"And, she heard."

That sweet aroma, and that unique taste along with the tangy, sour middle— everybody praised those candies for their flavour. I liked them too, but not because of their taste per se, I never really saw the point in judging something by its taste. 
But maybe due to the nostalgia— the memories that rallied up with it.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been alone. Always brooding over something irrelevant, trying to escape from the eyes of people around me. 

And for most of the time, it worked. Most of the time people want to ignore you, not because you're the odd one but because they just don't care, for no one but them. 
Give them no reason to approach you and they won't. I had invariably lived with this straight and simple rule for all my life.
At least, till then...

So accordingly, I was sitting in a corner on the empty side of the room, pondering as usual, probably about something nobody would ever care to think about twice, when suddenly— a shining ray caught my eye.
It was a reflection, a light that got reflected from the end of the strands of those beautiful silver hair. It was a girl— a girl with a smiling mermaid pendant around her neck.

That mermaid was emerald green and had expressions that radiated pride and confidence. The expressions were quite similar to that of the girl wearing the pendant. As someone who lived his life till now trying to avoid peoples' gaze, that mermaid and the girl seemed to have quite distant faces from myself.

"Hey... you, corner-guy. What are you doing?” 
“..."

"Huh... did she just talk to me?"
I didn't reply or maybe I didn't even try to, as I was not used to being addressed. I thought that she was just another kid getting curious for a bit and would leave me to myself, soon enough.

"Hmm okay... the quiet type, aren't you?”
"So I guess that you're thinking about something... something that you know nobody would care about. And in your mind, that gives you the reason to not talk to anybody."
"But that's just an excuse... isn't it?"
"You just brood, and sometimes you just make yourself look like that but in reality.. you are not thinking about anything.”
"You just sit in a corner and are always trying to escape the people around you, am I right?” 

"Huh... W-Wh— ?”

Did I just hear something from inside my mind but from someone else's mouth? I was speechless, truly speechless for the first time — even inside my mind where I usually have tons of things to counter with. I wanted to say something, anything, but could not find a single word to say out loud. 

It felt strange, perplexing even, as my thoughts were just spoken aloud to me, more so because I was the one used to reading other people's minds and not vice-versa. 

So, all I could do was just continue to glare at her with my mind being completely empty.

"You don't need to stare that much, you know? I am not an illusion or anything..."
"Oh... Do you want some candy? I can give it to you... Do you like them?"

It was strange that after hearing my inner thoughts from someone else's mouth, I was thinking that being offered candies and being called out, was the weird thing. 
And, even though it was all too sudden— candies, conversation and all, it didn't really feel bad. To be honest, it felt a bit... liberating? Not sure, it is hard to describe a feeling you feel for the first time in your life.

“Candies...?"
"Heh, no, not candies— candy... as in, singular, just one. But it's delicious, you know. Here... take this and come with me.” 

Before I could say anything, I had a candy in my left hand and my right hand was being held and pulled by that girl towards the other side of the room... the side with more people.
That silver-haired girl with those haughty expressions, who read me like an open book, and who offered me a candy— for some reason, now she looked different, she looked... warm, and cordial. 

My right hand that she was tugging me with, felt warm and pleasant. And all the while I was wondering why I was not resisting anything that she did.
Was it her candid nature, or did I just want somebody to talk to me? Even though I would like to say that the latter was not the reason... at that moment, I was not sure... not really. 

Four was shrieking, crying and seething in pain, while I just sat there, hidden and tearing up profusely while my heart was feeling like it was ripped apart. One, Three and Six were also there, probably unconscious, and I could see the huge shining syringes full of some shiny, yellowish liquid, pierced in the lower section of their open eyes.
Blood was on the floor, shrieks and cries had filled the whole room, and Mashiro-san, whom we all adored... who was always smiling, stood there with an indifferent face, preparing two more syringes, probably for Two and Four. 

Was it the fear, was it the shock or was it both? I don't know what it was but I couldn't move, not one bit. Mashiro-san— her face from the time I slightly bruised myself from a fall, flashed before my eyes. The closest thing we all ever saw to a mother, she was there. 
But, all I could see was a straight face, void of any emotion or warmth we were used to. It felt like everything we ever saw before was just an act, something she just did... without feeling anything at all. Those dead eyes and that face scarred my heart so bad, that I couldn't stop my emotions, and let out a tiny shriek.

And, she heard. 

These sudden nightmarish flashbacks broke my voice. I stopped, and that fear, that disgust and all those feelings from that night started churning up inside me.

