(A/N):
I'd like to see what made you guys react the most (laughing, crying, gasping, etc.) so please leave inline comments if possible. Thanks in advance.
Carry on.
V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V
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From: Mom
Change of plans. Dad's coming to pick u up nw bc of the rain.
Don't worry about it, Mom. It's just water. I have an umbrella this time. And a heavier sweater to put over my blazer. Tell him that he can finish his shift. I'm almost at the plaza/Kyotama's Sushi bar anyways.
Is ur phone charged?
Most of my battery was spent on playing music through my earbuds, leaving me with nine percent battery. I bit my lip.
19%. It's enough.
K. Thnx babe.
You're welcome.
Refusing to say 'no problem' instead of 'you're welcome'and ending without an 'I love you' were the only small victories I could keep, even though she probably didn't notice how curt my last text was. The light rain made me too happy to hold a grudge.
More than half an hour had passed since I headed out from Ouran Private Academy.
The small stretch of a street between the plaza and I was dotted with nothing but city funded greenery and traffic lights. Two cars were parked in front of one another on the curb next to the closest shopfront. There were no pedestrians in sight. The open space would make any attackers easy to see, but I was in no real danger. Checking was just a precaution as an unaccompanied young woman these days.
My blazer tied was tied around my waist and my rain gear was packed up, encouraging both a potential cold and an onslaught of assailants in my 'scandalous' dampened white v-neck t-shirt.
With a black tube top underneath, of course, because I'm not that bold. It was raining, and every girl knows that the white fabric type I was wearing became sheer when dampened.
To enhance the 'I'm in a sad music video' feeling (and further shield my chest) I undid the braid in my hair and parted it to the side.
My glasses were practically kaleidoscopes with all the raindrops that had collected on the lenses. I dried them with my shirt, then wiped them clean with the microfiber cloth in my pocket. I took the earbud out from my left ear and looked around again to see if anybody was following me. I hadn't worn both earbuds in the first place out of consideration for my surroundings.
Apparently, I wasn't as close to the plaza as I thought. Another check to my dying phone revealed that it was straight ahead, about a block away.
The buildings were worn down. And not in the welcoming way either.
Not worn down as in loved by many and glowing with old age and use. Worn down as in covered with mold. Grey stucco walls that were once white. Unlit neon signs carelessly left dangling on rusty hinges. Canopies with tattered edges, and yet, still serving their purpose, as the sidewalk below them was dry.
The dark, barren space was ominous to stroll through.
My phone buzzed. I ignored the rain and retrieved it, only to be disappointed by a darkly lit screen. I forgot about setting it in power saving mode, which lowered the brightness when the battery was at five percent and lower.
With a sigh, I hurried along to the closest shop to shield myself from the light and get a better view. As soon as I got there the rain fell even harder.
The smell of cigarettes didn't bother me, but the smell of mold did. There was a sign on the shop's glass interior reading, "Serpent's Ramen" and another one below it, reading, "CLOSED". The two vintage-modeled cars parked on the sidelines made me squint in suspicion.
I quickly moved to the second storefront instead, then checked my phone. It was 3:37PM, and Dad had texted me.
I'm coming right now. It's going to rain heavier. Get to Kyotama's Sushi bar ASAP. Put on your coat. I'm turning on the heater and the seat warmer so it'll be warm when you get here.
"Ah man," I muttered. My quest was coming to an end. It appeared that the weather had dampened not only my outfit, but my father's anger. He was back to his usual self.
Okay. Thank you, Dad.
Anytime De-de. I love you.
My lips pressed into a thin line when I contemplated what to say. I typed a message, but didn't send it yet.
Thanks|
He hadn't exactly an apologized for slapping me across the face, but I supposed that he would at least treat me kindly when he got here. My conscience felt lighter when I added the next part.
Thanks, Dad. I love you too.|
The screen went black before I could press send. It buzzed again before shutting off completely.
I exhaled harshly. "Fuck. Sorry Dad."
I rolled my earbuds around my phone, pocketed them, then dropped my backpack on the cement, and leaned it against the wall so I could untie the blazer from around my waist and put it on. A door in the alleyway between the shopfronts behind me slammed open, releasing loud voices and the deep laugh of a man who sounded drunk. I startled at the noise.
None of the people came out of the alley, so I couldn't see them.
"Wait!" said a male. He sounded young, like a teenager. "You can't go out and drive like this!"
