Hello? Is anyone still here? Haha!
If so, after almost 3 years, here's chapter 21 of "Don't Leave!" I really don't know why I lost motivation to write this, but after re-watching "K Project," I thought "why not?" and decided to actually post this chapter that's been sitting on my phone for the past 3 years haha! If anyone is curious as to what I have been up to, you can DM me :)
I'm gonna go ahead and put a trigger warning on this for abuse. Yes there have been other chapters that might have triggered worse feelings, but for anyone new or stopping by, etc., I feel like I should just put trigger warnings before chapters now. After 3 years of really contemplating this story and re reading it, I'm really beating myself up for not thinking about trigger warnings. Stupid, younger me.
Anyways, finally on to the story!
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"I'm home..." A young boy called out. His eyes scanned the small area of the run down house. "Guess no one's home..."
Just then, a man with dark gray hair came stumbling around the corner, beer bottle in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He wore his shirt with the top half unbuttoned and black slacks. To top it off, his hair was messily tousled and he had a 5 o' clock shadow across his jaw. "Oh...it's jus' you..." he slurred. "Come clean up this sh*t while I take a nap," he said and motioned to the kitchen before crashing down on the couch. "This place better be spotless before I wake up, brat."
"Yes, dad..." the boy mumbled. He trudged into the kitchen, only to find everything completely trashed. Not only did it look like a junkyard, but it also smelled like one too. There were about dozens of empty beer bottles scattered across the wooden floor along with crumbs from who knows what foods his father ate. Dirty dishes were piled up in the tiny sink and he found broken dishes in a couple of spots on the floor and counters. The boy was quick to grab cleaning supplies and head straight to work. He knew that it would probably look the exact same way in a couple of hours, but if he didn't clean it up no one would. Not to mention, his father would, no doubt, give him another "lesson."
The young boy knew what he had to do after he cleaned: he was going to leave once and for all. He was going to try and finish the cleaning and pack his bags all before his father woke up from his nap. He couldn't stand living this life anymore.
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ONE HOUR LATER
"Okay, it's the cleanest it'll get..." The boy said and looked over to his father who was still in a deep slumber. He quietly tip-toed to his room and pulled out a small suitcase that wouldn't be too much of a hassle to lug around with him. The boy didn't bother packing everything neatly; he just tossed as much as he could into his bags to save some time.
Once he was finished packing his clothes, blankets, and toiletries, he quietly walked out of his room, careful to not wake his father. His hand was on the door knob when he heard, "where the hell do you think you're going?!"
All of a sudden, a beer bottle crashed near his head on the door, making him cringe. He felt a strong grip on his wrist harshly turn him around that brought him face-to-face with his father.
"You think you're leaving? What are you, stupid?"
The boy dropped his head and stayed silent.
"ANSWER ME!" His father yelled. His eyes landed on something that was sticking out of the boy's pocket. He grabbed it roughly from him and examined it. "Tch...what the hell is this sh*t?"
The boy tried to each for the object, but his father dodged his attempt. "It was a gift..."
"A collar?" He scoffed and threw it on the ground. "Pick it up. I dare you."
The boy quickly bent down, swiped the collar, and ran into his room. He tried to lock it, but before he could do so, the door went flying open, causing him to fall down.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN AWAY, BRAT?!" He yelled and picked up the boy by his shirt collar. The boy did his best to try and get free, but his father slapped him. The boy just shut his eyes and clenched his fists, knowing that he'd just have to endure this, because he knew that if he fought back, it would just get worse.
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4 DAYS LATER
Kumiko felt as if an enormous burden was lifted from her shoulders; she was finished with her second year, all tests were finished, and Noemi doesn't really harass her and Mikoto anymore. Now, Noemi just keeps her distance. However, when they HAVE to work together, Noemi just silently cooperates with Kumiko or Mikoto with no trouble. After the apology, they haven't exactly hung out 24/7 or become the best of friends, but at least no one was arguing with each other or hurting one another. Even Noemi's friends seemed to have left them alone. Kumiko or Mikoto didn't know if her friends still thought the two were sleeping together, but Kumiko hasn't been called any names.
