Yuto has always been different. Right now it’s extra hard for him and his family. Only $10,000 as an average yearly income.

‘It’s not fair’ yuto thinks. And of course he’s right. It’s not. But all of this will end quicker than he thought with his new job at the Sutāsōpu restaurant right around the corner from Hoshi-High.

4am. The clock reads 4am and blares loudly across the room. A groan follows. Yuto slams on the clock and slowly sits up, his head reeling from last night. What did happen last night? Yuto picks up his phone; 100 unread texts and calls. Suddenly he’s alert.

“What the hell?”

Yuto looks at each one. Pictures of himself and someone else who looks just like him standing over another person who seems unconscious on the ground. What..? Yuto puts his phone down. 4:30. How in the world is it already 4:30? He quickly gets his new uniform on where he finds a printed picture in his pants drawer. It’s of Yuto digging. He looks at the clock. 4:50. How!? How the hell is it moving so fast? Did he drink something last night? Do drugs? What..

“You did it..”

A whisper from behind Yuto makes him jump and turn around. No one was there. He does a full 360. No one. It’s only him. He looks at the clock. 5:30. He grabs his keys and glasses then rushes downstairs. His parents gone.

“Mom, dad! I’m heading off to work!” Yuto shouts through the house.

No response.

Thats not like his parents.

His mom; usually up before everyone just to make breakfast and wish her kids goodluck at school or work.

His dad; reading a newspaper on the couch while Yuto’s little sister cleans his shoes with dish soap she stole from school.

No one was there. He blinks a few times then looks at the refrigerator where he sees another picture. A family photo. He catches himself smiling but it quickly fades as he sees the number 30 at the corner. What’s does that even mean? He shivers and glances around his ‘home’. He takes a few steps forward, staggering; his head still reeling from last night. What happened last night, again? Must not be important if he still can’t remember. He takes his medication and everything suddenly feels brighter and louder, his headache going away. Still no family but now he can clearly see a note on the table.

“We will be back soon! Going to the store to buy some groceries! We have a big surprise!

- Mom and family”

Odd. Always up early but never left the house that early. He looks at the clock. 6:00. He rushes out the door and unlocks his car. Another picture. It’s of him next to a freshly dug hole. Just like the picture of him digging from earlier today. 6:30. 6:30 am and Yuto hasn’t even left his house. He pull out of his driveway and goes a little over the speed limit to get to his new career.. can you blame him? First day, no one wants to be late. He pulls into the parking lot; 7 am on the dot. He looks at the mirror inside the sun visor. A new picture. He starts to shake and his eyes widen. It’s of a bloody hammer. He puts it in his compartment and takes a sip of water before exiting the car and entering through the heavy marble doors. Really, who needs doors that heavy?

“Yuto Takahashi? Position as Sue Chef?” A stern and strong voice calls out.

“Oh! Yes sir! I’m here!” Yuto calls back. Then mentally slaps himself for saying it like that.

“Take a left, then go straight. After that take another left, rights, right, left, then enter through the red doors.” The voice gets bolder and stronger.

“Uh.. yes sir..?” Weakly, Yuto cowers in his uniform and starts to head toward the direction, though he barely remembers the order.

“I’m joking around. Just go straight through the white doors with yellow glass.” The now blank voice comes through.

“Oh.. uhm… yes sir..” he quickly heads off to the door, his face flushed.

It gets progressively colder as he goes down the hall. He enters and a rush of heat makes him flushed again.

‘Bloody hell…’ he thinks to himself, then sees a rat scurrying on the floor. He jumps and moves towards a counter.

“Uh.. Chef!”

“Oh what NOW!?” A cranky female voice screams from the back.

“I don’t know if YOU know but there’s a RAT in the kitchen!!”

“Really!?” She waddles with a pot and a knife, “where?” She’s surprisingly happy to get this creature.

‘What the hell…’ he thinks again before answering out loud, “uh right.. it went under the stove…

After many minutes of this old lady getting the rat and Yuto standing a good 10 feet away from the mess the get orders in. Other cooks enter the room and they cook. There seems to be tension in the room that Yuto can’t understand why. After many long, hot, painful hours it’s finally 6 pm. He gets into his car and suddenly it’s 6:20. How? It was just 6 exactly! He looks back in the compartment and the pictures are gone. He freaks out and jus drives home in silence. When he gets back his parents are finally home and joyful, which lights up his day. They eat dinner and Yuto stays quiet. They give a toast and drink wine, and the little siblings drink cranberry. Suddenly last nights events rush into his head.

Dark, wet, cold, crisp air hits his face and this kid he found that looks similar to him. The instant connection between them was wild. They talk and drink all night when Yuto and his new friend Ukai get into a fight with some other drunk guys that ends up bloody. The one guy looks like one of the cooks from his new job. He ends up burrowing a man named Kenni. Then, drunk as hell, he sits down and sobs about his actions. Ukai comforts him but then also gets knocked unconscious. The guy Kenni was with punches Yuto with so much force he falls unconscious.

The question is how did people get those pictures and how did they get into his house and car.. The next few weeks hit him hard, he loses sleep, weight, memory, and more. Soon, Chef randomly takes a 4 week retreat. 30 days. 30.

“30..? The number 30 on the picture… no, I’m just paranoid..” Yuto talks to himself in the mirror, the clock moving too fast like always.

“How could you..” the same voice from weeks ago startles him again; he turns around to no one there.

He becomes the new chef for those 30 days, and his sanity is slowly cracking.

“Big bro! Can I borrow your-“ Aoi can barely finish his sentence before Yuto snaps

“NO! YOU CANT! I DIDNT DO IT!”

Aoi, being only 7 and Yuto, being 19.. Yuto made Aoi sob uncontrollably. Yuto pants and then storms out of the house but sees that one cook from the kitchen and THAT night.

“I know.” He speaks up.

“You know what..” Yuto whispers

“You dirty murderer.”

They lock eyes, the cook never wavering his gaze.

“I didn’t mean to.. he started it.”

His mom walks out, “start what?”

Yuto goes rigid. His head reeling and he starts slipping again.

“You killed Kenni, Yuto.”

“Stop..”

“Yuto what is he talking about!”

“Your son is a murderer!”

“No.. I’m not….”

“Yuto! Is this true? Tell me it’s not!”

Yuto starts whispering. Suddenly, Kenni’s voice whispers in his ear again and he just breaks down.

“I killed him! I killed Kenni Jean! I’m a murderer! And I don’t regret it!” Yuto starts to smile slightly as he rocks back and forth. He’s gone.

His mom covers her mouth and rushes back inside while the cook just stares. His mom calls the cops but stays inside while the cook slowly walks towards him, pulling out a blade.

“This can go two ways.. Yuto..”

Yuto looks up at him.

“You either end it yourself or you end me and kill two people. You decided.”

“I can’t.. I won’t..”

“You will. Now.”

Yuto stares at the blade, his mind racing. He can’t think straight. He doesn’t know what to do. He grabs it and makes a rational decision; stabbing his throat. All his moments he had with his family and friends flashes in his mind, followed by Kenni.

But that leads to the question. Who got into the house and into his car..?