Golden Scars

Chapter Twenty Two: Say Anything

🍵A Couple Hours Earlier🍵

Gently, I knock my knuckles against my grandmother's door. Rarely, have I ever been called to my grandmother's personal chambers.

"Come in, Takara." She answers with a distant tone. I open the door to reveal my grandmother sitting on the floor with childhood pictures of my mother and aunts all around her. "Sorry for the mess, I suddenly felt sentimental."

As head of the clan, Hitomi Kubo, always had to maintain a level of distance from those around her. I too, am expected to maintain that same distance but...I also despise this lack of familiar contact.

I wrap my arms around my grandmother and simply say, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect her."

Her wrinkled hand gently touches my smooth arm as I hold onto her, "No, you're not the one at fault, I am." She picks up a single Polaroid of my mother as a child practicing kendo. "I should've been there for my children...I got so caught up in finding a proper heir with golden eyes that I completely neglected my duty as a mother. And it's too late now..."

"It's not too late!" I cry as tears stream down my face, "You have other children that need you now more than ever! Go see them, please." I beg the old woman, hoping to put an end to this miserable and cold cycle of neglect. "They lost their eldest sister...they need you to be a mother right now, or to at least try to be one."

My grandmother turns around to face me and holds my tear stained face gently between her wrinkled hands, "You look so much like your mother. I never told Hoshiko this, but I am immensely proud of the woman she turned out to be and the children she raised. She was a far better mother to you two than I ever was to her."

"Why didn't you tell her?"

Her teary eyes grow distant as she slowly takes her hands away from my face. "I don't know...I think by the time I realized that, I was too ashamed to even face her."

To be perfectly honest, I didn't expect my mother's death to affect my grandmother so deeply. I had expected my grandmother to turn even more inward to herself and shut everything out. But seeing her be vulnerable for once, it shook me to my core. Maybe speaking the truth is less painful since it comes with an answer.

Grandmother wipes away her tears before pulling me into her arms for a rare hug. "Your mother...she raised such a wonderful daughter."

Something tightens in my chest at this statement; a warmth spreads across my soul. Such a foreign sensation feels oddly comforting against my battered heart. Unfortunately, that comfort came with a weighty promise. A promise to seek my ancestor's wisdom and avenge my family.

🌸🌸🌸🐉🌸🌸🌸

My friendship with Suguru had somehow become even more strange and strained since Takara left. Ever since the object of our mutual affection had left, Suguru has started laying down his flirtations thicker than usual. He keeps trying to seduce me, while I try to do all I can to turn him down. Normally, I wouldn't mind if my current flavor had prior commitments; yet, I find myself feeling ill at the thought of hurting Takara by hooking up with her fiancé. Somehow, Takara's presence has me considering things I never thought to acknowledge before now. Am I the only one who gives a shit about our long-standing friendship?!

"Satoru?" Mention the devil's name and he shall appear.

"Yeah?" I tensely answer him. His presence startles my heart. Unlike Takara, he knows my weaknesses and how to play with them. I feel uncovered and exposed under his dark gaze. It's thrilling but it's also wrong. This will hurt someone else I love.

The cicada's screeching song echoes against the open paper shoji doors of the school's dojo. At once, Suguru is at my side; his presence is heavy. I stay on my guard around him. Sweat slowly rolls down his neck and slips down under his slightly unbuttoned uniform. I turn away from him; I can't be thinking like this while Takara is suffering. Suddenly, I feel his refreshingly cold hand resting on top of my hot skin. His long fingers interlock with mine.

I soon come to my senses and yank my hand back, "The fuck are you doing?!"

"God, Satoru, don't overreact. I've just been lonely since Takara has shut us out."

I glare at him, "Then maybe you should talk to your fiancé."

He rolls his eyes at me, "You don't normally act like this with other people."

"That's because you and Takara are people I care about, you're not 'other people'. Either talk to Takara about what you really want or go find your 'fun' elsewhere." I stand up and walk away, unable to even look at Suguru.

Just as I'm stalking off down the hallway, Shoko approaches me, "Hey Gojo, Chiko is fighting against that rotten Zenin kid."

"Is he winning?" I ask, curiosity present in my tone. That response earns me a lethal glare from her. "Ugh, fine I'll go see what I can do."

"They're down by the track beating each other senseless." She informs me as we run towards the school's track and field.

"You know...it's kind of weird for you to give a shit about some kid." I point out as we round a corner towards the main exit.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

I lack the energy to even come up with a witty response to Shoko's non-answer. We are momentarily blinded by the beaming summer sun as we continue to make our way towards the reverberating sounds of a fight. We reach the pair and Chiko is bruised up and lying on his side clutching his stomach; Naoya Zenin looms over the boy with his signature shit eating grin plastered on his face.

"Ah, so we have company. Are you here to save this second rate sorcerer?" Naoya gives Chiko a kick to the stomach; his victim groaning in pain as he glares up at us.

"Don't you dare come and help me!! This is my god damn fight!!" Chiko shouts at us.

"Wasn't planning to. I'm just here to provide cover so you're not interrupted." I smirk at the hot blooded teenager before summoning a curtain to conceal us. "You better fucking win kid!!"

"What the hell Gojo?!" Shoko yanks on me by the collar of my uniform shirt.

"He needs to do this...he needs to fight for himself." I answer her blandly as I watch the bloodied and near beaten boy stands back up.