Ryō High, 1st Floor Bathroom, 6:55
"Get up."
"B...but..."
"I said get the fuck up, bitch." Misao stated, firm and rough, running her fingers through her short brown hair. The little child was struggling to get up to her feet, so the upperclassman decided to help her out a little.
"AAHH!"
That kick smashed the girl's pale cheek, opening the blistering gash she got from being beaten and bruised up just a few minutes ago. She flipped over, skirting an inch on the marble-white tiles. Her leaking wound trailed behind her.
"Hey, Misao...come on, just quit it already. You've been beating her up the past five minutes. She doesn't have the damn money. We're gonna have to give her a little more time. Like a week or whatever."
"...ohhh..."
"'A week'? Tsukasa, that's too damn long! We're gonna be the ones that get it if Kagami doesn't get anything outta her by a week max!"
*sigh*
"...whatever you say, Misao. She won't touch me.
Just don't kill the girl, or we'll have to go to someone else in her family for the money...and I don't wanna have to deal with that."
"...ohhhhh..."
A brilliant luster coursed from the two windows afar. Though the ceiling lights weren't on, this summer weather brought it bright enough to glow up the scene. The three stalls were empty, Tsukasa observed, leering under their brown-metal doors: no one was watching. But there wasn't any need to check the main door. No one was going to come in this early. Her and Misao, the two of them had made sure of it, getting a gray, plastic folding chair to prop up under the handle. The 1st-year students' floor was the only one with a bathroom handle like this one, one where they could pull off their makeshift lock.
But just in case, after they personally menaced this child into coming here alone this early in the morning, Misao decided to bring a cleaning sign just so some of those early-birds wouldn't wander in.
Though they didn't really care if they were heard. They only wanted to make sure no one'd interfere.
Especially the brunette.
"Yeah, I gotcha, Tsu. Guess Kagami wouldn't want shit past three days anyway. That's when she starts gettin'...
...heated."
"...ohh..."
"Mm. But like I said, she's not gonna come after me. At least, she won't try and fight me."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Sister privileges. Don't gotta rub it in."
"Heh. Don't cry about it." Tsukasa smirked, leaning back against the girls' bathroom wall. Well, she folded her arms: Misao was no doubt not going to listen to her in the end. At least, not until she'd gotten her fill.
"I'm not; I don't even care. Imma make sure this gets done fast anyway, because if we don't, she's still gonna be on my ass. You know how Kagami hates losin' her bands: it's one thing for some thug to try her, but when a little—"
"Ohh...p-please...I'm sorry...I can't...stay awake..."
...
Now Misao was a little "heated" herself. She slanted her furious olive eyes toward the moaning underclassman—then kept her stare sharp.
Piercing.
All the younger girl could do was stare back up helplessly from the icy bathroom floor...and hope...
...
...while she still could...
"...don't hit her, Misao. I don't feel like going to her parents with this. They might actually sue us."
...
Misao's eyes didn't move. She didn't even blink.
"...you're gonna hit her aren't you."
"...hard."
The freshman's blue little eyes were open wide with fear now: she knew what was coming...but...all she needed was one more chance!
She'd pay Kagami back for the loan! She'd make it up to her!
...she wasn't even able to move, though—because when Misao was shaking her down for the money as she'd begged for just a little more time, holding and throwing her up against the white stalls and floor...her right elbow and left shin had snapped.
But now, the young girl tried to hold back her tears as much as she could. Neither Tsukasa nor Misao had noticed what the latter did to her.
And neither would've cared.
"Just...come on, Misao. Let Yuri get up."
"Pft.
Alright." the brunette replied. "I'll let her get up."
...
In this quiet little space, those words echoed in the sunny air as though they'd dragged that Yuri into a dreary cave.
Tsukasa was shocked. She looked left at her cohort, too shocked to even speak. It wasn't like Misao to suddenly opt out of anything...but...
...she knew she'd get it bad if she didn't come to Kagami with the 400,000¥ she was told to collect.
