Happy Ending ((TENYA IIDA X OC))

Chapter 23

My fingers tapped impatiently against my crossed arms. I had been in front of the screen showing me the outside world for hours now, and the fact that Hikari was relaxed enough to take a bath irked me.

Though, her serenity made sense, she didn't have a psycho tagging her twenty-four-seven. I should just be glad that he's unable to find me like this.

That didn't mean everyone else was spared, however.

So I huffed out an enclosed breath and let my arms fall to my sides. I watched Hikari shift in the tub and pull her legs forward, poking her knees out of the water. I pursed my lips, struggling to keep my thoughts aligned as I debated when my next move'll be.

During my time in the in-between, I questioned a lot of things — mainly the trust I have in people, or lack thereof. I didn't even know if I could trust Hikari; she was a creation from the very quirk that I'm trying to destroy. For all I know this could be Dream Walker playing another one of his games.

But with Hikari, I didn't have that underlying fear of a sudden death.

She helped, if I really thought about it. Even from inside here, her voice was calming and reassuring. Her mannerisms were extremely proper and she was polite, which was something I knew my family appreciated. Though, the only thing I could have gone without was her spewing my 'feelings.' The whole point of the standoffish persona I'm displaying was to not get everyone so attached. Which, even without Hikari, wasn't exactly going well.

I guess I just couldn't keep myself closed off.

Sighing again, I floated forward a few feet and set the palm of my hand against the plasma of the screen, feeling the chill of it shiver down my spine.

"Osoroshi," Hikari halted me as I tried to push forward. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?" I retorted sarcastically, pulling back to cross my arms again.

"Why are you so anxious to get out?" She asked another question. I watched the screen as she pulled the bathtub plug. "Everything is fine. He can't reach you like this."

"I'm not worried about me," I said bitterly. "I'm worried about everyone else. If I'm gone for too long he'll just go after everyone else until I come out; like before."

"He does have a tendency to do that," Hikari agreed, wrapping a towel around herself. "But there isn't much you can do about that regardless."

"Not like this," I gestured to myself despite being unsure if she could see me or not. "I can't do anything like this."

Hikari sighed and walked in front of the steamed up mirror. Bringing a hand up, she swiped across it to show me my own face; scar and all.

"I may be willing to do something for you," she said, looking herself — and by extension, me — right in the eye. "If it will ease your mind and hasten your recovery."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Who would you like to check up on?" She leaned forward, using her hands to prop herself on the countertop.

"Tenya." I said with no hesitation.

Hikari gave me a knowing look, and without another word proceeded in dressing herself.