I come to chapter four, here we will focus on Sho's past since he was 8 years old and what was the relationship he had with Minazuki.
I'll be honest, I'm very nervous about this chapter, I'm sweating because I do not know what opinion it will have, enjoy reading.
Chapter 4: Cold
It had been a week since Sho became the Labrys assistant, you could say that their relationship had improved and now they were more tolerated, it even seemed that a friendship between the two was born, but Sho still maintains distance between them.
A Friday after the last class was over, Labrys took the courage to talk to Sho, who was saving his things to go home, most of the students had left the classroom giving him more privacy.
"Hey, Sho! Yukiko invited me to a party at her family inn, said she could bring a companion and I would like to know if you want to go with me?"
"What?"
"I want to say as friends! yes, you have something to do, it does not matter ... but I would like to know what you say"
Sho stopped what he was doing to look the girl straight in the eyes, the redhead sighed deeply.
"I can not ... tomorrow I have something to do"
"Okay ... I guess ... " Labrys lowered her eyes a little disappointed by the response.
"Labrys hurry up! we're leaving!"said Chie, who was standing next to Yukiko, both were waiting for Labrys to go home with the rest of the friends who were waiting outside.
"I have to go, see you on Monday"
"I'll see you on Monday then" Sho watched how the girl said goodbye and returned with her friends, Sho could clearly see the small expression of sadness on her face.
Outside the sun was setting on the horizon and the crows were flying the city with their howls, Sho walked through the orange and lonely streets of Inaba, after turning a few corners came to the desired place.
The next day at noon, Labrys was walking with Yukiko to the Amagi Inn, Labrys is wearing an elegant white short-sleeved blouse with a yellow ribbon, a blue skirt, black stockings and black shoes with navy blue ribbons.
"No matters how many times I see you dance,I'm always amazed at how elegant you are, Yukiko, if I practice, think I can dance like you someday?"
"Of course you can, Labrys, shall I teach you a little? I still have a long way to go myselft, of course"
They were walking until in a block at a short distance, they saw Sho walking alone, wearing his usual yellow shoes and black pants, an indigo short-sleeved button-down shirt and a light blue vest.
"Hey Sho! wait a minute!" Labrys yelled at him from the other corner and Sho stopped to look at her, Labrys and Yukiko went to where the young man with crimson hair was.
"Do you need anything from me?" Sho asked.
"I saw you walking and I thought maybe you had changed your mind about the invitation I gave you yesterday"
"I can not, I'm going somewhere else" Sho looked away, ready to leave but Yukiko stepped in front of him.
"Labrys kindly invited you to the party in my inn and you have to act like that? I think you correspond very badly"
"Is it your problem? I do not get along with your pathetic group of idiots! Besides, your culinary skills are a real bullshit that could kill even the dinosaurs!" that phrase was very painful for Yukiko and tears started coming out of her eyes.
"You did not have to be so cruel to me and my food" Yukiko ran to Labrys and hugged her letting go of her sadness on her friend's shoulder, Labrys looked at Sho with disgust and anger.
"Ask for forgiveness for what you said!"
"Shut up Labrys! you do not give me orders!" Sho said with a frown, the sun's rays had caused a shadow effect that covered half of his face, he was not interested in the least the damage he had caused.
"Labrys why? is my food really as bad as they say?" sadly for Yukiko, Sho was absolutely right in what he had said.
"I do not have time for this" Sho followed his own path, Labrys following him with his gaze without understanding the young man's sudden behavior.
"Yukiko excuse me but then I'll go to the inn, I have to talk to Sho" Labrys suddenly turned away from Yukiko, she understood the point of Labrys and wishes her luck.
Labrys followed Sho from the shadows, the young man with the scar walked to the outskirts of the city, arriving at a lonely hill with an excellent panoramic view.
"Why would Sho come to a place like this?" Labrys hid in some bushes to avoid being seen, she could see that Sho held the box in white with wooden legs and took what he had in his bag, a brush and some paintings
"You can leave your hiding place! I know you've been following my steps for some time ... president" Sho looked at the bushes, Labrys came out of hiding, Sho offered her to sit in the portable chair he had brought.
"I want to know why you were so rude to Yukiko?"
"I just told him the truth, it's better to be a sincere friend to a liar, have you thought about that?" Labrys was speechless because Sho was right in his point of view about Yukiko's horrible food.
"I ... I guess you're right, anyway, what are you doing here?"
"Hah! is not obvious? I came to paint a little and enjoy a quiet day"
"You pints?"
