8 | As He Grew Attached

"Sawada Tsunami?"

Kenshin-sensei's monotone voice echoes within the classroom only for silence to reply back. He scanned the room around before sighing with an expected sort of disappointment.

"Out for three days straight in a row. Is anyone keeping in touch with her?"

His question left an excuse for the sudden increase in murmurs which mostly involve words of negativity. The countdown towards the festival is slowly approaching with speed and only two days are left for the class to prepare. Tsunami, being assigned the role of holding up the stage prop has skipped out for all stage practice; naturally, earned the wrath of her fellow classmates.

Her role is simple. There is no need to have talent but only needed one's hands to be clutching the fabric and wave it in a slight motion so to resemble a running river. Even so, Tsunami never showed up to complete such actions.

While the majority was holding some bitterness within their heart, they understood that Tsunami had collapsed not long ago for health reasons. Being hospitalized for about a year and recently showing up to school with a pale face bearing an icy gaze marked a sense of fear and pity at the same time. They all thought that Sawada Tsunami might not have long to live and thus is bitter about living.

However, amongst the silent whispers based on opinions and guesses, one hand arose high enough to catch Kenshin-sensei's eyes. He looked at the bright youth who although doesn't do so well academically, has never allowed such things to dampen his spirits.

"Yamamoto Takeshi, are you going to answer my question or do you need something else?"

Yamamoto threw a cheerful laugh and chose the former to answer. "I have been keeping touch with Tsunami. She appears to be quite unwell as her condition isn't appearing to be getting much better. I suggest that we should assign her another role rather than making her hold the stage props."

The teacher thought for a moment, then cocking his head to the side attacked with a question. "If her condition is so bad, why not make her forfeit and have her rest until she gets better?"

"That won't do sensei, I wish for Tsunami-san to experience some school activities especially since she has been absent from it for a year."

Kenshin-sensei couldn't find a fault within Yamamoto's answer and thus, assigned the role for Yamamoto to check up on Tsunami.

When the school bell rang signaling for the departure of the students from the school, hordes of students gathered around Yamamoto praising his kindness. However, he knew best how their minds were thinking. Particularly, the one girl who approached him first was also the girl that attempted to trip over Tsunami. He showered such passionate complements with his signature smile before taking off into the direction that Tsunami lives.

The walk to her house ignited feelings of curiosity and subtle hints of indescribable fear. Like last time, on the lane were bicycles clicking their bells warning others to avoid accidents except with no two hearts beating but one. He flashed his brown orbs to the side of his hands, pulling the thin fabric of uniform that covered his right wrist and slightly winced at the sight of a harsh red of fingerprints. They were small prints and he could have vividly remembered how much strength she had used when her cold fingers snaked around his wrist.

When the sound of the door clanged open, Yamamoto looked up. He saw a gentle looking female, brunette haired with mid-length holding a large black bag and worse yet...her eyes frowning with immense sadness.

He watched as she sniffed her red nose and would so often look back up to the sky. Her hair would follow with her movements, cascading down her back like a moving carpet. Even as a kid, he has always been perceptive of such little details for a reason and by chance, he understood why she would look up to the sky as she was crying.

Yamamoto suddenly thought of the time when his mother had just passed away. Inside the funeral home were full of adults dressed in black. Such colors made him feel as though the world was also painted black. At the time, his father was sniffing and his eyes were prominently red, a color that contrasted largely against his bronze colored skin. However, Yamamoto felt dead inside. Perhaps his ears have muted the world's noise but the only sound he could've heard that day was only his vibrating heartbeat that thumped every second.

He couldn't find the strength to cry….or perhaps he did because his eyes never focused on the coffin where his mother was held but was rather facing the ceiling. The combined sound of heart beating and the urge to hold his tears made his face-scowl.

The surrounding crowds took his scowl as a sign of defiance and unfilial. They would walk up to him with their authoritative voice and force him to show a soft face when sending the dead away. They would lecture on how he is being an ungrateful child for not bidding his mother a proper farewell by not looking at her. It annoyed him. This world annoyed him.

