sweets ✧ r.kaji ˣ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ

chapter ten : umemiya's therapy session

you watched as the first years and your friends gathered around a boy named anzai silently. you didn't like your role in this fight.

stepping over some unconscious bodies to make sure none were left, you came across a guy facedown on the floor with curly black hair peeking from underneath his hood.

for some reason, you wanted to touch it since it looked so fluffy. but you decided against it because you thought that touching a random unconscious person's hair would be unhygienic.

you took an extra lollipop from your pocket and replaced the empty stick inside your mouth. yes, you were happy with the resolution of the brawl, but felt like you didn't do much, or made some stupid decisions. you just felt...unneeded. and you hurt.

"aah!" you yelped, almost punching kaji in the face when he placed a hand on your shoulder from behind. "o-oh, it's you."

"what's wrong?" he asked softly, eyeing your lollipop.

"nothing," you mumbled back.

he touched your forehead, wiping away a bit of blood and inspecting it. "i just didn't want you to get any more hurt," he said, not looking up. "don't take it the wrong way."

your eyes lit up slightly. "i know." it felt good to have it clarified.

when kaji didn't say anything afterwards, you decided to change the topic. "i got twenty-six," you said.

"eleven. but it isn't fair cause i took my time to defeat the boss," he replied. you noticed a hint of childish defensiveness in his tone. "he's gotta be more points."

you giggled softly. "then let's make bosses ten points. either way, i still win, right?"

"...hmph. whatever," he huffed. then he held your bloody hand with his and pulled you a bit closer to him. "let's see what they're talking about."

you nodded, smiling fully now, and followed him towards the big group.

"i...did something terrible to anzai," the long-haired ravenette boy who you learned to be nagato said. "i've done so many things that i could never take back. it's just..." he looked up at anzai properly and you could see tears in his eyes. "i don't deserve...any salvation!"

at that, your eyes filled with sadness. poor kid, you thought. he's so young. he went through so much. he didn't even have a choice.

kusumi must've thought the same because he placed a hand on nagato's shoulder, giving him a supporting look.

"i don't give a shit about how you see yourself," kaji said out of the blue. you decided that you would lecture him later about how he shouldn't be so harsh to crying people, but let him continue. "but anzai was willing to take a beating to save you.

"even if you think of yourself as trash...it doesn't always mean...that others will see you in that same light. for better or for worse."

you glimpsed something shine in his beautiful ocean blue eyes. like experience or support, maybe something in between. and you knew. you knew that he also had felt that once before.

nagato stayed quiet for a moment, and a tear fell from his pained eyes. "...why..?" he cried softly. "why are all of you...so nice to me? why are all of you...so strong..?"

it stabbed your heart like a glaive going through butter. you all gave him smiles, letting him cry it all out; no one said anything. just because you're a boy...doesn't mean you aren't allowed to cry, anyway.

"hey, nagato?" anzai approached him, placing a hand on his. "i've always wondered...why would you join a team like keel? won't you...talk to me?"

nagato explained everything. how he was lured in and trapped in keel, how he just wanted to be cool, and why everything that happened to him...happened.