Capítulo 54: Chapter 6: The Tragically Hip Therapist
"Thanks, doc, you really helped," a dull-sounding voice came from an average-looking man as he spoke to a darkened doorway. A figure obscured within the darkness smiled, their arms behind their back, and their posture relaxed. The upper portion of their body was covered in darkness, so the only thing that could be made out was their baggy black hakama pants, black shoes, and the ends of their white trenchcoat.
"No problem! Have a nice day!" The figure said, their voice cheery and full of life, a complete contrast from the man in front of them. The figure waved them off before closing the door to the clinic. The average-looking man's eyes were completely devoid of life, no light shining through them even in the slightest.
The man walked away from the decrepit-looking building, arms to his sides, with every movement being completely robotic in fashion. As the man walked, he passed by a sign next to the building that read "Nijimura Walk-in Clinic – Open 6 days of the week" off the right of the building at the end of the cracked-up walkway—not that the man was paying attention to it.
The average-looking man walked forward, leaving the plot of land that the clinic was built on, and continuing onto the sidewalk. The man stood there, staring at the rushing traffic going back and forth—it was early morning rush hour, so the streets were extremely busy. The man continued to watch, his dead-looking eyes staring straight forward…. He had nothing to live for. He had no family, no friends, no Quirk, no nothing.
There was only one thing that he could do now….
The man continued to stare into the distance, watching people happily go about their day. It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and on days like this, people like him…
Shouldn't exist.
Without any hesitation, the man walked onto the street, heedless of the traffic. He took another step forward, unaware, or possibly aware of a minivan heading straight for him. Unfortunatly for the driver, the minivan couldn't hit the brakes fast enough, as the man just stood there, unmoving and uncaring about what was going to happen to him. The vehicle slammed into the man at 60 miles per hour, the driver screaming as due to the speed at which the van was previously going, the man was sucked underneath the vehicle.
The minivan stopped after the driver slammed on the brakes for a third time. The vehicle came to a complete stop as the driver—a middle-aged mother—stepped out of the van, and went around to the back, dread filling her stomach. By the time she came around, with traffic having completely stopped behind her, and the stench of death filling the air the woman gasped, before screaming.
The man whom she had run over was no longer alive. He was nothing more than a broken, bloodied body with limbs displaced in weird, crazy bent angles, eyes poking out of sockets, with tire tracks and soot covering the top half of his body. It didn't take long for the police to be called. When they got there, they took a report from the woman. It was written on the record as yet another Quirkless suicide.
All the while, from the shadows of the building, the figure within the clinic had watched through the window, just peaking out of the curtains. When it was over, and when the police and medical crew took away the corpse, the figure backed away from the curtains and fled deeper into the clinic.
It seemed like it was just another day at the Nijimura Walk-in Clinic…
xxXXxxXXxx
"The Nijimura Walk-in Clinic?" Josefumi questioned, raising an eyebrow as he reclined on the living room couch, staring at Yoshihara with a perplexed expression. The blonde was sitting across from him on the other couch on the other side of the living room. Josefumi hummed, trying to think about if he had ever heard of something like that, before shrugging.
"I've never heard of it before… sorry," Josefumi said, crossing his arms as he adopted a thinking expression. He looked over his shoulder to look at Kirishima and Mina, both of whom were talking up a storm over by the lounge area with the TV. "Oi! Have either of you heard of The Nijimura Walk-in Clinic?"
Mina jolted at the sudden interruption, before looking over to Josefumi, blinking. "Uh… no, I haven't," the pink-skinned teen replied, glancing over to Kirishima. "What about you, Kiri, have you?"
Kirishima closed his eyes in thought, before smirking and opening his eyes. "Yeah, I've actually been there before. The guy's a real big help! He actually got me through my second year of middle school! I was seriously depressed back then, man. Mom recommended to me that I go to a cheap therapist because we were broke, and I just so happened to pass the place! The guy there, I think his name was Chouzou, was really friendly! Though, the way he does things is a little weird…."
Yoshihara narrowed her eyes at that. "What do you mean "a little weird?" Hound Dog-Sensei said the same thing, can you… explain that a little bit?" Yoshihara asked as Kirishima shrugged.
