IDENTITY CHAPTER PART 1: TRAUMA
The shoji doors slid open, revealing Mion, Shion, Rena, Rika, Satoko, Hanyuu, Michiru and Hana in partially opened yukatas as they all sat upon a futon together. Their faces were flushes as they gazed coyly upon he who had entered.
It was Shinichi, with the sleeves of his own yukata rolled up to his shoulders and his hands to his hips.
"Shinichi-sama~!" the girls all called out their names as they surrounded him, rubbing their bodies against his. Shinichi paid special attention upon Rena and placed the tip of his index finger under her chin. She blushed as he leaned down to clain her lips and...
Blood spurted out of Keiichi's nose like a geyser. The previous scene was merely an imaginary one. The truth was that Shinichi was reading a book written by his mother entitled "ONSEN HAREM DYNAMITE" aloud. Satoshi was blushing, Daichi and Chiaki ignored him, Yokoshima was listening with interest, and Keiichi was stuffing his nose with tissues.
"Do you mind stop reading?" Satoshi pleaded.
"Why? He's getting to the good part!" Yokoshima said.
"That's it!" Daichi, annoyed, snatched the book out of Shinichi's hand and tossed it to the tatami floor before stomping on it. "You are a pervert, No. 13!"
Shinichi shrugged. He didn't mind if Daichi had stomped on his book. He had plenty of copies at home. "It's not like you don't ever fantasize about that, Daichi."
"No, I don't! I'm too busy working with the animals!"
"Oh, so you're into beastiality, huh?" grinned Shinichi.
"DIE!" Daichi was about to lunge when Chiaki grabbed him by the back of his yukata. Daichi flailed his arms and legs. "LEGGO! LEGGO OF ME! LET ME KILL THE IDIOT!"
"Oh, relax, 08!" said Yokoshima. "It's all in good fun."
"I cannot believe he's the same guy that killed us," Daichi muttered, ashamed. Chiaki dropped him.
"Seriously, guys. We're at an onsen! Hot naked girls are just beyond the fence!" Shinichi proclaimed.
"That's right!" added Keiichi, standing proud. "We are men! What is wrong with being a pervert?"
"Exactly! We are at the pinnacle of manhood!" finishied Yokoshima.
"Oh, Christ..." Daichi groaned as he palmed his face. "Why did I agree to come along...?"
"You had the day off and you were bored," Chiaki wrote.
Daichi rolled his eyes. "It was a rhetorical question, No. 02."
In another room, the girls were getting into their yukatas. "It's so nice of Shiori-san to invite us over," said Rena.
"Yeah, but still..." Mion's eyes went over Hana (No. 07/Arachnea) and Michiru (No. 11/Carmen). "Did she have to invite them too?"
"Well, they are Shin-kun's team," said Rena.
"He has a team," snorted Mion. "We're his team."
"Maybe," said Hana, overhearing Mion's statement, "But you're not trained soldiers like us."
"We saved the village!" Mion shot back.
"Congratulations," Hana replied dully.
Mion growled at the Goth girl, "I just don't get how he can trust you guys considering you wanted to kill him at one point."
Hana shrugged. "Things change. Besides, No. 13 isn't all that innocent either."
"What do you mean?" Mion questioned.
"There are things we know about him that will make you retch and your skin crawl," said Hana. "However, he's no longer he same person we knew back in GIN-SHOCKER."
Munching on a banana, Michiru nodded in agreemeent. "Yeah! No. 13 really helped us get a new life!"
"Can't you ever call him by his name?" Mion asked.
"It still feels weird to call him anything than by his number," replied Michiru. "Old habits."
"Come on, everybody! Let's go to the onsen!" Satoko exclaimed impatiently.
"Now, be patient, Satoko-chan," Shion said as she patted Satoko's head.
"But we're already here!" Satoko whined.
Rika frowned. She would have sake to drink but physically she was underaged. She looked to Shiori who was busy writing. "Shiori-mama, this is supposed to be a vacation."
"Oh, sorry, Rika-chan," Shiori apologized.
Rika felt comfortable with calling Shiori 'mama', despite her mature mind. It felt nice to have a mother figure in her life again. Even Hanyuu was glad for it. However, Shiori was still unable to gain guardianship of them. However, she made up for it by visiting the young girls and also inviting them over for dinner. Sometimes she would even visit their home early in the morning to make them breakfast.
Even Shinichi enjoyed being like an older brother to the two Furude girls.
"It's just this place has a lot of research material," said Shiori with a perverted grin as her twin ahoge wiggled suggestively. Rika scooted away from Shiori. She got a bit creepy when she smiled like that.
