Psychedelic Silhoutte [Mikaela x Yuichirou] (MikaYuu)

Memoir #1

"Hey hey hey, the Amane family's going at it again with the Hyakuya family!!!" The old man announced in front of the crowd of people forming.

"What?! They're at it again?!" A woman shrieked, later making a sign of the cross. "Bless those poor souls, lord. They don't know what they're d---"

She was interrupted by a middle-aged guy as he cheered, "WOOOOOOHHH!!! I'M BETTING ON THE AMANE TODAY!"

Situations like those were common in the lower streets of the place where we live.

There are two famous families who were known for their feuds. It was like Japan's version of the Capulets and Montagues---they were the Amane and Hyakuya people. They have been having feuds since anyone could remember for reasons not many know of, only a chosen few.

Even I, their child, have no knowledge over it.

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"YUICHIROU!!! I KEEP TELLING YOU TO NOT GO OUTSIDE, DIDN'T I?! IT'S DANGEROUS!!! WHY CAN'T YOU LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER?!" Mom shouts at me, before sending a slap to my face.

My father watches her scream as she inflicts harm as usual, just standing by with crossed-arms, then after the painful session, he'd go and say, "You won't be having dinner tonight, mister."

It's the same every single day, even when I follow what they say, even if I do nothing, they would always get angry at me.

Today, I went to the market. I'm used to not eating at nights but I do get hungry too. I took money from my little pouch of coins hidden underneath my pillow and bought myself two loaves of bread. As soon as I get home, I had already prepared for the beating. It's not always bitterness in our house, it's not but it never decreases or goes away. I can only feel their parental love rarely, just like how I sleepwalked to the garage, later being carried by my dad back to my bed---crying---for a reason I do not know. Or whenever my mom brings home a piece of mango cheesecake.

Our house is quite big for the three of us and our workers. It's very spacious even with a hundred helpers. A garden surrounds the mansion, it's adorned with different colors of different flowers. A fountain sits at the center at the front of our home. Each personnel has their own room too, and each room has its own purpose.
Another house was similar, which also had about a hundred workers who often fight with ours. This home belonged to the Hyakuya family who is an enemy of ours yet the reason, I don't know. Both houses are said to have been passed down for decades or centuries, it seems that not only did the predecessors inherit those, they also inherited the battles from their ancestors, the maids and people outside would talk about. Again similarly, a group of three: a mother, a father, and a kid around my age live together under that roof.

Now that I think about it, that guy always waves at me whenever he sees me, be it at the terrace or the hallways, he never fails to find me or see me. Not to mention even though our houses are across each other, there's still quite a distance. It's unbelievable how he could still see me. But then again he is a weird kid. Sometimes I see him by their garden, staring at flowers or butterflies and other insects, sometimes I see him playing on the swing alone.

"Ahhh..." I sighed, closing my door before hopping into bed. My body was flat on the soft object, I was tired and exhausted and I didn't want to think anymore. My head bobbed to the side, my eyes blinded by the rays of the sun. Even if it's already evening, it was still bright enough to affect me. I wriggled on to the edge of the bed and lazily put my feet down, slipping them into my slippers, and continued to shuffle against the carpet to the wall-sized glass window.

As I was about to close the curtains, I saw a blurred figure across. Trying to make out what it might be, I squinted my eyes, both my hands even rubbing them and blinking them continuously. As soon as I realized who it was, I immediately pulled both sides of the curtains to meet at the center, aggravatingly.

Just as I was about to go back to bed, I heard someone knock on my door. It wasn't locked. "Yuichirou," a voice called out. It was daddy. "I brought you cookies and milk." And in that moment, I remembered it wasn't always bitterness in the house. I almost forgot dad would do this often, visiting my room and giving snacks, after every scolding and even when there's no scolding, always in time, always before my bedtime.

Before I had realized it, it was already dark outside, considering not seeing anymore sunlight seeping through the ground. By that time, I had also finished my snacks. Dad glanced at me, smiling as he wiped the crumbs on my face. He put a hand around me and hugged me. He kissed my forehead and said he loved me, both he and my mother. Then he stood up and tucked me into bed. Walking away, he muttered something I couldn't hear before shutting the door behind him.

I don't like my parents very much, but I am learning to love them because I believe that behind their actions, they have reasons and one of those is because they love their child one way or another. And I believe that one day, I will understand why they are acting like what they have become now.

----The next day...

"Y-YOU...!!" I exclaimed. Eyebrows forming a crease and eyes filling with anger.

"Ahhh...! You're---" He realized. Sneaking out, the same as me, was the Hyakuya kid.

"THAT CREEP!!!" WHY IS HE LIKE THIS?!

"That weirdo!!!"

"WAIT, WHO ARE YOU CALLING WEIRDO?!" I hissed. DOESN'T HE KNOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DESPISE EACH OTHER?!

He laughed, "Ahahahahaha!!! I didn't think I'd finally meet you," he smiled. "You're Yuichirou, right?"

"I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!!!"

"Oh but you a---"

"SH-SH-SH-SHUT UP!!!"

"My name's Mikaela, you can call me Mika!" He reached out his hand, holding three pieces of gummy bears, offering them to me. "Let's be friends, Yu-chan!"

"F-friend...?"

I should have just gone back. I should have just retreated. But I didn't...I couldn't...

I hate to admit it.

But slowly.

A smile had crept on my face.