>>16774Imagine slowly becoming bitter and developing a grudge against that umbrella youkai for making your life miserable. As the mockery worsens with each passing day, your rage gradually builds until it reaches its peak.
Again, you're out for a walk in broad daylight. Again, you hear a set of footsteps trailing behind you and a faint giggle from a familiar, yet aggravating voice. You grit your teeth, clenching your fists as you take the same exact route back home.
Unsurprisingly, Kogasa repeats the same exact tactic she used to scare you the first time. Her legs hooked around the branch of a tree, she swings down and lets out a shriek. "Bero bero baa!!" However, in response you just remain standing there, glaring at her.
Recognizing that her plan had failed, Kogasa slowly grew nervous as she remained dangling from the tree, unsure of what to do. However, in the next instant she laid crumpled on the ground, dazed and confused as to what had just transpired. Her cheek bore a deep red mark, likely going to bruise. Feeling your presence looming over her, Kogasa brought her gaze upwards. Her vision was obscured by the tears welling up in her eyes as the pain began to register in her brain.
Before the umbrella youkai had the the opportunity to fully grasp the situation, you brought your fist down against her face again. Your right hook made contact with her left temple, sending shock-waves through her cranium as she let out another scream in pain.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, mister..! P-Please stop!"
Kogasa tucked her head, guarding and obscuring her bruised, crying face behind her arms. She remained sitting there in front of you, quivering and shaking in terror. Minutes pass as you both remained fixed in your positions, the night air growing stagnant as the tension slowly subsided. Assuming she was safe, she lowered her guard and raised her head to take another glance at her assailant. But she lets out another shriek as you grab a clump of her hair, tugging her head upwards as you kneel down and glare directly at her heterochromatic eyes. Her face was streaked with tears, battered and bruised. She was unable to return your gaze, her eyes shut tight out of pure fear.
"Kogasa. That's what they call you, right?"
She nodded weakly in response, her eyes remained shut tight. She bit her lower lip, balling her hands up into fists against the dirt floor. She expeected more physical abuse, more pain, more torment. Yet, it never came. Instead, she was met with something else.
"Kogasa, over the past few days, I've heard stories about you. About who you are, and how you were born. And now I remember."
She was unsure as to what you were getting at, yet she remained sitting there and continued to listen.
"I wasn't originally from here. I came from a distant land, where the cherry blossoms bloomed in the Spring like in Hakugyokurou. I came from a poor family. Everything I owned was, more often than not, secondhand. And I remember for my seventh birthday I was given a hand-me-down, tattered umbrella. It was dingy. It had an ugly shade of purple. The other kids would laugh at me for bringing it to school on rainy days. It was always such a hindrance."
Tears welled up in Kogasa's eyes.
"Kogasa, did you ever wonder why you were born? Wondered what's the point of your existence? Wondered why you're even alive? Do you understand why I threw you away? Do you understand how much of a failure you are? You must have been aware of that fact in the deep recesses of your mind, yet you never wanted to acknowledge it."
Kogasa was sobbing.
"Quit lying to yourself. Quit trying to give your life any meaning when you're aware there is none. You're aware surprising me was just a fluke. You're aware you can't really scare anyone. And did you think you could compensate for your inherent uselessness by leading the life of a youkai?"
Kogasa's audible sniveling and whimpers continued to fill the air. She held up her hands against her face, cradling it as tears poured down into her palms. You learned forward, whispering into her ear.
"Your entire life is a failure and no one ever wanted you. So isn't it better if you just killed yourself?"
In that instant, you were unable to see the expression on her face but you could easily imagine the overwhelming despair and sorrow her visage held. Standing up, you look down to see the defeated, lifeless figure of what was once Kogasa Tatara. Her arms dangled by her sides. Her eyes were vacant, pointed downwards and looking at nothing in particular. She looked pathetic. Looking to the side, you notice Kogasa's umbrella counterpart resting at the base of the tree. Grabbing it, you toss it in front of her before turning around and resuming your trip back home. With her disappearing out of sight, the tranquil silence of the forest was the only ambiance reaching your ears. Yet suddenly, from a distance behind, you could have sworn to have heard the sound of something snapping.