Chapter Seven
Tension
The four young adults took their seats in the quietest, most secluded corner of the second floor lounge area they could find. Quickly sitting down around a circular table, Akira, Ryuji, Ann and Shiho all instinctively looked around, scanning the area for anyone who may be watching them, just in case any of Kamoshida's goons had stuck around.
Akira rubbed his chin pensively, everyone else seeming to preoccupied to start any kind of conversation. While his stomach still felt knotted from the heated exchange earlier, the awkward quiet of the group permeated only by the pulsing music was enough to give him a migraine.
Akira cleared his throat loudly, as to rise above the volume of the music. "So, Kamoshida was your PE teacher?" he asked, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. "It may sound weird, but I feel like I know the name."
"It really isn't," Ann replied. "Back in '82, Kamoshida won a gold medal in the Olympics for volleyball. That's probably where you know the name from."
"Yeah, makes sense," Akira nodded. "I remember hearing my parents talk about it back then, but I was just a kid and didn't really care about it too much."
Shiho, sitting beside Ann, lowered her head, shaking it back and forth. "You may have been onto something," she mumbled.
"Huh?" Akira asked. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."
Shiho's gaze shot up immediately, as if she had not even realized what she had said until Akira inquired about it. "Oh!" she exclaimed, quickly looking to the floor and playing with her long dark hair. "It's, uh, nothing," she muttered. "I swear, it's nothing," she sounded almost frantic.
Ann put a hand on her friend's trembling shoulder. "Shiho, it's alright." Ann rubbed Shiho's arm reassuringly. Akira could have sworn the girl was having a panic attack.
He leaned over to Ryuji, who's scowl had not let up since Kamoshida left. "Did I say something wrong?" he whispered to the blond young man.
"No, you didn't. Not really, at least. Long story."
"That's cryptic." Akira leaned back, putting on the most consoling expression he could. "Shiho, are you alright?" he asked. "Did I say something to offend you?
Shiho, looking in a daze, shook her head no as she continued to look down to her side and mess with her hair.
"You didn't do anything wrong," Ann said, turning to Akira as she continued to rub Shiho's shoulders. "We all have a… complicated past with Kamoshida."
"I gathered that part," Akira replied. "But God, what did that guy do to you three?"
Ryuji and Ann looked to each other, then two tears fell down Shiho's face, her whole body tensing up and shaking.
"Should we tell him?" Ryuji asked.
"It's not like we can hide it," Ann replied, shaking her head. She then pulled Shiho close to her, resting her head on her shoulder as Shiho let out a faint whimper. "You tell him your part, Ryuji. Shiho and I are going to use the restroom."
"I understand," Ryuji nodded. "Just be careful, okay? Come right back here when you're done."
"We know, Ryuji," Ann said. "Come on, Shiho," she nudged her friend. "Let's get tidied up." Shiho weakly nodded and the two girls got up slowly, then walked away, leaving the young men alone.
Akira shook his head, at a loss for what he should think or say, but he absolutely had to say something. "Jesus," he muttered and turned to Ryuji. "I don't know what that guy did to you, but I'm getting a feeling about what he did to them."
Ryuji stared off into space, noticeable biting his lip before responding. "You're probably right about some of it," he said. "But that's not my story to tell, man. If they're up to it, I'll let the girls explain when they get back."
"I get you." Akira's gaze now fell to the floor, all sound and space around them fading away as he contemplated his current situation. "So," he said slowly, "the hell did he do to you?"
Ryuji smacked his lips and sighed. "We told ya he was the PE teacher at Shujin, yeah?" he began. "Well, back in high school I was on the track team, had been really since elementary. During my junior year I was slated to become captain of the school's track team, but that didn't exactly work out."
"I had a feeling that was the case."
"Yeah, but it's how it happened that fucked me up," Ryuji turned to Akira with a biting tone. "Kamoshida was technically only directly in charge of the volleyball teams, both male and female somehow, but he oversaw the activities for the other sports programs too, on top of being over PE. Towards the end of my third year, my boys and I were training like hell to get ready for the regional meet coming up and I was gonna be our leader, but then I…" Ryuji trailed off. He shook his head as if dealing with a migraine and groaned, almost growling. "I saw Kamoshida…" he began again, "beating on one of the guys in volleyball."
