Chapter 2: Conspiracy

Harima managed to get a sack of rice from his usual vendor and some bottles of mirin, vinegar, and soy sauce from the outdoor market. Even after a constant barrage of random encounters, he still made it back to the alley leading to the empty lot.

"Geez, what is with today? It's like every thug is out on the prowl." Harima complained half-heartedly as he carried the sack and bottles. He did get a few experiences and some yen from the thugs he beat. He even managed to stop some delinquents from harassing a student, which earned him a bronze plate from the student. "I guess I can sell it to a pawn shop?" He mused.

The raven-haired brown man reached his tricycle at the empty lot, where he unloaded his sack of rice and bottles of cooking essentials. He stretched his arms, it felt like a long day after he went through a mini-goose chase around the market, but it's about time to go home.

"Huh?" There it is again. Harima felt a strange creep up on him as he looked around the empty lot. He noticed a large sack, similar to his sack of rice, but this one is way longer… it's almost tall enough to have a human inside. It can't possibly be, right?

Harima felt curious, he didn't think it was there earlier, so he approached it. He always chose to park in this empty lot because seemingly no one dares walking in here, that made the place peaceful and distraction-less for him, no worries of a punk jacking his motorbike. So this unseemly tall gray sack is bugging him. He got closer and closer and a sudden metallic stench assaulted his nose.

When he backed off, the sack's knot turned loose and fell over to reveal… a dead human body. The body was that of a man, seemingly a college student with short blue hair; the man's expression however, disturbed Harima to a high degree.

"So you saw it…" A mysterious voice whispered from behind Harima. He turned around to see a figure dressed in a black raincoat, his hood pulled up and wearing a black facemask. Harima has no idea who this man could be.

"Who the hell are you? What is this shit!" He could only yell out in a panic. Sure he'd been in plenty of scuffles since childhood and seen plenty of deaths in shows like 'The Three That Killed' but seeing how the corpse's face was that of utter horror and desperation. Harima is completely sure this man was murdered, and didn't die peacefully.

"You aren't supposed to be here." The raincoat man spoke with such a deep and ghostly nature that it unnerved Harima. "Apologies, but this is life. It is simply unfair."

"AAAAHHHHH!" A woman screamed from the entryway of the empty lot causing Harima to flinch and take his eyes off the raincoat man, when he looked back again he was no longer there.

"Murderer!" The woman continued to scream as she pointed at Harima, the tan man near the dead body.

"Wait no! I'm not the suspect here! I just found this body!" Harima tried to defend himself, but the police came and arrested him.

…

'How did this happen?' Harima questioned after he spent the night at a holding cell. He sat on a wall-attached bench as he closed his eyes to meditate. 'Damnit, everything I have was confiscated, even the tricycle and everything in it… What am I supposed to do now? I don't even know I'll be let free anytime soon.'

'Eh, I'm sure they don't have evidence to convict me, I didn't even kill that man!'

"Make no mistake." A gravelly voice rang out from beside Harima.

"Holy crap can you people stop popping up near me?!" Harima yelled in exasperation as he opened his eyes and saw a man wearing green clothes and a hat.

"It's your fault for being so unaware…" The conspicuous hatted man couldn't help but retort. "Anyway, make no mistake,"

"You said that already-"

"Make no mistake!" the man repeated for the last time. "You will be found guilty in your trial, boy."

"No way! I didn't do it, and there'll be no evidence that I killed that guy, I don't even know his name!"

"Oh but you do have a connection with the deceased, Kenji Harima." The man informed, "His name was Kentaro Nara, I believe he was a classmate of yours, and that you often got into violent altercations with him."

"WHAT?! That was Nara?!"

"The charges against you will stick. You will be the one that killed that man, as far as the world is concerned."

"Like hell I will! If I can't get a decent lawyer to defend me from this bullcrap then I'll just have to represent myself and tell everyone you're full of shit, whoever you are!" Harima is confident he can defend himself in his own trial. He did learn how to battle others with words and wit during his business stunt with Eri.

