Killer Queen: A Clockwork Pink
Chapter 2: Mother Love
Music Refrences: Mother Love, A Queen Song
Before we begin: Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit rushed, I did make it in under 48 hours and I wanted to pump it out before I got writer's block. If you made it this far thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next one.
March 1999.
Kosaku Kawajiri was never a cruel husband.
He never raised his voice at Shinobu, even when he was immature back in high school, he never ever found it necessary to raise it. The big and strong Japanese man would never dream of hitting his wife, or rather, making any physical contact at all. Anytime Shinobu tries to get intimate with her husband, he always brushes her off, giving the cold shoulder. The last time they were a seemingly normal couple was before Hayato was even conceived, but now, even though the lived under the same roof, they never been so distant.
Shinobu was a housewife, heavily dependent on her husband to pay rent, get money for groceries and necessities, but always being in the same place day in and day out was quite suffocating for her, she wanted a way out from this loveless marriage. But a combination of overreliance on her husband and feeling a obligation to give Hayato a somewhat normal childhood is preventing her from leaving. All she just wants to have a bit more excitement in life, especially in bed. She'd always catch herself sitting by the window, staring at the clouds in the sky, reminiscing about what could have been, if she had ditched Kosaku in favor of a certain Blonde-haired boy she unintentionally fell for by complete chance.
Hayato is a lot smarter than what people make him out to be, at least when it comes to social cues. He knows immediately when the vibe of the room is off and he can always identify those who are not having the greatest of times. It might come as prerequisite when youre the spawn of a tumultuous. Every day when he got home, he can feel the undertones of silent tension between his mom and dad. And this caused guilt to build up inside of him. He feels like his birth was responsible for the decline of this already apathetic household, and he feels like his mom hated the fact that he was born to begin with. He would rarely speak to them, opting to stay in his room and spying on them through a series of surveillance cameras he hid in his parents' room. He did it so he would be the first to know if things got better between the two, or worse. (He is very glad that his parents were never intimate with each other, he didn't want to accidently see them having sex on camera. He may already be a very weird kid but there are lines that even he didn't want to cross.)
Each day he would walk past his mother when he walks out the door to go to school, barely saying a word. Here and there they would sprinkle in a weak "Good morning" to each other, but that's about it.
The Kawajiri family is incredibly mundane, no love to go around but there wasn't any threat of violence. So, what went so wrong?
One day Shinobu and Hayato were sitting at the dinner table, eating tonight's special… Take Out. It was 8pm, signifying that Kosaku was late, which is unusual for him. He was always so punctual in his times that him being late is as uncommon as spontaneous combustion, but this time something in Shinobu is telling her that this phenomenon shouldn't be taken as a surprise, but instead should be taken as a sign to start worrying. Every other minute she glances at the door.
Hayato watched carefully as his other became more and more unnerved by his dad's absence. Is she actually worried about dad? Or is she worried that she would need to work if he ever disappeared. Hayato thought to himself, squinting at the thought of his mom working as anything but a housewife. He sighed, only to jump a little as the phone rang unexpectedly; he turned to his mom, who was paying no mind to the phone, only staring out the door, waiting for her "Lover." Hayato groaned at the notion, forcing himself off the chair he sat on and trudged over to the phone. He grabbed the receiver and placed it to his ear.
"Kawajiri household…" Hayato responded, waiting for an answer.
"Hello, you must be Hayato. Can you pass me to one Kawajiri Shinobu?" A gruff sounding man on the other end of the line said.
Hayato eyed his mother for a bit, before calling onto her. "Mom!"
Shinobu turned to Hayato who was gesturing with the receiver, indicating that -the call was intended for her. She glanced at the door one more time, feeling a pit form in her stomach. She got up and walked over to the phone. She grabbed the receiver and placed it on her ear, and with a shaky voice, squeaked out a "Hello…"
"Kawajiri Shinobu? This is Officer Higashikata Ryohei. Your husband is currently in the hospital after getting hit by a car while walking home from work…" The rest of what the officer had to say fell on deaf ears.
Shinobu heard a ringing in her ear that became louder and louder at each passing second, drowning out what Officer Higashikata had to say. She dropped the receiver in shock, the wire catching it before it landed on the floor, slamming into the wall with an audible thud. Hayato turned back to look at his mom, wondering what the noise was, only to be met with Shinobu standing as stiff as a rock, with tears streaming down her face. Something was wrong… Hayato was taken aback, at the most his mom looked disheveled, never once breaking down crying at the way her life was going, never once caring. But now his mom was standing right in front of him crying… He had never seen this before.
