"~And the hardest part,
Was letting go, not taking part,
And the strangest thing,
Was waiting for that bell to ring,
Everything I know is wrong,
Everything I do, it just comes undone,
And everything is torn apart,
Oh and its the hardest part~"
Yet another chapter in the making, and I have to say, forcing myself to write is one of the best things that's happened to me. Listening to the soundtrack for this series is also a great help. It has a such a great range of emotion to them, and they're all so interesting to hear. Sometimes they'll make me nostalgic and other times sad, but overall, I really love it.
Hopefully I can keep this up all the way to the end.
My goal is to at least finish it before I re-watch the Seven Stories OVA's when they're released in English.
Anyway, enjoy.
The feeling of Yata's hands on your shoulders felt like fire.
It wasn't like he was using his powers on you or anything... But the emotional weight to them had your mind and emotions in a frenzy.
Disbelief, along with confusion and a bunch of other unreadable expressions were written all over his face.
You stared back at him, unable to say a single word. I mean, what could you have said?
It wasn't like to you any right to encourage him. In fact, it was a miracle in itself that he wasn't strangling your throat this very second. But you couldn't deny that you wanted to say something to him, anything.
Instead, you kept your mouth shut; a voice in the back of your mind saying, 'Don't you dare speak.' And your gut told you to listen.
"THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO! Put your sword away!" The blue king's right hand woman, Awashima Seri, had commanded the bespectacled boy. "Fushimi, what do you think you are doing, carrying on a fight like this out here in broad daylight?"
The clansman had a look of disdain on his face but said nothing in retort. After all, she was right.
Your heart then picked up a few ticks when she turned to face towards you and the two boys at your side.
"And who might you be? I don't recognize you from anywhere. What business do you have with these boys?"
Trying to hush the racing inside your chest, you took one last glance at Yata, whom still had his hands resting on your shoulders. He looked at you unnervingly, still not quite sure how he should react to your sudden reappearance, but at least now it had sunk in.
Discretely, you mouthed something to him, and his eyes went wide in surprise.
Afterwards, you turned back from where you came and sprinted off quicker than anyone ever anticipated.
"Hey! Stop her-"
"It's too late, he's already gone." Fushimi replied clicking his tongue.
What a pain in the ass.
~oOo~
You didn't stop when they were out of sight. You kept on running as far away as possible, until you were absolutely certain that you'd gotten out of any clan's range.
Right now, you couldn't afford being taken into custody, or even worse, getting into a fight.
Leaping of the ground with full force, your body glew with silver aura and floated into the air, before landing on the side of the building and running up the side with all of your might.
Your mind was racing, adrenaline pumping through your veins.
'That was so stupid!' You thought.
Honestly, what the hell were you thinking? Now you'd gone and done it... Not only did you jump into a fight without strategizing, but you also alerted one of your former red clan members of your presence...
What a stupid, stupid move.
Judging from his reaction, Yata hadn't seemed particularly triggered. In fact, if you didn't know any better, he was more relieved than anything to see his former friend still alive.
His grip on you shoulders was a lot more gentle then you ever imagined it would be...and now all that remained in your heart was a hollow ache.
You shook your head. In actually, maybe he really was angry but just didn't show it because of how shocked he was. Either way, you worried about what would happen next. Would he tell the rest of HOMRA? Or would he keep it to himself? In the end, the former sounded more likely; however, his reaction to what you mouthed to him was surprising.
Right before you took off, you managed to silently say, "Don't tell anyone." But the question remained... Will he say anything, or will he keep your secret?
In the end, you had a fifty-fifty shot of him blabbing it to the other members. Only you had strange this feeling, that he would actually listen and keep his mouth shut. Although for how long? You weren't sure. From there however, the rest would be up to you.
"He'll make sure no one finds out... But only until I tell them myself..." You sighed, finally reaching the top of the dormitory.
The more you pondered on the idea that you'd have to let the red clan know about your reappearance... The more you dreaded having to face the inevitable.
"So in the end, there really was no escape, huh?"
Grinning bitterly, you heard the voice that had been calling out to you for several days speak.
"There's no running away from me, I'm a part of you. You're smarter than that, right?"
The vision of those golden eyes of his piercing through you, sent a shiver down your spine.
You knew what had to be done, but were you actually capable of doing such a thing? You weren't brave, you weren't strong enough...you weren't ready to see him. 'Not not, please.' You laid your hand on your chest, trying to rid yourself of the aching pain that only grew the more you thought about that man.
"What's the matter?" He asked.
Your entire body shaked violently.
"I'm scared. I'm so scared Mikoto." You replied.
