CHAPTER 2

THE AFTERMATH

Kagami could still taste the putrid flavor of vomit in her mouth. She could still feel the anger raging inside her like an erupting volcano. She could still feel her eyes burn from the tears that had drained from her eyes. Worst of all, she could still see her sister. She could still see Tsukasa curled in the fetal position in the shrine, naked, shivering, and marked. Marked by the pulsing red handprints across her body. Across her face, across her back, and across her buttocks. She was also covered with a certain liquid that had a rotten stench to it as she cried relentlessly on the cold floorboards.

Kagami stood in the waiting room of the local hospital with her family. Her mother Miki sat in a chair crying while Inori rubbed her back and whispered to her. Matsuri was in the bathroom, probably punching stall doors and walls again, as her red and bruised hands had showed already. Tadao simply stood with one arm across his chest and his other arm resting on the first with his fingers slowly rubbing his lips. His look was deadpan. Nothing to be seen. His daughter had just been brutally raped only two hours ago and yet he couldn't lash out, even though he wanted to. He had to stay the pillar of strength and harmony even though his family was devastated by this horrible event.

They had been waiting anxiously in the waiting room for over an hour, each ticking second more gut-wrenching than the last. Waiting for the doctors was the worst part after they had asked a series of questions to the Hiiragi family earlier. Is Tsukasa on birth control? Kagami remembered seeing such an angry face on her father's face after hearing it. They were a religious family and didn't believe in such measures, but were also angered that Tsukasa could've possibly been impregnated by the rape.

The police also visited them earlier. Their questions were even worse. Have you witnessed any one suspicious around the shrine lately? Has Tsukasa been in any fights or arguments with any men lately? Is there someone you know who possibly has a grudge against the family? Do you think this was motivated by a bigot group or individual? Knowing that such people even existed in the world reiterated the new terrifying revelation for the Hiiragi family.

Kagami looked at the hospital's clock, reading 12:45 am. While the rest of the country was celebrating the New Year, they were stuck in the hospital. To think she had drawn a great blessing fortune earlier, Kagami thought. What a way to start the New Year.

A doctor in a white coat came out of the ER and approached the family as they stood and braced themselves for the news. "Mr. Hiiragi?" The doctor addressed Tadao. "We cleaned her up and bandaged her wounds and she's stable. She's just in shock. After a good night's sleep she'll be able to go home in the morning."

Tadao nodded slowly. "We…were you able to find out if she was…if she…is…"

The doctor knew where he was going with this and answered for him. "I'm afraid there were signs of it. We gave her the pills and injection you approved of. You will be pleased to know though that Tsukasa came back negative for any STDs."

Hearing the first part only angered the family more. Their Tsukasa was not only violated, but also the fact that one of those punks possibly impregnated her was the worst, but the fact that she wasn't going to give birth to a raped baby allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief as well. Kagami asked if they could see her, which the doctor allowed.

The Hiiragi family approached the hospital room and when they saw her through the window, Miki couldn't control her tears anymore. Tsukasa's face was still plastered with red, black and blue marks and the sight of medical tubes attached to her body and the oxygen mask around her mouth only added to the full reality of what happened. Despite the medical atmosphere, she still looked peaceful as she slept and even snored quietly and cutely.

Miki took her sleeping daughter's hand and held it to her face and cried over it. Tadao took Tsukasa's other hand and held it too as Kagami and Inori stood side-by-side. The two sisters held each other's hands for support until Matsuri came stomping into the room and saw Tsukasa. Everyone could see the red on her face and the red on her hands, one of the knuckles bleeding slightly.

"I say we go out and find these bastards!" Matsuri snapped. "I'll cut their dicks off and mail them to their mothers!"

Tadao silenced his middle child. "Quiet Matsuri. Let your sister sleep."

Matsuri wanted to yell and scream more but knew her father was right. Tsukasa had a tough night and needed her rest. As she paced in the room, two policemen suddenly entered the hospital room. They grabbed Tadao's attention and asked for him to come outside with them.