"Oh, an onsen!" Hanyuu was looking forward to submerging herself in hot spring water.
The entire gang (Hinamizawa Gaming Club and the NEO-NUMBERS) were at an inn. The girls shared one room while the boys shared another. They were suites. Shinichi would've preferred being in a suite with just him and Rena but he had to make do with what he had. The entire trip was paid for by his mother's agent. Shiori told him she needed to be in the right mood and setting for her new book. Obviously, it was an excuse to spend the weekend at an onsen.
"Alright, girls! Let's go to onsen!" Shiori announced. She received excited cheers from everyone except Hana. She only replied with a weak 'Yeah' and rolling of the eyes.
"Bathing with other naked men," murmurred Daichi. "How fun," he added sarcastically.
"Oh, lighten up!" snapped Shinichi.
The men were all naked and in the men's side. Chiaki had a towel wrapped around the lower half of his face. They were submerged in the water.
"Man, this really feels good," said Satoshi.
"Would be better if it was a mixed bath," grinned Keiichi.
"You said it, Kei," agreed Yokoshima.
"Too bad this isn't a mixed bath," nodded Shinichi.
"That does not mean we can't make the best of it," said Keiichi as he swam over to the fence and began to inspect it.
"What are you doing?" asked Daichi.
"Looking for a gap," Keiichi explained.
"What?" gaped Satoshi.
"Satoshi, it's not like you don't wanna see Shion naked," said Keiichi. "Hey, Shinichi. Help me out here!"
"Sorry, but I prefer to live," remarked Shinichi.
"I thought you were a fellow pervert like me," frowned Keiichi.
"A pervert, but not an idiot," Shinichi countered.
"A matter of opinion," commented Daichi.
"Yeah, even I'm not suicidal. Hana and Michiru are there," said Yokoshima.
"And not to mention Shion, Mion and Rena-chan, and you know that pissing those girls off is bad," said Shinichi. "I don't wane to be tazered, shot at, or cleaved."
That was when he heard it.
Rena: "Mii-chan, your breasts are so big!"
Keiichi pressed his ear against the fence.
Mion: "Are you sure?"
Rena: "Yes! How can I get them to be that big?"
Shinichi swam over and pressed his ear against the fence as well.
Mion: "Guess I'm lucky to get good genes."
Rena: "No fair!"
Mion: "Rena! Don't touch me like that!"
Rena: "Hau...they're so soft!" (Gasp!) "Mii-chan, don't squeeze me!"
Mion: "You squeezed me, so fair is fair!"
All the boys, minus Chiaki and Daichi, had their ears pressed against the fence, eavesdropping. Yokoshima was developing a nosebleed.
Shion: "I think I'm bigger than Onee."
Mion: "In your dreams, Shion!"
Shion: "Rena, do you mind doing a boob check on both of us?"
Rena: "Hau, hau, hau~!"
"Dude...sweet..." Yokoshima grinned.
Shion: "I think Satoko-chan, Hanyuu-chan and Rika-chan are growing too."
Mion: "A-cup, right?"
Yokoshima passed out from a massive nosebleed.
Shiori: "Maybe we should go shopping for training bras."
Keiichi's eyes widened. "Shiori-san's there too!"
Shinichi scowled, "That's my Kaa-chan!" He grabbed Keiichi by the back of his hair and dragged him away. "Come on, you!" He glared at the other boys ferociously, "You too! Get off the fence!" Seeing Shinichi that angry made Yokoshima and Satoshi abandon any perverted ideas.
After their bath, they had dinner in one of the large dining halls in the inn. They had quite a spread of food prepared for them. Shinichi especially liked the part where he and Rena fed each other. Daichi was disgusted as he watched his former enemy and his girlfriend being so lovey-dovey. It made him want to gag. Then he saw Shion doing the same with Satoshi and Hanyuu doing the same with Chiaki.
Wait a minute.
Daichi observed the purple-haired girls' mannerism. She definitely had a crush on Chiaki. It was cute, in a sickening way, and Chiaki seemed fond of the girl. Chiaki had explained, through his writing, that he'd given up his vendetta against BLACK 13 because of her.
"You know, I think we need some entertainment!" said Shiori. "Daichi, you play the guitar, right? Why not play something for us?"
Daichi looked pointedly at the woman. Now she was someone he could not understand no matter how much he racked his brains. She wrote perverted books for a living and was BLACK 13's biological mother. Even after she found out about BLACK 13, she did not react with fear of disgust. Rather, she grew closer to No. 13.
