Chapter Six – Sex Sugar Shame
(Yamagata, Kai, Kaneda, Tetsuo, Mr Takaba, the principal and vice-principal, and Kaori are all © Katsuhiro Otomo. Everyone else belongs to me (although I think I can let other people share the bit characters ^_^))
Yamagata yawned, and opened his eyes, and winced as the light scarred them. His head was aching. A lot.
Last night. Stuff had happened last night –
Kaneda flirting with Mari, his hand stroking her breast –
Lots of stuff –
Kaneda and Mari disappearing out of the door, Kaneda looking back, face like a little kid's who knew he was stealing biscuits –
Stupid stuff –
Him kissing Kai, and Kai turning away and shouting about –
Yamagata let out a strangled moan, and dragged the blankets over his head. But just being in the dark didn't help.
He'd kissed Kai?
Because Kaneda had kissed Mari. Well, would have done once they'd got out of the Harukiya. So it was totally fair.
But Kai?
He didn't like Kai in that way. He didn't. He'd only done it because he was drunk. He was with Kaneda now…
Well, had been.
He hadn't done anything else with Kai, had he?
He wriggled and kicked and scrabbled at the sheets until he was positive he was in bed alone.
Then he decided it was getting too hot under the covers, so he threw them off, and stared up at the ceiling.
Yeah. Kaneda didn't want him any more.
It doesn't matter he slept with Mari, his brain argued. It's only a fling anyway –
Like hell it doesn't matter! Just cos I'm not damn well good enough for him, is that it? Bastard can't even be bothered to hide it – has to do it right under my nose –
The thoughts rattled around his head, and his skull felt as soft as sand, and it hurt…
Someone started banging on the door, and the world turned into a sea of pain.
"Fuck off!" he yelled, and dived under the covers.
"Is that any way to greet your boyfriend?"
Yamagata heard the door open, and Kaneda's footsteps coming towards him.
"Yama-kun?"
"You're not my boyfriend," Yamagata muttered to the sheets. "You're Mari's."
"You're not pissed about that, are you?" There was a groan from the mattress as Kaneda sat down on it. "Come on, Yamagata. You can't stay under there forever. You'll suffocate."
"Watch me."
Suddenly the covers were wrenched off him, and the air hit his sweating face. Kaneda grinned. "Come on. Don't get all sulky."
"Why shouldn't I? I didn't think you were so sex-starved you'd go off with Oshima Mari. She'd sleep with anything, you know that. You could have at least screwed around with someone cool."
"Yeah, but it's not like that," Kaneda said. "It's not like we talked or anything."
Yamagata glared at him, and then rolled over and stared at the wall.
"Look," Kaneda said. "If I jacked off with a pile of mags, you wouldn't start getting all antsy then, would you?"
"No…"
"So how's this any different? I was – you know, she was hot and I just figured why not go for it? I'm not gonna marry her or anything."
"Whatever."
"It didn't mean anything," Kaneda said, putting a hand on Yamagata's shoulder. "Honestly, sweetheart…darling…sugar…"
"Shut up."
Kaneda laughed, and stretched out next to him. "So? You still gonna sulk?"
Yamagata wanted to say yes, but Kaneda was kissing him, down along the jaw, and then, as Yamagata turned to look at him, put on the biggest pair of puppy dog eyes you could imagine. And it just wasn't worth it to keep arguing. Besides, Kaneda was right…
"Okay, fine. I forgive you."
"I knew you would," Kaneda said, starting to unbutton Yamagata's pyjama top. "Come on. I'll show you some stuff Mari taught me last night, huh?"
"Don't push it, Shotaro Kaneda. I never said –"
Kaneda cut him off with a kiss, and then pulled the covers over them both.
Mari waltzed into the kitchen, humming.
She always got up early when it was the morning after. She always felt so alive. Like the sweating and gasps last night had burnt away the cobwebs round her brain. Everything seemed sharper, even the rattle of the rusty fan by the window and the mould trimming the edge of the walls.
Also, getting up early meant the kitchen was practically empty, and so she could actually get breakfast without having to fight twenty screeching girls for it. This morning there was no one else there but her sort-of friend Ayame, who was doing homework on the table in between bites of toast.
"So?" Ayame snapped after a while. "Who was it?"
"I don't know what you mean, sugar." Mari fiddled with the strap of her top as it slipped down her shoulder, and opened the cupboard, looking for cereal.
"Mari, I could hear you all night." Ayame's voice was as sour as the jar of mouldy lemon curd at the back of the shelf. "I do have the room next to you, remember? You kept thumping the wall for some reason, and I don't think it was because you were practising kickboxing."
"Well…" Mari grinned. "Okay, so you're right." She took out a bowl, scratched at the dried-on specks on its surface, and started to fill it with Choco-Puffs. These ran out after a few spoonfuls' worth, so she topped up the portion with Sugar Flakes and then some weird bran mixture that didn't have a brand name.
"So? Who was it?" Ayame squinted at her book, and then at Mari.
"Shotaro Kaneda." Mari gave up on finding any milk, sat down, and started to eat her cereal dry. It stuck to the roof of her mouth, but who cared? Today was good.
"I thought he was going out with that guy in his gang."
"He still likes some girls. Trust me." Mari arched her eyebrows, and grinned as Ayame scowled and bit down hard on a crust of her toast.
"Well, yay for you," Ayame said eventually, and turned back to her book.
"Oh, don't be like that. What's your problem?"
"Nothing."
"You could have a boyfriend if you wanted. You know, if you just prettied yourself up a bit?"
"Oh, shut up!" Ayame snapped. "You're a total cow, Oshima Mari. Find something interesting to say for once, why can't you?"
"You're just jealous."
"Maybe, but at least I can talk about more than who I fucked last night."
"Hey, I know enough!"
Like the weird things she'd heard Kai say last night when she'd come back down to the Harukiya to get her jacket. She hadn't gone in, just heard him yelling you just want to damn well hire me – well, you know what, I'm used to that – so fine, go on, just pay me and I'll do whatever –
Then she remembered she'd left her jacket with Kaneda cos he'd slipped it off her shoulders, and hurried away.
At the time she'd figured he'd been exaggerating, or that she'd heard wrong. But maybe she hadn't – well, boys did do that sort of thing, like the one Kaori had gone with…
Duh. That explained why Kaori had been so antsy last night.
Ayame, for all her stuck-up act, was just as interested in Eighth District Vocational Training School gossip as everyone else.
She'd show that bitch.
"Found out some good stuff last night," she said, standing up and brushing the cereal crumbs off her denim skirt. "One of the Capsules sells himself for sex, and Kaori can so not hold her drink –"
"What?" Ayame actually looked up.
"Kaori can't hold her drink. I mean, one gulp of Malibu and coke and –"
"No, the other thing!"
"Ohhh, that." Mari smiled. "No, I just heard one of 'em – not sure who –" After all, she didn't have any problem with Kai. May as well let him keep his privacy. "Saying about how he's hired every night, practically. I heard – one of the girls in our class – went with him." There. Kaori couldn't complain either.
Ayame's eyes bulged. "You're so making this up."
"Nope." Mari dropped her empty bowl into the sink. "See you at school, Ayame."
She sauntered out of the kitchen, smiling. Man, she was good.
Ayame stared after her, face torn between amazement and scorn.
"What are you staring at?" her friend Nara asked as she walked in.
"I just heard a really weird thing about some of the boys in our class…"
"…and apparently half the boys'll do anything for two hundred yen. That's what she said. Can't say I've noticed, but hey…"
"My girl said she heard a bunch of the guys sell themselves
out every night."
"Nah, she's got that mixed
up. It's her friends who do that,
hah –"
"Oh, no. Guys as well."
"Serious?"
"Yup."
"Shit! They better not have touched Yuki, or I'll kill 'em!"
