Bittersweet

     Your heavy pants mix with the sound of the heavy rain beating onto the ground as you try and catch your breath. You didn't have time to as Keigo grabs your hands and smiles as he continues to jump and run around. 
     The sound of laughter was so pleasant in the silence. The rain had made you hair and clothes cling to you and the asphalt slick. Your pant legs get caught on each other causeing you to fall but you didn't care, you had Keigo to catch you.
     You try to wipe some of the rain off his face as the two of you laugh and gasp for breath. Keigo settles for pushing your soaking hair out of your eyes. You giggle and pull away from him to check your phone.
     You smile and hold it up to him, the bright screen showing the time as 11:11 pm.
     "Eleven eleven! Make a wish!"
     He pulls you close and spins. "I wish for this moment to never end!"
     Annoying and rhythmic beeping awakes Keigo from his slumber. He yawns and stretches, turning off the alarm.
     It was a school day and he wasn't too excited to get ready today. His body was shivering and aching. Maybe dancing in the rain wasn't the best idea he's ever had.
     Nonetheless Keigo takes a hot shower and gets dressed in his school uniform. It had just come out of the drier so it warmed him up even more.
     He walks out of his room and sees the whole house was a mess. He carefully tip toes his way around the mess, careful not to make noise or move anything out of place.
     He makes it out the front door successfully making no noise and sighs in relief. Keigo basks in the sun for a moment before looking at your house on the right.
     He had contiplated knocking on your door to walk with you like the two of you normally did but decided against it, knowing you had already left for school.
     The walk to school was bland due to you not being there. You had always made him stop to appreciate the flowers every now and then or made him laugh with dumb jokes. But you'd always sneak off and disappear when the two of you arrive at school.
     It's cute how you play hide and seek with him throughout the day.
     Keigo arrives at school and heads to class knowing he'll see you there. You're normally late to every class but he manages to cover for you every time.
     Today the teacher was preaching about grammar. It didnt intrest Keigo in the slightest but he knew you loved it so he played extra attention and took notes for you. He even left little doodles and jokes on the paper for when you studied.
     "Pssst! Hey! What'd I miss?" Your sudden appearance next to him started him but he quickly regains his calm demeanor and smiles back.
      "Nothing, I got it all written down for you."
     "Aww Keigo, you're the sweetest!" Your sweet smile makes him blush and look away.
     "Y-yeah, of course!" He hears you soft giggle as the paper on his desk disappears and reappears on your desk.
     "Sorry I left without you, my mom had to work early and gave me a ride to school."
     "Oh it's fine but I wish I could've ridden with you."
     "Hehe maybe next time but you gotta be sure to wake up and not throw a fit!"
     "That's only because you keep me up so late!"
     "Well-"
     "Keigo and (y/n). Care to stop disrupting the class?"
     "Sorry Mrs. Johnson, we'll be quiet." Mrs. Johnson gives a strict nod before resuming the lesson.
     Keigo holds back a snicker and lowers his head to his desk.
     "Hehe I don't know how you deal with her."
     "Hey! Keep your voice down dummy! I dont wanna get caught again." Your voice was now a whisper mixed with light laughter.
     "Welp, I'll be quiet just so you don't get in trouble." He was slowly drifting off with a smile evident on his face.
     "Really? It's only first period!" The last thing he saw was you adorable face before he drifted off to sleep.
     Keigo wakes up to the school bell ringing and the murmur of his classmates. He lifts his head and wipes the drool from his face. Looking around he sees that everyone left quickly, leaving him by himself with the teacher.
     "Hey, it's the end of the day and I dont want to stay here any longer so get out." Keigo was shocked by Mrs. Johnson's sudden annoyance with him but left quickly nonetheless.
     While walking through the halls Keigo keeps his head down to look at his phone. He was texting you, telling to meet him at the cafe close by.
     He was too infatuated with his phone to notice that he was bumping into people and pushing them aside.
     Everyone scoffed but let it slide, knowing nothing they say would change his behavior.
     Keigo mindlessly makes his way to the cafe and takes a seat it the far corner, his usual spot. He doesn't even look at the menu when he orders, just interrupting the waitress and ordering a cheap coffee and your favorite coffee.
     But the waitress doesn't flinch or falter at his rudeness due to being used to it.
     Keigo waits impatiently for the drinks and you to arrive. You always made time tic by faster somehow. Keigo would meet up with you around one pm then it'd suddenly be four pm but he didn't care.
