It was a Saturday afternoon, 3 hours till Tanaka's gig and as Minato anxiously rushes inside his bedroom to prepare, a baffled Aki appeared out of nowhere
Dead silence filled the hall
"So... Are we going to Tartarus tonight?" Aki asked as politely as he can
Minato knew he had to end this ploy right away but tonight's the gig and this is the farthest he got in lying, so might as well take the final gamble tonight.
"I'm sorry Aki-Senpai..." was all he can mutter
There was a slight scrunch in Aki's face and his eyebrows met. It was a face of concern rather than contempt.
"It's ... fine, but our skills are pretty rusty not to mention our persona's, we have to catch up"
"I'll take care of it Senpai" he went straight to his room not looking back
"Take care of yourself too" Aki said almost inaudibly
Minato closed the door shut
He felt a pang of guilt. He knew Aki hated him. All Aki ever cared about were Tartarus and boxing anyway.
But tonight concludes everything. Tanaka's money will cover both Aki's gloves and the pawned equipment. Or at least Minato thinks it will.
He got off his school uniform and dressed himself in a navy blue V-neck shirt and jeans. Since Tanaka will probably provide the needed costume for the shoot.
Minato slipped out Tanaka's business card from his wallet. Mr. Tanaka, as felonious as he may seem, made a pretty convincing business card. At the back of it was where the address of the studio.
289 Hachiyama Penthouse Tatsumi Port. 8 PM.
He left his room not making the slightest creak
Taking baby steps downstairs, Minato peeked at the SEES lobby where he expected a pouting Mitsuru and a nagging Yukari, fortunately the coast was clear. Unless someone enters the front door, he can pull this escape off.
He bolted to the front door in the stealthiest way possible. As he reached the doorstep, he cautiously opened it to peek outside... nothing.
"I'm sorry everyone, I'm sorry Aki-Senpai" he soliloquized as he closed the door behind him.
After 30 minutes of navigating the vicinity of Tatsumi Port, he knew he was lost. He was in a remote area, remote being somewhere he hasn't been before with plenty of trees and little light.
He was exhausted from all the running and playing the navigation game.
He stopped for a moment to catch his breath.
He reached out for his wallet to confirm the address on the business card.
"Dammit! I left it at my room!" emptying his wallet's contents
"Let's see, I remember it being 289 Hachiyama Penthouse at Tatsumi Port. But why can't I find it?"
Turning his attention away from his wallet, Minato found himself facing a white warehouse with a "289" painted on a small sign board.
Meanwhile in the SEES dormitory...
Mitsuru called for a meeting, knocking on everyone's door.
Everyone except Minato gathered at the lobby.
Everyone knew what this sudden notice was about. They could all feel the lapses in their skills and in their personas.
"This meeting concerns Tartarus and our, somehow, lengthy hiatus" Mitsuru announces with hefty composure.
"We have been out for two weeks or fourteen days, and that is already a colossal breach in our progress"
Yukari raises her hand
"Senpai, can't we go to Tartarus without him? I've been feeling musty just staying here"
Junpei seconds
"Yeah Senpai, I'm getting bored here too and an ordeal is gonna come real soon so if we don't hurry we –
Mitsuru interrupts "I know how you all feel, but we should prioritize all of the member's training. Should we go and train amongst ourselves, then Arisato will be left behind, and he has to live up to his title of being our leader. But this doesn't mean we shall grow complacent."
Junpei turned his head around in search for the blue-haired leader. "Hey, where is that doofus anyway?"
Meanwhile at Tanaka's studio
Minato gazed at the damnation before him. It was more like a warehouse, and an abandoned one at that. It was painted a faded white color with only two windows on both sides. It looked nothing like a studio.
Minato entered without knocking, the door's creak as it opened definitely defined the place's condition: archaic. He was expecting a well-lit and photoshoot-ready setting but instead it was pitch black with only the rays of light from the two broken windows were visible. An eerie feeling crept up on him as he passed the threshold.
"Hello?" Minato mustered
After a moment the lights opened.
The place was empty. There were only stockpiles of boxes, an unusual office table a chair and a Mr. Tanaka who was approaching him with a fancy looking SLR camera slung around his neck. He had a louche grin and maleficent eyes.
The old business man was close. It was the perfect time to vamoose.
Instead all Minato could do was tremble.
At SEES
"Akihiko, go upstairs and fetch our leader, he can't possibly absent himself from this urgent matter. I've already knocked twice, maybe he's sleeping."
Akihiko stood and went up without a word.
Akihiko, before knocking on Minato's door, recalled how glum the latter's face was recently.
It might be a lost relative or he might be failing school, he thought. It was undeniable that Akihiko's concern towards Minato was unlike any other's in SEES. Akihiko understands Minato like how he understands himself.
