Hana Kimi Fan Fiction ❯ Oh, Screw It ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: LunarAlchemist 
I bet you're kicking yourself in the ass now, Sano!
Anime/Manga: Hana Kimi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Angst / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.26.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 656 | Status: Work In Progress
I bet you're kicking yourself in the ass now, Sano!
Anime/Manga: Hana Kimi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Angst / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.26.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 656 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Hana-Kimi. I'm kind of glad, too, because I don't think writer's block would be a good excuse any longer.
***
Sano, to say the least, had had a trying night.
He lay awake into the early hours of the morning, too afraid of waking Mizuki to leave, and his thoughts too jumbled to fall into a comfortable rest. Why had she said Nakatsu's name? In Sano's jealous, sleep-deprived mind, there could be only one logical reason: Mizuki secretly wished she were in Nakatsu's arms. But, then.. why did she come back to him? And why on earth had Nakatsu worked so hard to get them back together? And if she really were infatuated with Nakatsu, then what exactly happened between them while she stayed in his dorm?
Sano shook his weary head, his mind too far gone to think logically about the situation. Careful not to awaken his lover, Sano extricated himself from her grasp and stood by the bed. He stretched his arms over his head, showing his tight stomach and the thin trail of dark hair that led to more forbidden areas.
"Shower..." He grumbled tiredly, stumbling toward the bathroom. Surely a shower would help clear his mind...
...It didn't. In fact, the ability to think clearly only complicated the situation. Sano ran his long fingers through his hair, washing out the fruit-scented shampoo that Mizuki had bought for them.
"Why would she say his name?" he asked himself for the hundreth time as he leaned against the cool tile, allowing the steaming water to beat against his shoulders. He gently massaged his neck, an ache forming from too much thinking on too little sleep.
"Why did she call me Nakatsu?" his hands fell to his side, his emotions draining him of energy. "Why?!" it was only after he noticed the small trickle of blood, the shallow cut on his hand, that he realized he had hit the shower door.
Sano cursed as a spiderweb of cracks spread out across the glass.
***
Nakatsu was terribly proud of himself. Not only had he reunited his friends, but he had also done so without acting upon his lecherous desires.
...Not that she would have necessarily let him act upon them, but still, he hadn't once tried to take advantage of her.
Mizuki had to appreciate that, right? She had to realize the herculean effort it took to not do more than pat her back or even hold her while she cried. She had to realize how deeply in love he was with her.
'Why did I help get them back together... again?' he thought as he pulled on his pants. He was late for breakfast once more.
"Because I want them to be happy," he said aloud, sighing with resignation. Grabbing his uniform shirt and tie, he walked into the bathroom. "I'd have both of them as friends rather than just Mizuki as my girlfriend..." He threw on his shirt and began working on his tie, grumbling. "I mean, I love Mizuki, but Sano's been my pal for a while now. I couldn't do that to him, could I?" Taking a last look in the mirror, Nakatsu gave his image a thumbs up.
"Time to find out if my self-control was really worth it."
***
She had had it all planned out. She would wake up in his arms and turn her head to find him staring at her, a small smile playing at his lips. 'What?' she would ask him, a little self-consciously. And he would respond, 'I was just admiring you, Mizuki. You're beautiful in the morning light'. And she would get that tingling sensation from her fingertips to her toes and he would lean down and gently kiss her, and she would smile gratefully as she returned the kiss and then they would...
But none of that had happened.
Mizuki let out a resigned sigh as she zipped her vest up. She awoke that morning to find herself alone in Sano's bed, a note taped to the pillow. He had left for an early practice, it had said.
Mizuki couldn't help the next sigh as it escaped her. "Guess I picked up too much of that American romanticism..."
She slipped her shirt over her head, her tie following. "But it'll be OK," she reminded herself, "Because Izumi and I made up. We're not fighting anymore."
And with her ever-present, innocent smile plastered on her face, Mizuki left the room to walk to breakfast--alone.
***
The morning was foggy as Sano ran his third lap around the track. He hadn't been there for too long, and he was already slowing from fatigue, his thoughts too heavy for his legs to support.
With sweat beading on his forehead he headed toward the locker room, switching the lights on as he went. Normally, no one was here this early. Sano peeled his shirt over his head as he sat on a bench, catching his breath.
"Should I talk to her?" he asked himself aloud, running a hand through his hair. He shook his head and immediately buried his face in his hands. "What am I going to do?" he mumbled.
"Well, first of all, you should probably shower."
Sano sat bolt upright at the unexpected voice.
"Don't look so frightened, I'm not going to hurt you," Dr. Umeda casually walked around a bank of lockers, a cigarette dangling from his fingers.
"I didn't think anyone else was here," Sano responded.
Dr. Umeda smirked, "Well, lucky enough for you, I was taking a walk when I noticed the lights."
"Why does that make me lucky?" Sano asked coldly.
"Because now you are able to receive my expert advice, of course," Dr. Umeda said casually, "Mizuki always finds my words of wisdom helpful.."
At the name of his girlfriend, Sano's features darkened.
"Ah, so it's about Mizuki, is it?" Dr. Umeda asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not having any problems," Sano responded quickly, "And especially not with Ashiya."
"Of course not," Dr. Umeda said as he turned his back, heading toward the exit, "You're not having any problems with Mizuki." When Sano didn't respond, Dr. Umeda sighed and turned around, "When you want to talk, let me know. I'm sick and tired of you two misunderstanding each other. You're too damned perfect for each other to let something like that come between you."
Sano sat for awhile, contemplating Dr. Umeda's words. Finally, Sano came to the decision to follow Dr. Umeda's advice...
... and take a shower.
***
Mizuki had arrived at breakfast a little late, only to find Nakatsu with an extra plate of food and a seat saved.
"Morning, Mizuki," Nakatsu smiled widely, pushing the food in her direction, "Where's Sano?"
Mizuki sat down with a heavy sigh, "Early practice."
Nakatsu quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"
"That's what his note said," Mizuki replied, sniffing at her food appreciatively, "Why?"
"Well... because the rest of the team is here, along with the coach. If Sano's practicing, it's not because it was required."
Mizuki smiled sadly, "I know. But if he needs room... well, I guess I'll have to give it to him."
"You're a bigger... person than I am," Nakatsu shook his head.
Mizuki laughed.
***
Mizuki was absolutely sick of people avoiding her. First Nakatsu, and now...
"Sano!" she ran to catch up with him, his strides quickly taking him in the opposite direction.
She knew he had heard her, but he didn't acknowledge her presence until she was right next to him, "Izumi, hold on a second!"
He stopped, his back stiffening. "Yes?" he asked without looking at her.
As resilient as Mizuki had proven herself to be, Sano's blatant discomfort and dislike toward her shattered her heart instantly.
"I... um..." she stuttered, her eyes tearing and her throat constricting.
"I'm sorry, Ashiya, I'm in a hurry," he made a show of looking at his watch, a frown forming on his face.
"Yeah, OK, sorry..." she turned in the opposite direciton and quickly walked away, sobs shaking her shoulders.
Sano shook his head and whispered to himself, "I'm sorry... I just need some time..."
He almost turned around. He almost ran to her, put his arms around her, gave her comfort and told her that he'd never leave her and that they could discuss any misunderstandings and that they'd always be able to work everything out...
But instead he sank against the wall, burying his head in his hands.
And somehow, Sano was determined to convince himself that this was the right thing to do..
***
"Have you seen Mizuki?"
Sano looked up from his book, surprised. "I assumed she was with you."
Nakatsu looked confused, "Why would she be with me? She's your girlfriend."
"Sometimes I wonder..." Sano shook his head, frowning.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Sano waved a hand, burying his face in his book again.
"Listen, Sano, I don't know what problems you're having with Mizuki now, but I've been asking and no one's seen her for a while." Nakatsu's voice was tinged with worry.
"Who've you checked with?" Sano asked, trying to calm the tightening in his stomach.
Nakatsu counted on his fingers, "Noe, Sekime, Kayashima, Nakao, Kudo, and a bunch of random kids..."
"What about Dr. Umeda? Nanba?"
