Volume 3 - CH 1

The “Everyone” Bristol Movie Theater was close to the Clifton Down Station of the Great Western Railway. However, as trains leaving Bristol usually went long-distance, it was mostly faster to just walk there yourself, especially if you live in the center. Moving from the block that went around in a triangular shape, you go north to Queens Road, entering Whiteladies Road. Looking at the large trees growing at the sides of the street really created a summer sensation. Passing an old building erected in the 19th century that contained a TV studio, as well as an expensive supermarket, you reached the movie theater in question. It was a stone building that clearly had lived through many years, which had a sign on it that said “Whiteladies Picture House.” The sign was made of black color with white letters written on it. It couldn’t look more than a movie theater even if you tried.

But I have to say, it’s been a long time since I went to a movie theater. Generally, I like movies quite a bit, but there were so many things going on that the very thought of checking out the movie theater didn’t even pop up in my mind. Not to mention, there are a lot of methods nowadays to allow you to watch movies. I don’t have to spend time at the movie theater if I can watch everything on my smartphone, and probably for cheaper, too. However, today was a day when I was willing to invest more money and time.

“You’re here early, Boo-san.”

I spotted her standing in front of the movie theater, smoking on her vape. I checked the time and there was still a lot of extra time until the movie would start.

“Hmph, and you’re fashionably late. When were you such an arrogant brat? Did you get into the Hall of Fame of rock?”

“Right back at you, Boo-san. As a graffiti writer, you seem to have a lot of time on your hands.”

“Oh zip it. I have free roam on everything.”

The LED in her hand lit up, as she grumbled while blowing out some white smoke. The scent of vanilla that came from that accurately contradicted her sour expression, as it was very sweet. When we first met, I didn’t really know how to handle this brusque attitude, but now I felt relief. And despite the attitude she showed me, she was actually the person who invited me to watch a movie together. Unless it was related to graffiti, she’d rarely even step out. But lately, she’d regularly invite me somewhere. I wonder how many times this makes it, now.

Studying for my university exams, playing the guitar, working at the 8-Bit world, then tagging along when she wrote graffiti, and sometimes going out like this. Rinse and repeat. In all honesty, a part of me wished these days could continue forever. And that’s why I’ve decided to stay in Bristol—Because I wanted to spend time with the Ghost.

“Let’s just go,” Boudicia said and entered the hefty front door.

“Wow…”

The sight opening up in front of me led me to groan in surprise. The lobby of the movie theater looked like a high-class bar. Since most movie theaters I had seen so far were located in Japan’s shopping malls, this felt like I came overseas. Here, the inside was colored in a peaceful dark-brown color, creating an old-school and welcoming feeling. The shelves were probably filled with objects from the cinema, acting as a display. And the rug on the floor gently welcomed our feet inside. The counter Boudicia confidently walked toward also looked like a bar, and she told the blonde and long-haired employee our movie, as well as checked the seats. Seeing that, I was a bit bewildered.

“Boo-san, you like movies?”

“Mm, not really. Staying still ain’t my thing.”

“You sure about this, then? The movie will last an hour and 46 minutes.”

“But you’ll do something if I get tired of it, right?”

“No, nothing at all.”

“Huh? Why do you think I dragged you here?”

“I’m not a cat toy. If you properly watch the movie, you won’t get tired of it.”

“That’s not the problem here. I just can’t sit still.” Boudicia kept on grumbling as she accepted the tickets, heading for the second screening room.

She then opened the heavy double wooden door, which revealed the theater hidden behind it. The room was colored in a pleasant wine-red color, with the seats being low, and not much of a slope. I guess you could call it art decoration, but there were gorgeous golden decorations hanging everywhere. The ceiling especially stood out from that, as a crest stood out in the center, looking like an angel that illuminated the room. Completely contradicting what I was used to in Japan, this luxurious but equally relaxing feeling made it seem like we were going to watch a stage play rather than a movie.

“I’ve never seen a movie theater like this in Japan.”

“I’m not too knowledgeable about it either, but this was an old theater that they rebuilt for this purpose, I think.”

Oh yeah, it did say “Whiteladies Picture House” on the outside. I was so used to seeing movie cinemas being called theaters that I forgot this was the former and original term for those. Another thing I learned after coming here. Boudicia walked down the short stairs, heading to the seats in the center of the cinema. And then, she sat down on a sofa clearly thought out to be used by two people. I looked around in shock, seeing that the entire room was filled with these sofas. Some seats offered space for only one person, but the majority was the sofa. It even had a small table attached to it to place your belongings on. All this looked so ridiculously luxurious, I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that the price wasn’t much different from what I was used to in Japan.

