Hello!
Wow… this update has been REALLY slack (lol… for me!) but, heh… I've been playing Ninja Gaiden, that's my excuse. Damn tanks… -mutter mutter- why didn't anyone TELL me explosive arrows sent the shooty guy back into his hole? -Grumble- But I don't care… because now I have Unlabored Flawlessness. -evil laugh- Oar power!
-Cough- Enough NG ranting for me.
Camp was… eh… alright. But I'm back, so you can rejoice! (Hahahah!) I crack myself up sometimes…
Next chapter: Partying is good. Or is it? -Drum roll-
"Ryu. Come here. Now,"
His father's voice, so soft, yet containing such obvious venom scared him. But he couldn't disobey. He put his bag away before walking slowly down the stairs to face his father. Drunk, as always.
"While you were at school today, I happened to run into someone that might interest you,"
Who could it have been? He remained silent, mentally imploring his father to elaborate.
"Ayane and I stopped and had some coffee. After a while, the conversation turned to you. Listen to me!" Softness turned to ferocious anger as a hand latched relentlessly around his tie, tugging inexorably. "You stay away from that girl. Don't you dare hurt her. You hurt her and I will hurt you. You understand me?"
"What does it matter to you? What does she matter to you?" he pulled away from his father's harsh grip. "Since when do you care about anyone else excluding yourself?"
He was expecting the blow at his head, but it still made him stagger backwards from the sheer force. A dull pain exploded in his skull as he fought to stay upright.
"You've already ruined somebody's life. You're not going to ruin someone else's,"
Dizzy… "How have I ruined anybody's life? What? I've ruined your life by being born? You don't count! You don't count for anything!"
His father stopped as though somebody had thrown a switch. "Ryu. Tell me. How do you think your mother died?"
"You told me she died because of a heart attack,"
His father leaned forward, leering at him. "Is that so? Well, you're probably old enough to hear the truth. She died because of you. Because of your… problems, she got depressed. What with one thing and another after that…"
The words hit him like a ferocious slap to the face.
"No. She would never have done that,"
"Didn't you ever wonder? Why she would lock herself in her room? Why she always went away, wanting 'down time'? Why she always wanted hugs and embraces? Or were you too caught up in your own selfish desires?"
It can't be true. Mother would never have…
Wait a minute… surely…
"Ryu, honey, come here,"
"Mother? Is something wrong?"
"No, not at all. I just want a hug. Come here, sit on my knee…"
"Where are you going?"
"Oh, just for a walk. A bit of down time,"
"Could Father and I come too?"
"No, it's alright. I won't be long,"
It can't be. She never would have done something like that. She was too… strong… to take the easy way out like that!
"You're lying!" he was shouting now, shouting desperately. "You're lying!"
"Apparently depression ran in her family. Trust her to get depressed and kill herself for the likes of you. So undeserving. She should be here now, instead of you. But no. Perfect in every other way except for the way that mattered most, for the sake of your own mother,"
Depression ran in her family? But… "No!"
That smiling, happy… cheerful face… shattered like glass.
I really knew nothing of her, then. Nothing of my true mother. She was just hiding behind a façade so that I wouldn't get hurt as a child. A façade of bleakness, despair and anguish. Feeling as though there was nothing to live for.
All because of me.
"How does it feel now?" His father's voice dimly registered as a mere echo in his head, soft and mocking. "Knowing that you killed the only person that could ever accept you for who you truly were?"
Only person who could ever accept me…
He's right. Not even Hayate can accept me for who I truly am…
But he can't be right. He's just trying to stir me, hurt me.
…It's working…
"You monster," he spat out. "You never cared for her or me. You only stayed to watch her suffer. Or perhaps you were just like… like Raidou. Realise too late that you would suddenly have a child and decided to stick around? I still cannot discern why you did. Your thoughts never lay with either of us. You would rather see us both dead,"
"Well, one of you is dead. Just waiting for you to keel over and die, Ryu-chan,"
He felt a lump forming in his throat. He hadn't been called that for years.
"Come on, Ryu-chan! Off to school now. Your first day and everything! You'll do well for us, won't you? Make us proud?"
How did I never realise? All this turmoil that was happening in my own family, yet I never bothered to open my eyes and do anything about it. I never knew.
How could I have never noticed? To be that ignorant…
He stood up suddenly, straightening, turning to his father. "I am going,"
"Where?"
That one word was so defiant. He met his father's gaze. He could do that, too.
"Out,"
…is the work of a fool.