‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅
january 30th, 1999
morning after morning you would wake up alone, despite the fact korogane slept over almost every night. no matter how early you woke up, seven, six, five, even at two in the morning he'd be gone.
"do you have a wife?" you asked bluntly as he was getting ready to take a shower.
"what kind of a question is that?" he couldn't help but laugh.
"i am are you having an affair? am i 'the other woman'?"
"no, sweetheart. you're the only woman," he spoke from the bathroom, the door open while he stood in front of the sink.
"then why are you so strange?" you crossed your arms.
"well isn't that quite the question?" he chuckled.
"ryu, i'm so serious right now."
he sighed, running a hand through his hand through his black hair. he approached you, sitting in the spot besides you on the bed.
"okay, okay. i'm sorry for laughing. please, define 'strange' for me so we can talk about it, okay?"
"i've never seen you in the morning, you won't tell me where you work, you don't have a phone, never mentioned your family, i haven't met any of your friends, i could go on and on really."
he rubbed the nape of his neck, looking at the wooden floor.
"you really keep track of all of that, huh?" his lips curved into a frown. "promise you won't laugh or anything if i tell you?"
"i promise."
he took a pause.
"i don't have a family. i've never met my parents nor my extended family, i was in and out of foster care all my childhood until i was a teenager, i ran away."
suddenly you were filled with guilt.
"not a lot of places want to hire a guy who doesn't have a high school diploma so i pick up under the table jobs, jobs that are ridiculously late and pay like shit. i knew i had to tell you at some point, i just wanted to pretend like everything was perfect for a bit, y'know?" he turned his head to you.
you were at a loss for words. over the past week you had been convinced he had wife, or at least another girlfriend. you had no idea his stories was almost entirely true.
"i'm so sorry, i shouldn't have opened my mouth," you held onto his hand.
"no, no, i get your concern. you're young and beautiful, the ideal mistress right?" his usual joking grin returned to his face.
"oh shut it," you laughed.
with that, he lifted you up, practically throwing you over his shoulder while laughing with you. you gripped onto the back of his shirt, kicking your legs gently to get down.
"give up, you know i'm stronger than you, genius," korogane held you by your hips a bit tighter.
you continued laughing and kicking all the way to the bathroom.