Red Butterfly

Chapter 79, My Tainted Heart

Is she...scared?

My mouth falls agape as a single tear slips through my eye. It trails down all the way to my lip, before I swipe it off. I slowly turn on my heel to see her lowered head.

I take in a deep breath and stare up at the sky before more tears threaten to fall.

She peeked at me in concern and I could tell that she was holding her breath from anticipation. Then, right here, where we both stood, barely glancing at each other, I told the her the thing that shook her faith right were she stood.

I told her the thing that crushed her hopes in ever getting a chance with me. The thing that drove me me to get myself detained in the first place. The thing that made her stare right back into my eyes, were she saw all the affection that I saved up for someone else.

"Hanabi is alive", I struggled to say it steadily and my breath heaved upon saying each syllable of this sentence.

Izumi's mouth falls agape and her eyes broaden in disbelief. She forgets to breath momentarily as her brain digests this information. The long brown locks that framed her face flailed around in the air as we intensely gazed at each other.

My heart clenched as I await what her response will be. Her clutch on the bag of clothes tightened as she deliberately lowered her head.

I pursed my lips together as a single tear stood on the edge of my lower lashes, menacing to fall. Izumi's shoulders began to tremble visibly, which made me wince.

Why does my happiness always affect others?

I witnessed the glowing tears that eluded her eyes as her face scrunched up in pain. She began to sniffle and my hand had involuntarily and shakily raised to rest on her shoulder.

My trembling hand fell back to my side again as Izumi had taken a step back, putting a decent distance between us.

A cold breeze howled between us, making the stinky sensation of the tear that rolled down my cheek futile.

My breath then hitched in my throat, and I forgot how to breath for a moment when Izumi flashed me the dark hue of her chocolate brown eyes and with a smile, she said:

"Thank god"

My pursed lips part and my eyes sparkle as they broadened.

"These past years, I watched how you grew up, writhing in pain moment after moment. I admit that it pained me a lot not to be able to do anything to help you Itachi..."

"I-Izumi..."

She looked away with a genuine smile, tears in her eyes as she carried on.

"I've been there since day one, Itachi. I know that everything has failed to bring you any kind of exhilaration in your life. You've never experienced true happiness up until the moment you met her", she looks back at my eyes, which were sparkling with gratitude.

"You deserve happiness just as much as the next person, Itachi. And I'm happy. Happy that you are finally happy. Hanabi was always a wild kid. A smug grin always took place on her face, which made her stood out...even to you..."

"You've been through hell and back, and now that you'll finally get what you've desired all this time...all I can do is ask you to someday tell me this great tale of you and Hanabi so I can tell the ladies that got their eyes on you, so they know that you're totally off limits", she beamed at the last part, making me cackle out a laugh through my tears.

"I'll be sure to do that", I scoff at her request as my heart sinks with relief.

We laugh for a moment, all the while staring into each other's bloodshot eyes.