Here's the next chapter! I just have to warn for some hints of gore in this chapter but it's only a little bit. This chapter is slightly longer but I chose to use this as an exercise to write Josuke as I'm not really used to write from his perspective. Hopefully I did a good job!
SAL (Story About Lies)
Chapter Seven
But It's Coming Undone
"Don't leave that girl behind!" A young girl suddenly appeared in front of them. The area around them suddenly became chilling, as her grip – a vice like grip – prevented them from moving any further.
The three teenaged boys were shocked at the fact they couldn't move as they used to. Everything around them was the same – although there didn't seem to be anyone else around.
A dog suddenly appeared and blood from its neck followed it. The image of the dog caused the teens to gasp and scream and stammer at the sight of the bloody dog. And yet they were frozen even with the death-like grip which kept them in place. The dog's steps didn't falter as it was used to such reactions. It turned its neck, which exposed the wound further to the horrified teens.
A young girl stepped out from a corner. She looked to be about their age. Short hair which curled up at the ends with a headband on her head. She had extremely light eyes and there seemed to be an innocence about her. She wore a pink choker around her neck along with a short dress that flattered her very well. She wore platform sandals on her feet and she would've been another fashionable teen had the situation been different.
She reached over and pet the dead dog's head and the dog panted and wagged its tail – happy to see her.
However, her focus wasn't on the dog – instead, it was on the boys before her. They were still very clearly horrified but they had grown curious about the young girl before them. Something was off about her; she almost didn't seem human in some ways they couldn't put their fingers on.
"Don't leave that girl behind." The girl repeated herself. Indeed, her voice matched the one from earlier. "That man that answered that girl's door… he's a serial killer."
The grip finally let go of the teens and Okuyasu was the more frightened of the three – he tried to get away but she stretched out her hand. "Don't turn around!" She yelled at him and he complied immediately without uttering a single word other than screams.
"W-wh-what do you mean?" Koichi finally managed to let out.
"That man… he's a serial killer… and that girl accidentally found out…" She sounded remorseful. It was clear she never intended to put these boys in this situation but she didn't know how else she could've done it. "I tried to warn her!"
"Wait," interrupted Josuke as he tried to calm the scared Okuyasu and, once again, stuttering Koichi. "Wait, you mean to tell me you tried to warn her? How come you didn't stop her yourself then? How come we have to do it?"
The girl, still remorseful, bit her lip. "I've already extended my abilities too much just by coming to this neighborhood. All I could've done was send her one message – one message that he's a killer. I… couldn't save her."
"I couldn't save her like how I failed to protect myself."
Regret and sadness dripped from her tone. "That man has been killing for too long… if you could see what I could see… you'd see all the women he mercilessly killed. All of them had their hands cut off – his mark.
"He didn't cut my hand off because I angered him. There are those like me around too. I wanted to prevent that fate of Yukako-chan. I don't want her to end up in this darkness. Too many have perished."
"What does this have to do with us?" Josuke coldly stated.
Koichi and Okuyasu were both shocked at the tone of voice their friend had towards this pleading ghost. It was clear that the ghost wanted to protect Yukako this much but it was also clear the ghost could only do so much.
The young girl didn't flinch from his question. "Because I've seen her truth. Her truth is a sad one. That young girl reminds me of a girl when I was alive – she was always alone and no one paid her any mind. Then one day, she disappeared. For weeks, then months, she was gone. No one noticed she was gone.
"Finally, one day, some children had decided to play in the park only to find her strangled body – rotting. People were shocked. After the investigation was concluded, it was found out that her father had been abusing her for months. She was withdrawn and didn't seek help and no one reached out to her when it mattered.
"Yukako-chan isn't being hurt by her family. Please don't misunderstand! But her truth is a lonely one and that man… that man might lead her to a similar fate. Please… save her."
The girl tried to emphasize as much as she could – again, regret dripped from her story. Even in life, she must've been as silent as a ghost for her to never reach out to that girl who had died. And yet still Josuke remained cold.
"I don't know what that has to do with us. We'll let the proper authorities know. Now let us return to Morioh."
The girl sighed as she let the boys return to the realm of the living. However, a solemn look haunted the three as she and the dog disappeared.
.x.
"Hey Josuke, that's super mean. Yamagishi-san could be in actual danger, you know!" Okuyasu said, surprised at his friend's cold reaction towards the ghost's story. It was clear that even he was touched by it and Koichi remained silent. He seemed a bit angry towards the taller teen. Josuke tried his best to avert his eyes. He could already feel the pangs of guilt from the comments. However, he couldn't deny his own feelings.
"Okuyasu," Josuke started. "Drop it already. We'll tell the authorities and hope for the best."
"Josuke-kun, we really should try to save her," Koichi finally spoke up. "I don't think just letting the authorities know will do anything."
Josuke remained silent.
I know it wouldn't.
He sped up. However, the two teens behind him managed to catch up to him. "Josuke-kun!"
Finally, Josuke turned around. Anger filled his heart as his own anger blinded him. They just didn't get it, did they? It's not that simple. It's easier to say it than not.
"Just drop it already! We'll talk to the police if it makes you both feel better!"
The two teens were immediately silenced and Josuke just clicked his tongue as he turned back around.
"We'll figure something out," Josuke said silently.
.x.
Josuke Higashikata wandered after the three separated. It was hard to talk to the others after that. There was a thickness and heaviness between the three. Josuke couldn't go home just yet.
