Thank you all so much for over 200 views, not to mention 7 reviews! I hope that last chapter wasn't too boring to read.
I'm going to try my best to write equal amounts of Ayushiki and Satomi, but to all the various shippers out there, no ships are going to be immediately apparent. Just like in real life, no one will have perfect relationships, nor will they get together right away. Hey, it wouldn't be interesting if they did!
Also, it isn't likely that I can upload a new chapter every day. I'm almost done writing chapter three right now, although I have chapters four, five, and six planned out.
I'm really excited about this story and I hope you are too. Without further ado, here's the some of the drama you've been looking for!
After Naomi tossed the plastic bag in the trash, she turned to Satoshi. "Aren't you going to throw out… whatever it is you're going to throw out?" He shook his head and took her hand, surprising her.
"I don't have anything to throw out," he said softly. "Actually, I made that up so that we could be alone for a few minutes… because I have to tell you something." Naomi stared at him blankly. She hadn't put the pieces together. "I want to tell you -" anxiety rose in his throat, blocking the words. He tried again. "I want you to know that - that I really like you, Naomi. A - and I have for a long time." He waited for her to respond, and fidgeted nervously when she didn't. Her eyes were wide, her perfect pink lips slightly parted in surprise. Emotion welled up inside him as he looked at her and he pulled her closer, leaning in. He wanted to taste those soft lips so badly. They were about to touch when Naomi pushed him away.
"H - Huh?" Satoshi felt worry clawing at his heart.
She stared at him with sadness in her eyes. "I - I just… I'm not sure I can be in a relationship right now. Not with -" She cut herself off. Not with you, was what she had almost said. It was time to ad-lib, and quickly. "Not with everything that's happened. You know…"
Satoshi felt as if his heart had shattered. He had spent so many sleepless nights trying to work up to this… Today, with newfound confidence, he had been sure that she would return his feelings. His world was crashing down around him. He wanted to say so many things, to scream, to cry, to shake her and demand to know what was wrong with him, why she couldn't love him, but all that came out was a strangled "Oh."
Naomi drew back further. "'Oh'?" What kind of response was that?
His mind was working in slow motion. Finally, a few more words came to him. "Um. Sorry."
She felt terrible. Didn't she like Satoshi? She should have wanted this. It made no sense for her to reject him - but at the same time, part of her thought she had made the right decision. There were tears in her eyes. "No, I'm sorry, Satoshi. I… I need to go home now." She started running, not letting herself look back.
He watched her go, wanting to call her back, to chase after her. Maybe it's for the best, he told himself, but he didn't believe it.
When they saw Naomi running away, Yoshiki and Ayumi leapt to their feet and rushed over to their heartbroken friend. They both knew what had happened; they saw Satoshi leaning in for a kiss, and Naomi pushing him away. However, where Yoshiki saw a disaster, Ayumi saw an opportunity.
As soon as they reached him, Ayumi wrapped him in a hug, patting his back. "I'm sorry, Satoshi-kun… It'll be okay," she murmured consolingly.
Satoshi was too upset to put on a brave face. Tears ran down his cheeks, leaving glistening trails. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it registered that Ayumi had called him by his first name, but he didn't care. He needed comfort, and would accept it no matter who it came from. Ayumi grinned triumphantly over Satoshi's shoulder.
Yoshiki watched his crush holding his best friend tightly. In his heart, jealousy battled with pity towards his friend. He turned away, wanting to comfort Satoshi but deciding that Ayumi had it under control. She wouldn't have done that if it were me...
"I'll walk you home, Satoshi," Ayumi suggested, pulling away but taking hold of his hand.
Satoshi sniffed loudly. "…Okay."
Yoshiki felt like screaming in frustration. He didn't live near enough to Ayumi and Satoshi to walk with them; it wouldn't make sense. But he had the nagging feeling that he needed to be there with them. He shook it off and said "I guess I'll see you when I see you."
"Bye, Kishinuma-kun," Ayumi called as she and Satoshi started towards home.
Yoshiki hesitated for a moment at the park gate. I don't want to leave her alone with him…
As they walked, Ayumi slipped her arm into the crook of Satoshi's elbow. "Do you want to talk to me about anything, Mochida-kun?" she asked. She had gone back to calling him by his last name. She didn't want to push it and scare him off.
"Mm…" Satoshi made an indecisive sound. "I guess so."
"Tell me everything," Ayumi purred encouragingly.
"I told Naomi that I… er, liked her a lot. And then I, um, tried to kiss her. But she pushed me away… She said she couldn't be in a relationship… And then she left." Tears were threatening to spill from his eyes again.
"That's just cruel," Ayumi gasped. "I would never do that, Mochida-kun."
He looked at her in confusion. What was she saying?
Ayumi took a deep breath, ready to confess. Surely after Naomi rejected him, he would accept her with open arms.
Before any words could come out of her mouth, a hand clamped over it. She let out a muffled shriek. Something cold pressed against her temple. Her heartbeat sped up, pounding in her chest.
"Give me everything or the girl dies," a gruff voice growled from behind her. Her breathing quickened. Satoshi was staring at her captor, ashen and wide-eyed with horror. He didn't move.
"Are you deaf? Hand over your valuables!" The criminal was becoming agitated. Still, Satoshi stood frozen. Ayumi was about to hyperventilate. She sent him a desperate look that said, "Just do what he asks!"
The robber pressed the gun harder into her head. She heard his finger touch the trigger. "I'm warning you…"
A small whimper escaped her lips, muffled by her captor's hand. Isn't Mochida going to do something? Is he just going to let me die?
