HEADPHONES ‧ k.tsukishima

𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲;

'I feel like we're always meeting in the rain these days, Tsukki.' Eri smiled, water pattering gently against her bright red umbrella.

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow, 'Your umbrellas get brighter every time.'

Eri sat down on the bus stand next to him and shook her crimson red hair of stray droplets of rain, 'Matches my new hair. Only a few weeks till graduation, Tsukki. Have you thought about-'

'Talking to Atsuko?' Tsukki sighed, 'A little. But... it's not going to change anything. It's not going to change the fact that she did what she did. We're better off without each other.'

Eri furrowed her eyebrows, 'You were so happy together though.'

'Yet she still went for Osamu.'

'But-'

Tsukki glared, 'Just drop it, ok? Goddamnit Eri...' he lifted his face to the sky, eyes rimmed red, 'I was so close to getting over her. I loved her a lot. Ok? But the same stupid thing happened with her like it happened with Akiteru, my older brother. I put my trust, faith and love in them and they let me down. After Akiteru I thought I was never gonna trust again. Because he shattered my world. But Atsuko was my second chance. And she messed it up, just like big brother.'

Eri opened her mouth to speak but Tsukki cut her off again, 'What's done has been done Eri. It hurts bad enough without you rubbing salt into the wound.'

A frosty silence overcame the two. Tsukishima gave one last quick glare and began to walk off.

Eri shouted at his slowly disappearing figure, 'I'm sorry ok Tsukki? I just wanted... our friend group back.' Tsukki paused for a moment, eyes widening at the sight of a sobbing Eri, 'It's all I want. For things to go back to normal. God it's been so painstakingly lonely. I lied about Omi. We're not moving in, we broke up two months ago. I'm moving to America to be with my parents. And I just wanted one last moment with everyone that I love before I leave. I just... I just wanted you all to be happy again.'

Tsukki turned back and took Eri's hand gently, 'When are you leaving?'

'The week before graduation. So I have a week left. I didn't tell Atsuko, didn't want to worry her with all her work and meds to figure out.'

'Meds?' Tsukki furrowed his eyebrows. 

Eri hiccuped, 'Meds to cope with her depression. She's been in and out of therapy the past couple of months, everything went downhill. Including her grades which meant that her mum went psycho on her.'

'Her mum... she's not abusive is she?' Tsukki asked, face creased with concern. Eri gave a weak smile,

'I don't know. Atsuko won't say anything.' Eri sighed, 'I wonder where she is right now.'

'Miss Daichi? Ah, you've regained consciousness. Good.'

Ominous white walls surrounded Atsuko. There was the faint obnoxious of an IV dripping, connected to her arm. Her head throbbed, as did her ribs which she could assume were busted.

Atsuko's eyes widened, 'Why am I in a hospital? What... what am I doing here?'

The kindly doctor next to her gently helped her sit up, 'You were found unconscious in your house by a cleaner. It appears that... well there's no kind way to say this, that your mother had beaten you with a metal pole. You were left with multiple lacerations, deep tissue bruising, a fractured skull resulting in an epidural hematoma and several cracked ribs.'

Atsuko sat in silent shock. Her mother had... beaten her with a pole. Holy shit. Her mother had beaten her with a metal pole. The doctor sighed,

'This is a lot of information to take in and with the severe trauma to your head, you should be resting now. I doubt you will remember much, you have a severe concussion. We can discuss matters with a lawyer when you are fit to do so. Now please get some rest Miss Daichi, you had a long night and we are fortunate that you are still here.'

The doctor left the room quietly and Atsuko lay down, trying to process what she had just been told. Her head ached, desperately searching for memories of what had happened but with no luck. It was hard to remember who she was. Where did she go to school? Who were her friends? Atsuko let out a sob. There was a fuzzy face that she remembered in her mind. Ruffled hair, a light blonde. Soft eyes behind black rimmed glasses. And a deep throaty laugh. A smile that flushed her face red. Who was he... and why... Atsuko frowned.

Why did she leave him?

A/N: LMAO IK I SAID LAST CHAPTER IT WOULD GET BETTER BUT DEPRESSING CHAPTERS ARE FUN! and now we have an amnesiac Atsuko heehee