Fragmented Pieces.
If there was one place she knew she didn't belong, it was in the Togami Conglomerate's Master's Office. Pristine, golden decorations contrasted the pure, innocent glow of the white walls they illuminated, giving the whole room an aura of sophistication, or wealth. But it wasn't that way, not to Kyouko. The white instead reflected silence, a sense of the feared unknown. And she hated being left in the dark, no matter how well-lit the room was currently.
She had been called into the Master's office for reasons unbeknown to her, something she would never accept if this were any other request. The one thing she knew for certain was that the Master was out on business, so she'd be speaking to the next-in-line-- The heir himself, Byakuya Togami. If it were anyone else, she would have declined due to knowing so little about why she was being asked for. Fortunately for him, she trusted him with her whole heart-- A mistake she didn't know she'd soon regret.
Her gloved digits gripped the hem of her skirt in both anxiety and anticipation. It had been a whole five minutes since Hannes had left her alone in the lifeless room, secluding her to her own thoughts and words. He had claimed the heir would make his appearance in just moments, yet he seemed to be taking his sweet time. The thought of him enjoying leaving her like this creeped into the very back of her mind, but with her faith in him, she quickly shook it away.
Once her head had finally returned to it's original position of looking straight into her lap, she heard the door on the other side of the room open in a swift, impatient movement. Her head turned towards the noise on instinct, her wipsy locks whipping around to meet the same direction as her lilac hues met the azure ones of the male. The gaze stayed brief as he diverted his eyes away on impact. She could sense by his body language that he couldn't dare look at her, but as for the reason why... She was clueless. Her eyes followed his every step, every movement, every twitch he made until he was right in front of her, the only object standing between the two being the generic, yet expensive-looking desk in the centre of the room.
Kyouko's heart beat against her chest in agony, the first time in her life was she expecting the worst. In almost all situations, she was open-minded, yet all her thoughts were clouded over in this one scenario, as if not even the brightness of the surroundings couldn't lighten up her emotions. Knowing she was allowing herself to become vulnerable to her emotions, she inhaled a deep breath, only to be greeted by the heavy smell of cigarette smoke coming from the other current resident of the room. The sudden impact of smoke in her lungs almost caused the sleuth to gag, but she kept herself in order.
The heir leaned over the table, his diverted gaze finally meeting her steady one. But he didn't look like his usual self, if anything, he looked... Exhausted, with a hint of regret in his features. She stayed seated, unwilling to move from the spot, basking in the pure silence between them. It was him who broke the silence, but he didn't just break the icy silence between them. He completely annihilated any high spirits that may or may not have been present in the room.
"I don’t think I ever loved you."
The detective's purple orbs dilated at the harsh statement, her frame anchoring itself to the ground as if she herself were the statue in the corner of the room. She had anticipated the worst, but with the little faith she had left, she wasn't prepared for such a phrase. She unexpectedly convulsed against the chair she was situated on, as she felt her fragile heart shatter in front of her eyes.
Kyouko Kirigiri was never one to trust people, especially not with her own heart. Her heart was so fragile, so locked up tight. He had broken down her walls, after months and years of attempts. Or really, she had let him. And now she had dragged herself into a pool of regret, of 'maybe-if-i-never's and of 'why's. Her emotions spun and mixed around inside her like a tornado, just waiting for her to let them escape, if she could.
First, she felt sadness and regret. An emotion she hadn't felt since her father had abandoned her, and when she couldn't cut all ties with him when her emotional baggage dragged her down.
She had promised Byakuya that she'd never regret meeting him, that she'd never regret their relationship, but that feeling just stirred more and more inside her with each glance she dared to give him. He seemed almost emotionless in his approach now, as if he didn't care how she felt anymore. As if all that mattered was his estate-- Which was, in reality, his only true love or ambition. Misery abruptly changed to exasperation, which in turn accelerated to pure animosity, the light-haired girl unwittingly giving in to her emotion's drive, her rhinestoned glove hastily connecting with the heir's cheek.
Crack!
The glasses fell from the blonde's once-perfected features, the prescribed glass shattering onto the desk much like her heart had already. But in this exact moment, the female felt no remorse. She was never one to get violent, but she knew someone had to hit the boy off his pedestal. The fact that he had never loved her had sunk in, but what had caused her to slap the boy was his expression. An uncaring one, as if he could just discard anyone he liked, and they'd come running back like an abused puppy with Stockholm Syndrome. It was as if he had never felt true pain.
The boy had let out a yelp in both surprise and in pain when the back of her glove had connected with his cheek in a swift movement, his hand instinctively moving up to cradle his throbbing cheek. His glare was nothing but daggers to pierce through her own, but she had regained her stone-cold shield. He couldn't touch her now, at least not emotionally. And he didn't seem to realise that.
"You... You..."
"Shut up. I no longer want to hear the bullshit that spouts from your mouth. I have put up with it enough."
The austere tone that coated her words now made her seem impenetrable, the sudden adrenaline rush seeming to control her movements now. She was now only being driven by her each and every emotion, and they were all saying that she needed to leave. Now.
But she stayed. For what was a full minute, the two battled in what was only glares, each party trying to reduce the other to fragments without speaking a word. But neither won, Kyouko's frame detaching itself from it's now standing position, her brisk steps leading her out of the room and out of the mansion itself.
To any onlooker after the incident, it was as if the detective was never there, as if she never existed. The only piece of evidence claiming her presence being the shattered glasses on the desk and the now beaten cheek and pride of the Heir of the Togami Conglomerate.