He complied and the policemen informed him of news he was hoping for. A few minutes ago they had arrested a young man who matched the description Tsukasa gave before she fell asleep. They requested that Tsukasa would come down to the station in the morning and identity the suspect as her rapist. Tadao was reluctant at first but knew it was the only way to ensure justice to his daughter. Tsukasa would have to be strong and confront the monster again.

Tadao rejoined his family in Tsukasa's room as she continued to sleep soundly. He held his daughter's empty hand again and thought, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Tsukasa. I never wanted this to happen to you. I'm your father and I blame myself for not protecting you.

The Hiiragi family took the weak and frail Tsukasa home the next morning and to a heart-breaking scene. The police had been there the previous night and their family shrine was now roped off by yellow police tape, turning it into a crime scene. Tsukasa was half-awake and half-asleep as Inori and Kagami helped her out of the family car and back to the house. She was wrapped in a thick blanket as she continued to shiver from the traumatic experience and being surrounded by something soft would help calm her down.

Tsukasa didn't have much time to relax. She only had time to take a shower before she would have to go to the police station to identify her attacker. Tsukasa turned the water as hot as it could go and as she stepped under the streams, it instantly began to burn her but she didn't care. It wasn't hot enough and now matter how hard she scrubbed, she could still feel and see them on her and inside her. Even when she went through a whole bottle of soap she still felt dirty and worthless.

As she scrubbed her body, a knock was suddenly heard at the bathroom door, triggering Tsukasa to act sporadically. She jumped and crouched down and wrapped her hands around her legs, pulling herself together tightly and trembled again. "Who…who is it?" She choked.

"It's Kagami," her big sister replied. "Are you okay in there? Do you want me to come in and wash your back?"

Tsukasa shook her head violently. "No, no! I'm fine!"

"Okay…just let us know if you need anything, okay?" Kagami asked with detectable love in her voice and she walked away.

Miki and Tadao sat in their kitchen, each one with a cup of coffee in their hands and still trying to make sense of the situation. It was dreadfully quiet in their home as Miki opened her mouth to break the quiet. "I'll call the school and ask for Tsukasa to have off a few days."

Tadao slowly shook his head in disappointment. "Is that the best thing to do, Miki?"

"The best thing we can do is to make her as comfortable as possible after such a horrible thing." Miki replied quickly and confidently. "The more love and support she's surrounded by, the faster she'll recover."

"I don't know how to deal with this," Tadao said after he took another sip of coffee. "You hear about these things all the time on the news and you never think it'll happen to you…until it does. We can't even honestly say to Tsukasa that it will never happen again."

Miki nodded. "I know, dear, I know."

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As soon as they arrived at the police station, Tsukasa trembled again. Her droopy eyes began to dart everywhere in their sockets and Kagami pulled her close and rubbed her head. It was just the twins and their parents going to this. They wanted it to be as calm and quiet as possible for the poor girl. It didn't help though when they went inside and were guided by the same policemen from the hospital last night to a secluded room with a two-way mirror. It only made things more real that this was now a part of Tsukasa's new life.

"I don't want you to worry now, Tsukasa. I know this can seem scary but only you can see them and they won't be able to see you when we bring them out." The policeman said as he led Tsukasa to the mirror.

Eight men were brought out into the lineup room, each one of them holding a number one through eight. They all looked like the scum of society. Men with scary haircuts, tattoos, piercings across their face, tattered and ugly clothes, dirty faces, and frightening appearances. Tsukasa swallowed and began to look at each man carefully.

It wasn't until she got to the seventh man when her knees began to tremble. She suddenly moved her hands in front of her groin as if she was shielding it and her tears began to flow again. She pointed to number seven. Unbeknownst to anyone but her, the man the police had in custody was Ryosuke, the same man she so generously offered her help to, as well as her gentle personality.

The policeman nodded and turned back to his radio and informed another that it was number seven. The ordeal was now over. Ryosuke would be charged for the crime and be put away for a long, long time. It still didn't erase the horrible memories of the rape and Tsukasa was in for a very long haul ahead of her.