It was hot!

It was terribly hot!

So much so that even the sun felt exasperated with its heat. Not even the neediest of daily wage workers could imagine stepping out under such scorching weather, without cover. Yet there she was, skin bare, her lips faded pink and dry, without so much as a scarf to hide her head, brazenly bearing it all as she hurried to her next destination. Being called on a Sunday afternoon by the company wasn't within her expectations but she couldn't just ignore the boss's orders after all.

So she obliged, wearing a skin-tight formal suit, with her office bag, pushing against her sides time and again with each turn. But her face showed no complaints, like a saint who knew of no better but to smile.

The sin of sloth had always avoided Inana Kawashikaze, for as one who knew her, could note, she had always been on the clock.

The sin of pride had followed the same as Inana could care less about the stares she was receiving, from the people in the street or her worn-out attire, which she had planned to replace by shopping today.

The sin of envy had avoided her for there was no passion in Inana's heart than to comply with that of others.

The sin of gluttony, greed, wrath, and lust had naturally waned when they discovered the nullity inside the heart they had presumed to be of saints to corrupt.

Inana's stomach grumbled in the complaint, as she passed by some of her favourite restaurants. She sighed, "I probably shouldn't have skipped breakfast." But there was no helping it now. She would probably order some take-out once she gets the file to the office.

Yes! The file mattered more. Of course, on a holiday, she would have rather preferred for someone to come and deliver it for her but a file as important as this couldn't be entrusted to others. That would be nothing short of a dereliction of her duty, especially after someone like her was considered worthy of this job.

But damn! The sun really made her beautiful red hair look like some cheap blonde hair wig.

As she turned to the next corner in the street, keeping up the same diligent pace, a voice called out to her, mildly soft in its tone. "Inana". Instinctively, Inana looked here and there, as the trails of cars went past her so swiftly that they looked like colorful light beams, leaving gusts of wind in the aftermath.

Where was the voice coming from? She put her fingers on the lip, as she debated whether to make more effort to search or to continue for office.

"INA...NA" The voice repeated, traces of exhaustion seeping in, as a girl with lopsided chestnut brown hair, waved her hand up, from the other side of the street. Her hands were so tightly hugging her knees, with her hung head that it was almost certain she would be the next victim of a road accident if she tried to make a run for it.

It was hard to gauge the girl's face from the distance but as Inana carefully crossed the road, making her way toward the girl, she realized that it was none other than her only college friend Caizara Watasinabe.

"Caizara-chan....what are you doing here?" Inana's eyes grew large, as her gaze fell on the atypical get-up of her friend in black stockings and a tight skirt with a white shirt with some weird mascot around her heart. Despite the heat, she was also wearing a pair of freshly cleaned white gloves and had put on quite a perfume, for its smell had reached her nostrils even when she was at the intersection point of the road.

Was she going on a date? But Caizara hated applying perfumes or dressing up special simply for the first date. Moreover, why would anyone go on a date at such a time? Wait a minute...was today that

"Done staring, Inana." Caizara's voice brought Inana back to reality, as their eyes met each other. Seeing the incredulous gleam in her friends' eyes, Caizara chuckled, "Don't worry, I am not going to some cosplay convention. You see, starting this Sunday, I am starting my first part-time job."

She gestured behind her back, where an old boarding read in thinly golden-plated letters, 'Hokkaido New Sensation Prefecture Café', with a giddy smile on her face.

"WHOA! " Inana clasped her hands, the calm in her dark violet eyes, akin lavender field at dusk, replaced by the fiery electric spirit. "You are so amazing, Caizara-chan. You had only set out the day before, to live independently and you already got a job."

"Eh..! You are too kind with your praises, Inana-chan." Caizara gestured for her to stop with a sleight of his hand, but it was clear that she was very pleased. "This is actually my late aunt's café so I can't exactly take credit ..."

"That doesn't matter. You are still really amazing to me." Inana held her hand firmly, smiling so brightly even the sun felt embarrassed for a moment to be out in skies.

Caizara hid her faint smile. 

Sheesh...it was too hard to be not overwhelmed by this innocuous smile of hers. If only she could imagine it to be same if she ever came out with her real feelings, then perhaps...No! It wasn't worth ruining her friendship over.

"And..." Caizara placed her hands on her hip, as she peered at her friend's attire suspiciously. "What has your lady-dudbag got you doing this time? Not another one of his lecherous errands I hope"

Inana rolled her eyes, used to the bitter tone in her friend's voice when it came to her boss. "Come on. Iran-san isn't like that. It is just that today, secretary Fukazawa got sick due to heat wave today and I happened to be the next most reliable employee in office."

Caizara scoffed, pressing her lips together, "Fukazawa is human who can suffer from heat wave and you aren't. How dare he calls you whenever he likes, on such a basic pay? That scoundrel.."

"Now! Now!" Inana raised her arms in a pacifying attempt, which the latter understood at once. Caizara eased up, much to her annoyance. Well, it wasn't like she wanted to rue her friend's day even more.

Well! In any case, the lecture of standing up could wait for another day. That was a door once opened, that would probably spiral them downwards into endless territory of Inana's life, much to her dismay.

"Alright, I understand." Caizara remarked at the worried glances casted by Inana seeing the clock's hand in her watch. "Just wait a second..." Without waiting for latter's reply, she disappeared into the café, thrusting open the door.

