A/N: I was originally listening to The Misfits when writing but I felt if I wanted to capture the feel of the concert I should dip into some Metallica. Granted, the only concerts I've been to were for underground, unsigned hardcore punk bands at local, small-time venues or biker bars. Sometimes the bands on the bill would sound like Metallica or have some similarities.
Also, I'm coming to terms with my inability to be brief by reminding myself I write everything for a reason...
Aiko.
"Pleasepleasepleaseplease."
With skeptical eyes, he looked over the few red markings on the quiz sheet. His lips puckered in thought as he shuffled through the sheets.
I was scared, my nerves on end. I figured if I just kept talking I wouldn't be able to stop and back out. "Pleasepleasepleaseplease."
He spread them out on the kitchen counter and stood up straight, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Bring home exams like this," he said pointedly.
"Ple—I haven't had an exam yet!" I protested. "And when I do, I will! Look, that's promise of me picking up my scores! I can't half-ass a quiz! Trust me, I've tried."
Exhausted from working over-time, he sighed and leaned back on the table, resting his stubbled chin in his hand. I could tell he was only entertaining me and then would shoot me down. Except he didn't know what I was going to ask yet...
"What did you say you wanted to do on a Tuesday night?"
I hesitated. "Well, since I did so well on all these quizzes I was hoping I could go out and have some well-deserved fun—"
"Just fucking spit it out, Aiko." He rolled his eyes.
He didn't bother asking whether I worked tomorrow night, and I was glad for that since I didn't want to tell him I asked for the night off a few weeks ago.
With one deep breath, I spat the words out as fast I could so I wouldn't be able to retrieve them. "IwantedtogototheMegallicaconcertatthepavillion."
He blinked twice, stared at me for a moment, and then cocked his head to the side. "You're fucking with me, right?"
"No." I stared back.
Though I was faltering, I tried my hardest to keep a straight face. I knew bringing this up would create a nasty atmosphere and it was brewing quickly. I could feel the heat around us, between us, created by our emotions and festering the ugly air.
Now he was interested. This wasn't considered progress to him like it was for me, but I'd brought that upon myself years ago.
The only sound in the room with us was the show Minoru left on the TV before heading to my room twenty minutes ago. A rerun of Saburomaru! had just ended, and the rolling credits were becoming louder and louder as I waited anxiously.
He leaned forward with a more than dubious look on his face and the ending credits fuzzed away quickly. "So, you want to go to a Megallica concert."
I nodded stiffly.
"A concert that has hundreds of people. Hundreds of grown men."
Again, albeit slowly, I nodded. He sneered briefly, dredging up our past in silence, before giving me a mocking smile, one of anger.
"Yeah, you know what? You want to go? Go ahead. Go." He crossed his arms over his chest, nodding to me. Then the smile disappeared when I didn't reply. "But let's get two things straight."
I waited for him to speak. I could feel the sentence coming out of his mouth before it really left his lips.
"One. Don't you fucking dare call me to save you halfway through the night. You're on your own." And even though I saw those words coming, they still cut deep. I felt the sting in the bridge of my nose, my eyes began to burn. "Two. I don't care how fucking late you stay out, you could not come home for all I care, but I for sure know your ass will be in school before that first bell rings. And I'll know it will be because I'll call and check."
"It will," I mumbled, feeling a headache from repressed anger emerging. "I wasn't planning on taking a day off tomorrow…"
He stared down at me, lips pursed to repress the sneer he wanted to express. I lowered my eyes to the counter, desperately wanting to leave but not wanting to look anymore ashamed than I really was.
"Get in your room and study," he said dismissively, shoving the quizzes across the counter at me.
With a heavy heart and a heavier sigh, I took the quizzes and then reached for the fruit bowl on the counter. Taking a couple of apples, I hurried down the hall as I heard the front door open, signaling my moms arrival.
I shoved the evening my dad referred to away, buried it back in the depths of my brain.
As I entered my room, lit by the yellow light from the lamp on the desk, I felt the headache push against my eyes. I felt the sting in the bridge of my nose build, the hot tears well up.
With a deep breath and a heavy sniff, I gently wiped under my waterline and stared up at the ceiling to let the tears fall back inside.
Minoru sat in the middle of the floor with one of my textbooks, and I dug through my satchel to find another subject to work on. Sitting at my desk, I stared blankly at a picture of a blastula, unable to push away my emotions. I stayed silent so Minoru wouldn't know to turn around and ask what was wrong.
Kazuma.
I looked away from the dark, overhanging clouds to Urameshi when I heard his voice again.
"That bastard Kamiya knew about the hole and was still willing to open it regardless," Urameshi said, biting into his melon bread as he talked about the doctor.
"So… they all know what they're doing? Like, they're not brainwashed?" I asked, biting the mouth of my taiyaki. *
"Yup." He talked with his mouth full.
What?! The hell is wrong with these people?
"I can't wrap my head around that!" I groaned.
"That humans want to destroy humanity?"
"Yeah, what the hell?"
He shrugged. "Well, we have two weeks left to find the creator of the tunnel otherwise they get what they want."
I just couldn't get it. Yeah, there were bad people in the world that had a lot coming to them, but to take out all humanity with them? Even the ones opening the tunnel were going to die! Dealing with youkai was no joke if you were a human, and then to let a whole bunch of A-class and up youkai come through? The Elder Toguro was already a handful at the tournament—chills ran down my spine thinking of having to deal with a bunch of youkai just as strong as him.
These people were A-class psychos!
My grumbling was cut short when Botan's voice came out of nowhere. "Yusuke, it's terrible!"
Well, I knew that since I could see her she brought her human body to meet us. I could feel a strange presence when she was a ghost; there was an eerie, cold feeling that hovered around me when she was waiting for her body. But I still couldn't see her. I wondered when I'd get my reiki back to functioning.
She pushed the door to the roof open, scanning the roof for us in Sarayashiki's school girl uniform.
"Botan? What's wrong?" He shoved the rest of his bread in his mouth as she raced towards us.
