This chapter is very triggering, so continue with caution!
Nitori's breath escaped him as his back hit the hard wall. As he slid down the plastered white wall, Nitori rubbed his sore head; sore from his mother pulling his hair. "How could you betray us?!" A shrill shriek was heard. Nitori wasn't paying attention; he was only focused on how much pain he was in. "Listen to me you little brat!" His leg was kicked hard.
The scream was loud and pain-filled, his pale and small hands grasping his shin. "Please don't! I'm sorry!" Nitori cried out, trying to cover himself. He didn't want to be hit, to be yelled at, to be hated. "I'm sorry!"
His mother grabbed his hair and yanked him to his feet. She was smaller than him, but he slouched and let her pull him. "How could you call them? You're just going to leave us here? All alone, no son to take care of…" His mother grabbed his hand, rubbing the soft skin. "Do you hate us?"
Nitori shook his head frantically. His father stood to her side, ready to jump in if needed. He didn't want to say the wrong thing; it would get him beaten even worse. "Why? Do you want to leave us?" His mother cooed, stroking Nitori's pale skin.
"N-no. I didn't call anyone. My friends thought I was hurt, so they called the police." Nitori said, afraid. Despite his nice words, he knew he would be beaten before the night was over. "I'm sorry."
His mother laughed and slapped him hard. Her hand stung, and a bright red mark appeared on the boy's face. "You're filthy." She scowled. "You're disgusting." She spat on him.
His father stepped near them and laughed when Nitori started to cry. Nitori's knees went weak, holding onto the wall to prevent himself from collapsing. He was humiliated and in pain, unable to stand up for himself. While his parents often told him how much of a disappointment he is, he would tell himself the same. "Stop, please." Nitori mumbled, scared.
The father grabbed Nitori's arm hard, cutting the blood flow off. "What was that?" He growled.
"N-nothing." Nitori looked down. His father grabbed his hair and pulled him to his height.
"You better hope you didn't say anything. You're a failure in life." He sneered, wiping a tear away from Nitori's eyes.
Nitori grabbed the large hand and tried to pry it off. "No I'm not, you pigs." He hissed back, trying to defend himself. It may get him a worse punishment, but his parents would know that he could stand his ground.
His father's eye twitched and brought his free hand back into a fist. When he punched Nitori, the impact was loud, and the punch would probably leave a mark that would last a few weeks. "Ngh…" Nitori moaned in the ground as his father dropped him.
"You're coming with me." His father picked Nitori up, despite his pleas. "You're going to stay here." He told his wife. "We're going to have a talk."
Whenever Nitori and his father would have a 'talk', there were very little words involved.
"N-No! Please I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Nitori cried hysterically as he was led up the steps. "Stop it!" He whined when he was tossed into his parents' room.
His father glared at him. "This talk is going to be longer than the others." Nitori's heart dropped. "You need to learn some respect. Bow." He ordered.
Nitori hesitated, but did as told. The bow had a slight angle; Nitori still defying his father. His father took a hand full of grey hair and made him bow further. "Good boy." His father pet his head, making Nitori flinch from the gentle touch. Whenever his father was gentle, it meant worse was to come.
His head was hurting from the deep bow, but he couldn't say anything. He just had to accept the humiliation. "On your hands and knees." His father yelled.
Nitori yelped from the loud voice, but obeyed. He got on the dirty floor and bowed his head. "Now what do you say?" His father dug into Nitori's hand with the heel of his boot.
"I-I'm sorry…ngh….forgive me." Nitori winced when the boot stomped on his hand harder.
His father walked over to the bed and took his belt off. "You know what to do." Nitori whined, turning pale. He walked over to the wall next to the bed and took his shirt off.
"Ahh…so beautiful." His father touched the burn marks and bruises on his son's chest. "Turn around."
Nitori turned and put his hands on the wall. He dreaded the punishment of yelling out, but he also dreaded what would happen if he was quiet. His father doubled the belt up and grinned. "20."
The belt was raised and came down just as fast. The sound of leather striking Nitori's back echoed throughout the room. Nitori inhaled sharply and flinched. "O-one." He said sternly. His father was hitting harder than usual; there was no way he could remain quiet for long.
Nitori stayed quiet and calm until the 10th stroke. He broke and yelled when the leather hit a sore spot. Tears were streaming down his face as he tried to remain calm, but couldn't. "Oh? You're a wimp." His father spat.
His father grabbed his son's arm and guided him to the bed, unable to do so by himself because he was sobbing so hard. He was bent over the bed and had his pants removed. "No…" Nitori moaned into the bed and grabbed the sheets. "Please don't."
His father raised the belt again and struck him again on the lower back, moving to his lower thighs. By time the final ten were dealt, Nitori had to prevent himself from fainting from the pain. He was breathing heavy into the bed until his father's fingers pulled his underwear down. "H-huh?" Nitori was in too much pain to know what was going to happen next.
But when his father started to take his own clothes off, it finally struck Nitori what was going to happen to him.