"And my boyfriend was freaking at me.
He wants to know if I've ever gone with a rent boy or something."
"Uh, why?"
"All the guys in our class do it to make some extra cash."
And I am most displeased to hear that you allow such lax standards in your school. The children in such care homes as the one I supervise are still young and I would prefer them to be shielded from such degenerates as these…
"What on earth is going on here?"
The principal threw down the letter he'd just received, wrenched off his glasses and began polishing them furiously. e HH
"Surely nothing more than a piece of gossip –" the vice-principal began.
"And since when did gossip result in complaints from carers, parents and significant adults?"
"Well, hardly ever, simply because normally it's so unbelievable, whereas this does have an air of probability…"
"You don't think it is true, do you?" the principal said.
"Well – I can't say it's ever crossed my mind. I admit some of the female students are a little – erm, flamboyant in their dress and manner, but the boys do not seem to have had any inclinations that way – although…you recall Shotaro Kaneda –"
"Only too well." The principal shuddered. "What about him?"
"Upbraided for engaging in unseemly behaviour with another student. Another male student. A week or so back." The vice principal glanced significantly at his colleague.
"But surely simply having a relationship with another boy does not mean he would sell himself on the streets. Especially not using this school as a base."
"This is Shotaro Kaneda we're talking about."
"Hmm. True. All right. Send Mr Takaba to talk to him and his reprobate friends. That should establish the truth."
"What about any…groupies? That bunch of troublemakers do seem to attract female attention…maybe one of them might know something…"
"Half the girls in the school probably know something," the principal said. "And what they know would then be unbelievably distorted until the truth has been obliterated. No – we must focus on the current attractions. Which would be Oshima Mari…she's been seen hanging around them…and this other girl. Kaori."
It was a week since the night out at the Harukiya.
"And so," Kaneda said as they walked along the school corridor, "the Jaw was doing his bad-cop, bad-cop thing, pacing up and down in front of me…shining a torch into my eyes…"
"Yeah, right." Tetsuo snorted.
"Well, okay, but you could tell he wanted to."
"What exactly did he ask you?" Kai said.
"Basically, did I sell my ass for sex."
"And do you?"
"Shut up, Tetsuo. No, I don't, and I told him I would never do such a thing – I was happy in a mature, adult relationship with Yama-kun –"
"You didn't call me that, did you?" Yamagata said. "Cos if you did –"
"Okay, so I didn't. I acted sappy, though. Come on, I had to make it convincing! And he growled and snarled a bit and then he said if I was lying he'd personally destroy me. Or something. What about you guys?"
"Same thing," Tetsuo said.
"And – what did you say?" Kai asked.
"'Eeeeuw, no!'"
"I said I hadn't been listening," Yamagata said.
"Good one."
"What? I hadn't."
"What did you say, Kai?" Tetsuo asked.
"Same thing. I didn't know what he was on about."
You liar.
Hey, I'm good at lying, ain't I?
Lucky for you.
I handled it. That creep didn't figure anything out.
He knew he could do a good poker face when he really needed to. And he'd just kept saying no, I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah. No one would guess.
He just felt like they'd guessed because his stomach had been leaping and churning with terror, and his skin had tingled with sweat, and part of him had been hissing of course he'll guess. You're nothing but a whore and soon everyone'll know it…
No they wouldn't.
But if they did…
Then everything would be very bad. So bad he couldn't even imagine it. The thought of being found out – the thought of the other guys finding out – now that it was actually a risk, he realised that he did care, he cared a lot. He cared – and he didn't want to care –
His hands were trembling. He shoved them into his pockets.
But it was okay. All the guys had been asked now, and no one had said anything. It had been a shock, but he was still safe. Maybe it wasn't even anything to do with him at all – maybe it was the principal trying to prove that he was actually able to run the school – whatever. Even if it was something to do with him, no one knew, and no one could tell, no one knew, no one at all…right?
"Well, Kaori?"