Nakatsu shook his head, "I was leaving Nanba as a last resort, and I never voluntarily go to Dr. Umeda.."
Sano stood up, making his way to the door, "Come on, we've got to find Nanba."
***
The two students found their RA in his room, studying.
"Ashiya's missing?" Nanba asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"No one's seen him since this afternoon," Nakatsu explained, "And we're starting to get worried."
"I'll say," Nanba glanced at the clock, "It's almost eleven now. He's two hours late for curfew... that's not like Ashiya."
"What should we do?" Nakatsu asked impatiently.
"You two do nothing," Nanba stood up, closing his book, "I'll notify the authorities, and we'll get a search party going. In the meantime, try and check with some more people, he may just be studying late with a friend," Nanba exited his room, leaving behind an anxious Nakatsu and a stoic Sano.
"It isn't like Mizuki to stay out this late, although it would be like her to forget about the new curfew..." Nakatsu scratched the back of his head. "...why was our curfew changed again?"
As though a hammer had just hit both boys across the head, the color in their faces drained and they looked at each other in horror.
"The rapist..."
"That likes both girls and boys..."
"And is still loose in the city..."
They dashed out of the room, the danger they put themselves in of no concern.
They only needed to find Mizuki.
"I'll go left, you go right," Sano yelled as he reached the gate, not waiting for a reply.
***
Mizuki glanced at her watch, her eyes widening in surprise, "I can't believe how late it is!" she exclaimed, "I've missed curfew..."
She had left the dormitory, tears blurring her vision, and had walked aimlessly for hours. Now, as she strolled back toward the school, she allowed her thoughts to stray once more to Sano. 'I wonder why he's so mad at me...'
She made a face. 'There always seems to be some reason lately.. I just wish I knew what I had done..."
She continued to walk, now passing by the field that the track team would sometimes compete at. As she neared the fence, she paused. Curling her small fingers through the wire fence, she stood for a moment, doubts filling up inside her head. "Did I do the right thing?" she asked herself aloud. "Should I have just stayed in America and admired Sano like a normal fan?" She rested her forehead against the fence, eyes drifting shut.
"Hey, you all right?" a voice beside her asked.
Mizuki jumped, surprised, and turned toward the voice.
A man, no older than thirty, stood there. He had very unremarkable features: pasty skin, brown hair, a little stubble across his chin... except, in the darkness, his eyes looked like obsidian pools.
"You OK?" he reiterated, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine," Mizuki responded, smiling.
"Anything you need to get off your chest?" the man asked, leaning against the fence beside her.
"That's kind of you," Mizuki said, "But I really should be going, I'm very late." She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her elbow.
"I'm a good listener," the man insisted, his grip tightening.
Mizuki nodded, the quick beat of her heart sounding like drums in her ears. Turning, afraid of what this stranger might do if she refused, she related the story of how she had come to Japan to meet Sano, and how recently they had been fighting a great deal. She, of course, left out her true gender and didn't mention her and Sano's intimate relationship.
"Sounds to me like this guy's in love with you," the man nodded sagely after Mizuki had finished.
Mizuki blushed, "Y-you think so?"
The man nodded, "And who wouldn't be? You're a very attractive young lady."
Mizuki's eyes widened, her blush intensifying, "I'm not a girl! I'm a boy!"
The man laughed. "I can understand your reason for keeping this a secret, but you can trust me. Besides... whether or not you deny it, I know the truth."
"I... well, I..."
"What's going on over there!" someone shouted, causing Mizuki and the stranger to jump in surprise.
A uniformed officer came jogging over, the flashlight in his hand searching their faces. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine, officer," the stranger responded, "We were just talking."
"Well, that may be, but it's late and if I'm not mistaken, there's a criminal still loose in the city. I'd feel better if you two would be on your way," the officer gave Mizuki a closer look, "And I do believe that you're a student at Osaka Gakuen, are you not?"
"I am," Mizuki responded in a small voice.
"Well, then you especially should be on your way," he gave her a cold stare, "Our department was informed that your school now has a curfew at 9:00. I believe that was... three hours ago?"
"I was on my way there," Mizuki insisted, but she was interrupted.
