The doorbell rings.
"I'm coming," Tsuzuki shouts.
Tsuzuki walks to the front door and opens it. Hisoka, Watari, and Tatsumi step inside the house.
"How are you guys doing?" Tsuzuki asks.
"We're doing well, but the same can't be said about you," Tatsumi says taking in Tsuzuki's pale appearance.
"Tsuzuki are you eating?" Hisoka asks.
"Yes I'm fine there's nothing wrong with me," Tsuzuki says halfheartedly," now stop worrying about me and take a seat at the table."
They take a seat at the table, and watch as Tsuzuki rushes back and forth from the kitchen, bringing out dishes of food, plates, glasses, and cutlery. The grandfather clock on the foyer strikes six o'clock. Hisoka stares at his watch.
"Tsuzuki is Muraki coming?" Hisoka softly asks.
Tsuzuki wipes his hand on a towel," of course he is. He's just a little late."
"Tsuzuki we've been here for two hours, I don't think he's late," Hisoka says.
Tsuzuki stares at Hisoka," he's just late," he says firmly.
The front door opens and Muraki and Oirya walk into the dining room.
"Sorry I'm late everyone," Muraki says.
Muraki and Oirya take a seat at the table. Tsuzuki takes a seat next to Hisoka and across from Muraki. Tension rises in the air and makes the room unbearable.
"So are we going to eat?" Oirya asks.
Tsuzuki takes all the dirty items into the kitchen, he puts them in the sink and turns on the faucet, and he grabs a sponge at the side of the sink, and begins to wash the dishes. Muraki walks into the kitchen and closes the door that connects the dining room to the kitchen.
"We need to talk," Muraki says.
Tsuzuki shuts off the faucet and places the sponge in the soapy water.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Us."
A lump catches in Tsuzuki's throat, "what about us?"
"I think we should break up."
Tears stream down Tsuzuki's face and fall into the water in the sink.
"Don't say that."
"I just really think we're not made for each other."
Tsuzuki turns around and runs at Muraki, he throws his arms around Muraki's neck.
"Please don't leave. I'm sorry for not telling you everything, I just don't want you to leave," Tsuzuki sobs into Muraki's shirt.
Muraki holds Tsuzuki in his arms.
Muraki and Tsuzuki bid their guest's goodbye, the wait as each of them leaves the house. Tsuzuki and Muraki go into the living room and sit on the couch. Silence fills the room.
Tsuzuki sighs, "It started when I was four."
Muraki looks at Tsuzuki, intently listening to what he says.
"My parents and sister died in a house fire and I was the only one left alive…I was placed in foster home after foster home, but I can't remember what really happened during that time," Tsuzuki sighs," when I was about six I got adopted by Kenji- that guy that was choking me- he was really nice to me. I had my own room in his house and he gave me everything I ever wanted…one night while I was sleeping he… he came into my room and laid down on my bed…he was naked," Tsuzuki struggles to keep himself calm," h-he started to rub my leg, then he…put his hand down my pants and he started to rub me down there. I tried to push away from him, but he got on top of me and he…started to rape me."
Anger flashes across Muraki's face," how long did this go on for?" he grimly asks.
"Until I was fourteen, child protective services came and investigated, but Kenji had the whole town in his pocket so they turned a blind eye to everything. I finally got the courage to run away from him and I've been living on my own ever since."
"Doesn't he work at our school?"
"Yea."
"Has he raped you since?"
"…"
"Has he raped you?"
"A-a… couple… of… times."
"We should report him."
"He'll just get away with it like the last time; I bet he has that whole entire school in his pocket."
"I don't care I can't allow him to get away with this!"
"…"
"Well let's not dwell on it any longer, we should go to bed."
"'Kay"
They walk upstairs into the master bedroom; they lay down on the bed, and fall asleep in each other's arms.
Tsuzuki walks into the living room, Muraki sits on the couch, watching a televised countdown to the New Year.
"How many minutes left?" Tsuzuki asks.
"Only four, you want to know what I usually do before a new year begins."
"What?"
"I write all my New Year resolutions on a piece of paper and throw it into the fireplace."
Tsuzuki ponders this for a moment and walks out of the room and walks back in holding a piece of blank paper and pen in his hands. He sits down on the couch and begins to write:
I want let Kenji ruin my life!
He tosses the paper into the fireplace and watches as the fire grabs at the curling paper.