"Wait, what!?" Akira exclaimed. "Beating on one of them? Like, assaulting him?"
"You got it, man," Ryuji nodded, his scowl returning in full force. "He was even a second year, one of the younger guys on the team. His name was Mishima, and apparently he hadn't lived up to Mr. Olympian's standards at a recent game." Ryuji looked back out into space, and Akira could practically see his memories playing on his eyes like a movie theater. "I was running a few cool down laps on the track after practice when I saw Mishima putting away some equipment in the shed right by it. I thought I saw bruises on the kid's legs but figured he must have just fell at the game or something, happens all the time. Then a minute later, Kamoshida comes walking out to the shed, and I swear the kid nearly passed out in fear right there.
"Kamoshida came out and punched all of Mishima's equipment out of his hands and the kid froze up. I stopped running and was about to rush over to see what was going on when Kamoshida just fucking decks the kid! Punches him right in the eye! Keep in mind Kamoshida was like twice Mishima's size, and that punch looked like he tried to knock him out."
"What the hell?"
"Oh, I'm not done," Ryuji shook his head, and what could only be described as an "angry smile" snaked its way onto his face. "Mishima just lays on the pavement, starts begging Kamoshida for forgiveness. I couldn't hear what the asshole said but I did hear Mishima's screams when Kamoshida, well, stomped his foot right on the kid's leg." Ryuji made fist so tight his fingers turned white, and his jaw clenched in turn. "I ran up to Kamoshida, throwing out every curse word I knew, and right as I approached him he picks Mishima off the ground and holds him up in front of me. Then the bastard smiled."
Akira's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"He tells me to leave, and never talk about this to anyone, or Mishima would get even worse than what he got and I'd be expelled. It fucking hurts me to think about, and way more to say it, but I considered it, just for a second."
"You were young," Akira said. "Going up against an Olympian would be scary."
"But I decided to do just that anyway."
"You did!?"
"I wasn't gonna let that asshole smile down at me while he brutalized an innocent kid!" Ryuji, fuming with anger, stood to his feet and glowered down at Akira with wild eyes. "I charged right past Mishima and threw a punch right into that shit eating grin, and watched him land right on his ass." Ryuji bit his lip again and stood up straight, trying to calm himself down. "I wanted to mug the guy for all he was worth, but I had to get Mishima to safety. Picked him up, carried him piggy-back and ran like hell for the infirmary." Ryuji's gaze became downcast as he sat back down.
"I take you weren't rewarded for you heroism," Akira remarked in a low tone.
"That's rich," Ryuji chuckled; the saddest chuckle Akira had ever heard. "I dropped him off at the nurse's office, but she wasn't in since it was already late. I knew a thing or two about first aid from getting injured so many times myself playing sports, so I bandaged him up best I could. I tried to get him to talk about what had happened, and he said that Kamoshida had always been abusive of the volleyball teams, and it was taking a toll on their performance. They'd been losing more and more games and Kamoshida was getting more and more abusive for it. Apparently, Mishima had been so exhausted from the abuse that he threw their previous game in the last minute, and Kamoshida was punishing him."
"By assaulting a kid?"
"Swear on my mom, but that's not the end of it."
"What fucking else could have happened after all that!?"
"You'd be surprised." Ryuji let out a long and tired breath. "While I was trying to convince Mishima to come with me to testify against Kamoshida, really putting on the downtrodden heroes act, our fatass principal Kobayakawa walked in on us, and Kamoshida was with him, holding a bloody rag in his mouth." He paused again, and sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. "The principal that Kamoshida told him he caught me beating Mishima for losing the last game, and when Kamoshida tried to break up the fight, I punched him."
"And this was while you were tending Mishima's wounds? That doesn't make sense."
"Kamoshida said I was obviously trying to cover my tracks, and Mishima must have been too afraid of me to go against it."
