It was around a 1.5-hour journey to Mt. Baek by bus from her cafe.

"I even lied to Irie about coming here... Although I decided to meet him for the last time, I was too panicked from inside. But, I wanted his confession as we decided never to lie to each other. So why did he betray me?" She was thinking silently with a disturbed expression.

As she reached the temple, she looked all around to find him. But there was no trace of him.

"Did I commit a mistake while coming here? Did he lie to me again? Irie... He is alone..." Yurika shivered a bit in fear about thinking about the consequences.

Suddenly she saw a piece of paper on the bench outside the temple. She took the paper and a small note was written.

"I knew, you would definitely come! Come and find me near the cliff behind the temple. Waiting for you..."

"It's Hiro-san's handwritten. So he is really here. Let's face each other." She mumbled slowly while walking up to the cliff behind the temple.

.

It was a dark and desolated area behind the temple. Yurika slowly strolled up to there being all perplexed. She saw a tall, mystic, dark figure standing there while facing towards the cliff.

"I... I came." She grumbled at him in an obscure tone.

He turned back towards her with a dense gaze on his eyes. "I knew, you would! You... Had always found me whenever I was lost." He said with a poignant smile.

"Why did you call me here? Didn't you fear that I may inform the police?" She was ogling at him with agitation.

"Betrayal is something, which you can never give me, Yurika." His voice seemed very frantic.

"So that's why you destroyed my family, right? Why did you do it Hiro-san? Why did you become a beast?" She slowly approached him while shrieking at him fiercely.

"I... I wanted to confess the truth to you today, Yurika. You have been my everything... Always and forever." Hirotaka stood still in the dark being lost in her eyes totally.

Yurika couldn't utter anything except glaring at him.

"I am responsible for everything.. Your husband hasn't been disappeared, he was killed and burnt to ashes by me on that fateful night when he was returning back from Osaka. Ayame had met your husband to help him escape from me. She had tormented me too much! So, that's why I finished her off too. Not only them, but I have also killed the detective and went after your son too. That's the real dark truth of mine." He had a devilish grin on his face as he was confessing his sins nonchalantly.

Yurika couldn't control her anger anymore and rushed towards him. With utmost strength, she violently grabbed his collar while trembling with wrath.

"Why did you kill Myobi-san? He even sacrificed his love to be your replacement! He never stopped me from loving you! Then why the fuck he had such a cruel fate? Why did....." She couldn't complete her words as she helplessly broke down in tears. The harsh confession was too much for her heart to bear.

"You are crying for him? Was he so important for you?" A berserk vision occupied his eyes as he was watching her.

"He was my husband! He was my family! Irie loved him so much... It was so hard for us to live without him! Why did you destroy everything?" She groaned at him as she clenched his collar.

Hirotaka was too irked to witness her break down for Myobi. "He snatched you from me. He was a life I always dreamt of! If he hadn't approached, you still would have waited for me... But he dared to come between us so I simply eliminated him." He spoke abruptly.

A disgruntled look prevailed on her eyes as she was glaring at him. " Are you fucking crazy? You even attacked my Irie? You are so brutal!" She yelled at him while thrusting him away from her.

"Yes, I am crazy for you! I am willing to kill anyone who dares to come between us! All I received in life was abandonment from the people I ever loved! First my dad, my mom, and then you! Everyone left me alone! The void of seeking love made me a monster! I can easily go beyond the limits to keep you by my side. I am crazily obsessed with you, Miss Yurika Nanami!" He shouted violently while clenching his fist in anger.

For a moment she stood all frozen while sobbing bitterly. "You... You are right! I had abandoned you... I shouldn't have left Kanazawa... I was the one who made you a monster... But why didn't you killed me? Why did you have to execute innocent people, Hiro-san? I... am so sorry Myobi-san... Please forgive me..." She grieved bitterly descending on the ground with her wobbling legs.

"Yurika..." Hirotaka's quivered while approaching her. His heart was torn apart to watch her painfully, blaming herself for everything.

"Don't come near me! I... I hate you... I despise you, Hiro-san!" She roared fiercely at him with shedding bitter tears.

Hirotaka stopped and gazed at her from afar with teary eyes. Her response pierced through his broken heart.

"I... I knew you would definitely hate me after knowing my revelation. But, I have always loved you truly. I never abandoned but waited for you patiently... I guess, they were not enough this time." He slowly started walking back towards the profound cliff.

With his words, she looked up and noticed that he was retreating back towards the cliff. With a fearful gaze, she exclaimed, "why are you moving back?"

"It's already my decided fate, Yurika. I just wanted to confess everything to you before leaving this cruel world. Thank you, for hearing me the last time..." He continued his reverted motion with a poignant smile on his face.

Yurika sprang up from the ground and progressed towards him in agony. "What are you blabbering nonsense? Stop right there! I said stop please!" She started whimpering helplessly while approaching him.

"It's no point in living with your hate, Yurika. I failed to be someone worthy for you this time... But next time... I won't let you go!" He reached the edge of the cliff pretty soon while gasping at her mournfully. He took a small glance behind and the profoundness was too intense.

"Don't do this Hiro-san! I... I can't see you leaving me here all alone! Just admit your gruesome sins before the police, they will keep you--"

"It's better to die for me here rather than strangling inside the prison. I am just happy to see your face for the last time before going..." He interrupted her vaguely with a deep voice.

"I can't see the person dying before my eyes for whom I have always prayed to the deities! I can't see you dying, Hiro-san!" All heartbroken, she stretched out her hand with the last hope towards him. "Here, hold my hand! Come back please..." She exclaimed with a husky voice with her eyes being remorseful.

Hirotaka's eyes were teary while watching her mourning for him helplessly. "I was not wrong... There is a person who will cry over death, even though I have caused her a lot of pain... I was... Not all alone in this life!" His voice choked in despair as tears were rolling down.

"Please, come back." She stood still with her hand stretched towards him in a poignant gaze.

"Okay, then let's end it together." Hirotaka grasped her hand firmly with a dark expression on his face while tilting his head a bit.

"Wh-What?"

"It's better to end this pitiful life together, Yurika. I always dreamed of a happy ending, which was clearly impossible. So, let's end it together with the hope of the afterlife...We already have enough suffered." Along with a deep sigh, Hirotaka replied to her wistfully.

"What are you talking about? How can I go with you? I have my Irie.... I can't leave him alone!" She shivered in fear while trying to release her hand from his strong grasp.

"Once I make up my mind, I won't let it go!" While answering her, all of a sudden he pulled Yurika towards him and embraced her affectionately. She was trembling in abhorrence.

"Let's wither away together!" He proclaimed intensely before falling down into the cliff holding her in his arms in the spark of a moment...

"NOOOOOOO! IIIRRRIIIIEEEEEEEEE!"

That was the last sound heard...

______________________________

Irie had finished baking a cheesecake inside the cafe for his mom. While glancing at the wristwatch, he fretted.

"It's late now, why isn't she coming back?" He mumbled and took out his phone from his pocket while dialing Yurika.

(BEEP BEEP)

"Huh? Why isn't her phone connecting again? Ughhh, I guess I should wait for her patiently...

Mom, I baked your favorite cake! I want to see your smile! Come soon." He spoke with a warm smile while watching the cake...

__________________________________________

Thank to all my dear readers who stayed with me till the end. I am grateful to each and everyone in this journey. So, hereby, I conclude the story...❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

But, also check the epilogue...❤️❤️