Chapter Thirty-Five: Behind These Bars, Absolution!
Emi was walking around a bit in the dormitories, when she heard something from Mikki's room.
"Hey, Carla... look at this..."
The door was slightly Ajar, so Emi peeked in, seeing them sitting in front of a screen. She couldn't see what was on it, but she could hear well enough.
"... In a shocking turn, Aragaki Shinji, who passed away on a train from Hokkaido last night, confessed posthumously to being guilty of Rape, armed assault and conspiracy by means of a letter on his person. It mentioned that child musical prodigy and convicted felon, Michael Souta, was actually innocent of the crimes he was convicted of, and that he was jailed unfairly. Michael Souta's current whereabouts are unknown, but sources tell us that he is attending a High School in the Yamagata prefecture. In the wake of this momentous development, formal investigations are being pursued for corruption in the criminal justice system, and Officials have stated that any records pertaining to his involvement in the case are being investigated. For more news, updates and..."
Emi stepped away from the door then, walking outside and taking a seat on the grass by her tree. She looked up into the sky then, thinking to herself.
Mikaru is innocent, after all... I wonder how he is taking this. Does he even know about this? Where is he?
She frowned at that, standing up from her spot. She went to the track then, and did some running to think about it. After an hour of that, she towelled down, and walked back towards the dormitories. When she got there, they were abuzz with murmurs and whispers, as well as some giggling. Emi went to her room, and sat down. After a little while of sitting, Rin walked in, and sat down beside her.
"- Hey, Emi. So..."
Emi looked at her, remembering the time when Mikaru and her spoke about that.
"... Mikaru is innocent. How does that make you feel?"
Emi frowned at the overly direct speech, looking down.
"I don't really know, Rin. It's good that he's doing so well, but..."
Rin shrugged at the girl, laying back on her bed and speaking.
"I wonder where he is. He's probably in the clouds right now. But those clouds are thicker than our clouds. It doesn't seem very fair to him."
Emi looked at the girl, frowning even deeper.
"... what do you mean, Rin? This is good for him. He said he was innocent, and now people are going to believe him."
Rin sat up again, looking out.
"It's too late, though. He has too much white in his colours. What he needed was black, and now all it's going to make is grey."
Rin stood up then, leaving Emi confused and alone.
Mikaru walked through the black gate to the school, seeing some people milling about around him. When they saw him, though, they all stopped in place, staring. He frowned at that, walking towards his dorm and moving. Hisao was with him, carrying his things from the trip, and he spoke.
"Mikaru? What's their deal?"
Mikaru looked at him, frowning.
"- I don't know. Let's just... let's just get back upstairs. This crap is heavy."
They went inside then, and one of the boys turned their way and walked up to him.
"Hey, Mikaru. Have you spoken with the cops yet?"
Mikaru looked down at the boy, speaking.
"Um... no? I didn't do anything wrong. What's all this about? People are looking at me weird."
One of the other boys walked up to him then, the leader of the Track team, and spoke.
"- You mean you didn't hear? Some guy confessed to a bunch of stuff, and the cops have been looking for you. They're trying to get you to go in and make a statement, or something. I'm just surprised that the media didn't find you while you were on the train. You know, from Hokkaido? What were you doing there, anyway?"
Mikaru frowned deeper, walking past the boy without answering him. He made straight for the stairs, and started running up them two at a time. Before long, he was in his dorm, and Kenji ran up to him, shouting.
"- You! You're Souta! You're a feminist agent! I KNEW IT! I'm going to -"
Mikaru pushed past the boy, opening his door and slamming it behind him. He locked it, then immediately pulled up his computer and started looking. After a few minutes, he listened to the news report, and sat back in shock.
"No... No... NO! What the FUCK!?"
Mikaru stood up then, tossing his chair to the side and walking around a bit. He looked down at his arms then, seeing the scarring there and speaking to himself.
"Why... why now... why, after all these years... why? WHY?"
He walked up to the single brick wall on the side and hit it, hard. The room shook at that, and he heard something slamming from behind him. After a moment, his door opened and Hisao walked in, looking at him.
"Mikaru, what's going on?"
He looked at Hisao, completely exasperated.
"He.. he... Aragaki, he... THAT BASTARD!"
He fell to his knees, punching the ground. His arm broke then, and he swore loudly.
"SHIT! FUCK!"
He held his useless stump, and Hisao walked up beside him, looking to his computer. He saw the headline for the video and sighed. Mikaru was still on the ground when Hisao turned to him, urging him onto his feet.
"Come on. Lets get you to the Nurse."
Mikaru nodded, letting Hisao lead him through the building and yard. Eight minutes later, they made it to the Nurse's office, Hisao knocking on the door. Nurse can two minutes later, looking them over and sighing.
"- come on, let's get you inside. Mikaru, take a seat please. I need to take a look at this."
The Nurse worked in silence for a bit, before speaking.
"... This isn't fair to you, Mikaru. You're a good kid. You heard about what the cops are doing? Well, they're probably on their way. You should go to them."
He finished putting it into a cast before sighing, patting him on the shoulder.
"... After this, I think that I'll be able to write a pretty good doctorate. You've broken your arms more than I've seen since I got here from anyone else, you know. Maybe you should find a new way to vent. A bag?"
