Hisui felt... strange. She walked to school with Shiki and Akiha. Ever since entering that mansion, even though she remembered coming over many times before, she had felt like something was... wrong. Like she was wrong and reality didn't match with what should be.
She walked to school, trailing behind Shiki and Akiha, even though, as far as she could remember, she tended to lead the way.
Role Revert
By Pata Hikari
Part 4: Why is she smiling?
"Oh, good morning Shiki-san." Their path intersected with Kohaku once they were close to the school. Shiki couldn't quite read Kohaku's mood. She seemed to be in a good mood, but Shiki had by now learned that exactly how Kohaku felt could be very difficult to achieve. "Did you have a good time with Hisui-chan?" She asked.
Shiki laughed a little uneasily, "Well, yeah, I guess we did." He decided to not bring up that he couldn't quite remember half the night. Hisui was saying something to Akiha that she vehemently denied.
Kohaku smiled, "Glad to hear it. We keep on imposing on you, been doing it for the longest time."
Shiki shrugged, "I don't mind Kohaku-san. Life would be boring without you and Hisui."
"Oh, what about Akiha-san?"
"Her too. The three of you are... well... you're practically my family." Shiki's relationship with the Armias had always been strained, due to him just not feeling like he belonged, his birth family was all dead. His adoptive family had... gone badly. SHIKI had nearly killed him, there was nobody on this earth Shiki hated more than Tohno Makihisa, and he had long stopped thinking of Akiha has a sister. So, as Akiha had slipped into the role of his partner, Hisui and Kohaku slipped into an odd pseudo-sibling relationship.
Kohaku laughed lightly at this, "I guess me and Hisui-chan will be invited to the reunion then?"
"Sure, why not?" Shiki said, "I'll just say you're all my guests and they'll have to wait on you hand and foot."
"Oh that sounds like fun..." Kohaku said.
Once again it was lunch time with Arihiko. "So," Shiki began their conversation casually, "How was your date?" Before it quickly shifted into seriousness.
"Oh... hey man. What's with the scary look?" Arihiko said.
"Just curious about what you did with Kohaku-san?" Shiki said in a pleasant tone that made Arihiko shudder.
"Geez man, you're terrifying." Arihiko laughed, "You're acting like I was dating your sister or something."
"Nah if you were trying that you'd be dead already." Shiki answered without missing a beat.
"Seesh such a cold blooded answer." Arihiko leaned back in his chair, "Still, I guess I should answer your question before I end up a murder victim. Me and Kohaku-chan walked around, had some cheap ramen, and played some games at the arcade."
"That's all?" Shiki said, incredulous.
"Well, yeah. What? Did you take me for some kind of pervert?" Arihiko laughed again, the laughter quickly fading as Shiki didn't laugh with him, "You do, don't you."
"Absolutely." Shiki admitted. "Well, it's just, Kohaku-san is..."
"Yeah I get it." Arihiko said, "You've always been like that. Poor Hisui-chan, never able to get a date." He sighed dramatically, "If only the Tohno Monster wasn't there, they could live a normal life."
"Oh very funny." Shiki said with incredible sarcasm. He opened his lunch box, picking up some rice and eating it for a few minutes. "So, why Kohaku-san?"
Arihiko raised an eyebrow, "Really? You don't know?"
"I don't know why she'd say yes to dating you-"
"Dude, she asked me out." Arihiko said.
So this was how I'm going to die. Shiki thought, Choking on rice as Arihiko says the most impossible thing in the universe. Fortunately, he managed to cough enough to get the rice down his throat. "Seriously?"
"I don't really get it either." Arihiko shrugged, "She just asked if I wanted to out with her a month ago. You'll have to ask her."
"Got it, this is a mystery I'll have to solve another day." Shiki said, "Just one of many..."
"Oh? What kind of mysteries does our great Tohno-sama have to solve?" Arihiko was grinning.
"Well, for one, to find out why I seem to be trapped in a world in which everything is wrong. Also why I can see the absolute Death of All Things. Why in the world Hisui thinks Banana Shrimp Pizza is a good idea, those sorts of things."
Arihiko laughed, "Man those are some dumb mysteries."
Shiki just rolled his eyes, well, not like he expected Arihiko to realize he wasn't exactly joking.
"Seriously. Why Banana Shrimp?"
"Beats me." Arihiko said with a shrug.
"You're going off again?" Hisui whined.
Kohaku was frowning, "I'm not going to be gone long Hisui-chan. I'll be back in time for dinner. Unless you want to-"
"No way. I can't impose on Shiki-chan twice in a row! Need at least a day between each mooching." Hisui was pouting.
