tap.... tap... tap....
Shiko: "What's that sound...? It's dark again..." she walks around without sight before her feet start getting a little wet
"Is that... water...?" very minor light is seen a little ahead. Shiko starts running towards it while her feet makes splash sounds. Suddenly, the light goes away
"It's so dark, I can't see anything..."
seconds pass in silence. The sound which felt like water drops falling has stopped. A few seconds more later; dim lights open. Shiko looks down and sees someone laying on the ground, facing opposite to Shiko. Black clothes. Shiko hesitantly approaches. It looks like...
K-Kuro...? She slowly puts her hand on him and turns him in her direction. But when she sees him, she gasps and quickly lets go
It indeed does seem to be Kuro. But his eyes are wide open and lifeless. His mouth is open a little and he's got a puddle under him. It's... blood. Shiko's eyes open wide. She looks at her hands, dyed red. She looks at her feet, red dripping down. Her breathing gets faster. She gets on her knees and starts shaking Kuro lightly
Kuro!.... Kuro!.... As she repeatedly screams out his name, tears fall down her face, more and more
No...... she slowly gets up in disbelief
I didn't even get to tell you... her voice shakes I... she hears a giggle and hesitantly looks up to see Ningyo standing a little further back behind Kuro. Her breathing gets fast again
What....? What did you do...?! She yells at him. Ningyo looks at her confused and blinks a few times
Ningyo: Me? His expression of confusion turns into a big, mad smirk slowly as he points at Shiko's hands. Her eyes shake as she looks down to see herself holding a knife with both hands. She quickly lets go and the cling of the knife falling to the ground is heard
So you ended up like her after all!~ he lightly giggles and walks back into darkness. Shiko holds her breath and looks down. Kuro is gone, the ground is dry and white. The knife, everything is gone. Her tears start flowing more. Everything happening so fast.
Shiko: Kuro...!!! Kuro..!!! KURO!- she yells and looks around at nothingness before-
She wakes up in a cold sweat, out of breath and eyes teary. She hears her phone's ringing. After a few deep breaths, she reaches to the phone. It's 6:30. Having almost slept past when Kuro comes, she doesn't look at who it is and quickly opens the phone. Before she can say anything, she hears a yawn
Haru: "Aaaahhhhhhey.. Shiko... Bout time you picked up.. i thought I was gonna fall asleep..." Shiko's face drops a bit after hearing Haru's voice, confused
Shiko: Ah... Umm- Hey.. Haru? Where's Kuro? I thought you couldn't wake up so early?
Haru: "Well- Yeaah- i didn't really have a choice... Kuro he yawns again said I should at least tell you he couldn't come to you this morning... Had some- whatever at the Black Yamiza ig lol" Shiko looks around with concern. She puts her hand on her chest
Shiko: Oh... haha- thanks Haru- Are you gonna?- Haru interrupts Shiko
Haru: "Aahwelp, I'm gonna go... he's heard stretching back to sleep a bit before breakfast... Kuro should probably join us at some point anyway, Ta-Taaahhh anyway... bye" Shiko loosens up a bit and lightly giggles
Shiko: Heh... bye Haru.... They hang up. Shiko puts the phone aside, lightly slaps her face from both sides and takes a few deep breaths
"Snap out of it Shiko... it was just a nightmare... a... very scary one...." She shakes herself a bit and goes to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. After getting ready, she quickly gets her stuff and leaves for breakfast. Trying to keep her mind off of that nightmare. Keeps taking deep breaths. She meets up with Aiko and Erika to get breakfast together. Erika raises her hand as a *hi* when Shiko approaches
Erika: Yo... You look terrible, what happened to you? She says not in an offensive but sorta friendly way, Aiko hits the back of her head. Shiko smiles a bit nervously
Shiko: Ahaha- sorry... I couldn't get proper rest... I had a lot to think and- ended up having a nightmare- But I'll snap out of it, don't worry...! She says with an unsure tone. Aiko shrugs, thinking acting like everything is alright could help Shiko. She looks behind her
Aiko: Where's Kuro? She looks back at Shiko who looks confused herself. She slowly shrugs, showing she doesn't know either, Erika lightly gasps
Erika: You don't think my- cupidness got him too uncomfortable right?- she says, actually a bit concerned that she could have caused a problem. Shiko slowly shakes her head no and lightly smiles
Shiko: No... haha.. you're fine, don't worry. Thank you for worrying though- that's sweet Erika-Chan.... She lightly smiles and takes another deep breath I'm sure he'll join us at some point...!~ let's get some food for now.. Erika and Aiko nod
In about half an hour, Erika, Aiko and Shiko are sat down eating. Haru also joins them at some point and they chat. Every now and then, Shiko's eyes wonder to the entrance to see if Kuro's gonna come. But he doesn't. A little before getting up, she texts him
Shiko: "Hey... Where are you? Or, if you're dealing with problems with the YNTK, will you join us today at all? Or your classes at least?"