Mikaru looked at him for a moment before sighing, looking down.
"... You're probably right, Nurse. Thank you... I'll be going now."
He stood up, then turned to Hisao.
"Tell Hanako I'll be back for dinner?"
He nodded, and then Mikaru left. He managed to get outside the door when he saw a pair of officers looking around, waving them down. They turned to him, walking over and speaking when they got close. He recognized one of them, as the man who spoke to him after Mrs. Osamuki was assaulted.
"Souta? We'd like you to come with us down to the station, please. It shouldn't take too long. Is that all right?"
He nodded, walking until he was beside them.
"... Yeah... Let's... let's go."
They left then, and headed for the station. When they arrived, a few people with cameras and microphones were waiting, looking at him and taking pictures. He raised his arm to the police, then walked towards them and listened. One of them spoke then.
"Souta Mikaru? Can you comment on what's happening right now?"
He looked to the officers, who nodded. He turned to them then, speaking.
"6 years ago, I was falsely accused and convicted of multiple crimes. They resulted in my incarceration, as well as my addition to the sexual offenders list. I've been under surveillance as of late, to see if I do anything else. With mister Aragaki's recent confession, the evidence is being reviewed, and there is a good chance that I will be exonerated."
The woman turned the microphone to herself, speaking into it.
"- Mister Aragaki also confessed to other crimes, though. Crimes that weren't covered in the case you were involved in. Can you comment on that?"
He shook his head, speaking.
"That is something that I cannot speak on. As you said, I was not involved in those other cases, so the best I could offer you is conjecture."
She nodded, turning the microphone to herself again.
"That may be true, but one of the charges was Armed Assault. During your trial, you accused him of removing your hands with a cleaver. Is that relevant to that charge?"
Mikaru frowned, speaking slowly.
"... Possibly. I wasn't exactly privy to his every move while I was incarcerated. He could have been confessing to another, completely unrelated crime. I will refrain from a definitive comment at this time."
"... But, surely, someone had to have removed your hands. It isn't possible for you to have removed them yourself. I'll ask again. Did he remove your hands?"
"... No comment."
"Fine. Is it true that you were one of the last people to speak to Mister Aragaki while he was alive?"
Mikaru was starting to get angry at this.
"Mister Aragaki spoke to me in Hokkaido, before he boarded his train. I will not comment on what was discussed at this time."
He turned away from the woman then, walking into the precinct and resting against a wall. The officers walked up to him then, with one of them putting his hand on his shoulder and leading him into another room. Mikaru took a seat then, and the one that he knew walked in with him. He took a seat, then started speaking.
"Thank you for coming in to see us today. I'm going to ask you some questions now, and if we're quick about this, then we won't have to see each other again. Is that fine?"
He nodded, and the man spoke again.
"Good. Before we begin, would you enjoy some water?"
He nodded, speaking.
"Do you think you could put a straw, or at least a coffee stirrer in it?"
He nodded, and Mikaru put his arms out in front of him on the table. The other man mimicked his posture, but his hands were holding each other as he spoke.
"That's dealt with. Souta Mikaru, can you please state, in as much detail as possible, what happened that night in Tokyo?"
He nodded, speaking.
"Earlier that evening, my adoptive mother and I got into an argument, and I left the house and walked away. I was walking through the town then, listening to the sounds of the city when I heard scuffling in an alleyway, and saw that Mister Aragaki was sexually assaulting someone. I headed into the alleyway, intent on stopping him, when I heard footsteps behind me, and turned around. 12 men walked out then, and proceeded to assault me. After fighting them back briefly, and accidentally killing one of them when I stepped on his throat, I was knocked onto my back, and then they started cutting me. I turned away from them, and attempted to crawl away, but they started cutting me more at that. After my hamstrings were severed, I couldn't move anymore, and looked to the end of the Alleyway. Aragaki was walking up to me then, and the woman managed to slip away. Mr. Aragaki then proceeded to... remove my hands with a cleaver, and then they left me in there. I passed out from blood loss, and when I awoke, I was being taken to my cell."
He nodded at him, speaking then.
"... Alright. I'm going to ask you another -"
Knocking was heard on the door, and the Officer stood up, walking out the door. Mikaru was not sure what was happening for a while, sitting alone, before another officer walked in, leaving the door slightly ajar. He placed a cup of water in front of him, which Mikaru sipped, before the officer spoke.
"Mister Souta? Someone is here to see you. Would you like to see them?"
He looked up at the woman, nodding his head. After that, the door opened a bit more, and a woman he didn't recognize walked in, sitting down in front of him and looking at the table. He waited for her for a minute before she looked up to meet his gaze, and Mikaru froze.
"... would... would you like me, to...?"
It was Mutou's sister, he was certain. Her eyes were dull, but they were the same. Mikaru looked away from her, speaking.
"You... it's you. Why didn't you... no, sorry. Is there... anything I can... can do, for you?"
She looked at him, crying a little. She reached for his arm, but he pulled it away, putting it under the table.
