Dɑngɛяσus Cнɑяm [ αкαѕнι x яєɑdєя ]

Chapter 29: Nostalgia

Another chapter on a chilly weather. 😨😷

Brrrr.

Hopefully, this didn't disappoint.

☆☆☆☆

"Do you live around here, Yuzuha?" Came the redhead's question as the child licked her chocolate ice cream eagerly. They were now at a playground at a park they found along the way.

"Nope. My daddy works here so mommy and I are visiting him for a few days."

(Y/N) halted her steps and spoke, "You're lost and you don't know the place?"

Yuzuha flinched at the tone, "I'm sorry, b-big sister..but I do-" Akashi attempted to soothe the little girl's back, looking over to his girlfriend.

"Now, (Y/N). You can't blame a child for their carelessness. We'll just head over to the police station."

"Even so, she needs to be more cautious. What if we're kidnappers? And the only reason she has is because she accidentally followed some stranger whom she thought looked pretty. She'll end up being the instrument of her own demise." She dropped sternly.

Tears started to form in Yuzuha's auburn eyes as she stared at the dirt covered ground beneath her feet. Akashi sighed.

"Please don't cry, Yuzuha." He picked up her up in his arms, "Big sister is just worried about your well-being."

"But I.." She sniffed, "..know the way to where daddy lives."

"Then that's great. There's no need to cry, OK?" He wiped her tears away with his thumb, "(Y/N) isn't mad at you."

"R-Really?"

"Yes." (Y/N) rubbed the little girl's forehead. "Be more mindful next time. Don't follow strangers, no matter how they may appear to be. They could be models or whatsoever and you'd still find yourself in the black market."

"What's a black market?"

"Why don't you play for a while?" Akashi smiled at Yuzuha, putting her down gently.

"OK!" She fixed her dress then skipped towards a group of kids, easily befriending all of them.

He turned to the female beside him, "(Y/N), you didn't have to be like that. It's understandable that what she did was highly perilous, but we should know better as she is clearly younger than us."

"And you shouldn't be the one to speak about leniency. Nobody has anyone else to blame but themselves if they don't think about the consequences of their actions. I don't want to imagine anyone getting harmed, much more an innocent child." She replied expressionlessly, but he could tell she was on the verge of breaking.

"(Y/N)...come here." He pulled her into his arms, "You really are kind..but not every child is destined to suffer the same fate you did. Every parent has their own flaws, you just happened to had bad timing, that's all. You can't expect the world to be a fair and safe place."

(Y/N) remained silent, watching the girl running around happily with the other children.

'I used to be like that...I was like that.' She thought grievously.

A memory suddenly flashed of Hime's words before.

"I..I..just want you to be happy again..and laugh like we used to.."

'Why am I only thinking about this now?

..What have I become? Was I always this miserable?'

"(Y/N)?"

"Yes.." She smiled sympathetically, "I apologize, Sei. You were right. I really shouldn't let what happened affect others."