A/N: Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I hope you enjoy it! As I said in the last chapter I plan getting Chapter 14 out next week (beginning of December) to wrap up the Misaki arc. For my USA readers I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it)!
Take Them Both
After Misaki's initial whisper identifying the man at the door as Hojo both women remained silent, hoping that he would give up and leave. This hope was dashed as his voice called out, "I know there are people in there! I heard voices before I knocked the first time!"
Hina quickly took stock of the situation, "He knows we're in here... Hazuki-chan and Kuwaba-san are both out at this time of day... Natsuo-kun won't be back soon if at all today. It's still broad daylight, so if I confront him it should be fine, if he tried anything there would still be a lot of people to see it."
Hina stood and took one step towards the door before she was stopped by Misaki tightly taking hold of her hand. As she did so she shook her head and quietly pleaded, "Hina, please don't..."
Kneeling back down and whispered, "It's okay, I'll be fine. I won't tell him you're here and get him to leave one way or another. You stay out of sight and leave him to me." As she said this she squeezed Misaki's hand reassuringly before slowly extracting her hand and making her way to the door.
"C'mon! Open up!" the man at the door called again as a another series of loud knocks rang out.
Taking a deep breath Hina quickly unlocked the door and swung it open, she immediately saw a man that matched the description that Natsuo had given her. Before he could say anything Hina asked with an authoritative tone, "Yes? Is there something I can help you with?"
Hojo's eyes narrowed slightly at the tone Hina had spoke with before he replied, "Yeah. Misaki Ogura, send her out."
"And what makes you think that there is someone by that name here?" Hina shot back as she kept one hand on the door, ready to slam it shut if needed.
"Don't play dumb with me, I know she's here. I heard more than one woman's voice just now before I knocked on the door," Hojo snarled in response as he tried to peek around Hina to see into the apartment.
Hina let out a sigh as she replied, "That? You heard my TV, I turned the volume up so I could here it while cleaning."
Hojo slammed his hand against the door frame as he bellowed, "Don't bullshit me! Send her out. Now!"
"You really think I'd tell someone acting like you are where she is if I knew? I recommend that you keep in mind you're out in public, screaming at me to tell you where a woman is. If you keep disturbing the peace and acting as you are then I'll be calling the police to have you removed," Hina warned, maintaining a calm and confident tone despite the anxiety growing inside.
Hojo's eyes narrowed again as he threatened, "Listen here bitch. You had better stop lying to me and send Ogura out. You don't want to cross –"
"Wait!" Misaki yelled out as she quickly made her way to the door before continuing, "She has nothing to do with this! So please... don't."
Hina turned her head in surprise to face her direction and sadly asked, "Misaki...?"
Hojo was silent for a moment as he looked back and forth between the two women before he sighed and said, "Fine. But you and I need to talk. Come with me." As he spoke he pointed over his shoulder towards the parking lot of the building and started walking to the stairs.
"Okay..." Misaki mumbled as she made to follow him but was stopped by Hina's hand on her shoulder.
"Wait," Hina demanded, once Hojo has stopped to look back she added, "Do not leave the lot and stay within view."
Misaki stared at Hina in shock at how brazen she was being, having not seen this side of her before. After a moment of silence a chuckle escaped Hojo before he replied, "You've got guts lady, gotta respect that. Sure, we won't leave the lot, just a quick chat after all." With that said he resumed he walk to the stairs and started to head down.
Hina turned to face Misaki and cautiously asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"
Misaki shook her head slightly as she answered, "No, it's better that you don't. I'll go sort this out, it'll only be a few minutes... I promise I'll explain everything after I talk to him."
"Okay... but I'll be watching from here. If he tries anything besides talking I'll make good on my threat to call the police," Hina assured as she took her phone out to emphasize this.
"Thank you Hina," Misaki choked out while giving her a quick hug before making her way to the stairs and calmly added, "I'll be right back."
