Underwater (kiribaku/bakushima)

63

Kirishima's POV:

I plopped myself down onto the dirt, hidden and surrounded by bushes. It took me a while to get here, but I didn't forget the way. I could never forget.

Sighing, I leaned back. Trapped in my own bubble of water, memories and nostalgia overflowed.

I want to remember. Do I? Of course, it's just a regular childhood thing. Nothing strange happened. We were just kids.

~~~ten years ago~~~

"Okay, Ei-chan! Go!" I was pushed harshly, though I was too scared. Holding onto the bars.

"It's just a slide! We aren't high up! Don't be a baby!"

Suddenly, the forced increased and I was thrown to the bottom of the slide harshly, hitting my face.

Blood ran from my nose, and I started crying.

~~~6.2 years ago~~~

"First day at a big school. I'm gunna make a ton of friends."

I fiddled with my fingers, trailing after my friend with my head down.

"Hurry up."

"I-..."

"Shut up, Ei-chan! We're going to be late! Why are you so annoying?"

~~~6 years ago~~~

"Our hair is the same colour."

I nodded in agreement.

"Change it. I don't want you looking like me."

He hit me.

~~~5 years ago~~~

"Y'know. That friend of yours is starting to piss me off. Why does he always follow us?"

They turned to me, glaring. I bit my lip and looked down.

"Oh, you mean Ei-chan? I dunno, he's retarded and doesn't have any friends so he follows me."

"Go away!" They all yelled, throwing soda cans at me.

I stayed.

~~~4 years ago~~~

They had me against a wall. They all joined in.

It was my first time being hurt by someone other than my dad. So I was scared.

Air left my lungs as the world disappeared.

~~~ 3 years ago~~~

"Look, look, look! He has cuts on his arms!" They snarled at me.

I didn't like being shorter than the other boys.
It made them look like giants.

"Was it from your dad, Ei-chan! Hahaha!"

"His dad?" The asked, looking amused and curious.

"Yeah! Get this- his dad hits him! Even his dad hates him!"

They burst out laughing

"Don't... day that.." I mumbled.

They blamed my dad but I did it.

"Woah, he's actually talking! Got something else to say? Huh? Huh?" They pushed my shoulders and I put a hand over my mouth.

Talking is bad. Don't talk.

~~~3 years ago~~~

Coughing, I struggled to get out of the bath. I hit the floor, falling onto my face.

I rolled over, trying to catch my breath.

'What was that?'

'Did I...?'

'Just try to kill myself?'

That was the first time.

~~~2 years ago~~~

"Ah, new school. Guess I'll have to make new friends." He turned around.

"Don't worry, you won't have to worry about making new friends." He chuckled and started walking towards the terrifying new school.

I followed.

~~~1 year ago~~~

"Ah. Lonely Eijirou. Look at you. Poor guy. Maybe we should give you some attention?"

I looked up at him. It was hard to see, one of my eyes was swollen and bruised.

But it was fine.

Pain was okay.

I liked it. It's what I deserve.

He knows what's best for me.

We are best friends, after all.

~PRESENT~

"Knew I'd find you here. This is where I found you, right, Ei-chan?" Ryan smiled, looking down at me.

I nodded and played with the dirt underneath me.

I remember making shapes in the dirt. It made me happy.

Ryan found me when I was drawing a lion. I was crying in the bushes because my dad was angry. He helped me, and played with me. Brought me down the slide.

"Look at me." He kicked my chin upwards. I put my tongue but I'm fine. It's okay.

"Didn't go too well with Bakugou, huh?"
I know he doesn't want me to answer. He knew anyway. Ryan's good at knowing.

He burst out laughing and I hunched my shoulders. "How pathetic. C'mon, I warned you. No one wants you Eijirou. Way would they? You're you." He laughed.

Yeah, Ryan's right. He's never wrong.

"I'm assuming this is goodbye." He said, calming a little.

Ryan always knows when I do it.

Before and after.

There was always dad to get me out. But I wasn't planning on it this time.

I got a kick to the face again. "Answer." He demanded.

I nodded. Ryan smirked. "You'll pussy out." He sneered.

I guess Ryan was wrong this time.

He turned around and something inside me triggered. There's something I need to ask before it's too late.

"Wait!" I called.

He turned halfway around.

"Did.. did you ever love me? We're we ever friends?" I said, feeling desperate.

It's a question I have never asked myself. I didn't know where it came from. I grew up knowing he was my friend. I was being bad so I got punished, we're still friends, right? Right?

He smiled sadly. "You're too naive for this world, Eijirou."

I was left sitting on my legs in the dirt. My arms still slightly outstretched and tears streaming steadily down my face.

I watched him walk away.

I watched him walk away again.

For the last time.

[Authors Notes!]
So, the big reveal. How are y'all keeping up? I was worried in case it was to obvious. Hopefully, it wasn't.
I left thousands of clues since the beginning of the book. Are things bad enough already? Well, it's about to get worse.