KIRO’S STORY / CHAPTER 14 OF 36
Late
by hasira · about 16 min read
By the time they left the forest, the light had already started changing.
Not dark yet.
Just later.
The kind of autumn afternoon where everything slowly turned colder without asking.
Susie had both cameras with her again.
The instant one hung from her wrist.
Her bag with the digital camera rested against her side.
Kiro walked beside her with his paws mostly hidden inside his sleeves.
The tree was far behind them now.
He was glad about that.
Susie hadn't mentioned it again.
He was even more glad about that.
They reached the first streets of town.
Wet pavement.
Orange leaves stuck to the sidewalks.
Cars passing through shallow puddles.
Susie stopped near a small shop.
“I need film.”
Kiro looked at her camera.
“You used that much?”
“I took pictures.”
“That's generally what cameras do.”
“Exactly.”
She started toward the door.
Then stopped.
“Kiro.”
“What?”
“Don't disappear.”
He stared at her.
“Very funny.”
“I'm serious.”
“I'll be right here.”
“Good.”
She went inside.
Kiro shoved his paws deeper into his sleeves and looked around.
Then someone behind him said:
“Kiro.”
His entire body reacted before his brain did.
Kiro turned.
Rin stood a few meters away.
Dark hoodie.
Paws in the pockets.
Expression flat.
Kiro immediately knew.
“...Fuck.”
Rin walked toward him.
“You alive?”
Kiro gave him a cautious look.
“Apparently.”
“Cool.”
Rin stopped in front of him.
“Would've been nice to know.”
Kiro's ears lowered.
Oh.
Right.
His phone.
Rin had told him to message when he got home.
Kiro had gone home.
Susie had stayed because of the storm.
They watched the movie.
He fell asleep.
Nightmare.
Floor.
Scars.
Crying.
Morning.
Breakfast.
Vinyl shop.
Forest.
Tree.
And not once had he messaged Rin.
Kiro pulled his phone out.
The screen lit up.
Messages.
Several.
Home?
Then later:
kiro
you alive?
And eventually:
seriously just send literally anything
The last one had arrived a few hours ago.
assuming you're not dead because susie hasn't called me about a corpse
Kiro stared.
“...I forgot.”
Rin looked at him.
“You forgot.”
“Yeah.”
“You forgot to tell me you didn't die.”
“When you say it like that...”
“How else should I fucking say it?”
Kiro put the phone away.
“Sorry.”
Rin sighed.
He wasn't shouting.
That made it worse somehow.
“I watched you collapse at my birthday party, Kiro.”
“I know.”
“You passed out in my arms.”
“I know.”
“Then you went home and fucking vanished.”
“I didn't vanish.”
“You didn't answer.”
“I wasn't checking my phone.”
“Exactly.”
Kiro looked down.
Rin rubbed his face.
“I'm not trying to be your fucking parent.”
“I know.”
“I just wanted one message.”
Kiro stayed quiet.
Rin looked past him.
“Where's Susie?”
“Buying film.”
Rin looked back at him.
“You've been with her this whole time?”
Kiro immediately frowned.
“Not like that.”
Rin's mouth twitched.
“I didn't say anything.”
“Your face did.”
“There it is.”
“Fuck you.”
For a second, Rin smiled.
Then his expression became serious again.
“Whole time?”
Kiro nodded.
“She stayed over because of the storm.”
Rin raised an eyebrow.
Kiro pointed at him.
“Don't even try.”
“I'm not doing anything.”
“You are absolutely doing something.”
“I'm standing here.”
“Annoyingly.”
Rin looked toward the shop.
Susie was still inside.
Then his eyes returned to Kiro.
“What happened?”
Kiro's expression changed.
“Nothing.”
“Kiro.”
“Why does everyone say my name like that?”
“Because you lie badly.”
Kiro looked away.
Rin's eyes dropped.
Kiro was pulling one sleeve farther over his paw again.
Rin noticed.
His expression shifted.
“What did she see?”
Kiro stopped.
“...What?”
Rin nodded toward his arm.
Kiro stared at him.
Sometimes knowing someone for too long was fucking annoying.
He lowered his voice.
“My arm.”
Rin went quiet.
“How much?”
“Enough.”
A few seconds passed.
“And?”
Kiro looked toward the shop.
“I freaked out.”
“Panic?”
“Yeah.”
“Bad?”
Kiro gave him a look.
“I was crying into her shirt on the floor.”
Rin nodded slowly.
