I Thought Strawberry Smells Sweet, So Why Does This One Smells Like Blood?

Chapter 18: He Has An Illness

🔪3rd Person🎓

Nagisa is currently sitting on a chair in the kitchen of the Akabane house. drinking strawberry shake that was given to him to at least help him calm down.

Which wasn't really needed.

He had been calm all this time, no trace of shock nor fear evident in his eyes. The others didn't notice, but the sudden change of behaviour of Nagisa was something that was alarming.

He kept swinging his feet while holding the glass with two hands, quietly sipping on the sweet beverage.

"Why?"

Without looking, the child immediately recognized the voices from the other side of the wall. It seems to be their parents talking to each other, obviously, about what happened. Nagisa didn't want to pay attention that much, for he doesn't really care about what happened.

'Just an act of my best friend. Nothing much.'

"I'm sorry, Hiromi, I---We didn't know..." Kira's muffled sobs can be heard, and it was evident that she was trying hard to stop crying. Nagisa thought that his mother would stay silent, but she seemed to have known and just comforted her friend.

"It was...dangerous. But still, I know you're not at fault here. No one is. Who knew that he got the trait..."

At first, the bluehead wasn't in mood to keep listening. But after the mention of his precious friend, his ears immediately cleared and listened carefully, his eyes squinting and turning sharp.

"Karma...he...oh my God..." Kira cried more,and now Nagisa can hear her husband comforting him, even though he also have a hurt and helpless tone. Hiromi stayed quiet, not interrupting the two from their griefs.

"How...are we going to convey this to Nagisa?" Akai suddenly asked, making the three stood on silence. Hiromi took a sharp breath, before releasing it as if it was all her stress.

"Let's...talk to him." She suggested. Nagisa, who heard almost every thing, turned his head away from the wall and pretended to be diligently sipping the now half-full drink. This was the scene that the trio saw when they entered then kitchen.

'Oh, how innocent of him of what's happening...' they pitifully thought.

But alas, Nagisa was a smart kid and also a sharp one. He can already guess what happened.

"Nagisa..." He turned towards their direction after the mention of his name. Nagisa's eyes blinked twice, then tilted his head to the side a bit.

"Hey...how's the strawberry? Did you like it?" Hiromi asked, trying to open up a conversation but awkwardly did so. She wanted to smack herself.

"It's okay. Quite different than what I'm used to." He answered with a not so loud tone.

"Hmm? What made it different from the others?" Akai curiously asked. Nagisa faced them with a blank look, not that noticeable, yet there was no warmth in it.

"Karma wasn't beside me." He answered without hesitation.

Those who listened froze. They were shocked at what they heard.

The boy has been too attached. Now, they can't separate the two in a simple manner.

The silent atmosphere was too thick, tension can be felt even if they just step out the kitchen. Not that they can move though.

"Hey, where is Karma?" Nagisa casually asked. But rather than a curious tone, he seemed to be questioning them and telling them to tell the truth. To reveal everything.

"Uh...well..."

"Which hospital did he went?" The three adults' eyes widen more. They seemed to be panicking at the unexpected development of things.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. It should not be turning like this.

How did he know?

Alas, they don't.

"Nagisa...what are you talking about?.." Kira asked. She tried to comfort herself that she's only hearing things. Maybe she heard wrong, because of what happened and due to her anxiousness. Yes, it could be it.

"I heard you. Karma...what is wrong with my best friend?"

Her hopes shattered just as she built it.

All of them grew silent again. Just a kid, yet they were completely speechless to coax him. Those two...they can't completely control nor predict what the two kids are thinking.

"He...Karma...have an illness." Kira finally blurted. Nagisa just looked at her, silently urging to continue.

"You see...Karma's grandfather, Akai's dad had psychosis. It was fortunate that Akai didn't inherit it, but became a carrier. Now, it was Karma who got affected. So...he must be treated or else..." Tears started to form again on her eyes as she tried to calm herself.

Kira remembered what happened to Karma's grandfather, how violent he was, how hard it is to cope up, how much struggle he did just to control himself, and how much pain he felt just to keep those around him to be safe. But even after all those, he still wasn't able to stop himself. Especially after his wife died. The one who can only calm him down. The one who stayed by his side.

Kira and Akai saw everything. All of those fit of rage whenever he becomes upset, those terrifying look of a killer whenever something bad happens to his family, and also, the great love he has for them.

They knew that Karma isn't a bad kid. They didn't want him to disappear, they weren't even planning to. But they wish that he would be able to escape the fate of having that kind of life. Thinking about the hardships that their son would be in, the couple want to save them.

"So that's how it is..." The three snapped back after hearing Nagisa's soft voice. He then smiled at them gently, more like maturely as if he understood everything.

"Don't worry, I'll do everything to protect him. I will be the one to calm him whenever he's upset. I'll be by his side whenever he needs it. I'll be the one comforting him throughout the times when he's in pain." The words Nagisa said were of no malice. Everything came from his heart, without even a tinge of lie. He want to do those things. He will do those things. Because Karma is important to him.

'He's my best friend, after all.'

He didn't knew that it meant differently for the other.

*********************************************
A/N: TADAHHHH

there we go. Phew *wipes sweat* Now you all knew where Karma's craziness came from. And what Nagisa did...will do, in this case.

Well then...shall we proceed onwards? The next maybe the last chapter for the flashback, and the start for the present.

Next Chapter: Departing