𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐨 𝐔𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 | 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐮 𝐌. 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Chapter 23: Punishment

"I surprised you, huh? Don't worry, everything is alright." Satou leaned in to hug Su. Su cried out her name and hugged Satou back. She didn't see the lifeless expression in her red eyes as the girl tenderly stroked her light brown hair. "But, Su-chan, never try and find out anything about my life ever again." her tone suddenly dropped and Su's eyes snapped open at her dark words.

She couldn't see Satou's face, but she could feel the murderous look that radiated from the girl's predatorial red eyes. "I'm actually angry at you." she told the girl in a low, blank voice. The sweet, loving persona she had showed Su had melted away, and Su's eyes widened in fear when she heard the steady rage in her voice. She trembled. She would rather die than have the girl she loved hate her. "I'm- I'm so sorry. Please, don't hate me! I'll do anything that you wish! Just please don't hate me!" she whimpered. Satou let out a short breath at those words.

"This is also love, Satou-chan." Satou heard her aunt's voice. She always did. She knew that her sadistic aunt and all the things she'd do or say would haunt her forever. 'Auntie. I can still hear those words you said to me all those years ago. They still echo within me.' Satou thought to herself darkly. As she continued to think about her aunt, she clenched her jaw in annoyance.

Satou was in bathroom. She was washing her mouth, gargling large amounts of water in it. After she turned off the tap, she rubbed her hand roughly over her lips. She grimaced when she saw Su's lip gloss smeared at the corner. Her dark eyes stared at her own reflection. 'I can still taste something bitter. It's because I told such a horrible lie. How could I?' she thought to herself. She had told that girl that she loved her. It felt so horrible to say that to anyone other than Y/N. Lying about something as precious as love seemed like such a horrible sin her eyes. 'I can't leave things as they are now. Or else...I might..' her thoughts trailed off and she walked out.

She ran all the way the home. Other than the bitterness of Su declaring her love for Satou, she could still taste that disgusting lie that had left her tongue. She wanted to cry. She felt like such a deceitful person because she said 'I love you' to someone other than her beloved. It felt so cruel. Satou threw the door open. "Y/N-chan!" she shouted. She desperately needed to see them. To feel their hugs. To hear their voice. She couldn't bear another second without them. But, just like that night a few days ago, the apartment was empty. No sign of Y/N anywhere. Tears brimmed at Satou's glinting red eyes. She needed Y/N more than she needed oxygen. 'I want to feel Y/N-chan's sweetness.' she thought as she ran to every door, throwing them open and hoping to see Y/N. "Y/N-chan!? Where are you!? Y/N-chan, please come out!" Satou's voice shook with despair. Where was her beloved? The pain in her chest was getting worse every second.  She turned to a door and ran over to it. "Y/N-chan?" she spoke in a hopeful voice as she opened the door.

And there they were. Curled up on the floor, clutching their head. Soft cries and whimpers left their lips as they trembled. Satou stared at them. Where was their smile? Where was their happy face? Where was the sweetness that usually came when Satou felt their presence? Where?

Shoko walked up to a modern house and looked up at it. "Mitsuboshi-kun's house. This is the right address." she muttered to herself as she stared at the residence plate. She was welcomed in by his mother and she escorted Shoko upstairs. His mother knocked at the door. "Taiyou? Your co-worker has come to visit you. Come on out." his mother turned at the sound of water gushing in the bathroom. She offered to make some tea as Shoko waited for Mitsuboshi. 'His mother seems like a darling woman. ' her purple eyes trailed to the pictures on the wall. They all contained a happy family of three. Shoko couldn't mistake the joyful blonde boy in the pictures. They looked like such a loving, peaceful family. 'I wish I could've been born in a dear little family like this one. They all seem to adore each other so much.' she thought rather forlornly.

She leaned against a door. It was too late before she had realized the door was slowly opening behind her before she fell into the dimly-lit room. When Shoko opened her eyes, they fell onto a picture of an innocent-looking person. She shuffled a bit to get used to her environment. Dread slowly filled her heart when she saw the same flyers with that person's picture on it plastered in every corner of the room. Pasted on the walls, scattered all over the floor and bed, was that same flyer. Shoko's eyes went wide and dark as fear slowly started to overwhelm her.

"Taiyo?" the voice of Mitsuboshi's mother could be heard from the kitchen. But this time, Mitsuboshi responded. "I'm fine, mom. Me and Hida-san are going to talk in my room." the door creaked as it slowly closed and the blonde-haired boy himself was revealed. "So you just stay out there." he concluded. Shoko looked up at him. That wasn't the kind, mild-mannered Mitsuboshi that she worked with. This Mitsuboshi felt cold and disconnected from reality.

"Y/N-chan! Y/N-chan, you've got to hang in there!" Y/N shifted in Satou's arms uneasily, pain throbbing throughout their head. Satou looked down at them in a panic. "Y/N-chan, does it hurt? Are you in pain?" she asked. Tears were present in Y/N's eyes. They slowly parted their lips.

"Punishment.."

"This is the punishment that I've been cursed with..." Y/N whimpered. Satou was confused. Why would a darling angel like Y/N ever get punished? She thought they were perfect in every way and could do no wrong. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Satou-chan. I've done something wrong again. I went and told you a lie." Y/N cried, clinging onto Satou helplessly. Satou's red eyes widened. Lied? Y/N told her a lie? But why? She thought they could tell her anything? They didn't have to lie! "I..I talked to someone else that night, only for a little while...God must be angry at me for lying to you, Satou-chan. I betrayed your trust in me. Things went wrong because of me again." Y/N's vision was going blurry. They could hardly comprehend reality in their state. Satou called out their name, but they were too weak. Her eyes darkened. 'I- I need to hurry up and say something! But..it tastes bitter. It's bitter! It's too bitter! My thoughts are scrambled all over my mind! Why is everything so..? Why?' Satou's thoughts were frantically searching for something to say, to think, to comprehend. She opened her mouth, but only one word could be said.

'Punishment. I'm being punished? But punished for what?' Satou's hand flew to her mouth. The bitterness, the disgusting sourness, it was all going to come out. She trembled slightly. 'Is it because I've done something wrong? I have no idea! Why...Why is this happening!?'