"Nah, wish I could. My memory of that encounter's a little foggy. The only thing I remember is that he… snapped his fingers, and a collar came around my neck. Like, he didn't physically put it on me, he just… snapped his fingers and it got willed into existence. I can't remember what happened after that. In fact… I can't seem to remember the rest of that day. All I remember is waking up the next morning in my bedroom…" Kirishima replied, shaking his head. "Maybe it's his Quirk or something?"
Both Josefumi and Yoshihara looked at one another. That sounded more like a Stand than a Quirk to them. The only thing that made that theory shaky was that Kirishima could see the collar. Although Object Stands could be seen, and that might have something to do with it. That, and the fact that he couldn't remember the encounter also made it infinitely more suspicious.
"Yeah, I just looked up reviews from that place, and most people who leave give the place five stars. All of them say that they can't even remember why they went there, because they literally cannot remember what spurred them to go there. There isn't a single 1, 2, 3, or even 4-star review out of 5,000 reviews! It's all five stars," Mina spoke up, as she gave them a lopsided glance.
"Hmm…." Yoshihara hummed, tapping her chin before glancing at her cousin. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Yoshihara asked Josefumi, and offhandedly, Mina who was also in the know about Stands. The two nodded, as Kirishima scratched the back of his neck.
"Uh… what is it?" Kirishima asked with a confused expression on his face as Mina patted the artificial redhead on the head, smiling.
"It's nothing, just smart people having smart thoughts," Mina replied as Kirishima nodded, before shaking his head and giving Mina a noogie.
"The hell that's supposed to mean!"
The two Stand Users looked at one another, sighing, leaving those two to their own devices, before walking away from the living room and stepping outside, closing the entrance to the dorms behind them. When the coast was clear, Josefumi spoke up. "This guy is most definitely a Stand User, no doubt about it. The only thing that doesn't add up is that Kirishima could see it," Josefumi said as Yoshihara hummed.
"Could be an Object Stand. Anyone can see those, can't they?" Yoshihara asked as Josefumi hummed, scratching his left cheek in thought.
"Yeah…" Josefumi paused, chewing the inside of his lip. "You know… Nijimura… that name sounds familiar to me. Don't know why, but it does…." As Josefumi said that, he shrugged. "Eh, whatever. Knowing what we know, are you sure you wanna go there now? What if it's a trap? Stupider shit's happened to my family before… the less I talk about the orangutan, the better…." Josefumi said as Kira leaned against the railing, putting her arms over it as she looked up at the veranda's ceiling.
"Regardless of whether or not this Nijimura guy is a Stand User, I still want to go. As much as I hate to admit it, I need some sort of therapy to get over my struggles... I can't do it by myself anymore, and I don't want to burden any of you with the knowledge of what happened to me. The less you worry about me, the better it is for me," Yoshihara said, sending a passing glance over to Josefumi, who stared at her with a dumbfounded expression. "What?"
"That…" Josefumi started, before scoffing. "Is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my entire life," Josefumi continued, earning narrowed eyes from Kira. Before the blonde could speak up, Josefumi continued. "But, I'm not gonna stop you. You do you, but… know this, Kira. Nothing you ever say to any of us is a burden. Myself, Uraraka, Karera, Midoriya, and if Ida was still around, he would listen to you no matter what it is. We care about you. You're our friend, and Midoriya's your boyfriend so that doubly applies to him. The last and worst thing you can do is push us away. We want to help, but we can't if we don't know what happened."
Yoshihara felt her heart seize up in her chest. She knew her friends cared about her, but not to that extent. She figured that they saw her as an acquaintance, with Josefumi seeing her as a family out of obligation. The only one she knew,who for a matter of fact cared about her beyond that, was Izuku. Everyone else? She never really thought that they genuinely felt that way.
Then again, thinking back to it, Uraraka, the late Ida, Sakunami-san, Jojo, and Izuku out of the whole school were the only ones who didn't jump down her throat for defending herself. They were the only ones who were willing to listen to her side of the story without being prompted to because someone else had to clarify something for them.
If they didn't genuinely feel as if they were her friends, then why would they support her?
Yoshihara felt a headache come on, dismissing her thoughts as she stood up straight. "Thank you, Jojo…." Yoshihara said, holding back her tears as a small, warm smile took up her visage. "That means a lot…." As the blonde said that, she re-entered the dorms to grab her phone. Hound Dog had sent her an email about the address of The Nijimura Walk-in Clinic. If she had any hope of actually getting there, she was going to need that address.