"Fine," sighed Daichi. He picked up his guitar which he'd brought into the dining hall. He'd been planning on playing something anyway. Everyone watched him. "OK, I don't have any lyrics, yet, but here how it goes."
And he played.
The group had to cringe in pain as they listened to Shiori sing. You see, despite her appearance, she was an atrocious singer. Shinichi knew this first hand when he had gone to the karaoke box with her. He never had the heart to tell her that she was tone deaf.
Shinichi must've gotten his singing talent from his father. That was the only explanation.
When Shiori finished singing, everyone applauded. They were glad that the torture was over. It was a really good thing too. Let someone else sing for a change.
And still nobody had the heart to tell her she was a horrible singer, as tempting as it was.
"Alright, now for a game without winners or losers!" declared Mion, grinning a handful of marked chopsticks. "Let's play King!"
All the chopsticks, minus one, were marked with numbers. Only one was marked with a crown. The one who held the crown chopstick was the king and had power over his/her numbered minions. He/she could order them to do anything he/she wanted.
There were 15 marked chopsticks, numbered from 1 to 14 and one marked with the crown.
"OK, now draw your sticks and once you do cover the bottom part so we don't know what numbers you got. When you know what numbers you have, don't tell anyone. Only the king can say what he has," explained Mion.
"Ooh, how fun!" Shiori took a stick, making sure to cover the number. One by one everyone drew their sticks until only one remained in Mion's hand.
"Now, take a peak. Who has the king chopstick?" Mion said.
"I do!" Rena announced. She held it up proudly. It was the king chopstick, making her king.
The NEO-NUMBERS looked at their sticks and much to their surprise they had coincidently drawn their own numbers. 'What are the chances of that?' wondered Shinichi who got the stick with the number 13 carved into the wood. Hana got 7, Michiru got 11, Daichi got 8, Yokoshima got 9 and Chiaki got 2.
"Alright, Number 13 will kiss Number 8 on the cheek!" Rena said.
"Alright, who has those numbers? Don't make me come over!" grinned Mion.
Shinichi and Daichi slowly revealed their marked chopsticks.
Shinichi looked to Daichi and grimaced, "I think I'm going to be ill."
"Me too," Daichi returned the grimace.
"Can we have a do-over, please?" Shinichi begged.
"No do-overs," Mion shook her head.
"I am so cleaning my mouth after this," said Shinichi as he puckered his lips and quickly pecked Daichi on the cheek. "There, I did it!"
"Ugh," Daichi wiped his cheek in disgust.
"You gotta kiss him longer than that!" Mion yelled.
"Oh, come on!" Shinichi shot back.
"It's okay, Mii-chan," Rena said. "It counts."
And the game went on. After each round, the chopsticks were returned and redrawn. However, each time, the NEO-NUMBERS kept drawing their own numbers. Was Fate and Lady Luck playing with them or something?
Shion ordered, "Number 5 will sit on Number 6's lap!"
Rena ended up sitting on Keiichi's lap, much to Shinichi's envy.
Shiori ordered, "Number 2 will give Number 14 a horsie ride!"
Hanyuu rode on Chiaki's back
Keiichi ordered, "Number 7 will spin in a circle until I tell them to stop."
And Hana did, under protest and annoyance.
The game went on, with none of the NEO-NUMBERS getting the king chopstick. Everyone else but them got the chance to play King. They only got their numbers, each single time! Too bad nobody could be accused of cheating or rigging the game.
And everyone was definitely noticing a pattern.
"Number 9 will do a headstand," ordered Rika.
"I'm up!" said Yokoshima. He put his hands on he floor and lifted his lower body up. His head touched the floor and his legs were suspended in the air as he stood ramrod straight.
"He's got good balance," commented Satoshi.
"You haven't seen anything yet! Look, no hands!" declared Yokoshima as he spread his arms out to the side. He was balancing on his head.
Topper, from his realm, watched the game and grinned. His companion, Frederica, just shook her head.
"You're acting immature," she insulted.
"I need some way to entertain myself," he responded.
The game continued until it was late. When Rika began to yawn, Shiori knew it was time for bed.
The group had plans tomorrow. They would be spending the day at the beach. It was summer, after all. They would all return home the next night but for the entire day tomorrow they were going to have fun at the beach. The girls, in fact, with the exception of Hana could not wait to show off their new bathing suits to the boys.
Already, Shiori was thinking of a new book with a beach and onsen theme.
The two genders separated and went to their respective suites for bed. Daichi began to comment about the strange King game.
"That was weird," said Daichi.
