Hi! I've realized that I made a little mistake with the ages in my last chapter (I got confused by the time skip... and now you can see how good I am at maths, haha!). Since Shouto had just been born, Touya should have been 9, Fuyumi and (Y/N) 8, and Natsuo 4-5 (or Shouto should have been older).
So I'm going to rectify that right now! To recap, in this chapter, Touya is 13, (Y/N) and Fuyumi are 12, Natsuo is 9 and Shouto is 5. Sorry again for this blunder ;-)*Also, when I write (Y/LN) in this chapter, it means "your last name" !
A year and a half later
The end of August was approaching and life would soon return to normal.
The end of summer meant, of course, the start of a new school year. I was now approaching my thirteenth birthday and, for the first time, I was incredibly nervous about the start of the new school year, as I would be entering my first year of college. Luckily, Fuyumi would still be going to the same school as me, and it was a great comfort to know that I wouldn't be completely alone in this lion's den full of horny teenagers.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time with my friends that summer, as my parents had decided to go on a humanitarian trip. We had left at the end of June to travel all around Japan, with the aim of helping the people who were in need. My father had cooked astronomical quantities of food to distribute free of charge, and my mother and I had visited several homeless shelters to help the sick. Of course, the trip had been a golden opportunity for my medical training and I'd loved the experience, but I'd missed Fuyumi and Touya enormously and looked forward to seeing them again.
Thus, as soon as I got home, before even taking the time to unpack, I jumped on the phone to call the Todoroki. When Fuyumi told me that her father had gone out of town for the day with Shouto, I rushed out the door with the intention of going to see them, but Mom quickly called me back, forcing me to sort through the clothes in my suitcase so she could do some laundry.
When my chores were done and I was finally ready to go and visit my friends, Mom mentioned that she wanted to come with me, which was not her habit. In fact, she said she wanted to discuss something with Mrs. Rei. Worried, I immediately asked some subtle questions to see if she had any idea what was going on at the Todoroki, but she just winked at me and said she had a surprise for me.
Increasingly intrigued, I took my place beside my mother in the car. For most of the ride, I tried to question her about why she wanted to talk to Rei, but she only responded with frustratingly mischievous smiles.
When we finally arrived, I almost ran out of the car and literally jumped into Fuyumi's arms, as she was waiting for me outside.
"Hi, Fu!" I said, hugging my friend.
"(Y/N)! I missed you so much!"
Laughing, we hugged for several long seconds before letting go. I heard my mother's car door slam behind me as she walked towards us, a broad smile on her face.
"What a lovely reunion!" said Mom. "Did you have a good summer, Fuyumi?"
"Yes, ma'am," my friend replied politely, bowing in greeting to my mother.
"Wonderful," replied Mom. "Tell me, is your mother here? I'd like to talk to her about something."
"Uh... y-yes, she is..." stammered Fuyumi, giving me a brief worried glance. "Follow me, please."
We followed my friend's lead into the living room. Mrs. Rei was sitting on the couch, a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. When she saw us, she stood up, putting down her things and looking surprised.
"Good morning, madam," Rei greeted politely, stepping towards my mother. "Good morning, (Y/N)."
"Good morning, Mrs. Rei," I replied with a smile.
My mother also greeted her, gently extending her hand.
"Can we talk for a moment?" asked my mother. "I'd like to talk to you about an idea I've had."
An idea? Which idea? My curiosity now piqued to the maximum, I tried to subtly follow the adults to the kitchen as they moved away, but Fuyumi gently grabbed my shoulder to hold me back.
"I feel reassured by what she said," she murmured. "I was afraid your mother..."
"She doesn't suspect anything, don't worry."
Fuyumi smiled piteously, then beckoned me to follow her, heading for Touya's room, which had been shared with Natsuo for some time.
"I know someone who'll be happy to see you again," she winked. "My brother hasn't stopped talking about you all summer."
"Really?" I wondered.
"Yes, he has. I think he really missed your little secret training sessions... but I think he especially missed you."
"Uh..." I said, suddenly embarrassed. "Well, I... I missed him too... a lot."
With another wink that made me roll my eyes, Fuyumi knocked on her brothers' bedroom door. Small, rapid footsteps were heard, and then the door opened on Natsuo, who smiled broadly when he recognized me.
"Hi, (Y/N)!" he said, coming over to give me a big hug.
"Hello, Natsu! Hey, you've grown again! I mean, what are you, like six feet tall?"
