Chapter 8: It's a Start

"Why did this have to happen…?" I asked myself as I fiddled with my thumbs and sat down on a bench inside a prison cell within the confines of a police box.

Everything happened so fast, like a rush of anger and euphoria exploded into one contact, primarily known as a punch. Then at that point, I couldn't remember so much about what had happened before this. After I told Raphtalia to go home, I began walking.

I didn't know why or how I could explain it, but I felt my blood boiling over like hot lava nearly leaking out of a volcano's crater. It felt more like an anger coming from someone else…

I would've just helped with comforting her as I brought her home to her sister, where she would've likely held a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me. I would've been prepared for that to happen, but it looks like rationality could only get me so far.

"So much for playing the hero." I sighed as I began to look around the other prison cell and saw Motoyasu just looking down on the ground while clasping his hands tightly and sweating coldly for a moment. When he looked at my direction, his face wasn't the same playboy kind of face. He has bruises and a few scratches of blood and patches of dirt on his face.

Then I realized that I was the one that had just unleashed all my pent-up anger upon him. He kept screaming and begging for me to stop, and something inside me snapped. It compelled and tempted me to keep going, until a few nearby officers stopped our one-way fight as I struggled to break free from the grip of someone on my back and arms as I tried glaring at Motoyasu.

It all happened a few hours ago, after I had told Raphtalia to go back to her sister. I soon began walking to the love hotel near the convenient store she mentioned earlier to me as I clenched my fist so hard that it turned pale. I felt my teeth grit so hard that I could've sworn that I tasted my blood from my gums. Then I soon bumped into him while he was also in a fit of rage.

"Where is she?! Where is that bitch!?" Motoyasu shouted, which was definitely an accidental moment of pouring gasoline over my already blazing hot fire. Then out of nowhere, I grabbed his shoulder and punched his face so hard that he flew into the pavement, where a few onlookers managed to witness the event unfold.

I clenched my fist and looked down on him and growled at him as I said "You FUCKING son of a bitch!" Then I began to jump on him, but then he tousled and turned me to the ground and started fighting back. Everything went black after I kept punching him as I felt my bandaged head.

"Looks like you're finally awake." A guard next to our cells said out loud. I rubbed my head and I slowly sat up from the hanging bench of the cell, and then the guard opened up my cell and got closer to me.

I didn't really know what to do at the moment, so I just sat up properly. I felt like an elementary school student that just got caught by a teacher after doing something really bad. In my case, I beat up a 21-year-old man in the middle of the streets.

"I don't even know how you started the fight, but you're gonna have to tell me, son. Luckily, a lady friend of yours testified in your defense. So for now, you're gonna have to follow me to the interrogation room." He explained to me.

It had me thinking and then I realized that it was probably Raphtalia. She must've heard the news about it. In my mind, I wanted to thank her somehow, but I knew that it wouldn't be the right thing to do. I mean, I beat up her boyfriend, well in this context it would be "ex-boyfriend", without remorse.

After he removed the cuffs on my wrists, he helped me up and we walked over to the interrogation room. Then I felt Motoyasu's cold gaze from behind my back, but I just decided to ignore it. In my head, all I could say to myself was "I just want to get this over with."

After a few hours later, and a bit of coffee from the officer, I was let out and I sighed feeling tired. I looked at the time and I saw that I had been there until 2 in the morning. I groaned as my stomach rumbled.

"I wonder if there's still a convenient store near this place?" I said to myself. Then I heard a voice.

"Hey. Uhm…" The voice felt uneasy and then I looked over the direction, only to see Raphtalia holding a bag of something.

Then she bowed her head and loudly said "I'm sorry for causing you this much trouble!" I looked at her and sighed for a bit.

"Look. I appreciate the apology, but it was still my own fault that I ended up here. But if you want to discuss it, let's go to a nearby park or something. " I calmly explained.

"Ah. Sure.." She said while still holding the bag as we made our way to an open playground. Not really a good place to take a break, but I'll take what I can get. I sat down on one of the swings and I looked up at the night sky. It was a cold night, but it wasn't the unbearable kind of cold. It was a nice feeling.

Then when she sat down, she started to sniffle and I looked over her way and saw that she was crying. She tried to keep herself under control, but she just couldn't stop the flow of tears.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry for being so stupid..! If I hadn't gone there, this would never have happened..!" She tried to say in-between her sniffles and sobs.

I sighed and I grabbed a handkerchief from the pocket of my jacket, stood up from the swing, walked over to her and began softly wiping away the tears from her eyes and cheeks and the drips of mucus from her nose. If I'm going to take a guess, she must've been a messy crier.

