Chapter Text
"Okay, keep your eyes closed for a few more seconds, Riko!"
"There we go! You can open them now sweetie!"
The young girl removed her hands from her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the morning light and soon her face lit up. "Happy Birthday honey! Your cool mother here handmade this herself!" An older woman with hair and eyes near identical in colour to the young girl, happily announced. In her hands was a petite, light pink dress, it was simple yet Riko could tell a colossal amount of love was poured into it. From the somewhat messy stitch work around the hem to the near perfectly arranged rose on the collar, the young girl could practically visualise her mother working tirelessly on the dress on a nightly basis. Riko noticed the bandaids wrapped securely around her fingers and the dark circles that nestled themselves just beneath her eyes. A slight pang of guilt hit the girl's heart along with an overflowing wave of love, and she began to cry.
"Ah! Wait! Riko honey, don't cry! I'm sorry! Mommy's sorry! It's my fault, silly me, I should've known no girl would want to wear something like this. So let's... dry those eyes sweetie," lowering herself to her daughter height, the girl's mother fumbled through apology after apology. Small arms had abruptly wrapped around the woman's neck and repeated sobs of 'thank you,' caused the woman's eyes to sting with tears. With an exaggerated sniffle and a giggle, she hugged her daughter back tightly. A gentle yet firm squeeze followed soon as if she was trying to pass all of her affection and love to her beloved daughter. "...I'm still sorry, Riko. You deserve an actual present, not this tatter of cloth." She sighed heavily.
The lady felt her daughter harshly shake her head against her shoulder. Her shirt was now wet with tears; the little girl looked up with a quivering lip and running tears. Riko cried out, "I'm happy. So happy mother! I just don't like seeing you hurt yourself for my sake. Please, make sure to take care of yourself that's all I want!" The woman let out an amused chuckle and softly stroked her daughter's hair, "I'm so blessed to have you as my child, your happiness is my happiness, Riko." Lifting the girl off of the floor and onto her shoulders, the woman began running through the house. Out of Riko's bedroom, down the stairs and through the living room. Riko let squeals of joy out as her mother spun around, "Now to the kitchen table! We have a birthday breakfast fit for a princess!"
The young girl couldn't help but wish her mother, her life, her reason for living, would take better care of herself. Riko was well aware of the condition she was in and quite frankly she didn't care about herself right now. All she wanted was for her mother to be restored back to her once healthy self.
-
"Have fun in school today honey!" The mother waved her daughter off, smiling softly as Riko twirls a little to show off her new dress. "I'm so proud of you," she spoke to herself quietly, wiping away brimming tears before turning back into their home. Riko paused and peaked back at the now closed front door. Her eyes drain of light soon after. If her mother ever found out what school was like, she would worry herself sick. Riko just couldn't live with herself if her mother's wellbeing deteriorated even more than it already had because of her. She had to be strong. Strong for the only person who mattered to her.
The ring of the school bell signalled Riko's descent into either fight or flight mode. With shaking hands she worked quickly on pulling out her lunch and chaotically stuffing her books away. All she needed to do was leave before anyone could grab onto a chance to pick on her again. She refused to let anyone ruin her day. Not after everything her mother did to ensure she would have a happy birthday. However her energy did decrease somewhat drastically once she arrived in school, the morning classes consisted of spitballs being fired at the back of her head, voices imitating her in a mocking tone when she was asked to read for the class and threatening notes being thrown at her. Just a usual day for Riko, unfortunately. In order to avoid anymore annoyances, Riko had grown accustomed to eating her lunch alone in a stall within the girls' bathroom. No matter where it was, anywhere away from her class was always the better option to her.
Rising promptly to her feet, Riko made her way to the classroom door. She reached her hand out in preparation to open the door and bolt to the bathrooms, only to trip over an outstretched foot. The thud as she hit the ground made everyone in the class turn their heads in her direction. Silence ensued and then, an eruption of laughter.
"Ew, her food is all over the floor now. How disgusting." "I bet she'll just lick it off of the floor, she's poor after all, can't waste what you can barely afford."
