Beginning Beyond The Horizon

**Warning: Dark contents ahead**

Hajime left the convenience store around ten o'clock in the evening. He said goodnight to Riku and walked out of the store. Tonight, the wind is stronger than last night. Hajime felt the cold wind directly blowing into his bones. He pulled the hoodie over his head and walked out into the empty street. On the crosswalk, he stood for a while before deciding whether to meet June at the station. He built safe walls around him since Kenji left him. Kenji was his first and last love. He promises himself that he will never love anyone again because he doesn't believe in true love. He still remembers the way his classmates stared at him after Keiji after told everyone he was gay. When he breaks up with Kenji and moves to another school, his mother learns from the teacher that he is gay, which deepens an already toxic relationship between him and his mother.

Hajime had experienced heartache and humiliation since he could remember, or before he learned to speak, so he was determined to live alone for the rest of his life. He knows that even if his life is lonely and boring, at least no one can hurt him. When he was almost home, he saw his mother and two police officers standing in front of his house. He heard his mother yelling from the front of the house as two police officers tried to calm her down.

Aimi screamed wildly, "Hajime! You bastard! Hajime, get your ass out here right now. You are hiding with your bastard father in there, aren't you? You want to live with him, so he will no longer send me money. Get your ass out here."

Hajime didn't want to see his mother, so he ran towards the subway station.

An officer tries to calm Aimi down. He said, "Please be respectful."

Aimi said angrily in a drunken stage, "What are you going to do if I don't." She pushed the officer away. "I know my rights."

The second officer said, "She's drunk."

The first officer said, "Let's take her to the hospital."

Hajime thought that it had been two hours since June told him June will wait for him, so it was impossible that June was still waiting for him, but when he was far away, he saw June leaning on a pillar and talking on his phone. He started walking towards June.

When June saw Hajime walking towards him, he said, "Hey, I have to hang up now. Our fish is swimming towards my bait."

On the conference call, his three friends laughed.

Akako said, "Alright, okay, your stage is ready. I want to teach that fag a lesson tonight."

June quickly said, "I have to hang up." He quickly hung up the phone and put the phone in his pocket. He walked up to Hajime. "I didn't expect for you to show up."

Hajime said, "I didn't intend to come, but something happened, I would rather come here than stay at home."

June said, "Well, now that you're here, I'll take you to have fun, and maybe you'll decide to stay with us."

June takes Hajime to a nice bar. In the bar, Hajime saw that three of June's friends were already sitting at the table waiting for them. Hajime tried to avoid eye contact with Akako. June pulled to sit beside him, and then put his arms around Hajime's shoulders. He looked at Akako and said, "Akako, he is mine…"

Akako frowned, "Aw…does this mean I can't chase him anymore, right?"

June smiled and said, "That's right."

Shi laughed and said, "If you like him, our friend has no objection." He smiled at June. "How about giving your prince a kiss."

June's face darkens, "What?"

Shi laughed and said, "Unless you are not serious about Hindoe-kun."

June knew his friends were making fun of him, but he didn't want to lose face. He picked up a glass of kigai and quickly drank it down. He grabbed Hajime's neck and kissed Hajime forcibly. Hajime was stunned by the sudden kiss, his mind went blank, and then suddenly the click of the camera made Hajime push June away.

Hajime looked at June who was wiping his mouth, and then at his three friends who were laughing at June and looking at the photo Shi took. Hajime snatched Shi's mobile phone, quickly took out the SIM card, and threw Shi's mobile phone on the ground. He rushed out the door and bumped into a man.

Hajime said, "I'm sorry."

"Hajime-kun."

Hajime looked up and saw his first love. He said, "Kenji-san..."

A woman stood beside Kenji. She smiled and asked, "Kenji, do you know him?"

Kenji said, "Yes...he is Keiji's friend."

Hajime knew that the woman standing beside Kenji must be his wife. Hajime pushed Kenji aside and rushed into the street.

Hajime wiped away his tears and started to walk away. As he walked through a dark alley, Shi pushed Hajime to the ground so forcefully that his back hit one of the trashcans. Then Hajime saw another trashcan flying towards him. Hajime blocked the trashcan with his arms. Akako with her cell phone start documenting the incident, while the three men start beating Hajime.

Shi said angrily, "You fag, how dare you broke my phone?"

Hajime slowly stood up from the ground and said, "If you hadn't taken a picture, I wouldn't have done that."

Shi angrily picked up another trashcan and threw it at Hajime. The trashcan hit Hajime on the chest. Shi smirked, "Even though I don't like fag, I wouldn't mind fucking one tonight."

June laughed and said, "Hey, if you can fuck him here, Akako's money is yours and I'll double it."

Akako who was still recording the incident, she said, "Besides, we can make more money by posting this online." She laughed. "Pay to watch fresh homemade porn."

