Chapter 4 — Stupid choice
Itsuki moved before his brain could even finish making a choice. Instinct kicked in—reckless and stupid. He charged at the nearest man—
Blam.
A fist cracked into his chin, snapping his head back. Pain exploded through his skull. He lost balance and hit the ground hard, the air punched out of his lungs.
He tried to get up, but two others grabbed him and forced him down, shoving him to his knees.
"Miyu, run…" he spat, blood trailing down his lip.
"I can't leave you!" Tears streamed down her face. She blamed herself—for not using her car, for falling when they could've escaped. She hated how useless she felt right now.
The street light flickered revealing her face slightly.
"Miyu? Like Miyu Saotome, the Minister's daughter?" the leader asked, stepping forward.
Miyu froze for a heartbeat, but her mouth still worked on autopilot. "Do I know you?" she asked, voice trembling but trying to sound brave.
"What a blessed day," he smirked.
"No… no you don't. But I know you."
He flashed a torchlight directly into her face.
She was the popular genius hot girl in college but never was it because she's was a Minister's daughter, but her brain panicked and tried the dumbest idea ever—maybe they were just extreme fans. She knew it was a garbage thought, but hey, survival instincts be wild.
"Oh… thank God." She exhaled, a shaky laugh slipping out. "Since you know me, we're good, right? Let's go." She dusted her dress like everything was perfectly normal.
The men burst into laughter.
She laughed too—awkward, forced, dying inside.
Itsuki looked confused.
"Why are we laughing…?" she whispered, still smiling like a terrified clown as the laughter faded.
"Let you go?" The leader leaned in, towering over her. "No. Not after what happened to my brother."
Miyu backed up until she bumped into another man.
"Hey, I don't know your brother. I don't know what happened to him."
The man's eyes burned with hatred.
A memory slammed into him—the ring, the screaming crowd, his brother lying broken.
Itsuki lifted his head weakly. "If you touch her, I swear you'll—"
Blam.
Another punch, this time to his stomach. Itsuki coughed blood and went limp in their grip.
"Please," Miyu begged, "don't hurt him. W-what's your name? Your brother's name? Maybe I'll remember."
The man scoffed.
"It's not you. It's your father. He selected my brother to represent Japan in the Continental Championship—the match he was supposed to fight Pablo. He begged not to do it. They threatened to kill me."
"Oh… Jin Furukawa."
He was Miyu's celebrity crush, but that meant absolutely nothing right now.
"And you're the little brother he always talked about on TV?"
"Haku," he corrected. "And I'm not that little when I'm taking my revenge."
Miyu lowered her gaze. Her hands shook. She remembered her father, a small voice inside whispered bitterly, I hate that man… and now I'm going to die for his cause.
"Fine. But this has nothing to do with Itsuki."
Itsuki was nearly unconscious.
"Your poor boyfriend…" Haku sneered as his hand began sparking with glowing orange light. His eyes lit up too as he launched toward Itsuki.
"Stop!!" Miyu screamed.
Haku froze with his glowing hand an inch from Itsuki's face.
"Please… let him go. He's innocent. If you want revenge, take it on me, not him."
"Aww, how sweet," Haku said, lips curling. The other men chuckled nervously.
"She cares about him more than her life," one muttered.
Haku and his crew laughed.
"Fine. I'll do you a favor."
He turned to Itsuki.
"Hey, get up, weakling. Scram!"
Itsuki forced himself upright, eyes shadowed.
He spat blood.
"You're a D-tier gem fighter… but your blows are so weak."
"Itsuki… please leave," Miyu cried.
"Shut it, Miyu!!"
His sister's voice screamed in his head—high, sharp, hopeless. A sound that had carved itself into his memory. Rage mixed with pain, boiling over. That scream haunted him every night.
Miyu's eyes widened behind her glasses. She'd never seen Itsuki this protective—or this stupid.
"I'm not letting what happened to my sister happen again," he said, wiping his mouth.
Unnatural confidence flickered in him—he would normally run, but this time was different.
"You've never stepped in a ring…"
Haku's aura flared violently. "…yet you have the guts to talk trash."
He dashed forward, fists erupting with orange light.
Punch after punch slammed into Itsuki's body.
"Come on, hit me!!" Haku roared, still hammering blows into him.
Miyu cried harder.
Her brain screamed, Call the cops.
With shaking hands, she dialed and secretly sent her location.
"Bro, you're gonna kill him. Stop," one of the men said nervously.
Haku paused, breathing heavily, rage dripping off him. Memories of the ring crashed into him again—his brother, helpless, dying.
"I'm not done," he gritted.
"Lift his head."
His voice dropped low and menacing. "He's going to watch what I do to Miyu—he'll wish he'd run."
He yanked off her glasses.
Two men lifted Itsuki's limp body. His hand swayed, blood dripping from bruises, face swollen—he could barely process anything.
Another man grabbed Miyu's hands and held them tight.
Haku smirked and started unbuckling his belt.
"What are you about to do?" Miyu asked, like her brain refused to accept what was happening.
"Oh, you'll see," the one holding her said.
Then Haku lifted his head—
A dark silhouette appeared at the mouth of the alley.
Miyu's chest tightened.
Police?
She let herself hope.
…but there were no sirens. No flashlights.
The figure charged forward at lightning speed.
"what's up asshole, wha—"
Blam.
The sound echoed sharply, slicing through the tension.