My Shoes
Komui cherishes the Gift of his Sister
"Lenalee-chan! Be careful! You'll hurt yourself!" a boy in his awkward teens ran up to the source of his distress. His long black hair was carelessly held back in a ponytail, which bounced and thumped his back with every stride of his seemingly too long legs. He stopped at the foot of a large oak tree; his wire rimmed glasses hanging crookedly on his face. With a nervous smile he tried to reason with his younger sister, "Come on, Lenalee-chan! Come down, yes that's right it's time to get you a present for you birthday!" His plea was answered by a delighted giggle, and lightened by the response he crossed his arms and nodded in an exaggerated manner, "Yes, yes! That's right; it's time to get you a present for your fourth birthday! Lenalee-chan is a big girl now!" He spread his arms as if to embrace the tree in which his sister was so unsteadily perched on, "Now come down so Onii-chan can- N-no, don't jump!" he winced as his warning was called a second too late.
"Ahh! Lenalee-chan! My cute little sister! Are you okay?!" Komui flailed in a panicked manner around mentioned little sister. "Ah, Onii-chan is so stupid isn't he? He should've caught you-" he groaned in sudden misery and pulled in a rather upsetting manner at his hair, "-My cute little sister is hurt! I'm a bad Onii-chan!" his wail covered Lenalee's small sniffles, and already giving up on verbal assurance, clung to her smaller frame and cried in a rather humorous way.
"It's okay, nii-chan." Lenalee giggled as she wiped away the tears on her cheeks, her young mind distracted by her brother's amusing antics. Small, slightly pudgy, hands grabbed the hem of her brother's jacket before she broke into a new set of tears, "Nii-chan, my shoes… My shoes are… Uwah!"
Komui looked up, startled at Lenalee's cry and gently coaxed her to pass her shoes to him. His eyes softened with his frown and he inspected the worn leather of the second hand shoes. Too big and awkward for the small girl but enough to get by- or at least that's what they used to be. Now the old leather had cracked in various places and the stitching was already pulling out in sad bundles of tangled thread. And Lenalee's most recent adventure up and down the tree hand been the shoe's final act, for now the bottom soles of the shoes had completely ripped off. Komui smiled as an idea made itself known.
"There, there," Komui pulled Lenalee's hands away from her eyes and wiped the tears away with the edge of his sleeve, "You know what? Who needs those old smelly shoes, I'll get you some new ones for your birthday!" He smiled when Lenalee cheered up instantly; disregarding or just plain ignoring the fact those brand new shoes would probably use up five months worth of paychecks. "You know what? Let's get them now, up we go!" He laughed when his little sister squealed in surprise, not expecting the sudden lift. Smiling along with her brother, Lenalee clung to his neck and laughed in joy as Komui piggy backed her out of the park.
"This will be our little secret..."
…
"What do you mean I can't get those shoes?"
"I'm sorry sir, but those shoes are too big for your sister! No matter how much she wants them!" The graying old man raised his hands, trying to reason with the indignant customer with a sister complex.
"Nii-san, it's okay…" Lenalee's glum voice strengthened Komui's resolve before he insisted once more.
"At least let her try them on!"
"Well," the old man seemed to hesitate before he relented. Opening up the display case he commented lightly, trying to make amends with the customer, "I've been trying to sell these shoes for five years. I was actually starting to think they're cursed!"
"C-cursed?" The old man smiled kindly down at the nervous child,
"Yes, cursed!" He wiggled his fingers to emphasize the fact and childishly lowered his voice, "Everyone who tried it on…" (Lenalee swallowed nervously in anticipation) "Had their toes pinched off!" He roared in laughter when she jumped and, at Komui's reproaching glare, coughed nervously. "It's true; they just don't seem to fit anyone, no matter what their size. Ah now here we are. Try them on little miss."
Lenalee looked curiously up at the offered shoes and, in a rather undignified manner, sat onto the ground to try them on. The shopkeeper's jaws slackened in surprise when Lenalee stood, perfectly fine with a new pair of shiny, new, flawlessly fitted, black shoes.
"Well I'll be…" The old man rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to say.
"Oh! My cute little sister! They're perfect; it's as if they were made just for you! Lenalee-chan!" Komui than grabbed the old shopkeeper by the arm and with an eager flourish pointed towards Lenalee, "Isn't she so cute?"
"Well, errr, yes I guess she is!" The old man laughed nervously as attempted to dislodge himself from Komui's far too energetic clutches. "You know what? This one is on the house, no charge!"