"I'll escort you back to your school," the officer replied crisply, "And you should be on your way as well, Sir."
The stranger nodded, "I'll do that," he turned to Mizuki, "You take care. I'm sure that your friend will come around soon."
"Thank you!" Mizuki called back as she was herded down the street by the policeman.
Mizuki walked with the officer for a while in silence before she finally realized that he had led her to a dark alley, and that they were not heading toward her dorms.
"Hey, where are we-?"
She was cut off by a calloused hand covering her mouth, the other curling around her waist and pulling her flush against a hard body.
"How lucky was I," the policeman whispered in her ear, "To find such a lovely young boy traveling all by himself after curfew?"
Mizuki froze, her back stiffening and her heart beating a tornado in her chest. As the hand covering her mouth moved downward, whispering like a ghost across her stomach, she couldn't help the small whimper that escaped her.
"You can cry," the man said, "I don't mind."
Mizuki suddenly found herself pushed against the concrete, greedy hands ripping at her clothing as her vision swam.
She must have passed out for a moment, because she suddenly realized that the majority of her clothing had been tossed aside and the man above her whistled.
"Looks like we have an imposter," he crooned, hands gliding over the swell of her breasts, "But that's OK. I don't really mind that, either."
Tears leaking from her eyes, Mizuki tried to kick out at him, only to find his weight firmly straddling her legs, one hand holding both of her's above her head.
"Don't fight me," he whispered as he drew his tongue across the skin of her neck, "This'll take a while... we wouldn't want you tiring out, now would we?"
Mizuki shut her eyes, small whimpers escaping her throat as she tried to think of something, anything but what was happening to her at that moment.
A hand inched down her belly, fingering her only remaining clothing. As a finger gently brushed the beginning of her curls, Mizuki heard a dull crash and felt the man's full weight upon the length of her body.
"Hey, are you OK? Hey, can you hear me?"
Mizuki opened her eyes as she felt the dead weight of her attacker lifted off of her. Through the blur of her tears she could make out the shape of a young man. "Sano...?"
The man snorted and shook his head, "Only in my nightmares, kid."
***
Author's Notes:
Sorry about taking so long with this chapter... I had a lot of stuff going on. Anyway, I see about two to three more chapters in this fic at the most. I hope I'll get there soon. ^_^
Thanks to my amazing beta, Jess.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!
***
Sano, to say the least, had had a trying night.
He lay awake into the early hours of the morning, too afraid of waking Mizuki to leave, and his thoughts too jumbled to fall into a comfortable rest. Why had she said Nakatsu's name? In Sano's jealous, sleep-deprived mind, there could be only one logical reason: Mizuki secretly wished she were in Nakatsu's arms. But, then.. why did she come back to him? And why on earth had Nakatsu worked so hard to get them back together? And if she really were infatuated with Nakatsu, then what exactly happened between them while she stayed in his dorm?
Sano shook his weary head, his mind too far gone to think logically about the situation. Careful not to awaken his lover, Sano extricated himself from her grasp and stood by the bed. He stretched his arms over his head, showing his tight stomach and the thin trail of dark hair that led to more forbidden areas.
"Shower..." He grumbled tiredly, stumbling toward the bathroom. Surely a shower would help clear his mind...
...It didn't. In fact, the ability to think clearly only complicated the situation. Sano ran his long fingers through his hair, washing out the fruit-scented shampoo that Mizuki had bought for them.
"Why would she say his name?" he asked himself for the hundreth time as he leaned against the cool tile, allowing the steaming water to beat against his shoulders. He gently massaged his neck, an ache forming from too much thinking on too little sleep.
"Why did she call me Nakatsu?" his hands fell to his side, his emotions draining him of energy. "Why?!" it was only after he noticed the small trickle of blood, the shallow cut on his hand, that he realized he had hit the shower door.
Sano cursed as a spiderweb of cracks spread out across the glass.
***
Nakatsu was terribly proud of himself. Not only had he reunited his friends, but he had also done so without acting upon his lecherous desires.
...Not that she would have necessarily let him act upon them, but still, he hadn't once tried to take advantage of her.