As Misaki made her way down to where Hojo was waiting for her, Hina watched like a hawk; one hand clutching the rail tight enough for her knuckles to go white, the other hand holding her phone in plain view and her face locked into a grimace. As the two talked they would each occasionally glance up towards Hina: Misaki seemingly to confirm she was still there and giving a small smile each time, while Hojo gave a sneer as Hina mad sure he could see she was ready to make good on her threat of calling the police if needed. And though Hina strained herself trying to hear what the two were saying they were too far away to make out words clearly, just the general tone of Hojo's anger and Misaki seeming apologetic.
Less than five minutes passed before Hojo made a dismissive gesture before he turned and started walking out of the lot. Once he was out of sight Misaki let out a visibly large sigh before she made her way back up to where Hina was waiting. As she approached with her head hung low she muttered, "I'm sorry about that..."
"You don't have to apologize... are you okay?" Hina probed gently as she hesitantly reached out and put her hand on Misaki's shoulder.
Misaki gave another small smile as she replied, "Yeah... I'm okay," she paused to take a breath before adding, "Now I think I promised to explain things to you."
Hina nodded quickly before saying, "Let's head inside first though. I have a feeling we both need to sit down for this." The two silently made their way in, Hina locking all of the locks on the door, and they sat down at the kotatsu. As the silence continued Hina watched Misaki carefully, noting how uncomfortable she looked and then said reassuringly, "Take your time Misaki, I'm here for you."
Misaki closed her eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths before she started, "That man... Hojo, he's an enforcer with a gang that's started operating in and around Shibuya. That gang... I've been working for them as a drug runner..."
Hina let out a gasp before she asked, "A drug runner? How did you get into that situation?"
"It started a little over a year ago... The guy I was dating at time turned out to be one of their recruiters. He talked me doing a 'quick and easy' job that paid well. I didn't realize what it was at first, and once I realized it they showed me the photo they had of me in order to blackmail me into continuing," Misaki explained sorrowfully.
"That's horrible... how did you end up getting addicted though?" Hina asked in a confused tone.
Misaki's face shifted into an angry grimace as she answered, "That guy I was 'dating'. As another layer of insurance to make sure I didn't report them to the police he sneaked doses of it into my food. I tried to leave once and the withdrawal symptoms hit me... I ended crawling back to them."
Hina was silent for a few moments as she thought about what she had heard before asking her next question, "So why was Hojo here? What did he want?"
"The route that I work, there's been some trouble with it. He said that the amount of money being handed in doesn't match the amount of product being moved. I told him that due to being evicted I haven't been able to sell much... and that my phone was damaged which is why they couldn't contact me," Misaki explained, her sorrowful tone gradually returning.
"And what's the truth regarding that?" Hina asked simply.
Misaki smiled sadly before saying, "I was trying to use my eviction as a way to cut ties with them. I ditched my cell phone right away so they couldn't contact me or trace it to find me. I thought I'd have more time though... part of the reason I was so pushy on Natsuo-kun to stay here is because I knew they hadn't spread their operation to this neighborhood yet... but I underestimated them and now they found me and now about you Hina... and maybe even Natsuo-kun... I'm so sorry!"
As Misaki finished her reply she broke down into tears which caused Hina to quickly move over to her side of the kotatsu and pull her into another tight hug while stroking her hair and repeatedly said, "It's okay, we'll figure something out I promise."
Misaki's sobs cut off for a moment and her eyes widened in surprise as her head was pulled against Hina's chest, but she quickly resumed once she felt Hina's hands running through her hair and heard her words. The two remained like this until Misaki's sobs died out at which point she asked, "So even after hearing all of that... you still want to help me?"
Hina giggled slightly at the question before cheerfully replying, "Of course! If anything I want to help even more knowing the details."
Misaki felt the smile grow on her face as she let out a small laugh of her own as she muttered, "I really don't understand you Hina... but I'm glad that you and Natsuo-kun are the ones I pushed myself on."
Hina laughed again before saying, "Speaking of Natsuo-kun... what I was going to say before Hojo showed up is that we're going to need to tell Natsuo-kun what is going on. As unpleasant as it's going to be... he needs to know."
