Chapitre 1: Blind

Click!

Clack!

Like fireflies, the streetlights flickered, lighting the streets with all their glory as it guided the passers-by to their destinations. Cars blaring and blazing past the highways, which branched out into the streets, making it look like a manifestation of a tree.

Buildings stood erect all around the highways and streets, just like fortresses that surrounded the roads. Dozens of light shone through the windows of the buildings, adding color and life to the busy place.

It was a normal rush hour in the middle of the place as people went to and fro with all their different stories that their lives could tell. People crossing the streets, people riding on their cars, people stopping by to get a quick meal in the restaurants on the side of the road, in one way or another, they were living their life at the moment.

Click!

Clack!

But even with all the colors and life in the picturesque of a night-life in a city, a certain teenager indifferently walked through it without any reaction. The teenager, barely sixteen years of age, held a cane in his right hand, which he used to hit the pavement in a click-clack manner. The movement was drilled into his mind that he hit the pavement with pinpoint consistency.

Click!

Clack!

"It's best if we move out of the way."

"Is he blind?"

"What a weirdo."

"Doesn't he look handsome?"

"Is he pretending to be blind?"

The teenager clicked his tongue in slight annoyance as the conversation of the surrounding passers-by echoed greatly in his ears. Even the cars blaring their horns was enough to make the teenager flinch and cover his ears in frustration but he held it in. He knew that he couldn't lose his composure in the middle of the crowd since that would just make him lose his sense of direction.

"Tsk." The teenager continued. "It's especially noisy today."

Bump!

Before the teenager could react, a drunkard accidentally bumped his shoulders, making him grunt in pain.

"Oi, kid! Watch where you're going!" The drunkard exclaimed as he grabbed the teenager by the collar.

"Is this how a person treats a blind man? How despicable." The teenager spoke up as he shrugged his shoulders. Although he was a bit panicked by the situation, he still tried to keep his calm as the drunkard clenched on his collar, making him wheeze.

"How dare you talk back to your elders!"

Whack!

Before the drunkard could react, the cane wielded by the teenager slapped him on the face thrice, making him fall.

"Tsk. Time to get out of here." The teenager clicked his tongue once again.

And just as he did, a vague picture of the place in a thirty-meter radius manifested in his mind, making him 'see' although he was blind. Before the teenager knew it, he was running straight towards a narrow alleyway, hoping that he could escape the wrath of the drunkard. After five seconds, the picture in his mind disappeared and he had to click his tongue again.

"This is why I hate going back home after school."

"Hey, Yuuta!"

The teenager whirled around as his name was called. Hearing his voice was enough for him to recognize who was calling out to him.

"Oh, hey Shiki. What are you doing here?" Yuuta called out, trying to sound cheerful. But he couldn't hide the fact that he was out of breath.

"Why were you running? I'm surprised you could even run without bumping into something." Shiki said. Before Yuuta could react, he reached out his hand and grabbed his bag from him. "Where did you go? It's been three hours since school finished, right? Don't tell me?! Did you get a girlfriend?!"

"Nothing of the sort," Yuuta answered, grabbing Shiki's hand. "He's here, we have to go."

"Wh-"

Shiki almost bit his tongue as Yuuta tugged on him while running at his full speed. Just like before, Yuuta was occasionally clicking his tongue since doing so provided him to see.

"Get back here!" The drunkard exclaimed as he continued on chasing Yuuta.

"Who's that guy?"

"Just a drunkard who bumped me earlier."

"Sigh~ Typical drunkard," Shiki commented. "Wait, you're going too fast, he's already well behind us!"

"Tsk. Is that so?" Yuuta clicked his tongue again in confirmation. Seeing that the drunkard gave up on his chase after running out of breath, Yuuta slowed down to a walk.

The two of them walked slower than usual as they tried to catch their breaths. Shiki had a bad case of asthma, and because of too much running, he had a hard time breathing. Regardless, he tried to match Yuuta's pace as they walked home.

"I'm sorry." Shiki said out of the blue.

"For what?"

"For slowing you down."

Yuuta scratched his head, somehow a little annoyed. "You know, you've been apologizing too much recently, stop it. It wasn't your fault that happened. You don't have to feel sorry for it."

"But... it's still..."

"And why do you always wait for me after school around here? Do you feel obligated to pick me up from school and guide me home?" Yuuta asks. He didn't want to bring it up but his best friend's constant apologies were beginning to irk him.

"No, it's just that we leave near each other and I was worried," Shiki mumbled. "What is up with you anyways? Where do you go after school? Is there anyone bullying you? Why do you return home late at night?"

"I-it's none of your business." Yuuta stuttered.

There was something off about Yuuta when he said it, making Shiki a little bit worried. "Look, if you need help with anything, just tell me. Even if you want me to jump off a bridge I will do it for you, and I'm not even kidding."

"That's the reason why I don't ask anything of you. Can't you just act like a friend all the time?" Yuuta asked. He was a little calmer compared to before.

"You do know that a normal person worries about his friend's well-being from time to time, right? Just humor me a bit, will you?"

"Right, right," Yuuta mumbled. "But that whole jumping off a bridge thing, please cut it off. I know you're really going to do it if I ask you to and that's the scary thing about it."

"Sure, whatever you say." Shiki shrugged his shoulders.

A few minutes later, the two arrived in front of a bungalow house that had the theme of black and white. At first look, it may look like a normal house with a few windows but one could tell that it was an old house, just taken care of properly. On the side of the brick-walled fence, a wooden plate was hung. Etched on it was the surname Sakurai.

"We're here," Shiki spoke up. "Since my house is just next door, just call out to me over your window if you need anything."

"I know, you always tell me that every day. And isn't it about time that you stop wanting to be a slave? We're friends, you know."

"That's why I'm telling you, if you ever need anything just tell. That's what friends are for, you know."

"Right, right," Yuuta mumbled. He knew that there was no point trying to debate against Shiki since he was dead-set on serving him. At one point, Yuuta even thought that maybe, Shiki was his servant in his past life, not that past lives are real and whatnot.

"See you tomorrow. And I think I might go with you to and from the school from now on, just so you won't get yourself into any funny business like that drunkard earlier."

"Whatever you want."

A smile formed on Yuuta's face as he unlocked the gate in front of him. Although Shiki could get a little bit too overbearing at times, he knew that he meant well. "But that doesn't mean I want him to always think about how to repay me. Just being a friend is more than enough... but who am I to tell him that?"

Sigh.

Creak...

Just as Yuuta was about to step inside their yard, the door to the house opened and a black-haired muscular man came out. Yuuta immediately recognized who it was since he only know of one person who has such a huge figure.

"I'm home, dad."

"Oh, you're back." Yuuta's dad called out, wondering how his blind son recognized him even when he just opened the door. Recently, he was beginning to wonder whether his son is still blind or not due to his keen senses. "Where have you been?"

"Just walking around the city. It's become a regular thing for me now that sometimes I lose track of time. Sorry, dad. I'll try to get back home earlier next time."

Yuuta's dad, Sakurai Rin, instinctively pressed his palms on his face as he tried to suppress his tears. He could only imagine just how much hardship his son had to go through. 'He is probably finding solace in his night walks. Things are probably stressing him out lately as well and that might be the reason why he always lose track of time. As a father, how can I withhold something so necessary for my son?'

"No, it's fine if you take a walk around the city, just give me or your sister a heads up next time. Anyways, you're just in time for dinner. Let's head on inside, it's getting cold out here."

Yuuta nodded.

A stray tear managed to escape Rin's eyes, making it splash on the ground as it hit. That alone was enough for Yuuta to realize that his dad's crying once again. 'It's been two years since I've become blind, when will he get over it and stop crying?' Yuuta asked himself but somehow, his eyes were starting to get watery as well.

"Son, aren't you carrying too much stuff for school? Do you want me to drop you off from school starting tomorrow?" Rin asked as they entered their house.

"No, this is just for today, dad. Tomorrow I'll only be bringing my textbooks." Yuuta answered as he held onto his bag tightly, afraid that his dad might find it suspicious and check its contents.

"I see, if you ever need me to drop you off to school with your sister, don't hesitate to tell me, okay? My office work is always later in the morning so I have time to spare."

"Sure dad."

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