Rin sat in class, leg shaking in anticipation. He needed to know if Nitori was in school or not today, but he wouldn't know until last block. The possibility of him going to swim practice was low, so Rin didn't consider seeing him there. He tried to talk to the captain; to see if he had talked to Nitori.
When it came to last block, Rin was furious at not seeing his friend. He refused to participate, despite Mikoshiba's pressuring. Rin sat on the bleachers, with Mikoshiba talking to him. "He's fine, Matsuoka!" He said, voice filled with false assurance.
"He's not at school captain; you saw how his mother treated him. He's probably being beaten right this minute!" Rin stood up suddenly, grabbing his bag. "There's only 20 minutes left of class, so I'm going."
"Matsuoka!" Mikoshiba grabbed his arm. "Don't do anything you'll regret."
"My only regrets will be caused by Nitori being hurt. I'm not going to regret beating his parents like they do him." Rin hissed and pulled his arm away. "And I'm not going to practice. I'll be in my dorm, figuring out a way to help Ai, because God knows nobody else is." He stormed out, pushing the door open and slamming it behind him.
Mikoshiba watched him walk away, unable to say anything. Mikoshiba talked to the coach and went to the office, announcing there was no practice. He was going to help him, despite Rin's anger.
Rin called Nitori's cell several times, not getting an answer. After the 10th call, he gave up. Every time there was a longer pause than usual, he would perk up, only to be disappointed when it went to his voice mail. "Ai…" Rin mumbled, glancing at Nitori's bunk.
Rin sighed heavily when he heard the loud knocking on his door. Mikoshiba greeted him with a grin. "Good news, Matsuoka!" He walked in and sat on Rin's bed, much to his annoyance.
"Nitori's parents are dead?"
Mikoshiba held a piece of paper out. "I talked to social services and police." He grinned. Rin snatched the paper and started to read it. The captain scribbled it so fast Rin had trouble reading the messy characters. "They said that as soon as Nitori confirms that he's being abused, they'll come in within an hour, or in a few seconds if they're there, and take him away!"
Rin's eyes widened. "So…all we have to do is call Ai, ask him if his parents are abusing him, the police come, his parents are arrested, and Ai comes back here with us?"
"Yup!" Mikoshiba pulled his phone out. "And! I managed to talk to one of the office workers at school to give me Nitori's household info. Do you know how hard it was to get it? Very! Anyway, I have his parents' numbers and his house phone's number. So we're bound to get an answer from someone." He explained.
Rin sighed in relief. "So he might be able to leave tonight?"
"It depends on if he answers or not. If he doesn't, he won't go. If he does, he'll be back here." Mikoshiba dialed Nitori's number. "I'll take Nitori and his dad's phone. You take his mom and his house phone."
Rin nodded and took the numbers and called. When he called the mother's number, he got no answer. They called the house phone also to get no answer.
"They're probably getting annoyed by how many times we're calling. They're bound to answer sooner or later. Just keep calling." Mikoshiba grinned.
Rin hesitated. "Can I call his number instead of his mom's?" Mikoshiba let him do so, but he still go no answer.
A man's grunt echoed in the room, bouncing off the walls and slapping Nitori in the face.
"Ahh!" Nitori cried.
Another grunt.
"Ahhh! Stop, please!" Nitori cried, clutching the bed sheets.
His father breathed heavily on his neck. "Ahhh, you want me to stop. No. If you like that brat, you'll have to get use to this." He grunted again and thrusted himself in.
Nitori was sobbing. "P-please, stop."
There was a knocking at the door, and his father let his mother enter. "Oh my." His mother seemed shocked at the sight, but giggled. "I bet Aiichiro likes that." She pulled her phone out and started to take pictures and videos.
Nitori buried his face in the bed sheet, trying to hide his naked and ashamed body. "Honey, I need him to come with me." His mother said after a few more minutes.
His father pulled out and hit Nitori's lower back, making him collapse onto the bed. "Fine. I think he got the message tonight."
Nitori looked at the wall, eyes blank. His body ached, still not used to his father's talks. It hurt more that he expected it too; he must have gotten weak to the aching pain. His father grabbed his hair and pulled him up, nearly going limp. "Get dressed." He ordered.
His movements were like a machine, flowing smoothly and automatic. He was use to their commands and demands. He looked at his mother blankly. "What do you need me to do?" Nitori asked, voice hoarse from crying so loudly.
"I have to ask you something." She motioned her now dressed husband and child down the stairs.
"Come on." His father grabbed his sore arms and pushed him down the wooden stairs. To Nitori, it felt like a demon was dragging him down to hell, knowing he'll never be able to go back to heaven.
As they entered the kitchen, the house phone rang. "Good God! Who's been calling us?" His mother shrieked. "Aiichiro, did you have something to do with this?" She asked.
Nitori stared at her, eyes void of emotion. "I don't know. I don't remember." He said, voice quivering.
His mother sneered and walked around the counter. "I know there's something that will make you remember." Nitori almost fainted when she pulled the shiny knife out of the holder. "Bring him here."
His father pushed him forward, holding Nitori up. He was crying hysterically, only having been punished like this only once before. His mother had taken his hand and cut him in both of his palms, leaving him unable to write or swim for weeks. "No, please!" Nitori pleaded, his mother grabbing his bruised wrist.
