Withering moon lit rose

Chapter 36

"She's always so cryptic. But that pendant was an easy give away." Kyoka complained, turning to Atsushi. She then realised that he'd curled himself up into a ball.

"Atsushi what's wrong? Did something happen?" She questioned crouching down beside him. She tried to place her arm against him for comfort but he pushed her away.

"Nothing happened. Now will you people leave me alone." Kyoka still didn't take it well when Atsushi treated her like this, but Atsushi typically felt bad for making her feel like this as she had a habit of expressing it on her face. In contrast to prior years.

Just as Kyoka was about to leave the infirmary, Atsushi made one statement.

"I remember something." Kyoka spun round almost instantly.

"You did! What was it?" She seemed way too excited as the memory wasn't even about her.

"It's one about me and... Ryuunosuke..." This shocked Kyoka, hearing him call Akutagawa by his first name.

"And what happened in this memory?" Kyoka was beginning to think there was something she wasn't aware of.

"I was in the agency. It was a dark room, I was knelt on the floor and he'd just crouched down beside me. I remember I felt so angry..." Atsushi's words seemed to melt away at the memory, not because of physical pain in recalling it. It didn't hurt to recall this memory anymore for some reason. But it hurt because if it was real it meant something Atsushi had never thought could ever happen. Something that due to his line of work would have been impossible.

"And?" Kyoka questioned in a soft tone, trying desperately to figure out how he'd recalled this memory so they could do the same for others.

"It melted away when he kissed me." Atsushi was now staring at the floor in disbelief. He'd actually admitted that he kissed the black haired man.

"What!?" She cried in horror. "When? Why? How many times?" She was desperately trying to keep herself calm, and failing.

"In that memory and... This morning..." Atsushi's face had started to turn red. Why had he started discussing this? It was embarrassing for him. But part of himself wanted to...

Atsushi quickly slammed his head against the wall at the idea. Kyoka jumped slightly at the sudden impact. Atsushi then began to mutter to himself, Kyoka only managed to catch a few words.

"... Not... soft... Assasin... Mother..." What she heard was enough, before he could say anymore she attempted to run out the room but Atsushi tackled her to the ground.

"You heard me... Didn't you?" Kyoka was afraid, afraid of what this man would do. He looked like the kind and sweet Atsushi she once knew, but she knew he would kill her in a second. But she couldn't bring herself to harm him in order to escape.

"I think we should leave for a bit." With that Atsushi opened the window in the infirmary and jumped out with Kyoka in tow. No one would even know they were gone.