The Wounded

2

Masamune

This world was the only thing I needed.

I don't need him.

He left. No explanation. Nothing.

I had no faith left. Nothing to offer to humanity after it had left me to rot. Until him. His brown mop of hair, the depths of green that made his eyes, and the blush that never left his face.

Him.

I was always on my own, always by myself, and I had not cared for anyone else until him. What made him so special?

I remember everything; his face the first time we made love, the tears that seemed to overflow, the trust in his eyes that never failed to bring me into another dimension. I remember the way he would stare at me when he thought I was distracted, the way would lean in if I was close enough, and the way he would smile so warmly at me.

I remembered it all.

"I love you. Do you like me?"

Why is he asking me this after everything we've done?

I chuckled nervously, trying to prepare an answer that enwrapped the depth of my emotions for him. The silence was heavy. Before I could answer, he got up and left. I had a feeling that something inside him changed.

The next day, I wanted to ask him what was wrong. When I got to school, I saw him cleaning out his locker. I quickly walked over to him and asked him what he was doing.

"I'm going to study abroad," he told me avoiding eye contact.

"Why?" I asked, struggling to keep my composure. I was upset. I had the right to be.

"After all we've been through, You go to Study Abroad?"

"I-I don't like it here." Of course, I could tell he was lying, but I left it alone.

Time passed and at the end of the day, I waited in the library for Ritsu so that we could talk about what he was talking about.

He never came.

The silence scared me, it was so quiet you could hear the tree branches move with the wind. I stood up walking over to the opened window and was surprised by what I saw. It was Ritsu, in a suit, looking back at me with facial expression I couldn't decipher.

Where the hell is he going? I looked at him, waiting for him to do something.

He turned around and walked off.

He left.

Just like that.

Oda Ritsu, the name was bittersweet on my tongue.

_________________________________

Akihiko

There are too many annoying people around.

All of them as superficial as the next.

The atmosphere was grating my nerves.

This world is a waste of my time.

Unfortunately, I have no other 'world' to go to.

Everything in this world is annoying; the people, the stench, the sight.

I wasn't always like this.

I suppose I have been this way since Takahiro got married right before his brother died. I never met the kid, but if he was related to Takahiro, he probably was dense.

Takahiro

My thoughts start to roam.

I loved him, and it killed me.

It ripped me to shreds. Turned me into a monster. It made me hate myself, made me hate others.

"Put on this blindfold, and pretend I'm Takahiro." The memory made me recoil. I was disgusted with myself.

Love was a poisonous venom.

Love was a sugarcoated killer.

Love, a feeling that can throw anyone to the depths of darkness and despair.

I won't grieve any more.

I refuse to cry about it.

I don't miss anything.

I don't miss the warmth that was once in my chest. I don't miss the feeling of having someone in my arms. I don't miss the warmth at all.

I don't miss anything

not anymore.