In the Same Cold Blood

Chapter five: Broken Imaginary Crown

It's been a rough time since the fallen heroine of the story Yashiro Nene was stuck here.

Nene only could count the change of night and day to know how much time has passed. Even in just a week Nene now knows how Hanako feels. To be confined to one space. Everyday and every night.

The days were lonely as people talked about her rumor in addition they added her legs were added.

"They say that her murder twisted her ankles until they were puffy in swollen some say they turned to daikons"

TURNED TO DAIKONS?!? HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?! 

Nene just wanted to shout her legs aren't daikons...of course that only fed to the rumor…

"They say if you say Daikon with anything about her in the sentence you will feel her deadly stare…"

Which was half true.

But luckily that rumor died down quickly.

The rumors were nothing but trouble; she felt like a puppet  attached to strings. Was this how the other supernaturals felt when their rumors were changed?

The nights were probably worse as she was now susceptible to lower apparitions that crawled along the streets. 

Few of them were stronger than her. She couldn't fight off these ones, it was flight all the way except she can't quite float yet. It felt weird but she did use it to jump a few or more feet then she could if alive. 

It was times like this she whined for Hanako or Kou for help, when her back stung more or when she was in distress.

All she could do is curl up in a ball and hope for it all to go away. 

But, she can't.

She felt a spark of hope as she caught a glimpse of the oldest Minamoto brother.

Stars and hearts came to her mind.

He made her hopeful again as he approached her.

"So this is where Yashiro san has been"

"Minamoto senpai?!" She smiles; it feels like something she hadn't been able to do in so long. This is her chance to be rescued by a prince in shining armor. 

She starts running to him. He simply puts down the bag of eggs.

"Minamoto senpai it's so good to see you!" She gushes tears of joy streaming down her face still running with something to run for this time.

"I see…" he says bluntly.

she slowly comes to a stop, "see what?" She asks, tilting her head confused.

"I see…" he simply mumbles again.

"What are you seeing? Those monsters?! Are they back?! Please tell me they're gone!" Nene shivered looking around with paranoia nearing the tall male for some form of comfort.

"You're dead." He says with no warmth in his voice.

There is a silent pause.

"I-Im not dead...I just…" Nene feels her knees buckle from beneath her nonexistent body. 

She doesn't want to admit she's dead…

But she can't exactly say she's alive…

…

"I don't know what I am. I just woke up here...and I can't leave…"

"You're not supposed to be on the near shore Yashiro san… you need to leave" he says with a unmoved tone

"But I can't!- "

"But you should yashiro san."

"I can't leave everyone! I have to get to my friends, I have to get to momma!" Her voice cracks.

"Yashiro San- I know it's hard but it's better to let them be. Death happens, life comes and goes. You need to accept it."

"I WON'T! I had so much to do Minamoto Senpai. I have a life to live! I thought you of all people could help me!" She quivered tears running down her face as she tried to near him more only to hit the barrier. He looks at her with a cold face...one she's never seen.

"I could help you but you wouldn't like the way I would do so." He begins to pick up the eggs and walk.

"NO PLEASE HELP ME! I WANT TO SEE MOMMA!" She bangs on the invisible wall once.

"I WANT TO SEE AOI CHAN!" she hits the wall twice.

"I WANT TO SEE KOU KUN!" She hits it a third time.

"I WANT TO SEE HANAKO KUN!" she hits the wall for a final time with as much force as she could.

The tall blond stops. In his hand prayer beads slip out and lash at Nene, she dodges them by a hair.

She falls on her back with pain spiking as she whines.

"Your ties with that filthy apparition is what probably put you in this mess in the first place!" He hissed.

She hiked another sob back. 

He sighs walking toward her, bending on a knee reaching to pat the sobbing girl's head. She flinches as he does so.

"Yashiro san… I acknowledge that you were a normal person, but this is your fault. If you know what's good for you, you'll pass on from this earth peacefully," he sighs, retreating to his original position.

"Your purpose in this world is done. Now it's time you leave...before I'm forced to wipe you off the face of the Earth myself." He says with venom in his voice. And with that he leaves.

Nene sits watching him walk away. At this moment, or her imaginary views of him being a prince, or a knight in shining armor- 

Shattered. 

The pencil case she dropped might as well just be stepped on him 

His act at school...was it just a facade?
The way he was polite to everyone...why?

He was polite to them because they are normal living people…

But to the dead...maybe that was a different story….

Is that why Hanako was terrified of him?

Whenever she sees Hanako she will give him the biggest apology for ignoring Hanako's pleas and inviting the senpai for that time to play the king's game.

But...she is still stuck here...and now she's dead.

Maybe she should stop hoping.

She can’t help but to wonder what divine being can‘t help but to make this sick joke of her existence.

She could pass peacefully? Not in a million years!

 Maybe this really was her fault…

 No.

She can't give up and she WILL find a way to get out of here…

Eventually.

…………………………………….

It is the 6th day. 

Kou walks in the bathroom.

"Hey kid, how’s our lovely daikon?" He smiles but...it feels more off putting.

To be continued…