"Are you serious?" Komui's eyes widened and Lenalee's likewise. Before the duo could protest the old man laughed it off,
"Well of course! No one has been able to wear those until you came along; little miss, you broke the spell!"
"Ahh, Lucky! Nii-chan, I wanna show Mama and Papa! Does this make me a princess?" Komui's protest died on the tip of his tongue.
"Un, un! My cute little sister broke the curse, she's a princess!" Komui picked up the petit girl and hugged her to his chest; once again ignoring or plain disregarding the fact that it was a knight's duty to break the curse on the princess. "Let's get Mama and Papa and take a picture together! Our cute little Lenalee's fourth birthday!" the enthusiastic young man barely paused at the door to thank the shopkeeper before dashing off.
The old man smiled and waved from the door frame. As soon as the due turned the corner he stopped and made for the back of the room. After a moment's hesitation he picked up the phone.
"Hello? Headquarters? This is Xin Rian… I've found the accommodator for the Dark Boots, but the Akuma seemed to have as well… Yes… Yes…. Please send the Exorcists…" The old man dropped the phone and mournfully palmed his face, "…God, help that child…"
…
"Nii-san! Nii-san, wake up! Nii-san!"
Komui jumped, scattering the papers on his desk. His head swerved nervously as he fruitlessly tried to look busy. Giving up on that route he drank his coffee, already cold from the December chill, "H-hai, Lenalee-chan! What-what is it?"
"Oh, Nii-san." Lenalee giggled as she clutched an elegantly wrapped box to her chest shyly, "Do you know what day it is?"
Komui scratched the side of his face nervously and glanced at the calendar, "Er, December twenty fourth?"
"Baka!" Komui cringed away when Lenalee yelled; slamming the box down onto the desk, further scattering the piles of important papers. "Can't you even remember your own birthday?"
Komui blinked in a rapid manner, staring up at his pouting sister. It was… his birthday? "Oh Lenalee-chan! You remembered your Nii-san's birthday! You truly are the best little sister in the world, no, the universe!" Komui rose and clung onto Lenalee's arm affectionately until his rambles were effectively stopped with a light smack to the head. "Lenalee-chan?" Komui looked up at the box balanced on top of his hat.
"Well, aren't you going to open your present, Nii-san?" Lenalee smiled when Komui began to curiously pick at the box, "I remembered when Papa always mixed Christmas with your birthday," she laughed, "it always made you so mad! And ever since you joined the Order, we've always been too busy to celebrate anybody's birthday. And, well…" She looked down shyly, "You always took such good care of me… And you kept your promise… I just wanted to thank you."
"Lenalee…" said Komui, touched by his sister's thoughtfulness, all hints of his semi-psychotic humor gone, "Thank you…" Komui brushed a hand over the new shoes. Covered in soft durable leather that extended to cover the ankles, the shoes were both very stylish and comfortable. He glanced down at his current ones, worn and on the verge of tatters. Unable to express his gratitude in words he stood and kissed his little sister's forehead. Lenalee stared up at her brother in surprise; the last time he had done this was on her fourth birthday.
"Thank you so much, Lenalee." Lenalee let out a short laugh and pressed a teasing finger onto her lips with a mischievous smile,
"Happy Birthday Nii-chan"
…
"Alright… Okay… On the count of three say cheese! One… Two… Three!"
"Cheese!" the happy family chorused before they were temporarily blinded by the flash. The father of the family, who was reaching the end of his prime, had his arm wrapped around a younger woman's, his eyes, kind and gentle, were framed by a pair of square wire rimmed glasses. The mother of the family smiled softly, her eyes, proud and kind, wrinkled at the corners from her happy bouts of laughter. She was well was starting to grey and boasted a plump waist to prove it. Both equally held each other with an affectionate and mutual strong bond of love, unaffected by the trial of time. Behind them Komui stood with his sister perched on his shoulders, who proudly showing off her new shoes.
As soon as the photographer gave the signal, the family once again became animate and turned to the youngest member of the family and engaged into conversation, proud happy smiles plastered on their faces.
"Lenalee-chan, isn't your Onii-san so nice? To have gotten you those beautiful shoes." The mother of the family tugged curiously at the dark material, "but I've never seen this style or material before, did the Shopkeeper tell you, Komui?" Komui blushed and scratched the back of his head while Lenalee pulled at his hair,
"I didn't buy them, they were free." He then frowned, "he didn't mention anything, but I guess I really didn't give him a chance to. Heheh…" he took his mother's good natured swat without a flinch and laughed along with his father.
