The Broken Shadow of You~||KazuScara||

Chapter 15

TW; MENTIONS OF ABUSE, DRINKING                                                                                                                          -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I guess I should come clean, huh? Since Scaramouche told me his, it's only fair I should speak up too." Venti said, with a sigh, before saying six shocking words.

"I was also a victim or abuse. Or is it am? I don't know..." Venti said, with a shrug.

"What?!" Kazuha and Scaramouche exclaimed in huge shock. Also, how could Venti just say this so casually?!

"Guess you guys finally know the little incident from my childhood that caused me to move in with my Jean when I was fourteen." Venti said, letting out a small chuckle at the other two's expressions. 

"Venti, why didn't you ever tell us this?! I've known you since first grade!" Kazuha said.

"It's just not easy talking about things like this. People would start to treat you differently, like you're not normal. Like you're some special case and need to be handled with specially." Venti answered. These words hit Scaramouche more personally. It felt like his own thoughts were being revealed. 

"So yeah. My mom and my dad, both were absolute pieces of shit and abused me. My dad died of lung problems when I was ten years old. Serves his shitty ass right. And my mom is currently rotting away her time in jail." Venti said, with a dark look in his eyes that did not suit his soft and pure face.

"So, when you were fourteen... How did she get arrested? Did you rat her out?" Kazuha asked.

"Me? Rat my mom out? No, I didn't have the guts for that. It just so happens, the day Jean and Diluc decide to visit their lovely nephew and sister, they walked in on the moment my mother was beating my head with alcohol bottles." Venti answered. "They didn't waste a single breath. Jean pushed my mother away from and a wonderful little fight started between the two sisters while Diluc called the police. My mother was taken away, yelling swears at me and Jean."

Silence followed. Both Kazuha and Scaramouche were in shock from hearing Venti's story. Who knew that somebody so cheerful and carefree like him could have had such a tragic past? I guess it really did add to 'don't judge a book by it's cover.' 

Scaramouche was just in more surprise over Venti's words. He felt as if Venti had just thrown out his own thoughts for everyone to hear. So maybe he could understand Scaramouche's situation considering his childhood was no different?

"Which I just want to say this, no matter how hard it is to say it, you need to get the courage to speak up. Otherwise, you'll never be set free and just continue living stuck." Venti said, gazing away into space. Even though it wasn't really specified, Scaramouche felt those words were being directed at him. Even Kazuha glanced his way. 

"Anyways, let's just move on from this dark stuff, OK? I don't like bringing my past up." Venti said, stretching. "So, should we just go outside and talk?" He asked casually, as though he didn't just drop the most saddest piece of information yet. 

"I'm not done eating. You and Scara go ahead. I'll catch up." Kazuha said, indicating his still almost-full plate of pasta.

"Alright, come on, Scaramouche!" Venti said, standing up. Scaramouche followed suit. 

They walked outside, side by side, in silence. Venti just gazed up at the sky, humming to himself as Scaramouche looked down at the ground, silently thinking. 

"So..." Venti said, as they stopped in front of the school fountain in the main plaza. "Anything you want to talk about? Apart from our tragic lives, of course." He joked. Scaramouche just raised an eyebrow at him.