“Barely anybody’s here, though…”

“It’s a weekday noon, what’d you expect?” She said with a self-explanatory tone.

To me, these empty seats and nobody in sight felt like we had entered a different world.

“Hurry up and sit down.”

“Y-Yes,” I lowered my hip as I was told.

The soft sofa had already given in to her weight as I sunk even deeper while feeling its softness. Since we got here fairly early, we just talked about whatever came to our minds. Boudicia mentioned that Aeon bought some weird spray paint. As well as that Lara recently worked on a new graffiti. That the taste of Peni’s burritos tasted a bit different lately. That JF scored himself an event as DJ. And how Gabriel was working on a new song. However, our topics always moved around what we should be discussing, not reaching the crucial nucleus. But soon after, the lights in the movie theater dropped.

I leaned against the back of the sofa, wiping my glasses when the advertisements started playing. What really stuck out to me was the advertisement for diamonds, depicting a man and woman who went to buy engagement rings, got married, and then spent the rest of their lives together. Finally, the mother gave the engagement ring to their child, which created the phrase “Timeless Beauty.”

I glanced over at Boudicia. She had her eyebrows narrowed, clearly in a bad mood. She’s probably waiting for the advertisements to stop. And at the same time, I was feeling restless. Understandably so, as I didn’t expect things to end up like this. The big and spacey cinema, stacked with sofas, felt like it belonged to only me and her. And yet, my feelings were completely ignored, as time passed and the lights vanished completely. Finally, the movie began.

The setting of the movie was an island in Dublin. A young man was forced to transfer schools as his father lost his job, where he meets a girl who aspires to become a model. In order to cheer up the girl, they decide to form a band and play music. I thought it was a heartwarming movie. The way they created a completely new song really touched me personally, and the actors, probably not too famous just yet, all did a great part in their roles. Of course, as a band of students, they weren’t particularly cool or talented. In reality, it was a bit painful to watch at times. But even so, I found myself attached to the story.

Then, there was a news segment inside the movie, stating that in recent years, younger people have been attracted by London and the ray of hope. As a result of that, the young boy and girl also dreamed of going to London one day. To find something they can’t find where they live. And to me, this was something very familiar. Painfully so, even.

As the movie reached its midpoint, the closer boy and girl got, the more restless Boudicia seemed. At first, she sat next to me just fine, but she eventually began sliding down the sofa, tilting her head, or shaking her knees. I knew she would struggle to sit still eventually, but it happened faster than that. Nor did I think it would be this bad. Back in the shop, she could sit still for several hours, but I’m guessing the pressure of having to sit still now only amplified her desire, I bet. Maybe she would have been able to control herself if the cinema was packed with people, but as it was now, she probably just let it slide.

Meanwhile, the boy and girl happened to get into a fight. The girl planned to head to London for her modeling career, only to realize that she had been deceived, left with no other choice but to return to Dublin. The anger and frustration built up from this were then directed at the boy. He, in return, left the girl behind. Finally, his first live concert at a school dance party arrived. It was so clumsy that it made you laugh, but the passion he showed allowed the party to flourish. But on the inside…the boy was worried if the girl would come to the live concert, as they had split once. And while watching the movie, I wondered to myself just where the two would be heading.

Will they spend their day living apart in Dublin as if nothing happened…or will they go to London together? I wanted to see that choice being made. After all…it was the same choice that was given to me at this very moment. And right as the live concert came to an end, I suddenly felt an impact hit my body. But I didn’t have to look around much to realize where it came from. After all—Boudicia had placed her head on my lap. And because I never would have expected something like this, I felt my heart racing painfully fast. In fact, I was this close to jumping up from the sofa in shock.

And because she practically slammed her head on my lap, her cap had fallen off, and her blonde hair spread all over my legs. And even as she laid down sideways, her blue eyes reflected the bright screen ahead of us. She really is a free soul, all right. Only doing the things she wants to do. Laying down if she wants to lay down. And I came all this way because I admire her for that. The reason I didn’t tell her to get up is that I didn’t want to get in the way of her freedom, too—No, that was just an excuse.

In Boudicia’s story, I’m probably just a temporary side character. I happened to be there at the right time to act as a comfortable cushion, nothing more. I can’t wish for anything more than that. All I can do is leave the movie when it’s time for me to go—Or, so it should be. I gently caressed her head, as her blonde hair ran between my fingers. She kept her head directed at the screen, so I couldn’t tell what expression she had, but she didn’t try to resist at all. And while indulging in this warmth, I truly wished that this movie would never end. I wanted to stay inside this cinema, sitting next to her on this sofa, until we turned to bones—and eventually, to dust. But, time is always cruel and merciless. There is no story that never comes to an end.

