Chapter Five: Lone Surviving Loser:

They’re all disappearing. All of them. Shichiro, Nobu, Victoria, all of their cousins, aunts, uncles. The Eda-Kimoto clan was shrinking at an alarming rate.

Haruka expressed her displeasure. Yasuo tried to reassure her.

“We can still win,” he said. “We’re still here.” Haruka looked up at him. No, she glared at him. In fact, the old lady growled.

“Don’t you ever shut up?” she asked.

“Hm?” Yasuo asked. His mother saw red.

“Your voice annoys me,” she said. “All you do gravel and kiss my feet.” Yasuo looked like a hurt puppy.

“What?” he asked. Haruka threw back her head and groaned.

“Shut up,” she said.

“But…” her son said.

“Shut up.”

“But…”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Don’t you ever shut up?! I want to rip my ear off when you talk!” Her abuse became more frequent like that lately. Yasuo was her only son left. Thus, her sole verbal punching bag. He didn’t mind it. His love warped his mind like that. All his life, Yasuo craved her loved and validation. Both looked so far away.

Yasuo opened his mouth.

“Shut up!” Haruka shouted. “Shut up and go away! Go away! Looking at your face pisses me off!” He tried spoke again.

“Go away!” his mother snapped. Yasuo bowed and walked out of the living room.

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He has nothing left. His wife left him. His son cut ties with him. Haruka was all Yasuo had left. Okay, there was his kitsune. But to Yasuo, his mother came first.

Yasuo came home to an empty house. He’s used to this. No one to share to space. Just him and the kitsune.

“I’m home,” Yasuo muttered. He took off his shoes and lay back onto the couch. He hated the quiet. Yasuo found it to be the worse part. His mind wandered to places it should not go.

Like about his surviving niece. He killed her once. That should have been it. But, no!

Yasuo gritted his teeth.

Anna ruined everything. She and that damned shinigami. He punched the couch cushion. This had to end. It might be too late for the family, but not for Haruka. Yasuo sat up. He clinched his fists.

“I will end this!” he snapped in the darkness. “I will kill her and end this!” The old man pumped his fist in the air.

“I can do this!” he shouted. Yasuo laughed like a madman. He could see Haruka smile again. Yes. This was all for her. All of it. Maybe then she will love him. It was all for her. Everything he did was for his mother. Everything, all of it.