บท 8: Chapter 07
"I don't know what to do" Hiro sobbed. He was together with Michi at the back of the restaurant. He had just finished telling him everything that had happened in the morning at the medical facility. "I don't know why he suddenly chose to appear at this crucial point of my life, Michi. If I lose this job, Brother will lose faith in me. Sister will starve. I can't think of anything."
Michi felt bad for his best friend. He pulled him into a hug and patted him gently on the back. "Stop crying already. That should be the first step."
"B-But I can't help it" Hiro sniffled. "The tears won't stop coming. Don't you get it? I'm in huge trouble Michi. We're talking about the YM and KK Companies here."
Michi sighed. "Look, there's nothing you can do about it so stop crying and let's think this through okay. Yes, Raiden and Shoji are powerful. They can make your life even worse than it is right now but there's gotta be a way around this."
Hiro pulled away, wiping his tears and snot with his only shirt. "There's no way. You have no idea what I did to Raiden. Do I even have to go? My life can't get any worse than this right? I can just run away."
"Are you kidding me?" Michi scoffed, smacking Hiro lightly on the head. "Those people are dangerous. If you don't go to that party, they'll invent a new form of low for you. I've heard what they've done to people who cross them. If you run away, you'll be putting your brother and sister in danger. Me too."
"You're not making me feel any better," Hiro whined. When he thought of the things he did, he just wanted to disappear. Raiden would make his life more miserable than it already was. What he feared the most was his sister starving because of him. If it were just him, maybe he would be able to endure but his sister's life was at stake.
"Sorry sorry sorry" Michi apologised then pulled Hiro back into the restaurant. He led him into the store and they both sat on the floor, facing each other. "Okay, be honest with me Hiro. What exactly did Raiden ask you to do? What do you think are his intentions?"
Hiro thought about it for a while then spoke. "He only told me to attend the party but I think he wants to humiliate me in front of everyone. My old friends, his own friends, basically everyone who once knew me. He wants revenge."
"Well isn't that a small price to pay for your sister and brother?" Michi asked. "I mean, I don't think there's any kind of humiliation that can be worse than the one you faced when you guys went bankrupt. By the way, why does he want revenge? Did you do something to him?"
"Well, I did. Kinda. But he caused it all. If he didn't follow me everywhere, if he hadn't scared me, I wouldn't have done anything." Hiro said. "I don't know what he has in store for me but I'm telling you Michi. His mind is crafty. He's like a predator and I really don't want to offend him this time since I can't even fight back. I don't want to do anything that will jeopardise my sister's treatment."
Michi was confused. "What do you mean by he caused it all? If he's the cause then why are you so scared? He's the wrong one."
Hiro sighed. He knew he'd have to tell Michi sooner a later. Why delay the inevitable?
"Raiden used to like me."
"Wait, what?" Michi gasped, shocked.
"I was disgusted," Hiro said, not wanting to repeat his first sentence. "I was so disgusted. I was petrified and ugh I just hated seeing his face. I hated his voice, I hated the way he looked at me. Hell, I loathed the very sight of him. And he didn't confess just once. He kept confessing wherever and whenever he saw me, asking me to be with him. Saying that he'd marry me in the future and we'd have lots of kids. How could a guy tell me that he liked me, Michi? And he wanted to have kids. With me. I couldn't even comprehend it so I ruthlessly rejected him every time but he kept coming back stronger. I thought it was revolting and abnormal so I decided to deal with him."
"What did you do to him?" Michi asked. He was surprised that someone as nice as Hiro could harm someone. Hiro was always too nice and so innocent that people took advantage of him. They used him but he never seemed to care. How angry could Hiro have been that he'd decided to teach someone a lesson? That too, his senior?
"I was cruel, Michi" he answered. His eyes were filled with guilt and his skin had gone pale. "I was 14 at that time I guess and he was what, maybe 15 or 16, I can't remember. It was during a Halloween party that one of his friends threw. I was invited as usual and I went because my brother had made me an angel costume and I wanted to show it off. Raiden saw me and confessed his love to me again and again. He even tried to kiss me, I-I was scared so I slapped him in front of his friends, dumped my drink on his face and ran away but that was not the worst part. Back then I-I didn't want people like him to exist. I couldn't understand why a guy would like another guy. To be honest, I still don't but I'm not against it as I used to be. To each his own I guess but Raiden kept disturbing me so I told my brother. The next thing I knew, my brother came to school with policemen and arrested Raiden. He was accused of stalking and sexual violence."
Michi stared blankly at Hiro, utterly speechless.
"Turned out my brother had him investigated" he continued. "Raiden used to stalk me. The private investigator found pictures of me in his room. Those of which I were clothed and those that I weren't. He had them all. He followed me everywhere. To parties, to malls, cinemas, games, parks, everywhere. He had pictures of everything. They also found some of my belongings hidden in his room. My jackets which I thought I had lost, my pens that had run out of ink, my chapstick, the little bears hanging from the zipper of my school bag and many more. It was insane."
"Oh my god" Michi gasped. "Raiden was a psycho?"
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