muguruma & sarugaki || grief

(July 5th, 2018: The Original Timeline)

"Kenseiii! You promised me that you'd come and visit Hachi!!!"

Muguruma Kensei wasn't the type to break promises, but the downpour of the rain wasn't letting up anytime soon. He wanted to go, but he also didn't want to die because of a sudden accident. "Look, Mashiro, I'll come by when the rain stops pouring." He lets out an exasperated sigh as he looks out the window. "Someone probably died."

"You still believe in that?" Mashiro's annoyed voice comes in the other line. "That's only a superstition in the West!"

"It happens in all countries." Kensei says with a huff. "And in movies."

"That doesn't mean it'll happen!"

Kensei pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tell Hachigen my apologies."

"First it's Hiyo-chan, then it's you!"

"What—?" Kensei was about to ask but Mashiro had already cut the line. He was annoyed, but he didn't let that change his mind about going over to Karakura Town to have their usual gathering. Though, that left the question to a certain someone who wasn't going.

Sarugaki Hiyori, no matter what weather was going on, would always go to Karakura Town. Out of everyone in the group, she was surprisingly one of the sentimental ones. So hearing that she wasn't going was unheard of.

He flinches when he hears someone banging on the door. 'Who the hell could be here at this hour?' Kensei lets out another exasperated sigh before going over to the door. "Alright, alright! I'm opening it, so hold your—" He cuts himself off when he realizes who was the one knocking.

Kensei did not expect to see Hiyori in front of his door on a rainy Saturday night. Though, this wasn't the first time he'd seen her looking angry. "I'd ask what you're doing, but get in and dry off first."

Hiyori took off her sandals and just went inside of the house. For once, Kensei decided to ignore that the blonde was dripping all over and making small puddles as she walked.

She really did look like she lost a fight. Or maybe it was something else entirely.

Kensei found her in the bathroom, her jacket on the toilet and her pigtails loose. "You look like shit." He says bluntly.

Hiyori didn't say anything for awhile; She was lost in thought for a few seconds before saying, "Shut the fuck up."

Okay. The last time Hiyori said that to him was when her family was going through something. At the time, they were still pretty young and they lived together in a run-down apartment with Mashiro and the rest. Hiyori always ran away from home, and sometimes a little kid would follow her. None of them really questioned why the kid was there, because that kid would stick to Hiyori until she calmed down. Naturally, everyone thought that the kid was their saving grace when it came to Hiyori having a breakdown.

Now that Kensei thought about it, the teenager he bumped into twelve years ago did remind him of that kid. Mostly because of the eyes.

"Those bastards killed him." Hiyori spat out, her words showing anger and pain. "They fucking killed him."

"You mean the kid from years back?" Kensei asks. "What do you mean—?"

"They pushed him off the platform!" Hiyori raises her voice this time, facing Kensei with tears in her eyes. He'd never seen her cry before. "He's dead, Kensei!" Hiyori's voice breaks, and she gets down on her knees. "I couldn't save him...! I should've called—or somethin'! I want my Takemitchi back!"

Hiyori ended up crying. Kensei knelt down by her side, gently patting her back to provide some sort of comfort.

The death of a family member was never easy to get over.