Kaori sat at the table in Miss Osaka's office, and stared down at the coffee-stained surface. This room smelt of gym shoes, sweat, basketballs; dry, rubbery smells that made her feel sick.
Gym class was horrible. Hockey sticks catching her round the ankles, sending her crashing onto a hard, stony floor. Her skinny legs trembling when they had to jog round the hall, hour after hour. She was too weak for it. And she cried too easily.
About the only thing going for her in that class was she wasn't fat. And a lot of the girls who were fat were smart-mouthed, confident, and whispered and giggled and swore at Miss Osaka when she bitched at them.
I cry too easily.
And she wanted to cry now, because she knew she was a terrible liar. Her eyes were burning already.
"Do you know anything?"
"No," she whispered, staring down at the table, and she felt a blush roll over her face, and in the back of the mind, she and Kai lay together on Mari's bed, and he fucked her over and over again.
"I'm off," Tetsuo said. "I gotta find Kaori."
"Tetsuo –"
"What? I'll see you guys this evening. But – you know – we only just made up –" Tetsuo stopped, blushing, and said, "anyway, dumb bitch'll get whiny if I don't turn up for her. Okay? Okay. See you."
"Talk about a ball and chain," Kaneda muttered as Tetsuo scurried away. "You wouldn't catch me getting so sappy about no girl." He glanced at Yamagata, and grinned. "Now, boys on the other hand…"
"You can sweet-talk all you want," Yamagata said, "but I gotta…go. I got things to do."
Kaneda shrugged. "Your funeral. Okay, but I'll see you tonight. We are gonna take back our turf if it kills us, y'know? I'm talking a full-scale rumble."
He grinned, and walked off down the corridor. Yamagata stood, looking after him for a moment, then sighed, and turned to face Kai.
"Well, I'll see you, then?" Kai said. "If you're busy –"
"Uh – I'm not exactly busy."
"What do you mean, not exactly?"
"I – I wanted to talk to you without Kaneda hanging around. About, uh, the other night."
"What, the – the night at the Harukiya?" Kai swallowed, trying to drop the words casually, as if they were chocolate wrappers.
He'd been wondering if Yamagata even remembered. Maybe it was just the guy hadn't been able to ditch Kaneda before.
"Yeah. Look, I was…a bit out of it, and I…well, you know. Kinda came on to you. But it was cos I was mad with Kaneda. It's not like I wanted to play around with you."
"Oh."
"Not that, y'know, you're really ugly or anything. I mean, I wasn't doing it as a joke. But, I mean, I don't really know – I mean, I don't feel that way for you. But I'm sure someone will. I mean –"
"You can stop," Kai said. "I get it."
"Good. I was beginning to run out of words."
"I didn't notice." Kai made himself grin, wishing he didn't want to kick something. I don't feel that way for you. He should have figured that out by now, Yamagata had made it plain enough for ages. He shouldn't have hoped, even a little bit. He shouldn't have liked the kisses. He shouldn't have wanted to care.
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm guessing you want to keep it quiet in front of Kaneda?"
"Nah, he won't care. He screwed Mari, after all."
They stood facing each other in the graffiti-torn corridor. Kai wouldn't have minded standing there forever –
Yes I would
"Well, see you," he said, and turned away.
Yamagata was not cute and he didn't fancy him any more. He'd put that crush away in a very dark cupboard somewhere in his mind and it was not coming out ever. You blabbed things to crushes.
And besides, this crush was getting dangerous. This crush had had a taste of something better than dreaming, and it wanted more.
"Kai?"
Walk on walk on walk on –
But his body had already turned back and said, "Yeah?" and his mind was swept helplessly along, cursing.
"Hey, we could go hang out someplace. You know? How's your bike, anyway?"
"I told you. It's under a dust sheet in the yard."
"You think. Maybe some punk neighbour pinched it and all that's there is a pile of scrap iron."
"Your point being?"
"My point being, why don't I get my bike, and we'll go round your place, and fix them all up, make 'em as good as new, and then we'll be all ready for some Clown-bashing tonight."
