A/N: Thank you so much to Shadow of the Queen, MagatsuIza, Emperor Rance, and everyone else who has shown Litost support so far! It really means the world to me!
5/6
It was a few weeks before they met again.
Haru was still sleeping comfortably in her bed as the morning light just began beaming through the blinds. She was rustled from rest by the small ding coming from her cell phone. She leaned over and eyed the screen, squinting groggily through her tired daze.
AKECHI: Hello, Haru, this is Akechi. Do you have any free time later today?
After rubbing at her eyes and letting out a long yawn, she checked the time on her phone. It's only eight in the morning…
HARU: Yes, any time after noon is fine.
She bit her lip, hoping he didn't realize that she simply wanted to sleep in.
HARU: Is this about Kamoshida-sensei?
She didn't want to get the wrong idea about this sort of gathering. If it was a meeting to cater towards his business with work, she wished to know beforehand so she didn't accidentally embarrass herself.
Her father had strictly instructed her to not speak with any policemen or reporters about the situation at her school, but did Akechi really count...? He had kept her name private for the news coverage following the subway incident, after all.
AKECHI: Would 5 pm at the diner in Shibuya work?
AKECHI: The one right off Central Street.
She frowned at the slight realization that he had avoided answering her question, but chose not to press the issue. He was probably very busy these days working on the mental shutdown cases and building his profile on television. They had only texted a few times to catch up every now and then, but mostly Haru's life had slowly transitioned back into normalcy following the subway accident.
HARU: Yes. I'll meet you there.
HARU: :)
She immediately regretted those few keystrokes, bracing herself for his response.
Her eyes opened wide at the notification.
AKECHI: See you then. :)
Haru took a much longer time getting ready than she would like to readily admit.
Maybe it was because Akechi was a little more famous now; there was a greater chance of people taking notice of her sitting there with him. That was the logic she repeated in her own mind as she rubbed a smoothing serum onto the ends of her long hair and continued applying generous amounts of lip gloss even as her driver pulled over to the curb, suggesting that they had already arrived at their destination.
She was just about to text Akechi and inform him of her arrival when through her peripheral she spied a figure seated in a booth near the back, eagerly waving her over.
"I'm so glad you were able to make it," Akechi said as pleasantly as always, smiling brightly at her. "Please, take a seat."
She settled into the booth on the opposite side from him, setting her bag down next to her. "Thank you for inviting me, Akechi-kun."
"Of course. I really did miss your company, though I doubt you feel the same way," he laughed in that same self-deprecating manner. "I apologize if at any point I'm short with you. It's been a rough few days."
"I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries, but I assume you're working on the Kamoshida case?" Haru asked timidly, eliciting from him a single nod in response.
Just as Akechi opened his mouth to elaborate further on her question, the server appeared right before them.
"He-llooo! My name is Aiko, and I'll be your waitress today!" the woman was overly cheery, looking to be somewhere in her late twenties. "Have you two decided on what to order yet?"
"I'll take a hot coffee and the steak, please," said Akechi, motioning towards Haru to order next.
"Could I just have a glass of water and a side salad, please?"
The waitress collected their menus, promising to return quickly with their meals as she skipped off into the kitchen.
"You're eating rather lightly," the boy detective spoke his thoughts aloud, setting his chin upon the back of his palm. "I'm sorry. Do you not like the food here?"
"Oh, no. I actually really like it here! Thank you for inviting me, Akechi-kun!" she purposefully skirted around the question, plastering a merry grin on her face.
"Are you not hungry then? Have you already eaten?"
"To tell the truth, um…" Haru looked away, feeling a bit ashamed of herself. "I've been trying to lose weight, you see."
Akechi's eyes broadened at her statement, and she could practically hear the thought racing through his mind: But you're already so thin, so why…
That's what she had thought, too. She had even been quite insecure about how slim she was, constantly wishing for a more curvaceous figure and fuller breasts… there were first-years that looked more womanly than she did. But last month, Sugimura had vocally expressed a desire that she lose weight. At first she had been so offended that she was short with him the entire rest of their date, but recently Haru had realized that perhaps if she became more attractive to him then he would be a little bit nicer to her. Maybe he would stop yelling at her, stop trying to force her into things she clearly didn't want to do...
"...time with you, Haru."
"Huh?" she brought her eyes back up to meet Akechi's, realizing she had in fact spaced out and completely missed what he said.
"I was just saying that though I do wish to talk a bit about Shujin, I don't want you to get the wrong idea," he repeated himself with a pleasant smile. "I really do want to spend time with you."
Her cheeks lit up pink, and she almost wished that she hadn't heard him after all.
"A-ah, yes, of course. I feel the exact same way." Haru said, ensuring she reciprocated his feelings. Their server began approaching with their meals. "So, what did you want to ask?"
"Just about your experiences with that teacher who confessed. Suguru Kamoshida." Akechi said as their food and drinks were placed in front of them. "I believe you mentioned his name the last time we met, yes?"
"Oh, yes, I think I did." Haru recalled, thinking back to that time. She frowned. "I didn't know him very well, but I was in his gym class as a first-year. He was always very friendly to me when we ran into each other at school, and asked me to join the volleyball team countless times." She felt a bit sick as her mind wandered into the implications of what she had perceived purely as Kamoshida's friendliness, her thoughts wary at expanding any further upon that idea.
"Do you know anyone that was a victim of his?" Akechi asked, his focus solely on his plate of food as he spoke.
"Ah… no, not personally." Probably because I don't have any friends and nobody talks to me. "But the members of the volleyball team always walk around covered in injuries… I feel so dumb to not have noticed what was happening to them…"
"It's better to not have known at all than knowing, yet not acting," Akechi said kindly, sensing her growing discomfort at the subject. "Enough of that. Let's enjoy our meal, shall we?"
Haru responded with a simple smile.
They were about halfway through their dinner when Haru's phone began ringing nonstop.
She had silenced it a few times already, plainly trying to just relish in her time with her friend, but found herself growing annoyed at the fourth consistent call and checked the caller ID.
Her expression immediately dropped. "I'm sorry, Akechi-kun, it's my father. I'll have to take this…"
He nodded while wiping at his mouth with a napkin, gesturing for her to take as much time as she needed.
Haru hurriedly rushed to the women's restroom, picking up the phone call as soon as the door closed behind her. "Father, is everything all ri- ''
"Haru?! Where the hell are you?"
She jumped at the harshness in his tone. He rarely ever called her, and even then it was only in the case of an emergency.
"I'm out eating with a friend, is something - ''
Her father groaned loudly on the other end. "You silly girl. Is this a direct disobeyment, or are you really just incapable of following simple instructions?"
Haru's head was swimming, searching through her memory to try and pinpoint any specific orders she had been given from him recently. When was the last time she had even seen her father, let alone speak to him…?
"Father, I really don't know what you're talking about…" she hated to imagine what was going through his mind right now. Countless thoughts about his stupid daughter, how she was such an inconvenience to him, a nuance in his otherwise perfect life...
Her father sighed in irritation. "I'll take that as the latter, then," he said, taking a short pause. "Haru, Sugimura-san is at the house right now looking for you. Remember, you two were supposed to have dinner together tonight to celebrate Golden Week?" He had calmed down now, at the very least using a much more subdued tone of voice.
She couldn't recall hearing about this date that had been planned for her, but still felt terrible for forgetting about it. "I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to… it really just slipped my mind."
He didn't speak for a moment. "Send me your location, Haru," he commanded. "Sugimura will come to pick you up and you two will go out to dinner just as planned. Do you understand?"
Her father sounded so disappointed… like he hated her very existence. All she wanted to do was appease the situation. "Yes, Father."
"Sugimura is a powerful man with important connections. Your engagement is absolutely vital for me. He is not going to be in a good mood after having to chase you around all of Tokyo." he was exaggerating, but Haru listened as obediently as always. "You need to make him happy tonight, Haru. Do whatever he wants. You understand what that means, yes?"
She didn't respond.
He let out another annoyed sigh. "I don't have time for this. Be a good daughter and do as you're told. Send me your location." With that the call disconnected, leaving Haru staring warily at the plain blue wall of the women's bathroom for much longer than she had intended.
Of course she understood what he meant, but she didn't like it at all. Would Sugimura really expect that of her tonight? Would she be able to say no without ruining her father's dreams…?
Haru washed her hands absentmindedly, cleansing herself of the impure implications her father had planted in her head. Her hands trembled even underneath the warm water.
Akechi was still at the table when she returned, his plate completely empty with the excess time she had taken. He offered a charming smile as he saw her approaching, but his eyes took on a quizzical glint when he eyed the somber expression resting upon her face.
"I'm terribly sorry," Haru bowed as deeply as she could in front of him. "I have to leave. There was a… prior engagement that slipped my mind."
"That's quite alright but…" the boy detective hesitated slightly on his words. "Is something wrong? You look unsettled."
"A-ah, no, I'm fine," Haru said, cringing at the lack of conviction in her voice. She mustered out a few forced giggles. "I'll leave you the money for the meal. I'm so sorry to have cut this visit short, and it's so rude of me but - '' Her phone dinged, interrupting her distressed rambling.
Her eyes widened. Sugimura can't be here already, right? I only texted my father just ten minutes ago...
She fumbled with the flap on her wallet, quickly shuffling out nearly twice as much as the bill required and set it down right before Akechi.
"Haru, this is really too much, I can't - ''
"Please take it!" she shot him a pleading glance as she checked her phone notification. Sugimura was in fact outside with his driver, likely growing more and more impatient by the moment. She looked back over at Akechi, contorting her face into an awkward look of an embarrassed smile before quickly making her exit out of the diner.
The white limousine of course sat parked right in the front. The backseat door facing the curb opened slightly as Haru approached, allowing her to easily toss it open and work her way into the car. She gently closed the door behind her, her eyes avoiding Sugimura.
There was a moment of silence before he spoke, his voice silky smooth. "Hello, Haru."
She blinked, bewildered by the lack of anger his tone expressed. She turned to him only to find that his face revealed no clear intent of malice, instead a sly grin was posing his lips.
"Sugimura-san, I'm really sorry that - ''
"Shhh," he shushed her by pressing a finger delicately into his own lips. "I'm not mad. We're going to forget about it and just go enjoy ourselves now."
"A-ah, yes," Haru's expression couldn't reveal half of how relieved she was that Sugimura wasn't angry with her, but a small smile did grace her lips.
Sugimura inched closer to her, eventually growing near enough to lay his palm against her cheek. "You look beautiful. What were you doing out instead of waiting at home for me?"
Haru found herself glad that she had dolled herself up so ridiculously to meet with Akechi to avoid being criticized by her fiance. "I was out eating with a friend."
"What kind of friend?" his voice was wavering now, as if on the verge of breaking out into a jealous rage. He was scary like that, how quickly his personality could take a complete turn for the worst. Haru marvelled at the fact that their car pulled to a stop in that specific moment, signifying they had arrived at their destination.
Sugimura took her small hand into his own, guiding her outside of the car and into the expensive-looking restaurant. He spoke for the both of them the entire time, bypassing the long line of people waiting patiently and being seated at a table immediately, likely due to their status.
"You've eaten already, right?" Sugimura asked flippantly, browsing through his menu.
While it was true that she had ordered a side salad, Haru had barely been able to finish half of it before rushing out with that bothersome phone call. "A little bit, but - ''
"Good, then I'll just treat you to some drinks while I eat my meal."
"Oh, okay," Haru agreed despite the aching pit of her stomach. She was still incredibly grateful that he hadn't been angry with her, and did not want to push his good mood. When their server approached, she opened her mouth to order a simple cup of hot tea only to be interrupted.
"We will have two bottles of sake and a plate of pasta for myself," Sugimura said, handing over the both of their menus to the waiter. The server bowed deeply to the pair of them before walking off in the direction of the kitchen.
Haru was shocked. Why had not only her fiance ordered her alcohol, but the server turned a complete blind eye to that entire transaction? Not even a glance was thrown in her direction, and she was clearly under the legal drinking age…
Did Sugimura perhaps think she was some kind of party girl, that she liked to drink and do things like that? She had never once tasted alcohol before and absolutely loathed the smell of it. Sometimes she caught a whiff of it from Sugimura's own breath when they were together and the stench practically triggered her gag reflex.
The waiter returned quickly with their drinks and Sugimura surely took notice of the uncertainty swimming in Haru's eyes as she stared at the large, intimidating glass in front of her.
"Um… Sugimura-san," she said quietly, looking over to him. "Perhaps you forgot, but I'm not actually old enough to drink…"
He let out an arrogant laugh, as if her statement was silly. "It's fine, Haru. Nobody here would dare say a thing to me."
She glanced around the restaurant, seeing that most of the workers were in fact looking away from their table. See no evil, speak no evil, as they say...
Sugimura sipped at his own drink, his eyes never leaving her. "Have you ever had sake? It's quite a taste, but one that takes time to get used to. It would be best for you to start now."
Haru quietly protested,"I'd really rather not, even just a water would be - ''
"Drink, Haru." his words became sharp, and his gaze no longer tender. Haru reluctantly obeyed, gingerly bringing the tip of the bottle to her lips and letting it glide down her throat.
She tried to completely avoid the taste, but that proved to be impossible. The liquid dried her mouth and the vile scent wafted into her nostrils. When she put the cup down she had still yet to swallow, frightened that she would perhaps spit it out against her control and embarrass Sugimura.
Her fiance seemed amused by her reaction, watching as she placed her hands over her mouth, struggling to gulp it down. "Well?" he asked expectantly. "Do you like it?"
She shook her head before she began a coughing fit, tears brimming within her eyes from the burning sensation layering her throat.
Sugimura chuckled. "You're so coy, Haru."
The server arrived with Sugimura's entree, putting their conversation on a hiatus as he enjoyed his meal. He advised Haru to keep drinking her sake, saying that it would be a waste of his money if she didn't finish it. She ignored the flames licking at her esophagus as she did exactly as he ordered her to, eventually consuming the entire glass and turned to massaging her throat gently with her fingers to try and ease the pain.
Haru's head felt very light now, choosing to close her eyes instead of watching everything slowly blur in front of her. It seemed like time was passing much faster now, and by the time she finally opened up her eyes again Sugimura had already finished his plate. He seemed entirely unaffected by his own bottle of sake, but then again he had drank much less than she did.
"We'll be leaving soon," he assured her as soon as he noticed she was staring at him. "I'm just waiting for them to return with the bill."
Soon she was stumbling out of the restaurant, leaning her head on Sugimura's shoulder. He had a protective arm wrapped around her, likely rejoicing in their close proximity. Usually she would never be this friendly with him, but at this point she needed his support. She could hardly think straight, let alone walk straight…
Her fiance helped her settle into the backseat of his limousine, buckling her seatbelt as her head lolled to the side. Haru felt a subtle nausea rising in the pit of her stomach, and hoped that her father wasn't home to see her in this sorry state.
As they began their drive Sugimura started veering out of his own seat to get closer to hers. He placed a hand first on her shoulder, then slyly slid it over to caress her hair. He twirled the ends around his fingertips, whispering into her ear about how he just loved the color of it. Haru was too busy focusing on not vomiting to say anything to him, and figured that she would be home soon anyways and out of his unsettling grasp.
When the car pulled over to the curb, she was at first confused at the distinct feeling that they hadn't been on the road for very long. But she relaxed as Sugimura began guiding her out of the car, keeping her eyes steadily on the ground to evade tripping over nothing.
He's being so gentlemanly… Haru thought amongst her haze. He never walks me to the door…
She froze as she heard the lock click open, signifying that her front door had been opened.
While her key still rested in her pocket.
She shot her head up and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. An expensive, glassy front door set in walls of eggshell white. Sugimura's penthouse.
"S-Sugimura-san…" Haru said slowly. She hadn't walked inside with him, instead lingering around on the front steps as he stood in the doorway. "W-why are we…"
He cut her off, letting out an irritated sigh as he moved back outside and easily scooped her up into his arms. Apparently, he was no longer in a very patient mood and found it easier to carry her than convince her…
He carried her up a flight of stairs, humming some kind of incorrigible tune as he dropped her onto a soft, cushiony surface. The sudden movement lurched the alcohol splashing around inside her stomach up even further, causing her to turn her head to the side as she nearly expected vomit to begin protruding out.
But her fiance ignored the intention behind that motion, leaning his body against Haru's as he straddled her. He placed a kiss on her cheek before hastily removing the jacket of his suit, practically tearing it in the process.
"Stop… please…" she mumbled, only opening her mouth wide enough to speak. She put her hands up in a feeble attempt to push him off of her, only for her arms to be swatted away effortlessly.
"I've waited long enough for you, haven't I?" Sugimura sounded so smug, so confident in himself and his actions. "Think of this as payment for almost ruining my night." He started a trail of kisses down her neck, sending a shiver of disgust grappling through her spine.
Haru was no idiot, even in a drunken state. She knew what was bound to happen if she allowed him to continue any further...
But hadn't her father already requested this of her? She wondered if her fiance had planned this entire act out beforehand, knowing that she would be desperate to appease the situation after her mishap for her father's sake. Knowing that her father would order her to do whatever was necessary.
She would have to get this over with sometime… right? If they were to be married, of course Sugimura would expect sex from her.
That's all she was good for anyways, right?
What's the point in fighting back…? Haru wondered as tears began pricking at her eyes. What's the point in delaying the inevitable?
Sugimura leaned back from his assault on her throat, a perverse grin on his face as he began unbuttoning his shirt. He scoffed at her despondent expression, hastily wiping away the tears falling down her cheeks with his own palms.
"Come on, don't be like that," he said, a tense edge to his tone. A warning. "We're just having fun, Haru. This is normal." Her fiance tried his best to cast a loving look upon his face. "You look beautiful tonight. I truly can't wait until you're mine."
That proved to be enough romantic talk for him as he quickly positioned himself back over her small body and was leaning in to claim her first kiss when Haru's eyes suddenly widened and she swiftly turned her head to the side. Her stomach had finally gotten the best of her, and a steady stream of vomit erupted from within her mouth.
Sugimura instantly sprung up, backing himself up against the wall to get as far away from her retching as possible. Even after she had finished vomiting, Haru still continued gagging and heaving over the mess she had made on his mattress.
"God damnit!" Sugimura roared, going back on his previous action and rushing over to her, careful to avoid the puke. He grabbed onto Haru's shoulder, throwing her off his bed. She landed flat on her back with a hard thud, the ringing inside her head growing even more intense.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" he demanded as Haru lay on the floor, groaning from the rough impact her spine had suffered. "Akane, get the fuck in here!"
Haru glanced over at the doorway, seeing an older, female housekeeper appear and wordlessly eye the stained bedsheets. Sugimura switched his glare back to his fiancee. "Akane will clean you up and then escort you outside. My driver will take you home from there."
He stomped his way outside of the room after that statement, leaving Akane to help Haru off the ground and lead her towards the bathroom where she began gently rinsing the vomit out of her hair and clothes. The housekeeper left for a quick moment and then returned with a spare shirt and pants for her to change into. Haru allowed her mind to briefly wander around the reasoning behind a set of women's clothing to be lying around in Sugimura's home, but decided wisely to not expand any further upon that idea.
Akane fetched Haru a glass of water to rinse her mouth with before silently guiding the young girl downstairs. Sugimura's limousine was already inhabited and waiting for her arrival in front of the expensive penthouse. Haru offered a bow to the housekeeper before making her way into the backseat of the car.
The ride was completely quiet.
Even when Haru arrived at her home the stretch of silence was maintained. Her father's car wasn't in their driveway, and there were no shoes resting near the doorway.
She sat down on the loveseat, her shoulders slumping as the night's awful events replayed in her mind. She thought of Sugimura and bile began rising up in her throat once more. Quickly she made her way to the bathroom, heaving over the toilet as little chunks of vomit slid out in reaction to the vile memories wavering inside her head.
She tried to catch her breath as she remembered his body on top of hers, practically crushing her. His hands on her shoulder, fingers playing with her hair.
Haru's eyes opened wide. Her hair.
She stood from her kneeling position, gazing at herself in the mirror with a glimmer of loathing coating her eyes, eventually landing on her long, auburn hair that billowed down to her waist. The hair that Sugimura loved so much, loved to compliment and tug on as if it belonged to him.
Haru opened the medicine cabinet rooted into her bathroom wall, taking out a pair of scissors and hastily putting it to her hair. She cut and cut and cut until layers of her luscious locks covered the floor beneath her. Then she took a hairbrush and started scratching at the skin of her shoulders and neck, remembering the feel of his arms wrapped around them, his lips wet against her skin… If only she could scrape the flesh off clean. Then she would truly be rid of everything Sugimura had ever touched.
Haru stared at herself in the mirror, relishing in her new ugliness. Her hair didn't even brush her shoulders now, instead scratching against her chin as its ends furled into curls. She smiled. Sugimura would hate it.
A ding from her cell phone resting on the bathroom counter startled her, causing her to let the scissors fall loose from her grasp and tumble to the floor. She reached over to her phone, reading the screen with a surprised blink.
AKECHI: Are you okay?
AKECHI: I hope you got to wherever you needed to be safely.
Haru stared.