"I was afraid. Of him. Of you. I didn't know... I didn't know how to handle it all. I just... I just wanted to forget... but he told me. You're in his class, and he has to look at you, every day, knowing that his family... that I'm the reason that you were -"
Mikaru shook his head, interrupting her.
"I don't want to hear about that. I don't know how horrible that night was for you, but it was the single most terrifying thing of my life. I don't... I don't care about being locked up for 5 years. I don't care that you didn't think you could speak on it. In the end, it would have been a mistake, anyway. Aragaki, the man that took away my hands, lost everything after that night. His family was murdered by the Yakuza, and he went on to get them all locked up for life before he died a broken man. What matters to me, right now, is that if you don't say something, my record will likely not be cleared, and then the rest of my life, all of this, will be for nothing. You don't have to come forward. You don't have to say a damned thing. You can continue to life in relative peace, and no one will have to know what happened to you. What you did. But if you step forward, I could move on. I could finally live a normal life, free of stigma and pain. I just want you to know what you're in for, and what's at stake, before you say anything else about this."
She looked down, looking completely ashamed.
"... You hate me, don't you?"
He shook his head, speaking.
"- No, I don't. If I could go back, and relive that night, I'd do everything I did all over again. You... you terrified me, for a while though. I never knew if you had gotten out of there, and made it. I don't regret what I did. I just wanted to know if it was worth it."
She looked up at him, her hand coming up to her mouth as she cried. He put his arms back onto the table then, and she took one. She then put her hand down to it, and looked at the scarred flesh deeply.
"I... I want to testify. I need to testify. I can't live like this anymore."
He nodded at her, and the door opened after a minute. The main officer stepped forward then, sitting on the edge of the table and speaking.
"So it's you, then. Okay. Mikaru, if you'd like you are free to leave now. We can get someone to take you back."
He shook his head.
"I'll walk, thanks. I need the fresh air. Hey," He looked at the woman grabbing her attention.
"... I'm having a concert, soon. In Sydney. If you want, you can come. Talk to your brother about it, and we can work through him. Have a good day, ma'am. Be safe."
She nodded to him, then looked down at the table. He left then, and walked straight past the reporters and up to Yamaku.
Three days later, Mikaru was cleared. The government issued him a formal apology for their mistake, and offered to reimburse him for damages to his person and image. In response, he told them to keep the money, or donate to charity if they really needed to get it off their hands. Life at Yamaku went back to normal at that point, except for the exams that were incoming.
Unfortunately for Lilly and Akira, though, things did not get better. After everything was said and done, their parents tried to fight what was happening, only to have them become estranged from their children. Lilly was taking it very hard, and it was with that in mind that Hisao walked into her room, announcing his presence.
"... Lilly..."
She looked to the door, and heard it close. Hisao walked over to her, and held her to him like he had so many times before. However, unlike the other times where Lilly just let him hold her, this time she turned into his embrace, shuddering against him as she cried. Of course, there wasn't much that Hisao could actually say here.
"Hisao, what am I supposed to do here?"
He frowned, looking at her and holding her head.
"I... I don't know, Lilly. Maybe... maybe this is something that you can't fix. Maybe it's something that will work itself out."
She turned towards him then, her head level with his.
"I just... I just want something, to... to feel right again. I need to feel right..."
He looked at her hard for a moment before kissing her forehead.
"Does that feel right?"
She nodded slowly, and he kissed her again. This time, it was on her cheek.
"What about that?"
She nodded again, breathing a little heavier. Before he could do anything else, though, she leaned into him, kissing him deeply. After that, they kept going, moving further and further until Lilly began to disrobe.
"Lilly, wait. Is this what you want? Is this what you need right now?"
She nodded, speaking.
"I don't know about much right now... All I know for sure, is, that I... I love you. I can't imagine loving anyone else. I think... I think I'm ready."
He calmed himself before kissing her again, helping her along this time.
Mikaru was walking through town when someone approached him, bowing low. He raised his brow before bowing in return, and the other person spoke up.
"Excuse me, but... are you the Iron Wolf?"
He chuckled at that, nodding his head.
"I am, indeed, that. How may I help you today?"
The girl, a little younger than himself, smiled. She had dark hair, cut short, and wore strange clothing. She didn't look bad in it, but it just wasn't what most girls in Japan would consider to be fashionable. It would have looked good in Canada, though.
"I heard about what you did. The Hyakunin Kumite. I want to... I want to do it, too. Can you teach me?"
He frowned at that, crossing his arms.
"Aw, hell. I... I don't really know if I'm the one that should be -"
He noticed that she was missing her hands as well, and stopped. Sighing, he spoke.
"... Oh. I see, now. You've been asking around, haven't you?"
She nodded, speaking.
"My mom said that if I can find someone to teach me, then... then I can do it. But I've been out here for months, now, and I haven't seen anyone who is willing to teach me. I came from Hokkaido, and I've been looking ever since. I -"
He walked up to her, lifting one of her arms and looking at it, hard. He lifted one of his to compare, and frowned.
"... When did you lose your hands?"
She looked at him, a little off-centre.
"I... I lost them... three years ago... In an accident on my farm..."
He nodded at her, speaking.
"How many bones have you broken?"
She frowned at that, speaking.