"Tetsuya's right, Teru," said another young male, "you're drunk off your ass right now, so why don't the three of us just hit up a few of the new places down the block until you can actually walk in a straight line? Kyotama's Sushi Bar sounded pretty gr-"
"Ah, man," interrupted the apparent 'Teru'. He sounded amused, and older than the other two guys. "You're even more of a worry wart than you were before you left us, Sonny. What's a few glasses of wine gonna do ta this guy, huh?" He laughed, addressed the other one, though I couldn't tell in what order. "And you, boy. You're just as stiff and law abiding as when you left us. Even more so than Tetsuya-I mean Sonny. I thought you said that you were all grown up now."
The one who wasn't Tetsuya replied to the old man. "I am but-"
Hm. So this 'Tetsuya' kid went by the name 'Sonny', and the other guy went by 'boy'. At least, that's what Teru called him.
"Then have a little fun, loosen up your collar, and live a little would ya?" Teru scoffed. "A little joy ride isn't gonna hurt you. Although I might hurt you if you don't straighten out and follow me to the damn car." That last sentence was dripping with growing impatience. "And I'm just going pretend that I didn't hear you suggest going to Kyotama's Sushi Bar. Do you even know what that place did to Serpent's Ramen or are you just stupid?"
My breathing regulated because of how quiet I was in listening.
There were three guys. Two of them were sober and young, while the other was old and drunk. The old guy, Teru, was trying to drive off, but Tweedle Dee (Tetsuya) and Tweedle Dum (Mystery Boy) were the ones whose brains were actually working. The sentimental way that Teru referred to Serpent's Ramen made it sound like he owned this dump of a business.
And business seemed to be failing because of a new competitor, perhaps?
Regardless, young, unprotected, noodle-armed me didn't think that being alone with three guys, not to mention a drunk one, was a good idea. I retied the blazer around my waist, hitched up my backpack, and calmly set to creeping away.
Speedwalking would be good, but I instead proceeded slower than usual because of my noisy ass shoes. I cursed myself for wearing clacky Oxfords instead of sneakers. My hands worked quickly to prepare me for possible combat.
I put my diamond earrings in my pocket and started to tie my hair up. Both would hurt like a bitch if they were yanked. I reached behind me, remembering that there was a pen in the side pocket of my bag.
The part of me that wasn't still eavesdropping pondered whether I should take off my glasses. Getting punched in the face would hurt more if I had them on.
"Mr. Ikeda, please!" begged Tetsuya. It occurred to me that I had heard 'Tetsuya' somewhere, but I couldn't figure out where from. "You said that you would talk about it with us if we got you the drinks, and we did! So-"
"Hehe, Sonny, my boy," chuckled Teru, "what's with the formality? It's Uncle Teru, remember? Besides, you should already know me by now. Free booze won't cut it any more. I played you. And I'm not sorry either, because technically, you played yourself. Your father won't take no as answer anymore either, so you're both coming with me. You're lucky that I'm even willing to take you morons in, especially with what you've cost me. Now get the hell out of my way and follow along."
Father? Taking in? Tetsuya and Mystery Boy were beginning to sound like a bunch of runaway children.
"Uncle Teru, I can't go back now," Tetsuya said, "I've already joined another syndicate-"
In my struggle not to compute what he said, I froze.
Another syndicate. Tetsuya was already in a yakuza syndicate. He and guy number two were trying to escape the past one now and failing at it, with me to witness it.
If I got caught now I was going be killed for knowing too much. Or worse, I'd be tortured and sold. Either way, my family would be in dire straits.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" Tetsuya cried out.
"I'm calling for back up," Teru sneered, "they're going to get here and follow my car, in case you decide to do anything stupid."
Tetsuya and the second boy pleaded with him so desperately that I couldn't understand what they were saying, or what Teru was saying back. The blood pumping in my ears and the sick feeling in my stomach didn't help me in trying to concentrate either. I started praying for my family's and my own safety.
"Please!" Tetsuya cried once again. "You can't do this! I can't go ba-"
He was cut off by, what I guessed was, a slap to the face. After all, the sound of literally getting slapped myself was still fresh in my mind. I flinched, nearly feeling his pain.
"Dad!" exclaimed Mystery Boy.
Teru raged. "Do you really think that after all this time, that after all I've lost because of you, that some cheap wine and a pack of cigarettes would make things up to me? Huh?!"
Something bumped against the wall, followed by a small noise from Tetsuya. Teru probably had him by the collar, pinned and ready to sucker punch. My lower lip was damn close to bleeding with how hard I was biting it.
"Hey!" Mystery Boy called, "Let him go! Dad, let him go!"
Horror paralyzed me. It was stupid decision on my part, but it was getting too climactic for me to leave.
"Don't touch me you shitstain! You don't even have the right to call me your father!" Teru hollered back.
There was a crashing sound and another hurt noise from Tetsuya. Most likely tossed aside into a trash pile, judging by the rustle of filled plastic bags.
