The Boy With The Blank Stare: Future

Chapter One: Even

Ouma's POV:

I could hear my voice cracking as I begged "w-what..d-do...I...do?"

Saihara didn't respond for a while, instead, I heard him nervously scrape his shoe against the sidewalk before taking a deep breath, as I felt myself growing concerned over his answer. Years ago if someone saw me broken like this I would've been filled with self-loathing, yet those fragments of me were more or less erased. Painted over even, I don't know what I wanted to appear as.

It's kind of funny, back then I used to swear I would never grow up, but maybe I have...those parts of me that never could be open like this, That child who wore masks of lies, and always pretended to be someone better. Maybe it means I'm mature now or maybe I just don't care that much anymore. 

After what felt like hours, but more than likely just a few seconds, Saihara took a deep breath again, as he seemed to rest a hand on my shoulder. "I don't know-" Saihara started but then got cut off by the sound of someone running towards us, Saihara gasped, "Uncle-?" Saihara greeted confused as he let go.

"Shuichi get in the car you have to go home right now" his uncle shouted clearly in a panic. Mr. Jin? Wait what's going on? "Wait, Uncle, this is important-" Saihara interrupted, he sounded desperate but his uncle wasn't budging in the slightest, "Shuichi it's your Father," His uncle said quickly silence filled the air.

Saihara...? 

"I'm sorry Ouma I have to go...I'll answer your question later ok? I promise" he told me. "If you really truly need me right now though..." he offered, but his voice seemed hesitant as he said it, conflicted maybe. I paused taking in his words, he was willing to stay if I needed him to. But...he needs to go, don't be a burden.

'It's fine, don't worry about it I signed, I didn't trust myself to really convince him, as Saihara seemed to pause and mull over my words in confliction before sighing. "I'll be back Ouma, it won't take long, don't do anything rash please" he promised again, as I heard him getting up and walking away. I resisted any urge to call him back.

"Sorry kid..." his Uncle apologized, it took me a bit too long to realize he was talking to me, I felt a tiny twinge of awkwardness. The last time I had seen him, one of the only times now that I think about it, had been when Ms. Jin shouted at me that night...I shook off that memory and tried to focus, no one wants to deal with you when you're like this I reasoned. 'How am I supposed to get to school?' I asked him.

"Oh shit, Uhm...tell you what...SHUICHI JUST WAIT RIGHT THERE IN THE CAR I NEED TO RUN YOUR FRIEND TO SCHOOL!" He shouted, he didn't even wait for Saihara to respond before I could feel us moving, he seemed to be running as fast as he could. 

As we moved down the street questions flooded my mind along with a feeling of dread.

What's going on? What's this about his Father, did something happen? Saihara's never seemed so anxious and scared before...and his Uncle is just like him...

I could feel my palms getting sweaty as I tried to remember even a single detail about Chiasa's uncle, Saihara's father. But I doubt Chi even knew much about him, she barely could talk about her own father, much less more of her extended family.

Even though Saihara claimed he had seen me before, back when we were kids. I barely remembered anything due to me being maybe eight when I last saw him nothing was sticking out. Even though Saihara never really told me what his family at home was like I could tell it was an uncomfortable subject for a reason. But whoever his father was, Saihara feared him, or he feared something had happened to him...? The situation was still unclear to me, but I doubt anyone would explain it to me if I asked.