บท 60: What ifs

"That's goo- eh?", Max paused from what he heard, sweat still gliding through his greenish cheeks and forehead. He expected to hear was this skinny man begging them to spare his life after seeing the cruel murder that just occurred in front of their eyes.

'Did I hear correctly? Even I, in that state, would plead for my life. What is this idiot doing?!', Max thought, sneering or admiring, he doesn't know.

"Oh", a light flashed in Brian's eyes when he heard this, expression still indifferent, "You've got guts."

Renir frowned when the sharp blade thrust to him while the word 'guts' still lingered in the air.

As sharp as the blade, Renir quickly dodged while he feeling it was natural.

Brian looked at what was in from of him. It was the reflective blade that he thrust in the darkness of the night while the moonlight subtly reflects on the grass and the dimming streetlights just a mile away.

Where's the blood and the sensation of piercing a body? No, where's the body?

But then he realized the target was on his left, slowly making distance. Brian was slightly irritated but still calm. He massaged his eyes in the hope to avoid mistakes in the next one.

Meanwhile, Max was more shocked since this is the second time he had witnessed this. Is it still a coincidence?

'I don't know what was that, but I am very thankful for it.' when the blade was in front of Renir's face, his heart skipped a beat but his body didn't as somehow it moved to another side. He had no idea how to explain his movement because even though his body was in a weak state, that abrupt movement didn't cost him any energy when it should have greatly since he was carrying a big backpack. He was like a turtle that created an afterimage.

Yet, at that moment in the back of Renir's head, he knew where it came from. The little hope within him all this time inflated, but not enough to make an assumption that will make him ignorantly confident.

"Tsk", Brian, again, thrust the blade in his hand before he could even finish the click of his tongue. His decisive demeanor to kill was terrifying.

However, like a wind that made the grass swayed as it passed, Renir moved into another location again.

Slowly, Brian retreated his weapon with a frowned face, "...It's dark...", he made an excuse for himself. The next time, the next time for sure it will hit.

With more strength, therefore more speed put into his arm with a twist of his waist, the blade cut through the wind towards Renir. But in the end, its only victim was the wind. A nerve popped on Brian's forehead so he decided to slice and dice his way through, "Hu-hu-hu-hu!"

But every time the blade was supposed to open a fresh wound on Renir, he would seamlessly dodge with a width of a hair. The scene was like a rough rogue encountering a master, trying to touch the great one but completely failing.

Renir, on the other hand, was getting the hang of it as he decided he would dodge and find the right timing to counterattack.

While amid furious and relentless slices, Renir thought, 'Counterattack? Should I punch back with this twig of an arm?' Although he was confident that he could dodge any attack, when it comes to offense, he was at the end of his wits.

But soon, the slices got slower while Brian's breathing got disoriented, meanwhile, Renir was still steady on his mysterious footwork with few beads of sweat on his face. It was getting easier to dodge the slowing attack so Renir got to think clearer on what to do.

With a flash on his eye, Renir caught Brian's slowing arm and pulled it. Along with the force Brian put into it, he couldn't go against his tired body. When his center of gravity fell forward so was his weight. But before he reached the ground, a knee met his stomach and thud* "Ka-!", which made him spit saliva and fell, face first, onto the grass. He curled and hugged his pained stomach as he passed out.

Max's eyes widened and couldn't believe what was in front of his eyes, "... Brian?" there was no reply.

Renir felt he strained his muscle when he used his knee to give Brian a hard blow. He walked laggardly. Now that one man was down, at least he could make a distance, closer to the downtown. He wouldn't believe that they will continue their pursuit in front of so many people. The problem was, he was slow. Just then, he felt the surging fatigue spreading his whole body. The moves he did was too much. Even though energy is preserved, the taxation from his lower limbs isn't. He felt that he did squats a hundred times and took a long rest, leaving the sore on his muscles.

Max was still dumbfounded on what happened. When he regained his senses, he saw the silhouette of the large backpack disappearing into the darkness then appeared under a streetlight soon after.

He weighed the consequences with fear at the back of his head, Max decided it wasn't worth it so he let the strange skinny man go.