"Why the surprise? did you think he was a rebel without culture? I do not have mental problems, just ... I see the world my way and I draw, that's why I'm here?" Sho said and turned his gaze to the mountains that were seen in the distance and drew them in the picture.
"I'm sorry I thought you were wrong at the beginning, I should not have judged you for the stories they told me about you"
"I never cared about the opinion of others, whenever I'm bored I come to this place to relax, you could say it's like my sanctuary"
"I understand and you've been doing it for a long time?"
"Since I arrived in this city, one of my dreams is to visit France, I heard that the landscapes there are very beautiful, in my native city Kyoto, there was only white snow and no colors"
"Are you from Kyoto?"
"I was born and grew up all my life in that place, it is the cradle where I grew up" said Sho while he drew the mountains and grasslands wet by the constant rains that were seen in the distance with a remarkable professional ability.
"I know ... I know it's ridiculous, but...but for me, you're no longer a simple stranger Sho ... you're much more than that!"
"Why?" Sho asked calmly, and that was precisely that was his question, how someone so sweet, so pure as Labrys could be interested in his life.
"Because there is something in your eyes, inside you, that tells me that you are not happy with your life!" the girl said strongly.
"But Labrys ..."
"And before you insinuate it, it's not pit, I just want to know about you" the young man did not do more than look at her with surprise, and at the same time joy, knowing that the pretty girl wanted know about him, knowing that she wanted to be part of his life, as a good friend or even more.
"Are you sure?"
"I despised the people who put me in a certain concept, and yet I did the same with you, I did not try to see what you really are"
Sho smiled a little and then took something else from his bag, were some cans of soda and gave one to Labrys, he could only agree with a slight smile, finally she could know something about his life.
"What do you want to know about me?" Sho said as he opened his can of soda and drank.
"I want to know why you came to Inaba from Kyoto?"
"I do not know if ... I should tell you, you just would not believe me"Sho's eyes showed sincerity in his words, there was no doubt that there was something very serious in his past, and more than curiosity to know, she wanted help.
"Sho, I know ... we're just getting to know each other, but I also know that you're not bad, I just want help you, I want show you that you are much more than an assistant, because of that I already realized, trust me!"
"Not many people know about my past in Kyoto, only a woman knows what I had to go through so many years ago, this will be a long story so you better get comfortable"
~ 10 years ago in Kyoto ~
It was a normal day in Kyoto, a carefree winter day, just a day that could be enjoyed, a day where you could enjoy a fruitful weekend, but for one, a day of endless despair.
In the sky you could see how the clouds began to darken announcing the impending snowstorm, the wind began to blow with each step that approached, just sighed and put on the cloak that covered it so that no one would recognize it.
A little 8-year-old Sho was standing on the sidewalk, he did not bother complaining about being barefoot in the snow, he did not have the means to buy clothes or food, he only wore a hazel cloth covering his small body, even that did not protect him from the cold below zero.
"Again I did not get any profit" he started to walk along the road and let his tears fall and splash the concrete, he did not deserve it, he had no parents, he had no friends, he had nothing.
Sho every day had to see thousands of families, all happy enjoying the day with their loved ones, all but him, he just wished that his miserable pain would end, then he came to a dumpster and saw an abandoned mirror.
He broke the mirror with a single blow, he was obsessed, he was twisted, and this life of torture ruled him because of fate, Sho took a piece of sharp glass and prepared it to pass through his wrist.
"I will not live a life in which I am nothing! I've had enough of this sick world!"
"YOU IDIOT!" Sho managed to hear a harsh voice and at one point, his hand was hit by another causing him to release the sharp glass, then he saw it, a young man older than him, with dark red hair and red eyes.
Both kept silent, they analyzed each other, the boy looked at Sho with disapproval for what happened and Sho kept looking at him with trembling eyes.
"Who are you?"
"The real question is why did you try something so silly!? do not you value your own life?"
"You do not know me ... I do not have family and I have always lived in the streets, I have no reason to stay alive ..."
"Do not you have the courage to challenge the world and defeat it? you're a coward!" looked that the younger guy he did not say anything, he went his own way away from there.
Minazuki walked through the snowy streets, he did not care about the cold of the cold season, he was properly trained to withstand the temperature, when he passed near an alley, a group of numerous thugs dressed in leather jackets stopped him.
"Look who's here, is our good friend Minazuki, are you going somewhere?" one of them said as he approached the young man.
"Move aside Bexacus gang! I do not have time for another useless fight against your pathetic group of queers!"