"It's opening in a week!" she shouted, setting the briefcase down in front of us as Yusuke choked on the bread.
I found myself spitting out bits of bean paste in surprise. She opened the briefcase, showing a black screen that I would otherwise be able to see Koenma on.
"Just the other day you said we had two weeks!" Urameshi argued.
"Just listen to Koenma!" Botan snapped, pushing Urameshi's eyes to the black, quiet screen.
Seconds passed, and Urameshi's face continued to get more disgruntled by the minute. What was I missing? This losing-my-reiki thing really blowed.
"What's going on, Urameshi?!" I snapped. "Come on, explain it to me! I can't hear or see a thing."
"Uh…" He grimaced as he looked towards me. "I don't understand it either. It's a bunch of science mumbo-jumbo."
Dumbfounded, I stared him down. "What."
"Look, all I know is we've only got one week left! He said the tunnel's being made underground, so I'm thinking the sewers."
"Why the sewers?" I questioned. "Wouldn't we have felt it more in the city then? Kurama led us to a mountain. Aiko said it was most likely in a cave."
Urameshi paused and eyed the black screen. "I never thought I'd say this but thank God for Aiko. The tunnel's in a big cave on the outskirts of the city."
I nodded. Sounded about right.
"Good, we know where it is so we can go take care of it!" He stood up, raring to go. "Come on, we need to call Kurama and head to the cave!"
...Now?
I stood slowly, debating.
After Rando, the four saint beasts, the Toguro brothers, the Dark Tournament itself, the ticket brawl… I realized this past year I'd done nothing but fight for my life. Yeah, I spent time playing video games and hanging out with my friends but in the back of my head I always was on the lookout, anticipating some sort of upcoming danger, waiting for Botan to bring bad news. It was like we could never go more than a few months without something popping up.
I wanted nothing more than to take just a few hours for myself. That Megallica concert was the perfect way for me to do that.
Just me and my friends, listening to our favorite band, no worries…
"Kuwabara?" Urameshi called to me. "What's wrong?"
"Well," I hesitated, but knew I had to assert myself to get it across to him that there was a serious reason for me to refuse. "I can't go today."
"What? Why? You have a stomach ache? That's why I don't eat those taiyaki's from here, man. Shit's just plain gross."
"No. Not exactly."
"What? What's wrong? Be clear! You havin' your period?"
"I should tell Aiko you said that," Botan remarked, to which Urameshi cringed at the thought of her getting upset.
"Well, you see…" I dug into my pocket, pulling out the tickets and holding them up gingerly with a sheepish smile. "Tonight's the Megallica concert."
I was expecting their reactions. The two of them seemed dumbstruck that I'd give up on this mission to go have fun, but damn it. I needed this.
It was then that Okubo, Kirishima, and Sawamura appeared at the door behind them.
"Come on! We're going to be late!" they called.
Urameshi quickly took off on me, sending punches that I didn't have time to dodge. It turned into a fight, because no way was I going to let him throw fists without getting a blow or two in myself.
"Are you completely stupid or what?!" he snapped.
"If you're mocking Megallica, I'll kill you!" We were quickly broken up by our own irritation, not wanting to be in contact with each other. I pushed away the stinging pain in my face. "Besides, if you had a ticket for the finals of a martial arts competition, wouldn't you do the same thing?!"
Urameshi paused, torn between what he wanted to do and what he wanted to say.
"He's hesitating…" Botan sighed in disappointment.
"I fought like the devil to get these tickets!" I asserted. "I've been waiting for this for a year and I finally actually get to see them! Even if the Earth was about to explode I wouldn't care! I'm going to this concert!"
"Fine, fine!" Urameshi snorted, digging his pinky in his ear to soothe it from my yelling. "Without your reiki you're just dead weight anyway."
"You take that back!" I latched onto his collar and pulled him up face-to-face.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he snickered. "If you get assaulted without me there to help, you're doomed!"
"Go to hell! I'm a man. I don't need your services to survive, you idiot!"
He shrugged in reply, looking like a monkey with his stupid shit-eating smile. We were glaring at each other just a second later and ready to duke it out once more, but a familiar voice caught our attention.
"What?" The three of us glanced to each other briefly as my friends waited patiently, and we quickly recognized the voice.
"Oh, no!" Botan hissed and ran towards the roof door, away from the chain link fence at the edge of the roof.
"What?" I asked again.
"Is that Aiko?" Urameshi asked in disbelief as he looked past fence and down to the street below.
I followed behind him, finding her small figure. She stood before our gate, hair in a high pony-tail and dressed in attire I didn't usually see her in.
"She's… she's not going with you to the concert, is she?" he gaped.
"Yeah, she's the one that made the contest so I could have a shot at getting the tickets!"
He paused and then spoke.
"Well, good! Then there's someone there to protect you if all goes wrong!" he laughed obnoxiously loud.
"Screw you, man!"
His tone changed instantly, though, as he looked down at her impatient figure. "She knows how big the crowds get there, right?"
I hesitated. "Yeah…?"
Tongue in cheek, he shrugged.
"Why?"
"She won't have time to defend herself while she's defending you."
"Bite me, Urameshi!" I waved him off dismissively before flipping him off.
"Just make sure you don't tell her our plans. The last thing we need is her following us to the cave."
What? "She's the one who found the cave!"
"Yeah but if she doesn't know when we're going then she can't follow us!" Urameshi asserted.
Botan nodded. "We have to make alibis."
"Yeah, yeah. Okay! I won't say anything to her." I made my way to Okubo, Kirishima, and Sawamura to make our way to the front gate.
We stepped foot near the gate and I watched her begin adjusting her jean vest in boredom. Finally, as we stepped a bit closer, she noticed us.
"Christ, finally!" She threw her hands up as we all proceeded to hop the closed gate. "I've been yelling for like ten minutes! The teacher in that third floor room is mugging me really nasty. He's ready to call security on me, I can smell it."
I landed with a small "oof" and the guys' shoes scuffing the concrete could be heard behind me seconds later. I straightened up and apologized to her.
"Sorry, we were just dealing with some stuff." I moved out of the way, putting my friends in her line of sight. "This is Okubo, Kirishima, and Sawamura. Guys, this is Aiko. She's the one who set up the contest for the tickets."
She eyed them briefly as I said their names, like she was taking in certain aspects about them. Like how Okubo was heavier, or how Sawamura's buzzcut was recently done, or how Kirishima's hair could be either a dark blond or brown depending on the lighting.
Her eyes scanned over them slowly before she smiled.
"Hey!" She stood where she was, waving to them as a group as they returned the gesture and greeting.
Since I'd introduced her like a friend, they were alright with her right off the bat. She played with the neck of her black t-shirt as the guys tried getting to know her.
Sawamura was first. "What's your favorite album?"
"Oh, uh. The one Kuwabara let me borrow." She shrugged. "My coworker used to play it in the break room sometimes but he's really obnoxious so I would tune it out." She got a laugh out of the guys, but I wasn't sure if they were being polite or if they really thought it was funny. "But I really like Enter Sandman… oh, and The Unforgiven is pretty good."
"I hear they're going to play Enter Sandman," Kirishima said.
"I heard it's The Black Album, so I'm hoping all those songs are played," Okubo said.
"So would you be able to get us tickets to Ultradeath's concerts?" Sawamura asked.
"I don't know about that… I just know a guy." She shrugged, hands dipping into her pockets. "Kuwabara may be able to talk to him about it. Hirogawa likes getting concert requests."
"Yeah, man! You won these fair and square and we only had to chip in a couple thousand yen each so you could participate!" Sawamura slapped me on the back and I cracked a smile. "We can do that again!"
Aiko nodded and she gestured to the tight jeans she wore. "Don't you guys have to get ready? Or are we going in our school uniforms? Because I could have saved some time ditching fourth hour if I knew that."
"Oh, shit, you're right," Sawamura noted and then turned to me. "We'll meet you guys at the station, then?"
I nodded. "Yeah, man. We'll be there in about an hour."
"I guess I'll go with you then?" she asked me.
"Sure."
When we split up, heading down the street separate ways from the guys, Aiko was the first to speak.
"They seem nice," she said. "I think we'll have a fun night."
"Yeah, are you like…" I hesitated, not wanting to see her the way I usually did when she was upset. "Claustrophobic?"
"Uh," she paused and then shrugged. "Yeah… I guess."
"Just that I noticed how you get on trains and stuff, and then Urameshi told me to watch out for you at the concert, so I figured you don't like crowded places."
"He said that?" she grumbled.
I nodded, wondering if she was going to hit him when she next saw him. I kind of wanted her to since it'd be funny.
"Yeah, it's something like claustrophobia, I guess," she said again with a shrug and then quickly changed the subject. "So I see you have a girlfriend?"
My face burned at the thought of Yukina. Who told her about Yukina?
"Well, she's—I want her to be—she's—"
"I saw you really got the hots for her," she teased. "Who is she?"
"Miss Yukina," I replied, exhaling heavily to cool myself off and rid the redness from my face.
Aiko pondered a bit, trying to really remember who Yukina was.
"Yeah, the little blue haired girl I saw at the bus stop, right?" I nodded in response. "Well, she's cute!"
She wasn't just cute! She was absolutely beautiful. And it wasn't just her pretty, icy blue hair, or her soft, warm smile, or the way she was so caring and considerate about everyone and thing around her. It was everything about her.
"—she human?"
Her voice pulled me from my thoughts and I turned to Aiko. "Huh?"
"She's not human, is she?"
"Oh. Uh, no. She's not. She's what they call an ice maiden in Makai."
We walked in silence for another long while, and I didn't feel like talking to her with the way her aura seemed to change.
She spoke though, and hesitated first before glancing down to the sidewalk. "Does that… make you feel weird at all?"
I could kind of see where she was taking this. "Well, a bit, I guess. But I'm kind of used to being around youkai now so I don't think about how she's not really human."
And then she asked something I never once thought about. "Would you still like her if she didn't have the human façade?"
The question took me by surprise. It actually made me think. Was the only reason I gave her my undivided, completely devoted attention because of her looks? Well, it was what made me want to see her, rescue her—but... but I would have done that for anyone in need no matter how beastly they were!
"What about you?" I asked when the walk signal lit up across the street.
She waited for a minute before speaking. She stared down at the asphalt road.
"I like to think I would…"
I never thought about this! I didn't want to! I really loved Yukina and yeah, so I initially went to save her because she was beautiful… I would have agreed anyway had I seen anyone treated like that. Her beautiful looks were just a perk in the entire package that was considerate, respectful Miss Yukina.
"I think I would, too…" I walked ahead of her, and she trailed behind me. "Why're you thinking about stuff like this? I thought you really liked Kurama."
After we stepped on the sidewalk, it took me a minute to realize she stopped walking. I turned back to find her at the cross walk.
"I'm going to ask you this in confidence because I figure you of all people will understand, okay?" she said, shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.
"…Okay."
"If Yukina looked more… like a youkai…" I guess I could see where she was taking this, since I saw all kinds of youkai on the tournament island. I guess she meant more like a monster. "Can you honestly say you'd still love her... or like her, or whatever it is you feel for her?"
I paused, remembering back to the tournament. I could remember when Risho was about to kill me. I was seconds away from death, sending out my goodbye's best I could. But then I saw her, heard her cheer for me.
It wasn't just her looks. It was the fact she was there for me, to support me. Seeing her there was what gave me the strength to win. A second wind, one that was cold and woke you right up.
"…Yeah, I think I can say I would," I said, and her eyes hit the floor as she nodded. "I don't know why you're bringing this up and getting all concerned, but I remember the bus stop."
She bristled and her eyes snapped open as a bright red flushed over her face. She refused to look up at me.
"You don't look at someone like that if you don't feel something for them," I said. "And that kind of something doesn't just get tossed away because they suddenly look different."
She shifted her weight on one foot and a smile graced her face, like she was proud of herself. She looked up to me and walked to my side, and patted me on the shoulder.
"You know what? You're right. Let's forget about this and go see Megallica."
I was glad she changed the subject. I didn't want to get mixed up in their relationship drama. I wanted to get punched in the face and knocked out in the pit.
"Hell yeah! I worked hard for those tickets! This is going to be great."
We had idle talk as we continued our way to my house, and she unzipped her boots as we walked into my home. I could hear the TV from the living room. A laugh track played while I slid my shoes off.
I called down the hallway. "Who's home?"
"Me," Sis called from the living room.
"Thanks for having me," Aiko said as we walked down the hallway.
"You're home early, Kazu," Sis noted as she straightened from her slouched position on the couch. "And you brought Aiko."
"Hey, Shizuru," she greeted. "We're going to the Megallica concert."
"I'm going to change," I said, heading towards the stairs. "I'll be home later tonight."
"I'll wait down here for you," Aiko said as she took a seat next to Sis.
"You two sure you should be goofing off tonight?" Sis asked, lowering the volume of the TV. "It's supposed to rain later."
"I'll dance throughout the night through rain, snow, or hail," I asserted. "A little rain isn't going to stop me from going to this concert."
"That's not what I meant," Sis dismissed with a sigh, but I already made it to the second floor and whatever she said next just turned into mumbles to land on Aiko's ears.
I knew what she meant but I pushed that thought away instantly as I began changing. I didn't care what was going on tonight; nothing was going to bring me down. Not Aiko's words, not Sis' words, not Urameshi's words. Nobody's words. Nothing.
Just for one night I was going to have fun and not worry about anything. I wasn't going to look out for the creator, for dangerous youkai—I wasn't going to look out for nothing.
Tonight was me and my friends.
Aiko.
I probably shouldn't have come. I was in way over my head, and though it was sprinkling in the early night, my surroundings were bright as the setting sun.
The concert hadn't even started yet and we already spent a few hours in line waiting to get in (and we were "early"). I just... didn't want to maneuver through that crowd. Was there a way I could get out of here? I almost wished I was with Shizuru on her couch drinking a screwdriver.
She leaned on the couch's armrest, legs pulled up underneath her as she twisted her wrist around to swirl her drink. She turned the volume down on the TV again and glanced to me, and I could hear the ice clink in her glass. I watched the show with little interest, noting from the samurai skit that it had to be a Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen TV rerun. **
"You guys should be careful tonight, you only got back from that place a few days ago," she said.
"Don't worry about it," I replied, tucking my feet under my bottom as I mimicked her sitting position. "Besides, I don't think they'd come up here. They have to worry more about their precious tunnel."
"Kazuma told me you guys were followed at one point," she said, side-glancing to me. "I wouldn't doubt they got a good look at you all."
I sniffed, uncomfortable at the thought of being followed home. I then forced a laugh, tried to ease her conscious and mine.
"Don't worry about it! We're not the ones that need to be followed, you know?" I reassured her, waving my hand around dismissively. "It's Yu that needs to watch his back, he was the one in the fight—I heard he got other information about the creator too. So—"
"Save it, girl." She took a sip of her drink as my hand quickly sunk to my lap. "False confidence does you as much good as it does me."
After a few seconds of building tension, I swallowed the lump that'd been forming in my throat. "You… you really think someone followed us home? Did you see something?"
"No. I just have a bad feeling about tonight," she mumbled, the rim of the glass still touching her lips. "It's like a bad feeling in the air. It doesn't just feel like rain's coming."
With a small exhale, I watched the show with her, waited patiently for Kuwabara to trot downstairs and tell me we could go. I didn't want to think about another battle—not when I was already awaiting one of my own at the pavilion.
"I… I think we'll be fine…" I managed.
"Yeah, I hope so too," she replied to my real words.
"You ever get in a mosh pit before, Aiko?" Okubo asked.
I snapped out of my trance and pushed my eyes away from the crowd of mainly men to find him staring at me with a wide, chubby smile.
I laughed nervously as he took off his baseball cap and set it on his head backwards. "No. This isn't exactly my kind of scene…"
"You'll get used to it quick!" Kirishima encouraged me, leaning down to speak over the loud crowd.
"Yeah, Aiko! It's going to be fine!" Kuwabara reassured me. "You just jump in and let the music take you!"
It was then, before Sawamura could encourage me, that the band made their entrance. The crowd around us was so loud, so heavy in excitement that I was beginning to chicken out. I could feel my face heating up as the lights brightened on the stage, tears stinging the corners of my eyes as a cloud of dry ice built up around the band's feet.
I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to ruin their night. But I was regretting coming.
"Do mosh pits just start anywhere?" I asked loudly, pulling Sawamura down to speak directly in his ear.
Thankfully, the crowd was loud enough to block out the sudden pitch in my voice.
"Yeah!" Sawamura replied. "Usually there's one really big one that just gets built up but other, smaller ones start too."
I wanted to go home.
Heavy drums started their opening song, and I inched away from the group when the guitar kicked in. Instantly, everyone began moving, and I blinked away the tears.
Kuwabara was quick to run to me, convincing me to stay.
"It'll be fine, Aiko! I promise!" he reassured. "Just dance, you don't have to get into the pit. Here, I'll stay with—"
My heart spiked at his words. "No, go! I'm not being responsible for your lame time. Go! I'll be fine. I'm not going anywhere."
If I left I had a feeling Kuwabara would hunt me down to make sure I was all right. I wasn't going to be responsible for his shitty time here.
He deserved this break; I wasn't going to ruin it. If only I could stand the idea of getting stuck in a pit. The hip-hop concerts I'd been to, albeit few, were not this heated. We passed around rolled cigarettes and danced—we didn't do pits, we didn't clamber together like this.
Kirishima was the first to approach me as everyone around us began dancing wildly to the music picking up.
"You've never been to a metal concert?" he asked, practically screaming over the music that spanned this far into the crowd.
I shook my head.
"Just fight invisible ninjas!" he laughed. "It's easy. Watch!"
Practically flailing, he twisted his body, lifting his feet in various positions in the exciting dance. He really did look like he was fighting invisible ninjas—and I laughed at the sight. I had to join in at that point, just as the music got heavier, but was careful to make sure I wasn't swinging my arms blindly.
Rain truly began, coming down heavily in droves, and though I was upset about sticking it out in the cold, I soon realized dancing would keep me warm.
Okubo and Kuwabara soon joined us as well, dancing and head banging in our own circle. Kirishima was my leverage. I used his shoulder for support as I jumped up and down, fist pumping to the songs I knew. With each passing song, Kuwabara and the boys disappeared intermittently in nearby pits, but one of them always stayed with me to dance in the crowd.
It was when I was with Okubo that someone rammed into me with their shoulder before bouncing off and running away. Shocked, jolted, I stumbled backwards.
Okubo was quick to make sure I didn't fall into another crowd.
"Circle pit!" A boy behind us cheered and shoved past us to join the running crowd that circled in front of us and grew ever bigger.
Just as the fastest song I'd heard from them came on, too.
Okubo looked like he wanted to jump in, so I loudly encouraged him to join. And with some forbearance, he obliged and jumped into the circle, quickly skipping a bit to match the pace before blending in to the group.
I watched the small circle form and grow before me. People passed by at such a quick pace, dancing to their heart's content, jumping on each other out of fun, shoving out of excitement. Though I knew everyone was taking this for themselves to have fun, the aggression was clear in the circle, the atmosphere was violent and thick.
The aggression.
Slowly, the circle morphed into a closer knit ball, becoming a new pit in itself. The music slowed and the guitar became more noticeable with a tune that I could distinguish. The breakdown began, and the pit—no, the entire crowd—chanted with their chorus.
What was I going to do? Go to a Megallica concert and spend it on the sidelines because I was too caught up in the past? That was why I agreed on the roof to come: to try.
But this concert was majority men. Grown men. Adult men.
I waited, watching the pit grow ever bigger as more people joined. I would either have to maneuver further back in the crowd to get away from it or let it consume me.
It was then I noticed a boy closer to my age who fell in the pit, tripped over his own two feet, and was quickly helped up by another. Kuwabara was in the crowd too, along with his friends, releasing all his pent-up frustrations and stresses over the past year.
I deserved that too, even if my problems were different.
My aggression would be channeled into the pit, I would be prepared. They would feel my anger too, just as I felt theirs from over here.
I waited for the guitar solo to jump in the thick crowd. I braced myself, arms sturdy yet fluid to accommodate the rough movements from everyone around me. I pushed back as others rammed into me, sending me into another.
An elbow or three to the face and a load of pain later, I got the hang of the footwork needed to survive in the pit. Soon, I made it closer to a dancing Kuwabara, who shoved me from him without much thought.
I didn't blame him; I wasn't even angry. It was invigorating, exciting. That touch wasn't the same as the others: it wasn't entitlement. I slammed into the person that happened to be on my predetermined course and pushed myself off him.
I became aggressive in seconds. Passionate, feeding off other's emotions and pouring them back out in the crowd through contact with another. All these years and it was almost as if I was getting each of these men back, as if I was letting them know the anger I held for them. And I felt their anger—I was their coworker, their sister, their abuser, their mother, their daughter, their boss.
I was a faceless being, one with autonomy and identity, but a nameless figure. I was the scapegoat for their anger as they were mine, but between us all, the hatred wasn't tangible. It didn't exist between us.
Stimulated, overloaded, my raw emotions kept me pushing through despite the ever-growing tunnel vision. I shoved back. I danced wildly, without practice or or care or talent.
It was then through the force of physics and chance that Kuwabara grew closer to me in the pit again, and I took advantage of our proximity to jump on his back.
He was shocked for a minute, ready to fight, until he recognized my boots, and he then scooped his arm under one of my legs to hold me up. I wrapped the other around his torso and one arm around his neck for support as he danced freely.
The song was clearer up here, lyrics crystal despite the audible, heavy pour of rain. It was from the album he let me borrow. I knew the words.
Kuwabara could be heard below me, belting out the lyrics as his fist pumped the air, and I couldn't help but send my bird flying high to everyone on the floor as I sang along, voice mixing in with his. I could hear the other's voices too, and looking down I found his friends pushed against us. Sawamura's arm wrapped around Kuwabara's neck.
I could hear it in Kuwabara's voice, feel it in the way he danced recklessly, that he was letting loose, having fun.
We all screamed the lyrics, singing our throats raw—and none of them cared I messed up some words.
I didn't care I was battling tunnel vision. All I had to do was wait until my body calmed down and I could jump back in. Kuwabara bounced around, holding on tight to my leg to keep me from falling.
It was then that the guitar died down and the song ended that the lead singer began ordering us around. The drums died out too, the bass next, and all we could hear were the orders. His words rang around and above us clearly, echoing slightly.
Make way, fuckers! Come on! Make fucking way!
Quickly, better than a class of grade schoolers with ADHD after lunch time, everyone cleared away from each other. It was like there was an invisible line between two new crowds.
I stayed on Kuwabara's back as he took us with our half of the stadium. I stared the other half in the face, watching everyone bounce on their heels in excitement, some still dancing outright, others huffing and puffing and looking for violence.
"Should I get off?" I asked, watching everyone jumping around, anxious to partake in this little activity.
"Think you can handle a wall of death?" Kuwabara asked, and I tried to stutter out an unsure reply. "It's cool, Aiko. Your first time for all this—better if you stay up there, don't you think?"
With a deep breath, I hopped off his back and he let go of my leg. I steadied myself as the lead singer continued talking.
On my mark! Don't go until I say! Don't fucking go until I say!
Looking through the rain, I scanned the dark area for our friends, finding Sawamura and Kirishima across from us on the other side of the invisible line. Heart pumping in my throat, I looked around for Okubo, finding him right next to us.
"Don't trip over your feet, Aiko!" Kuwabara yelled, and I nodded. "You could get trampled to death in this crowd!"
This is war! You're out for blood! Kill. Every. One. No man left standing!
I was bouncing on the balls of my feet, feeding off the adrenaline in the air—tunnel vision far away. Bound to return sometime, but not now. I could breathe. That wall of men—wall of death—I was ready for it.
This was my revenge, the beginning of my redemption.
I looked around the stadium, finding a straight line of clearing the entire way down. The entire stadium was split in half, all eager. The biggest Wall of Death I've ever seen were words fleeting around in excitement.
Kuwabara was the most eager in the entire crowd, bouncing on his feet, left then right, left then right. He had the cheesiest, happiest grin I'd ever seen plastered on his face.
The drums picked up heavily, the guitar followed, and with a low growl in the mic, his voice began to grow louder into a roar—and we stormed the open space at the butchered "go."
We ran to each other, each side of the stadium screaming battle cries over the lyrics being shouted by people in the back. We collided. We fought. It was a war for power. Though I was weak, and the men around me forced me back with ease, I fought with my arms out, shoving back and molding between the waves of people.
But I wasn't alone as I was pushed around, because behind me were sturdy arms, there for support—blind siblings there to fight back. I watched in the crowd around me as people climbed over others only to get carried away or fall into the arms of another. Elbows were flung around blindly, people were shoved recklessly, and I took a busted lip with stride.
Despite knowing I wouldn't want to be touched for the next few weeks after this, we pushed and jumped and climbed and shoved back until the war dispersed into a giant pit.
Our group took time out of the pit every few songs, letting us catch our breath and stabilize ourselves before jumping back in to feed off each other's vibes once more. And again and again, we found a rhythm until the last song was played. And again and again, we found each other in the crowd to regroup and laugh and smile and dance.
It was absolutely pouring by the time the concert ended, and I wanted nothing more than for someone to drag me home by my boot. I leaned my hand on Okubo's shoulder for leverage as we walked along the empty neighborhood street, hoping to catch my breath and not fall face first into the wet pavement below.
"That was greaaaaat!" Kirishima yelled, aggression still eager to be let loose, though I knew it would disperse in the rain as we slowed our pulses on the walk home.
"It was so worth the wait!" Okubo agreed as he wiped his bloody nose, and I soon caught my breath and straightened myself.
"Thanks for setting up the contest, Aiko!" Sawamura said.
"I'm not the one you need to thank!" I waved it off, lifting my face to let the cold rain cool me down, despite my make-up running even more. "Thank the guy who won the tickets!"
"You sure it wasn't your first Megallica concert?" Kuwabara asked with a silly grin.
I nodded and wiped the blood off my chin. "I'm usually at a chiller place, fewer people than that. Way fewer people. Speaking of which—" I turned to the other three boys. "I'm getting us all tickets to Chan Da Rappar! I tested your band; you're going to test my artist."
"I'm down!" Sawamura chimed, to which all boys agreed.
"What about karaoke now?" Okubo suggested. "There's a twenty-four hour one open nearby."
"My throat's run raw, man," Kirishima sighed, but then laughed. "But fuck it, I'm up for that."
"Yeah… maybe…" Kuwabara replied slowly.
How late was it? I remembered sitting on the couch instantly.
"We deserve some fun," I said, almost whining. I stared him down, watching him ponder over his responsibilities. With one deep breath, I encouraged him. "You definitely do. Come on, Kazuma!"
The ginger-haired boy cast a quick glance at me before wiping his hand over his face in thought.
Grumbling to himself, he gripped his hand into a fist. "Alright! We're singing karaoke until we can't even grunt without feeling pain!"
"Yes!" My hands flew into the air.
It was then I felt the thickness in the air, something heavy, sticky. It enveloped me with ease, with desire. I paused in my stride, unsure of where I felt the familiar feeling before.
"Where's the karaoke place you're talking about, Okubo?" Kazuma asked.
"There's one a few blocks from here, it's near the train station."
"Huh?" Kirishima's voice caught my attention.
He looked around us in the pouring rain as we stepped under a nearby street light.
"Sawamura?" he called and looked around for the boy who disappeared. He then laughed, making fun of Sawamura. "All this water! You were going to wet yourself, I bet! Hurry and zip up your pants so we can go."
I eyed the dark street, where we were headed, though I couldn't shake the strange shift. I couldn't help but feel a few yards away the air was colder, clearer.
Kirishima's scream sent my brain into overload, forcing it to piece everything together quickly. A territory.
Shizuru was right.
"Kuwabara, what is that thing?!" Kirishima's scream sent us into a panic, turning to view him and a strange water monster, resembling something close to the human anatomy, that formed from the puddles below.
Even out of everything I'd seen so far, the fucking water monster was taking the cake. How could a youkai possibly be made of—no, it wasn't a youkai. It was a territory. Someone could control water. Someone made that.
The enemy flicked its finger, extending indefinitely, sucking up the water around it to extend and—Kazuma leapt in front of Kirishima, reaching out his hand to take the blow of the sharp water. Blood poured out of the fresh wound in Kazuma's palm.
I couldn't fathom how it could become so sharp in liquid form without accelerating at an accommodating velocity. It really wasn't that fast...
"Kazuma!" I ran to the group, unwilling to be left alone in the group at such a critical time. I was a walking target.
The three of us hovered around Kazuma as the enemy morphed into its natural liquid state and dropped to the puddles below, blending.
"Kuwabara, are you alright?" Kirishima asked.
"Where's Sawamura? What's happening?" Okubo was next to panic.
"We're fucked. Shizuru was right," I muttered to myself, breathing erratically. "We're goners."
What use was I? If we were up against a person I'd have a speck of a chance to defend myself, but this was water. What the fuck was I going to do, karate chop a puddle?
"Shut up, Aiko! Don't talk like that," Kazuma hissed before looking around and raising his voice. "Come on! Show yourself!"
It was then a small figure stepped out of the darkness and under another nearby street lamp. A kid. A fucking kid. I couldn't see his face since it was covered by the shade of his jacket's hood, but his stature, his height, was definitely that of a teenager.
I could take him. Kick him in the balls, watch him drop and cry like the little bitch he was.
"I was waiting for the rain," he said as another water being appeared behind him, a larger version of the last one. "My powers are stronger when it rains."
Nope, nevermind.
"I'm dreaming," Okubo mumbled. "I'm totally dreaming."
Another similar enemy moved out from behind the kid, dragging Sawamura with him into sight. The battered boy I was just dancing with not even a half hour ago was unconscious, held up by his neck by the monster.
"I don't want to be unfair," the kid said with a grin. "So I'll probably just kill you all."
"Sawamura!" Kazuma called to the boy in hopes of waking him, but he didn't stir.
"I've followed you for a while, Kuwabara," the kid said. "Especially since your powers are gone." He cast a glance to me. "I couldn't follow you around, but since you happen to be here, I'll handle you too. Can't have you finding us."
How could he know...? Unless…
"He's the one who was following us in the outskirts of Mushiyori," I hissed to Kazuma, who was readying himself to throw his fists around.
"What the hell is he talking about?" Okubo snapped at Kazuma, and then look to Kirishima in hopes of him somehow knowing when the ginger didn't answer.
"I don't know, but this is for real," Kirishima replied, readying himself as well.
Kazuma hesitated, watching the kid warily. I stepped back, knowing I couldn't fight. Maybe if I told the enemy I already sent information in, I'd be useless to him.
Then the possibility arose—that could be grounds for getting killed. Best I just run.
"I'll show you how to create them," the kid said, peeling a band-aid off his index finger. "The beings."
A drop of blood fell into a puddle below him, and the water then began to move at his mental command, growing into another being.
"The more blood I add, the stronger it gets!" the kid said proudly.
"Kazuma, I'm gone," I hissed, and he nodded.
"Yeah, get out of here and get help!"
Okubo laughed to himself. "I'm totally dreaming. Fucking dreaming."
I sprinted down the secluded street, hoping to find a payphone close by. If I could get hold of Kurama or Yu then this could be okay!
"Aiko!" Kazuma's scream jolted me.
I knew what was going to happen. He wouldn't let me get away.
Without much thought, I lifted my leg and pivoted on the foot that was planted sternly in the puddle below me. I kicked back in hope, watching my foot drag through its lower abdomen, slicing it in half.
Its halves splashed on my face and to the ground below, but once I could open my eyes I looked around for the being. Nowhere to be seen, it blended into the puddles. Kazuma looked relieved in the distance as I eyed my perimeter to make sure it was gone.
I quickly gathered myself and began running again. I didn't make it far as a hand, one I knew formed from the puddles, reached up and grabbed my boot, yanking my foot.
I fell face first into the hard cement below. Water engulfed my body. In less than a second, I was lifted off the ground, into the hands of a new water giant.
I couldn't scream. Fear tightened my throat to where I forgot how to breathe.
"Let her go!" Kazuma demanded as I felt the cold air on my wet clothes and skin as the giant finished morphing. "Let her and Sawamura go! I'm the man you want, right?!"
I was stuck in its new grip, held close to its chest by its thick arm.
"Idiot!" the kid laughed, dropping another speck of blood into the water leisurely with a limp wrist. "This is a perfect opportunity. Two-for-one."
"Let them go!" Kirishima yelled, fists up and ready to go as another being formed. He sprinted at the new foe.
Kazuma was the only one with his head screwed on and I couldn't find my voice. "Kirishima, don't!"
The new being charged at the brunet boy, leaping into the air to punch him in his gut. Blood spurted from his mouth on contact and he flew back from the force, skidding across the wet ground.
Kazuma and Okubo then charged to the kid, cornered into fighting. The being that held me was still, its only movement the flowing of water in its contained space. I shoved my elbow into its torso, but my arm merely entered the mass, having no effect on it otherwise.
The kid's laugh brought me back to Kazuma and Okubo, whose attacks were pointless, as their hands only went through the water… or the beings shifted around their form to avoid having their bonds broken. Okubo took multiple blows to the face and was knocked back, blacking out for a moment as he landed in a large puddle.
"Didn't you see what happened to her?" the kid laughed. "It's water! If it breaks, it just rebonds!"
As I tried wriggling myself out of the monsters grip, I saw other smaller beings form and gather Kirishima and Okubo while one flung Kazuma around like a rag doll. They dragged my new friends to the one that held Sawamura and merged with it, shoving the boys together in the water giant's growing arms.
It was then, as the water enemy grew in size, my captor headed towards theirs. With just one touch, the two began merging, bonding into an even larger threat, and I was carried by the waves and smashed up next to Sawamura.
"If you hurt them, I swear to god I'll make you pay!" Kazuma yelled. "You're not going to get away with this."
The kid's laughter died as he pulled out what looked like a kitchen knife.
To cut himself and draw more blood? Christ.
"Have you never heard of a razor blade, you stupid piece of shit?" I griped, leaning over the arm to see the knife clearly. "Carrying around a steak knife—are you fucking serious? How dramatic…"
He glared at me, mug growing into a deep scowl at my words. I watched his snarl, saw only the dimples and lines of his skin curl around his mouth. I found myself making the same face as I glared over to him.
"Shouldn't talk like that to someone who holds your life in their hands," he snapped, but then his upper lip twitched slightly. "Doesn't matter I guess, since you'll be taken care of in a few minutes."
A small nerve in the back of my head snapped; I didn't care about his threats. I wanted to rub the news in.
"I already found out, you know," I snarled. "Already sent it in. You've already lost half the battle."
A fleeting smirk graced Kazuma's lips. "Like I said... you won't get away with this."
The kid's lips parted, jaw dropped, and then—
"I'm the one ruling the game here, you idiots!" he screamed, face contorting into one of psychosis, stabbing the blade into his nearest hostage's leg—Okubo's. "I actually thought of sparing these idiots at first! But now I'm just pissed!"
Okubo's screams jarred me; guilt washed over me for provoking the kid. Breath caught in my throat, I gasped out cries.
"Okubo! Hey, Okubo!" I felt warm tears wash over my face among the cold rain droplets. "Okubo! Look at me!"
Okubo cried out still, face washed over in agony as he grimaced to me, trying to bite back the pain.
