To Be A Scrapper (Suzuya Juuzou)

Chapter 76

Previous trivia: Who hates hot weather the most?

Answer: Shin

Ma boi hates anything that'll keep him up at night. Unless, of course, it's Ryuu ;)))) *wink wonk*

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The lilac haired boy looked down at his blood stained hands, unable to hide the slight shake of them as his gaze followed the liquid seeping into every little crack and line of his palm. There was a foreign feeling lodged inside him. A burning sensation on the upper part of his stomach, and a heavy weight pressing against the left side of his chest. His mouth was dry, both of words and of saliva, so he just limited himself to stare at his trembling fingers as he tried to force his throat into swallowing.

He did not like the sensation one bit. If this was the closest he could feel to helplessness, he would rather feel nothing at all.

Suddenly he felt a shadow growing before him, but he didn't even notice the new presence until a hand came up to cover his own. Shin was staring at Ryuu's bothered expression. It was almost impossible to get the younger one to show his emotions, but right now his face was a poem.

Were those tears lining his eyes?

"What's wrong, kiddo?" He whispered, attempting to get his attention.

It had been years since Shin had used that nickname on Ryuu, because he had long realized he was not a kid anymore. But seeing him in this state reminded Shin about long back, when the group was just starting out and Ryuu was no more than 6 years old with too much already taken from him.

Sometimes he had to remind himself that despite being the one who carried the most blood on his hands, Ryuu was just fifteen years old. Shin knew for a fact how strong he really was, but a part of him wished Ryuu would rely more on the rest of the elites, instead of taking everything head on by himself. 

"Ryuu?" He tried again, and only when he squeezed the younger's hand did he look up.

"Shin..." He said absent mindedly, as if only then realizing the older was there.

"Did something happen while you were scrapping?"

Ryuu offered a weak smile, blinking a few times before taking a deep breath.

"He had a family. A wife and kids."

And Shin realized why the boy was so shaken up. He had just stolen a life, an innocent one. And with it he had destroyed the rest of the lives that had depended on it.

"He was a good man, I could tell. I've never seen someone cry so much. Up until the end, he was praying for his family to carry on." Ryuu released a shaky breath, squeezing Shin's hand even tighter as if it were keeping the tears that threatened to spill.

"His name was Karou. Even as I broke him from the inside out, he pleaded that if I sometime found his family I'd tell them how much he loved them. He even told me that he forgave me, and that he hoped I'd be free from this place soon."

A drop landed between their intertwined palms, and Ryuu had to stop talking in order to control his voice.

"Stupid, right?" It was a forced laugh, and streaks of water already trailed down the younger's cheeks.

Shin was speechless, frozen in place as he could only stare at the boy crumbling before him. His free hand came up to the boy's cheek, ridding the pale skin of tears. He knew Ryuu would not spill more than he already had. Not if Shin had anything to say about it.

"Don't be sad kiddo." Shin whispered, this time not waiting for Ryuu to take the iniciative. He pulled on the younger's hand, making him fall into his embrace. Ryuu burried his face against Shin's chest, taking deep breaths and inhaling his calming scent because no more tears would be spilled, for the sake of both elites. 

"You're not a demon." Shin murmured into Ryuu's lilac hair as he pressed gentle kisses against the boy's head.

"You're an amazing person, who just so happened to be born into this type of life. Don't ever think you deserve less."

Ryuu pulled away ever so slightly in order to look at him, a small giggle slipping past his lips as he leaned further into the older's touch.

"You're being really sappy, Shinnie. I thought I was the only one who could do it."

"Surprise surprise." The other chuckled, ruffling his hair before patting his cheek tenderly.

"Why don't we join the others? They must be waiting for us."

Ryuu nodded, squeezing Shin's hand one last time before letting go. They started their way down the hall in the direction of the training room they had unofficially claimed as theirs, but were soon stopped by two figures walking toward them.

He immediately recognized Emi's small shape walking forward, and right behind her walked the snow haired boy who seemed to be glued to her hip.

The lilac haired boy rolled his eyes. Why did he have to be with Emi at all times? The girl should at least spend some alone time with the elites.

"Ryuu! How'd you do?"

And the boy felt a wave of satisfaction running through him at the sight of her smile. His gaze flickered to Rei, a cocky smirk rising against his lips. Emi was smiling at him, not at Rei. Her smiles belonged to him.

How did he do? He'd just killed an innocent man who had believed in him even with his dying breath. He'd almost broken to pieces as he stared at his blood stained hands. He had cried for a person he'd killed, for the first time in years.

Ryuu felt like the worst piece of trash walking the earth, and he was expected to celebrate it.

"Well the dude is dead, so I did just fine."

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School, guys, school. I barely have time to catch a breath. I know this is short, but it's the last couple of events before the end. Please bear with me <333

Thank you all for your support. You guys have given me more than what I could ever ask for.

Trivia: Each elite is scared of an insect! These upcoming trivias will he based on that. So, who's afraid of cockroaches?

A. Ryuu
B. Jiro
C. Shin