WHO MADE ME A PRINCE 
chapter one - death.

Ding!

THE SCHOOL BELL RANG AS ALL the students rushed back home. Kazuto packed his bag and headed to the library instead.

'Another test is coming up next week. If I don't score the highest this time..' He shivered upon the thought as he pulled down his uniform arm to see the burn marks.

The cigarette burns he'd received from his father in last week's beating still remained fresh.

'I should put some foundation to cover it up, since we have a P.E lesson tomorrow. But if I use mom's foundation she'll get mad. Should I ask before using? But, what if she still gets mad?' On his thought as he all can do is to sighed.

"Fushimu-Kun!" Someone called him making, Kazuto flinched as he pulled his uniform down and brought his arm behind his back.

"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you. I called out a few times but you didn't respond." The woman smiled with a hint of worry in her eyes.

This was his homeroom teacher, always looking at him with worry. She was a kind person. If Kazuto told her about his problems, she would undoubtedly help him. But somewhere in his heart he still wished to gain recognition from his parents by his own efforts.

"The library, again?" She asked, maintaining her cheery expression.

"Uh, yes.." he said.

"You know, school isn't all about studying. Maybe make some friends, hang out with the rest of your peers. You're in your youth, you should cherish and enjoy these moments before you lose them. Well?"

Kazuto looked out of the window to see a group of children playing tag.

'Friends, huh?'  He smiled slightly at the thought of it.

"Thank you for worrying about me, but I do have several friends. They just don't go to the same school."

"Oh, that's nice."

"They're wonderful people, so you needn't worry."

"Is that so? Well then, I was worried for no reason. Introduce them to me someday, will you?" The teacher asked giddily.

"Uh, that, that might be hard."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"Uh, excuse me? I should really be going now." Kazuto bowed before walking away.

"Right, goodluck for the test next week!" The teacher shouted from behind as Kazuto took a turn from the hall.

Kazuto paused after taking the turn.

'I can't introduce them to you, because...because they're not in this world. They're real. All the billions of anime characters and comic characters I've ever watched. They're real to me. And they're all my friends. They make me smile, laugh and cry too. They make me feel more alive than I ever feel. I have music too. And that's enough. These two things are enough for me. Enough to help me keep going. They're all I need.'  Kazuto concluded as he took a firm step ahead.

HE SIGHED BEFORE ENTERING HIS PRISON(house). He slowly walked to the doorknob and slowly twisted it to open.

"I'm back." He announced as he took off his shoes at the doorway and entered to see neither of his parents caring to look in his direction.

'Ignoring me is better than shouting at me.'

Kazuto silently tried making his way upstairs, where his room was. But before he could take the first step of the stairs, his father started, while still staring at the television.

"You remember Uncle Shiwajima? Well, his daughter who's a year younger than you, got Highest Marks in all her subjects in her class. Shiwajima kept telling me about how he was so proud of her. Do you have any ideas? How embarrassed I was!?" His father turned his head from the television. His eyes filled with anger..

Kazuto began trembling in fear, as his father slowly approached him. The shouts continue.

"She was a Girl, and younger than YOU. She accomplised something like that! Why can't you ever make me proud!? You useless brat!" He continued and gave Kazuto a slap.

Slap!

Slap!

Kazuto fell to the ground by the sheer force of his slaps. His father had a huge figure, broad shoulders, a fat belly and an almost bald head. Kazuto trembled in fear as he wished for the beating to just end with the slaps.

"What a weakling!" His father looked at the mother and said, "Don't give him food today." before returning to his position in front of the television.

Kazuto quickly got on his feet and ran to his room. Locking the door, and falling onto his bed. He quickly grabbed his phone and earphones.

A few tears escaped his eyes before he escaped this world and into the world of music and his friends.

About twenty minutes later, Kazuto rolled around his bed in anger as he held his phone.

'CLAUDE YOU JERK! I wanna hug poor Athanasia right now. She didn't deserve this. Athanasia from the lovely princess and I are so similar. Just wanting our parents to look at us, and our efforts. To love us. Is that too much to ask?'  Kazuto sighed as he stopped rolling and sat down.

'Maybe this is a sign. Athanasia from lovely princess met a tragic end because she kept hoping for Claude to change. Till the very end she hoped for him to change. The same as I'm clinging to the hope of gaining recognition from my parents. . . If I remain obedient, will I meet a similar end?'  he continued in his thoughts.

'Hmph, what else can I do? I'm underage so I can't just move out, not until highschool. If I talk back to them then. . . that'll only make it worse. I should just shut up and endure it. Life isn't anime. And even if it was, I'm not the main character. The world is a cruel place unlike in animes where major dangers don't even exist, oh. . . wait that depends on the genre. But oh well! Time to study.'  He went to his desk to start studying.

FOUR DAYS HAD PASSED. It was the day the result of the tests would be handed out. Kazuto sat there in the empty classroom, staring at the sheet in front of him.

He came second.

He. came. second.

