ShigaTodo Stories Book 2

🧑‍🤝‍🧑Growing Up Together🥀🌺

Tenko Shimura: 7
Shoto Todoroki: 5

As he slowly made his way aimlessly down the sidewalk, the sun felt like it was burning up Tenko's back. Each step he gave the boy's bare feet had a good chance of coming into contact with a sharp pebble, neck beginning to ache from how Tenko kept looking down at the ground. There was also a bit of a headache that was also starting to occur. His hands, crusted with blood and dirt, were clutched together at his front, nails digging into the backs of them and leaving crescent-shaped dents in the skin. Two spots on his face--right side of mouth and left eye--still stung in pain from where Father had hit him with that pole, cracking blood dried to those places as well. 

It was funny; there were probably dozens of people passing by Tenko per minute, yet none of them had stopped to help him. Not a single one of them. They gave him some sad, pitiful glances before they'd carry on their way, leaving the poor boy behind for someone else to deal with. Each time one of those stares came his way, the more Tenko began to feel something bubbling up inside him, filling his very core. Something that carried with it that intense, irksome itch. Reaching up with a trembling hand, Tenko began digging at his neck once again. Despite wanting to scream out for someone to help them, ask them why wasn't anyone helping him, an overwhelming amount of guilt had swelled up inside his throat. This was preventing Tenko from muttering even a peep, leaving the unwell child mute. 

Another scratch and Tenko's body flinched; he had cut himself again. He didn't care anymore. Continuing to scrape at his neck in a vain attempt to settle down that cursed itch, the young boy soon found himself below the highway. Tenko paused in his tracks when he thought he heard...crying? It was faint, oh so faint. Barely detectable by the human ear. But it was there; leading Tenko towards it like a siren's song. Following the sound led Tenko underneath the highway, which had a great deal of shade from the concrete above that blocked out the sun's scorching rays. Even though he should have hesitated--hearing crying in a place like this wasn't seen as a good sign--Tenko found himself already walking even closer to the sound. 

Sat in between two tarp-covered bins with a hand held over the left side of his face was a boy, looking to be not too much younger than Tenko. His hair was half red and half white, bruises dotting what pale skin was shown from partially burnt clothes. This kid too was covered with blood, but unlike Tenko it covered most of the boy's shirt, hands and a few splotches were on his face. Although soft sniffles and hiccups came from the boy, the part of his face that was exposed expressed no emotion. Tenko recognized this kid; he had met him at the park before. Ugh, what was his name again? Oh, that's right! It was Shoto, wasn't it? It had been only one time--though he could have come at times when Tenko wasn't there--and he was just sitting at the sand box. The light blue haired boy could faintly recall other kids looking at him funny, calling him names like 'creep' and 'animal killer'. What had that been about? And why was he here? 

Though he wanted to ask these questions, Tenko's throat was still too tight to get out a single syllable. A gray eye flew up to look at Tenko, but he only looked into those red eyes for a few moments before it quickly dropped down to stare at the other's blood dried hands. Neither spoke to one another, just staring in complete and utter silence. Then to Tenko's surprise Shoto began to move to the side, giving space from him and one of the big bins. He brushed away tiny pieces of rubble and rocks, and it took a few moments for Tenko to realize that the spot was for him. Not wanting to continue standing on the ground's rocky surface, the older kid accepted the offer silently. Sitting down, Tenko gazed at the boy beside him out of the corner of his eye. Why was he covering his eye like that? And was that...blood underneath it? 

Neither of them did anything for a long time, nor did anyone come down the alley and discover the two lone children. During this time, Tenko's brain kept showing bits and pieces of his family. However, the whole picture wouldn't come together for him. Those slivers of memories began gradually fading away, each time more and more when he tried to visualize them. It had begun taking its toll on the poor child, tears leaking from his narrowed ruby red orbs, frequently sucking in harsh breaths. Using his arms Tenko tried rubbing away his tears, but it didn't do much more than make his face all wet.