Author's Note: Thanks again fro all the favorites, follows, and reviews! I really appreciate them! I'm glad you guys all really liked the previous chapter and this chapter will finally give some answers! Sorry for the suspense but with the previous chapter and this one, it was longer than I wanted to so I wanted to separate them! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
I do not Kuroko no Basuke.
Hair
Chapter 11: Answers
She felt her breath get caught in her throat as if someone had gripped her throat and wasn't going to release it anytime soon. She knew the question would pop up but she thought she could relax a little before being asked the dreaded question. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart while clutching her hands over her heart.
"I-I-I" She struggled to say before suddenly something cupped her cheeks and her eyes shot open to see Atsushi's gigantic hands cupping her face.
"You don't have to tell me, Emi-chin." He said and she felt tears build up in her eyes, sniffing a little.
He was far to kind to her.
She shook her head and removed her own hands from her chest before smiling sadly at the giant.
"No. You've been far to kind to me. You deserve some answers." She said before glancing down at her sweater and released a sigh. She placed her own hands on his and he stared at her as she gently removed his hands.
"After I show you, I will give you answers. I'm sorry if it will scare you, Atsushi-san." She whispered and he slowly nodded as she slowly pulled the sweater over her head while pulling the shelves off, not truly understanding what she meant by doing so. His eyes grew wide at the sight of her arms and horror spread across his features, now understanding why she always bore long shelves and wanted the talk between her the nurse to be private.
Her arms were racked with long ugly jagged scars that ran close to her wrist to a little above the elbow. They violated her soft white skin with the large red marks across her arms and showed the pink of her flesh. The scars didn't look new but definitely not old enough to start fading away and they were on both arms, not sparing a single inch of her skin from the scars.
"These are why I wear long shelves." She began and released a breath that had been caught in her throat, "They were the one of the reasons as to why I asked to speak with the Nurse alone."
Atsushi's throat felt dry at the sight of then and he tried to wrap his mind around what exactly was going on.
"I…I got them to protect Ken-chan." She said and hugged her arms close against her chest, "If I didn't protect Ken-chan, the attack…it would have been worse for him if I didn't take it on."
She looked to see what his expression was and gave a sad smile, tears dribbling past down her face in a rain of sorrow. She couldn't stop the tears from following as if they were a never ending river of pain and sorrow escaping from heart and mind.
"I commented on your hair because I would be grabbed by it and dragged around and beaten." She said next and tears slowly fell down her face, cascading like a river, "It would nearly yank it out every time. It was so painful. I didn't want Ken-chan to deal with the blunt force but he still received it in the end.
"My memories contain pain and sorrow and helplessness and fear and doom and so many other terrible things. My hair is cut short because I can't have long hair without thinking about the incidents. That's why I told you 'your hair is far too long' because I get even worried of others. The terror becomes overwhelming as if it is gripping me by the throat and holding me tight. It's so worrying and fearful.
"I'm sorry I put this on you, Atsushi-san. It's just…been eating me in the inside and only Ken-chan knows. You are my first friend and I want you to know this before you become too attached to me. It just…needed to get out before I explode out of paranoia and constantly looking out for myself and Ken-chan. I can't keep up the act that I am alright when I am clearly not. This knowledge is a lot to bare on you and I'm terribly sorry for pushing it on you. You truly are my first friend and I want you to know this so if another incident like happens, you will know ahead of time.
"You don't need to stay with or even be friends if you think my past is something you wish not to deal with. I will understand if you do. A friend like me is pretty disruptive and painful to hang around. I am happy that you agreed to listen to what I had to say about myself. You are far more caring than you may think, Atsushi-san. I'll be grateful for all that you have done for me. You don't need to bring me with you to Tokyo, if you feel the need. I've been pushed aside so it will be alright, I'll find another way to get there. I'll be alr-"
Before she could say more, she realized that he had started wiping away her tears that continued to fall from her eyes. Her eyes wide at his reaction as he held sorrow in his expression while also concern in them as he gently stroked away the tears, his hands also managing to cup her face.
"Emi-chin…" He said softly as she awaited his words and stared into his eyes, "I'll still be your friend. You don't need to keep quiet."
She couldn't help but cry more and hiccuping too at his words as they meant so much to her. The wind softy whipped around them as she also tried to dry her own tears, smothering her skin with the tears that caused them. He continued to wipe her tears as she sat there, only a few centimeters away from the giant but stayed her distance, and let her emotions all out after so long of holding them in.
Kenshin Kiyoshi stopped shooting a jump shot after hearing his phone ring and looked to it on the bench, seeing it light up. Many players continued to practice but he jogged over there and flipped it open after seeing his aunt's name on the caller id.
"Hello, Obasan? What's up?" He asked and noticed Riko's glare at him but ignored it.