All because of a spelling mistake. His marks were cut. The one who came first was Shizu Furika, a constant topper.

'No matter what I said . . . the teacher wouldn't change my marks. He kept saying I should pay attention to these small mistakes instead of passing them off as not important enough to have marks deducted for. . .But. . . it's okay right?. . . Mom and Dad won't mind a spelling mistake. . . right?. . . Yea it's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.'  He repeated over and over in his head, to calm himself down, yet tears still trickled down his cheek.

"Oh, Fushimu-kun, you're here? That's strange, usually you'd be at the library. Is. . . everything o. . . " His teacher probably saw him crying, as to why she stopped mid sentence.

Kazuto quickly assembled his things before running out of the classroom. He heard shouts from the back but didn't stop. He heard the voices in his head.

'How pathetic! Crying over nothing!' He just ran, ran and ran, until finally he stood at the familiar door to his house. Eyes red and swollen from crying all the way home.

'Should I. . . just run away?' He thought as he sniffled, and tried to control more tears from flowing.

'But, where to? Where can I run?'  He looked around before looking down in despair.

'Hey, positive thinking. It's just a stupid spelling mistake.' He gathered the courage to enter.

". . . I'm back."

The atmosphere in the house was different this time. He wasn't ignored like usual, instead his parents enthusiastically went up to him.

"Well, where's the test sheet?"

He hesitantly gave it to them. His legs trembled slightly as he fiddled with his fingers and glanced up to his parents and down to the floor.

"Uh. . . it was just a spelling mistake. . ." He spoke, trying to calm them.

"Who's the highest scorer?" The mother asked.

"Uh, that's. . ." Kazuto's eyes shook with fear as avoided eye contact.

"Sh-Shizu Furika." His fathers eyes darted towards his son as he didn't hesitate to hit him.

Slap!

"You lost TO A GIRL?!" The father clutched his arm and began to drag him to the basement.

"NO FATHER! IT WAS JUST A SPELLING MISTAKE! SHE ONLY GOT A SINGLE MARK HIGHER! FATHER PLEASE! NOT THE BASEMENT! PLEASE!"

The basement was where they would usually beat him up, because his screams wouldn't reach the neighbour's this way.

"BE QUIET! ALL THESE STRICT BEATINGS WILL HELP STRAIGHTEN YOU UP BY THE TIME YOU'RE AN ADULT." The mother shouted at the son who was screaming.

"I'M SORRY! I-"

The father kicked him in the stomach, with enough force for him to hit the basement wall.

He groaned in pain as he clutched his stomach. The kicks continued. The pain became unbearable. And then it stopped. Kazuto sat up straight, coughing and holding his stomach. His face, red with tears and hair all messed up.

He saw why the beating had stopped. His father had went to pick up his favorite steel rod, with which he used to occasionally beat him.

Kazuto's eyes widened in fear.

The beating would continue.

"Hmph! You deserve this! You have such nice parents like us who are always looking out for you. Paying your school tuition, your food and clothing expenses. We do so much for you. Yet. You never make us happy do you?" The father questioned with disappointment in his eyes.

He looked at his mother, who had the same look.

"Hah. . . Haha. . ."

"What's so funny huh?! " The father yelled as he swung the rod straight to his face. Kazuto hit the floor hard, but still sat up.

"I. . . will never be good enough for you, will I?" He questioned as he leaned on the wall, trying to stand up.

"I worked hard. I studied day and night. I tried to make you proud. I really did. And this is all I get?"

"How dare you talk back to us?!" The mother criticized.

"Talk back? Hah,"

'No. I won't die foolishly. I won't die desperate for their love. I did my best. And so now, I don't care.' The lines from Lovely Princess flashed back to Kazuto.

"You don't deserve to be my parents. You don't deserve to be parents at all! You're just a couple of garbage-"

The father hit him with the rod again. But this time it didn't stop with one hit. He kept going and going.

"HOW DARE YOU! THE NEXT TIME YOU SAY THOSE THINGS WE'LL CUT YOUR TONGUE OFF! THEN GO AHEAD. YOU'RE HITTING ME BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT! YOU KNOW YOU'RE WRONG!"

"SHUT UP YOU WEAKLING!" The father placed his full strength in this blow. He hit him with all his anger. He hit him directly on his head.

And once his anger was released. He stepped back and huffed. All that hitting took quite some energy out of him.

"That oughta teach you to think before you speak."

Kazuto laid there, motionless. Blood flowed from his head spreading all over his face. His mind went hazy and blank.

'Is this it?'

He gathered his remaining strength to try and sit up. His arms trembled as he tried to get up. His eyes became blurry but he still looked towards where his parents stood. Hoping to see a different expression on their faces. But alas, they looked at him the same. With eyes filled with resentment. With eyes that screamed hatred. With eyes that said you deserve it.

'I wonder if. . . Athanasia felt the same when she was hung.'  Kazuto collapsed again. As his eyes slowly closed and his last thoughts began.

Huh?