HTBH is about a troubled schoolgirl attempting to overcome a past assigned to her by jealousy and aggression. Alongside her friends, she looks for reassurance and happiness. Will she achieve her goal of happiness and peace?
I wake up, this time in a dark and irregular hallway. It looks like the school's hallways. I stand up from my bed, knowing full well this is a dream. I open the lockers and shout for anyone nearby. Then as soon as I realized there was no light, I remembered about lucid dreams, which are dreams in which you completely control because you know it's a dream. So I decided to think of light, so I can see. The school's lights turn on as I see.. something in the distance. I have nothing to fear if I control this dream, so I'm not afraid of whatever it is. Wait..
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!
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I tried thinking that it doesn't exist, but it doesn't work. It's getting closer, so I decided to sprint for the end of the hallway. The walls begin moving behind me and the floor behind looking like a treadmill as I run. I manage to make it to the end of the hall and slammed the door open. It won't stop following me! I have no choice but to try and fight it! I turned around ready to throw fists at the damn thing.
It doesn't looked phased as I throw my fist toward its lower stomach. It tries to grab me but I managed to fling myself away from its fist. I can't fight it! I gotta get outta here! I began sprinting to the subway and eventually on the train tracks. I run far enough to get to my neighborhood. I can't see my house, so I decided to bust into some random house. I opened the door and locked it so it couldn't follow me. I turned around to see.. Yuki?
I woke up screaming a blood curdling scream. I covered my mouth and waited for the scream to give out. The scary thing wasn't that damn monster, it was that it felt so.. real. Anyway, I put on my clothes and got ready for school. I went downstairs and made myself breakfast. As I was eating, I contemplated life. My family pushed me away to this school, but why? Why did- "Okawa? Knock Knock! It's me!" I hear from the door. Wait, who could that be? Yuki maybe, so I decided to open the door. I was greeted by Akira, the girl in green. "Akira? Why are you here? What do you want?" I asked him- her. Damn it I gotta get used to that. "I wanna walk to school with you! We're friends now right? I decided it'd be great if we walked to school together!" She said to me, with a smile on her face. "How many times do I need to tell you, we aren't friends." I said firmly, hoping to get the message across. "Too late, I told you my secret, now we're friends! That's how those work right?" She asked me. God, why do people not know what no means? "Fine. Let's get going before anyone sees me with you." I said. As we were walking I turned around to see Kokoru walking alone, that guy's always alone no matter where I see him. "Hey Akira, why don't you ask that guy behind us if we wants to walk with us too?" I asked her. Hehe.. maybe I'll figure out the mystery behind him too. "Not a bad idea Okawa! Alright let's go ask him!" She said, falling right into my trap. She walked up to him and he just stared at her. "Hey! Me and my friend over here were just walking around and we were wondering if-"
"I can hear it in your voice. You're a girl."
He said so nonchalantly. Akira was shocked, and she actually had to take a step back and recollect herself. I have to step in. "Hey, don't talk to him like that! I'm not gonna stand here and let yo-"
"Okawa right? You have a problem with Fruity and I can see it in your eyes, your pupils got smaller once I said his name." Did it?! This guy's beginning to piss me off.. what's his problem? "Look man we just asked if you wanted to walk with us. If you're trying to start something I dunno if you'll-"
"Stay out of my way Okawa. You're not helping me get what I want." He said like a smug bastard. He turned around and left us in his dust as he entered the train station. Suddenly.. Akira started tearing up?
"Akira? Are you alright?" I asked her. "My secret's out.." She said with tears in her eyes. What was his problem? "Shh.. it's alright. I'll make sure he won't tell anyone." I said trying to comfort her. She's crying pretty hard.. I think I gotta find someone to comfort here. Before I knew it, she buried her face in my chest, and I was standing here with my legs locked and my hands tied around her. We kind of stood here for what felt like 5 minutes before Rhed and Yuki came walking down.
"Some dude came and bullied my friend- uh I mean someone came and bullied her." I told Rhed and Yuki. "Akira, you mind if I tell my friends here your secret? They won't tell anyone, I promise." I asked her, still hiding her tears in my chest. I couldn't see it, but I could feel her nod on my chest. So I told them and Yuki began to comfort her in the bullet train to school while me and Rhed were talking about Kokoru. In the corner of my eye I could see someone staring at me.. it was him. That smug bastard was looking at me dead in the eyes.
School was postponed because one of the teachers' desks were thrown out the window along with a bunch of paperwork and some tests. We decided to comfort Akira at the Cafe me and Rhed frequent. While Rhed talked to her about it, me and Yuki started discussing what happened.
"Hey, did you make Akira cry? She's still pretty anxious and she's hoping nobody knows she's actually a girl." She asked me. "What kind of question is that? I didn't make her cry, some other dude named Kokoru did. I just defended her." I answered. "Aww, you really are just a giant softie aren't you?" She said jokingly.. I hope. "Ha Ha. Real funny. She's just a scared little girl, if I didn't defend her it would be degrading." I answered, explaining my philosophy in a single sentence. A few hours went by and eventually she was able to gather herself. "Thank you guys, so much. I'm glad I met you." She said, kind of softly and less scared. She said goodbye to everyone but seemed to hug Rhed. That's strange, I wonder what happened in there that I didn't see.
When I arrived home, I noticed something.. off. I looked around and I found a note wrapped on a pen. What have we here? I wonder, maybe its a love note or a thank you letter from Akira..
Alright then, so I guess we can't have nice things. Maybe this is the work of Fruity, that would be plausible. Maybe I can ask some of the others for help as to who it is. I know maybe I should be taking the threat seriously.. maybe not.
I opened my door and looked around, and ended up walking around the street just admiring the view. As I kept walking, I walked into a park and ended up seeing them. Fruity just on a swing and Kokoru just relaxing on the bench. As I walked in, Fruity's eyes widened. Kokoru just stared at me. "Hey, what're you looking at? Get out of-" "Shut up Fruity." I cut into his words, as he stared at me. "Heh, what brings you here, Okawa? You look troubled." His words managed to make my heart jump and miss a beat. His eyes- or eye, is dark black and I can barely see any humanity and sign of peace in his eyes. He wears a white beret and a regular office uniform with a button up shirt, a tie and pants.
"So..? What's your question?" He asked, making my heart jump skip again. "Why did you make Akira cry? Answer me that first." I asked him.
"It wasn't my intent, but if SHE was offended, tell her I didn't mean to." He spoke volumes, to the point where I didn't know whether to trust him or not.
"I'm not answering any more questions. Fruity, lets see our way out." He said, while standing up and getting his bag. He and Fruity left, while I was left in awe.
