Kurosava searched through the old and weary objects kept inside the old attic. There were old toys, books, pictures and all other useless and rusty stuff.

The attic was filled with cobwebs and rats. Two huge mirrors were supported by the walls. It looked like an old child's playland-- provided how many toys it had. From dolls to mecha robots. There were drawing books and everything was laying there in the worst conditions they could be in.

Finally, he found a huge picture of Mr Hiomi and Mrs Hiomi. Kirito, about three years old, sat in his mother's arms while looking at the camera.

"I would have believed it was Kiroto..." He had green eyes just like Mr and Mrs Hiomi. The bottom of the frame read "Hiomi family"

"I didn't know your eye colors change when you grow up" Kurosava said with a wicked smile. He clenched the frame tightly "My stupid brother giving the entire enterprise to this brat... This brat who is not even his own blood!" He threw it aside and looked at his half baked reflection in the mirror.

The mirrors had a few boxes beside them. As he opened them, mice ran out from the boxes.

He looked inside. It had Kirito's pictures from his childhood. Age three, short black hair, healthy body and green eyes.

There were several other pictures of him. One which caught his attention was the seven year old Kirito. He was extremely thin, taller and has blue green eyes.

"It's hard to notice, but these are two distinct eye colors... and maybe two different people" Kurosava said. He took a picture of three year old Kirito and a seven year old Kirito.

He compared them until someone called out his name from below "Kurosava! Where are you?!" He walked down the attic.

"What were you doing up there?" Mr Hiomi asked. He was at Mr Hiomi's place that afternoon "I thought of looking what's up there" Mr Hiomi laughed "It's just junk. Look at you, you're all dirty now" Mr Hiomi said.

Kurosava looked into his eyes.

'Nope, Kirito's eyes don't look like this' Kurosava thought. "What is it?" Mr Hiomi asked. "Un... well, Mr Hiomi, I think Kirito is pretty stressed out lately" He said with a smile.

"Kirito is? Why?" Mr Hiomi said.

"Well, he had a huge fight in the office yesterday. People turned against him and he got pretty panicky. He didn't get an attack though. He barely managed it. But I don't think he'll be able to take another one of those attacks" Mr Kurosava said.

"Maybe I was too early to pass him down this business. He doesn't care for his health" Mr Hiomi said.

"No, I'm sure he can do it fine. But I think he needs a break. He isn't even able to spend proper time with his wife"

"You're right! My poor son... Should I send him on a vacation? That'll probably make him feel better" Mr Hiomi said as Kurosava looked at him with a smile.

Kirito sat in the hall of his apartment while looking into his laptop and drinking a can of beer. "Where is Vivian?" Mr Hiomi asked as he walked inside.
"Oh dad!" Kirito said as he moved the can away. "What brings you here?"

"I'm planning to give you a long vacation"
"Vacation?" Kirito said as looked up from his laptop. "Yes son, tell me where you wanna go. I'm gonna give you one month of vacation this Christmas"

"One month is a bit too long... I just need one week" Kirito said.
"Oh~ You've planned already? Where are you both going?"
"Philippines" Kirito said as he looked into his laptop. Mr Hiomi's smile quickly faded away "Why?"

"Vivian said she only wants to go there" Kirito said "You can go to England or--"
"Are you deaf? I said she only wants to go there" Kiroto said.
"Then stop her. Do you know how much of of a problem it will be if she finds out?!"

"Find out what? The truth? I want to see that" Kirito said as he got up. "I will myself tell her who I am" He said.
"Are you crazy?! You've forgotten your contract already?! You are never to open your mouth about that!" Mr Hiomi said.

"I know, but, I can't live like this. I told you I don't like her, but you forced me to love her and now that I love her, I can't keep secrets from her. That's the half assed love only you know, not me. You are one disgusting man..." Kirito said.

"Kirito, you don't talk like that to your father" Mr Hiomi said. "I don't have a father!"

"Listen, I know that was sad but--"

"I don't want your sympathy! I wanted freedom. That's all I wanted. You forcefully gave me this wealth, this house, this luxury, this materialistic evidence of my death, my death, dad... and now... now this is all I'm left with...

Please, don't step into my fragile little world again. I've torn up my skin to finally plant a rose in my barren heart. Don't interfere it's growth, kill me instead" Kirito said.

"Kirito,"

"I'm beginning to hate my name... This isn't who I am. I haven't spoken my language for twenty two years, dad. Twenty two years is a lot of time for humans. I've forgotten my mother tongue. And you-- All you still care is Kirito this, Kirito that-- Accept it. He is dead. And I am just a replacement"

Mr Hiomi quietly stared at Kirito. "Its my face, isn't it... My fucking face brought me rolling down! From mud to hell. This is nothing but hell decorated with paper to make it look like heaven but it's hell!" Kirito shouted.

