Thud!

"Isamu~ How was school today?"

"The same as usual, mum."

"Mou~ You always say the same thing..."

"And you always ask the same questions..."

My mum was crestfallen, with a small pout as she held a ladle behind the kitchen counter.

"Hah... I'm tired."

"That's what you always say when you come back home."

"Yeah, cause I'm always sleepy."

Her eyebrows visibly twitched before jabbing the ladle towards my face.

"You sleep so much, eat so much, wake up late everyday, play games at home and do nothing... And you're still always sleepy..."

*Tsk, tsk, tsk...*

Shaking her head in disapproval, she breathed out in a sigh, before stiring the pot once again.

Surprisingly enough, ever since I've enter Isamu's body, his lifestyle seemed to match up with mine, even if I'm a little embarrassed to say it. Much so that my (his) mum didn't recognise a difference between us two.

Well, to be truthfully honest, the memories of the life he's had up until now flows through me, so maybe I've been influenced by them. He was... a rugged boy. He never hesitated to spit vulgur words, always got into fights, barely listened to his elders and teachers, and barely had anyone that he could call a friend, just because of how hostile he was all the time. However, he was not always like this. It was only after his Dad died, that he turned this way. 

The sensation is weird. It feels like I could tear up anytime the moment I remember him, a person I had never interacted with, yet to me and Isamu, it feels like the world has collapsed on me.

"You remind me of your dad, you know?"

"Huh?"

"The way you sigh all the time, the way your eyebrows wrinkle whenever you get irritated, and the way you always spill profanity at every chance you have... Where did my sweet little boy that pleaded with me to sleep with him go..."

"Mum, that was ages ago."

"You also look like him now too. Hiyah..."

"...Did he also use to have earrings, like me?"

"Of course he did. Fu fu~ I remember the time I first met him, he was super angry all the time, but he always put me first instead of himself, so that's probably the reason why I fell in love with him in the first place."

"..."

"Kya~ He was so hot back then~ Fuu... My face is feeling hot now."

"I didn't listen just for you to talk about your love story."

"Mou~ Dear, you look exactly like him now. So handsome, with chilling eyes... Hey, have you snagged some poor maidens already?"

"...Mum, stop teasing me." I felt my cheeks heat up, as I lightly bit my lips.

"But I'm interested about your love life as well~"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Neee~ come on, you can't keep secrets from your mother~"

"Fine! No, I haven't alright?"

"Are you sure? You've been coming home late recently, so you must be hanging out with an individual, no?"

My body lightly shook as I darted my eyes away from her eyes.

"Huh? No?"

"You can't keep secrets from me dear~ So easy to understand~"

"..."

"So who's the lucky person? A friend? Or maybe... A girlfriend!?"

"!!! No mum, it's nothing like that!"

"Ara~ Make sure you bring her to our house next time alright~?"

"Like I said, its really not like that!"

I quickly stormed upstairs, before shutting my door close.

Sigh...

Like usual, she was a handful. 

-----

Shiver...

(Ugh!)

Snapping my head, I tried to capture the uneasiness that I was feeling.

"Hmm? Are you okay, Kawachi?" Chiaki asked.

I scanned the surrounding viscinity. It felt like someone was watching me...

"...No, its nothing. I'm just not feeling too well."

"Really!? Is it my fault? Quick! Lets take you back home, before you get even wors-"

Chiaki started panicking, flailing her arms around, before wrapping her arms around mine as she tugged me along the concrete floor.

(Soft! Crap no, that's not what I'm supposed to be thinking!)

"Chiaki! It's fine, it's not because of you, so relax alright?"

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes, so calm down."

"Okay..."

She peered into my face a few times, before breaking into a big grin.

"I mean, you look fine!"

"Now that you've confirmed, can you let go of my arm?"

"Huh? Ahhh~" Her grin slowly turned from shock to a massive smirk.

"What?" I shot her a questioning look.

"So even the playboy can get flustered just from a girls touch~"

"Just let go already."

"Don't wanna~"

In fact, she inched even closer to me, pressing her huge marshmallows into my arm and side. I slowly felt the heat rise up to my face.

(This damn- If you wanna play at that game, so be it.)

"..."