When she walked into the building, Josefumi frowned, thinking about what it was that Yoshihara had said. Why did she think that what she went through was a burden, or would be a burden on them if she told them? He knew that she was abused, that much she could garner from the hints that had been dropped by her in the past and recently.
He shivered every time he thought back to that "list of triggers" book that she had in her bedroom. He guessed that some form of sexual abuse might've happened, and maybe physical abuse due to how there were times when she flinched when being touched.
Josefumi sighed, clearing his thoughts. He was just about to go inside when he heard footsteps walk up behind him. Turning on his heel, he was greeted by Todoroki. "Oh? When did you leave?"
Todoroki blinked, "I left just after everyone got back from the assembly with your father, Kujo." As Todoroki said that, he shifted, frowning. "I meant, er… Fumi-kun? That is what you preferred to be called, correct?"
Josefumi smirked. It seemed as if the coldhearted Shoto Todoroki was beginning to finally warm up. That was a nice change of pace. "Yeah, thanks. I just don't like being associated with my father's last name," Josefumi replied as Todoroki raised an eyebrow.
"Why?" The dual-tone-haired teen asked, a frown on his face as if he was concerned. It took Josefumi a minute to put two and two together, before frantically waving his hands dismissively.
"Ah! It's nothing like that!" Josefumi replied as Todoroki eased on the frown. "It's just when I was younger, everyone saw my last name and only saw me as "Jonathon Kujo's kid" or "the Speedwagon Foundation owner's son" or "that rich kid". So I try to distance myself from the name so people get to know me for me, ya know?"
Shoto chuffed silently, before walking past Josefumi. "Yeah…" Todoroki replied, before re-entering the building, leaving Josefumi to himself outside. He stared out beyond the veranda and frowned. He had a sudden, grim thought that came out of left field. What if Ida wasn't the last? What if Ida was only the first? How many people in Class 1 – A were going to die before Damnatio Ad Bestias were defeated?
Josefumi clutched his right hand into a fist. "No one… no one else will die… I won't let another incident like this happen again. I swear it…."
And he damn well meant it. He thought about the mole The Speedwagon Foundation had in The League Of Villains. He was a hired mook, a villain turned contract worker. His father saw what happened at The USJ incident, and refused to allow another incident like that to happen again. Not if his son's life was in danger. That's why they implanted the mole into The League Of Villains. Someone that not even All For One would suspect.
His phone buzzed in his pants pocket. Taking out and unlocking the device, he skimmed over the text message and went wide-eyed. The mole had already got him some new information… and it both mortified and angered him.
"Kyoka's in the LoV?! What the fuck?! How?! WHY!?" Josefumi thought. The mole didn't elaborate, all they said is that they saw Kyoka at the meeting for what they were planning—another attack on U.A.—and that she had a strange collar over her neck.
A strange collar…
"Could it be… that Nijimura is somehow involved with this? Kirishima did mention that the dude's ability had something to do with collars… No, that's too convenient…" Josefumi thought, clearing his thoughts again, as he stared out into the distance.
He hoped, for Kyoka's sake, that she was being mind controlled, because otherwise… she had some answering to do.
xxXXxxXXxx
When Yoshihara arrived at the address that Hound Dog-sensei had sent her over email, she had been expecting something more… not something sketchy looking. The building that she now stood in front of looked like something out of one of those bad "don't do drugs" commercials. The windows were boarded up with wooden planks, the doors were barely on their hinges, and there was graffiti on the walls, mostly tags done by "rebel teens" who thought they were cool.
The blonde didn't know whether or not to take this place seriously. It looked like a crack den. This wouldn't be out of place in a city like, say, downtown Esuha, but in uptown Musutafu, it looked completely out of place. Like someone had just picked it up and plopped it into an empty lot. Maybe that was the point? Whatever the case might've been, Yoshihara was none too pleased by the look of the building.
The only thing keeping her from walking away was the sign that said "Nijimura Walk-in Clinic – Open 6 days a week." That didn't make her any less interested in walking into the building. However, if Hound Dog-sensei trusted it, then she would at least give it an honest effort.
Walking down the cracked stone slab pathway, Yoshihara paid attention to where she was walking, just in case she didn't trip on one of the uplifted chunks of concrete. Seriously, this place was in so much disrepair that it was almost laughable. She was surprised that JISHA even let this place stay open! Nonetheless, when she entered the clinic, she was a little taken aback.
