Chapter Ten – Axis
The Present
It had begun raining a few minutes ago – assuming there's actually time in this place. Ootori-senpai was a few steps ahead of me, limping. I had offered to dress the dreadful wound on his left leg, but he just growled at me ferociously. Sheesh. Men and their pride. Or, it could just be that he was annoyed with me for having such a weak mind that I could succumb to them – whoever they are – so easily.
Well, whatever the case was, we were both stuck here. If you asked me, I'd say it was his fault we were both stuck here. If he just left with Suou-senpai and Fujioka-san, then only I would be stuck here. If I were stuck here alone, there'd be three chosen up above! And I thought he was supposed to be smart!
Stop the whole self-pity thing, Kiyumizu. It's annoying. He snapped inside my head.
I do not pity myself! You just failed to see the big picture in this scenario. I mentally slapped him with a fish.
"Kiyumizu." He spoke out loud; his voice harsh and icy. "Did you forget that the whole covenant is 'up above,' as you call it? I think they are more than capable to handle them."
He had good comebacks. I flinched.
"Besides," He continued with no mercy (Kami, men and their pride!), "I'm pretty sure your father's doing the best he can to get us out of here."
He smirked.
He won.
I think I missed him being emo and quiet.
The rain dampened my clothes. It fell down like bombs during World War II. I don't know how long we've been walking, or how far we've walked. And frankly, I didn't care. I was cold, my feet ached, my skin was numb from the wind that mocked me and I felt a dull ache somewhere on my right arm.
"Will you please stop complaining, Kyoko!?" He said; but his tone was gentler – lighter than his usual 'I-am-worse-than-death' tone. His features softened a great deal, too. I wondered why. Perhaps it was because his man pride was on vacation, or something.
But – as usual – I was wrong. Ootori-senpai already stopped walking. He looked ahead, a smile on his face. I followed him and looked ahead, as well.
I didn't believe what I saw.
Only a few feet away stood a man. His hair was messy and unkempt, and he looked like he didn't shave for quite some time; his glasses, too, were cracked and broken. But he was familiar. Very familiar.
"Dad." Senpai mumbled, moving a step forward. I think the world had already stopped turning.