“So bad.”
“Yeah.”
“She stayed?”
Kiro looked at him.
“Yeah.”
Rin nodded again.
“Good.”
Kiro blinked.
“That's it?”
“What?”
“Good?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don't know.”
Rin shrugged.
“She stayed.”
Kiro looked away.
“Yeah.”
“That's good.”
Something uncomfortable moved in Kiro's chest.
He ignored it.
Rin watched him for another moment.
“You look like shit, by the way.”
“Thenks.”
“More than usual.”
“Very helpful.”
“You sleep?”
“Kind of.”
“Eat?”
“Yeah.”
“Actually?”
“Eggs and toast.”
Rin looked surprised.
“Wow.”
“Susie was there.”
“Ah, supervision.”
Kiro pushed his shoulder.
Rin barely moved.
“Asshole.”
Rin smiled.
Then Kiro's expression went quieter again.
“There was something else.”
Rin noticed immediately.
“What?”
Kiro glanced toward the shop.
Susie was still gone.
He lowered his voice.
“We went to the forest.”
“The old tracks?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
Kiro rubbed his thumb against the edge of his sleeve.
“I saw something again.”
Rin's smile disappeared.
“Like the party?”
“Kind of.”
Kiro stared at the pavement.
“There was a tree.”
A pause.
“One of those old tires hanging from a rope.”
Rin waited.
Kiro swallowed.
“I looked through her camera.”
His paw closed.
“And I saw myself hanging from it.”
Rin didn't react for a second.
Then:
“Jesus.”
“I know.”
“Was it...”
Rin stopped himself.
Kiro looked at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No. Say it.”
Rin hesitated.
“Did you know it wasn't real?”
Kiro's eyes lowered slightly.
“Yeah.”
Rin nodded.
“Okay.”
“I mean...”
Kiro rubbed his face.
“I knew.”
He looked toward the road.
“But knowing doesn't fucking turn it off.”
“I didn't say it did.”
Kiro glanced at him.
Rin wasn't judging him.
Of course he wasn't
Kiro breathed out.
“There were two people under me.”
“Who?”
“Couldn't see.”
“Did you tell Susie?”
Kiro nodded.
“Yeah.”
Rin looked genuinely surprised.
Kiro noticed.
“What?”
“You told her?”
“Yes.”
“Like actually told her?”
Kiro frowned.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means normally you say 'I'm fine' until you nearly die.”
“Okay, fuck you.”
Rin smiled slightly.
“I'm impressed.”
“Don't make it weird.”
“I'm not.”
“I'm literally complimenting you.”
“That's weird.”
Rin laughed quietly.
Then his expression softened.
“Seriously, though.”
Kiro looked at him.
“Good.”
Kiro hated how much that simple word affected him.
He looked away.
Rin reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.
Then paused.
Looked at Kiro.
“Mind?”
Kiro shook his head.
“No.”
Rin lit it.
A few seconds passed.
Smoke disappeared into the cold air.
Kiro watched cars move through the street.
Then Rin spoke again.
“Next time, one word.”
“What?”
Rin took the cigarette from his mouth.
“Alive.”
Kiro stared at him.
“That's dramatic.”
“You passed out at my birthday.”
“...Fair.”
“That's all I need.”
Rin looked at him.
“Alive.”
Kiro nodded.
“Okay.”
“I'm serious.”
“I know.”
“Because I'm not spending another fucking night wondering if...”
Rin stopped.
Kiro looked at him.
Rin took another drag.
“If what?”
“Nothing.”
“Rin.”
He sighed.
“If you're dead somewhere.”
Kiro went quiet.
That landed harder than he expected.
Rin immediately noticed.
“Hey.”
Kiro looked down.
“I'm not saying that to make you feel like shit.”
“You're doing great.”
“Fuck you.”
Kiro smiled weakly.
Then the shop door opened.
Susie came outside carrying a small pack of film.
She looked between them.
“Everything okay?”
“No”
“Yes”
Susie stopped.
“Great.”
Kiro glared at Rin.
Rin ignored him.
“He's alive.”
Susie looked at Kiro.
“Usually.”
“Don't encourage him.”
Rin pointed at Susie with the cigarette.
“Make sure he remembers phones exist.”
Kiro stared at him.
“Don't recruit her.”
Susie nodded seriously.
“Too late.”
“Fuck both of you.”
Rin smiled.
He put the cigarette out.
“I've got somewhere to be.”