He first knocked lightly... nothing.
A second knock... still nothing.
Maybe he's worn out, he thought.
Four loud knocks this time... nothing.
He thought of forcing the door open out of concern.
He turned the knob and the door was ajar.
"Listen Mitsuru wants all of us at the lobby, it's really important... so please come down as soon as you can" He spoke not looking inside the room.
"It can really help all of us so please, hear us out" No reply.
He opened the door completely only to find out he was speaking to an empty room.
At Tanaka's Warehouse
Tanaka snapped a photo of the shaking lad in front of him.
"Welcome Arisato-kun. I'm delighted you can make it"
Minato slowly regained his composure
"Let's make this quick... and no funny business old man" he commanded as authoritatively as he can.
The well-dressed business man grinned even bigger and creepier.
Tanaka gestured a "come in" and led Minato to the office desk.
The misplaced office desk had an old lava lamp and glass of tonic on it.
"Sit down boy; you must be worn out from all that walking"
True enough Minato was.
Tanaka grabbed the chair and had the boy sit down.
"Please, do have a sip, that tonic came all the way from Spain. Just give it a little whirl."
Minato was reluctant at first but the tonic was teasing him with the tiny droplets of moist running down the glass and the sparkling froth of the clear liquid. It was an elixir to his eyes.
He lightly spun the glass for the flavor to merge.
"Dear boy, just drink it" Tanaka impatiently said.
Without opening his eyes, Minato drank the tonic in extreme thirst.
Surprisingly it tasted sublime. Minato drank more of it instantly emptying the glass.
"What'd I tell ya kid? Don't you trust my judgement? Now stay, while I get the other equipment out back."
As Tanaka turned around to exit the back door, a deceitful smile formed on his face while he whispered:
Perfect.
At SEES Dormitory
Akihiko entered the room to check for hints of Minato's whereabouts.
The room was surprisingly spotless for a guy.
The only eyesore was a small card lying on the wooden floor
Akihiko picked the small card up.
It read: Mr. Tanaka
Telemarketing Associate/Merchandizing Head/Commercial Actor/CEO of Tanaka's Goods
Call XXX-XXX for inquiries
He was dumbfounded, what possible connection can Mr. Tanaka and Minato have anyway?
Aki left the room untouched and hastily showed the card to Mitsuru and the other members.
"Akihiko, what is the meaning of this?" Mitsuru questioned.
"I don't know. It looked like he accidentally left it there."
Akihiko tried his best not to show his concern. He still had a blank expression but was all flustered inside.
"Isn't he that rich guy from the commercial? Maybe Minato-kun works part-time for him?" Yukari suggested.
Mitsuru squinted her eyes in suspicion "But why keep it from us? Is this the reason he's been missing out on Tartarus?"
"Guys this isn't good, I hear that this Tanaka guy's bad news" said Aki.
"Yeah, his name's kinda been going around campus for a while, I just didn't pay attention to it" Junpei added.
"Iori, do you remember anything of what they said about Mr. Tanaka? Anything at all? Even the most minute of details!" Mitsuru pleaded.
Junpei pondered for a while
"SHIT! I remember! He tricks people into an advertising gig...or was it an acting gig? And he harasses them!" Junpei exclaimed.
Everyone was shocked. Junpei dropped a bomb.
"Are you serious Junpei? I mean I don't think someone as smart as Minato would actually fall for that cheap trick. Right Mitsuru-Senpai?" said Yukari trying to wind the situation down.
Ignoring Yukari's question, "Iori! Are you absolutely positive about this? Because if this is one of your lowly pranks again, I swear by the name of the Kirijo I will execu—"
"I'm serious Misturu-Senpai!" Junpei stood in frustration
"Then there's not a minute to lose. How do we get to this Tanaka guy?" asked Aki
Yukari scanning the card noticed the handwritten address on the back.
"Hey look! It says 289 Hachiyama Penthouse Tatsumi Port. 8PM. I can't believe it, he really fell for this..."
Akihiko trying to look calm and suppress his outbursts for the entire conversation could only manage:
"I'll go. ALONE."
At TANAKA's warehouse
Minato grew impatient and started to lie on the desk with his arms as pillows.
He felt queasy.
It couldn't have been the tonic. He only drank one glass.
Unless...
Before Minato had figured it out, he was enveloped by the darkness.
He felt a hard pang on his chest and his eyes grew weary as if he trudged all day
His body was numb, it was practically dead.
Who could've possibly spike a drink that strongly that it knocked him dead as a rock
TANAKA...
The same person who's tricked him and probably a bunch of other kids, desperate for money.
