The Fairest of Them All

XXIII. Purple Strands

I do not own the picture.

Chapter 23

Yui was kneeling on the rough floor. The coldness of the rain was simply a numb sensation. Balling her fists, hot tears flowed down her cheeks before they dripped down her chin, turning cold as it mixed with the pouring rain.

"No..." she quietly said. A sob escaped her. "I hate this place!"

"Really?"

Shoes met her vision and Yui slowly looked up, loosening her grip on her forearms.

She blinked in surprise. "Subaru?"

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Subaru didn't even bat an eyelid as he stared at the vulnerable figure beneath him.

"Ah...Subaru...?" Yui hugged herself tighter. Her tears ran vigorously down her face, surpassing the raindrops and splashing onto pavement. "I don't...want to be here..."

Subaru sighed. "And you were so determined to stay here moments ago. Do you want to leave this place?"

All Yui heard was her heartbeat. The pitter-pattering rain and the howls of the wind were merely background noises, muffled along with Subaru's voice.

"...Did you know about the triplets?" she quietly asked.

"Yes."

"They kill—they killed their mother."

"What of it?"

Yui looked up and was met with Subaru's indifferent expression.

"Why are you so surprised?" he said. "You should have realised that monsters aren't exactly angelic."

"I..."

"You can't run away...or are you planning on doing what the triplets did?"

Yui's eyes flickered. "Wh...what do you mean?"

Subaru leaned down. "Are you planning to kill us monsters?"

"No!" Yui placed her hands over her ears. After a long pause, her squeezed lids loosened. After another few seconds, her eyes slowly opened.

"Of-of course not," she stuttered. "Please don't say things like that..."

Subaru dug his hands in his pockets. "Then what is a powerless human like you gonna do?"

"I-I don't know," Yui replied. "I...I can't do very much..."

"Oh? Took you long enough to realise that."

The corner of Yui's eyes began to sting. She raised her head. "Y-You don't have to say it like—"

Subaru lifted her into his arms. Yui's eyes were wide.

"S-Subaru?! What are you—"

"Shut up," the albino said. "Don't be mistaken. Guinevere won't be pleased if the both of us caught a cold. That's all."

Yui softened for the first time. "...Thank you."

"Don't thank a monster like me." Subaru was looking away, but the disgust and shame in his voice were unmissable.