She takes a moment to think, the message is seen as read
"I'm sorry if I'm prying too much... Well- I hope you're okay! Haha"
It's read again. No reply. She takes a deep breath and closes her phone
"I'm sure it's nothing... he's probably working or preoccupied...."
The others get up, so Shiko gets up with them too. After a bit, everyone just heads to their own classes. Now, Erika and Shiko can actually go together. After sitting down, Shiko gets a message and immediately opens her phone
Kuro: "Hey. Busy with YNTK yes. Don't come to the council room."
And that's it. Shiko lets out a short sigh of relief from getting a reply but still feels a bit off-put by how "serious" the message was
Shiko: "Oh... Alright" seen.
She can't get herself to text any further and tries to find some comfort that at least Kuro is alright. Most likely that is... Shiko puts her phone away as class starts
-Few hours later, in the Student Council Room-
Kuro's sitting around the middle table with the rest of YNTK. Him and Tsubasa are working on their laptops, fast and non stop. Yami is writing a few things down and handing the papers to Ningyo as he takes the papers and does some things on his phone. Kuro has bags under his eyes. He sighs
Kuro: I still can't fucking believe you let this happen!. He sounds very bothered and tired
Tsubasa: How amateur is this mistake for you!? It's... YOU. He rubs the side of his head. Ningyo clicks his tongue. He doesn't look playful, just annoyed
Ningyo: How the hell was I supposed to know someone was gonna take a picture?! WHO THE HELL CARRIES FULL ON CAMERAS THESE DAYS!? IF IT WAS HIS PHONE, IT COULD COME OFF AS FAKE EASIER! he scratches his head and lowers his voice Plus I didn't even mean to kill that guy. Just got out of hand. The only who looks like he's keeping composure seems to be Yami
Yami: Don't you notice when someone is watching?. Ningyo slaps one of his hands on the table and looks at Yami, kinda pissed
Ningyo: Of course I do. I already told you; I was already in the middle of getting rid of that guy when this kid approached. I figured I'd just take care of him after to leave no witness but- UGH he just had to have a fucking camera. I heard two snaps, the kid runs away and drops this one picture behind. He pushes a picture towards the middle of the table. It's a picture of him holding an old looking Katana in hand and in the middle of taking a life of what looks to be the boss of something shady. It's a bit blurry so the one picture that the kid took must be clearer. Clear evidence.