The blonde had expected the inside of the place to look equally run down, just as it did on the outside, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. The floors were polished to the point where she could see her reflection in them, and the walls looked as if they were freshly repainted with a nice coat of sky blue paint, along with white-painted clouds.
There was a 70-inch flatscreen TV on the far right side of the waiting room. And speaking of the waiting room, there were full-on glass tables with fancy leather seats of which she counted there to be three separate table and chair sets. There was a literal red carpet walking up to the receptionist's desk, and the receptionist's desk looked as if it was just recently cleaned.
It was completely unreal. The tonal whiplash was unlike anything she had ever seen. Blinking several times, Yoshihara had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't asleep. Sure enough, she wasn't. Refusing to believe what she was seeing, Yoshihara walked out of the building. She looked outside and was greeted with the same rundown-looking crack-den-esque building. Then, she walked back inside and was greeted with the polished floors, the first-class designed waiting room, and the 70-inch flatscreen TV.
"What the hell…?" Yoshihara muttered, looking around the waiting room. She quickly stopped looking around once she saw a lanky man standing at the end of the hallway whom she assumed was the therapist. He had black and blond hair, slightly tanned skin, silver eyes, and was wearing a black short sleeve shirt, and presumably another shirt underneath that one, with long white sleeves, and dollar and yen sign motifs. He had a pair of baggy black hakama-style pants, and over his shoulders was a white doctor's coat that went down to the ends of his ankles. And, in his mouth, was a piece of egg toast.
The two stared at one another for a few seconds, before the man grunted, taking a bite out of what she assumed was his lunch, before placing it down on the clean counter. He swallowed what was in his mouth, before scratching his chin in thought and speaking. "Uh… are you Kira Yoshihara? I just got an email from Inui Ryo, er, Hound Dog, saying that you were going to come in for a therapy session?" The man asked as Yoshihara nodded in silence.
The man smiled. "Ah, well then, if that's the case, my name's Nijimura Chouzou, welcome to my clinic!" Chouzou said, picking up his toast, and scarfing the rest of it down in one go. When he was finished, he silently gestured for her to follow. Reluctantly, she did so, keeping a close eye on how he moved, his body language and anything he touched in general. She could feel the same pull she would when she was around a Stand User, which meant that he was a Stand User after all.
He seemingly noticed this, but kept his mannerisms relaxed as if he didn't care even in the slightest that she was on to him, which made her even more worried and reluctant to follow him. He was either stupid, overly confident, or he didn't see her as a threat.
"You don't need to keep your guard up, Kira-san. My Stand isn't anything to worry about, you know?" Chouzou said, catching Yoshihara off guard. The man looked over his shoulder, still smiling. "My Stand is solely based on therapy, and nothing more. Even if it could hurt you, I'm not the kind of person who would launch an elaborate attack. Like my forefather before me… I'm kinda stupid, but not stupid to the point where I couldn't get a Ph.D. in psychology!"
After he finished talking, the pair found themselves standing outside a rather comfortable-looking office. It looked like your typical therapist's office, with a large recliner couch, a swivel chair for the doctor to sit in, a table with two glasses of water, and a few paintings of the renaissance era. It was quiet, and comforting, and gave off a relaxing feel.
The two stepped inside, although Yoshihara never once let her guard down after Chouzou boldly declared he was a Stand User. She sat down on the couch, as Nijimura sat down in the chair, kicking off over to a desk to grab a clipboard and pen, seemingly writing stuff down, before kicking back over to the table and addressing her directly.
"Alright, Kira-san. Before we begin…" Chouzou began as his expression became serious. "I am aware of your family's history. A bloodline filled with nothing but criminals. Your mother was a hooker and a drug addict, your grandfather was a cheater and a manipulator, your great-grandmother was a fraud, and your great-great-grandfather was a serial killer," Chouzou stated, looking Kira dead in the eyes.
The blonde tried and failed, to search for any backstabbing intent. Instead of finding that, rather, she found sympathy, which was weird considering his tone of voice. "However, the main difference for all of them, is that none of them ever sought out any therapy for their issues. They wallowed in their flaws—embraced them, as a matter of fact, and look what happened to them? They all died meaningless deaths. Ironic, is it not?"