Natsuo laughed happily as he stepped back, then returned to the room, beckoning us in. Fuyumi and I followed him, and I finally caught sight of Touya, sitting in front of his computer. When he saw me, he stood up and took a step towards me, waving shyly in greeting. He seemed to have grown a bit too, but he was still rather small for a thirteen-year-old boy. I had the impression that it was only a matter of months before Natsuo surpassed him in height, even though he was only nine... But the detail that struck me most was that his hair was now entirely white. Not a trace of red was visible.
"Hello, Touya," I said, smiling at him. "How are you?"
"Fine, and you?"
I immediately noticed that his voice had become a little deeper. How long had I been gone, for heaven's sake? His voice had begun to change, his hair, which had taken years to turn white, was now entirely that color, and he'd even gained a few inches... All that in just a few weeks! Questioning myself briefly if I'd changed much too that summer, I replied:
"I'm fine too. How was your vacation?"
"Uh... boring. How was your trip?"
"It was great. I've got so much to tell you..."
"Knock knock," came Rei's voice from behind us, startling us. "Can we come in for a minute?"
Mom and my friend's mother entered the room. I noticed that Mom's smile was even wider than before. Even Mrs. Rei was smiling, which had become rather rare over the years. However, there was something fake and strained about her smile... as if it were forced.
"How would you like to go on vacation for a few days, kids?" Rei asked, looking at her three children.
"Vacation?" asked Natsuo, surprised. "Where?"
"Camping, to be precise. (Y/N)'s parents wanted to make the most of their last days off and were planning to go camping by a lake. I've given Mrs. (Y/LN) permission to bring the three of you along... if you feel like it, of course."
"Yippee!" exclaimed Natsuo joyfully, pumping his fist in the air.
"We're leaving again?" I asked, turning to Mom. "Where to? When? You didn't tell me!"
"We're only leaving for the weekend," Mom informed me with a wink. "That was the surprise. Dad and I thought you'd like to have your friends with you for a few days. Actually, we won't be camping in tents, but rather in a cozy little cottage that belonged to your grandfather. Before you were born, we used to go there often. Uncle Teddy did some cleaning up a few days ago and the place is ready for us. There's a lake, we can swim, we can hike..."
"Hurray!" interrupted Natsuo again, jumping out of bed. "When are we leaving, ma'am?"
"Would you like to go?" Mrs. Rei asked, looking at Touya and Fuyumi.
"Yes," they answered in unison.
"Will Shouto come with us?" inquired Fuyumi, turning to her mother.
"N-no," she stammered, blushing slightly. "Mrs (Y/LN) is very kind, she wanted to give your father and me a little... hum... romantic vacation, but..."
"But there's no way Dad's going to let his precious little Shouto go, right?" said Touya bitterly.
I gave him a discreet look to let him know not to say anything more in front of my mother, but Mrs. Rei beat me to it.
"Your father will want to continue Shouto's training," she declared in a detached tone. "Unfortunately, it's not up to me, as you know."
Touya sighed loudly but added nothing as he turned away. The sudden tension in the air was palpable and I prayed Mom wouldn't notice.
"I suggest you start packing," my mother said with a smile. "We're leaving tomorrow evening. Remember to bring warm clothes, a bathing suit and sunscreen."
I noticed that she seemed slightly puzzled by Touya's intervention, but she didn't ask any questions and followed Mrs. Rei out of the room and back into the kitchen.
"Why did you say that?" muttered Fuyumi, turning to her big brother as soon as the door closed behind our mothers.
"It just came out," he grumbled, returning to his computer. "Now get out, all of you. I've got things to do."
"You're hopeless," Fuyumi retorted, taking Natsuo's hand and grabbing my wrist. "Come on, let's go outside and play without this killjoy."
"Wait a second," I said, gently pulling myself free. "Go ahead, I'll join you."
Fuyumi nodded, giving Touya one last discouraged look, then left the room, dragging Natsuo behind her.
"You're hard on your little sister, you know?" I said, turning to Touya with a smile.
"I didn't ask for your opinion."
"Oh my, you're grumpy today!" I teased him.
Touya rolled his eyes, then began to type on a few keys on his keyboard.
"What are you doing?" I asked, moving closer to him.
"Trying not to get killed."
Intrigued, I glanced at the screen to see my friend leading a virtual soldier in an online game.
"And that's better than coming outside with us?" I said, giving him a friendly nudge.
"No, but I'd like to be alone for a while."
"Does my presence bother you?"