I've never made a stupid mistake like this before. So we HAVE to work fast and find that kid before everything we've worked for is risked. Kuro looks up at him and raises his voice
Kuro: And WHO'S fault do you THINK that is?. He stands up, Ningyo stands up as well
Ningyo: JUST- Shut up and work. I KNOW. Tsubasa raises his voice
Tsubasa: Take a minute! Both of you. A few seconds pass in silence. Kuro and Ningyo both sit down. Kuro takes a deep breath and starts speaking normally, though still stressed
Kuro: We can't spare wasting any minutes. He goes back to doing stuff on his laptop, fast. Ningyo sighs
Ningyo: Yeah. I was childish. In a Non comedic way. I'll do most the job to cover this as soon as we find that kid. Kuro glances at him
Kuro: Of course. Just no killing him. Witness or not. Convince him one way or another to hush. He looks back at his laptop You're good at that. Ningyo rolls his eyes and looks back onto Yami's written papers and his phone. A few minutes more pass in silence before-
Tsubasa: I've got something. Kuro, sending to you. Take a crack at it. Kuro nods once and hums in agreement without looking, gets whatever is sent and his eyes wonder all around the screen for the next few minutes, after a few more clicks
Kuro: Got him... The guy is a student in a school really close to here. Real gloomy, had Suicidal Tendencies throughout high school. Very few friends. Junior. Class 11-B. Vice President of the Photography club. Sending address to you Tsubasa. Tsubasa gets up, checks his phone
Tsubasa: I'll go fetch him. He rushes out.
Yami takes the papers he wrote before and pushes them to Kuro with Ningyo's taken picture. Kuro takes them, gets up and puts them away somewhere safe. Ningyo goes over to Kuro and whispers something into his ear. Kuro looks at him and sighs. He nods, seemingly hesitant. Ningyo smirks and ruffles Kuro's hair before his hand is slapped away. He rushes out as well and runs off after closing the door. A few seconds pass in silence. Feeling like minutes.
Yami: How much further are you going to humor him?. He asks as neutrally as ever and looks towards Kuro
Kuro: He has this stupid idea to get the kid to play by his rules. He turns to Yami's direction and somehow- his stupid ideas usually pay off. He rolls his eyes
Yami: That's not what I meant. He says, seriously. A few seconds pass before Kuro lets out a sigh and his expression falls numb
Kuro: You were the one who first asked for my help no? This is a part of it. Plus, I'm too involved now to back off... Yami gets up, gets his tracer bracelets from the side and heads to Kuro. Kuro helps put them on and activate
Yami: Yes but you're not like us. Kuro lets out a sigh like laugh and rolls his eyes. He gets the bracelets activated and lets go
Kuro: What? My totally "pure" cousin cares about me all of a sudden? You should've thought of that when you asked for my help in the first place. Yami cracks his neck before Kuro places the electro collar on him
Yami: I don't regret getting you involved. You were just what we needed and was expendable to me. Kuro gets the collar activated, rolls his eyes and lets go
Kuro: "Of course..." he sighs Well thanks to that, now I'm not so "expendable" anymore. a few seconds pass in silence. And for what it's worth, I do appreciate the discount I get from school besides the pay from you guys. So i can't really just- out myself from all this. He averts his eyes with the amount of stuff I helped you guys cover up, I might as well be the same. He looks at Yami, they nod at each other once and head out of the room, locking it and heading towards the music hall
"The way I am now.... I would put her in danger as well... she's already afraid. And she doesn't deserve this. I got her too involved...."
After arriving at the music hall, they get in, lock the door and Kuro gets on stage besides Tsubasa and Ningyo. Yami stays next to the door. Next to the two already on stage is a young dude with black messy hair with bangs. Strapped to a spinning chair, looking down. Kuro looks at him up close
Kuro: Did he say anything at all...? He glances at Ningyo and Tsubasa. Tsubasa shakes his head no and spins his finger around a few times as if implying they spun him on the chair a bunch. Ningyo playfully smirks.
Ningyo: I did find something though!~ he gets behind the guy on the chair and reaches to his arms. He rolls up his sleeves and shows past self harm scars
Looks like our little show is gonna be a bit too literal!~ he giggles lightly
Kuro sighs and goes to sit at the piano. Ningyo gets in front of the guy and faces his face towards himself by pulling from his hair. He gets close with eyes glistening with bad intentions.
