I stood there with my head facing down ashamed of myself. I couldn’t muster up the courage to look up. Right then, my head was pulled up by my hair and I came face to face with Natsumi-san and another sharp pain surged through my other cheek.
"This is for pissing me off and getting me so worried," she said and my lips start to tremble. "I’m sorry" I wanted to say that over and over but no words were leaving my mouth.
"No need for that," she said and then pulled my head into her chest hugging it tightly. I could feel her warmth touching my body and felt a similar feeling. A feeling I forgot about. It had been that old. "I know Kazuki, I remember what day it is," she hugged me tighter and started patting my head.
"It’s okay Kazuki, let it out."
Those words that I heard just let out a wave of emotions. Emotions I have been holding back for some time. Actually, the entire day. I hugged her back and my fingers were digging into her clothes. My hands were shaking and my eyes were starting to well up. I know what day it is. I know very well. And so…
I cried.
Like a kid.
Tears were not stopping from flowing from my eyes and I couldn’t hold them back anymore. No matter how I wanted to stop all those tears and emotions. No matter how much it was hurting me at that moment, I couldn’t control them. They were controlling me. They were making me do what they wanted.
And they told me to cry my eyes out.
Because, today….
"It’s fine kid, cry your heart out," she said and gently pat my head. It was the warmth I didn’t feel for so long. I was turning back to how I was as a kid back then. Scared, vulnerable, anxious, scared of going outside, and sad beyond anyone ever should be.
"It’s been so many years and yet it still hurts," I said while crying and hugging her tighter and she kept patting my head.
"I know, and it is completely fine for it to hurt this bad. There is nothing wrong with it," she said and hugged me tighter.
We just stayed like that for minutes. I didn’t want to let go of her at that moment, I didn’t want to leave the embrace I was feeling. My mind didn’t want this warmth to go away.
"Kazu-kun…" I heard Ai’s voice and turned towards her and I could see her face break into a depressed expression. I didn’t know what face I was making but it certainly wasn’t a pleasant one. Her face doesn’t drop like this when she sees me because if it did, I would rather die. She rushed at me and hugged me too. Though her body was cold like always, it felt nice to have her hug me. It always does. I hugged the two for some minutes before breaking our formation. I looked into both of their eyes it looks like both of them knew what happened.
"Ever since you turned twelve, you started showing as if you were alright about it. As if you have moved on but I could tell Kazuki. Even after all those years, it hurts and I know it does. It does really bad, even for me. But what hurts, even more, is seeing you like this welling up all your emotions. It was also why you stopped coming to the festivals," she said my eyes widened and I nodded. I felt a firm yet gentle hand on my hand and it starts ruffling my hair. "Here."
She handed me some money and I just stared at it and looked up at her and she had a soft smile on her face. "Have fun today."
"But Nats-" I was shut up with a finger on my lips. She had a commanding expression on her face. This was not a treat by her, it was a command to go and have fun.
"You have done enough worrying and trying to get things done all by yourself. You always think the only person who can solve your problems is you and you alone. You have been hiding the fact of Father after you knew full well how it may end up just because you wanted to take care of this problem on your own. Pretty immature mindset honestly after knowing that you have people who are way better than in you in this stuff. Or do you not trust us enough?" she said and raised her eyebrow.
"It’s….it’s not th-"
"It’s okay, you’re still just a kid and have not seen or experienced enough things in your life. Sure, experiences teach people lessons, but they don’t teach every lesson in life. It takes time and a lot of mess-ups before that happens," she said and placed her hand on my shoulder. "So let the adults do their job and you be a normal kid for once and go enjoy the festival. The damages to the property have already been taken care of and it’s good Iwaguchi put the tracking device on you."
"The wh-"
Before I could say the next word, she picked out a little black thing from the back of my head.
"Iwaguchi planted this on you when he met you in the mall," she said and winked at me and my eyes widened. So that’s why he was there.
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
"We could keep an eye on you easily the entire time before since you didn’t go out that much but now that you were entering a crowded area. It was better if we had a tacker on you and then we met Akira who brought us here.
"I…see…" I said and just turned my face to the side and bit my lips.
I felt horrible. I messed up again and big time in this one. I should have not acted all high and mighty and asked for help and told Natsumi-san. She is correct. Ever since that thing happened, ever since I saw what I could do, I stopped relying on other people. The only person I did for some years was Natsumi-san but even after that, something me broke. I didn’t want anyone’s help. I only trusted myself to solve every problem I faced.
I was an idiot to think that I could solve all my problems on my own.
"I’m sorry Natsumi-san," I said looking very apologetic and she just sighed and smiled at me. "It’s okay but now that you are alive and learned your lesson, never do this again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma’am," I said and she lightly hit my head.
"It really is a drag to take care of you," she said and I scratched the back of my head and laughed awkwardly.
"I’ll try better?" I said and she just nodded and started walking away. "Oh, Natsumi-san."
She turned around.
"Thank you, for saving me," I said and she chuckled a little.
"You’re welcome but don’t make it a habit of having me save you," she said and started walking away.
"I won’t."
With that, I was left with Akira and Ai who were staring at me awkwardly. Well, Natsumi-san did ask us to have fun but doing that after what has happened is a bit hard. I looked at Akira and she had so many questions.
"Ask away," I said to her wanting to make everything clear before we proceed to the next activity.
"I’m sorry that I’m asking a little personal question Kazuki-sama but what exactly happened today?" she said with the same stoic expression on her face.
"Today is the day my parents got killed, right before my eyes," I said and her eyes widened a little but she soon recomposed herself.
"I’m sorry to hear that," she said and clenched her fists. "May I ask one more question Kazuki-sama?"
"Ask away."
"How did they die?" she asked me and something just hit my heart as a wave of memories came back to me. I clenched my heart as the pain I felt a few moments ago came back to me. My legs stumbled a little but Ai was quick to grab me. It seems like I am overreacting but honestly speaking. I wish it didn’t hurt this bad.
"I’m sorry Kazuki-sama, for asking that question. It was very rude and out of place for me, please forgive me," Akira started apologizing.
"It’s okay Akira," I said and sat down on the bench and looked at the both of them. "Looks like today I’ll tell you guys about some things you may not know of. Well, Akira won’t, I’m not really sure about Ai."
"Well….." Ai said and started playing with her fingers. "Actually I don’t know what happened completely…"
I chuckled a little and pat the place right beside me and Ai sat down on my lap instead wrapping her arms around my neck and giggling happily. What else did I expect? I looked up but Akira did not move at all.
"What is it Akira?" I asked and she looked me straight in the eyes.
"With all due respect Kazuki-sama, I’m just a servant of yours. I don’t have the right to sit right beside you. I cannot allow myself to do that," she said while bowing down.
"Then will you allow yourself to defy any of my orders?" I asked.
"Certainly not, I will rather have my head chopped off endlessly than that being happen."
Well…that’s a bit too much Akira.
"Then it’s an order. Come and sit next to me."
Hearing me I saw a little pout form on her face and she sat right next to me with the subtle pout on her face. "Unfair."
Okay, she really needs to stop showing her emotions like this on her face out of nowhere. It’s deadly.
Well anyways.
"It happened when…" I started.
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