The Disconsolate Maiden

Chapter Forty-Three

"Today was a nice day, Homura," Jyushimatsu said as they both sat down on a park bench, the sun shining directly in their eyes as it fell from the sky, sending off colors of bright, vivid orange and pastel pink. Passion burning in his soul, Jyushimatsu bent over slightly, his hands in his lap as he looked out at a playground a few feet away.

"Thank you, Jyushimatsu," Homura sighed, leaning back on the bench a little, exhaling deeply. She felt utterly filthy, having not showered all day long. She was used to showering multiple times a day, trying to remain clean for each session at her office. "You've been kind to me."

Jyushimatsu nodded his head a little, moving his eyes to the ground, staring at two ants chase each other in the dirt.

"Say," Jyushimatsu said seriously, still looking down. "yesterday wasn't a very pretty day. Most girls I know, especially Totoko, only like to be out at the beach when the sun is shining. They want a tan. But when it's cloudy, most girls want to stay inside. Not only is the moisture thick in the air, the beach is really lonely when it's cloudy outside."

"Y-Yeah," Homura stammered a little, not knowing where Jyushimatsu could be going with this conversation.

A slight breeze blew past the two, a few trees rustling there leaves calmly as a thick cloud hid the sun. It seemed to be quite a depressing, cloudy week in Tokyo.

"Why were you at the beach yesterday?" he asked, his voice emotionless for once.

Homura felt her heart skip a beat and literally crawl up her throat, a sickening feeling of terror wrap around her entire body. Her veins felt ice cold, unable to feel the blood pulsing through them.

Lips turning pale, Homura looked in the opposite direction of Jyushimatsu, absolutely refusing to answer his personal question.

"Why were you at the beach?" he repeated himself, speaking a bit more loudly than before. "I saw you up there on the cliff, Homura."

A small whimper escaped the girl's lips as she stared down at her brown, laced boots. Gripping some of the material to her red skirt, she began to tremble.

Homura really wasn't in the mood to cry, but she feared deep within her heart, Jyushimatsu, a man she had only met just the day before, would leave her if she answered honestly. She adored Jyushimatsu. Though she had no idea who he even was, she felt calm in his presence.

"H-Honestly..." Homura choked out, her voice cracking deeply. "T-That's a p-p-personally question, isn't it...?"

"Were you..." Jyushimatsu mumbled, but his voice trailed off as the sun exposed itself once again. Squinting his eyes, Jyushimatsu stared directly into the brightest object in the heavens.

"I was trying to kill myself," Homura whispered very, very softly, yet the man somehow still heard her.

Violently, he grabbed Homura by her shoulders and hugged her tightly, so tightly the girl could barely breath.

"J-Jyushimatsu!" Homura exclaimed, thinking he was attempting to harass her. But, to her surprise, she found that he was sobbing into her.

Fat, salty tears ran down his cheeks as he grasped the girl closely to him.

"I'm not letting you go then!" Jyushimatsu cried out, sobbing into her white shirt. His tears were soaking through the thin material, but Homura didn't mind. Something else must have been bothering him.

Surely, a man wouldn't be crying over a girl he had just met. Surely.

"Don't do that! Never do that, Homura! You're better than that! Life isn't all that bad!" Jyushimatsu cried as the girl squirmed uncomfortably. She had no idea how to respond, as usual.

"I-It's not like anyone in this world cares about my existence though. They just use me, my soul, to make money. I can't do this anymore, really...I can't keep living as someone's pet..." Homura stumbled over her words. "I have no family to go to now, either..."

"But..." Jyushimatsu sniffed, letting go of Homura. Looking up at her with his huge, saddened eyes, he proceeded to burst into tears again. "But you have me! I saved your life, didn't I? If I hadn't been at the beach..."

"I would be happy, then," Homura sighed. "But...I guess if days like today could exist more often...I would be perfectly fine to remain on this earth..."

"Then," Jyushimatsu grabbed Homura's hand, staring into her eyes as tears continued to stream down his cheeks. "I'll do everything to make your life worth living. I'll do anything to see you smile again like you used to!"