Monday, 5/30
Monday was going to be a good day for Ren Amamiya. He rose from his bed, ready to make the day his own and find joy in some way. Then he remembered what was actually going to happen.
The park cleanup is today. Fuck.
Instead of throwing on his normal Shujin uniform, Ren put on his gym clothes. It had been recommended that students use their gym uniforms so that they could distinguish each other without having to worry about ruining their normal uniforms. Ren left the apartment.
As Ren made his way down Central Street to the station, he spotted a familiar face. Or rather, he spotted a familiar head. Kasumi's striking red hair stuck out against the crowd of black-haired everyday people. What also stood out was what Kasumi was doing. Her arm was raised in the air.
Wait a minute… someone's holding her arm. And she's trying to shake her arm away. Better go and help.
Ren accelerated his stride. As he got closer to Kasumi, he could see the root of her problem. A creepy middle-aged man with glasses and a receding hairline was the one holding her arm. Ren was within ten feet of the two.
"Hey! Fuckface-sama!" Ren called to the man. Surprisingly, the man looked over to Ren.
Why on earth did he react to that? He must be used to being called Fuckface-sama. Huh. Anyways, what approach do I go with? Do I punch him, or confuse the shit out of him?
Ren chose the option that was less likely to land him in trouble.
"Fuckface-sama, I have traveled many moons to request thy permission to take your daughter's hand in marriage. Please be the generous soul the legends speak of!" Ren said in sarcastic desperation.
The man actually let go of Kasumi's arm.
"Senpai!" Kasumi was startled by Ren and his choice of words.
"You little… I don't have a daughter!" The man glared at Ren.
Awww. Did I ruin your fun?
"You don't? I thought everyone your age had children," Ren spoke in a sarcastic snarl.
"Is this an age joke?! If it is, it's not very funny!"
Ren's face dropped all exaggerated emotion. He was dead serious.
"That's exactly what it is. And you're right, it's not funny. What's really funny is that you just assaulted a minor in a public area you fucking dumbass. Get lost."
"Why, you-!"
The man thrust an arm out. Whether it was for Kasumi or Ren, Ren didn't know. He didn't want to find out either. He slapped the man's hand away.
"Do that again and I tell the officer over there," Ren said as he motioned behind him. He didn't actually know if there was a police officer, but it was a fair assumption given where they were.
The man let out what sounded like a growl before slowly meandering away. Ren turned to Kasumi, who had been standing behind him for a while now.
"You okay?"
"Um… yes, Senpai. Thank you, but did you have to do… that ?"
It was a bit extra, I'll give her that. But now that guy is gonna be embarrassed and confused for at least the week. Being reminded of one's failure to contribute to the population probably doesn't help the self-esteem of a middle-aged man.
"Would you prefer that I fought him?"
"No… but it's over and done with. That's all I could ask for. Are you on your way to the park, Senpai?"
Ren looked down at his gym uniform and looked back at Kasumi.
"Yep."
"That's great! Wait… oh no! I forgot my gym clothes!"
"If you go now, you could still make it," Ren suggested.
There's no way she'll go. Even I wouldn't risk it. Hell, Ryuji probably wouldn't even risk that. Actually, Ryuji wouldn't even care.
"You're right! Thank you, Senpai!" Kasumi said hurriedly before she ran off to get her gym clothes.
Ren shrugged and continued walking into the station.
Ren and Ryuji sat at a bench behind the crowd of Shujin students. Cleanup groups were being announced by Makoto. Rather than push and yell for no discernible reason, Ren had chosen the bench and Ryuji had followed. Their names hadn't been called yet.
"Ya think we're gonna be in a group together?" Ryuji asked.
"Probably not. You still want to hang out together, though?"
"Hell yeah! You ditchin' your cleanup?"
"Not entirely. I'll still be here, but no way am I cleaning up to fix this piece of shit school's image."
"Good point, good point. Wanna get Ann in on this?"
"No."
"She'll be- what?!"
"No means no, Ryuji."
"No shit, but why?!"
"She'll want to bring Haru. I'd rather approach Haru on my own terms."
"Ohhh, you gotta talk to her, amirite?"
"Yeah."
"Well, good luck. Looks like the crowds thinning out. We should probably listen for our names."
Sure enough…
"Sakamoto, Kuramoto, Tanabe, Amamiya!" Makoto called out to the crowd.
"Eff yeah!" Ryuji pumped his fist.
Ren gave Ryuji a high five while they stood up. Two girls came out of the crowd and walked over to Ryuji and Ren.
"Oh man… they're hot!" Ryuji said in a hushed tone.
"Keep it in your pants. We're not gonna be with them, remember?"
"True. But look at them!"
Ryuji was right. Both girls were fairly attractive, but that meant little to Ren at the time. The girls finally reached Ren and Ryuji.
"We're really in a group with you two, huh?" One girl said snobbily.
She's one of those types, huh? I've heard enough. Ditching starts now.
Ren gave a kind smile to the girl.
"Go fuck yourself."
Ren began to walk away from the two girls. If Ryuji followed or not, he didn't care. Ryuji soon caught up to him.
"Dude, what was that?!"
"You wanted to put up with her for longer than a few seconds?"
"She said one thing!"
"And that one thing told me what kind of person she was. Ryuji, don't be blinded by her attractiveness."
"Fine, whatever. But you owe me."
"Bro, how do I owe you? You followed me."
"Oh, yeah. Good point."
