Why do these things happen?
He would ask himself the same question before. It was because everything always seemed so sad for no reason. But then, one always questions pain, right?
So, when he experienced happiness for the first time, with Ayano-oneechan and the other, he stopped asking those questions. One doesn't question happiness…
…Now that these moments are over, he again asked the same question. Actually, he had a new question..
Why does it have to rain when it could be sunny instead?
—-
Seto placed a paper flower on the mound of dirt. The puppy had died not long after she disappeared.
Death was such a painful thing to witness that he began to cry loudly, the rain muffling his cries that he didn't have to worry about bothering anyone. Still holding his umbrella, he crouched on the muddy ground and poured his tears out. The paper flower began to melt because of the rain, his white hood gradually turning into a muddy black..
The rain had been pouring for weeks as if it was mourning as well.
Seto returned to their hideout, his only place of sanctuary. The room was almost empty if it were not for the single bed he was apparently lying on. It was as if no one had stayed there. Ayano-oneechan's valuables had been quickly disposed of. Not a single object was left for him to hold onto. The hideout wasn't the same anymore. It was too painful for everyone. But what was more painful for him was that everyone was trying to forget about her, as if she didn't existed at all. He refused to do this. She loved her very much that she could never ever forget her.
He felt serenity in here despite of the dark and gloom. He headed towards the bed and wrapped himself with its sheets. The blankets were cold, unlike before when the four of them cuddled together, the blankets warming them up even though it was freezing outside. Even without the blankets, with just the four of them together, he felt warmth and comfort, things that he never felt as a child
He looked at the view from the window. It was their favorite window. The view it offers were never short of beauty. The sky, the sunset, the stars, even the rain. If you look below, you can see the expanse of a forest and if you're lucky, you can spot a few forest creatures. He always found one. But now, the view outside was dull and dark and the clouds were terrifying.
If Ayano-oneechan were here, she would have made even the the dreariest of weathers bright and wonderful.
Then, he heard a cry from downstairs.
"SHE IS DEAD!"
It was probably Kano again, talking to himself. Ever since the incident, he had been acting weirder and weirder. He kept screaming that Ayano-oneechan's forever gone but then he would speak to an invisible figure as if it was Ayano-oneechan herself. Sometimes, he would pretend that he was Ayano-oneechan himself. Seto hated it. He hated it so much that once he lost his temper and screamed at him, telling Kano that he hated him. Kano's screams didn't stopped though and it made him feel worse and extremely guilty of what he had done that he couldn't even look at him anymore. No, it's more like he didn't want to look at him, again. For he was afraid for the things his eyes might conjure that he'll probably hate.
The sounds of dripping rain.. The strong wind.. The dark clouds.. The hidden sun..
Why do these things happen?
He would ask himself the same question before. It was because everything always seemed so sad for no reason. But then, one always questions pain, right?
So, when he experienced happiness for the first time, with Ayano-oneechan and the other, he stopped asking those questions. One doesn't question happiness. But, he did ask a new question: does he deserve happiness? A monster that everyone despises and truly enough, deserving of the treatment.
Yet, with Ayano-oneechan and the others, he was assured that even a monster like him deserves happiness. Not just him, but everyone, whether they were good or evil, heroes or villains, humans or not—yes, every single creature in this world— they deserve happiness. That's why the four of them, with their hoods and red eyes, decided to spread happiness to everyone, and, not defeat evil, but nullify it. To change black into white. To turn wrong into right.
…Now that these moments are over, he again asked. Why do these things happen?
Actually, he had a new question..
Why does it have to rain when it could be sunny instead?
Ayano-oneechan introduced him to happiness and she was also the one who took it away from him. It made him realize that happiness is temporary, a lie. And these lies is what a monster like him truly deserves. A nagging feeling deep inside his heart told him that it was their fault, why Ayano-oneechan was gone, why everything turned out this way. He didn't have proof, but he could feel it. He was used to this feeling ever since he received his power, and, most of the time, his hunches were correct. It was always his fault. Always, always, always..
From outside, he could the doors slam.
His grew more and more anxious as the noise increased, as if it was chasing him, searching for him, ready to attack him in his only sanctuary. The rain poured louder and louder as well. Tears welled up from his eyes again. He covered himself with the sheets and curled his body like a baby as if it was enough protection from the terrors outside. He wished oneechan would come back. He wished that Kano would stop screaming and slamming doors anymore. He wished Kido would stop hiding anymore. Everything wasn't the same anymore. He wished time would rewind and return him at those fun moments when everyone was laughing and smiling.
All of a sudden, someone opened the door. He knew it was Kano. He was talking to someone. He heard somebody else. Kano wasn't alone, he was with someone. They were talking about the sky, the windows..