Just ignore them. Don't provoke them. It will just make things worse. Riko kept repeating those words to herself as she weakly pushed herself back up. That's what her mother would tell her, so she would never give in to her bullies.
"Come on Riko, you need to eat your lunch, what a waste," one boy howled out from the back. Ignore him. "Yeah, yeah! Your mama will be sad you wasted her money! Not like you two have much to spare!" They just want to see a reaction.
"Hey guys, my dad told me Riko's dad just left one day and never came back. Maybe he was sick of the disgusting food and being broke!" Shut your mouth. "Now that you mention it, my dad also told me her mother stopped eating after her dad left, wow, I almost feel bad for her." A snide giggle followed from the girl's lips. Don't bring my mother into this.
"Go on, eat it!" Leave me alone. "Eat it Riko!" Stop talking. "Your mommy will be sad if you don't!" Just disappear forever. The voices of her so-called classmates join in unison chanting, "Eat it!"
With the image of her mothers face in mind, she turned to walk out of the classroom again. No good would come from letting them get to her. She refused to give them the satisfaction.
"Oi, Sakurauchi, wait." Riko grasped onto the metal door handle for mental support and turned to face the voice behind her. One of the boys was kneeling down in front of her, scooping what was left of her lunch back up into the bento box. Whispers soon filled the classroom in replacement of the chanting. It couldn't be... Was someone trying to help her?
"Y-You don't have to do that, I can clean it up!' Fumbling with her hands, Riko stuttered out. The boy almost gleefully jumped back up to Riko's level, bento box in hand and smiled.
She didn't even have time to comprehend what had happened until the class exploded in a frenzy of laughter. The sound of the, once again, empty bento box hitting the floor caused her to gaze down. Its contents no longer splattered across the floor, but over her dress. Beneath the antagonising laughter of the class she heard the boy snicker, "There you go, I dumped it in the trash bag you're wearing! You're welcome!"
Before she could even stop herself she heard the sound of a sickening punch and then a throbbing sensation pulsed throughout her hand. Time seemed to have froze, the once hysterical class was now silent. So silent she could've heard a pin drop. Then suddenly Riko could hear her own sharp breaths and the whimpering coming from the boy now on the floor. Limp arms fell back down to her side and the screeches of chairs being harshly pushed back across the floor made her aware of the people now rising from their seats. If their glares could speak words they would all be telling her they wanted her dead.
"You bitch." One boy growled, slamming his fist down against a nearby desk. A ball of paper slapped the side of her head and soon more stationary items were raining down on her, one by one. The boy before her had stopped his whimpers and pushed himself to his feet again. Blood dripping from his nose. He opened his mouth and hissed through gritted teeth, "Do us all a favour and kill yourself already."
-
The sound of erratic breathing and heavy feet hitting the tiled floor resounded throughout the empty hallway. With tears overflowing and broken sobs, the young girl carried herself through the hallway as fast as she could manage. Every step she took she got slower under the weight of her panicking mind. Their words kept resonating within her. Kill yourself already.
When she noticed the blood on her knuckles she made herself halt to a standstill and she brutally began scrubbing at the substance with her other hand. It burned and her skin was turning a matching red to the liquid that was drying upon her. She released a ragged sigh and clasped her hands together as if praying to the gods for forgiveness.
They all hate her. Her mother, her poor sickly mother, works herself to the brink of death over and over again for her and yet why did she bring nothing but pain in return? Wouldn't the world be so much better for everyone if she just didn't exist? Riko rubbed away the tears she couldn't stop and leaned against the lockers for support in order to keep moving. She didn't know why but she felt like she had to keep moving. Get further away from them. Get further away from what she had done. Get further away from everything.
She couldn't take it anymore. She hated them. They hated her. She wanted them all to disappear. They all wanted her to disappear. They wished her dead. She also wished herself dead.
Wincing at her own thoughts, she fell into a state of panic and rage. Riko clenched her hands into fists and with a force she didn't know she possessed, she punched the top of her head over and over.
"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! You idiot!" Burning tears had forced their way over the edge, spilling onto the floor below her. With shaking hands she stopped her attack and gripped her dress. In a quiet voice the girl choked out, "...I'm so sorry, mother."