"It's okay; it'll help you remember!" She took the knife and placed it at the skin between his thumb and pointer finger. The cut was quick but pained filled. Nitori cried out loudly and tried to grab his hand, but his father held his uninjured hand back. His mother still gripped it tightly, pushing her thumb into the bloody crevice. "So do you know who's calling and why? We're not answering until you tell us."
Nitori shook his head, trembling violently. The pain was even worse than before; unable to feel the previous pain. "I don't know." He managed to say.
His father laughed. "I hear salt helps restore memory." He tightened his grip. Nitori was now begging not to be hurt even more.
"St-stop!" He begged, watching his mother retrieve salt from a cabinet. When it was first poured on, the blood turned the substance white. It didn't hurt until his mother rubbed it in. "Aaah! Stop please!" Nitori's body went limp, only being supported by his father. He let him go, letting him collapse to the floor.
Nitori clutched his hand in severe pain. This had never happened before; so Nitori didn't know how long it would take for the injury to heal. The phone rang again, and his parents picked him up. "You're going to answer it." His father pushed him into the table supporting the phone.
His right hand was shaky as he picked it up. "H-hello?"
"Nitori!" Rin was loud on the other end. "Why weren't you answering?"
His parents, able to hear the conversation, told him what to say. "Tell him we were having a talk."
Nitori inhaled, trying to contain himself from crying again. He was clutching his shirt with his bloody hand, soaking the white shirt. "We were having a talk. Why are you calling?"
Rin noticed he seemed too dodgy on the phone. "We have news. Captain talked to the services and police, so if you say that they're abusing you, you'll be removed from the house today!" Rin whispered the next part. "And there's police there already, so you'll be okay, if they move in in time."
Nitori squirmed when his mother's hand gripped his shoulder. "You're not leaving us." She whispered in his ear. "You're not going to leave you poor parents, are you?" She giggled, wrapping her arms around Nitori.
"So, are you being abused? Mikoshiba's talking to the police now, so we'll be able to tell them immediately." Rin was hopeful that Nitori would be honest.
Nitori glanced down at his bloody hand and back at his parents. He went quiet and whispered something into the phone.
"No."
Rin's heart dropped, nearly dropping the phone. "N-nitori. Are you sure?"
"I am. I'm not being hurt." Nitori said quickly, his parents slapping his back.
Rin laughed quietly, only saying one thing. "Nitori. If they're pressuring you to say that, you won't be helped. So I'll ask again. Ai. Are you being hurt? If you are, you'll be able to come and live at Samezuka again." He asked.
Nitori wiped a tear away. "Rin…." Rin perked up, not hearing Nitori say his first name without 'senpai' on the end.
"I'm sorry." Nitori dropped the phone and turned around to his parents.
"Nitori! Nitori! Can you hear me?" Rin was screaming into the phone, hearing Nitori's parents.
His mother sighed and his father laughed. His mother approached him, stroking his tear-stained face. "You're such a good boy….Ai."
Nitori didn't know what happened next, other than he slapped his mother. He remembered that he pushed her after slapping her away. It was like something snapped inside of him, making him do weird stuff. "Don't call me Ai! Only Rin-senpai is allowed to call me that!"
Rin leaned in, able to hear Nitori's shrieks. "A-ai?"
"I'm sick of both of you manipulating me! I'm not your slave! I'm your child. You're supposed to protect me, to encourage me….to love me. You've done none of that!" Nitori screamed, pushing his father away when he tried to grab him. "Don't you try and tell me that you love me and I'll miss you! I want both of you to die!" He grabbed his hair with both hands, bloodying his hair. "I'm tired of having to hide myself and my bruises! I'm sick of you two doing whatever you please with me! I'm not your doll anymore!" Nitori clenched his fists.
"I hate you!"
His father's punch was quick and painful, sending him into the wall. His head hit the wall, moaning in pain as he slid down. Nitori glared up at his furious parents, eyes equally furious. "I hate both of you! I want you both to die!" He grabbed the phone quickly. "Yes Rin! Yes!" He shrieked, his parents snatching the phone away.
"You! Little! Brat!" His father screamed, kicking him down. His mother kicked his back as his father kicked his front.
"How could you betray us?" His mother cried out, kicking his head.
Nitori grabbed his head, protecting himself. "I…hate…you…" He gritted out between each kick.
Rin's eyes were wide with horror, motioning Mikoshiba to give the order. "Ai! Ai!" He screamed louder.
Nitori, despite the loud surrounding, was able to hear Rin. "I'm sorry, Rin senpai…" He smiled, blood streaking his face after his father broke skin. He couldn't feel the pain anymore, only focused on his thoughts. 'They're coming in. Soon. I don't know when exactly, but soon. I'll be able to leave this place. I won't miss it. Mom and Dad are yelling something. I don't know what. What's Rin senpai saying?' Nitori smiled at the phone. "Senpai…" He whispered as his father kicked his chest.
When the police managed to get in, they were too late.