Withering moon lit rose

Chapter 9

Chuuya didn't dare pry more after the sudden comment from the elder Akutagawa. The room seemed to have a cold atmosphere, no one dared to speak. However, Atsushi's ragged breaths broke the silence.

"N..No.. Please..." He murmured, however with the room being silent he was heard as clear as crystal. Ryuunosuke began to move over to Atsushi with the damp cloth still in hand. He placed it over his forehead and then began to play with the boy's hair until he began to relax once more.

"You sure you still want this kid dead?" Chuuya asked Ryuunosuke as he felt old memories creep back into his mind from his own youth.

"Don't know, but now is not the time to decide." Ryuunosuke rose from Atsushi's side and began to leave the room. However, Chuuya grasped his wrist before he could leave. "Well now is your time to decide, and I think you already made the decision when you opened that door." Chuuya may have been shorter than Akutagawa but in Ryuunosuke's mind he felt like he towered over him. "So are you handing him over to me and you can continue your usual schedule in the Mafia? Or are you gonna stick with me and we'll find the bastard who did this?" Ryuunosuke looked over at the sleeping Atsushi and felt a small part of himself boil in anger at whoever did this, but then he looked to the door and saw the option he had taken last time. The easy option, the safe option.

"Screw it. I'm in."

Atsushi P.O.V -

Atsushi was lying face up on the dirt ground of the orphanage courtyard. He was cloud gazing, as the other children were inside listening attentively to the teacher on some form of mathematics. Something Atsushi couldn't care less for. He had been thrown out of the class for doodling on his own hand instead of listening, could you blame him? The class was beginning to lull him into an early sleep. Even though Atsushi was thirteen now, he still had the academic skills of a ten year old. The teachers could care less of what became of him now, at this age if he wasn't getting anywhere with his academics he wasn't going to ever.

"Now what do we have here?" Atsushi shot upwards in an instant, his fear for that man never ceased. "Sir." He bowed briefly before raising himself to meet his adoptive fathers eyes. "Why are you not in class, may I ask?" Atsushi always wondered why he bothered asking if he could ask questions, he always got his answer.

"The teacher requested I leave the class." The headmaster nodded in acknowledgment. "If you're not in class, then how are you going to learn?" Atsushi tilted his head in confusion. "Simple I won't, I don't need it." The headmaster chuckled lightly, "Funny, how you remind me of myself in my younger years." With that the headmaster left Atsushi to himself. It left Atsushi in shock at how this was the first time his adoptive father had a civil conversation with him. The bell then sounded, signalling the end of class. All the children poured onto the grounds, Atsushi quickly gathered himself together and ran to the small patch of flowers which grew near the fencing of the orphanage. He always enjoyed the beauty they have, they stood out in the otherwise plain looking orphanage.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" It was a child's voice, he was the same age as Atsushi. A lot more meat on his bones in comparison to Atsushi. "What do you want, Sota?" Atsushi questioned keeping his eyes on the beauty of the flowers.

"You weren't in our lesson again. Are you that dumb you can't even understand basic mathematics?" Atsushi just sighed in annoyance, did these kids not have anything better to do than annoy him?

"I just prefer the arts in comparison to technical stuff like maths. Is that bad?" Sota balled his fist in anger, however Atsushi had his back turned still, so he was none the wiser. "Yes. I mean you'll be stuck here forever if you aren't smart enough." Atsushi shook his head, his vision was now focused on the sight beyond the fence. "When I turn old enough I can leave all on my own, I won't need anything like your maths to survive." Atsushi turned to face the group with a broad smile across his face, feeling incredibly proud of himself. However, he was immediately met with a fist to his face. Courtesy of Sota.

"You idiot! You'll die out in that world! It's just as the teachers say! You should die now and save everyone the problem of dealing with you!" Atsushi was currently sitting on the floor still nursing the initial impact. When a knee met his stomach he was no better prepared.

"Maybe if we beat you hard enough we might knock some sense into you!" Sota hollered to his few lackeys, and so began the pummeling against his body. His stomach, his legs, his arms, his face. No place was safe from harm. Atsushi tried to cover his face with his arms in an attempt to save whatever pride he had to his already ruined body, however Sota didn't appreciate his actions. "Grab his arms." He ordered and then straddled Atsushi's waist. With no further thoughts he began to punch Atsushi directly in the face, blood began to trickle down his face from his now broken nose. Then his cheeks began to sear in pain, his eyes became swollen slightly from the punches.

"N..No.. Please..." He cried with what little voice he had left. When Sota decided he had pummelled Atsushi enough, he moved himself from Atsushi. He then grasped at Atsushi's poorly cut hair which had been Sota's 'punishment' to Atsushi the week prior.

"You are nothing but a stepping stone for people like me who have value and worth." With that he threw Atsushi into the dirt, his lackey's laughing as they left him. Atsushi couldn't feel his leg for a few moments, he believed it may have been broken. The metallic taste of blood was still adamant in his mouth. With no desire to move whatsoever Atsushi laid his head back onto the floor, tilting his head ever so slightly to see the tips of the flowers. With little to no energy left Atsushi closed his eyes and allowed himself to sleep.