Chapter Text
Ok, so, it goes like this: a child, a notebook and the ability to see curses. Nothing could go wrong, right?
Well... Not quite.
"The freak is drawing monsters again!" Some shit stain of a kid rips the notebook right out of my hands and starts doing mocking faces, trying to imitate the curse.
"Ok," I answer, completely unfased "and that affects you how exactly?"
"I don't, but it makes you a freak! " He says the word as if it's the biggest insult out there. To be frank, it probably is for a 7 year old.
"You aren't afraid it might be contagious?" I ask him with a shit eating grin "You might become a freak too!"
He instantly drops the notebook and goes of running with his friends, avoiding me at all cost.
"Pff, fool!" I huff and I hear Yoru purr in agreement.
"Suguru..." My dad just sighs as we left the principals office "You can't keep doing this, kiddo!"
"Oh, so it's fine for them to call me names and mess with my things, but I can't bite back?" I take the liberty to sass the man a little, especially since I was in the right.
"I know it's not fair, sweetheart," My mom says, petting my hair "but I'm sure they'll realize what they're doing is not ok and grow out of it!"
I dearly hoped she was right, but if there's anything I've learned across two lifetimes, it's that people do not change easily without facing consequences.
Things did not get better.
Those same kids that made fun of me were now doing their best to isolate me from the others. I didn't much care about my lack of friends, I had Yoru and that was enough for me most days. No, the issues started when those bastards got it through their head that if I was on my lonesome they could hurt me without fear of retaliation. Too bad for them I was the former King of Curses.
"Geto-san, this is getting outrageous!" The principal was basically shouting in my dad's face "Your son has not only broken Tanaka-kun's nose, but also Ito-chan's arm!"
"Tanaka ripped my notebooks and Ito kicked me in the balls!" I grumble, still cringing at the phantom pain.
"And he's also a liar on top of that, apparently!" The principal was just fucking with me at this point.
"Look at the-"
"Suguru, enough!" My dad shouted and I was taken aback. I scoff in disbelief and lean back to stew in my anger.
Once the principal was done telling my dad all about my punishment we made our way to the car. As he shut the door, my dad just let out a long suffering sigh and rested his head over his hands on the wheel.
"Sorry for screaming at you, kiddo!"
I felt some of my anger melt away at his genuine anguish.
" 'S okay," I mumble, clutching my bag closer.
"It's not... I understand your anger, I do!" He says, turning to look at me "I wish we could do something about those rich spoiled brats as well!"
"Not your fault, dad! I get it, don't worry!"
"Just... endure it a little longer, 'kay? You're twelve now, nearly in junior high and away from those little bastards!"
"I know," I sigh, defeated "I'll try to lay low for the last few weeks."
"That's my boy!" He ruffled my hair with a soft smile.
On the drive home I had time to study the man's worn expression. Both him and mom were clearly sick and tired of all the bullies bothering me and it plagued them day and night they couldn't do more about it. Not for a lack of trying either, I was just unlucky enough to piss off the kid with the snobbiest rich bitch parents and pressing charges against their kid would just be a surefire way to gig ourselves into dept.
Just a few more weeks. I had to hold on for just a few more weeks.
Summer break was a godsent. After getting rid of my bullies for good I was so relieved I ended up crashing and sleeping for 20 hours straight. My parents were a bit concerned but I felt like that nap fixed every single one of my problems.
Summer was also a time of experimenting. Truth be told up until this point I've not encountered any curse I felt like I wanted to keep. All of them were ugly, weak and had mediocre abilities. This time I was determined to find at least one curse that could measure up to Yoru's presence.
I've seen many curses during my midnight outings, each one weirder than the next. It wasn't until a trip to an ancient temple with my parents, that I finally found a worthy contender.
"Hello!" I mutter, looking curiously at the cowering curse.
I wasn't even sure if it was a curse with how much it was trying to avoid any human around. Come to think of it, it kinda looked dubiously similar to the statue it was cowering behind.
"Are you, like, a guardian spirit or something?" I ask, crouching down and holding out a hand for it to sniff.
The curse had the sleek body of a panther, but its face was entirely like a colorfully painted mask come to life, red, gold and turquoise contrasting nicely with it's black fur.
"Yeah, I'd hide as well if I had to go against so many people!" I say as it finally came to rub its head against my palm "Good kitty!"
I slowly reach out with Stars', as I did so many times before to gather the broken pieces of my soul, and tug firmly on the curse's soul.