"I know," Misaki replied with a sigh, "When you tell him can you leave the gang and drug runner part out?"
"But –" Hina started to argue.
"Just for now," Misaki interrupted. She took a breath before elaborating, "I'd rather explain that part to him myself in person. He's going to worry enough knowing about the addiction and he's going to be helping Tougen-sensei... So I don't want to overload him."
Hina nodded with a small smile before replying, "Okay, I understand. When I message him later I'll only tell him about the addiction and that I'm going to be helping you. I'll leave the rest of it for you to explain."
"Thank you... I feel like I'm saying too much lately..." Misaki trailed off with a sigh. Hina laughing in response made Misaki's head bounce slightly, reminding her of where her head was still resting. For some reason she felt her face heat up and she sheepishly asked, "Hina... not that I'm uncomfortable here... but can you let me go?"
Hina blinked a few times before she realized where she was still holding Misaki's head, once she did she hastily released her hold and exclaimed, "Oh! I'm sorry! I must have been focusing too much on what we were talking about." As she said her apology she was sheepishly laughing and scratching the back of her head.
"It's okay Hina, no need to apologize. It's just that if I stayed like that for too long I might fall asleep, you're very comfortable," Misaki responded with a laugh of her own.
"Oh! Well I'm glad to hear that, you're welcome to me as a pillow whenever needed!" Hina cheered happily. After a moment she processed what she had said and stuttered, "W-wait that s-sounded a little weird didn't it?"
Misaki shook her head as she leaned forward to embrace Hina this time, a smile beaming as she laughed and replied in a teasing tone, "Maybe a little, but I might just take you up on that offer."
Returning the embrace Hina also smiled as she said, "Well I guess it would be rude to retract the offer." The two women shared another laugh before making plans for dinner, how to go about getting Misaki through the inevitable withdrawal and how to tell Natsuo what was going on.
Night of April 6th...
Natsuo let out a sigh as he closed the house's front door behind him, locked it and proceeded to take his coat and shoes off. He noticed that the lights in the living room were on as he tiredly made his way through the house, once entering view of the room he was greeted warmly by Tsukiko, "Natsuo, welcome home, how was your day?"
Natsuo turned to face her more directly, seeing that she was reading a book while enjoying a glass of wine. He smiled in return as he replied, "It was pretty long. I had to head to the hospital Tougen-sensei has been staying at to fill out some paperwork before his discharge tomorrow."
"Oh that's right, that is tomorrow. Are you and Hina going to be able looking out for Ogura-san while you're helping Tougen-sensei?" Tsukiko asked as she lowered her book.
Natsuo nodded as he answered, "I don't think it'll be an issue. Honestly at this point I don't think there's a need for one of us to be with her constantly, so it should be okay."
"That's the impression I've been getting from Hina," Tsukiko chuckled, "She's been telling me about she and Ogura-san have become fast friends. I look forward to meeting her at some point."
"You're not the only one," Natsuo said with a laugh of his own. Once he saw the curious expression on Tsukiko's face he clarified, "Rui wants to meet her as well, in fact Hina-nee wants her and Misaki to have a cooking competition when she gets back. I'm actually looking forward to that myself."
A smile grew on Tsukiko's face as she taunted, "More like you're looking forward to Rui's cooking I imagine."
"Guilty as charged," Natsuo replied with a hearty laugh and a smile of his own.
Tsukiko waited for Natsuo's laughter to die down before she asked, "How has Rui been doing lately? She and I have only talked via text lately, and we often miss each other because of our schedules."
"She's been doing very well from what she's told me, been making a lot of progress in areas she felt she was lacking in," Natsuo answered with a proud smile.
"I'm glad to hear that, I have to make sure to set aside some time soon to talk to her properly," Tsukiko stated with a sigh. After a brief pause she added, "And how has she been handling the situation with Ogura-san? I gather that she's more or less okay with it all if she wants to meet her."
"Well... once I was able to explain the situation fully, and she talked to Hina-nee she came around. She definitely wasn't happy at first though, I'm sure you can imagine," Natsuo replied with a sheepish chuckle.