Makoto was not having a good day. Or a good few days, to be specific.
The time spent with Ren was a failure on all fronts except the one that Makoto thought she cared most about: the investigation. But she attributed that success to Ren's presence.
He had a good point. If he hadn't said anything, I don't know what Ohya would have done, Makoto thought. I need Ren for the investigation, don't I? That's how worthless I am.
But she still considered that night to be a failure. The plan, as intended by Haru, was supposed to be Makoto and Ren getting their relationship back on the train tracks. But what had happened was the stopping of the train entirely. And the conductor, Haru, had simply got off the train and left. She hadn't spoken to Makoto since last week. Makoto considered the possibility that that was her own fault for not reaching out to Haru to tell her the results of Friday night, but she had ultimately dismissed the thought.
If she actually cared, she would've asked, was what she told herself.
Makoto had spent Sunday at home, pondering her options. Not with the investigation, but with Ren. She wanted to spend time with him, to talk with him, but she didn't think he wanted to even speak to her after Friday. It didn't help that she had considered the validity of Friday's meeting while it was happening.
You're spending time with Ren again, but it's only because you need his help. You can't do anything yourself, Makoto had told herself on their journey through Shinjuku.
The thoughts of her own uselessness combined with Ren's actions from that night were terrible.
He knows how useless you are. That's why he really left so quickly, was the conclusion she came to.
That was what led Makoto to her plan: apologize to Ren. While she didn't fully agree with Ren's actions on Friday, especially the exchange of Mishima's phone number, she believed the apology was something she needed to do. She wasn't sure if it was so she could quell her thoughts of uselessness or of a desire to talk to Ren more. It was a good question. Good enough for Makoto to spend even more time thinking about it.
Why do I want to talk to Ren so badly? When we considered each other friends, we only spent time together a few times. So why do I feel so attached to him? She had asked herself.
It was a simpler answer than Makoto thought. Ren had been the first person interested in socializing with her. Sure, there had been boys who were interested in her for her looks, but they never got birthday gifts for her. They never invited her to their clubs. They never comforted her.
Through all of these thoughts, the park cleanup was supposed to be a nice distraction from it all. Until Makoto read Ren's name from the clipboard. It reminded her of the apology that she had to give.
So when Makoto had some free time from picking up trash, she had searched for Ren in his group's designated part of the park. Unfortunately, he hadn't been there.
I'll have to speak with him at lunch, she thought.
So immediately after she announced that lunch was happening, Makoto went over to the lunch tables. She didn't expect him to already be there, as there was a huge line for food, but waiting for him would boost her chances of finding him.
Surely enough, she was right. Ren and Ryuji had sat down with their bowls of stew at an isolated table. Makoto walked up. Ryuji had been in the middle of explaining something to Ren but stopped when he noticed that Ren wasn't paying attention.
"Ren? Hello? Wait… oh! Hey, Miss President," Ryuji said with a smirk.
Makoto gave a somber smile back to him. Ren had just looked at her with an emotionless stare since she had begun standing beside their table.
"Ryuji-kun, may I speak to Ren?" It wasn't the commanding tone that Ren, Ryuji, and even Makoto herself anticipated. It was pleading. Everyone was caught off guard by it.
"Uh, sure," Ryuji said before nervously standing up. "Talk to ya later, Renny."
Ryuji walked away as Makoto slid into his seat, across from Ren.
"Hello, Miss President."
"Hey, Ren."
Ren continued eating his stew, forcing Makoto to speak again.
"I wanted to apologize."
Ren didn't even look at her.
"Oh?" was all he said.
"Yes. I'm sorry for the way I acted on Friday. You were right about Ohya; we didn't know how she would react if we didn't have information. I don't want that fight to be the end of things between us."
"What's between us?" Ren asked as he looked up.
Makoto felt her face warm a little, so she didn't look Ren in the eye. She didn't want to become more flustered.
If I say the wrong thing, I could ruin everything. Ann would be angry too, Makoto thought to herself.
"I'm not sure. Are we friends?"
"That's a good question. Can you answer it?"
He's messing with me. He's should be the one answering it because I'm the one apologizing, Makoto realized. It brought a little composure to her, knowing Ren's tricks.
"I'm afraid not. It's on me to apologize. What happens after is up to you."
"Hm… so why did you apologize?" Ren said, not answering the question.
"Excuse me?" Makoto wasn't expecting that.
"Why'd you apologize? From your perspective, you shouldn't think that you're wrong. You're the student council president, and one of your students just had their phone number leaked to an investigative journalist. You were right to be angry, so why're you apologizing?" Ren explained. Makoto, with her thoughts of Ren fooling with her, forgot how intelligent he could be.
It's because I need your help with the investigation, Ren! Makoto mentally screamed.
"I…"
"Do you not know?"
"No, I do…"
"Don't think about it too much. Just let it out. I won't judge," Ren said reassuringly.
Makoto felt inclined to believe him.
That's what friends do, right? Believe each other? s he asked herself.
"Well…" Makoto breathed deeply. "I need your help with the investigation. I'm too apprehensive to get anything done on my own!"
"Is that it?"
No. There's so much more I want to say, but can't, Makoto thought.
"It's-"
"No, don't answer that. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Do you actually want my help?"
Makoto nodded.
"Okay, I'll help. But remember this: you asked for my help. Don't get angry at me for doing something like what happened in Crossroads, okay?"
Makoto nodded again.