"Ara~ Why so quiet now? Do you really feel that embarrassed to be touched by a cute girl like me?"

"...Look, there's something down on the floor."

"Huh?" She said, as she lowered her head towards the ground.

Grabbing her chin with my right hand, I sprung her face back upwards, causing her face to stare straight at my eyes from a tilted position.

Gradually, I moved my face closer to hers, before stopping right before our noses touched.

"...He!? Wait, wait, wait, this is too soon, you're joking right? Waitwaitwaitwait-"

Even closer, and closer, and as near as soon as our lips almost touched-

She shut her eyes close. A few seconds pass, before I pulled away and swiftly took a snap of her candy-red flushed face. Her hands and her whole body was frozen still, with her eyes still wired shut. A masterpiece.

"....Pfff. Who's the one blushing now?"

Her eyes shot open. The first thing she saw was me trying extremely hard not to fully crack out laughing with a phone in my hand.

"...Ah. AH! AH!!!! ISAMU!!! YOU SON OF A BITCH! OI!!! @!#*&^%!"

As I fully suspended my phone high in the air, Chiaki tried to take it from my grasp, going on her tip toes as she leaned against me, stretching her arm upwards.

"Give me that phone! Right now! Do you wanna die!?"

"Don't wanna~"

"Oiiiiiiiiiiii!!!"

"Hahahahahaha, too bad~ Can't do anything can yo- Wait, ouch, that hurts!"

As she started to kick my shins and pinch my sides, I slowly backed away from her. Teary eyed, clenching her fists like she was going to knock the shit out of me if I didn't delete the photo. 

"Deelllleeetteee!!! Thhhaaaattt!!! Phoootoooo!!! Nooooooooooow!!!!! Neeeeeeeeeeeee~~~ Don't mess with me~~~"

Cackling, I ran throughout the whole mall, with her tailing behind me with an oni's mask attached to her face. This lasted for 5 minutes, before I let her catch up to me and pretended that I had deleted the photo.

-----

"Come on, I've already deleted the photo. Ease up already..."

"Fuck you."

"Girl, you're the one who started it first! Oh, so when you do it, its fine, and when I do it, its a whole fucking catastrophe- Mannn, shut your ass up!"

"You don't get it!"

"Oh I don't, do I?" I said, as I snorted in sarcasm.

"Yeah you fucking don't."

Positioning my finger in front of her forehead, I loaded it up, before releasing it into her forehead.

"Ouch! What the fuck is your problem!?"

"That's for kicking my shin and pinching me all day long."

".....Sigh....."

Eventually, she let off the gas, shaking her head as her cheeks filled up with air.

"Why are you so sulky? I thought we were done with all of this."

"...Nothing. You're just an idiot."

"Right, right, I'm an idiot, just like you said."

Tsk!

"...Aho." She murmured under her breath.

-----

The sun was slowly setting, as its rays reached over the horizon, dancing off the white concrete floor and walls. 

Making my way down the street, I turned around the corner.

"....Why does Chiaki have to be like this... Sigh..."

As I continued muttering under my breath, cursing Chiaki, I started to smell smoke.

(What is that burning sound?)

"Huh?"

And there it was. My house, completely in flames.

It felt like electricity had traveled up my spine.

"...Shit! Mum!"

Kicking off the floor, I dashed towards the house.

The smell of burnt wood continued to get stronger as I came closer. Palms were beginning to sweat, as I felt my heart rate accelerate.

Eventually, I arrived at my front door. At this point, the once two story house that stood proudly was enroached in flames, fire spreading from out within the windows, as the sound of crumbling echoed inside.

I yanked the door.

It didn't budge.

My body went cold.

"Fuck! Mum! Are you in there!? Mum! Answer me!!!"

I took a few steps back, before driving my back foot into the ground and-

I slammed the door once. 

Then twice. 

Then thrice.

Then-

BOOM!!!

Before my torso hit the door, the raging fire from within exploded out the front door, launching my body backwards. I pounded into the ground, as I thrashed and twisted along the ground, scraps and cuts appearing on my skin, before smacking into the back wall of the street.

(Huh...? Where... Where am I?)

I laid slumped on the wall.

(Mum? What about mum? No, this can't be happening... Shit... I'm losing conscious.........)

-----