In Another Life ~ Bokuto's POV

~ 3 ~

a/n enjoy the song... and the picture ;p </3

"Someone's happy today."

Bokuto's bouncing steps halted, as he turned to face his nurse.

"Hirawa-san! How are you?"

A small chuckle escaped her lips as she replied.

"I'm well Bokuto-kun thank you, but seriously, what's that smile for?"

"What do you mean Hirawa-san? I'm always smiling!"

She paused for a second, a pensive look on her face.

"Not like that Bokuto-kun, I haven't seen you smile like that in a while... So tell me, to whom should I thank, for granting us with your smile?"

"Heh, it's nothing Hirawa-san, I just made a new friend today."

Even as he brushed off the fact like it was nothing, he could still feel the heat spreading across his cheeks.

"Is it that man you were talking to in the hall earlier today?"

"Oh. You saw that?"

"Yes, I did." A warm smile spread on Hirawa's face. "What's his name?"

"Apathy-kun!"

"I'm sorry... what?"

"Apa- I mean Akaashi! Sorry, I meant Akaashi! I'm just not used to calling him that yet."

"Ah, I see. Well, the next time you see Akaashi-kun tell him I say 'hello'."

"Will do!"

It had been mere hours since Bokuto had last seen Akaashi, and yet he couldn't shake the nagging urge to talk to him again.

My first friend. He's the first friend I've made since I've been diagnosed... well aside from Hirawa-san.

His smile never faltered as he headed to his room... that is, until he opened the door.

"Okaa-san?"

Bokuto's mother stood in the middle of the room, back to the door. Slowly she turned around to face him, as a gasp left Bokuto's mouth.

Her face was tearstained and red, as well as oddly... blotchy?

Is she wearing makeup? No, that can't be right. Mom never wore makeup, she never needed to. So what is she covering...

Bokuto slowly crossed the room, silent and careful as if approaching a wounded animal. He tentatively reached out a hand to touch his mother's cheek and swiped his thumb across it, smudging whatever product she had used.

His mother flinched, and then he saw it.

Purple.

An ugly, dark shade of purple, red and blue.

His heart plummeted. His throat tightened... What had happened?

"Okaa-san who did this to you?!"

He had a pretty good idea of who had, he just hoped it wasn't true.

"Was it him?! Did he do this?!"

He was filling with rage faster than he could control, his vision a haze of red.

"Kou please calm down! Listen please!"

Jaw clenched and eyes blazing, he met his mother's gaze.

"He found Yuki's drawings."

His mother had started crying again, as Bokuto tried to control the heat that burned through his chest.

"Yuki... she had more drawings, drawings that she had made, and saved. All of them were of you."

"DID HE HURT YU-"

"NO! Kou he didn't hurt her! He would never do that!"

"BUT HE HURT YOU!"

"Kou, I know! Please I know! But, your father... he found Yuki's drawings, one of them was a drawing of us at a hospital. THIS hospital. He found out that we visited you."

Bokuto's anger made way to sadness. A clawing, painful aching sadness. He felt as though something was blocking his throat, his voice came out hoarse as he asked.

"So what does this mean then?"

His mother let out a shaky breath.

"We can't visit anymore Kou. I'm sorry... I'm so s-sorry."

Her voice hiccuped as her tears flowed harder. She reached a hand into her bag to pull out several pieces of paper. Handing it to Bokuto, he took them and his eyes fell upon crayon drawings.

Drawings that looked as if they were made by a 12-year-old when they were really made by a 3-year-old child. HIS 3-year-old child. His little sister.

His sweet, smart, insanely adorable, little sister, who he was now realizing that he would never see again.

And much like the papers themselves, Bokuto's knees crumpled, as he fell to the ground. His legs just couldn't carry the grief.

"I made him promise though..."

The first tear slid down Bokuto's cheek, as his mother's words echoed through his mind.

"Kou, he agreed to your r-request. Your request to... protect Yuki. We'll tell her you l-left."

He was so close to letting his emotions consume him. So close to just losing it and yelling till his lungs burst.

"I need to go Kou. I'm s-sorry. He doesn't know I'm here. I'm so sorry." There was a pause as his mother wiped her tears before choking out, "I love you goodbye."

And then she ran, she ran because she could no longer stand it, much like Bokuto himself.

Ripping off a bandage was easier than slowly peeling it away.

But, he understood. He really and truly did.

There was no anger in Bokuto's heart as he slowly got up to walk to his bed. He couldn't even bring himself to be mad at his father. Because in his mind and in his heart, he believed that he was the one responsible for everything. For his mother's mistreatment, his sister's safety, his family's problems.

It's me. I'm the problem.

And that alone, broke him.