     It only made his time with you more precious.
     His head shoots up as the soft chime of the bells attached to the door rings. Beneath the doorframe was you.
     Keigo stands and waves you over even though he knows you know where he is. You happily wave back and make a beeline to your seat across from him.
     "Heyo! Did you order already?"
     "Yup! It should be here in a sec."
     "Ok awesome!"
     As if on cue the waitress comes over and sets down the drinks before leaving. You smile and inhale the sweet aroma before going to grab your cup.
     Unfortunately you're clumsy and knock over Keigo's sending his hot coffee towards him, burning his hand.
     "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" You jump up and run to get napkins while Keigo stays and cradles his hand.
     It stung badly but he masked it when you asked if it hurt. He doesn't like making you worry.
     The coffee gets cleaned and the two of you sit and goof around. Nothing was particularly notable about what either of you said, it was just mindless fun.
     "Aww getting sleepy?" You giggle and tease Keigo as he yawns and rests his head down on the table. 
     "Hehe maybe... you should nap with me." He finished his sentence with a yawn.
     "Mmmm no... I got homework to do." You place your head on his head and play with his hair a little. "I can help you with yours if you want."
     "Nah..." Keigo grabs your hand and brings it to his lips to mumble a few more incoherent words before falling asleep.
     This time it was the soft chime of the bells above the doorframe that woke him up. Admittedly, it was a lot more pleasant then the aggressive school bell or the annoying alarm but it was still tedious he had to wake up.
     Keigo checks his phone for the time and stays to leave the cafe. It was still relatively early but he was just so tired.
     As soon as Keigo entered his room he layed down and fell asleep. It was a dreamless slumber but it put his body at ease from the aching hunger he felt.
     This time, instead of an annoying alarm it was loud shuffling that disrupted his sleep. It was about twenty minutes earlier than his alarm would go off.
     Confused, Keigo carefully exits his room to find the noise coming from the kitchen. There he sees his mother shamelessly shoving the little food in the kitchen into a big plastic bag.
     "Mom?" His voice made her flinch before she realized it was him.
     "Oh! Keigo sweetheart, don't tell your father about this ok?"
     He wants to beg her to take him with her but he knows her life would only lead to more dispare for him.
     "You... you should be more quiet not to wake him up."
     "Oh, thank you my sweet boy!" Her words were empty praise and she quickly took everything else in the little kitchen and left.
     Another hungry day for him.
     He doesn't see you until lunch this time which was odd because he has every class with you.
     He was sitting under the tree in the back of the school when lunch started. It was his usual spot that you'd join him at. It was especially beautifully as the cherry blossom petals fluttered around durning mid spring.
     "Hey! Still no lunch today?" You plop down next to him and lean back against the bark. Keigo sends a lazy but happy look your way before answering.
     "Nope. I ate a big breakfast so I'll be fine." It was a lie, he hated lying to you, but he hated seeing worry on your face.
     "Well, I brought extra if you get hungry!" You use your chopsticks to pick up a piece of fruit from your meal and eat it.
     Keigo was envious of your food but he'd never take your food away.
     His head slowly lands on your shoulder as you eat.
     "C'mon! Don't you dare fall asleep on me!" Your voice was filled with laughter as you poked his face with your chopsticks.
     "I can't help it! Sleeping is just so nice!"
     "Nicer than being with me?"
     "Of course not!" Keigo lifts his tired hand and cups your check, rubbing his thumb against your face for a moment before letting it grab your hand.
     "You're like my dream come true."
     "You're incredibly cheesy but adorable." You lean your head against his as his eyelids grow heavy.
     "You love me... admit it..." He was barely awake when he felt your lips kiss his forehead.
     "So what if I do?"
     Again, it was that dumb school bell that woke Keigo up from his nap.
     His eyes flutter on and see all the petals that had fallen around him. He stands and stretches before wiping all the petals from his head.
     Time to finish this boring day. He slouches and walks back into the school to finish the last few classes he had.
     Keigo saw you again last period but he couldn't really talk to you because everyone was taking a test. Instead the two of you made silly faces and mouthed words that neither of you understood. It was totally worth getting scolded after school for.
     You disappeared right after getting scolded but Keigo didn't mind, he knew you didn't like getting yelled.