This feeling was torture... Why had fate been so cruel to you? Why did things always turn out this way no matter what you did?
"Why do I always make things complicated?"
You grit your teeth.
"No, I've made them complicated on purpose."
But now, things would have to be different. You would have to be different. In order to fix all of this, you had to face your fears head on, and with pride, just like it should've been the entire time.
'No more running, Asaki.'
"Bare your fangs, little fox." Kusanagi's words echoed.
And for some reason, thinking about those words had you laughing out loud; almost as if they gave you some sort of strength.
That man always had a way with words. Sometimes back when you were still with HOMRA, you wondered why people chose you to be the queen, when the bartender had a knack at it himself.
'Oh god, Kusanagi as Mikoto's wife.'
By now your gut hurt with laughter, and you could practically hear him yelling at you, saying, "will you cut it out already?"
Goodness, how you missed that man.
Honestly, you'd missed all of them.
Each person in that group had a special place in your heart. Some of them acting as older brother figures, and the rest acting as friends whose mouths talked to much. Every single one, no matter how annoying... You longed to talk to them, at least one more time.
Fidgeting with the hood of your jacket, you couldn't help but wonder how the rest of them would react.
Would they be like Yata and just stare at you in disbelief? Would they scream at you, calling you an idiot or a traitor like they did with Fushimi? Or... Would they cry and surround you with tears?
Shrugging, you stepped onto the building ledge and jumped off.
"Guess I'll find out."
~oOo~
You touched down onto the ground with a silent thud and tightened your hood.
Before you met up with Yashiro and got down to business, there were two more things you wanted to check.
Quietly, you walked around the campus, making sure to avoid any students who might find you suspicious because of your get-up. Along the way, you took note of how massive this place was, and how much it brought back memories of the days back in HOMRA when you were in high school and about to graduate.
Back then, things had started getting complicated, especially during your senior year, when your heart drifted further away from the red clan you had grown used to. Or more specifically, when you spent more time with Adolf.
Growing up, you didn't have the normal life that regular people did... Your parents died when you were little, and both of them were the only children in their families; which led to you becomming an orphan of sorts. It was when you were about six or seven that you were adopted by your great-grandfather, who happened to be an important figure in the business world, and then about two years later, Suoh and Kusanagi found you alone in that park, and took you under their wing.
So even though, you went to a private school, and did well; there had always been a part of you that longed for something more...
To just be happy.
And at first you found that happiness back at that bar, with a man you loved more than anything, the best of friends you could ever ask for, and an adorable little sister figure that you cherished.
The only thing that got in the way of all those good times, was the fighting.
Violence between your clan and other turfs were the only drawback.
Because of how you lost your parents, the entire incident turned you into something of a pacifist, so your feelings on the matter were rather black and white.
After all, the members of HOMRA were always aware of your disdain... But none of them knew to what extent.
It was something that they brushed off without giving it a second thought, and albeit unintentionally; it still hurt.
There were often times you wondered if they actually cared about your feelings, only to push it out of your mind a second later. You knew that that wasn't the case. In the end, the problem could've been solved if you just told them the truth.
"Its nothing. Nothing at all. I can take it." You had told yourself then.
But that was a lie. It was never a small issue.
Those feelings of despair, guilt, and doubt that welled up over the years, ended up taking their toll.
More often than not, you would fake smiles and laughter whenever they got hurt or bragged about their victories. Everytime Chitose, or Akagi, or anyone else came home with blood stains on their clothes, it didn't matter if it was theirs or the other person's, all of it made you feel sick.
"Yeah! We sure showed those mafia guys what-for!"
"Next time, they'll know who they're dealing with!"
"No matter who faces us, we'll crush them, right, Mr. Mikoto and Miss. Asaki?"
Everytime, no matter what you were feeling on the inside, you refused to let it show, choking it down until you felt the weight of your anguish fill your chest; like you were suffocating from lack of oxygen.
You had to be strong, you couldn't afford not to be. You were one of the original founders for christ sake, and back then you'd be damned if you were unable to at the very least, encourage your family...
"But it destroyed you, Asaki. You're broken..."
The sound of Totsuka's voice piped up, and it shattered your heart...but this time, it was different.
What could you possibly say? Right now, only one thing came to mind.
Chuckling bitterly, you responded, "You're right. I am broken... But even if that's true, can't I at least pick up the pieces and make something new?"
His carefree laughter rang through your ears. "Well said. So then... What are you going to do now?"
You shrugged, honestly, you were actually talking to figment of your imagination, so things seemed pretty hopeless.
Still, thinking back, the way you handled your situation; during your time back in the city you finally realized that you'd gone about it the wrong way.