Touya finally looked up at me, plunging his bewitching turquoise eyes into mine. It had been months since I'd seen his eyes that close... I'd almost forgotten how much I felt capsized when he looked at me like that. It was really weird, actually...
"No," he huffed, smirking. "You never bother me."
I felt my lips stretch into a goofy smile as red flushed my cheeks.
"Well, um... I just wanted to say that I... I missed you, Dabi."
"I missed you too, dumbass."
He smiled wider, giving me a friendly flick on the forehead.
"Go and join the others," he said, turning away.
"We haven't even had time to talk!" I protested, crossing my arms.
"We'll have plenty of time to talk this weekend. After all, I'm going camping with you, aren't I?"
I smiled and nodded, then turned on my heels, my heart suddenly racing. What was happening to me? Why was my heart beating so fast? Had I fallen ill while traveling?
Anyway, it didn't matter. This camping weekend with my friends promised to be even more wonderful than the summer I'd just had!
**
Two days later
I was totally exhausted from my day and could almost hear my bed calling me.
The day before, we'd left my friends' house at around 6 p.m. and driven north for just over an hour to the middle of a vast, dense forest. We had driven along a path barely wide enough to let us pass, meeting a few cottages or bungalows along the way. After a while, just as I was about to ask my parents if it was still far, my father had stopped, announcing that we had finally arrived. Stepping out of the van, we had found ourselves in front of a modest log cottage, which overlooked a large lake on which the last rays of the sun were reflected. Amazed by the enchanting beauty of the landscape, my friends and I had helped my parents take the luggage out of the trunk of the car before rushing inside to explore.
As we had walked in, we had seen that the first open-plan rooms brought together the kitchen, dining room, and living room. The room on the far left contained a shower and a toilet. Also, the cottage contained only two bedrooms; one would be for my parents and the other for Fuyumi and me. Touya and Natsuo would sleep in the living room, on cots, but they didn't seem to mind in the least. After settling in, Fuyumi, Touya, Natsuo and I had played outside until it was time for bed.
The next day, we had spent the whole day outside, enjoying the fine weather. In the morning, we had swum in the lake until our lips were blue from the cold water. In the early afternoon, my father had offered to teach Touya and Natsuo how to fish, which the boys had of course readily accepted. Meanwhile, Mom, Fuyumi and I had been basking in the sun with a book in our hands. In short, it was a beautiful sunny and hot Saturday, and as the sun began to decline after supper, I thought wistfully that time was passing far too quickly.
So, exhausted from my day and ignoring the incessant calls that seemed to come from my bed, I had just finished washing the dishes with Fuyumi when Dad suggested we make a campfire. Enthusiastically, Natsuo volunteered to help him find some dry wood, while Mom and Fuyumi took care of the chairs, and Touya and I laid stones in a circle on the sand by the lake to make a makeshift fire pit. When Dad and Natsuo had brought in enough wood, Mom gave Touya a big smile and beckoned him over.
"Will you show us your progress, my dear Touya?"
"Uh... y-yes," he stammered shyly as he approached the woodpile.
My friend then raised his left arm and brought his hand close to the dry branches, and barely a second later, a comforting campfire was crackling in front of us.
"It's really an impressive Quirk," complimented my father as he sat down next to my mother.
"Thank you," replied Touya, coming to sit between Natsuo and me.
"Would it be indiscreet of me to ask if you're still hurting yourself?" asked Mom.
"Um... Yes, I'm still getting hurt, but... (Y/N) helps me a lot. Thanks to her, I can triple my training time. In fact, I'd like to thank you once again for allowing her to train with me for so many years."
"And you expect me to believe that you spend so much time together without doing anything but training, eh?" inquired Dad with a mocking smile.
"Uh... y-yes, I swear we're just training, sir..." stammered Touya, blushing violently.
My parents and Fuyumi burst out laughing, while Natsuo looked bewildered, not having understood Dad's joke. For my part, I turned to my friend and rolled my eyes. We were only twelve and thirteen, and already Dad was making jokes like that... What would it be like when we were sixteen?
"Ignore him," I breathed with a smile. "He teases you on purpose, but it's because he likes you. It's been a long time since he's seen you, too... I don't think you're done with him yet."
Touya nodded, smiling awkwardly, and looked down in embarrassment. While the others continued to laugh at us, I tried to change the subject.
"You still haven't told me what you did on vacation... did you get a chance to train this summer?"
"A little."
His evasive answer made me understand that he would talk to me about it later, in private. I simply nodded, then turned my gaze to the dancing flames in front of me.
