Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Cove ❯ Wash My Soul ( Chapter 47 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The trees brought back so many memories. Kasumi remembered selling herself to him even further to him. She never did figure out what he wanted in her. Her younger self never had the courage to ask. Her older self was too angry to focus on that.
"What's on your mind, Kasumi?" Ryuji asked in present day. The woman looked up at him from her thoughts.
"Huh?" she asked. "Oh, nothing much."
"We can talk if you want," he offered.
"It's fine," she brushed off. Ryuji didn't look so certain to hear that.
"Look, I want to help you," he pushed.
"Leave it," Haruko cut in.
"But..." he spoke up.
"Leave it," his sister repeated. Ryuji puffed up his cheeks as he dropped his shoulders.
"Fine," he muttered. Kasumi smiled in relief, but only for a second. Her mind returned to Karasu before the betrayal. Even before that time, she never knew what he was thinking. However, there was one time she feared to even know. It was on the day before he betrayed her and her uncle. She came up to bring him his dinner.
"I brought you an extra treat," she told him.
"I'm not hungry," he replied. His tone sounded more distant than usual, but it didn't sink into her.
"Okay," she replied. "I'll just leave it by your door, then." The girl set the tray down by the door.
"I won't be here for long," Seita hissed on the other side of the door. His words made her freeze.
"What do you mean?" Kasumi asked.
"I have something to do," Seita answered.
"What do you mean?" she asked again. "What do you have to do?"
"Don't ask any questions, okay?" he asked back. "Just leave me alone, okay?" The girl wordlessly ran away back to her room. Kasumi shook her head in present day. Something should've told me to stop him then, she thought. Yet, something inside of her told her that wouldn't really do any good.
"Actually," she spoke up. "I'm fine, but thanks for asking about me." Ryuji glanced behind him.
"It's okay," he said over his shoulder. "You can talk to me if you need to." Kasumi nodded uneasily.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"I wonder what that's about," Hisako whispered. Haruko gave her a little shrug.
"Just a personal thing," she replied. The animal girl made a strange face at her.
"Okay then," she muttered.