Even as the credits rolled, Boudicia didn’t move. It took me until the lights turned on to realize that she had fallen asleep, gently breathing as she kept her head on my lap the entire time.

*

“Boo-san, the movie ended.”

“Mmmm…”

She raised both her hands to stretch in pleasure, letting out a yawn. That gesture once again reminded me of a cat.

“That was a great movie, right? And the music was so touching, too.”

The reason I suddenly spoke of my impressions of the movie was that I felt awkward. I thought she let me caress her hair, but maybe she didn’t even realize. If so, then what I did was just a selfish act that used the convenience of her being asleep for my own benefit.

“Comfortable.”

“You’re just talking about your nap, right?”

“Nope, I was talking about your lap.”

“That’s even worse,” I grabbed her cap and handed it to her, which she put back on her head with both her hands.

“So…what happened to those two in the end? Did they go to London?”

“Why do I have to explain the final scene of a movie to the person I watched it with?”

“Geez, stop being so hung up on that. If it feels good, everybody will fall asleep.”

How long was she awake, then? Also, who would fall asleep while watching a movie after inviting someone to join them?

“How much of the movie did you see?”

“I think up to the party they got into a fight.”

“What about the live concert?”

“Err…maybe?”

If that’s the case, then she has missed all the crucial parts. Namely, what happened to the two, and what choice they took in the end.

“Then I’ll keep that a secret.”

“Huh? C’mon, I’m curious. Tell me!” She grabbed my shoulders and shook my body.

“It’s your fault for falling asleep mid-way through the movie.”

Thanks to that, I almost completely forgot to even watch the movie. I could still feel her weight on my lap.

“You’re so mean today, Yoshi.”

“In fact, I think I deserve to be called kind because I’m not getting angry despite being used as a pillow.”

“Then you can use me as a pillow next, mkay?”

“Although that sounds enticing, I’m actually the type to properly watch the movie.”

On the inside, I was utterly flustered, but I tried to remain as calm as possible. I didn’t even have to think much when engaging in a conversation with her. Now that my English skill had risen drastically, I was slowly matching her rhythm. As we left the movie theater, the bright sun blinded my eyes. Here in Bristol, the season during July was the most pleasant to live through. Granted, Bristol was located in the south of the UK, but still higher than Hokkaido. It doesn’t get too cold in the winter, but the summer also wasn’t oppressively hot. With a lot of green scenery in the town, it was different from the burning asphalt in Japan. The sunlight was more pleasant than destructive, making the air we breathed in fresh. Unlike in Japan, the rain didn’t last for an entire season, just enough to cool down the air at times.

After the movie, we decided to buy graffiti spray for Boudicia, so we stopped by Aeon’s shop. And while we walked down the stone-paved path, I thought about the movie one more time, as well as the reason why I didn’t tell Boudicia about the final scene. Put simply, I was worried. About the fact that we were together right at this very moment. And the end of our relationship was slowly approaching. Just like the movie was slowly but surely making its way toward the credits.

However, I genuinely don’t know how Boudicia feels about that. It really felt like I spent my time with a stray cat. That she could vanish the very next moment I didn’t look at her. So to ensure she was still there, I looked over at her. With each step she took, her hair swayed left and right, making my lips feel heavy as lead, leaving me unable to say another word. My heart was strangled by an unknown force that made it hard for me to breathe.

What if she doesn’t feel anything about me going back to Japan? Just seeing me off with a “Right, take care”…? I’m sure it would hurt me a lot. I’m just contradicting myself. One part of me wishes to leave quickly so that I don’t constantly weigh down on her like a fly, and yet I also find myself terrified if she really would be just fine without me by her side.

“Tsk, who the hell put some lame-ass graffiti like this here?”

My thoughts and hesitation were interrupted by Boudicia clicking her tongue. She glared at a wall we passed and crossed her arms. Just as she stated, I could see a rough drawing with a tag attached to it. And I didn’t remember this being here, either. She put down her backpack and took out a spray can, shaking it with her left hand. I heard the familiar sound of the paint inside being rattled.

Despite it being barely noon, rarely anybody would pass through here. And since there was already existing graffiti in a place like this, nobody should complain if she’s going to overwrite it. If this was Japan, someone would probably come jumping out the second they saw graffiti being written. Comparatively, Bristol was rather open-minded to it. And surely, it’s because the graffiti writers here continue to make this culture flourish.

“How is your left hand doing?”

