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He's late.
Kaneki waved a hasty goodbye to his classmates, running all the way to the alley beside the school. The sky was a mix of orange and scarlet when he passed by a park- a shortcut to his home. He's going to reach home a bit later than his usual time and his mom never liked it if Kaneki arrived late.
It made her worry, she said, but Kaneki, albeit was a primary school pupil, could see behind her lovely exterior. Mother didn't want anyone to know.
Dead leaves cracked under his steps and he rushed through scattered trees, avoiding falling pieces as he was at it.
He's late.
He's late.
He's late.
Tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. How tiring it was. How sad his days were to see his friends still laughing while going home together. How unlucky Kaneki was, to have such a-
Small sobs caused him to slow down. He didn't mean to, but in his tightened heart, somehow the thought that someone else was suffering nearby tugged his soul to search for the source. Perhaps it was the yearning for understanding. Perhaps it was the silent voice to not wanting to do this anymore dragged him away from the path to his home, wishing to find the person, who was feeling the same.
Sadness for a pitiful life.
So Kaneki was there, in the park, turning left and right to pin point where the cries came from. His own tears had fallen by the thought of how his mother would treat him later on, but the fear of arriving home to see dark, cold eyes stared into him was bigger.
He's running, eyes blurred through the darkened environment. He didn't call out for the voice, just keep searching, until he confronted a tree, quite isolated from others, hiding a small figure behind it.
Kaneki dropped to his knees, silent whimpers emitted from his mouth. He didn't know what he was doing, defying his mother's order like this. He knew how it felt like, the touch of mother on his skin, the way she didn't even once asked if he was fine. His hands ran up to hug himself, and Kaneki choked out a "he-hey.."
It was stupid.
Stupid.
But he was desperate, and the figure, a boy, who had his shoulders shook hard, raised his head from folded arms on lifted knees. He noticed the red eyes which gazed at Kaneki with a sympathetic glim. He noticed the messy blotches of blonde dye on brown hair, one which he was hiding with one hand now.
He didn't know what it was, but Kaneki drew on closer to boy, settling just a few inches beside him. He wiped his eyes on the sleeves of his long shirt, picking up a strength he never knew he had.
The boy didn't moved. Just shoulders shaking, sobs now muffled under his arms.
Kaneki bowed, a small smile bloomed on his face. It wasn't a greeting, not that Kaneki wanted anything to do with the boy, but he felt like he obliged to do it, just for the sake of being polite.
It's okay, his mind whispered, it was just for a while.
"I'm sorry." His voice croaked. "I'm- are you okay?"
The boy muttered something, but Kaneki couldn't hear it, so he asked a repeat, in which the boy said, in a clearer way.
"Go away."
"Wha-"
"You are Kaneki Ken, right?" His eyes wasn't looking at Kaneki, hunging down. He continued. "Your mom is strict, and you need to go home quick. So go away. I don't want you here. I don't need pity."
And then he realized that this one boy was one of his classmate.
"Nagachika."
"Go away." He's hiding again, sobs starting to leave his mouth once again. "Please."
Kaneki could feel his own tears building up at the rejection. "But-but-"
He didn't know what to do.
Both boy were lost.