The students have just finished their exams and are enjoying their final class party with Mr. Sato. While the students ate their plates full of delicious foods, memories with Mr. Sato were exchanged between the class. Whether the memory was sad, embarrassing, happy, or funny, not one single person forgot to mention how Mr. Sato was like a father to all of them. If a student was struggling with school or personal issues, Mr. Sato would always do his best to understand that they were just teenagers going through one of the most difficult stages of life. He would never get seriously mad, but he did know how to deal with serious situations appropriately. Everyone was feeling very uneasy with having a new teacher, especially in their last year of high school. They weren't at all afraid to express their feelings towards the matter.
"What if she's just plain rude?" One student asked.
"I have met her," Mr. Sato spoke up. "She seems completely fine. You guys have nothing to worry about."
"What if she hates kids? That's why she seemed nice to you, Mr. Sato." Another student chimed in.
"Well she does have a very young niece. Her name is...Anna, I think. Something along those lines. The two are very close."
"We still don't want you to leave!"
"Will you come by sometime?"
Mr. Sato chuckled. "Of course. I've been with you guys since your first day of high school! I can't just leave forever now can I?"
"Are you gonna come to our graduation?"
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't."
After everyone was finished exchanging fond memories and eating their food, they all gave Mr. Sato a goodbye gift that they all pitched in to purchase. They had bought him a plant with beautiful purple flowers inside of a pot that said "thank you for helping us grow." With it came a big card signed by the whole class with heartfelt messages.
They all gathered around for one final picture with him before saying their goodbyes.
"Mr. Sato," Kumiko started with Mikoto standing next to her. "Thank you for everything. I really wish you could stay."
Mr. Sato gave her a gentle smile. "Me too, Totsuka-san. Keep working hard, okay? You too, Suoh-kun. I better see you guys at the top of the class when you graduate next year!" He said.
"No promises..." Kumiko laughed.
"Treat each other well. I don't want to come back and see your guys' hearts broken. Got it?"
Kumiko blushed. "What...?"
Mr. Sato sighed. "Did you really think I didn't notice you two constantly passing notes, taking care of each other, always spending time together, etc.?"
Kumiko looked down. "I'm sorry..."
"It's nothing to be sorry about. You two be nice to each other, alright?"
Kumiko nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Sato. See you later."
"Have a nice break you guys."
Kumiko waved goodbye and Mikoto nodded as his way of saying "thanks" and "bye."
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Off on their vacations the students went! Some of them had plans to travel to other towns or different countries. For those that weren't, they just hung out with their other friends or volunteered around the community.
"We graduate next year," Kumiko sighed as she and Mikoto were walking home. "What are you gonna do after?"
He thought about it and answered with, "nothin'."
"Sounds like a plan. By the way, do you ever plan on staying in your own home?" Kumiko laughed.
Mikoto looked down at her and rose a brow, making Kumiko laugh more and interlock her fingers with his. Now that spring break has started, Kumiko couldn't wait to spend some time with Mikoto without worrying about school.
Ring Ring Ring
Kumiko picked up her phone and saw Tatara's picture on her screen, causing her to liberate a small sigh.
"Hello?"
"Onee-chan! Something's wrong with Ash..."
"Uh-okay! Hold on. I'll be right there."
"What's up?" Mikoto asked.
"Something with Ash. Let's hurry home," Kumiko said and started running home.
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Kumiko and Mikoto arrived back at the Totsuka residence and walked up to the front door to unlock it. However, as Kumiko was about to insert her house key, a worried Totsuka swung the door open.
"Tatara!"
"No time to talk! C'mon," he exclaimed and dragged Kumiko by the hand.
Upon entering the kitchen, Kumiko's eyes landed on a bruised and injured Ash laying on a couple of towels that Tatara had laid out for him. Underneath Ash's disheveled fur, the three teens saw several dark, purple bruises that marred his white stomach. Ash flinched and attempted to meow in protest when Kumiko gently brushed some of his fur to find more bruises. When she heard Ash's attempt to cry out in pain, she instantly retreated her hand. His meows sounded incredibly weak, and that made Kumiko want to tear up.
"When I got home from school, I was about to head inside when I heard this little guy. He can't even walk..."
"We need to call a vet. Now," Kumiko whipped out her phone.