Ningyo: At least give us a name won't you?~ he smiles with fake innocence. The dude is lightly shaking. The shake is heard in his breathing as well
Yamada: Y-Yamada.... please... don't hurt me... his voice comes out afraid. Nin's smile falls, he looks extremely bored
Ningyo: Oh boy... that face and the most basic name ever? No wonder you were suicidal-
Tsubasa: Hey. He says sorta loudly. Nin lightly smirks a bit
Ningyo: My baaaad~ I got this covered~ He looks over at Kuro and winks. Kuro sighs again and starts playing something
-The song Kuro is Playing: "Engravings" by Ethan Bortnick-
https://youtu.be/p7O47JlNjFM
As Kuro starts playing, Nin starts spinning the dudes chair and continues to do so until the words start. When they do, he stops the chair facing himself.
Stomp... Stomp... Stomp....
Ningyo: "Eye's... Blood... Bones... Stuck in your rainbow clothes..." he points to Kuro as he smashes the keys and turns back to the guy. Tsubasa goes behind and unties him. Of course, he doesn't get up, knowing it's not a good idea
"Rest... my... case... If it's not rearranged." He points to Kuro again and turns the dude towards there as Kuro smashes the keys
"Trading panic attacks, you finally threw it all backâ" he looks in Yamada's eyes from the side "âthen told me how he abuseeed you."
As he sings, spins the dude and walks around a bit, Yamada's eyes seem stuck on him, hands clenching onto the sides of the spinny chair. Tsubasa walks around with Nin as the dude spins to make him more dizzy. The song slowly flows by a little as Kuro simply continues to play and Yami stares at the dude from the door. Nin puts his hand on Yamada's chest, going up to his neck with a slight smirk
Ningyo: "Pleaaase tell me everything. ... I'll put my hand upon... your chest... so you forget-" from his neck, immediately goes down and holds the dude's arm with self harm scars "your engravings...." he smirks and as Kuro's piano playing speeds once more, he pulls on the dudes arm fast, spinning him around and around again
After the next time the key smash of the song comes, Kuro stops playing, looking away and Nin stops the chair facing himself, Tsubasa standing besides him. Yamada faces the floor, head spinning and feeling nauseous. Tears flowing down. Nin crouches in front of him and looks at his face. He smirks and holds his arm with scars
Ningyo: You obviously don't have a lot to live for... Kuro stands up
Kuro: Nexus. Don't go there. He says a bit loudly. Nin looks over and rolls his eyes
Ningyo: Relax. I'm not gonna kill him. He looks towards the guy and pushes the chair a bit back. It hits the back of the stage and stops against that wall. Nin stands up, walks up to him and makes him face himself by pulling from his hair again. He gets close to his face and smirks with a mad glisten in his eyes
Though that really depends on you kid. Tell me everything. His face drops and he looks serious Now. Yamada quickly nods a few times
Yamada: I... I didn't mean to see you. I promise- I didn't... I didn't mean to... he says as his tears flow down more, his voice shaking Please.... I won't tell anyone... I promise... I hadn't told anyone yet anyway... I- I don't mean "yet" like I will of course... I won't ever! I meant... I- he shakes his head no a bunch of times and gulps I was afraid... please don't hurt me... Nin starts looking bored and tilts his head a little to the side with no expression
Ningyo: Though... everyone says that... why should I believe you? He raises his eyebrows, Yamada quickly nods
Yamada: I... I still have the photo with me... I promise I didn't show anyone... I- I don't want to die... I thought I did- it- it wasn't true... please.... He quickly reaches to his back pocket and takes out the picture. It's a very clear picture of Nin that should indeed never get out. Tsubasa takes it from Yamada, gets a lighter from his pocket and burns it. Ningyo places his hand on Yamada's neck
Ningyo: Now nobody who saw anything of mine stayed alive before. If you even think about telling anyone what you saw, one way, or another; he gets close to his face and smirks like a madman I will wipe everyone you care about off of this earth. One by one. You have. My. Word. Yamada quickly nods a bunch of times, still crying, breath shaking. Ningyo lets go of his neck. His expression disappears yet again I'll always be watching. He gets besides Yamada's chair and taps his shoulder