"Great. We have a deal. So what's next?"
"Um… what?"
"What's next for the investigation? Are we gonna use the info we got from Ohya?"
"Oh! Of course! I can't today because I have to stay after the cleanup to… well, cleanup. Tomorrow I have a student council meeting after school, so we'd have to investigate later in the afternoon."
"Fine by me. Just send me a text when."
"Got it."
Ren stood up with an empty bowl of stew. Makoto hadn't even noticed him eating because she had been so focused on not messing her words up. He turned to walk away.
"Ren?" Ren turned back around at the sound of Makoto's voice. "Thanks."
He smiled at her before walking off again.
The apology worked, Makoto smiled to herself at the thought.
Ren, now that he had a full stomach and a slightly improved relationship with Makoto, felt a little more confident. With that extra confidence, he figured it was a good idea to get something over with: talking to Haru.
After Ren had left the lunch table he had found Ryuji. They had resumed their nomadic loitering around the park, with Ren hoping to spot Haru out of the blue. After about thirty minutes, he finally spotted her. Not because of her outfit, of course, but because of her hair. She was putting something in the trash can.
"Want to come with?" Ren asked Ryuji while they watched Haru.
"Nah, I should probably let her cool off after what I did," Ryuji said with a laugh.
"Speaking of, what did you do?"
Ryuji slapped Ren on his shoulder.
"Eh, I'll tell ya later. Good luck with Gardening Girl, Renny," Ryuji said before walking away.
"I really wish he'd stop calling me that…"
Ren strolled up to Haru, who was just turning away from the trash can. She hadn't noticed him yet.
"Hey, Haru."
"Oh… hello, Ren-kun," Haru said with a distinct lack of cheeriness that usually pervaded her tone. She stopped walking as she said it.
"You know why I'm here, right?"
"Yes, I'm aware."
"Great! So who wants to start?" Ren delivered in sarcastic enthusiasm.
"I believe I should," Haru said, looking down. "If I understand correctly, Friday didn't go well? I thought I would've heard from either of you if it did."
She probably doesn't know yet that Makoto and I worked things out. Is it wrong to make her talk about this without her knowing that? Maybe.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Then I'd like to apologize. I forced you both into something that I'm not sure you wanted. Ren-kun, I failed to consider how you would feel. I was just feeling frustrated with the lack of effort on both sides," Haru said as she finally looked Ren in the eyes.
"Thank you for the apology, but I feel like you're missing something. There wasn't a lack of effort on either side, in fact. Makoto stalked me for weeks, and I wasn't given enough time to make an effort."
Haru sighed.
"You're right. Again, I'm sorry, Ren-kun. Can you forgive me?"
"Yeah. I forgive you. You know, Makoto and I just talked a little while ago."
Haru's eyes widened with excitement.
"And…?!"
"And we're good. I think I'm gonna keep helping her with the investigation she's doing."
"That's great! I'm glad you two made up!"
Yeah. So am I. So am I…
The moment was ruined by slow clapping from nearby. It wasn't intimidating, but actually amusing in its lameness. Ren turned his head to see the source of the clapping: Yoshiro Takata. Seeing him thinking he was cool made it even funnier. Ren did everything in his power to hold in the laughter, only letting a smirk rise to the surface. Yoshiro continued his slow clapping as he walked up.
"How touching," Yoshiro sarcastically commented.
Ren dispelled all humor from himself. If he was to take control of the conversation, he needed to be serious. In tone, that is.
"Yoshiro, I am this close," Ren said as he held up a small distance between his thumb and his pointer finger, "to putting you up for adoption."
"W-wha…"
I'm surprised the mom jokes still get to him. I'd think he'd be telling me to get some new material, but no. It still works.
"Yoshiro, I'm your stepfather," Ren said, imitating one of his favorite movie characters.
"Haha, very funny, Amamiya."
Okay, I guess he is done with the mom jokes. Good. I was tired of coming up with them.
"Alright, Takata. Why're you here?"
"Think back to this morning. There was someone you were rude to," Yoshiro snidely said.
"The guy who was creeping on Yoshizawa-san?! No way! He's your dad, isn't he?!" Ren sarcastically said in disbelief.
"Wha- no! You told my girlfriend to fuck herself!"
That was his girlfriend? I guess I made the right call in saying that to her.
"Get over it. She was kinda rude to me."
"That doesn't mean you're getting out of this. Come on, Amamiya! Face me!" Yoshiro said as he raised his fists. "Man to man!"
Ren glanced over at Haru. She gave Ren a very nervous glance before shaking her head.
To fight or not to fight? Probably shouldn't. In a one on one, I'm not a hundred percent sure I could take Yoshiro. I should try stalling.
"I'd be careful. Remember the last time you tried to fight me?" Yoshiro flinched, so Ren figured he did something right. "It's kinda a bummer that I just found out you have a girlfriend. So much missed potential. When'd you guys start dating?"
Yoshiro spat towards Ren, but there was enough distance between them for it to not even reach Ren's feet.
"Last week," Yoshiro said begrudgingly.
"I could give you dating adv-"
"Shut up! Fight, or run like a pussy!"
He just gave me the win. What a hypocrite I am; I thought I was tired of making mom jokes.
"I'll run right to your mom's pussy."
Yoshiro, for the third time, had been provoked by Ren into initiating violence. He rushed towards Ren. Given the distance between them, Ren had ample room to maneuver and sidestep Yoshiro's charge. While Yoshiro was still stopping his momentum and turning around, Ren quickly turned to Haru.
"Get your phone out and take a video!"
Some video evidence to prove that I didn't initiate the fight will be useful. I probably won't need it, but it's a good precaution.
"Why-"
"Don't ask and just do it!"
Yoshiro was readying himself for another charge.
Dude, just go for a punch already. Like damn, am I fighting Russel from Bully? All he does is charge at me. Do I sidestep again? It's gonna be boring if he just keeps charging and I dodge. Dammit, Ren, you shouldn't care about a fight being boring. If you fuck up, you get a black eye or worse.
Yoshiro began his second charge. Ren feigned readying to take the hit but stepped out of the way at the last second. He left his right leg in place, but dragged it slightly in the direction Yoshiro was coming from. Yoshiro tripped and tumbled face-first on the grass.
"Oh my!" Haru was surprised.
Before Yoshiro could get back up, Ren crouched down beside him.
"Just fuck off, Yoshiro. Fuck. Off," Ren said before walking away with the shoes.
For the slightest second, Ren considered further humiliating Yoshiro. He quickly shook the thoughts from his head. He didn't want to give Yoshiro another reason to come after him.
Apparently, Yoshiro didn't feel like replying. He laid face down in the dirt, but he was still breathing. Ren speedily stood up and walked away from him.
"Ready to go, Haru?"
"Ren-kun, shouldn't you make sure he's alright?"
Ren sighed.
"Dickhead! You okay?"
"Fuck you!" Yoshiro replied as he got on his hands and knees.
While Ren could only see Yoshiro's backside, he knew that the front side wouldn't be a pretty sight.
"Haru, it's time to go."
"Indeed. Let's go."
They left the scene of the semi-fight to find Ryuji.
Makoto got home later than usual that evening. Along with cleaning up the small amounts of trash in Inokashira park, she had to clean up the things Shujin brought with them to conduct the cleanup. The tables, cooking supplies, lists of people, and everything else had to be taken back to Shujin academy and double-checked to make sure everything was in its right place. This had all taken a lot of time, so Makoto wasn't surprised to see that Sae was home before her. What surprised her was what came out of Sae's mouth soon after Makoto entered the apartment.
"Take a seat, Makoto," Sae said irritably from the dinner table.
What's this for? I placed first in exams. Other than grades, what could Sae be upset with me about? Makoto asked herself.
Makoto tentatively did as she was told. She rested her hands on her lap as she stared back at Sae's cold, unforgiving glare. It hurt to be looked at like that by a sibling.
"Makoto, have you been spending time with Amamiya?" Sae slowly said.
Yes, but she has no way of knowing. This is probably just a check-in, Makoto thought.
"No."
"Don't lie to me, dammit!" Sae slammed her fist down on the table, making Makoto jump a little.
"Sis…"
"Makoto, I know that you were with him! And I know where he took you!"
Does she know?! Who saw us in Shinjuku?! Wait a minute… Akechi! Makoto realized, her eyes growing wide out of fear and from the realization.
"All I ask of you is to stay away from Amamiya, but you can't even do that! All you do is waste my money, my time, and the opportunities I've given you! After all the hard work I do to make sure that you can go to college, you can't even listen to the simplest thing!"
Sis, please...
"But-"
"I don't care! I don't care what your excuse is! I said not to hang out with him! Get it through your head!" Sae calmed herself down with a deep, bitter sigh. "If you can't even realize that, you really are useless to me. I'm done with this," Sae said before standing up and grabbing her bag from the corner of the table. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I won't be back for a long time. Goodbye, Makoto."
With that, Sae was out the door. Makoto had let another person slip out of her life. She had failed to keep the people around her happy. That was all she could do, anyway. Fail. The only time she hadn't failed was when Ren was involved in some way. Now he was going to take control of her investigation and actually make progress. Makoto never could've done that.
Makoto went to her room for the night. She didn't come out. Not even for dinner.
Tuesday, 5/31
Makoto set down the suggestion box.
"A few notes have been left in the box. Other than that, our agenda for today involves the investigation of the students being blackmailed in Shibuya. Does anyone have any questions?"
They never did, as there was nothing to ask. The perfect student council president would never miss any details because how could she? She was flawless.
If only they knew… Makoto thought to herself.
They knew more than they let on. Makoto's lessened confidence hadn't gone unnoticed, but it certainly went unmentioned. They attributed Makoto's behavior to it being an off day and did nothing more.
Makoto fished her hand around in the suggestion box and pulled out a note. She read it aloud.
"Please help. The blackmail is getting worse. They're making me pay them my own money and threatening my family if I don't. I'm worried that if something isn't done soon something bad will happen."
Another note from Dai Shirai… I need to act quickly. I need to be useful. I need to prove myself, Makoto thought.
"What're we gonna do, Senpai?" Eiji asked.
"We'll discuss it when we discuss the investigation. For now, we have to go through the other notes."
There were only two left in the box, so Makoto hoped the council could make quick work of them before they moved on to the more important topic. She pulled the next note out of the box. It wasn't signed.
"The student council needs to do something! A lot of my friends are being blackmailed by thugs in Shibuya! I don't know what to do because the thugs are threatening my friends if they go to the police!"
No… it's too late. It became prominent before I could stop it, Makoto thought to herself.
"Senpai! We have to-" Eiji began.
"Just one more note, Tanaka-kun. Patience is important," Makoto said. She didn't say it for Eiji's sake. She said it to calm herself down.
She pulled the final note. It was another anonymous note.
"I just don't know what to do anymore… my family could die… we're being threatened-" Makoto stopped reading as soon as she realized what it was about. "Okay, is everyone ready to discuss what we're here for?"
The three members nodded.
"Here's an update on my side: I've learned the name of the person behind the increased crime in Shibuya. I will be utilizing this information later today to hopefully find evidence that can be used to stop what's happening," Makoto shakily said. She didn't want to share the name and place the others at risk.
"Great work, Niijima-senpai!" Eiji said. "For me, I haven't learned much. I'm sorry."
Makoto didn't forgive him because she wanted to keep things moving so she could get out of there and go to Shibuya. Under the table, she pulled out her phone.
Makoto Niijima:
-Meet me on Central Street in thirty minutes. We will be investigating.
Ren Amamiya:
-Gotcha.
"I've also learned nothing new, Senpai," Michiko said.
"Heh, I guess that leaves me," Noriko said. "I've heard mumbles here and there. This is really spreading, ya know?"
"Unfortunately, yes, I do know. Thank you all for your effort. That concludes-"
"Don't you need to tell us what to do?!" Eiji protested.
"Oh, I have e-everything under control," Makoto struggled to say it.
They looked at her for a second.
Please believe me, she thought.
"If you say so," Noriko said dismissively.
"As I was saying, that concludes today's student council meeting."
Ren wanted things to go well with Makoto, but he couldn't deny the possibility of things going wrong. As a backup plan, and potential diversion from the main plan, he pulled out his phone.
Ren Amamiya:
-Wanna grab Big Bang Burger? I'm heading down to Central Street in 10 minutes.
If things go poorly with Makoto I can just leave and hang out with Ryuji. If things go well with Makoto we can take a food break and get a burger with Ryuji.
Ryuji Sakamoto:
-Is that a question? Of course I want a burger! I can get there in 20!
Ren Amamiya:
-Bet.
Ren got ready to leave.
Makoto met up with Ren at the entrance to the Shibuya subway station.
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Makoto quickly said.
She needed to be ready. She had to get things done. The sake of Shujin's students depended on it. The additional suggestion notes and Noriko's info had solidified that. Things would only get worse if Makoto didn't act fast. She needed to be useful.
They started out walking up the street, both of them keeping their eyes out for anything suspicious. That was Ren pointed a finger.
"Look," he said to Makoto.
She followed where he was pointing. It was into an alley, where two rough-looking men stood together. They were talking. Makoto wanted to know exactly what was occurring, even if they weren't involved in the investigation.
"Come on," she said before walking towards the alley.
She didn't listen to Ren telling her to wait. As soon as she got into the alley, the men noticed her.
"What do we have here?" one of the men asked, looking Makoto up and down.
Trying not to be disgusted, Makoto maintained her composure.
I won't get anywhere if I play mind games with them. I need to be upfront and the information Ohya gave me, she thought.
When she saw both of the men's gaze shift, she knew that Ren was beside her. It bolstered her confidence.
"What's the name Junya Kaneshiro mean to you?"
Both men narrowed their eyes.
"What's it mean to you?"
"Oh, I don't know. Just that he's the crime boss in Shibuya."
One of the men burst out laughing.
"Nice one. C'mon. We've got better things to do," the other man said.
Makoto tried to stand in their way, but they just pushed past her and walked out of the alley. When she went to pursue, she felt Ren grab her arm. She furiously turned around.
"Ren!"
"Makoto, think about what you just did. If they work for Kaneshiro, they now know that you're looking for him. You just put yourself in danger," Ren said as he shifted around Makoto to stop her from pursuing the men. His back was to the main street and he faced further into the alley, with Makoto facing opposite of him.
As if Ren's one to talk. That's what he would've done. Rush into things to get something done, right? Right? The longer the question went unanswered in Makoto's head, the more she doubted what she thought Ren would've done.
"They don't know me!"
"You're wearing your damn uniform. Dammit, Makoto. You might have just wasted your one lead," Ren said.
Did I? No, I couldn't have. That was necessary. Their reactions proved that the information was true. But if Ren's correct… they know that people are looking for Kaneshiro, Makoto thought.
"I did not!"
"Yes, you did, Makoto."
Makoto was fuming. She was so angry that she failed to notice the two people in red tracksuits coming from behind Ren.
"Makoto, your recklessness is- behind you!" Ren yelled.
Makoto wheeled around to face an additional two teenagers in red tracksuits. She had no time to think about who they were because the closest one jabbed at her head. She barely ducked it. She readied her right leg for a kick.
"Agh!" Ren cried out in pain.
Makoto turned back around to see Ren go flying into the side of the alley from a punch from a towering figure. Ren's head terrifyingly hit the wall before he fell over unconscious.
"Ren!"
Makoto began to run over to him, but both her upper-arms were grabbed from behind. When she tried to elbow her attacker, one of the two who had attacked Ren grabbed her hands and held them together.
She finally got a good look at the attacker's face. It was Yoshiro Takata, and he was grinning ear to ear. It was the same horrifying grin he had given her when she had walked past Big Bang Burger that one time.
"Kamoshida sends his regards, Miss President."
That was when a bag was put over her head.
Ryuji had just arrived at Big Bang Burger. Ren was nowhere in sight.