"Whatever, she's disposable. I need you." The kid pointed the bloody knife to Kazuma, who was bristling with building anger.
"You're going to die, you little bastard!" Kazuma's voice rang out, but I knew better than to watch him get pushed back by another foe—punched away from us with ease.
"Just look at me, focus on anything but this—the sky!" I cried, voice breaking in the end. "I'm sorry! I didn't think he'd—fuck. I'm sorry, Okubo."
He coughed, cleared his throat. "It's not your fault."
Yes it was…
The kid laughed again as I heard Kazuma's disgruntled cries of pain. I kept my eyes off the kids I enjoyed spending time with. I didn't want to see them in pain. I didn't want to see them, not like this. I stared down at the ground, watching the rain drops create ripples in the puddles below, and water from my eyes soon fell down to join them.
"Kuwabara, come back later!" Kirishima grunted, awakening from his recent bout of unconsciousness. "We can take care of Aiko while you're gone. We can handle this until you get back!"
"You can barely take care of yourself!" I sobbed. "Look at where taking care of yourself got you!"
"Don't play the hero!" Kazuma snapped, dragging my eyes to the bloodied boy. "I'm getting you guys out of there, just calm down!"
I want Kurama. Where's Kurama? Where's Yu? My dad? Mom? Where's Kurama?
I want someone to hold me, someone warm. Someone caring.
Shizuru was right, we shouldn't have gone out.
The kid sucked his teeth. "That's enough; it's time to end this."
And with the snap of his fingers, the giant hunched over, tightening its grip as it engulfed us.
No. Nonononono. No. Did anyone think I could actually hold my breath? I'd be the first to go.
I want Yu. Where is he? Why couldn't I run fast enough to get away?
I wiggled away from the giant best I could, freeing an arm and reaching out for Kazuma in false hope. My body was pulled inside the cold water, and I could feel the water rush around me as I sunk inside.
I inhaled sharply, deeply, opening my mouth wide at the last possible second to inhale as much oxygen as possible. In less than a second, the water engulfed us, pulling us inside its mass. We'd slipped into a voracious animal's maw.
My fingers were the last to enter the body of water... and then the cold air surrounding the tip of my middle finger was gone.
I kept my eyes closed tight, scared to open them underwater. Vaguely, muffled, Kazuma's voice rang through the heavy water every so often, but I couldn't make out the words. I lifted my hand towards where we'd come from, but the water was only a wall—liquid, yet still solid, thick.
Desperate, I hit my fist against the wall, hearing the dull thuds echo around us—like we were trapped in a fish bowl. The boys thought the same idea too, but after a few moments we gave up, knowing we couldn't break through. The water pulled me away from the wall, carrying me with ease as I struggled to hold my breath.
Weightless in the darkness, it was as if there was nothing else in this liquid mass besides me.
Weightless. Something I always wanted to subconsciously achieve...
My throat burned for oxygen and contracted in fear and need, threatening to exert enough pressure and force my mouth open. I could hear the kid's psychotic laughter again, ringing proudly around the water as if he'd won.
Squinting open my eyes, I looked through my mascara clumped lashes. Through blurred vision, I battled to keep my mouth clamped shut. Kazuma was now next to me—wait.
Kazuma was now next to me—inside the water!
We're dead. Shit. Shitshitshit.
No, calm down. Kazuma was capable of saving us. He could do it. He survived the tournament, didn't he? He could do this too. He had to.
But I was going to drown. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe.
The pressure in my chest hurt, burned. I wanted to breathe. I wanted to breathe. If I opened my mouth I knew I'd lose—I'd gasp for air. I was going to die. It hurt. My chest hurt. My head hurt. My heart frantically pounded. I could hear each pump vividly, know just when each valve opened and closed in desperation.
The kid leaned in to see Kazuma as he inched to the edge of the being, swinging punches at the solid wall.
"Now you're trapped in my territory!" the kid asserted, voice hollow as it traveled through the giant's inner waves. "Only way you can get out is to kill me! But you can't get out of there!" he laughed, pointing at us. "So how are you going to kill me?! After all that talk, you're nothing!"
My lips burst apart; a desperate gasp for air pleaded from my throat and received only water in return. Begging for air, yet receiving water, the liquid spilled down my trachea instead of my esophagus.
It was excruciating—the most painful thing I'd ever experienced. It was tight, uncomfortable, terrifying. My body went into shock immediately, shaking violently while my throat and chest convulsed in desperate attempts to push the water up and receive air in return.
Instead, water continued to pour down my trachea. My hands blindly found their way to my throat, clutching it in confused desperation.
I could hear nothing but my heartbeat.
I wanted my mom and dad. I wanted Kurama. Yu. Minoru. Minoru.
Unable to swallow or properly work my throat, tunnel vision returned with a vengeance and quickly took hold of me. Kazuma's silhouette in front of me, punching desperately at the edge of the water being, was the last image imprinted in my retinas.
I could feel my thought process slowing despite the pain; I was drowsy, lethargic. Just like my heartbeat was becoming. I closed my eyes tight in the midst of the agony as I felt myself numbing, felt my conscious slipping. I conjured what I could in the darkness of my mind.
I could see the tip of his ponytail lay gently on his shoulder as he looked up at me expectantly, the corners of his lips tugging up. I caused that smile. I made someone smile like that.
I made him of all people smile like that.
And Kazuma would save us, so I could make him smile like that again—and my dad too. I could make him smile the way he did when he saw my acceptance letter to Meiou. I could do it again.
Because Kazuma would get us out…
The image fuzzed out slowly, and deep down I could feel myself begging to fall asleep—to make the pain go away. I faded to black, the darkness my head offered, unsure whether I'd hear the next beat of my heart… or if it'd already stopped.
A/N:
* Taiyaki is a fish-shaped cake, often filled with paste like red beans or sweet potato, or even chocolate. Made with pancake or waffle batter.
** Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen TV was a popular Japanese variety show aired in the early 80's that ran until the early 90's. Had satirical skits that poked fun at the contemporary society of Japan at the time and featured funny home videos that viewers would send in.