Tsukiko smiled as she took a sip of her wine before responding, "Yes I certainly can. Now then, you've had a long day and probably another ahead of you tomorrow, don't let me keep you."
Natsuo nodded in appreciation as he said, "I am a bit tired, have a good night Tsukiko-san." With this said he started on his way towards the stairs.
"Oh and Natsuo?" Tsukiko called out before he took more than a few steps.
"Yes Tsukiko-san?" Natsuo asked, turning his head slightly as he paused.
"Tell Rui that I'd love to hear from her if she gets a moment," Tsukiko said with a small smile as she brought her book back up to resume reading.
Natsuo chuckled again as he resumed walking and replied, "I will Tsukiko-san, I promise." With that said Natsuo headed upstairs and into his room to set up his laptop, knowing that Rui would be wanting to talk once she woke up. They had exchanged a few messages once she'd gotten out of work and back from her shopping but she had been tired and gone to bed soon after. Once he had booted up the laptop and seen she wasn't online he picked up his phone and quickly typed out a quick message.
Natsuo: Good morning beautiful, I hope you slept and/or are sleeping well. I'm back at the house and can video chat whenever you're ready. I hope I don't wake you up too early by sending this message.
While waiting for Rui to respond he started reading through various news articles from the day, sighing when he didn't see anything of particular note. After a moment he heard the notification tone from his phone, but looked at it in confusion and mild alarm when he saw who it was from and thought out loud, "Hina-nee... I wonder what she wants."
Hina: Hey Natsuo-kun, sorry to bother you but there's something that I need to let you know about Misaki.
Natsuo: Is everything okay? When I left she seemed like she was feeling much better than when she woke up.
Hina: Oh she's feeling much better now! But it is kind of related to why she got sick last night...
Natsuo: Okay... you're worrying me a bit now Hina-nee. What is it?
Hina: Okay. But I need you to promise to not freak out, and I need to preface it with we're already figuring out how to move forward and deal with the issue.
Natsuo stared at his phone screen for several moments while trying to process what that could mean. He then let out an exasperated sigh as he muttered, "Why can't things ever be simple..."
Natsuo: Alright, I promise not to freak out. What's going on?
Hina: So the thing is... Misaki confessed that she got into a bad situation about a year ago, and she ended up with a drug addiction. That's what happened last night, and why she didn't want to go to hospital when I suggested it. She wants to get clean, and I'm going to help her with doing that.
Again, Natsuo stared at his phone trying to process what Hina had just told him. "Wait hold on... Misaki has a drug addiction?! How in the hell did Hina-nee get her to tell her that, and why is her message so nonchalant about it?!" he thought to himself frantically while trying to make sense of it all. He was pulled from his thoughts as his phone chimed again with another message from Hina.
Hina: Natsuo-kun... you still there?
Natsuo: Yeah I'm still here Hina-nee. Sorry, that was a lot to process out of nowhere. I get the feeling that's not the whole story, your message was pretty short.
Hina: Well... I did give you the shortened version. There's more to it but Misaki wants to explain the rest of it in person. We know you're going to be busy tomorrow and we didn't want to ambush you with all of this at once next time you're here.
Natsuo: Got it... thanks for that. Well if she's decided she wants to get clean I'll help too. I don't know anything about this kind of stuff, so I'll see if I can look into it a bit tomorrow.
Hina: Thanks for understanding, have a good night Natsuo-kun! I hope things go well tomorrow with Tougen-sensei!
Natsuo: You two have a good night as well, I'll message with any useful info I come across.
Putting the phone down with another sigh Natsuo turned his attention back to his laptop screen, noting that Rui still showed as offline. He leaned back in his chair and thought, "A drug addiction...and there's more that Misaki wants to explain in person... this might have something to do with that Hojo guy and what Boss is looking into. Maybe I should –"
His train of thought was interrupted by the sudden ringing indicating an incoming call on his laptop. Refocusing his attention on said device he saw that the call was from Rui, as he had expected, and quickly moved to accept the call, a loving smile forming as he was greeted by Rui's still drowsy face, noticing she seemed to still be laying in bed instead of being seated at the usual table.
