The following includes domestic abuse triggers (based off of real experience before anyone says it's unrealistic because I've had that said before). Aino's existence comes from the CP wiki saying Emi had a younger sister and I don't know if that sister's name has been revealed ever, but if so, do say. Tokio however is purely OC. The baby is left completely ambiguous so readers can put their own fanbaby in if they want. Sorry if anything seems unrealistic, this is just how I imagined it.
It was with a heavy heart that Tohko Kirisaki willingly submitted herself to the test. She had been out for lunch with some friends at the time and had the test with her the whole time, but in the end her curiosity, her undying need to find out, led her to taking the test before she got home.
She came back to the table somewhat subdued, offering only slight and uncaring responses to the things her friends said. It was almost instantly that they realised something was wrong, of course.
"Tohko?" Emi asked, reaching over for her friend's hand. Tohko barely glanced up, heaving a sigh.
"My life is over..."
(Line break because this site sucks)
Kirisaki Tohko was pregnant. When she told her friends, Mitsuki gave her a big lecture about how she should have been more responsible, then sighed and asked what she was going to do. Tohko held back her tears and admitted she didn't know. Emi first asked who the father was, but Tohko's only response was 'I can't believe I slept with him'. For the rest of the day, top of Emi's priorities was cheering her friend up. Primarily, it worked. A bit of shopping, a look at some especially cute hair accessories, chili dogs and going back to her house to dance to a little music. A day of fun!
When she told her parents, they freaked out, asking what on earth she was thinking. How could she just so readily throw away her future like that? Well, Tohko didn't have much of a plan for the future anyway. Her father tried to pressure her into an abortion, however the more he said, the more she wanted to avoid exactly what he said. It wasn't a strain of rebellion, it was just...the more he said, the more horrible his solution seemed. Her mother just kept asking what she was going to do in an hysteric voice, insisting that if she didn't get rid of it in one way or another she would end up miserable and depressed and living off benefits, never being loved in her life. She knew they were just...concerned, and definitely more than a little shocked, but still, it hurt. Somewhere along the line, she'd just stood up and walked out, making her way to Emi's house.
When she told the father?
She didn't. She didn't even like the father, and for as long as she was able to hide her pregnancy, she would keep it a secret from everyone. She could already feel the weight around her waistline piling on, and she wasn't quite sure how far along she was. She tried to count, but how long ago was that stupid party? Everyone in school had gone. Well, almost everyone. Fukuroi and Kizami weren't there, which had been a bit of a disappointment. Besides which, there was the issue of whether she counted from when they actually did it or...nobody had ever told her about this, after all. She was a teenager, and sexual education missed out things like how you counted your pregnancy dates.
Her train of thought would also always get interrupted when she tried to count it out. Wherever she was in the terms and dates and process of growing a miniature Kirisaki within her, she was already overflowing with nausea and the ability to vomit like a whale who had eaten a good hundred tonnes of week old rotten fish crawling with parasites. It was beyond vile, and since she didn't want to throw up before the entire female population of Byakudan Senior High, she missed the odd day. Mostly, however, she did make the effort to go to school.
It wasn't until she started to show that school became an issue. Tohko had tried to loosen her uniform, but hadn't been able to buy anything new. Every now and then she tried to borrow Emi's uniforms, since she believed her friend was a bit bigger, but it didn't work too well, and all too soon her uniform was straining, and the others were talking. She wished she could just look chubby instead of staying slim around the bump.
All too soon, Tohko was acquainted with the calls of 'slut' and 'whore' and the words flying about on how easy she must have been, especially since everyone knew she was single. It was mostly the girls, since no boys would dare brave the wrath of her best friend, Hellgirl Mitsuki. It was midday and Tohko had nearly forgotten about the party and the little scumbag she'd slept with, and she was trying to tune out the usual shouts and whispers. Her eyes caught that boy's then, and as he passed, he offered a teasing smirk, brushing a hand across her waist.
Arsehole.
She kept walking, when suddenly she heard a loud bang. Turning, she found Shimada Kai had knocked something over and was now standing on it, like one of those soapbox preachers you saw in popular shopping districts.