"Kenshin, did Emi decided to come visit you for some reason?" His aunt asked and he frowned at this, his eyebrows furrowing at her words. Worry and fear started to pick up in his mind and features, a breath caught in his throat.
"No…why?" He asked her and continued to remain still, his heart rate picking up.
"Her teachers called me saying she wasn't there after second block. I don't know where she is. She never texted or called me. I thought she would tell you." She told him and his eyes grew wide as he slowly started to shake.
She disappeared.
"Kenshin, don't do anything reckless. I'm already heading over to the school to see about any details. Please stay at Seirin and I'll call you on anything I found. See if she possibly called your mother, maybe she knows. Just, Kenshin, please stay calm. You don't need to worry. I'm going to try and call her again. Maybe she had an episode and needed to get away from the school. Just stay calm, Kenshin. Everything is fine." His aunt said to calm him down and reassure him that everything would be fine but nothing was alright.
His sister had disappeared.
His mind seemed to go blank as he dropped the phone and started bolting out of the gym.
"EH? Kenshin-kun?!" Riko shouted as Kenshin continued to dash, his mind only his sister's safety. Riko picked up the phone and placed it to her ear.
"Hello?" She asked and the other line cursed.
"That freakin' kid! He needs to calm the hell down! This is his aunt, Masami! If you could stop my nephew, that would be great!" She told the coach before swearing again, "I need to call his sister to see if she could pick up now! He shouldn't be worried about her! I've got the situation under control!"
The other line ended and Riko blinked before seeing the teen still running while she shouted, "Whoever catches Kenshin, will get one lap less for tomorrow's practice!"
Everyone practically dropped what they were doing and bolted to the young man with pure adrenaline to stop him and remove one lap from their next practice. Kagami stayed at the end of the run as he tried to understand what exactly was being done and others started shout that he had disappeared.
"Did he jump over the wall?! Where the hell did he go?!" One player shouted and Kagami narrowed his eyes, looking around before seeing Kuroko quietly walked to the other side of the gym. He decided to follow the shadow and then as he walked along the side he heard something rustling in the bushes along the gym. The smell of tobacco filled the power forward's nose in which it wrinkled at the smell and continued to look before seeing a small cloud of smoke rise up from the bushes. He headed to it and then noted a bush of brunette hair stick out from the bushes while the smell of tobacco essentially stronger than before.
"She's gone. She's gone. She's gone. She's like Umeko. She's like Umeko." Mumbling was heard and Kagami raised his eyebrows at this before pulling aside the bushes to see the first year practically curled up in a ball against the gym. In the first year's mouth a slim cigarette between his lips and smoke curling up from it in ease while his eyes were sealed shut.
"Kenshin?" He asked and the first year's eyes opened and shot up to see his senior stare down at him. He blinked before looking away and bit roughly into the cigarette, a look of terror shined in his eyes.
"She's gone." Kenshin mumbled and Kagami swore he saw tears build up in his eyes, "She's gone like Umeko. She's gone like mamma."
He blinked at the last part as it was clearly in a different language than Japanese or English before bending down to Kenshin's eye level and the first year sealed his eyes shut.
"No…she wouldn't leave. She wouldn't because she couldn't. She couldn't." He said and reached a hand to take his cigarette out, looking down at the guard, "Ne, senpai…she wouldn't leave me because she could right?"
A breath of smoke escaped the first years lips and Kagami continued to stare at the kid before something else released a breath behind him, looking to see the shadow stare down at the teen.
"Kenshin-kun, from your words, your sister seems to care and love you very deeply. I do not think she would simply run away from you. She may have been stressed about school and wanted a day off, possibly. Kenshin-kun, do you honestly believe she would leave you?" Kuroko replied back and Kagami realized that the first year hadn't talked to him but instead saw Kuroko, wanting to talk with him.
"No…she wouldn't. But he could have gotten to her. If he has her, she's gone. She'll be gone." Kenshin said and placed the cigarette back between his lips, running his fingers through his hair, "He would take her. He would steal her from us. He would use her to get to mamma. He would definitely use her to have mamma back at his side. He would use anyone to get mamma back."
Kagami turned back to his partner and muttered, "Is he having a mental breakdown or something, Kuroko?"
Kuroko narrowed his eyes at first year before nodded and stating, "I believe so. I am not positive on how to break him out of it though. Perhaps if were to speak to his sister, he would break out of it?"
"No!"
The shout from the first year caused the two to jump a little at his words as he stared up at them with wide eyes.
"She can't know. She doesn't need to add my suffering to her own! She doesn't deserve it!" He told them and they blinked at his words before he looked away, pulling his knees closer to his chest, "She's never deserved it…please, keep this a secret. She doesn't need to know nor coach. I…can't lose this after I've tried so hard."