"It's bad enough that the boss's son had to run away with his tail between his legs like a little sissy, but it's worse that you, a coward that I was supposed to call my son left with him! You could have been a godfather, Hideaki! You could have been the next gang boss of the Sendo syndicate and you threw it all away! For what?! Books? School? Friends!? You idiot!-"
It was with horrible dread that this was beginning to sound familiar to me. The reasoning of a completely enraged, though to higher extremes than my own, parent. And it wasn't just that that sounded familiar.
Tetsuya called Teru ' ' earlier. Hideaki was his son, therefore, he was Hideaki Ikeda. He was that one student who had absent in English class these past two days.
Tetsuya was the name of the boy that Kasanoda had mentioned earlier, who had been acting shady towards him. Plus Kasanoda had that Yakuza fashion. There was no way that this was a coincidence. The Tetsuya here had to be the one Kasanoda was talking about.
Teru went on, unaware of how much he was revealing to me. "Once a gangster, always a gangster don't you know that? Don't you remember what people say? You'll never find anybody who'll have your back like we did, ever. You're alone here and everywhere else in the world because we. Are. Everywhere. Do you really think that someone who isn't like you would accept you? Did anyone else-"
"Stop it!" Hideaki shouted. "I did what was best for me! I'll do just fine without you, without all of you! I don't need you, I don't need any of your damn titles, and I for damn sure don't need the Sendo syndicate! I am not defined by m-"
He was not slapped, but punched. Hard.
A full-scale fistfight ensued. Yelling, grunting, cursing, the sounds of skin hitting skin, walls being crashed into-it all rang out from the alleyway.
My breath hitched as I looked around desperately for someone, anyone to help me. My phone was dead, so I obviously couldn't call anyone. I breathed deeply. My focus took to the alley, still hoping they wouldn't stumble out and catch me.
Logically speaking, though it was cruel, this was none of my business. I could probably-no, should probably walk away now and pretend I never saw or heard anything. Reporting them to the police was also an option, but these were no common criminals. They'd probably find a way to identify me and target my family.
However, if things went too far and people got severely injured, or killed , I'd torture myself with the fact that I could've helped somehow. Lord already knows that with my bleeding heart, I'd have to help out. Tetsuya and Hideaki were most likely runaways. They were just trying to set themselves apart from their past lives, or rather, join a new syndicate in general?
But there was no telling if the new syndicate was any better than the older one, or for what reasons they left in the first place.
It was a stretch to even consider the Host Club's judgement in this situation because I didn't even know them, but I remembered them mentioning helping Kasanoda with something related to Tetsuya and 'the guys'. Kasanoda's gang must've either been either behaved enough to gain the Host Club's approval or the Host Club was shadier than I thought.
In all likelihood it was the former and not the latter.
Right then. I was setting out for help.
The plaza was a lengthy sprint away, but better than nothing. I was ready to fight on the off chance that I got tangled up, but that was worst case scenario, and didn't seem to be a match in my favor. At best, my fighting skills amounted to the pointers Dad gave me on how to fight cretins like these. I had virtually no experience fighting for real.
But hey, pessimism wasn't what I needed. Instead, I needed unrelenting calmness and shit ton of faith in myself to make sure I survived.
I dropped my pack, ready to make a run for it.
Before I could tear myself from the scene a fist emerged from the alley, knocking Tetsuya unconscious and on his back outside alley. He wore a navy blue blazer, a cream coloured undershirt, and jeans. Long, tawny brown hair sprawled out underneath him. A pained expression contorted the soft curves of his almost feminine looking face.
It was obviously him because I heard Hideaki yell "Tetsuya!" and saw a blur of a limb in mid-swing before the fight receded back from where it came.
Instinctive steps forward to assist Tetsuya were halted. The limp noodle of a boy was tempting to pick up, but he would only slow me down and possibly blow my cover. The best thing to do would be to leave him behind and continue as planned.
The sound of glass breaking rang out.
The hallway spewed a shower of glass shards, and then Hideaki, fell backwards onto the cement.
He was clad in semi formal clothing similar to Tetsuya's. His eyes were nearly blocked from view by the fringe of his platinum blonde undercut plastered to his face by the rain. This lighting made his pale, high cheekbones look sickly. His white undershirt was stained red with (what I hoped was) wine and not blood.
I took one futile step back before the looming figure of Teru swaggered out.
Teru walked at a slow pace, broad shoulders back and stubbly chin jutted out like his chest. The snarl in his lips seemed to be missing a cigarette. He stared at Hideaki like he was a pile maggot ridden shit rather than his own flesh and blood.
