𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐚 [𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞] ✓

chapter 6: nightmare pills

note:

trigger warning: nightmares, medical drugs
also, you're welcome :[=

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NOTHING HAPPENED. PALE skin stayed it's lively color. Lilac-gold irises stayed lilac-gold. And light fluffy hair still swayed soundlessly in the lazy wind.

A gasp finally wrenched your throat and your face contorted into one of intense bewilderment — a similar expression was laden on the boy's face.

"You... you're not–" But words failed you, you voice getting lost like a grain of sand in the wind of a desert.

Inumaki couldn't muster any onigiri-ingredient words either, his breath stolen away like a kick to the gut. You grabbed his shirt in disbelief, clutching it between your trembling fingers, weakly. As your hand was pressed up against his chest, you could make out the fast hammering of his heart under his skin.

Still beating.

Your breathing was ragged and your irises shook wildly in your eyes.

Inumaki, gripped your shoulders lightly, his eyes just as wide and his mouth slightly ajar in incredulity. "W-why aren't you..." You couldn't bring yourself to say it.

It seemed that the light haired boy came to his senses first, picking up your glasses and placing them back over your eyes gently. He then smiled at you and spoke.

"I don't know why..." He started, his voice raspy from disuse. "But it's all okay now."

A sob wracked through you, a deep breath of relief shuddering in your lungs, and you wrapped your arms around him, tears wetting his shirt. Inumaki hugged you back, tightly, and you didn't care to know how long it took before both of you fell asleep on the wooden bleachers of the training field.

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"I'M TRYING! I really am!" You cried as your muscles gave out, leaving you a limp puddle on the ground.

The full moon was out — the only light for anyone to see — and your mother had kept you out for training even after the sun had long set. The sky was a hazy indigo and clouds drifted overhead silently.

You were on your hands and knees trying to catch your breath after your mother had won god-knows how many times. You wheezed and panted, sweat dripping down from your forehead, and your eyes couldn't focus properly, two images forming from one.

You mother sneered. "Well, it's not enough! What would your grandfather think when your father and I present a weakling to inherit the family's cursed technique?!"

A shiver ran down your spine and you bit your lip. You looked up to face your mother, but before your vision could focus, her image twisted, turning into a silent room, with walls and floor of stone. In front of you was the statue of a magnificent bird, cracked in places after you tried to place its broken pieces back together.

The thought of bright red wings having greyed under your gaze, hung like a noose around your heart and you sniffed, continuously wiping the red tears that flowed down your cheeks.

Your vision shifted again, into an image of a stone figure. "No..." You whispered under your breath as you observed the silver stone.

It was Inumaki.

"No! No, I didn't mean it!" You cried at the top of your lungs. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't know!" You stumbled towards the statue and caressed its face, rubbing the pads of your thumbs over the marks on his lips etched roughly into the rock.

The surface was icy under the tips of your fingers and the once lilac-gold eyes stared lifelessly back at you as tears and blood dripped from your snake-branded eyes. "No, no, no."

Someone slammed the door open after hearing the loud noise — it was your father.

You looked at him with horror in your gaze, only to be met with a tight blindfold over your eyes. "No!" You yelled, struggling against more than one grip. "Stop, please! T-toge!"

No time to grieve.

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YOU AWOKE WITH a start, a silent scream ripping from your throat. You sat up in your bed and clung tightly to your sheets, trying to regain your breath and recover from your nightmare, cold sweat dripping down your face.

They seemed to plague you every night — harsh memories from that past and visions of some surreal future that you wished to be rid of, like a malison that bound you down from what could've been.

What should've been.

You stared out of your open window, light from the moon and stars pouring in and casting lovely beams across the sheesham floor of your room. Searching blindly, you pulled open your bedside drawer as well as the cup that sat next to you.

Nightmare pills — not that they worked.

Downing the little tablet and placing your glasses on, you sighed and leaned against the window sill.

Was this cursed technique a real curse? The thought filled you with regret and doubt.

You only realized when you looked down that Inumaki was leaning against your bed, sleeping against its wooden frame. His mask was pulled down and, in the moonlight, the marks on his lips were prominent.

A sigh escaped your lips. What time is it? Did Toge bring me back here?

He looked very uncomfortable, shifting in his position every few minutes and you decided to wake him up for the better. A voice in your mind told you not to — to stay put otherwise something bad would happen — but you dismissed it. You got off the bed and sat opposite him on the floor, observing his figure.

Your eyes lingered on him for a few seconds, taking in the boy who had plagued your dream, listening to his soft breathing. The thought of him having turned to stone because of you made you brain ache and you clenched your fists. You took a deep breath and composed yourself. It was just a dream. But the reassuring thought helped with nothing.

You shook his arm gently. "Toge." You said, softly. "Hey, Toge-kun."

He didn't wake up, only twisted again and furrowed his eyebrows in discomfort.

You chuckled to yourself. "Senpai~" You teased. "Inumaki-senpai." You smiled when his eyes opened suddenly. A laugh escaped your throat. "So, you'll wake up when I call you senpai, huh?"

It seemed that the boy was not fully awake to register what you said, and he rubbed his eyes and groaned, sitting up straight. "Takana?" He asked, facing you.

"Don't ask me if I'm alright when you was the one who was sleeping on the floor." You said, smiling fondly at him. He blushed slightly, looking down with a small smile on his face. You sighed. "Did you even go back to your room?"

The boy shook his head, bashfully, looking up to lock your eyes. You shook your head and squinted, pointing an playful accusing finger at him.

"Let's get you back." He could only nod and accept the hand that you offered him to stand up with.

Things were looking up — you finally found your home.

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cringey ending? idk lol

anygay, thank you all for getting this far. ik it maybe seemed like an abrupt ending but i don't have any ideas nor intention for continuing because i feel like all the ideas i've had so far are bad sksksk

note:

next chapter will be an info page in case anyone is curious as to what i planned out for reader's cursed technique :)