As the man continued, he began to glow in a bright yellow energy—his Stand's aura. She expected something to appear beside him, but nothing appeared. Confusion was strewn across her face, as she looked around the room. Nothing had changed about it, Nijimura didn't gain anything new on his body, and when she looked at herself, there was nothing there.
"What's your point…?" Yoshihara asked as Chouzou's expression switched back to being friendly.
"Nothing, really, I'm just pointing out how you're different from your ancestors!" As the man said that, Yoshihara felt a headache coming on. This guy was either bipolar, or he just switched moods easily. Regardless of that, though, he was still glowing in his Stands Aura, which didn't help matters even in the slightest. He seemed to notice her narrowed eyes and turned off his Stands Aura. "Ah, sorry about that. I'm not gonna use it yet. Just, uh… okay, so…." The man trailed off, before jumping off his chair and walking over to a laptop.
She couldn't see what he was doing, but he was typing something out. When he stopped, he hummed again. "Alright, so, from what Hound Dog emailed me, he said that you felt conflicted about you… being a Sociopath? Is that it?"
"Part of it, yes…" Yoshihara replied, still keeping her guard up.
The man nodded. "Well, I can tell you right now, you're a Sociopath, 100%," Chouzou stated, giving her a side glance. "Before you ask, it has everything to do with my Stand, Tragically Hip. One of the things it allows me to do is to read your mental state, and you're 100% a Sociopath, no questions about it."
"One of the things it allows you to do?" Yoshihara questioned, as Chouzou nodded.
"Yeah. As I said, my Stand is completely oriented around Therapy. I actually awakened it when I got my Ph.D.!" The dual-haired man exclaimed, a goofy grin on his face. He quickly cleared his throat, before regaining a neutral expression. "The other thing my Stand does is that… well, if we get that far today, you'll see what it can do."
Yoshihara raised an eyebrow, curiosity in her eyes. "What do you mean by that? I only came here to validate if I was a Sociopath or not. Now that I'm done doing that, I'm leaving." As Yoshihara said that, she tried to get up, but found herself unable to. The man frowned, shaking his head as if he was disappointed.
"Yeah… no. When I peeked around in your mind, I found about a dozen problems, all stemming from a lifetime of abuse. Like hell, I'm letting you go right now," Chouzou stated, snapping his fingers, as a black collar appeared around Yoshihara's neck. The collar had a cracked heart in its center, with red zigzag lines going up and down around the collar. It radiated with the same golden aura as Chouzou did a minute ago, confirming to Yoshihara that it was, indeed, a Stand.
"Hey! What the hell! Get this thing off of me!" Yoshihara demanded as she summoned Killer Queen to her side. She tried to have her Stand rush at Chouzou, only for the room itself to contort and morph. The ceiling and floor stretched out and wrapped around Killer Queen's arms and legs, keeping it in place as it tried to escape, but to no avail.
Chouzou's eyes narrowed, the man stuffing his hands in his pocket as he leaned into his chair. "Come now, Kira Yoshihara. Did you really think I would tolerate you attacking me? I get that you're scared, but I can't let you leave. Not just yet. Whether you like it or not, you are confronting your trauma," Chouzou stated as he stood up. "And if it wasn't obvious… the entire building is my Stand."
Yoshihara felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of her face. "The… entire building?" Yoshihara murmured, as the man nodded.
"The moment you walked into the building, my Stand's ability, Brainwaves, was applied to you. I was able to read everything about you, your mannerisms, your habits, your childhood, your crimes, all of it in the blink of an eye," Chouzou said, frowning. "I have to say, you have my sympathies. To go through… all of that and come out the other side alive is… well, I should expect no less from a member of the Joestar Clan."
Yoshihara glared at Chouzou. She felt… violated. He had gone through her mind without even so much as saying anything, learned everything there was about her, and not once did he even consider what she felt about it. The man sighed, crossing his arms. "It's not like I did it on purpose. It's just how my Stand works. I have it active almost 24/7. I don't choose whether or not that information gets beamed into my head. I didn't mean to offend you, Kira-san."
"That's not the point," Yoshihara spat as Chouzou raised an eyebrow.
"On the contrary, it very much is, and you know it. You're just mad. That's all there is to it," Chouzou stated. "I'm a therapist and I have a major in psychology. I'm not daft when it comes to that kind of stuff, Kira-san. I know how the human brain functions. You are no exception to it. You might feel a certain way, but that doesn't mean it's the truth. Besides, that's not why we're here today, now is it?"