It was at this point Riko realised there was music playing. It was faint and barely noticeable over the sound of her own cries. Releasing the cloth from her grasp and wiping her eyes one last time, she followed the sound of the music to a door stationed in between two lockers. Upon pressing her curious ear to the wooden door she could easily distinguish the sound of a piano. Her body suddenly felt lighter and her racing heart began to regulate itself. It was beautiful.
Unconsciously she quietly shuffled her way into the room, the only thought now in her mind was the melody ringing throughout. Everything around her was blank, all she could see was the piano, the pianist and herself. Time was like a distant concept at this point. She stood for lord only knows how long. Every note made her feel just that little bit more at ease. As if they were pushing all the negative memories out of her mind. Perhaps that's why her eyelids had fluttered closed and why she felt like she was falling through the air.
If the pianist was oblivious to her presence before, they were certainly aware of it once the smack of the young girl hitting the floor resonated through the room.
-
Riko watched the sunrise from her bedroom window, it looked much brighter against the autumnal sky somehow. It wasn't something Riko paid particular attention to before. It was probably just due to the fact she wanted to forget about the vast number of apology lines she had to write out. This was her punishment. She did get suspended after all.
She gulped down the glass of cool water beside her and bit her bottom lip. She couldn't remove the image of her mother smiling, as per usual from her mind. She was acting as if nothing happened despite Riko awakening at home in bed, wet cloth pressed to her forehead, when she last remembered being in school. The dress was in her mother's right hand and Riko's own hand was being held in the other. Tears were pouring down her face as she reassured Riko everything would be fine. She was home now and everything would be alright. Mama would handle it.
She wished to forget the sight of her helpless mother begging for forgiveness, face to the ground and spilling tears. It was Riko's fault. She was the one who couldn't control her anger. Why did she have to apologise? Stop it.
The enraged mother towering above Riko's own had an ice cold glare. The very same glare her son had possessed. The verbal abuse being thrown at her pleading mother made Riko want to be sick. That wasn't the worst part though. The furious woman had dragged Riko's mother out to the neighbourhood by her hair and began screaming at her. How she was a terrible mother. How could she raise a child as disgusting as that. How dare she lay a hand upon her son. Riko was frozen in place at the front door, eyes wide and face drained of colour as the woman spat at her mother, who was still kneeling, and grinded her heels mercilessly into her head. The neighbours were all watching from their windows. It was as if they were just watching a drama series. Why did they look so entertained? Not one of them dared interfere. Her mother would do all she could to be a good neighbour. Giving away a large portion of her baking to the neighbourhood and leaving the rest for Riko. Nothing for herself. She would help with gardening, cleaning, babysitting, everything. She done all she could to help in anyway she could. So why? Why was the world doing this to her?
It was Riko's fault after all. Everything was her fault. Did her mother have to suffer like this because of her?
If only she had never been born.
She listened to the clock on her desk tick away. It was soon time to go and wake her mother up. If she could - Riko would let her get as much rest as possible but she could never go against her mother's wishes. Had she not been instructed to stay away from the mother of the boy she punched, Riko probably would have done the same to her. Pushing it back in her mind, she gave the door a gentle graze of her knuckles to signal her entrance to her mother, who would more than likely still be in a deep sleep. Or at least that's what Riko had thought.
-
The girl's lifeless eyes and blank expression contrasted with the sorrowful eyes and twisted expressions behind her. Darkness had enslaved her young mind from the very moment she saw her mother collapsed on the ground up to now, staring at the coffin within which she was laid to rest. When Riko had found her lifelessly lying on the cold wooden floor she looked like a doll that had been tossed away, no longer desired by a child. Riko passed out as well once she had fumbled the ambulance's number onto the house phone. What she did before that was still fuzzy in her mind. She would probably never remember. She doubted she would even want to remember.
Riko could hear the murmurs discussing how 'hardworking and cheerful' her mother was. She could also pick up the pitiful tones directed at herself. 'No child should lose a parent at an age like this.'
