Transcendence

22:Many

Early in the morning, he went for a jog. The swirling array of bushes, trees and rock surrounded him and brought peace to him. It felt good to run, his legs pushing harder to keep with his pace. It had felt like forever since he'd last got a good run in. He planned to see Satou again later on in the day and needed to calm his nerves some. Turning a bend, he jogged past giant curved rocks, some sloped as if by a large hand. The sound and smell of the fresh water helped him jog harder. Inhaling the crisp air, he felt the sweat slide down his temple. Almost there.

*****

"Hiroto?" He sat inside a room of his grandmother's house, shoji closed.

"Honey I know you're in there. When are you going to come home? It's been a week. Don't you want to graduate?" He buried his head between his knees, the material of his yukata growing moist with tears.

"Hiroto... you have to graduate."

"Are you satisfied?" He hadn't spoken in days. Only tears and cries... cries for her. He couldn't see her but he could hear his mother through an open window.

"What are you talking about sweetie?"

"Don't bullshit me. You got what you wanted. What else do you want from me? I've given you everything. My life. My body. You sought after my heart too and now it's yours. I have nothing left for you to take." She was quiet for a while.

"Hiroto I only did what I had to. You don't understand now but everything I've done has been for you and your future."

"Leave me alone. Abandon me here like you did your mother." The silence this time was longer.

"She was corrupting you Hiroto. You don't see that?" If she could hear the words that came from her mouth, she would understand how crazy she sounded. He didn't reply. She didn't deserve one. After a while, she spoke again.

"Stay here if you'd like. But it shall only be for another day or so. Your father and I expect you to come home in time for your graduation." With that, she left him. A couple more days he did stay and when he returned home, he came back empty. Inside his heart, the desire for vengeance burning strong. He had been determined to pay them back even if he spent the rest of his life doing so.

******

"Hello Mr. Iwase." He nodded.

"Hello Dr. Satou."

"Have you been well?" He licked his lips.

"As well as I can be. To be perfectly honest, all of this is scaring the shit out of me." Time was going slow and fast at the same time. It seemed as if he had just got to Hocking Hills. Already, two weeks had passed. In that time, he had visited Satou, sometimes begrudgingly. Some sessions, he talked. Some, he didn't. It impressed him how patient Satou was with it all. Not once did he force him to speak or tell him to be quiet. To be honest, he didn't feel as though he was making any progress.

"I can only imagine. You are peeling back layers you have left untouched for years." He sighed.

"Yeah...."

"How can I assist you?"

"Honestly, the best thing you can do is just listen. I'm sure as we proceed with our meetings, advice will come. But right now, I just need to get it out." Satou nodded.

"Understandable. I shall listen. The floor is yours Hiroto-kun."

"I'm sure you've heard about me. I know I look perfect. Everything in my life seemingly jewels and gold. As someone once told me, life with a silver spoon. But that spoon if you looked close enough wasn't silver. Instead it was bronze. I've done a lot of things in my life that I'm not proud of."