if only, once again | kamishiro rui x reader pjsk

003

Chapter 003 [A reprieve, floating quagmires]

- -

Rui seemed to pause for a moment; his hands subconciously gripped harder on the cup of water I'd only just noticed was in his hands-- a familiar habit of his.

In my first few confessions to him, he'd frequently grip tightly on his sling bag, which would usually hang freely from his shoulder down to his waist-- yes, I noticed all that. I'd been watching him that much.

Seeing him do so for the first time in a distantly long time truly invoked something in my heart.

Not that following my heart has ever done any good for me.

Gosh, if just his body language manages to make me feel this terrible, what would his words do?

I needed to get out of there. Pronto.

"Thank you," I couldn't suppress the hesitation in my heart, and it reflected clearly in my tone. "...senior." I hopped off the infirmary bed, and only at this point did it dawn on me that I had somewhere to go back to.

It'd been a while since that thought rested on my mind.

I hastily snatched my poorly maintained backpack with about as many books as I would read in a year inside-- that is, zero.

"See you." I didn't know what was going through my head, less so Mr. Rejection's. "Actually, I'm not sure about that. Goodbye." I opened the sliding door of the infirmary, and didn't bother closing it.

If this isn't the last time I see him, I'd have really messed up.

* * *

The streetlights were a mellow shade of yellow, and the sky was quickly turning dark enough for the lights to be a neccessity.

I turned on my smartphone. It'd been a while since I used this one.

Let me recall... the thirty-second confession...?

I paused, and ruffled my hair up. "No more thoughts of him." I mumbled to myself in the middle of the streets.

Perhaps someone heard my reminder, because the next moment my phone sounded like it was exploding with all the notifications that came through all at once-- 8 missed calls, 6 from father dearest. The other two from the counterpart.

How long has it been since I got a call from them? I couldn't remember.

Anyhow, I was closing in to the apartment block. Just a turn here, and a few minutes more...

I'd reached. Well, not much of an achievement. Or surprise.

I readied myself, and let my head recount the last time I was in that house.

(---

"Y/N, dinner is ready..." Mother knocked on the door and beckoned slightly with her soft tone-- she was undoubtedly a pushover kind of woman. The kind that would get persuaded by a door-to-door salesperson to buy twenty vacuum machines because "you can have replacements for years!"

From outside my room, you could probably hear the intense screeching of my pencil, and the deafening silence surrounding it. If she hadn't known better, it may as well have sounded like I was possessed.

Not much difference, anyways.

"Mom, you can put it in the fridge."

Silence.

Some muffled speech outside the door. Almost like they were trying to taunt me.

"I'm telling you, you can't be so soft on her. She's 14 now. Not 10. She has to grow up..." I heard loud, intentional footsteps inch closer much faster than I could anticipate.

The door slammed open, revealing a beam of light from outside that greatly juxtaposed the pitch black darkness of the inside-- a tall, grumpy figure emerged through it.

"Y/N. Your mother has spent all this time cooking for you, and you can't even be bothered to thank her and come out to eat for ten minutes. You're really stretching the boundaries of respect, young woman."

Screeeeeeeech. Screeech. SCREECH.

I felt two pairs of eyes on me as I covered up an entire page in dark scribbles.

I allowed the silence to steep in.

"I didn't ask you to cook. I didn't ask for your concern," I spoke out, almost with an unsure tone. "I asked you to--"

SLAP.

I slowly raised my hand up to my right cheek, trembling ever so slightly in the process. I cupped it only a little, feeling the sting.

"I didn't raise you to be THIS insolent to your mother."

That was all he said, and he took deafeningly loud steps away.

My mother followed behind him, speaking to him in a tone with concern in it.

"...Bitch." I muttered under my breath, as they walked away.

I felt that uncomfortable, choking feeling that would come with strings of tears.

I couldn't tell if I was talking about them...

or myself.

---)

Gosh, that really came with some emotional baggage. The last time I spoke to them face-to-face was probably just that.

I didn't remember either of their faces-- I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to.

Phew. I exhaled one shaky breath, and dragged my foot over to the door. Ah, my keys...

As I stared down at my bag digging through it to find my keys, the door opened up.

I flinched.

"Y/N!" My mother, whose face lit up brightly, exclaimed upon seeing me.

I swallowed down the frog in my throat, and got ready for the tension to follow; I was certain it would.

"Speak of the devil." I heard a familiar voice come from the living room.

I gulped, yet again.

"Just on time. Your mother made your favorite spicy chicken stew! We're eating good tonight." He continued, and spoke as he walked towards the door.

Mother smiled, and in a gentle tone, she added on, "Hehe. The chicken was on sale today. We have enough for the next few days!"

I stood there, dazed.

Who are these two, and what have they done to my parents?

- -

Chapter 003 END

helloooooooo
im really satisfied with this chapter!! as expected, getting chapter 2 out really gave me the motivation to keep going!! ᕙ⁠(⁠⇀⁠‸⁠↼⁠‶⁠)⁠ᕗ

i was listening to sayonara princess while writing this, and a little bit of style (im not a swiftie but it's such a bop!!) i think good music was really all i needed LMAOO

sankyu for readinggg

OKAY byeeee
have a good one :D
-ffey