Isshiki Iroha wants me to take responsibility?
A loner being alone as they are, never touch or connect with others. It is with that notion in the first place are they then harshly rejected and pushed further back. This was how loners were created after all. Kicked out the unified monster dubbed "Society", they infest the corners of the room gladly. Never eager to fall for the same trap twice. That is why we are destined to be alone and furthermore, never be able to connect with people.
That is...
No.
That is me being scornful.
"Isshiki."
Just wishful thinking on my part.
"Isshiki."
"What?"
I can only see her small back in the empty corridor. Cries echoing in the distance, remnants of that ever so vicious confrontation.
"Look, atleast..."
I can't do much. I'm not good at comforting girls but I am good at treating them.
"Atleast come to the infirmary. We have to get you cleaned up atleast...
Maybe you'll feel better?"
Closing the distance between us, I see she's in thought.
The few seconds I wait seem last hours until Isshiki turns around to face me.
She has 3 cuts on her left cheek oozing blood, like she was attacked by a wild tiger in the jungle.
She cracks a pathetic smile.
"Sure senpai..."
Isshiki despite being a small person was quite bossy by nature. She was annoying sometimes sure and not in the cute way my sister pulls off.
But I'll take being bossed around by that girl then see her be a hollow shell of a herself like this.
She tugs on my sleeve, not out of annoyance or impatience but of habit.
Right, I've been thinking for too long. Without a second thought I head there, an unusually quiet girl holding on.
Sliding the door open, I'm in the infirmary.
Rows of empty beds and no nurse in sight. Not surprised, this is just my luck.
Leading Isshiki to the furthest bed, I mumble.
"Just sit here."
And without a sound, she does. Hand still covering up her bloodied face.
Skimming through the cabinets, I plunder the plasters and bandage and grab a dry cloth which I rinse under a cold tap.
This routine was quite homely to me, I half expect Komachi coming home crying that she cut her knee because she tripped...
But enough of frolicking around in childhood memories.
"OK, just hold still. This'll sting just a bit."
Gingerly, I hold up the cold, wet cloth and dab her cuts.
*dab*
"Ow!
*dab*
"Eha!"
*dab*
"Aah!*
*dab*
"Ahh knock it off senpai! It stings!"
"Well you don't want it to scar badly do you?"
"I-I suppose you have a point there but nevertheless, it'll still scar."
That is true, Isshiki Iroha would be forever burdened the mark on her face probably for the rest of her life.
She would forever carry a reminder of what happened today.
Continuously dabbing and her continuously wincing was a painful cycle I would be use to if it was my sister.
Having it be Isshiki felt wrong.
She got into a fight with a classmate around the same time as the rumors. What could've happened if a simple denial didn't suffice?
"Hmm well some guys find scars attractive."
"Those guys are just weird then."
"Yeah I thought so too."
"Huuuh senpai. Not funnnny."
Her voice is cracked and sore, her poor throat exhausted by the senseless shouting earlier on.
Counseling her won't be easy. I've been victim to many things but never a fight. My relationships with others was never even deep enough to hit that stage. This was all new territory for me.
Ever since that fateful evening a mischievous she-devil Isshiki Iroha entered the service club room, all I've done is bring bad luck.
Making her student council president was bad enough, then she confessed and got rejected.
Then the rumors circulated.
Like anything I do, I try to make it better but instead achieve the opposite effect.
Her social life would probably be ruined. She may end up being scornful, cold. Null inside.
Like me.
But that is if I confirm it.
"Hey, Isshiki."
"Huh? ow."
"Sorry, You...Gonna tell me what happened?"
"Tch. Girl troubles senpai. That's all."
"I'm not taking that for an answer."
"Ow! You dab too hard there."
"Sorry again. So what actually happened."
"Well it was about the rumors..."
This girl...
You stupid.
Stupid.
Stupid.
Girl.
"Senpai, are you stopping?"
"You just threw everything away? Just like that? Why?"
"I dunno what you're talkin about."
"Don't play dumb Isshiki."
I glance down, I'm too ashamed to look her in the eye.
"I'm not worth defending if that what was happening."
I get up and rush to rinse the blood-covered cloth.
"That was a good guess."
So I was right. Being hated by others was an easy weight to carry on your shoulders. Knowing I was the cause of trouble for others weighed heavier on me then mother finding my porn stash.
This guilt...
Returning to her, I dab and clean her cheek once more.
"So. Tell me what happened."
She ponders deep in thought for a moment, then she answers.
"I...
Probably overreacted.
You see... Layara and me, we...disagreed."
"Oh yeah?"
"Oh yeah. She. ummm...
She got my, well you wrong.
I mean, you're not exactly the most charming guy senpai."
"Well, I never said I was."
"Right, but just by being that. There's room for them to judge.
Senpai, how does it feel to be judged as a creep and perverse freak by people you don't know?"
"They're people I don't know so I couldn't care less."
"Right, senpai.
OK.
OK right senpai.
So maybe I...snapped OK?"
Finally done with cleaning her cuts, I get the bandage patch and place it on her now swollen cheek. Placing the plasters vertically to stick the bandage on.
It was an amateurs job but this will have to do.
"So she said that you're a bad influence and stuff like that ya knoww."
"...
Yeah."
"Uh-huh."
Now, with half her face covered by a bandage, she relaxes.
"Like, she started sayin stuff about my terrible taste in men if it's. I mean with you..."
So that was how it was then? Girls were scary beings. Must be their psychotic episodes and teenage hormones.
But still, even with that excuse. There was no excuse for ruining so many things with more value.
Well now that I'm missing lesson, I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"Do you want me to walk you home? Just in case."
"You don't need to worry senpai."
I sigh tired at today's events.
You're gonna have to try harder then that.
"Well I'm walking you home anyway. This is partly my fault after all."
She nods in agreement. I have to say the thought of walking her back is comforting though I do wonder how her parents and by extension Isshiki will react to the phone call home from the school.
Never-mind seeing her walk back injured with an unknown assailant with her.
I fumble around in my pocket to grab my phone.
"I'm gonna go text Yui. Tell her I won't be at the club today."
"Ri-right s-senpai."
I exit and stand by the door, fumbling with the rarely used touchpad for the letters.
Yui, sorry won't be at club today. Walking Isshiki home. I'll tell you everything tomorrow.
Send.
Isshiki stands next to me, eager to get as far away as possible.
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah."
"OK then, we'll use my bike."
Leaving school early always felt liberating. Just being the only ones walking out for the trip home felt more peaceful then it should be.
"Hey senpai..."
My sleeve is pulled alarmingly fast.
"Take...
Take responsibility OK?"
I was hit hard by deja-vu.
I remember that I was not the only one looking for something genuine. She said it to me when she confessed she knew what secret I revealed to the club.
And that she wanted the same thing.
I still don't know what that thing is exactly...
But I feel we can make it easier on ourselves.
We'll cut ourselves searching through the rubble trying to grasp at that thing.
We'll breathe in the toxic fumes, the lies and misdirection to find the one truth that will point us in the direction of that what is genuine.
Yes...I believe if we help each other...It could...
It could make the search easier.
Breaking the bike out of bike imprisonment, I make space for Isshiki to hop on and then on we ride.
Man! This chapter was unexpectedly hard to type up! The romance is building up readers. I promise you I'll see this fic through to the end.