(...huh. Guess she actually knows it's not worth it.
*sigh*
I bet this girl's dad still won't have the loan paid back, though...we're probably gonna have to...)
That...didn't matter to Yuri, though. She couldn't believe what she'd heard. Her ears must've been lying to her...
But then...
...to see Misao step back, shooting her mean look at Tsukasa...
Misao was really...stopping...!
She was so relieved...she could almost...
...almost...
"...a...ah...th-thank...y—"
"And get us screwed because her fuckin' dad holds out on us again! Yeah, because that's JUST WHAT KAGAMI WANTS, RIGHT?! TO HAVE HER TOP TWO LET SOME SISSY—"
But right then—Misao smashed her brown pumps down on the young girl's nose!
"—ASS—"
And she stomped again! Misao stomped hard right on her forehead! The thick blood oozing from the open wound smeared her cheek as the girl brought her foot back!
"—TRICK—!"
And again! Misao brought her heel down one more time as the underclassman cowered under her! But it was too late: her final stomp was—
...
...
...
...caught by Tsukasa...?
...
...
...
"...yo, what gives? I said I wasn't gonna fuck her up that much..."
"Which to you means they're brain dead?! What the hell is your problem?! At this rate, she's already gonna be—"
"Hey, I'm just makin' sure she learns her lesson!" Misao shouted back—and she yanked her leg out from Tsukasa's fingers.
...
...and now...she focused on the other girl again. Poor little Yuri was still lying face down on the ground, her long, purple hair spread out over her head and the floor. But now she wasn't pleading. She wasn't moving at all.
When Tsukasa noticed the small puddle of red flowing under her locks...catching them, staining them and those white tiles...
...well, she knew the girl was either unconscious or...
...
"...is she okay?" asked the calmer; she was, pretty clearly, rather concerned now: she definitely didn't wanna have to worry about going to this child's parents. It'd be way too much hassle.
"She's breathing, isn't she?"
"I mean...barely..."
"Oh, stop being a punk."
Misao bent over and grabbed a fistful of Yuri's hair, nearly at her scalp, then dragged her over to the marble sinks, not even bothering to check her face.
Still, the freshman didn't try to struggle or even complain. She was obviously out cold.
The upperclassman put her head in the sink and blasted the cold faucet in her hair. The blood from her face started running into the water and spraying out on the porcelain—but again, Misao didn't care. She was just trying to wake the girl up...something that evidently wasn't working.
"Eh...at least her breathing's steadier. Heh."
"Oh, shut up. Kagami's gonna wreck us for this."
"Hmph, but you said you didn't have to worry."
"...well, she's gonna get someone to wreck us for this. Unless she's more worried about...getting sued..."
"Man, you're as bitch-made as these freshmen."
...
Tsukasa's worried eyes drifted over to Misao.
"...wanna say that again?"
...
And her partner stared back. The glare meant one thing: if she kept on, there'd be a real fight.
"...heh."
"Thought so."
"Hah! Come know I'm just kiddin' with ya."
"Mhm." Tsukasa smirked...but...she couldn't keep it up.
Things were serious now. "...so, she's not gonna be waking up anytime soon, huh."
"I dunno. Got any ideas of what we can do?"
"Oh, you mean that doesn't involve what you just did?"
"What, it was an idea, right?"
...
Tsukasa looked at her friend, unsure of how serious she was with that question...but Misao shrugged back. She didn't care what the Hiiragi thought either way.
*sigh*
"I'll just...sit her up." said Tsukasa. She lifted Yuri's soaked head out of the sink—which had been stopped up by the child's face and hair. With her hands soaked and dyed, the salty, red-tinted water swirled smoothly down the small drain, soiling the sink with the damp, bloody ring it left behind.
Once Yuri was raised up, Tsukasa turned her around and used her left hand to lift the unconscious child's chin.
Her nose was dislocated: broken in at least two places, and bent to the right. And a deep brownish fluid was starting to drip out her left nostril.
...
(*sigh*
If it were some random, I wouldn't give a shit.
