6. Asano Keigo. Class 3-A, Karakura Highschool. Eighteen-years of age. Known liar.
Thump, thump, thump.
His steps echo loudly in his ears.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Each movement is slowly getting sloppier, his anger slowly dissipating into a nothingness.
Coughing, with violent hacks coursing through him in a sporadic manner, Keigo looks at the cloudy is chilly and he feels his face flush. The world dims and blinking gradually, Keigo comes to a stop, panting with his arms raised behind his back. He swallows his breath awkwardly, while also trying to breath in. It ends harshly and he coughs more, an awful hacking sound that surrounds the previously peaceful park.
Straightening his shoulders, he stretches his arms, legs and core, before closing his dark eyes. With one last stretch, he cracks his neck to the side takes a glance at his wrist watch and decides to run home, before Mizuho would send Oshima to get him. He's not in the mood to see that lumbering mess of an awkward, kind-of friend right now. Alas, Keigo is too late to escape Mizuho's wrath and he can feel his annoyance grow steadily as Oshima mysteriously comes into view.
"What do you want?" Keigo mutters running past the former-bully.
"Your sister is looking after Mei, she told me you were banned from running by Ishida-san."
Keigo's eyebrow twitches at the way Oshima says that, banned, as though it wasn't his life he was leading, but Mizuho's or Oshima's.
"I don't give a damn about what Mizuho says," he growls out, frustrated with his older sisters insistent protection of him.
He can look after himself. He doesn't need her or her stupid rules. Doesn't need her stupid concern and especially doesn't need her shitty food and shittier lectures. Keigo is f-i-n-e, fine.
His legs move faster, subconsciously he tries to shake Oshima off.
Because all Keigo needs is a few seconds to himself, because nothing is wrong and yes- Dr. I-know-everything-Ishida he has eaten this week!...Or at least, he thinks he has? No, he's not lying...Maybe? Oh kami-sama help him, Keigo feels his mind suddenly become muddled up and the memories are no longer in their hidden place, no longer swept-beneath the rug, everything is around for him to see clearly and he hates it.
The reminiscent sensation of dread consumes him, he can feel the way his world is dissolving, ending around him in broken fragments, scattered haphazardly around his mind. A myriad of memories feast on his vulnerability. A flash of black. Ominous laughter- prickling pressure everywh-
Keigo falls suddenly, gasping for breath as his lung tightens and his vision blurs- there's a katana. Blood and shrill screams- He sways back and forth, despite being on the ground and something large is touching him. Fear bites at him and he begins to hyperventilate, each breath he draws being sharper and shorter than the last.
What's touching him? He doesn't like it, not one bit.
"Go- Ke'go- Keigo," a thundering voice tries to pull him from his reverie, but Keigo is lost.
He's lost and hungry, but he can't eat, he doesn't want to eat. Keigo wants to keep running, wants to keep pretending it's fine- wants to continue living a lie. There's too much to do for him to just do mundane things like eat, or school work and his thoughts attack him more viciously than any of those stupid hollows ever did. A lump forms in his throat and he cannot for the life of him remember how to breathe, so he's a gasping, shivering mess.
Cold sweat pours down his face in spades full.
But despite it all he's fine okay!
Capital 'F', Fine. No his heart isn't smashing audibly because he hasn't gotten a text from anyone other than his sister in two months. No, his grades are not worse than ever. He's in control alright and he doesn't even need Tatsuki to smile back at him or for Michiru to look at him with eyes that aren't filled with pity. Keigo doesn't look around his class daily for his lost friends, he never wishes Ryo would walk through the door with a sarcastic quip or Chizuru would hit on a girl he likes. Seeing Mahana drowning in success does not make him feel any sadness for the lost of camaraderie. There's nothing wrong with him smashing the picture of him and Mizuiro okay! Keigo is not insane alright!
Sobbing to himself, with a grumbling stomach that begs for nutrients, Keigo remembers the days when his lies were far more realistic and much easier to produce.
Oshima is a bully in Bleach that Ichigo beat up, I just gave him an off screen redemption with Keigo. Reasons why Keigo is a mess? Probably because I imagine he was the glue for his friends, Mizuiro though loyal is cold, Tatsuki too hot-headed and the rest of the Ichi-crew too conceited-ish to think that maybe Keigo and Co can look after themselves. In the end Keigo would probably try the most to keep each and every friendship he has thriving, but the rest of his former-friends have breaking points. Breaking points that last two years to get to, but breaking points nonetheless. Plus, I have a tendency to inflict pain on my favourite characters, sue me. Okay, thanks for reading, bye.