"So exactly what Kamoshida was doing to him?"
"Yup. And when I tried to get Mishima to say it was all bullshit, he didn't say a damn word."
"Oh god."
Ryuji shook his head slowly. "He wasn't afraid of me, he was afraid of Kamoshida and what he would do to him if Mishima said anything against him. I was expelled that day, and they didn't press charges."
"That's… good, right?" Akira asked.
"No, it's not," Ryuji muttered slowly.
"Oh." Akira was not at a loss for words.
"After my mom berated my more than she ever had in my life for getting expelled, I went off to talk to the guys on the track team, tell them what really happened. I wasn't supposed to be on school grounds anymore, but I didn't give a fuck at the time. My own mother didn't believe me." That sentence came out with a particularly vile venom in his tone. "I had to try though, but it wasn't the guys waiting for me at our usual spot. It was Kamoshida."
Akira still had no words left.
"He said he didn't press charges because his testimony likely wouldn't hold up in court, and also so he could deal with me personally." Ryuji paused. He turned his head away from Akira, who noticed the strong, brash, brazen young yakuza… tremble. Ryuji said in almost a whisper, "He tried to brake my legs."
Akira thought for a moment his heart had stopped, as had the whole world. Everything seemed to fade into a foggy nothingness as his friend continued on after a moment.
With a shaky voice and body, which Akira could not discern indicated sorrow or rage or some combination of the two, Ryuji said, "Kamoshida attacked me, said I didn't deserve my natural talent for running. He said he was the king of the school, that he could do whatever he wanted, and I had no right to stand up to him… that I needed to be taught a lesson." He paused for a moment, his body tensing up again. "He said I was worthless, a burden, an idiot. He said the only thing I had was running, and I didn't deserve it, so he would take it from me." He paused again, but now looked Akira in the eyes. Akira saw his eyes were red, and all the pain of Ryuji's memories was as plain as day on his face. "He tried to stomp on my legs just like he did to Mishima, insulting me the whole time. Thank God he underestimated me, 'cuz I managed to fight him off. I ran like hell back home after I got away, and then… my mom…"
"Hey, we're back," came the voice of Ann from their right, cutting of Ryuji. Taking their seats again, Ann and Shiho returned to the table, both looking exhausted but stable. Shiho obviously had a pretty intense crying session, Akira thought as he looked at her. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were pale save for the red splotches dotting them. She still looked slightly dazed but at least appeared mostly calm. Better watch what I say really closely. Don't wanna make this any worse for her. "Sorry for the wait, guys," Ann said.
"Think nothing of it," Akira replied. "Ryuji was giving me the, uh, rundown on his deal with Kamoshida."
"Oh wow," Ann looked surprised.
"So," Shiho added meekly, "you told him about the fight, Ryuji?"
"Yeah, I spilled the beans on just about everything. Don't really know if it was a good idea, but like you said, Ann, he's knee deep in this shit too now. Guess he has a right to know. But don't worry, I didn't tell him anything about your guys' stories."
"And don't think you have to," Akira interjected with a serious tone. "If you don't feel comfortable telling a stranger, then don't even worry about it."
Ann and Shiho looked at each other, as if having some kind of telepathic debate over whether or not Akira was privy to such information. While he did truly want to respect the young ladies' privacy, Akira did harbor some sense of curiosity over what kind of sick things this madman did to these girls. He had his ideas, and those ideas were why he was resolute on not pushing them to reveal anything.
After a moment, both girls met gazes with Akira, appearing, dare he think, confident. "No," Shiho uttered, "more people need to know what kind of man Kamoshida is. And, well, one more person who knows the truth is still more than there was yesterday."
"Damn straight, girl!" Ann pumped her fist with a smirk. "He's not around to keep us quiet anymore!"
Akira leaned over to Ryuji once again. "Not the reaction I expected," he whispered.
"Ditto."
Ann made that same confident smirk at Shiho, who grinned back at her friend. Not quite as fiery a display as the blond, but this was far better than a panic attack.
"If you're sure," Akira said.