As Chouzou said that, he snapped his fingers, as the room began to morph. Killer Queen was let go as it drew back to its user. The room continued to warp and morph, until suddenly… they were outside, Yoshihara was no longer sitting on a couch and was standing freely. It was nighttime, which made no sense seeing as it was daytime just a moment ago.
And then… there was what was in front of her.
It was a house… a house she had forced out of her mind years ago. It was a traditional-style Japanese house with a single floor. A concrete fence painted yellow and green surrounded the front yard, with the only entrance being the driveway to the house. It was a house that Yoshihara was intimately familiar with, and not for any good reason.
"I wasn't kidding when I said you had to face your trauma. This is the direct source; where it all began, so to speak," Chouzou stated, glancing at her. "This is the second part of Tragically Hip's ability. Once it finds the source of all your trauma, you have to confront it head-on in the form of some monster of some sort. If that was where it ended, I would've been completely happy with this type of Stand. But… there's always a catch."
Yoshihara could barely process the next few words that came out of his mouth, but what she did understand made her blood run frigid.
"If you fail to defeat the monster that is generated from all of your trauma… you will enter a fugue state, and in that state, you'll kill yourself."
Yoshihara felt her heart jump out of her chest at that, as her eyes landed squarely on Nijimura. She was expecting a smug grin or a vindictive sneer, but instead all there was was a frown and an upset look on his face. "I've been a therapist to over 15,000 people…. Only 5,000 ever made it out alive. I have no idea why my Stand manifests like this. And since it's automatic and activates automatically, I have no control over it. Don't take this personally, Kira-san. I have no intention of hurting you, but I guess this is just how it is. So, for your sake, and mine… please don't fail."
"What if I back out…" Yoshihara asked as Chouzou shook his head.
"Then Tragically Hip will take it as an acceptance of your failure to confront your trauma, and enforce its ability on you all the same. The same thing applies if I deactivate it. Believe me, I tried…" As Chouzou said that, he began to get teary-eyed. He rubbed at the sides of his eyes, shaking his head. "Just… go. Get it over and done with. I wish you the best of luck."
And with that, Yoshihara sucked in a deep breath and stared at the place where it all began. Her mother's house. When she exhaled, she marched down the driveway and opened the unlocked door. The house was just as she remembered it being—dirty. A deep, unnerving feeling washed over her as she scanned the area, horrible memories coming to light. She did her best to push them out, but all that ended up happening was that she was able to see them from the corner of her eyes.
Her stomach felt like it was tied into a knot. No… she didn't want this. She didn't want any of this…! But… she also didn't want to die, so, she calmed herself and pushed past the doorway. She walked past the "time-out closet" and past the couch. She brushed a hand against the thing and cringed. Memories of being beaten, forced to eat rotten food, and… other things happening on that horrible thing made her want to vomit.
She had to distract herself, and so, she looked around the joint living room and dining room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something that confused her. There was a note on the coffee table in front of the couch, with familiar handwriting on it. Not thinking twice, she snagged it, and read its contents.
Dear Diary, 2113, 1, 13th
"Yet another day goes by where I regret ever carrying that child to full term. Every day, my life gets worse and worse with her being there. The pathetic leech is just that, a leech. She steals my life away from me each and every day, and with Yoshimura gone, I feel as if that I'm minutes away from breaking."
That was something I wrote yesterday, and yet, I don't even remember writing it. I know I've always had something wrong with me, but this is the worst it's ever been. I have no idea what's going on, but… I think it has something to do with how my temperament's changed around her, and… I'm worried.
I love my daughter. I love Yoshihara, but there's something in me… I don't know what it is…. The Kira family has always had a track record of being mentally unstable. Maybe it's the drugs… maybe it's the booze… maybe I just need to stop.
I don't want to end up like my mother. I can't end up like my mother. I want to give my daughter the life she deserves, damnit!
I need to go see a therapist, or something like that… maybe I can vent to Johnny again?
That was where it ended, as Yoshihara put down the note, her hands shaky. What… the fuck? Her mother wrote in a diary? What the hell was this bullshit about her loving her daughter? What kind of nonsense was that!? All of it was a bunch of lies! She never loved her! Never once!
So why? Was that an actual thing that existed? Did her mother actually write that down? Or was it just a figment of her imagination?
