Chapter 12

Yuki eyed the woman who wielded the golf club, and his unconscious sister. He didn't need a rocket scientist to tell him that he was in a bad situation.

"Just hold still," said the woman, raising her golf club. "And it won't hurt too much."

Yuki shook his head, trying to comprehend the situation. This woman attacked Mika. Now she wanted to attack him.

There was still something he didn't understand.

"Who are you anyways?" he asked.

***

"Dammit!!!" yelled Shuichi.

"Yelling won't get us out of traffic," said Hiro.

Yes, they were stuck in traffic. One lone motorcycle amongst the hundreds of cars honking their horns.

"We have to get to Yuki!!" wailed Shuichi. "I won't be able to bear it if he gets hurt again!!! Or even dies!!"

"Was there anyone with Yuki when you left?"

"Um...oh, Mika-san stopped by his house. And you know how persistent she can be."

"There you go. Do you think she'll let anything happen to her brother?"

"Of course not!!"

"Then relax. Once we're out of this traffic we can get to them. They're probably picking her apart now."

"Yep!! Yuki wouldn't let anyone beat him up again!!"

***

The golf club trembled in fury.

"Don't pull that bullshit again!!!" Mayumi shrieked, swinging at him. Yuki stepped out of the way, but didn't reach for the golf club when he had the chance. "Always acting like you don't know me!!!"

"I have amnesia," said Yuki. "I don't know too many things. I'd like to know what I did to piss you off so much that you would come out here, attack my sister, and then try to attack me."

"You ruined my career!!! I live in a shit apartment while you live in fucking glamour!!!!!"

"Wait, how is that my fault? If you suck so much at your job, why blame me?"

Mayumi shrieked, swinging at him again. "Do the words, 'she isn't that great, and she doesn't deserve such a job' ring a bell?!?! You said those during an interview, and then I get fired from 'Early Hours'!!!!! My life is ruined, so I'm ending yours!!!!!"

Yuki dodged the swings, barely missing tripping over Mika's still unconscious body. Finally he saw an opening and grabbed the golf club before it could hit him.

"You losing your job isn't my fault," he growled, trying to yank it out of her hands. "It's not my decision, but the executives of that show. Now I'd appreciate it if you stopped this. My sister needs medical assistance right now, and-"

Yuki broke off when Mayumi kneed him in the groin. He let out a loud gasp and let go of the golf club. She swung the golf club and struck him as hard as she could in the back. Yuki fell to the floor and barely got his arm up in time to block a blow intended for his head.

"Die!!!!!!!" Mayumi shrieked, raising her golf club again, this time it met its mark.

***

"So what you're telling me is that some crazed psycho who used to be Eiri-san's girlfriend caused his injuries?" asked Tohma.

Tatsuha nodded. "It's Mayumi. Shuichi spotted her outside Aniki's apartment the day of the attack."

"Why didn't he tell us this?"

"It probably wasn't significant at the time!! You see, Shuichi wasn't at fault about the killing!!! Mayumi is just blaming Aniki for her career plunge!!!"

"I never said Shindou-san was at fault."

"'You know it's your fault. Eiri-san's attacker was no doubt someone who didn't approve of their relationship. So then it's Shindou-san's fault.' Do those words sound familiar?!"

Tohma flushed angrily. "That's enough. Now isn't the time to point out the little details." He shuffled papers on his desk. "Have you contacted Mika-san?"

Tatsuha shook her head. "I've tried her cell phone and your home phone. No one's picking up at either."

Tohma raised an eyebrow. "Mika-san almost never shuts off her cell phone. Let me try." Tohma pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. "Oh, I have a message."

"Forget the message and call Onee-san!!!" snapped Tatsuha.

Tohma ignored him and listened to the message. His face grew pale immediately and the cell phone slipped from his hand.

"What is it?!" demanded Tatsuha. He reached for the fallen cell phone and replayed the message. His insides turned cold.

["Hello, Tohma?" it was Mika's voice. "I'm going over to see Eiri. I'll try and talk to him. Hopefully things can be straightened out between you two. I'll see you later."] Then the message ended.

Tatsuha shut off the phone. "If that psycho bitch is on the loose. And Onee-san is at Aniki's house..."

Tohma picked up his desk phone. "I'm calling the police."