Inana tilted her head, a bit taken aback by sudden disappearance. Had she done something to upset her friend? But her worries soon melted away like butter, when the door opened once again and Caizara returned with a gleam on her face, a small reddish-yellow patched umbrella , held firmly in her hands.

"Here..." She pushed the handle into Inana's grasp, at which her fingers coiled around the smooth round metallic handle firmly. "If that Pasty skinhead asks for another overtime, you can whack him with this. I won't mind it if it breaks in such noble endeavour."

A nervous smile tugged at Inana's lips, as she registered the latter's proposal. "S.sure. I would keep that in mind."

"Great." A satisfied smile garnered Caizara's face, as both of them bowed momentarily before bidding their way. But just as Inana had started to cross the road, having double checked the way, a strong wind blew pushing her umbrella back with force. The wires seem to be struggling to stick to the fabric.

Reaching with her hands all the way upto canopy, she tried to pull down the runner so as to lock it, she had failed to hear the loud honking sound that was blaring meanwhile. Her survival instincts awakened, as a looming shadow fell over, and the hot air of mammoth truck  kissed her face.

There was no stopping it now, was there? Her eyes closed reflexively and her heart heaved rapidly, as she stood still, trembling in fright for the oncoming demise, but just as she braced for impact, she felt a powerful shove from behind, sending her sprawling onto another lane. She hit the concrete hard, pain jolting through her body.

Dazed, Inana looked up, her vision blurred, a sense of trepidation easing its way into her heart. Placing her hands on the divider, she hoped for the impossible.

Please, let it be not her. Please...Yet all her prayers seem to have gone in vain, as the contorted figure with crushed ligaments and rapidly draining out blood met her sight.

NO! CAIZARA ...

Inana covered her face, like drops of ocean, tears starting to stream down her pale face, as she slowly passed over the intersection, and towards her friend. A crowd as always eager to smell any drama and meaning in tragedies and accident, was busy murmuring, with little to no concern for the body on floor.

A body that was no longer worth seeing for any of them, except for the agonies it was bound to suffer in its parting moments. She stumbled towards her friend, pushing through the gathering crowd, their murmurs and gawking eyes a background blur.

Crouching beside Caizara, Inana saw her friend's chest rising and falling in labored breaths. Her usually bright eyes were dimmed by pain, her face pale. Her legs were completely crushed while the forearms seem to have been pierced with sharp debris of road that had found its way in collision and were furthermore supplementing in draining out of blood.

Her ribs were completely cracked and each movement, as slight as breathing felt like the pain one suffers during normal spinal injury but ad infinitum. Yet, even with all that agony, she mustered up the little strength she had left, to glance for few seconds long at her beloved.

Inana Kawashikaze!

Her sweet beloved friend, who remained clueless to her longings and million other things , that she had found her heart capable of feeling since she had met her, the compulsions she felt to simply come out with it all and yet , even as she laid at brink of Hades's abode, she couldn't open her mouth to say one damn line.

"In...ana." Caizara called out weakly, her voice so faint that Inana was sure she would miss it if she didn't keep her eyes fixated on her for even a moment.

"Ina...na" She repeated, her breaths getting even slower.

"Yes, I am ...here." Inana choked out, gripping Caizara's hand gently, tears blurring her vision again.

"It isn't r...right." Caizara, spoke, her eyes staring into Inana but also into something far beyond than outsiders could feel. "Here...a moment ago, I ...felt your warmth and now...I have become the sinner, ...inflicting you with misery and sadness."

"What in the w-world are you talking, idiot...." Inana 's face shrunk with guilt. "It was because of my foolishness ...that forced you to be in this state. If only I could have been here instead of you..."

"No." Caizara's voice seemed to have gained a momentary strength as she pressed Inana's hands firmly but the strength soon waned, as the pain coursed through her body. "I am glad...you are safe. Without you, I...." She blushed slightly, her eyes drifting away for a moment.

Before either of them could say anything to each other, a stranger's voice interrupted them. ""My! My! What a heart-rending moment." Inana 's eyes glanced sideways to look at a tall guy, dressed from toe to head in black clothes, flashing his white teeth. "I was almost moved to not carry out the mission, you know. But times are hard, what can I say? "

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT..." Inana who was seldom to lose her temper, crushed her fists, disliking the tone in man's voice. Caizara's eyes narrowed at the man, wondering if she had seen him before.

"No need to be so upset now, Miss." The man chuckled, looking sideways at Caizara. "I just wanted you both to know my honest appreciation of your frien..."

"INANA, GET AWAY...." Caizara's eyes widened, her voice cracking, laced with an utter terror. "THAT MAN....That man... HAS NO ...SHADOW."

"Aw...! What a buzkill you are, "The man sighed, wearing a somberly look. Inana's eyes froze, unable to register what happened next. "No matter, you can sleep well for now, Princess." With that, he fired the shot right into Caizara's temple, passing cleanly through her head, as she fell lopsided to other side.

The crowd fell into chaos as the screams of people filled the street , but all that etched Inana's mind was the still lifeless body of her friend that laid now on street, uncared by those trampling her while seeking to escape from chaos

"Now, for the main course." His eyes turned towards her with a dangerous madman's gleam. Inana 's legs started to shake in fear as she fell on her hip, "Don't wet your pants now. I always tend to get my second attempt done in style."

What he said next, whether it appeared important or rambling, none of it mattered, for the bullet found its way into her skull and as she fell to ground, her decaying soul looked one last time at the lifelessness of her friend's eyes.

What a worthless life to be killed over!