Probably at home playing video games. What a lazy dude. I guess I got some free time, huh? Ryuji thought.
Ryuji looked around for something to do when a poster caught his eye.
A new gym? Oh shit, that's literally right over here. It's down the alley. I could check it out while I wait, Ryuji determined.
He walked past Big Bang Burger and made a right. As soon as he turned into the alley, he knew that something was off. The main indicator was Ren slumped over against the alley wall, unconscious. The next one was a girl with a bag over her head and a Shujin uniform being shoved into a black van at the other side of the alley.
Must be dreaming. Wait a minute… this is real! Holy shit! That was Miss President! You gotta help her! But first, you gotta help Ren, Ryuji! Ryuji told himself before he rushed over to Ren.
Blood was streaming down Ren's face from his nose. His glasses laid broken at his side, and he was collapsed over in a way that couldn't have been good for his back.
Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit… what do I do? I never paid attention to those medical classes. Think, Ryuji, think! He pleaded with himself.
That was when he remembered what they did in the movies. He pulled out the water bottle that he always brought with him and quickly unscrewed the cap. He splashed some onto Ren's face. Ren immediately straightened his posture. He gasped for air for a few seconds before calming down.
"Wha go onnn..." he slurred.
"Shuddup. C'mon, man. Get up!" Ryuji said as he knelt at Ren's side.
Ryuji quickly began to support Ren's weight by putting Ren's arm over Ryuji's shoulder. He lifted and managed to get Ren up.
"We gotta hurry!"
Ryuji rushed Ren to the opposite end of the alley where he had seen the black van. It had left while Ryuji was helping Ren up, but hadn't gone far. Ryuji mindfully let go of Ren and jumped into the street to stop a taxi. It was their only shot at following the black van. Thankfully, the taxi screeched to a halt. Ryuji quickly hurried back to the sidewalk and lifted Ren into the car before getting himself in.
"Follow the black van!" Ryuji ordered the cab driver.
Ren was woozy as he sat next to Ryuji. Ryuji tried reaching over to buckle Ren's seat belt, but it was a lost cause.
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon… can this thing go any faster?! Ryuji wondered.
Ren didn't look good. The blood on his face had gotten onto his shirt. His glasses had been left behind in the alley, as well. He looked like he was about to slip back into unconsciousness. Ryuji slapped him on the shoulder a few times to keep him awake.
The taxi came to a stop in a few short minutes outside of another alley. Ryuji took all the cash in his pocket and tossed it up to the front before he dragged Ren out of the car. When he got into the alley he looked up to see four boys in red tracksuits carrying a thrashing Makoto into what looked like a private club entrance. Ryuji supported Ren's weight once again and charged into the club.
Makoto's knee was kicked from behind, forcing her to fall over into a prone position. Someone grabbed her hands and forced them behind her back, keeping her in a vulnerable state. That was when the bag was pulled off of her head.
She was on the floor of a dimly lit club backroom from the looks of it. There wasn't much she could look at. On one side of her was a table that obstructed her view of the rest of the room. On the other side were a doorway and the feet of the people who had brought her here.
Suddenly, she heard the door burst open. An additional pair of feet joined, this pair with rolled-up pants Shujin pants.
Is that… Ryuji?! Makoto prayed.
"What the eff is going on here?!" Ryuji yelled.
Makoto strained her neck to look up to see Ryuji. When she finally managed to get a good look at him, she realized who he was with. Ren was barely being supported by Ryuji, his arm draped over Ryuji's shoulder. His nose was dripping blood. His eyes were shut.
"Ren!" Makoto called out.
Ren's eyes hazily flitted open, only to close again.
"Ren!" Makoto cried out, more desperation bleeding into her voice.
The same response from Ren.
"R-"
"Could you please shut up?" a voice said from Makoto's other side.
She adjusted her head to look over, but the table still obstructed her view.
"Stand her up, Takata," the voice said. "Shirai! Get blondie against the wall! Leave the other one on the ground."
Makoto heard a scuffle and a yell before a cry of pain. She looked over to see Ryuji being forced against the wall next to the door. That was when Makoto's shoulders and arms were yanked upwards, and she was expected to quickly support her own weight. She scrambled to get her feet under her. When she finally did, her hands were being held behind her back. She tried to elbow her captor but was slapped in response.
"Look at me," the voice commanded.
Makoto finally looked straight ahead. There stood a short, slightly overweight man. He had slicked-back brown hair. He wore a cheap blue suit over his fat little body. The top few buttons were left unbuttoned, revealing the upper part of the man's chest. He was despicable in every sense. A sense of evil radiated from his trashy outfit to his pig nose.
But despite the man's lackluster appearance, Makoto felt the urge to obey the man. He demanded authority with the look he was giving her. It was a look that threatened the very ground she stood upon.
When Makoto was finally able to shake her gaze away from him she looked around the room. It was exactly as she thought: a dimly lit club backroom. The man was standing up from the corner of a blue L-shaped couch that was centered around a circular table. On the table were a few things that Makoto could identify. Alcohol, cocaine, a few needles, and a briefcase. Back on the booth, there were two women on either side of the man. Neither felt the need to stand up. Around the rest of the room were gruff looking men and teenagers in red tracksuits.
Shujin students?! No… it can't be… Makoto desperately tried to push the thought away.
In her attempt to dispel those thoughts, her gaze found its way back to the man. He smiled at her.
"Who do you think I am?"