Tatsuha jumped up. "You DO believe me!!!"

"I have reason to believe that my brother-in-law and my wife are in danger. Let's hope I'm wrong."

***

Mika groaned from her place on the floor. Yuki eyed her as he was being tied up. Mayumi had tied Mika up, as well.

"Does this ring any bells?" hissed Mayumi as she finished tying him up. "I did this several weeks ago. I took such pleasure in causing you pain. Now I'll take even greater pleasure in killing you."

Yuki glared at her. "Great. You're going to kill me before I remember everything?"

Mayumi kicked him in the ribs. "Life sucks." She raised her golf club. "As you are about to find out."

***

"We're still in traffic!!!!!" wailed Shuichi.

"Shuichi, Yuki's apartment is five minutes away," said Hiro. "I think you should run there. At this rate I won't be getting out of this traffic any time soon."

Shuichi eyed Hiro. "You sure, Hiro?"

"Yeah, go on ahead!! I'll call the police, you try and stop that psycho!!"

"Okay!!" Shuichi hopped off Hiro's motorcycle and took off running as fast as he could.

Hiro yanked out his cell phone and dialed up. "Hello, police?"

***

Mika drifted out of her unconscious haze awake. Her head hurt so much, and her wrist...

She blinked several times, but couldn't find focus. She saw a dark blob, which looked like the woman who attacked her. And she was...

Mika tried to sit up, but to no avail. She realized she was tied up. But she had to act. That woman...

"You leave my brother alone!!!" Mika ground out, trying to maneuver over to Yuki.

The woman stopped hitting Yuki and came over to Mika. She saw a brief flash before her entire face exploded in pain. The woman had kicked her in the face.

"Keep your mouth shut or you'll share his fate!!!!" the woman snapped.

Mika felt blood running down her face from her nose. It was broken. "You won't hurt my brother while I'm alive!!!!"

The woman shook her head. "You really are stupid."

Mika realized the woman was going to kick her in the stomach. She quickly rolled onto her other side, the blow landing on her back. It still hurt, but she had protected her stomach.

"Don't you turn away from me!!!!!" Mika felt a dull pain in the back of her head. She had been kicked again. The blow to her already aching head caused her to lose consciousness again.

***

Shuichi felt relieved when he saw Yuki's apartment building. He kicked open the door and ran up the flight of stairs. No time for elevators.

"Hang on, Yuki!!! Hang on, Mika-san!!!" he gasped as he tore up the stairs. "I'm coming!!!!!" He finally reached Yuki's floor and ran for his door. To his dismay it was locked.

He pounded on the door. "Yuki?! Mika-san?!"

He heard shuffling behind the door, but nothing else. He pounded harder. "Yuki?! Mika-san?! It's me!!! Please open the door!!!"

He fiddled with his keys, finding the right key. He unlocked the door and headed inside.

Silence greeted him. As did the smell of copper.

Bad memories flooded his senses. Was he too late again?!

He entered the main room, and shrieked.

Both Mika and Yuki lay unconscious on the floor. He was relieved to see that Yuki's wounds were nowhere near as severe as last time.

He ran over to them, kneeling beside Yuki first. He untied Yuki's wrist and then his feet. "Don't worry, Yuki!!! I'm getting Mika-san and you out of here!!!!"

There was one thing Shuichi misjudged.

The presence of the villain.

He had a seconds warning from a shadow falling over him. He moved out of the way before something could hit him in the head. He quickly stood and faced the perpetrator.

It was Mayumi, wielding her golf club.

Shuichi raised his hands. "Easy, Mayumi-san."

"You must be Eiri's little fucktoy," said Mayumi. She raised her golf club. "I've heard that you are stupid, but not so much. You realize you let me go that one time?"

Shuichi nodded. He had to keep calm. She took down Mika and Yuki; she wouldn't hesitate with him. "I'll let you get away again."

Mayumi's eyes widened. "What?!"

"I'll let you walk out of here right now, and I won't tell the cops it was you. Just promise me you won't ever go near Yuki again."

Mayumi lowered her golf club. "I guess you aren't that stupid."

Shuichi sighed in relief.

Mayumi recovered and swung her golf club. "Maybe you are!!!!!" before Shuichi could act she struck him in the knee. Shuichi yelped in pain and collapsed to the floor. "Now stay out of my way. I'm going to kill Eiri!!!!!!"

