Forlorn Madness

Chapter 4

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Here’s chapter 3

Hio’s POV

Equinox. A phenomenon wherein the world’s time of day and night are equal. But in my knowledge, it only happened sometimes. It’s lucky if it happens even once a year.

Since we became part of the band Equinox, Kape and I also started a new life.

Well for me, I just turned back in living my life wherein I’m awake at night and sleeping at day.

It’s just that our job is really weird. I feel that we’re OVERPAID compared to a real commissioned rocker. Oh well, Noir is rich, for sure he’s just bored and he just has nothing to do with his money.

And what’s fun is, we left the squatter’s area. We rented a much better apartment in a much better place.

Kape also broke up with Bakekang because there are now much more prettier gals that are pursuing us.

Me? I also have some girlfriends. But…

“BRO’ HEYOOO WAKEEEE UPPPP!”

PUNYETA! Is there a fire?!

“—What?!” I elbowed him.

I’m still sleepy.

“CHERRY! The woman that you answered favorably—” yep what he said was real. There’s a girl who courted me and I answered yes to her last night. I also brought her here last night for some waka-waka* time.

“—Oh so what?” you want her?

“—-SHE’S DEAD!”

I almost fell out of the bed because of what I heard from Kape. I sat upright and pulled his shirt. “—Bro’ I don’t like that kind of jokes!”

“Promise! I saw it on the TV! Here’s the newspaper!” he gave me the newspaper.

I read the article that he’s talking about. He’s really not lying!

A woman, twenty years old found dead on a obscure lane near our home. Her body is covered with blood and her heart was stabbed.

My G.o.d… This is the 12th person!

At first I thought, that maybe it’s just a coincidence. But over time, all women that became my girlfriend end up dead. Killed. But by who?!

It’s also a miracle that there’s no inspector coming around to question me. Because if you just connect all the crimes that happened, you’ll find that all the victims has a common denominator.

ALL OF THEM WERE MY GIRLFRIENDS!

F*cking s.h.i.t. All of them didn’t even last for 2 days in my arms.

Now I’m sure. THERE’S SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO DIDN’T WANT ME TO BE HAPPY!

Hrrgggh…What’s this? I’M FOREVER ALONE?!

NOOOOOOOO!

But if I continued to stick to women, the crime might not stop.

RIGHT! I need to shoulder this on and be a man. I have to bear this sacrifice!

The women’s safety is in my hands!

Nice!

Mother fcker Hio, are you taking drugs?!

F*ck. It’s so stressful. I need cigarettes!

I grab a cigarette and a lighter on the bedside.

And I did the suck&puff technique. The cigarette quickly became half. I’m just that stressed.

“You demon, you’re smokin’ at a time like this! Aren’t you even going to mourn Cherry?”

“Mother fcker! She’s Chinese! Here I lightened an incense for her!”

Kape don’t know whether to laugh or cry at my response.

“By the way Kape, have you taken your vitamins?” I asked as I put out the cigarette in the ashtray.

Kape scratched his head in confusion. “Yes. But what is that vitamins for anyway?”

Kape’s accent is becoming better. His p.r.o.nunciation of ‘vitamins’ is now correct. All of my sacrifices finally bears fruit.

“—Don’t ask. All you have to know is that it’s not a poison and most of all it’s not a v.i.a.g.r.a.”

I look at the clock. It’s already 5 PM. For sure Noir is already up.

I stood up and took a shower.

After clothing myself, I grab the car’s key.

“—-Where are you going Heyo? It isn’t time yet for our live show”

Are you my mother? ARE YOU MY MOTHER?

“I’ll leave the rest to you here” I shortly answered to him.

I drove to the condominium where Noir and one of our band mate Nue currently stays.

Noir is not living in the mansion anymore. He’s living solo since he turned 18 last month.

When I arrived, Noir opened the door for me. We step inside his room.

In the span of five months, we came to know each other and my sentiments for him lightened.

I can’t troll him like I did to Kape.

If it’s just the two us, we talked about serious matters like a mature person.

I sat on his bed.

“Do you have a problem Hio?”

“You know, there is something I don’t understand.”

He sat on an armchair in front of me. “And what about it? May I know what it is?”

“—I think…I’m involved on a crime. I don’t know. I don’t really understand what’s happening.”

“Crime?”

“All the women that became my girlfriend—got killed. And I don’t know why. Sometimes I think that I have an alter-ego and—”

Noir suddenly laughed.

My mood immediately turned sour. I knew he will not take this seriously!

He stood up and sat beside me. ”If that’s what is really happening, shouldn’t you stop already? Will you wait until more lives were perish?”

I was shocked at what he said. Of course I don’t want that. I’m the one who feel guilty!

“—But how will the ladies leave me alone?”

“—Let’s pretend to have a relationship.” He suggested to me with no hesitation at all.

My jaw slacked and I almost drool but fortunately I swallowed it the last minute.

He’s gay? Seriously?!

