Corpse Bride || Haitani Brothers/OC

regression

"you really got attached, huh?" Ran teases Haru.

"shut up."

they both stood before Mikey's grave. Ran had killed him in his penthouse in a fit of insanity and blackout eight years ago. Hikari's been gone eleven years. she died when she was 24 and he was 28. she was 24 still; the man now a year before his forties.

Haru shut his eyes and held his hands together as he was muttering under his breath a message for Mikey. today was his graduation and he's had multiple honors, multiple scholarships to law and med schools both at his beck and call.

Ran pats his back as he walks over to Kokonoi's grave a few feet away. he sighs as he looks at the stone. he doesn't even remember killing Kokonoi, but he apparently did so.

what he recalled was being stopped by Haru from killing himself. he had listened. and he'd asked the child then to take care of Hikari as he went out and committed an arbitrary massacre. he tortured Sanzu for five years in a private room before the pink-haired man found a way to kill himself and escape Ran's hands.

"at least you're with Hikari," Ran teases, lightly tapping his foot on his gravestone. then his smile dissolves into a passive face. "I know I killed you, but I envy you. I bet you would've suffered a lot too had you lived up to her absence."

Kokonoi loved Hikari. Ran was only ever at ease leaving her to herself when Koko was there. the man was an asshole, but he was Hikari's truest friend. he offers a cigarette above his grave; he knew it was custom to offer something to the dead. Mikey, Koko, and Hikari—they all died on the same month in different years.

it was a coincidence that it was Haru's graduation on the very day.

Ran felt Haru's hand on his shoulder. the kid had grown taller; he was about Rindou's height.

"you good to go?"

"can I drive?"

"sure, I need to catch up on some sleep anyway."

Haru blinked, then he hugged Ran.

"thanks for making it to my graduation, I know you were busy."

"I wouldn't miss it."

Haru awkwardly pulled away before walking past him to enter Ran's car. the question hung in the air. what now?

he was well past eighteen; he could've moved out, but they still lived together. Ran didn't say anything about it and neither did he. as they drove down the street on their way home, the purple-eyed man was staring at him relentlessly.

"what?" Haru groans.

"nothing. you look like Hideo. you look like her."

"yeah, that's because we're siblings."

"it's funny how both your siblings died by my hand." Ran smiled to himself.

"everyone I liked died by your hand—don't forget Mikey," Haru chuckles.

they were probably not okay—both of them. they often found themselves joking about it.

"jokes aside, Haru. law or medicine?"

the car comes to a halt before a stoplight. he looked back at Ran, the same indecisiveness crossing his features. Ran gave him a knowing pat on the shoulder. Haru was torn between the two. he wanted to be a lawyer to do more justice for neglected and abused children like him and all of his siblings. he wanted to be a doctor because everyone he cared about died gruesomely.

"I still don't know," he finally says, stepping on the pedal as the light turned green.

before Ran could pester him further about his career, he brings up another topic that would get him distracted.