Shinichi agreed, "I know. What are the chances that we get the same numbers, and not just any numbers but our own, each time?"
"Maybe some higher power is toying with us," suggested Yokoshima.
Daichi snorted, "Yeah, right!"
There was a knock at the boys' suite's door and Chiaki opened it. There stood Rena with a blush on her face.
Shinichi, seeing her, knew what she wanted so he strode over to her and gave her a goodnight kiss.
"Oyasumi, Rena-chan," said Shinichi.
"Oyasumi nasai, Shin-kun," said Rena as she blushed bashfully before going back to the girls' suite.
"Ugh!" Daichi stuck his tongue out. "You gonna do that all the time here?"
"What?" smirked Shinichi. "Jealous?"
"Oh you?" scoffed Daichi. "As if!"
"I gotta give Mion a kiss goodnight too!" said Keiichi as he exited.
"Me too, Shion that is," added Satoshi as he exited after Keiichi.
Daichi mocked, "Whipped." Chiaki handed him a sheet of paper. He read it aloud, "There is nothing wrong with people in love showing their affection." Daichi frowned. He huffed.
"I bet you prefer dogs to people," Shinichi stated.
"Dogs are loyal. People aren't," Daichi countered.
"Let's have some sake!" Shiori declared as she took out two bottles of sake from her bag along with cups.
"Should we really be drinking?" asked Hana.
"Hey, you girls are almost 18!" said Shiori as she eyed Mion, Shion, Rena, Hana and Michiru. She corrected herself when her eyes fell upon Satoko, Rika and Hanyuu. "Well, most of you are."
"You are a bad influence on your son," criticized Hana.
"For that you don't get some!" Shiori stuck her tongue out at her childishly. She passed out cups and poured the sake into them. "Kampai!"
The older girls, reluctantly, cheered, "Kampai!" and downed their drinks.
"Woah!" Mion breathed out. "That's strong stuff!"
"And plenty more where that came from!" Shiori filled their cups again.
"I'm worried about the girls," said Shinichi. He was wide awake. Satoshi too. The others were asleep.
"They have a responsible adult with them," said Satoshi.
"It's my Kaa-chan. Let's just say that she's still got a party animal in her," said Shinichi.
"How bad can she be?" asked Satoshi.
"You don't know how she gets when she's drunk. Believe me, it's something I'm not proud of either."
The older girls had stopped drinking after a couple more cups. They knew what would happen if they had too much. Unfortunately, Shiori was still pouring herself cup after cup but after finishing the first bottle, she popped open the second one and drank straight from it.
"Man, that's good sake!" said Shiori. Her face was flushed and her eyes were lidded. She was drunk.
"I think you've had enough," said Shion tentatively.
"Shut up!" snapped Shiori. "I'm an adult you know…" she slurred.
"Some adult," muttered Hana.
"Well, if you're an adult, then you should know about adult relationships, right?" asked Michiru.
"She writes adult books," Hana said dryly. Michiru ignored her.
"Yeah, I know aaaaaalllllllll about them!" Shiori hiccupped.
"So, are adult relationships all pervy and stuff?" asked Mochiru.
"Oh, yeah!" Shiori answered, "Pervy and then some! For example…"
And thus began the most detailed explanation into the world of adult relationships. The girls all listened. Satoko asked Shion as she tugged on her sleeve, "What does that mean?" Shion shushed her.
"You'll understand when you're older," Shion told the girl.
"Hush, I wanna listen," Mion said.
Hanyuu had her hands covering her ears but Rika was listening along with the others. With her adult-like mind, she understood what Shiori was trying to say.
"When she's drunk, you can't shut her up. I've tried," said Shinichi. It was true. She could be embarrassing when she got like that.
"Have you told her not to drink?" asked Satoshi.
"A little, but I don't wanna change Kaa-chan. She's perfect the way she is. Plus, she's funny when she's drunk," smiled Shinichi.
"She lets you drink too, doesn't she?" deadpanned Satoshi.
"A little. Just to get a buzz." Shinichi shrugged.
The following morning, Shiori woke up with a bad hangover. She let out a groan. "Ugh…I feel like Irishmen are tap dancing in my skull." The sunlight seeped through the window. "It's too bright…" She draped her arm over her eyes to shield them from the glare. "Oh…I don't feel so good…"
"That's what you get for drinking," Shinichi spoke up. Shiori turned over in her futon to see her son and his girlfriend kneeling next to her. "Coffee? I had the staff make it for you. They even put in extra cocoa powder and sugar in it, just the way you like it." He offered her the cup. Shiori slowly sat up with Rena's help.
