unrevised.
/ chapter 50 /
[Authors Note: This chapter's events took place before the previous chapter.]
Hatori was lost in his own thoughts as he walked the halls he dreads so much. His legs extended one after the other in a rhythmic pattern as he kept a safe hand on breast pocket of his coat as to reassure himself the precious item he discovered with Ayame was still there.
"When were you going to tell me the truth?" The dark-haired man asked the man sitting across from him, his face remaining stoic.
"About?" The host of the Dog Spirit asked, lifting his brows as he looked up from his book. "I have a lot of secrets, Haa-san. You're going to have to be more specific." Shigure joked before turning back to his book.
Hatori's purple eyes sharpened. He could usually tolerate his friend's humour but he couldn't at the moment, not when it involved someone he cares for. He needed answers and he needed them now.
He tucked his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a familiar looking object. Placing it down, he slid it across the table. Shigure's grey eyes shifted from his novel once again and he followed the movement of photograph. He stared down silently at the picture.
After what felt like moments later, he finally lifted his eyes away from the photograph and looked directly at Hatori with his face devoid of any humour or joy. Shigure had rather a calm expression, one Hatori was already expecting.
"Ah, so you've discovered." Shigure nonchalantly said.
Hatori looked at him in disbelief as Shigure sighed and closed his novel shut, placing it to the side of him.
How could he act so nonchalant about this? Almost as if he didn't care that he knew about her all along, that she wasn't worth mentioning... let alone saving.
Hatori couldn't deny the guilt eating away at him ever since he saw the photograph of the four of them. They had long forgotten about her and left her to suffer all alone.
"Why can't I remember anything?" Hatori continued to quiz.
Shigure let out another sigh. "I can't tell you much because I don't know the answer. All I do know is that my memories have been coming back a lot more than they have recently."
"'A lot more than they have'? What do you mean by that?"
"I.. had my first memory of the four of us for a while now from back when we were young. I didn't say anything because I thought my mind was playing tricks. But since then, I started remembering bits and pieces so vividly that it started to become too much for me to regard it as nothing. You know what this means right?"
Both Hatori and Shigure glanced at each other in silence.
Hatori couldn't deny the fact that he already an inkling suspicion. The curse that caused so much grief and pain throughout each generation was somehow weakening now, and as a result of that, he, too, had begun to dream of things that he could now call his forgotten memories.
Shigure adjusted the sleeves of his yukata and tucked his hands inside as Hatori conjured another question he'd been meaning to ask.
"You knew exactly where Ichika lived when I asked you that one time, why is that?"
Shigure contemplated on answering, but Hatori, who sensed his hesitance, glowered at him. The bearer of the Dog Spirit sweatdropped.
"You learn a lot of deep, dark secrets when you're around Akito. I knew of Ichika even before Akito did the big reveal of her existence, of course I'd know where she lived." Shigure sighed defeatedly. "I told you, haven't I? I'm the dirtiest one out of all of us. I'm selfish and calculative and use people as a means to get my way, even it meant hiding Ichika."
"You couldn't stop to think for even one second what consequences caught up to your actions? Have you seen the conditions she was living in? I found her locked up in a shed, for God's sake," Hatori argued. "Why couldn't you take her with you when you took Yuki and Kyo?"
"I had my reasons." He heard his friend state.
Hatori shook his head this time. "Your reasons were unforgivable."
"Yes... I know that..." Shigure whispers in a regretful tone, his grey eyes saddened.
"Akito."
Hatori met the eyes of the frail-looking God whom turned to face him the moment he entered the room. The paper thin doors closed shut behind him, secluding them in the room from any outsiders as he kneeled and sat formally on his tucked legs.
The God's empty expressions brightened at the Dragon's presence. Her lips formed a smile, but nothing about it was genuine. It was unbearable to look at and always had a way to make it harder for him to breathe. Akito's smile and happiness had never been genuine, not for a long, long time to say the least.
"Hatori..." She uttered in a melodic tone, "You've finally come to see me. I've missed you so much."
Akito stepped out of the shadows and slowly begun to approach the older male. Hatori could see that she wasn't dressed in her usual traditional robes meant for men but rather a black turtle neck and dark jeans. He thought it was odd, but didn't question it. He also noticed her hair has grown a tad bit longer.
Hatori tensed subtly when Akito stopped in front of him. His view remained on the floor until he felt a hand caress his cheek and moved his head up so he would look directly in her eyes.
"Have you finally come back to me?" Akito questioned with so much hope and excitement.
It was too bad that hope and excitement got crushed in the next couple of moments when Hatori shook his head and removed her hand from his face.
Akito was surprised at Hatori's defiance. She should have been used to it by now, seeing how he no longer came to see her and no longer allowed her to do as she pleased with him.
Hatori could no longer be controlled by her.
That thought made her annoyed. In her head, she was quick to blame Ichika. If it weren't for her, Hatori would still be listening to her. He would do her bids without questioning, he would allow her to touch him without questioning. Ichika was a bug, and she wanted to get rid of her.
But she couldn't because no matter how much she hated her for taking Hatori away, she loved her too.
Akito hated and loved both Hatori and Ichika.
"I'm here to talk about Ichika."
Akito felt a pang in her heart at Hatori's words. The God took a step back, putting a distance from the both of them. But of course, Hatori wasn't here for her. He wasn't here to return to his rightful place next to her, nor was he here to pretend to love her again. He was here for someone else that's not Akito.
Akito dropped her gaze to the floor, a sense of sadness and hopelessness began to overwhelm her. She's lost control of Hatori.. hasn't she..? The God's lips curled up into a small smile and her sad eyes softened. No, she was mistaken. It wasn't that she 'lost control' of him, but rather, he grew a pair of wings and flew away.
He flew away from the birdcage.
And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
Akito was so used to things going her way. She liked to be in control of things and she liked things in her clutches. It was quite a contrast from her childhood, where she had little to no control over her own life. The elders were always towering over her, bombarding her with their expectations and their stupid damn rules that a little child barely passed elementary could even come to understand.
"You're going to be the Head of the Family! You need to start learning how to take on responsibility!" They'd tell her.
But how did 'learning how to take on responsibility' turn out like this? She grew up and took on too much responsibility that it turned into control. Dictation, control, power. It was all in the palm of her hands. If she kept gaining power, there would be no one else to tell her what to do. There would no one else to bombard her with their expectations of her.
She finally reached her goal in gaining power and control... but now she couldn't stop. It was like driving a car so fast on the road and the breaks stop working. The car would hit anyone and anything on the road no matter how much you're screaming and crying for it to stop so you'd stop hurting people.
Akito just couldn't stop hurting people. It was second nature to her.
She watched him dig into his pocket and pull out a photograph.
Akito's mouth went dry as she got a good glimpse of the picture.
"I need to know everything, Akito," Hatori addressed. "I need to know the truth."
"And why should I answer you?" She made a snarky reply. "How would you know that I would even have an answer for you in the first place?"
Hatori furrowed his brows. "I came here for answers and I won't leave without any. I'm tired of these mysteries and these secrets, and I'm sure Ichika is too, seeing as how you've colluded with her parents to hide her for years."
Akito shifted her vision from him as she turned her body away from the truth. She hugged her arms around her body. "You..." She started but didn't finish. Then she shut her eyes and sighed deeply. "You really should have stayed oblivious, Hatori. The truth isn't pretty, especially when the one who erased the memories was none other than yourself."
Hatori's eyes widened and he froze in his spot. "What?"