Shuichi cried softly, holding his knee. No doubt the bone was fractured.

But he couldn't let that woman hurt Yuki. Not ever again.

So he started laughing hysterically.

Mayumi glared at him. "What the fuck's so funny?!"

Shuichi painfully sat up. "What that suppose to hurt?! I feel more pain when Yuki hits me around!!!"

Mayumi swung her golf club, striking him in the shoulder. "Zip it!!!!"

The pain was unbearable, but Shuichi tried not to let it show. So he laughed harder. "Being gang raped was a nightmare compared to this!!!! C'mon, is that all you got?!?!"

"You little fucker!!!!" Mayumi struck him square in the head. "I'll teach you how to shut up!!!" she beat his head in several times.

The pain was too much, and he was losing consciousness. But he still giggled. Tears were streaming down his face, but he had to buy time. Yuki was untied, and he would surely wake up any minute. "Your strikes are like your looks; they both suck!!!"

"That's it, you're dead!!!" she continued to beat him in the head.

***

Yuki was drifting somewhere. He didn't know where but...it was somewhere.

He saw flashes before him. Of times he didn't know existed.

"Sensei!!!!!!"

New York. Being sixteen.

Yuki Kitazawa.

His sensei.

His first love.

The man he killed.

He saw that night. Being sold for ten dollars to two men by his sensei.

Stealing the gun one of them had.

Shooting his sensei dead.

Shooting his first love dead.

Yuki squeezed his eyes shut. If these were part of his memories, he didn't want to remember them.

"Why are you running away?"

He opened his eyes. It was himself at the age of sixteen. Except that once innocent face was hardened.

"Look at yourself," he said. "Look at who you use to be. Look at who you became. Do you think you are the only one who's had tragedy in his life?"

"I'm sure I'm the only one who shot someone I loved the most dead," answered Yuki. "It was my fault anyway."

"Was it your fault that you lost amnesia?" asked his younger self. "Was it your fault you fell in love with someone who belongs with you?"

"You mean Shuichi? I don't belong with him. I don't deserve him. I don't-"

"I don't, I don't, I don't!!!!! It's always about you!!!! Can't you see how much he loves you?!?! How much you love him?!?!"

Yuki let out a shaky sigh.

"Shuichi's life is in danger while you lie here in your memories. Are you going to let someone you love slip away from you so easily?"

Yuki shook his head. He hated when Shuichi got hurt. If Shuichi got hurt it was usually his fault.

"Then you must wake up. You have your memories back, even the bad ones! Don't let him die while you stew here!!!"

***

Yuki's eyes opened. Despite the blows to his head he saw things very clearly.

Mayumi. Standing over Shuichi.

Shuichi!!

Shuichi was in terrible shape. So much blood, so many bruises...

Yuki felt rage build up in him. He formed himself into a readying position and lunged at Mayumi. He knocked her to the floor and her golf club flew out of her hands.

Yuki grabbed a fistful of her hair and pounded her skull into the floor until she stopped struggling. Sighing heavily he forced himself to his feet and grabbed the golf club. He stood over Mayumi's slightly twitching form and raised the golf club.

"Die," he hissed, swinging it down.

"Stop, Eiri-san!!!!"

Yuki stopped the golf club just inches from Mayumi's skull. He raised his head. Tohma stood there with many armed police officers.

"Do you see what she did?!" hissed Yuki, motioning to Mika and Shuichi.

Tohma looked at Mika and a strange expression crossed his face before it returned to calm. "Calm down, Eiri-san. It's over. She won't do this again."

Tatsuha walked over to Yuki and took the golf club from his hands. "We'll take care of Onee-san and Shuichi. Don't worry."

Yuki shook his head and turned his attention to Shuichi. Officers went to Mayumi and handcuffed her. Yuki knelt beside Shuichi's unmoving form, trying to see his face behind all the blood.

"It's over, Shuichi," he murmured. "I have my memories back."

Shuichi gave him no response. He was quickly lifted onto a stretcher and was taken from the room, as was Mika.

"Looks like another trip to the hospital," said Yuki, leaning on Tatsuha for support.

Tatsuha smiled sadly. "Yeah, looks like it."