((Yuichiro Takaguchi continued from Initial D))
Yuichiro hadn’t slept that well. How could he be expected to, after accidentally killing his dear friend by a bullet to the penis?
He had stored his revolver and Niida-san’s machine gun in a drawer upstairs, handling both with exceptional care. On the plus side, he had managed to find the safety on the uzi! So he was starting to learn. Now if he could learn not to point it at people and kill them, he’d really be on a roll.
After hours of restlessness in the bed upstairs, he had made his way down to the kitchen before the sun even hit the horizon. He was trying fervently to clean up the pool of dried blood that had been Kazushi’s when the announcements came.
Four. Four of his friends were already dead, and one of them was his fault. It stabbed at his heart, as much as the bullet had no doubt stabbed at Niida’s testicles, to hear the name come up along with three more deaths.
His friend Yoshio-kun, who he’d always enjoyed watching with his video games, even if he was pretty hopeless at them himself. Seto-san, one of the two only other guys in the class who were shorties like him, who always had a funny joke to tell. And Sugimara-san, who was pretty intimidating but made Kenshiro look like a pipsqueak! All gone, never to be seen again, along with Niida-san. The world was truly a darker place for the loss of each and every one of them.
Had they all been accidental deaths? Yuichiro thought that must’ve been the case: his classmates weren’t going to kill each other, after all. Really, it was probably just dumb for them to give a bunch of teenagers guns and not expect any accidents. What a senseless waste of life!
He scrubbed at the blood, but it was no good. No matter how much he got rid of, the ground had been permanently stained copper by his deed. Eventually he gave up, and started searching through the kitchen for some rice to cook. But not before checking the map, to make sure that he wasn’t in a place he wasn’t supposed to be.
He was finally able to sit down to a breakfast. He looked down at the studgy grains, feeling sick to the stomach. He didn’t deserve to eat, but he knew he’d need his strength. People might start arriving soon, and he had to make sure they felt welcomed and safe when they did.
Maybe there was a tatami mat somewhere he could cover the blood with, he thought as he took a bite.
ShottemBalls Nii
Dawn of the First Day
Moderator: BRAU2 Director
(Hirono Shimizu continued from Playin' With Destiny)
Hirono yawned as she approached the lighthouse. She hadn't gotten too much sleep after her encounter with Matsui near the cliff, but she was hoping that she got enough to keep her going. She could have done without lame-ass Sakamochi's announcement being the thing that woke her up, though.
There had been four names on the announcements, all guys. Hirono already knew about Akamatsu. Poor fuckin' bastard. He was a huge-ass nerd, but he didn't deserve to get killed by one of Kiriyama's goons. Seto was gone too, kid that always hung out with Mimura. Sugimura though? How the hell was he already dead? The dude was built like hell and knew martial arts. Dude like him was basically made for a fight. If he was already dead, then pretty much everyone could be fair game.
She thought about Niida as she made her way into the lighthouse. Niida... she'd never really liked him. Kind of thought he was a creep. Even if he wanted to pay, she wouldn't go for him. Even so... she didn't feel like he deserved to die. Yeah, he was a dick, but so were most people. And here she was, remembering the reasons she hated him as some sort of twisted anti-obituary.
But now Hirono had the lighthouse. She had some shelter. Maybe finally something good was going to happen. She opened the door and stepped inside... and whatever she expected, this definitely wasn't it.
Takaguchi was sitting at a table, and there was a big, nasty bloodstain on the floor nearby. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what she could say.
This is gonna be a long fuckin' day.
Hirono yawned as she approached the lighthouse. She hadn't gotten too much sleep after her encounter with Matsui near the cliff, but she was hoping that she got enough to keep her going. She could have done without lame-ass Sakamochi's announcement being the thing that woke her up, though.
There had been four names on the announcements, all guys. Hirono already knew about Akamatsu. Poor fuckin' bastard. He was a huge-ass nerd, but he didn't deserve to get killed by one of Kiriyama's goons. Seto was gone too, kid that always hung out with Mimura. Sugimura though? How the hell was he already dead? The dude was built like hell and knew martial arts. Dude like him was basically made for a fight. If he was already dead, then pretty much everyone could be fair game.
