Chapter Text
‘WELCOME TO FARAWAY’
A petite, pale boy with black hair and an eyepatch left a crowded bus.
He quietly thanked the bus driver and cautiously hopped off the bus, checking his phone before throwing on his headphones. A song started playing as he started down the street, he hummed quietly as he watched the ground while he walked, watching the cracks in the sidewalk pass by with a deadpan expression.
The boy looked up from the ground looking around, his eye shimmered with nostalgia. Some people waved as he walked by, saying simple greetings as he waved back. Some stared and whispered. Either way, he continued on his journey, Stopping once reaching a familiar house. anxiously the boy approached a light beige house, the windows had white tulips inside of pots.
Vines grew from the bottom of the house, the roof was a lovely shade of sage.
The frail boy stood on the lawn of the house, staring at the grass, although his face remained emotionless, his eyebrows were slightly tilted upwards. He was nervous.
The boy started towards the house, his eye darting around, seemingly searching for any danger, as he cautiously walked towards the door. He stared at the doorbell, his heart fluttering in fear as he gripped his suitcase tighter. He let out a shaky breath, reaching out a trembling hand.
-Ring-
He stood on the front porch, holding his suitcase dearly. After a few seconds, he heard shuffling footsteps as the door slowly creaked open. A young woman with long brown hair and tan skin answers, smiling brightly at who she thinks is-
“Welcome back, Basi-”
The woman stops shifting her vision downwards, as she stares at the boy, confused.
“... Sunny? ”
Sunny sat on the couch as the woman interrogated Sunny asking him questions non-stop.
“Where is your mother? Why are you here alone!? Did you walk here by yourself!??”
Her eyebrows were drawn together, furrowing downwards. Her tone was stern but somehow worried. Sunny nodded, staring down nervously.
“Sunny! You didn’t tell her!? You can't just do anything you want! Am I going to have to call her?”
The lady paced forward and backward, frustrated. She heard a small voice and quieted down to hear the young boy's plea.
“C..can I.. st..stay here..? Please..?”
Sunny’s voice was shaky, still not used to talking. He took a deep breath attempting to relax as he heard the woman's voice begin to speak calmly. He began to zone out as the memories of what had happened almost a year ago flashed through his head.
-------------------------------------------------
“Mom.. The- There's.. something I’ve been hiding from you..”
Ms. Suzuki looked at her son, a nervous smile on her face.
“What.. is it, Dear..?”
Sunny took a shaking breath in. He was going to tell her. The truth he’d been hiding for four years. The truth that his friends now knew. The truth that he hid with Basil.
“I’m sorry, i..it's my fault.”
Sunny’s voice was monotone, though you could still hear the terror in his voice.
“Sunny.. Dear, It's not your fault. I know you were defending yourself.. From..”
Sunny didn’t answer. That was his fault as well if he hadn’t.. Pushed Mari.. He would still have his eye. He started to tremble. Everything was his fault. His friend’s depression. His sister’s death. His own mother's neglect. His father leaving. His best friend's trauma, even his own.
“But it- it is! Everything is m-my fault!”
Sunny’s voice cracked as tears started to build up in his eyes. His throat hurt as he yelled, He wasn’t used to talking this much. Sunny’s mom stared at him, eyes wide. She was about to speak, to comfort him. He knew he didn’t deserve it. He spoke again, quieter this time.
“M-Mari she.. She di-didn’t de-deserve.. I-it’s my f..fault.. All my fau..lt..”
This time Sunny’s mom listened, Sunny usually didn’t talk about his sister.. So him saying that it was his fault.. She let out a shaky breath. She gave him a slight nod, trying to show that she was listening. Sunny continued, voice shaky.
“I-i… Me and- ..We..”
‘Take a deep breath… Don't be afraid. It's not as scary as you think.’
Sunny took a breath in.
‘Remember, Sunny… All you need to do is calm down..’
“I.. Pushed.. Her..”
Ms. Suzuki looked at her son, confused.
“Sunny.. What d..do you mean.. Pushed her..?
Sunny’s mother stared at him.
“I.. I was.. Mad and...”
Sunny swallowed.
“Th..the A-argument...I- Pushed H-her.. An-And...”
Sunny couldn’t make out sentences anymore. He couldn’t breathe, he gasped for his breath as he began to feel lightheaded.
“The.. st-stairs...”
He began to shake as he clenched his fists, nails digging into his skin, almost drawing blood.
“B-basil.. W..we..”