Kiro looked at him.
“You just found me by accident?”
“Pretty much.”
“That's disappointing.”
“Sorry I don't organize a search party.”
Rin started walking away.
Then stopped.
Turned back.
“Kiro.”
“What?”
“Alive.”
Kiro rolled his eyes.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Rin looked at Susie.
“Have fun babysitting.”
Kiro immediately raised a paw.
“Rin.”
He was already walking away.
Susie watched him go.
Then looked at Kiro.
“Babysitting?”
“No.”
“He seemed pretty confident.”
“He's an asshole.”
“He likes you.”
Kiro shoved his paws into his sleeves again.
“Unfortunately.”
Susie smiled.
They started walking.
After a few seconds:
“You really forget to message him?”
Kiro sighed.
“Yes.”
“For an entire day?”
“It wasn't an entire day.”
Susie checked her phone.
Kiro watched.
“Don't.”
“Pretty close.”
“Traitor.”
“You scared him.”
Kiro went quiet.
Susie noticed.
She didn't continue.
They walked another block.
Then she spoke.
“I still want to show you something.”
Kiro glanced at her.
“What?”
“My photos.”
“You've shown me photos.”
“Not properly.”
She tapped the camera bag.
“The actual ones.”
Kiro looked ahead.
“Where?”
“My house.”
His steps slowed.
Susie noticed immediately.
“You're doing the thing.”
“What thing?”
“The thing where you pretend you're walking normally while very obviously reconsidering your life.”
“I'm walking.”
“Slower.”
Kiro sighed.
“Your dad home?”
“Probably.”
Kiro stopped completely.
Susie turned toward him.
“...Seriously?”
“I'm thinking.”
“Very intensely.”
Kiro stared down the street.
Going into someone's house shouldn't have been difficult.
It was a house.
A normal house.
People did that.
He had let Susie into his.
She had slept there.
Twice, technically.
Still.
“He's normal.”
Kiro looked at her.
“That word means nothing to me.”
Her expression changed.
She remembered.
The conversation that morning.
Good family.
Nice family.
Normal family.
Susie nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
A pause.
“He's not like yours.”
Kiro looked at her.
She didn't say anything else.
Neither did he.
After a moment, he started walking again.
Susie followed.
“That means yes?”
“Apparently.”
“Good.”
“If I die, I'm haunting you.”
“Fair.”
Susie's room looked like her.
Kiro didn't know how else to describe it.
Not perfectly clean.
Not filthy.
Clothes on a chair.
A couple plants near the window.
One looked healthy.
One looked questionable.
One was absolutely dead.
Kiro pointed at it.
“That one's gone.”
Susie dropped her camera bag onto the bed.
“It's recovering.”
“It's brown.”
“Recovering slowly.”
Kiro smiled.
Then he noticed the walls.
Photos.
A lot of them.
Not all framed.
Some taped up.
Some pinned.
Some overlapping.
Concerts.
Empty streets at night.
Rain on glass.
Old buildings.
Trees.
Her father asleep in a chair with a book on his chest.
A blurry dog running past the camera.
A badly framed moon.
Kiro stepped closer.
“You took all these?”
“Most.”
“Most?”
“Some are old family photos.”
Kiro nodded.
He touched the edge of one picture.
A wet street under orange lamps.
Another beside it showed trees covered in fog.
Kiro moved his paw carefully across the wall.
“There's like three layers here.”
“Probably more.”
“How do you even know what's underneath?”
“I don't.”
Kiro looked at her.
“Seriously?”
Susie shrugged.
“If I like a new one more, it goes on top.”
“That's horrible organization.”
“It's a wall.”
Kiro smiled and touched another cluster.
There were so many photographs in one place that some barely showed at all.
Then something moved.
A photograph slipped from behind the others.
It fluttered toward the floor.
“Oh.”
Kiro crouched and picked it up.
Susie looked over.
Her expression changed.
Kiro didn't notice immediately.
The photo looked older.
Susie was in it.
A little younger.
Standing close beside someone Kiro had never seen before.
The other person had an arm around her.
Both of them were smiling at the camera.
Kiro looked at it.
Then at Susie.
“Who's this?”
Susie didn't answer.
Kiro looked at the picture again.
Then finally noticed her face.
“...Oh.”
Susie walked over.
“My ex.”
Kiro immediately held the photo toward her.
“Sorry. It fell out.”
“I know.”
She took it.
For a moment, she just stared at it.
Kiro looked toward the wall.
