Since I explained where this story takes place in the series, I guess all this
needs to say is that I don't own Kare Kano.
Steel and Concrete
Apparently of Souichirou's father's 'friends' said something his father didn't like, judging by the older man's sour mood when he returned to the hotel room and by the number of drinks he thrown back into his throat. It was dangerous, but an idea sparked in Souichirou's mind to take advantage of his father's intoxicated state. "Umm, sir? Do you have anything that I could possibly eat?"
"Wha-?" his father muttered in drunken stupor, rubbing his eyes. "That's right, you haven't had any food all day, have you? There's money on the nightstand; order a pizza or something."
Thanking god for the opportunity given to him, Souichirou picked up the phone. But instead of hearing a dial tone, it buzzed right away to the clerk's desk. "Good evening. What number do you wish to dial?"
Souichirou froze; he couldn't call the police or his parents, for his father might recognize the number, even if he was half-asleep. He racked his mind for which number he could say and not caught, when it popped up: Miyazawa. His father didn't know about Miyazawa, and would know the difference between her number and a pizza delivery.
It seemed to ring forever and ever to Souichirou, his heartbeat quickening every second. C'mon Miyazawa, please answer the phone...
"Hello?" Miyazawa yawned on the other line. Souichirou resisted the urge to tell her who he really was, but instead replied calmly, "Hello, Shiawasena Onaka-san Pizza?"
"Arima?! Is that you?! Are you okay?! Where are you?!" screeched Miyazawa, making Souichirou wince and wonder if his father could hear her. "I'm sorry, but can you turn that background music down? It's way too loud."
"What background music are you-oh," Miyazawa realized sheepishly, continuing in a lower voice, "sorry. He's there, right? The creep that took you?"
You guys know about him? But how? "Yes, I would like to hear the today's specials."
"A student saw a man that he thought was your father drive off with you in the back-seat, but it wasn't your father at all."
Aren't you going to be surprised. "Actually, that one sounds just right for what I want."
"Arima, I'm confused. Your father and your mother have both been worrying about you here..," Yukino trailed off before gasping. "Oh my god, don't tell me it's your actual father."
"Yes, a drink on the side will be fine."
"Oh, Arima, please say you're alright. He hasn't hurt you, has he?"
"No problem. I just want a large with pepperoni and extra cheese."
"Okay, I get the hint. Just where are you at?"
"Can you deliver it to the Setsuna Hotel on thirty-second street, right next to all night convenience store?"
"It's Room 14," his father mumbled in his pillow. "Tell the clerk Genko Arima said it was okay."
As Souichirou related this information to Miyazawa, he couldn't help but be shocked by his father's interruption. He thought for sure that the older man wasn't awake, and was glad his father didn't hear Miyazawa.
"Hold on Arima. Help will be over soon. Everything will be all right."
"Thank you. I'll see you in 30 minutes then."
*****
Yukino considered her plan foolproof: She had sneaked out of her house, claiming she forgot something important at school, picked up a pizza from a nearby restaurant, and used the last of her money to take a cab using Arima's instructions. When Arima answered the door, her arrival will be enough of a distraction for Arima to escape. No need for police who would probably cause a big scene; there would be time for that when she knew for sure Arima was safe.
The hotel's shady atmosphere slightly intimidated her, with the peeling wallpaper seemingly lunging out to grab her, and the eyes of other tenants that followed her every move. She came to what was Arima's room at last and knocked on the door timidly. Instead of Arima rushing into her arms, a unshaven middle aged man belched at her. "Ah, pizza's here."
"G-g-good evening, s-sir," Yukino stuttered, crinkling her nose at the stench of liquor coming from the man's breath. But her nervousness ceased when she saw Arima staring dumfound in the background. "You ordered a pizza and a drink, correct?"
"Yeah, how much do I owe you?" barked the man, digging in his pockets. Yukino added the bill in her mind, and responded, "Ten yen, sir."