"So, I'll go to grandmother for the cake and-ahhhh--!" Komui bent back with a pained groan when his sister pulled on his ponytail. By the time he had reached limbo position Lenalee had let go and was running around the Photographer with happy giggles. Falling onto his back, Komui let out a muffled groan as the air was knocked out of him, and lay there stunned. His mother erupted into happy titters before wrapping her arms around her husband's arm, proudly and if not a little emotionally watching their only daughter run about.
Lenalee, who had been firing off a multiple of questions to the amused but weary photographer, paused and looked back at her brother who lay prone and unmoving on the ground. Sticking out her bottom lip in a slightly worried pout, she called for him to come get her, but only received a twitch of the foot in response. Genuine worry dominating over her annoyance. Lenalee trotted over to her father and tugged at his shirt hem,
"What's wrong with nii-chan?"
Her father smiled secretively and, after exchanging a knowing look with his wife, answered, "Well I don't know Lenalee-chan, why don't you go check?" He watched Lenalee move towards Komui and wrapped an arm around his wife's plump waist. His wife sighed wistfully and leaned her head against the other's shoulder. After a moment of peaceful silence she murmured absently,
"Those two love each other very much…" Her husband squeezed her waist softly and gently corrected her,
"We all love each other very much." He snuck a quick kiss and his wife tittered happily once more.
"Nii-chan? Niiiiii-chan~?" Lenalee leaned over Komui's head and slapped her small pudgy hands on his face, "Wake up! Nii-chan!" Her demands were cut off with a delighted squeal when Komui suddenly lifted her up into the air with a 'Gotcha!'
Pulling his long hair in revenge she laughed and scrambled out of his grip and ignored Komui, who followed blubbering complaints about how rough and how uncute and unladylike his "cute little sister" was being. When Lenalee reached their parents (with a sullen Komui trailing behind her), she hugged their legs each briefly and commented with uncharacteristic knowledge and depression,
"I wish we could all stay together forever." She held onto both of her parent's hands and swung her feet out, observing the strange yet ominous black sheen of her shoes, "Mama, Papa, nii-chan and me…" Komui tilted his head with a small smile, unable to shake the sense of foreboding from his being. Instead he bent forwards and gently kissed Lenalee's forehead,
"We will always be together," he said as their parents enveloped them both in a group hug, unable to explain their sudden anxiousness, "Because we all love each other very much. I promise."
That night the Lee house had caught fire without a clear reason, killing Mrs. Lee and Mr. Lee. Their daughter's whereabouts were unknown and the only confirmed and surviving family member lay in a comatose in the nearby hospital. The only salvageable remains of the house were a strange silver rose cross and the ashes scattered over the graffiti markings of black stars.
…
"Supervisor, just where are you sneaking off to now?" Komui jumped in surprise and pressed himself against the wall,
"Uh, there's" he lowered his voice to the point of ridicule, "There's no Komui here, move along now Reever-san..." He trailed off already realizing his mistake.
Reever shook his head and tapped his own shoulder with the spine of his notebook, "Avoiding work again? Honestly Supervisor. Get back in your office right now or I'll call Lena-mmft!"
"Shh! don't call Lenalee!!" Komui muffled the chief inspector and glanced around the moonlit halls, paranoid that he might've been heard. Satisfied that no one else had found him out he begged the other to hear him out, "I swear I'm not skipping work!" Komui loosened his grip over Reever's mouth when the other started to turn a strange shade of blue, "But I really need to get out of Headquarters, for just a little while." He made a small motion with his fingers to emphasize the point, "Please don't tell anyone I've gone! I'll be right back I promise!"
Reever ripped Komui's hands away from his mouth and took in gulping gasps of air, "J-Just where are you going? What's so important?"
"What's so important?" Komui repeated, miffed though the other had no clue about the deed he was about to commit. "I'll tell you what's important!" (Reever rolled his eyes) "Lenalee!" Komui flinched when the echo's of 'Lenalee! Lenalee!' bounced back. Lowering his voice he continued, "I'm going to get a Christmas gift to Lenalee! You can't tell anyone! See these?" He stuck his foot in Reever's face in a show of flexibility,
"See what?" he maneuvered the foot away from his face nervously, "Shoes?"
"Not just shoes!" Komui squawked indignantly, forgetting about his "silent escape", "Lenalee's birthday gift to me!" dramatically, tears poured out of his eyes before he clenched a fist in front of him, "Lenalee-! Lenalee remembered my birthday! I'm so touched! Isn't she the best little sister in the whole wide world?"