She thought about Niida as she made her way into the lighthouse. Niida... she'd never really liked him. Kind of thought he was a creep. Even if he wanted to pay, she wouldn't go for him. Even so... she didn't feel like he deserved to die. Yeah, he was a dick, but so were most people. And here she was, remembering the reasons she hated him as some sort of twisted anti-obituary.
But now Hirono had the lighthouse. She had some shelter. Maybe finally something good was going to happen. She opened the door and stepped inside... and whatever she expected, this definitely wasn't it.
Takaguchi was sitting at a table, and there was a big, nasty bloodstain on the floor nearby. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what she could say.
This is gonna be a long fuckin' day.
“Ah! Shimizu-san!”
Yuichiro leapt out of his seat when he realised he wasn’t alone in the room. He must’ve been so focused that he hadn’t even heard the door open! He stood straight to attention, caught in a neutral limbo between an apologetic bow and a polite smile.
“So-sorry! I didn’t hear you come in! I….I was eating breakfast, and…”
Shimizu-san was another member of Mitsuko’s gang, putting him at two out of three for meetings. She always seemed very cool-headed, compared to the more emotional Yahigi-san. Like the rest of Mitsuko’s gang, she had some rumours floating about her, but Yuichiro didn’t pay them any heed. As far as he cared, Shimizu-san was another good person who had arrived at his lighthouse base. Unlike the previous two, he was going to make sure that she felt comfortable and safe there, and would stick around long enough for them to start planning. And not get shot in the penis.
He realised that her attention wasn’t entirely on him. Naturally, she was drawn to the very large bloodstain on the floor just a few feet away from them both. Yuichiro didn’t realise, but he still had a streak of blood on his face from the night before too. All in all, it wasn’t exactly inviting.
“Ah, that! No, Shimizu-san! That was- th-th-that was an accident!”
Yuichiro leapt out of his seat when he realised he wasn’t alone in the room. He must’ve been so focused that he hadn’t even heard the door open! He stood straight to attention, caught in a neutral limbo between an apologetic bow and a polite smile.
“So-sorry! I didn’t hear you come in! I….I was eating breakfast, and…”
Shimizu-san was another member of Mitsuko’s gang, putting him at two out of three for meetings. She always seemed very cool-headed, compared to the more emotional Yahigi-san. Like the rest of Mitsuko’s gang, she had some rumours floating about her, but Yuichiro didn’t pay them any heed. As far as he cared, Shimizu-san was another good person who had arrived at his lighthouse base. Unlike the previous two, he was going to make sure that she felt comfortable and safe there, and would stick around long enough for them to start planning. And not get shot in the penis.
He realised that her attention wasn’t entirely on him. Naturally, she was drawn to the very large bloodstain on the floor just a few feet away from them both. Yuichiro didn’t realise, but he still had a streak of blood on his face from the night before too. All in all, it wasn’t exactly inviting.
“Ah, that! No, Shimizu-san! That was- th-th-that was an accident!”
Okay, there were a few things about this situation that were making Hirono uncomfortable. First, Takaguchi was getting real polite real fast, especially considering how stressful the situation was. She could consider giving that a bit of a pass, though. Maybe that was just the way he was. He was always a real mild-mannered type despite being a giant fucking nerd. He could've just been afraid that anything other than courteousness could get him shot up
However, Takaguchi's demeanor wouldn't have struck her so weirdly if it wasn't for the blood that can been smeared across his face, and his insistence that whatever caused the blood on the ground was an accident. Fucking hell, she didn't even have to say anything, and she already knew that there was a 99% chance that Takaguchi was one of the previous day's killers. And seriously... fucking geeky-ass Takaguchi? How the hell does he of all people kill someone?
Whatever the case was, and however they wound up in this situation, Hirono was on guard. After scaring the first few people she met, it was her turn to be on the defensive. She took a step back towards the lighthouse door, readying herself for a quick escape if she needed one. She needed to consider the shrimpy little bastard dangerous, despite being, well... Takaguchi.
"What the hell's going on?" She demanded to know. Her fingers were wrapped around her knife as she stared at him. She was pretty sure that she could beat him up if she had to, although the blood on his face made her worry about what exactly she might be dealing with.