"Wait," Tatara put his hand over her phone. "We can't afford a vet."
"Then what are we gonna do?"
The three thought about ways they could help Ash out by themselves. Then, Tatara spoke up and said, "King! Onee-chan! Come with me! Let's go find something to help!" Tatara grabbed them by the wrist and dragged them to the bathroom, much to their annoyance.
"Tatara! One of us has to stay with Ash to watch him!" Kumiko said.
"Right...do you want to go and look after him?" Tatara asked.
"Okay," Kumiko said and started back to the kitchen.
When she walked out of the bathroom and turned the corner to go into the kitchen, instead of finding a small kitten laying on a blue towel, she saw a bruised boy with dark gray hair who was not exactly wearing ANY type of clothing whatsoever. The first thing that came to Kumiko's mind was to throw a blanket over the boy...right after she let out a small scream.
"Onee-chan? What's wrong?"
"Don't-! Don't come in!" She said as she scrambled to cover the boy's body. "How the...?" Kumiko said to herself. She rushed to the bathroom to ask Tatara, "do you have any clothes?"
"What? What's going on?" The younger Totsuka asked as he walked out of the bathroom with Mikoto following behind him. His eyes landed on a small boy whose wide eyes were peeping out of a blanket. "Oh-I'll be back..."
Mikoto walked up to the boy under the blanket and furrowed his brows. "...The hell?"
"I don't-I don't know what just happened..." Kumiko said as she scratched her cheek. "I walked away looking at a cat and then...well...a boy with no clothes...appeared. Um...who...are you?" Kumiko dared to ask.
"I'm Ash..." the boy spoke up and moved to sit.
"Wait! You'll hurt yourself some more if you move around too much," Kumiko said as she adjusted his blanket. "Also...what do you mean you're Ash?"
"Whenever you guys ate lunch at school...I was always there sitting with you...and," He brought his hand up to show Kumiko and Mikoto the collar that Tatara had given him. "And you guys gave me this..."
Before the two teens had a chance to reply, Tatara had come into the kitchen with a large t-shirt and a pair of shorts. "Here you go," he mumbled and slid the shirt over his head. "Actually, I think the shirt might be big enough to go down to your knees."
Ash pushed the blanket off of his lap and moved to stand up. He held both of his hands out for someone to help him stand and Tatara and Kumiko were quick to help him to his knees. Sure enough, the shirt he had received looked like it went about three inches past his knees.
"So..." The younger Totsuka began. "Who is this?"
"I'm...Ash..."
"Um...why don't we sit down on the sofa?" Kumiko suggested. "Then you can tell us what's going on, 'kay?"
Ash nodded and lifted the blanket up to cover the bottom half of his face. "Okay...um...can you...help me...please?" Ash mumbled quietly.
Kumiko chuckled. "Of course. Here," she held out her hand. "Let's go."
Slowly but surely, they made it to the couch in the living room. As soon as Ash sat down on a dark sofa, his eyes lit up and his hands moved around the soft material.
"Having fun?" Kumiko asked.
Ash nodded with a big smile on his face.
"I'm gonna go make some tea. Do you want some?" Kumiko asked Ash.
"Y-yes...please."
Kumiko got up to go into the kitchen, leaving Mikoto and Tatara alone with Ash. The two stared at the young boy sitting across from them whose eyes were darting all over the place in curiosity. Ash looked back at Mikoto and Tatara then looked down, blushing.
'Ehe...well this is going nowhere...' Tatara thought to himself.
Luckily, Kumiko came back with the tea and broke the awkward silence between the three. She placed the mug in front of Ash and sat back down next to Mikoto. Ash slowly picked the mug up and started chugging the drink without coming up for oxygen. In about a minute, Ash set the cup nicely on the table and let out a tiny burp, making him bring the blanket up over his mouth and mumble, "'scuse me."
"Do you want anymore?" Kumiko offered.
Ash shook his head. "No thank you..."
"Um...so...can you explain what's going on?" Kumiko asked Ash.
Ash shifted in his seat and looked down at his hands then back to the three teens across from him. "Um...well...do you know what a 'strain' is?"
The Totsuka siblings just shook their heads and Mikoto rose an eyebrow in confusion. "Well...strains are people who have special powers. Some are really dangerous, though. But I promise I'm good!"
