Life's True Worth - A Kaimaki/Saimatsu Story

Prologue

Finally. It's over.

The girl returned to her school, fresh out of a nightmare, but she refused to admit it. That night, as she told herself, was uneventful. Boring, even. Not worth thinking about.

I'm tired after a long day of school. That's it.

Tiredness. The word echoed around her mind, convincing her that it was the only thing taking hold of her body. It was fatigue that triggered the girl's shaking hands as she reached for her key. It was exhaustion that caused her to spend five minutes at her dorm room, fumbling to unlock it.

Yes. She was simply tired after a long night. It didn't make her weak or anything.

She wasn't scared or anything like that.

Definitely not.

With that one last conviction, she let herself into her room. Navigating through the darkness, she dropped her things on her bed and made for the bathroom. She had done so every night, and this one was no different.

Here we go. Time to forget this.

The water started to pour. The girl scrubbed vigorously for a very long time. Cleaning until the prickling sensation under her skin slowly ebbed away. Washing until her shaking frame relaxed once again.

The girl allowed a small sigh to pass her lips when she stepped back inside her room, dressed and prepared to go to sleep. Her eyes fell upon her duffel bag she had discarded and she walked towards it, grabbing it without another thought and taking it to her bathroom to clean it out.

One last task won't hurt.

Her grip on the various contents of her bag firm once again, the cleansing process began. The girl carried out the task swiftly yet precisely, completing what she couldn't during the hours of daybreak. Curiously, although it hadn't fazed her, she realised she was holding her breath until after she was done. Despite her impulse, however, she dismissed it.

She had to. She was simply... tired.

That was all.

That was the girl's truth every other night. That was the truth since she was scouted. She was worked so very hard for most of her life and had no time to care for the consequences. No matter what they were.

And so, as she slowly succumbed to the warm embrace of sleep, she sighed again. Thinking about the next day she was going to spend at the most prestigious school in the country.

But not about the talent that got her there.

.................................................

"Nnngh...."

The boy arose with a light stretch, just as daybreak arrived. He blinked slowly, but the world hadn't yet shifted into view.

What the.... What's going-

A groan escaped the boy's lips as he peeled off a piece of paper that had stuck to his forehead. Warily, his azure gaze travelled downwards, staring at the mess of a desk he was sitting at. At the report he had fallen asleep writing.

Damn it... What time is it?

Making a half-hearted attempt at smoothing his navy locks down with a hand, the boy glanced at his clock. His eyebrow raised, but his seemingly carefree mindset shattered within seconds of catching sight of his calendar.

".....Crap!"

The gasp erupted from his mouth as he stood, staring frantically around for his new uniform. Rushing to get himself ready, he inwardly chided himself for being so careless on the eve of the worst day possible. The day he promised himself he'd prepare beyond question for.

At one point, he froze, catching sight of himself in the dull, cracked mirror in his room. A ghost of a boy stared at him with the same expression he wore. If he could even call it a boy.

Dark circles under his eyes. Creased lines, cut deeply around his lips and eyebrows. A face nowhere near as youthful as the average teenage boy.

Turning away with a sigh, he finished and headed downstairs, inwardly hoping the unflattering signs of fatigue would fade quickly. He didn't have time to take his usual morning coffee, let alone eat one of the very rare breakfasts he ate on the odd good day.

He didn't really care. Or rather, he didn't need to.

As soon as the bright dawn hit his face, the tight feeling in his lungs vanished. However, turning a little to face the front door, he took a deep breath and let the seconds pass.

That's it... I'm going to study at the best school in the country.

I won't be back for a few months.

Mom... Dad... are you listening?

...I'm leaving.... Now...

...

The soft ticking of his watch reminded him that he couldn't keep standing around. Longing lingering for a moment in his eyes, he turned and started walking. Head pounding with emptiness as he went, whenever he felt their absence.

Just like the day he solved the case that made many senior officers take notice of him. Just like the day he received his invitation and his new status, recognising him of a talent he didn't know he had.

Just like the countless hours he spent working to improve himself, to push himself forward, for their sake. The hours spent in vain.

As he trudged on and on, the same feeling lingered, despite his best efforts to hide it. And, even though he wanted to deny it, he knew exactly why he felt so numb.

It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

Because, despite the fact that he was headed for Hope's Peak Academy, about to be enrolled as an Ultimate student, they couldn't give a single damn.

And they never would.