blackbox | kirishima eijirou

15 | drowning sailors

Here she goes again.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Her voice cracked as she tried to maintain eye contact between her and her parents. "Are you seriously getting mad over something I have nothing to do wi—"

"Don't you dare speak to me in that tone, young woman," she interrupted the young girl, glowering at her with crossed arms. "We know you have exams coming up but that doesn't mean you should neglect other responsibilities as well."

Sakura fixed her gaze on the wall behind her, clenching her jaw as she felt her nerves ticking off.

"So what? It's just me missing a day of chores and you're pissed off?" The words slipped out of her mouth, and she didn't regret any of it.

"Sakura!" She scolded as her eyes widened in disbelieve.

"What's happening over here?" Her father entered the living room, the tension in the house getting thicker.

"Our daughter's being utterly rude today and irresponsible too," she glanced at him for a moment as she spoke, the veins burning at each second.

"I'm just trying to make a point. I wasn't being ru—"

"That's enough!" She was cut off when her father's booming voice pulsated in the room, her heart dropping as he did so. "If you're not happy with helping us maintaining cleanliness in this house, then might as well just do nothing since you're so useless."

It felt as if she got shot in the head, and worse, her heart. The familiar ache she was supposed to get used to no matter what, increased by each second as she stood in front of the two adults she lost herself to after years of sailing through the thunderstorms and alluring sirens.

You're useless.

"There's no reason for you to be rude to us when clearly you haven't been contributing to this family. And for god's sake, you're a teenager. You should know that there are responsibilities that you're supposed to take care of."

Useless.

"We're asking you to corporate since your mum and I are in the same work industry. You know that both of us won't have time to do leisure things."

I know. I know that more than anyone.

"As for your studies, keep them up. But that doesn't mean you should slack off from other liabilities."

Useless.

"Yeah, I get it," the girl muttered.

Useless, useless, usele—

"Just do what you need to do and get some rest. I'm pretty sure all that studying you've been doing outside have worn you out."

Sakura only nodded unnoticeably before brushing past them.

You're useless.

The tears she'd been trying to hide were finally visible, pooling within her eyelids.

She furiously wiped off the tears that have yet to fall off, quickly walking to her room before shutting the door behind her.

And then she fell on her knees, letting the heartache devour her soul all over again.

She clutched her shirt tightly as she gritted her teeth to silence the cries trying to escape her lips. Tears constantly streamed down her face, dripping off her chin as her head drooped a little. A choked sob managed to escape her lips as she let the darkness in her mind engulf her whole like a black hole.

If someone were to ask her why she'd get upset over a single word, she'd scream out at them like there was no one in this cold reality.

Useless—not fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome.