I'd let the world burn for you... || Tokyo Revengers

A Shared Grief, A Quiet Peace

It was a chilly night, the kind that made the air feel heavy with quiet, as if the world was holding its breath. Kaiya, still living in the small hotel room her aunt had left her in, hadn't heard from May since the night she was driven there. Her cousin Akira had been trying to convince her mother to take Kaiya back, but so far, no success. Tonight, that loneliness felt deeper, a hollow ache inside her that wouldn't go away.

Dressed in a black skirt, her brother's old grey hoodie—which hung slightly too large on her frame—and long black stockings tucked into combat boots, Kaiya walked through the dimly lit cemetery, her footsteps slow and deliberate. The quiet only made the emotions swirling inside her harder to ignore. In front of her was Keisuke Baji's grave, the stone cold and silent as the night.

As soon as she reached the tombstone, all the emotions she had been holding back came rushing out like a flood. Her knees hit the ground, and she pressed her hands against the earth, her tears falling freely onto the soft grass.

She was missing him so much—Keisuke, her dear friend and someone she'd leaned on for strength. She hated herself for not having the strength to deal with Kisaki, the man responsible for tearing everything apart. She wanted to talk to Takemichi, but every time she got close, he felt like a different person, more distant, less approachable. Maybe he didn't trust her; maybe he didn't even like her. Kaiya couldn't blame him—after all, he didn't know much about her. Still, it hurt.

- "Maybe I should talk to Chifuyu," she whispered to herself, her tears coming harder. Chifuyu had been close to Keisuke, and now, Kaiya realized she had been so caught up in her own pain that she hadn't even talked to him properly.

The wind picked up, brushing cold air against her tear-streaked cheeks, but she hardly noticed.

- "What am I supposed to do now, Keisuke?" she whispered into the night, her voice barely audible. "I was looking at the people around me at the latest higher-ups meeting... and there were so many unfamiliar faces. I mean, I know them, but it's not the same. We used to all be there. Mikey... he's so affected by it all. I can feel his pain and the weight he's carrying, but I don't know how to help him. I feel so useless lately... like everything I do is wrong."

Her voice broke as she wiped her tears with her sleeve.

- "I have to see Kisaki's face every time... and he's the reason you're dead. He's the reason Kazutora is locked up for the next ten years. How am I supposed to forgive that?" Kaiya's breath hitched as she began to sob harder, her fingers digging into the dirt beneath her. "I hate him so much, Keisuke. How can I ever forgive something like that?"

Her sobs filled the silence, and she shook her head in frustration.

- "Look at me... not even in death am I letting you rest," she chuckled, but it was hollow and pained. "I always burdened you with my problems, didn't I? But I don't know where else to go. Everyone else has their own burdens..."

Kaiya sat there in silence, the cold seeping into her bones as she kept her eyes fixed on Keisuke's grave. She sobbed quietly for what felt like an eternity, not noticing the figure who had appeared nearby.

Chifuyu had come to visit the grave as well, but upon seeing her there, he stayed at a respectful distance. He could hear her quiet sobs and it tore at his heart. Seeing someone as strong as Kaiya, someone who rarely showed her emotions, break down like this in front of Keisuke's grave—it felt like he was reliving the loss all over again. His own grief rose to the surface, but he waited, giving her the space to grieve.

Kaiya eventually stood up, wiping at her eyes with her sleeves, though they were soaked from her tears. She fumbled through her pockets, looking for something to dry her face with, but came up empty.