haiku and hurt // Kai Hiwatari [tsundere] x Reader //

l o n e l y

Who wrote this?

I wondered to myself as I shrugged and stuffed the much-abused paper in my bag.

The bell rang just then, indicating the start of lunch break.

Being lonely, antisocial and therefore friend-less, I am a total mess. I'm so unpopular that no one even bothers to bully me. The only friend I have is the mirror I carry around everywhere.

Facing down, I fast walked out into the fresh air. That's the trick, you have to fast walk with your shoulders slumped in order to keep human interactions and the following anxiety at bay.

Half-galloping, I finally reach the broken bench at the furthest end of the playground. That's where you can find me during free periods.

I opened my bento and grimaced at the horrendous taste of it. Well, at least I didn't forget the salt this time. Slowly, the haiku from before managed to creep it's way back into my mind.

Is it meant for me?

A cool breeze had picked up without warning which made the stray leaves pirouette in the air. Winter was approaching.

Who actually left it there?

A shadow suddenly appeared on the paper. Probably a cloud floating above; autumn would soon end.

Who the hell writes haiku these days?

I had found it lying under the desk, waiting for someone to pick it up and read it.

Huh, so relatable.

Even the prose itself hit me hard right in my devoid chest.

I felt a bit comforted, thinking about how someone else other than me was just as alone as me out there.

The spidery writing suddenly got splotched with a water droplet as I snapped out of my reverie.

Rain had arrived!

I gathered my bento, slung my bag, clutched the paper close to my heart and darted towards the gates. The ground was now empty and the rain, along with my legs, had picked up pace.

Gasping, I went to the washroom and struggled to dry myself. I managed to survive the rest of the periods in wet hair and socks.

School FINALLY ended and I hastily faltered towards my flat.

I didn't bother greeting my super kind landowner working in her noodle stall.

The first thing I did was take a cold, brain-freezing shower. The icy water ran down my body but I welcomed the anticipated numbness.

Showers, cat videos and tea are the only things that keep me sane.

I studied afterwards for a while. Believe it or not, my grades are higher than my panic rate, which is very frequent; happens every other day.

At bed time, I drank some tea and remembered about the haiku yet once again.

I wanted to meet this person, because I'm sure they're as awkward as me (judging by their thought process) and we'd get along, I guess.

Maybe we could empathise.

Maybe we could stay lonely throughout this sad, sad life together.

X