'Huli ka'; With those words, Kirito dug deeper into his past. He remembered how hard he fought to prevent this marriage but he couldn't win. That broke his spirit to go against them.

"I don't want to marry" He told his mother.
"You don't have a choice. That's the main reason why you exist."
"Oh yeah- Then kill me!! But I won't marry her!"

It was like he lost my identity and become someone completely different.

'I have died but somehow I still exist, visiting my own grave-- I feel sick!

Why did I have everything taken away from me? They took everything and left me with money-- I have it with me now, but I lost myself.

I can't speak it. And I was aware, I must not. But, I don't know what happened in that moment, I felt so free and it just slipped. What have I done? It's reversing back--this woman is destroying everything I've worked so hard to build.'

Vivian pressed a band-aid on the cut over his cheek. He moved away.
"Let me help you, Hiomi"
"You can't. How can you treat me when you're the disease I'm suffering from?"
"Kirito..." Vivian said, sadly.

"Remember what I said when you first tried getting close to me? I said you are only a tool for me, and that I need you for living in all this luxury. But it's turning out to be a prison to my soul where I am the prisoner and the jailer" Kirito pressed his back on the glass door of the balcony and felt a lump in his throat. Vivian just stared at him.

"I didn't want this but they forced me into it, I don't want you but you're also forcing yourself on me" He was about to cry.
"Don't cry, Kirito,"
"Just look at me. I'm not free, and now after this marriage, I will never be free again" He slowly slid down the window until he finally sat on the floor.

"I've forgotten what I used to be like. In the end, I wasn't a choice, I was just an option. I'm sorry but it just hurts so much to live, it's harder when you are nearby. Because everyone is just forcing so much pressure on me-- I feel like I'm crush under it any moment. Literally everyone hates me. It's not about living anymore, it's all about fighting. And I hate fighting" Kirito started crying. He tried to hold back for so long but now it all came gushing out, a stream of emotions reflecting his vulnerability.

Vivian moved closer to him and sat in front of him. He covered his face while crying.
"In the end, I learned to be strong, alone. I can't even envision my fate anymore"
Vivian gently hugged him "You are no longer alone. I know of that loneliness and pain, I know that more than anyone. I was too kept away from everyone because I was fated to you. I was angry too for I could feel my freedom bring snatched away. I couldn't talk to any boy or make friends. I was too lonely and always by myself, but then I got away with it. Know how?"

Kirito pressed his head on her shoulders and shook his head.
"Because I knew that you were waiting for me, somewhere far away, over the horizon, up high in a world unknown"
She rubbed his back, he wrapped his arms around her and began to breathe into her ears.

He turned quiet and was breathing normally again. He slept peacefully over her shoulder, with his hand in hers. She pressed her nose into his hair "You shouldn't be left alone... because that's what you fear the most." She pressed her head on his shoulders and closed her eyes while looking at the light marks on his neck.

"Those marks..." She rubbed her hands over the red marks and felt something hard beneath them. Something hard under his pale skin-- A living, breathing illness.

Jericho sat on the balcony railings and pressed his hand on his chest as he looked at them.
"I forgot I don't have one" He moved his hand away and looked at his watch.

"I'm trying to stretch it as much as possible but this is as far as it goes." Jericho said. He felt a strong gush of wind on his back. He turned behind and looked ahead.

"They are coming. And it's a lot of them," He narrowed his eyes as he looked far ahead "The trouble begins from here." Jericho had foreseen certain events that were written down by fate. One of them was already taking place.

"Mr Tanabe!" Kurosava shouted from his office cabin. Mr Tanabe dropped all the files from his hands and dashed into the room.
"What is it, sir?"
Kurosava threw away everything and jumped over his table with a magazine in his hands, moving towards Tanabe.

"Look!" He shouted as he shoved a magazine on his face. He took the magazine and looked at it. It was the advertisement of 'Auriserum'- An international hair products brand-- With Vivian holding the shampoo in her hand.

"You want this? I never thought you fancy long hair, sir. I'll order one."

"Don't be a fool, Tanabe. I won't be so excited about a hair product unless it promises me to make my hair look ten again or refund all my taxes. I want that girl!" Kurosava shouted.

"You mean the model? Sir, you were a cultured man."
"It's the girl I've been looking for four months! I finally found her! Find out from which modelling agency she is and call their director right away. We can't possibly lose such a talented singer."
"Yes sir!" Tanabe ran out of the room with the magazine. Kurosava sat back on the chair and interlocked his fingers together.

"Finally, we'll see each other soon, Ms Pink."

-To be continued

Kirito Hiomi

My Heart Hates Me