Kagami was unsure what to do as the teen had tears prickling in the corner of his eyes and Kenshin looked away before removing the cigarette between his lips, releasing a breath of smoke and smell of nicotine in the air. He dropped the cigarette and quickly smothered it with his shoes, after hearing others come close. He released a breath and then plastered a smile over his features, as if he was trying to show that he was fine.
"Kagami found him!" Koganei exclaimed and Kenshin laughed before running his fingers through his hair, standing up to show himself as the others surrounded him.
"Are you alright, Kenshin?" Hyūga asked and Kenshin nodded while Kagami and Kuroko continued to stare at the teen with narrowed eyes.
"Hai! I was a little freaked out about what my aunt called me for and just needed to run for a little bit to cool down! I'm sorry for making you guys look for me!" He announced while bowing down as an apology and Hyūga nodded while they all started heading back to the gym while Kagami and Kuroko continued to watch them first year in concern and interest.
Emi stayed still as Atsushi continued to wipe her tears before hearing her phone ring out and she blinked before realizing her tears had finally stopped. She reached over and grabbed her phone out of her bag and flipped it open, now ignoring Atsushi's face.
"Hai?" She whispered and a sigh of relief escaped the other line.
"Emi-chan, thank god you picked up! The school called me saying that you left during the middle of day! I thought you went to go see Kenshin but he told me that you weren't there! Now he's probably freaking out because of me! God damn it, I'm sorry, Emi!" Her aunt said and Emi's eyes grew wide at her words, realizing she should have said something to at least her brother.
"I'm going to call Kenshin right now!" Emi exclaimed in horror while Atsushi tried to process exactly what had just happened. She quickly ended the call between her aunt and started dialing Kenshin's number but next thing she knew, her phone died. She dropped it before looking to Atsushi with concern flashing in her eyes and looked like she was going to cry yet again.
"Atsushi-san, I need to borrow your phone! It's an emergency!" She exclaimed and he blinked at her words before nodding, fetching his phone out his pocket then handing it to her. She quickly dialed up her brother's phone number and pressed it against her ear, waiting for a response to happen. She awaited him to pick it up as she trembled to hear her brother and reassure him that she fine and did not need to do anything reckless.
"Hello? Who is this?" A female voice greeted her and she trembled even more as she thought she had called the wrong number, "Is this Kenshin-chan's sister?"
"Yes!" She exclaimed at the last question and relaxed a little before begging the voice, "Please put him on the phone!"
She heard shuffling before a reply came from the other end, "Hello?"
"Kenshin, I'm fine! I had an attack so I left the high school to try and cool down! I'm sorry I scared you! I never meant to cause you any troubles! You know I would never leave you! I would never do that!" She announced to her brother while the tears slowly prickled her eyes again but they did not fall as she held them in.
"Onēsan…I'm alright. I know I reacted badly at the news at first but I'm fine! Please don't be worried! I'm glad to hear that you are fine. You had Obasan worried too. I'm going to reply back to her…Whose phone is this anyway? I wasn't positive about answering it at all." Her brother said and she released a harsh breath while glancing over to Atsushi, a small smile relaxing onto her face at his words.
"It's the boy who allowed me to come visit you, Ken-kun. He…really is a great person. I hope you two will get along." She said and Atsushi blinked at her words before scratching his cheek.
Well, he was planning on playing against her brother so they probably wouldn't.
"Can you tell him thanks for letting you borrow his phone for me? We'll I gotta go! Call me later, Onēsan!" Her brother announced and he ended the call while she slowly pulled the phone away from her ear, still holding it dearly as if her life depended on it. She looked up to the branches above her and released a breath she had been holding in before looking back over to the giant.
"Atsushi-san, thank you so much." She said and he nodded before she returned his phone back to him.
"…Hai, Emi-chin." He said and she sighed, her entire body and mind calmed down after speaking with her brother. She wiped away the remains of her tears before looking to the giant again.
"Atsushi-san, you'll keep this a secret, right?" She asked and he blinked before nodding, a darken expression on his face.
"Hai. I'll keep Emi-chin's secret if she keeps mine." He stated and she nodded, realizing he meant about what he said about his mother.
"Hai." She said and then slowly stood up her mind reframe set now in a better place after getting everything out, she brushed the dirt off her clothes, "It's almost time for me to go to work, Atsushi-san. I better get going."
He blinked before he started munching away at some chips he dug out from his bag and he too stood up, grabbing his stuff off the ground.
"I'll walk with you, Emi-chin." He said and she blinked before she put her sweater back on, staring at him before nodding.
He didn't seem to be fazed at all from her scars and still wanted to hang out with her, as if they don't matter to him at all.
A small smile graced her features and felt herself become eased, a sense of tranquility filling her.
"Thank you, Atsushi-san." She said and the two began to walk towards the direction of the cafe.