His pale pink undershirt was speckled with red stains and soaked with rain. It was unbuttoned, revealing part of a dark, intricate tattoo. His left wrist also had traces of the same tattoo, slithering from beneath the sleeves of his slate grey suit jacket.
His right hand was in his pocket and his left hand held the dripping neck of a now broken wine bottle loosely. Three out of five fingers were still in tact on that hand, the damaged ones being his ring finger, which was cut off two joints down, and his pinky finger, which was cut clean off.
Yakuza sometimes cut off parts of their fingers to apologize for big mistakes to the gang boss-his disfigurement was probably Hideaki and Tetsuya's 'fault'.
He didn't notice me when he kicked Hideaki's ribs. Hideaki's slack body had no reaction.
"Tch. Stupid boy," he slurred, whipping out a switchblade from his pocket.
He knelt down on one knee beside Hideaki. He laid the bottle aside and brushed the hair from Hideaki's eyes with his knuckles. "Tch. 'I'll be fine on my own' you said. You haven't even slept, boy. I can see it in the bags under your eyes." The look of remembrance on his face turned into malice. "You're going to pay the same price that I did." He seized Hideaki's left hand and chuckled. "No. More than that."
Hideaki was going to lose more than a few a fingers if I didn't step in now.
"Stop!" I called out, holding out open palms in front of me. "Don't do it, please!"
Distracting him was the only thing I had actually thought through. My statuesque body awaited orders from my useless brain.
He let go of Hideaki's hand and stood up, waving the switchblade at me with every word. "Who the hell're you? Where did you come from and how long have you been here?"
My real name was not an option to reveal here, and neither was anything else he asked for. All I had to work with was the fact that he didn't know who I really was anyways.
"I-I am J-joyce Cruz," I said in a formal Japanese dialect. I purposely stuttered and slowed my speech to come off as more of an amateur speaker. "I came from h-hanging out at the p-plaza with my friends. I-I am from America. I was h-here to-"
He scoffed at me. "Foreigner, eh?" He rolled his eyes and in heavily accented English said, "Go the hell back from where you came."
He returned to kneeling beside Hideaki and took his hand again. His blade held his full attention while he addressed me like a parent telling their child that they're busy.
"And if you know what's good for you and your family you won't say a thing about this. I know your name and face, so I can easily track you down and kill you. Don't start thinking that fleeing the country will help either. We're everywhere."
"Sir, those boys look hurt. Please put away the blade," I said carefully.
He shot me an incredulous expression. "Excuse me? Do you not realize what I am?" He stood up. "Have you never heard of the yakuza, ?"
He looked ready to beat the crap outta me.
Slowly, I shifted my right foot behind me and faced my torso to the right. To remain under the impression that I was unprepared, I kept my eyes wide and visibly trembled. If I got the chance to flee I was ready to, but this position served as a fighting stance as well.
In spite of that, provoking him and leading him into running after me was my main goal. If he had been sober he would have a bigger chance of catching me, but I doubted he could cover five metres without falling down. Especially in this rain.
With his focus diverted to me I could get to the plaza and receive help before the 'backup' he called for arrived.
Though, I prayed that whatever force enabling him to take down his own son and another guy single handedly would leave the premises.
"No, sir. I haven't. I would gladly turn a blind eye if you would just leave them alone, please. I don't know what's going on here, but I'm worried that they might not live."
He let go of Hideaki's hand and went for me, shamelessly stepping on Tetsuya in the process. I pivoted to flee.
"Stop!" he hollered, "If you move any further I'll shoot you!"
My heart stopped. When I turned around I nearly choked on my own spit. The pen slipped from my grasp.
A switchblade remained clutched in his right hand. His left hand gripped a handgun with his remaining fingers. His head lolled to the side, sporting a smug half-smile.
This was impossible. Guns laws in Japan were strict. The ownership and use of a firearm was prohibited, save for heavily regulated hunting guns. It was common knowledge that even the yakuza were hesitant to own any for fear of life sentences in prison. He shouldn't have even been holding one.
And yet, I was forced to accept this reality as he stalked toward me. Thoughts of my own, bloody death were overwhelming. Tears fell as vigorously as the rain above me. This time, I trembled for real.
He laughed, and then uttered one word before pulling the trigger.
"Die."
There was a popping sound. I jumped back, crying out when I felt a sting on the exposed skin of my upper arm.
He burst out laughing. I opened my eyes, not believing in the absence of blood on my shoulder or the fact that I was still standing.
"What the-" in my stupor I forgot to continue speaking English. He didn't seem to notice.
"Ha ha ha!" he exclaimed, doubling over and flinging away the gun. He slapped his knees, hardly able to get his words out clearly. "You-ha ha-sure are-ha ha ha-an easy scare!"
