Summary: The first time they met was when they were five or four maybe. The boy with the red eyes remembers; the other one does not.
Scars, Loneliness, and the Stars
"I know what those are." – The first boy tells the other as he looks at the scars on his wrist.
The other boy is young, four of five maybe. He remains silent. He just grabs metal parts of the swing in his little hands harder.
The other boy goes on - "My neighbor has the same ones. My mum says that she hurts herself because other people have hurt her. I haven't seen her for a long time. Mum says that she was so sad and lonely that she had to go to a better place."
The boy on the swing looks up; his red eyes meeting the other ones.
"Don't worry, I won't go away. I am not like your neighbor; when they hurt me, I smile and I say "Just do it, monster". It hurts more, but they don't see it; so, it doesn't really matter."
"I will be your friend, and you won't ever have to be alone again. So, when they try to hurt you, I will protect you."
The boy with the red eyes smiles for the first time. He looks like the angel - the other boy thinks.
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Ten years pass until boys meet each other again. The boy with the red eyes remembers; the other one does not.
Everything hurts as he hears the words of hatred; of refusal; and he has never felt as alone as in that moment. He moves the blade across the other boy's skin, cutting him, letting the blood leak. He bets that it still hurts less than his own chest hurts.
Shizuo, Shizu-chan; that is the name of a person he has thought about every night before his sleep. He finally knows it; even if it is too late. He is alone, and the name is unimportant. Shizu-chan forgot that he existed.
That night, for the first time in ten years, he hurts himself. He swears that Shizu-chan won't ever again forget about him.
Ten more years pass. They are adults now. Every day the boy with the red eyes made sure that the other wouldn't forget him. Shizu-chan hates him now. But, even the hatred is better than the indifference.
Some nights, he remembers the story of Shizu-chan's neighbor. As long as Shizuo feels something for him, he won't go away. He still hurts himself, and he now has more scars than blank skin, but it is ok. The people can't hurt him anymore; only Shizuo can.
So, he smiles as he runs. The smile is broken and fake. It is the only kind of smile he is capable of now.
He is being chased out from the other's life.
When the blond girl shows, he feels the most alone; like it is only a matter of time until he is forgotten once again. He knows that he won't survive that, and he thinks that he would rather go away by the monster's hand than his own. At least that way, Shizuo won't be able to delete his existence.
He gives his best to leave a mark. When he says "Do it, monster" the other one finally remembers; but then, it is a decade too late.
The boy with the red eyes leaves like an animal with a tail between his legs. He changes the city, and he is now in a wheelchair. He doesn't feel alone anymore. He doesn't feel anything. He is dead inside.
Shizuo remembers, but it is now too late. He dreams about the red eyes and the smile he has seen only once, years ago. He is the one who is alone now. Even though he got what he wanted, it doesn't feel right.
The loneliness hurts; so, Shizuo takes the knife he has picked up after the other has left. He moves it across the tender skin of his wrist. The blood leaks, but he doesn't feel better; he feels worse.
He looks at the stars, he calls the name, but the silence is the only response he gets.
They don't meet again. They don't talk.
The both of them got what they wanted; the boy with red eyes not to be forgotten, and the other one to be left alone. They both love each other, but they are lonely. They both would give anything to move time backwards, but they aren't capable to. The only thing that makes them better is the knowledge that the same stars are above them. It is the only time when they feel a little less lonely, because even if they are alone, it somehow still feels like they are together.