"Shut the hell up!" He yelled. It seemed to work. The noise levels died down a little. Then again, half the girls in that hall wanted to sleep with the arsehole. He scanned his eyes over the hall, crossing his arms before spitting out his next few words. "All you stupid bitches and little whiny, jealous cows can keep your running mouths tied the fuck down, okay? Oh fucking wow, the girl's pregnant. You know what that means? She had sex once. I know her, and she's probably only ever slept with one guy in her entire life, she just got the luck of the draw. I know some of you who sleep with a different guy every fucking day of the week."
Tohko had stopped now, listening intently to this. Her first thought when he finished this part was 'Does he know it's his?', and then she felt her eyes burn with tears. How much damn emotion had she been holding back just so she didn't give those bitches the satisfaction?
Why the hell would that arsehole defend her, or any girl for that matter, anyway?
"God, you piss me off so much! You wanna see a slut? Try looking in the fucking mirror some time. Just because she's the one girl who didn't get an abortion as a form of contraception does not make her more of a slut than the girls who tear their clothes off the moment a guy so much as smiles at them. I'm looking at you, Chisaki!"
A ripple of sound ran through the hall and Shimada stepped down.
"I hear another word from you five in particular and I'm going on a killing spree."
He walked off and Tohko stared after him in confusion before finally remembering she was supposed to be meeting with her friends. Emi and Mitsuki hadn't heard a word of what Shimada had said, which was all for the better, really. She didn't want to talk about him, but somehow the topic of the father of the baby came up again.
"You still haven't told him, have you?" Mitsuki began in her usual scolding tone.
"No." Tohko responded at once, scowling.
"Why not?"
"Because I hate him! You think I'd ever sleep with someone like that unless I was so drunk I was practically comatose? Obviously not! He's vile, and I never want to touch him again! God, he isn't even attractive. I don't see why anyone likes him in the first place. Besides, what kind of womanising 17-year-old boy would want to be tied down with a cheap fuck's kid?"
She rested her head on the table, and outside, there was a sound. Someone had been standing by the door the whole time, and suddenly, they huffed and went away, kicking something over in the process, probably an umbrella stand.
Mitsuki shook her head. It seemed to her that Tohko at least wanted him to say something, say he didn't care or he wanted a child when older but it was way too early now, or even beyond the grace of god that he would offer at least a little help. Secondly, she picked something else up from Tohko's words. "It's Shimada, isn't it?"
Tohko remained silent, her worldess confirmation hanging in the air.
"You know...he's been in a pretty foul mood all day."
Emi piped up next. "Didn't Fukuroi say when he came into school his head was bleeding? He'd tried to hide it with his fringe, but it was still visible. That'd be why he turned up for history with wet hair."
"He's probably been picking fights again." Tohko spat. "You know what he's like."
And in a way it was true. Now, while Tohko lived in the opposite direction to Shimada, Emi lived in roughly the same direction. The former had been given a set of spare keys, and the latter had to take care of something in the school. Kirisaki Tohko went home with the rest of the surge of students, watching the usual groups get together. Oddly, Shimada had bypassed his friends and started swiftly walking in the direction of his home.
Not many students lived in this district, so soon enough Tohko, unfortunately, found herself following a moody, bitter Shimada down past the roundabout. At least Emi's house was closer to the school. Wait a second...Shimada was slowing, turning into a driveway. Tohko had long since gone past Emi's house. She herself slowed to a stop, watching the delinquent boy fumble with the lock of his front door. He stumbled when the door was wrenched open before him, wrenching his arms with it. He swore loudly, and the man before him crossed his arms.
The man in Shimada's house was a few inches shorter than him, with dark brown hair and cold, grey eyes. "Shut the fuck up, brat. Don't you dare swear at me!"
"You just swore back, fuckhead."
Tohko winced as the man slugged Shimada across the face. "What did you call me?! Kai, I have told you time and again, as part of this family, I deserve respect!"
"You need to earn respect, Tokio! You can't just fuck me over and demand it!"
Was this his elder brother or something? Though they looked nothing alike.
Tokio, the dark haired man, lashed out again, this time sinking his fist deep into Shimada's stomach. The redheaded teen retched, doubling over. For some reason he wouldn't fight back.
