CHAPTER 11
"Game over!" The digital voice sounded from the TV set in the home of Konata Izumi. The blue-haired girl had grinned happily as she held her controller while her cousin Yutaka Kobayakawa presented a look that expressed the opposite. She once again held her head in defeat.
"I'm no good at these games, onee-chan." Yutaka said with embarrassment though took her loss with grace as she giggled with a blush across her face.
"Ah don't sweat it, Yu-chan. What do you say we take a break? I have another box of those chocolate wafer thingies that we can open." Konata said.
The offer was happily accepted by Yutaka and the two cousins made their way into the kitchen and began snacking on the treat. It was times like this that Konata was always grateful that Yutaka was staying with her even though they wouldn't be seeing much of each other at high school anymore. Konata wasn't worried about Yutaka though since she knew that Minami was always going to be there for her, as well as her other friends.
It wasn't the simple company that Konata solely enjoyed about having Yutaka around, though. It was also because Yutaka was able to connect with people through her innocence and the salmon-haired girl was always able to sense when someone was either in pain or confused about something. As the two girls continued to work on the chocolate wafers, Yutaka's intuitive perspective kicked in again when she saw an unusually meek face on her cousin. Konata was always flamboyant and outlandish in her personality and appearance so to see a submissive look on her face was a cause for investigation.
"Um…onee-chan, are you okay? You look a little depressed." Yutaka observed as she swallowed the last of another wafer.
Konata smiled on the inside and thanked Yutaka in her mind for asking for there was something that was bothering her, though she didn't know how to bring it up. It was a situation that was eating away at Konata since the last time she saw her best friend at her older sister's funeral which seemed like a decade ago by this point. It was an issue that concerned Konata even more when she received a phone call from Tsukasa earlier this morning asking if Kagami was there and that she said that her older sister was planning on seeing her and bringing video games. Of course, Konata wasn't aware of such a meeting ever taking place and tried to reach Kagami on her cell phone but to no avail.
"Well…now that you mention it, there is something that has been bothering me." Konata said, still with subtlety in her voice. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about Kagami since her sister's funeral and this morning I got a phone call from Tsukasa wondering where she was. According to her, she bumped into Kagami as she was about to leave the house and she said that she was coming here with some games but never showed up and I haven't been able to get in contact with her. Call it weird but I can't help but feel that something's aloof here."
Yutaka simply sat and listened with interest to the growing quagmire that was beginning to plague the Hiiragi household. She cleared her throat and replied, "I can see why you would be concerned about that, but I'm sure Kagami is fine. You know how tough she is."
Konata nodded back to her cousin. "I do but that's not what concerns me. She's just been acting very strange lately and I still can't get that last thing she said to me out of my head. She told me to leave her alone and I could see that she truly meant it. She wasn't just venting her emotions; she really wanted me to keep my distance from her and she knew how much that would hurt me."
"Onee-chan, she lost her big sister in a car accident and then went through that horrifying ordeal with Kusakabe-san." Yutaka added. "Maybe she did just truly need her space and still does."
Konata couldn't help but nod. "I guess…but it's still hard for me to believe. If what Tsukasa was telling me was true about how Kagami's been acting at home, especially after that mall outing they had, then I am still concerned."
"I understand that you really care about Kagami and the wellbeing of her family. You're such a great person that I look up to and I couldn't even begin to understand the pain that Tsukasa is feeling." Yutaka said and became more sentimental. "To be honest, you became my hero after I moved in to go to school. My big sister was always there for me and I idolized her too so I know what it feels like to be the youngest and to have someone older and wiser to look up to. And to see that idol in such pain over the loss of a family member must be so sad that I feel for Tsukasa."
Konata sighed and nodded slightly. "I see where you're coming from."
Yutaka nodded back. "Plus at least Tsukasa is willing to keep you in the loop of what's going on. She loves Kagami so much that she's always willing to reach out for help if it would make her big sister happy again."
Konata smiled. She couldn't help but whisper, "Tsukasa…what a gift to the world."