She allowed silence to envelop her mind. It was at times like these when she should ignore the meaningless trash being spouted from bastards like the people behind her. But she couldn't stand it. The metallic taste of blood on her tongue brought her back down to reality and she reluctantly stopped biting the inside of her mouth. When the ceremony had finished the chorus of voices that were feigning sorrow only a few seconds ago were now animated and discussing their plans for the days ahead. As the crowd made their way to the exit Riko could feel herself losing it. She could no longer hold back.
Rage had blinded her. Gritting her teeth, the girl hissed out, "You're scum. Every last one of you." The people that had huddled around the exit quieted down one by one to look at the enraged girl. She could feel their piercing glares stab through her but she didn't stop.
"None of you cared about her! She done everything she could, anything to make a life here for us! Anything to help you all out just because we were 'neighbours.' But all you bastards did was treat her like garbage, as if she was a bug on the sidewalk! Why would you even come here if you don't care?! Just for the sake of your image?!"
She paused, chest heaving and eyes burning, then she erupted from the top of her lungs, "All of you should have died instead of her!"
-
"Riko, honey, it's morning! I've got breakfast ready for you!" There it was. That ethereal smile, the smile that was home to her. Mother's caring voice, mother's outstretched hand. It was her. She was here again. Returning the smile, Riko reached out.
She awoke to a thud and her own arm reaching out above her to the ceiling. A woeful sigh followed suit not long after she realised it was the same dream again. Every night. Again and again. She would see her Mother's face, hear her voice and every goddamn time she tried to grasp onto her, she would wake up. Riko buried herself within the duvet she must have pulled off of the bed with her, swaddling herself as if she was back in her infant days. A few years had passed since the day of the incident. Riko was now residing within her aunt's home in a somewhat desolate town named Uchiura. She was too young at the time of her mother's passing to live alone and with her father missing prior to that, custody was handed over to her godmother. Who hated her.
It was as if she was back in middle school, snide remarks being chucked her way accompanied with judging looks. Her aunt had two kids of her own already - both adults now, working and living abroad. She must've been enjoying a relaxing life now that she had retired along with her husband. Then Riko just had to come into the picture. She most definitely was not in the right state of mind upon her arrival. She was now well aware of how difficult a task it must have been to get herself to co-operate or to even provide a reply of sorts. Her aunt had given up on her very easily.
A small smirk formed upon her lips and short laugh came afterwards. "Well they won't have to put up with me much longer anyway."
Standing up and gazing at the early morning sun through her window; the girl clenched her fists and began to prepare for the short day ahead. With silent steps she carefully got ready and tiptoed out the front door. They would never see her again - and she knew that would please them.
-
That damn sound. The sound of her own voice echoing in her head. When would it silence itself? All she could hear was 'why?' Why did she have to be so alone? Why did she lose every shred of motivation to do anything? Why did every person on the planet despise her? Why was she currently standing on a bridge ledge?
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes actually made the current situation feel almost peaceful. The gentle brush of the cold yet refreshing morning wind against her face, the sound of the rippling water below, the usual bustling noises of a busy day were not audible, the morning was quiet. Just as she had hoped. It was things like this that would make some reconsider ending their life. Riko, however, knew she was an exception. She was aware this would be the last time she would experience these things again. Not that she cared at this point. The redhead opened her eyes again and took in the view before her. It would have been a pleasant view if she wasn't about to end her life here. Her mother raised her with the belief that every human born on this planet was special, unique and that everyone was equal. She would be lying if she said she hadn't believed that was true for a while. It was unfortunate she had to find out the hard way that her life was insignificant within the eyes of time and space. She didn't matter. All that mattered to her though, was returning to the sky above. Maybe, just maybe, she could reunite with the one person who cared for her. "Please," she sighed out.
The gleaming light of the sun faded into darkness when she looked down, eyes pooling into the sea of water below. It appeared almost black to her now. Within her mind she could see images of herself. It was as if someone was playing a tape of her life from the beginning and fast forwarding to the present time. She grimaced when a gust of wind pulled her hair along with its direction causing her eyes to cast themselves upward again. Staring into the sky she acknowledged the fact she had lost pieces of herself every day, the person she was raised to be. The girl she was no longer existed. Now, it was time to end its physical existence once and for all.