Kai swallowed. There were so many objections he didn't even know where to start.
I'm not riding –
I got to be back here at half-four –
You're dangerous –
Because I really really want you to kiss me again –
Kiss me lots – touch me – let me touch you – I know how to make people feel good – I could really do it for you –
Excuse me? he asked his mind, and the hot, shadowy images vanished. Just what the hell do you think you're doing? His thoughts were going off on a completely unnecessary and stupid tangent, and that was dumb. Especially because it was making him feel kind of warm all over…
He hadn't felt that sort of warmth since – since that night, the arrest night, when he'd seen Yamagata riding off down a side street and spent way too long staring after him. He'd forgotten how damn nice it was –
Stop it.
"I can't," he said. "I really can't."
"Why not? Kai, what is going on with you? What's the damn secret?"
"There ain't no secret. I just don't want to do this." He was breathing too fast, he noticed. And inside the coldness of the last three months was melting, breaking up, and jealousy and lust and anger and fear were all about to burst out and if that happened he could cut himself to pieces and it wouldn't stop them –
"Like hell you don't," Yamagata said. "You're a rider, right? I remember the time you gave your name to that cop as Dunlop Suzuki – I remember when you got busted for spray-painting Bikes Rule on the science room door – I remember –"
"Big deal. People change, you know?"
"You ain't changed. You got some other reason for being all oh-I'm-too-cool-to-have-a-bike."
"Why do I have to tell it to you?" He'd shouted that and he hadn't even meant to – shit, couldn't control himself –
"So there is a reason."
"No, I – you don't – I never – oh, shut the hell up."
Walk away, he told himself. Walk away. But his feet wouldn't move. They'd obviously decided they liked arguing. Or social suicide, which was what it would be if he did end up spilling his guts – which he wasn't going to do –
Just to tell, just to tell someone would be nice –
No it wouldn't. Geez, was his entire body against him? His feet staying put, his mind hissing temptations in his ears, and, uh, everything else suddenly becoming obsessed with Yamagata –
"I'm just worried about you," Yamagata said at last. "I mean, I dunno. Maybe you have just changed. But it sucks if you have, okay? I don't like people who act like they think their friends are dumb. I don't like people who have stupid secrets cos they think it's funny. I don't like people who let themselves get beaten on by the class jerks. I don't like people who've decided they're too good or too scared to go biking when they know they can do it. I don't like people who pretend they hate stuff they like because they wanna look cool. But I don't think you're like that. Shit, I know you're not. So…why the hell are you doing it?"
The words echoed in the dusty, silent corridor.
Kai sighed. Would it be so hard to tell? Spill it all out and then stop hiding – stop running – just sink down and rest –
No. Every single person he'd ever met in his life would despise him then.
But he couldn't resist everything. So –
"Come on," he said. "Let's go get your bike."
"You're gonna do it?"
"Sure I am."
"Yeah!" Yamagata punched the air, and grinned. "Come on. Let's go before you change your mind."
He still wanted answers. Kai was pretty sure. But hanging out doing nothing but bike stuff for a couple of hours would put him off the scent. Yeah. It was a diversion, nothing more.
Honest.
Are you lying, Kaori?"
"No…"
And that's a lie too and she must have guessed.
Sweat was oozing down the sides of her face and clung heavy and itchy under her hair.
It's silly to be frightened. She can't hurt you…
Oh, she can. This whole school can and I'm scared…
"You are lying. I can tell."
Kaori stared down at the tabletop, and picked at a crack in its plastic surface. Grey plastic, the colour of clouds. Or maybe it had once been white and got dirty.
"If you have had relationships with someone like that, you could be in very serious trouble, and it will only look worse if you lie about it. You understand that?"
Maybe it had once been white and got dirty –
Tetsuo, finding out about this –
Kai, touching her –
She suddenly felt very sick.
"I said, you understand?" Kaori jumped as Miss Osaka slammed her hand down onto the table.
