The Sunset Seen From The Abandoned Meat Processing Plant Was Red - Chapter 1

There is an abandoned meat processing plant near my house that closed down about three years ago.

Even before it closed down, it was considered a somewhat eerie horror spot among us, who were elementary school kids back then, and was avoided for some reason. Now, abandoned and turned into a ruin, it has truly become a real horror spot.

The grounds are overrun with grass. The windows are broken in places, and the dark interior can be seen through the gaps. It’s a place that looks like it could be the setting for a horror movie.

“Hey, do you want to explore that place over there?”

It was on the way home from school, when Chie-chan invited me like that.

We’ve been close since kindergarten, and even now in middle school, the distance between us hasn’t changed. Sometimes classmates tease us, saying we’re dating or that we’re like a married couple, which is annoying, but it also makes me a little happy.

“Huh? That place?”

I realized that the place she was pointing to was the abandoned factory, and I couldn’t help but frown.

“What’s this? Are you scared even though you’re in middle school now?”

“No, it’s not that… but hey, you’re too close!”

I wish she’d stop suddenly leaning in with a sly grin. Recently, even in moments like this when she teases me, when she looks at me with those sparkling eyes, my heart feels like it’s going to explode.

“What’s wrong? Your face is all red.”

Chie-chan’s smirk grows even deeper. It’s the kind of grin that resembles the Cheshire Cat’s.

“I-I can’t help it!”

“Hmm?”

As I turn away, the faint warmth drifts away. A very pleasant smell gently wafts toward me

…I can’t. Even though I can’t see it, I’m still reacting.

“So, it’s settled then?”

“Eh?”

“It’s not ‘eh,’ I’m talking about the exploration. Tomorrow I have cram school, so let’s do it the day after tomorrow after school!”

“Ah, sure…”

Chie-chan, who started humming a tune, had her profile illuminated by the sunset, and I kept glancing at her from the side.

–

However, the next morning, I came down with a fever and ended up bedridden. I took the day off school and went to the doctor, who said, ‘It’s just a regular cold. Take medicine and rest, and you’ll be fine.’

My mom had left for work, and as I lay alone in bed, the house felt incredibly quiet.

Looking at my smartphone feels exhausting, so I have no choice but to lie down and close my eyes. I’m not sleepy, but I end up dozing off without realizing it. I don’t remember clearly, but I think I did that a few times.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

Before I knew it, Chie-chan was standing next to my futon, wearing a navy blue blazer uniform.

“Huh? Weren’t you supposed to be at cram school?”

“Yeah, I’m going later, but I came to check on you. Also, here’s a copy of today’s notes. I’ll leave it here.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“I’m relieved to see it’s not that bad.”

The moment I was given a soft smile, my chest jumped wildly and my face grew hot. I dove into the futon, burying my head, desperately trying to steady my breathing.

“What’s wrong?”

Don’t ask with that voice. I can almost see the worried expression with her eyes narrowed in concern, even through the futon.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, right?”

“Chie-chan, you’re only concerned about whether we’ll be able to go on the exploration tomorrow, right?”

After trying to cover it up, I blurted that out and immediately thought, what am I saying?

“Hmph, so you say things like that?”

Even if I can’t see it, I know. You’re definitely angry.

What should I do to be forgiven?

“Well, I’m going to cram school now.”

The door slammed shut, and I could hear the sound of footsteps running down the stairs.

My chest felt a different kind of pain than before.

–

In the end, my fever hadn’t completely gone down by the following morning, so I had to take another day off.

I ate breakfast and took my medicine, but I didn’t feel the same drowsiness as yesterday.

“…I’m bored.”

I searched for online novels on my phone and scrolled through SNS. When I ran out of interesting content, I took a manga from the bookshelf and tried reading it.

“I wonder what Chie-chan is up to.”

Considering how things went yesterday, she might not show up today.

I was so bored, so I tried imagining what Chie-chan is doing in my head. She’s probably still at school. What class would it be at this time? She’s sitting properly at her desk, her back straight, looking straight ahead, listening to the teacher. Occasionally, she writes in her notebook, tapping the tip of her nose with her mechanical pencil. That’s a habit of hers, but she probably doesn’t even realize it.

