Exit Wounds I

It was mid-evening in the small Japanese town of Inaba. A bright day had given way to a massive rainstorm that stretched from the train station to the home of a local Police Detective Ryotaro Dojima and his daughter Nanako Dojima. It was a quiet evening for once, and Dojima was able to come home early to eat dinner with Nanako, at the moment it was just passing eight pm, and Dojima sat on the couch while Nanako sat at the coffee table doing her homework.

As Dojima read the paper, he sighed silently at the antics of one of Inaba's local councilmen Taro Namatame. Dojima couldn't complain about what the man was doing, but considering he had once kidnapped his daughter and almost killed her, he couldn't quite bring himself to forgive the man either. Dojima looked up from his paper as he heard a knock at the front door. Nanako looked up from her homework and towards her father for permission to answer the door. Dojima considered the time and shook his head standing to answer the door himself. After the kidnapping, he was understandably more wary of allowing Nanako to answer the door to the house.

Dojima walked through to the entry hall of the house placing a hand on the door, "Who is it?"

"Uncle Dojima, it's me." A voice on the other side of the door announced.

Dojima's eyes widened, "Wait, Souji?"

Dojima opened the door, and it was indeed his nephew Souji Seta standing in the doorway of his house soaked from the rain. Allowing him inside Dojima called back to Nanako to bring some towels for Souji. Souji regarded the older man respectfully, but Dojima could tell something was wrong, taking his bag off Souji's shoulder as Nanako handed the younger man a towel Dojima spoke, "Why don't you dry off in the lounge room and I'll prepare your room, ok?"

Souji considered the older man gratefully and nodded following a skipping Nanako back into the lounge as Dojima climbed the stair to the second level of the house.

Later that night Souji Seta lay in bed lying on top of the sheets his uncle had prepared for him staring at the ceiling. Rain continued to lash the window reminding him of the night he'd first encountered the midnight channel. Not unlike that night, his thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door to his room. Dojima entered after a moment sitting down on the couch under the window. He sat quietly for a few moments before speaking, "I think I know why you're here, but I want to hear it from you."

Souji sat up resting his back against the way; he looked away ashamed from his uncle. It was the first time since they'd known each other that he felt like this. He loved and respected his uncle, looking up to him as a father figure and this was difficult to admit, "I'm in a mess."

Dojima nodded throwing a copy of a Japanese national tabloid onto the coffee table in front of him. On the cover was a young blonde woman, the teen idol, Tanami Uesugi in a state of undress and an intimate embrace with Souji. Souji blushed looking away and nodded, "Rise freaked when she saw it."

"The article says you and Uesugi have been having an affair for months, is it true?" Dojima asked keeping his tone level so as not to betray his feelings on the subject.

Souji shook his head, "No, it's all nonsense. I never cheated on Rise with anyone, but…"

"But?" Dojima pressed.

Souji frowned, "Rise has this new manager, he took over from Inoue-san after the LMB festival, he used the article to poison Rise against me. She won't even speak to me, I just… I needed to get away Dojima-san even my parents are giving me funny looks."

Dojima shook his head and sat down next to Souji putting his arm around the younger man, "You always have a place here. Take all the time you need; I'll ring your Mother in the morning and smooth it over. You just get some sleep, ok?"

Souji smiled and nodded bidding Dojima a good night before Dojima left him alone to sleep.

Outside Dojima rested against the closed door rubbing the back of his head staring down at the cover of the magazine. He could feel someone watching him from a nearby doorway, "I thought you were asleep Nanako?"

Nanako blushed, "I, I was worried about Big Bro."

Dojima smiled and kissed her on the head, "He will be ok, we'll look after him until its better."

Nanako smiled, "Yep."

With that Nanako disappeared back into her bedroom to sleep, Dojima cast one more disgusted look at the cover of the magazine before throwing it into a nearby bin. "Bastards."

The next day Souji rose around lunchtime having had the first good sleep in at least a couple of weeks. After a shower and changing into a dry set of clothes he made his way downstairs to be greeted by Nanako. Dojima had gone to work after calling his mother and Nanako had prepared lunch for her Big Bro. They sat talking pleasantly until Souji's phone started vibrating, a call was coming through from Souji's best friend, Yosuke Hanamura.

"Hi, Yosuke."

"Dude, are you watching TV right now?"

Souji raised an eyebrow, "No, why?"

"Rise is having a press conference; it might have something to do with, well you know…"

Souji frowned picking up the remote from the table and turning the TV on, "Thanks, Yosuke, I'll call you back."

Souji hung up without another word as he finally found the station featuring Rise's press conference. The announcer was just finishing speaking and the view switch to a table filled with microphones. Nanako gasped as they saw the people sitting at the table, on the right was a tall man with jet black hair and striking black eyes who Souji knew as Rise's new manager Honda, he'd never heard Honda's last name. Beside him was Souji's girlfriend, and teen idol Rise Kujikawa, but this wasn't the Rise he knew, the girl on screen was an empty shell, her eyes were devoid of the bubbly personality he valued as her friend and loved as her boyfriend. Rise sat with her heavily bruised right arm in a sling and made up poorly covering a massive bruise on her left eye.

Honda leaned forward clearing his throat, "Thank you all for coming today, it is my unfortunate duty to announce that due to injuries Risette was recently subjected to we have to cancel all of her upcoming appearances indefinitely until she has recovered and some outstanding have been resolved. Risette deeply regrets letting her fans down and asks for their patience in this difficult time."

Several reporters yelled out trying to get a question in before Honda ended the press conference. Honda took a moment before selecting a female reporter to ask a question from behind the TV cameras. Souji and Nanako could only hear her voice as she asked her question, "Risette, how did you sustain the injuries you've suffered."

Rise exhaled looking tearfully into the nearest TV camera, she opened and closed her mouth several times before speaking, "I was attacked, by…." Rise dipped her head trying to keep her composure, "I was attacked by my boyfriend, Souji Seta."

To Be Continued…