"It's the last time you humiliate us like this! you're a dead man!" the fight started, all against Minazuki, the number of opponents diminishing considerably while Minazuki defeated them with ease.
The floor was filled by the injured members of Bexacus, Minazuki had no problem with facing only a small army, his martial skills were genuine considering that he lived his whole life in a Samurai temple.
"Have you had enough?"
"You will pay for this Minazuki! our boss will find out about this and then you will regret it!" the gang fled, seconds later, Minazuki looked at a trash can, could see the face of admiration that had the small boy.
"What do you want from me?" Minazuki asked and Sho slowly approached him, his whole body trembled from the cold and Minazuki took off his coat and was only in a red shirt and protected Sho by giving him his coat.
"Thank you"
"We did not show up before, little coward? why did you follow me?"
"I ... I wanted to know ... why did you tell me that in the dumpster?" Sho asked timidly as he looked at the ground.
"I hate people who have no hope that things will improve, that's all"
"What's your name?"
"Minazuki ... is all you need to know, and what about you?"
"My name is Sho ... my name is the only thing I have in this world ..." Sho whispered, still perplexed by his difficult reality in which he lived.
"You'd better find a shelter, a snowstorm will soon come and it's better you're not here, bye Sho" Minazuki turned to leave but felt a few small hands press against her right arm, turned to see him.
"Do you need anything else?"
"I ... thought ... maybe I could go with you ... please"Sho said releasing Minazuki's arm a little, the redhead looked at him studying all aspects, Sho was anxious to know the answer in what happened several minutes of silence for both.
"Are you hungry? I know a good restaurant to eat and a friend work there, it is not far away" Minazuki said turning his back on the little Sho, the younger redhead smiled and they walked towards the restaurant.
They arrived at a place called "Maha Raja ~ Curry Shop", they entered and they sat down in one of the unoccupied tables, waiting to be attended and a young girl called Marceline was stunned to see that Minazuki was accompanied by a child younger than him.
"Minazuki? I did not know you had a little brother" Marceline approached both of them, Minazuki only sighing knowing that he would be bombarded by Marceline's questions.
"It's not my brother, I found him lying on the street and he did not want to separate from me"
"And what is your name?"
"My name is Sho and I am 8 years old"
"A pleasure to meet you Sho, my name is Marceline and I am 15 years old, this grumpy man have 16" Marceline said referring to Minazuki who was with her eyes closed trying to look for patience.
"Could you serve us curry?"Minazuki asked her friend and she went to the kitchen returning with two plates of food, Sho looked at the delight that was in front of her eyes, overflowing a gluttony for not having been able to eat real food.
He could not remember the last time he had something so delicious in his life, he took another spoon and another, and when he realized that his spoon was no longer filling, his container was empty.
"It's delicious, is not it?" his smile widened even more, Marceline's friendly and affectionate smile made him answer with sincerity.
"I guess so"
"Would you like another dish? I did a lot"
"I do not care" despite his indifferent attitude to the offer, he slid his bowl closer to her as if he asked her more unconsciously, took it as a yes and returned to the kitchen, Sho was counting the seconds until he got his next.
"Weeping brat! if you keep eating I'm going to run out of money to pay!" Minazuki bother how Sho is looking forward to the next plate, soon got it and started digging directly, when Sho finished his second course, Minazuki had finished the first, now full, Marceline picked up the bowls and went to the kitchen to wash them.
"My question remains, do you have a place to return or not?" Minazuki asked
"Nowhere, I never asked your name, does it bother you to share it?"Minazuki was not very comfortable sharing his name with the little boy, on the other hand, he never felt comfortable introducing himself to others.
"Why should I tell him?"
"Come on, you know my name, reward me with at least the name of my new friend"
"You need a shower, you smell like sewage" Minazuki and Sho waited until Marceline's turn ended and then went home.
On the way, Marceline talked a lot with Sho, it seemed that she could understand better by the things he had to endure practically all his life, they arrived at the house after a few minutes.
"Marceline could you please give this brat a bath please, I'll go outside for a while" Minazuki picked up his blue coat to go outside.
"He'll be back soon?" Sho asked, somewhat worried, Marceline realized that the little boy wanted him as if they were brothers.
"Do not worry, I know Minazuki and soon he will come back, now we go to the bathroom so you can clean that dirt"the older girl took Sho to the bathroom to remove the cloth and put it in the bathtub with hot water.
Marceline saw the injured, small, fragile body of the boy, it was full of scars and bruises, it had been a miracle that his fingers could still move and not be completely frozen.
