Little Stars

Chapter 16

"Haw—" Keigo flinched before she uttered his full hero name. He didn't want to be called by that name? Touya had always told him that he is Keigo and will always be Keigo. And why was she in his dorm? He just wanted to be alone in his grief for Touya's death. "Keigo," she amended.

The woman waited for Keigo to look at her, but he kept staring at his clenched hands, droplets of blood were falling from how his talons were digging in his skin, but he didn't care, he didn't even acknowledge the pain. 

A sigh escaped from the woman as she sat on his bed and he wanted to yell at her, but he knew that she didn't deserve it. She always treated him with kindness even if he only saw her once or twice a year. "I am sorry," she said softly and the woman wanted to pull him into a hug, but she was afraid that he would refuse.

"H-He prom-mised he would s-stay." Keigo couldn't hold back his tears, he knew that she wouldn't punish him for being weak. 

"I am sorry, Keigo." She apologized again and Keigo didn't know why she was apologizing, it wasn't her fault that Touya had died.

"Why does everyone leave me?" Maybe what his father always told him, that he was unlovable and he would always be alone, was true. "P-please, d-don't l-leave me, too."

"I am sorry, I—" 

"Hawks, it's time for your training." Mr. Asahi cut off what the woman was about to say. His voice was so angry that made Keigo flinch violently.

"Can't you see he can't train at the moment?" The woman snarled at his handler and Keigo wanted to tell her not to defend him because Keigo would get punished in the end for being weak — there was already a punishment waiting for him for crying in his room, but it would be doubled if she defended him, like how Touya used to defend him.

"It is not any of your business, Ms. Tsutsumi." Mr. Asahi glared at her. Keigo felt himself shrinking at his glare even if it wasn't directed at him. "Hurry up, Hawks and follow me. Don't sit there like an idiot." His handler was still glaring at Ms.Tsutsumi.

Keigo immediately went to Mr. Asahi's side, but he muttered a small 'sorry' on his way to the woman who only showed him kindness whenever he saw her. Keigo hoped that she wouldn't stop seeing him even if it was for a few minutes.

"You can't! Give him a break." The woman argued and stalked angrily where they were standing.

"Don't you have work, Ms.Tsutsumi?" Mr. Asahi gripped his forearm so tightly that he thought his arm would break. "Crime isn't going to stop itself."

"I said give him a break, old man." Ms. Tsutsumi glowered, a look of pure hatred on her beautiful face.

"You dare to defy a commissioner's order?" Mr. Asahi didn't move from his place, not fearing that the deadly woman could attack him and end his life in one swift movement. "We should reset you from the beginning." Mr. Asahi sneered at her.

"We are not fucking objects, you —"

"Madame Kaina," Keigo said in a quiet, fearful voice and it was the only thing that stopped her from killing his handler where he was standing. "Please, I will be fine." He continued, not wanting her to be punished like him, one was enough. "Heroes' work is more important."

"Listen to him, Pro hero Lady Nagant." Mr. Asahi curled his lip in disgust as if the woman in front of him was a piece of dirt. "Hawks!" The said boy tried to hide his flinch, but it was too late and Mr. Asahi's glare was directed at him.

'Flinching is for the weak, Hawks. Heroes don't flinch, It makes you pathetic.' Mr. Asahi's voice sneered in his mind.

"Yes, Sir!" It came out in a weak voice to hide his pathetic flinch. Mr. Asahi finally let go of Keigo's forearm, and the latter was relieved because he didn't like Mr. Asahi touching him — his touch only meant pain and suffering.