"I've broken my feet a couple times, getting them stepped on by horses and cows. I broke my leg once, and I broke my clavicle as well. Apart from that, the only -"
He spoke then, looking seriously at her.
"I've broken every single bone in my body. Every single one. Multiple times. My arms the most, though. Look at them."
She did, comparing them. She noted just how much larger his bones were than hers.
"... most of that happened while I was training. I've broken them more times than I can remember. If you trained with me, you would be using them as weapons. They would be repeatedly broken, in various capacities, repeatedly until they were as strong as mine are. After that, you have to figure out what exactly you want to do. Your arms have atrophied a bit since you lost your hands. Training on the stumps only starts to stop hurting after five years, when you've killed all the nerves. The Phantom pains get worse, though. If I were to start training you, are you sure that you could handle that? How old are you?"
She looked up at him, gulping a little.
"I... I'm sixteen..."
He nodded at her, speaking.
"You're starting a little late. If you intended on beating my record, I'm afraid that you would be at least three years too late for that. Walk with me."
She nodded, walking with him as he cut through the park, seeing a girl with long black hair look up at him. She was still on the other side of the park, so he walked slowly as he spoke.
"If you're serious about this, then I can help you. But you have to be serious. You have to be sure, because I won't accept fair-weather students. You can't expect to be able to leave because it gets too hard without me never accepting you again. You understand this, right?"
"... Yes... I do. I don't want to feel helpless anymore. I heard that you managed to save someone's life with your knowledge and training. I want to do that too."
He nodded, waving at the girl on the bench.
"So, what are you going to do, then? Will you accept my offer? Or will you think about it?"
She spoke instantly.
"This isn't the kind of thing that I can just jump in to. I'd like to think about it, if you wouldn't mind."
He nodded at her, then walked ahead, hugging the girl with a smile. She noted that the girl had scars on her hand, but that was all that she could see. When she turned around, though, she saw that the scarring must have covered her whole body. It reminded her of her brother, who got trapped in a barn when it caught fire.
"Hey there. My name is Kikiko. Are you Souta-Sama's girlfriend?"
She nodded a little briskly, leaning a little closer to Mikaru. Kikiko smiled, looking to them both and bowing again.
"Thank you for seeing me. I will return in a few days with my decision."
He nodded to her, and the woman turned around, walking towards Yamaku. Hanako looked up to him then, frowning.
"Who – who was that?"
He looked down to Hanako, speaking after a moment.
"She is a farm-girl from Hokkaido who lost her hands. She wanted to train with me, and learn what I know about martial arts. So, Hanako, what did you want to talk about with me?"
She looked away for a moment, before she spoke.
"I... I'm... worried... about us..."
Mikaru frowned, turning his body to look at her.
"What's bothering you about us?"
She looked at him, speaking quickly.
"I... I... I don't want – to lose you... but... you're getting further... further and further a-away... every day... I just... I don't know what – what I did... wrong..."
He looked at her for a moment before sighing, looking down at the bench.
"... Oh. Hanako, do you think that... that I stopped loving you?"
She looked at him, unable to speak. He sighed again, putting his arm on her lap and moving a little closer.
"Listen to me, Hanako. This is very important. I'm running a business. In high school, during exams. It's the busiest time of year for my company, and on top of that, I've been working hard to make sure that this Nissan deal pans out. He's been asking for more and more lately, and it's been taking a toll on me. But you have to know that just because I'm really busy doing work, doesn't mean that I've stopped loving you all of the sudden. I still do, Hanako. More and more every day. It's actually been easier for me to love you, since my name was cleared. I really care about you, and I don't want you thinking that I don't think about you all the time. I promise you, Hanako, this will get easier. It will be much easier soon, when exams are over. To be honest, there have been a few nights when I really wasn't busy with anything, but didn't want to distract you from your studies."
She nodded, looking down at his arm on her lap.
"Do you think that... that we need to take a – take a break...?"
He frowned at that. He didn't speak for a long moment.
"... Do you? What do you want, Hanako?"
She looked up at him, surprised at the turnabout in their conversation.
"I... I... what?"
"- What do you think we need to do. Do you need space from me, to clear your head? I wouldn't want that for us, but I can't make you do anything."
She looked away from him for a moment to think. He held his breath, waiting for her to answer. She looked back at him, though, and he felt his spirits sink.
"I... I don't... I don't really... know..."
He sighed at that, looking away from her and out into the distance.
"... Hanako... What's really on your mind? Why don't you tell me what you've been thinking about lately, like you're thinking it all over again."
She looked away to the same place he was, speaking softly.
"I... I want to see him... I should go to him. Maybe I'll... no, he's working tonight. At lunch today, he told me that he was working on a new program. I'll talk to him about it tomorrow... but what if he has more to do? Should I wait longer? How... how long do I have to wait? What will happen when school is over for us? Where will I go? Where will he go? What if he forgets about me..."
She stopped then, looking obviously distressed at this point. She hadn't really caught the thoughts until they actually came out of her, and hearing them on the air suddenly made them much more real. Mikaru looked down, thinking about that for a minute. When he was done doing that, he looked to her, and spoke.
"Hanako... What do you want? When school is over?"
She looked at him for a moment, before speaking.
