rooftop rumor

11.

WITH KOU AND MITSUBA
THIRD POV

"oh, look, minamoto-kun! a shooting star! it started!! it's supposed to last 1-2 hours, i wonder how many we'll see within that time!" mitsuba was looking outside the dark night as he pointed to all the stars he saw. "minamoto-kun, look stars! yeah, so, uh, haha.. it's pretty, but uh can you maybe let go now?" "i'm not looking at them." kou replied. "and you know why? because i am more concerned about you than stars." "is this some type of love confession?" mitsuba made a cat-like face as he backed away from the flustered kou. "that's not what i meant!! anyways, like how you told us, we went to the mysterious tower and met a wonder there. she told us that in order to go back, we'd have to kill you, hanako and yu-chan."

"hmph." he pouted as he looked away. "mitsuba, did you send us there knowing that already?" "you loose your memories the longer you stay here. so maybe if you spent your time in the tower, you'll forget by the time you get out. what a shame." mitsuba's eyes emptied. he smiled in disappointment. "mitsuba, why are you doing this?" "i thought i told you already, me and yu-chan... our wish to be human!" mitsuba turned into his school mystery form, everything that was light like paper flew all around.

kou gasped in fear. he never wanted to see mitsuba like that. the way tsukasa made him. "what? are you scared?" mitsuba teased. though, teasing wasn't needed in their situation. "scaredy cat with a lame earring! don't worry, i won't do anything. Just look-y here," mitsuba walked to the window where he was watching the stars. he press gently on the glass and then there was videos— memories of him.

"i can use the school mystery's power!" "wh-what!?" "these are all the memories of the school, a replay of past events." mitsuba stared at the window, his past memories playing over and over. "the moment i ceased to exist. the time i spent with you. the days when i was still alive. everything since i entered this school. my former self trying to make friends and failing. so lonely all by myself. i'm so... envious." mitsuba's smile turned into a frown towards the end of his sentence. "at the entrance ceremony, my family comes and sees me. when i talk to someone they listen. attending school with others, doing club activities. it seems nice."

"i want— i want to keep on living!" a fainted tone of mitsuba's voice spoke. "Then why not give it a try?" tsukasa's face appeared on the window. him using hand to keep his head up for support. his empty eyes and his cruel smile. "you!" kou yelled referring "you" as tsukasa. "calm down, it's just a image." mitsuba rolled him eyes. another event of tsukasa and mitsuba played. "A fake world! A world inside a painting! in that place your wish can come true right away!" a former tsukasa explained.

"really!? in that case...." the event ended and it was playing other memories. kou was mad, no he was furious. "you— you got tricked by that squirt after all! you simple buffoon!" "buf- huh!? i wasn't tricked! it was my choice!" "shut up, dumbass! haven't you seen what he turned you into!?" "i know! i know! i know he doesn't care about me! but who else is there!? yu-chan is like me! she wants to be human too, but she can't grant it, she can't. she can only do it for humans—" "we are not talking about yu-chan—" "so who!? who else, minamoto-kun!?" mitsuba yelled in many emotions but anger and sadness was the most noticeable.

"that's...!!" "even you, minamoto-kun!" mitsuba pressed the glass again to make a memory play. "minamoto-kun..!" a soft voice called. kou turned his head to the window. "could we have been friends if i were still alive?" kou's eyes softened. "mitsuba..." "you see, you don't even care about me. you want that mitsuba. i don't even matter!" the glass broke just how aoi and akane did. in pieces the glass went. "ouch!"