"Where's mum?" He asked after Tokio gave him a moment to compose himself.
"You call Aika 'mum' but you still refuse to call me 'dad'."
"You're not my dad."
"If I'm not your dad, what am I?"
"Mum's stupid boyfriend that she should have chucked years ago, dipshit!"
Tokio lost his temper, kicking the younger boy away from the threshold. "As long as I'm married to her, I am your father, like it or not! But you have to break her heart, refuse to accept it, insist on being Shimada's brat!" He approached Kai, grabbing his shirt and continuing to hit him. Still, Kai didn't fight back. "Do you even give a fuck? Aren't I better? You are a part of my family, Shimada, like it or not!"
Finally, he threw the redhead down and stepped back, going back inside. Tohko hurried to Shimada, as fast as her swollen belly and aching body allowed, but as she approached, she just made matters worse.
"Hey, look, Kai! Your little slut friend from school is here to rescue you! That one slut you never shut up about!"
And instantly, he was on his feet again, surging forward. "She's not a slut! Don't you dare call her that!" He finally went to fight back. Tohko was beginning to think he refused to because his mother loved this man, but that was no excuse.
Once again, Okamura Tokio threw his fist into Shimada Kai's face before he could get close. He seemed to know what he was doing, that was for sure. Kai paused, thinking things over for a moment. Once again, he was stood within easy reach of this man, supposedly his step-father? He wiped the blood away from his mouth and managed to speak.
"When I tell her all this, mum's gonna kill you."
Tokio laughed. It happened so quick that if she'd blinked, Tohko would have missed it. The man grabbed Kai's throat, at the same time sweeping his legs out from beneath him. He was clearly an athlete of some kind, but a very, very violent one. He squeezed gently, just enough to make Kai gasp for breath.
"Stop!" Tohko yelled before she could stop herself.
Tokio ignored her. "She's never believed you before. What in fuck's name makes you think your stupid mum would believe you now? All you are is that brat that breaks her heart and starts fights, finding any way he can to act out. I am her angelic husband. The entire block thinks I wouldn't hurt a fly. You're the only one in the world who drives me to this shit, Kai!"
Tohko reached the end of the drive. "Please stop! He can't breathe! Let him go!"
The man only just seemed to notice she was there, then spared a glance to his step-son's red face and desperate grasping for air. After a moment of considering, he threw the boy down. Kai curled over, taking great gulps of air before hiding his face in his hands.
"I never want to see you again, brat! Not unless you learn some fucking respect! And take your little slut girlfriend with you!" And with that, he slammed the door shut. Wincing, Tohko knelt down beside him, resting a hesitant hand on his shoulder. He was shaking, and every so often his shoulders jumped, accompanied by what sounded like sobbing, but may have been hiccups. Finally, whatever it was died down and he forced himself to sit up. The left side of his face was bruised, and he held himself in a way that betrayed the pain in his ribs. He ran something around in his mouth a moment before spitting something creamy white onto the pavement. A tooth. His step-father had knocked out at least one tooth. Tohko decided she wouldn't dwell on any other damage done.
"Are...are you okay?" Tohko asked hesitantly. Perhaps this was where Kai got his bad attitude from, although it sounded like his real father wasn't too good either. The redhead didn't respond, just stared at his tooth. It seemed like an eternity passed before she stood, bracing herself to force him up. The slight touch to his arm, however, and he dragged himself to one foot, however kept weight off of one. Sprained? Perfect.
She walked round to the sprained side and, though far shorter than him, offered her physical support. As she made her way back to Emi's, Kai followed obediently, not even asking where they were going. Perhaps he was just glad someone was helping him get away from there. Every step with his right foot became an awkward jump-skip thing, and it looked painful. When they finally reached Emi's house and Tohko unlocked the door, she called out.
"Urabe-san! I brought someone with me! Someone from school got beaten up, can you take a look at his ankle?"
Emi's father was a nurse, so it seemed like a fair request.
