Little Do You Know

Even Happiness Has Its Limits

Sighing, the purplette stared at his white ceiling. His wavy locks stuck out at every angle against the black pillow. He hadn't moved from his bed all day, his body ached with each faint movement. Accustomed to pain, Kokichi managed to ignore the pain enough to be sitting, leaning his back against the headboard.

He took the day off school. It wasn't abnormal for him to call in sick, especially when he had a rough appointment or two the night prior. Kokichi stared intently at his phone, eyes watching the time. Shirogane would call soon, there were a few minutes before classes ended.

Shirogane and Kokichi called each other every day after school when one of them was away. Every day without fail. Kokichi did it to ensure Shirogane's safety without seeming too attached, but he knew that she knew the truth. Deep down, he knew Shirogane shared his motives.

Kokichi groaned as he shifted his leg, pain sparking through his femur. The client that booked a double appointment was a regular who consistently requested Kokichi's services. He knew what to expect when he saw the client's name on his schedule but the pain never got easier to handle.

His clients never cared about his well-being. They used Kokichi as if he were nothing but a toy, their satisfaction being the only focus. During the night, he'd been tied up and hit. Ropes burned and bruised his body, the occasional bruise spread across his pale skin beneath his clothes. He hated how sadistic some clients could be. Sadism wasn't wrong in itself, but when the sadist is toxic and self-centred, it became dangerous.

Every other entertainer at Kokichi's work was treated better. His dad sent him the brutal and mentally sick clients. He banned any non-consensual harm coming to the other entertainers and any permanent damage resulted in an instant ban from the brothel. Kokichi sighed as he remembered the three, long scars spreading down his back and side. Someone had carved them into him, yet nothing came of it other than his dad being mad that he needed medical treatment.

Groaning, Kokichi grabbed the ice pack resting underneath his thigh and chucked it onto the floor. It landed with a wet thunk, the insides had melted and proved useless. His mum had given him multiple ice packs and painkillers to help ease the discomfort. They'd originally worked a charm, but now everything began wearing off and melting.

His phone buzzed in his hand, making Kokichi jump in surprise. He pressed the green button in an instant, pulling the mobile to his ear. "Hey, Tsumugi!"

"Woah, it didn't even ring! Been waiting for plain old me?" Shirogane laughed. Kokichi rolled his eyes, although he couldn't hide the grin spreading across his cheeks.

"Whatever, limp-tits. How was class without me? I bet it was super boring!" Kokichi giggled. He tried to keep his voice low but couldn't hide his excitement to talk to his best friend.

"Yep, so boring. Nothing fun- Huh?" Kokichi went to ask why Shirogane stopped talking but then heard another voice. He couldn't identify it, nor understand what the stranger said. It felt awkward to eavesdrop like this. "Oh, hi Saihara! Kokichi's doing just fine, no need to worry! Okay, bye-bye!"

As he heard something that resembled movement, Kokichi decided to speak. "What was that about?" Did he hear correct? Was Saihara worried about his absence?

"Looks like someone's a little worried about you!" Shirogane teased in a sing-song voice. Kokichi groaned, leaning his head back against the wall to stare at the ceiling again.

"You're overthinking!" He argued. It felt stupid to tell her this, considering he'd repeated it for weeks, maybe even months at this point. Kokichi did not have a crush on Saihara. Though, only someone as stupid as him could fall for a taken man. "Again, he's dating Akamatsu, so stop talking about us as if it's ever going to work!"