A long pause settled upon Konata and Yutaka, however it wasn't a long and awkward pause. It was a pause that only two people who were very close to each other could share without it feeling strange or uncomfortable. One of the cousins had an issue she needed to talk about and the second one was there to listen. They were a team in that regard so it presented a pause that allowed them to simply sit and enjoy the other's company. Nothing more had to be said on this issue between them. The harmonious silence was shattered by Konata's incessant cell phone ringtone, motivating her to reach for it and see it was Tsukasa's number calling her.
"Well speak of the devil," Konata said with a chuckle as she opened the phone. "Hello there Tsukasa."
Konata instantly had to pull the phone away from her ear when Tsukasa's crying tore through the receptor. It took several attempts to calm the distraught Hiiragi twin down until she was finally able to assemble her words.
"Kona-chan! Kagami…she attacked us! She hurt my daddy! We're at the hospital now! He has a broken hand!" Tsukasa wailed. "Mom found out that Kagami has been taking drugs! She says she's been shooting heroin and smoking crack!"
Konata felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing the devastating news from the crying Tsukasa. So many things she wanted to cry upon hearing the revelation from Tsukasa, most of them involving denial. She wanted to even call Tsukasa a liar because of the very thought of her best friend being addicted to such drugs made her sick. However, that wasn't her personality and all she wanted was to talk to Kagami. "Where is she now? Put her on the phone."
"She's not with us! We left her at the house to rush dad to the emergency room and I've been trying to call her but it keeps going straight to voicemail!" Tsukasa replied loudly. "I'm so scared, Konata! What do I do?! What do I do?!"
It took a lot of Konata's mental strength to keep her from losing her cool as well. Konata had no choice but to believe that Kagami now had a drug addiction just by listening to the scale of Tsukasa's verbal meltdown on the phone. Konata took the advice she was about to give Tsukasa and took a deep breath.
"Okay, Tsukasa, I need you to take a few deep breaths and calm down." Konata instructed. "Just keep listening to my voice and remember that I'm here for you. You're my friend and you know you can always count on me no matter what happens. Now relax and tell me what happened."
Tsukasa was soothed a bit by Konata's words and she did her best to settle herself. The youngest and most scared in the Hiiragi family recalled every horrifying moment from start to finish and every gruesome detail in-between. How Kagami came home and was acting strange and her mother theorized of a drug addiction, sending Tsukasa into an emotional nosedive. How her every attempt at comforting her sister resulted in the cold shoulder and ultimately, a violent outburst that resulted in Tadao's broken hand. When Tsukasa completed her tale, she started crying again.
Konata couldn't help but cringe at every word that escaped Tsukasa's mouth. Every word was like a horror film projected before Konata's mind and it only furthered her own panic when she learned the details of Kagami's withdrawal. The blue-haired girl was assaulted by two worst case scenarios; her best friend was now a drug addict and her other best friend was an endless supply of distraught emotions. Konata was so blindsided by this horrific revelation that she had no idea what she could do or say to calm down Tsukasa.
"Tsukasa, listen to me. Everything is going to all right. I know you don't want to hear what I'm about to say but you need to be strong and you need to be a pillar of strength for your family now." Konata said. "I want you to stay close to your family tonight and keep trying Kagami's cell phone. I'll ask around and we'll find her. I promise you will find her, okay?"
"Okay…" Tsukasa was able to whimper after several sniffles and coughs. "Thank…you…"
Tsukasa didn't want to pull her ear away from her phone but she had no choice when she heard the click and her conversation was over. She stood in the emergency room surrounded by sick and injured people, which only furthered her distress and the youngest Hiiragi daughter turned and dashed back to her family. It was an empty wish that Tsukasa had to return to the calm and collective group of people she loved when she saw a nurse bandaging her father's bruised hand.
The nurse continued to apply the splint to the aching man's hand as he sat in a chair and continued to wince in pain. The nurse cleared her throat and said, "So how did this happen again?"
Tadao was prepared for this question and quickly answered before the rest of his family could. "I caught my hand in the car door."
The nurse squinted her eyes with suspicion while Miki, Inori, and Tsukasa continued to watch and stay close. She retorted, "Must've been a big car door and a hard slam."
Tadao gulped. "Well I will admit it was embarrassing."