"... What... what do I want? But that isn't -"
"- It's all that's important, Hanako. It's the only thing that matters here. What, exactly, do you want when school is over?"
She looked at him for a moment, before she started to stutter.
"I... I... I Want... I want to... I – I – I... I -"
She turned to him then, speaking quickly.
"- AllIwantistobewithyou! I – I haven't wanted anything this badly in my entire life! I don't think I could make it without you anymore! You-You're all I... all I..."
She looked down, starting to cry.
"... You're all that I have left..."
He moved beside her then, pulling her to him and holding her tight.
"That's it? That's all that you want? There isn't anything, not a single thing, that you would want along with that?"
She leaned into him, speaking quietly. She sounded exhausted, but hopeful and delicate.
"I... I want to... to wake up beside you... every morning... at – at dawn... I want to... to go outside, and – and listen to the birds sing for us. After that, I want to... I want to make breakfast with you, or even just make breakfast while – while you watch, and... I want to eat it outside while we... while we... talk, about the future, about the past, about – about everything... I want to be able to go places with you, and hold you in my arms as we – as we see new things, and meet... meet people... that are nice, and who don't look at me, like – like I'm some sort of f-freak... I want to sleep with you, and make love to you, as much as I... as I can... I want to get – get married, someday, and have kids of our own. I want... I want to be with my friends as they do the same things we do, without – without any more pain, or fighting, or suffering... I want to hear more of... of your music. All of it. I want to learn how to play like you did, even if – if it takes me forever, because I want to – to be able to write it with you, like... like Carla did... I want to be able to drive for a few hours, and... and see Tsukiko, and Oji-San, and... and... and I just... I just want... forever..."
He smiled at her, holding her against him as she spoke. She really hadn't meant to say all that, but seeing that he wasn't trying to get away from her after she did was a balm to her soul and her senses, making her happier than she had ever been.
"And where does forever happen for us, Hanako?"
She looked up at him, moving onto her knees so that she was level with him. She was crying a bit still, but she put her head against his and spoke.
"...Maybe... Somewhere close, near Tokyo. Somewhere still in the mountains... that's just... just for us... Somewhere that we can hide in, if... if we wanted to."
He nodded at the girl, putting his stub beneath her chin.
"That's everything? That is all that you want?"
She blushed a bit, speaking quietly.
"Well... maybe, I'll... I'll think of... more, later..."
He laughed warmly at her honesty, making her smile brightly.
"... All right, Hanako. You'll think of more later, then. All those things you said... I want them, too. Almost just as much as you do. But do you know what I want more than anything?"
She shook her head at him, and he leaned down to capture her lips. He kissed her like that for a while before pulling away, looking at her seriously again.
"What I want is for you to be happy, from now on. Because seeing you happy makes my life that much better. I don't want anyone but you, because you're the only girl that I care about. I don't want to take a break from us. I don't want you to go away, and take your happiness with you. I don't want to go off somewhere, and leave you behind. I want to be the person that makes you happier that you've ever been, then make you happier than that tomorrow. I want you to be able to talk to me about what you're feeling, and I want you to know that you can tell me about everything. I will always be there to listen, and I'll listen to whatever you have to say."
She nodded at him, crying a little but smiling brightly.
"... Okay, Mikaru... Then... what happens now?"
He smiled at her, standing up and stretching a bit. After he did that, he extended his arm to her, and helped her onto her feet. She tucked into his side then, and he spoke.
"... Now? Now, we get to live the rest of our lives."
Iwaniko watched from a distance as Mikaru and Hanako walked together, looking happy. She smiled at the sight, and wondered just who those two were. She hadn't really seen anyone like them before. As they walked closer, she noticed that the boy seemed to have no hands, and that the girl's right side, which was tucked into his own side, was scarred. She smiled anyway, though, because their happiness was infectious. The boy walked up to her, smiling and waving one of his hand-less stumps at her. She laughed a bit at the sight, but suppressed it instantly. He smiled when she did, rubbing the back of his neck and speaking.
"Hey there, stranger. I haven't seen anyone quite like you around here. You new in town?"
She nodded, speaking.
"I... well, not really... I was actually looking for someone. An old friend. He... well, we didn't really part ways on good terms, and I wanted to see how he was... holding up. Do you... do you two happen to know where the high school around here is?"
Mikaru nodded, smiling.
"- Sure we do! Here, follow us. We'll get you there. It's a bit of a walk from here, though. We're heading into the mountains. It'll take us a while, but it shouldn't kill you, or anything. Well, unless you're... well, yeah. You coming?"
She nodded, walking beside them and speaking.
"How old are you two? Do you go to the high school, or do you work there?"
Hanako laughed a bit at that, and Mikaru interjected.
"We're going there. Well, at least until two weeks from now, that is. You know, exams. This is Hanako, and I'm Mikaru. It's good to meet you, miss...?"
She smiled, taking his other arm and speaking.
"You can call me Iwaniko. By the way, you two are... well, you're really cute together, actually."
Hanako smiled at that, holding onto him a little tighter. Iwaniko was holding his other arm lightly, walking through the rest of the town before they got to the road that led to the school. When they did, Hanako spoke.
"Who... who are you... looking... for?"
