Overgrown Melody (In My Heart)

Youth

Toya helped Akito stand up, pulling a little bit too hard. Akito winced at the sudden tug. "Sorry! I didn't mean.." Toya was cut off. "It's fine... I deserve it." Akito muttered, piquing Toya's curiosity. Akito struggled to stand upright, but made his way over to a park bench. Toya followed him closely. Akito body shuttered at the sensation of his sore body colliding with the rough wooden texture of the park bench. Toya noticed, silently checking on him. His eyes softened as he carefully watched Akito settle down.

This feeling was new to Akito. He wished he could enjoy it. The feeling of someone's heart beating in sync with his. The feeling of being understood. Akito closed his eyes, not being able to bear the sight of Toya. "Hey... How are you feeling?" Toya asked, noticing Akito's attempt to dissociate from the situation. It was important that Akito had a chance to recognize and understand his emotions. Akito slightly opened his tired eyes, his head leaning toward Toya's direction. Akito contemplated his response, eventually deciding if Toya was going to hate him, it should be now, so he could get it over with.

"If I were to be completely honest with you... A mix of everything really... Shame, anger, sadness, confusion, and most of all... Regret." Akito replied trying not to bawl his eyes out. Toya blinked his eyes. "Why would you need to feel regret in this situation? It's not your..." Toya was cut off. "Maybe not this specifically... But I really messed up..." Akito said, a feeling of emptiness filled his soul. Toya was confused, but was patient. "I'm the reason for Kohane's death. I killed her."

Toya's eyes widened in utter terror. It was evident that there was no foul play in Kohane's suicide... So why'd he even feel the need to say that..? Toya felt his body trembling at the mention of Kohane. For some reason, it felt different coming from Akito's lips. Someone who could relate to her. Toya clenched the fabric of his pants. "I'm sure you're wanting an explanation, huh?" Akito asked emptily, trying to drown out his thoughts. Toya's shaken up demeanor was all the answer that Akito needed.

"When we were younger... I used to be friends with Kohane, fore' I ran away for the first time. Kohane looked up to me, but I didn't really care about her back then." Akito said, shocking Toya. Could Akito be that childhood friend..? "That's when I heard about you on the local news. Your grades, and good looks at such a young age had made you famous." Akito said sighing. "I remember thinking to myself, he look's lonely. I didn't think you'd ever find love. We had something in common." Akito chuckled, Toya's facial expression growing somber as he pieced the story together himself. Nonetheless, he let Akito speak his mind.

"I knew how sensitive and easy to control Kohane was, even at such a young age. Yet, I fed her this fairytale regarding you. Like she was this doll that I could play with, I told her you were her prince that was going to save her... And I.." Toya put his index finger on Akito's mouth, silencing him. Akito was shocked. "You really think that that was your fault, Akito..?" Toya asked, trembling. He felt his heart clench tight, as it's rhythm picked up its pace. He should've been angry at Akito for how he used Kohane for entertainment, but he wasn't. He wasn't sure why he wasn't, maybe it was the fact that Akito was being honest with him... 

Akito began to weep after slowly nodding, unable to keep the tears from rolling down his soft cheeks. The tears were falling beautifully from the crevasses of his emerald green eyes that glistened in the moonlight. Toya moved his hand from in front of Akito's lip to the side of his bruised face, cupping it. Akito yelped, just wanting to scream. His voice was hoarse, and it was barely a whisper. An overwhelming feeling of grief built up in his throat, and it burned. Toya's company had made it easier for him to express how he really felt. Toya felt the streams of tears flow down his wrist. A cold sensation filled his arm as the tears contacted it. Toya felt disheartened at the sad sight.

"That was all in the past. What happened to Kohane happened, and there was nothing we could do to change that.." Toya said, causing Akito's crying to increase in intensity. "No one could help how Kohane felt." Toya said carefully caressing around the bruises on Akito's face. He shook his head. "But I..!" He struggled to talk. Toya had a soft, caring expression on his face. He knew how Akito felt. Maybe not exactly, with Akito just being beaten by his father, however Toya knew how it felt to some extent.

His father was supposed to protect him, cherish and love him, but all Toya ever got from his father we're constant arguments. Toya wondered if Akito felt the same way about his father. Toya's father wanted Toya to fit his impossible mold of a 'perfect son' and for Toya to take the blame of his father's wrongdoings. The agony Toya experienced when watching his father murderer innocent people and the impending pressure to find a girlfriend like Kohane had been crushing. He imagined that Akito felt the same way when his dad physically hurt him. When Toya's father was put in jail, Toya thought he could find peace. But Kohane died, and he still can't figure out how he felt about his father.

Toya was speechless at the beauty in front of him. It was a guilty kind of speechless, as Akito was hurt, but nonetheless he was. Akito's eyes were shining as tears were flowing down his face. His skin was glowing, and his hair was a mess. A charming mess. Toya wasn't sure what to say, or how to comfort Akito, so he silently observed him. Watching as he trembled in agony. Toya felt powerless. He felt his heart squeeze at the sight. He wished he could do anything, anything at all. Toya sat by Akito's side as he cried, not a word leaving his lips.

The two had stayed in the park together until the night had ended, falling asleep in each other's company. The feelings of struggle and stress faded into the air, as the found comfort in each other's bodies. Maybe there were mysteries that still needed to be solve, but in this moment, nothing mattered. This moment marked the first step toward their healing and understanding of each other, changing the course of their fate. Sure there were problems that were hard to fix, but they knew they could do it together.

The End.

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