"Who wants marshmallows?" said Mom cheerfully.
"Come on, darling, they've only just had supper!" my father objected, laughing.
"I want some!" retorted Natsuo.
A few moments later, just like that, we were devouring some delicious sweet marshmallows toasted in the flames that melted in our mouths, while listening to a story Mom told us about her youth.
Surrounded by friends and family, far from the incessant noise of the city and the worries of everyday life, I thought that this was real life. And with a twinge of sadness, I also thought that my friends must not have had many opportunities to experience this kind of moment with their family...
**
"(Y/N)... (Y/N)..."
"Hmpfff..."
"(Y/N), are you asleep?"
"Not anymore..."
As I struggled to open my eyes, my gaze met Touya's, shining in the half-light thanks to the moonlight.
"Come with me," he murmured.
"Where? It's the middle of the night..."
"I need to... um... I want to talk to you."
"Can't it wait until morning?" I mumbled, suppressing a yawn and lazily burying my face in my pillow.
"Please..."
I groaned as I reopened my eyes and watched my friend straighten up, obviously waiting for me to follow him. Yawning openly this time, I pushed back the sheets and stood up, taking care not to wake Fuyumi who was sleeping next to me, then followed Touya out of the room.
"Come on, let's get some fresh air," he whispered.
Without waiting for my reply, he grabbed his jacket, which was hanging by the door, and handed me mine. Still half-asleep, I slipped on the garment, then left the cottage behind Touya. Once outside, the cool night air finally woke me up, and I followed Touya's lead as he returned to sit by the last remnants of what had been our campfire. With a flick of his hand, he rekindled the flames with his Quirk, igniting the last bits of combustible wood that hadn't yet burned.
"What did you want to tell me?" I asked, taking a seat beside him.
"You look very pretty in your pink polka-dot pajamas, dumbass."
Rounding my eyes in disbelief, I turned to catch a glimpse of the mocking smile that graced his lips.
"Moron," I mumbled, which made him laugh. "You woke me up in the middle of the night to make fun of my pajamas?"
"Well, yes, among other things," he replied, gazing into the flames. "Actually... I just wanted to spend some time alone with you. I missed you this summer."
"Oh... I missed you too, Dabi."
Looking at his profile, I saw a new smile appear on his face.
"How was your trip?" he said before I could say anything else. "You didn't say much about it after all. Tell me all about it. Did you get a chance to train?"
I realized that Touya was postponing the moment when he should tell me what was on his mind. Why had he woken me up like this? Did he really just want to spend time with me, or was it something more serious?
Breathing in to gain patience, I then began to tell him about the places I'd visited, the people I'd met and healed, the incredible things I'd seen. For almost an hour, the silence of the night was interrupted only by my monologue, which Touya listened to attentively, as well as by the chirping of the crickets and the gentle rustle of the wind that made the leaves dance in the trees. When I finally finished, he remained silent for a moment, then, against all odds, gently took my hand in his.
"I'm jealous," he murmured. "I really wish I could have been with you instead of my screwed-up family."
Inexplicably, my heart skipped a beat when I felt his warm fingers touch my skin, but before I could even move, Touya withdrew his hand as quickly as he'd placed it on mine.
"Now it's your turn to tell me about your summer," I breathed, trying to pull myself together - what the hell was happening to me?
"There's not much to tell," he said.
"I'm sure it's not true, Dabi."
My friend sighed as he ran his fingers through his opalescent hair, then turned his beautiful turquoise gaze to me.
"My mother has started to ignore me and hardly speaks to me anymore. My sister and brother live in denial, as if everything were okay at home. Shouto would like to play with us, but he's not allowed to. My parents don't want him to have any contact with us, and it's probably because of the time I tried to attack him. My father has only spoken to me three times in two whole months, and it's only been to argue or shout insults at me... and then there was the time, at the beginning of July, when he broke my nose."
"What!?" I exclaimed.
"Like I said, not much new happened. Business as usual."
With an unconscious gesture, I grabbed Touya's forearm and squeezed it between my fingers. Had I heard right?
"What's this all about? Did your father really break your nose? Why would he do that? Why and how? And why isn't your mother speaking to you anymore?"
"Because I found out why they got married," he answered.
"Huh? Would you mind being clearer?"
Touya breathed in, then gently released himself from my grip and stood up, taking a few steps with his back to me. I knew then that I was finally going to find out why he had come to wake me up in the middle of the night.
