opia | k. hitachiin

9 | simmering

"Ami's a bit irked at the flute's sound, maybe tone it down a little, sweetheart."

"Honey, we spoke about this, Ami doesn't like chicken and that's why I told Mr. Yamashi to make something else."

Ami Ami Ami

For the past few weeks, her father had been at the mercy of that reptile woman and although she had been nothing but sweet to her, she could see through that facade. She knew that that woman was nothing short of evil.

"Ai? You're seconds away from stepping on the poor little bird."

Kaoru was with her again at the park. He decided they could feed the pigeons regardless of the fact that she couldn't see them gathering excitedly for the food but at least she could hear their sweet cooing.

She had kept the details of her new life as short and simple as possible when she spoke to him at night. Difficult because she's used to ranting on hours on end and having him listen to her with not much to say other than to tell her she should calm down and try to be more open-minded.

She huffed and tried to clear those negative emotions before Kaoru pressed on for reasons but it was too late.

"The evil stepmother again?"

"Kaoru, she-" she paused and shook her head. "You know what? Nevermind, you keep convincing me that she's all good and I would still believe that she's made of pure evil and the conversation would be as useless as ever."

A few moments of silence from his end before he spoke with a soft tone she's used to, "How about you tell me everything and I won't try convincing you otherwise? Then it wouldn't be useless. I would know what's upsetting you and you would let out everythig you've been bottling away for the past few…I wanna say days?"

"Weeks Kaoru! Weeks! Weeks of this woman wanting vegetarian food and somehow forcing all of us to eat the same thing she does, even Sora is starting to get sick of it…"

Kaoru just smiled at her erratic hands and continued feeding the birds. He knew she was somehow suppressing her words of the new addition to their family so she wouldn't be told that she's being ridiculous and truth to be told, he'd been feeling pretty guilty of throwing that card at her whenever he got the chance. He's been so focused on trying to make her feel better about this whole thing that he forgot to validate and acknowledge what she's telling him.

By the time she's done with her rant, her face and collarbones are red in colour and her lips are parted in what he couldn't decipher as either relief of telling the untold or the remains of simmering anger.

"She makes me miss mum, a lot," she whispered with a crack in her voice resonating with the one starting in his heart.

He disregarded the pigeons for the rest of her company and held her small hand in his.

══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══

Not even an hour after he left Ai in the park, his phone buzzed with vigour unknowingly matching the caller's attitude. He was right outside his house, not even having opened the door.

He picked up immediately once he saw it's Kei. Although they're on good terms with each other, it didn't make them the best of buds and so a phone call from him meant it's urgent.

"What's up?" Kaoru asked as he hesitantly pulled out his keys and briefly wondered if he would need them after that call with the heavy pants Kei is exuding and all.

"Ai," he breathed out. "She ran away, I don't know where and she's blind Kaoru, she's blind." Kei choked on a sob and Kaoru took the chance to tell him that he'd be looking for her as well, just text him the address.

Kaoru ran as fast as he could because she could get hit by a car or mauled by a dog or attacked by people or mugged or anything.

Oh for fuck's sake Ai, please be safe.