Spreading out her arms; she welcomed her fate. Nothing mattered anymore. It would all be over soon. No more suffering. No more hatred. Just, no more.
So, why hadn't she jumped yet? The calm demeanour she was holding up began to crumble away as she slowly started to feel the searing pain in her heart and the hole forming within the pit of her stomach. She was hyperventilating at this point. She didn't want to die. But she didn't want to exist. Was there nothing beyond death? Would she be subjected to eternal darkness never to see light again? Or was there something out there that would reunite her with the only person she cared about? The unanswerable questions weren't helping.
Riko's voice shook as she repeated coarsely to herself, "Just jump. That's what everyone wants. Jump Riko." When her legs wouldn't move she released a screech as a result of both frustration and panic; she began thumping her legs, shouting, "Move! Move! Move!"
"Whatcha doing?"
An irritatingly sarcastic voice spoke from above her causing Riko to halt her onslaught of attacks. Chest heaving up and down, she raised her head and faced the water before her once again. She refused to be ridiculed in her final moments. The person behind her cocked an eyebrow up and climbed up to throw themselves onto the ledge of the bridge. From the side of her eyes Riko could see the person's legs dangling carelessly over the edge. She bit her tongue, the words 'be careful' almost forced their way out. She wasn't one to talk about being careful given her current predicament.
"So, are you trying to get a better view of the sunrise? Or maybe you're... Wait! Impossible! Could you really be the one?" The voice spoke rapidly and paused before snickering in a low tone. "I've found you!"
Now this stirred a reaction from the redhead, before she could stop herself she had whipped her head upward towards the voice. Immediately her eyes locked with the person. It was a girl. A girl with playful yet sharp pink eyes. There was only one thing Riko was certain of at this point. She sure as hell didn't know who this creepily grinning girl was or why she was apparently looking for her. A slender finger was now pointed at her.
"Ha! You looked into my eyes! A foolish mortal you are indeed." Riko was sure her face displayed nothing but sheer confusion following the bizarre statement. The girl was smirking and held two fingers up to her right eye, "Once the prey has gazed into the eyes of this fallen angel, we become bound by a spiritual contract!"
"...W-what are you talking about?"
A slight look of shock made its way onto the blue-haired girl's face. She quickly concealed it however and extended her hand out to Riko. With a mischievous yet somehow kind grin, she continued, "It is a pleasure to finally recruit my first little demon, I had been searching many long years for the perfect being to hold the honourable title as Yohane's first little demon! You have an aura unlike the other humans I have thus encountered in this dreary world you call Earth!"
Silence.
"...I have no idea what you're talking about but sorry, you'll have to find someone else." Riko blurted out in one breath and shuffled slightly to the left away from the girl. Much to Riko's distaste, the girl also shuffled to the left in order to keep close to her so-called prey. Riko's eyebrow twitched in irritation and she groaned under the stare of the 'fallen angel.' She opened her mouth to request that she be left alone but was cut off, "Do you think this is the best choice to make?"
"What are you trying to say?"
Leaning back slightly the girl hummed, "I guess I could be trying to say a lot of things. Maybe I'm asking if falling to your death is the best way to go. Maybe I'm asking if you rejecting our already formed contract is a good idea. Or maybe I'm just asking if killing yourself in general is a good idea. Don't you think if you really wanted to be dead by now, you would've fallen already?"
Riko could feel the blood in her limbs course through her, the cold tone stood in complete contrast from the previously playful one she heard a few seconds ago. There was a hint of the truth buried in there though, maybe Riko didn't really want to die. Then what did she want? She shook her head, the girl was probably just trying to coax her out of it. If this girl was aware of her plans right now... why wasn't she trying to stop her straight up or provide her with encouragement? Maybe just one more piece of verbal abuse could be what she needed to give in to the darkness.
"Tell me to do it." Clenched fists by her side and fresh tears accompanied Riko's quivering voice.