"We are," Ann nodded. "But, maybe do it somewhere quieter? We also wanna know how you're doing, Ryuji."
"She's got a point, man," Ryuji nudged Akira. "A club ain't the best place for a heart to heart, ya know?"
"I agree. So, where do you wanna go? You girls got a place to stay?"
"Well, that's forward," Shiho said, letting out the slightest giggle.
"I mean," Akira added awkwardly, "I just don't know if it would be safe for you girls to be out on the streets too much tonight. You know, if those creeps try to follow you or something."
"Awe, such a gentleman," Ann cooed playfully, "looking out for two girls he only just met." Her expression changed from playful, almost mocking, to a genuine smile. "I appreciate it," she said.
"So do I," Shiho added with the same grin. "Thank you for your concern, Kurusu-san."
"Hey!" Ryuji interjected. "I was gonna suggest the same thing!"
The girls both genuinely giggled at Ryuji's outburst, exhibiting a side to them completely unlike their dour selves Akira had been introduced to. It felt… refreshing.
"Alright, alright!" Ann said amongst more laughing. "Thank you both for being such gentlemen," she said emphatically.
Ryuji smirked, folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. "That's much better," he nodded, feeling very validated. "But Akira's got a point, we probably should blow this place in case Kamoshida or his goons get any funny ideas."
"We've got a hotel room," Shiho said. "We can go back there and relax for a bit."
"Sounds good," Ryuji nodded. "Guessing it's not far?"
"Just a few blocks," replied Ann. "C'mon, guys, let's get moving."
"Ah, great!" Ryuji got up and stretched. "My back was killing me. Hey, Akira! We forgot to get dinner!"
"We did too!" Ann exclaimed. "Oh God," she droned, "I'm so hungry. Man, being emotional sure works up an appetite. Hey, you guys think we should swing by one of the shops on our way back to the hotel?"
"Uh," added Shiho, "we probably should focus on just getting back to the hotel, Ann. We shouldn't be out longer than we need to be."
Akira nodded as he stood to his feet. "She's got a point. Why don't we just order some room service when we arrive, huh?"
Ann made a, to Akira's perception, strikingly adorable fake pout at his point. "Fiiine. But we better get plenty of the good stuff immediately."
Ryuji shrugged with a self-satisfied grin. "We gotcha covered, ladies. We'll eat like kings tonight."
"Are we allowed to do that?" Akira asked.
"Do you really care, man?"
"Touche."
Ann put her arm around Shiho's shoulders again, bringing her in for a sideways embrace. "C'mon, guys! Let's move before I get hangry!"
"I've seen that," Ryuji muttered to Akira. "Not good."
"Noted. Let's roll."
Two young men and two young women walked out of the Asylum club and back out onto the bustling streets of Kamurocho. The nightlife scene was in full swing, and the line to get into Asylum had only gotten longer, and the people in line more perturbed looking. Ann and Shiho indicated in the direction of their hotel, and they all went on their way.
Wading through the crowds of people made conversation difficult. Even small talk was sparse among the foursome, consisting primarily of Shiho and Ann commenting to each other on various shops and stands they passed by. Their primary subject was wondering if a new blouse or selection of handbags was on sale. Akira and Ryuji would glance at the subjects of their curiosity, then continue on uninterested.
However, only about ten minutes of walking passed until their eyes started scanning the area for something more than a good bargain on ointment or shoes. "Hey," Ryuji muttered to Akira, "you seen the guys a few yards behind us?"
"Yeah," Akira nodded, making sure the girls did not hear him. "They've been tailing us for a few minutes. I was hoping you'd caught onto them."
"I haven't got a good look at them, but they're following just far back enough that it's making me suspicious. Just in case, we should try to lose 'em." Akira quickly looked over his shoulder. It took him a second to spy the suspicious men. One wore a tie-dye shirt and a hat over his angular face, appearing like a tourist, and the other wore an unassuming business suit and sunglasses. "Don't assume they're alone either," Ryuji said. "Probably got backup tailing us a street down."
"What do we do? Don't wanna scare the girls, and we don't want them to think we saw them."
