Selfish
Note: This is a revised version of Selfish in the Rurouni Kenshin section. So if it sounds repetitive, DEAL! Enjoy
A man with scarlet red hair lowered himself in his worn out chair and sighed, exhausted and disheartened. After a few moments, he brushed his hair out of the way and began clearing off the desk that would never again be his.
Three years of working in the music corporation, and he was finally being let go. 'Good,' he thought, shoving a chipped mug roughly into a cardboard box, 'I hate music.'
This morning had been a disaster. First, his mother called and reported that his father had had a stroke and that he was needed down there immediately. Next, the plumbing in his apartment complex broke down, causing a flood of sewer water to soak his home. Then, his fiancé came by to tell him that their engagement was off due to the 'gap' in their relationship.
'Bull,' he had thought, 'she's probably pregnant with some loser's bastard.' If he didn't think it could get any worse, he had been sorely mistaken as he was now officially unemployed. No; Kurama Minamino was not having a good day.
After making sure he hadn't forgotten anything, Kurama hoisted up the box that held his possessions and slowly made his way outside, only to quicken his pace when passing the knowing gazes in the tattered lobby.
Upon reaching the underground parking lot, Kurama let out a breath he had unconsciously been holding. All he had to do now was get home and sleep off the miserable day. He would just have to look for a new job in the morning.
Humming a tune with slightly raised hopes, he started toward his car with a bounce in his gait. 'Yes. I'll have a good sleep and hopefully this nightmare will-' Kurama stopped short, shock written all over his face. His car had been vandalized.
Moaning in dismay, he quickly dropped his belongings and ran over to his now dismantled car to assess the damage. The front windshield had a crack the size of Japan and the window next to the driver's seat had been completely smashed. On top of everything, there were dents all over the hood and bright neon graffiti making itself known in obscene words.
Kurama felt like screaming after discovering that his radio had been stolen. Even his moldy seats had been slashed, allowing one to completely view the rotted stuffing now spewed across the pavement of the parking lot.
He began to back away, his expression unbelieving of the unfortunate truth; then, he ran. His harsh pants were magnified in the concrete cell, his steps amplified like thunder until he reached the exit where he then stopped short for the second time.
It was raining, hard. There wasn't any other way to describe the relentless downfall of liquid ice, which showed no signs of mercy on the earth. Taking a deep breath, Kurama plunged into the harsh shower and continued to sprint, not caring where he was going; not knowing where he was headed.
After running for what seemed like eternity, Kurama halted to a stop to catch his breath and get a bearing on his surroundings. He had ended up in an abandoned park. Glancing around, he confirmed his suspicions; he was alone.
Wadding through the murky puddles scattered along the sandbox, he made his way to the vacant swing set and sat down. The darkened sky was his only companion in this dreary world. Alone and depressed, he pitied himself for pitying himself.
Kurama turned his head skyward and let the teary gems grace his saddened face. The wind was howling all around him, and he could taste the moistness that seeped onto his lips, salty with the addition of his own tears. Kurama got up to walk around.
Shuffling along the paved path, he stopped to gaze into the manmade pond. 'I'm not a terrible person,' he thought to himself. 'I try to help others that are in need,' Kurama lined his toes up to the edge. 'So why have the gods turned on me in my time of need?'
Though the reflection of the pool was being distorted with raindrops, he made out his profile and grimaced.
His usually neat red hair was now matted to his head and had darkened until it resembled blood. The once loose turtleneck and jeans now sucked onto the pale skin as though they contained suction tubes.
Only his jade green eyes retained the same, haunted look from this morning. 'I want to die.' Little did he know, he had said the thought out loud.
Kurama felt dizzy. He knew what he had to do and yet, he couldn't bring himself to form the words in his head. He stood rigidly and squeezed his eyes shut, not knowing to thank or curse the gods for never being taught how to swim.
He guessed the depth to be around thirty feet, and while still not comprehending completely as to what he was about to do, he relaxed.
He was just about to dive when something slammed into him full force, sending him and the assailant tumbling into the ground. Kurama landed hard on his back, and felt the breath rush out of him.
He groaned in despair. Mud now accompanied his drenched ensemble. Getting up shakily, Kurama turned around in hopes to yell at his unknown attacker only to be met with a glare that rivaled his own.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the person shrieked. It took Kurama but a moment to realize that the person screaming was a young woman with electric blue hair.
He openly stared at her with amazement, his own anger subsiding to mere curiosity. The said person took no notice of this and continued to rant, rage flashing in her light, magenta eyes.
"Do you seriously think it's funny to just go off and commit suicide in a park? How do you think I felt when I saw you moping around like a complete idiot just waiting to take a dive? Are you that selfish that you-! Hey get back here! I'm not done with you yet!"
