"Kenta-nii, make sure you stay here. Mom will be home soon."
Arata said, looking worried at his cousin's actions.
"Sure..."
Kenta said, painting on his canvas.
But before Arata could leave, a knock on the door was heard, with Arata going downstairs to open the door.
Meanwhile with Kenta, he was working on a rather...gloomy painting. It was a reaper of some sorts, holding a large scythe with a face on it. It was simply horrifying to look at. Shortly after he finished a few more strokes, his door opened and a soft but strict voice called out to him.
"Kenta."
Sayo's voice called out.
"Sayo...what are you doing here?"
Kenta asked, not bothering to turn around as he continued to paint.
"Is it wrong to see my old childhood friend?"
Sayo asked.
"If that childhood friend tried to commit suicide, then probably."
Kenta explained, putting the brush down.
"A ghost? It kind of looks a bit scary..."
Sayo judged the painting, with Kenta looking at it.
"It's my favorite card...I sometimes play Vanguard with Kenta, and I got a bit hooked onto it."
Kenta explained.
"I see."
Sayo replied.
And right now, the both of them are in dead silence, with Kenta signing his name on the bottom right before looking at Sayo.
"I finished my painting, and my aunt will be home soon, so what do you want?"
Kenta asked, this time, looking annoyed with Sayo's antics.
"I told you remember? I want you to hate me, that way, you have a reason to live."
Sayo said, with determination in her voice.
"You fool. Like that will make me hate you."
Kenta replied, moving closer to her.
"As a matter of fact, I can never hate you. No...no matter how much I look at it, I will never hate you now."
Kenta explained.
"W-What are you...?"
Sayo stuttered, with her looking very confused, and rightfully so.
"Take responsibility."
Kenta declared, with a small blush on his face, but nonetheless, he tried to keep his composure.
"W-What are you talking about!?"
Sayo cried out, obviously blushing from that remark.
"You saved me!"
Kenta yelled.
"You saved me...now...now..."
Kenta said, before breaking down in tears as he looked at his legs.
"Now I can't...lay back down and sulk anymore...!"
Kenta exclaimed.
"W-What...!?"
Sayo asked, this time looking at the determination in his eyes.
"Because you saved me damn it...now...now I can't..."
Kenta said as he let out a few more sobs before recomposing himself.
"I'm sorry..."
Sayo apologized.
"I...placed a heavy burden on you, haven't I...?"
Sayo asked, the look of sadness on her face.
"Sayo, you did nothing wrong, let me take all the blame, please...you're my savior after all so..."
Kenta said as he recomposed himself and Sayo held his hand.
"Kenta...I can't leave you alone for a second, now can I...?"
Sayo teased, with him going to a blank canvas and starting to stroke his pencil upon it.
"Hold still."
Kenta ordered, moving his hand quickly, and already sketching everything with decent details.
"Alright, you can move now, if it's just a quick sketch, it should be easy enough. I can just add more details after."
Kenta explained.
"Why did you suddenly start sketching me?"
Sayo asked.
"Because...you look beautiful...that and think of it as a small "Thank you" from me..."
Kenta simply stated, adding more details to his canvas.
"W-What do you-"
Sayo exclaimed, with her face getting slightly red from the remark.
"I'm an artist...I simply want to capture the beauty of things in my canvas...that is all."
Kenta replied plainly, like nothing was wrong with what he said.
"After all, Sayo, I just tried to end my life, my feelings are the last thing I want to consider at this time."
Kenta complained, finishing the details.
Ah...how painful...
"Sayo, thank you...for everything..."
Kenta stated, putting down his things and moving closer to Sayo.
"Also don't think I haven't noticed, after what happened yesterday, Hina was crying at me for hours in the hospital."
He then complained, with Sayo realizing the situation she's in now.
"Oh, the stories she told me~"
Kenta teased, pushing himself out of the room.
"K-Kenta...!"
Sayo complained, running after him.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Kenta reassured, getting himself a glass of water, before going near a window, staring at the beautiful sky.
"Right now, I just want to be normal...but it's just hard, especially with how much it hurts..."
Kenta stated.
"Tell me, did I do something wrong? And was that sin so great that my parents had to pay that price...?"
Kenta asked, staring out the window.
"Of course not!"
Sayo exclaimed.
"Then tell me why...was my entire existence a mistake? Is my everything a mistake...!?"
Kenta retorted, stopping his tears.
"I just want to know...why..."
Kenta asked himself, thinking that he was to blame for everything.
"Kenta, please stop doing this to yourself."