Makoto spat towards the man. It landed on the table in front of him.
"Hm… I'll tell you. I'm Junya Kaneshiro. Two of my men called in and said that some Shujin girl was snooping around. That you?"
Is that why they brought me here? No, it can't be. There wasn't enough time for those men to call in and then the teenagers to be ordered to assault me... there must be something else going on, Makoto deduced.
She clenched her teeth.
"Hmph. Do tell, why're you so interested in me?"
Makoto spat towards Kaneshiro again.
Kaneshiro chuckled before he picked a cigar up off the table. He lifted it to his mouth and lit it. He took a long, deep pull before blowing the smoke towards the silent Makoto.
"I've done my best to be polite. Takata, what's her name?"
"Makoto Niijima!" Yoshiro replied.
"Niijima? As in prosecutor Sae Niijima? Oh my, what a catch you are…" Kaneshiro said as he began to move around the table while eyeing Makoto up.
Kaneshiro's approach sent Makoto into a panic, and she thrashed in Yoshiro's arms to be free. A slap to her face from Yoshiro stopped her. Kaneshiro was standing only a few feet away from her. She was standing face to face with Shujin's main problem.
"Get the eff away from 'er!" Ryuji yelled
"Shirai, keep him quiet."
Makoto heard a slam and was too afraid to see what happened. Whatever Shirai did must've worked, because Ryuji wasn't making any noise.
Dai Shirai! He left the notes! I was set up! Makoto, you worthless, stupid- Makoto's thoughts were cut off.
"Niijima-san, do you know the position you're in?"
Spitting at Kaneshiro had only brought him closer to him. Makoto decided it was best to answer the question. She shook her head.
"You don't? Well, let me make it easy for you. You're my property. I can do as I see fit with you," Kaneshiro said before looking her dead in the eyes. "I could kill you if I wanted to."
Makoto thrashed more in Yoshiro's arms and got slapped again.
"Move against Takata again and I kill your sister," Kaneshiro said flatly.
Makoto gave her best Niijima Death Stare to Kaneshiro, but she wasn't sure how effective it would be. Her fear-induced shivering was sure to diminish the quality of the stare.
"But I don't want to kill anyone. You can't make me money that way, you know," Kaneshiro said with a grin before taking another puff of his cigar.
Kaneshiro turned back towards the two women in the booth before snapping his fingers and pointing at the briefcase. One woman stood up, grabbed the briefcase, and brought it over to where Kaneshiro and Makoto were facing off. She opened it in between the two so they could both see the contents: stacks of bills. The briefcase had a setup of eight stacks by four stacks, at least on the surface. Makoto couldn't tell how much there was beneath the surface stacks. Kaneshiro grabbed one stack out of the middle.
"You see this?"
Makoto simply stared.
"I said, you see this?!" he yelled as he slapped Makoto with the hand holding the money.
Makoto quickly nodded.
"This is one million yen. Pretty nice, huh?" Kaneshiro said.
He motioned to a henchman at the side of the room. The man quickly came up and took his cigar. Kaneshiro used both his hands to grab twenty stacks.
"Mariko, please put the briefcase down."
The woman named Mariko set the briefcase back on the table before returning to the standoff. Kaneshiro quickly handed the woman the stacks. She looked at him in thankfulness and amazement.
"Buy some new tits or something, I don't care. It's yours. But there's always a debt, and that debt is not for you to pay, Mariko. That falls on Niijima-san here," Kaneshiro said as he turned his focus to Makoto.
Twenty million yen… Makoto couldn't comprehend that much debt.
Mariko sat back down in the booth, her stacks of cash on her lap.
"Let's see… How about June fourteenth? You can pay then. It will make a great birthday present for me, and all will be forgiven," Kaneshiro said malevolently. "How does that sound?"
Makoto didn't react. She couldn't react. If she said no, she'd be tortured in some way. If she said yes, she owed twenty million yen to the most powerful crime boss in Shibuya.
"I see… men, clear the table."
The henchmen rushed to take all the drugs and drinks off the table along with the briefcase. They held them in the arms while they stood at the sides of the club room.
"Shirai! Is blondie out cold? Yeah? Good. Grab the black-haired one. Put 'em on the table."
He's going to kill him. He's going to kill him. He's going to kill him. Ren's going to die, Makoto mentally repeated.
"No!" she yelled as she began to thrash again.
"Ah ah ah, Niijima-san. Remember your sister…" Kaneshiro chided before turning to the henchman who held the cigar. "Gimme my cigar."
He plucked it from the man's hand and took another puff. Dai came into view with the unconscious Ren over his shoulder. Dai roughly laid him across the now cleared round table.
"Good. Here, pass me that bag of blow. The bottle, too," Kaneshiro demanded.
When he got what he wanted, he walked over to the table. All Makoto could do was watch. Kaneshiro set the substances down next to Ren's unconscious body before pulling out his phone. He held it up above the table and took a picture.
"Blondie next!"
Ren was lifted off the table and placed on the ground against the wall near the door. Ryuji's unconscious body was placed on the table for the same thing. Once Kaneshiro did that, he turned to Makoto.
"Your turn," he said with a toothy grin. "Wake blondie and the other one up. They'll wanna see this! Put Niijima on the table."
Yoshiro pushed Makoto towards the table before he forced her down. Her knees touched the club floor while her torso was bent over the table. Kaneshiro was crouched down, facing her at eye level. He looked away from Makoto towards the wall where Ren and Ryuji were being held upright. Water, or alcohol, was splashed onto their faces. They both awoke gasping from the liquid.