"Why?!" Kirito shouted as he threw the laptop away and it broke into pieces "You want a kid, right?! Marry her to some other man! Someone who is real and alive!" He raised his bangs bear his ears and his crimson marks glew bright on his pale skin "Someone who doesn't have these implants to survive!"

"Kirito--"

"Why don't you realize the shit you are dealing with is real?! And the person you're dealing with is dead!" Slowly, veins began appearing on his neck to his face "If she stays with me, she'll turn crazy like me too-- And if she dies because of me, will you replace her too--"

"ETHAN!" Mr Hiomi shouted and Kirito came back to his senses. He grasped for breath and covered his eyes. He shouted and got up.

He picked up the chair and threw it on the balcony door. He picked up the other chairs and threw them in the kitchen. "Leave me alone!" He shouted as threw all the crockery on the floor.

Mr Hiomi stood behind the sofa and watched him go berserk "Oh no, here it comes."
Suddenly, he stopped and fell on the broken glass pieces. He began crying and suddenly started laughing. "That's right! I'm dead! Who the fuck cares when you're dead!" He shouted as he looked at the ceiling with his eyes wide.

"But won't I get lonely..." He said softly as tears flowed down his eyes. Then, came another wave of mania, where he turned euphoric and ran around like a child. Suddenly, the depression hit him again and he blankly fell on the floor.

He crawled on the floor as if hiding from someone. He suddenly looked up and shouted in pain "No!! He saw me!! Run! He'll kill us!" He got up and became angry "How dare you hit me!" He shouted and picked up the dining chair. He threw it at the bathroom door "Experience your shit!"

Vivan opened the door to the apartment and walked inside. She heard Kirito shout and ran towards him. She entered the drawing room, which was a mess and Kiroto stood on the dining table.

"You'll fall--"
Mr Hiomi pulled her behind the sofa "Don't go near him now. He can very much kill anyone right this moment"
"But Kirito--"

"Just wait. He will get back to normal pretty soon." Mr Hiomi said while Kirito shouted as he stood on the table. He kicked the fridge and it fell on the gas pipe, breaking it. The gas leaked out rapidly and got in contact with the refrigerant. Huge blue flames evolved of out of the fridge and spread throughout the kitchen.

He jumped down on the carpet and pressed his back on it as he raised up his waist. He raised up his arms and grabbed on to the air.

Suddenly he stopped as the mania phase hit him and he began laughing "I lost!! He killed me!" Then, depression hit him "Who will play with Ethan now..." Suddenly, he slapped himself "You are not Ethan! You are Kirito from now! And never will you ever speak Filipino. Forget about it!" He said while changing the tone of his voice from chirpy to harsh.

Vivian stared at him with shock. It was like he was trying to communicate, just the way of his communication was different.

"Why!" Kirito shouted "Why do I have to pretend to be someone who is dead!" He shouted while crying and punched the wall "Why... Why... I don't wanna leave ina..."

"You fool!" He shouted in an arrogant tone. "My son is alive! It's Ethan who is dead! His grave lies in Philippines..."

Then, he got serious "I'm dead and I'm alive? How confusing? So Ethan died to make Kirito live" He said and began crying again "But, I'm still hurt... Even after I'm dead."

"I can't see this anymore! He is literally shouting for help!" Vivian said and walked out. "Wait-- No Vivian! It's almost over! Don't go near him" Mr Hiomi shouted.

She ran towards Kirito who was already half covered his own blood. 'It's okay. He can't kill me... Because I'm an angel of death' 

"Kirito!" Vivian shouted as she ran towards me. He didn't listen and walked towards the flames.
"Kirito!" Vivian shouted as she grabbed his hand.
"Let me go" He said and turned towards her.
"No! What are you doing?! Calm Kiroto, I'm--"

He grabbed her neck and pushed her on the flames.
"Vivian!" Mr Hiomi shouted.

"You are the very reason I'm like that! They made me for you! They killed me for you! My life was blown out before it could start and you-- you are the reason I learned of this word called brutal suffering!" He said as Vivian's face began burning in flames.

Mr Hiomi picked up broken chair handle and ran towards Kirito. But suddenly, everything stopped. He froze but not the flames.

Vivian pressed her hands on Kirito's face and looked at him "You are not wrong. My love... has only brought you sadness. I got so full of it, I never really cared about your feelings.

All this time, you weren't the one who was being rude, that was me. I'm always smiling, blind to your pain. But, not anymore. I won't let you be defiled." Vivian's burns got deeper as she said this but Kirito's eyes slowly turned mellow again "I... love you... Ethan" She said in Filipino.

Kirito looked at her and she smiled "That's who you are, aren't you? Took you long enough to open up" She said. He picked her up from the fire and swallowed the lump in his throat "I love you too, Vivan"

Her face began healing as she smiled at him.
"Don't worry, you still make me smile, even when you were the reason I'm sad."

"I have questions" She said. Her face was completely healed by then "Me too" He said with a smile as they both stood in that burning, broken paradise of nothing and everything.

- To be continued

My Heart Hates Me
Because I Love You