weak points / ELEVEN
"And then?"
Shizuo's eyebrow arched up, a question directed at the man standing opposite him. "And then what?"
Tom's finger drummed against the lid of his cheap, takeaway coffee. The pair stood just under the circle of a streetlamp's light, Shizuo taking up the bench while the other of their pair stood to the side. "After you took her up onto the rooftop, of course." Tom said, urging for more details than just the usual one sentence response.
Shizuo shrugged and refused to oblige. "I went back to my apartment and Hikari went back to hers."
"That's it?"
"Was I meant to do something else?"
Tom sighed, lifting the coffee to his lips to stall long enough to think of a way to bring this up. "It didn't even enter your mind, did it?" he realised, "To ask her out."
Shizuo's fingers jerked, curling into a tight fist. He was surprised at his own reaction, the anger that began to stir as he sat still and refused to acknowledge any of it. Was it Tom's suggestion that irritated him or the fact Shizuo hadn't thought of it earlier? He would never be able to tell, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. Shizuo preferred to keep things the way they were; a day at work with Tom, brought to an end by a quick tea and coffee under the cover of night. Besides, it had been days since that moment on the balcony, and it was, he thought, far too late to do anything about it now.
"No." Shizuo admitted. If he had been asked the same question weeks earlier, his answer still would have been the same, just as it would be in the weeks to follow. He never thought to ask women out because he never entertained the idea of it being anything more than a mistake.
"Hypothetically," Tom continued, unable to let the topic die, "If you knew she was to say yes, would you ask her?"
"...I guess."
"So you like Ryuji's sister then?"
"No."
"But you would ask her out if she wanted the same thing."
Shizuo frowned. "Yeah."
Tom was looking at him in a particular, irksome way that had him looking away and glowering in his seat. Shizuo didn't expect him to understand it when he, himself, couldn't even claim that much.
"Look," the blond began, hoping to clarify something off the mess he had made, "She's a little bit weird. Half the time, the rest of the world might not even be there because it doesn't seem to matter to her. And from what I've seen, Hikari seems to have some sort of obsession with her brother's stuff."
"Hm? How's that?"
"If you walked into Ryuji's apartment, you'd see that she hasn't packed away any of his things. She might not have even touched them yet."
It was Tom's turn to offer a frown, walking a few steps before returning to his original stance. "Isn't that just grief?" he wondered.
"It's been over a month," Shizuo pointed out, "How long is normal?"
"I suppose it's reoccurring."
Shizuo looked to his friend for further explanation. The streetlight lit both their faces with harsh light, casting long shadows that made features seem gaunter than they were to an honest gaze. There was a moment of silence as Tom reflected on the best way to answer, and it was only when he did that Shizuo was pulled from the slump of his own thoughts.
"Here's how I think of it," Tom remarked, mild-mannered in a way that almost seemed to undermine his sincerity, "When you lose someone you love, the grief from that isn't something that you get over. You just learn to accommodate it."
"Accommodate, huh?" To Shizuo, it hardly seemed the right word. Hikari seemed content to surround herself with it, but he didn't think it was any healthy manifestation of mourning.
"Haven't you done the same? When Ryuji died, we both lost a good friend, but we have to keep moving on with our lives eventually."
"Eventually," Shizuo agreed, "It hardly seemed to bother you."
Tom agreed with a slight nod, a sombre smile. "If you really wanna get philosophical, that's just because I don't believe death is all that big of a deal. I mean, from the moment we're born, that's how it's always going to end."
"I guess." Shizuo wasn't sure if he had any strong opinions on the matter. There was, at least, nothing intrinsically wrong with Tom's suggestion.
Tom threw his head back as he drank the last few dregs of coffee in his cup, which went down cold. There was a settling silence around them for a few moments, in which the dark haired man found the nearest bin to throw his cup into, ignoring the recycling symbol on the side. Shizuo stretched his arms, stifling a yawn.
"Should we go?" he asked, and was met with silence. "Tom?"