"Shit!" Ryuji yelled.
"Ahh… whaa… Mak…" Ren moaned and mumbled.
"Ren! Ryuji!" Makoto yelled from the table. Tears were forming in her eyes.
Ryuji blinked a few times.
"Makoto! Hold- oof!" Ryuji was forced to shut up as he was punched in the stomach.
Ren didn't respond to Makoto's cries. His eyes occasionally opened every few seconds, but Makoto didn't know if he was aware of what was happening. Ryuji was unquestionably conscious.
"They awake? Good," Kaneshiro said before looking back at Makoto.
He took his cigar out of his mouth and held it to Makoto.
"Take a hit."
Makoto's tears were only getting worse. She was trying not to cry, and that definitely wasn't helping.
"Take a hit before I press this to your fucking skull."
Makoto was almost sobbing now. She closed her eyes. She wanted to escape. She wanted the nightmare to end.
"Gimme… cig…" Ren said.
Makoto's eyes snapped open. She looked over at Ren. Blood had covered his face by now, and it was certainly clouding his vision. Makoto desperately wanted for him to see her. She needed Ren to see her one last time before Kaneshiro killed them all.
"Oh, we got a hero?" Kaneshiro said with a laugh. "So be it."
He walked up to Ren and pried his mouth open. He jammed the cigar in between his lips before quickly snapping a photo.
Makoto saw barely visible smoke come out of Ren's mouth.
"See? Wasn't that easy?"
There was no response from Ren. Kaneshiro didn't seem to care as he plucked the cigar out of Ren's mouth before turning back towards Makoto at the table.
"We still need your picture, Niijima-san."
Makoto had lost the will to even struggle anymore. She just wanted it to end. She heard Kaneshiro's phone snap the photos of her. She didn't care. She wanted to go home. She wanted Sae to comfort her like she always would.
It only hurt more when Makoto realized that that wasn't possible.
"Get her up."
Makoto was pulled back up and forced to stand upright in the same place she had been earlier.
"If you don't pay me by the fourteenth, my birthday, I send these pictures out. Your life will be over. Not only that but if I don't get my twenty million, I'm gonna need to recoup my losses. Rest assured, my people will find you. Have we reached an agreement, Niijima-san?"
Makoto desperately nodded her head. She wanted to curl up in her bed. It felt like she hadn't been home in months.
"Good. Boys, take them out. Call them a cab to Central Street. And remember, June fourteenth. And don't even think about telling the cops. They're my bitches, and I own Shibuya. Now get 'em the fuck outta here."
Ren opened his eyes. He was back at Inokashira park, facing down Yoshiro. A girl with fluffy auburn hair was at his side. Yoshiro was readying his second charge. When he finally moved towards Ren, Ren was ready. He used Yoshiro's momentum against him, easily tripping the volleyball player. Yoshiro landed in the grass face first.
Ren wasted no time. He jumped on Yoshiro's back. He grabbed Yoshiro by the back of his head and began repeatedly smashing his face into the ground. He didn't even consider quitting. He wanted to hear the crunch of Yoshiro's nose breaking.
Ren only stopped when he decided that he wanted to see Yoshiro's life drain from his eyes. The hatred he had for Yoshiro was uncontrollable. He flipped Yoshiro over and got into a straddle over Yoshiro's chest. He pressed his hands into a grip around Yoshiro's throat, tightening it as much as he could. Yoshiro's hands flailed at Ren's body but were too weak to stop him. Yoshiro's skin turning purple contrasted with the blood covering his face.
"Kill him, Ren!" The girl cheered.
That made Ren stop.
He looked over at the girl. She wore a feather hat outfit and had golden eyes.
"Kill him!"
Ren hated Yoshiro with every bone in his body, but he couldn't remember why.
He did something to me… but what was it? Shit… I don't know what to do…
"Kill him!"
The girl has golden eyes... is this real? Now that I think about it, how the fuck did I get here? Wasn't I just... no, that was yesterday... was it? Shit, I don't even-
Suddenly, Ren felt the side of his head explode in pain as a fist rocked it. He fell off of Yoshiro. Yoshiro quickly got to his feet, ready for more.
That sent Ren over the edge. He threw all his weight into tackling Yoshiro. He swiftly assumed the same straddle he previously had. Yoshiro's arms had more strength to them now, so his attacks at Ren's face now mattered. Instead of going straight to Yoshiro's neck, Ren grabbed the right arm and twisted until he heard the crack.
Despite all the punishment Yoshiro had undergone, he had never made a sound. Not even a peep after Ren broke his left arm as well.
"Kill him!" The girl continued her cheers.
Ren, ready to claim his victory, clasped his hands around Yoshiro's throat. He made sure it was tighter than what he had done before. He fueled Yoshiro's death with his hatred.
Finally, Yoshiro breathed his last breath. He lay on the ground, a fresh corpse. Ren rolled off of Yoshiro, tired from the effort that he had given. He lay in the grass, his body spread to stretch out his limbs.
"Kill him!" The girl continued despite Ren accomplishing what he thought she wanted.
Ren gazed up at the sky. There was no sun. Suddenly, there was a bright flash. The flash quickly formed into a blinding light, but Ren continued to stare into it. Spots began to cloud his vision. But he didn't care. He welcomed whatever the light brought.
He let the light take him away.