"Yes, yes I guess you're right." Reever sighed, already used to his Supervisor's sister complex, "Just… Make it back safely alright?" he stood there awkwardly before Komui asked, suddenly realizing that Reever was there in the middle of the night.
"But why aren't you sleeping, Reever-san? Christmas Eve is practically the only day of the year where you and the science crew can sleep…" he grimaced before he corrected himself, "Well, actually I meant that you could at least sleep for more than your usual three hours."
"Er…" Reever looked away and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I just couldn't sleep… Nerves I guess… Just be careful Komui-san; it's dark and you never know what might happen outside the Order. Shouldn't you wear more cloths?"
Komui waved the warning away with a goofy smile, "I know, I know! Don't worry; besides there's no time." he smiled brightly, "I'll be back so quickly you won't even have known I've been gone!" He turned and skipped down the hall towards one of the many exits of the Order.
"Oh, and Komui?"
Komui looked back questioningly over his shoulder,
Reever offered a weak smile, "Happy Birthday, Supervisor."
Komui's giddy smile softened along with his voice, "Don't worry, Reever-san." With that curt goodbye Komui carefully closed the door behind him and walked away from the looming building, and away from it's daunting shadow and as well as it's safety.
For a long while his new shoes made a satisfying crunch into the newly fallen snow. Komui took comfort in blanketing silence, and pulled his pink rabbit patterned scarf around his neck with a shiver. He should've really have brought his mittens. He glanced up at the sky; it was snowing pretty hard, almost bordering a blizzard.
He watched the snowflakes cling to his white jacket and brushed the snow off of his beret. For thirty more minutes he continued walking in through the forest until he reached the main road where he hailed a carriage. After another twenty or so minute, he was in a bustling little town filled with hasty last minute buyers.
"Only the best for my little Lenalee." With that spoken aloud he nodded firmly and entered the throng of bustling people. After moments of being shoved and shoving to browse the stores, Komui stopped in front of a simple store and stared in through the window. On display were two glimmering hairpins of the deepest purest purple. He inched closer to the window.
The two hair pins were a set. Carved and set in the middle were glimmering amethysts shaped into an oval which was encircled by a thin silver hexagon. On the sides were three glimmering ribbons of purple silk, which then melted into the purest of whites. Komui's heart was immediately captured by the hair pins and without a second thought to the outrageous price, bought them.
"They're just like her eyes." He thought over and over again, "Just like her eyes."
Komui grinned and clutched the brown paper bag to his chest and glanced up at the ringing clock tower, 2:00am, Christmas day. He briefly wondered if Reever was still waiting for him to return but quickly dismissed the thought as he exited the thinning crowd. Reever, he firmly believed, would be rolled up in his blanket snoring away his lab tech blues. Maybe even dreaming of those soda's he was so fond of…
Crunch, click, crunch, click…
Komui, too caught up in the festive spirits and his musings, didn't notice a strongly garbed figure trail out of the crowd behind him. By the time he had reached the silent outskirts of village and to have finally noticed the echo of footsteps, it was too late.
"An exorcist, Hee!"
Komui froze and slowly turned his head to face a slouching blond. The strange being (a man if he was not mistaken) had long curling blond hair and strange loose clothing despite the weather. He had wide black eyes and sported strange protruding threads that failed to keep his mouth shut, judging by the large and if not psychotic grin that curled over his pale white skin.
How did this strange man know about the Exorcists? Was it an Akuma? Turning to face the man, Komui straightened his glasses nervously and cautiously asked, "Excuse me? Do I happen to know you?" Such chances were impossible, but it was the least Komui could do to get a sense of who he was dealing with.
The blonde's eyes drooped with disappointment when he saw the white crest that signaled that Komui was not an exorcist, but rather their Supervisor. Hee it doesn't matter, he's still a part of the Order. With that thought the blond brightened and balanced on one leg, using the other to scratch the shin.
"You're the Supervisor! I'm Jasdero, Hee! And together with Debbito we are Jasdevi, hee!"
Jasdero? Debbito? Komui felt the blood drain away from his face, this was worse than an Akuma, this was a Noah. Distantly he wondered why one of the Noah's of Bond was alone without the other.