"Why do you have bruises?" Tatara questioned.
Ash shifted uncomfortably again and looked down. "Um..."
"You don't have to answer," Kumiko said with a gentle smile.
"Can...can I stay with...you?" Ash asked, completely avoiding the question Kumiko asked before.
Kumiko tilted her head and asked, "where did that come from? Do you have nowhere to go?"
"It's not safe at my house..." Ash mumbled and looked down at his hands.
"What? Why wouldn't it be safe at home?"
Ash sniffled and wiped at his eyes. "Um..." he started, his voice breaking. "My...my daddy...my daddy hi-hits me..."
Kumiko and Tatara stared in shock, while Mikoto just furrowed his brows. "Ash," Tatara said as he and Kumiko got up to sit next to him.
"M-my daddy hits me...be-because...because..." Tears started to spill down Ash's face as he couldn't continue anymore.
"Shh sh sh," Kumiko comforted him and ran her fingers through his hair. "You don't have to continue."
"When...when my mommy and daddy found out I had powers," he continued, ignoring Kumiko, "m-my mommy left. Then Daddy got mad at me...he said it was my fault that Mommy left us. After that...Daddy got sad and started...started to hit me...and call me mean things. I just want to leave," he looked up at Kumiko, Tatara, and Mikoto. "I want to stay with you guys."
The three looked at each other, not knowing what to do. As if reading their minds, Ash said, "I just have to try and pack my bags without Daddy seeing me. Please...I promise to be good."
"Ash..." Kumiko sighed. "I really want to help you, but this is something that should be dealt with by someone who specializes in something like this-"
"No! Don't...don't tell anyone about this! I don't trust anyone else except you guys...I promise I'll be good."
Kumiko looked at her brother and Mikoto, then back down to Ash. "You said you needed to grab your things, right?"
He nodded.
"...Well...maybe we can help...somehow..." Kumiko mumbled.
Ash's eyes lit up and a huge grin appeared on his face as he tackled Kumiko with a big hug. "Thank you! Can we go tonight? Daddy should be out of the house."
Kumiko sighed. "Ash, are you sure?"
He nodded. "Positive!"
The three teens looked at each other and back down to Ash. "Okay," Tatara said. "Get some rest and we'll leave tonight."
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Kumiko laid on her bed, thinking about how she was going to help Ash out. Her fingers stroked the plush fabric of her duvet when she heard a knock at her door.
She sat up and opened her door to find Ash wrapped up in the same blanket she had thrown over him. He was rubbing at his eyes and let out a small yawn. "Can I nap with you?"
Kumiko smiled and replied with a "mhm." She sat on her bed and pat her lap, motioning for Ash to come over and lay his head down. He crawled onto the bed and rest his head on Kumiko's lap. Ash let out a contented hum when Kumiko began running her hands through his rough locks and massaging his scalp every once in a while.
"Kumiko."
"Hm?"
"Are you really okay with me staying with you?" Ash mumbled and pulled the blanket over his mouth.
"It'll take some time getting used to someone here," Kumiko started. "But I have no problem with it."
"Mikoto doesn't seem like he likes me..."
At this, Kumiko giggled, causing Ash to look up at her. "Don't worry too much about him. I think he's just jealous," she whispered.
"Jea...lous?"
"Mhm. Because you're so darn cute, I always pay attention to you. That makes him jealous. He doesn't hate you though," she tapped his nose, making him giggle.
"Ah?" Mikoto appeared in the doorway with a towel over his wet hair and raised brow.
Kumiko pat the space next to her and Mikoto sat down. "What's he doin'?"
Ash looked at Mikoto with a nervous expression before looking back at Kumiko. "He's resting."
Mikoto muttered out a quiet, "tch" and turned his head to the side.
Ash shot up and quickly said, "I-I'm sorry! I-I'll l-leave!"
Before Ash could scoot off of the bed and out of Kumiko's room, Kumiko called out to him. He turned around a mumbled a, "y-yes?"
"Come back here," Kumiko said and pat her lap once more. Ash looked at Kumiko, then at Mikoto who had his brows furrowed.
"B-But Mikoto looks mad..."
