The Beauty Within | Soul of Yokai Prelude

Pain

The next day, Sakuya was in his hospital bed with another Tengu in the room as well. He didn't know the Tengu and it wasn't a doctor either.

The hospital decided to allow people to enter Sakuya's room in order to give condolences and gifts. Sakuya wanted to object to it, he didn't want anyone else except for his friends to see him. But he knew that it would've caused a storm if he said anything. The village was anything but understanding to his wishes.

He had a blank stare in his eyes as the Tengu next to him was trying to comfort Sakuya. They were just saying what everyone else was. 

"It's just a wing, you don't need to worry about it."

"You're still our perfect Sakuya."

"We won't love you any less."

But those words were not reassuring to Sakuya. He didn't need to be adored. He didn't want to be adored. Those people were so insufferable, he wanted to smash his head against the wall until his face was a giant red mess.

What he did want was Nami. He wanted her to be in his hospital room, joking around, telling stories about her human life, being her inquisitive and snarky self. It was simple but that didn't make Sakuya want it any less. Nami never failed to make Sakuya laugh and a good laugh was what the Tengu needed right now.

Sakuya was only counting the seconds until he saw Nami again.

Sakuya soon heard running footsteps come closer towards his room until the door slammed open to reveal Karasu panting heavily.

"Get out." Karasu demanded.

"Wh—" 

"Now. I need to talk privately with Sakuya." 

"Alright." 

The Tengu soon left the room, leaving only the two brothers.

"What's wrong?" Sakuya asked, "Are the villagers going feral?"

"N-N-No..." Karasu stuttered, "... I-It's much worse than that."

"What happened?"

"N-N-Nami... She..." Karasu trembled.

Sakuya soon stared into the eyes of his brother. They were filled fear, as if he just saw the greatest terror in his life. 

"She's not dead, right?" Sakuya hollowly said.

"I... I kinda wish it was that." Karasu whimpered.

"Karasu... What happened?" Sakuya replied, "Spit it out, you're making me paranoid."

"SHE KISSED ME! SHE KISSED ME!" Karasu squealed, "I'm so sorry, Sakuya!"

Sakuya suddenly felt like his heart was getting carved out. Before it was stabbed over and over again.

"Wh...? Ngh... H... How? Wh-Why?" Sakuya could barely form any proper sentences.

"She... Sh-She said that your wing was hideous. That you were no longer the perfect Tengu of her dreams and that you were now worthless. And th-then..." Karasu never finished the sentence but Sakuya didn't need to or want to hear more.

At that moment, Sakuya just wanted to crawl into a ball and die right then and there. He wanted to scream until his lungs popped. He wanted to wreck the entire hospital room with a blazing fury. He wanted to pull all of his hair and feathers out until he was bald in every spot.

But he couldn't.

Only tears could fall down his cheeks. Lots and lots of tears.

Sakuya spent so much time crying in his bed. He didn't even keep track of the time. Days could've passed by and he would've been unaware of it. He didn't care about what anyone would've thought of him at that moment. His heart was shattered into a million pieces and that's all he cared about.