Gingerly, she took the cup into her hands and took careful sips. The warm liquid flowed down her throat. "Ah…" she let out a sigh of satisfaction. She asked, "Hey, where are the others?" she asked.
"After breakfast they all headed down to the beach," said Shinichi.
"And you stayed? The both of you?"
"Well, we couldn't leave you, could we? Could we?" questioned Rena.
"Oh, you both are so precious," smiled Shiori.
"You're my only mother," Shinichi responded, placing a hand on her forehead. "I don't want to lose you. That's why I want to take care of you. I want to repay you for all that you've done for me."
Shiori hugged her son close and said, "You don't have to repay me."
"But, Kaa-chan…"
"Now, you go run out and play with your friends. After I finish this coffee I'm heading down to the beach too. I want to sunbathe."
The girls of the Gaming Club were in the same bathing suits they'd worn to the swimming pool last summer. With them were Hana and Michiru. Hana kept herself under the shade of an umbrella and wore a black t-shirt over her black bikini. The t-shirt had a skull on it. Michiru was wearing a bright reddish-pink bikini with orchid petals decorated it. The boys all wore swimming trunks. Chiaki had a shirt on unlike the other boys. Once Shiori had recovered from her hangover she too joined them wearing a sexy one piece swimsuit that made the boys gawk.
Now it was starting to look like a beach party. The group played every beach themed game they could. First was the melon smashing contest. One by one they tried to smash the watermelon open.
"OK! How am I supposed to hit it with a baseball bat but with a blindfold on?" questioned Daichi.
"Just go with the flow," said Mion. "Now, go get that melon!"
"Hmph!" Daichi snorted as he slowly made his way towards the melon. Everyone shouted at him directions and he followed them, despite how confusing they sounded.
"Now, hit it!" he heard. Daichi swung and missed by an inch.
"Damn it!" Daichi cursed, ripping the blindfold off his eyes.
Chiaki took the blindfold and the bat off him and took his turn. Following the directions being yelled at by the others, he found the melon and smashed it. However, he had swung too hard and had smashed it into extremely small pieces as the juice spilled all over him. Of course, in spite of the ruined melon, it was Chiaki who'd won the contest.
Then, they had a volleyball game. The game was between the Hinamizawa Gang's teen members (Mion, Shion, Satoshi, Keiichi and Shinichi) and the NEO-NUMBERS (Chiaki, Michiru, Hana, Daichi and Yokoshima).
"Hey, this isn't fair!" Keiichi complained. "You guys got an unfair advantage!"
"Oh, shut yer yapping and serve the ball!" Yokoshima shot back from the other side of the net.
"Don't worry, guys," said Shinichi. "I'll serve!"
"Go, Shin-kun!" Rena cheered.
Shinichi smiled and served the ball, beginning the game.
It ended in a draw. Somehow, even if one side was completely made up of super-enhanced soldiers, with Shinichi on their side the Hinamizawa Gaming Club could still be a match for them.
And then they went swimming. Shinichi and Rena splashed at each other. He just could tear his eyes away from her beautiful body. After swimming, they had a barbeque on the beach. All the food was being cooked by Rena, meaning it was all good. Daichi, an animal lover, was a strict vegetarian so he only had the veggie-kabobs. When evening came, they all took a bath in the onsen and several people decided to try for one last fond memory of the baths…
"Must…see...Mion...naked...once!" Keiichi grunted as he tried to scale the fence with Yokoshima giving him a boost. The NEO-NUMBERS member was keeping his face pointed downward religiously since Keiichi was using his shoulders as a booster and in no way did he want to look up for anything.
"You do realize that if they catch you, Mion's never going to speak to you again, much less give you a chance to see her breasts," Satoshi warned his friend. As much as he would have loved seeing Shion in a similar state, he knew the risks were just too much to attempt it.
"It's a risk I have to take! I must make at least one great summer memory!"
"Mion in that bathing suit wasn't enough?" asked Shinichi, recalling the brand new and wonderfully form fitting bathing suit Mion had brought especially for the trip. Of course, Shinichi only had eyes for Rena, but he still stole photos of everyone when he got the chance.
"That only made my desire worse," Keiichi grunted. "She's just so beautifully sexy that I can't help myself!"
"As far as lame-ass excuses go, that one at least sounds a bit romantic," Daichi grunted from his corner. "We'll make sure to put that on your tombstone after Mion gets finished with you." Daichi glanced at Shinichi. "I'm surprised you're not trying to what he's doing."
"I'm a pervert, not suicidal," said Shinichi.
