Fall | hinata harem

chapter twenty

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Akaashi Keiji

"No, Mama, I'm fine, haha. I'm not going back to my past or anything, it was just something that- I'm at a friend's house right now, he helped fix me up- Hi, Natsu~! Shou-Shou's gonna be home soon, alright? Ah, can you give the phone back to Mama real quick, thanks!"

I wrung out the bloodied towel in the bathroom sink and watched Shouyou smooth his thumb over the outside of my tub. He seemed out of it, but he was trying hard to keep a smile while using my phone to talk to his mom.

His eyes are red and swollen from crying, the bandaid by his eye made him look like a troublemaker, yet his saddened, defenseless face told a different story.

I'm so glad Sakusa's group is taking care of the man who did this.

"Sorry, I don't think I'll be able to work today. I didn't mean to bail, I'm sorry, I know you're really- But, Mama, it is important. This is our... Yes, Ma'am. Yeah, I will, mhm. I'll let you go, then. You sound busy. Mhm, I'll see you later, bye..."

I glanced over at him again when he was done. His hand was extended out to me, phone in it, but his eyes wouldn't meet mine. His wrists were so badly bruised that I worried he wouldn't be able to paint or work properly.

"Thanks again for helping me, Keiji," he murmured. The water splashed around quietly after I took the phone from him, I guess he had dipped back into the warmth of the bath water.

"How's your side?"

"It's fine."

"And your head? Is your vision alright?"

"Mhm."

"... What about your wrists?"

"Good."

I know his short answers trace back to him being stuck in thought, which I can understand in his current circumstances, but I still can't help but feel saddened by his shut-off behavior.

"... Well, I'll be in the bedroom. If you need anything, give me a call."

I prepared to leave him, well aware of my pouty, childish attitude. Just when I reached for the handle, I heard that sweet voice again, so fragile and pure.

"... My wrists... they hurt... pretty badly. Sorry, I lied."

Did I want answers from him? Of course I did, but it's not like I'm cold-hearted enough to pester him after what he's been through. Just like this, when he's ready to tell me things, at least I can rest assured that he knows I'll always be here to listen.

"Here, let me see them."

I had taken the stool from beside the tub and sat there. Shouyou moved back to the edge of the tub and held his wrists out limply.

The ointment hadn't been washed off, thankfully, they had been kept out of the water. I figured his side would hurt more than his wrists, but maybe since there's finally some blood flowing through them and to his hands, the pain is starting to settle in again.

"The doctor will be here tonight. For now, I want you to use them as little as possible. I'm sorry I can't take you to the hospital. Many of our... business associates are out at the moment, so it's risky to move far from the building."

"It's okay, Keiji. I know you're doing unlawful things. Atsumu and Osamu helped me understand. I don't hold it against you or anything."

Right, I remember Osamu mentioning something about that. But how much did they tell him exactly?

It seems Shouyou always leaves me asking more questions than before. He sure is mysterious, which wasn't what I had originally thought when I first met him. I thought he looked like an open-book, family-loving, ordinally innocent civilian.

He is, yet at the same time... There's so much more that he's built upon that needs thorough understanding for someone to truly know him as the person he is.

"Is that so? Well, one thing I can promise you is that you can rest assured from here on out. Sakusa has taken care of the person responsible for this, and nothing like this will happen again, so-"

"Is Sakusa... Omi? Why does everyone keep talking about him? What's so special about him?"

"... You'll know soon enough. Just... know that we'll take care of you and your family, alright?"

He still seemed unsure. I gave his hands a careful squeeze and flashed him a comforting smile.

"I know you have a lot of questions about us and this situation in general, I'll get you the answers you deserve as quickly as I can, but keep in mind that this situation was tossed onto us pretty aimlessly as well. The only ones who really understood everything were Sakusa and the groups closest to him. That's not us."

"... I can't seem to understand anything anymore..."

Shouyou took his hands from mine and sunk back into the water. His eyes were downcast, staring at the calm bath water. He's thinking again.

"... I may be able to help you. In exchange, Shouyou,"

He glances at me, almost curiously.

"I want you to tell me about your past if you can."

"Did someone tell you something?"

I'm sure that my expression does not depict any unsettling hints of disgust or discomfort when he looks at me.

"Yes, but you don't have to worry, I'll stay by your side no matter what. I just want to know if anyone hurt you back then."

I've seen the bitemark on his hand. It's hard not to see. Do you know how hard he'd have to be bitten for it to sink through the thick skin of his thumb and leave a mark as big as this?

"Fine, a lot of people already know anyway. I was stupid enough back then to not care about hiding it."

I couldn't answer that in a way that wouldn't make me sound like a stalker, so I told him to keep his wrists out of the water and try to relax before I stepped out of the bathroom.

And I called Sakusa.

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