He looked towards his friend for an explanation and found him staring across the street. Shizuo's eyes naturally followed in the same direction, curious. There were a sparse few people filling the streets, but enough of a crowd that he lost the answer in the confusion.
"There," Tom replied at last, nodding towards something, "Isn't that Hikari?"
Shizuo spotted them at last, a figure just exiting the local restaurant. He recognised the movements, the cut of her hair and shape of her silhouette, and knew that it was as Tom had said. What was even more surprising was that Hikari Shibata was not alone that night.
"Who's that with her?" Shizuo asked immediately. The face of the man beside her, a little older and weathered, seemed vaguely familiar.
"You don't remember?" Tom said dubiously, "I believe he was someone you once beat up. An old yakuza."
"Don't expect me to remember everyone I punch in the face." Shizuo muttered, scowling once again. What was Hikari doing with a man like that? They were talking, conversationally, and every once in a while she would flash her usual smile at the other man's stony expression.
Tom was watching Shizuo carefully, seeking the usual signs of a breaking temper. "Did you want to go say hello?"
"No."
After five minutes of talk, Hikari handed the man an envelope – cash? Was it a bribe? – before reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. The old yakuza didn't so much as blink.
"That pisses me off." Shizuo muttered, but the two of them had already turned their backs to each other without another passing word. There was such quick distance put between them, walking their separate ways, that Shizuo had to wonder if the exchange he just witnessed were even real.
As Shizuo's gaze was fixed on Hikari's back, he failed to notice what Tom did. It was left to his friend to point it out, as mildly as ever, that, "There's someone following Hikari."
"Huh?"
"A man," Tom elaborated, squinting to keep tracking the situation, "Suit, brown hair, holding a white phone. He followed them out of the restaurant. He looks like he's tailing your girl, Shizuo."
Shizuo spotted the sight halfway through Tom speaking. A dark haired man wearing a black suit, phone to his ear. It was an innocent enough look, but Shizuo felt as though there was something off in his mannerisms. In a second, without a single conscious decision being made, he had stood up off the bench and begun walking towards them. Where he suspected he should feel anxiety, Shizuo felt nothing but deadly calm.
Tom hurried after him. "What are you doing?" he whispered hurriedly, afraid that there were poorly-made choices to follow Shizuo's rash actions.
While they waited for a gap in traffic to cross the road, Shizuo took the time to glance across and answer simple, "We're following them,"
"…I suppose that's sensible." Tom conceded. It was better than waking up the next day and finding out something had happened to her, he thought.
Once they'd crossed the street, Hikari and her stalker had made it a fair way down. Shizuo and Tom followed as close as they dared and as inconspicuously as they could. There was no doubt in his mind that it wasn't a mistake – the man following Hikari kept lifting his phone up, looking as if he were simply messaging someone. From their vantage point, Shizuo could see that it was actually being used as a camera.
"How many stalkers can one person have?" Tom wondered lowly. It wasn't like Hikari had a huge social profile, even as a model.
Shizuo was confused for a moment, not recalling who it was Tom was talking about. "…Oh. Actually, it turned out that other stalker was actually her manager, Ishikawa."
Tom didn't say anything more beyond his surprised look and their conversation fell into a hush as they focused on moving forward once more, eyes trained on the two figures in front of them. Shizuo found himself staring at Hikari more often than the other guy, almost forgetting how terrible the situation could turn out. It wasn't until he spotted her cutting through the crowd that he amended his own distraction and reiterated his purpose in his head.
No sooner than Hikari had turned off and begun walking down a small alley between the shops, than the man behind her turned to follow.
The sense of urgency seemed much more pressing now. "Let's go." Shizuo ordered, making a beeline for the alley's entrance.
He and Tom reached the corner, peering around and into the dark, brick alley. Tall shadows cast the alley in darkness, hiding mysteries within. Their prying eyes were met with a dull thud and a collection of curses; a man's voice mixed with an exclamation from a woman, who was undoubtedly Hikari.
