for years, they continuously tried to get pregnant but they also continuously lose the pregnancy. mitsuki remembered how much she had cried, how masaru tried his best to comfort her even when he was also falling apart. people would say to just give it up but mitsuki refused —

— to concede to fate. she fought it with everything she got even when she was slowly losing herself. she watched her diet, did everything to stay healthy. the couple went and did everything that people or the internet told them for a kid. she devoted time to visit shrines.

when nothing was working, she decided she had enough and gave it one last try with her husband before finally focusing on going through orphanages to find them a bundle of joy. three months into visiting, supporting different orphanages she found out she was finally pregnant.

the couple cried in disbelief, thanking the heavens for their miracle. it wasn't an easy pregnancy and mitsuki was determined to protect the baby. when she reached her 5th month pregnancy with the doctor telling them they'll have a healthy baby boy, mitsuki cried in joy.

finally, their prayers and efforts were answered. the delivery wasn't anywhere easy. she was in labor for hours and it felt like eternity but the moment she held katsuki in her arms, hearing his loud cry, mitsuki silently promised to herself that katsuki will get the whole —

— damn world if he wanted to. there's nothing mitsuki will deny his son. he named it and mitsuki will give it. he was her miracle. her answered prayer and maybe that's where everything started going wrong. katsuki was an angry child. his tantrums were unbearable.

the child's temper was so awful, he was easily irritated, always angry. katsuki argued a lot with people, refusing to do what was told of him, always questioning rules. he also develop a harsh way of speaking and his anger slowly became violence. at 4 he was a difficult child.

but mitsuki never got angry at him, he would scold him sometimes but katsuki would not even listen, he would just continuously question her rules and her authority. the violence escalated at 5 when he would throw things at their house staff and when katsuki ended up —

— stabbing his tutor with a scissor, making him bleed all over, the couple finally decided to bring katsuki to an expert. mitsuki didn't want to admit it because katsuki was her miracle and that they did their best to raise him to be a good person but she could no longer —

— deny the fact that there's something wrong with katsuki. "your son has oppositional defiant disorder," the doctor finally told them. he then continued to explain what odd was and what can be down to help katsuki deal with it. all mitsuki heard was a white noise.

mitsuki just couldn't believe what she was hearing because they did everything. she /did/ everything to make sure katsuki would grow to be a healthy and good person. "it's not really unusual for kids to be moody and to defy adults and rules every now and then," the doctor said.

"however in your son's case, it's quite extreme. his temper, his anger, and what he does was extreme," mitsuki could feel masaru squeezing her hand, grounding her. "luckily, we can work on different treatments for katsuki to help him with odd and it's better to start early."

masaru asked for the treatments and the doctor happily walked them through it. "what if we didn't do anything about it, will it just go away? maybe he'll outgrow them?" mitsuki asked, throat narrowing from the burning feeling settling in her. maybe it was a phase.

"if only thay can happen, however untreated odd can lead to a more serious mental health problem namely conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder," he explained what the two were and mitsuki could only feel her chest tightened. "so starting early is so much better."

once the consultation was over, the two left the doctor office and looked for katsuki who was supposedly left at the playroom of the clinic. the moment they got in the playroom, katsuki was ripping apart a stuffed toy. it's fragments and stuffings were scattered all over.

mitsuki quickly grabbed the kid's shoulder, making him look at her. "stop this!" her voice echoed all over the place. "you better behave yourself, we are so done with how you act!" katsuki just slapped her hands off her, "shut up, old hag." his words were cold and cruel.

"katsuki, that's not how you talk to your mother," masaru quickly reprimanded his son. they don't really know where he got his way of talking and he's only five. "you too, shut up, old man," katsuki replied before kicking the ragged toy. mitsuki grabbed his wrist, ready to —

— reprimand him more but katsuki started shouting, throwing a temper tantrum and before they knew it the nurses had to intervene and sedate the child while mitsuki was on the floor, holding on to her arm that katsuki bit so hard, it bruised and the skin broke leaving her bleeding

from that point on, the husband and wife decided to do what they can to help katsuki overcome his odd however they had been into different treatment and katsuki had to be put on medication and nothing seemed to mellow out his symptoms. in fact, it only got worse.

katsuki refused to take medicines and just started not cooperating on his therapies. mitsuki doesn't know what to do especially when katsuki angrily cried one day, looking at her with fire burning in those red eyes, "i am not sick!" he was almost six that time.

katsuki had always been smarter for his age. he seemed to excel in everything or anything he chose to do and was a quick learner. he also spoke as if he was so much older. it was rough and harsh, his way of communicating was somehow brutal but you can't deny how smart he was.

"why do you keep on making me go to doctor and drink all these medicines! I AM NOT SICK!" mitsuki doesn't know what to say to that or how to answer it and so she decided to stop the medication and therapy. sure katsuki has a bad temperament. his anger was a tad bit too much —

— but mitsuki knew it was something her son will get over with. masaru didn't initially agreed with the decision and fought to keep katsuki in his medication and therapy only to give in to his wife's wishes even if it means they have to deal with katsuki's temper tantrum.

mitsuki only questioned her decision the moment he saw katsuki get inside their house, stained with blood. she rushed to him in worry, asking what happened only for his son to lift a dead bunny that got lost in their garden. mitsuki weakly sat on the floor while katsuki smiled.

"i caught it," katsuki said. "stupid bunny." mitsuki could feel her hand shake but pulled herself together, "let's get you clean." she calmly said. "i will keep it," katsuki declared holding his mother's hand for the first time in a while as mitsuki guided him to the bathroom.

"it's dead, it will start to rot and smell and you'd hate it," mitsuki simply replied. "i don't like stinky stuff," katsuki frowned. "yes, so i don't think you should keep it," mitsuki replied prying the dead animal from his son's hold. "alright," katsuki replied.

that made mitsuki smile, that was the first time that katsuki listened to her. that was the first time they had a normal conversation. "it tried to run away so i smashed it on the ground," katsuki said as his mother strip his bloodied clothes off him. "is that so?"

"hmm," katsuki nodded. mitsuki couldn't believe how his own son let her bathe him for the first time in a long time. katsuki was calm and was talking to him in his normal voice. there was no shouting, no fighting, and mitsuki loved every moment of it. it made her feel so happy.

the next time katsuki returned with a dead animal in his hand and clothes that were stained, mitsuki was no longer surprised, she just walked to her son asked what happened and katsuki just told him everything before he let his mother help him clean himself and dispose the body.

masaru was beyond shock when he first saw katsuki went home bloodied with dead animal on his hand. mitsuki tried to calm him down from what seem to be him starting to panic. she then let his husband spend some time with their son who mellows out after his little /hunt/.