"Yes – yes, Miss Osaka, I understand."
"So? What do you have to say?"
The silence widened. Kaori closed her eyes, feeling the sweat flicker on her forehead. Her stomach was heavy under her ribs.
They'd backed her into a corner for sure – there was no way out –
If you tell on Kai he'll tell on you –
Tetsuo. Tetsuo hating her because she'd been horrible, she'd been wicked, she'd cheated on him and she hadn't even meant to –
"I don't know," she gasped.
Too many loyalties, tangling around her wrists and ankles and tripping her every time she moved.
"You don't know what?"
"What to say, I just – I can't – I –"
Tetsuo would hate her –
"You have let yourself down, Kaori, and you've let everyone else down too."
Tetsuo would hate her and it would be all Kai's fault, how dare he?
"Just answer me this," Miss Osaka said. "Who was it?"
No – no, it wasn't. No. Bad thought. It wasn't Kai's fault, she had agreed to it just as much as he had. It was her fault and Tetsuo would know it and shout at her, slut, whore, bitch, how could you, I hate you, you dirty cheat –
And then he'd go away and never come back.
And it would hurt –
"Well, Kaori? There is no point in defending someone like that. Why did you do it? Cheap thrills?"
Cheap thrills, you slut –
"No – no, it's not like that!" It couldn't be, she wouldn't let it… "I just, it was for him, and I didn't know it was going to be him I swear it, if I had I never would have done it –"
"Who was it? We're going to stay here until you tell me."
"It was Kai," she gasped. "He did it. I asked him to because I wanted to, for Tetsuo, but I didn't know, please, you've got to believe me, I didn't know. It was Kai. It was Kai."
And then she burst into tears.
The sky was grey-blue, a soft, plushy colour. Sun glimmered at the edges of it. Kai tilted his head back and stared for a moment, then let himself slump down and stared round the dorm yard. The concrete was rippling with sun and shadow, there were bits of bike everywhere, his fingers and face were speckled with oil, and Yamagata sat against the wall, eyes shut, basking in the sun.
Kai grinned. Okay, he shouldn't be enjoying this. It was a diversion, an act, a cover-up. But it was pretty comfortable all the same.
He sighed happily, and, after checking for broken glass, stretched out on the warm ground, and stared at the sky some more.
"Y'know…sooner or later we'll have to put the bikes back together," Yamagata said from far above him.
"Mmm. I know."
"You lazy jerk, Kaisuke."
"Yup. Hey, we got any crisps left?"
There was a rustle as Yamagata grabbed the multipack of crisps that he'd…borrowed from the corner shop they'd passed.
"One packet. Here." He threw it onto Kai's chest. "Satisfied?"
"Yeah, I guess."
There was a long, crunchy silence. Finally Yamagata said, "So…are you ever gonna tell me your secret?"
"You sound like a kindergarten kid."
"Ha ha. I'm serious, Kai."
Kai knew he should be feeling panicked, but his back was warm and his stomach was contentedly gurgling over the crisps. "No," he said at last. "It's not important."
"But…"
Kai heard Yamagata slide closer to him, and squinted up through the sun into the other guy's eyes.
"Look, I'm no dumb goody-goody. I done drugs, I drink, I ride, I hit Clowns over the head, I think the last time I did homework I was…hell, I ain't never done homework – you see what I'm saying?"
"You're a juvenile delinquent? Just a guess."
Yamagata snorted, and shoved him slightly. "What I'm sayin' is, how the hell could anything you say shock me? So what if you done something stupid. We wouldn't care. I know you like guys – I like guys – so I don't mind if you got some boy you're seeing. If it's someone picking on you, tell me and I'll go mash them. If you're scared of something, spit it out at least."
"And – and if it ain't any of those things?"
"Then tell me what it is! And if it's a bad thing, we'll fix it, and if it's a good thing, I won't need to worry about you any more, you idiot."
"Why are you worried?"
"Laugh and I'll kill you," Yamagata said.
"Okay, I'll try not to."
