Chapter Text
Crying.
He never, ever stopped crying. And nothing prisoner number 006, Mahiru Shiina, did could change that. But then again, how could it?
After all, Isa Mukuhara was the lovechild of one of the neediest women in Japan, and a man who– despite his best efforts– never seemed to be content in life. A child such as Isa was doomed from the moment of conception. But of course, what the boy lacked in personality, he made up for in appearance.
At barely fourteen months of age, the young toddler already sported stunning golden-brown eyes and wavy, jet-black hair that Mahiru consistently ensured was pulled back into a neat, shoulder-length ponytail each day. She had personally tailored a custom seifuku from her own prisoner uniform– even embroidering her son’s name onto the collar and stitching one of her own sunflower earrings into the tiny sailor hat as a makeshift pin. Unlike the Prison Guard, she was apparently unbothered that this made her prisoner uniform a foot shorter. In fact, one might say that she enjoyed the additional stares it earnt– for better or for worse.
This day was not unlike others. Mahiru sat, combing fingers through her little one’s hair, atop the steps that served as the centrepiece for one of the prison’s many chambers; the largest that had been made available to its inhabitants. The room had originally been off-limits to prisoners, barring direct supervision from Es themselves. Yet space had quickly become an issue with their growing numbers, leading to its current use– and it was not as though the Prison Guard was around to police their actions, either way.
Little eyelids blinked heavily before falling shut. Even still, Mahiru did not dare to stop stroking the boy’s soft, ebony strands, for fear that doing so would surely cause the toddler to scream. But that only proved how deeply his love ran for her, right? Her misplaced affirmations were in contradiction to the dark circles under her eyes. As much as she tried to hide it, the sleepless nights were written plainly onto her face– not that Mikoto’s incessant screeching or the Sakurai girl’s endless sobbing helped in that department. At least, in the case of the toddler, one could blame her genetic inheritance.
While Mahiru’s attention lay elsewhere, a familiar face had begun climbing the stairs’ steep incline, quietly joining her at its peak.
“Shiina-chan,” a deep voice spoke in a warm, yet mellow tone. Prisoner number 007, Kazui Mukuhara looked up at the mother of his child through sad, blue eyes. He offered a meek smile as he reached to place a hand on their toddler’s back. “Allow me to award you a moment’s respite.”
Despite holding onto his feelings for another beyond the prison walls that held them captive, Kazui cared deeply for the woman sitting before him. But just how would he begin to explain the child of another person to his lover upon his release? And even then, would they still be in the same place in their life as when he was taken away?
As usual, the man’s thoughts had gotten away from him. It was true that Kazui had been forgiven by the Prison Guard this time around, but even his freedom was not certain at this stage. The outcome of the two remaining trials was yet to be seen– and the older man would be wise not to lose sight of that.
It was difficult for Kazui not to let the innocent verdict get to his head. What had happened with his late fiancée was not his fault– the Prison Guard had agreed with him to that extent, after all. So why did Es have to go and involve him in all of this, and with a woman half his age no less? Kazui could not help but wonder if perhaps, Isa was intended to be in part his own punishment. He shook off the thought, gently lifting the child from Mahiru’s arms, who despite her earlier fears, was far too tired to protest.
This was the very moment a patient onlooker had been waiting for. Prisoner number 010, Kotoko Yuzuriha, rose from her perch at the top of the stairs and approached the unsuspecting trio from behind. With lifeless, red eyes, and without so much as a moment’s hesitation, she planted a foot into the middle of Mahiru’s back.
Time slowed to a painful tedium as the self-proclaimed ‘fang’ of the Prison Guard lurched her leg forward, sending the young new mother airborne and flying. Her startled screams were only amplified by the vast chamber, which along with the first agonising thud, woke the sleeping Isa in Kazui’s arms. A crude smile worked its way onto Kotoko’s face as the girl continued to tumble– her body colliding with the concrete of the stairwell several times over before hitting the cold ground at its base.
Kazui’s body moved before he could think. In hindsight, leaving his barely-year-old toddler unattended at the top of a flight of stairs was not his most accomplished moment as a father. Prisoner number, 005, Shidou Kirisaki, had apparently heard the commotion and rushed down the hall. His blood ran cold when he was suddenly confronted with Mahiru’s unconscious form and the horrified expressions from all but the perpetrator. It was more than evident what had transpired.
The former doctor quickly checked the body for a pulse, sighing with relief when he found one. Although her body was bloodied and likely had several broken bones, he was more than certain Mahiru would be able to recover. With the help of Kazui, Shidou carried the woman to the examination room to treat her injuries. All the while, a pair of small, golden eyes watched nervously– tears welling as a subtle warning sign before…
Crying.
A lot had happened in a day.