Weather you feel me... he moves to the other side and whispers in his ear hear me, he gets in front of him see or don't see me... I'll always be there. He squishes Yamada's cheeks from both sides to the middle Your life doesn't belong to you anymore. You're gonna zip it. Or, suffer the consequences; worse than you can imagine. He lets go of his face. Yamada quickly nods and falls down from the chair to his knees. He bows, head to the ground
Yamada: Thank you... Thank you- sir... my mouth is shut... I promise... you'll never hear from me again... Ningyo looks down on him
Ningyo: I don't doubt that. He looks over to Tsubasa. Tsukasa. Take him back. Tsubasa nods, taps Yamada's arm and gets him up. Shortly after, they're both out of there. Yami stays by the door. Ningyo stretches with a slight smile. Mmmhhyeah I'll probably pay him a lil visit to at least cut his vocal cords in a bit~ I indeed don't wanna "hear" from him again!~ He lightly giggles, Kuro comes towards him with a bothered expression
Kuro: Nin. You're spiraling out of control. He stands next to him, Nin's eyes open a bit wider. A broken minded smile appears on his face
Ningyo: Oh really?~ he takes a step more close to Kuro and loses expression a bit Sounds more like you're being paranoid Kurosaki. He opens his arms to his sides and starts smirking again I've always been like this!~ Maybe you're just getting less perceptive. Kuro's face twitches a bit. Nin's smirk grows as he turns around and walks towards the door. They leave with Yami. Leaving Kuro alone
After taking a moment alone in thought to collect himself, he gets out of the music hall, expressionless. As he's on the way to his room, he comes across Shiko, Aiko and Erika. Shiko says goodbye to the others quickly and rushes to Kuro with a concerned expression. Aiko and Erika leave
Shiko: Kuro...! Her voice echoes a bit in the hall but without care she goes to him and looks in his eyes straight up Are you... okay..? You look so tired... were you... able to finish the things with the YNTK..? Did you eat enough....? I- she lets herself go without thinking, Kuro lightly sighs and puts his hand on Shiko's head. He forces a light smile
Kuro: Yes I'm okay though indeed tired... Our situation is settled at the moment and... No i don't think I've eaten enough.. I'll figure something out... Shiko slowly looks down and hesitantly speaks more
Shiko: If... you say so... a few seconds pass in silence So... I had a nightmare.. she slowly looks back up at Kuro you were hurt in it and when I couldn't see you in the morning I was worried.... I- Kuro interrupts her with a tired voice after another sigh
Kuro: Look... Shiko... I like you, I told you already. He averts his eyes But I thought about it and figured something. He leans on the wall, Shiko takes a deep breath and joins him Before, I didn't let people in because I didn't trust them. Now... I'm not so sure I trust myself to let you in any more into my life... I can't put you at risk any further... Shiko's eyes open a bit wider, her voice shakes very slightly
Shiko: But... I'm already in too deep... What would it even matter if we- Kuro interrupts her again while averting his eyes
Kuro: You're not.... In too deep. But the more you're involved with me, you will be. That life isn't the darkness you should be living in... Shiko quickly shakes her head no
Shiko: No... i don't agree... I want to be in your life, I- .... I can handle it. Kuro looks at her but she doesn't let him interrupt again I- know I don't have to... But I want to. Kuro slowly looks down a bit You're.. tired... It's getting you paranoid...Intrusive thoughts and all. Kuro's eyes open wider a bit you should get some food and rest... Shiko puts her hand on Kuro's arm, Kuro moves away without thinking. Shiko lightly holds her breath
Kuro: I'm- ... sorry.... I really do need rest.. and time. He turns away and quickly heads to his room, leaving Shiko standing there
Shiko: "I....... Could have confessed....?" She looks down, in the middle of some shock
"So I... do like him.... And no matter how tough it can be.... I wanna try being there...." She takes a deep breather and heads to her room
"If he needs time to think....... I have to let him have that...... I'm sure he'd do the same if I was in his shoes..."
After getting into her room, she changes, gets comfortable and lays in her bed a bit. She writes in her notebook and ends up reading some of her favorite books to clear her mind for a few hours. It gets late. She looks towards the stars from her window
"I hope he gets some rest...... or it's gonna be one hell of a weekend...."
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