"I got an idea," Ryuji smirked. "Hey, girls!" he called at them to get their attention. Shiho and Ann turned around, looking confused. Ryuji reached into his chest pocket slowly. "Just follow our lead for a sec, okay?"
"What does that mean?" asked Ann.
Ryuji, to the others complete baffling, pulled out a large wad the size of Akira's fist full of thousand yen bills. Then, converting their bafflement to absolute shock, Ryuji tossed the wad of money into the air. "It's party time!" he shouted with a gleeful smile as all the bystanders around them gasped and cheered before trying to catch the money out of the air or pick it up from the ground in a frenzy. Akira, Ann, and Shiho were so shocked by Ryuji's act that they were stunned still. He nudged his friends on the shoulders and shouted "Come on, let's move!"
"Wait, what's happening?" Shiho asked frantically.
Akira caught on to what he was doing and patted the girls on their backs to prod them forward. "Move now, explain later. Come on!"
The four young people darted around the street corner as the hectic mosh pit around the bills erupted into arguments and fighting, with the girls growing more confused by the second. When they rounded the corner, they found themselves in front of a garish looking open front store stocked to the brim with boxes of food and knickknacks. Don Quixote read the sign above the storefront. "In here," Ryuji said, and the other three followed. Darting into the downright abrasively tacky looking shop, the four young people immediately made their way as far back into the crowded aisles as they could, coming right up to the employee break room.
While Ryuji and Akira scoped out the area, keenly watching to see if they had been followed, Ann tapped strongly on Ryuji's shoulder, who turned around to see a thoroughly irritated glare staring back at him. "What in god's name are you two doing!?" she shouted into his face.
"Hey, keep quiet, Ann!" Ryuji retorted. "Just calm down."
"I will once you tell us why you threw a ton of money on the ground and sprinted in here!"
"We were being followed," Akira immediately replied for Ryuji, trying to calm Ann down. "Ryuji caused a distraction and we made an escape."
"F-followed?" Shiho stuttered.
Ann asked, "How do you know?"
Ryuji crossed his arms, his expression becoming more serious. "A couple suspicious goons were tailing us for the last couple blocks. We had a feeling they were either with Kamoshida or some gang, and we made a break for it."
"We didn't tell you," Akira added, "because we didn't want either of you to panic, or to make it look like we were onto those guys. Sorry about scaring you two, really."
"Yeah, sorry, girls, but we had to make a snap decision."
Both girls looked extremely worried, with Shiho's expression turning more dour. "Ann," she looked to her friend, "I think they found us."
"Found you?" Akira asked. "Who?"
Ann glared, but not at anyone in particular. "We were gonna wait until we got back to the hotel to tell you this, but I guess the cat's out of the bag. Ryuji, back in Shibuya, we've been having reports of suspicious men following women around our age, and even younger in some cases. Both Shiho and I had our own run-ins with these jackasses."
"In fact," Shiho spoke up, "we were here in Kamurocho to try and get away from Shibuya while the cops investigated what was going on. We were… hiding. But," Shiho's voice became weaker, quivering, "I guess it didn't work."
Ann immediately put her hands on her friend's shoulders, looking her dead in the eyes. "We'll be fine, Shiho, I promise. Nothing is going to happen to us."
Ryuji nodded, "Damn right, it won't. We're getting you two out of here safely."
"How far to the hotel, girls?" asked Akira.
"Only a couple more blocks," Ann replied, "but should we really go there now? If someone finds out where we're staying… Oh, god, I'm not even gonna think about it."
"She's got a point, Ryuji," Akira said. "It'd be a hell of a risk."
"Yeah, but then where would we—" Ryuji looked back at the cash register and his eyes widened. "Shit, we got company."
"Wha—" Akira said, looking in the same direction, only to cut off in the same way.
"They're here?" Shiho asked in a frantic whisper.
About four aisles away, at the cash register, the same two men that Akira and Ryuji identified were making some kind of obviously unpleasant conversation with the clerk, a plain looking man of about twenty-five.
Akira stomach tightened as he watched the men. "We gotta get the hell out of here."