"Hey you," Natsuo greeted happily.
Rui rubbed her eyes briefly before responding, "Hey, sorry for making you wait."
"Don't worry about it Rui, it was only a few minutes. Sleep well?" Natsuo asked while he watched Rui still trying to fully wake up.
"I did," Rui replied with a nod of her head, "After I read your message explaining what happened with Misaki-san it was like a huge weight lifted off me... but I was still drained from thinking about it all day at work. I'm glad I have today off."
"I'm glad you do too, you can hopefully take it easy today," Natsuo added with a sigh of relief before continuing, "Oh and your mom says she'd like to hear from you when you have some time."
Rui nodded in response with a smile and nod before asking, "You're helping Tougen-sensei tomorrow right?" Seeing Natsuo nod she added, "Say hello to him for me, and that I hope he feels better. I shouldn't keep you up too late..."
"Don't worry about it, his discharge isn't until noon so staying up for a bit won't hurt any. And of course I'll pass your message along, I'm sure he'll appreciate it," Natsuo assured noticing she had trailed off, "I promise."
Rui's hesitance faded away into a bright smile as she quipped, "Good! To be honest I was hoping to have to myself for a bit this morning since I don't have work."
"Oh? Is that so?" Natsuo teased with a grin.
"Yeah... I've been missing you a lot lately..." Rui murmured as she looked off to the side.
Natsuo's grin grew into a smile as he replied, "I miss you too, every day."
Rui's eyes shifted back and forth and a slight blush forming as she hesitantly said, "Well... I meant more in a... physical way... you know?"
"Oh..." Natsuo trailed off before it clicked and he added, "Oh! I mean... that's normal right? I miss that too."
"It was just a minor distraction before... but ever since you visited for Valentine's... its been driving me crazy lately. You really spoiled me you know, I can't tell you many times I've gotten home from work and wished you were here to give me one of those massages," Rui explained, her voice taking on a longing tone as she smiled at him.
Natsuo felt his blood rush at the memory of what those massages had lead to as he probed, "I'm sure this question isn't needed... but have you tried... relieving yourself?"
Rui took a few breaths before she answered sheepishly, "Well... yeah. And that worked before your visit but since then... it's just not quite enough. So I looked into how other couples in long distance situations like this..."
"And what did you find?" Natsuo asked, already having a feeling of where this was going.
"Well... we could try helping each other over the phone and with video chat... if you're okay with that of course..." Rui practically purred she as she unbuttoned the top few buttons of her pajama shirt, making sure Natsuo had a clear view of her.
Natsuo gulped as he drank in the view she was giving him, the previously rushing blood seemed to double in its intensity as he felt his own desires start rising to surface. Collecting his thoughts he responded, "Well... I'm certainly not opposed to giving it a shot. I have to do whatever I can to help keep you from going crazy right?"
"It would definitely be appreciated," Rui teased as she slowly removed her shirt entirely.
"Sorry if this ends being a bit awkward..." Natsuo trailed off as he picked up the laptop and relocated to his bed to get more comfortable.
Rui giggled in response before saying, "It's okay, I'm sure we'll figure it out... and it'll help hold us over until we see each other in person again."
"You're right... I love you," Natsuo stated as his smile returned.
Rui returned the smile, the nervousness fading from her eyes to be replaced with the look of hunger Natsuo knew very well as she replied, "I love you too."
Afternoon of April 7th...
"Good to be home isn't it?" Natsuo asked as he opened the door to the house, frowning slightly as he realized the air was a bit stale inside. Picking up the bags he'd put down he thought, "Guess I should have come by and air the place out a bit more..."
Tougen grumbled as he followed Natsuo inside, "Anywhere is better than being cooped up in that hospital, even this run down place. At least now I can get some decent food."