He was mad, surely. I straightened out my back. He wiped tears from his eyes before also straightening out.
"That was an air-soft BB gun!" he grinned, advancing. I retreated a step. "No, no don't leave just yet. I can assure you that this-" he held up the switchblade "-is real."
His approach was painfully slow. I could practically hear his thoughts, debating which part of me he should cut off first.
He towered over me. The stench of alcohol in his breath attacked my senses, making my head ache and eyes tear up again. We were toe to toe.
"Thought you could pull a fast one, hmmm?" he growled, switching back to Japanese and smiling. He grabbed my shirt in his fist, and slowly raised the knife up to my face. It was angled above my left eye, with the blade's tip resting on the skin of brow bone. "How about-" he leaned toward me at eye level "I carve some respect into you!"
The blade was jerked away from my face, taking my glasses off with it and cutting the skin above my brow in the process. With his arm bent way back like that, I realized that he had left his face out in the open. I drew back and punched his nose.
Howling in pain, he dropped the blade and stumbled away from me. Both hands cradled his face.
The sight of him halted me in disbelief.
I had actually landed a hit. And he was going to get up and kick my ass if I didn't land another one.
Thoughts of fleeing began to fade away along with the whole foreigner act. Every sense was amplified by growing fear.
Heart rate pounding in my ears. Curbside shining with rain. Blood running down my brow and chilling in whistling wind. Sky darkening. Hairs on my arms and the back of my neck raising.
Advancing, I boxed Teru's ears with the flat of my palms. He sidestepped, hardly able to keep his balance.
A right palm strike to his nose, then a left one to his throat. A right punch just below his ribcage on the solar plexus. With each hit landed came a thump from impact and a pained noise on his part. I stepped on his foot, planted my hands on his shoulders, and pushed him away.
Mud and filth drenched my jeans and all of him. I followed him out fuming and fists balled, ready for another round. Aggression was replacing fear.
He laid like a dying insect; on his back and limbs twitching. His good hand covered half his face. The disfigured one was held out to me openly.
"P-please. . ." he whimpered, ". . .n-no more. I surrender. Just let me go, no more."
My steps faltered. What I had done was enough, but people like him were not to be trusted. He was probably faking surrender anyways.
I wiped more blood from my brow and kicked his ribcage. He shrieked and curled up.
I thought he was lucky that I didn't kick him in the mouth.
What was so nauseating here? The sounds that he let out or my lack of remorse? I felt guilty, but not guilty enough. Some small part of me reveled in the fear in his eyes, the fear caused by me.
Was my disgust a response to his reactions or was it a countermeasure to my satisfaction in them?
I went on. Another kick to the ribs, then a heel to his stomach.
"I don't trust you," I bellowed, narrowing my eyes at him. I put as much base in my voice as possible. "Hands out and palms up, now!"
Shakily, he began to fix himself into said state.
"I said now! Faster, damnit!"
Yes, I was being rough, but I saw no safe way around it. If I played the part of the merciful hero he might turn and come at me again, mistaking my kindness for weakness. Lord only knew if I would end up as the one as the on the curb if we went another round.
He was belly up and straightened out on the curbside. He looked at me as if his switchblade was already in my hand, ready to cut him open and slice him to ribbons. The fear in his eyes faded when I took a few steps back to distance us. This next part was going to be tricky.
"Roll over onto your stomach! Keep your hands out!"
He obeyed.
The switchblade, unbeknownst to him, lay at his feet. The BB gun lay closer to Tetsuya and Hideaki. I swiped the former and planned to pick up the latter.
When I came back to Teru I started having a mini panic attack. I planned to check his person for weapons and keep him restrained, but I still didn't know what came next.
His backup could be here any minute now. Hideaki and Tetsuya presumably had cellphones of their own. However, if I left Teru unattended long enough to retrieve one of them it would just be another chance for him to get back up and kick my ass.
Hell, if I let him recover from his pain he would do that, even with me standing over him.
A wall of concrete dropped down between my conscience and instincts. I neutralized any expression in my face, exhaled my humanity, and began driving my foot into his stomach.
Again. Again. Again. He was sandwiched between me and the curbside. It was hard for me to listen for bones cracking with all of his desperate cries in the background. I was trying to avoid breaking anything. Incapacitating him was the goal here.
First there was yelping, but yelping turned sobbing pleas for mercy, and pleas for mercy into choked guttural screams commanding me to cease my punishing. I stopped about fifteen seconds into that last stage, allowing him to catch his breath and curl into fetal position before I addressed him.
The first word came out shaky, but I quickly smoothed it over with a-matter-of-fact type tone, returning to speaking fluent Japanese.