Shi stretched his hand forward but was hit by Hajime. He shook his arm, giggled, and said, "Ha...the prince still has strength."

Kota laughed and said, "Yes, it will be very difficult for your brother to get in if he doesn't cooperate."

Shi raised his fist and punched Hajime hard in the stomach. Hajime snorted in pain. Shi pushed Hajime hard to the ground, and the back of Hajime's head hit one of the trashcans, as Hajime fell to the ground. Then Hajime saw another trashcan flying towards him. Hajime blocked the trashcan with his arms. June, Shi, and Kota are beating Hajime while Akako continues to record the incident as the three continue beating Hajime.

Shi jumped on top of Hajime, sat behind Hajime's knees, and pulled down Hajime's pants, while June and Kota held Hajime's hand. Shi started to untie the pants he was kneeling between Hajime. He snorted in frustration, "Fuck, I still can't get hard." Kota and June laughed at Shi. Shi got up and buttoned his pants and kicked Hajime.

June kicked Hajime hard in the left abdomen. He shouted angrily, "Fag… Do you really think I really asked you out?"

Shi giggled and said, "June…You are too handsome, that this fag wants to date you. If you fuck him, I will pay you three times as much." He kicked Hajime in the left ribcage.

Akako said strongly, "Shi, move aside, I can't get a good recording of this fag's face."

June laughed pointing at Hajime, "Me fucking him, no way." June was about to kick Hajime when he saw blood gushing from Hajime's head. He panicked. "Damn it…"

Hajime can rarely see from his left eye, which is blinded by blood. He heard two more people come back and talk to June, Shi, and Akako. And before he knew it. The five started attacking him again. After being beaten by five men for ten minutes, Hajime could no longer feel his body. In the dark alley, he fell on the cold ground, lying motionless in a pool of blood. Hajime could only make grunting sounds.

Hajime stared at the snowflakes flying in the black alley. He knew he was dying, which is why he started seeing hallucinations of snowflakes in the fall. He thought the person who took him out tonight was someone he could trust, but he was wrong. Sometimes he wishes someone would end his life for him. So, his wish finally came true. The light in his eyes began to dim, the night sky also became darker, his vision slowly disappeared and became blurred, and then there was nothing but darkness. He wondered how he became like this. He knows now that what people say is true. When you are dying, your life literally flashes before your eyes. Hajime closed his eyes, and his life flashed before his eyes like a black and white photo from a projector. Hajime wanted to see the beautiful photos of his father, but all the projected photos shown to him were those of pain, suffering and humiliation.

In the distance, Hajime heard footsteps running towards him. The man raised his head suddenly. Hajime heard Kenji's voice calling him. "Hajime-kun…Hajime-kun…"

Hajime grabbed Kenji's shirt and whispered, "Kenji-san... I can't see you." Hajime tried desperately to open his eyes to take one last look at Kenji, but he couldn't open them. "Kenji-san..." Hajime began to cough violently, and he was suddenly out of breath.

Kenji became panic and said, "Hajime-kun… hold on. I'll take you to the hospital. Hajime!"

Hajime felt a warm hand hold his left hand. Then darkness took over and everything went black.

"Hajime…wake up." Hajime heard a woman calling his name. The voice seems to be somewhat angelic. The woman called again. "Hajime."

Hajime slowly opened his eyes, and the surroundings were pitch black. Hajime asked, "Who is there?"

Hajime then saw a white light floating his way. He realized that he was no longer laying down and he feel no pain. A bright tiny orb appeared in front of Hajime. The orb floated in the darkness circling around Hajime, and it seems that this shining orb is the only thing that has color in the darkness, like a diamond shine in the dirt.

Hajime knew he must be dead. He asked, "Am I in hell?"

The voice of a woman said, "I am the goddess of mercy, and you will die in five seconds, I use my power to extend those five seconds."

Hajime asked, "What do you want?"

The goddess of mercy said, "If you stay in this universe, your life will be over in five seconds. If you are willing to put your soul into another person's body. Help me complete a task. You will have one wish."

Hajime asked, "Any wish?"

The goddess of mercy said, "Yes."

When Hajime thought about the bad thing others had done to him, his anger rose. He thinks deeply if he completes the task assigned to him. He wishes to become a millionaire with an unlimited checkbook balance. He said, "If I want to be a millionaire and have an infinite imbalance in my bank account, is that okay?"

The goddess of mercy said, "If you complete the task given to you. I can give you any wish except unlimited wishes. Four."

Hajime hesitated, because even if he completed the task and asked for infinite money, that would mean he would still die. If he had chosen his own life, then he would still be that old Hajime that everyone hated.

The goddess of mercy said, "Three."

Hajime thought of his mother, he knew she loved money very much. If he died, then all the money would go to his mother, and one of them could finally get their wish.

The goddess of mercy said, "Two."

Hajime sighed and looked at the shiny orb. He said, "I agree."