The reason that keeps me alive - BokuAka [English Version]

Chapter 21

"The accused Chiziwa Moronobu is sentenced to ten years imprisonment for child abuse, drug dealing and trespassing on someone else's house."

Akaashi froze.

It was done.

The judge was still giving his closing speech, which Akaashi barely noticed. His thoughts turned to what would happen next.

His father would be locked up, but what would happen after that?
He knew that everything would not get better from one day to the next.

But he still hoped so.
And again a tear fell down his face.
A tear of joy, to be precise.

The audience left the court and all hell broke loose outside.
Akaashi stood close to Bokuto and waited for his mother, who had just come out of the building and walked straight towards him.
She hugged him and stroked the back of his head, Akaashi also clung to her as she kissed him there.

The policemen were leading his father out of the court when their eyes met.
Suddenly his father broke away and charged towards him, his fist already raised, and Akaashi immediately backed away, running right into Bokuto.

"You fucking faggot!" he roared.

The policemen held him back just before he hit him.
"You come with me now."

"SOMEDAY! Someday I will pay you back for ALL of this!" He pointed at his mother. "And you too! You deserve it no other way!"

Akaashi pressed himself against Bokuto, who had taken him in his arms, and let out his tears while his friend stroked the back of his head soothingly.

It was so strange.

He walked through the house with quiet steps, probably a matter of habit that had not yet left him.
His father was no longer here, what was he afraid of right now?

Slowly he went up the stairs, into his room, where a few of his mother’s friends had already started to clear it out.

Silently he went along, his thoughts a pure chaos.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. „Keiji?“
Akaashi turned to his mother. „Huh?“
„If you’re having a hard time being here, it’s okay if you go ahead with me, the boys will be fine here.“

Akaashi shook his head. „No. I need to wrap this all up.“

Speaking of which.
There was one thing he had wanted to find out for a little while.

With slightly quicker steps, he walked towards his father’s room, his heart beating like crazy.

The door was open a crack and he first ventured a look inside before entering.

This room was the definition of chaos.
It reeked of alcohol, there were also several bottles on the floor, and it was as if the smoke had already built up in this room.

Akaashi held his jumper in front of his nose as he walked towards the drawer that was next to the bed.
When he opened it, he found exactly what he actually thought he would never find again.

And suddenly he no longer cared about the stench as he held the brown bracelet in his hands, on which were the letters of his name.

He remembered.
His mother had given it to him for his birthday, and his father had taken it from him as soon as he arrived.

Akaashi smiled. It was nice to hold it in his hands again, because for years he had thought his father had thrown it away.

When the last boxes were full, his room was as good as empty and all the things in the house that had belonged to him were also stowed away, he went down the stairs for the last time.