Iwaniko looked over at the girl, smiling a bit.
"Umm... He's relatively new there. Nakai Hisao?"
Mikaru chuckled, speaking then.
"- Really? Well that's just downright ironic. We're best friends, he and I. Hanako, do you know what he's up to right now? I didn't see him when I left."
She thought about that for a moment, but shook her head, getting nothing. Iwaniko looked at them for a moment, before speaking.
"How... how has he been? I looked pretty bad the last time I saw him..."
Mikaru looked over to the girl, thinking about it. After a while, though, he spoke.
"Well... Based on when I fist saw him, right before he enrolled here... He's looking really good, I'd say. He's excelling in school right now, and he's been keeping in shape with Emi down at the track almost every day. Hey, Iwaniko? You ever been to Tokyo?"
She smiled, nodding her head.
"- I have, actually. I went a few weeks ago. What's your favourite part about it?"
Mikaru smiled, speaking.
"I lived there for about 3 years. I would have to say my favourite part about it is the sheer size of it. You can walk for an entire day, and feel like you're in eight different towns at once, but it's all one city. It's a little noisy, though. How long have you known Hisao?"
She smiled, speaking.
"I met Hisao at the beginning of High School. We didn't hang out all that often at first, but... well, later on, we had... we could have had..."
Mikaru's mind instantly went into gear, and he looked forward. Hanako was already thinking the absolute worst, so she instantly knew what she was getting at.
"I... I see... Well, have you and... Hisao... spoken, since then? A... A letter, maybe?"
Iwaniko frowned at that.
"... No... I just... I didn't really know what... what to say to him... He was in the hospital for 4 months, and... it wasn't something that I could really... handle..."
Mikaru nodded, speaking.
"- It's tough. The best of us crack under pressure like that. Seeing someone on a stretcher every single time you see them. I'm just lucky that the only time I've ever really needed a hospital, I was kept in a coma."
She looked up at him, looking down at his hands and working her jaw a bit.
"What... what do you mean? How long? Why?"
He kept his head straight as he spoke.
"I was sliced to ribbons by a bunch of thugs, almost losing my right leg, and having both hands forcibly amputated. It's not a pretty story, or even something you can say sorry for. You know? It's hard to say you can sympathize with someone who was almost killed by 10 guys at once with 20 knives."
She was completely silent then, looking forward as the school loomed into view. Hanako dragged him along a little faster, and Iwaniko zoned out as she started to think. His story is horrible... How does he even function? If that happened to me... well, I guess it's different for me, isn't it? I'm a girl. Most guys wouldn't touch a girl covered in scars. Well, besides him, apparently. I guess it's because he's seen the worst of the world, and knows how precious life is. But, for guys, It's different. Scars are pretty okay on guys, I suppose.
"Hey, Iwaniko? You should follow Hanako to the office building. She'll get you a visitor's pass, so you don't get thrown out. While you're doing that, I'll go take a look for Hisao."
She nodded, and walked up to Hanako. Hanako moved herself so her left side, the good side, was presented to Iwaniko. Iwaniko grabbed onto her arm, and let her lead her away. When she was out of earshot, he pulled up his phone, and used his nose to dial Hisao. He pressed the phone right up to his head, and heard it ring three times before he picked up.
"Nakai. Mikaru, what's up? Can it wait for a bit? I'm in the middle of something right now."
Mikaru frowned, speaking.
"I don't know, Hisao. I found someone in town, who's here to see you. Said you might remember her. Iwaniko?"
Hisao went silent on the other end of the line. Mikaru heard a bit of feminine talking, and connected the dots, cursing their luck.
"Mikaru, I guess if you thought to tell me this, then you didn't really know until it was too late, did you? It's okay. I'm heading down there in about 5 minutes."
Hisao hung up then, and Mikaru put his phone away. After he did that, he walked over to the Girl's dormitories, waiting outside. After five minutes, Hisao and Lilly walked out of the building, holding hands as they did. Lilly walked over to Mikaru, guided by Hisao, and spoke.
"Mikaru, what is going on? Hisao won't tell me anything."
Hisao looked at him pleadingly, but Mikaru completely ignored him as he answered her.
"A girl from his old life, Iwaniko, is here to see him. All the way from her home town, as well. She was the girl that confessed to him, and caused his first heart attack. I wouldn't be too concerned about her, though. Well, you, specifically, shouldn't be concerned. Were it anyone else, though, I might reserve my opinion."
The words calmed her slightly, making her nod her head. In Mikaru's experience, the best way to comfort a girl was to compliment her, and he basically just called her the best. Well, the best girl that wasn't Hanako, but that was given. At that, Lilly spoke to Hisao.
"... Hisao... Would you like to meet up with me later, after you've seen your friend?"
He looked at her for a moment, still pissed at Mikaru, but didn't show it to her.
"If... If you're okay with it, Lilly. He's right, you know. Iwaniko was nice, but... she's nothing compared to you. Really. I'll... You should come to Mikaru's, in about an hour and a half or so. Is that all right with you?"
She smiled slightly, nodding her head.
"- I believe that is a good idea. Emi wanted to see me, anyhow. I love you, Hisao."
"I love you too, Lilly. See you in a bit."