The place it had fallen from was almost completely covered.
Photos over photos over photos.
“You had it hidden back there?”
“Not originally.”
Susie rubbed her thumb against the edge of the picture.
“I kept it up for a while.”
“Why?”
She gave a small shrug.
“I don't know.”
Kiro waited.
Susie's eyes stayed at the photo.
“At first I couldn't make myself take it down.”
A pause.
“Then I started putting other pictures around it.”
She looked toward the wall.
“Then over it.”
Kiro understood.
“You were covering it.”
“Apparently.”
She didn't sound angry.
That somehow made it feel worse.
Kiro looked at the person in the photo again.
“Were you together long?”
Susie hesitated.
“Long enough.”
Something in the answer made Kiro stop.
He didn't ask another question.
Susie noticed.
“He hurt me a lot.”
Kiro looked at her.
Not physically.
Maybe physically.
Maybe neither.
She didn't explain.
Kiro wasn't going to make her.
His ears lowered slightly.
“...I'm sorry.”
Susie gave him a tired little look.
“There it is again.”
Kiro almost smiled.
“Yeah.”
She looked at the photo one more time.
Then suddenly held it toward him.
Kiro blinked.
“What?”
“Take it.”
“Why?”
“I don't want it anymore.”
Kiro stared at the photo.
“Then throw it away.”
“You do it.”
“What?”
Susie pushed it into his paw.
“When you go home.”
Kiro looked confused.
“Why me?”
She glanced toward the wall.
“If I put it in my trash, there's a decent chance I'll take it back out.”
That answer shut him up.
Susie looked at the picture in his paw.
“So do me a favor.”
Kiro's fingers closed carefully around it.
“Throw it somewhere outside.”
“Like a bin?”
“Preferably.”
“You made it sound like you wanted me to throw it into a river.”
“That works too.”
Kiro looked at her.
Susie smiled faintly.
“I'm joking.”
“Good.”
A pause.
Kiro looked down at the photograph.
He felt strangely uncomfortable holding it.
Like he had accidentally been given something private.
Something heavier than paper should have been.
“I won't look at it again.”
Susie shrugged.
“I don't care.”
“I do.”
That made her look at him.
Kiro slipped the photo carefully into his pocket.
Not beside his phone.
Somewhere it wouldn't bend.
Susie noticed.
“You're going to throw it away, not preserve it for a museum.”
“I know.”
“You're handling it like evidence.”
“I don't want to damage it before I throw it away.”
Susie stared at him.
Kiro frowned.
“...That sounded stupid.”
“A little.”
“Shut up.”
Neither of them mentioned the person in the photo again.
Susie walked over to a drawer.
Inside were boxes.
She pulled one out and put it on the floor.
Kiro sat nearby.
She opened it.
Polaroids.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Kiro stared.
“Jesus.”
“I told you.”
“You said photography.”
“This is fucking evidence.”
Susie laughed.
She started going through them.
“These are older.”
She handed him one.
A street covered in snow.
Another.
A small concert.
Another.
A terrible photo of Rin holding up both middle fingers.
Kiro stopped.
“What the fuck?”
Susie looked.
“Oh.”
“You know Rin that long?”
“Not really.”
“He looks younger.”
“Because he was drunk.”
“Ah.”
“Also bad lighting.”
Kiro stared at it.
“I need this.”
“No.”
“I absolutely need this.”
“Give it back.”
“I'm sending it to him.”
Susie grabbed for it.
Kiro pulled it away.
“No.”
“Kiro.”
“This is historically important.”
She caught his wrist and stole it back.
Kiro looked offended.
“Abuse.”
“My house.”
“Not an excuse.”
Susie put the picture safely away.
Then took out another stack.
Today's.
Kiro recognized the forest immediately.
Wet tracks.
Leaves.
The puddle he'd insulted.
The broken sign.
His own back as he looked toward the trees.
He stared at that one.
Susie watched him.
“You can have it if you want.”
Kiro looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because you're in it.”
“You took it.”
“And?”
Kiro looked at the photo again.
He didn't hate it.
That still felt strange.
“...Maybe.”
Susie smiled slightly.
Then her eyes moved toward something on her desk.
Kiro followed them.
A small black paper sat there.
Orange tissue paper sticking from the top.
A tiny plastic bat attached to the handle.
Kiro pointed.
“What's that?”
Susie immediately looked away.
“Nothing.”
“It's literally a decorated bag.”
