Without You

Chapter 4: Father

Kawaki’s flashback

"Dad, would you give me some money? We don't have any food anymore, so I'd go buy some…" I smiled.

"Tss, you damn brat! I won't give you any money, just steal something!"

"But that’s not right, dad!"

"Just do it!!" he yelled. I was scared.

"And if you won’t, don’t ever come back!"

"But I have nowhere to go!"

"Then steal something!" I cried. I ran quickly to the town. I looked at the markets. But there were a lot of people. I won't be able to steal anything without anyone noticing me. But I can't go home without anything.

I gathered my courage and ran quickly to one of the stalls. When I thought no one was looking, not even the salesman, I stole one of the breads. Then I ran away.

"Hey brat, come back!" he yelled at me. But I didn't stop. But suddenly I bumped into someone.

"Kawaki, you are such a poor thing. Plus, a thief. Children like you have no future. Moreover, with such a father, nothing really will grow out of you." They laughed.

"Take it back! Don’t talk about my father this way!"

"But Kawaki, he's beating you. Why are you defending him?"

"Because he’s still my father!" I yelled and wanted to ran away. But they didn’t let me.

"This will stay here. Give it back!" They wanted to take the bread.

"No! I need it!" They threw me to the ground and got the bread.

"G-give it back!"

"You stole it, Kawaki, it was never yours. Just get lost and everything will be all right." They laughed. I frowned at them.

"I can’t go back without this!"

"Well, that’s a shame." They gave it back to the salesman. He frowned at me. This… this is pointless.

"Tss!" I ran away. I can't go back there anymore. Everyone now knows I'm a thief. I returned home in fear.

"Dad, I’m home…" I said. He was waiting for me. But behind him I saw a lot of drunk bottles. He was drunk again…

"Where is the food?!" he asked.

"I really tried to steal it, but they caught me… I-I’m sorry…"

"You are really useless, damn kid! Why do you even exist?!" He threw the bottle at me.

"P-please stop! It hurts!"

"I don’t care! Someone like you deserves it, you are just a scum!!" He threw another bottle at me. My head hurt. When I touched it, I saw blood.

"S-stop it!"

"Tss!" He locked me in an empty room.

"You’ll stay here for a while. Don’t even think about running away!" He left. I heard the door. I leaned against the wall.

"Why me? What did I do wrong? Is my existence really useless?" I began to cry… This pain was just too much. After an hour, my father returned.

"Kawaki, I found you a new father."

"Huh?! What?!"

"I bet and I bet you, when I didn't have a fortune. This will be your new father now." H-how can he be so calm?! He just lost his son!

"I don’t want a new father!"

"Haah?! Do you want to die?!" he slapped me. I fell on the ground. The new father just watched me suffer.

"Kawaki, my name is Jigen. I will be your new father…" He smirked.

"Huh?!"

End of Kawaki’s flashback

Sumire’s POV

"Jigen dragged me with him, I ended up on the black market but I managed to escape. So I started living here…" I listened with pain in my heart. His pain is much greater than mine.

"I don’t know what I should say…"

"Then don’t say anything! I don't care about stupid comments!"

"Do you trust me, Kawaki?" I asked. He just confided in me his painful past.

"I don’t trust anyone. Not even a kid like you! It was just fair because you did the same thing!"

"Oh, I see…" I was a little dissapointed.

"Here is food, you should eat," he said.

"Huh? For free?"

"Of course not, you witch! It’s for the vest!" I smiled.

"Thank you."

"Don’t thank me, tomorrow you’ll go with me!"

"Of course!" I smiled. I owe him so much.

...

I hope you liked the chapter! ☺️