I traced her movement while she moved the spray can along the wall as that question popped up in my mind. She didn’t stop her hand and answered while looking at the wall.

“Well, I can write just fine. Granted, the fine movement’s impossible at this point. Especially when it comes to using my wrist. But the bigger stuff works just fine. My flow’s gotten better, too.”

“Flow…”

“Like the current that I write the letters in…Something like that? I can’t really describe it.” She tilted her head at her own words and then continued to look at the wall.

I know that the scar on her right arm will never disappear. And that she won’t ever be able to move it the same way as before. She wondered if she should continue to write using her left hand, but since that Christmas day, she lost all hesitation. Since then, she’s been regularly writing graffiti. Talk of the Ghost of Bristol having returned spread across town, and she found her passion again, even if she could not continue the same way as before.

“But, it sure is weird.”

“What is?”

The sound of spray stopped, as Boudicia lowered her left hand.

“Sure, I can move my hand, and I can write what’s coming up in my mind. But, that’s all…”

“What do you mean by that?”

I’ve watched her write graffiti this entire time. And all her effort definitely couldn’t be categorized as “That’s all.” I did see how she vented her anger because of her arm not moving properly, and when she was depressed about it. Boudicia grabbed another spray can from her bag and moved her hand again.

“I mean, a lot of stuff happened. I gave up on victory or defeat, just writing stuff…But in the end, I keep wondering what I even want to write.” She grabbed a different spray can and added her small ghost sign next to the finished graffiti.

The graffiti she had just finished was, to put in simple terms, breathtaking. And now, I knew that this was called a wild style. You would freely write the letters line from the line, only to connect at the very end. They spread in all different directions, covering the whole wall. The colors of blue, orange, and yellow almost created an imbalance, and yet came together in unison by the end. And yet, Boudicia didn’t seem too excited as she looked down at her own hands.

“Just where…am I supposed to go?”

Normally, I would have tried to cheer her up. But with that graffiti in front of me, I found myself unable to do so. As someone who was touched by her work, I couldn’t shake this faint feeling of discomfort. And this was so minuscule, anybody else might have missed out on it. Namely…this graffiti lacked passion. The kind of heat you feel when one’s life is being burned away when your soul is ablaze…I don’t feel it from the graffiti in front of me. And since I realized this, there’s no way that Boudicia doesn’t know. That’s why I couldn’t just blindly attempt to cheer her up.

“Oh, Yoshi and Boudicia.”

As I hesitated about what I should even say, a familiar deep voice reached my ears. When looking over at the source of this voice, I spotted a tall and muscular man with chocolate skin.

“Aeon? What are you doing here?” Boudicia acted like nothing happened, as she called out to him.

“I’m on my way home from a brief shopping trip.” He tossed the apple in his hand into the sky and caught it again.

In his left hand, I could see crisps and sandwiches hanging down. He must probably be out buying his lunch.

“Hmm…”

Through his sunglasses, Aeon glanced at Boudicia’s newly finished graffiti. He seemed to be lost about it, too. I personally wanted my assumption to just be my imagination, as I watched his face in anxiety.

“What? If you have something to say, then go out with it.”

Unable to bear the silence, Boudicia grumbled in anger. I figured Aeon would give her a piece of his mind with some strict advice, but to my surprise—

“Boudicia. You are gifted. That’s what I think,” Aeon praised Boudicia. “Some people can just pull off whatever they attempt. Even though you lost your hand, you managed to continue writing with your left. Many people would have struggled with that. Even to the point, it would take them a lifetime to reach where you stand. And I truly admire your talent and strength for that. But.”

“But…what?”

“Being able to do something and asking what to do are two different questions.”

Boudicia tried to comment on that, but could only blink at Aeon with an open mouth. He saw this and handed his belongings to me.

“Hold this for a moment.”

“Ah, sure.”

Aeon held the apple in his one hand, as he bent over to grab a black spray can from Boudicia’s bag. He shook it a bit and then began overwriting—the graffiti that Boudicia had just finished.

“Ah, hey?!”

Both Boudicia and I were bewildered. We both saw Aeon as someone calm and reserved, so seeing him take such a radical action threw us both for a loop. Meanwhile, he used his whole body to move the trail of spray all over the wall. His movement was soft and fluid like a river, showing no wasted energy. It’s like I was watching some ancient magic spell being cast.

“This is…”

The graffiti that was done in a mere few moments—was a dragon. No, that’s not quite right. He used the four letters AION to form a dragon with those. And yet, it looked like it was alive. The strokes wrapped around the letters like they had come alive. Even though he only used one color of black, there was a gradient in the spray color, making it look like the dragon’s scales shone, and smoke came out of its mouth.

