Kapitel 43: Chapter 39: Price for Tears
*SLAP*
Yasushi's hand connected across Kaname's face, the force of the blow snapping her head to the side. The sound reverberated through the air like a gunshot, the wind carried its echoes throughout the rooftop. Placing his hand back around her collar, his fingers dug into her flesh with bruising force. In one swift, brutal motion, he slung her to the side, sending her crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs and black fabric. Kaname hit the concrete hard, the air rushing from her lungs in a pained gasp as she collided with the unyielding surface.
He stood over her, his chest heaving with exertion and barely contained fury. His mouth twisted into a sneer and lips curved back from his teeth in a feral display of contempt. "Go away, Kaname! I don't want to be around you anymore!"
Kaname pushed herself upwards into a sitting position, her kimon's sleeve rising to hold her injured cheek. Her eyes remained downcast, fixed on the ground in front of her. "Understood. Forgive me… I'll come back to visit you tomorrow. Would-"
"There's something really fucked up about you!" he snarled, cutting her off. "Didn't you hear what I just said?!"
Looming over her, his shadow fell across her hunched form like a physical weight. Kaname remained still, her gaze still fixed on the ground, her body language submissive and defeated.
Yasushi's voice dropped to a low, menacing growl, each word dripping with disdain. "I don't remember everything... but one thing i do know, is that I don't want you..."
He turned away from the pathetic sight of her, his shoulders rigid with tension, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You're a heartless monster. A hideous beast that no one could love."
The sky churned with gloomy clouds, the approaching rain foreboding the atmosphere. As the first drops of spring shower fell, Kaname slowly propelled herself to her feet, her kimono's sleeve still pressed against her cheek.
"A part of me is happy this happened," Yasushi continued, keeping his gaze away from her. "It helped me realize how worthless and cold you are."
Kaname stood upright, taking a step towards him. "Would you like me to bring you anything?"
Yasushi whirled around to face her, taken back by her question, his eyes blazing with animosity. "I SAID I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU ANYMORE! I DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT YOU! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU! I DON'T WANT TO BE AROUND YOU! JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!!"
Her shoulders slumped and body tensed as the rain showered around them. She looked to the side, eyes narrowed, bottling her emotions. "Yasu, …you're clearly tired and your mind is still muddled from the incident. You don't mean any of it. It's best I leave now and come back another time, kay'?..."
Wrinkling his face in revulsion by her continued dismissal, water swirled around Yasushi's hand as he raised his left arm. "Even now, you continue to ignore me!" he muttered, releasing a spherical blast of water from his palm, slamming it into her chest.
Kaname flew backwards, rolling and tumbling across the wet concrete. Coming to a sliding rest, she laid motionless on the ground. Her eyes closed, her face pale, as if all the life drained from her body. The black kimono soaked through and clung to her body like a second skin.
Yasushi stumbled, his balance faltering exhausted from his attack. "I wish I never knew you! I wish my parents had never found you." Managing to regain his footing, he panted. "You are the person I dislike the most. I hate you Kaname!"
The rooftop felt like a bleak and desolate landscape, the air heavy with the lingering scent of petrichor as he strode towards the door.
Kaname struggled back onto her feet, her movements hesitant and painful, aching from his attack. Her eyes watered, never losing sight of Yasushi retreating form as he yanked the door open and disappeared into the depths of the hospital's staircase. She stretched her arm out, her kimono covering fingers grasping the empty air. Her lips parted, but the words caught in her throat, watching the door closed behind him.
Tears streamed down her face in hot, bitter rivulets, mingling with the cool rainwater. Noticing the tear drops rippling into the puddle beneath, a burning sensation torn through her veins, her body trembled in a subconscious fear. With a shuddering breath, she drew herself up, her spine straightening and her chin lifting in a defiant tilt. Blinking away the last of her tears, the light dimmed in her eyes, hardening her expression.
She shifted her focus to the edge of the rooftop and proceeded towards it. Pausing at the precipice, her feet curled over the lip of the roof as she contemplated down at the Tsukiyama garden. The cool, damp air complied with the stillness of the night washed over her like a balm. The clouds above parted the drizzling rain to reveal glimpses of the star-studded sky shimmering the lush expanse of verdant green and vibrant blooms of the garden glistened with droplets of rainwater.
Kaname then gracefully leapt from the rooftop, her black kimono fluttering behind her like the wings of a dark angel. She landed lightly on the soft, damp earth of the garden, partially sinking into its rich, loamy soil. Like a heady perfume, the scent of the flowers filled her lungs, soothing the last inkling of her frayed nerves.