"Hn, pizza prices have gone up," the man commented dryly, turning around. "I have need get the rest of money from my suitcase in the closet. Wait here."
Not facing her directly, Arima hissed, "I didn't mean for you to actually come here. You need to go now before he catches you."
Ignoring Arima's warning, Yukino reached for his head. "You implied that you were fine, but you're not. You're hurt badly. You need medical attention, Arima."
"I'll be okay," Arima reassured her, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. "Just go."
"What the hell are you two doing?" Arima's father growled, balling his fists in drunken rage. "I see, this was all a setup, wasn't it? But you just got caught."
Arima's father whipped a pistol out his pocket and pointed it right at Arima's head. "I guess you'll never be my son."
But the gun flew out of his hand, for Yukino had rammed right in his stomach. "No, I won't let you kill Arima!"
"Let go of me you little bitch!" hollered the older man, hitting and punching wildly at Yukino. But she held on earnestly, reeling slightly from each blow. The weapon still lay on the floor, and Arima stared at it, unable to move. The sickening crunch of Yukino's arm being bent backwards aroused him from the hypnotic spell, and Arima bent down to pick the gun up without his father noticing.
One shot. One shot to the head was all that was needed to kill his father instantly. As the bloody body fell to the floor, Arima gathered Yukino in his arms. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he pushed her hair out of her battered face. "Miyazawa, why did you have to come here?"
Her eyes flickered as she breathed heavily. "I'm sorry Arima, I was careless. I couldn't wait to see you again...I didn't want to lose you...I-ungh!"
Arima pressed his lips to her forehead, murmuring, "Shh...just relax. I'll get help."
"I-I love you..," Yukino managed before fainting from pain. Arima looked up in surprise at her confession, and sobbed in her ear. "I love you too, Yukino."
Author's Note: Last time my mom checked, which was around a month ago, the exchange rate was thus: ¥1 to $1.75, so the pizza and drink would be around seventeen dollars and fifty cents (expensive!). *rereads ending scene and bursts out crying* Wow, I just realized how touching that was! I usually don't get emotional about my stories like this. *sniffles*
Apparently of Souichirou's father's 'friends' said something his father didn't like, judging by the older man's sour mood when he returned to the hotel room and by the number of drinks he thrown back into his throat. It was dangerous, but an idea sparked in Souichirou's mind to take advantage of his father's intoxicated state. "Umm, sir? Do you have anything that I could possibly eat?"
"Wha-?" his father muttered in drunken stupor, rubbing his eyes. "That's right, you haven't had any food all day, have you? There's money on the nightstand; order a pizza or something."
Thanking god for the opportunity given to him, Souichirou picked up the phone. But instead of hearing a dial tone, it buzzed right away to the clerk's desk. "Good evening. What number do you wish to dial?"
Souichirou froze; he couldn't call the police or his parents, for his father might recognize the number, even if he was half-asleep. He racked his mind for which number he could say and not caught, when it popped up: Miyazawa. His father didn't know about Miyazawa, and would know the difference between her number and a pizza delivery.
It seemed to ring forever and ever to Souichirou, his heartbeat quickening every second. C'mon Miyazawa, please answer the phone...
"Hello?" Miyazawa yawned on the other line. Souichirou resisted the urge to tell her who he really was, but instead replied calmly, "Hello, Shiawasena Onaka-san Pizza?"
"Arima?! Is that you?! Are you okay?! Where are you?!" screeched Miyazawa, making Souichirou wince and wonder if his father could hear her. "I'm sorry, but can you turn that background music down? It's way too loud."
"What background music are you-oh," Miyazawa realized sheepishly, continuing in a lower voice, "sorry. He's there, right? The creep that took you?"
You guys know about him? But how? "Yes, I would like to hear the today's specials."
"A student saw a man that he thought was your father drive off with you in the back-seat, but it wasn't your father at all."
Aren't you going to be surprised. "Actually, that one sounds just right for what I want."