"M- Mom?" Hayato tried to get his mother out of the trance that she had apparently fallen into.
Shinobu said nothing, she instead walked to the door and put one a pair of sneakers that she bought exclusively for buying groceries. She hatefully puts them on and heads to the door, the confused and awfully concerned Hayato's heart was beating fast, did something happen to his dad? "Mom, what's wrong?"
Shinobu paused before exiting the door, she turned back to look at her son, the tears in her eyes looking like sparked from Hayato's perspective, opening her mouth to say the most words to her son for the first time in what seemed like forever.
"Your dad was hit by a car." She said in a tone of utter desperation before running out the door. Leaving Hayato all alone to ingest the gravity of the words spoken to him.
Kosaku got out later than usual. He was an accountant force to work unpaid overtime by his boss to finish up signing some documents that Kosaku was unknowingly falling behind on. Well, if it was to keep himself from losing his job it was all worth it, he needed to pay for the house to keep Shinobu and Hayato from going homeless… Shinobu. Kosaku had reached an epiphany not too long ago. He felt like the life he is living isn't really one he desired, he realized that his marriage was going to shit and that his relationship with his son is going incredibly sour. Hayato needed a father figure to look up to, to prevent him from going into a world without a role model, like he was in the past.
He didn't want to see his son turn to a piece of shit like he was in Highschool. Picking on other kids to prove is the baddest son of a bitch to trifle with just to get the girl of his dreams. Kosaku signed to himself, looking up at the night sky. I got all that I wanted, so why the hell do I feel so empty. Maybe I need to reconcile with Hayato. But before I can do that, I need to mend my relationship with Shinobu first. But I have no idea how to… Kosaku thought to himself before a light emanating from a window broke him out of his thought.
The Cinderella Beauty Salon. Kosaku marveled at the salon's front entrance for a second. He had heard exceedingly positive reviews coming from this place, he heard that the woman running the place is Aya Tsuji professional beautician and part time marriage counselor. Aya Tsuji graduated from the same high school as Shinobu, Kosaku and Kira!
The women at his workplace claimed that their marital bond became increased after spending time with their husbands at the Salon. Maybe Shinobu would like to come here, I know that she wants to be my wife, so maybe I should change to finally make her happy. Suddenly, he felt someone bump into Kosaku, causing him to drop his suitcase onto the concrete.
"Oh- Many apologies my friend." A man said in perfect Japanese and a noticeably American accent said.
"No, no. I apologize, I was not paying attention where I was going-" Kosaku paused before looking at the person he bumped into.
It was a man, he was very tall, 6' 5" (1.95 meters.) He had a soft looking face to him, the light coming from the inside of the Salon showed off his features. He had tanner skin than those around him, with a stubble forming around his chin. He was wearing a white button town shirt and black slacks with nice black leather shoes, interestingly he was also wearing a pair of aviators and a black Chicago White Sox baseball cap, holding an open bottle of Pepsi in on hand. Kosaku blinked a few times, confused as to the, let's say interesting attire of this man.
"You're American." Kosaku said with a bit of astonishment.
"Yes I am." The man said, once again in perfect Japanese, capping it off with a nice shiny smile.
"You speak such fluent Japanese!"
"I actually visit Japan frequently! It might need to come off as prerequisite if I want to stay in this place for long periods of time." The American replied.
"What brings you to Morioh?" Kosaku asked the man, forgetting completely about the fact that he dropped his suitcase.
"Here to visit an old friend." The American looked up at the sky, it was dark, and the white specs representing stars began to glisten down on the 2 men talking on the sidewalk. "But the time for talk has passed, its late and I have places to be."
"I never caught your name." Kosaku said.
"It's Martin." He then places Kosaku's suitcase onto his chest and gave him a bit of a smirk. "I'll be on my way!"
The American named Martin then put up his index and middle finger, and suddenly Kosaku found himself in the middle the street, still right next to the Salon, with no memories of the events that just occurred or how he got there. What the fuck? Where am I-
Suddenly he felt something slam into his side and launching him into the air. Everything went into slow motion. He could feel the moisture of his sweat fall off of his face and land back onto his brow, he could see the pavement underneath him get closer as he crashes and burns back to earth. And with the sound similar to that of a watermelon bursting, he blacked out completely.