"Do not worry Miss Marceline, the scars stopped hurting after a while" Sho said in a somber look as he watched the water watching his reflection.
"Do you want to talk about that?"
"Not now, I'm very tired, for the moment, I'll wait for Minazuki" when Sho was already cleaned, the door opened revealing Minazuki with what appeared to be a bag of clothes.
"Take this, I went to a store to buy clothes, I'm sure it's your size" Minazuki handed Sho clothes and he went to the bathroom to put on his new clothes, left the bathroom wearing black pants and shoes, a formal shirt white and a black vest.
"Woah! Sho you look very handsome with those clothes" Marceline admire the good taste of the fashion that Minazuki has when choosing those clothes for Sho, the boy only under the look with the red cheeks.
"We are finished, I will return to my house, from here you are on your own" Minazuki left the house after saying goodbye, Sho was left looking at the place where the older redhead had gone.
"Do you want to go with him is not it?" Marceline said referring to the fraternal instinct that had been born in the little boy.
"Thank you very much for all Miss Marceline, I promise to pay for your kindness, I will follow my own path"Sho thanked and left the house, ran through the streets until he saw the silhouette of Minazuki, he looked at his new friend who ran to him.
"What do you want now?"
"I'd like to stay with you, I know we do not know each other but I promise not to be a nuisance and help you in whatever I can, please!" Sho said in hopes of staying in a place to call home.
"Are you sure of what you're saying?"
"No matter what happens, I already made my decision!"
"I understand, but you must know how difficult my life can be, do you dare to accept the challenge?"
"I'm ready for everything!"
"Now you do not look like a coward, very good! I will accept that you live in my house under my rules, so never be afraid ... Shoma"
"Shoma?"
"Your name is very simple, only I can tell you Shoma, consider it as a link between us" Minazuki gave him a half smile to walk along with Sho.
"And where you live?"
"There, that traditional Japanese house near the forest is my house, my family has a lineage of important samurai throughout history"
"That is incredible!"
"Yes ... maybe one day I will teach you the art of the exclusive sword of the Minazuki family, but ... if you want to be so good if you really dream about it, try it, start it safe and fast!"
"Thank you for accepting me ... Minazuki"Sho smiled with happiness for having found someone who was willing to help him in everything and without realizing it, his life already had a specific purpose.
~ End Flash Back ~
"So you were an orphan until you met that boy named Minazuki?" Labrys asked.
"He gave me an identity, a surname and a purpose to live, I owe my brother my life, he helped me and took me to his home, I was lucky that I really touched people with a good heart, otherwise... nevermind.
"And what happened next?"
"Calm down princess! do not speed up so soon because you do not need to know anything else"
"Hey ... Sho"
"Yes, tell me ..."
"I do not want you to think I'm a meddler but ... are you ... happy?"The red-eyed girl asked uncertainly, and felt worse as she felt that perfect calm smile vanish.
"That is a good question"
"I am sorry! I should not have asked ..."
"Don't worry, I guess I do not talk very often about my life with people but I also appreciate your concern"
"It was nice to talk to you and ... I'm sorry I said such rude things to you the other day, what do you look like if you accept my invitation to go to the Amagi Inn?"
"Sorry to differ but Yukiko's food is crap, Yu will not stop telling me that the power of the bonds can do everything, Chie is a deranged carnivorous, Kanji is weird and I do not want him near me, Naoto is so smart, Teddie can be annoying, Rise is a crazy bitch when she does not receive attention and Yosuke ... agh! forget this"
"Are you sure it bothers you to be with my friends?" she asked still distressed.
"Yes, I'm sure ... just be careful when you go, okay? I want to stay here for more time to paint"advised Sho without losing sight of the silver-haired girl in front of him.
"Until Monday then"
The girl, still with a huge smile on her pale face, turned around ready to go to the inn ... however, the boy looked in the direction in which he had gone.
A depressive expression formed on his face Sho ... he wanted so much to be able to have something more serious with Labrys, he longed so much that she could be his first and only girlfriend, to be able to share more moments at her side, without needing a hiding place, but sadly that would not be possible.
"You could be my biggest dream ... but I do not want the tragedy to repeat itself continuously ... Sho you have to accept it ... you just were not born for that...and I'm a dead man walking"
Sho turned around to continue drawing, at least that meant that his mind was distracted from the sad reality in which he lived, either because he did not want to remember that tragedy that marked him for life or maybe spend whole nights investigating that incident.
