People like me should just be miserable and cooped up in their rooms. Then at least they won’t bother anyone else. I’d ruined this girl’s life. To take my mind off it, I asked her, “Hey, what was a student like you doing walking in that desolate place, anyway?” “That’s my business,” she coldly spat. “Are you trying to say that even though it was an accident, I did something to deserve it?” “No, I wasn’t implying anything like that, I just...” “Your lack of caution and bigheadedness took someone’s life. You don’t get to talk like that, murderer.” I sighed deeply, and focused on the sound of the rain outside. I realized as I turned on my side that my body was completely exhausted. And thanks to the remaining alcohol in me, my senses were going in and out. I wished that when I woke up, everything would be back to normal. As I dozed off, I heard the girl sobbing to herself. ---------- I was in an arcade, late at night. It was a dream, of course. The ceiling was yellowed with nicotine, the floor was covered in burn marks, the fluorescent lights flickered, and two of the three vending machines had notices with “OUT OF ORDER” crudely written on them. None of the old cabinets all lined up in a row were turned on, and everything was deathly silent. “I ran over a girl,” I said. “I was going way faster than you’d need to, to kill someone. The brakes barely worked in the rain. I guess I’ve become a killer.” “Aha. So, how do you feel now?”, Shindo asked with great interest, sitting on a stool with a torn cushion, smoking a cigarette, and leaning on the cabinet with his elbow. His brusqueness was strikingly nostalgic. Shindo was just that kind of guy. What was good news for others was bad news for him, and vice versa. “Whaddya think? I feel terrible. Just imagining what kind of punishment I’ll