December 1982
Reimi Sugimoto had come back to school after being traumatized from discovering a vicious, ultra-graphic murder scene. Interestingly she might have been there to witness the murder itself but was either so scared that she forgot every detail, or she got there a few seconds too late. Reimi was already very popular amongst the boys for her cuteness and usually jubilant manner. But when she got back, she became much more popular amongst not only the normal schoolboys, but to creeps ready to take advantage of her.
Her mental exhaustion brought upon her a level of stoic beauty and an uncared for, lowered defense to social cues. She became much more reserved to from her friends, opting to rather talk to boys who approach her first, boy who, unbeknownst to her, only talk to her to get sexual favors from her. One such boy was Kosaku Kawajiri.
Even though he would claim that Hakura Shinobu was his one and only, that didn't stop Kosaku from eyeing up other girls especially Sugimoto.
One cold day Shinobu was talking to her best friend, Aya Tsuji leaving Kosaku to do whatever he wants for the time being. Whatever he wants. He went up to Reimi who was silently sitting alone at the lunch table, trying her hardest to eat the bento her parents packed for her, but she couldn't muster the strength to put it in her mouth. Suddenly she felt someone sit down next to her, extremely close to her. She turned to see a boy, a few inches taller than he, with a stern look on his face, with pitch black eyes staring at hers. Kosaku could note the glossiness in her eyes, like the glass eye of a doll, that of a taxidermy animal. Reimi didn't flinch when Kosaku put his hand on her chin, instead she pressed her chin onto his hand willingly.
Shinobu love spending time with Aya, but she knows that Kosaku is also a priority. She exited the art room where her and Aya usually hangs, jubilantly skipping down the hallway, ready to spend the rest of her lunch with Kosaku. She reached the hallway before the cafeteria, turning the corner she froze in her tracks, heart plummeting to the bottom of her gut, gasping loudly as all color and jubilance drained from her face. She stared at Reimi and Kosaku as they were entangled in an embrace, both red in the face from kissing without any breaks, both staring back at her. Reimi had an expression of blank surprise, only her mouth forming into the shape of an "O" was the only thing indicating her shock. Kosaku however, was terrified, the redness from in his face turned blue incredibly fast.
Shinobu stepped backward, before turning tail and sprinting away from the scene. Kosaku clenched his teeth, realizing what he had just done, pulling himself away from Reimi and running after Shinobu.
"Shinobu! WAIT!" But the surprisingly athletic girl was already gone.
Shinobu stormed out of the building, forgetting that she had left her uniform sweater in the art room, as she intended to get it before going to class. She stomped down the stair, the cold, frozen grass crunching under her feet. She was not sad, she was pissed. This wasn't something to cry over, but now she is left with a dilemma.
I can't leave Kosaku, the only reason why I have so many friends, and what will happen if I do leave him? I'll lose all of them! Fuck, Fuck, FUCK, FUCK. Shinobu looked around for a place that will be an easy enough hiding spot from Kosaku. She spotted a tree that overlooked the lake by the school. She liked to go there when she wanted to clear her head, to think. So, she stomped towards the tree, not expecting anyone to be there. She sat behind the tree with a huff, swearing she bumped into something, but ultimately deciding at that moment that her rage was causing her to imagine things.
Her red-hot temper was repelling the bitter coldness outside, but she could still feel her breath turn to steam as it existed her mouth. Suddenly, she felt something else. The cold air being waved back into her face by something moving in front of her eyes. Her eyes fluttered open, and her pupils contracted. Her rage was making her blind to how bright it was outside. When her vision finally cleared, a boy with bright sky-blue eyes and blonde hair staring back at her, sitting right next to her behind the tree. She did bump into someone… And that person was there first. Her heart was kicked all the way to her throat, finding the appearance of this boy unexpected.
"Oh- Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even notice you… Er. Kira, was it? Congratulations on getting second place… Again…" The girl said in an awkward tone, wanting to stir up a conversation to try to save face from embarrassment.
Kira looked down onto the cold grass, blushing a bit. "Thank you…"
At that second, the dots in Shinobu's head began to fall into place. Hold on… This is the perfect opportunity for me to get back at Kosaku for being a piece of shit! Maybe if I can get this guy to kiss me like Kosaku did to Reimi, maybe I can make him super jealo- Wait, where the hell is he going.
Kira stood up to bow.
"S- Sorry, I'll find somewhere else to sit." Kira said.
