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"Tatsumi-san!" A purple hair turned to the direction in which a thud was heard. A mint green stared over his bent knee and twinged in pain. His body may ache from the fall but all of his focus was on his knee. Whilst he was having all sorts of emotions, he had noticed the young ones rushing over. "It's nothing to worry about, just a bit of rest should help." Tatsumi gave a calm smile hoping to soothe the worries from everyone. Yet, deep inside his smile was something he knew was falsehood.
"It'd be best if we stopped today, tattsun senpai did more than you needed. Let's bring you back to the dorm." The young blonde boy said with concern. "No no its fine, Mayoi-san may bring me back, Aira-san still wants to practice the moves again, yes?" The blonde looked at him with conflict. As such Tatsumi was brought back to his room with Mayoi's help while the rest stayed behind to practice.
"Th-there," Mayoi gently placed Tatsumi on his bunk bed, "I-If you need anything please call me... I will fetch an ice pack for you right now.", "Thank you, Mayoi-san." And so he quickly left. Now it was just Tatsumi, with the room, with his silent thoughts. He would usually drift off to sleep but today his nightmares chose to come to haunt him yet again. His thoughts while simple, starting with his knee's pain, it went further.
His knee.
His reason for such pain. A reminder to him.
A punishment waying down on his conscience. He neither felt anything. He felt he needed this as a way to repent but it was still sickening though. With such a misfortune comes a story of a broken down hope.
The broken knee, a broken soul.
With years of damage he remembered waking up to such a sight.
"...your ligaments and knee cap are fine. As such it's suspected that you may be going through a psychological pain in the knee," he nodded, void of any emotions. He looked afar, his long mint hair toppling over his shoulders. "this can be recovered through therapy but for now physiotherapy is recommended first-"
"I will take physiotherapy but no therapy will be needed."
Agape, the doctor looked back and asked back "...I'm sorry? What do you mean?"
"It's alright I will get through it on my own, the psychological part that is." He looked up at the skeptical doctor with a weak smile. Finally showing a hint of life, but with no real feelings were seen. ".... This is given to me to repent anyways" he carefully whispered to himself
When left alone he stared out in the midst of the night with the window shining a bright night sky, no stars were seen, only the bright moon. He saw that it was the same sky as that night.
He stumbled, getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount of force given to him
"TATSUMI-SAN!" He remembers vividly, the defeaning scream, the hand that reached out for his. The desperate call for help.
The crowds of students trampled over each other. He managed to pull out an arm to save each other. At most to know that he was not alone. Roaring over the unjust that was between the two, the two that ruined everything. The one who set such a repulsive answer
The helplessness that was felt between the two targets.
Hands distancing as the other topples over, together with their hopes and their dreams of a better school.
It was all his fault
His justice, was all in vain
"KANAME!"
It echoed through the room. No one has entered in yet. He lifted himself up off the bed, drenched with all the sweat dripping down to his sheets. He looked down at the accursed knee. Cursing at his thoughts for remembering such a night
This knee, he did not want to but in the end it was what he made out to be an apology or a way to suppress all his guilt in. "Tatsumi-san!?" Upon hearing his name he looked up expectantly to see his old friend, as if he came back to care for him like all those year ago. Only to see his red head juniour. "I heard shouting, are you alright?" The red haired quickly walked over. "Oh, Hiiro-san, I am fine... I just had a nightmare." Hiiro placed an ice pack over Tatsumi's knee copying the same as Mayoi's methods. Everyone knew how Hiiro was a quick learner, a bit dense due to his new surroundings but was quite helpful when he needs to be. It reminded Tatsumi of another junior of his with hair like that of the midnight.
This time though, he swore that he will definitely take care of this junior with all his heart, the same with the rest.
This group of outsiders that was rejected by most people, they banded together to create a space where everyone can be comfortable with. Where everyone can enjoy themselves in. Thus, Tatsumi promised, he made sure to promise, he would not let his leg stop him more than need be.
His sins may continue to stick with him but he still wants to fight, even just a bit more.
In the end it was another promise to his old friends and classmates. He will do his best, to not repeat the same mistakes but to create a world where everyone can be accepted. To fill up what he lacked before, for everyone's benefit.
This was his promise to himself
Little chatter can be heard in between the creaks of the door, a light blue haired man stood in front, with the same face as that stood in the same hall of the accident long ago. The same face as the one who was injured the most.
He intently listened in. Soon he stepped away, a frown appeared with anger seething from his teeth. Crossing his arms,with one last sentence, he walked away. It sounded out in the lone empty corridor.
"Kazehaya Tatsumi, you will pay for whatever you had done. I will make you pay."
That was his promise to 'HiMSELF'