Damn your tradition, damn my fate. I am the one who is deciding it all
Chapter 6. Into her Darkness
Its been almost two years since Midorima and Kaminari met. They spent most of their time with each other almost everyday. Midorima learned a lot to Kaminari as Kaminari learned a lot to Midorima. They were almost comfortable with each other's company by this time.
For Midorima, there are things that he wanted to perceive further about her but there are things he would rather not and this will be the unfortunate time that he will.
Kaminari did not go to school that day. Midorima was worried though he will not say it but he was being unusually agitated. Takao noticed it all so he convinced Midorima to visit her. Midorima became so irritated from Takao's persuasions that he resigned to do it after practice.
It was already evening when he arrived at her house. Midorima was sent to her room by the servant. She said that Kaminari did not go out for two days now and this occurrence was not unusual for them. They said she would not go out of her room at times and it will take about a week or two before she does. They were not allowed to go near her at that time.
Midorima thought she was having that time of the month so he argued mentally he will just see her in other day. However, his feet would not comply so he sighed and then knocked on her door. There was no answer so he opened it himself. The room was so dark that the only the moonlight passing through her window illuminate it. He could not see Kaminari anywhere.
Suddenly someone grabbed him and pinned him on the wall. Something sharp was pointed on his neck. The figure is undeniably her.
"Tomiko, its me." He was trying not to sound nervous.
The blade was then removed. Midorima was pulled down so her face was parallel to his face. She was moving closer to him. Midorima thought she will kissed him but she only rested her head in his forehead. Her gaze was directed intensely to him.
He saw her eyes this time and it was different again. It reflected anger and hate that it almost scared him. Few seconds passed, it changed back to being lifeless again. They remain in that position for some time. No one moved or said anything.
"Just stay here." Kaminari broke the silence. Her gaze was no longer directed at him. Midorima was sitting now on the floor while his back was still against the wall. Kaminari sat down on Midorima's lap, her right hand was still holding Midorima's shoulder. It was cold and it was shaking.
Midorima was lost on what to do in this situation. He could not push her. He put his hand on her back almost hugging her. Then he felt something cold in his hands. He tried to see what it was and from the moonlight it iridescent a very distinctive color. It scared him for he knew it could only be one thing. He carefully lifted her and settled her on the floor. He stood up and opened the lights. He wasn't mistaken, it was blood and she was bleeding so much. He laid her on her stomach and remove her clothes. There were lot of wounds there and it won't stop bleeding.
"What happened?" he asked with wide eyes. He was not disgusted with bloods anymore. It was her after all.
"Practice" she just said. Midorima did not believe it though. There are times that she hurt herself while training because there are parts of her body that she can't feel. It will bleed and she will just learned about it when someone pointed it to her. This time the wound is so big and deep, he was sure it hurt like hell. The clenching of her hands proved that.
"Don't move." He told her as he got the medical kit he gave to her before.
He tend the wounds on her back and he allowed her to hug him until she slept. She pinned her head in his arm so he could not move or stand up. He had no choice but to spent the night there. Even in that faint light, he could observed her bare back. There are lot of scars in there. He felt some wounds with his fingers, some are too deep. He remembered the day she said she could not cry. How could someone survive this kind of pain without crying? Its unbearable for him. Before Midorima fell into slumber, he realized he hated himself because the truth is, he could not really tend her wounds completely.
Midorima wake up to find Kaminari's foot on his face. How it get there is beyond his comprehension and will remain a mystery for him forever. He lifted her again to place her in a more comforting position but she ended up placing her head on his chest. He could not move anymore and her face was also too close to him. He was a man after all. He felt different from their position so he could not move.
The sun was shining brightly that moment. Her face was slowly illuminated by the light. Her expression was calmer than that evening. She seems to be too tired to be waken up so Midorima rested himself for a while. He placed his hand over her back. He was not hugging her, he was only doing that to check the bandage on her back. It was what he will tell if someone see them again in that position.
Midorima then looked at her face. She was just like a child clinging to him. She seemed to found some sort of safe haven in his chest. It soothed her. Midorima smiled seeing her like that.
He thought no one would got this close to him. It took him this long to realize that indeed he had fallen for her. However he denied it, she saunters in his mind every day, every minute to a point it was hard for him not to see her at least once. He would always take a time to stole a glance from her at school, at practice and when he walks her home. It became a habit for him to scold her for everything she does. They were really an excuse to talk to her.
His morning routine was properly planned that he should do it without missing anything. It was hard to do it anymore without stopping any moment to think about her.
He touched her cheeks. "It was not that bad waking everyday like this" he said to himself. He closed his eyes again and planned a way to ask her properly. This time, he was sure.
That weekend, Midorima went to her house and asked her to go out with him. While walking he used a red chalk to mark some objects they passed. He then showed him a special place. It was a very relaxing place. There are lots of trees along its side, there is a pond at the center and there are flowers all over. In the corner near the pond stand a bench. It was a cliche place for couples but he did not seem to mind.
"What are we doing here?" asked Kaminari.
"I just wanted to show you this place. Let's meet here tomorrow." Midorima said while he was busy admiring the place. Kaminari's face shows confusion but Midorima won't answer her.
"I wanted to show you something." Midorima faced her and smiled.
"Remember the marks I made? Follow that so you will not be lost tomorrow." Midorima instructed her. "I need to go now."