“Very observant.”
“Why does it have a bat?”
“My dad.”
“What about him?”
“He thinks hiding gifts in bags makes them less obvious.”
Kiro paused.
“Gift?”
Susie stopped.
A tiny moment.
Her face told him she'd said too much.
Kiro slowly turned toward her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Susie.”
She sighed.
“My birthday's tomorrow.”
Silence.
Kiro stared.
“Tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
He looked at the little bat.
Then back at her.
“Halloween.”
“Yeah.”
“Your birthday is on Halloween?”
“Every year, actually.”
Kiro frowned.
“Don't be a smartass.”
“You asked.”
He sat there processing it.
Then:
“And you didn't fucking mention this?”
Susie shrugged.
“It didn't come up.”
“It didn't come up?”
“No.”
“We spent all of yesterday together.”
“Correct.”
“You slept at my house.”
“Yep.”
“We spent today together.”
“Also correct.”
“I showed you where I work.”
“True.”
“You dragged me through a forest.”
“You came willingly.”
“Debatable.”
Susie smiled.
Kiro pointed at her.
“And somehow 'by the way, tomorrow is my birthday' didn't make the list?”
“You seem weirdly offended.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
Kiro opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Because his head was already moving.
Gift.
Something she would actually like.
Not too much.
Not too little.
Not weird.
Not romantic.
Not cheap.
Not expensive enough to look insane.
Something meaningful.
Less than a day.
Fuck.
Susie watched his expression change.
“Kiro.”
“What?”
“Don't.”
“Don't what?”
“Make a thing.”
“I'm not.”
“You absolutely are.”
“I'm sitting here.”
“You're thinking loudly.”
Kiro slowly looked toward you.
Of course you were there.
His eyes narrowed.
“Don't fucking help her.”
Susie followed his gaze.
Nothing.
She looked back at him.
“There it is again.”
Kiro ignored her.
“Tomorrow.”
Susie sighed.
“Yes.”
“Do you have plans?”
“Kind of.”
Kiro immediately noticed.
“What does that mean?”
“It means kind of.”
“Helpful.”
“My dad usually does something. Food. Cake. Whatever.”
“Party?”
“Not really.”
Kiro thought for a second.
“Does Rin know?”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“He forgets everything.”
“Fair.”
Kiro looked back at the birthday bag.
The little plastic bat smiled stupidly at him.
Susie pointed at him.
“Seriously.”
“What?”
“No huge thing.”
“I wasn't planning a huge thing.”
“You've known for thirty seconds.”
“Exactly.”
“And you're already stressed.”
“I'm not stressed.”
“Your ears are doing that.”
Kiro immediately touched one.
Susie laughed.
“Asshole.”
“You're proving my point.”
Kiro lowered his paw.
His eyes moved around the room again.
Her cameras.
The photographs.
The dead plant.
The little place on the wall where one picture had finally fallen out.
Then Susie.
Something was already forming in his head.
Susie narrowed her eyes.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Kiro.”
“Nothing.”
“That was suspicious.”
“You say everything I do is suspicious.”
“Because it is.”
Kiro stood.
Susie watched him.
“Where are you going?”
“Home eventually.”
“Eventually?”
“Yes.”
He picked up one of the Polaroids from the floor.
The one of him beside the railway tracks.
Susie noticed.
“Stealing now?”
“It's me.”
“I took it.”
“My face.”
“My photo.”
Kiro slipped it into his other pocket.
“Take me to court.”
Susie stared at him.
Then smiled.
“Fine.”
Kiro suddenly became aware of what was in both pockets.
One photograph he wanted to keep.
One somebody had finally decided to get rid of.
He didn't say anything about it.
His phone vibrated.
Rin.
alive?
Kiro stared at the message.
Then typed:
alive
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
holy shit he learns
Kiro rolled his eyes.
Susie leaned slightly toward his phone.
“Rin?”
“Unfortunately.”
Another message.
home?
Kiro looked around Susie's room.
Then at Susie.
He typed:
not yet
Rin replied almost instantly.
of course not
Kiro locked the phone.
Susie smiled.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Your face.”
“What about it?”
“Annoying.”
“Good.”
Kiro headed toward the door.
Before leaving the room, he looked once more at the wall.
The photographs had shifted slightly where the old one had fallen out.
There was already another picture partly covering the empty space.
Kiro looked at Susie.
Probably.
He didn't ask.
He just kept the unwanted photograph in his pocket until it was time to go home.