Taste of Poison Paradise

Chapter 8

"You've reached Kocho Shinobu. I'm busy at the moment, so please leave a message after the beep! I'll get back to you soon!"

Beep.

"Shinobu? It's Tamaki. Are you okay? I haven't seen you in weeks. Whatever you need, I'm here, okay? Call me back, please."

Beep.

"Hi, Shinobu-chan, it's Nejire. We're all getting worried; we haven't heard from you in so long. You're not in school anymore. Please, just let us know you're alright."

Beep.

"Hey, it's Mirio. Call us when you can, Shinobu, please, we're worried about you. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Come back to us, please."

[Message Inbox Full]

The blond boy puts his device down. "Maybe her phone is broken?" he says in a weak attempt at optimism.

Tamaki sighs. "Where is she?" he mumbles, close to tears and heart pounding in worry. "It's not like her to disappear like this. I've even asked Auntie and Uncle, and they said she hasn't been home." Nejire lays a soft hand on his shoulder, which he heavily appreciates.

Breathe, Tamaki.

His anxious heartbeat slows.

Growing up, Shinobu had been his only friend. She didn't mind that he was taciturn, or shy, or even that he stutters sometimes. His cousin always encouraged him, believed in him, when he didn't even believe in himself. They might as well have been siblings; she took on the role of big sister so easily.

She comforted him when he was sad, sang lullabies he'd never heard before, and cooked him food. She even taught him a cool breathing pattern to calm his anxiety down. There was a reason why Tamaki liked butterflies so much—they remind him of his gentle cousin.

They were hardly apart as children and spent every available moment together. Their mothers could easily recount the many times they refused to be separated as toddlers. Attached at the hip, even at school, until Tamaki had to move districts. He shut down during his first day, not used to being away from her for so long.

Breathe, Tamaki, her voice would echo in his mind. Everything felt better, and he was even able to make friends with Mirio.

After three years, the two were able to attend school again at U.A They started to train, and as always, Shinobu was a guiding hand for him.

Breathe, Tamaki. His mind calmed, his skill increased, his strength grew.

Sometimes, Shinobu got this nostalgic look in her eyes when she looked at him, but it was wiped away as soon as Tamaki caught sight of it. What or who she could be remembering, he had no idea. They've been together their entire lives, minus the few days that Shinobu was older.

Somehow, she always seemed much older than he.

Tamaki sticks his hand in his pocket, fidgeting with the small butterfly charm with the likeness of an Ulysses butterfly. Shinobu had given it to him to match her own butterfly charm, which also matched with her hair clip. And her haori. And everything, really.

"Please be okay," he mumbles. He doesn't ever want to see her broken and bloody; he won't be able to stand it. Not when she's always been so strong.

———

Shinobu toys with the Great Purple Emperor charm on her necklace as the Hashira and Douma converse. Her completed Anti-Kibutsuji drug sits innocently on the table they sit around.