“You pathetic, worthless Hikaru! Why did I even bother trying to love you!”

Ai struck the lifeless body of her ex-boyfriend, Hikaru, over and over with a shovel. He was already dead, but she couldn’t stop herself—her fury and grief demanded release. You stood at the sidelines, watching in silence as she vented her rage.

The two of you were deep in a dense forest, far from Tokyo, preparing to bury Hikaru—the man responsible for murdering Ai’s two children.

“AHHHHH!”

With a final, furious cry, she raised the shovel and brought it down on the corpse one last time. Panting heavily, she stood over the lifeless body, her chest rising and falling as the weight of her grief and rage slowly began to lift. For the first time, she felt a semblance of closure.

She hadn’t felt this good in so long.

A crow perched on a tree branch above them, watching intently. After a while, it suddenly took flight, the sound of its wings breaking the silence. The abrupt noise snapped the two of them back to the true purpose of the burial.

“I’m done. Sorry you had to see that.”

Ai said in a calm tone, her breathing composed as she nodded toward the extra shovel on the ground.

“We start digging two meters down, right?”

She said as she watched you pick up the shovel, nodding in response to her question. Together, the two of you began to bury Hikaru—her ex-boyfriend. This went on for a while; eventually, day turned to night, and the sound of crickets filled the air.

The digging went on for minutes and minutes.

You and Ai were practically panting—it was exhausting work, but not as grueling as when you both had murdered Hikaru inside his home. You stared at Ai, wondering what she was thinking in that now-crazed head of hers.

She’s a retired idol, but even after achieving her goal, her eyes remained dark and unreadable.

Though you could tell there was now a sense of peace within her.

“We’re finished, finally.”

Ai let out a sigh as she looked at you. Perhaps there was a small hint of gratitude on her face, but you were likely just imagining it.

“Let’s get out of here, maybe I’ll be able to think about something else for once.”

You and Ai still carried the shovels, most likely planning to put them away at her apartment.