"Your track record says otherwise," Daichi countered.
Chiaki suddenly had a thought and scribbled it on his trusty pad, "If this is an open air bath, doesn't that mean the girls can hear us right now?"
WHAMMO!
All eyes turned to Keiichi who suddenly fell off Yokoshima's shoulders and splashed hard into the water. It was like a car accident. You didn't want to see it happen, but you just couldn't turn away either.
"Was that a rock they threw?" asked Daichi.
"I think it was a bucket, but I can't be sure at this angle," Shinichi pondered.
"I DON'T CARE HOW SEXY OR BEAUTIFUL YOU THINK I AM! YOU ARE NOT GETTING TO PEEK KEI-CHAN!" Mion's enraged shriek echoed from over the fence.
"I think she just punished and forgave him at the same time," Chiaki scribbled on his pad.
"The bus ride home is gonna be hell," muttered Shinichi.
Everyone was getting their bags settled on the bus and Keiichi sat down nursing the huge lump on his head. For all his pains, he didn't get to see that wonderful image of Mion in her birthday suit. Now she'll probably make him her slave again for a whole year for trying that stunt.
So it was understandable that he was surprised when Mion not only sat next to him, but cuddled up next to him like they had upon arriving there.
"That was a dumb move," she whispered into his ear. "If you had just waited until we were both alone in the springs I would have let you peek all you liked…provided I got to peek at you."
"M-Mion?" Keiichi gasped
"Now you'll just have to wait until our next onsen trip," Mion giggled, kissing the bump she had given her boyfriend. "And who knows when that'll be."
"Awwwww!" Keiichi groaned, cursing his hormones yet again.
Later in the evening, the Banabaras got off the bus and Shinichi waved to his friends as the bus drove off to Hinamizawa.
"So, did you have fun?" asked Shiori.
"I did," nodded Shinichi. Seeing the girls in bathing suits and playing with his friends were always fun. He got some great pictures too and couldn't wait to get them developed.
"Well, summer vacation is coming soon. You'll get more chances to go," she told him.
"Thanks, Kaa-chan." As they walked home together, Shinichi grumbled. "Sorry, Kaa-chan, but it looks like I need a bathroom."
"There's one in that store," she said pointing at the store. The store was a photo studio too.
"Alright," Shinichi said. "I can even ask them to get my photos developed too."
"I'll be waiting," said Shiori as she watched him go. She then saw a takoyaki vendor across the street making takoyaki and decided to get a few for herself and Shinichi. As she walked across the street she did not see the car that was driving dangerously towards her before it was too late.
Shinichi heard a crash outside and went to check it out. His ahoge had stood up when he heard it as a bad feeling welled up inside of him. When Shinichi exited the store, his mother was nowhere in sight.
"Kaa-chan?" Fear suddenly gripped his heart. He then heard a commotion and saw a crowd. Something was wrong. He could feel it as fear and terror pumped into every blood vessel. He rushed towards the crowd and pushed the people away to see.
He screamed.
His mother was lying on her side in the middle of the road. She'd been hit by a car.
"KAA-CHAN!" Shinichi screamed as he rushed towards her. "Somebody call an ambulance!"
Shinichi went home after visiting hours were over. His mother's condition was stable. He'd even donated his blood to help her. They had the same blood type, after all, despite the slight change in his DNA. However, returning to the apartment alone made him feel dreadful.
She was in a coma. Her right arm and both her legs were broken. There had also been internal injuries but the surgery saved her. It was a good thing she had the insurance money to cover her medical bills. Shinichi's own earnings wouldn't be enough to pay for all of them.
However, what made him feel worse was despite all the power he had, he was unable to save his mother, the one true link to this world and what confirmed his humanity.
"Why have my powers failed me?" he asked himself. For some unknown reason, he could not transform and because he couldn't transform, he could not execute the Return to the Past system. "Kaa-chan…" He placed his hand against the wall. "Kaa-chan…" He balled his fists. "KAA-CHAN!" he screamed, punching a hole in the wall. He withdrew his hand. He fell to his knees crying, "Kaa-chan…"
'Find him,' a dark voice spoke.
"What?" Shinichi responded.
'Find him,' the dark voice repeated.
"Who?"
'You know. The man who did this to Mother.'
The hit and run driver.
'Find him, then kill him. Make him suffer for what he did to Mother. He deserves to die for it.'
A day later, Mion noticed that one of her club members was absent.
"Hey, Shion, how come Shinichi isn't in school today?" Mion asked.
"I don't know," frowned Shion, shaking her head.