"Shortly after you left, I felt the need to have some of my questions answered," he said. "I know I shouldn't have, but I went through my mother's things and discovered her diary... and in doing so, I understood why my father and mother got married. Actually, my mother never wanted to marry my father. I'd suspected it for a long time, but it wasn't a love marriage. My father bought my mother from her family and forced her to marry him."
"Wha... what do you mean?"
Touya turned towards me, burying his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants, then slowly moved closer, fixing my gaze with his own.
"Have you ever heard about Quirks wedding, (Y/N)?"
"Uh... yes and no. It's generally a taboo subject in society, I think..."
"Right. But that's what my parents did. My father forced Mom to marry him, because he wanted a child who would possess both their Quirks... like Shouto."
"I see, but... I'm not sure I understand why your parents..."
"They didn't want me to find out," he interrupted. "It made them incredibly angry... especially my father. When my mother told him I knew, he got angry and punched me in the face. That's how he broke my nose. And my mother began to avoid me and even ignore me, because she couldn't forgive me for daring to go through her things..."
In shock, I leapt to my feet to get closer to my friend, then gently placed my fingers on the bridge of his nose to feel it and make sure it wasn't crooked.
"It's healed," he informed me, catching my hand in his. "It was painful at the time, but it's healed now."
"But... you have to go and see the pol..."
"Don't worry," he reassured me with a small smile. "There's no need for the police. I'm fine now."
Nevertheless, the little tears I'd just seen appear in the corners of his cyan eyes proved otherwise.
"Dabi..."
"I'm fine."
"You're lying."
"I'm not lying."
He tried to smile wider, but his face tensed. In a thoughtless movement, I put my hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat in my whole being. A strange sensation took hold of me, but I suppressed it, too worried by what he'd just told me to care about the weird things I'd been feeling since my return when Touya was nearby.
"That's where it hurts," I whispered, touching his heart with my fingertips. "You're not telling me everything, Dabi."
He lowered his head and sniffed.
"I always knew that Fu, Natsu and I were just too much for this family... We were never wanted."
"Don't talk nonsense..."
"If Dad had had what he wanted the first time... if I'd been born with the two Quirks... the other three wouldn't be here. My parents had several children with the sole aim of achieving perfection..."
"But that doesn't mean..."
"For fuck's sake, (Y/N), stop fooling yourself!" exclaimed Touya angrily, stepping back. "We're not loved, we weren't wanted and on top of that, we're just the products of my father's repeated rapes on my mother! Do you realize what that means? If Shouto hadn't been born with the two Quirks, my father would have continued raping my mother until he'd achieved his goal! He... He disgusts me!"
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Rape... Raping... I hated those words... because I was now old enough to understand their meaning. It was the first time Touya had dared to say them out loud, and it shook me to the core.
But above all, I was now old enough to associate these horrible words with the acts I had witnessed as a child...
"Dabi, I..."
"I hate them," he said, turning away. "Why did they make children if they didn't plan to look after them, eh? Why is it that ever since Shouto was born, my father hasn't even looked at us? And my mother... she hates us."
"Don't say that..." I said, trying to swallow back my tears.
"It's the truth!" he exclaimed, looking deep into my eyes. "She hates us, because all she sees when she looks at us is my father raping her, beating her, insulting her and raping her again! That's the reality!"
Touya buried his hands in the messy strands of his white hair and burst into bitter, heart-rending sobs. Damn it, I felt so bad for him... What was I supposed to do?
"Dabi..."
"All I want... all I've ever wanted is for my father to recognize my worth... for my parents to love me..."
With a heavy heart, I made a move to approach him, but he fell to his knees, crying harder.
"It's true that my mother was kind to us when we were younger," he said between sobs. "But the more time goes by, the more she distances herself from us... Mom isn't a bad person, but... my father broke her... And ironically, everyone across Japan worships this man, this hero, this monster who raped his wife and created children he couldn't care less about, all to get a perfect Quirks combination! Ridiculous, isn't it?"
Touya raised his tear-streaked face to me, then whispered:
"And you know what the worst thing is?"
"N-no," I stammered, kneeling awkwardly in front of him.
"The worst thing is that my father disgusts me... he disgusts me, he makes me sick, I hate him... but shit, I love him anyway and I just want him to love me too..."
The burning tears I'd been holding back began to roll down my cheeks. Just as I was about to put my hand on Touya's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, he grabbed me tightly and pulled me close, burying his face in my shoulder.
