him with a suddenness that takes him by surprise. With one arm, she holds him down, her other hand wielding the glinting knife with a fierce determination. "I told you, it's essential that you look after her. If you intend to take her from me, you must cherish her as I have for all these years!" "But, but..."

Koji lies on the ground helpless, his mind racing, utterly speechless in the face of the unexpected. Ai's mother lifts her arm, the knife gleaming in the light, poised to strike deep into Koji's chest. Koji stands paralyzed, gripped by fear, unable to muster the strength to protect himself.Suddenly, a figure materializes behind them. It is the old man, his hair as white as freshly fallen snow. With a swift motion, he seizes the woman's arm and hurls her away from Koji. She tumbles to the side of the road, her head striking the jagged rocks that lie there, and at that moment, she slips into unconsciousness. Koji is in awe, unable to fathom what he sees before him! With a jolt, he sits up and casts his gaze toward Ai's mother, who rests motionless by the roadside. The old man looms above, a soft smile gracing his features. In a heartbeat, he vanishes without a trace.

A few days later, Koji and Hiroshi are chatting away on the rooftop. "So, the old man wasn't angry at you?" "No, he was attempting to safeguard me," Koji explains. "I believe he understood that I was trying to rescue him, and in turn, he was making an attempt to repay that kindness." He knew, somehow, that Ai's mom was going to try to kill me. He arrived at the hospital, driven by a desire to shield me from Ai's mother. He knew, somehow, that when I brought Ai home, she would attack me. He arrived at the perfect moment to rescue me. "What became of Ai's mother?" Hiroshi inquires. "She is recovering in the hospital with her daughter by her side." "Will you be taking legal action?" Hiroshi asks. “No, I won't. My journey with Ai has come to an end.” Hiroshi smiles as he reaches for the pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket. He offers Koji a smoke and this time, Koji accepts.

~The end