That sensation was precisely the one... the one I felt that night. Like everything in my body had just sunk deep within... like a sudden fall from a tall building, but only worse— I couldn't breathe or feel anything else, at all. Just that uneasy feeling, all over. 

All of this had come gushing through me when I was trying to talk, at least trying to be able to. About my life, my past and everything, while Uchida-san waited patiently for me.

"Seven... are you okay? You're sweating a lot... and your face is looking pale— "
"Are you okay... Seven—"
"Get a hold of yourself, don't force yourself too much. I understand how you feel... Seven... Seven?"
“..."
"Ah, T-t-t-thank you Uchida-san... I am o-okay now, I a-am... fine."

I finally managed to speak. With much difficulty, of course. But I did. Breathing felt hard and my blood felt too thick to circulate but I still wanted to continue, I wanted to be able to talk about my past, as I knew that there was no way I'd be able to keep this in me, any longer. 

"It's okay... I can continue, Uchida-san, Please let me, I would not let the feeling of that night take over this time. Please... let me at least tell you what happened before that... I request y-you, please—"
"Okay... Seven, go on but take it slow."
"Thank you, Uchida-san. Then..." 

"Here... meet One, Two, Three, and Sixteen— my family. And, by the way, I am Four.”
"Huh... One... Four? Family?”
"Yes slow-poke, these are their names, and we all are a family.”
"Names...? What is ‘names'?"
"Huh... are you kidding me? What? you don't know what a name is? Were you living under a rock or something?"

The girl with the mermaid pendant peered into my face blankly, like I'd refute what I just asked, and say that I was joking, but when I didn't, she just sighed and continued.

"Okay... so, a name is something that is unique to you, and other people use it to address you, rather than just using 'you' and 'boy' or 'girl', or something like that."
"Name is quite useful, like for example, if I want to call this boy here, how'd you do that?”
"..."
"Short blondie—"
"Hahahahaaaa...."
The girl and everyone except that boy burst into laughter.

"Oiii... who's short blondie? I'll kick your gut in, shithead—"
"Haha... Stop it, One. He doesn't know the concept of a name yet. Don't lose your cool over something like this."
"Ahem... So, this boy's name is One. And when you want to address him, you can just call him with this name, and he'll respond to you. And you won't need to insult him with something like short blondie... Hahahahaha...."

The girl— Four, and others started laughing again, while I still wasn't sure what tickled their bones so much. I was used to calling people, or at least thinking of them in my mind, with their nature or physical characteristics.

"Name, huh... so how do you get a name then?"
"Ah, yes... turn around and show me the side of your neck."
"But the name— "
"Yeah... just do it."

She held and turned me around even though I could not understand the reason behind all this.

"007. Your mark says 007.”
"Well, yes, it does... Oh, so you're giving names based on the mark on our necks? Does that mean my name is Seven?"
"Good... now you sound like a smart guy, Seven. Great then, so no more ques— “
"Also, what is ‘Family'?"
"Ugh, so how do I explain it, so that you can understand...”
"You know, family are the people... people who you care about and who care about you, they love you and you love them back . Basically, you share your pain, happiness, and life with them and they do the same.” 

From her way of speaking and her shining eyes, I sensed that she really loved and believed in this family thing. So, I decided to comment, which usually I never did.
"Hm... it, kind of, sounds strange, and... troublesome." 

She looked cross, and to me somehow this felt funny... Maybe I had strung something in her. But I felt pleased and content, that I was finally able to get back to her for reading my mind like that.

“Huh?"
"No, what are you... are you even listening to me?”
"Family is a beautiful thing, they are the people who you can go back to, even when you have nothing left inside you, they accept you for who you are — it is the only place for unconditional love— “

While she was blabbering about everything and telling how good and important a family is, I was looking at everyone's faces, which were all smiling. Seeing that I somehow felt that my face cracked a small smile as well, and not like before, the one that I made using my own consciousness, this smile felt a bit more... real and truthful.

"Ah, you know what? Leave it... you'll get used to it.”
Another boy who called himself Three remarked, while I was hearing Four go on about family, even after five or so minutes. 

I always used to think that I knew more than anybody, but ever since I met Four, I was just asking questions and learning new things. Things that I never even cared for before this. To be honest, this was all very new to me, it felt good, felt refreshing... felt intriguing.

Five months had gone by and we all were loving our time. Well, at least I was... I was loving this environment and this family.

For the first time in my life of 8 years, I had people to talk to and share my thoughts with. For the first time, I had people who would... be with me, live with me. Even in that blank-room, which I hated and probably so did the others, we would be together.