Mizuki had to appreciate that, right? She had to realize the herculean effort it took to not do more than pat her back or even hold her while she cried. She had to realize how deeply in love he was with her.
'Why did I help get them back together... again?' he thought as he pulled on his pants. He was late for breakfast once more.
"Because I want them to be happy," he said aloud, sighing with resignation. Grabbing his uniform shirt and tie, he walked into the bathroom. "I'd have both of them as friends rather than just Mizuki as my girlfriend..." He threw on his shirt and began working on his tie, grumbling. "I mean, I love Mizuki, but Sano's been my pal for a while now. I couldn't do that to him, could I?" Taking a last look in the mirror, Nakatsu gave his image a thumbs up.
"Time to find out if my self-control was really worth it."
***
She had had it all planned out. She would wake up in his arms and turn her head to find him staring at her, a small smile playing at his lips. 'What?' she would ask him, a little self-consciously. And he would respond, 'I was just admiring you, Mizuki. You're beautiful in the morning light'. And she would get that tingling sensation from her fingertips to her toes and he would lean down and gently kiss her, and she would smile gratefully as she returned the kiss and then they would...
But none of that had happened.
Mizuki let out a resigned sigh as she zipped her vest up. She awoke that morning to find herself alone in Sano's bed, a note taped to the pillow. He had left for an early practice, it had said.
Mizuki couldn't help the next sigh as it escaped her. "Guess I picked up too much of that American romanticism..."
She slipped her shirt over her head, her tie following. "But it'll be OK," she reminded herself, "Because Izumi and I made up. We're not fighting anymore."
And with her ever-present, innocent smile plastered on her face, Mizuki left the room to walk to breakfast--alone.
***
The morning was foggy as Sano ran his third lap around the track. He hadn't been there for too long, and he was already slowing from fatigue, his thoughts too heavy for his legs to support.
With sweat beading on his forehead he headed toward the locker room, switching the lights on as he went. Normally, no one was here this early. Sano peeled his shirt over his head as he sat on a bench, catching his breath.
"Should I talk to her?" he asked himself aloud, running a hand through his hair. He shook his head and immediately buried his face in his hands. "What am I going to do?" he mumbled.
"Well, first of all, you should probably shower."
Sano sat bolt upright at the unexpected voice.
"Don't look so frightened, I'm not going to hurt you," Dr. Umeda casually walked around a bank of lockers, a cigarette dangling from his fingers.
"I didn't think anyone else was here," Sano responded.
Dr. Umeda smirked, "Well, lucky enough for you, I was taking a walk when I noticed the lights."
"Why does that make me lucky?" Sano asked coldly.
"Because now you are able to receive my expert advice, of course," Dr. Umeda said casually, "Mizuki always finds my words of wisdom helpful.."
At the name of his girlfriend, Sano's features darkened.
"Ah, so it's about Mizuki, is it?" Dr. Umeda asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not having any problems," Sano responded quickly, "And especially not with Ashiya."
"Of course not," Dr. Umeda said as he turned his back, heading toward the exit, "You're not having any problems with Mizuki." When Sano didn't respond, Dr. Umeda sighed and turned around, "When you want to talk, let me know. I'm sick and tired of you two misunderstanding each other. You're too damned perfect for each other to let something like that come between you."
Sano sat for awhile, contemplating Dr. Umeda's words. Finally, Sano came to the decision to follow Dr. Umeda's advice...
... and take a shower.
***
Mizuki had arrived at breakfast a little late, only to find Nakatsu with an extra plate of food and a seat saved.
"Morning, Mizuki," Nakatsu smiled widely, pushing the food in her direction, "Where's Sano?"
Mizuki sat down with a heavy sigh, "Early practice."
Nakatsu quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"
"That's what his note said," Mizuki replied, sniffing at her food appreciatively, "Why?"
"Well... because the rest of the team is here, along with the coach. If Sano's practicing, it's not because it was required."
Mizuki smiled sadly, "I know. But if he needs room... well, I guess I'll have to give it to him."
"You're a bigger... person than I am," Nakatsu shook his head.
Mizuki laughed.
***
Mizuki was absolutely sick of people avoiding her. First Nakatsu, and now...