"Okay, just give me a minute, Tohko-san!" Came the reply. Tohko guided Kai to a sofa. The living room just had Emi's younger sister sat in front of the TV (dangerously close), watching some stupid show for little kids. When the two older students came in, she turned around and stared until Tohko shooed her, snapping that it was rude to stare (to which Urabe Aino responded with something even ruder before running off). A few moments of silence passed before Kai opened his mouth to speak. Tragically, at that moment, Emi's dad came in to check him over
"How did all this happen?" He asked the student, who shrugged, his cold and cool demeanour returning.
"Fighting."
"And Tohko brought you here? Normally she has no patience for kids like you, you know."
Tohko briefly wondered whether all his previous 'fights' were real or just him being hurt by his step-father. Kai glanced at her and reminded himself that she hated him.
"Does it hurt much when I do this?"
"Fuck! Ouch, yes!"
"It is pretty swollen...I'll get something to brace it. It should be better in six or so weeks, provided you don't get into any more fights."
"Six weeks?!"
"Although you look pretty beaten up. I hope you at least gave as good as you got. It might be worth staying off school a day or too to let the rest of the damage set and give yourself a little time to recover." He stood, moving toward the door. "I can give you a lift home later and explain the situation to your parents, but I think I'll let you explain about the fighting." With that, he left the room and Kai made a face at his back. After a moment, he turned to Tohko and made another face.
"What are you staring at, bitch?"
She shrugged and left the room, not wanting to lose her temper after what she had just witnessed. She waited by the front door for Emi, and when she returned, she decided to brief her on the situation before she saw anything for herself.
"Emi!" Aino called before Tohko could say anything. "Your friend from school is hot! The boy one, not your skank friend who lives here now!"
"Aino, don't say thinks like that!" Emi scolded, followed by similar words from her parents. She turned to Tohko, smirking. "Who's she talking about, do you know?"
"...Shimada." Kirisaki admitted bitterly. "But I guess Aino can have him. Anyway, speaking of Shimada-"
"Did you finally talk to him about the whole baby thing?"
"What? No! Just listen to me, okay?"
"So he still doesn't know?"
"No. But he's here, so keep your voice down."
"What's he doing in my house?!"
Tohko held her hands up to silence her friend. "Shhh! He was hurt, I brought him here since your dad's a nurse. I didn't have my phone and it was closer than the hospital." All true.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty average. At one point Kai interrupted the girls to ask where he could find a bathroom, and as soon as he returned, he went right for the front door. Tohko hurried to stop him.
"Where are you going?"
"Mum will be worrying about me."
"You can't go back there!"
He glanced at the floor before shrugging. "He won't do anything while she's there."
Tohko moved to stand in front of him, crossing her arms firmly. "Did your dad give you that gash on your forehead too? Urabe-san said it looks like you might need stitches, but you wouldn't let him look at it."
Anger flashed across his face. "That bastard is not my dad! My dad's off with his whore in Greece or something, I don't even care! Tokio will never, ever be my father! And what do you even care? You only want to help me because you pity me! You've always hated me, had to get so pissed you were practically comatose to show even the slightest affection, and apparently I'm too ugly for you to bother with! Oh, not to mention 'cheap fuck'. Great, thanks. I've loved you more than any other girl I've ever met in my life, no wonder it pisses me off so much when all you can do is gush over Kizami like he's some kind of sex god! You couldn't even be decent enough to tell me you were having my kid." With that last bitter utterance, he gently pushed her to the side and wrenched the front door open. Tohko had gone pale and stiff, but for all of those words all she could say was
"You knew?"
"You three were talking in a public place."
"You were listening to our conversation!"
"I had a right to know!"
"No you did not! It's my problem so you should butt out!"
"I just want to protect you!"
"I'm not the one who needs protection, you are!"
"I don't need protecting!" Without another word, he stormed out. Groaning, Tohko hid her head in her hands before following him. When she inevitably lost him, she told Emi to tail him (as she could run after him) and call her when she found him.
Kai hesitantly allowed himself into his home. The first thing he noticed was Tokio and Aika stood in the hall, one looking worried, the other furious.
"Kai! Have you been fighting again?" His mother hurried forward, cupping his chin in her hands. "You're limping!"
"It..." His eyes met with the cold grey orbs of his step-father. "It was Tokio..."
Aika stepped back at once, frowning. "Kai...I swear, we've talked about this. Your father wouldn't hurt a fly! He couldn't!"