Are you deaf Hio? HE SAID PRETEND!

“Eh, uhm…aa…Ok, sure sure. Maybe.” I just agreed to what he said. I’m deeply indebted to Noir and there’s nothing wrong with it right?

He laughed at me again. Is there something funny?

“In the country where I came from, the relationship between two men is more truthful compared to that of relationship between a man and a woman.”

Why are you explaining, I’m not even discriminating.

I’m just new at such things.

“—You sure knows a lot. You look like you have live for a long time.”

He suddenly caught my chin with his cold hand…And neared his face with mine.

Hey, what are you doing dude?!

“Are you scared? Or are you a coward? Which one is it, Hio?”

Lintik! I’m not afraid and most of all I’m not a coward.

Is a kiss you want Noir?!—IT’S SO EASY TO DO!

I think I’m the one who initiated it.

It feels so weird.

But I can’t say that it’s disgusting or nauseating. I even enjoyed it a little.

Now I know.

s.h.i.t. I need to smoke!

I searched my pockets. It didn’t have any.

There’s a Seven Stars on Noir’s bedside table.

I lit one. I also poured a gla.s.s of vodka. And the gla.s.s is so full, I drunk it straight like it’s water.

I sucked the cigarette and—-

OOH I’M OKAY NOW!

I tapped his shoulder. “Well, I’ll be off then.”

I didn’t go home to our apartment. I was dazedly wandering around like a fool.

Mother f*cker, I’M REALLY OKAY!

I’m getting annoyed at myself. I’m acting like a woman who just got devirginized. Punyemas.

I looked at my Technomarine. It’s already 9 PM and I didn’t even notice it.

Ay stupid! I’m late for our live show!

I hurriedly rode the car and drove it fast. I spent 20 minutes before I reached the bar which Noir owns.

“Good evening!” I greeted to the two bouncers at the entrance.

And I’m really going in through the ‘entrance’.

“Boss, there’s a riot going on inside. So, you really shouldn’t go in there.”

WHAT DID HE SAY? A RIOT?!

THEN WHAT ARE THEY DOING OUTSIDE?! AREN’T THEY HIRED FOR THIS?

“If there’s a riot, then why aren’t you stopping it?” F*cker, your huge bodies were just wasted.

The other bouncer glanced back inside the bar before whispering to me. “Sir, it’s a VIP. It’s difficult to mess with them.”

YOU MOTHER F*CKER! There’s no VIP VIP with me!

I went inside the bar. There’s no one around apart from a group of people cl.u.s.tered in the middle.

Kape is laying on the floor, his lips are busted. Meanwhile, Nue is sitting in a corner and you can’t tell if he is trembling or what.

In the meantime Noir, is sitting on a chair while he is surrounded by a group of men. And there are five of them.

I heard what they are talking about as I approached them.

“Please, leave this place your Highness Count.”

What, why is Noir being polite with these morons?

Your Highness Count? WTF!

One of them hit Noir on his head. By the way he acts, it looks like he’s the leader of this group.”—Hey, you’re just a Baron. You have no right to order me to leave this place. I can go wherever place I want! We are here to celebrate my knight Italia’s promotion in becoming an esquire” he put his arm around the guy’s shoulder beside him.

“—But Count…” This is the first time I saw Noir this helpless. I suddenly feel pity for him. There’s a reason why he is being respectful to a person who don’t deserve respect. But what? Why?

Well I’m used in seeing him as a prideful person then here he is—

WAIT! I remember, THEY HURT KAPE!

“Hey, you morons! Why did you hurt my friends?!” I sure have nerves! But I still don’t know how will I fight them.

They all look like they saw a ghost when they saw me. All of them were speechless.

I walked towards them even more.

What now?

Four of them suddenly kneeled before me. “Pardon us! We did not know that they are your friends! Please forgive us!”

Now I’m the one who’s speechless.

Coooool! I didn’t even do anything yet and they’re already kneeling!

I glared at the arrogant leader. Count huh?

He avoided my gaze. “Let’s leave and let’s just go to another bar to celebrate.”

He looks like he want to beat me but he can’t. They immediately leave after that.

“Are you guys okay?” I immediately asked.

“Just fine bro!” answered Kape. For sure he’s the one who fought the outsiders first that’s why he’s the first to be beaten up.

I walked towards Noir and place my hand on his shoulder. “You, are you okay?”

He took my hand and neared it on his mouth.

I don’t care what we both believe in anymore. I already move-on on any malicious thoughts.

I want to protect him because I saw a weakness in him.

I messed his hair. Just like what my brother used to do with me.

After that, Noir and I are boyfriends.

SERIOUSLY.

TN:

Waka-waka – Hio and Kape’s term for having s.e.x.

Lintik – Lintik means lightning. When said to another person, it’s like wishing for that person to be struck by lightning. It’s also used to express agitation and irritation at something whether an object, situation or a person.

Seven Stars- a brand of cigarette originated in j.a.pan.

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