nefarious | bl | jjk | ✓

9: black hole

9: black hole

There he sat in his room with unblinking and dull eyes fixated on the wall, noticing every tiny detail. A hand lifted from his side, the tip of his fingers brushed against the mark on the side of his neck. It stung against that brief touch yet he remained unresponsive.

Memories of what happened this past few days poured into his mind like raging waves. It crashed against his head, causing a drop of sweat to slide down his chin. Pale lips trembled, trying to get rid of this torrential rain pouring over him.

It took minutes to regain his cool, and Gojo Shusei suddenly grabbed his own neck, his fingers digging into his own skin. Each finger left deep marks, forming bruises yet not a single cut.

He forgot that Zenin Naoya trimmed his nails after Shusei scratched his back.

A mocking smile curled on his lips, loosening his grip to reveal the bruises he made on his skin.

The star which used to burn bright in the night sky had lost its allure, leaving behind scattered fragments and a dark, black hole devouring everything. His bright, earth toned eyes flashed with a dark light, giving Shusei a look of madness.

More than seven years...

How could he be so stupid?

The reason why his aniue and father, who had always wanted Shusei to form relationships with the Zenin Clan, grew to dislike Zenin Naoya was because of this.

It wasn't because Shusei did not know what it meant to kiss or why Zenin Naoya did everything he could to get close. Shusei was not that ignorant.

He simply refused to accept reality.

For more than the first ten years of his life, he lived in a fantasy. Even now, when he had already spent more than a decade in reality, he found it difficult to integrate into a world that was... real.

In the end, despite adapting to the real world, Shusei always felt disconnected. If it were not for his aniue, perhaps Shusei would have lived in a fantasy he conjured just to be with his mother.

Shusei had this belief that everything he felt was not real. No matter how hard he denied it, deep inside, it was like living in a dream.

But Zenin Naoya destroyed that dream.

Thump. Thump.

"Shushu." Satoru's voice rang behind the door, causing Shusei to glance at the silhouette on the other side. "Can I talk to you?"

Thump. Thump.

The sound of a slow beating heart echoed in his ears.

Thump. Thump.

In an instant, the docile Shusei, who never once showed disobedience, who only showed one emotion at a time, laughed soundlessly under his breath. It lacked any sort of humor, anger, or sadness. It simply sounded... dead.

Now... how should I deal with Naoya?

Shusei's dead expression morphed into his usual smile, the light returning back in his eyes and softly said, "Come in, aniue."

.

.

In an abandoned subway, two figures stood across each platform, staring at each other's eyes.

One had an empty yet smiling gaze while the other was filled with confusion and frustration.

Zenin Naoya found that he could no longer read Gojo Shusei. Ever since that day they overstepped one another's boundary, the Gojo Shusei he knew was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a young man with an eerie aura, capable of giving him an uncomfortable feeling.