Yoshihara shook her head as she glanced over at the kitchen table. There was yet another note. Looking closely at it, Yoshihara noticed that it was torn off from something, like a book… maybe it did belong to a diary… "What the fuck is going on…" Yoshihara thought as she approached the piece of paper. When she grabbed it, she looked over her shoulder and over at the closet.
She was being watched. But… by what? Or better yet, by who? Shaking her head, Yoshihara read the contents of the piece of paper.
Dear Diary, 2113, 2, 17th
I hit her. I hit Yoshihara, and she's been crying nonstop…. I… I feel awful. Why did I do that? What the fuck is wrong with me? I tried to calm her down, but… she won't listen damnit! I don't know what to do! Yoshimura was better at this than I am….
Maybe if I just ignore it. It'll stop eventually. A brat can only cry for so long, right?
Yoshihara felt a pit grow in her stomach. A month and a few days from the last diary entry. Was this the turning point? Was this when her mother stopped caring? Yoshikawa knew damn well that what she was doing was wrong, but it almost seemed as if there was a change in her thoughts. Like… something in her was changing?
Then, a sickening thought came to mind.
What if her mother was bipolar? Yoshihara never thought about it like that. That something could've been wrong with her mom. Bipolar disorder was a pain in the ass to deal with from what she heard. Constant mood shifts, and, if left unchecked, could make someone who seemed like a normal person swerve right off the deep end really quickly.
Then again, her mom was also a drug and alcohol addict, so that could've also been the pushing point. Or, it could've been both.
Unfortunately, she'd never get those answers. Yoshikawa was dead…. Maybe her father knew. Maybe he'd ask her once this was over and done with. It was the only thing she could do. If that was the case… if her mother had been bipolar, then while it didn't excuse the things she did, said, or allowed to happen, it definitely brought a new light upon certain actions she did.
How she could be calm the first second, be angry in the next, and be joyous in the third.
Putting down the note, she walked over to the kitchen—the only clean space in the entire house. Cupboards were closed, dishes were neatly put away, and from what she saw within the fridge, there was barely any food that wasn't spoiled—it was more like it was a mirage of cleanliness when in reality it was still just as dirty as the rest of the house. Yet again, there was another note, except this one looked like it was written by someone else entirely. She had no idea who wrote it, but there was a signature at the bottom. That signature being: T.T
Picking up the note, Yoshihara read its contents.
Dear Kira Yoshikawa.
This is Doctor Tomioka.
I write this to you with urgency. I would like to request that you come in and see me again for another appointment. Your mental evaluation has come back, and it seems as if my theory was correct. Not only do you have BPD, but you also seem to have a tumour in the back of your brain, specifically your rear cortex.
From what my team can tell, it's not cancerous, more as it is benign, but nevertheless, I want to run more tests. I urge you to come back and see us as soon as possible. We might be able to remove it. However, if it stays there, your mental state will only degrade as time goes on.
Please contact us as soon as you get this in the mail.
Signed: T.T.
Yoshihara didn't know what to say. A brain tumour? BPD? Not to mention Doctor Tomioka…. There was only one Doctor Tomioka that she knew, and that was Tooru Tomioka. What was going on? Just how old was Tooru? He didn't look a day over 25, maybe early 30s at most. But this letter was supposedly written if the rest of the letters in this god-forsaken house were to be taken as literally as possible, a little over a decade ago. If she was running on the idea that Tooru was 25, then that would make Tooru a doctor at 15.
Something wasn't adding up here… and Yoshihara wasn't liking it.
The blonde put down the piece of paper and looked over to the closet. She didn't want to go near it, but a part of her was being drawn to it. Her heart pounded against her chest as she continued to stare at it. So many memories… so many horrible memories, all linked to that closet.
Yoshihara took a deep breath and walked toward it. She blocked out any intrusive thoughts and grabbed onto the handles of the closet door. It took everything she had to not freak out, it took every fibre in her to begin to stare down the closet.
This was where she slept.
This was where she was locked away in.
This was where she was abused.
This was where she was raped.
Yoshihara ignored all the horrible feelings boiling over in her stomach. She ignored the urge to vomit. She ignored it all. She pushed it all away and locked it away in a tiny box deep within her heart. The more she looked at the closet, and the more she held the handles but didn't open the doors, the more she wanted to break down, to cry. She had no idea why opening this closet was so hard. Why? Why was it so hard for her to do?!