"You won't tell the world anything, not unless you want everyone important to you to suffer for the rest of their lives." The man smirked.

"...what?"

"You walked in and discovered something you shouldn't have, it's only natural that we'll have to put you down. Like an ant not comprehending why it got crushed by a person, here you are just an ant and you won't understand what the higher beings above are even doing, an unfortunate casualty."

"I don't care about all that! What do you mean the people important to me are going to suffer?!" Harima stood up to shake the man from his shoulders.

"Simple, you just messed with a group that has the manpower and information to make your life hell." The man grabbed Harima's arms and tear them off his shoulders and glared at him. "But we are a merciful bunch, as long as you comply, nothing will happen to your loved ones." His glare turned into a menacing smile.

"...You want me to keep quiet and accept my guilty verdict?" Harima guessed. His anger boiling inside him. He can't predict what this man is capable of and it irritated him to no end.

"Yes, as long as you get the message and understand the stakes. That is all." The man with the hat then turned to leave. Harima watched as the man talked to the guard and was let out. So that bastard is in on it with the police station?

"Kenji Harima. Kenji Harima. You have visitors wanting to see you." That same guard called for him. He sighed and was escorted to a meeting room.

…

"Kenji, how did this happen?" Sarah asked as soon as she and Yakumo saw Harima enter the room and hugged him.

Damnit, he should've known that his basically-sisters would be worried and try to find him. What is he supposed to say to them, just after being told that snitching will mess their lives.

The three sat down around a desk, the room looked like an interrogation room, and the guard stood beside the door emotionlessly and it made him more nervous. Yakumo and Sarah looked at him expectantly, patiently waiting for an answer. Harima sat there, trying to process his emotions.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' Was all he could think of. He's aware that he gained people that he truly cares about over the years. First there was Tenma Tsukamoto, his first crush and the girl that changed his life for the better. Then there was her little sister Yakumo Tsukamoto, who stuck by his side through thick and thin, someone that he feels indebted to and had come to recognize as family too. Then the angelic nun, Sarah Adiemus, who was already there for support since the time he needed help with his beloved animals, she never once gave up on rehabilitating him during the time they lived together. Not to mention many other classmates and friends like Hanai, Shuuji, Eri, Suou, Itoko, and Youko. Over time he'd come to like and respect them all, but now their life might be endangered because of him!

He lived his life not caring about the consequences of his childish actions; he was only in it for himself, he thought that he could just disappear for long periods of time without anyone caring at all, after all he had nobody. So right at this moment, even just once, even if he's being childish again, he wanted to make sure that the people he's leaving behind will understand that they're not losing anything of importance.

'Yakumo… Sarah… You guys have promising futures ahead of you. I don't want to ruin it. Not. At. All!'

"I… I killed someone." Harima 'admitted.' Yakumo gasped with a silent shock, Sarah stared at him, he couldn't tell what she was feeling so he continued on.

"I think it's best if you two stopped associating with me from now on. I really don't want to ruin your opportunities if people find out you're connected to a murderer." He bowed his head, incidentally hiding the tears forming from his eyes. "I'm so sorry!"

He felt as if time passed for a long while as he stayed bowed, then he heard faint sobbing from Yakumo. It broke his heart to hear her like this, but he needed to make sure they won't get targeted by whatever organization is behind this. Then he felt a hand on his head, patting it. He looked up to see Sarah with a sad smile.

"You didn't actually do it, right?" She asked solemnly. He almost felt compelled to tell the truth, but doing so would be…

"I did… I did do it, Sarah. I-I have no excuse." He affirmed his stance, he had to be strong. He saw Sarah tear up and Yakumo hug her, and this awful memory felt like it'll be seared into his brain forever.