"Oh? What's going on?" Akiha approached the girls.
"Hey Akiha-chan." Hisui waved, before pointing dramatically at Kohaku, "This person is spending soooo much time with her new lame boyfriend!"
Akiha sighed, "Hisui-san, last I checked, weren't you the one who insisted Kohaku-san ask Inui-san on a date?"
"Eehhhh that was just a joke! I thought it'd be funny to see Ari-kun make a jackass of himself." Hisui said.
This prompted Kohaku to roll her eyes, "Hisui-chan, I am forever grateful that you consider my love life a source of endless amusement."
"Hehehehe." Hisui laughed nervously, "You're not mad, Nee-san?"
"Oh that depends..." Kohaku said, "Think about it for a bit Hisui-chan, maybe dinner will be interesting tonight."
"Ohhh no fair Nee-san, holding my food over my head like a damocles sword!" Hisui whined.
"You bring it on yourself Hisui-san." Akiha said.
"Ahhhh! Even Akiha-chan is against me!" Hisui made a motion as if to faint. "Well then, I should probably get home now."
Akiha nodded, "Shiki-sama seems a bit busy right now, I think I'll go home now and start dinner preparations."
Kohaku sat down on a bench near the gate, "I'll just wait for Arihiko-san then."
"Welcome home Shiki-sama." Shiki was surprised to see Akiha had gotten home ahead of him, changed into that maid uniform, and was waiting for him at the front door.
"Hi Akiha," Shiki waved to her, "So is it just you and me today?"
"That's right." Akiha seemed to be in a good mood, "As much as I'm sure you enjoy company, I'm positive that you enjoy your alone time, right Shiki-sama?"
Shiki shrugged, "I'm not really alone if you're here."
"Oh. R-right." Akiha blushed, "I didn't think you'd really consider me..."
Shiki laughed, "You're adorable when you blush like that, you know?" He walked past her into the mansion.
"S-Sh-Shiki-sama! Don't say such things!" Akiha said, following him inside.
Shiki couldn't focus on his homework. While he worked on some math problems, Akiha was running around doing all the housecleaning. It was ridiculous, even Hisui and Kohaku had split duties. But here this Akiha was, sweeping, washing, cooking, everything. It bothered him, it bothered him even more than usual.
Some small part of him snidely pointed out that his guilt had only started to grow when it was Akiha doing the work. He dismissed that with a small reasoning that Hisui and Kohaku were paid to do this, when as far as he knew this was just some delusion of Akiha's. "Akiha," He said to her, catching her attention as she was dusting a table. "Can you come here for a minute? I want to talk to you."
"Very well." Ahika set down the duster, approaching him. "What is it Shiki-sama?"
"First, can you sit down? I think this might take a while." Shiki gestured to a chair across the table he was sitting at.
Akiha sighed, "Very well." She sat down across from him.
"Now then..." Shiki closed his eyes in thought, how to broach the subject. "Can... you tell me what you've felt your childhood is like?" He decided to start there.
However, Akiha looked confused, "Shiki-sama, you should know-"
"I want to know how you felt." Shiki said, interrupting her obvious objection. Of course he knew her childhood, but he was doubting it was the same.
"Very well." Akiha sighed, "Where to begin...? I guess it started with my being taken in. Makihisa-sama took me under his care at a very young age. At the time, I had nothing. No family, no history. The only thing I had was the clothing on my back." She looked distant, "I don't know quite why he did. He never said anything about it, and I ultimately asked to be hired as a maid to help repay my debt. As a child I would play with you all the time, Shiki-sama."
Shiki nodded, "I remember that. You would just follow me around a lot."
Akiha smiled nostalgically, "I was a very shy child."
Shiki himself became lost in fond memories, "The four of us had a lot of fun..."
"That's right. You, Hisui-san, me and... and..." Ahika's expression suddenly looked pained, a hand went up to her forehead.
"Akiha...?"
"And... and Kohaku-san. Yes. the four of us would play around, do silly things. I remember making a painting with Hisu involving you." Akiha's face flushed a little. Shiki remembered that too, and gestured for her to go on. "And well, then Makihisa-sama had you sent away."
"Why?" Shiki asked.
"Why...? I... I don't know. I think it was for your education." Akiha said. "Shouldn't you know?"
"I'm just asking your opinion on things." Shiki said.
"Well my opinion is that you shouldn't have been, but it was Makihisa-sama's choice." Akiha said with a huff.
"So you then spent a few more years here, getting educated and decided to become a maid?"
"That's correct." Akiha nodded, "You finally returned last year. It was such a great day, I... missed you greatly, Shiki-sama."