"Sano!" she ran to catch up with him, his strides quickly taking him in the opposite direction.
She knew he had heard her, but he didn't acknowledge her presence until she was right next to him, "Izumi, hold on a second!"
He stopped, his back stiffening. "Yes?" he asked without looking at her.
As resilient as Mizuki had proven herself to be, Sano's blatant discomfort and dislike toward her shattered her heart instantly.
"I... um..." she stuttered, her eyes tearing and her throat constricting.
"I'm sorry, Ashiya, I'm in a hurry," he made a show of looking at his watch, a frown forming on his face.
"Yeah, OK, sorry..." she turned in the opposite direciton and quickly walked away, sobs shaking her shoulders.
Sano shook his head and whispered to himself, "I'm sorry... I just need some time..."
He almost turned around. He almost ran to her, put his arms around her, gave her comfort and told her that he'd never leave her and that they could discuss any misunderstandings and that they'd always be able to work everything out...
But instead he sank against the wall, burying his head in his hands.
And somehow, Sano was determined to convince himself that this was the right thing to do..
***
"Have you seen Mizuki?"
Sano looked up from his book, surprised. "I assumed she was with you."
Nakatsu looked confused, "Why would she be with me? She's your girlfriend."
"Sometimes I wonder..." Sano shook his head, frowning.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Sano waved a hand, burying his face in his book again.
"Listen, Sano, I don't know what problems you're having with Mizuki now, but I've been asking and no one's seen her for a while." Nakatsu's voice was tinged with worry.
"Who've you checked with?" Sano asked, trying to calm the tightening in his stomach.
Nakatsu counted on his fingers, "Noe, Sekime, Kayashima, Nakao, Kudo, and a bunch of random kids..."
"What about Dr. Umeda? Nanba?"
Nakatsu shook his head, "I was leaving Nanba as a last resort, and I never voluntarily go to Dr. Umeda.."
Sano stood up, making his way to the door, "Come on, we've got to find Nanba."
***
The two students found their RA in his room, studying.
"Ashiya's missing?" Nanba asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"No one's seen him since this afternoon," Nakatsu explained, "And we're starting to get worried."
"I'll say," Nanba glanced at the clock, "It's almost eleven now. He's two hours late for curfew... that's not like Ashiya."
"What should we do?" Nakatsu asked impatiently.
"You two do nothing," Nanba stood up, closing his book, "I'll notify the authorities, and we'll get a search party going. In the meantime, try and check with some more people, he may just be studying late with a friend," Nanba exited his room, leaving behind an anxious Nakatsu and a stoic Sano.
"It isn't like Mizuki to stay out this late, although it would be like her to forget about the new curfew..." Nakatsu scratched the back of his head. "...why was our curfew changed again?"
As though a hammer had just hit both boys across the head, the color in their faces drained and they looked at each other in horror.
"The rapist..."
"That likes both girls and boys..."
"And is still loose in the city..."
They dashed out of the room, the danger they put themselves in of no concern.
They only needed to find Mizuki.
"I'll go left, you go right," Sano yelled as he reached the gate, not waiting for a reply.
***
Mizuki glanced at her watch, her eyes widening in surprise, "I can't believe how late it is!" she exclaimed, "I've missed curfew..."
She had left the dormitory, tears blurring her vision, and had walked aimlessly for hours. Now, as she strolled back toward the school, she allowed her thoughts to stray once more to Sano. 'I wonder why he's so mad at me...'
She made a face. 'There always seems to be some reason lately.. I just wish I knew what I had done..."
She continued to walk, now passing by the field that the track team would sometimes compete at. As she neared the fence, she paused. Curling her small fingers through the wire fence, she stood for a moment, doubts filling up inside her head. "Did I do the right thing?" she asked herself aloud. "Should I have just stayed in America and admired Sano like a normal fan?" She rested her forehead against the fence, eyes drifting shut.
"Hey, you all right?" a voice beside her asked.
Mizuki jumped, surprised, and turned toward the voice.
A man, no older than thirty, stood there. He had very unremarkable features: pasty skin, brown hair, a little stubble across his chin... except, in the darkness, his eyes looked like obsidian pools.
