The Story Of Forever (Todobaku)

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Katsuki hadn't been to school all week.

In truth, he hadn't been anywhere outside his house. The day he returned home after his first and last game in a Heroes jersey was the last time he saw sunlight. Most of his days were confined to the steel gray walls of his bedroom. A space that told his life story through material items. A drum set in the corner, a miniature bookshelf filled with action movie DVDs, and, of course, his baseball memorabilia.

These were all Katsuki. Or, at least, they were the old Katsuki. The Katsuki of the present had no attachment to anything in this room other than the twin sized bed he made a home out of. Even with him sleeping more in the past week than he had in the past month, he was exhausted. Something as simple as getting up to use the bathroom was strenuous.

He wished he could sleep longer. It was the only time he was free. Free from the hell that he trapped himself in. Every time he opened his eyes, those drab gray walls staring back at him, Katsuki hated himself all over again.

Not that he expected it, but things hadn't gotten better. His parents were still fighting, more than ever. Apparently having a teenage son become a recluse was enough to spur a divide. Mitsuki argued Katsuki was just being dramatic, while Masaru talked about Katsuki as if he was a small child that needed to be coddled. Katsuki wasn't keen on either of their stances, yet he also couldn't blame them.

Katsuki couldn't articulate what was going on with him. He wasn't sad. At least, not anymore. He cried himself dry. But he certainly wasn't happy.

His phone buzzed from his nightstand. Katsuki had no intention of answering it, but curiosity got the best of him. Camie's contact nickname flashed across the screen. Katsuki remained stoic as he read the texts.

Princess 💘💍

Can you just let me know you're okay please?

I'm seriously getting worried

Katsuki sighed and retreated under his covers. There was a voice, buried in the pit of his heart, screaming at him to reply. But the voice in his head, the louder one, told him not to be so selfish. The best thing that Katsuki could do for Camie was leave her alone. Let her go. Push her into the arms of someone else. Someone who wouldn't blow up at her the way that he did.

After their spat in the hallway, he tried reaching out that same evening. Camie ignored him, rightfully so. But as days passed without Katsuki showing up at school, it seemed that Camie's anger subsided, and now she was the one chasing him.

It wasn't right. Katsuki was the one who messed up. The fact that Camie was willing to ignore that just to talk to him only solidified Katsuki's decision to ghost her.

He pictured it vividly, Camie anxiously staring at her sent messages to him, knowing Katsuki read them without replying. She was probably crying, which hurt Katsuki like hell, but she'd be back to her perfect life in no time. A life that Katsuki had no business infiltrating in the first place.

It was a sentiment that dominated his thoughts this week. What good did he serve the people around him, if at all? Did he bring them any joy, or was he simply a burden? As he dwelled on it, he couldn't pinpoint anything special that would make others want him around. At this point, Katsuki didn't even want to be around himself.

There was a solution to that, one that tempted him more than he was proud to admit.

Katsuki could simply...disappear.

Would anyone care if he did? There was a time he believed his parents would, but now he wasn't so sure. Katsuki was the reason their marriage was strained at the moment. Maybe with him gone, they'd drop their swords as fighting over him would be futile.