The creature's eyes went wide for a second before it disappears and I feel a new presence in the space Yoru occupies.
'Guess you have a new roommate, big girl!' I chuckle as I feel the two cats assess each other.
"Suguru!" I hear my mom shout and I bolt towards where I left my parents.
The end of summer was somehow a nostalgic experience. I knew I'd return to the same familiar four walls each night and curl up under the blankets with my newly acquired curses rumbling comfortingly somewhere in my gut, but I couldn't help but think that I wouldn't get such peace again for a long time to come.
Maybe this was just my pessimistic attitude from my time in the Heian era. Good things will last. I'll make them last.
I'm back in the fucking building again.
"Dad, tell me that bitch isn't actually here!"
"I don't want to lie to you, kiddo!"
"This is ridiculous!" My mom groans and pinches the bridge of her nose.
Itchigo Tanaka, the bane of my existence and the definition of arrogance, was still in the same fucking class as me. One of us is gonna leave this school on a stretcher and it sure as hell ain't gonna be me.
"Just please don't kill him!" Dad begs, already anticipating the violence to come.
"They'd never find his body."
"Listen to your father, young man!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The first few weeks were suspiciously quite. No taunts, no threats, not even mean shoves. I was starting to suspect psychological warfare, but I knew with certainty that fucker wasn't smart enough for that. It wasn't until I heard some year mates whispering that I finally understood what the little shit was trying to do.
"I heard he talks to himself!" A girl whispered to her friend.
"Yeah, Tanaka-kun said he heard that people like him get put into psych wards because they see things!"
"Shhh! He's here, lower your voice!"
I can literally see them looking at me with weary eyes and I just shake my head in disgust. Great, now they think I'm crazy and they're being misinformed. Dear God, take me!
"Sooo..." Mom starts hesitantly as we're having dinner "the school called today."
"I'm being framed. I didn't do a thing." I deadpan, not even raising my eyes from my mashed potatoes.
"We know, kiddo!" dad reassures quickly "It's not about that though."
"O-kay?" I pause at that, putting my fork down "What's it about then?"
"Your professors are... concerned about you..." Mom lays it out carefully.
"I've done all my work and I'm not disrupting class?" I tell her confused "I mean, I did shout at Hiroshi once-"
"They think you should see a psychiatrist!" She cuts me off as gently as she could.
"Oh, for the love of- No!" I growl, rubbing my temples "I'm fine, Tanaka is just being a bitch, as always!"
My parents just look at each other then back at me with what I can only describe as pity.
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"Just humor us, honey!" Mom pleads "They might be wrong, but maybe there's something lingering from- from the bulling? Perhaps it could be good, just to be sure!"
She looks so hopeful at the idea it might help that I don't have the heart to tell her no. Whatever helps them sleep at night, I guess, even if I hate this with all my being.
"Geto-san, I'm sorry to say but your son appears to have a very clear case of schizophrenia."
Uh, fraud? This is complete and utter bullshit? Who bribed you?
"Based on what evidence!?" My voice cracks as I nearly jump from my seat "You barely talked to me for ten minutes!"
The bastard just ignored me in favor of telling my mom I'd need medicine to handle the hallucinations I'm getting and how to manage it if I end up having violent episodes, whatever the hell that meant.
Back in the car I could only stare at the ceiling in disbelief and I let out a horrified huff.
"You didn't actually listen to his bullshit, right?" I ask, hands beginning to tremble in my lap from anger.
"I don't know what to say, baby..." She confessed and my blood turns to ice "On one hand I know you, but on the other, way too many of your peers expressed concerns about you and if even a professional agrees them I can only conclude that you truly need help, sweetheart!"
The look she gave me made me want to throw up. She was teary eyed with concern and it was all twisted by the dude who should get a malpractice lawsuit and a bunch of gossiping kids.
"Fucking hell..." I run a hand through my hair and lean my arm on the car door.
"I'm sorry, baby!" She was outright crying now, but I could barely hear her over the one idea that might be my one chance to prove everyone a lier.
"Yoru!" I call out and the cat materialized in my lap with a happy 'mrp'.
I look at mom expectantly, gesturing towards my girl, but she just looked at me with confusion and heartbreak.
"Wait, you can't actually see her?" I ask, heart thundering in my chest.
"Oh, baby!" She chokes and cups my face.
Yoru turns to her in alarm, yowling as loud as she could, to no avail. Mom just pulled me into an awkward hug, but I could feel my limbs going numb as it dawned on me that to them I was now well and truly crazy.