Ouma's POV:

I could hear my voice cracking as I begged "w-what..d-do...I...do?"

Saihara didn't respond for a while, instead, I heard him nervously scrape his shoe against the sidewalk before taking a deep breath, as I felt myself growing concerned over his answer. Years ago if someone saw me broken like this I would've been filled with self-loathing, yet those fragments of me were more or less erased. Painted over even, I don't know what I wanted to appear as.

It's kind of funny, back then I used to swear I would never grow up, but maybe I have...those parts of me that never could be open like this, That child who wore masks of lies, and always pretended to be someone better. Maybe it means I'm mature now or maybe I just don't care that much anymore. 

After what felt like hours, but more than likely just a few seconds, Saihara took a deep breath again, as he seemed to rest a hand on my shoulder. "I don't know-" Saihara started but then got cut off by the sound of someone running towards us, Saihara gasped, "Uncle-?" Saihara greeted confused as he let go.

"Shuichi get in the car you have to go home right now" his uncle shouted clearly in a panic. Mr. Jin? Wait what's going on? "Wait, Uncle, this is important-" Saihara interrupted, he sounded desperate but his uncle wasn't budging in the slightest, "Shuichi it's your Father," His uncle said quickly silence filled the air.

Saihara...? 

"I'm sorry Ouma I have to go...I'll answer your question later ok? I promise" he told me. "If you really truly need me right now though..." he offered, but his voice seemed hesitant as he said it, conflicted maybe. I paused taking in his words, he was willing to stay if I needed him to. But...he needs to go, don't be a burden.

'It's fine, don't worry about it I signed, I didn't trust myself to really convince him, as Saihara seemed to pause and mull over my words in confliction before sighing. "I'll be back Ouma, it won't take long, don't do anything rash please" he promised again, as I heard him getting up and walking away. I resisted any urge to call him back.

"Sorry kid..." his Uncle apologized, it took me a bit too long to realize he was talking to me, I felt a tiny twinge of awkwardness. The last time I had seen him, one of the only times now that I think about it, had been when Ms. Jin shouted at me that night...I shook off that memory and tried to focus, no one wants to deal with you when you're like this I reasoned. 'How am I supposed to get to school?' I asked him.

"Oh shit, Uhm...tell you what...SHUICHI JUST WAIT RIGHT THERE IN THE CAR I NEED TO RUN YOUR FRIEND TO SCHOOL!" He shouted, he didn't even wait for Saihara to respond before I could feel us moving, he seemed to be running as fast as he could. 

As we moved down the street questions flooded my mind along with a feeling of dread.

What's going on? What's this about his Father, did something happen? Saihara's never seemed so anxious and scared before...and his Uncle is just like him...

I could feel my palms getting sweaty as I tried to remember even a single detail about Chiasa's uncle, Saihara's father. But I doubt Chi even knew much about him, she barely could talk about her own father, much less more of her extended family.

Even though Saihara claimed he had seen me before, back when we were kids. I barely remembered anything due to me being maybe eight when I last saw him nothing was sticking out. Even though Saihara never really told me what his family at home was like I could tell it was an uncomfortable subject for a reason. But whoever his father was, Saihara feared him, or he feared something had happened to him...? The situation was still unclear to me, but I doubt anyone would explain it to me if I asked. 

I should have asked more when I had the chance when he admitted to me that night the real reason why he even came here...but I was too stupid and emotional to be rational. It was almost hilarious the irony of that. Still, if it was family drama maybe I could understand, my mother and I weren't exactly the picture-perfect mother and son even before what happened, and I also had lost a parent, though I barely had any memories of my father. Maybe I can try and help...-!

Mr. Jin stopped dead in his tracks after a harsh turn, my eyes widened, I had no idea where we were but I could hear the meowing of alley cats, and the smell of booze was disgusting. I knew that this wasn't near the school, we had barely been running for six minutes, so why would he stop dead in his tracks...fear took control as my breath hitched, a traitorous thought crept into my mind as I willed it to be a lie.

Mr. Jin...?

"Sorry kid, forgive me for this..." he apologized, forgive him for what-? I all of a sudden realized he had let go of the chair and heard him running away. Running in the opposite direction, towards Saihara and whatever problems he was facing, even though I barely knew the man it still felt like a betrayal as the noise of the town blocked out his evading footsteps.

I tried to force myself to scream after him, as I felt a wave of panic rush over me. He had left me, he left me alone in the middle of who knows where. I can't even see where I'm going, and Kiibo and Akamatsu are long gone and-

I don't have my cane.

My jaw dropped as I realized I was all alone on the streets. Alone in the streets of a town that hates me. Not to mention I was blind and paralyzed, this wasn't like my house or the school where I had the layout memorized, this was an unfamiliar area. And I had no phone or way of contacting anyone to come and help me or pick me up. Not to mention it's hard to talk because...because...

...I don't remember why actually...

.....
....
...

Rocks clanged against a metal dumpster, I held my breath and began silently praying for whoever had done it to just ignore me, to just walk away and leave me alone-another rock hit the back of my wheelchair this time as I silently resigned to my fate. 

The first shot had been a failure, they wouldn't miss again.

I heard someone chuckling, it seemed the universe had gotten tired of my constant begging.