Such sounds annoyed him so much that his face broke out a reluctant smile, gave them a nod, and ran back to his father's side. The cause of his plastic smile might have started that day, which, in return became a permanent habit.

Yamamoto paced himself faster, hands reaching out to tug on Nana's sleeves. Nana looked at him with her eyes caught in surprise. One of her tears slightly tilted down to Yamamoto's cheeks. He took her garbage bag and with two hands heaved the heavy bag right into the garbage can. Not once has he bothered to wipe away the wetness that slowly fell down carving a trail on his own face.

"Good evening Tsunami's okaa-san, is Tsunami here?"

Nana gave a slight nod, still confused but watched as the little child dragged clutched her pinky and dragged her away into the house. Inside, a small scent of vanilla wafted to his nose and unconsciously his body relaxed to such warmness. Last time when he dropped Tsunami off, he didn't have the luck to see inside but today he was able to. His eyes scanned through every furniture and past to a three-set of covered meals on the table. However, no matter where he looked, he couldn't find Tsunami. He turned to Nana expecting an answer and she quickly caught on by indicating her room that was upstairs. Yamamoto nodded before he slowly ascended the stairs.

He knocked on the door twice but no sound made. Shortly as he was planning to knock for the third time, a cheerful voice called out from the inside.

"Kaa-san, I am not hungry yet. You can cover them and I will eat them later at night. I am playing a game right now!"

Instantly, Yamamoto scrunched his brows in annoyance. He knocked for the third time, slightly more fierce but maintained the volume it produced. At the third knock, Tsunami instantly knew that it wasn't her dear kaa-san. Her heart jumped but her eyes maintained its caution. It surprised her that someone would come to look for her other than her mother. Is it her father? Not a chance, the supposed construction worker is too busy to be at home. Then...from all those that she has interacted with, could it be him? Her mind casually brushed off the thought as that boy would not be the type to thrust such a fierce knock. That's what she had thought...until a deep voice containing a hint of mockery resounded from the other side of the door.

"Sawada Tsunami, you really are a dame."

He came. But why would he come to visit her? Tsunami couldn't understand. Were they ever close?

If it is him, then she wouldn't need to waste the energy to change the tone of her voice. So Tsunami replied back with a loud but hoarse voice. "Why are you here?"

"Open the door and let me in, then I will tell you."

Tsunami threw an annoyed look and went back to burying her head in her arms. She didn't have the time to deal with him now. She needed to concentrate to not fall unconscious and even if she wanted to open the door for him, she couldn't do it anymore.

Her arms and legs have long lost its strength to carry her out of this room. The disgusting man seemed to have sealed her senses; be it indirectly or directly.

It has already been three days of no rest and food. How she is living is completely unknown to her because it felt like she is fighting death itself. It's not that she has never eaten before but when she tries to stuff her mouth with food, the feeling of hunger would never seem to ease. It would get tenser as the clock ticks by. When she tries to overeat, a puking sensation would seem to well up instead.

The door gave a few clicking sounds before it was slightly opened ajar. Tsunami winced her eyes as she saw the young boy, emerging from the bright light from the outside. He took the key, stuffed it into his pocket before locking the room when he is inside.

The room is dark, void of light just like when he saw the small gaps of her eyes that looked at him like it was death itself. From the light that shined inside the room, he was able to catch a few glimpses on how Tsunami had been living for the past few days. He saw her messy attire, hair not well kept and scattered all over her shoulders, and most importantly the color of her skin that showed her being famished.

Yamamoto didn't bother to question Tsunami why she was like this or why didn't she tell her mother. The was kept dark, he didn't bother to switch the light on because he thought she would prefer such darkness rather than the sight of the aching light. However, since he wouldn't be able to navigate himself around the room, he attempted to go for a small lantern and by the flick of a switch quickly turned on.

The room soon set itself into a pretty orange glow just like the color of her eyes that she flashed the other day.

I did mention how I would release today and here it is! An hour away before the tomorrow comes...

It may be short but tomorrow's chapter will definitely be longer. I have been too caught up thinking of loopholes and plot holes for my Bleach fanfic that I forgot to write this chapter. Anyways, until then I will be taking off once again.