His mind was all that's functioning
But he wasn't in control now
"GODDAMMIT!" He thought.
"GODFUCKINGDAMMIT!"
"YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!"
...
I only wanted a meaningful life
A life full of friends to relish moments with
I've always wanted to save the world
These thoughts randomly flashing in his head
I wanted to know what it's like to have a lover
All my life no one has ever loved me
I grew up without familial love
They all died, leaving me ALONE
A memory of him staring blankly in the mirror appeared
As he touched the face of his youthful reflection
The mirror shattered
FUCK!
FUCK IT ALL!
Amidst the memories and images
A figure stood firm
It was shrouded in mist
It was black
No, it was white
It was Akihiko Sanada
The lonesome boxer with overzealous fans
The one whom everyone adores
What is it with Akihiko?
His gray hair? His lean yet toned body?
His perfectly engineered facial features?
What is it?
Aki-Senpai...
All of a sudden water gushed out drowning him
Taking the last breaths he held on to
I was bound to die anyway
I deserve this for being a fool
And before he knew it he knew it he was awake...
Minato was wet. The water was ice cold.
He panted and panted heavily like he actually drowned
He was tied to the chair and was stripped off his clothing with only his boxers on.
"TANAKA YOU BASTARD!" He finally spoke
He struggled but his feet were also tied
"WHEN I GET YOU I AM SO GONNA—
"You are so gonna what?" Tanaka appeared, holding what seemed to be the bucket he used for dumping ice cold water on him.
"You are so naive" Tanaka approached the hapless boy
"SHUT UP! LET ME GO PLEASE!" His anger turned into tears
"I want to—I want to live!"
"I need to live!"
"Poor thing! Hold on I'll untie you okay?" Tanaka jested pitifully
True enough, Tanaka untied the noose on Minato's feet
"Now untie my hands" Minato ordered
Tanaka seemed a little too docile as he also untied the rope on the boy's hands
As Minato was ready to run for it Tanaka firmly grasped his chafed wrists and slapped him strong enough to send the boy unconscious
"D'ya actually think I'll let you go that easily?"
Tanaka grabbed Minato's head and slammed it on the desk, face first.
Minato groaned in pain
It was worse than Junpei accidentally hitting him with a baseball bat
"I can't let go of my prey...
... without tasting them first" Tanaka whispered to the boy's crimson ear as he licked it
The old man kissed the young's nape while restraining both the latter's hands
It was all over for Minato, his life's gonna end in misery
He couldn't do a thing, not in this drugged state anyway
Minato heard an unzipping sound behind him
He knew what it was. He doesn't know what it feels like but it's gonna be sure as hell painful,
The slam on his head was so strong that he can't make up of anything happening around him
He was only conscious to sounds
Minato now was bent over the table panting and trying to strike the man's head but the toll on his body was too solid and the drug hasn't completely worn off.
"Now I'm just going to carefully pull down your undergarments and gently put my you-know-what in your tight little ass" Tanaka lasciviously whispered
Minato felt his boxers being pulled, revealing his bare bottom.
Everything was murky for Minato. If only someone knew about this gig, there a slight shred of hope that someone might come rummaging for him right now.
But it was too late.
He's dirtied, drugged, and dead.
What would he do to see his friends again
Especially Aki, buying those gloves were basically smoke and mirrors
His only key to Aki's heart...
Gone.
"Aa—aki Se-n-pai" Minato muffled thinking those were his last words.
He can feel the tip of Tanaka's flesh touching his butt
He scrunched his face as all of hell would break loose
HE prepared for the painful part
And suddenly, the door flew open.
It was a lean figure.
Maybe the cops?
He was alone.
The figure spoke
"Unhand him you SON OF A BITCH!"
The figure stepped forward
The faded shaft of light beaming from the broken window illuminated the figure's white hair
It was Akihiko
Tanaka quickly zipped his pants and stepped back leaving the motionless Minato still bent over the table.
Akihiko was holding a long metal pipe that looked like he found lying around.
Tanaka wasn't exactly armed to the teeth as he only had a rope and a bucket with him.
Akihiko sprung forward as Tanaka attempted a retreat
Tanaka was aiming for the back door but Akihiko drove his feet faster than Tanaka's
Running away from shadows in Tartarus has its perks after all.
Akihiko cornered the old pleading man blocking the exit door
His mouth agape
"Take the boy! I didn't do anything to him I swear to God!" Tanaka defended
Akihiko smiled deviously
It was the same smile Tanaka gave Minato minutes back, only more vicious
"Tell God I also didn't do anything to you okay?" Akihiko teased as he raised the metal rod
"Batter up!"