Shizuo launched himself around the corner, racing into the alley. His footsteps echoed before him, Tom's behind, slowing as their eyes adjusted to the dark and they could make out the figures before them. The scene that greeted Shizuo's arrival was, by far, what he had least expected.
Her stalker lay on the ground, belly-up, his arms pinned above him by the woman straddling his chest. Hikari breathed heavily, shoulders shaking in the hair that hung in a tangled mess about them, but her lips drew their usual, painted smile as her eyes flickered towards him.
"Shizuo," she greeted coolly, hiding her surprise. Her gaze travelled leisurely to the man behind him, "And Tom – it's nice to see you again."
Shizuo glanced between her and her stalker, frowning. "What's going on here?"
"Not a friendly altercation, I suppose?" Tom added. It seemed that being around Shizuo had numbed him to experiences like these.
Hikari shrugged. "I'd explain if I could, but this guy jumped me out of nowhere."
She glanced down towards him, studied the short, brown hair and pockmarked face long enough to commit it to memory. He hadn't said a word when he tried to attack her, and he didn't look like he would say anything soon. In fact, his attention wasn't even directed at her, but up her skirt.
His first words to her were, "Looks like you dressed to impress."
"Pervert." Hikari sighed contemptuously.
In a moment, she had readjusted her position so that her knee bore down on his throat, forcing the man to look up. Shizuo had half the mind to stomp on his sleazy-eyed face right then and there, to grind his eyes into the back of his skull for the comment.
"He followed you out of the restaurant." Shizuo intoned.
Tom agreed with a nod. "A stalker, maybe?"
Hikari turned to observe them, one eyebrow arching high. "Seems like you two would know all about that."
"We just happened to be in the area!" Shizuo replied defensively, crossing his arms.
"Hm, right…I suppose there are more important things to worry about, though." Hikari reasoned, and her attention was redirected, once again, to the man lying underneath her. Her weight kept him pinned, unable to move, and her vantage point provided an excellent angle for interrogation. "Who do you work for?"
There was no reaction; he simply averted his eyes.
"A journalist?" Hikari hypothesised, speaking out aloud, "But there's no camera or notepad – Shizuo?"
He started at the sound of his name and replied out of instinct. "Yeah?"
"Can you pick up the phone he dropped over there?" she nodded towards the gutter, where a something metallic shone dimly.
He did so without a second thought, holding it gingerly in light of trash he plucked it from. Looking towards Hikari, she met him with an apologetic smile. "Break it for me?" she requested sweetly, "If he took pictures on there, I want them gone."
Shizuo stared at her blankly, the phone still hanging in his hand. Tom intervened on the silence, guessing Shizuo's thoughts, and suggested to the blond, "Think about something that makes you angry – like how that pervert down there saw Hikari's underwear before you did."
A snap resounded off dirty brick walls and the phone let out a groan as it twisted in his grip, tighter and tighter until it at last exploded in his palm. Shizuo held the mangled pieces without even thinking about it, too intent upon glaring at Tom. The dark haired man held up his hands immediately, as if in surrender.
Again, Shizuo couldn't decide if it was the words themselves, or the fact that Tom had to say it in front of her.
"Bitch. I needed that." The man groaned, interrupting Shizuo's irritation only to replace Tom with a different target.
Hikari ignored them all, instead leaning forward to reiterate her question. "Who do you work for?"
There was a look in her eyes, something that could only be called deadly and dangerous. It was the complete absence of guilt for her attacker, and the lack of remorse in her expression. It was no mask this time – Hikari had a goal, and she thought of nothing else but that.
"You really think I'm gonna tell you?" the man retorted vehemently, twisting his arms about in her grip.
"So you do work for someone then?"
"Fuck you."
She laughed humourlessly. "You wish you could. Now, one more time – who do you work for?"
The man glared up, answering the question well enough by keeping his lips sealed. Hikari let out a heavy sigh, frowning exasperatedly. There was such lethargy in her expression that her next actions, which were a great contrast, caught them all completely off guard.