"I'm sure that you've had enough by now, right?"
I bent down on one knee, one of my favorite outfits now soaked in rain and various filth from his incessant splashing. My left hand was planted firmly on his face. He was shivering. I twitched uncomfortably at the feel of stubble. It was similar to the feel of my own father's face, mud and filth's wetness aside. I used my right hand to press the switchblade's tip to the nape of his neck, without cutting anything.
"Well, I shall refrain from kicking you any further if you'd be so kind as give me your full and undeterred cooperation here. Surely you'd love to keep your head attached to your neck right? Try anything funny and it goes across the street. I'm warning you that I've never used one of these before, so it would be quite a messy experience indeed."
He was silent. The fact that my hack-job movie threats actually worked relieved me. Beheading was a bluff far beyond my capability anyway.
"Now then. Please lie on your stomach again and keep your hands palm down on the pavement. Spread your legs."
Maneuvering around him was a difficult task. I had to switch hands on the blade and half crept to his side. My wet hair fell into my face. Awkwardly, I whipped my head back to clear it.
My right hand patted down Teru's ribs, back, back pockets, and calves for hidden knives, avoiding his inner thighs.
"I'm checking your front pockets and your chest. Keep your hands in front of you and head on the ground like you're praying. Get on your knees."
Surprisingly, I found one in his suit jacket's right inside pocket. I took it and withdrew from him.
"You can lie back down."
He nodded.
"Where's your cellphone?"
"I-it's somewhere over there," he tipped his head in Tetsuya's direction, "I dropped it."
It wasn't anywhere in my line of sight. Unfortunately, I am incredibly nearsighted.
"Wait here."
I walked around his ankles and hopped on the sidewalk, careful to avoid getting within arms' reach. I cursed at the wound on my brow, using the neckline of my shirt to lightly dab it.
My two princes in distress, still lying on their backs, were motionless. They stared at me wide eyed and mouths agape like I had killed a man.
Hideaki's hair remained stuck to his forehead, but he had at least brushed it out of his eyes. It became clear to me that he was not Japanese, but Korean. His eyes were mono-lid shaped with brown irises.
"Are you guys okay?" I called out, approaching them. "Can either of you get up? Is anything broken?"
Tetsuya blinked a few times, looked at Hideaki, then gave me a strained response. "Yeah, I just. . .what was that?"
I looked back at Teru, then stopped in front of Tetsuya. "Umm. . .I don't really have an explanation for that. Just trying to survive, I guess." I avoided saying 'I'm totally inexperienced and that I wouldn't have been able to do that if he was sober' because Teru wasn't deaf.
"Are you dizzy?" I asked him.
"A little bit. Kinda light headed, but lucky anyways," he said. He sat up and ran a hand through his ponytail to clear it of any debris.
"Careful," I said with a strained smile, "Wouldn't want you getting cut now would we?" I forced a small chuckle, reaching down to help him up. He and Hideaki immediately eyed the knife in my hand. I withdrew the hand I had outstretched and used it to rub the back of my neck. "Oh! Uh, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. . .I mean. . .just be careful getting up. There's glass shards everywhere and they could cut you."
"Huh?" Tetsuya said. He blinked a few times as if clearing his head. "Oh, sheesh, don't be sorry. I'm sorry, actually." He partially sat up and reached out to me, "I could still use a little help."
I nodded and pulled him up. This small gesture was relieving. He wasn't terrified of me.
"Thanks," he said and brushed glass flecks from his clothes. "I was kinda startled because I didn't really expect that kind of attitude from. . ." he furrowed his brow at me and fiddled with the piercings in his left ear ". . .someone so little."
"Thanks."
Little? I was the average height for my age. I supposed that he wanted to say 'from a girl' but now wasn't the time to commend his manners.
"Yeah okay, awkwardness aside," Hideaki said, sitting up and brushing off his share of glass. "What I want to know is just what the hell that was. Are you studying under the Haninozukas or something?"
"Nope," I replied, taking a quick glance at Teru, who curled up on himself. "I was just trying to survive. Guess I'm just a violent person."
"No kidding," he muttered.
"Hide, watch your tone." Tetsuya glared. "That's no way to the girl who just saved our lives." He turned to me and bowed lowly. "Thank you so much. I'm sorry that he's behaving so rudely to you even though your trouble is our fault." He righted himself. "I'm Tetsuya, member of the Kasanoda syndicate. What's your name?"
"I'm-" I stopped myself, looking back at Teru who wasn't too far away. I lowered my voice. "I'm Sade Tanielu."
"Right!" Hideaki, who still sat on the ground, whispered loudly with an insincere smile. "And I'm the guy who can also hear you because I have ears too, and think that Tetsuya is revealing too much information to a girl he just met."