"I'm sure, but Tokio could!"
"They're the same person!"
"No, no!" His voice was rising. He was trying to stay away from hysterics. Tokio was smirking. "Dad's in Greece! Every holiday he mails me, sometimes he includes gifts!" He gestured to the jewellery he was often seen wearing. "He cares, you don't. You're more fussed with keeping your bullshit abusive marriage alive no matter who else it hurts!"
"Where is this coming from?"
"You care more about him than your own son! You don't even care if he breaks every bone in my body as long as you can keep fucking him!"
His head snapped to the side, already throbbing cheek stinging with the slap his mother had just delivered.
"Don't you ever speak to me like that, Kai! I am your mother!"
He glared at her and his step-father for a moment or two before shaking his head. "You're not a very good one." He went to leave again.
"Where are you going?"
"Work. Remember? I work for a living!"
"Just...come straight back, okay?"
(Another time skip line break thing)
As if. The injuries he had received that day caused a problem with the whole modelling thing. He was let off early because he was covered in bruises, bandages and cuts barely clotting. It was dark out now and he was getting hungry, having given up his rights to a decent dinner with those last words to his mother. Not that that was any big disaster. Someone approached. He looked over, then to the ground. She was short, with long hair and a large build. Well, large...not really, but...
Tohko stopped just before him hesitantly. "Shimada?"
"What?"
Well, he responded, so that was a start. "Look, it took forever to find you, so..."
"So talk. You've gone to enough effort." He was still pissed off, but seemed reluctant to be too rude to the girl before him.
"I...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I said, I'd had a hellish past few months and...kind of got convinced nobody would ever really love me, so I took it out on you. And as for the secrets, I just assumed you'd be like everyone else and you wouldn't want to be involved so there was no point in saying."
"I at least want you to be decent enough to tell me I'm going to be a father..."
"Even if you don't want it?"
"Yes-!" He cut himself off, running his hands over his face and through his hair, frustrated beyond belief. "In future, don't make important decisions for me. Please."
"Sure. You coming back to Emi's?"
He thought it over for a moment, and after that moment he gave a slight nod, reaching out to take Tohko's hand. "I'm hardly going to let a pregnant lady wander the streets alone."
"You wouldn't care about any other pregnant lady."
"Hey, they could end up giving birth to something almost as awesome as me."
She dug her elbow into his side. "Shut up."
"Make me."
"Is that a challenge?" She stopped, reaching up to take his chin in her hands.
"Maybe it is." He answered as she pulled him closer.
(Line break)
He spent that night on Emi's sofa. The next day he tried to set something up with some friends. Fukuroi was able to offer board, so that was that settled. Otherwise, he seemed to keep close to Kirisaki, and she kept close to him, each keeping their silent promise to protect the other. After all, they certainly had their dangers that needed facing. Tohko wasn't exactly on a friendly set of terms but it was enough, certainly.
Months passed along with seasons, summer turning into Autumn. Tohko watched herself grow in disdain, and Kai tailed after her with various words that may have been intended to make her feel better. They didn't work too well.
He had been setting aside his payment to try and afford a place to live so he didn't irritate his friends so much, and maybe so that Tohko wouldn't impose. It was highly unlikely that she would move in with him though. He decided to bring it up that weekend.
He'd started talking about the place he was going to buy (which was unfortunately a grotty little council estate to the south) and fix up so he could live there and even have the child round every now and then, when it wanted to come round if Tohko didn't want to keep him close to them. She wasn't listening fully. That day, she went into labour.
Kai found the one situation he definitely didn't want to be beside her with. Watching a girl squeeze a baby out was...well, it was bound to be absolutely disgusting. She threatened to chop his balls off if he didn't at least try and provide some support. It took a lot of goading to get him in there with her, and then she managed to break his finger.
It took over a day for the baby to actually come out, something that annoyed the students beyond belief. Shimada had to admit, the weird wrinkly thing they ended up with was..kinda cute, actually. Tohko lay in the hospital bed, holding their newborn to her chest, and Shimada sat behind her head, arms around her waist and helping to support the baby. They fell asleep like that, cuddled together. The first step of their undeniably hectic life.