You couldn't remember the last time you could think clearly. You hadn't even been down here that long...you think. Maybe two days?
"Hey, Y/N." Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the door swing open and a little light flood in before the rest of the damp basement before the fluorescent overhead flickered on. "Are you still upset?"
Upset was a light word for how you felt.
Maybe angry to the point you would rip his head off and shove it up his ass was a better descriptor.
"I see...You'll warm back up to me eventually." His footsteps came closer until he stood right in front of you.
With your arms pinned behind your back and with your legs wrapped around the base of the chair, you couldn't do much to save yourself from motions like his constant nagging.
"One day, you'll appreciate this, dear." He knelt down and went to move your chin up to face him. Instead, you heavily flinched. You no longer loved the monster that was in front of you. You despised it. Loathed with every particle of your being.
"Come on, Y/N...work with me a little."
You didn't respond. Maybe because it was the fear of letting him know how you truly felt. Maybe you were just so mad, you couldn't form words. You didn't even know yourself.
"Please? I-I'll let you off the chair for a little?"
As soon as his offer left his mouth, you quickly glanced up at him.
"...alright."
It was the first word you'd spoken since this all happened.
Kusuo's head poked up at you like an innocent dog. He quickly untied all of the ropes, touching your body a lot longer than needed.
"Y-Y/N! I'm so glad you're talking to me again!" He had a wide grin as you stood up.
You stood face to face, nearly breathing down his neck.
"I...hate you." Staring into his eyes, you knew this wouldn't change anything.
"It's okay, Y/N..." He mumbled. "I love you."
Kusuo gently pulled you into a hug, trying his best to keep his composure.
"She doesn't hate me, she doesn't hate me, she doesn't hate me."
The basement was silent for a while.
"Do you mean it?" You spoke up, pushing him away from you.
"That I love you? Of course, I do! I love you more than coffee jelly or myself."
"Then you wouldn't do this."
Sitting back onto the chair you eyed his reaction. His smile faded into an emotionless expression.
"You'll understand why I'm doing this one day."
"Shut up. You're exactly like Vincent." Scoffing, you looked away.
"No, you shut it!" Kusuo shouted. It was the first time you'd seen him truly angry. "Don't compare me to that ungrateful son of a bitch! He didn't love you, Y/N! I love you! What the fuck don't you understand?!"
"I understand why you're doing this. You're doing this because something is making you. Not because you love me."
"I-I..." He went quiet while he racked his brain for another argument. "No."
"No? No what?"
"No."
Kusuo frowned heavily before turning to the basement steps.
"I-I'll be back down later. I really hope you change your attitude."
***
The Saiki family basement was infinitely better than Vincent's. It was warm and didn't have any torture devices like knives and such.
Kusuo had forgotten to tie you up, leaving you with a free rein in the entire basement. It was simply a small room lined with concrete but it was an improvement from the chair.
Walking from corner to corner, you preoccupied yourself with false promises of safety from your parents.
Maybe they would save you.
"Kusuo, little brother, how have you been?" Faintly, conversations from upstairs arose.
There was no response. Collapsing onto the floor tiredly, you continued to listen in.
"...You know you hurt my feelings when you act like that, dude."
It was Kuusuke. He sounded kind of like you. Maybe Kusuo was speaking telepathically or something.
"Ooo~ who's in the basement?" Suddenly, as the words were spoken, the door swung open.
"Kusuo, dear, let him go down. It might be best for her if she talks to someone else."
From behind the tallish figure trailing down the steps, you made eye contact with Kusuo for a split second who was being held back by his mother, comforting his panicked state.
"Y/N, right?" Kuusuke smiled, kneeling.
"Yeah, how's it going?" You didn't know how to react.
"Pretty well. How are you?"
"Been better. Not my first time being kidnapped."
"...Kusuo's really gone insane, hasn't he?" Kuusuke rolled his eyes and sat in front of you, crossing his legs.
"I guess..." You trailed off, looking at some mold growing in the corner of the room. "You knew, didn't you?"
He made an amused sound, "Know what?"
"About what would happen. About what was wrong with me. About everything."
He chuckled and nodded.
"I guess I should've seen it coming. Maybe if I wasn't so blinded by my foolishness or something..."
"Eh, Kusuo's always been a little out of whack. It isn't entirely your fault, Y/N."
Quickly, you snapped your head back towards him.
Kuusuke may have been a jerk to you at first but...god damn, he was a smart jerk.
"Can you get me out of here?" You whispered.
"Of course, I can. It'll cost you, though."
"150,000,000 yen in unmarked bills."
He was taken aback.
"I-I was gonna say 100,000 but, hell yeah."
Kuusuke held out his hand and you quickly shook it. He had a misleading grin that only spoke trouble.
"You got a plan, girly?"
"Yeah!" You grinned in return, "My parents are coming to Japan in a few days and Kusuo will have to let me go see them. I think they're giving me something that'll stop my curse and then you can simply preoccupy him until the effects of my curse wear off and then convince him to let me go."
Kuusuke looked at you for a moment, waiting to say something. But he didn't. He simply held his thought.
"Sounds good, kid. I'm stayin' here for a week or something so we could just hang out until then. I'm sure you're already tired of seeing his ugly lil' face."
You smiled softly and looked upon him with kind eyes.
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Kuusuke."
"Anything to make that little piss boy angry.