"I don't believe it, Kenji-kun!" Yakumo cried out through her sobs. This was the first time he'd seen her be this distraught, to make even the ever kind and stoic Yakumo cry made him feel the worst of the worst. She continued talking between her hiccups, "And I'm not… gonna abandon you… Kenji-kun… not when we've… we've come this far!"

"Please, believe me. Tsukamoto-san… Adiemus-san. Cutting ties with me is the best option-"

"Bullshit!" Sarah yelled in almost beastly growl, "Excuse my words, lord, but I know who you are Kenji. You are not someone who would do this. I believe you are a kind man who had a rough upbringing, I know you are bright enough to not take a person's life."

"You believed wrong." He had to suck in his breath for doing this to Sarah, he knew to not question her judgment of character. "Once a street rat, always a street rat. I've always known that I'm capable of evil, it just never came out until now." He lied through his teeth.

"So that's it, you're evil now? You decided on your own that there is no chance of saving you? You're just gonna leave us behind and be stuck in jail."

"No! Look, I know I'm gonna be locked up for a long time. There is no chance I would get a not-guilty verdict, with all the circumstantial evidence stacked against me. It's unfair. I want to be together at home with a bright future like you guys, but at the same time I don't want both of you to be just waiting for me, when you could be out there working hard for the future you want. Just act like I've never been here in the first place. I just want you two to enjoy your lives without worrying about me, since I know you're such worrywarts." He explained his feelings as best he can, "I'll be fine…and I'm sorry."

They pleaded with their eyes for him to reconsider. It hurts… but he chose to close eyes, deciding not to see their faces again. 'Please be safe and be well for the years to come.'

"Time's up." The guard informed the room. Harima stood up and turned to the door to be escorted back to the holding cell.

"Kenji!" "Kenji-kun!"

…

"I'm sorry, but you'll most likely get the guilty verdict." Harima's lawyer told him. 'This donut didn't even try.'

"That's fine… I've already accepted it." Harima sighed.

"Even though you were kicking and screaming that you didn't do it on the day you got arrested?" An old man wearing a beige trenchcoat walked into the room and sat on a chair.

"You are?" Harima asked.

"Makoto Date, the detective in charge of this investigation." The old man obliged. He motioned for the lawyer to leave the room, which he did.

"Yeah, I've changed my mind." Harima answered Date's question.

"Changing your mind doesn't answer whether you actually did it or not. Damnit, this doesn't make any sense at all." Date sighed exasperated at his findings.

'That's weird, the detective is not in on it?'

"I'm still guilty… but I do have a favor to ask, detective."

"You're not in a position to negotiate, but talk away."

"It's just my belongings. The envelope of money, and my tricycle full of groceries got confiscated as evidence right?"

"Uh huh."

"I want you guys to return them back to the Tsukamoto residence, it's where I stole them from." Harima said with a straight face.

"Says here that motorcycle is registered in your name though." Date looked at his evidence list.

"That! That was just forgery. It originally belonged to the Tsukamotos. I realize this is a big favor but I beg of you, detective."

"I see, I see." Date understood what was up, it was this kid's way of saying goodbye to the world for the coming years. "Well, we established that they had nothing to do with the crime, so they can be released from the evidence storage. Only after your trial is finished, however."

"That is good enough, sir. Thank you so much."

…

"The victim was 21 year old Kentaro Nara, a Yagami College of Agriculture student."

"He was stabbed on the chest 28 times, with a sharp pointed object, like an ice pick."

"Nara and the defendant, Kenji Harima, were classmates at Yagami High School, and the defendant seemingly had a grudge against the victim."

"Yes, when we were still at highschool, I've often seen that man punch Nara-san."

"The defendant, Kenji Harima, is found Guilty. He will be sentenced to 15 years in prison."

Harima sighed from his stand. He knew it, no matter how much he changed, he's still a two-bit thug, and guys like him either end up dead in an alleyway, or jailed for a crime.

…

A month into his prison term. Harima Kenji is eating lunch at the dining area, rows and rows of inmates were all eating bread rolls and bean soup. His shaved hair is still a month fresh.

