CRUEL

CRUEL|FOURTY-SIX

CHAPTER FOURTY-SIX

CRUEL

[SEASON THREE]

"Sweety?" Arezou blinked away the wetness in her eyes, looking at the iron door that replaced the wooden one broken by her Appa. Pocky lay on her stomach, providing a bit of warmth on the cold night. "Yeah?" her voice wasn't as shaken as she thought it would be; it was not strong either. It sounded tired. She didn't flinch when the light reached her face, but she blinked, already accustomed to the darkness in her room. 

Her Appa, in his usual suit with a loosened necktie, as always when he was home, observed his only daughter lying in her bed, with her dog laying lazy on her stomach. To his concern, she didn't greet him with the usual smile or the sparkle in her eyes that she had when he came home. (To his worry the expression was so familiar to the day they met—)

She looked at him with eye bags and wet eyes. The tears didn't fall, but it was noticeable how they were shining. He furrowed his eyebrows, recalling seeing her like this once before. Months ago, when her brother started making friends with the cyclist. He slowly slipped into her room and took a seat on her bed, maintaining eye contact with her.

Arezou watched as her Appa laid down next to her on her bed, both looking at the ceiling of her room adorned with various posters. "Why is my sweety so bitter today?" he asked her. Normally, she would smile at his words, but this time, she couldn't summon the strength. Her lips refused to curve up. Pocky's nose tapped her hand, as if reminding her to respond to her father.

"I don't feel sweet these last days... not the last months," she corrected herself. Her Appa hummed in understanding. He didn't ask her why or if she wanted to talk about it; he just stayed quiet, humming a song, like he used to do for her and her brother when she couldn't sleep and Dom was too energetic to sleep. It would calm her down bit by bit, and she would start talking.

"When do you know loving someone is... worth it?" Arezou turned her head to the side, where she could see how her father slightly stiffened before relaxing again. Knowing him, the topic of love was connected with his little sweety possibly becoming someone else's sweety. But he didn't cry or sob, as he usually did. He breathed in a calming way, searching for enough air to gather the energy to help his daughter in her love life.

"What do you mean by 'worth it'?" he asked.

Playing with her empty fingers, trying so hard not to reach for the heavy necklace around her neck, Arezou sighed. "I mean..." He could hear her exhale the air. "I mean, is it worth it? Is there a future for them or us? T-They need to end, right? Love can't just go on and never end when just one is showing it, right?"

"Is it about the guy with glasses, sweety?" Her daughter didn't answer, but Pocky barked in agreement, as if he exactly knew who it was. Probably he did; her daughter always used to talk with her dog about everything since she got him. Pocky was her favorite person, dog, in the world after all. The gangster boss laid a hand on the mastiff, carefully stroking the fur while searching for a reason not to harm the boy who made his little princess so sad. (even when he is sure some of his men would love to—)

"I feel exhausted, Appa. I don't know what I should think or if I should feel so. Ever since the accident, he's been nice to me, but I just can't find out if it's just pity or if he really cares about me. Because three months ago, the only thing he stared at was her! And I was just the bothering girl who liked him! And now, he... he is nice. He cares, but at the same time, he just keeps quiet and doesn't give me a clear reason or... or... I don't know! I just want to know if it's worth it to stay here and like him..."