Kaminari just stood there while Midorima left her. She was still confused so she sat on the bench first and thought what were his real intentions. She decided it would be better if she slept there so she will not be late for their meeting. She spent the night at that bench afterwards.
She was woken up by an ominous aura. She alerted her senses and find its source. A shadow came out from some tree then revealed his face afterwards. It was Kenichi Akuma. The one who leads the Kenichi clan that was previously the Yamaguchi clan. She automatically assumed a fighting stance. She had no sword that moment but it was better to be ready since a demon decided to visit her.
"Oh my, what a good stance you have." Kenichi started. He got closer to her but Kaminari could not move. She sensed a great danger every time she saw him.
"You're a really good fighter, or a killer if I may say" he said again. He tucked her hair in her left ear. "A really beautiful killer" he chuckled at the shiver Kaminari felt when his cold finger touched her neck.
"If you are really that good, do you perhaps know how many blow it would take to kill a tiger?" The question made Kaminari's eyes widen.
"I'll be happy to tell you if you did not know. It will take at least five" he smirked at her while showing her his five fingers as if telling a child how to count.
"But for humans, it will only take one" his face express a fake sadness then it changed to a sinister one.
"Well thirty-three if you count them all" he added while smirking. He then walked towards his car as Kaminari tried desperately to ask him what he did.
Kaminari worrily run towards her home using the marks left by Midorima. When she was out of sight, Midorima just arrived at the place. He looked at his watch and thought he was too early so he sat on the bench first. He opened a box he bought yesterday after he left her. He checked the ring he was about to give her later. He smiled and wait patiently for her arrival.
When Kaminari arrived from her house, it was almost destroyed. There were bloods everywhere. Her breath was shortening every step she made. The first that caught her eyes was a shade of white covered with some red. It was Shiro, and he was already dead. One by one she found them. They were all lined up in front of the house. Their hands tied on their back and each bore a severe cut on their necks. They were brutally murdered without even given them a chance to fight. The two servants looked even more disastrous. Their clothes were ripped off their body.
She looked at each one of them. With every steps, her face felt colder. She could not feel her palm as if a strong breeze was enveloping her body. She struggled to breath but she could not feel her heart as if it was taken out on her chest. She was desperately trying to shout but she couldn't. She needed air but she can't get any. She called their names trying to feel their body if they are still alive but they weren't. Her mind went blank and her body moves on its own. She walked endlessly. After a while she finally felt her heart, and it was hurting badly. She wanted to cry but she couldn't. Her world fell apart that moment.
After two hours of waiting, Midorima concluded that Kaminari lost on the way. He thought the marks would be an effective direction but turned out it wasn't. He stood up and looked for her.
He found her taking a bath in a cold river just outside the cemetery.
"I thought you can't stand cold water" Midorima told her. Kaminari was facing at the back.
"Why are you here?" she asked. Her voice was raspy than usual.
"I've been looking for you, as usual your sense of direction is stupidly inaccurate" he tried to mock her.
Kaminari did not answer. She was still facing the opposite direction while pouring the cold water down her neck.
"Come out now or you'll catch cold" Midorima then remove his jacket to offer it to Kaminari when he almost stumble by something blocking his path.
When he looked at it, he was shocked to see Shiro lying on the ground. Head was almost detached to the body because of deep cuts around its neck. Midorima fall on his butt and with wide eyes he examined carefully if it was really Shiro.
Kaminari then stood up and then she faced Midorima. He saw her dress was covered with lots of blood. He could not see her eyes.
"Wh-what happen Tomiko?" he asked.
"Its useless. I did not need it anymore so I killed it." She launched herself to Midorima in a second. Sword pointing just inches away from his neck.
"Shiro is a family, he not it, that's what you said before" Midorima was angry now.
"Did I said that? I can't remember anymore" she just said calmly.
"Stop playing this game, I knew you better than that" he wanted to shook some sense on her. He could not understand what she was saying.
"Do you?" she asked.
Midorima could not answer. "Do you know what I do? Do you know how many I have killed?" Kaminari asked him making him looked down. He knew she would not do something like that but then from all the things she taught him, it was probable.
"I- I thought you were different. That there was something between us. What else could it be?" Kaminari could sense the hesitation in his eyes.
"And I thought you were intelligent. We told you many times before, there are paralyze part on my body. I guess my heart is one of them. I never felt anything towards anyone especially on you. I would never fall in love. I am not capable of doing that" Kaminari said making Midorima clenched his fist.
Her eyes looked the same as that night. It was full of hatred. Midorima could no longer see the woman he fell for. This woman was entirely different. If this was her true self then he fell for the wrong person. Midorima straightened his back.
"I'll be honest with you too, like you, I will never be capable of loving anyone except for myself, and my fortune." Midorima then left her without looking back. He held the cold ring in his hand then decided to throw it away. He did not need it anymore. He was free from the force obligation Kaminari put into him. There would be no marriage. He should be happy by now.
If he just looked back he will saw how hurt Kaminari's expression was. She clutched her heart but she thought this was the best way Midorima not to get involve in her fight. Kaminari could only find comfort in the dead tiger that whole night.
...
It is really cold today just like that night. I wonder if the cold water could ease the pain she had felt? Somehow I could understand it, I am feeling the same way now.
I almost thought we could be something else. I am mistaken. From the start I knew it was a mistake. I am really is a selfish person. After that day, I realized that the the only important thing for me are my fate and my fortune.
I'll end my letter now.
Midor*** Shintar**
Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think.