Chapter 22

*Knock! Knock!*

Touma takes out his key from his pocket and slides it in the keyhole after he has knocked on the door of his apartment. He opens the door then close it slowly behind him.

He took off his shoe in front of the entrance. Later after he arranges the shoes in the cabinet next to the door, he drops his bag on the couch. Touma went to the kitchen and saw a note with an envelope laying on the empty dining table.

"Tou-kun, please remember to eat on time. Mommy won't be coming back home for this week. I am staying in your father house temporarily because we are going to have a honeymoon together. See you around~ Mother." Touma frown as he read aloud the note that her mother wrote.

"Your father, my ass bitch. I have no more father than my father who is already gone." He scolded at the note in his hand.

Touma clutches the note then throw it into the dustbin angrily. He then notices the envelope and he decides to open it. As usual, it was filled with money that enough for him to pay the rent for 3 months. He flips through the envelope and found another note.

'I will give you more for next month. Call me anytime if you need any extra money. ~mom'. It was written on the note.

Touma places the money back on the table. He slides down on the seat in despair. Burying his face on the table with his arm, he finally let his guard down. He began to cry silently for some time.

"All the women are a liar. My mother keeps on saying she loves me more than anything in this world and guess what... She left me here all alone with some of the money that her sugar daddy gave her...." He murmured to himself.

He then recalled back his memory with his mother after his father died when Touma was just 7. Later his mother lost her job and they have a lot of debt to pay. His mother has a bad temper. So whenever she was angry and need to release, she started to beat Touma who is still a child.

All she ever care was herself since his father had left them. She never cooks for Touma ever since then. Later his mother began to be a slut and become an alcoholic person. She always sweet talking with other guys in the bar. As soon as she has hooked up a rich guy, she would begin to be his third mistress.

Luckily, his neighbour always taken care of Touma by cooking him a decent dinner to eat. But that doesn't last until they are forced to move again after she was paid by her 'sugar daddy' wife. She has warned them not to live there anymore or else they have to face the consequences.

Her mother gladly accept the money and moved out on the very next day. Before Touma could even say his final goodbye to his neighbour, her mother just pull his tiny hand and leaves the place without turning back.

Touma feels so sad as he always wanted to thank them for taking care of him while she is not around.

As they are riding the train, Touma pulled his mother sleeves. She turns and looks at him.

"What's the matter, Tou-kun?" Her mother asked.

"Mom, where are we heading right now?"

"We are heading to our new house. Then I will introduce you to my new boyfriend." She pets his head.

"Mom, do you love him?" Touma asked innocently.

"Tou-kun, let me teach you something. Love doesn't exist in this world. It was lust, we human can't escape that." His mother looks at him coldly.

"Does it means you don't love him?"

"Yup. It was just another easiest way to survive in this world." His mother looked outside the window.

"Mom, do you ever love me?"

Touma's mother looked at him in surprise.

"Of course I do love you more than anything. Why do you ask me that silly question?" She hugged him.

"It was nothing...mom..." He said.

"Touma." Suddenly, she coldly said his name.

"Next time I don't want you to say anything ridiculous like this anymore, understand?" Her gaze was as cold as ice.

"Yes, mom." He looks down at his feet.

"Now that's my son. I want you to score better in your new school okay? Remember to make a good impression at them no matter it was a fake smile or not." Her voice echoed in his head.

****

After he was completely sober up, he went to the shower. Touma let the cold water run down his skin. Later, he feels much better after having a quick shower. He then changed into his blue pyjamas.

Touma makes an order for his dinner through his mobile phone. He then switches on the television while slouching on the couch. After some time, the pizza arrived. He thanked the delivery man with his beautiful smile that makes him blushed.

'Gosh! Get back to your sane, you are a man and you are blushing because of this boy charming smile?! You have to be kidding me!!' The delivery man slapped him while he leaves Touma's doorstep.

Touma just smirked at he saw that he manage to make another delivery man goes blushing in front of him with just a smile. As he flips the box open, the warm pizza smells so good for him.

He put down the pizza box on the table. Touma went to the kitchen and bring himself a bottle of green tea from the fridge. He then switches the channel until something had caught his eyes.

"The resident in the area of the xxx neighbourhood are advised to be super cautious while walking alone at night because there is a serial killer that under police supervision have escaped from the hospital. He was suspected to be around this area and the police are trying their best to hunt down this man." The news reporter showed the picture of a creepy-looking 30's guy with a huge scar on it's the right forehead.

"Please report to the police immediately if there's any hint of this man whereabouts. That's all for this breaking new. I am Kimura Mizuki reporting live from the police station." The reporter ended the news.

Then the channel goes back to normal again. He keeps on wondering where is this killer might be while munching the pizza.