"You stupid bitch! This is the second time I've told you to clean my judogi properly before any tournament!" The muscular man loomed over the woman on the ground, her face bloodied and bruised. His fists clenched, and the veins in his forehead throbbed as if they were about to burst.
"And I fucking lost to the same kid again! A fucking kid do you understand what this means ... I SAID DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS ?" he snarled, his frustration boiling over.
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! Please stop hitting me! I won't mess up again, I swear!" she pleaded, bowing her head, her voice trembling with fear
"Oh, hit you? Haha, no, no-I'm going to fucking KILL YOU." The man lunged at the woman in front of him, gripping her shoulder, ready to slam her into the ground.
"Kyaa! Nooo!" she screamed, struggling against his grip.
Crack.
Before he could do anything, his head twisted unnaturally-once, twice-a full 360-degree turn. Blood gushed from his eyes and mouth before he collapsed with a lifeless thud.
Behind him stood a taller man he looked similar to the man who was dead in the ground.
"It's okay, Mom," he said, his voice steady. "He won't hurt you anymore."
Seeing her husband corpse on the ground, the woman eyes began to tear up slightly. " No, no, no ! " she murmured as she crawled to him " MY LOVE PLEASE DONT LEAVE ME " She shouted while hugging him " YOU DEMON WHY DID YOU KILL HIM" she glared at the boy who stood infront of her , his expressions were unreadable as he looked down on his mother
________
A week later.
Kasumi woke to the steady beeping of a heart monitor. His eyes flickered open, scanning the sterile white ceiling before he let out a sigh.
"So, I'm in a hospital again."
Without hesitation, he sat up, yanking the IV from his arm. The sting barely registered as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Ignoring the dull ache in his body, he pushed himself up and walked toward the door, intent on leaving.
As Kasumi opened the door, a deep voice greeted him.
"Leaving already?"
Standing outside was Hyo, arms crossed over his broad chest, his sharp gaze locked onto Kasumi.
Kasumi closed the door behind him, exhaling. "Oh, Hyo... long time no see." He stretched his neck slightly. "How long have I been out?"
"A week," Hyo replied curtly.
"I see..." Kasumi muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "What happened to the little girl that was with me?"
Hyo's expression didn't change. "She died and was buried next to her parents' remains."
Kasumi's fingers paused mid-motion before he let out a quiet sigh. "What's with you lately? You've been... distant."
"We ... we found your father's corpse, Kasumi," Hyo said, his voice heavy. "His remains were hidden in a car trunk at a junkyard."
Kasumi's eyes widened for a brief moment before his expression returned to normal. "I see. That's unfortuna-"
"Why did you do it?" Hyo cut him off, his tone sharp, anger creeping into his voice.
"I don't understan-"
THWACK!
A fist slammed into Kasumi's face, sending him crashing to the other end of the room. The impact left a deep crater in the wall.
"Don't give me that shit... I know you did it," Hyo said, stepping closer to Kasumi, who was slumped against the wall. "At first, I thought your mother lost her mind after seeing her husband die, but it turns out she was actually telling the truth."
Grabbing Kasumi by the collar, Hyo lifted him with one hand, his other fist clenched, ready to strike again. But just as his fist was about to land, he froze, his knuckles trembling with barely contained rage.
"WHY WON'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?!"
Kasumi, unfazed, simply shrugged, his expression one of complete boredom. "Welp, you got me. Happy now?"
Hearing his answer, he dropped kasumi to the ground. " ... " He didn't speak any further and turned around leaving the room
Kasumi hit the ground with a dull thud, exhaling sharply. He stayed there for a moment before propping himself up on his elbows, watching as Hyo turned to leave without another word.
"Wait," Kasumi called out, making Hyo pause mid-step. "What's the Wi-Fi password?"
Hyo shot him a look, the kind you'd give to a piece of gum stuck to your shoe, then turned away without answering.
Kasumi scratched his head, genuinely puzzled. "What's with him? Is he on his peroid ?"
Though watching Hyo leave made Kasumi's eyes tear up slightly. He wiped them with the back of his hand, scowling at himself. Man, all this bullshit is making me miss my mom
Why did you do it? The question echoed in his mind, the same one Hyo had asked. Yeah... why? Why did I kill that man?
He had killed plenty of people before-most of them were shitty human beings. Yet, for some reason, that one felt different. Why do I feel guilty... even though he was the worst of them all?
Kasumi shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He got up and brushed the dust from his gown. ' I really want to see her... but I'm not allowed within 100 yards of the mental hospital she's in '
'But... who's gonna stop me?' Kasumi smirked, slinging his jacket over his shoulder as he left the room.
---
Kasumi made his way toward the hospital, squinting against the harsh sunlight. His right hand was wrapped in fresh bandages, and a pair of fake moustache glasses sat on his face ,not wanting the people in the hospital to recognize him. In his left hand, he carried a bouquet of flowers
As Kasumi stepped into the mental hospital, the sharp scent of antiseptic and bleach filled the air.
" Sir? How can I help you?" the receptionist called out, eyeing the flowers in his hand. "Are you here to visit someone?"
Kasumi adjusted his glasses, stepping closer. "Yeah. I'm here to see Kasumi's mom."
The receptionist blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Uh... who's Kasumi?"
"Oh, sorry-Ahem. Her name is Kocho. You know, the one with the handsome son."
"Aha! You mean Ms. Yamashita," the receptionist said, her expression brightening. "Though, I didn't know she had any other relatives besides her son." She squinted at Kasumi, suspicion creeping into her voice.
Kasumi shook his head quickly. "No, no, I'm not a relative. I'm just... uh... a friend of her husband."
At that, the receptionist's expression shifted, a flicker of sadness crossing her face. "That's good to hear. At least someone came to see her."
Kasumi frowned. "What do you mean?"
She hesitated, then sighed. "It's nothing... It's just that Ms. Yamashita has been getting worse lately, and I don't-"
"Okay, that's enough. Shut up. Where is she?" Kasumi said, which made her flinch
" s-she's in room b - 006 "
______
I'm the worst.
It's been five months since I last saw her... and now she's dyi- No, she'll be fine. She has to be.
Kasumi's steps were quick, but his thoughts weighed heavy.
I'm the reason she's here. The reason she's rotting away in that bed.
Maybe I should just disappear. Free the world from my disgusting presence.
He reached the door and peered through the small window.
She was there, lying in bed, gazing at the birds outside. A soft smile rested on her face, and the hateful and disgusted look she used to give him made him forget the last time he saw her smile like this .
Kasumi exhaled, a small, fleeting smile forming on his lips.
But as he raised his hand to knock on the door, his fingers trembled uncontrollably
Am I... scared?! The thought hit him harder than he expected. If she sees my face, that smile of hers will definitely disappear.
Without another word, he placed the bouquet in front of her door and walked away