Hiro shoved his hands in his pockets and started the slow walk home. He
could have taken his motorcycle, but didn't trust himself on it.
It's been two days now since Shuichi was last seen. Where was he? What was he doing? Every question imaginable flew through Hiro's head. Once again, he blamed himself.
"Woo! Hey there, stuck-in-the-mud!"
With a raised eyebrow, Hiro looked over at a car that slowed down in the middle of the road with the window rolled down and a head popping from the driver's side and the backseat. Hiro right away recognized them as the ASK band.
"Found out what happened to your boy Shuichi! Damn, that's one horrible way to die!"
Hiro abruptly went weak at the knees, but didn't falter. He continued walking as if he didn't hear anything from them. They were huge jerks to Bad Luck anyway and would say anything to bring them down.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Hiro inquired, trying to pay as little interest as possible and kept his eyes on the sidewalk ahead of him. He didn't want to have anything to do with them after what horrible things they have done to Shuichi in the past because of overdone jealousy.
"What? You didn't know? And you call yourself a friend!"
A roll of laughter came from the three.
"I love seeing you moping over him like this, it's so great. Now we just have to see what his BOYFRIEND will say about it. I don't think he'll mind. One less nuisance he has to deal with."
"Get lost," Hiro muttered, trying to get the cursed voice out of his head.
"Think about it, it's been DAYS now, right? Wouldn't he had been by to sleep at your...apartment, if that's what you call it, and we all know he's been doing more than playing a round of video games!"
Hiro glared at him and the rest of the giggling team.
"If you guys don't mind, I want to be alone right now. Continue your honorable trip onwards."
Aizawa glared at him, pulling down his black sunglasses.
"Watch your attitude Nakano, I DO have the power to run you over," he growled.
Hiro scoffed.
"As far as Shuichi's concerned, you'll find his corpse in an alley with bugs, mice, and whatever eating up the remains after I paid some dudes a handsome sum to keep you guys out of the competition."
Hiro's fists clenched against his will. Sometimes those guys would get on his last nerve that he would just love to punch them into next year.
"Oh look boys, he's shaking. We'll be back to collect the reward from you later Nakano for the information given. Sweet dreams!"
With a roar of laughter, Aizawa screeched the tires and sped off and became out of sight within a matter of seconds. Hiro couldn't help but be disturbed with his words. Just the thought of seeing Shuichi unmoving and stiff as a board with critters eating him to the bone sent chills up and down his spine. But it wasn't true, so there was nothing to worry about...right?
As much as he tried to rid Aizawa's cursed words free from his mind, they kept coming back. He pictured the glare on Aizawa's face and the laughter in his voice with every word he said.
Then, out of the blue, came an argument that he and Shuichi had just last week. They were at his place, and, like usual, Shuichi was moping over how Eiri was treating him.
*****************
"You're going to be real sorry if you never see me again one of these days, Hiro!" Shuichi yelled, throwing a fit while Hiro sat hunched over on the couch with his hand over his face and his eyes closed.
"Shuichi just shut up, please! I can't stand your voice anymore!"
They exchanged hard glances again.
"I can't believe you Hiroshi! You're supposed to be my friend! Why are you being like this?!"
Hiro stood up and towered over his friend.
"Because every other word out of your mouth is about Yuki! I'm SICK of it!"
Shuichi scrunched his face up with hate and pivoted away from him
"Fine! One of these days no one's ever going to see me again and it'll be all your fault!"
He lunged himself out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him
******************
Of course, he came back and they became friends again, but he didn't come back this time. Hiro wouldn't think twice of blaming himself if something did happen to Shuichi. He would blame himself and Eiri. Eiri wouldn't live to see another day if something happened to his Shuichi.
Aizawa's words still wouldn't leave his head, no matter how much he tried ridding them. Finally, taking his words to heart, he couldn't help but think it was positive. It's better to be safe than sorry. Those guys were jerks, but hardly did they lie, even to him.
"Shuichi...where have you gone? Are you hurt? Is Aizawa right?"
Hiro turned and ran in the opposite direction.
_____________________
There was only one major alley in the district and he had a hunch that was the one. Even if those jerks weren't telling the truth, at least he could calm himself knowing it wasn't true. Who knows, at any second, they could just jump out and brag on how much they scammed him.
By the time he got there, it was just about nightfall, but lights came on and lit up the place as if it were daylight. He looked in all directions, even behind him. He was well aware of what kinds of thugs polluted the alleys at nighttime.
Shakily, he walked onwards, keeping strictly alert. It was quiet...perhaps too quiet. He could hear himself breathing and stepping along the pavement. Then, his walking turned into a brisk jog. Nothing was visible, not even another human being.
Hiro hit himself mentally for listening to those guys when he came to the dead end of the alley. There was nothing here.
"Hey, looky here, another trespasser. We've been waiting for you...Hiroshi."
Hiro turned around speedily at the voice behind him. Little did Hiro know, there stood the same exact two men that had a ball with Shuichi a few nights ago.