By then Kurama had begun to walk off, not wanting to hear the strange girl yell at him about a situation that was clearly none of her business. She obviously thought differently because she tackled him for the second time, accidentally causing them to fall straight into the pond.
Darkness overtook Kurama as fishy tasting water invaded his taste buds, making him gag in disgust. Black spots lingered around his vision as he sunk deeper and deeper into the pool.
'This is it,' he thought. 'The pain will finally end.' As Kurama's mind began to drift away, a pair of small hands clamped on his arms and began to pull him up to the surface. Not knowing whether to struggle or relax in the bruising grip, Kurama let fate intervene and allowed himself to be pulled out of the water and laid down on the soaked pavement.
His body immediately began to convulse, rejected the foul tasting water that he had unwittingly swallowed. All Kurama wanted to do now was sleep off his misery; however, his assailant, now his savior, thought differently.
She stood over him like an angel of fury though her drenchedkimono slightly dampened the effect.
"I can't believe you were actually going to commit suicide, again! Don't you have any pride in the fact that you're alive? Bloody hell! Be grateful, man!"
"I can't swim," Kurama interrupted in a hushed whisper, "Nobody ever cared." The blue haired girl merely sneered, clearly not believing him. But her sour disposition almost immediately cleared as she began to check for any injuries he may have attained in their scuffle.
Satisfied, she said in a softer tone, "I hope the pain of nearly dying woke you up, Mister, because next time, there might not be a next time." Kurama nearly died in shame. Shame of even considering suicide, shame of the pain he had not taken into account.
Getting up slowly with the help of the unnamed girl, Kurama made his way out of the park. The blue haired girl fell into step with him and began to talk as if nothing happened. He involuntarily learned that she loved sunsets but hated sunrises for some odd reason. She continued to rant until she actually stopped to ask him a question.
"You know,' she said almost hesitantly, "You never did tell me your name." Kurama cracked a smile at that, wondering how she could still be talking to a total stranger all this time without even knowing their name.
"Kurama. What's-" he was interrupted by a loud crash in the bushes. The duo turned to identify the sound when a rugged looking man appeared instantly followed by a handful of police officers who were obviously pursuing him.
The convict looked around wildly when he spotted them. He made a dash towards the opposite way when Kurama lunged at him. His companion soon joined in the fight in hopes to help apprehend the criminal. The brawl went on only for a second when 'BANG!' The convict had been holding a gun.
Everyone froze at the gunshot. Kurama instantly checked to see if he was hurt only to see his blood stained hands. 'If he didn't get shot, then whose blood…'
A gasping sound made him turn his head sharply next to him. There was the girl, still holding onto the guy with blood seeping through her shirt. She had been shot point blank in the stomach.
Kurama couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. Here was the strange girl that had just saved him twice, dying right next to him. It wasn't possible; how could something this ironic come into play?
He didn't move an inch when the officers finally reached them and detained the criminal. One of them began to make sure he was unharmed while another hurriedly called for an ambulance. It was then he woke up from his stupor and crawled his way over to the bleeding girl.
She was drawing in painful breaths, her face ashen with the loss of blood. She turned her head towards him and smiled a weak smile, reaching out for his hand. Kurama grasped it gently, rubbing it in hopes to warm it, brushing back her oddly colored hair.
"See, Kurama," she whispered with a small smirk, "someone does care." He choked back a sob and began to say something in response when her hand fell limp; she was gone.
Everything became a blur after she died. Died; it sounded strange. He wondered why he was even thinking that t-
Kurama let out a painful gasp; he didn't even know her name.
The officers attempted to make him come with them to the hospital when the ambulance finally arrived.
Kurama stubbornly refused. He didn't know her, he claimed, he didn't even know her name. The reality of the situation struck his heart as if it were a blow.
Only after promising them that he would come by the police station to give testimony against the murderer did they leave him alone. It was still raining when they left him; the rainwater washing away the blood soaked ground.
Whilst debating whether or not to visit the station right then, Kurama spotted a small, brown object on the ground; it was a wallet.
Mild curiosity made him open the foreign piece of leather though he had a feeling he already knew who it belonged to. He saw a photo of a young woman. She had the oddest electric blue hair and glaring pink eyes. His own eyes wandered over to her name and instantly became cloudy. Her name was Botan.
(sniffs) I'm making myself cry...Anyways! Stay tuned for the exciting Epilogue coming soon to emails near you in...
...well, I'm not sure as to when the epilogue is coming. But push that little button that says Author Alert! down there and you'll be one of the very first to read it. Love ya'll!
Love Always, Mini-MoonStar