The girl had that shocked look again but this time she didn't attempt to hide it, "Why would a stranger like me tell you to kill yourself?" That mischievous smirk had returned shortly after, "Your fate may have now been legally sealed via our contract but surely it isn't that bad you'd throw your life away for it to disappear. Do not fret little de...mon..." She trailed off when she noticed the sobs emitting from the girl below her, legs quaking in fear and breathing unsteady.
This was bad. Very bad.
Tsushima Yoshiko had witnessed a sight like this before. A sight she begged to forget. But it was still there - still haunting her. She thought, perhaps if she took a different approach this time, maybe she wouldn't have to experience the end of a life again. Panic swept over her too as she stumbled through words, "H-hey. Here take my hand, s-standing like that there really won't solve anything. Right? You can come back to my house for some breakfast and c-calm down." Shit. Her cheeks had become wet with her own tears. If she didn't do something quick another life, another soul, would vanish before her eyes. She couldn't let that happen. Not again.
Between choked back cries and sharp gasps she fumbled out a plea. "P-please. I, I'm begging. Please don't, don't do this."
"Why are you crying?" Riko spoke harshly. "No one cares about me. They all want me to disappear. I'm just responding to their wishes. The only reason you're still here is because you don't want the potential guilt to stain your conscience. How unlucky for you. You come across such a pathetic sight like this." That voice devoid of any sort of emotion and those dead eyes, the eyes only people who were tired of the world possessed. Yoshiko saw them before. It was obvious to her this girl was devoid of emotion but those eyes, they looked pleading. Almost as if they were trying to ask her for help. It was quiet for a few seconds, seconds that felt like an hour each. Riko spoke up again, "Just leave now. Pretend you didn't see anything. It'll be better for both of us that way."
"No."
The sudden sturdiness of her own voice surprised Yoshiko. "It may be true that my conscience wouldn't allow me to leave you to your own desires but that's not all." Riko studied the girl from the side of her eyes, Yoshiko's hand was still outstretched and still shaking. But it was still there, waiting for her. "Two weeks," she continued bluntly.
"Two weeks? Two weeks for what?"
"I may be selfish in asking this of you, I'm aware of how painful daily life can be, I know sometimes escaping from it all is the only way to find peace... but I can't stand by and watch the light you possess fade away so early."
Mouth slightly agape, Riko retorted, "Y-you're not making sense."
Yoshiko bent her body over slightly to get closer to Riko's level. "Your eyes. There's a light in them. A light that doesn't want to be drowned out by the darkness inside." Riko backed away unconsciously while muttering, "Stop saying weird things, I just want to be alone."
Yoshiko raised her voice above the other girl's, "Your name? Tell me your name."
"...Riko. Sakurauchi Riko."
Why was the girl smiling so kindly like that now? Riko told herself the girl doesn't care, she just doesn't want your death hanging over her head if she can't stop you. But that smile, of all the smiles she had seen, only a few felt genuine. This one though? It spread an unmistakable warmth throughout her. It was real. A genuine invite. When was the last time someone smiled at her like this?
She recalled her mother's smile, it was only full of love and affection. Her head was throbbing from crying for so long and it hurt even more now that the waterworks started again.
"Sakurauchi Riko! If you heed this one selfish request of mine I will free you from our contract!" That smile was still there but the girl's eyes shone with a somewhat newly found confidence. Riko cocked her head slightly to the side in a questioning manner. Yoshiko cleared her throat and repeated herself again, "Two weeks. I am requesting that my newly appointed little demon gives me two weeks to become friends."
"...Friends?" Riko blankly echoed Yoshiko's words.
With quick and fierce nods of her head, Yoshiko's eyes lit up, "Yes! Friends! Please grant me that time to become your friend!"
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Riko questioned, "What happens if I don't consider you a friend by the end of the two weeks?"
"Then I'll leave you to do as you please." That was the response Riko was prepared to hear but she suddenly felt a weight lift off of her chest when the girl beamed at her and giggled, "That won't happen. That's a fallen angel's promise!" Why? Why did that make her feel so light and free?
The boisterous voice found its way back to the girl, "Now little demon Riko! Grasp onto thy hand and we shall proceed head first into the world humans call friendship!" Yoshiko couldn't help but notice the sudden burning sensation growing on her cheeks when Riko's hand clasped onto her own. Her hands were soft.
