Initially, he should have realized that those plants hanging at random but also oddly specific parts of the house had a purpose beyond his comprehension, not just mere decoration he found strange and bothersome to the eye.
Kuro did not truly have ‘friends’ in this party besides Gurin—whom was busy taking selfies among other students only after forcing one picture together with him—so he scooted closer the first familiar person in his visual field which was Naoko. Of course, he had noticed the mistletoe above her but did not think much about the consequences.
“Huh?,” glancing back and forth from her to the plant above, he looked confused. Why was she making such a fuss about? Kuro spied from the corner of his eyes and realized that other students were snickering and pointing at them. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he tried to collect his thoughts about what was taking place in his ignorance.
Upon opening his eyes once more, he observed the room once more and noticed that whenever a pair of students ended underneath that plant, they had to share a kiss.
( The example he saw was none other than
Osana giving a kiss to a very flustered Budo ).
Was that all that proved to be
a problem for Naoko?
“. . .A kiss, the tradition suggests that we ought to kiss, isn’t that right?,” he made a brief pause before his lips curved into what he hoped looked like a reassuring smile before leaning to her height, “we don’t have to if you don’t want to, Naoko—even if our classmates want to poke fun of us, I could always kiss you in the corner of your lips so they won’t bother. From their angle, it would appear as if we have followed the tradition”.
Despite the nagging in the back of his head and those voices that haunted him resambling the one of his mother, ones that told him:
‘you only have to dedicate your life to one person! You will know when it happens, the one for you, my dear’ but not only those sweets words but poisonous phrases as well ‘Kuro, don’t be like your brother. Do not disappoint me, alright dear? Repeat that after me. I will not disappoint you, mother. Your body is empty, you are a broken doll, son. Just like I was once, just like your siblings—and what do we do with broken dolls? We fix them. But how do we fix ourselves? With one person, with their love that will bring a reason for us to live’.
Such words still haven’t registered in his mind for he could feel extremely basic things and ever so lightly, but he could feel regardless of his mother always telling him the opposite. Denying the little humanity he assumed without doubts he actually had.
Kuro just. . .didn’t know how to express himself or the name of whatever emotion he felt. He did not believe in a curse of love but he did believe he was cursed not to understand—but mostly, that his mother was trying to brainwash him and turn him into what Shiawase rebelled against to.
“I also would like toapologise, Naoko. . .for getting us trapped into this situation. I am probably not the person you want to kiss.”
origamiaround
gracieabrams