"I can understand that. Anyway like I said earlier you have three broken fingers and a fractured tubercle. You'll need to wear this for the next eight weeks and I'm sorry to say this but you're not going to be feeling very well for that time so I'll have the doctor write you a prescription." The nurse said and put the final touches on the cast around the black, blue, and purple hand.
After the nurse gave Tadao a few more instructions on cast care, she left them alone to fetch a prescription for painkillers. It allowed the broken Hiiragi family time to regroup and figure out what to do next with their angry daughter.
"Lying to a nurse about the cause of that injury? That was an excellent display of fatherly honesty for your daughters." Miki snapped sarcastically.
"If I told her the real reason she would've called the police and Kagami would've been arrested. If you think she's feeling the pinch now, what do you think a criminal record will do to her?" Tadao groaned in pain. "Nobody has to know about any of this. We can still help her. We just need to get her into a doctor's office, maybe even a rehab program if it has to come to that. We'll do whatever it takes and pay any cost to help her. She's just in so much pain over Matsuri and Kusakabe."
"But look what she did to you, dear." Miki confronted and reared her rare but still existent aggressive side. "She assaulted you and Inori and your hand is broken. We know she's on crack and heroin so what's keeping her from targeting the rest of us next time we try and confront her?"
To everyone's surprise, Tadao suddenly became emotional as he stared at his bruised hand. "I…I just hate thinking about…what could happen to her…if she was arrested for something…like this. She…she's worked so hard and has made all of us so proud…and for her to lose it all…I just hate thinking that it could happen to her. Someone like Kagami…"
Tsukasa shared her pain with her father the most and rushed over to him and hugged him. Her natural feminine aroma helped settle some of the stress they were feeling in lieu of the traumatic encounter with Kagami. Tsukasa pulled back and weakly said, "I agree with you, dad. Kagami is in so much pain and we have to help her. The big sis I know and love is still in there and I want to do whatever I can to bring her back. I love her so much and I know everyone here does so please, don't give up on my sis! Please help me bring her back to me! To us!"
Seeing her youngest daughter display such nobility and love for her sibling warmed Miki's heart. She remembered the conversation they had in Kagami's room a few hours ago about getting Kagami help and it was Tsukasa's endless supply of love and innocence that reminded Miki of what was truly important to her. She concluded her husband was right in his words and she had to admit that Kagami was sick and needed help. Miki hugged Tsukasa and Inori, as well as her husband to show her support. She still wanted to help Kagami.
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An unholy and even deafening screech began to tear through Kagami's brain as her consciousness began to return the next morning. So many noises were trying to register in her mind at once but she didn't know that it was the series of events after her return home the previous night replaying in her brain. She was processing so many things that ranged from her mother's crying voice followed by her angry tone, Tsukasa's crying voice, the smell of dinner, the clanging of forks and spoons and finally, screams from everyone, including her. Something had happened the previous night but she couldn't picture it, she could only hear it and feel it. It hurt. It hurt a lot.
A new and unwanted sensation began to tickle Kagami's senses. She could smell a putrid mixture of mold, urine, garbage, and bad breath that smelt of alcohol. A solid yet wet and warm touch began to drag itself across her cheek, intensifying the odor that plagued her nose, prompting Kagami to twitch her eyes and slowly open them.
Her vision was blurry as her hearing returned and she could hear a strange sound that made her cringe as it sounded like a dying animal. She could suddenly feel a solid form on top of her and she shifted her tired eyes upward and her heart went into overdrive when she realized it was a man that was straddling her. When her vision became clear, she tried to scream in terror but his hand quickly cupped her mouth.
A homeless man was holding her down. His face was directly in hers and she could see every grisly and repulsive feature about him. He had a long gray beard with only five teeth in his mouth; all of them a disturbing yellow color and his skin were riddled with sores and hives. To Kagami's further horror, the man only had one eye with the other one discolored and his eyeless socket was covered with a layer of rotting skin. His smile was that of a madman with perverted intentions as he lowered her face to the squealing and struggling Kagami again. He breathed in her natural fragrance and continued to grunt animalistic noises to show the pleasure he was feeling.
