The Boy With The Blank Stare: The Promise

Chapter Fifteen: It's Not Kinder

Saihara's POV:

It had been five days since we had met Danuja's brother, Ouma had been really quiet afterward refusing to talk to me about what he was feeling only giving me short one-word answers before finally I caved and took him home.

Since then he hasn't come to school, Kiibo was reluctant to answer my questions too. Apparently, Ouma had 'gotten sick' but I knew better, and I doubt Kiibo was really trying to convince me with that lie. At least I hope he wasn't, because otherwise, someone needs to teach him how to lie better...

Not that I'm any better...Ouma always sees through my lies...

But enough was enough, five days of ghosting could only amount to one possible thing...Momota please forgive me if my suspicions are true, I tried...I really tried to protect him from himself...

Walking up to the door of the house I knocked on the door, this was actually strategic since Kiibo had gone out with Akamatsu and Amami for some reason, and I was hoping his parents wouldn't be in on why Ouma was skipping out on school.

I knocked quietly on the door, and it opened to show Kiibo's father who was yawning "oh...it's you...uh...he's upstairs..." he told me he seemed to be falling asleep midsentence.

This is why coffee is the greatest gift to man.

I walked up the stairs quietly, heading for Ouma's room, "Ouma? I'm coming in alright?" I warned after knocking as the door creaked open.

He was in better shape than I would have thought, all things considered.

He was dressed in his school uniform as if he did have intentions to come to school, only to decide against it at the last minute. He was lying in his bed, and his wheelchair was moved to the corner of the room, he was awake clearly but didn't acknowledge my presence instead he held a photo.

It showed a group of friends, not all of DICE but I doubt that mattered to him, instead it was of him, a blonde haired boy, and who I would assume was Takura.

A few months ago, I never would have understood why he would cry and cling onto a photo he could no longer see but...maybe it doesn't matter that he can't see them in those photos.

Maybe it's just their presence in those photos that truly matter to him.

"Hey...how are you?" I asked calmly, Ouma didn't respond he only continued to trace over the photo with one of his fingers.

"You've been missing from school, I was getting worried about you. I know you're not used to relying on people other than Momota, but I wish you would talk to me." I admitted.

"Just...just tell me how you're actually feeling" I sighed. Ouma finally shifted towards me, 'do you look like Chiasa?' He asked finally.

I was confused by his question, but decided to ignore it. It's great he was talking to me at all, "no, we look nothing alike. I was always taller but I assume you already know that, and I have dark blue hair and greyish amberish eyes, I really don't look like her honestly we don't even have the same skin tone" I told him.

Ouma paused thinking over my answer.

'Doss Aito look like his brother?' Ouma finally asked.

"He does. He has his eyes and nose, and even his hair color. They could be twins. He has a tiny scar near his right eye though, and his hair is shorter than his brothers. He also seemed to wear sweaters more than his brothers anime t-shirts....he's just as skinny" I added near the end.

Maybe to some it would have seemed kinder to lie. Lie that his friends brother didn't fall into similar unhealthy habits. That he was maybe even doing better. But from what I do know about Ouma...it's that he appreciated honesty.

'I only saw Aito maybe once or twice when he was a kid....he was so tiny back then...and he couldn't say his R's...Riko used to dote on him and he would always cling to Takura.

'I haven't really thought about him though. When I think of who DICE left behind it was always our class and sensei. Me...most of us hated our parents more than anything. I didn't....I guess I didn't want to think of their families back then.

'That's not fair though, is it? For all the family members they hated there's at least one Aito and one Sensei who do miss them and family who cried themselves to sleep when they died.

'You want your answer to what I'm feeling? Ashamed. Ashamed because I didn't think of any of them for all those years because I could only think of myself' Ouma finally confessed and it seemed a weight was taken off his shoulders.

"That's not fair to you though, Ouma you shouldn't blame yourself for their despair. You're not the reason they lost their family. You were never the reason why any of that happened. Maybe you don't believe me now, but I even though I miss Chiasa so much have never blamed you for her death, even when I was told that lie about her committing suicide, or the real truth about the substitute. I never blamed you." I assured him

Ouma didn't seem to really believe me, but at least he heard me.

"Ouma...please come back to school...we might not be able to help Aito....but there's many more people like Kiibo who we can help. So...." I extended my hand towards him.

"Let's help"