“…Why’d you overwrite it?” Boudicia pouted as she put the backpack on her back.

When overwriting something, you have to either make something that’s more difficult or looks better than the previous one. In terms of this unwritten law, Aeon clearly showed an act of aggressive rebellion. What Boudicia wrote was an excessive masterpiece. In return, Aeon’s work was something resembling a tag. And even so…the overwhelming pressure and vigor from the graffiti he wrote gratified the overwrite. What resided inside this graffiti—was something akin to a soul. And Boudicia clearly understood that more than anybody else, because she packed her graffiti away.

“I’m an ordinary man. And I am jealous of you. So now, I’m venting out my frustration at a genius who’s stuck in a slump.”

Aeon stuffed the spray can he held into Boudicia’s bag, as he accepted the things I held for him. Since he still smiled, I could not tell how serious he was about that.

“That’s unlike you.” Boudicia said.

“I am not like what you think.”

“Whatever.”

“More importantly. Yoshi, when are you going back to Japan?”

“Huh?”

Aeon’s words took me by surprise, as I raised my voice in shock. Needless to say, I haven’t told either Aeon or Nelina, so how Boudicia found out was a mystery to me. And as I panicked, Aeon gave me a dubious look.

“Since your year has ended, I figured you’d be going back home soon.”

“Ah, well, yes, about that…”

I glanced over at Boudicia, but she was just staring at Aeon’s graffiti, her back turned toward us. But, I’m sure she must have heard that question.

“During this month, I think.”

Having no reason to lie, I just gave a serious response.

“I see. I’ll come to see you off, then.”

“Thank you.”

“But make sure to not have any regrets or anything left undone.”

“Rather than that, I don’t even feel like I did much here.”

“That’s what being alive is all about, actually.” Aeon smiled, allowing me to see something bigger inside this picture.

If there was something left for me to do…Then I’d like to see Boudicia writing graffiti that truly satisfies her. But then, I remembered the photo I have of graffiti she had written lately. Lately, we’ve almost always been together when she was writing, but that one I missed out on that. It had a similar atmosphere to her earlier works, and it was a complete shock that she could even pull that off with her left hand.

“Boo-san, I actually really like this graffiti of yours.”

“Let me see.”

I gave the smartphone to her. I expected a reaction along the lines of “Oh, that? Well, it does look pretty good,” but her response completely took me by surprise. She stared at the phone screen in distraught, completely frozen.

“Where did you…”

“I found this near Bristol’s Temple Meads station.”

Then, a long silence followed.

“But…this isn’t mine.”

“What? No, that can’t be…”

Sure enough, I’m not a writer. However, I’ve watched her graffiti for almost a year now, so I wouldn’t mistake this for…I mean, could there be a writer in Bristol who has the same style as her? Before I realized it, Aeon had joined us, staring down at my smartphone.

“Boudicia, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yeah. Which I didn’t want to, though.”

The two looked at each other, as a tense atmosphere filled the air.

“Let me be straight. I didn’t hear a damn thing about this.”

“Same here. Also, he should be in London, right?”

“But I heard similar reports near here…”

“Then…why now…”

“Excuse me…But what’s going on?”

When I threw in a question, the sunglasses and blue eyes moved over toward me in unison. They then looked at each other, only to move to me again.

“My bad. This graffiti was done by…someone I know.”

“Someone…?”

“Yeah. He should be in London right now…But if that’s here, then he’s definitely in Bristol.”

I looked at the picture again. Now that she mentioned it, it didn’t seem entirely identical, but the way the letters connected and the creation of shadows did resemble Boudicia’s style.

“It does resemble your graffiti, though?”

“No, it does not!”

“But…”

“I’m saying it doesn’t!”

I was taken aback by the sheer pressure from her voice. There’s no way there couldn’t be any relation between these two, looking at how similar they are. Or, that’s the conclusion I reached, at the very least. And, I knew I couldn’t cross this line Boudicia showed…However, my emotions wouldn’t allow me to stay rational.

“Who is it?”

“None of your business!”

“Yes, it is!”

“Why?!”

“Because your business is mine, too!”

Before we could continue to argue, Aeon broke between us.

“Boudicia, Yoshi. Calm down. Breathe.”

I did as I was told and took a deep breath. The blood vessels inside of me started to cool down, as my blood circulated more peacefully. At the same time, Boudicia looked like she was about to breathe fire.

“Yoshi. I know the person who wrote that graffiti.” Aeon crossed his arms as he glanced at Boudicia, who had turned her back toward us. “[He] once wrote graffiti together with me and Boudicia. And he called me ‘Sensei,’ except I didn’t teach him anything.