I would mostly have someone from our family to talk to, and have fun with. All of us were very close, and this all felt unreal, and great. For the first time in my life, I felt happy.

Four was like an elder sister to me, and also a dominating and a demanding one at that. One and others were like my brothers, who were very fun to be with. And yes, I now knew what a family was, what a brother, or a sister was, and so on. I learnt what it means to have a family and what it means to not, just like Four said. 

Mashiro-san was also there with us in our little world— she was like a mother to us. She ate with us, looked after us, sometimes she even played with us despite having so many chores left to do.

She was kind, sweet and beautiful. We all loved her dearly. Everyone was happy and cheerful, and the time passed by genially. The days were bright, the nights were calm. Everything felt white, peaceful, and serene.

Until that night. 

And that night I learnt, no... that night I saw— I finally understood what people do and what they can do when their lives are at stake. Everybody's selfish, even if you can't see it. Even when people are being kind, somewhere deep within they have a thought that this act of kindness will repay them in some way. 

Nobody's good for being good, everybody is out looking for their own gain, looking out for their own life. Yes, even those who care about you, even those who are your family. And, this is not just something to mull over, I saw this with my own eyes, I confirmed this before me— when the chips are truly down, nobody cares.

Everything at the core... it's black, even if it seems white, even if it seems impossible, even if you don't believe or don't want to believe... inside, deep down, everything is black— pure, dark and plain black. 
Black or white, the blackness, the darkness always dominates, even if it's not visible— actually it is rarely visible, because that's the nature of darkness, to creep in slowly, quietly, but surely. 

I was trembling, my whole body was burning and completely drenched in sweat. My whole body, except for the right hand which was still as cold, dry and hard as ever.
But even then, I was trying to speak, still trying to tell just a little bit more.

"Seven... it's okay, you have to stop this, at least for now— I can see that your pain is killing you. I am sorry, I can't let you go on."
"Have some rest... and if you really want to talk about this again... well, you know I am here for you, right?"
"..."
"I am going to get myself some drink, you may go to sleep. And also, do not follow me to the arena tonight, like last time, okay..."
"..."
"...Okay?"
"Y-yes. Okay."
"I will take you there, myself, but first, get some rest. Besides, you don't want to start losing after getting so good at gambling, now... do you?"
"I have put some of your favourite pizza on the table. Have some, when you feel better, okay?”

"...Thank you, Uchida-san. I am sorry again for bringing all this out and troubling you with it. I... just couldn't keep it to myself, not now.”

Even though my eyes felt heavy, my soul felt broken, I felt out of my character— Uchida-san looked at me with those same kind eyes; although this time they also showed a bit eagerness to get some beer. But, those were the same eyes that I saw that day when I came running and hiding and met Uchida-san for the first time.

Even when he knew nothing about me, even when I was looking like the most suspicious person in the world with those injuries, he still helped me, saved me. I truly am grateful to Uchida-san as whatever I am today, it's all thanks to him. 

Talking about all this, it reminded me... It cruelly pointed out that they— my family, did not deserve this, not now, not ever, and that I have to put an end to all of this. I have to put an end to the Eldia Corporation, and everyone affiliated with it. I have to kill that man... Kazuma. 

Amidst all those thoughts, I don't remember when I fell asleep.

x----------------------------x----------------------------x

 "Uhh... my head is spinning, why does this blood shot thing always leave me unconscious? I thought that I took it on time for this one, but even then, it looks like I fainted."
"And, what is this headache? Ah, how long did I pass out for…?"
"Hmm... the black suit guy's body has gotten this reddish-purple colour on the parts that are facing the ground."
"..." 
"...Yeah, but the joints seem... not so stiff."
"From the condition of the dead body, it looks like 4-5 hours have passed by. I suppose that I passed out for about 4 hours, more or less."
"I should hurry back home now, it should have gotten pretty late. I also have to wake up early from tomorrow."
"...And, why do my eyes feel kind of wet? What the hell was I dreaming about?"

But now that I was awake, I was not able to recall what exactly I was dreaming or remembering about. But, somehow I had this taste, a kind of nostalgic taste in my mouth. Not really a bad one, but one that I never thought I would have to recall again. 

Ah, I know, It was the taste of those candies. I hate them, even though there aren't many things that I really hate, even now. That sweet aroma and that taste along with the tangy, sour middle— everybody used to like them for their flavour.
I liked them too, but not due to their taste, I didn't really see the point in judging something by its taste, but due to some memories. 

However... Now I think that I despise these memories just as much as I loathe this taste.