Max dejectedly dragged Brian and the rookie into their base of a branch, ready to report what happened. His seniors will surely ask what happened to them.

While taking the rookie, he saw the dead Roxanne as he painfully murmured, "... Roxanne...', tears wanted to come out from his eyes while he bit his lips. So much drama happened between the two of them that seeing her corpse felt surrealistic. Although it seemed cold-hearted but it was actually hard, he felt it was for the best and move on. With his head lowered, he woke the rookie up and the two carried Brian away.

.....

"--- Kiiiiii---", Imee's tongue was stuck. She wanted to shout the famous "Kyah", but unable to in the night so she was left with the quiet but sharp "Ki" as she sulked.

When she got home, what happened between her and Renir still hangs in her mind that when she was doing her usual routine in her apartment, she started to think of "what ifs"

What if Renir accepted my offer, would he cook for me, would I cook for him, or would we cook together?

"Kii~~~", she sounded like an animal as she blushed. But as she blushed, her eyes darkened. She accidentally put a lot of salt on her meal while cooking.

What if he eats dinner with me, would he sit beside me or in front of me?

"Ki~~~", she blushed again and just took a bite from her meal, and after tasting it, she paused, "It's salty..."

What if he would brush his teeth here, would we brush our teeth at the same time?

"Kri~~~", while gargling, she blushed.

What if he said we should bath together?

"Ki- NO!", Imee froze on that spot as she regretted her thoughts. But soon after, she composed herself and thought the question wasn't wrong, "Hmph, if he really asked that, I would smack him in the face!", she then took a shower with an awkward smile on her face, because every time she does something in the shower, she thought of "what ifs" and she would slap herself awake because no matter what it is as long as it is in the shower, it is immoral!

After getting dressed in her pajamas, Imee jumped onto her bed. She wanted to sleep early to rest because a lot happened on that day. She finally understood why Renir declined her offer. Why did she even make that offer - inviting Renir to her apartment? The two of them alone inside the four walls.

Imee felt stupid and decided to sleep it through. As she closed her eyes, she thought of the last "what if"

What if he was here, would he sleep beside me?

Imee hugged her pillow tightly with the most blushed face of the day. After a short while, she hugged tighter. Worry filled her mind as she whispered, "I wish he's okay..."

She felt incredibly lonely in contrast to the fun she had when she was with Renir.

.....

The night was getting deeper but the streets in the Pentoran downtown never dimmed. There were still people passing from time to time but eventually, it got fewer. Stores closed and police patrols were normal to see.

"Is this normal back then?", Renir scratched his head. He then worried when he remembered he had no place to sleep. He was getting sleepy and most of all, hungry. If not for the heavy lunch earlier, he would've starved greatly.

While walking through the streets aimlessly, he felt strange that what happened earlier didn't bother him that much. He was on the face of death and he naturally felt fear, but now that he's away from it, he wasn't bothered by it anymore. Fear should still be instilled to him but there was nothing.

"Hm?", now that he recalled what happened earlier, when the police station caught his eyes, he felt he needed to report it. It was better than aimlessly walking on the streets.

As he entered the police station, he saw a well-groomed tall man in a suit. The man looked like an important person since the old policemen talk politely to him.

Renir then walked up to the counter and the policewoman behind the counter asked, "What help do you want, sir?", although the words are polite, the tone wasn't.

"I want to report something.", Renir said since he thought he shouldn't get to the point immediately. From the atmosphere, he thought he should be formal too.

The policewoman nodded and took out a report then said, "Since there are too many reports now, we are requiring it to be written so we can review it but most of all, because the witnesses or the victims are unable to report clearly so we decided to let them write it first then we would check its validity afterward."

Renir nodded and thought it makes sense. Although he thought that, if the witnesses or victims couldn't express it by words, they couldn't by writing as well, but it was still better he guessed.

"Name?"

"Renir Ennure"

"Renir?", the policewoman had her eyes widened and looked at her superiors. It looked like they overheard it as well.

"Yes", Renir furrowed his eyebrows as he took a glance where she was looking at since he didn't understand her shock.

He then saw the well-groomed tall and handsome man who seemed important staring at him indifferently.