"Waiting for me?..."
It's been two days now since Shuichi was last seen. Where was he? What was he doing? Every question imaginable flew through Hiro's head. Once again, he blamed himself.
"Woo! Hey there, stuck-in-the-mud!"
With a raised eyebrow, Hiro looked over at a car that slowed down in the middle of the road with the window rolled down and a head popping from the driver's side and the backseat. Hiro right away recognized them as the ASK band.
"Found out what happened to your boy Shuichi! Damn, that's one horrible way to die!"
Hiro abruptly went weak at the knees, but didn't falter. He continued walking as if he didn't hear anything from them. They were huge jerks to Bad Luck anyway and would say anything to bring them down.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Hiro inquired, trying to pay as little interest as possible and kept his eyes on the sidewalk ahead of him. He didn't want to have anything to do with them after what horrible things they have done to Shuichi in the past because of overdone jealousy.
"What? You didn't know? And you call yourself a friend!"
A roll of laughter came from the three.
"I love seeing you moping over him like this, it's so great. Now we just have to see what his BOYFRIEND will say about it. I don't think he'll mind. One less nuisance he has to deal with."
"Get lost," Hiro muttered, trying to get the cursed voice out of his head.
"Think about it, it's been DAYS now, right? Wouldn't he had been by to sleep at your...apartment, if that's what you call it, and we all know he's been doing more than playing a round of video games!"
Hiro glared at him and the rest of the giggling team.
"If you guys don't mind, I want to be alone right now. Continue your honorable trip onwards."
Aizawa glared at him, pulling down his black sunglasses.
"Watch your attitude Nakano, I DO have the power to run you over," he growled.
Hiro scoffed.
"As far as Shuichi's concerned, you'll find his corpse in an alley with bugs, mice, and whatever eating up the remains after I paid some dudes a handsome sum to keep you guys out of the competition."
Hiro's fists clenched against his will. Sometimes those guys would get on his last nerve that he would just love to punch them into next year.
"Oh look boys, he's shaking. We'll be back to collect the reward from you later Nakano for the information given. Sweet dreams!"
With a roar of laughter, Aizawa screeched the tires and sped off and became out of sight within a matter of seconds. Hiro couldn't help but be disturbed with his words. Just the thought of seeing Shuichi unmoving and stiff as a board with critters eating him to the bone sent chills up and down his spine. But it wasn't true, so there was nothing to worry about...right?
As much as he tried to rid Aizawa's cursed words free from his mind, they kept coming back. He pictured the glare on Aizawa's face and the laughter in his voice with every word he said.
Then, out of the blue, came an argument that he and Shuichi had just last week. They were at his place, and, like usual, Shuichi was moping over how Eiri was treating him.
*****************
"You're going to be real sorry if you never see me again one of these days, Hiro!" Shuichi yelled, throwing a fit while Hiro sat hunched over on the couch with his hand over his face and his eyes closed.
"Shuichi just shut up, please! I can't stand your voice anymore!"
They exchanged hard glances again.
"I can't believe you Hiroshi! You're supposed to be my friend! Why are you being like this?!"
Hiro stood up and towered over his friend.
"Because every other word out of your mouth is about Yuki! I'm SICK of it!"
Shuichi scrunched his face up with hate and pivoted away from him
"Fine! One of these days no one's ever going to see me again and it'll be all your fault!"
He lunged himself out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him
******************
Of course, he came back and they became friends again, but he didn't come back this time. Hiro wouldn't think twice of blaming himself if something did happen to Shuichi. He would blame himself and Eiri. Eiri wouldn't live to see another day if something happened to his Shuichi.
Aizawa's words still wouldn't leave his head, no matter how much he tried ridding them. Finally, taking his words to heart, he couldn't help but think it was positive. It's better to be safe than sorry. Those guys were jerks, but hardly did they lie, even to him.
"Shuichi...where have you gone? Are you hurt? Is Aizawa right?"
Hiro turned and ran in the opposite direction.
_____________________
There was only one major alley in the district and he had a hunch that was the one. Even if those jerks weren't telling the truth, at least he could calm himself knowing it wasn't true. Who knows, at any second, they could just jump out and brag on how much they scammed him.
By the time he got there, it was just about nightfall, but lights came on and lit up the place as if it were daylight. He looked in all directions, even behind him. He was well aware of what kinds of thugs polluted the alleys at nighttime.
Shakily, he walked onwards, keeping strictly alert. It was quiet...perhaps too quiet. He could hear himself breathing and stepping along the pavement. Then, his walking turned into a brisk jog. Nothing was visible, not even another human being.
Hiro hit himself mentally for listening to those guys when he came to the dead end of the alley. There was nothing here.
"Hey, looky here, another trespasser. We've been waiting for you...Hiroshi."
Hiro turned around speedily at the voice behind him. Little did Hiro know, there stood the same exact two men that had a ball with Shuichi a few nights ago.
"Waiting for me?..."