Sensei…The sudden use of Japanese vocabulary took me by surprise. Granted, it’s a term that is fairly well-known even outside Japan, but it must have been influenced by Aeon’s interest in Japanese culture. Aeon may have denied it, but I can feel a deep relationship between the two.

“Basically…to Boudicia, [he] would be…How do you call it, a Senpai?”

And Aeon’s next statement sent my chest into disarray. Boudicia’s…Senpai?

“The heck is that?” Boudicia turned around and asked, so I explained.

“Well, it’s the closest English word to a senior. It’s a mate who walked the same path as you, just a bit longer, so they have more experience.”

“…That’s not it.” She said and turned her back toward me again, staring at Aeon’s graffiti. “He is no mate. He just left Bristol without saying a word, running away to London. Leaving me behind, no less. And when I lost my arm, he was nowhere to help me…”

She said that she was alone for most of the latter half of the year. And listening to her gloomy voice, I could tell. I’ve watched her from so close, I can tell. How much trust she had put into that Senpai person. Not too long ago, she had slept on my lap. However, that blonde hair that I felt at that time was now completely out of my reach. There’s no way one person could learn everything there is in just one life. Even so, finding out about a part of her that I didn’t know existed…made my chest feel tight. Maybe Aeon realized, as he quietly muttered.

“Yoshi, Boudicia…I told you before, right? Life is like a spray that never stops. And for that reason, I always say to not leave anything behind. I have faith in you,” Aeon threw the apple he held to Boudica, who awkwardly caught it with her left hand.

“Not leave anything behind…huh?” She snorted. “You make it sound so easy,” Boudicia grumbled and bit into the red apple in her hand.

*

On the way to the art supply shop, Boudicia and Aeon didn’t speak a single word. This continued even inside, as Boudicia just went through the shelves of spray cans.

“All right, I’ll take the 94 sulfur yellow and mango, as well as the Madrid red. I’ll probably need an Astro fat cap, too…But they sell those in packs of ten, right? I really don’t need that many.”

“Then you’ll get it on the house along with your regular purchase. One is fine, right?”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“No worries. I wanna be loyal to a loyal customer, after all.” Aeon thanked Boudicia with a joke and showed his white teeth.

Meanwhile, Boudicia walked through the shelves without hesitation, grabbing the spray cans in question and placing them on the counter. She then took the crunchy pound bills and some coins out of her pocket and placed them, intending to head out of the store once the payment was done. But at the same moment, two people entered. They immediately stood out to me because they didn’t dress like regular citizens.

One of them was smaller than me, wearing a hoodie with faint pastel colors and gradation…looking like plastic wrapping on candy. Additionally, the silver bob-cut hair felt a bit otherworldly. Their eyelashes had the same color, drawing a shadow on their white face because of their length. They had a somewhat childish expression, looking innocent and heartwarming. I could even see the hints of a unicorn from its overall appearance.

The other individual was quite tall, wearing nothing but black. They wore a typical biker jacket, with fitting black and wavy hair that ran down their shoulders. Their height even rivaled Aeon, and paired with their black attire, they emitted massive pressure. On their long legs, they wore jet-black boots. And their sharp gaze reminded me of a raven eyeing its prey.

Rainbow colors and black. They were the exact opposite, and yet they were an oddly eerie fit. Seeing those two, Boudicia screamed.

“You…Sugar!”

“Hi! It’s been a while, Boo-chan. As well as Aeon-sensei.”

The color one showed an open and accepting smile as they raised a hand. They possessed a shrill voice, resembling a trumpet.

“Yeah…It’s been ages.” Aeon muttered as he stepped away from the counter, moving to stand in front of Boudicia and me.

“And this here is Liquorice-chan. She’s a friend of mine!”

“Hallo. I’m Liquorice.”

The person in question threw us a blunt self-introduction without even showing any kind of emotion, just looking around with a sharp gaze. No doubt, something was off here. The man called Sugar was clearly relaxed and seemed happy that he got to meet a friend of his. Yet, Boudicia, Aeon, and Liquorice all seemed on edge, worried that something might go south.

“What did you come here for?” Aeon asked as I could see his muscles tensed up.

“Oh geez, Sensei. Your precious apprentice came to greet their master. Even from all the way in London. I figured you’d be a bit happier. Isn’t that right, Liquorice-chan?”

“Yes, absolutely.” Liquorice remained her lack of expression, answering with a deep voice.

“But man, this takes me back. This place never changes. It’s still the same as back then.”

