I Was Benevolent and Good, Misery Made Me a Fiend
Tenko looked up at the sky, sighing as he ruffled his hair. It was several more inches longer from when he was in his first year of Junior high. Now onto his third year, quickening his pace.
The destination, an old play park, used to be filled with the screams and laughter of children playing. Now abandoned and only for it the be relaced with the cries of cicadas in the late summer.
He panted lightly, looking around the park. He gasped as he stumbled forward. He turned around quickly to see who pushed him, his glare softened, and smiled the moment he saw her.
"Nakamura-senpai. Why did you do that? That was mean."
"Sorry.~ wanted to surprise my little junior. You've grown so much! You were so tiny when you were in the first year."
"That was almost two years ago, you know?"
"Still, it felt like so long!"
"Shouldn't you want to study? You're in the second year of high school. Plus, isn't like the school you go like really serious about the test results it gets for the students?"
"I don't care. It's summer. I want to enjoy it."
"Okay, fine. So what do you- Is that a bruise?"
She immediately moved her hand to cover the bruise on her arm, fidgeting as she nodded.
"Oh, this? Yeah, I was holding a bag. It got stuck on something and left a bruise. You know how easily bruised I can get at times. It's embarrassing."
"Well, alright. Just be more careful. If you keep getting that injured, you can die from that much bruising."
"Eh? Really?"
"If you keep getting bruises like that, you can die from internal bleeding."
"How do you know- right google. Keep forgetting that."
"That. Plus helps when you have medical books around too."
"You're such a nerd. How am I friends with you?"
"I question the same when I'm with you."
"Touche."
They both laughed as they walk away, telling what they did during the summer. Going to different small shops and buying snacks. His eyes would glance at her, seeing the short black hair framing her face perfectly.
Their eyes met, smiling at one another. Blood rushing to his ears as he felt embarrassed. The moment she noticed. She started to tease him. His face flushed to a light red, he complained, begging her to stop.
He looked at the time on his phone, '18:47.' He looked at her and sighed. Disappointed, their day together to come to an end.
"It's getting late. I'll walk you to the train station."
"Oh, how sweet, the cute boy is a gentleman."
"Tease me all you want. I'm still taller than you."
"Only by three centimeters!"
"I'm still taller."
"True, but I can at least carry you with ease."
"That's because you're a brute."
"Yeah, yeah, and this brute is the best heavy lifter in her school too."
"Don't remind me. I'm still suffering from embarrassment from when you decided to use me as a substitute for your weights."
"Hey, and that's considering you were lighter than the weights I use."
"But aren't you only there to improve endurance for your Quirk?"
"This has nothing to do with my Quirk. Shit, I can't remember what it was."
"You got to be joking?"
"No way- Right. Now I remember. Nerve manipulation."
"You keep baffling me every time."
"It's better than being a sloth."
They continued walking beside one another, Waving and saying their goodbyes before she boarded at the train station, watching the train move away. Turning around and heading back to the house once the train was out of sight.
He greeted his father as he removed his shoes.
"Did you have fun with your friend?"
"Yes, Nakamura-senpai was nice, like always. She kept insisting on buying the food we got. I was able to buy a few things without her noticing."
"She certainly enjoys spoiling you, like your grandparents."
"I know, they keep wanting to buy me a bunch of things. Please convince them not to waste any more money. I'm more than satisfied with the gifts I got for my birthday."
"I'll try to convince them."
"Thank you."
"Still, are you thinking of asking her out?"
"What? No. She's just a friend."
"Yet, you always talk about her in such a cute tone."
"Because I cherish her a lot."
He rolled his eyes as he heard his father laugh. Walking to his room, he sighed with exhaustion as he flopped onto the bed, closing his eyes.
He knew he didn't like her like that. Well, he wasn't sure how exactly his affection for her was, romantically or platonically? His mind whirled around, unsure where to categorize these emotions. Seconds turned to minutes, his mind becoming hazy as he slowly let himself fall into a deep sleep.
He opened his eyes once again to the obnoxious ringing of his alarm clock. He looked around his room, cleaned, and prestige turned into; Lifeless and dusty. He used to be a clean freak, careful of wanting everything to 'perfect.'
But how perfect was everything now? Those bright dazzling summer nights turned somber now in his memories. He moved his hand up, only having two of his fingers touch his cheeks. He was crying again.
A shaky exhale left his lips as he whimpered, curling upon himself. His soft whimpers turned into mournful pained sobs. He wouldn't see that dazzling again. Never able to reciprocate those emotions.