She saw me doing this and she just kept herself still as she tried to compose herself once more. After I wiped away most of her tears, I stood up and thought about doing the only thing I believed was rational at the moment, or was it? I knelt down, placed a hand on her head, and started to gently stroke her hair as I smiled at her and said these words.

"Thank you for saving me back there. It wasn't your fault to begin with. I was the one that couldn't control myself as soon as I knew about it."

She looked at me like she had just been stunned by a bright light. As for me, it felt strangely familiar. Why did I even think that it was right to give her a head pat? Then suddenly, it felt like deja vu all over again. A memory of me stroking someone's head?

"You did your best…" I said as I saw a young girl crying as I kept stroking her hair. After I saw that, I shook my head and slowly stood up from my position and then she looked up at me in surprise while saying "What's wrong?"

I replied with "I'm just going to get a drink on the vending machine. Be right back." As I began to walk towards one.

As soon as I got there, I remembered two weeks ago about how this even started. What's going to happen to Motoyasu, at this point? He could actually be facing a sentence in prison for attempting to rape someone.

But I could be facing the same thing as well if he testifies that I assaulted him in the middle of the streets. I may have told my side, but would they really believe in me that easily?

The worst part about this is that I already have a record of being arrested for my brother's mistake of having to nearly join a gang in middle school. If my parents get word of this incident as well, they'd probably disown me. It's not that I fear my parents in general, since they haven't really been supporting me with what I do with my life, it's just that I…

I looked at the ground for a bit and grabbed the two bottles of oolong tea from the vending machines and began to walk back to Raphtalia.

When I saw her, she was talking to someone on her phone. "No, I'm fine. Naofumi-san is with me after all. I already apologized for what I did and I still feel bad."

I walked in on her and asked "Is that your sister calling?" As I handed her a bottle of the oolong tea. She got a bit surprised and nodded her head for a bit as she grabbed the oolong tea bottle and set it down next to her lap.

Then I saw her getting flustered for a reason as she whispered on the receiver of her cellphone "N-N-No! This isn't a date! I-I'm just trying to repay his gratitude for protecting me! Geez, Big Sis! I already told you about-!"

Then I just sat down next to her and quietly listened in on their conversation. Apparently, it was Sadeena that suggested she pick me up and tell the police about what happened with me and Motoyasu. I just didn't expect them to let me out that easily.

Then I looked over her and I saw her fidgeting over a small bag that I first noticed her holding. She didn't realize that I was looking over.

With a sigh, I reluctantly looked at her and asked "So what are you holding there?" Then she gave me a surprised look in return and brought out the contents of the box.

Apparently, she made me a bento. I'm not even sure as to why. I remembered passing by their streets and seeing a convenient store just a few blocks, but as I looked at her closely, she felt antsy after she gave me the bento.

I sighed and I said "Do you have any chopsticks?" Then I saw her, with the biggest smile on her face as she gladly hands me the chopsticks inside the small bag she was carrying.

Then for a brief moment, I saw something...wagging? I-Is that a tail..? It looks like a Tanuki's tail. Then I blinked again and she looked at me and asked "Is everything alright?"

Then I shrugged it off as I said "I-I'm fine. It's nothing."

After a few minutes of having to eat the bento and drinking the tea she got for me, I looked up at the sky and sighed for a brief moment and then I looked at her and said "So what are you going to do about Motoyasu..?"

Then she clenches her fists on her lap and says "I don't know...He might tell his side of the story to his family or friends. I will be needing to prepare for my own safety when I go back on the weekdays to class. But...I never got to truly thank you for having to help me out, even though you're also going to be in trouble." Then she lets out a sigh of relief and guilt.

Then I stood up and gave her back the bag as I said "Well, your cooking isn't bad. I actually enjoyed it. Thank you for it." Then I smiled at her as she took back the bag and then I started to walk away. But then she yelled out "P-Please wait!" Then I turned around and I put my hands inside my pocket and then I got hit with something I was truly not prepared for.

She gave me a soft smile as she looked at me and said "Thank you for saving me…"

I didn't know about it, but apparently I felt a blush creeping around my cheek and then I turned around and stuttered while saying "Y-You're welcome…" as I started to head back to my place.

Well, it looks like this is the start of something new. But I still don't believe in having to fall for someone too quickly, not after I…For now, I have to watch my back a little more. He might come after me when he gets out.

The End

Notes: I AM VERY SORRY FOR THIS DELAY. I've really got a crappy work ethic, so for everyone that had to bear with an unfinished work, I am still very sorry and thank you for reading through it.