Sunny’s vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes, he bit the side of his cheek, trying his best not to look like a baby in front of his mother.
“..I.. I’m.. sorry.. “
Sunny choked out a sob, his voice trailing off as he apologized. Sunny had always had a sensitive stomach, whenever he felt too stressed, it would begin to ache. At this moment he already felt the need to puke, slightly tasting bile as his throat began to burn.
It hurts.
His tears began to overflow, his eyebrows furrowed as tears rolled down his cheeks. Why couldn’t he say anything? He said it all perfectly fine to his friends, so why can’t he-
“Sunny.. Y..you.. Killed.. M..Mari..?”
Her voice got quieter once she said her name, he looked up to see his mother, her eyes wide and her hand held up to her mouth. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
“Oh my god.. ”
Sunny looked up at his mother, tears drying on his cheeks. He began to speak but was interrupted by his mother. Her tone wasn’t what Sunny expected, she stared at her son as tears ran down her cheeks. Sunny looked away anxiously as she stared at him. Her voice cracked as she spoke.
“S..Sunny.. I..”
Sunny’s mother looked down as she sobbed. Sunny frowned, wiping his tears with the palm of his hands. He placed a shaky hand on his mother’s shoulder only for it to be brutally shoved off.
“Sunny..”
His mother lifted her head, tears still streaming down her face. Sunny straightened up, noticing how stern her voice was. She stared at him blankly, Sunny swallowed, scared of how quickly her expression changed. He quickly nodded, making a quiet noise to let her know he was listening.
“I.. I need to think about this..”
Sunny’s mother looked away from him, and after what seemed like an hour she spoke.
“I..I can’t even look at you the same..”
She looked at her son with a cold gaze, her tears began to dry on her cheeks. Sunny began to stutter.
“I..I’m S..sor..”
He was interrupted by his mother, her tone slightly angry this time. Sunny looked at her, her brows furrowed downwards, a scowl on her features.
“Sunny... For four years you kept this up.. For four years I thought it was my fault.”
“..I-”
She began to shout, Sunny fought the urge to cover his ears.
“..And The first time you talk to me, you tell me you killed my only daughter? Sunny, your older sister for goodness sake!”
Her voice cracked as she started to sob once again. She paused.
“I’m so sorry.. So.. so.. sorry..”
She sniffled, looking down at her shaking son. Sunny was standing now, his hands in a defensive stance, as he trembled. She let out an audible sigh, calming her stance. She walked towards her son, his eyes widened as she came closer.
.
.
.
.
She stopped in front of him, she wrapped her arms around his frail body as tears ran down her cheeks. She sniffled, a warm smile on her face.
“I neglected you for four years since I was scared of facing the truth. I’m so sorry.. Please don’t worry anymore.. It was in the past, after all... I wasn’t such a good mother..”
Sunny’s nose stung as his tears started to well up once again. They began to overflow as he hugged his mother back holding her tightly. They stood there for a while sobbing into each other’s arms before finally moving away.
“Sunny.. You know, we’re moving.. Right?”
Sunny nodded as he wiped his tears with the palm of his hands.
“Well, I had to hold the move.. They won't be here until..”
His mother checked her phone before letting out a silent sound of annoyance.
“They won’t be here for a.. Ahem. a while.. So I was wondering.. If you could stay with one of your friends.. Just for the time being..”
Sunny’s eye glimmered in excitement as he nodded hurriedly. He began to think of who to live with- He paused, the glimmer in his eye disappearing to be replaced with a nervous expression.
“Sunny? What's wrong..?”
His mother placed a hand on his cheek.
“Sunny, dear? Are you alright?”
Sunny nodded slowly, his face returning neutral once more.
“Mom..?”
Sunny fidgeted with his fingers.
“Why can’t I stay with you..?”
Ms. Suzuki looked at her son, surprised.
“Sunny, I’ll be staying at a one-room hotel.. I already asked for a room..”
“I..I can sleep on the floor?”
Sunny looked up at his mother with pleading eyes.
“..Why don’t you wanna stay with Kel?”
Sunny looked down nervously.
“I..I’m scared.. I told them about..”
“..And they didn’t forgive you?”
Sunny shrugged, frowning.
“I.. don’t know..”
She sighed.
“I mean.. You can stay with me for a while, I suppose.. But you will have to stay with someone after then- Temporarily..”
Sunny fidgeted for a minute.
“M’kay..”
Sunny paused then looked at his mother once again.
“What if I stay with Basil after..?”
--------------------------------------------