He cursed at those who shamelessly bashed about the dead. After all, his only friend died two years ago, and a year of his suffering only worsened. He never expected to be bullied. Bashed around with bruises, being called names, and people wishing for him to be gone.
He has used to the stares, the isolation given by his peers, his nature of who he was, a wallflower at most. The rumors circulating about him only increased the loneliness he felt. With Keigo gone, he felt alone in this cruel world.
But when he met her, he started to open up, feeling alive. To have someone to lean on and help each other. Yet he felt like a complete idiot, using her Quirk on herself to lessen the pain.
He loathed himself to know that she was in pain, that her father treated her so disgustingly, when she flinched around males, even with him. How didn't he notice it sooner?
The way she looked at him, the way she hesitated each time to go onto the train. Will she still be alive if he hadn't let her go on that train? His minded overworked itself, wanting to find an excuse to feel less guilty. The way the girls always sneered and looked at the two in disgust. Starting a rumor that she captivated people with her body.
He had thought so many, many times. Of just grabbing their throats with his hands, torturing them, watching as they in pain slowly decayed into nothingness. A smile crept onto his lips as he laughed softly, the many despicable thoughts he had to make those people suffer.
Yet, he didn't have the gall to go into those actions. He knew well. Akiho wouldn't like that. Always, being optimistic and a pacifist wanting to find a resolution to it all without the need for violence. Bitting his bottom lip as he scratched his wrists, peeling away the skin, to the fleshy sensitive part. He continued, ignoring the pings of pain, ignoring the small droplets of blood that came out.
He hated everything about the world. Akiho's father is still alive, while he should be dead, for touching and disgustingly abusing her. How long did she have to suffer in that house? How long did she endure the pain without talking to anyone, thinking she can't do anything because she's a woman?
It was just like that one teacher he had. Her cries and curses, he heard vividly, still freshly carved into his memory. Like him and many of his students believed she was retiring the take care of her newborn child. He decided to give her a farewell gift. But in reality, she was crying and cursing out foul language to the principal and some of the faculty teachers.
'"Fucking bastards! You think just because I'm a woman with a child that I can't keep working!? I should be a good wife and do the job that's entitled to a woman!? You dare look me down just for my genes!"'
Her aggressive frustrated cries startled him. He never expected this amount of aggressiveness from her, always known to be gentle and kind. Still, he wasn't expecting to hear such words from her. Lashing out, being forced to resign from teaching, he's not the only one to have suffered this unjust?
The more he learns of the world is, the fear creeps into his soul. Deeper and deeper. The regrets pile up more as the days pass on. Can he even still say he wishes to be alive, with one of the few people he cherishes for is now gone? Can he even let the unwinding amount of self-guilt pass of him to continue living happily?
WHOOOOOO probably my longest chapter yet. 1.5k words! I was planning on lengthening this chapter out at first but decided to make it like this instead. Having a dream of an old memory. hahaha. So where almost finish with this small moment of Tenko taking the spotlight.
I left a bit of a hint. If you figure it out be sure to tell me in dm's don't spoil it the other's fun if you figure it out!
I had to add the chapter title here since it was too long. lol. This took me like two days to type out? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. The small arch of Tenko is almost over, I felt like some people may dislike me for making this chapter? I had planned to make it longer and have ya'll suffer but I pitied and decided this instead. Plus, I didn't want to drag this out more than necessary.
The Chapter of this title is from Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus from quote what Victor said. It suits well with What's occurring to Tenko. Plus, I really really need to give out already the issues with a large amount of male supremacy in Japan. There's one video that they discussed the inequality woman go through after a well know medical japan university is called out for giving women more difficult tests and for men they help them get a lea in the exams and are brided by rich people as well. his is old news but it does give out an important mention after many women came out on Twitter with their own problems. One was forced to write a letter of resignation, she couldn't leave until she wrote it. It is common for cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, along with women being discriminated against and victimized. Plus also the mentioning of how Japan's punishments are very light compared to the ones in u.s.a. for such is why implied the father isn't in jail.
This is a very heavy topic to talk bout considering how japan is pissy about talking about it publically considering its a serious problem. Plus doesn't help that how japan industrializes their porn with rape, and fucking 'minors'. While yes I have read hentai and such on the topic but I still found it uncomfortable. Like one of my favorite artists Handa, one of their works onichan topics about the seriousness of it as well grooming. I was intrigued by the story and the development of the story and the characters. I'll stop now I'm rambling.