Akihiko swung the metal pipe hitting Tanaka's head sending him flying
He was about to leave him be until he saw the soiled naked blue boy lying on the table
Akihiko got riled up and browbeat the raspberries out of Tanaka for the second time
After Akihiko's vindication, he took Tanaka's clothing to cover Minato, and carried him out of the dreaded warehouse.
"Senpai, I'm sorry" Minato apologized as he gained consciousness in Aki's arms
"Shut up and rest. Mitsuru has a lot of questions for you. Save your energy for later" Akihiko coldly replied
Silence once again filled the air as they scurried off Tatsumi Port Island
The whole trip to the dorm neither of them spoke.
Minato made several attempts but he knew it would get Aki's goat further.
Aki's eyes never landed on the bruised boy, seeing the latter shaking like a leaf ails him.
They were in front of the SEES dorm at last and Minato knew what was in store for him inside.
Although Minato can walk or more like hop, he still needed Aki as a crutch and has yet to regain full control of his body.
The door swung open. Yukari, Junpei and Mitsuru all stood up at the same time looking daggers at the two.
Before anyone can utter a complaint or a lecture, Minato took the liberty of speaking first
"I know you all have a list of questions for me but can we please leave the interrogation for tomorrow? A lot has happened today and it was all because of me. And I'm sorry I hope you can all forgive me."
Aki helped the restless boy upstairs without saying a word.
As they entered Minato's room, Minato knew he had to tell Aki everything
And by everything he meant EVERYTHING including the gloves and the pawned weapons.
"Senpai, can you stay a little longer? I just need to get this out of my chest" Minato requested as Aki helped him lie in bed
"Go on" replied Aki as he sat beside the boy
Minato swallowed hard, he knew this was the perfect time
"I don't—I thought modelling for that Tanaka guy would earn me money" He started
"Turns out I'm the biggest idiot in the world huh?"
Aki stared blankly at him trying to conceal his passionate and concerned alter-ego
"I kinda trespassed in your room once and – found your training journal. And I'm sorry for invading your private property it's just that- I—wanted to know what you want for your - birthday -which is tomorrow" Minato blushed ending the sentence
Akihiko seeing the flushed Minato, turned red himself
"And what did you find out?" Aki curiously asked
"Those gloves at Paulownia mall- you want them don't you? It's just I can't afford it with my own savings that I -"
"That you took that jerk's offer thinking he'll give you enough money?" Aki completed "Stupidest thing I've ever heard"
"I know I know, if you—if they want to kick me out as leader—it's okay. I deserve it anyway"
Akihiko leaned closer
"I wanna show you something, Minato" Akihiko reached for his wallet
The blue boy's heart raced, as it was the first time he heard his first name come out of Aki's lips
Minato~
Minato~
Minato~
He rewound in his head in Aki's cold voice
Akihiko took a piece of paper from his wallet. It was folded like a note being passed in class.
"Here. I think this'll answer what I want for my birthday" Aki's face was as crimson as ever as he handed the note over to Akihiko
What could possibly be written here?
Didn't he want the gloves? The younger boy thought
Minato grabbed the note from Aki who was looking away
Minato mused for a moment and looked back...
Then it hit him.
The torn note from Aki's journal!
This was it!
As the boy unfolded the paper Aki whispered "I never wanted those gloves"
Minato read the entry
- convinced a new guy to join the SEES. His name is Arisato, Minato. First time I met him all I could come up was a "Hey there! Nice meeting you". He seemed kind of nice to be honest. Mitsuru and I sense a great potential in him. Currently he's leading the team as we venture in Tartarus, and we are really keeping up. There's something in him that I like, unfortunately I can't actually pinpoint what it is. Maybe it's how we both fight tooth and nail every single time a shadow appears in front of us? I can't really get him out of my mind though, Am I insane? Am I starting to like him? This is unlike me. I'm usually focused on my boxing and training, things started to change after he became a SEES. I want to return to normal so I've decided a while ago while I was eating ramen alone, that on my birthday I'm going to tell him what I feel. I don't care if I get rejected; I just want to get this out of my system entirely.
Akihiko Sanada
Silence filled the room yet again.
"Akihiko-Senpai..." the boy smiled
The pain in his chest began fleeting, turning into a good kind of pain.
So this is what love felt like
Akihiko finally looked at the boy's direction.
"I kinda tore this out of my journal in fear of Junpei reading it. I caught him once tampering with my training gloves you know" He smiled awkwardly
"Akihiko-Senpai, look" Minato pointed at the wall clock
12:01 AM
"Happy Birthday Senpai. Sorry I couldn't get you your gloves" Minato trying to look apologetic
Akihiko leaned closer to Minato's face
"Never mind that, I've already got what I want"
And just like that, they spent the long night together.
THE END HOLY CRAP I SUCK AT THIS.