Despite how serious Ash may have been, Kumiko laughed and looked at Mikoto. "That's his normal face," she ruffled his red locks.
"Tch..." Mikoto muttered again, but did nothing to stop Kumiko from ruffling his hair.
Ash slowly made his way back to Kumiko and laid his head back down. "Just rest, Ash. We can leave once you wake up." He nodded his head and soon enough, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Kumiko began humming a quiet lullaby and running her hands through his hair. Finally, Ash's breathing slowed to a relaxed pace as he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
Flick
"...Ah?" Mikoto directed his confused and slightly irritated gaze to the brunette sitting right beside him.
"Don't 'ah' me," Kumiko whispered. "Can you be a little nicer to Ash?"
"Tch...dunno what you're talkin' about..." Mikoto defended and directed a small glare towards the sleeping boy resting on Kumiko's lap.
Flick
"Oi..." Mikoto grumbled and held his cheek. "Cut it out."
"Be nicer to Ash, okay?"
Mikoto grumbled and turned his head in the opposite direction. "Whatever..."
Kumiko's gaze softened and she cracked a small smile. She shifted in her spot without trying to disturb Ash and moved Mikoto's hand off his check to place a gentle kiss where she flicked him. "Better?"
He smirked. "Yeah."
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I hope that was okay! I know there are way more "K" things out that might clash with what I wrote in the story (i.e. I wrote that Munakata didn't have siblings in a previous chapter but in a manga or some story, he actually has a sibling. This of course came out after I wrote that u_u;) but I'll try and think of something to say that'll make sense even if it's not completely canon lol.
MikitheSwiftie: It looks like Noemi did mean what she said! She's leaving them alone now! Or is she? The world may never know. Glad you liked the previous chapter!
the prince of fiction: No problem! I'm sorry I haven't updated for the past 3 years! haha!
Alice: Hello friend are you still there? ^_^;; haha thank you for your kind words! I feel like everyone hates Noemi and always will haha! I kinda feel bad for writing her like that now lol
AstrateMoon: Hahahahahahaha chapter 21 came out way later than you asked and I'm sorry! Thank you for your kind words about the story! I'm really gonna try to finish or do what I can, but I don't expect y'all to wait on me :) I just wanna put everything up because it'll bug me that I have an unfinished thing!
shika93: Thank you, friend! :) Glad you liked it!
C0smic: NO I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS THEY GIVE ME LIFE! I'M GLAD MY FF CAN GET YOU SUPER PUMPED! And no worries :)
Guest: Ah! I shall do my best!
Racontuerisme: Here's the update! Sorry it took so long! Hopefully it was satisfying?
Purdy Girl101: Here ya go!
Delgodess: Ahhh good questions. You hear all in the news and different articles about those that reported sexual harassment and were blamed for it and all different kinds of terrible victim blaming/shaming. I imagine Kumiko as someone who tries to handle her situations on her own which is a flaw of hers as you miiiiiggght see in previous chapters. Of course rape and trying to handle a fever on your own are TWO VERY 10000% ENTIRELY COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS, I think maybe talking about it is too much for Kumiko. I've thought if that is the case, she'll have to talk about it multiple times to the authorities and therapists and that's not something she's entirely comfortable with. She's kinda been on her own with Tatara for a good chunk of her life that I imagine she wants to deal with the situation herself, even though it's not the best choice and she should talk to authorities. But then again I do have the power to write a story that goes well for her and not have the victim-blaming part, etc. I would just have to smoothly incorporate it somehow. Sorry if this doesn't make sense and is all over the place!
LaughterLover98: THANK YOU! I SHIP THEM SO MUCH TOO! Awww thanks! Saying the characters are spot on and that you love my OC and her relationship with Munakata means a lot! It really is hard sometimes thinking about how to write the characters haha!
: Thank you! It means a lot! :)
kitsuneblackwater: Why thank you! I hope you were able to see the update and enjoy this chapter!
Eagle Dreamer: Thank you so much! Hopefully you saw the update as well and continued to enjoy it!
Whew! Done! Now to actually do my school work and catch up on where K is in their novels and shorts and whatnot. Thank you all for continuously favoring, reviewing, and following! All of the views and visits really mean a lot to me! :)