Suddenly, something happened to her captor. He fell backward. The pressure of the gun was lifted and Ayumi stumbled away, towards Satoshi. She turned to see Yoshiki grappling with a stocky, tattooed man who resembled a bulldog. The teenager's arms were wrapped around his neck, choking the breath out of him, as the criminal clawed and beat at Yoshiki.
"Kishinuma-kun!" she screamed with surprise. The gun went off. Ayumi couldn't tell what had happened until she saw Yoshiki double over in pain and fall to the ground. The criminal had gone limp from lack of oxygen just after pulling the trigger.
"Mochida! You have to call 911!" Ayumi screamed at her friend as she rushed to Yoshiki's side, tears falling from her eyes. Satoshi seemed to snap out of his trance and pulled out his cell phone.
"Hello, my name is Satoshi Mochida. Right now I'm on -" he checked the street sign - "the corner of Holly Circle and Sycamore Drive. We were just held up and my friend was shot. The criminal is here, unconscious. We need an ambulance and the police, quick!"
All of this spilled from his mouth so fast that he was surprised when the person on the other end of the line said in a calm voice, "I've alerted the police. Please stay calm and don't leave that spot. They will arrive very soon."
Satoshi let out a huge sigh of relief and knelt beside Ayumi. She was holding pressure on Yoshiki''s wound. The bullet had pierced his midsection, and there was no telling how deep it had gone. Blood was everywhere. His friend was lying on his back, his contorted expression showing how much pain he was in. It took the strength of his entire being to not scream in agony. Yoshiki was close to losing consciousness.
"Stay with me, bro," Satoshi murmured, his voice breaking as he held his best friend's hand. He wasn't even sure that Yoshiki could hear him. Salty tears dripped from his face to Yoshiki's t-shirt.
"Don't… mess up my shirt…" Yoshiki rasped, the shadow of a smirk playing on his lips. A tiny trickle of blood was in the corner of his mouth. His eyes were closed, but he was awake.
"It's pretty messed up already," Satoshi said with a sad smile. Those bloodstains were never going to come out. How is Yoshiki making jokes at a time like this?
Ayumi was crying, too, her hands never leaving Yoshiki's wound, where they were pressing down hard. If she could stop the blood, he might live. "Kishinuma-kun," she sobbed, "don't die!"
"I'm working on it," he grunted laboriously as his face twisted in pain. The sound of sirens reached their ears.
"Oh, thank goodness they're here!" Ayumi breathed as the ambulance appeared, flanked by three police cars. The police leaped out of their vehicles, two of them handcuffing the still-unconscious criminal and packing him into the backseat of one of the cars. Another bent down by Ayumi and Satoshi and began questioning them as paramedics lifted Yoshiki onto a stretcher. He had drifted into unconsciousness now, and all his friends could do was pray as the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance.
"Are you related to the victim?" the police officer asked them.
"No, but we're his friends," Satoshi answered while Ayumi sniffled.
"Then it would probably be best if you didn't ride in the ambulance with him," the officer said. "I can drive you to the hospital in my car if you'd like, or I can drive you home."
"It would be great if you could drive us to the hospital, but could we call our parents first to tell them what happened?" Satoshi asked.
"Please do." The officer stepped away to give them some privacy while they spoke to their parents.
Ayumi's mother picked up first. "Mom, it's Ayumi," she said.
"Where have you been?" her mother demanded. "I was worried about you! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Mom, but we got held up and Kishinuma was shot." She heard a gasp from the other end of the line. "He's being taken to the hospital now, and Satoshi and I want to go there. Is that okay?"
Her mother was quiet for a moment. "Go, but come back right after. You can go back tomorrow, after all."
"Thank you, Mom. I'll see you soon," Ayumi said.
"Bye, sweetheart… Stay safe." They both hung up. Meanwhile, Satoshi was having a similar conversation with his mother.
"Bye, Mom," he was saying as Ayumi tucked her phone back into her bag. The two got into the police car and got out at the local hospital, ten minutes later. Ayumi had texted Naomi to inform her of what had happened. Her phone beeped with the reply:
Oh my god! I'm on my way!
Ayumi glanced at Satoshi hesitantly after reading the message. It made sense that Naomi would want to see their injured friend, but would the tension between the two cause trouble?
When they reached the waiting room, a kind nurse informed them that Yoshiki had been immediately rushed into surgery and would not be out for an hour or two.
"That's okay, we can kill time," Satoshi said as he made himself comfortable on a couch. His shaking hands, folded in his lap, betrayed his calm demeanor.
Ayumi sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. Almost automatically, his arm snaked around her so that her cheek was against his chest. This time, she was seeking his touch for comfort, not for love. "Mochida-kun, do you think he'll be okay?" Her voice was husky with unshed tears. A lump rose in her throat; she wouldn't be able to say any more without sobbing and wailing.
Something inside of Satoshi sparked at her touch. He tried to ignore it. "I'm sure he'll be fine," the boy murmured softly, trying to convince himself as much as her.
Ayumi broke down and sobbed into Satoshi's shirt. He let her cry, figuring that it was better to get it all out. Gently, he stroked her head with his free arm, fingering her silky pigtails. A small bittersweet smile graced his features as he held her, realizing that she had been about to confess when chaos ensued.
Maybe he could give her a chance.
Ooh, I had forgotten how much action was in this chapter! Again, reviews are always welcome. I love to hear what you have to say! Were you surprised? :3
