Tetsuya Takahashi and Teru Mikami had been friends for only a few months, but they had quickly become fast friends. Both were lonely, and both usually arrived at school-or back at home-with fresh bruises. Only, Teru got his at school, and Tetsuya got his at home. This evening, Tetsuya's father was supposed to be working late, so Tetsuya had though that it would be safe to bring Teru to his house. After all, Teru would leave after a few hours, long before Tetsuya's father came home.
However, as the two boys talked, Tetsuya heard the front door slam. He froze.
"Dad's home already?!"
"Teru, you gotta listen to me!" he whispered urgently, "Hide in the closet! Quick!"
Even at eleven, Teru was all for justice. He shook his head.
"No, I can't."
No matter what might happen o him, he couldn't leave his friend alone.
"You gotta," Tetsuya pleaded, "Please, Teru! He'll hurt you! You're the only friend I've got."
He didn't wait for his friend to protest, but shoved him in the closet.
"Please, just stay in there," he whispered, closing the door on his friend.
Teru heard the urgency in his friend's voice, and he stayed in the darkness. He heard the door open, heard Tetsuya speaking.
"Hi, daddy..."
Then, he heard Tetsuya's father cursing-something about the terrible state the house was in. As if an eleven year-old boy could do anything about it. And then he heard screams of pain-the screams of his only friend in the world, who was being beaten by his own father.
And, for the first time in his life, listening to the tortured screams of his best and only friend, Teru Mikami was truly afraid to intervene. He could not intervene. Something in him would not allow it. It was one thing with bullies in school. It was another thing with a grown man. Because, for all his views on justice, Teru Mikami was only eleven years old.
He could hear Tetsuya's screams fading away into whimpers…and then, all that was left was silence. Tetsuya's father was finally gone.
Teru crept from the closet. He could see Tetsuya lying still on the floor, and he dashed over and knelt by his friend's side. Tetsuya was curled up in a tiny ball, and, as Teru approached, he could see his friend shaking a little.
"Tetsuya," he said, "I'm going to call the police. Hang on. Please."
It was a plea…a prayer…a faint hope. A hope that kept Teru Mikami going as he ran down the street toward his house. If he could just get home fast enough…if his mother could call the police…
It took twenty minutes for the police to come. A young police officer-he said his name was Soichiro Yagami-stayed back with Teru as the others went into Tetsuya's house. The Yagami person kept talking to Teru, but he wasn't listening. He was waiting. Waiting for someone to come and tell him that Tetsuya would be all right. He had not considered the possibility that he was not…until another police officer came out and shook his head at Soichiro Yagami. Looking from one solemn face to the other, Teru understood.
"No…" he whispered, "Tetsuya!"
He pulled away from Soichiro Yagami, ignoring the police officer's shouts. He ran into the house-he knew it was safe now. The police had already taken Tetsuya's father into custody. But when he came up to Tetsuya's bedroom, he stopped short. The two police officers in the room were silent, perhaps unnerved by the anguished boy.
Teru knelt next to Tetsuya. He was dead-Teru could see it in his vacant eyes. And something changed in Teru. Something that had been a part of him for years become even more prominent.
"I promise you, Tetsuya," he whispered, "This will not go unpunished. If I must pass judgment myself, I swear to you, I will find a way to ensued that this is stopped. I will find a way to delete evil. All evil."
And, to his dying day, Teru Mikami tried his best to keep that promise.
"Delete! Delete! Delete!"