Even if you did tell everyone how you were feeling... What would change?
Its not like they'd cease all fighting and go against their beliefs, even if it was for the, "Queen," of their clan. Not to mention your then king had the shortest temper-fuse to ever exist, so that completely ruled out that possibility.
So whether you stayed or left, the outcome would've more than likely remain the same.
For the past week after Totsuka's death, at the hands of the colorless king, you'd blamed no one but yourself for failing to be there for your best friend; when in reality, there was no sure thing that said your presence would have made a difference.
From what you could tell, the former member had been out on his own, recording videos all alone.
Whose to say that it was all your fault?
And with that mindset, what else was there to stop you... From kicking the colorless kings ass and avenging your sworn brother?
That bastard was probably the one person alive, that you had no qualms about strangling until he popped. Until the time where you'd come face to face with him came however, you had no choice but to put the matter aside for now.
You pushed past the area where the fight between Yata and Fushimi broke out, ducking behind wall just to be safe.
And, although still filled with regret...you felt a little more at ease with everything that's been going on now.
So first on your checklist, you picked up the pace and trudged over to the track and field area, following the two red aura's that were still on the island. From a good distance, you spotted a familiar black beanie-cap, and a another portly frame sitting together on the bleachers.
Before getting any closer, you ducked low and snuck yourself behind the seating area, grateful that there was enough space to get through, and made your way closer to the guys until they were in hearing range.
From the looks of it, Kamamoto was dressing Yata's wound.
"That should do it, at least for now. Hey, Yata, lets get out of here." The blond mumbled.
Glancing upwards, you saw the mentioned stand up without saying a single word.
You had to wonder whether or not he told him about you, it didn't hurt to be cautious.
"Uh, Yata?"
"What is it?" He growled.
Shifting, the chubby clansman questioned, "Who was that guy who jumped into the fight? Did you see his face?"
You could feel the bleachers shake ever so slightly when he jumped, probably at an intimidating glare thrown his way.
'So he doesn't know. That's a relief... Unless he's about to tell him right now...' You thought grimacing.
This was the moment of truth.
Would he tell? Or would he not?
Grumbling the chestnut haired boy responded, "No. I was just surprised is all. He looked like someone I knew for a second."
'Yata... You're the best.'
You couldn't stop the grin on your face. Even after everything that happened, after all the pain you caused him... He still covered for you. If that wasn't a true friend, then you didn't know what was.
Still, it was only temporary. The time you'd have to tell the other members of the red clan was coming soon, so you had to prepare yourself for that.
Knowing it was time to take your leave, you gave the boys one last smile, and you had to stifle a laugh when Yata ran off to ask one more person about Yashiro's whereabouts, as a fed-up Kamamoto reluctantly followed him.
When they were clear out of sight range, you crept out from the opposite side and removed your jacket, tying it around your waist just in case you needed it.
"Okay, one last detour before the final stage."
You reached into your pocket and grabbed your phone before sending a text to Yatogami.
"Are you guys still running errands?"
It took under a minute for him to reply, and you pushed down the urge to mock his timely behavior.
"No, we're having lunch right now. If you'd like to meet us here, I'll send you the address."
Quickly, you typed a quick, "Yes, please."
The second he sent you the precise location, you made a break for it.
"The calm before the storm..." You muttered.
~oOo~
In practically no time at all, you reached the little restaurant, opening the door impatiently.
You nearly leaped for joy when you saw the trio sitting there.
It had felt like a life-time since you'd last seen them, but it had only been a couple of hours.
But in those two hours, a lot of crap went down that no one else other than you dealt with, and it was honestly exhausting. Even so, seeing their faces cheered you up a bit... At least they would have, if Yashiro didn't look so miserable.
'Oh yeah, that's right. He's probably still worried about the blood-stained shirt he found in his dormitory.'
A part of you knew that he was questioning his identity right now, but the other part also knew that he was definitely not some evil entity that murdered your best friend. If only he knew how truly complicated the situation was...
Of course, the current dilemma was accidentally caused by Neko; so that would only further make things harder to explain, once everything blew up in everyone's faces.
For now though, you silently asked Adolf for forgiveness, because for now you'd have to play the fool, and pretend like you didn't know what was going on.
"There you are. You sure got here fast. We've already order for you." The raven-haired boy smiled.
Those blue orbs of his seemed so happy to see you, that you couldn't help but return that smile.
"Yeah, well, you've seen me in action enough to know how quick I am."
Silently, you walked over to the table, pulled out the chair next to him and sat down.