"I do remember the food being pretty abysmal during my stay in the hospital last year, I can't imagine putting up with it for as long as you had to," Natsuo laughed as they made their way into the living room and he set the bags down to start unpacking them.
A hoarse laugh escaped Tougen as he retorted, "I bet. Your girlfriend's a chef right? I bet hospital tastes like complete garbage instead of gruel compared to the stuff she made for you before she went overseas."
"You got me there sensei, I can't deny that," Natsuo laughed in response.
Tougen sat down with a weary sigh before asking, "She's been over in New York for a while now right? When is she supposed to come back?"
"Yeah, she left back in early autumn; if all goes according to plan she should be home by winter this year. She was told that the training would be at least a year, possibly a little more depending on how well it all goes," Natsuo replied as he paused in the unpacking, "She says hello and hopes you feel better soon by the way. She asked me to let you know when I talked to her last night."
"She's a nice girl, tell her I appreciate it when you talk to her next," Tougen requested as he relaxed into the cushions of the couch. Seeing the expression on Natsuo's face he chided, "Don't go getting all sentimental on me thinking about her now."
Natsuo shook his head with a small chuckle as he resumed unpacking the bag in front of him, pausing again when he found a sealed bag with pills in it. Staring at the pills he thought to himself, "Medicine... drugs..." Natsuo looked back up and asked, "Sensei, what are these pills?"
"Oh those? Those are just some anti-inflammatory pain killers, they prescribed me them in case the scars from the surgery start to hurt. Apparently the scar tissue can get inflamed, so those will be handy if that happens," Tougen answered after taking a quick glance at what he was holding.
There was a moment of silence before Natsuo probed, "Sensei... you wrote a story that was about a drug addict right?"
Tougen's eyes widened slightly at the suddenness of the question before he replied, "Yeah... I did quite a while ago. Why do you ask?"
"How difficult is it for a drug addict to recover?" Natsuo asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. He'd looked a little bit into it the night before and that morning but he wanted to hear from someone who seen somebody in that situation firsthand.
"Don't tell me you've started doing drugs Natsuo," Tougen said with a scolding tone.
Natsuo waved his arms in denial as he frantically exclaimed, "Of course not! A friend of a friend got talked into trying something and now they're trying to get clean."
"I see..." Tougen said with a more relaxed tone, "Sorry to hear that. Ultimately it depends on how severe the addiction is, if it's bad enough though it's almost impossible to do on your own." Seeing the worried expression on Natsuo's face he continued while pointing to his head, "Addiction is all up here after all, it becomes a mental problem and you can't just stop using whatever you're addicted to. It basically programs your brain to keep seeking the thing you're addicted to, and willpower alone is not enough to overcome that."
"So just deciding that you want to stop isn't enough if the brain starts demanding that you fill its need..." Natsuo though out loud.
"Exactly. If someone's addiction is to the point where they can no longer control themselves then rehab is probably the best route. But even then, you can never fully recover and go back to how you were before the addiction. And it definitely helps having other people around to help keep you straight," Tougen explained, keeping an eye on how Natsuo reacted.
Natsuo was silent for a moment as he processed what was said before he replied, "Thank you sensei, I'll pass that along to my friend so we can get this other person the help they need."
"Now need to thank me," Tougen dismissed with a wave of his hand, "As long this someone makes it out the other side okay that's what matters."
Natsuo chuckled before responding with a taunting tone, "Now who's getting all sentimental sensei?"
"Ah shut it!" Tougen snapped back with the ghost of a smile on his face.
Evening of April 7th...
Hina sat at the kotatsu, barely listening to the show that was on the TV, the beer in front of her barely touched and warmed up to room temperature. Her eyes glanced down to her phone where she re-read the message that Natsuo had sent her earlier in the day.
Natsuo: I talked to Tougen-sensei, he wrote a story a while back based on a recovered addict he interviewed. If Misaki's addiction is serious then we really should look in to getting her into rehab. I know you said that she refused going to the hospital before but if she really has decided to quit then maybe she'll be open to the idea.
