The Song of Windchimes

Narcissus

┏━°⌜防風鈴 ⌟°━┓

Chapter 20

┗━°⌜防風鈴 ⌟°━┛

Togame looks like he's about to cry before he speaks. "As a result, I took away the thing you needed most," his voice trembles.
"I'm sorr... I'm sorry, Choji..." Togame's voice cracks as he looks away from Tomiyama. Togame breathes inbreathesand lets out his breath shakily, like he's trying to hold back the tears he's been holding for a while.

"Kame-chan... I..." Tomiyama grabs the taller's attention "Honestly believe that being in the top of the team... meant that I would have the most fun."
It was almost like a picture book, Tomiyama's thoughts about the future, that is. "I had my eyes on the treasure chest on the top of the mountain... and I was eager to take it."

"I thought that having the treasure to myself... meant that I would be freer than anyone else."
"I was so excited... imagining what could happen once I opened the chest."
The chest opened slowly, light of the possibilities and riches of happiness streaming out of the crack before it opened completely in the hands of Tomiyama.

"But once the box opened... there was nothing inside. I didn't feel anything at all," Tomiyama's eyes became dull in brokenness and disappointment.
"I was scared... I felt like I was hollowed out. I didn't know where I should go next. I felt nothing, no matter what I did. Everything became meaningless."

"I had to do something..." His hands reached out in his mind, almost zombie like, trying to grab onto some type of salvation."I knew that this wasn't right. While I struggled, struggled, and struggled... I eventually couldn't see anything anymore."

The faces of who were his friends were blacked out in his mind, not even remembering what their distinct features were anymore. "And... I blamed it all on everyone else."

"You didn't take anything away, Kame-chan," The two looked at each other. "I was the one... who said that there's no place for everyone else."

"Right, yeah... I think..." Tomiyama looks away from Togame "back when everyone would laugh like idiots with each other... That was the most fun I've ever had." The realization makes Tomiyama's eyes brighten."For this whole time, I was... already free. But I never realized that."

"I was the one... who broke it with my own hands." The picture of him, hands crushing the globe of happiness and making his palms bleed."I was really... really stupid."

"No, you—" Togame tries to talk back only to be interrupted by Tomiyama, lifting his hand up and gently touching Togame's face.

"If you left me... I would really end up with nothing."

"Ume-chan told me... not to let you make that face," Tomiyama speaks, Ryuu and Umemiya watching the two with serious stares. "The only reason I did... was because I didn't see it."

"You've probably looked like this... for a long time now. And I'M the one... who made it happen." Tomiyama caresses Togame's face, fingers gently moving from bandage to skin. "But even still, you... were the knots that kept me tied to everyone else."

"Thank you... For protecting me."
"I'm sorry... Kame-chan," Tomiyama apologizes, making Togame lower his head, body shaking due to the emotions he's been hiding for however long it's been. "That must've hurt. You must've suffered so much." His voice shakes.