"He didn't even deliver his newspapers today," said Keiichi. "He's usually pretty early."
"And he also hits you in the face each time he delivers it," said Satoko.
"He didn't come to Rena's house either," said Rena sadly. She missed seeing Shinichi. She always looked forward to seeing him each morning, having the coffee she brewed for him at the end of the route.
"We should go see how he's doing," said Rika.
When Chie-sensei entered, she delivered the terrible news. "Children, the reason Banabara-kun is absent today is because yesterday his mother was injured in a traffic accident."
"WHAT!" the Hinamizawa Gaming Club shouted in shock.
"But we just saw her yesterday and she was fine!" Rena cried out.
"Au!" Hanyuu cried out as well.
"No wonder he's not here," said Shion.
"OK, gang! Club activities are cancelled today. After school we're headed to Shin-chan's place!"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Shinichi shouted.
"But, Shin-chan! We came to visit!" Mion yelled from the other side of the door.
"I SAID GO AWAY!" he shot back. "NOW LEAVE ME ALONE BEFORE I DO SOMETHING I'LL REGRET!
He couldn't eat, nor could he sleep. He just lay on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. He heard a knock at the door but ignored it. The knocking continued but he continued to ignore it. He just wanted to be alone.
"Shin-kun?"
That voice startled him. "Rena-chan?"
"Shin-kun, let me in."
He forced himself onto his feet and dragged himself to the door. He undid the locks and pulled the door open. There, standing outside, was Rena. She looked to him in worry and she should. He looked like a total wreck. His hair was a mess, his eyes were sunken, he hadn't taken a shower, and he looked pale. "Rena-chan, now's not a good time," he told her.
"Shin-kun…" she sobbed. She wrapped her arms around him. He was too tired to push her away and rested his chin against her shoulder. Slowly, he looped his arms around her waist. "I'm so sorry…"
"It's not your fault," he said. "It's mine…"
Rena pulled away. Shinichi needed her. He was just like how her father had been after that woman divorced him (Rena would no longer acknowledge her mother, ever). He was so full of despair that it was radiating off him.
"Did the others come earlier?" asked Rena.
"Yes," he answered. "I was wondering why you were not with them."
"I headed to the junkyard to be alone," admitted Rena sadly. She had been upset and always went to the junkyard to sort out her thoughts. She knew Shinichi needed her right now so after getting her thoughts straight she rushed towards his place to comfort him.
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
"It's fine," said Shinichi. "I know what it's like to be alone when needed. I'm glad someone understands."
They shared another hug.
"Let Rena bathe you," she offered, "Then, Rena will cook for you."
"What about your dad?" Shinichi asked.
"Shin-kun needs Rena more."
After a bath and getting a change of clothes, Shinichi sat at the dining table as Rena fed him. He didn't have the strength to feed himself and Rena was glad to be of help to her boyfriend. He needed her right now.
"Did Mii-chan come and visit you?" asked Rena.
"She did, and so did the others, but I didn't let them in," Shinichi said.
"Why?"
"I…just couldn't face them," he answered regrettably.
She decided to stop prying and continue feeding him.
"Rena will sleep with Shin-kun," Rena said. She was wearing a long shirt that came down to mid thigh. Somehow, she knew she would have to stay with Shinichi.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Alright…goodnight." They both slipped into bed together and Shinichi pulled the covers over their bodies. Rena cuddled against him.
Shinichi gazed deeply into her eyes. She was so beautiful. On impulse, he gave her a kiss. She returned the kiss as well. "Shin-kun?" He kissed her again.
"I love you…" he said."I need you…" His kisses were deep, passionate and desperate as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. When they broke the kiss to breathe, she uttered, "Shin-kun…"
"I need you…" he spoke. "I need you…I need you…" he said over and over as he kissed her face and neck. His hands went over her body as he rolled over on top of her. His hand began to hike up her shirt so he could touch her soft and smooth skin. She did not fight back and let him do what he needed.
"Rena is yours…"
Rika was drunk and Hanyuu hated seeing her friend this way. She'd emptied an entire bottle of wine and was about to drink another one before she passed out. Rika hated feeling powerless. Seeing another tragedy definitely didn't bode well for the girl who'd seen her friends die and experienced death so many times over. Hanyuu dragged Satoko back to bed and laid her in the futon. She then pulled the covers over the both of them.
Hanyuu also prayed. She prayed Shiori would be alright. She prayed hard. Ironic how a god was praying for someone's life. She could reverse time but that was before she gained a physical form. Her powers were rather limited since she regained a physical form, only manifesting them during times of immense need.