She had replied in agreement with the idea, but she hadn't brought it up to Misaki yet. As the day had progressed she'd watched Misaki slowly develop symptoms that matched up with typical withdrawal based on the research she'd done online since the night before: extreme fatigue resulting in her having taken at least five naps throughout the day and when she was awake she would swing from her normal demeanor to either being irritable or paranoid jitters. She looked over towards the bed where Misaki was currently tossing and turning in a restless slumber, it made her heart hurt to see her friend in such a state.
Misaki suddenly sat up with a groan and asked with a tremble, "You got rid of it already... right?"
"I did. We agreed that it shouldn't be anywhere near you, so I buried in the trash this morning before the trash pick-up. It's lone gone," Hina replied calmly.
With a sigh Misaki got up from the bed and shakily made her way over and joined Hina at the kotatsu before muttering, "I know we agreed... but now I'm wondering if quitting all at once may not have been the best idea. I feel like hell."
"I didn't expect the withdrawal symptoms to kick in so soon..." Hina trailed off as she watched Misaki's eyes shift around the room. After a moment she added, "Natsuo-kun messaged me earlier, he suggested that if your condition is serious, which if you're already in this state I think it is, that we should look into getting you into rehab. What do you think about that?"
"I'd thought about it before... but now that they know where I am if I vanish again they'll come after you and find me sooner or later..." Misaki answered as she rested her head on the tabletop.
Hina thought for a moment before responding, "Then in that case... we should go to the police first. Tell them everything you know about this gang, that way they can take them down and you'll be safe to go into rehab."
"Hina..." Misaki trailed off as she sat up to better look Hina in the eye before continuing, "You know there's a chance that I'll end up getting charged with something too since I was working for them right?"
Reaching over to take hold of Misaki's hand Hina replied, "There is a chance of that... but don't they usually take it into consideration if you come forward yourself? Plus I bet they'd be willing to give you some kind of deal if you're turning in an entire gang like this."
Misaki reflexively gripped Hina's hand in response, feeling herself calm down slightly as she did so. After taking a few moments to collect her thoughts she pleaded with tears forming, "Will you come with me? If I'm going to do this I'll need to do it before my withdrawal gets any worse... and I don't think I can do this alone."
Hina tightened her grip before answering with a reassuring smile, "Of course I will!"
"Hina, you're the best," Misaki said with a smile of her own.
Within ten minutes the two women were walking down the street towards the local police station, still a good distance away. As they crossed one of the streets Hina asked, "Still afraid?"
"A bit, yeah. But it helps knowing that I'm not walking in there alone. It means a lot to me Hina," Misaki replied confidently.
Before Hina could respond they were distracted by the sound of a vehicle pulling up behind them closely follow by the sound of multiple people jumping out and rushing up behind them. The pair spun around to see multiple masked men rushing up them. Misaki gasped and locked up in fear while Hina took a swing at the first man to reach her, landing a solid hit on the man's face, but the second man was able to retrain her before she could follow through while the third retrained Misaki.
"What do we do with this other one Hojo?" the man Hina had hit seethed as he glared at her.
Hojo walked towards them from the van and smiled smugly as he responded, "Well she's already seen us, it can't be helped. Take them both." The next thing Hina and Misaki knew they were gagged, hands tied and blindfolded before being forced into the back of the van the men had pulled up in. Hina felt her purse being pulled away from her and the sound of someone rifling through it before she heard Hojo speak again, "Here's the key to that apartment. Go toss the place and find our goods before heading back."
"You got it," one of the other men replied before he rushed off.
Both women struggled against their restraints while the men got back into the van and started driving away. A moment later Hojo warned them, "No use struggling, you're not getting out of here. You shouldn't have tried to pull a fast one on us Ogura, now Kai wants to speak to you directly."
"What are we going to do?! Natsuo-kun isn't supposed to be coming to the apartment until tomorrow morning... Kai could have done anything to us by then! How could I have gotten Hina caught up in this?!" Misaki thought frantically as she continued to struggle against her bonds and tears poured down her face as she felt the van accelerate, speeding them towards that monster.