     He checked the time as he exited the school, it was still quite early. Keigo contemplates asking you to hang out but he was far too tired right now.
     He slowly makes his way to his house and closes the door to his room. He then throws his things to the ground then himself on the bed.
     It was a minute or so before Keigo reached for his phone. It was far too quiet for his liking, so he called you.
     It was only two rings before you answered.
     "What's up?"
     "Nothing, just wanted to hear your voice."
     "Aww you cheesy idiot!"
     "Yeah yeah.... what are you up to?"
     "Being responsible and doing homework."
     "Ugh would could you do something so boring?"
     "Because its required dummy!" He smiles as he hears you laugh.
     "Pfft that's why I have you!" You let out a mocking gasp.
     "I ought to let you fail so you have to go through and do twice as much homework!"
     "That didn't even make sense, smarty pants."
     "Still smarter than you!"
     "Are you though?" He ends his sentence with a yawn.
     "Awww sleepytime already?"
     "Yup. You should sing me a lullaby."
     "W-what? You know I have the voice of a pterodactyl."
     "I don't think so. C'mon, for me?" He shifts in his bed and gets comfy.
     "Fine! Only this once and you better not laugh!" You let out a huff.
     "Cross my heart."
     "What do you even want to hear?"
     "Twinkle twinkle little star."
     "That's such a baby song, you baby."
     "Please?"
     "Twinkle, twinkle, little star..." You had barely started and he was half asleep. Your voice was simply angelic to him. That was the most at ease hes felt in suck a long time.
     There wasn't an alarm to wake him up this time. Keigo sits up and pats around his bed to find his phone, only to see it across the room.
      He brushes it off and gets ready for his tiresome school day.
     Today was one of the days he saw you every period. It made him happy seeing you so much and it made him even happier as the two of you were assigned partners.
     The task was read a few chapters of the class book and take notes. Of course the two of you didnt do that.
     "Keigo, are you even paying attention?" He wasn't.
     "If I saw no will you get mad?"
     "I guess you'll have to take notes on your own." You giggle and turn away from him.
     "Wait, no, please! I don't know what this is even about!"
     "You should've paid attention!"
     "How could I pay attention if you're looking that adorable?" He rests his head on your shoulder as you try and hide your blushing face.
     "Don't just say stuff like that if you don't mean it!" He looks at you confused.
     "But I did mean it." You huff and lean your head onto of his and continue reading, slowly lulling Keigo into a peaceful slumber.
     Keigo jolts awake due to his teacher screaming at him to leave. He gets the impression that Mrs. Johnson doesn't like him that much.
      He gathers this things and leaves, texting you to meet him at the park. It was a cloudy day with a slight chill. It was nice out.
     "Sorry if I kept you from your homework." He held a mocking grin as you simply rolled your eyes.
     "Whatever, your just jealous I spend more time with homework than I do you."
     "Yeah, so what if I am?"
     "Then I'd say you're silly."
     "Then I'm the silliest person there is."
     The two of you lay down in the grass and watch the clouds. Nothing much was said, just watching clouds as he scooted closer to you to stay warm. At one point he even held your hand before he fell asleep.
     The splatter of cold rain jolted him away. Keigo was startled to see himself still laying in the park while it being nearly pitch black. It didn't help that the rain was coming done harder and harder by the second.
     He staggers to stand and checks his phone.
     11:12 pm.
     His heart drops as he runs through the slick streets to his home.
     He was late.
     This isn't good.
     Why didn't you wake him up?
     The pitter patter of his feet on the ground slows as he reaches his house drenched in sweat and rain. His hand shakes violently as he hesitates to open the door.
     His hand didn't even have the chance to touch the handle before the door flung open to reveal his drunk father.
     "Who the hell do you think you are? Coming into MY house this late?" His taller physique intimidating Keigo as he took dangerous steps towards him.
     "I-I-I I'm s-sorry... I lost track of t-time..." His father's fist makes contact to his gut and he falls to the wet ground.
     "Pathetic. You and your excuses." The pain Keigo felt was immense due to the relentless blows dealt to him but he could care less. It was the embarrassment that hurt more.
     All the lights in the neighborhood slowly flicked on as people looked out their windows to investigate where all the noise was coming from.
     His father was yelling slurs and insults that barely affected Keigo but made everyone flinch.
     Yet Keigo still didn't care.