Kagami felt the urge to throw up when he dragged his tongue across her face as the frightened girl continued to try and scream for help. She was still pinned on the disgusting mattress under the overpass and she feared one of her worst nightmares was about to come to fruition. She was going to be raped in some disgusting area by some crazed animal. She released tears from her eyes as the man continued to lick her face while guide his free hand under her shirt and maneuver upward. He ran his cold and clammy hand across her warm belly until he moved towards her pants.
The frightened twin-tailed Hiiragi still thrashed in vain as he felt the homeless animal unbutton and unzip her pants. Her eyes still throwing tears, Kagami thought she was going to be violated and murdered under that overpass and she closed her eyes tightly while still screaming into the clammy hand over her mouth. She braced for the inevitable pain until the unexpected happened.
A metal pole came from above them and sounded an earsplitting crack against the would-be rapist's head, immediately opening his head and his blood fell on Kagami's face. As the perpetrator began to fall forward on Kagami, a hand from above grabbed him and yanked him off the terrified girl with all his might. When he was completely off her, Kagami scurried off the mattress and curled into a shivering ball resting against the overpass column.
She cast her crying eyes upward and saw Ryuji drag the homeless man further away from her and she was too scared to cry. What came next though made her even more scared but she couldn't scream for him to stop. The would-be rapist was still alive and began to grunt and cry for mercy as his cranium leaked blood while he winced from the attack.
Ryuji didn't listen. He thrust his metal pole down over and over again, pounding the man's head into the dirty concrete. Each blow sent more blood and hair flying like confetti as the gruesome sound of bones breaking echoed across the overpass. Ryuji's eyes were like a vicious animal taking down its prey as he continued to hammer the man's head into the cement, turning the area around his victim's head into a mesh of red and pink. All the while Kagami continued to sit in her ball protecting her loins and watched in horror as a man lost his life before her own eyes. She never saw anything so horrible and her tears only intensified while she stayed tucked in her cocoon of chastity protecting her loins and trembling violently.
Ryuji's vicious attack on the man finally ended and he threw the large metal pole away, making it clang and echo under the overpass as the sounds of more cars passing overhead was heard. He turned to look at Kagami, his face stained with a few blood droplets and he quickly wiped them away as he approached the shaking girl.
Making his approach, Kagami only tightened herself with every step he made closer to her. His face showed no remorse for taking a man's life despite the heinous crime he was planning on committing on Kagami. She always believed all lives were sacred but to see a young man only a few years older than her take one away so easily only further degraded her mentality and in such a macabre fashion. Ryuji acted as if he was out for a nice relaxing walk after he killed another human and it was seeing this much casualness that still made Kagami tremble in fear as he bent down to her.
Ryuji eyed Kagami over checking for any injuries and he slowly lifted his hand up. Kagami nearly screamed when he touched her face but it was a soft and comforting contact she felt when he gently gripped her chin and moved her head to each side, still scanning her for injuries while she still wept. Ryuji could see that he arrived just in time and she wasn't beaten or raped so he pulled his hand away.
"Are you okay, Kagami?" He asked, still casually.
Kagami shivered and grunted in vast fear but Ryuji continued to try and comfort her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and began to gently wipe the sticky saliva off her face. Kagami was initially frightened by this touch from the drug dealer and murderer but it became warm and comforting for her. The twin-tailed girl was attacked by a would-be rapist and even though she was rescued, she still felt open, scared, and vulnerable. She unintentionally nestled her face deeper into Ryuji's hand and began to open her shell.
"Ye…yes. I'm fine. But you…you killed him." Kagami whispered as a tear fell from her eyes.
Ryuji nodded, still casually and emotionlessly. "Yeah, I killed him. He was going to hurt you I couldn't allow that. If something happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. Besides, he was just a homeless bum; a parasite and a drain on society. It's not like the cops will put much effort into finding the assailant."
Kagami gulped upon hearing how callous Ryuji spoke of murder. However, she still couldn't deny the fact that she was still scared from the trauma and he was the only one there that was willing to comfort her. She dried her eyes and began to look around the dirty area under the overpass. As she observed, she scooted closer to Ryuji until he made the move. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close into a hug. Feeling the warmth of his body seeped through Kagami's shell and she began crying. She cried loudly while burying her face in his chest while he stroked her back and head. He allowed Kagami to vent her emotions until five minutes passed and she slowly pulled away while wiping her face and glanced around again.