However, Takaguchi's demeanor wouldn't have struck her so weirdly if it wasn't for the blood that can been smeared across his face, and his insistence that whatever caused the blood on the ground was an accident. Fucking hell, she didn't even have to say anything, and she already knew that there was a 99% chance that Takaguchi was one of the previous day's killers. And seriously... fucking geeky-ass Takaguchi? How the hell does he of all people kill someone?
Whatever the case was, and however they wound up in this situation, Hirono was on guard. After scaring the first few people she met, it was her turn to be on the defensive. She took a step back towards the lighthouse door, readying herself for a quick escape if she needed one. She needed to consider the shrimpy little bastard dangerous, despite being, well... Takaguchi.
"What the hell's going on?" She demanded to know. Her fingers were wrapped around her knife as she stared at him. She was pretty sure that she could beat him up if she had to, although the blood on his face made her worry about what exactly she might be dealing with.
As Hirono held her knife and raised her voice, Yuichiro’s palms sprung up in front of his face. It was a reflexive response to show how unarmed and harmless he was. No fingers hovering over triggers in these hands, no sir. His teeth clenched as he did so, as he felt his legs start to shake.
What was he supposed to do? Telling the truth was always the upstanding, moral thing to do, but it wasn’t exactly easy! Even if it was an accident, Niida-san was still dead because of his actions. If he told Shimizu-san that he had accidentally shot him in the balls, would she believe him? Even if she did (and he assumed she probably would, because the concept of lying was difficult for Yuichiro to process), she would know that he had accidentally killed Niida-san! That wouldn’t make her feel safe at all, much less make her want to stick around!
The tension thickened the air in the room as he tried to think what to do.
“Please, Shimizu-san! I’m not trying to hurt anyone!” he finally responded, throwing out the first words he could think. “It’s just that, well…”
He swallowed. He had tried to think what he could say to carefully sidestep the topic, but it was no good. He really couldn’t think of anything else to say, and the elephant in the room was hard to avoid.
Besides, how was she supposed to trust him if he wasn't honest?
“…Niida-san was here, and….”
He looked at the pool of blood. He swallowed again.
"...and I-"
He choked on the words. He could feel guilty tears welling up behind his eyes, ready to break through after being held back since the event in question. But he had to be honest.
"I- I shot him. Accidentally! I...shot him, accidentally."
What was he supposed to do? Telling the truth was always the upstanding, moral thing to do, but it wasn’t exactly easy! Even if it was an accident, Niida-san was still dead because of his actions. If he told Shimizu-san that he had accidentally shot him in the balls, would she believe him? Even if she did (and he assumed she probably would, because the concept of lying was difficult for Yuichiro to process), she would know that he had accidentally killed Niida-san! That wouldn’t make her feel safe at all, much less make her want to stick around!
The tension thickened the air in the room as he tried to think what to do.
“Please, Shimizu-san! I’m not trying to hurt anyone!” he finally responded, throwing out the first words he could think. “It’s just that, well…”
He swallowed. He had tried to think what he could say to carefully sidestep the topic, but it was no good. He really couldn’t think of anything else to say, and the elephant in the room was hard to avoid.
Besides, how was she supposed to trust him if he wasn't honest?
“…Niida-san was here, and….”
He looked at the pool of blood. He swallowed again.
"...and I-"
He choked on the words. He could feel guilty tears welling up behind his eyes, ready to break through after being held back since the event in question. But he had to be honest.
"I- I shot him. Accidentally! I...shot him, accidentally."
Hirono stared down Takaguchi, but she was surprised by how quickly he broke down. It wasn't even half a minute before the guy was putting his hands up and insisting that he didn't want to hurt anyone. If this had been a cop show, then she would be standing at the climax of the shortest episode ever. She thought that it was honestly a little pathetic to watch... but it also kind of reminder her of how she had been when Eto confronted her at the house. Although Hirono hadn't actually killed anyone in that instance.
Her first reaction to Takaguchi's claims was skepticism. Even if he did admit to killing Niida, he insisted that it was an accident. Of course he would. If someone killed accidentally, then they could still get some sympathy from the others if they learned about it. If they killed on purpose... well, she didn't feel like they could be totally blamed for that either, considering their circumstances. Unless they did it in a really sadistic way or something, that would be different. So really, Takaguchi's best move would be to claim it was an accident.