Lilly walked inside the dormitory again. When she was gone, Hisao turned to him, pissed.
"Mikaru, what in the heavens was that? Did you not see me trying to -"
Mikaru frowned at Hisao, speaking.
"- Hisao, you know why I did that. You had your freebie already. When you had a heart attack, remember? There's no way I would lie to her about something as little as an old flame, trying to build a connection. Besides, from what I heard from her, she's already expecting the worst. Hoping otherwise, but still expecting the worst. Hisao, you are a grown-ass man, and there is no fucking way you can convince me that you can't handle this shit. So, one question remains. You got this?"
Hisao looked down at that, sighing deeply.
"... Yeah, Mikaru. Thanks for that. I guess I was making this out to be a little bigger than it really was. Let's go find her, huh?"
Mikaru nodded, and pulled out his phone. He used his nose again to speed dial Hanako, speaking.
"- Hey, Hanako. You wanna take Iwaniko to the Boy's dorms? You can show her to his room, and then you can come over to mine. We could watch a movie?"
"S-Sure, Mikaru. I'll be over as quickly as I can. I love you..."
Mikaru smiled, nodding his head uselessly.
"I love you too, Hanako. Hang up, please."
She did, and Mikaru put his phone away. He then turned to Hisao, who was looking at him a little funny.
"... You really think that Iwaniko is going to want anything but privacy for this? Hisao, I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but you really need to sort your head. Come on, man. It's not the... Wait. You're... you're over her, aren't you?"
Mikaru stopped in place by Emi's tree, and Hisao looked away from him. He looked like he was guilty of something horrible, and he spoke.
"I just... I never really... got any closure for that. Iwaniko... I used to dream about her, all the time. For the first little while, it was... it looked like it could have been really special. If not for the heart attack, I would have... I would have been dating her right now. And then she left me in that place. We never spoke about that time, before the pills and the hospitals."
Mikaru nodded, speaking.
"Then, isn't this exactly what you need? Look, you're with Lilly now, and she's in love with you. You know that you love her as well, so you really need to keep that in perspective. This conversation you're having? This is her, trying to get the same closure you never got. She needs to know that you're getting along okay without her. She's the once that confessed to you, remember? She obviously cared about you, if she was doing things like that. You need to do this, alone, so that she has no doubt that you want her to move on."
Hisao looked down, nodding his head. He then looked up, and picked up into a jog towards the Dormitories.
Iwaniko opened the door, seeing Hisao doing some stretches in the centre of the room. She felt herself draw a breath, and he turned to her, nodding her way.
"Oh, Iwaniko. Hi there. How are you? Come in."
She nodded, turning around and closing the door slowly before looking back into the room, walking over to his bed and sitting down. He walked in front of her, pulling his chair from his desk away and moving it in front of her. As he did, she took notice of all the pill bottles that were there, and turned back to him, seeing his eyes look them over.
"How many do you... do you take?"
He looked back to her, getting comfortable before speaking.
"It's seventeen a day, taken in the mornings without food. It's nothing new to me, though. Iwaniko, how have you been doing since I left?"
She looked at the boy, putting her hands in her lap as she spoke.
"I... I'm doing okay... I graduated a short while ago. Since you left, I was... I was the best in our grade. Hisao, why didn't you... come back and visit us?"
Hisao looked at her as she said that. He knew that 'Visit us' was actually 'visit me', and it made him a little sad to know that she really hadn't moved on like he had.
"I've... well, I've been really busy here. I kept up with school while I was in the hospital, but they were teaching entirely new material when I got here. I had to work really hard just to get where I was, and I'm only the third best in the class now. Also, if I'm entirely honest, this place is a little too nice to leave for long. All of my breaks were spent with other people here, friends of mine, and the only trips I took were to help my friends with things they needed. Also... well, I don't really think I want to go back there yet. You know that the people there would look at me differently now."
"- I wouldn't... I mean... You look exactly the same as you did... back then. Almost better, even. Mikaru said that you've been exercising more?"
Hisao nodded, speaking.
"He would know. I've been running regularly. Every morning, actually. I head out there, onto the track, and I run for about an hour. That's about all I can really manage, though. It's... well, there are some things that I just have problems with now. If I don't take my medicine, then I run the risk of just... keeling over one day. Out of nowhere. It's unsettling, but nothing I can't handle. So, Iwaniko. You meet anyone while I was away?"
He smiled at her when he said that, and the smile made her feel horrible.
"I... no, not... not really... Hisao, I wanted to... Hisao, I'm sorry that I stopped coming to see you back in the hospital. You just kept getting thinner and thinner, and I – I should have stayed around."
He frowned at that.
"It's okay, Iwaniko. It wasn't reasonable to expect you to stick around. It was only two months."
She looked away, speaking softly.
"... No, it wasn't... You never knew, but... I'd started liking you a little bit after we first met, at the beginning of High School. All the other boys, they... they were always looking for something. But you were different. You never asked me for anything I couldn't give you. By the time I had worked up the courage to ask you out, I... I had liked you for over three years..."
Hisao looked away at that, completely unable to comprehend that.