The Asian man inched back, tensed and ready to spring, "I don't know what you're talking about. Now, I need to be on my way, kind sir…"
Jasdero's happy grin twisted into a menacing snarl, "Don't play stupid with me, Hee! You're cross insignia is a dead give away, stupid Exorcist-man!" Jasdero lurched back and slipped a bandaged hand over the pistol in his belt, "I didn't expect to meet any of you rats here- Hee! Where are you going?!"
Komui didn't wait for Jasdero to continue. As soon as the other had taken his attention elsewhere, he bolted for the trees. His body shook with adrenaline and his breath came out in short fat puffs; his body unused to any form of heavy exercise, too used to a stiff chair and piles of papers. He pushed his body to run faster then it had ever run before and could barely control his balance as his shoes slid on the snow and hidden ice beneath him. He shook away the snow from his lashes before panic and despair welled up in his chest.
Behind him the angry shouts of the Noah followed like a hoard of agitated wasps. Komui's eyes darted from the deserted road to the faded silhouette of the Black Order. It was almost nigh impossible for him to reach the Order at this time with Jasdero so close behind him. Almost. He hung onto that word and slipped under the low hanging branch, his breaths now labored his lungs stinging with the cold December air.
"Come back so I can gut you, Hee! Stupid little Exorcist rat!"
Komui pushed his body to go faster against his better judgment. He had to get back to the Order, no matter what. The exorcists were there and so was his sister. Tears of frustration welled up, but Komui refused to let them fall, it was not over yet. He could make it, he could-
"Omft!"
"Hee! Got you now!" The breath was knocked out of the Chinese man when Jasdero bowled him over; his previously innocent white skin now tainted a sickly gray and the damned stigmata of the seven crosses etched into his forehead.
"Let me go-!" Komui's protest was cut off by a cry of pain when Jasdero grabbed and pulled a fist full of his deep purple hair.
"Shut up, stupid fucking Exorcist, hee!" Komui felt the cold barrel of a gun press against his temple. "Just shut up and die!"
Komui's eyes widened and he desperately twisted around swinging his arms and kicking his legs, hoping to connect and knock the Noah off of him. Lady luck permitted him his wish as his fist knocked across Jasdero's face, effectively beating the offender off of him. Komui scrambled onto his knees and slipped trying to get away. For a moment he did, and his heart swelled with hope until Jasdero's kick caught him in the side.
Komui's eyes widened as he felt a rib crack on impact. The area quickly went numb as he fell into shock. His body hit the ground and rolled, painfully digging the loose rib into his body before he slowed to a halt.
"You fucking stupid exorcist!" Jasdero cruelly stomped on the other's chest as he clutched the side of his face, "My face! My beautiful face!" Jasdero dug the heel of his boot further into Komui's chest, threatening to break the sternum and pierce his heart. "You stupid Exorcist!"
"You're repeating yourself…" Komui wheezed, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, vainly trying to pry the boot off of his chest.
"Shut up!" Jasdero pulled out the Gun and aimed it at the Supervisor's head, "Y'know what, Hee! I think it'll be better if you died slowly and painfully, hee! Debitto and I made a new Bomb see? I wanted to call it the black bomb 'cause we put the Akuma's blood in it, but he still wants to think about it, hee!" The barrel slowly rolled into place, "You're going to be my little piggy, hee!"
Komui closed his eyes, his hopes dying. Reever… Allen… Kanda… Rabi… Lenalee. His heart gave a painful pang as he whispered his goodbyes, regretting and quietly accepting his death. Would it be so bad? He had lived a good life… He would join his parents, was that really so bad?
Lenalee…
"Nii-chan!" A happy giggle sounded before chubby cheeks stretched out with a large blinding smile.
"Black Bomb!"
Komui's head snapped back and his world exploded in a white hot pain. Distantly he felt a thick wetness slide down his temples and with a jolt realized it was his own blood.
"Hee, was it too strong? Are you dead, stupid Exorcist-man?" Komui numbly felt the rough cold texture of Jasdero's boot step over his hand. He wanted to scream, he wanted the other to feel the pain he was feeling right now. But he could do nothing but lay there, his body too stunned to respond to his frantic brain signals. An inaudible whimper slipped past his lips when Jasdero applied more pressure onto his hand before, and with a sudden crack the bones snapped and fractured, rendering the limb useless.
"Hee! You really are dead! Oh well, The Earl will be so pleased~!"