But as he turned around to walk away, he felt a slight tug on his sweater. Kira snapped his head around, only to find Shinobu holding onto the end of his sleeve, with both hands. She was blushing a lot more than she was originally, causing Kira's heart to jump to his throat.
"I- Its fine… Please stay." She said.
Kira looked at her for a second, the redness on his face became denser, before shakingly sitting back down, trying to hide the shakiness of each breath he took, only to be betrayed by the cold air around him making each breath visible. Poor bastard… He's trying to hide his nervousness, but the cold air is giving him away. How cute… Shinobu internally paused. Speaking of cold… Her exposed skin was finally trying to adjust to the cold temperature around her, goosebumps start to form as the cold air began to bite her like millions of bullet ants would to an animal. Her breathing became much more rigid, and the tip of her fingers began to hurt. Shit, I shouldn't have left my sweater in the art room, how stupid of me… Stupid, stupid Shinobu…
She then felt something drape over her shoulders. It felt a bit heavy, but also thick, and very warm. She unconsciously wrapped it around her tighter, absorbing the warmth emanating from the sweater.
"You seem to need this more than I do…" Kira said calmly.
Shinobu's snapped open to stare at Kira, who was only gazing at her with his blue eyes. He… He doesn't even know me, but he still insists on giving me his sweater because I'm cold. What the hell is this? This might have been confused, but that didn't stop her red-hot blush from appearing on her face. What, Shinobu, stop blushing! You're here to make Kosaku jealous! Not to catch feelings. She sighed to herself, trying to lower her blush.
"You looked angry before…" Kira asked bluntly. "Are you okay?"
Shinobu replayed the events that transpired minutes earlier, Reimi and Kosaku, and she mentally slapped herself. She scowled and huffed.
"This one bastard pissed me off. I didn't want to talk to him so I came outside where no one can bug me…" She turned her gaze to the lake that sat in front of her, into the horizon with a solemn look on her face. "I like coming here because the view calms me down."
"Me too…" Kira unconsciously said without missing a beat, staring off into the horizon as well. "The struggles of life seem to fade away when I'm here, that's why I eat here every day."
Shinobu eyed Kira again, sighing a bit to herself. In that moment she thought about every action, ever decision that she took that led to this moment, she felt ashamed of herself she was about to use this guy to piss off her stupid ass boyfriend but discovered that he was just like her in multiple ways, and that's making her feel things she hadn't felt since she began dating Kosaku. He an compose himself much fast than Kosaku that's for sure…
"Oh… I never got you name…" Kira said.
The girl's eyes seemed to fix themselves to Kira's blue ones, the blush on her face once again returning. She sighed.
"Shinobu, Shinobu Hakura." She responded.
Both sat in silence for a few more minutes, looking at the horizon, how beautiful it was, Shinobu occasionally glanced at Kira, who was sitting in an air of melancholy. She admired how he could look like a gajin, and Japanese student at the same time. She admired his soft ad seemingly perfect skin, his blonde hair, loose yet marvelously combed back, with 2 loose strands in front that hang leisurely over his forehead, and his eyes, oh my god, his eyes were so beautiful to stare at. Shinobu felt herself gushing, but it kept her mind off of Kosaku, and off the gilt built by her willingness to use Kira for a cruel revenge against Kosaku.
But as Shinobu stare at Kira, she began to notice, his slight shivering, using his breath to warm up his frigid hands. She decided to return the favor, she scooted closer to him, a lot closer, and draped one half of his sweater over him, sharing her bodily warmth. Kira could only blush violently at this and enjoy the shared warmth. Shinobu gazed at him for a few seconds, before closing her eyes and facing forward. Why couldn't Kosaku be like this. Why am I enjoying the attention that this guy gives me…
However, out of the black, something tore Kira out from under his sweater, the sheer equivalent momentum threw Shinobu to the cold, sharp grassy ground. She looked up, bewildered, to see Kosaku pinning Kira to the tree, a very cold shadow fell over his face, the only thing that was highlighted was his glass, back eyes.
"First, you try to humiliate me in front of everyone in our class. Next you try to steal my girl?" He said in an ice-cold voice.
What? The hell does that mean? Shinobu
"W- What?" The words never registered to Kira, that is until a fist slammed into him stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
"KOSAKU, WHAT THE-" Shinobu tried to scream out…
"Shut it… You know what you were doing…" … Only to be cut off by Kosaku.