Hirono definitely had her doubts about his story, but... wait, was Takaguchi about to cry? His eyes were looking pretty moist, like tears were getting ready to start pouring out, and he was sounding pretty choked up by the time that he got around to saying that his shooting was an accident. Hirono was skeptical in a lot of areas, but she was pretty sure that this skinny-ass geek wasn't this good of an actor. Her guess was that either it really was an accident and he felt bad about it, or it was on purpose, and Takaguchi really regretted it.
Honestly, a part of her was still a little surprised that Niida didn't end up getting killed by a girl, but she could speculate on that later.
Beyond just Takaguchi's remorse, she didn't want him to start crying and attract any extra attention to the lighthouse. Hell, if people think that she made him cry, then it'll be even worse. In an attempt to curb this, she tried to keep the conversation going. "Shit, hey, don't freak out on me. Just let me know what happened, all right?" She took a cautious step back and tried not to look threatening, worrying that being too aggressive could set him off.
Her first reaction to Takaguchi's claims was skepticism. Even if he did admit to killing Niida, he insisted that it was an accident. Of course he would. If someone killed accidentally, then they could still get some sympathy from the others if they learned about it. If they killed on purpose... well, she didn't feel like they could be totally blamed for that either, considering their circumstances. Unless they did it in a really sadistic way or something, that would be different. So really, Takaguchi's best move would be to claim it was an accident.
Hirono definitely had her doubts about his story, but... wait, was Takaguchi about to cry? His eyes were looking pretty moist, like tears were getting ready to start pouring out, and he was sounding pretty choked up by the time that he got around to saying that his shooting was an accident. Hirono was skeptical in a lot of areas, but she was pretty sure that this skinny-ass geek wasn't this good of an actor. Her guess was that either it really was an accident and he felt bad about it, or it was on purpose, and Takaguchi really regretted it.
Honestly, a part of her was still a little surprised that Niida didn't end up getting killed by a girl, but she could speculate on that later.
Beyond just Takaguchi's remorse, she didn't want him to start crying and attract any extra attention to the lighthouse. Hell, if people think that she made him cry, then it'll be even worse. In an attempt to curb this, she tried to keep the conversation going. "Shit, hey, don't freak out on me. Just let me know what happened, all right?" She took a cautious step back and tried not to look threatening, worrying that being too aggressive could set him off.
Yuichiro snorted back the tears he hadn’t even realised were starting to flow. He wiped them away, along with and the snot that had started to pool under his nose, using the back of his sleeve. Between that, the blood, sweat and grime, he was really starting to look a mess.
How embarrassing, losing his cool like this in front of a girl. Yuichiro knew he was pretty shrimpy for a guy his age, but he didn’t want to look like a baby. “Sorry.” He said, rubbing the last of the tears out of his eye. He took a few moments more to right himself, but was able to speak clearly for his efforts.
“Niida-san had a gun, and he was talking about protecting girls like Takako-san. I had one too, and I wanted to show it to him, so that he knew I was on the same page. Then- I don’t know what happened, it just went off in my hands. I must’ve pulled the trigger accidentally, or maybe shook it too hard, or something. I don’t know. I tried to save him, but I couldn’t stop the bleeding. It was awful.”
He hung his head in shame, staring at his feet. The pool of blood lurked perpetually in the corner of his eye.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen, Shimizu-san. I don’t know what I did wrong.”
How embarrassing, losing his cool like this in front of a girl. Yuichiro knew he was pretty shrimpy for a guy his age, but he didn’t want to look like a baby. “Sorry.” He said, rubbing the last of the tears out of his eye. He took a few moments more to right himself, but was able to speak clearly for his efforts.
“Niida-san had a gun, and he was talking about protecting girls like Takako-san. I had one too, and I wanted to show it to him, so that he knew I was on the same page. Then- I don’t know what happened, it just went off in my hands. I must’ve pulled the trigger accidentally, or maybe shook it too hard, or something. I don’t know. I tried to save him, but I couldn’t stop the bleeding. It was awful.”
He hung his head in shame, staring at his feet. The pool of blood lurked perpetually in the corner of his eye.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen, Shimizu-san. I don’t know what I did wrong.”
Shit, shit, now Takaguchi was starting to cry. He wasn't getting loud yet, but his face was looking a hell of a mess, with tears and snot going everywhere. She really hoped that he didn't try to hug her or anything. She didn't want him smearing that shit on her. She saw him wipe his nose too, so she would be most comfortable with him not touching her at all. Maybe not even coming close to her, just to be safe.