I deadpanned and pushed the bridge of my nose, slightly disgruntled to find that my glasses weren't there. "Cool it, hot shot. It's not like I'm gonna kick you next. You going to get up or are you hiding a broken limb?"
He swatted the air like there was some pesky bug. "I'm fine."
He put his hands on his knees and stood, only to lose balance and end up leaning on the wall for support. His hair swished to the side when he put his head down. It revealed a gash on his forehead about three and a half centimeters wide. Probably from the bottle.
"There's a cut on your forehead!" Tetsuya exclaimed, digging into his pockets and handing him a band-aid.
"Eh, Tetsuya, I don't think it's fixable with just a band-aid," Hideaki told him. He used his sleeve to mop the blood that was already running down his forehead.
"Ohhhh sheesh that looks bad. Uh, cuts anywhere on the face tend to bleed more than most. We need to see doctors, like, right now," I commented.
"That'd be just great," he sighed, unimpressed by his wound.
Teru twitched where he laid, like a spider that wouldn't die. I curled my lip in disgust then looked back at Tetsuya. "Guys, I think that we should call the authorities now. He's starting to wake up."
"Sure," Tetsuya replied. He whipped out a red flip-phone. "I'll call Kasanoda."
"Huh?" I said, "Now's not the time to be calling your buddies, Tetsuya, we need medical assistance and police protection. You should be calling one-one-ni-"
"Look out!" Hideaki yelled.
Teru came at us with full speed. Hideaki stumbled backward while Tetsuya yanked me away from Teru, saving both of us.
"You're wrong, little bitch," Teru growled. He resembled a rabid dog, eyes wild and mouth spewing saliva. "You don't fuck with me!" he hollered. He waved his arms at me, right hand brandishing a knife.
He came slashing. Tetsuya and I scrambled out of the way. He threw his head back and laughed at us.
He spouted a bunch of incoherent nonsense before bounding at me again. Under two seconds later Hideaki rammed into his shoulder, knocking him into the wall.
Tetsuya held me back mid-leap. "Don't interfere," he said with his eyes on Hide.
"Well just what the hell are we supposed to do?!" I sputtered, refusing to blink while I watched them tussle. Neither were landing any punches because both were fighting for control of the switchblade.
Tetsuya tore his eyes from the scene and hurriedly pressed buttons on his phone, appearing to press the back space a lot because of his shaking hands. He seized my hand and pressed the ringing device into it, looking back and forth between my eyes and the madman in front of us. He bent down to my height. "I'm calling my friend, Kasanoda. When he answers the phone tell him that we're on Ninth Street at Serpent's Ramen and we're being attacked."
"But-"
"My name is Tetsuya and that boy over there is my friend. Now stay here."
His face contorted into some terrifying expression before he joined the battle.
?! ! ! !
[3rd Person POV]
Tamaki's phone rang while he was behind the changing curtain, putting his uniform back on. The Host Club had just closed up shop.
"Kyouya!" Tamaki called out, "Can you get that for me please?! I left my phone on the couch next to you!"
Kyouya, who was sitting on the couch studying, looked down at said item and rolled his eyes. "I've got it," he replied.
He squinted at the screen, reading 'Unknown Number'. He selected the answer option. "Hello?"
"Is this Tamaki-senpai?" said a young girl's voice. Her words were nasally and hurried. "The guy who helped my sister out of Ouran Academy yesterday?"
She sounded like she was crying. Kyouya set aside his study materials and stood up. "No. This Kyouya Otori, his friend. Do you need something?"
She sniffled. "You're the other guy on the Host Club business card?"
"Yes," he replied with growing suspicion.
"This is Corinne, Sade's little sister. Is Sade with you right now?"
"No. Tamaki told me that she couldn't be with us today because your mother asked her to run an errand."
A brief sobbing noise escaped her before she relayed the message to somebody else on her end of the line. Kyouya could barely hear it. She probably covered the mic.
"Miss Tanielu?"
Another sniffling noise. "I'm here, sorry. When's the last time you saw her?"
"Lunch. The twins, if you know of them, led her out of school today and let her go about her business." He checked his watch, noting that it was 3:47PM.
"She's supposed to be at Kyotama's Sushi Bar right now, but she's not answering any calls or texts, so I think her phone might be dead. My mom already tried calling the sushi bar's owner, but they said that she wasn't there. Mom's calling your school principal to check too, but I don't think that'll be fast enough help. We need her here right now because-"
Her voice broke.
"Dad got in a car accident. He's in the operating room right now and. . .and we're not sure if he's going to be okay."