Sugar looked around and admired the stacked shelves. He grabbed one spray can and gazed at it.

“That’s Sensei, all right. You really get it. I came here to write graffiti, of course. All the other cities around are full to the brim already, so it’s time to get that cherry on top.” Sugar smiled happily, opening both his arms.

Immediately after, I could feel sparks fill the air. Both Aeon and Boudicia glared at Sugar in silence.

“Sugar-san, I’d be happy if you didn’t forget about us, either.”

“Of course. I don’t give a damn about your gang’s turf or whatever…But, our interests do align.”

The turf of a gang…Graffiti…how are they connected? Many things were shrouded in mystery, but there is one thing that was painfully clear. This was a declaration of war from London against Bristol. But before I could think about it any further, Sugar looked at me.

“Oh, that’s an unfamiliar face. Who are you?”

“Huh? Oh, I am…”

“He’s just a passerby.”

Before I could answer, Boudicia responded to the question. But honestly, I didn’t feel anger or anything. Clearly, the people we were dealing with are dangerous. They seemed open and friendly at first glance, but once their mouths open, you could feel the hostility.

“Hmm…Oh, well. I’m Sugar, and I’m Boo-chan’s best friend. Nice to meet you.”

“I never once saw you as a friend!”

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? Before, you’d always look at me with such glitter in your eyes.”

“How long ago was that…Also, I never did that!”

Sugar had a distant look in his eyes, almost like he went through an album in his mind.

“I haven’t forgotten…All those times we wrote together…and what Aeon-sensei said.”

“Sugar, I…”

“See how much I’ve grown? I want you to be proud of me.”

Aeon seemed somewhat hesitant to continue, as Boudicia looked up at him. Yet, Sugar didn’t mind the two and just raised his index finger.

“Life is like a never-ending spray, right? You’ve all forgotten about that. You and I…we all die eventually. We’re all too relaxed about this. And that’s why the graffiti in this town is not good enough. It’s like tasteless and bland cotton candy. Nobody here is living properly. That’s not good enough…So, we should just destroy it all once.”

“As expected of Sugar-san. Out of all the gangs in London, you are a true artist.” Liquorice smiled as she clapped her hands together.

I couldn’t read her emotions in the slightest, even now.

“Thank you, Liquorice-chan. Ah, could you give me that?”

“Of course,” Liquorice responded and stuffed her hands into her black jacket, only to take out a purple plate of sorts.

Taking off the wrapping, from the inside appeared chocolate that was cut into a rectangular shape.

“Mhm, good. Sweet is always good. It feels like you’re alive. And if you ask me, the dairy milk chocolate from Chadbury is the best in the whole world. Because it’s not just the scent of cacao that stands out. It’s packed to the brim with sugar to the point it could give you a sweet tooth. And then you need a mountain of milk, otherwise, you can’t even call it chocolate. Isn’t that right, Liquorice-chan?”

“Absolutely, Sugar-san.”

Despite the one-sided oppressive discussion, Liquorice showed a police and upright response.

“And since I feel quite good today, I will give you a reward.” Sugar grabbed the chocolate from Liquorice’s hand, offering it to her in front of her face. “Eat it.”

Liquorice did as she was told, biting down on the chocolate. However, right as that entered her mouth, Sugar swung his fist and slammed it right into her face. The chocolate must have gotten stuck in her throat, as she fell to the ground on all fours and started coughing. And Sugar wasn’t done, as he kicked his leg right into her stomach. Again and again, his sneakers rammed into her abdomen. She continued to cough violently, as the chocolate scattered on the ground.

I aggressively struggled to even comprehend what was going on. I’ve witnessed countless ridiculous situations since I came to Bristol. All of them are unbelievable back in Japan. Be it police, graffiti writers, or musicians, I’ve seen a lot, but none of those situations had me on edge as much as what unfolded in front of me. Maybe this was genuine hostility and killing intent. And yet, Sugar hurt Liquorice like he just went on a walk. This person…is twisted.

He doesn’t feel anything about hurting other people. In that way, Liquorice was just as weird. Looking at her clothes and attitude right now, she was definitely used to violence. If she really wished for it, she could easily crush Sugar. And yet, nothing is happening. It’s almost like she wished for this.

“What is…” Aeon stopped this sight with a deep voice.

“Hm? But Liquorice-chan likes this. Right?”

“Yes…”

“Yup, I knew it. So, what are you supposed to say?”

“Thank you…very much…”

“That’s right. Pain reminds people that they are alive. And people who are on the verge of death are beautiful. You are beautiful, Liquorice-chan.”