"Iwaniko... I don't think this is healthy for you. You were always really nice to me, and I liked you for a long time as well, but... but things are different, now. I mean, you and I, we're just heading two different places in our lives. You should be with someone... someone that will last a little longer than I will. Even with the medication, unless something happens to really fix my problem, I... I may not live to see 50. And..."
She looked at him for a moment before her face fell, and she spoke down to the ground.
"How... what's she like? Is she... is she like me?"
Iwaniko didn't move. She couldn't look up at him then. She had hoped that he would be willing to even entertain the thought of them being together, but... it just wasn't happening.
"Iwaniko... She's... well, I guess you two aren't really anything alike. You could have been friends, but... no, Iwaniko. She isn't like you. You aren't bad, though. Or even not good enough. Just... well, just late. I'm... I'm sorry, Iwaniko. I'm sorry that you had to find out like this. If I had known that you had felt like this... no, I shouldn't say that. Iwaniko, you're an amazing girl. You really are. You're smart, and funny, and you're cute as well, but you won't ever be happy if you keep on holding on to this. You need to let go, Iwaniko."
She stood up, nodding at the boy. She was crying a bit, but otherwise she looked a little better.
"I... I suppose it's for the best, really. Good... goodbye, Hisao. I'm... I'm glad that you're feeling better..."
He nodded to her, and she left the room. When she was gone, Hisao just sat back on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He sat there for another two minutes until he stood up, and moved into Mikaru's room.
Three days later, the group all met up together, with Carla, Mikki and Emi there as well. The year was nearly at a close, and they had all written their last exams that day. Mikaru's room was mostly empty at this point, and he only had a mattress on the floor and his mini fridge, as well as his computer. They were all sitting on the ground, enjoying a drink together and laughing at some stupid joke they pulled, when Mikaru hold up his arm and spoke.
"Hey, guys. Pipe down for a second."
They did so, and Mikaru cleared his throat before speaking.
"I just wanted to say thank you, to all of you, for being there for me at one point or another. You guys are really great friends, and it's been amazing sharing this time with you. However, there's a bit of business that I have to take care of, and it's kinda big. You see, I've already picked out the musicians that are going to play my new concert in Sydney, but I need to go to them to help get them familiar with the music. They're in Canada, though, so I'm leaving soon. Wait! I know that you guys probably have other things to do, but... I was hoping that those of you who could would come with me."
Hanako scooted over to him, and grabbed onto his arm. He smiled at her, and she nodded her head. Of course Hanako was going. There was no way she wasn't. Hisao and Lilly looked a little shocked, but after a moment, Lilly smiled widely.
"Well... I don't really have that much to do right now, so... Hisao, will you be going?"
He looked up at the others, and thought about it for a moment. He would have liked to head back to see his parents, but...
"... You know what? That sounds like a good idea. I'll definitely be going with you."
He smiled, and looked to some of the others. Emi looked at him, smiling.
"I would have liked to go, but I already have plans with my mom this summer. We're going on a vacation for most of July to America."
Mikaru nodded, speaking.
"Okay, Emi. Did you want to go to the concert in August with your mum?"
She nodded, speaking.
"I'll have to talk to her about it, but... If I can, I'd love to. I'm leaving tomorrow, so I'll speak with her about it then."
He nodded again at her, and turned to Carla.
"Well, I think that I'm obligated to go, at least, for a while. I wanted to see my parents before august, though..."
He smiled, speaking.
"- You can do that first, then. You'll probably have to pass through Vancouver anyhow, to get to the states – Uh, Canadian city on the western coast. We'll all be stopping over there for a while, before we head to Edmonton. Some of the musicians had to really come a long way, and a lot of them scattered around the country while I was away. Edmonton was right in the middle of them, so they all agreed to meet with me there to go over the piece. Hey, Mikki, what's your plan?"
She thought about it for a moment, before she spoke.
"Well... I was hoping to stick with Carla after this, so... Maybe I'll do that?"
Carla smiled widely at that, and Mikaru nodded to her.
"- Sounds good, then. So... that's everyone, then? Okay. Sounds good. I'll just -"
They heard a knock at their door, and Hisao got up to get it. When he opened the door, he saw Kikiko waiting there, looking a little nervous. Mikaru stood up then, and smiled at her.
"- Hey there, Kikiko. Have you thought about it?"
She nodded, speaking with a bow.
"I... I want to train under you. Will you teach me?"
He nodded to her, giving her a bow in return.
"Yes, Kikiko. Head back to Hokkaido, and start building your strength. Don't go off punching things yet, that will come later. I will come in the middle of August, and we will begin."
She smiled at him, nodding her head and speaking.
"T-thank you, Sensei... I will depart at once."
She turned around then, and left the building. Mikaru smiled at that, and turned to the others. He had already spoken with them about her, and Hanako had said that settling down in Hokkaido was a good idea, at least to start. It was far away from all this, it was quiet, and it offered the promise of at least a few friendly faces. Since it let Mikaru teach Kikiko as well, it was good all around.
"Now that we have all of that out of the way, let's drink to our success!"
They all gave a cheer, and raised their glasses.
End of Chapter Thirty-Five: Behind These Bars, Absolution!
Next Time: Chapter Thirty-Six: Behind These Bars, I Found the Key!