"You OK?" he reiterated, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine," Mizuki responded, smiling.
"Anything you need to get off your chest?" the man asked, leaning against the fence beside her.
"That's kind of you," Mizuki said, "But I really should be going, I'm very late." She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her elbow.
"I'm a good listener," the man insisted, his grip tightening.
Mizuki nodded, the quick beat of her heart sounding like drums in her ears. Turning, afraid of what this stranger might do if she refused, she related the story of how she had come to Japan to meet Sano, and how recently they had been fighting a great deal. She, of course, left out her true gender and didn't mention her and Sano's intimate relationship.
"Sounds to me like this guy's in love with you," the man nodded sagely after Mizuki had finished.
Mizuki blushed, "Y-you think so?"
The man nodded, "And who wouldn't be? You're a very attractive young lady."
Mizuki's eyes widened, her blush intensifying, "I'm not a girl! I'm a boy!"
The man laughed. "I can understand your reason for keeping this a secret, but you can trust me. Besides... whether or not you deny it, I know the truth."
"I... well, I..."
"What's going on over there!" someone shouted, causing Mizuki and the stranger to jump in surprise.
A uniformed officer came jogging over, the flashlight in his hand searching their faces. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine, officer," the stranger responded, "We were just talking."
"Well, that may be, but it's late and if I'm not mistaken, there's a criminal still loose in the city. I'd feel better if you two would be on your way," the officer gave Mizuki a closer look, "And I do believe that you're a student at Osaka Gakuen, are you not?"
"I am," Mizuki responded in a small voice.
"Well, then you especially should be on your way," he gave her a cold stare, "Our department was informed that your school now has a curfew at 9:00. I believe that was... three hours ago?"
"I was on my way there," Mizuki insisted, but she was interrupted.
"I'll escort you back to your school," the officer replied crisply, "And you should be on your way as well, Sir."
The stranger nodded, "I'll do that," he turned to Mizuki, "You take care. I'm sure that your friend will come around soon."
"Thank you!" Mizuki called back as she was herded down the street by the policeman.
Mizuki walked with the officer for a while in silence before she finally realized that he had led her to a dark alley, and that they were not heading toward her dorms.
"Hey, where are we-?"
She was cut off by a calloused hand covering her mouth, the other curling around her waist and pulling her flush against a hard body.
"How lucky was I," the policeman whispered in her ear, "To find such a lovely young boy traveling all by himself after curfew?"
Mizuki froze, her back stiffening and her heart beating a tornado in her chest. As the hand covering her mouth moved downward, whispering like a ghost across her stomach, she couldn't help the small whimper that escaped her.
"You can cry," the man said, "I don't mind."
Mizuki suddenly found herself pushed against the concrete, greedy hands ripping at her clothing as her vision swam.
She must have passed out for a moment, because she suddenly realized that the majority of her clothing had been tossed aside and the man above her whistled.
"Looks like we have an imposter," he crooned, hands gliding over the swell of her breasts, "But that's OK. I don't really mind that, either."
Tears leaking from her eyes, Mizuki tried to kick out at him, only to find his weight firmly straddling her legs, one hand holding both of her's above her head.
"Don't fight me," he whispered as he drew his tongue across the skin of her neck, "This'll take a while... we wouldn't want you tiring out, now would we?"
Mizuki shut her eyes, small whimpers escaping her throat as she tried to think of something, anything but what was happening to her at that moment.
A hand inched down her belly, fingering her only remaining clothing. As a finger gently brushed the beginning of her curls, Mizuki heard a dull crash and felt the man's full weight upon the length of her body.
"Hey, are you OK? Hey, can you hear me?"
Mizuki opened her eyes as she felt the dead weight of her attacker lifted off of her. Through the blur of her tears she could make out the shape of a young man. "Sano...?"
The man snorted and shook his head, "Only in my nightmares, kid."
***
Author's Notes:
Sorry about taking so long with this chapter... I had a lot of stuff going on. Anyway, I see about two to three more chapters in this fic at the most. I hope I'll get there soon. ^_^
Thanks to my amazing beta, Jess.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!