You stretched out your limbs and rolled your shoulders, letting off some of the steam you accumulated throughout the day, and sighed in temporary relief. "Man, it feels like ages since I got to relax. The school festival sure wears a girl out."
"Hmpf. It isn't very lady-like to stretch at a table, you should mind your manners more. But yes, I agree that today has been pretty eventful."
Nodding, you turned your attention to Yashiro.
At this point, he seemed lost in thought, and you knew from a glance what he was thinking of.
The mysterious happenings and how well things turned out in his favor were beginning to make less and less sense to him. Even with an alibi, he felt as though the events of that night didn't add up.
His entire demeanor was a complete 180 to earlier, and it made your heart sink to see that normally cheerful expression of his look so bleak.
'Hang in there, please my king.'
All you could do was pray that he'd wait for you to clear up this entire mess.
Lost in thought, you weren't paying attention when your food arrived or when the Black Dog switched the conversation to the unresolved case of Yashiro's framing.
And to make matters more awkward, the framed man in question, pointed out the photo's of the regulars who visited the restaurant, only to see that he wasn't present in any of them.
"Really? That's pretty strange. Out of all the young people that eat here, you're one of my best customers!"
You saw his shoulders tense, slowly becoming more and more aware of the situation.
Glancing to your side, Yatogami eyed him in silence.
Judging from his narrowed irises, you could tell he was observing your king carefully.
"He sure looks upset, doesn't he?" You asked.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Pffft, look at that face. You're still pretty scary Mr. Black Dog~"
Right now, you felt it best to diffuse the atmosphere. Too many suspicions would lead to something that you weren't sure they were prepared for.
'Just a little longer.'
He grumbled something about how he thought you were done with that nickname before suggesting the three of you get going to finish running errands. Nodding, you walked over to Yashiro and looped your arm through his, catching him off guard.
"Come on lazy, its time to finish this damn thing." You grinned.
Blushing softly he let you lead him out of the building. He then pulled out the note containing everything that was needed for the rest of the festival preparations.
Looking at the slip of paper in his free hand, you nearly lost your sanity when you saw his chicken-scratch handwriting.
He noticed your cheeks puffing up and the sputtering sound you tried holding back making his blush burn brighter with embarrassment.
Yatogami snatched the little list from his hands. He stared at it for several moments without saying anything, all the more reason you had to control yourself from bursting. 'Dear god, that face is too much!' You clapped a hand over your mouth when a giggle slipped.
"Tell me something... How am I supposed to read this?"
"Um, is something wrong?" Your king asked rubbing the back of his head innocently.
"Your hand writing is illegible!"
By now, you were full tilt laughing...
"Oh, hold on a minute. If I concentrate maybe I can remember what I was thinking when I wrote it."
"What an idiot..."
You calmed down when Yatogami suggested calling the class rep, Yukizome.
As if on cue, Neko shouted at him and questioned why he needed to call her, and you witnessed as an interesting scene play out between the strain and colorless clansman.
"We can go ask her in person! Let's go back alright Shiro, Asaki?" She pleaded.
"That's ridiculous, why would we need to go back there? You're living in the dark ages, what do you think they make phones for?"
"Uh, I hate telephones, I really don't trust them!"
'Smooth Neko.' You sighed internally.
"And why is that?" He rebuffed smoothly.
Then, the girl didn't know what to say, and you were honestly concerned when she suddenly screamed, transformed into cat form, and took off down the street at top speed.
An opening!
Seeing this as your opportunity to check on that other matter besides the Yata incident, you looked at the dazed boys with with a quirked eyebrow and said, "I'll go follow her, you go ahead and call the class representative."
You waved goodbye, but not without looking back one more time at your king.
A sad expression crossed your features when you observed him before disappearing around the corner.
"Forgive me, my king. What happens next is up to your will to live... And give me strength for what I'm about to do..."
While you told them that your intent was to find Neko; your true objective was to meet with someone from the red clan.
Not just anyone.
But the Red King himself.
Kusanagi's voice repeated the words you had remembered earlier.
"Never show weakness, always show your pride."
Whether you were ready or not.
Whether you were scared or not.
You would finally face this head on.
This chapter is unedited right now, but holy crap, I'm actually impressed I finished this so quickly.
Once the words started coming out, they wouldn't stop.
Like I said though, its unedited, so I'll update this note when I fix any errors.
A lot of symbolism is coming out in these past few chapters, and a lot more flashbacks too! Which in all honesty, are my favorite parts to write! But for now, hopefully the next chapter doesn't come out too far behind this one. I have finals coming up so it might depend on how busy I am with those and how much free time I'll have.
For now, see you guys later!