"So you're Kenji Harima." A man beside him spoke.

"Right, that's me." Harima replied.

"Nothing personal then, kiddo." The man picked up his plastic fork and attempted to poke out Harima's eyes. Harima was quick to block the guy's arm before it ever reached his face.

They both stood and glared at each other. At the edge of his peripheral vision, he noticed the other inmates stand up and clear the surrounding area off tables.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Just someone who was hired to silence you in prison." The guy picked up more plastic cutlery, the only thing around that can be used as weapons. Judging by the freshness of his hair, he must've been an inmate for only a week.

"What the hell! Am I not being quiet enough already?" Harima's dull empty eyes quickly burned with a fiery temper. He held up his end of the deal, why is he still being targeted, and what about his friends outside?! Are they safe? He's going to beat the answers out of this guy!

"Don't ask me, ask whoever paid us top yen for this child's play." The enemy goaded, as more presumed assassins stepped up to his side.

Hired Assassins

Harima carefully dodged the enemy's projectile, getting near them and pummeling them one by one, making sure to mind the others attacking him from behind. It was a difficult battle, but he eventually dispatched the other guys and only had the cutlery-throwing dickhead left to fight. He felt inspired enough that he ran up to the enemy, narrowly avoiding plastic knives, and unleashed a Heat Action.

Essence of Hurricane Kick!

His signature move of a dropkick combined with a roundhouse kick once the enemy bounced off the ground. It was his favorite finisher that he learned as a kid. The enemy hit the ground hard.

"Now tell me, what is happening to my people outside?!"

"I don't fucking know, kid. I've only been paid to deal with you." He spoke despite his bloody nose. Then he passed out.

"Damnit!" Harima yelled, just then he felt a baton hit the nape of his neck and he also passed out.

…

"Your sentence has been extended to 20 years because of your misconduct." The warden told the offending prisoner.

The offending prisoner, Harima, couldn't say anything back. As much as possible he didn't want to stay in this shithole for much longer.

The warden sighed, "Look kid, you're just 21, and now you'll be 41 by the time you get out. I can't comprehend it myself, having to lose most of your prime years to prison."

Harima still didn't say anything, opting to bite into his bread roll instead. He missed the bread and pastries that Sarah would occasionally bake, combined with the tea that Yakumo brewed, it reminded him of gentler times.

"It's just… I don't know if you're expecting anyone to greet you once you return outside. But if I had anyone important like that, I'd do my best not to disappoint them any further." The warden left, leaving Harima to chew on his own.

…

No one visited him.

No one wrote him a letter.

That is to be expected,

He wasn't a team player, he thought he was.

He couldn't rid his ego, he thought he could.

He didn't improve as a person, he thought he did.

20 years have passed, no one bothered him anymore.

…

He was given a set of white t-shirt, denim jeans, and a baseball cap. They also handed him a folder full of ways to start over his life, from banking tips, housing tips, and job tips. But really, with a criminal record, does he even want to try anymore?

41 year old Kenji Harima walked up to the prison gate, ready to be released. His hair grew back to his preferred length, his facial features now have a few more wrinkles. His body is still toned, as he kept up his daily training while locked up, though his fighting skill got rusty, since nobody dared to fight him anymore after that dining room brawl.

The gate opened and he stepped into the outside world of November 2024.

As expected, nobody was there for him. In fact it was remarkably empty, no one was walking down the sidewalks.

He sighed, he looked tired, but maybe he'll give it one more shot.

Author's Note:

Hello, this is my first fanfiction and it really was a spur-of-the-moment inspiration when I reread School Rumble during the holidays and Like A Dragon 8: Infinite Wealth came out. I've already got the basic outline of this story though I don't know how much I'll be able to work on this fic, but I'm welcoming anyone who has substory ideas! After all, the substories make up half of what make Like a Dragon such a heartfelt series full of both comedy and drama.