"Arima, I'm confused. Your father and your mother have both been worrying about you here..," Yukino trailed off before gasping. "Oh my god, don't tell me it's your actual father."
"Yes, a drink on the side will be fine."
"Oh, Arima, please say you're alright. He hasn't hurt you, has he?"
"No problem. I just want a large with pepperoni and extra cheese."
"Okay, I get the hint. Just where are you at?"
"Can you deliver it to the Setsuna Hotel on thirty-second street, right next to all night convenience store?"
"It's Room 14," his father mumbled in his pillow. "Tell the clerk Genko Arima said it was okay."
As Souichirou related this information to Miyazawa, he couldn't help but be shocked by his father's interruption. He thought for sure that the older man wasn't awake, and was glad his father didn't hear Miyazawa.
"Hold on Arima. Help will be over soon. Everything will be all right."
"Thank you. I'll see you in 30 minutes then."
Yukino considered her plan foolproof: She had sneaked out of her house, claiming she forgot something important at school, picked up a pizza from a nearby restaurant, and used the last of her money to take a cab using Arima's instructions. When Arima answered the door, her arrival will be enough of a distraction for Arima to escape. No need for police who would probably cause a big scene; there would be time for that when she knew for sure Arima was safe.
The hotel's shady atmosphere slightly intimidated her, with the peeling wallpaper seemingly lunging out to grab her, and the eyes of other tenants that followed her every move. She came to what was Arima's room at last and knocked on the door timidly. Instead of Arima rushing into her arms, a unshaven middle aged man belched at her. "Ah, pizza's here."
"G-g-good evening, s-sir," Yukino stuttered, crinkling her nose at the stench of liquor coming from the man's breath. But her nervousness ceased when she saw Arima staring dumfound in the background. "You ordered a pizza and a drink, correct?"
"Yeah, how much do I owe you?" barked the man, digging in his pockets. Yukino added the bill in her mind, and responded, "Ten yen, sir."
"Hn, pizza prices have gone up," the man commented dryly, turning around. "I have need get the rest of money from my suitcase in the closet. Wait here."
Not facing her directly, Arima hissed, "I didn't mean for you to actually come here. You need to go now before he catches you."
Ignoring Arima's warning, Yukino reached for his head. "You implied that you were fine, but you're not. You're hurt badly. You need medical attention, Arima."
"I'll be okay," Arima reassured her, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. "Just go."
"What the hell are you two doing?" Arima's father growled, balling his fists in drunken rage. "I see, this was all a setup, wasn't it? But you just got caught."
Arima's father whipped a pistol out his pocket and pointed it right at Arima's head. "I guess you'll never be my son."
But the gun flew out of his hand, for Yukino had rammed right in his stomach. "No, I won't let you kill Arima!"
"Let go of me you little bitch!" hollered the older man, hitting and punching wildly at Yukino. But she held on earnestly, reeling slightly from each blow. The weapon still lay on the floor, and Arima stared at it, unable to move. The sickening crunch of Yukino's arm being bent backwards aroused him from the hypnotic spell, and Arima bent down to pick the gun up without his father noticing.
One shot. One shot to the head was all that was needed to kill his father instantly. As the bloody body fell to the floor, Arima gathered Yukino in his arms. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he pushed her hair out of her battered face. "Miyazawa, why did you have to come here?"
Her eyes flickered as she breathed heavily. "I'm sorry Arima, I was careless. I couldn't wait to see you again...I didn't want to lose you...I-ungh!"
Arima pressed his lips to her forehead, murmuring, "Shh...just relax. I'll get help."
"I-I love you..," Yukino managed before fainting from pain. Arima looked up in surprise at her confession, and sobbed in her ear. "I love you too, Yukino."
Author's Note: Last time my mom checked, which was around a month ago, the exchange rate was thus: ¥1 to $1.75, so the pizza and drink would be around seventeen dollars and fifty cents (expensive!). *rereads ending scene and bursts out crying* Wow, I just realized how touching that was! I usually don't get emotional about my stories like this. *sniffles*