Komui lay there as the voice faded along with the Noah. For a long while he lay there, too stunned to move and all too soon feeling returned to his body, and like the stabbing pain he felt in his hand, he realized,
"I-I'm alive--!" The choked rasp was uttered through chattering teeth as grateful tears slipped past his cheeks. What was he thinking before? He could never leave his sister alone. It would be unfair for him to join their parents too early. "Lenalee… I'm coming home…! I'm alive…!" slowly Komui shifted onto his side and spat out the blood in his mouth. Wincing as he applied pressure onto the broken rib, he rose unsteadily onto his shaking feet.
"You promise? You'll always be here for me after my missions?"
"Yes, and I'll always be here to welcome you home."
"I-I'm…" his body shuddered as he hung onto one of the lower branches of a pine tree, "coming… home…" Lurching forwards, Komui caught himself before he fell, and slowly made for the road, his beret lay forgotten in the snow before it was covered and never to be found again.
Really, what was he thinking? Reever and everyone were waiting for him, and when he got back Reever would yell and ask why Komui had taken so long. He would then tell them about how he had taken the wrong train and everyone would laugh. Then Lenalee would be worried, but then her beautiful smile would light up the room when Komui presented his gift to her.
"Happy birthday, Lenalee-chan! Welcome home!"
"Oh Nii-san! You shouldn't have," laughs eyes closed despite her next almost scolding words, "You almost burned the kitchen down!"
In his good hand, Komui clutched the brown paper bag as if his life depended on it. "She'll be so pleased with me… They're just like her eyes… Just like mother's… eyes…" he coughed and winced, unable to hold himself steady as he swayed his vision blurring as he left a trail of bloody snow behind him.
"W-what?" Komui stopped and leaned against one of the many trees, clutching the area above his heart. The Black Bomb had finally taken effect, spreading the deadly poison throughout his system. Every beat of his heart brought an agonizing wave of pain through his body and forced a fresh new wave of tears to stream out of his eyes.
"This-this… Krory can fix this easily…" his own voice sounded weak, even to himself and he shuddered as the snow fell harder. Taking a step forward he stopped when the snow stubbornly held onto his foot before prying his shoe off, and he stumbled ahead. "My shoes… Lenalee's shoes…" His vision swam and his body shook as the poison ran havoc through his body.
"Oh Nii-san… You shouldn't work so hard. You go sick again!" a cool cloth was placed over his forehead, "Promise me not tot work so hard… You can barely stand!"
"…I promise."
He turned and reached for the precious gift and cried out weakly when he toppled forward, body too weak to support him. "My…My shoes--!" a ratting gasp shook his frame as he reached for his sister's gift in vain. "My shoes…" Komui let out a suppressed sob and rolled onto his back.
"You know, Nii-san. I never really hated you for getting those shoes for me..." an embarrassed laugh, "I'm actually sort of glad. To be able to do something for others, even though…" Lenalee smiled sadly and shook her head, "…it's nothing…"
'I'm sorry for being an exorcist. I'm sorry for imprisoning you here….'
Fumbling clumsily he reaching into his front pocket and with shaking hands took out his wallet. Awkward fingers, bitten numb by the cold, took out a yellowed photograph. Silently he held it in front him, but he could barely see. The photo was nothing but a yellow blur, but he knew its contents by heart. "My cute little sister…" he choked out another sob and began to cry with abandon. He reached out with his broken fingers, caressing the spot in which he knew his little sister would be; perched on his shoulders with a big happy smile on her face. "My cute little sister--!" Komui laid the broken arm across his eyes and cried.
He cried for himself, he cried for the pain but mostly he cried for Lenalee. After promising so many times that he would never leave her alone... That they would never be apart again…! He was her big brother damn it! Damn it all!
"Mother…! Father…! I'm scared…!" a note of desperate hysteria entered his voice as he weeped, the dam of emotions he had held throughout his life flooding through, "I don't want to die, I-I don't! Lenalee… Lenalee will be alone again…!"
Komui turned his blackening vision to the sky and howled out desperately, despair riding every word he spoke to the heavens, "God please! For my sister! I can't- not after our parents! Not after what I put her through! It's my entire fault, I got her those shoes! So please, let me make things right again!"
There was no answer.
Komui turned his blind eyes back and reached futilely for the shoe he couldn't reach, "Lenalee… My shoes…"
"…My shoes…"
…
The next day the Supervisor, Komui Lee was reported to have gone missing. The nearby town, the story of the ashes found within a white coat made the front page. The only clue the strange occurrence was a yellowed photo of a happy Chinese family.
The only remarkable thing they could note from the photo was that the little girl's shoes were a one in a kind design that had never been seen before, that is second to the similar, roughly hand crafted pair of shoes found by the ashes of the coat.