sepultus papilio

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chapter twenty seven: sepultus papilio

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chapter twenty seven: sepultus papilio

The following morning you sleep in. Around noon that day you wake up, but only because of someone gently shaking you awake. To your surprise, it's Bokuto kneeling awkwardly beside you. "Hey," he smiles softly, "thought you might want to get up and see something."

As your eyes adjust to the light, you sit up in your sleeping bag. "Don't tell me it's more bad news," you grumble as you wake up.

"No, no, nothing like that. Kuroo, Kenma, Atsumu, and I made you something," he explains a bit better this time. "We just finished and I couldn't really wait any longer for you to come see it."

"So that's why you woke me up," you chuckle as you shake your head. "Okay, I'm coming. Let's go."

As you stand, you help Bokuto do the same. You're happy that he's finally able to start walking around with his crutches. It has been over a month and you were beginning to worry that it was getting worse rather than getting buried.

Either way, you help Bokuto to the door of the bus and walk outside to meet the others. Along the way, you grab some fruit from your stash just outside the bus. Bokuto then shows you back down to the lake where you had been alone with him the night before. For a moment you wonder if this was another Bokuto crying wolf situation like it had been when he had seen a deer hop your fence. He said he wanted to take his time, so why is he leading you back down there first thing when you wake up?

When you arrive at the lake, you're surprised to actually see Kuroo and Atsumu there. As you approach, they both step to the side and reveal a wooden memorial plaque carved from a birch tree your group had cut down a few days prior for fire. As you read what they had engraved in the wooden memorial, tears threaten to fall from your eyes.

In Loving Memory

Tsukishima Kei

2073-2099

Forever in our hearts

Just then, someone taps you on your shoulder. You turn around to see Kenma with a pretty bouquet of flowers most likely picked nearby. He smiles softly as he passes them to you.

"It's going to be okay," he whispers to you and you alone, "we'll figure out who did this."

You nod as you accept the gift. "Thanks, Kenma," you smile.

You take a deep breath as you face the memorial once more and place the flowers down beside it. You then take a step back. Your group holds a moment of silence which seems as though it lasts hours before you decide to speak up.

"He really was a good person," you mutter as tears begin to roll down your cheeks. "I even told him when we first met that if anything ever went wrong, I'd give him the bus. He was all excited about that, but I think he was just happy to have a home with us."

"He was a good friend," Kuroo adds. "I won't forget him until the day I pass, too."

"I didn't know him for long," Atsumu then chimes in as he reaches his hand to your shoulder, "but I can tell how much he meant to you guys. I'll be here for anything you need, even to talk."

You turn to the side to face him, but just as you nod at his answer, your eyes catch on Bokuto behind him. For a moment, you had forgotten about your kiss with Atsumu just a few days ago. But when it finally sinks in, your stomach swells up in knots.

"Thanks, Atsumu, I'll let you know about that, but I'll be okay," you smile softly, hoping to reassure him that you really will be fine despite whether you really believe that yourself or not.

A few minutes later, the group begins to go their separate ways. Soon, it's just you and Kuroo left.

"On my life, I'd never hurt him," Kuroo confides in you. "I know you wouldn't either."

"What are you trying to say?" you ask curiously. Kuroo's pretty smart, he must be going somewhere with this.

"Osamu would be the obvious choice, right? He was the only one with a gun besides Tsukki," he continues.

"Yeah, but I really don't think-"

"But he and Atsumu are like a team. If it isn't one, who's to say it isn't the other? Or maybe both? They're blood so they wouldn't give each other up. Besides, they can use each other as allies without anyone hardly giving it a second thought because they're always together," he tells you.

"So you're thinking it was both of them working together?" you then ask.

"Well, that's the thing. When Bokuto went to get you, I was talking to Atsumu about the whole thing. He said he knew who did it, but wouldn't tell me because he didn't know for sure. And he wouldn't want to guess wrong and accuse the wrong person, or so he said," Kuroo shrugs.

"I'm confused," you shake your head as you sit down on a nearby rock. "Does he think it's Bokuto? Or is he hinting towards his brother?"

"I've got no idea, but I did find it a bit strange that he waited until Bokuto was gone to say that to me," he says as he leans against a tree and looks up at the sky.

"Bokuto was the first person I saw when I ran into the house. I hardly wasted any time after I heard the shot. There's no way it could be him, I can vouch for him," you say as you look over at an unresponsive Kuroo.

"Yeah," he says quietly. "I don't know. Hasn't it been a long time since he broke his leg or his foot or whatever?"

"Kuroo, he isn't faking it. I saw him in the middle of that street seriously injured!" you insist.

"That doesn't mean he isn't faking it now," he hums, still avoiding your eyes.

"I'm his fucking doctor! I think I'd know if-"

"You'd think you'd know that fucking your patients is completely inappropriate work practice, Y/N!" he shouts as he uses his leg to push him off the tree. He now finally looks at you with anger and bitterness built up in his eyes.

"The fuck are you talking about?! We never did anything!" you insist, only lying a little bit.

"So then it must have been two other people I saw making out down here last night? Nice timing, by the way. Y/N, wake up, for god's sake! He's playing you!" Kuroo shouts.

"Kuroo, chill the fuck out. First of all, that's none of your damn business! Secondly, it was only a few minutes ago when you sounded like you were dead set on it being Atsumu and Osamu! Make up your mind before you start accusing people, fucking asshole!" you shout back just as loudly.

"Jesus, why can't we ever just have a normal conversation together?" Kuroo sighs. "I'm sorry, Y/N, I'm just trying to look out for you. We already lost Tsukishima. I can't lose you, too."

"I know," you shake your head as you attempt to cool yourself down. "I don't want to lose you either."

"We should go back," he then says as he takes a step towards the edge of the forest. "We need to get to the bottom of this."

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