"I've been training all summer," he said in a hushed voice. "I burned myself very often, but I did my best to hide it by wearing long clothes... I couldn't wait for you to come back, because I'd have lost too much time. I think my Quirk is still developing, I feel I'm going to do something great soon and... I wish Dad was here to see it... I wish Dad would tell me how proud he is of me, (Y/N)!"
I didn't know what to say to comfort him. In any case, my throat was far too tight to try to speak. So I just hugged my best friend as tightly as I could, trying to make him understand how much he meant to me.
After a long, silent moment, I finally managed to clear my throat and whisper:
"I know it's not the same thing and maybe it doesn't mean that much to you, but... I want you to know that I'm proud of you, Dabi, and... and that I like you a lot. "
"Sure, it's not the same," he replied, hugging me even tighter. "But it's no less important to me, dumbass. It's just the opposite. And I... I like you a lot, too."
He sniffed, then I felt his face shift to my ear and he added:
"I was so looking forward for you to come back... I missed you so much..."
My heart leapt in my chest and this time I knew something was really wrong with me. Since I'd come back two days earlier, I'd had the impression that my feelings towards Touya had changed. But why? And how? And when? What was it? Did all twelve-year-old girls feel this way around boys? It was only Touya, for God's sake... He was my friend, my best friend's older brother! I'd known him for so long... Why was I suddenly so nervous around him? Could it be that...
"I'm glad I came here with you and your family," Touya's voice suddenly sounded, interrupting my thoughts. "It's nice to experience a bit of normalcy for once... It's just a shame Shouto couldn't come. My dad puts so much pressure on him... At his last training session, Shouto overworked so badly he threw up all over the floor. It would have done him good to get away from this hell for a few days, too. "
"Sure..." I simply breathed, still too confused by what was going on inside me to give a more elaborate answer.
"I'm sure he would have loved to go fishing with us," Touya continued, starting to back away. "Your dad's really cool, (Y/N). We've told you that many times, but... you're very lucky to have such nice parents."
To my regret, Touya broke away from my embrace and stepped back a little, then wiped his wet cheeks with the back of his hand before standing up. He then held out his hand to help me do the same, before raising his hypnotic turquoise eyes to the sky.
"It'll be morning soon," he said. "We'd better get back to bed before the others..."
"Not yet," I interrupted. "I feel like staying outside a little longer."
"Really?" he said, turning his gaze to me. "I thought you'd be happy to go back to sleep..."
"I'm even happier to be with you," I retorted, shrugging my shoulders.
Thanks to the first light of day, I could see Touya's cheeks pinken slightly, and he looked away awkwardly. And then, a sudden gust of wind made me shiver, which my friend didn't miss, even though he wasn't looking at me.
"Are you cold?"
"A bit."
"It's true there's not much left of the fire..."
He scratched the back of his neck, then gave me a sidelong glance.
"Come here," he said.
I barely had time to see his face redden a little more before he pulled me against him again and wrapped his arms around my body. Surprised, I snuggled up to him, enjoying the warmth he radiated.
"We're comfortable like this, aren't we?" he murmured. "Are you warmer?"
"Yes... thank you, Dabi. You're right... We really are comfortable."
It felt strange to be in my friend's arms like that, but I didn't care. After all, I often hugged Fuyumi too. It was all the same, wasn't it?
"Thanks for listening to me just now," Touya said. "I needed to talk about all this, but I didn't know who I could confide in... I often share my thoughts with Natsuo, but he's still too young to understand everything I tell him and... and it was out of the question for me to talk about what I'd discovered to my sister or brother. They don't need to know... it would hurt them too much."
"That's true," I agreed. "I won't tell them, I promise."
"You're a true friend."
At these words, strangely, my heart tightened painfully.
A true friend...
A true friend...
It was really nice of him to say that, so... why did those words sound like a disappointment to me?
*****
Hello! :)
Sorry for the waiting, but I took a two-weeks break off screens lately and it did me a lot of good! (but I'm back now haha!) ;-)
I know I'm more or less following the manga/anime canon (as I already said, I don't know if I'll follow it or not yet, I improvise a lot when I write!), but you all know what tragedy will happen very soon... I can't wait to write this scene (or not..! Haha).
I really wanted to write this kind of chapter with all that camping stuff, because I wanted Touya and (Y/N) to get a little closer and I found that this moment was perfect. They are still young, but I hope I managed to demonstrate how they feel about each other! :) Also, I wanted to offer some lightness to poor Fuyumi and Natsuo! :')
I sincerely hope you still like it. For my part, I love this story and I can't wait to write the next chapter, which will contain a little more action.
See you soon! <3