"I just – I guess I was kinda worried you, y'know, got something really bad going down. Something's really wrong."
Kai swallowed.
Yeah it is and I don't like it –
No it isn't. It isn't it isn't. He had no problems. He was fine, he could cope fine, and he didn't need to go spilling his guts to anyone. Especially not Yamagata.
"No," he said. "Don't worry. It's nothing like that."
Above him, Yamagata grinned, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Good," he said. "I was – good."
Kai felt Yamagata's eyes patter on his skin, and shivered. Good-shiver. Something else he hadn't felt for ages.
"How come you still got your jacket on, anyway? It's really warm out here."
"I'm kind of cold."
"You're weird. I'm boiling."
"You're taller. You can keep the heat in. Or something."
"Anyway," Yamagata said, stretching out on the ground next to Kai, "what're you doing tonight?"
"Putting my bike back together?" They were almost touching now. Kai clutched his mind, which was desperately trying to make him wriggle even closer.
"Cool. So – you're staying here now, then?"
"Uh…" Kai noticed, dimly, that the sun had an afternoon-ish quality. "Hang on. What time is it?"
"You think I've got a watch?" Yamagata got up, walked over to the window of the dorm, and then called, "Kitchen clock says four-thirty."
"Shit!" Kai leapt to his feet. "Look, I gotta go – I – I'll come back – I'll come fix my bike in – about an hour, okay?"
"Where're you going?"
"Someplace!"
"Kai…"
"I'll be back!" He ran out of the yard, shaking grit from his hair, cursing his lack of sense. Okay, so he hadn't actually been told by Shimura there'd be someone waiting, but there nearly always was. Abandoning a client – oh, that couldn't be good –
Neo-Tokyo suddenly seemed so empty. The sky was fading from blue to dusty gold, and the warm, thin air muffled the cars and voices around him. It was an afternoon for dozing. For being lazy. For chilling out.
With someone you liked. Like Yamagata –
No. If he kept this up, soon – soon – well, something horrible would happen. He could feel it.
His feet echoed down the pavement as he ran towards the school gates and stumbled to a halt, breathless, his gasps bouncing off the concrete around him and echoing over the grass-cracked paving stones and burnt-out cars.
And there was another car, non-vandalised, waiting for him at the edge of the parking lot.
As his breathing slowed, the nervousness returned, yanking his stomach down from under his ribs, and his hands started trembling again. He dug his nails fiercely into his palm – not half as good as a scalpel but maybe it would help – and walked over to the car.
No sense in being too pushy. Maybe it was someone else there, for a completely different reason. Though why you'd want to hang around this school when you didn't have to he couldn't see. Especially as it was all empty anyway. The window wound down as he approached, and the driver looked out at him. Just another guy, neat hair, neat clothes, sweat shiny on his face. "Kai, right?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Hah, you couldn't give me a good time. You're just a kid."
"I'm small for my age." Oh, joy, a wise guy. Why the hell did he want to talk? "Are we gonna do this or not?"
"Cool down. What're your prices?"
"Didn't – the guy who got you here –" Shimura didn't like his name being made common knowledge – "tell you about that?"
"So I've got a short memory."
Oh great, an idiot as well. "Okay, fine. You screw my brains out, I'll take four thousand. Got it?" He knew he was sounding rude, but hey, he'd never been employed to be a perky people person.
"Thanks. Get in."
Kai nodded, and tried to open the car door. It stuck.
"You want me to go with you or not?" he called. Man, he could've been staying with Yamagata 'stead of dealing with a guy who couldn't even afford a good car.
"Hang on."
The guy got out of the car, and walked round to where Kai was.
The next thing Kai knew, he'd been grabbed and slammed against the side of the car, and his customer was slipping handcuffs onto his wrists.
"Hey, watch it, you idiot!" he yelped as his arms were wrenched back. "My arms don't bend that way –"
"Shut up. I'm Sergeant Kurosawa, and you're under arrest for soliciting."