The following morning, Shinichi awoke to another day. He then remembered that his mother was in the hospital. Depressed, he slowly sat up and noted he had not a single stitch of clothing on him. "Huh? Why am I naked?" He then heard a moan and looked to his side. His eyes widened. Lying next to him was Rena. She had the blanket pulled over her body but the bare shoulders told him everything he needed to know.
"No…" he uttered.
Shinichi was horrified. He was naked and so was Rena. That could only mean that…
"What…have I done?" he asked himself in horror. Then a voice he dreaded answered.
'You forced yourself on her and took advantage of her.'
"No…" Shinichi denied.
'And you enjoyed it too. You made her scream.'
"No…"
'She was quite the screamer too.'
"NO! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" He bashed his fists against his head. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"
Rena awoke with a start when she heard his screams and then she grabbed his wrists to stop him from hitting himself. "Shin-kun! Stop! You're hurting yourself!"
"I DESERVE IT! I DESERVE IT! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! MY FAULT!" he screamed.
Rena cried for him. "Shin-kun…please…stop…"
"Re…Rena-chan…" His eyes became clear as he looked to her. She was naked as a newborn and did not bother to cover herself. "I'm…so sorry."
"Sorry?" She blinked in confusion. "For what?"
"I forced myself on you! I took advantage of you! Don't you understand? I raped you!"
Rena gasped. "Shin-kun, you didn't rape me!"
"Yes I did! I did! I was using you for my own sick pleasures!" he screamed out.
SLAP!
The stinging pain he felt on his cheek made him freeze. He turned his head to stare at her. Rena's cheeks were red and her eyes were narrowed.
"That's…a lie," she said angrily. She leaned in and kissed him, calming him. "And…I want to do it again."
"Rena-chan…" He surrendered completely as Rena's weight pushed down upon him as she climbed on top of him.
"Let me be on top this time," she offered as she ground her body against his.
"Oh…OK."
"Shin-chan's not in school again today," said Mion as she looked at the empty seat.
"Can you blame him?" asked Keiichi. "His mom's in the hospital, in intensive care. He feels horrible that he couldn't do anything about it."
"Yeah, we tried to visit him yesterday but he just wouldn't let us in no matter how much we knocked," said Mion.
"He just needs to be alone," said Shion. Her eyes went to Rena's seat. "Rena's not here too."
"She's pretty worried about him," said Satoshi. "She does love him."
"She took care of him when he first came to the village too," added Satoko. "She's just doing what comes naturally."
"The best thing we can do is let him heal," said Rika.
"But, shouldn't he be using his powers to reset time right now?" asked Hanyuu.
"You're right," agreed Rika. "Something is definitely wrong."
"So, you can't use your powers anymore?" asked Rena.
"No, I can't, and I don't know why," he told her. His eyes narrowed. "I want to kill him."
"What?" Rena gaped. "Who?"
"The bastard who put Kaa-chan in the hospital. I want him dead. I want to find him and snap his neck!"
'Yes, kill him!' BLACK 13's dark voice agreed and encouraged. 'Make him suffer! Make him suffer for what he's done!'
"Yes…make him suffer…" he said darkly. His lips curled up into an evil grin. Rena was frightened. Right now, he looked like he was experiencing LV 3 of the Hinamizawa Syndrome.
"Shin-kun!" Rena's voice snapped him out of his dark thoughts.
"Oh, sorry. I was just too deep in thought," said Shinichi.
"Shin-kun, let's go visit your mother today," Rena suggested. "She needs you."
"OK," nodded Shinichi.
"Well its time to crank up the volts to give him a jolt!" Gebok joked to himself as he flipped a switch. Greenish electricity crisscrossed across the mysterious being in the huge glass tube. It thrashed around inside but still did not wake up.
Unperturbed, Gebok grabbed a knob and twisted around to increase the output but the being refused to be activated. "Come now, you are possibly the strongest of the NUMBERS! The only being that's worthy to be my BLACK 13's rival! You are needed to re-awaken him. So wake up, wake up now, WHITE 14!"
Almost as if the being in the test-tube heard him its eyes snapped open as the glass tube exploded, sending shards of glass and water out. Stepping out was possibly one of GIN-SHOCKER's deadliest warriors yet.
WHITE (Weapon Hunter Initiative Terminal Executor) 14.
Gebok let loose a howling laughter at his success. WHITE 14 was ready!
A/N: And this open the first part of the new arc. Wonder what will happen now? Thank you Ten-Faced Paladin and Shadow Element 13 for ur help. Now, let's see how Shinichi deals with this new enemy.