Kyouya was silent. He went to the center of the room and snapped a few times to get the club's attention. He motioned for them to gather around him.
"Sade talked about you guys yesterday, about how you guys ended up helping a lot of people. I know it's a lot to ask since we're just strangers, Kyouya-senpai, but can please help us find her?"
Tamaki emerged from the changing room. "Kyouya, who's calli-"
Kyouya held a quieting finger out in his direction.
"Yes we can, Miss Tanielu."
Kyouya motioned for the club to follow him out the club room. They quickly fell in step with him (with Tamaki voicing his concerns a mile a minute). "We're going to Tamaki's family car right now. Is your mother still speaking to the Chairman?"
"Yes."
"Alright then. I'll need you to be my eyes. Do you remember what she was wearing today?"
She broke down again. "I-I'm sorry. I don't."
Apparently, the twins had heard. They feverishly whisper-yelled that they remembered.
"Everything's okay, Miss Tanielu, please remain calm. I can get that information from somewhere else. I'll be checking in with you shortly to update the situation. Call either this number or mine if you need anything. And please tell your mother to call me as soon as possible as well, okay?"
"Okay."
"Thank you. Goodbye." He hung up the phone and passed it back to Tamaki. They started jogging down the stairs.
"What's going on?!" Tamaki exclaimed, triggering the rest of the club's worried inquiries.
"Sade's father was in a car accident. Her sister called you to ask for help in finding her."
They burst into a million more questions and followed Kyouya around the next corner. He ignored them and continued.
"We're taking Tamaki's limousine. I'll work on locating her phone's last location before it died. Tamaki, I need you to instruct the driver to head to Kyotama's Sushi Bar on the route that's easiest to go on foot. Hikaru, Kaoru what was she last wearing?" Another turn. "Everybody listen to what they're saying and look for that once we start driving."
"She was wearing a black blazer and a white V-neck with darkwash Hollister jeans and black Oxfords," Kaoru supplied. Hikaru added a few things.
"Her hair was in a braid. The only accessories she had were her glasses, earrings, and backpack, which was also black." He slowed down some to fall in step beside Haruhi. "Haruhi, it's raining out there. Do you need my headphones?"
A mildly panicked expression crossed her face, but she waved it off. "I'll be fine, thanks. We need to focus on getting Sade. I can ignore it."
Hikaru nearly protested but instead shut his mouth and focused on looking ahead.
Haruhi furrowed her brow, remembering something. "Kyouya-senpai?"
"What is it?"
"That sushi bar was just opened a week ago in a completely new plaza. The quickest way to get to there is through the old shopfronts on Ninth Street, near Serpent's Ramen. Serpent's Ramen is hardly ever open but it's the unofficial gathering place for a lot of yakuza gangsters. We should probably hurry up."
"Yakuza?!" Tamaki, Honey, and the twins exclaimed.
Everybody ran. They were in the limousine and all (except for Honey and Mori) huffing for breath within less than five minutes.
"Sakamoto!" Tamaki yelled the moment he closed his door. "Head for Kyotama's Sushi Bar, now please! Make sure to go through the Ninth Street shopfronts as well!"
"Yes sir!" said the driver.
Kyouya opened his laptop, pulled out his cellphone, then punched in the passwords to both simultaneously. He passed his cellphone to Haruhi. "Read me the number at the top of that text conversation."
She called the numbers out while the rest of the club pasted themselves to the limo windows.
"Thank you," he said, swiping it back from her. It immediately started buzzing. Tetsuya's name flashed on the screen. He pressed answer, but didn't get a word out with the female on the line practically screaming in his ear.
"Hello?!"
Kyouya immediately recognized Sade's voice.
"This Kyouya speaking." He put her on speaker phone and put a finger to his lips for everybody to remain quiet.
"Kyouya?! What the hell?! He pressed the wrong-FUCK-button!" There was grunting and various other fighting sounds from her end of the line. Sade was breathing fast. She spoke almost too fast to be understood by anybody. "Kyouya-senpai this is Sade and I'm here with Tetsuya and his friend and we're being attacked. We're on Ninth Street at Serpent's Ramen and we need your h-OH SHIT-"
The line cut off.
V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V
(A/N):
Ugh, this chapter was fun but at the same time so taxing to write. I'm a little shaky on some parts, but CoraAngeli was a great help in making sure you guys could understand this chapter. Make sure to check out her OHSHC Fanfiction, The Raven and the Serpent!
Still, I'd like some more extra help, so feedback and criticism would help me greatly.
I'm tired.
Make sure you eat regularly. Drink lots of water.
E
Peace out, mah lovelies. Fa'afetai for reading.
~Nua
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Last edited: 11/20/2016