But it's not. Couldn't she have waited until AFTER we got the money to start pressing?)
After a closer look...Tsukasa saw the girl's mouth was pretty much filled with blood.
(Great...)
"I'm gonna lay her down somewhere so she can recover better."
"Who the fuck are you, the nurse?"
"Nah, but I'm here, aren't I? So, I'm not gonna end up takin' half the blame for your...
...dumbassery!"
...
...
...
"...huh? Haha—who the hell even says that?!"
"Just...shut up. She's out, so she might choke on her blood if I don't turn her over."
"So she can drool it out. Right.
Gross."
Tsukasa rolled her eyes and did what she said she would. After lying Yuri on her side and stretching out her legs, she easily pushed the young girl's head forward with her right fingers, using her left hand for support.
Slowly, the glossy blood started to dribble down her chin and over the floor...or down from the floor, back into her white fuku. In a few seconds, it was completely ruined. The blood stains were bad enough. The shoeprints, dirt stains, and rips and tears in the fabric from Misao stomping, pulling, and throwing: those were the nails in the coffin for that shirt.
(This is so fuckin' stupid.) thought Tsukasa as she continued to hold the girl and stare at the pool of blood building up again. (...but at least I didn't step in it like Misao did, though: my shoes are gonna be clean today. I'm sick of washing 'em out every time we get paired.)
"Hey, give me something to wrap her up with."
"Gotcha." Misao replied. "Lemme just go—"
*DING DONG!*
...
*DING DONG!*
...
*DING DONG!*
...
*DING DONG!*
...
*DING DONG!*
...
*DING DONG!*
...
*DING DONG!*
...
*DING DONG!*
"...damn, it's the bell. 7:05...
She's gonna be here soon." Misao said—and after the smallest hesitation, she dashed for the door. "I'll get something clean this up fast. Just keep holding her."
"Right. Well...I'm just glad you didn't break the glass again..."
Misao noticed Tsukasa rolling her eyes once more, but she actually replied this time: "I already got chewed out by Kagami for that. Why the hell would I do it again?"
Now her gaze narrowed on the 1st-year. It was hard to believe school hadn't even started yet.
(...wonder if we're even gonna have enough time to fix this kid up...)
Meanwhile, Tsukasa sighed.
"Yeah...true..."
...
...
"So—"
"Weren't you leaving?"
"I—I was just tryna know how bad it looks, geez! I'm gonna go..."
"Hmm, let's see. You busted her lip and head and broke her nose with those childish kicks...
—is her leg broken...?!"
"Wait, what're you saying, 'childish'? Just 'cause you practice a little—"
"Get outta here!"
"What is she, your homegirl?"
"HURRY UP, MISAO."
"Okay, okay! I'm gettin' the stuff, damn!" Misao laughed on. Tsukasa'd been looking at Yuri even as she yelled in frustration. But when she looked back up, the bathroom door was already slamming shut.
...looking back down at Yuri, she sighed.
(What a mess...
...
...but you're a fucking idiot, Yuri. They stopped you after school yesterday and told you had by tomorrow morning to get it together. But you didn't listen—even when you knew what'd happen. You shoulda told someone your dad didn't even try to get his dues...
...
...but I guess you didn't want him to get hurt. I dunno what I would've done if I was you...but I'd have at least tried to get as far away from this region as I could.
I wouldn't have done nothing, though...
...now look at you...
...
Well...that's why t's not good to screw around with Kagami. Or Misao...
If it was me, I'd let it slide. But if your own dad tried to skirt my sis...
...he must hate you.
...
Hopefully, he'll get it this time, though.)
But then, with her free right hand, Tsukasa did something a little sudden. She hadn't thought of it before, but...it didn't look like there was any other choice.
She went into the pocket of her loose blue jeans.
And pulled out her iPhone.
*sigh*
"Fuck cleanup. I'm gonna have to call a bus."
(Just better be grateful we're giving you more chance to go back to him.
...
Otherwise...both of you...)