Quick as a snake, Hikari drew one hand back from her vice grip and smashed her palm up against the man's nose. There was a sickening crunch, a burst of red, a cry of pain bitten off short, all before Hikari slammed her hand back down over his.
"Shit, that's brutal!" Tom exclaimed, eyes wide but speaking with no will to intervene. It wasn't like he wanted his nose broken as well.
Shizuo's actions betrayed a similar reaction. He was thinking of how one day, he was holding her as she cried, and the next, she was ruthlessly breaking noses – not to say this pervert didn't deserve it. Shizuo kind of regretted not being able to break it himself.
"Who," Hikari repeated, not having even batted an eyelid, "Do you work for?"
The man spat to the side, a small splatter of blood landing on the ground. "If you tell me who you are first." His nose must have hurt like hell, but after the initial shock, he did a commendable job on hiding his pain.
Hikari, on the other hand, was completely honest with her perplexity. "What? Why?" Telling this guy, if he was who she suspected him to be, would only ever end badly.
"You're the one who's been snooping," he argued, "And if you don't wanna provoke us further, then I'd stop digging any deeper."
Hikari watched Shizuo and Tom out of the corner of her eye, tracking their expressions. From the moment they had first appeared around the corner of that alley, they had already discovered more than she wanted either of them to know. She wasn't ready to grant them this understanding of her – she was certain they would, at the very least, hate her for her immorality.
"Wanna let me go since this isn't getting either of us anywhere then?" the man asked.
"Not really. I still want to know who you work for."
"And I still want to know more about you."
Despite their positions, Hikari still sitting on his chest to pin him to the ground, their tone of conversation was very casual. It occurred to Shizuo that the danger of this situation might be nothing compared to others the two of them had experienced. Perhaps this was normal. Frustrating though it was, if it were true then it would lead him to naturally conclude he didn't know Hikari as well as he thought he did.
Their apathy wore on Shizuo's nerves. "What the hell is going on here?" he snapped.
"I wonder…" Tom muttered under his breath, acting the observer.
Hikari looked up, tossing her hair back from her face. "It's not something you need to worry about," she answered, offering an apologetic smile, "And I'm sorry you even got caught up in it in the first place."
Shizuo huffed, irritation mounting once more. He wanted a smoke, or maybe just to punch something.
"What?" Hikari asked, frowning at his reaction.
"You can't tell us what to worry about, or what not to."
"Well, actually-"
"Ah," Tom interjected, alarmed by what they had missed, "I think you had better watch-!"
But it came too late – the lapse in attention was just enough that Hikari's grip loosened, and all tension and threat disappeared from her position. The man below here sensed that, and saw those few seconds as his first opportunity to escape. His will to seize them was so violent that, in a matter of seconds, he had slipped his hands free of Hikari's vice-like grip and shoved her off him.
His elbow rammed into her shoulder, pushing on her weight. The momentum of his own force carried him over, flipping them over and using that moment to push Hikari away roughly. She rolled across the ground, recovered in a moment and pushed herself clumsily up to kneel on the ground.
"Damn it!" Shizuo muttered, already stepping forward to give chase.
Hikari wiped a hand across her forehead, pushing back the tangles of ebony hair that fell across her face, before making to follow. Her breathing came quick, and at the moment she made her first move, caught in her throat as she stifled a cry of pain. She tried to stand a second time, but again her ankle gave way the moment she put the slightest bit of pressure on it.
The man in the suit had already made it a fair way before Shizuo sprung forward, but it wasn't likely that he'd escape if pressed by Shizuo's inhuman strength and endurance. His blood burned at the thought of anyone treating Hikari so violently.
"Ow – fuck!" Hikari hissed, her expression contorting in pain. "Shizuo!"
The blond man paused immediately, glancing back. The moment he grasped the hurt so obvious in her eyes, he was still once more. Tom expected Shizuo to go bounding forward anyway, regardless of what anyone else wanted of him. His anger was so obvious, and yet, he still didn't move from the spot.
