35| On edge

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No one ever listens, this wallpaper glistens, don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen

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"I think it's time I go home" Gakushū said, getting up from his chair.

"Already?"

"It's almost five, Karma. And besides I can't stay out any later because I have work to catch up on" Gakushū excused. "Also, my mother is coming home tonight and I want to greet her a warm welcome" he felt a warmth in his chest at the thought of his mother home. At least then, his father can't physically hurt him anymore without risking his mother knowing.

"That's nice" Karma commented, remembering his mother who he hasn't seen in months, traveling halfway around the world with his father.

"I'll, see you at school Karma" Gakushū nodded at him, before turning on his heel and walking to the glass door.

Karma watched him push the door open, and continued to watch him through the glass windows as the boy called for a taxi.

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"I'm home" he announced, barely raising his voice to make his presence known.

He was greeted with the same dark hallway, the same eerie silence. Gakushū clutched his stomach, remembering he spent the remainder of lunch emptying his stomach's contents.

He shook his head, and went straight to his room, dumped his bag on the floor, and fell on the bed.

He gazed at the ceiling, recounting today's events. He found himself thinking about his red haired friend again, and the comfort and relief he brings to him. The hope he brings to him, the chance to be free from his abusive life, to rid of the chains binding him....

Can he really bring himself to allow such false dreams to creep into his mind and heart? Could he allow hope to fill his icy heart and thaw out the ice around it? Or perhaps he already had and he hadn't even realized it. Gakushū snorted at this, but he allowed these thoughts to dance around his mind

He let himself temporarily be filled with a feeling of lightness.

Knock knock

"M-master Gakushū?" He heard a timid, unfamiliar voice. Must be a new maid...

"Yes?" He called.

"You're father wishes for you to join him downstairs for dinner..." She responded.

His heart dropped to his stomach. But he sucked in a breath and replied "Tell him I'll be there"

"Alright, sir"

He listened to her footsteps fading away.

Gakushū sat on his bed for a few moments, before getting up.

He changed out of his sweaty uniform and into his casual clothes, before(reluctantly) leaving(the safety) of his room.

"He won't beat you, he can't touch you. Mother is coming home, so he can't hurt you and leave behind scars, she will know, so calm down"

Those were the words spinning in his head.

When he reached the dining room, he suddenly had flashbacks of when his father placed a dog collar around him and nearly drowned him via dog bowl. He felt sick in his stomach and angry, but he kept his anger under wraps.

His father was sitting at the head of the table, already eating.

Gakushū eyed the plate set beside his father. He will have to sit beside that bastard.

Gakushū forced his legs to move, and took a seat beside his father. "Gakushū" Gakuho greeted.

"Father" Gakushū acknowledged him.

The boy just sat there, with his head hanging low, staring at the plate placed Infront of him, eyeing the food warily. "well?" He praised himself for not flinching at his father's voice. "What are you waiting for Gakushū? Eat"

The man pushed his plate closer to him.

He really didn't want to. He thought if he ate the food placed Infront of him he would end up spending the entire evening vomiting in the bathroom. But his father was watching him like a hawk and he feared he will be punished if he does not do as he is told.

"Besides" he convinces himself. "Mother is returning home"

Slowly, he raised a hand and picked up the fork, stabbed it on the cut meat, brought it to his lips, and bit the meat.

He chewed carefully, tasting the meat for anything out of the ordinary

But upon his third bite, he allowed himself to ease up because the meat didn't seem to be mixed with anything.

"How were you today?" Gakuho brought up. "You failed to attend most of your classes Gakushū, you had me worried"

"I felt sick" Gakushū explained without removing his eyes from his plate.

"Were you? Did you went to see the nurse?"

"Yes. And I stayed there for the remainder of the day, I thought my stomach would end up killing me" he lied.

THUD

Gakushū flinched when Gakuho slammed his hand against the table.

Gakuho had a dark smirk. "You were seen with that E-class boy Akabane on more than one occasion"

"That meant nothing, I was scolding him for coming to the campus when it is off limits to E-class" Gakushū defended calmly. Well, almost calmly, at the end his voice broke.

For a while, Gakuho was silent, his eyes surveyed his son. Gakushū still refused to meet his eyes.

Then, he reached his hand and..

THUD! BANG! "AH!" Gakushū yelled as his hair was grabbed and his head was slammed against his plate. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" He growled, glaring at his father.

Gakuho didn't answer, just looked at him.

And then, he stood up from his seat and left the room.

Gakushū didn't dare leave. He waited for a few minutes before his father returns, this time holding a box of tissues in one hand, an a bottle of disinfectant and cotton balls in the other.

He placed the tissue box, disinfectant and cotton balls Infront of Gakushū.

"Clean yourself up with this" he gave Gakushū the tissue box. "And use this to clean any cuts you have. I'll send a maid to bring food to your room later. Now go"

He grabbed his son's arm(who gathered the items) and pushed him out of the dining room.

Gakushū felt confused, and suspicious. He looked down at the items given to him.


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