I remember I was going to post this chapter earlier, but… I forgot. No, actually; this site was down when I came, and… yeah, then I forgot…
Well, anyway; hope you enjoy the chapter!
She had nothing else to do for the rest of the day, funnily enough.
What she'd give to have just a little bit of cash to go shopping or something… but, no.
At least she had a jumper now. This time yesterday, she had been huddling near the trash cans, freezing her ass off. Now she was comfortably warm.
Basket over her arm, she felt like a complete idiot. But hey, at least she had food for a while.
Munching on an apple, she strolled listlessly towards the esplanade, watching people frolic on the beach not too far away.
How can they go to the beach? It's fucking freezing!
Discarding the apple core, she walked back towards her trash cans, when suddenly, she heard voices.
They sounded familiar. Horribly familiar.
Fucking hell. It's them from yesterday. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!
Ducking behind a large trash can, she peered around it to see what those thugs were up to.
She flinched as she saw them bashing the absolute shit out of a young boy, hardly any older then her. He wasn't putting up any resistance. She pondered over that for a moment and then realised that one of the thugs was twisting the boy's arms behind his back.
No point in struggling then, she thought.
"You bring that purple-haired slut back here by nightfall, okay, kid? Otherwise, you really will be fucked! Understand?"
One last punch and they were gone, walking right past her trash can.
The boy got to his feet deftly yet somewhat gingerly, eyes darting around the alleyway for any signs of movement. He reminded her of a cat, all stealth and agility, despite the brutal beating he had just endured.
Suddenly, his eyes flicked over to where she was. She pulled back and hid further into the shadows immediately, except to no avail.
She had backed herself into a corner when he came around the corner, and simply stood, watching her. She hadn't even heard his footsteps on the gravel.
"Well, what are you waiting for? You just try it. I'll fight you all the way!" she hissed, hastily getting to her feet.
I won't run. I can't run. Nowhere to go. But I'll be damned if I go down without a fight.
"I don't want to hurt you."
His voice was soft, yet strangely soothing. She readied herself in a fighting stance.
"Not going to happen. I'd rather die before I surrender to the likes of you."
The boy shook his head. "You misunderstand me, Ayane."
Shit! How the…
"How the fuck do you know my name?" she exclaimed heatedly.
Silence. He just continued watching her.
Soon, her patience grew thin. "Answer me, you sorry fuck!"
"Go now, before they see you here."
He stepped backwards, once, twice, completely freeing her path.
What… but… wasn't he working with them? Didn't they want me captured? And he's just letting me go? What a… wait, maybe I should just go while I still have the chance…
"Why are you letting me go?"
She stared into the boy's eyes, trying to find out something, anything about him. In those eyes there seemed to be sincerity, but…
"My friend would never forgive me if I did not. Please, go, and speak of this incident to nobody."
Suddenly, for no logical reason, Hayate's words entered her mind, bouncing around. My best friend died from being on the streets…
She took a single step forward, towards the boy. "Who's your friend?"
"You must go. As must I. Farewell."
Before she could say anything, the boy seemed to vanish into thin air. Like Hayate had the previous evening. One minute they were there, the next minute they simply… weren't.
How the fuck does anyone do that!
As she walked away, she turned back to stare back at the alleyway. That boy… he had been there. His blood still stained the gravel ground. But that was the only sign he had actually been there. Talk about an enigma.
And as she curled up, as far away from those trash cans as she could possibly get, all she could think about was how he knew her name, exactly.
