>> Shin POV <<

I was once again here in the dark. But I know what's going on.

I am buried. 

There was a fusty smell entering my nose. Covered by the rubbles, I can feel the weight and pressure it did on my body. 

I didn't bother to struggle, to remove myself from the place I'm in. Surprisingly, I can still breathe. The air, even under here was still present and abundant.

Calming myself, I am pondering my earlier actions. 

'What did I just do?' 

'Why did I suddenly attack that guy?'

'Where did the urge to kill come from?' 

I am confused. 

Struggling to move my hands, I clench my chest.

'What is this pain?' 

'I hate it. I want revenge.'

"..."

'Revenge? Why?' 

'For who?' 

'For what?'

'Haaah' Sighing in defeat, I pondered once again about what happened in my life.

So far, I lived having no one to direct a 'hate' so pure. My father, even if he couldn't save me before I breathed my last, I didn't have any hatred towards him. 

Even though I knew that it was my fault all along. But still, he could have run towards my rescue yet he cower and I feel no alms towards it. 

My mother, the source of my struggles, the pressure she put on me that led me to be thrown into depression, was still the mother I loved and respected. 

'What would she think about my death?'

'Would my mother be sad?'

'Would she cry at my funeral?' 

*Drip Drip Drip* 

Droplets of water were hitting the ground.

It came from my face, as my eyes were flooding wet.

I miss them already. 

I regret not seeing them anymore.

I will miss my mother's dishes. Even if she appeared bitchy at times, the smile she gave me when I ate the food she prepared in delight was adorable. 

The eagerness she showed when we went occasionally to buy some clothes in the mall. The way she used to scold me about how I would catch a cold when sometimes I slept on the couch. She showed genuine love.

'This feeling sucks.'

'I am feeling down.'

'I hate it. I'm depressing again.'

'I want to free myself from this.'

Speaking of free, there was someone who taught me an example of the abstract meaning of the word 'free'. 

I wasn't in the know about it so I believed the term 'free' was something that was associated with being tangible.

Let go of me for example. 

You don't have to pay, was it?

I didn't know that it could be related to 'that'.

[Flashback]

>> 3rd POV <<

Evening, at about 8 PM or so, two people were sitting side by side on the couch, eating junkies and watching a movie. 

"You know…" Erica started.

"Hmm?" Shin hummed raising his eyebrows.

"Are you free right now?" She asked.

"Yeah. That's why I'm here." Shin, facing the flat screen with a bored expression replied with a lazy tone. 

Looking at him, Erica had a tick mark on her head. 

"Huh?! You lookin' down on Avengers?" She grabbed his collar.

"Listen here heretic. The Avengers are…"

She began preaching to him about how amazing the Avengers are…

Shin just silently looked as her face was so close to him.

To explain the current situation:

Erica was excited to watch the Avengers movie so she bought the newly released CD. She hadn't watched its premiere because she didn't like going to the cinema. 

She just likes to watch it at home. She was more comfortable about it.

She bought a lot of junkies and colas. Watching the movie with snacks just perfectly hit the spot for her. 

She had planned to watch it and shared it with her mom. They were close and had the same tastes so they bond a lot.

But she received a message that her mom couldn't come because some stuff happened at work. 

So, she invited Shin over.

That is why…

.

.

.

After the long session of explanation.

She freed him. 

"Haah…." She sighed as she remembered what she wanted to ask.

"I asked you if you are–..." 

She stopped. Changing the way what she wanted to point out she asked another question:

"What do you usually do? Can you give me a rundown of your current daily life?" 

'What is she on about now?' Shin was confused because Erica was acting weird at the moment.

Nonetheless, he complied because she looked very serious. He didn't want to spoil the mood.

"On weekends I go to cram school, my mother had arranged it for me. The lectures would be helpful she says."

"On Saturday night I go to a martial arts dojo. My mother had paid for it. She was saying something about preparing oneself to, know self-defense.

"On weekdays after classes, I'm at home studying in advance, my mother told me to be prepared. Sometimes teachers might give surprise quizzes.

"Sometimes my mother —"

"Stop! Stop! Yamete kunai. Mother this. Mother that."

"You know… For the years I've known you, I have observed that you are… ah ah?" She tilted her head with her finger on her cheek. 

*Shake Shake* Shaking her head, she forgot about the term.

She asks differently:

"Can't you decide something for yourself? You look like a slave to your mom you know?"

"You see… There was a time, we were watching a live band performance at school. You were looking so bright that it seems that your eyes twinkled. I know you were interested in the subject. So why don't you try it?"

"I…-" Shin was about to say something. 

"You're afraid that your mom wouldn't like it? That she might be angered by you doing something useless?" 

"..." Erica hit the mark. Shin thought her mother would hate the idea because it wasn't relevant for education, he believed. 

"That's bullshit!" 

"I am not against the way you were brought up by your parents okay?"

"It's just…" 

She continued.

"I felt shackled looking at you. 'I thought this guy isn't free'" She said as she look into his eyes with pity.

[/Flashback]

…

.

.

.

>> 3rd POV << 

Looking back, that was the time when he rebelled and drowned himself in the comfort of entertainment. 

He was led onto a new world. 

"Free huh?" Shin muttered.

"!" His eyes widened in realization and…

.

.

.

"Keh ~" A chuckle left his mouth.

"KEKEKEEKKEKEEKE" He laughed. 

He realized that he was so tied up in the unknown feeling that he missed recognizing the man before.

The man was Douma. A character from the Demon Slayer was responsible for the death of Kanae and Shinobu. The Kocho sisters. 

He had watched Demon Slayers 1 and read the completed manga.

It had been a long time now (2+ years) that he watched and read Demon Slayer.

He had forgotten some of what happened, but Shin clearly remembered that death scene. 

As he watched that, he was feeling so hurt. 

That time it was like something more than the heart was feeling; his soul was in pain.

Shin for some reason, was attracted to the Kocho sisters. Same he had felt for 'that' girl. 

He even had posters of them in his room. 

"I see… So I hate him that much huh?" 

He was talking about Douma. 

.

.

.

"KEKEKEKEKEEKEKE" He laughed. He was holding on to his stomach. Tears were still flooding out of his eyes.

No one knows if it was tears of sadness or joy.

He felt complicated.

But, whatever…

"BULLSHIT!"

"KEEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE" He continued.

'Maybe the man was right?' 

He had been thinking about being not normal and crazy earlier when he was just chilling. 

He was slightly in denial? 

And now, he was starting to agree with the man/Douma said that he too was insane. 

Even in this situation, he found it genuinely funny; how silly he was.

"KEKEKEKEKEKEKE" He laughed. 

He felt liberated. He doesn't know why. 

Even though he still felt that hate and pain. 

He laughed.

He felt something that was rising, he felt power coming from the unknown. 

'What?…' 

He felt it and focused on this feeling.

He instinctively called out.

"Room"

…

(A/N: And They Live Fighting Happily Ever After) 

(A/N: Sorry about that folks my head was hurting writing this chapter. I feel like I'm going crazy with the nonsense I'm putting in it. But I'm happy because the more I write the more I appreciate other people's work. It's hard trying to make your nonsense logical. But it's very fun. I'm learning.

If you ever knew some strong adverbs and adjectives there is something that makes the action and expression of the character more alive please comment on the link. I can't find it. Google is weird 🤧. He won't let me. 

My vocabulary is seriously so lacking that often times my word choice becomes awkward. I want to describe the scenes more vividly so that you too could visualize them more clearly. Well, that is directed to those who still had an interest in the fic. )