In a measured pace, Kaname navigated through the winding foliage. The gentle rustling of leaves and the soft chirping of nocturnal insects created a soothing symphony wrapping around her in a comforting embrace.
Approaching the palace, she ascended a nearby tree, jumping from branch to branch, covertly making her way to a secluded corner of Airi's personal garden - a small, intimate space carved out among the towering trees and fragrant flowers hidden from plain view. There, Airi knelt beside a bed of white autumn damask roses humming a dulcet melody as she pruned the roses.
Hearing the rustling of leaves, Airi looked up, admiring Kaname's agility through the air, her keen eyes immediately taking in the girl's disheveled appearance. Her kimono torn and muddied, hair a tangled mess of damp strands and a vivid red mark on her cheek, already darkening into a mottled bruise.
Airi's brow furrowed as she turned back to the roses, her fingers deftly pruning away the dead leaves and spent blooms.
Kaname landed softly on the ground, remaining an intimately respectful distance away to avoid intruding upon Airi's solitude.
"Did you see Yasushi?" Airi asked softly, her voice a gentle murmur in the stillness of the night.
"Yes, ma'am," Kaname replied, keeping her eyes anchored on the ground, hands brushing away the dirt and debris of her dirted kimono.
"And how is he?"
Kaname's hands stilled, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her kimono until her knuckles turned white. She remained silent, gathering her thoughts while struggling to find the right words.
After several moments of contemplative silence, Airi sighed."He's just upset, Kaname," her voice smooth and even. "Men are more fragile than believed."
"He said…" Kaname hesitated, pressing her lips together, a quiver of uncertainty passing over her face. "...He said he hates me and no longer wishes to have me by his side, ma'am."
Airi continued her work, her hands never faltering. "Nonsense! We've raised you two to be close and compatible. He's absolutely obsessed with you. He may be harsh with you at times, but-"
"I'm a monster to him, ma'am," Kaname blurted out, cutting Airi off mid-sentence. Her voice was raw and anguished, the words seeming to tear themselves from her throat."One that he wished he never knew."
Airi's hands stilled, her eyes narrowing taking in the full weight of Kaname's outburst. She set the pruning shears down and scanned the roses before her.
She reached out and plucked a single rose from the bush, the thorns slicing into her index finger. A thin line of blood welled up from the cut contrasting against the pristine white of the flower.
"Has Kaito said something to you?"
Kaname shook her head, her eyes meeting Airi's stare through her bangs. "No, ma'am…He too has kept his distance from me."
Kneeling before Kaname, Airi raised her hand to lift the girl's chin,leaning closer to observe her puffy and reddened eyes, the tracks of dried tears still visible on her cheeks. With her other hand, she gently tapped the rose on the corner of Kaname's eye causing her to slightly squint, the delicate petals brushing softly against her tender skin. "Kaname," Airi asked softly. "Have you been crying?"
Kaname's eyes darted to the side, breaking eye contact. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice trembling.
Pulling the flower away from Kaname's face, Airi's expression hardened as she began to pluck the petals from the rose. One by one they fluttered to the ground like snow. "You know the punishment for crying, no?"
Kaname nodded, head bowing in submission.
Airi tilted her head, eyes boring into Kaname's as her fingers continued to pluck the silky petals from the white rose. As the petals fell, they brushed against her blood. "Do you remember why I've forbidden you from crying?"
Kaname swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion. "Yes, ...Because my tears are too precious to be wasted on trivial matters."
Airi nodded. "And why shouldn't you waste yourself on trivial matters?"
"Because time is the devourer of all things."
Plucking the final petal, Airi looked down at the naked stem stained with her blood, the petals scattered at her feet. "I know things are harder for you now. Though I wasn't expecting such a dissonant response… I believe this is one of the best experiences this world can offer you."
Airi tightened her grip around the stem and held it over to Kaname, the stem slick with her own blood. "Here, take it," she groaned. "Let this rose serve as a reminder of the words that cost you those tears."
Kaname pulled her sleeve upward, hands faintly twitching, taking the stem from Airi's grasp. The blood from the rose's stem mingled with her hand and wrist covered in deep cuts mixed with blisters, bruises and restraint marks, her fingers each missing its nails.
"Take a moment to absorb its worth," Airi ordered as she stood up, turning her back to Kaname. Walking towards the entrance's patio, the starlight radiated a silvery glow over her form, illuminating the elegant lines of her kimono and the sleek fall of her hair.
"Once you've reached a conclusion, cast it aside and head to your training chambers. There, I'll give you a punishment worthy of that price."
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