Chapter Text
“H…hey.” Kurō wasn’t sure how loud he would have to say it, the flip phone being so far away from his face and all, so he simply projected his voice as loud as he could. What came out was not what he’d intended, the product of another stabbing pain in his left chest area and his uncertainty, sounding more fragile than he’d wanted.
Kurō shut his eyes tight and pressed his lips together solemnly, allowing himself one breath deeper than all the rest, though only one. He couldn’t risk letting the bullet deeper between his ribs, not when he had something to say.
Someone to speak to.
Swallowing what little saliva he had left in his mouth and throat, wincing as the bullet shifted, Kurō opened his mouth again, gently reminding himself to sound as unbothered as possible.
“Sorry about that, I’ve had a…” Kurō’s voice faded after the first six words alongside his consciousness. He’d started to notice the corners of his vision becoming plagued by darkness and his mind becoming fuzzier, the words dying in his throat. But he couldn’t let that stop him. He had to keep going. “…long… day.”
“I know that I said I’d be home for dinner, and you’d planned something special, but I’m just not so sure about tonight.” Kurō could imagine Pinoko’s reaction on the other side if she had picked up the phone. Stomping around and grumbling probably. She’d never let him off the hook for abandoning her dinner probably. A gentle smile tugged on his lips as his breathing grew shorter. She was always a lovely kid, doing anything just for him. She’s even gotten him the flip phone that he now held in his right hand, the one that was sprawled out to his side, too weak from blood loss to pick it up. It was a wonder he was even able to get the number in.
Pinoko said to him, back when she’d given him the phone, she’d said, “You’d better call me often, or else I’ll hate you forever, you hear me!” And of course Kurō had obliged. He’d do anything to make it up to her not being there for her when he was unavailable for a few weeks. He really did love that kid. He never thought he’d say it about anyone, not since he’d lost his mother, but it was true. Pinoko was the closest family he could ever wish for, she’d been by his side for the past who knows how many years, and she’d always loved him in return. He couldn’t ask for a better daughter, even if she would be a little quieter than Pinoko. No, Pinoko was perfect just the way she was. It was a shame that he’d never been nearly as good.
“Ah, I’m sorry, I forgot… I forgot that I was on a call with you. If…” Kurō took a moment to catch his breath, the pain of the bullet growing ever closer to his heart growing more and more distant. He had to wrap up the call soon. “You should eat without me. I’ll make it up to you later, I promise. Anywhere you want to go, how about that. You can go anywhere you want to go…”
“Abayo, Pinoko.”