ABIENCE || tokyo rev.

[ ✯ NINETEEN ✯ ]

DISCLAIMER! This chapter contains domestic assault! Read at your own risk.

It was the following day, and Y/N still intentionally avoided taking his medications. Nothing happened the previous day that could signify that he needed it, because all of the suffocating feelings that he felt happened even when he was on said medications. Thus, Kazutora walked to school after eating breakfast with his mom, pretending to take them even though he didn't. Y/N just wanted to know what would happen, you know? Like an experiment, sort of.

But before he could make it to school or even walk to a block close to it, a familiar figure stepped in his way, stopping him from continuing. Kazutora narrowed his eyes at the newly arrived male, lips parting to speak. "What do you want, Shuji? Don't you know that I have school to go to?"

"A delinquent being punctual enough to attend school on time, daily at that?" Hanma Shuji lightly mocked, his tattooed hands stuffed into his Valhalla jacket pockets. "What a new world we live in."

"Unlike most other delinquents, I actually care about my education, thank you very much," Kazutora replied. Of course there were others like Mitsuya Takashi that cared, but there were so few delinquents that gave a damn that it was hard to point out any in specific. Unless you were Hanma Shuji, of course, who knew both Kazutora and Tetta— both students that were academically smart in their own fields.

Shuji didn't care much about his own, anyway. He might as well be considered to be a dropout with how things are going in his life. "Don't care. Anyway, I noticed that you didn't come to the Valhalla meeting again. Why is that?"

Kazutora paused for a moment before answering, "Had stuff to do."

"Like crying your ass off on a curb in the middle of the night?" Shuji tested, revealing that he had seen Kazutora break down the night before the last.

"You were... there?" Kazutora mumbled in thought, surprised that Shuji had seen him. Not that they should be, anyway, considering the fact that the last time Kazutora didn't show up, Shuji had broken into his house just to look for him.

"Yup," Shuji unapologetically confirmed, popping the 'p,' "I would have said something to you, but, uh... for one, I'm not great at comforting people— actually, I am the last person you should go to for that kind of thing, and two, you looked like you needed some time to yourself. So I didn't say anything and just left." At least Shuji was a little considerate, even if he was highly inexperienced in the emotional field.

"Yeah, I.." Kazutora solemnly averted his gaze, "really needed some time alone. A lot has been going on, so..."

Usually, Shuji would act like he wouldn't care, more so than he already is— hell, he wouldn't even be here checking in on him if it were anyone else that was upset, but— well. This was Kazutora, someone that Shuji had quickly become fond of. If he wanted a real bond, for Kazutora to finally trust him so Shuji wouldn't think that he constantly doubted him, then being there and subtly checking in on him was the first step to reaching that goal, right? Right.

"I understand, sometimes I need some alone time to clear up my own thoughts, too." Shuji wasn't lying, but he was still being intentionally vague. He's spent hours alone processing the way he felt for people, specifically for Kazutora and Tetta. He knew that he felt a strong sense of loyalty for Tetta, as he was someone that truly spruced up his life, but that adoration and respect were only conditional. As long as Kisaki Tetta gave him a life of fun, that's all that mattered to Shuji. But as for Kazutora? Now that was a different story.

"You do?" Kazutora hummed, Y/N wondering what he meant by that. Shuji simply didn't seem like the type of person to do that or to think heavily about certain things, but Y/N supposed that they were both human, so it was only natural that they were to eventually reflect on things from time to time.