Life before Prison

Takuya and his best friend, Hiroshi, had been inseparable since their childhood. They had grown up in the same neighborhood and shared a strong bond. It started when they met one chilly winter day, both standing at the edge of a frozen pond in the neighborhood park, watching the ice skaters glide gracefully across its surface.

Takuya glances at him, "Hey, have you.... ever tried ice skating before?"

"Nah, but it looks like fun, doesn't it?" Hiroshi grins.

"I.. guess so. I always found it to be kind of dangerous."

"I dont really think so. If you practice enough then it's really easy to ice skate.... At least what i've been told before."

And with that, they had made a promise to learn how to skate together. They spent countless afternoons on the frozen pond, holding onto eachother for support as they stumbled and shared some laughs together. It was during these shared moments of joy and laughter that their friendship truly grew big. As they grew older, they attended the same school, had sleepovers, and even worked part-time at the local flower shop, run by Takuya's aunt. The flower shop became their comfort place, filled with the beautiful scent of flowers.

Hiroshi joked and laughs at him, "Takuya, if you keep arranging flowers like that, you might put me out of a job!

"Well, you better start practicing then, because I'm not going anywhere!" He smirks while picking the flowers

Even when they work at the small flower shop, they still goof around and chase after eachother..

However, as the years passed, Takuya noticed subtle changes in Hiroshi. He became distant, often lost in thought, and his silly laughter began to sound forced. Takuya couldn't help but worry about his best friend. Takuya slowly approached Hiroshi, "Is everything okay? You've been acting strange lately."

Hiroshi, with a faint smile, calmly replied while adjusting the vase, "Yeah, don't worry about me dude. I've just got a lot on my mind."

But it wasn't just the change in Hiroshi's demeanor that worried Takuya. It was the cold glances and the whispered conversations he noticed Hiroshi having with some shady people around the small town. Takuya's unease grew more each passing day.

Then, one winter evening, as they were closing up the flower shop together, Hiroshi finally snapped. "Takuya, I need you to do something for me." Hiroshis voice suddenly became intense as he cornered Takuya near the shops entrance.

Takuya, sensing something was terribly wrong, hesitated. "...What's going on, Hiroshi?"

Hiroshi, having desperation in his eyes, roughly grabbed Takuya's collar, "You owe me, Takuya. I've been protecting you all these years, and now.... it's time for you to return the favor."

"Wait wait-- what are you even talking about??" Takuya's heart raced as he realized the danger he was in right now.. his best friend has spiraled into madness. Scared to hear his actual response, Takuya bolted toward the back of the shop, pushing past buckets of flowers and floral arrangements in a desperate attempt to escape.

Hiroshi, fueled by rage, chased after Takuya. He lunged at him, grabbing Takuya's jacket collar. The two friends fought, their struggle intensifying. In the dimly lit shop, all you could smell was the scent of crushed flowers. Takuya, terrified and with adrenaline, managed to break free from Hiroshi's grasp. As Hiroshi attacked once more, Takuya shoved him with all his might. Hiroshi stumbled over a display of potted plants and fell to the ground, exhausted and gasping for breath. As Takuya made his way towards the exit of the flower shop, Hiroshi somehow managed to get back right up.

Shouting angrily, he grabs him by the back "Takuya, you don't understand! You have to do this!" Takuya couldn't believe what was happening right now. What should he even do in a situation like this? Return the favor? What could he have possible meant by that? He couldn't mean it like that... right?

With quick reflexes, he turned around and pushed his arms away, reached for a nearby vase filled with water and roses, and swung it defensively in Hiroshi's direction. The glass vase shattered against the wall with a loud crash, and one of its sharp pieces struck Hiroshi in the head. He stumbled backwards, blood falling down from on his forehead. Takuya's voice trembles "Hiroshi, I don't want to hurt you, but I won't let you force me into something I can't do!"

But Hiroshi, driven by insanity, just refused to give up. With his last ounce of strength, he tackeld Takuya, throwing him to the ground. Takuya, disoriented and in pain, couldn't use the strength to fight back better. His head throbbed from the impact of the floor, and his vision blurred as tears mixed with the blood that flowed from the gash on his head.

Hiroshi, his eyes filled with desperation, managed to pin Takuya down. It was in this moment with Takuya feeling helpless and trapped that Hiroshi did the unthinkable. With trembling hands, he reached for his zipper. Takuya, fearing the worst and desperate to defend himself, remembered the pocket knife he kept in his pocket for emergencies. He seized it with trembling fingers and, stuck the blade into Hiroshi's stomach with a quick motion.

Hiroshi let out a loud groan of pain, his eyes wide with shock. Takuya, his own vision filled with tears and blood, kept stabbing him. A mixture of fear, anger, and sadness was all he felt. He didn't want to do this, but after finding out how twisted his true self was, he felt like he had no other choice left.

As Hiroshi's pain overwhelmed him, he finally fell down, his body going limp and fainted from the stabbing. Takuya, trembling and horrified by the violence he just committed, more tears streaming down his face, his head spins with the unimaginable events that had just happened in the small flower shop he once called home. After Takuya managed to escape from the flower shop after some time laying on the ground, his heart raced. He felt a mix of emotions that left him bewildered. He had defended himself against Hiroshi, but a sinister satisfaction lurked beneath him, one that he couldn't quite comprehend.

As he hid in the darkness of an alley, his mind couldn't stop replaying the events in that place. The adrenaline still coursed through his veins, and he couldn't shake the sensation of power that came with defending himself. He had never thought he was capable of such actions, and the realization left him deeply conflicted.

"Why did it feel... satisfying? Killing him I mean..."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he couldn't wash off this disgusting feeling. He couldn't understand why he felt that sinister satisfaction.