He wandered around Morioh further and managed to wander into different neighborhoods. It was common that Josuke would wander around the neighborhoods to gather his thoughts. However, while it was true he wanted to save the girl – he didn't know the first thing to do.
He didn't have a power that could fix things. He couldn't fix things. He couldn't fix things.
He could not fix things.
Memories from a year ago flashed in his mind as he recalled his grandfather's funeral. A memory of a murder was something Josuke was all too familiar with.
While his grandfather was a policeman, the town of Morioh was just quiet enough where he would always come home with a smile and something in his cup. He, his mother, and grandfather were all he had. He didn't know anything about his biological father other than he was rich, was bored, and used his mother as a plaything.
However, even though he and his mother struggled, his grandfather was always there to support them – the man helped raise him to the best of his abilities until that day.
That day was just another day – he was on patrol, supposedly, going about his day and checking up on everyone and made sure students weren't playing hooky. However, one day his grandfather was found dead, murdered.
They tried to investigate who had done it but the case went cold. No one ever figured out who killed his grandfather or why.
He can't fix them. He can't bring his grandfather back to life. He can't fix him.
"What are you doing in my neighborhood, Higashikata-kun?" a familiar voice brought him back to the present. The sun started to set and Josuke found himself near Rohan Kishibe's house. The eccentric young man stared at him angrily as he seemed to have braced himself.
The two had gotten acquainted when Koichi had discovered the author of his favorite manga lived in Morioh – and Rohan was strange enough to find the young man interesting. Since the two had recently became friends, Rohan had the misfortune of meeting Josuke.
The two had barely gotten along together as Rohan was more focused on his work than the games. Often, Rohan was the victim of Josuke's pranks and, at one point, Josuke nearly burned down his house.
"Ah, hey Rohan," Josuke purposefully used his first name to annoy him. "Nothing. I was just in the neighborhood."
The manga artist looked at him through narrow eyes. His strange fashion puzzled even Josuke as he would often wear crop tops and a strange green headband wrapped around his head. It was clear Josuke couldn't hide from the observant eyes of the manga artist – he wasn't a successful artist for nothing.
"What's wrong? Any other time, I'd tell you to get the hell out but it seems something is seriously troubling you."
Josuke was unsure of this statement.
"What? I don't use everything for my manga. I'm not that cold and callous. Come in. Just don't try to burn down my house again."
.x.
Josuke sat outside on the patio furniture Rohan set out and watched the sun set as he reflected to the ghost girl's pleads to save Yamagishi Yukako.
Rohan had gone inside to get some snacks and tea for his guest; it allowed Josuke to reflect on the time she had been there and gone. It was true – that man was right. How come they didn't bother to reach out for her until that day?
In all honesty, Josuke had always noticed she was gone. He ran into her once when she seemed to buy film for a camera. Usually, he recalled the girl always being so quiet and unenthusiastic about everything. She always had a cold look and an equally cold aura about her. And yet such a simple thing like getting film for a camera gave her such a smile Josuke never thought she could have.
It struck a lightning in him that he didn't know occurred within him – especially if he could recall such a memory amid his angst. A bright smile among the dark clouds of his heart cleared the storm a little bit.
He couldn't fix it though. He couldn't find his grandfather's killer – what made him think he could save that girl's smile from a monster like that?
It wasn't like he didn't believe the ghost girl's story. He remembered his mother recalled a similar story from her youth and that always stuck with him. He had befriended Koichi Hirose completely by chance – same with Okuyasu but there was something about the two he couldn't ignore.
He let out a sigh as he felt the cool air blow through his face and pompadour.
"So, will you tell me what's troubling you?" Rohan asked, surprisingly gently.
Josuke turned his attention back to the eccentric artist and let out another sigh. He explained the situation to Rohan who, at first seemed bored but perked up as he went on. However, after Josuke told him the part about the ghost girl, he wasn't sure if he even cared how crazy he sounded anymore.
"You feel guilty about your grandfather's death so you won't even bother to help this girl? This is why you annoy me so much – you act like you're something special but deep down, you're just like everyone else. You're actually very simple-minded and you really don't see the big picture sometimes. Don't use your dead grandfather to ignore this girl's pleas."
Josuke knew he made a face. "You didn't have to be so blunt."
Rohan gave him a confused look. "You asked for advice; I'm merely giving it to you."
Josuke could feel himself grow more annoyed by the minute. He knew he was right; he just didn't want to admit it.
"Well, what the hell can I do?!" He let his anger burst out. He couldn't admit how angry he actually was – at himself, at Rohan's accurate description, at the mysterious killer, at that man at Yamagishi-san's house.
Rohan didn't flinch at the teen's outburst. "You can save her, you know. It really is that easy. You just need to put effort into it."
Even after Rohan being blunt, even after his angst about his grandfather, after his outburst to Koichi and Okuyasu, Josuke knew in his heart he had to help save Yamagishi-san. He had always seen her around school and town – he couldn't approach her. How could he have approached someone like her? She always seemed so cold and isolated.
He didn't know when he got home and dialed the number, but he was surprised to hear Koichi's mother's voice on the other line.
He knew what he had to do now. Rohan was right. He didn't need to use his grandfather's death as an excuse not to do anything anymore.
"Hello, this is the Hirose residence."
Instead, Josuke should use his grandfather's death to protect those who need protection.
"May I speak to Koichi-kun please?"
And Yukako Yamagishi needed that more than anything.