I felt someone pull on my clothes when I saw Boudicia hold onto me, looking away. Her hand was faintly shaking. But, I wasn’t doing much better. I could feel my stomach turning, as I suppressed the urge to vomit. The only one different—was Aeon.

“Stop this.”

When I heard that, he had already moved. He grabbed Sugar’s narrow arm, raising him up like he was fooling around with a toy.

“Oopsies.” Sugar almost tipped over several times, moving away from Liquorice.

“This is not what I taught you.”

Rather than a teacher discussing with his student, Aeon looked like a parent scolding their child. And yet, Sugar didn’t seem bothered by this in the slightest. He just grinned with an eerie smile.

“Nope, you definitely taught me. And I still remember it. That’s why I came to Bristol…” Right as Sugar cut off his own words— “Everything comes to naught.”

I didn’t fully understand what even happened. I just saw Aeon collapse to the ground, as a red liquid came gushing out of his solar plexus, spreading on the ground.

“Huh?”

Liquorice had gotten up without anyone realizing, holding a long knife in her hand. And the tip…was drenched in Aeon’s blood.

“Aeon-san!”

“Aeon!”

Boudicia and I screamed at the same time, but before we could reach Aeon, Liquorice stood in front of us, pointing the blade at us.

“Sugar-san, I’ll crush this woman, too.”

“No can do. Remember, she’s my best friend. And you know why we came here, right? Oh well. We have to move on because we’re busy.”

“… Absolutely, Sugar-san.”

Sugar showed a satisfied smile at Liquorice’s answer and tried to leave the store.

“You shit! How could you!”

“Boo-san, please wait!”

“Don’t stop me!”

“It’s dangerous!”

I stood in front of Boudicia, covering her with my back. I feel the exact same way right now…However, Liquorice still had her knife directed at us. If Boudicia were to run to Aeon’s aid, she might really get killed by Liquorice before even Sugar could intervene. I glanced over at Aeon. He was losing dangerous amounts of blood. He needed immediate treatment, and quickly.

“Okie-dokie, Boo-chan. Let’s meet again.” Sugar turned around to give Boudicia a wink.

Meanwhile, Liquorice had the knife directed at us as she slowly stepped backward, leaving the room. Before they even fully vanished from the shop window, we already ran toward Aeon. I tried to help him up, but his body was heavy. Only thanks to Boudicia did I succeed.

“Aeon!”

“…Boudicia. Don’t worry about it. I am responsible for this.”

His sunglasses fell to the ground, revealing his devastated gaze.

“No! It’s all Sugar’s fault! Nothing more, nothing less!”

“I…couldn’t lead him…If back then, I had…”

As Boudicia held Aeon’s hand, I tried to press down on his wound. However, more and more blood came gushing out, and I couldn’t stop it myself. So, I used one hand to call an ambulance. But with my hands drenched in blood, my fingers quivering in fear and terror, I struggled.

“Listen to me. The reason Sugar came to Bristol is probably…”

“Stop talking already!”

“Aeon-san! The ambulance will be here in a bit! Don’t give up!”

“I…always…have regrets…And…leave you behind…”

“Aeon! Wake up! Hey!”

The ambulance only arrived a few minutes after Aeon closed his eyes. We let the people handle everything, and watched the ambulance drive off into the distance. The police hadn’t gotten here yet. So, Boudicia and I just stood around in a daze outside the store. A few citizens had gathered, gazing inside the store only to scream. The blood was stuck to our bodies, dried already. My phone probably wasn’t off much better. It’s waterproof, so I should be able to wash it off. It was shocking that I could even think about something inconsequential like that, but it was most likely because the reality hadn’t quite sunk in yet.

Next to me, Boudicia stared at Aeon’s shop with a void expression. Her face had blood glued to it, too. But, I quickly realized that, with my own blood hands, that wouldn’t work—Let’s fill this town with artists. I just stared at the large billboard in front of me in a daze. And then, a strong wind blew. It was a hot wind, almost scorching hot. When I realized that it was a shockwave, I quickly stood in front of Boudicia to protect her. A roaring sound rang out, as I closed my eyes.

When I looked back, the store was burning. And then I realized that this gush of wind just now was caused by an explosion. The people around us screamed as we could hear distant sirens. Boudicia was shaking. Because she was angry? Because she was sad? Because she was terrified? I don’t know, but I knew I had to do something.

“Let’s get away from here.”

“Yoshi, I…”

“Look at me. The police will be here soon. If they catch us, it’ll only complicate things. You understand, right?”

Boudicia slowly nodded. I took her hand and just started running, as the blood in our hands had already dried.