"Don't bother," Hikari told him, "He wasn't gonna tell me anything anyway."
"…Right." Shizuo agreed stiffly. Perhaps, just this once, a feeling more indomitable than his anger had risen within him.
Hikari pressed her hands to her knees as she fought to rise once more. Tom, standing behind her, caught the slight wavering of strength and caught her arm before she fell back down. "Thanks." She told him, smiling despite her aching ankle.
"No problem."
"Are you hurt?" Shizuo interjected, asking the obvious.
"I think I twisted my ankle." Hikari grimaced, moving to stand without Tom's support. If she kept her weight on her left leg, the throbbing of her right didn't seem as bad.
"I suppose it's to be expected," Tom remarked, "Heels really aren't the appropriate footwear for…whatever just happened here."
Shizuo cut in, taking the chance for interrogation. "And what exactly did just happen? Where'd you learn how to fight like that?"
Hikari crossed her arms defensively, pouting. "It wasn't fighting – that was self-defence. And," she added before she could be asked again, "Ryuji taught me." Never mind that it was actually just a little white lie, containing only vague allusion to the truth.
Her first step forward almost sent her teetering forward. Hikari was quick to recover, but her expression showed how much her ankle actually hurt. It must have been from when that man pushed her onto the ground.
"Why don't you let Shizuo carry you?" Tom suggested.
Shizuo caught his eye, was met with a smug smile. He knew what his friend was trying to do, but the moment Hikari turned to him in question, he was saying, "I don't mind."
"Won't I be heavy?"
He smiled, almost laughed. "I can handle it. Besides, it's just back to our apartment building and it isn't far."
Hikari still hesitated. "…I don't want to be a bother."
Shizuo gave her a dry look before walking closer. "Just do it." He sighed, crouching down in front of her. Even though Tom had only mentioned it in an attempt to pair them together, it wasn't a bad idea.
Hikari's fingers found his shoulder, curling into his clothes as she stepped closer. The moment he felt his hand brush against her legs, Shizuo wound his fingers together to make a seat and stood up once she had settled in. She was as light as he had supposed she would be, and far warmer than anticipated.
Although Shizuo did his best not to pinch or hold on too tightly, he still warned her, "Tell me if I accidently hurt you."
"I wouldn't worry about it." Hikari told him, her voice like velvet against his ear. Despite her original reluctance, she seemed quite comfortable being carried.
Tom led them out of the alley, Shizuo following with Hikari on his back. Perhaps to the outside, it might have looked odd, but none of them could really care less. After what just happened, every other mundane worry only seemed trivial.
"So," Tom asked, feigning a casual attitude, "Who was that guy following you?"
Hikari had a feeling, an inkling of an idea, that was supported by reasons so strong in their validity she hardly doubted it. Since he had followed her out from her meeting with that ex-yakuza – who neither men had mentioned to her yet, relieving her of that problem – the man stalking her was probably a member of the yakuza she was investigating. Stop digging deeper, he had warned her.
It was such a pointless thing to say to her, when there was no way Hikari was ever going to give up. She was prepared to find her brother's killer even if it cost Hikari her very last breath.
However, looking at Tom over Shizuo's shoulder, all Hikari said was, "I don't know."
Shizuo grew a little tenser underneath her, his shoulders stiffening under her hands. Hikari leaned forward, allowing him to take her full weight. Absently, she realised that he smelled a little of earth and coffee.
Shizuo muttered a curse under his breath, before saying, "If it gets dangerous like this again, I want you to tell me."
Hikari closed her eyes against the impact of his words, the painful ache in her chest, but her smile remained immoveable, inflexible to her feelings.
"I promise." Lying was so easy to do, so second-nature, but Hikari couldn't recall a time when she had ever felt so much regret for it, nor wished so badly to be someone else.
Ha, I need to go to bed - I keep reading 'heels' and 'heelys', which admittedly makes this story a lot better, but also a lot less realistic.
Thanks for reading and, as the plot thickens, please feel free to leave a critique (something constructive? maybe?).