     He just wished you wouldn't come out and see him like this. He had always been careful to avoid a public beating so you never had the chance to see him in such a weak and pitiful state, but it seems he failed.
     "Don't you dare come into my house again." He gives a final kick to his already heavily bruised gut before going back in to drink some more.
     Keigo lays there with his face up to the sky knowing no one would dare come over and help him. Everyone in this damn town knew about his family. How much of a bastard his father was but they never tried to help him.
     Fear separates him from the rest of society.
     Keigo lays there for an hour or so before attempting to sit up.
     Everyone's lights had turned back off and the sound of rain created a soothing white noise.
     He takes his time to stand and starts to hobble down the street, holding his bruised stomach. He didn't care that moving around would only worsen his condition.
     His hand trembles as he grabs his phone and tells you to meet him at the park. He needed to see you.
     Keigo sits on a soaking bench when you arrived without a coat or umbrella.
     "Keigo! Oh thank god!" You capture him in a tight embrace that he returns. "Are you ok? Oh my god are you bleeding? Keigo we should go somewhere dry-"
     "Run away with me." You loosen your grip on him and pull back to look him in the face.
     "What?"
     "Run away with me. Let's leave this god forsaken life behind and start a new one, a better one, just us! Let's go live a life where no one can hurt us ever again. We'll have each other whenever we need. We could watch the stars and swim in a lake and pick berries and dance in the moonlight and we could just be ourselves."
     His tears mix in with the heavy downpour of rain. He cups your face as gently as he can as he lets out a shakey sob.
     "We could be infinity."
     You smile a pained smile as you rest your hands onto of his.
     "Oh Keigo... we ARE infinity." Your tears begin to mix with the rain as you pull his hands away and wipe his tears.
     You pull him closer and kiss him, savoring that sweet moment of bliss before pulling away and resting your forehead against his. He looks you in the eyes as your body starts to fade away.
      He cries harder as he tried to grab you, pull you closer, as he refuses to let you go.
     "Please! Don't leave me!"
     "I'll always be here whenever you need."
     You wake up and get ready for school. It was hard to focus on your breakfast as your mind was pledge with thoughts of your neighbor getting beat.
     You had tried before to talk to him but he ignored you.
     You leave your house and him still completely passed out and soaking wet. It doesn't look like he moved at all.
     You step closer and call out his name.
     Keigo right?
     One of his eyes fluttered open due to the other one being swollen.
     "Hey... are you okay?" Yoh kept your voice low and gentle.
     He looks at you with a blank expression before wiping his face, grabbing his soaked bag, and walking off.
     You sigh, it wasn't the first time this has happened.
     To him you were probably just that nosy neighbor. He probably doesn't even know your name.
     You follow behind him as he walks to school. You hear him talking to himself. It seemed like he was talking to someone else but no one was there. He makes silly puns and jokes that make you giggle.
     You had asked if you could walk with him before and he had just ignored you.
     The two of you make it to school and head to your classes. You had most classes with Keigo but not all. He normally sits in the back of the classroom and sleeps. Most of the time and mumbles something in his sleep and laughs.
     Sometimes you take notes for him and leave little doodles and jokes on it so he wasn't completely behind, even if everyone tells you it's a lost cause.
     At lunch you watch him walk to the back of the school and sit under the big cherry blossom tree.
     Most days you sit with your friends but today you decided to join him. Keigo was already asleep when you arrived so you didn't stay long.
     Without all the bruises and if his cheecks weren't sunken in he'd truely be handsome.
     You leave your lunch for him and return to your friends before lunch ends.
     When Keigo wakes up he sees someone's lunch left next to him. You never left things behind in his dreams so who's lunch was this?
     It didn't feel right to take it but they left it there for a reason. Against his better judgment he scarfs down the food and goes to finish the day.
     It was the last period of the day when he saw the real you. He had used you as a fantasy to make his life better and he wasn't ashamed. He didn't know you, he didn't care for you, he had made is own version of you that loves him. That version of you helps the pain go away and make the days go by faster. He had no interest in getting to know the real you or anyone in that manner.
     He was walking home when the real you approached.
     "Hey... can I walk with you?"
     "No." He walks faster, leaving you behind with a hurt expression.
     All he wanted to do was get home and dream of his version of you. It was his only escape, his only happiness in life. Pathetic, he knew that but he didn't care. He was content with living with living his bittersweet life. He wanted nothing more.

Kiby~💚