Whatever the reason, Sho knew that his lifestyle requires a lot of effort between his aspirations in life and his idea of revenge for what happened in Kyoto, it was like being between heaven and hell.
After a few days, it was Tuesday afternoon and Sho was checking some documents together with Labrys.
"Do you feel good?" the girl with silver hair asked with some uncertainty to see the state in which the young man was.
"I'm fine ... it's nothing" Sho said trying with all his might not to fall asleep, last night he had worked a lot in his secret investigation of 8 years ago in Kyoto and that had taken all his energy.
Sho's mind was chaotic, it was not very common to talk about his brother with other people, but Labrys was different.
Labrys could be someone very reliable and that made him feel guilty in the crimson haired young man, Sho reproached himself for having thought such negative things towards Labrys and then realized that she was a kind and sweet girl.
When fatigue reached its peak, Sho had fallen asleep peacefully on his desk, the action did not go unnoticed by Labrys as she could see the tranquility in the young man's face.
The last rays of sun crept through the room, the whole room was in complete silence implying that most of the students had gone home, Sho slowly opened his eyes having first a blurred view that was clearing.
"What happened? Oh ... I fell asleep, what time is it?" Sho looked at his watch to see that classes had ended an hour ago and that there were not many people around, he tried to stand up but felt something warm in his back.
Seeing what she was wearing saw that it was a blanket pulled out of the closet that was near the door, Sho knew who put the blanket so that the icy wind would not hurt him.
"Labrys ..." he whispered to himself, so many questions were hanging around his head, and inside, he wanted to be able to continue seeing Labrys after he finished his punishment, that girl had loved ... Sho had to think or rather talk to her, apologize the most early if possible.
The redhead shook his head a little trying to get away all those thoughts and concentrate on what he was going to do ... stood up and kept the blanket in the closet, left the room putting the safety so that nobody entered the place, and immediately he went to the exit to look for Labrys.
"Are you looking for someone?" a voice alarmed Sho who turned around to see who was responsible for that voice.
"Marie? what are you doing here at this hour?" Sho asked the girl who was leaning against the wall with her notebook in her hand.
"I'm very sorry for my intrusion but when I walked towards the exit I saw that you were sleeping and Labrys was looking at you"
"What?" said the redhead, something flushed.
"She seemed serene looking at how you were sleeping, then she pulled you a blanket on your back to protect you from the cold"
"And where is she?"
"She left with her friends some time ago"
"I see ... a moment, if you knew that why you did not wake me up?" Sho crossed his arms and then a pleasant smile appeared on Marie's face which caused a chill in the redhead.
"I honestly wanted to thank you for your help the other day, but I was watching you and now you and Labrys are my number one couple, awwww so cute! what should I call them? Shobrys?"
"What the hell was that?" Sho said backing up a little.
"You know me, anyway hehehe, I have to go, we live in the same street so it seems good if I accompany you?"
"I suppose you can, you are more tolerable than the silly friends of Labrys ..."
"If you want to make Labrys your girlfriend I advise you to be careful with that Yosuke Hanamura, he has been spending much more time with Labrys than you, so he will be a difficult opponent to beat"
"Shut up! I do not need a goddamn love fight for such trivial stupid fuck!"
"I have a plan"
"What plan? what goddamn plan!"
"Easy Sho"
Sho and Marie walked together out of the compound, releasing a little stress had done well in the young scarface, after walking a few blocks, Sho says goodbye to Marie and walks towards home.
Soon spring would arrive and Sho had planned to keep frequenting Labrys, after all he knew that even if the girl liked him ... he could not go beyond a friendship, but with that he was content to have her close by him and hear her melodious voice.
"Just what I needed ... agh! I hate when this happens! now I can not get it out of my mind! I'm not cut out for this shit!"
A / N my hand is on fire for writing so many words, let's see what happened in this chapter.
Sho for one reason or another hates the friends of Labrys, it's normal in him, Minazuki does exist in this story but Sho's past is only half of what it really is, which gives a dark and sinister touch to the story .
Believe it or not, the Marceline character is not an OC and if it exists, it's from a visual novel game called XBlaze and I took the liberty of adding that character to the story.
The Bexacus gang, if it is an OC of its own and will be the antagonists of the story, are strongly linked to Sho's past.
Sho's clothing is based on the character of Elsword, Ciel Dreadlord class but without the black jacket and the blue scarf below the collar, when the characters are not in school they will wear the clothes they have in this episode, for better visualization the cover of the story.