Sayo ordered, as if snapping at him.
"You're not only insulting yourself, but insulting all those that want you alive."
Sayo scolded, crossing her arms.
"Who wants me to live, I wonder...I know my aunt and cousin do, but...is there really anyone else?"
Kenta teased, laughing at his pain.
"Stop it..."
Sayo muttered.
"Hina maybe...you probably hate me now..."
He continued.
"I told you to stop it...!"
Sayo snapped, mad at the words Kenta uttered as he looked at her.
"Don't treat yourself like that! You're deserving of love, you're deserving of good things, you're deserving of hope, no matter how small it is!"
She screamed towards him, skipping the formalities and just hugged him tightly.
"Sayo, let go..."
Kenta asked, trying to push her away.
"No way..."
She replied, hugging him tighter.
"Please...I don't want to be hugged...I don't want..."
He retorted, trying harder to push her away.
"I said no...! I'm not letting the one I loved for so long go anymore!"
Sayo yelled, tightening her hug
"I don't...I don't want...I don't deserve it..."
Kenta cried out, doing his best to push Sayo back, but she wouldn't back down, not anymore, not after all this!
"I won't ever leave you ever again, Kenta. I won't ever let you feel alone, ever again..."
Sayo said, this time, kneeling in front of Kenta and holding his hand.
"So please...I beg of you, Ichigo Kenta...live..."
This might as well just be seen as a proposal to the young man, but Kenta was already set in his ways, he won't let her win her over like this!
"L-Let go..."
Kenta begged, trying his best to push her away.
"If not for your own sake, then mine..."
She didn't stop. Instead, she just stayed in that position, her arms around Kenta's body as he tried to push her back.
"Please...just-"
It was then, Sayo gave Kenta all of her heartfelt feelings to the one in front of her.
With her lips, she silenced Kenta, all his doubts, his self-loathing, his despair...all of them, with a single pair of lips.
"So please...don't leave us alone..."
She begged, but...
More importantly...
"Don't leave me...Kenta..."
She pleaded with all her heart, this time, Kenta was staring at her.
He didn't know why...but at this moment...
Sayo...looked extremely beautiful...
"T-This isn't fair...!"
He called out, surprising Sayo.
"If it's you...if it's you...I obviously have no choice but to listen to you...!"
He exclaimed, his face finally giving in as he turned a bit red, looking away as Sayo couldn't help but give a slight chuckle.
"There's the Kenta-chan I remember..."
Giving a small smile, Sayo was just amused by what she was seeing as she gently caressed his cheek with her right hand.
Kenta was never at all as reserved as he is like now, instead, he was a lot more bashful, as she simply looked at him.
"Then, are you free? We can hangout again, but this time, somewhere without cliffs..."
She said, slightly teasing him with that.
"You changed..."
Kenta then said, with him trying to gently push her away.
"You can't push me away, Kenta."
Sayo stated, gently moving his hand away and moving in closer.
"T-This is sexual harassment...! Lecher! Seductress...!"
He blurted out, trying to run away. But thanks to his wheelchair, Sayo was able to take full advantage of the situation.
After an hour, Marina came back with some food and of course, her usual smile.
"Kenta! I'm home~! Oh, Sayo-chan!"
Marina exclaimed, noticing the girl in the house.
"Oh, Marina-san. Apologies for coming unannounced."
Sayo greeted back.
"Don't worry about it. I should thank you, at least I now know that Kenta wasn't alone."
She replied.
"Yes. Now, if you would excuse me. I hope you don't mind if I were to visit more often, Marina-san."
Sayo said, giving a gentle smile to Marina.
"Come around as much as you want."
She replied, letting Sayo leave and started looking for Kenta.
"Kenta! I'm home!"
She called out once more, opening Kenta's art room, with him there, finishing a painting.
"M-Marina-san..."
Kenta called out.
Curious, Marina looked at him and then, the painting.
"Hm? Is that...Sayo-chan?"
She asked.
"She asked me to do a portrait...she saved me, so it was the least I could do..."
He stated, not daring to look at Marina. Not out of guilt, but out of embarrassment. His face could be compared to a tomato in terms of redness.
"Is that so...I'll start making dinner then. Clean up before we eat."
She said, leaving Kenta's room.
As he then let out a very tired exhale, Kenta could do nothing but stare at the painting he made.
"Honestly..."
"What made you like me...after all..."
"I'm the worst example of a human being."
A/N: Ah...a bit short, huh...don't worry, I'll have more out soon, so don't worry!