Chapter 28

He never thought this would have happened.

But then again, with the way things have been going for Amai Mask, perhaps it was to be expected.

He was at the Association, waiting around for perhaps something to do. He hasn't been given word if the world would want him to return to acting, singing or anything of his normal routine before they knew the truth about him. But still, he kept his mind opened on the possibility of a return to the limelight.

He was sitting in the cafeteria of all places, sipping on a green tea when he felt a very powerful, lingering presence over him. Slowly, he turned and face Chuck Brawler.

Instantly the tea was set aside as he got on the floor and kept himself in a prostrated position. "What the hell are ya doing?" Chuck demanded.

Amai paused. "You… don't want me on the floor?" he asked. "Quite frankly sir, it's usually where I end up every time I see you."

Chuck gave out a laugh. "Yeah, that is true, but not this time. You're coming with me boy,"

It was as if someone dropped ice water down his back.

Him… alone with Chuck Brawler? He shuttered at the thought of it all. Yet, he also know if he refuses him… well… he is a Brawler.

With a sigh, Amai got himself off the floor and nodded. "Where would you like to go sir?" he said respectfully.

"Somewhere quite, you and I… we got to talk"

Although his voice was stern, there was no sense of malic within it. Gulping his pride. Amai nodded as he followed Chuck out of the Assocation. He was led away and into the mountains at a distance. When they were alone and Chuck approved of their location, his eyes locked on him. "I said before, YOU have a lot to make up for in my mind."

He nodded in understanding. "Yes sir," he said meekly.

"You not only abused my daughter, you went after her family, her children and disreguarded your own… you got some balls to do that. It makes you less of a man in my eyes, you understand that?"

Again, he meekly nodded to his words. "I was no better than scum sir," Amai said rather truthfully. "Melee had done everything I asked of her for me, and yet, I treated her with such disrespect. As well, I never let her properly grieve you and her brothers when you died. What transpired after between her, Garou, her family… and my children… I have no excuse."

He peered up to see if his words meant anything to Chuck, but the large Brawler was silent. His eyes continued to pierce into him. "Anything else you wanna say?"

He took a deep breath. "I admit, I am not even half the man Garou is, despite everything that he endured it's no different from what I went through. I know before he was doing terrible things, but he never took an innocent life. Even when he became this Awakened Garou or whatever when he first turned into a monster. The second time around he tried to tell us he wasn't seeking to turn into one again and no one believed him… no one but Melee. I blamed him for what happened to her, but at the same time, I never realized he did everything he could to save her life."

Amai paused.

Chuck suddenly gave a smirk. "You realized the very thing you hated about Garou was what you couldn't like or love in yourself huh?"

A look of shock came over Amai Mask as he stared at the massive Brawler. Chuck snickered to his look. "What, you don't think I can't see the good in things? Just because I look the way I do, I see it a lot more than people realize. You do know that right?" he asked offhandedly.

There was nothing that could be said. Except for. "Yes, you're right." Amai smirked as well to his own confession. "The very thing I despise of myself, is what makes Garou who he is, and the source of his strength even greater. Despite how he turned… he loves his family dearly… I was jealous of him since he got Melee…"

"I don't think it's just that to say the least." Chuck stated. "Since you did get what you always wanted from her… just not how YOU wanted it. You have six fantastic children, I am proud to call them my grandbabies along with all the others. Why couldn't you accept them as your own? Why did Garou have to raise them along with my daughter? What gave you the goddamn right to decree these children were not worthy to be called your own?" he demanded.

He was silent on the matter.

He had nothing to say about it, despite the fact he was utterly terrified of being a single father. How would he raise children when he has never had them before? But he did have practice with Melee's children… would that have been enough?

"Sir… I…"

"Make me a promise, here and now. Beauto." Amai froze as he heard his actual name be spoken. He peered into his eyes as Chuck said without flinching. "When you find the right woman, you be a man about it. You take care of her, and she will take care of you. You two become partners in life, and don't you dare think that it's all about you. When you have children, whether they look like you in this state or they have some of your characteristics of your other state. You love them with everything you got!" he ordered.

He was silent on the decree. At first, he didn't quite know what to make of it, but at the same time he was curious. "You think… there's a woman out there for me?" he asked in an amazed tone.

Chuck smirked. "I've been going over your time line since I day I saw you. There's that young woman, a miss… Tohru is it?"

"I… haven't spoken to her in a while… not since this whole thing happened…"

"Talk to her," Chuck said in an encouraging tone. "What do you have to lose?"

Amai nodded once more, but smiled. "Why would you want me to be happy? After everything I put Melee through. I would be the last person on earth you would want to see be content with themselves."

Chuck smirked. "Take it from someone who has lived, died and lived again. Life ain't a picnic. Sometimes, you just got to go for what you want, when you get the chance. Other than that… why the hell are you here?" he asked.

It was a valid point.

He nodded once more in agreement. "Very well, I will do everything I can to become a better man." He vowed.

"Good, if not… I know how to find ya!"