Marionette

Skies, Chapter Thirty Four - Kyōki no Shoseki [狂気の書籍]

The silence in the air in response to Shigure's words was suffocating.

There was no other way Amaya could describe it.

If for no other reason than to maintain petulance, Yuta kept his mouth shut, his gaze firmly upon the table in front of him - It was almost as if he wanted to burn it with his gaze alone.

Needless to say, Shigure didn't seem to exhibit much distaste for the boys petulance, instead turning his head to look at Amaya.

There was a knowing edge to his gaze, like normal.

It was always the same look he fixed her with, as if he could see straight through her.

Perhaps he really could, too.

She would never know whether or not this was a figment of her own imagination, though.

'It would be best to begin, Little One.' Shigure spoke up after a few seconds, causing a flinch to shoot through Amaya's form. 'I have been informed that your interactions with Katsuragi-kun have been greatly limited by your friends, so what you can tell me will help paint the rest of the picture.'

A picture was worth a thousand words, they said.

But it was only a picture painted in her own words.

With a small breath, Amaya cast a glance at Yuta for just a moment.

It was clear Shigure really had spoke to Karma, since he'd mentioned the redhead by name before.

So, there was no need to elaborate on how Yuta had ended up at the Isogai residence.

It was the path that lead up to that point, she guessed.

'Its ... hard to put two and two together with everything that's been going on ...' Amaya hedged, eventually speaking as she looked back up at Shigure. 'I called you Tuesday morning last week and told you about Reiko's fall, right?'

'Indeed, you did.' Shigure responded, lifting his cup of tea. 'You had mentioned that it was a school-related accident, and that you were staying home in order to look after her, correct?'

Amaya nodded her head slightly, glancing at Yuta for just a second.

'Yes, well ... I hadn't mentioned it at the time because it wasn't really important, but Yuta ... well ...' She proceeded to explain, a hand running through her hair as she tried to pull her thoughts and recollections together.

'Go on.' Shigure encouraged, causing a small breath to escape Amaya.

'... I don't know if this is when it started, or not, but it was that night he seemed to take this attitude to me after I had pulled him away from Reiko a couple of times so she could rest.' Amaya explained, rubbing the nape of her neck in her discomfort. 'He's a restless sleeper, and I didn't want her concussion to get any worse because of his tossing in his sleep.'

'What particular reaction did you receive?' Shigure questioned, before he took a sip of his tea.

It was here that Yuta actually seemed to flinch, though Amaya wasn't sure if she'd even seen it at all.

'Kicking and screaming for the first two times I pulled him out of her room.'

'And afterwards?'

'Karma was the one who dragged Yuta out of her room, though I don't know what really happened by that point... Yuta stayed locked up in his room for the rest of the night, right up to when Reiko wanted to go for a walk the next morning.'

Shigure seemed to think on Amaya's words for a few moments, casting a glance at Yuta for a second.

'I presume you accompanied her?' He questioned, turning his head to look at Amaya once again.