Mirrored

Chapter 18 - Ryosuke

New Chapter!!!

Warning: suicide is mentioned within this chapter. Please take care of yourselves and read what is most comfortable for you.

Just another reminder that this chapter is over 3000 words and is on the chunky side of chapters so as per usual, I reccommend reading this one when you have more time to spare. If you could read the chapter till the end, it'll mean a lot to me.

Anyways, enjoy your reading time!!!🫶🏻🩷🫶🏻

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"Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But you still find reasons to live."

- Princess Mononoke, Studio Ghibli

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Babysitting was never a part of my job description but here we were.

"Take that out of your mouth." I said, contemplating on whether I should just tear it away from their mouths.

"It's tabaco. Not weed." Akira retorted, leaning against his motorbike, refusing to take the bud out while Haru and Yuto stuffed theirs away in their pockets. Those two were the most docile of the five but also the most unpredictable when provoked.

"And we're in front of a hospital." I snapped back.

"Since when do you care about that?" Ren quipped while others snickered.

"Since there are newborns and children. Take it out."

Begrudgingly, they either crushed the cancer-causing sticks under their boot or placed them away, a frown forming on their faces. They can hate me for all I care but it was my responsibility to make sure they're not on their deathbeds, hacking up blood and tar in their twenties. That was not why I brought them here.

Leaning against my own motorcycle, I go through my phone, answering emails and texting messages to Kaito who was working with my father in my place.

"When are you going to allow us to ride again?" Ren nagged, the rest of them questioning the same.

"You just did."

"Freely?" They all chorused like newborn chicks begging for attention.

"When you understand responsibility."

"Who's she?" Satoru, the most quiet and observant one mouthed, all of our attention directed towards the girl in an oversized grey hoodie, the hood swallowing much of her head and face. Her arms were crossed at her chest as she stalked towards us. Hesitating briefly, glancing over at the kids the same age as her, she shakes her head, releasing a sigh then walks over to stand beside me.

The kids piqued with interest and curiosity, eyes going wide, craning their necks to see the girl but made no move to do anything knowing better.

Hikari doesn't greet me as usual, only remaining silent.

She was probably the only kid I would tolerate with her brazen if not rude behaviour. She wasn't always this hard to deal with but when life is far from comfortable, you were bound to toughen up. It was a matter of survival.

"I'm scared." She muttered, still looking ahead her body locked and rigid. "I'm scared of losing her."

I say nothing. I've never lost parents or siblings - not permanently at least. And I was far from good at comforting those grieving.

The kids sense that this conversation wasn't for their ears to hear and disperse. They were reckless and stupid but not inhumane. They would vehemently disagree but each of them clung to their youth and innocence somewhere within their minds. Though majority was shattered by their parents, relatives, and schoolteachers.