"Because opening it would mean you're accepting what happened to you."
Yoshihara spun around on her heels as she turned to look behind her. Chouzou was sitting on the couch behind her, as he looked around the room. "This is a first…. There was no monster here. Everyone always has a monster they have to face. But this place… doesn't. Maybe it's because you already faced your monster in the past."
Yoshihara blinked, staring at him. "I…" she stopped as he smirked.
"Your mother," Chouzou said, huffing. "You killed your mother. She was your monster. You sought revenge, and all it did was make things worse, didn't it? Your life took a nose-dive in terms of your social life with how the media covered the story. The only people who believed you were the staff and those who you surrounded yourself with. Everyone else was either at your throat or looked at you with disgust, and some still do, don't they?"
"How do you know that…?" Yoshihara asked as Chouzou sighed, his smirk giving way to a frown.
"Because, in a way, I know what it's like to be shamed. My father was killed because of my Stand. I thought I could use it to help him. He ended up committing suicide, and the rest of my family shamed me, with the sole exception being my Grandpa Oku before he passed away. I've basically been excommunicated by my family, and they want nothing to do with me. I'm stupid, but I'm not stupid enough to not notice someone who's been shamed for doing what they thought was right, or doing what they'd think would help them or those around them."
Then, he gestured toward the closet. "You open that, and this session will be complete. You will have accepted what happened to you. It's the first step toward healing—truly healing. By accepting everything, instead of pushing it away and burying it, you'll begin to heal. It won't happen overnight, but… it's better than nothing."
Yoshihara scoffed. "Like I have a choice…." When Yoshihara said that, Chouzou flinched.
"I'm… sorry," Chouzou muttered. "I… I don't have proper control over my Stand. It just… acts without my permission. I can't turn it off, not unless I… I die."
Now Yoshihara felt bad. "Goddamnit…." The blonde looked back to the closet. Her heart picked up the pace again, but this time, she was ready. She placed her hands on the handles, and with a deep breath, she pulled open the sliding doors. What was inside the closet was… a wounded, hurt and frightened younger version of herself.
Yoshihara blinked, staring down at the little girl. Slowly, the little girl approached her. Her dirty, matted blonde hair, her bruised skin, her shiny blue eyes, her torn-up clothing. It was her alright, just way younger.
And then, in a tiny, almost broken, meek-sounding voice, the mini-her spoke.
"Are you ready to accept it…? What happened? To both of us?" The younger Yoshihara asked as the blonde silently nodded. The younger version of herself spread her arms wide, an invitation for a hug. The blonde didn't know what to do, but after a few seconds of standing still, Yoshihara hugged her younger self. Tears pricked at the edges of her eyes. The years worth of pain, suffering, abuse, all of it… she couldn't ignore it anymore.
She wasn't going to push it away anymore.
"Thank you…." And then, the little her faded away into white dust, as Yoshihara felt something in her change.
For the first time in a long time, without her needing to fake it…
Her eyes shined with life.
The world around her shifted, and changed, before turning back into the therapist's office. Chouzou Nijimura sat in his office chair, almost as if nothing had ever changed. Yoshihara looked over to the man, who didn't say anything to her. He just… sat there, deep in thought. An awkward feeling washed over Kira. She was mad at him, that much was for sure, but… she couldn't bring herself to hate him.
If it wasn't for him, or his Stand, she wouldn't have been able to accept what happened to her.
She wouldn't have been able to feel alive again.
"Thank you, Nijimura-san," Yoshihara said, as the man looked up from his hunched-over-thinking slouch. The dual-haired man looked at her and smiled.
"No, Kira. Thank you. Not only did you overcome your trauma, but… now I don't have to watch someone die again," Chouzou said, before standing up, and bowing. "Have a nice day, Kira Yoshihara. And, I mean this with as much respect as possible, I hope I never see you again. Because that would imply that something went wrong," Chouzou said as Yoshihara smirked.
"Yeah… I'd have to agree. Thank you, Mr. Nijimura."
And with that, Yoshihara Kira walked out of the Nijimura Walk-in Clinic with a wave and a smile from Chouzou Nijimura, a heavy weight lifted off of her shoulders. She thought back to what Josefumi had said and realized something.
Maybe… just maybe it was about time that those who she trusted, and those she called friends, would get to know what happened to her. Because maybe… it would help her heal.
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