My day can't get worse... "hey look! It's the blind rat!" A voice called out as I quickly covered my ears, childish maybe but it was the only way I really could protect myself, I silently mourned even more for my headphones.

"Ah come on Hisoka, just leave him alone" a tired voice complained, "why would I? Ha! Remember back when this guy acted all high and mighty? He and his little punks would torment everyone on two legs, why not give him a taste of his own medicine?" The first voice, Hisoka I guess, asked.

Please, please just go away...

"Just make it quick..." the second voice conceded, as Hisoka laughed and I heard him walking up to me and forcibly grabbed my chin as he seemed to try and make me look at him.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen, not so brave now are you? Didn't think so you fucking kid-sized demon, are you even going to fight back?" Hisoka asked amused, as he was quick to slap me across the face, as I felt him try and make a move for the chair I tried to fight back with clawing at him, but it barely did any good.

Leave me alone

"Wow you fight like a girl" he laughed as I was forcibly taken out of my wheelchair and thrown onto the ground, I felt my right ankle twist from where the straps had kept it in place as I hissed in pain as I tried to move away from him.

I don't even know who you are, please...

"Hah! I didn't know they were still alive after what happened to that fat pig of a mother!" Hisoka joked, "hey that's taking things too far" the other chastised as I paused.

...Mother?

"Holy shit does this little cockroach not even realize what he's done?" Hisoka laughed as panic started rising inside of me, she was fine when I left the hospital. They said she just needed some time to rest, Aunt Mayumi hasn't said anything so that must mean she's fine right?

...right?

"Aww look he's crying" he laughed, "what a pathetic baby" he taunted.

Be a lie be a horribly made lie, please

"Hey kid," the Hisoka said in a cold tone and I could feel him picking me up by my shirt. I could hear him snarl "how does it feel your Mother hated you so much she offed herself rather than dealing with you anymore?" he taunted.

What...
No...
No...
This...it can't be...
Mother...
She...she can't be...
Mom...
MOM!

I immediately burst into tears and tried to shove him off me, only succeeding in making him drop me harshly to the ground, "haha look at him! He's pathetic!" Hisoka joked. "You know, that's an unfair fight right?" A low voice called out, my eyes widened.

It couldn't be...right?

"Ganging up on a two on one fight...hell he can't even kick you or see you..." she continued. "So I suggest you stop messing with my classmate" she threatened and the second voice laughed "yeah right and what if we don't?" Hisoka asked sarcastically. "Do you want to die?" The voice asked and I could feel a familiar shiver down my spine, yup it's her.

"HOLY SHIT SHE'S GOT A FUCKING KNIFE!" The second voice screamed and I felt myself being shoved further in the direction of her voice as I winced from the pain. "Fine! Take your fucking reject you're mental!" The Hisoka screamed and I could hear them running away. I laughed a little as they left, as she approached me and I could hear her getting my chair.

"How does it feel your Mother hated you so much she offed herself rather than dealing with you anymore?"

"So...when do I get my thanks?" She asked as she helped me get back inside of my chair, I barely had any energy left and her voice so monotone it was hard to tell whether she was joking. 'Thanks, Harukawa' I signed. "Do you mind telling me why the actual hell you're in a dark alleyway by yourself?" She asked.

'Saihara's uncle left him here' I told her and she sighed and we began moving, "what?" she asked confused, "why would he do that?" she asked immediately, I could sense some disbelief as I shrugged. 'Family emergency, he needed to leave quickly and I guess taking me to school would have taken too much time' I reasoned.

Harukawa cursed silently, I probably wasn't supposed to hear that.

"Hope you don't mind being covered in dirt for the rest of the day, sorry arrived a little late...wait...you're crying..." she noted "what happened? What did they say to you?" she asked. Tell her, prove to her you're really a monster.

'They just told me something I should have already known' I told her simply. Her tone turned a little more concerned which was surprising, to say the least, "what? What did they...?" She asked.

'My Mother's dead' I told her. Harukawa stopped in the streets, the soft rustle of the trees being the only form of a response to that, and I could feel a low chuckle coming from myself, 'and my so-called 'family' didn't even tell me about it, they kept telling me she was ok...but...that was a lie...those people said she killed herself' 

Harukawa uttered a curse sailors would be proud of.

'And it was probably because of me' I told her. Harukawa stopped dead in her tracks, "Ouma no...she probably...it probably wasn't...look why don't we get you to school and I'll lend you my phone so you can talk to Saihara?" she offered, giving up on arguing. I nodded grateful she even wanted to speak with me, she still seemed to waver though as if something was bothering her before she then sighed and kept moving, leaving that conversation behind.

I didn't blame her, I wouldn't want to deal with me either.

"Mom? Where are you going?" I asked my Mom looked at me shaking before answering "I have to go away for a bit so the bad lady doesn't come back..." she told me. "But.." I started and she looked at me with tears in her eyes "be a good boy, ok? Be a good boy for Aunt Mayumi...I'll come back soon" she reassured me. "You promise?" I asked sniffling and she nodded "yup I promise"

You lied. You always lied to me you know? Yet I never called you out on those lies...maybe I should have. Maybe you would've been happier if I gave you a reason to hate me sooner.

I guess I lied to you too though, so maybe we're even now.