Kosaku DID know what Shinobu was doing, trying to make him feel jealous by being with another guy, however it backfired on her for she was actually falling for Kira. Kira wheezed out something, it unintelligible, Kosaku turned around to stomp Kira on the head, not caring if he was expelled or arrested, as long as Kira cannot be with Shinobu. However, Shinobu jumped in front of him, pushing a bit, and getting him off his balance. Raising both of her arms as a divider between Kira and Kosaku.
"Don't take it out on him. You're mad at him because of me. Take it out on me!" Shinobu said desperately.
Kosaku stared at her, at her body, her face. His face remained cold, sheer cold, eye untwitching. He relaxed his shoulders a bit before forcefully grabbing Shinobu's hand.
"If you even look at my girl one more time… I'll fucking kill you." Kosaku stated to Kira who was still hunched on the ground, trying to retain his breathing.
Guilt built up in Shinobu, as she felt responsible for all of this. She wanted to apologize profusely to him, to grovel to him, but she was afraid of the ramifications that will occur. Was Kosaku's threat just an empty statement, or will he actually murder Kira if he ever came into contact with her again. She didn't want to find out.
She would throw glances at Kira sporadically throughout the rest of the year. For the first few weeks, he seemed confident enough, but soon his condition began to deteriorate and he seemed sadder by each passing day. Shinobu caused this, and there was nothing she could do, for Kosaku stuck to her like a fly to a flytrap for the rest of the year. The few days he was absent due to illness, she didn't have enough confidence to approach Kira either, so she would just talk about him with Aya.
"You know that… Kira guy." She said one day in the art room, causing Aya to stop chewing her food. "Yeah… I think he is in my poetry club. Why?"
"What do you think about him?"
Aya finished chewing her food and gave a little thought.
"He tries so hard to be average… I found his presence a bit… creepy…"
Shinobu forced a quiet, fake laugh.
"Oh. I was thinking that too…" She lied...
4 broken ribs, a cracked skull, shattered orbital bone, a broken arm and 29 stitches and to top it all off, a concussion. Those were the injuries sustained by Kosaku. Even before the initial impact, he forgotten completely about the interaction he had with the American, almost as if he never existed. He was discharged from the hospital after 3 weeks, but he was still worse for wear. Doctors said the concussion wasn't too serious, and that his orbital bone will take the longest to heal. His face was partially swollen, making it seem like he was scowling, even when he was resting. He was forced to sleep on the reclining couch for the first few nights due to his broken ribs, but it's not like this is unnatural for him, he rarely ever slept in the same bed as Shinobu anyways.
Ever since he came out of the hospital, he hadn't said a word, not because he couldn't, he was more than capable of doing so, but he was so entrenched in thought that he couldn't think of talking. I was so worried about working to provide for my family that it nearly got me killed, I can't keep doing this, working so late. What was I thinking wanting to improve my relationship with them…? I don't even care for them anyways. Kosaku wasn't confused due to his concussion, this was the true Kosaku coming out once more, the one that wasn't seen since high school. He sat at the table, doing his thousand-yard stare, the silence of the house was only broken by the running water made by Shinobu washing dishes and Hayato's pencil scribbling away at his homework. But for one mere moment both became silent, and in that mere second, Kosaku finally made his choice.
"I want a divorce…" He said bluntly.
Crash! The sound of Shinobu dropping a plate in shock nearly caused Hayato to jump out of his chair.
"Wh- What?" Shinobu squeaked, stunned.
"You heard me…"
Shinobu looked at him for a few second before sighing a breath of relief. "It probably just his concussion talking…"
"It's not…" Kosaku responded with frostbite in his voice. "I want… a divorce."
Shinobu's breathing became heavier and heavier, she didn't know what to say. Hayato only glanced between the two, confused. He already knew what divorce was, but he was confused on why this is springing up so suddenly. There was no prior conflict between the two, only deadpanned silence.
"Wh- Why do you want it?" Shinobu said, holding back tears.
"The decisions I make are mine to make… And don't cry because you no longer can depend on me for money, find a job."
Hayato decided it was not the best of ideas to stay around during this argument, so he decided to hop off the chair he was sitting on and approach the door to his room.
"NO! I am not crying because of that. I am crying because I loved you! I am crying because I thought you would change!" Shinobu sobbed out utterly devastated.
"I tried doing that, look where it got me… And why the hell would I change for an ugly bitch?" Kosaku spewed back.
That last part made Hayato stop dead in his tracks. She carried me for 9 months… And this is how you treat her? I might not show it, but she is my mom, and I can't help but to love her.
"Bastard…" Hayato said out loud, causing both of his parents to turn to face him, in shock.