"Oh god," Shiho held her hands to her chest.
"Don't worry, guys," Ryuji said. "We're getting you out of here just fine."
"Walk with us," Akira interjected.
"What?" asked Ann. "Just walk right out the door."
"Yeah, and we're gonna make it quick. Come here." He moved over to Ann and put his arm around her, staying on the side between her and the cash register.
"What are you…" her voice trailed off, considering the reality of the situation was more important than any awkward forwardness she was experiencing. At least his arms felt strong…
"Ryuji, you too."
"Gotcha." He carefully followed suit with Shiho, who did not utter a word. "Let's move."
Akira nodded. Staying to the far end of the store and watching the two men out of his periphery without looking directly at them, Akira walked Ann to the front of the store, hearing a snippet of the conversation the goons were having with the clerk.
"…I do not know anything!" the clerk insisted. "If you are not here to buy anything, I must ask you to leave or I will call the authorities."
"It was just a question, Christ," said the man in the sunglasses.
"Please, do not loiter any further here—" the clerk cut off suddenly, making eye contact with Akira. The young man glared at the clerk, and also nodded as if silently saying, "We're the ones they want, just keep 'em busy."
"Hey, buddy," the one with the hat snapped his fingers at the clerk, "you hear anything I just said?"
The clerk looked back and forth between the man and Akira, then bowed to the goon. "Sorry for the inconvenience, sir," he said with the utmost fake politeness. "Would you perhaps be interested in one of our specials?" he smiled at them. Hearing this, Akira smirked as well. Not bad, man, he thought. When I get the chance, I'll repay you.
At long last, the four young adults found themselves back on the sidewalk, and walked as fast as they could without full on running back around the street corner and into the crowds. Akira sighed with relief, then noticed he still had his arm around Ann. Looking to her, he saw that she did not seem bothered by it. Instead, she was leaning into him, a truly scared expression on her face, though one she seemed like she was trying to repress. He looked back to check on Shiho. Sure enough, she was still in the arm of Ryuji, and looked much the same as Ann, though having a harder time hiding how rattled she was.
"Where to now?" Ann asked quietly.
"Huh?"
"Just… get us out of here," she whispered, looking up to meet Akira's gaze. "Anywhere safe, just get her and I out here. Please."
Akira felt awkward, unprepared, and completely out of his element with her looking up at him with those terrified eyes. He collected what thoughts he could, and let out a deep breath. "You got it. Ryuji," he turned back to him, "leBlanc. Now."
"I was just thinking the same thing," he nodded.
"W-what's that?" Shiho asked.
"A safe place, promise," Ryuji replied. "Oh, probably should, uh," he stammered, raising his arm off Shiho's shoulder, who grabbed it immediately and leaned against him again.
"Sorry," she whispered, "just a little longer. Please…"
Ryuji too felt awkward now, but got a handle of himself quicker than Akira. "Sure thing," he nodded. "Let's get the hell out of here."
Ann then moved away from Akira's arm, though not in any kind of hostile way. Looking dead ahead, her fear seemingly subsiding, or at least she was now hiding it better, she said quietly, "Thank you, Akira."
"Uh, don't mention it, really."
"I mean it," she glanced at him, her glare no longer the piercing icy cold it had been, but instead seemed more heated, fiery, furious. "There's just one thing though."
"What's that?"
"There was a part of me," she began quietly. "That wanted to get caught. So I could fight them, show them I'm not to be messed with."
Akira was more surprised at this than anything else. The men were certainly tough and this young woman looked fully determined to take them on and take them down. With that look, he was convinced she could have. "Me too," he agreed.
In silence, the four walked on back where they had come. People now got out of their ways, the image of two angry young yakuza and two furious young women enough to get people to give them space. Akira had to admit to himself, he preferred being an errand boy.
This is getting dangerous. God knows what those men are planning to do with these girls. I hope there's something I can do, even though it sounds stupid even to myself. But if there is something I can do, and if this is happening to more girls than just them, then damn straight I'm gonna try.
God, I fucking hate this city.