K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My guard went up immediately at Judy's cry of, "SATO!" I jumped up to shield her from the man; but when I looked around, I saw nothing. Only Hani, Judy, and I were in the room. Nonetheless, I kept Judy behind me and scanned the shadows as I pulled my phone from my pocket.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice, ice smooth and maniacal, slid from the shadows. He IS here. I surreptitiously pressed the alert button for Tachibana and Hotta.
"Kyo, who is this," Hani queried as he took a lethal stance.
"Oh, I see you upheld your end of the bargain, Ohtori, but I'm sick of upholding mine." Sato slithered out of the shadows, his eyes glinting and flitting over Judy as she glared over my shoulder. "I see how it is: Ohtori has gotten to play with my prize." Sato looked disappointed, but then his face hardened. "No matter. It will make it all the sweeter to take my toy from you and watch you wallow, Ohtori. You tortured me in that cell and bound me to a contract I didn't ask for. I will have satisfaction…" He trailed off as he eyed Judy again. I did my best to shield her from his lustful gaze.
Sato took another step toward us, but Hani advanced a warning step. "I wouldn't do that, buddy. I don't take threats to friends lightly." Judy cringed at the appearance of "Dark-Hani," and I chuckled inwardly at her reaction. He is terrifying like this.
"Oooo, Judy-chan! You have been busy. Haven't you? Not one, but two men vying for you, if you don't include me, the original owner of your affections."
I've had quite enough of this. "Tachibana," I commanded.
"No. Let me." Judy stepped forward and stayed Hani and my men with a hand.
"Coming to me of your own accord? Good choice, little bird." I was seething at his audacity. Judy had cleared half the distance when she turned around and gave me a reassuring grin. What?
I barely had time to register my own bewilderment when Judy released a war cry and ran headlong at the poor, unsuspecting Sato. She dealt a heavy blow to his sinister smile before she began raining jabs and kicks on the man. Sato attempted to fight back, but was too slow. I'm so glad she went to Hani for training. I chanced a look at Hani to find him sporting a startled look of awe. Guess he hasn't ever seen her really fired up. Then again, if this is fired up, neither have I.
Sato stopped attempting to overtake her after a few minutes of Judy's brutal attack, but Judy didn't stop. She continued to kick at the huddled, whimpering form on the floor well after Sato had given up. I didn't move to stop her onslaught until I saw the huge tears rolling down her cheeks. Nodding at Tachibana and Hotta to take over, I moved toward the woman I loved and reached around her. I wrapped Judy in my arms from behind, and we watched Sato being dragged away.
Quiet descended upon us, and I focused on our breathing, hers jagged and raspy, mine forced but even.
"Kyo-chan, who was that?"
I flinched and grimaced at the invasion of the peace. I'd forgotten Hani was even here. "That was Sato Yoshi, a professor at the university." I paused to see if Judy would stop me, but she didn't. "He attempted to hurt Judy twice, so I took him in for questioning and had him sign a contract. He broke the terms of the contract once, so I brought him in for a second round, but it seems that he didn't pay much attention."
"Judy-chan, did he hurt you?" Hani has always used familiar terms with everyone, but I didn't like him using them with Judy. It irked me.
Judy sighed and then straightened in my arms. "He tried but failed. All Sato managed to do is make a fool of himself." She brought her hands to eye-level. "Thank you for your training, Master." Judy bowed to Hani in my arms. No way am I letting you go.
J~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I could have sworn I just saw Sato. The shadows seemed to leap to life the moment I uttered Sato's name. Kyoya stepped in front of me as he looked around the dojo. The hairs on my arms stood up, and the atmosphere seemed to be electric with fear.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ugh. His voice is so gross. It was strange, but when I knew for sure that Sato was present, my fear disintegrated. In its place came a peace and assurance. Nothing is going to happen to me. I felt the tension drain from my body in contrast to Kyoya, who was wound tight as a spring.
I looked to my left and saw Hani preparing for a fight. I could tell he was ready to pounce at any second. "Kyo, who is this?"
Before Kyoya could answer Hani, Sato spoke again and crept from his hiding place. "Oh, I see you upheld your end of the bargain, Ohtori, but I'm sick of upholding mine." Sato looked at me with a lust I hadn't seen from a man in years. It was unsettling knowing anyone would go so far. "I see how it is: Ohtori has gotten to play with my prize. No matter. It will make it all the sweeter to take my toy from you and watch you wallow, Ohtori. You tortured me in that cell and bound me to a contract I didn't ask for. I will have satisfaction…" Tortured? I looked at Kyoya and back to Sato. They are nothing alike. Sato is a lunatic, and lunatics will say anything to get their way.
As Sato approached, I could sense his intent, but I still felt safe. Nothing will happen to me. Sato took another step, but Hani stopped him with a terrifying look, "I wouldn't do that, buddy. I don't take threats to friends lightly." The atmosphere around Hani seemed black to me. His face was deadly serious and dangerous. For the first time since I met Hani, I saw the warrior. That is the most unsettling thing I've ever seen. I never want to be on Hani's bad side.
"Oooo, Judy-chan! You have been busy. Haven't you? Not one, but two men vying for you, if you don't include me, the original owner of your affections." If Sato spreads that disgusting grin any wider, he'll be drooling.
"Tachibana," Kyoya called. He must have pressed his emergency dial.
No. I want to do this. Placing a comforting hand on Kyoya's shoulder, I said, "No. Let me." As I passed Hani, I lifted a hand to request he stand down. Hani was reluctant but did as I asked.
"Coming to me of your own accord? Good choice, little bird." I am going to wipe that grin off your face right now. I turned just before I reached Sato and gave Kyoya my brightest smile, a smile that I reserved for Kyoya alone.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I rushed Sato and threw a hard left at his ever-present grin. My hand registered a satisfying pain as it connected with his mouth. He raised his fists to fend me off and attempted to land a blow or two. It wasn't much of a fight. This is for terrorizing the women on campus. I landed a kick to his core. This is for stalking me, an eye busting jab. And, this is for trying to take my life from me the way Jackson did, a crippling roundhouse kick to his face. Sato fell to the floor and groveled before me. I could hear him whimpering sorry's and stop's, but I refused to listen. I just stood there and kept kicking the pitiful excuse for a man as he cowered on the floor.
Kyoya approach me from behind just as Hotta and Tachibana dragged the bruised and broken Sato out of the dojo. Kyoya squeezed me tightly as I trembled in fury. Angry tears fell to the floor from my eyes, but this time I refused to wipe them away. This time I'm not afraid.