insouciant || ON HIATUS

ℂℍ𝔸ℙ𝕋𝔼ℝ 𝟚

"Cathartic..." Mamoru looked out the window and glanced at the street. Claire knew he said the word not out of curiosity, but more to test the word on his tongue.

The silver-haired woman rested her hand on his palm and gave him a warm smile. "Mamoru-kun. If you want to go running right now, you can. I'm not leaving for another 40 minutes."

He gave her a look, like he was trying to figure out what she was saying. "I will try running," he decided. Carefully, he drank the rest of his tea and stood up, being mindful that his sister was still sleeping.

"I trust you know your way around by now?" Claire asked. She already knew his answer, but she asked to double check. He'd been out with her and without her on so many errands, he probably knew his way around Tokyo like a native.

"Yes." Mamoru left the kitchen for a few minutes and appeared in a long sleeved sweatshirt, leggings, and tennis shoes. He was delighted to know the leggings had a pocket for the ipod.

Claire had to stifle a laugh at the color schematic he presented. The clothes he chose were all black with a red stripe down the leggings. His hair, which was like freshly fallen snow, stood out like a beacon in the night.

"Be back in 30 minutes," she warned lightly. "Look both ways for cars, please."

She tried not to talk to him like a child, knowing he was a lot more mature than other kids his age, but it was difficult. Claire wanted to keep him in the house where he was safe and away from the dangers of the world.

But at the same time, she was already aware he'd been exposed to the world in one of the harshest ways possible. All she could do was expose more to him in a more gentle light.

"I will," Mamoru reassured. "I will be back in less than 30 minutes."

He was out the door in the next few minutes, nose already stinging from the cold. Like a curious toddler, he breathed out, watching the cloudy breath dissipate in the chilly morning. The sun was starting to rise higher so he slipped his earbud wire under his sweatshirt and slipped the earbuds in his wire.

Mamoru clicked play and waited for the first song.

It was in English.

A peek at the title told him the song was called Beautiful People. It had a nice beat behind it so he left it alone and took off on a light jog.

Me in the middle with someone I love and

We're just tryna figure everything out

It was a nice day, he mused. Mamoru saw only a few people out and about, either rushing off to work or running, like him. As he jogged, he followed the concrete road, being mindful of the streets he was crossing.

We don't fit in well

'Cause we are just ourselves

I could use some help

Tokyo wasn't a quiet city by any means. It was often bustling with people and cars, bright with neon lights and vivid colors of the people, just like America.

But at some point, everything seemed to fall quiet and the sounds of nature were thrust into the light.

The song died down before switching to another one, something a little faster. He didn't even bother to look at the name of the song.

Run boy run! This world is not made for you

Run boy run! They're trying to catch you

Run boy run! Running is a victory

Run boy run! Beauty lays behind the hills

Unconsciously, his legs cycled faster. Mamoru was lost in the rhythmic beats and the well-placed handclaps. The Tokyo streets began to blur together, his sights focused on the path in front of him.

Tomorrow is another day

And you won't have to hide away

You'll be a man, boy!

But for now it's time to run, it's time to run!

Faster, faster, faster. He felt like he was dying, chest burning and his heart clawing from his chest. His legs felt numb, but there was a pattern he couldn't seem to break out of.

He'd never felt better.

Tomorrow is another day

And when the night fades away

You'll be a man, boy!

But for now it's time to run, it's time to run!

The music got faster still. Words didn't register in his head, but something about the beat persuaded him to run faster. The music crescendoed into something inspirational, motivating, determined.

And then it stopped.

Mamoru came to a slow stop, feeling as though he'd keel over. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and he was dripping in sweat. His legs were shaking so bad, he thought he really would fall.

He sat down, surveying his new environment. It wasn't too unfamiliar, though he didn't remember being here. It wouldn't be too difficult to find his way back, since he followed the street and made no turns.

The feeling of adrenaline still coursed through his veins. Something exhilarating made his heart race, though his exhaustion was probably part of the cause. The shaking in his legs hadn't stopped, but he couldn't help but feel as though he wanted more of that feeling.

He wanted more of that high, even though it hurt. His head was still fuzzy from lack of oxygen, but it was starting to register to him that he felt so much lighter than before.

It was cathartic.

Mamoru stood up and stretched his limbs, wincing at the muscle spasms and the ache. He'd go slower this time, he promised himself.

At a decent pace, he jogged back to Claire's, making it back to the house in under 30 minutes, like he promised.

Just as he went inside, the people of Tokyo made their way out of the house to start their day.

𝄥𝄞────────────── 𝄇

I don't know squat about the Japanese 

characters, so I had to look up some 

information. If I got something wrong, 

I'm very sorry about that. As a disclaimer, 

again, I don't own the songs. They're 

Beautiful People by Ed Sheeran 

and Run Boy Run by Woodkid respectively.

𝄥𝄞────────────── 𝄇