Chapter Text
The crickets and cicadas sing a soft hymn outside of Yoshiki’s window, a quiet lullaby that brings more anxiety than comfort. Yoshiki had woken up earlier that night, a cold, almost painful tremble in his bones. His breathing is quiet and shaky, visible in the cold, wintery air of his room due to the window he had accidentally left open.
The boy lies on his side in his bed, curled in on himself as he rocks back and forth slightly. Tears threaten to fall from his bloodshot eyes, but he blinks them away.
He had another bad dream. This one was worse than the others. He doesn’t remember it much now that he’s woken up, but the fear from it still lingers. This one felt too real. Too plausible. All he can remember is the feeling of being stripped away from the only one he feels he really, truly cares about, ‘Hikaru’.
The recent events with that shady company, the warnings from Tanaka, it’s messed with his head. Yoshiki doesn’t know what will happen to them tomorrow, or the day after that. He doesn’t know how much longer they can stay here.
But, it’s not like he wants to.
He wants to leave.
He always has.
His body aches as he sits up, his futon creaking under his weight. He sighs quietly, looking outside his window. He feels like he’s suffocating in this small town. People are getting more suspicious of him and Hikaru day by day. The longer they stay in this damned place, the more they risk being caught. He can’t live like this. They can’t live like this…
Yoshiki’s eyes scan his bedroom, not focusing on anything in particular. His house is surprisingly quiet tonight, his mom and dad aren’t fighting, and not even Kaoru is making a fuss. It’s almost serene.
Or, at least it would be if he didn’t feel like he was suffocating.
His eyes lock onto his school bag, the zipper open and tipped over a bit. He sees his papers and books inside, as well as a small glint of the knife peaking out. He kept it in there for self-defense purposes.
Thoughts race through his head as he stares at the bag, his fingers gripping the sheets as he debates. He suddenly stands up as he makes a decision, going over to his dresser. He dumps out the books and papers from his school bag, carefully removing the knife before grabbing a couple of clothes, stuffing them in along with a few essential items.
He grabs his phone, quickly texting Hikaru. “Meet me at the train station at the edge of town. Pack some clothes and essentials. We’re not coming back, so take anything you don’t want to leave behind with you. Wear that old hoodie I gave you. Make sure no one knows you’re gone. Delete this message when you see it. Leave your phone behind.” He quickly deletes the message on his side before exiting his messages. He looks at his homescreen, a photo of him and his friends. He turns his phone off to look at his lockscreen, which is a photo of his mom, dad, sister, and himself. He feels a moment of hesitation to continue, but it doesn’t change his mind.
“..’m sorry, Kaoru..mom... dad.. I’ll see ya’ll again someday..” Yoshiki says quietly to himself. And with that, Yoshiki tosses his phone on his bed. He puts on his own dark sweatshirt and grabs his bag, shoving it out his open window before climbing out himself.
***
‘Hikaru’ snores quietly on his futon. He almost looks human. He dreams of the beach, Yoshiki, watermelon, everything he adores.
The white-haired creature is suddenly pulled out of his sleep-like state, hearing the familiar ding of his phone. He’d normally not wake to such a thing, but he just knows it’s Yoshiki.
He lazily grabs his phone and unlocks it, going to his messages. His eyes widen as he reads, his dead heart almost beating out of his chest as he gets out of bed and grabs a bag.
***
Yoshiki waits outside the train station, the crisp, midnight air filling his lungs. The station is mostly empty and slow, only a few people waiting around, none of which he knows and most half-asleep.
He’d already bought two tickets to Tokyo, using the money he saved up from a side-job he had over the summer. He has enough left for some food and a motel for a night or two.
The dark-haired boy’s head tilts up as he hears the sound of shuffled footsteps approaching, his eyes landing on a familiar figure. The two boys are dressed similarly, both wearing dark pants and a hoodies obscuring their identities to anyone but them.
Yoshiki smiles ever so slightly, something that almost feels like freedom spreading through his aching body. Yoshiki holds out one of the tickets to ‘Hikaru’, their hands brushing slightly as the other boy takes it.
The taller boy beckons the other to follow, the shorter quickly grabbing onto Yoshiki’s hand, as if afraid of being separated despite the lack of a crowd to get lost in. Although they’re not free just yet, Yoshiki allows this act, knowing there isn’t anyone who knows them around to judge.
The two find a bench to sit on together, waiting patiently for the train to arrive.