"Thank you…for saving me." Kagami whispered. "How did you find me?"
"Don't you remember the phone call last night?" Ryuji asked as he released her and the two sat next to each other.
Kagami shook her head.
"You called me last night for more goods and you sounded pretty messed up. The only clue you gave me was 'where the black sun meets the stars and the grim reaper takes the souls.' To me that was a dead giveaway." Ryuji replied and looked up and behind her.
Kagami followed his cue and turned her head upward above them and saw the graffiti and images of the eclipse and symbolic figure of death watching them. "How…how did you know where to find this?" She asked.
"Who do you think painted that?" Ryuji asked with a small grin.
Kagami's eyes widened. "You?"
Ryuji nodded and even showed a hint of embarrassment. "Yeah…it's kind of a hobby of mine. Remember how I once told you my family wanted me to be a doctor?"
Kagami nodded.
"Well I always believed that I had a calling to be an artist because I have so many thoughts and emotions in me that could never be expressed by writing on a prescription pad all day." Ryuji replied. "Anyway that's just me. How about you?"
"What about me?"
"What do you think your calling is? You always struck me as the intellectual type and would probably go a liberal arts route to further some school of thought. Probably something more challenging to the average man like law or economics for example." Ryuji speculated.
Kagami glanced away. "Well…I guess. I don't really know anymore. I…I should get home."
Kagami stood and Ryuji mimicked her movement. "You're going home?" He asked.
Kagami's eyes wanted to say yes but her overall face told a different story. "I don't know. I want to but something's telling me that I shouldn't. I think something really bad happened at my home last night but I can't remember. I…I guess I'll go see a friend and talk to her. I said some pretty mean things to her at my sister's funeral and I should tell her I'm sorry.
Ryuji nodded. "I understand. But if you ever need a place to crash I live with a few friends not too far away from here. You…you could stay with me if you wanted. I like you after all."
Kagami's heart skipped a beat and her face turned red. "You…you like me? In…in what way?"
Ryuji remained calm unlike the shaking twin-tailed girl. "I see something special in you. Something that doesn't exist in any other girl I've ever met. I guess you could say I really like you. If you wanted…I would really like to take you out sometime."
The twin-tailed girl's blush deepened. She turned her head away and so many emotions exploded in her mind. She couldn't believe that she was asked out by not only a drug dealer but also a murderer. What made the situation even more unbelievable for her was the fact that she was actually considering saying yes. She had witnessed Ryuji kill someone and was responsible for her drug addiction, yet she started to believe that she needed him. Her original concept of love that was taught to her by her family was becoming corrupted and twisted by the addiction and Ryuji's never-ending calmness and mental strength. Despite her tough demeanor in the past, she had to admit that she always wanted a boyfriend but no one either picked up on her signals or took the initiative to woo her. It usually led her to become depressed and feel unwanted though she would never admit that and whenever Konata would make jokes about her weight, it would only add to her self-loathing, though she would also never admit that. Yet it seemed that this boy was taking charge for once and Kagami had to admit that she was intrigued by him. Still, the remnants of her family's principles were still telling her to run.
Kagami looked away and sighed. "I don't know, Ryuji. I mean, I appreciate what you did for me but I just don't know."
"It's okay. I understand that you're scared but you don't have to be anymore." Ryuji countered, making Kagami look at him again. "I understand why you would remain on guard against someone like me but I think you and I have a lot more in common than you want to admit. We were both pushed around by the pressures of life until I threw off my shackles and decided to make my own life. Kagami…please join me. If we're together, we can become stronger and make a new life with other people like us. You'll never be alone again."
Kagami's heart sped wildly in her chest. She gulped and slowly outstretched her hand, hoping Ryuji would take it. He grinned lightly and he cupped Kagami's trembling hand and led her out from the overpass. They walked together as Kagami studied herself and concluded she was a mess and craved a change of clothes and a hot shower.
Ryuji smiled again. "Let me buy you some new clothes. My cousin works at a store at the mall where they sell specialty clothing."
"What's your cousin's name?" Kagami asked, still blushing sweating from the simple gesture of handholding.
"Her name is Yuka. Yuka Miyakawa and the store she works at is called The Black Window."