-
Facing the redhead now on level ground; Yoshiko was surprised to see her new recruit was taller than her. She appeared petite from her previous view. Well, given they were on different platforms that was to be expected. She was also surprised by her sudden nervousness in the silence; Yoshiko attempted to form a comprehensible sentence but paused when she noticed the shade of scarlet plastered across Riko's cheeks. "H-hey, little demon, are you feeling okay? I can give you a piggyback home or someth- I mean! I can fly you home upon my back thanks to the wings of the night passed down to yours truly from the underworld ruler himself!"
When the girl before her didn't reply Yoshiko reached out a shaky hand but before she could touch her - Riko dropped to her knees and placed her head onto the ground. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I keep dragging people into my problems! It's all my fault! I'm sorry!" Yoshiko panicked. Hands moving in the air as if she was trying to grab something. The wails coming from Riko's lips struck a cord in Yoshiko's heart and she let out a long sigh to calm herself down first.
Stooping down to her level - Yoshiko smoothed out the girl's hair and repeated, 'you have nothing to apologise for,' every time a high pitched 'sorry' reached her ears. Yoshiko wasn't used to people, she wasn't used to talking to them and she wasn't used to touching them. So why was it that she could comfort this bawling girl with a tender hand and a soft voice. She didn't push the topic any further in her head. She had more important things to think about right now. The two stayed in that position for a while, cars had started to pass by signalling the beginning of the day for workers and students alike.
Wait. Students? Then, she remembered. Practically springing to her feet as the realisation hit her. "I forgot about school!" This caused Riko to finally raise her head and just looking at her made Yoshiko's heart ache. The swollen red eyes accompanied with dark circles below, her tangled hair and bloodied knuckles, it all accumulated to leave her in a very visible fragile state.
"Little demon, do you attend the sanction here... the place humans refer to as school?" With heavy eyelids Riko nodded and slowly pushed herself up to a kneeling position. Yoshiko sighed and kneeled down, her back facing Riko, who looked at her quizzically. Yoshiko huffed, "G-get on. You're in no state to go to school, not to mention you're not even wearing your uniform. You may reside in my lair for the time being, consider yourself lucky little demon!" A blush spread its way across her cheeks and she gazed expectantly at the girl behind her. In an attempt to refuse, Riko tried to rise to her feet on her own only lose her balance and face plant against Yoshiko's back anyway.
"Heh, you are lucky a fallen angel as kind as myself took you under thy wings, no other being like me would dare treat their underlings like this! Be grateful little demon!" Despite being slightly taller than Yoshiko; Riko was light, very light indeed, so much so that Yoshiko wasn't struggling much in carrying her. She made a mental note to buy a large quantity of food at the convenience store on the way back from school.
Yoshiko was also aware Riko was nearly asleep, not that she could blame her. Just what kind of life did she lead that drove her to the brink of no return? Yoshiko was curious as to how someone who had such bright eyes, had such a dark mind behind them. She wouldn't push the topic. She was just lucky enough she even got her back over the edge of the bridge.
It was more than what she was capable of before.
The older girl murmured, "What was your name again?"
"...Not knowing the name of your leader? How foolish you are." Yoshiko kept treading along the sidewalk for a few seconds before continuing, "It's Yoha... I mean, it's... Y-yoshiko."
Judging from the silence behind her Yoshiko assumed Riko had drifted into a slumber. Those names. Both held unpleasant memories for her. Does it even matter anymore though? Yoshiko is Yoshiko. Yohane is Yohane. And she hated both of them.
However the quiet voice behind her whispered, "...Thank you, Yocchan."
"Y-yocchan? Did you mishear me or are you playing around little demon?"
No reply. The sound of Riko's soft, now regulated breathing, was confirmation enough that she must have finally fallen asleep.
Yoshiko paused for a few seconds. Maybe it was the fact she just came to the realisation she prevented someone from ending their life or it was possibly the flashbacks of a similar experience running through her head again, either way Yoshiko didn't know why she started crying.