Before he realized it, someone had pulled his sheets and Kano's face loomed above him. His face was a mixture of horror and confusion, his body was trembling. With a low, shaking voice, he said, "Seto, what are you…"
It was too late before he could avoid his eyes. Despite the dark, he could clearly see Kano's wide eyes towering over him and in that moment, he saw everything. He wasn't surprised at Kano's mind. It was evident in his actions, and it fits to the pitiful story he once told them. His mind was in a disarray, full of things that didn't happened at all.
But then, he saw something that caught his attention.
A person, no doubt him, comforting everyone with a smile. A Seto that is cheerful and similar to a big brother. A Seto that acted like Ayano-oneechan. A Seto that would calmly face problems with a grin on his face. A Seto that was brave.. A Seto that was happy..
The image was huge lie.
Yet somehow, he wanted this lie to become true.
Kano staggered backwards, clutching his head as if he was in a great deal of pain. At that moment, Seto ran towards him and shook him from his nightmare. He repeatedly called his name and at that moment Kido suddenly appeared..
She took Kano by his collar and slapped him so hard that it echoed throughout the room.
Then, silence. Except for the pouring rain, everything was quiet. Why do this things have to..
He stopped himself.
Instead of forcing himself not to cry, he forced himself to smile.
At that day, at that moment, Kousuke Seto realized that his friends held all the answers.
And he didn't even have to look at their eyes.
—-
"Take the frog off the table, Seto," said Kido as she entered the room with Kano beside her. He gently took the frog and placed it inside his hoodie's pocket. Beside him was Mary, convulsing because of hunger. He turned to the two newcomers. "Took both of you awhile. We're starving." Mary nodded violently, frowning at Kido and Kano.
"Sorry, sorry," said Kano as he sat down. "Kido and I were busy declaring our feelings fo—"
A smack on his back that brought him facedown at the table.
Seto laughed. "Mary-chan. You can eat now. Everyone's here," he said as he passed the plate of fried fish to her. Mary's pale face gradually colored as she gently placed a fish on her plate. "Itadakimasu~" she cried weakly before taking a small bite from her fish, which she held with both hands.
"Aaaahhhh.. Mary-chan is soooo cute," sighed Kano as he watched Mary try to reach the rice bowl, which was beside him. Seto reached it for her and filled Mary's plate with rice.
"What did you guys did up there?" he asked as everyone took their serving of rice, fish and vegetables.
His mouth full of fish and rice, Kano jeered. "Like I said earlier, Kido and I were busy—"
Kido instantly elbowed Kano's stomach that almost made him spit out the food in his mouth, which he managed to avoid by covering half of his face with his hands. He coughed badly. "I think something's stuck inside my throat," he said between gags and hacks. Seto handed him a glass of water, which he gulped in one try.
"We were talking about the past," replied Kido calmly, ignoring Kano's near-death experience. Kano casually wiped a hand on Kido's shirt, Kido punching his face in return.
Seto sighed dreamily. "The good old days.. Funny, I was also thinking about it awhile ago," he said as he served himself with more vegetables.
"The time when.." Kido started.
"Yup, that time."
"We were so pathetic back then that's it's hilarious that we could talk about it so casually now," said Kano.
Kido was silent as she chewed her food. Mary looked at them confusingly.
Kano giggled at her reaction. "Looks like someone's out of place.." he teased. Mary fumed in reply.
"Do you want to hear a story, Mary-chan?" said Seto as he glanced towards Kano and Kido. Kido nodded while Kano gave him a thumbs-up sign.
Why does it have to rain when it could be sunny instead?
Mary's smile was huge. "Yes yes," she bobbed her head up and down.
Who cares, when after the rain, not only the sun peeks out, but the colorful, beautiful rainbow as well.
"Before the Mekakushi Dan gained its title, there were just four of us friends….."
If happiness is temporary, so is sadness. They just have to take turns then!
—-
Author's Notes:
I actually finished it! Thank God for coffee. I actually thought writing about Seto would be kinda difficult because I barely have enough info about his backstory so I have to be vague and mysterious and all, and I wasn't able to do much reasearch because I want to submit this before the day ends and searching stuff will just distract me and I'll probably end up procrastinating again and COFFEE. So, uh, here you go! Angsty, depressing fic but I really tried to make it happy in the end!
By the way, this is a sequel to Kano's story, narrated through Seto's POV. Why did I write this at the bottom of the page though.
—-
Next color: III Red
-Tateyama-san was gone
-Ayano was gone
-Kenjirou-san was gone
-Kano, once again, is deceiving himself.
-Seto, once again, is crying.
-She was doing nothing
She was sick of it. She was sick of everything.
Unless someone makes a move, nothing will ever happen.
She needed to make an action herself.
Standing up from the corner of the wall, she firmly held the clip Ayano had given to her.
This was Tsubomi Kido's first step in changing the world.