"Yeah, last year when I came back. And... those murders." Shiki said finally.
"...murders?" Akiha said.
Shiki frowned, "You remember, the Vampire Murders? That happened last year? Around the time I came back? It was all over the news."
Akiha shook her head, "I'm sorry, I must have missed that."
Shiki sighed, "Never mind. It's not important."
However Akiha's expression clearly communicated that she didn't believe him on that matter, she let it slide with a nod. "Is this all?"
Shiki shook his head, "What about Kohaku-san? What's your relationship with her like?"
Akiha shrugged, "We get along well enough. We're both a bit more serious and quiet then Hisui. I, well, I have confided a few things in her."
Shiki smiled, "So she's like your confidant?"
"Well, nothing so deep. Just friends who talk to each other." Akiha muttered, looking away from Shiki.
"Still, glad to hear you get along so well." Shiki said. With those final words the room became silent. Akiha didn't say anything, and Shiki couldn't think of anything more to say. Well, that wasn't true. There were a few things he could say, but wouldn't.
He wanted to tell Akiha how he felt around her, to remind her of who she was in his eyes. He didn't like the idea of being served and always treated Hisui and Kohaku as, at most, employees rather than servants meant to be subservient. Akiha was even more pronounced.
He didn't want a servant. He wanted the woman who was his equal partner back. He wanted the woman who looked out for him, who he discussed their future with. He wanted to be able to worry about her too. He wanted to be able to act upon his feelings without thinking he was taking advantage of her. But he couldn't. Because he didn't know.
"Shiki-sama..." Akiha turned to face him again, her expression a faint smile, "I-"
The phone rang.
"I'll get it!" Shiki quickly stood up, this was the best rebellion he could think of against Akiha insisting on being a servant. He ran past her to the phone, "Hello?"
"Ah, Shiki-san." It was Kohaku. Her voice sounded... strange.
"What is it Kohaku-san?" Shiki said.
"It's... it's Arihiko-san. I'm at the hospital right now. I... I just saw him in."
"What!?" Shiki shouted, "What is it? Is he OK? Are you-"
"C-can you come talk to me about it here...?" Kohaku's voice was shaking.
"Of course!" Shiki said, "I'll be right there, bye!" He hung up the phone, "Sorry Akiha, there's been an emergency. Arihiko's been hospitalized!"
"What?! Is he OK?" Akiha said, her eyes wide with shock.
"I don't know. Kohaku-san wants to talk about it in person." Shiki said.
"Th-that's fine. I'll keep handling things here, you go see what's wrong." Akiha said.
"Right! Thank you." Shiki said before running out the door at high speeds. What was going on? What could have hurt Arihiko?
When Shiki arrived, the lobby to the hospital was strangely empty. Only Kohaku and one other woman were sitting in the waiting room. "Kohaku-san!" Shiki shouted as he ran over to her, she mechanically turned to face him.
Her expression was of horror.
"Kohaku-san... where's Arihiko!?" He sat down next to her, "Is he... OK?"
"The doctors are treating him." Kohaku seemed to be doing her best to keep her voice level. "He... was stabbed, several times in the abdomen. Fortunately, no vital organs were pierced."
"W-what!? Who did this? Do you know? Was it a burglar?" Shiki couldn't hide his fear, he desperately pleaded for any information from Kohaku.
Kohaku didn't say anything for some time. She just stared down at her feet. "I... I did."
"...what?" Shiki couldn't think of anything to say. What... what did she mean she stabbed him?
"I had come over to Arihiko-san's house. You see, yesterday... on the date, I had wanted to do more, but his sister showed up and well..." Kohaku began to explain without any emotion. "So I decided to spend some more time with him. Today was good, we managed to be alone at his place. So we kissed a bit, he held me. So we decided now was a good time, so I began to undress." Her fingernails dug into her knees, "I... I was fine. I was looking forward to it! And then he touched me."
"What... happened?"
"When he touched me. I suddenly felt my entire body and mind reject it. I felt...revulsion, like it was the most disgusting thing any human being could do. I wanted to scream, so I did. It... it felt like I was reliving something horrible. I couldn't think, all I knew is that I wanted the monster I felt inside of me and outside of me and everywhere gone and I couldn't think so I grabbed a pocket knife on his dresser and just began to stab and stab until he was gone and Arihiko-san remained and I realized what I had done." She looked up at Shiki, and she was smiling.
A familiar, empty smile that Shiki always knew Kohaku to wear.
"And you know what's funny, Shiki-san? Even though I know I should be scared, I know I should be worried? Deep down... I don't feel anything at all."