This Warmth Of Yours

Chapter 3 - Night Falls on Spring

Friends. Yuki wasn't a stranger to this concept- had one since birth, even! He and Kana usually texted each other the most random things they found funny that day, so he had never had any difficulty finding topics to talk about. Yet for some reason, he had completely run dry of conversation starters when it came to Haru. He stared endlessly at her contact, constantly typing and erasing his message. After he had dropped Haru off at her own home, he couldn't stop thinking about what their first message to each other could be. He cringed at himself, wondering if he had turned into a 10 year old kid again.

All those articles he read about talking to others, it wasn't like they helped him fix his own reputation, or gain any friends of his own. He "got better" at talking, but the people he talked to was still only limited to Kana. Everyone else would run if he even dared make eye contact with them. What he did in the past still remained fresh in their minds. What if Haru was there in his old school too? That didn't seem to be the case, though...

He sighed and glanced at the book he borrowed that he placed on his desk. He was a slow reader, but Haru wasn't wrong when she said the story was short. It was revealed at the end that the knight's original goal was to kill the witch of the forest, but he faltered. The knight empathised with the witch's loneliness and befriended her instead. The witch attempted to end her own life at first, but was rescued by the knight's friendship. Yuki wasn't expecting a story this heavy when it seemed like a children's tale.

Just then, he recalled that most fairytales were actually quite dark, so this one wasn't much of an exception. His eyes widened, suddenly realising that the topic of conversation was right in front of him all along.

He hastily opened up the chat with her. Typing out his first words, he was rudely interrupted by... a call from Haru?! It was cancelled as soon as it began, and he saw her begin to type. "sorry...!! i didn't know what to say, and then i accidentally pressed the call button..." she sent.

She was nervous too, he chuckled at the thought. "it's 👌. i was thinking about what to say to you too. have you had dinner yet?" he replied. Haru was so psyched to receive her first text from a friend that she had completely forgotten her blunder from before. "that's not important at all!! did u finish the book? how was it?" she asked.

She's a lot more active in text, he noted. Their conversation stretched for hours, topics changed from talking about his adorable pet cat imprisoning him to his bed due to her sleeping on him to Haru's passing interest in baking. They weren't even sure how they transitioned from those topics to the next, but it happened.

Yuki looked at the time. It was past midnight. He shouldn't keep her up any longer, he thought. He informed her of the time and how she should be preparing for bed. "oh!! you're right! good night yuki, sweet dreams!" she responded.

Sweet dreams, she said. He was sure that he'd definitely have one. He was already dozing off, but he hadn't fully ended the conversation yet. Too lazy to type, he pressed the voice message button, whispering into his phone.

"Good night, Haru."

There was no response. He assumed that it meant the conversation ended and shut his eyes, preparing to launch himself to the realm of dreams.

...

My first ever good night wish.

She giggled at his text and turned off her phone, staring at her own reflection on the black screen. A monstrous sight greeted her eyes. She dropped her phone instantly. Her breaths hastened as she shut her eyes. All of a sudden, she heard screaming outside her door. She assumed her parents were asleep.

It was midnight. She rushed to her door, frantically locking it. Her ears were held shut by her hands, yet it couldn't stop the sounds from entering her ears. "Because of you, I had to give birth to a fucking ogre! The least you can do is get your own dinner!" a female voice rang out. She must've been drinking again. A gruff male voice replied, equally as loud. "Why didn't you abort it, then!? Because of you, I was forced to marry a fucking monster. You don't get to speak about sacrifices, bitch!"

"Bitch? Mother forced me to keep it after she found out. I would've gotten rid of it long ago before it ever left my womb. You think I like this situation too?" The voices got further away. "Give the shit to your mom then if she wants it so much." The woman's voice got softer. "I already told her I was going to raise it. I'll be humiliated if I take it back, asshole!"

Haru bit back her tears, afraid, afraid that they would turn their anger to her if they noticed. Arguments such as these happened every other night, but Haru would usually be locked out of the house for the worst of it. In a way, that could be seen as them being considerate towards her, sparing her from the worst arguments.

Haru took out a worn book from beneath her bed and clutched it tightly to her chest, as if the tale could soothe the hellish screams beyond the door. The book was actually empty on the inside, the original copy in the hands of her very first friend. She simply desperately clung to every line, memorising them and holding them close to her heart.

"The lonely witch remained strong and pure, her efforts rewarded at the brink of her death once she was saved by the noble knight."

"She was loved, and it saved her. The lonely witch was lonely no more."

The voices died down. They likely tired themselves out. It was the dead of night, after all.

She creaked the door open, peering out to the living room and stepping out. Her mother turned towards her, the lamp of the living room illuminating her mother's exhausted visage. Her father had went to bed, it seemed. The lady, widely stretched out on the couch, put down her bottle. She laughed, twirling it on the table. "You dreadful child... it's awful how much you resemble that father of yours."

Haru turned away, covering her face. Her mother continued, "That must be why that man hates you. He had no choice but to accept that you were most definitely his daughter. Ha!" She kept rambling, Haru was sure that she never really noticed her at all. She was sure... that no matter what she asked... her mother wouldn't remember it in the morning. With the horrid voice that her mother hated so much, she hesitantly opened her mouth.

"Do you love me?"

It was a question she already knew the answer to, but pretended not to know. If her mother were to reply unfavourably, she was sure to dismiss it as mere nonsense from a drunk woman. In short, it didn't matter what her mother's response would be. Yet, her eyes were shut so incredibly tight.

Her mother seemed to be in deep thought, but the moment lasted for mere seconds. "I could never love you. Even if I wanted to, I never will." Her words had an air of confidence, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She was speaking to no one, however, for Haru had left before she heard a thing.