seven a.m. lessons for a thief

why are you kind to me, stranger?

a gasp.

mitsuri covered her mouth, allowing the tiniest of a gasp to escape her mouth.

there was it. that gasps obanai knew was he was going to hear.

now it's just the usual look of disgus-

"does it still hurt?"

shocked, obanai just stares at her.

her face. her reaction.

it was the first time obanai has seen a someone cry. for his sake too. it felt strange and foreign to him. what was it? guilt? no. sadness? no. he felt...happy. he felt happy that someone pitied him. he felt happy that someone reacted the way he had wanted them to.

ask if he was okay, comfort him and pull him into a hug or something. those cheesy shit people do.

obanai loves them. no matter how cringey he finds them. deep inside, he wanted someone to do that to him too. hug him, hold his hand, and maybe just...be there with him for no price. no conditions, no price, no favour. just out of pure unconditional love that he has never received from the day he was born. all the trauma had made him numb, unable to socialise and unable to love.

kindness was alien to him.

the idea of someone being unconditionally nice to him.

his whole life was surrounded by a single piece of paper called money.

he grew up understanding that money was a thing better than him own life.

even if he had to endure getting his mouth slit open, as long as he had money, he felt like that happiest alive, not knowing money was the kind of addiction he had.

the false illusion that money gives him, a false momentary happiness that slips away soon after he just earned it.

"no. it doesn't hurt anymore." he replied coldly, pulling his mask back up quickly.

wow. im such a bad-

"liar."

"it hurts. it still does. even if its not physically, your heart hurts. my heart hurts for you. you did not deserve to go through such a...horrifying childhood." mitsuri moved her chair closer to him as she suddenly places her hands on his masked face, making him flinch a little, his eyes wide.

"you poor soul. if you can't cry, i will cry for you."

mitsuri pulled his sweater and hugged him tightly as she cried into his chest.

obanai just stiffens. his hands lingering behind her back, not touching her. he just looks down on her slowly rising and falling back as she cries, unsure about the situation he was in.

he slowly, carefully, places his hand on her back and patted her lightly.

"uh. t..thanks i guess? uh...d-don't cry....t-the takoyaki's g-getting cold..." first time comforting someone, obanai stuttered a little at his cheesy words.

mitsuri's watery glossy eyes looked up to him suddenly, grazing his chin ever so slightly. her left hand releasing her grip as she brings it to his face.

she slowly pulls down the white mask, revealing the saddening red scar around his mouth again.

obanai quickly pulled it up again, just to be stopped by mitsuri as she grabs his hand and shook her head lightly.

"no. don't hide it. don't hide it like it was your fault. it's not ugly. it's not scary. no one's judging you. you look normal." she said, sniffing. iguro, who didnt register her words in his brain, simply nodded.

she then grabbed his chin lightly and turned his face towards the food vendor. he blinks with no resistance.

"ano! oji-san!" mitsuri called out to him, her voice a little shaky as she lets go of obanai, breaking the hug.

he suddenly feel hollow on the outside, yet contented in the inside.

"oji-san! do you think he's ugly and scary?" mitsuri asked, smiling a little, as if knowing his reply.

obanai's eyes teared up a little at the stranger's answer.

the old food vendor just gave them a closed eyed smile and said ,

"i already addressed him as a handsome young man just now didn't i!"

what's this feeling? it's warm.

i don't hate it though.

5%.

his frozen heart was starting to melt. 5 percent.

he couldn't understand it.

why would some stranger be nice to him when his own father hits him?

"w-why? aren't i ugly a-and scary? i mean look at me! i have this-!"

"YOUNG MAN!" the food vendor shouted while walking over to their table.

"so what you have a scar? it looks...what was that word again...i heard those youngsters say...DOPE! it looks very dope! not scary! you have to love yourself youngman! you have a healthy body and a handsome face! why waste it on a small little scar?" the vendor grabbed both of obanai's shoulder as he gives him advice. mitsuri let out a giggle when he said 'dope.'

"...sorry!" mitsuri squealed. that giggle came out without her permission.

"oji-san, i'm sorry for my rudeness just now. can i come here again?" obanai blurted out.

is this what having a proper dad feels like?

"of course! anytime youngman! what's your name?" the vendor excitedly ask as he pats obanai's back furiously.

"iguro." he quietly replies, eyes having a glint of hope looking at the old man.

"ohoho! suiting name! come again next time young man! now eat up! the food is getting cold!" the man gave one last pat to obanai and gave him a wide smile, his incomplete set of teeths showing.

"iguro-kun. you're not the only one with flaws." mitsuri says quietly before she throws in another takoyaki.

"obanai."

mitsuri blinks.

"you can call me obanai."

A/N : ngl pretty proud of this chapter ALSO I MADE A MISTAKE OBANAI IS HIS FIRST NAME