Suddenly, her profile in the classroom changes to the one from the day before yesterday, bathed in the sunset light.

A charming smile with eyes narrowed slightly. Her beautiful hair sways gently and shines.

She occasionally glances my way, and in that moment, her humming grows louder.

Watching Chie-chan like that makes my chest tighten, and when I stop, I can faintly smell a sweet fragrance, like that of a flower.

“Ah, this is bad.”

The feverish feeling in my head and the thudding sensation in my chest had somehow moved to my lower abdomen

I quickly jumped up, and in my dizzy state, I made a mad dash towards the bathroom.

Even as the sunset streamed in through the window, I was still alone in my futon.

“I wonder if she’s still angry.”

In the silent house with not a sound to be heard, the loneliness that I didn’t feel yesterday is overwhelming. When I casually turn to the side, my phone is lying on the futon, still thrown there.

“Right, I’ll try sending a message on SNS.”

The school rules say we shouldn’t bring our phones, but no one really cares about that. Of course, Chie-chan has it in her bag.

But… what should I send?

I think it’s bad to ask ‘Are you angry?’ but when I think about what to say instead, nothing comes to mind. I start typing, then delete it, groan in frustration, decide on something, but just as I’m about to send it, I delete it again.

In the end, I only sent five words.

[Are you still at school?]

I’m waiting patiently, but it’s not read. Maybe she’s still at school? Maybe she’s too busy chatting with friends?

It became tiring holding my phone, so I placed it next to the pillow where I could see the screen. It will go dark soon, but if a message comes, I’ll get a notification. Alright.

No notification came…

–

It seems I had fallen asleep until my mom came back home and woke me up.

I was able to eat dinner like usual, watched a bit of TV, and then went to take a bath.

I’m glad I was able to freshen up after a long time. I have no idea what Chie-chan would say if I smelled of sweat. She once strongly emphasized that boys should have cleanliness too.

I returned to the living room and looked at my phone I had left on the table.

The message I sent to Chie-chan still hasn’t been read.

Could it be that she has a lot of homework? If so, then maybe it was the right choice to rest.

“Hey, you’ll catch a cold again if you stay cold after the bath! Hurry and get into bed!”

–

In the end, after two days of being bedridden, the next day, I finally recovered from my cold and went to school.

Even in the morning, my SNS messages are still unread. Until now, no matter how late, I always got a reply from her before going to sleep.

I thought about visiting Chie-chan’s house because I was worried, but unfortunately, my body, recovering from illness, was moving slower than usual. By the time I realized, it was already too late and I had to head straight to school.

I barely made it to school on time, but I couldn’t find Chie-chan in the classroom. After confirming that the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, I quietly checked my phone in my bag, but nothing had changed since I left home.

“Stand up! Bow!”

At the class president’s command, the chairs began to rattle, and I hurriedly put away my bag and stood up.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning!”

And then, during the morning assembly, the teacher informed us that “Yasuhara-san is not feeling well and will be absent today.”

Could it be that my cold spread to them after all?

Thinking that way, I couldn’t bear the feeling of guilt and worry.

I thought about sending a message saying ‘Are you okay?’ during lunch break, but I hesitated because I might wake them up if they were sleeping.

End quickly! Teacher, hurry up and finish the lesson!

As I kept mentally praying in my head, I panicked when I almost had the blackboard erased before I could copy it into my notebook. I had to write it down the notes for Chie-chan.

The parts I couldn’t quite catch in time, I had my friend show me, so it’s okay.

With all that going on, I couldn’t quite concentrate on the lessons, but I somehow made it to the afternoon. While packing my textbooks and notebooks into my bag, I casually checked my phone. I made sure there were no notifications and then closed the bag.

Well then, shall I go visit?

I ate all of my school lunch, and I felt energized and ready. I didn’t have any gifts to bring, but I could show her my notes. So, I enthusiastically headed to Chie-chan’s house.

Chapter length 3726 characters.

TL Note: This series is part of my 2025 Halloween releases. I released a bunch of Horror short stories along with a few extra chapters for my ongoing novels! Be sure to check them all out!