"Hayato!" Shinobu gasped out of shock, never in a million year did she expect him to use such foul language.
"YOU HAVE NO FUCKING RIGHT TO TALK TO MY MOTHER THAT WAY, EVEN IF YOU'RE MARRIED YOU SACK OF SHIT!" Hayato roared at his father.
"I can talk to her whatever bucking way I want to you little shit, now go to your room and mind your fucking business."
"I DARE YOU TO KEEP RUNNING YOUR MOUTH. I FUCKING DARE YOU!"
"Or what you manlet? The only reason why you were born is because of an accident with that bit- ARGH!" Hayato ran around the room and punched his father in his still damaged ribs, causing him to yelp in pain.
Suddenly his father's strong hand struck Hayato on the bottom of his chin, not only knocking him backwards but also biting his tongue, so hard that it exploded with blood. Kosaku was pissed so he stood up violently, intending to storm over to Hayato.
"OKAY BOTH OF YOU STOP!" Shinobu screamed out, with tears streaming down her face. "I accept the terms… But I am keeping Hayato."
The room fell back to dead silence… Kosaku gripped his side, picking up the chair he tipped over and sitting down on it.
"Take him… I never wanted the shit stain anyways..."
Shinobu and Hayato both decided to stay in a hotel until they find a new house for them to buy Hayato's own blood didn't taste as bitter than his newfound hatred for his father, but that doesn't mean he wasn't also in denial. Every night he would pray that this was all a dream, and that he would wake up in his bed to find his mom and dad were still together, even if it returned to the mundane apathy the Kawajiri's were so used to.
At times he would wake up and hear his mother trying her best to contain her crying in the bed right next to his. One night he decided to get up and crawl into the same bed as her to comfort her a bit… Despite the warmth of the room, her skin was incredibly cold, like the warmth of love was sucked out of her. Hayato noted this and curled up right next to her. This wouldn't change how she felt, but it did calm her down enough for her to stop crying in her sleep.
It was nearing the end of April, and Hayato and Shinobu bought a tiny apartment in Northeastern Morioh. A moving company moved in all of the heavy furniture, but it was up to the two to move the rest of the boxes that held smaller items, like clothes and trinkets. Both were willing to do the work, but only one of the was realistically strong enough to move them.
"Oh, come on mom!" Hayato whined, willing to help out his mom in moving the boxes but being denied by her.
"Be boxes are too heavy for you to lift, let alone carry them up the stairs…" She said flatly, looking at the stair leading to her apartment. "Hayato, go to your room, and hang out there, I'll ask one of our neighbors to help us out."
"Are you sure we can trust them? We just moved in, what if they're a creep?" Hayato tried to argue.
"It's going to be okay Hayato… Now go to your room!"
Hayato looked at his mom's eyes, they seemed to have aged exponentially since moving out, and the finalization of the divorce which occurred days prior. The black eye bags were noticeable, especially up close. Hayato wanted to believe that his mom would be fine, but no matter how hard he would try, her mind wouldn't change. Solemnly, he turned to go up the stair of the complex, opening the door and disappearing inside. Shinobu sighed a bit before walking up the balcony. She looked out into the horizon, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and she spotted some kids playing in the park below.
I need to find a job to provide for me and Hayato. And to pay rent… I'll start looking tomorrow morning. Shinobu thought to herself, trying to formulate a plan. She made mental notes of every store she saw, wondering if they were hiring. Now, my next grievance. What to do about love. Kosaku never provided me love, what will change if I get with another guy, another fucking bum. That settles it, starting now I'm going to try to be as independent as I can be. Trying to find someone who loves me shouldn't be my priority…
She looked at the front door of her next-door neighbor, knocking three times.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door opened a few seconds later, and Shinobu's heart sank into her stomach, not from fear, but of genuine surprise. Standing there wearing a red t-shirt and black jeans was a tall, blonde haired man with blue eyes and fair skin.
Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me… The urge to tear up was building up in her, but she maintained her composer as she gazed at the man.
Shinobu and the man stared at each other for a few moments, before she broke the silence.
"Kira?" Shinobu asked.
End of Chapter 2.
Next time on A Clockwork Pink: Shinobu and Kira are reunited after 12 years but it should have been under better circumstances, and Hayato grows suspicious and concerned about his mother's new found infatuation with Kira.
Thank you so much for reading and thanks for all the fish! Please feel free to Save, Favorite, and Comment! See you next time!