Stay || Genshin Impact Modern AU

Chapter 13 .•°•. THE LONELIEST - Måneskin °•.•°

~Heizou's POV~

"Hi Mom! Hi Dad!"

It's the weekend and Kuki and I came to visit my parents.

Kuki steps into the apartment behind me and greets them, too.

There is a kinda thick atmosphere here... not that it's usually not like that, but today it's especially bad.

Stepping further into the apartment, I'm getting greeted with the sight of paper cartons towering in the corners.

The air is filled with the smell of fried pork and rice. Kuki's and mine favourite dish. Now something happened for sure.

Soon, everyone sits at the table, and after the usual questions about school, it gets very quiet.

What's with these quiet tables lately.

"Kids–" Itto starts but immediately gets interrupted by Sara, "We're getting divorced."

These words hang heavily above the table for about one minute before Kuki asks what I thought, "What?"

"Look, we both still love you both, but... it just didn't work out." Dad tries to explain.

"What do you mean 'it didn't work out'!? You two were married for twenty-two years, goddamnit!" My sister stands up and rushes out of the room before I can process anything. "Kuki!" My mother only manages to call, but Kuki doesn't stop.

Sara sights and lays down her fork.

I continue to eat, even if my appetite is gone. It'd be just rude not to eat.

A couple of minutes later, Kuki comes back and sits down. "I'm sorry I lashed out."

Dad nods, "It's alright, I understand that it's hard, especially for you two." Mom just sits there and starts eating again, as if it didn't happen.

I don't say anything. I need to think about it first.

We finish eating in silence. Only then Mom asks, "Are you two gonna stay for the night?" Both me and my sister deny and leave without much more.

It's already dark outside and a bit chilly. You don't see stars in a city, and the moon hangs on the sky alone, cold and distant. It doesn't light anything in a city, the street lamps do. They give us yellow light, which should be warm, but it isn't. It's just unnatural, out of place.

The cars rush away, hurrying somewhere. Probably home. As we get to the train station, they get more, and not one stays in my memory.

"Twenty-two years." Kuki suddenly says. "Why did they stay married for twenty-two years if they are so different? For us? For them? Because they didn't want to accept that it's not working? I don't understand..."

"And I do not either..." I tell her, and yet again, the silence falls over us.

I love my sister. She has always been here for me, even when I messed things up.

And it aches that I can't help her this time.

She usually didn't speak out her opinion like that. It probably has caught her off-guard.

But honestly, no wonder when Mom threw it in like that. Damn it... it kinda feels like everything starts falling apart, and I can't not get a bad feeling.

The whole way back, I try to think of a reason why it happened now out of all time. It's like it came out of nowhere.

I'm not even thinking about where I'm going, I've gone this route often enough so that I automatically take the elevator, say bye to Kuki, and walk to my dorm. I lock the door behind me and take off my shoes, mentally not here.