She almost had to stifle a laugh when Takaguchi mentioned Niida wanting to protect the girls. This kid really was naive and trusting, wasn't he? Hirono would have bet money that Niida's real plan would have involved waving around his gun and trying to act like a big strong man in hopes of getting some action in the middle of a death game. Personally, Hirono would've taken the opportunity to kick him in the dick rather than suck it, and she was pretty sure that most girls would have done the same.
She wasn't going to mention that to Takaguchi, though. Speaking ill of the dead and all that shit. Besides, probably better not to say anything that could make him cry more. On the bright side, Takaguchi wasn't holding his gun, so Hirono wasn't gonna be catching a stray bullet. At least she had that working for her.
"That's the problem with guns. Super dangerous and shit." She commented before trying to shift the subject in a hopefully less uncomfortable direction. "So aside from Niida, have you seen anyone else yet?"
She almost had to stifle a laugh when Takaguchi mentioned Niida wanting to protect the girls. This kid really was naive and trusting, wasn't he? Hirono would have bet money that Niida's real plan would have involved waving around his gun and trying to act like a big strong man in hopes of getting some action in the middle of a death game. Personally, Hirono would've taken the opportunity to kick him in the dick rather than suck it, and she was pretty sure that most girls would have done the same.
She wasn't going to mention that to Takaguchi, though. Speaking ill of the dead and all that shit. Besides, probably better not to say anything that could make him cry more. On the bright side, Takaguchi wasn't holding his gun, so Hirono wasn't gonna be catching a stray bullet. At least she had that working for her.
"That's the problem with guns. Super dangerous and shit." She commented before trying to shift the subject in a hopefully less uncomfortable direction. "So aside from Niida, have you seen anyone else yet?"
Yuichiro blinked at Shimizu-san’s question. One minute, they had been discussing the death of their dear classmate. Then, a blunt dismissal of the accident and a moment later, she was ready to talk about something else?
Darn, Shimizu-san must’ve been as cool as a cucumber! To be able to talk about how he had unintentionally but brutally murdered their friend, ending his life for no good reason, and not fly into a rage or burst into tears? Truly, she was a role model for keeping a level head in crisis. Something Yuichiro would never be.
He realised he had been staring at her in awe, and shook his head back to his senses. Darn it, Yuichiro, get it together! Now was no time for hero worshipping; that could come later!
“Well, before Niida-san got here, Yahagi-san was here.” he said. Another flash of guilt flew across his eyes as he remembered the look on Yoshimi's face when she has been leaving. Should have mention how inappropriately he had been behaving with her? Shimizu-san and Yahagi-san were best friends, after all.
“...but she left, looking for Kuramoto-san. I don’t know where she went.”
He tented his fingers together, looking in yet another direction that wasn’t Hirono's. It was all the presented innocence of a robber with a hankerchief tied under their nose, carrying a bulging sack. He couldn't lie about it, but he could do his best to dodge the topic, which was a lot easier when it wasn't splattered all over the floor of the room they were in. After all, accidentally murdering Niida-san had been one thing, but putting the moves on Yahagi-san? That was really bad news, and no way Shimizu-san could forgive him for that!
Darn, Shimizu-san must’ve been as cool as a cucumber! To be able to talk about how he had unintentionally but brutally murdered their friend, ending his life for no good reason, and not fly into a rage or burst into tears? Truly, she was a role model for keeping a level head in crisis. Something Yuichiro would never be.
He realised he had been staring at her in awe, and shook his head back to his senses. Darn it, Yuichiro, get it together! Now was no time for hero worshipping; that could come later!
“Well, before Niida-san got here, Yahagi-san was here.” he said. Another flash of guilt flew across his eyes as he remembered the look on Yoshimi's face when she has been leaving. Should have mention how inappropriately he had been behaving with her? Shimizu-san and Yahagi-san were best friends, after all.
“...but she left, looking for Kuramoto-san. I don’t know where she went.”
He tented his fingers together, looking in yet another direction that wasn’t Hirono's. It was all the presented innocence of a robber with a hankerchief tied under their nose, carrying a bulging sack. He couldn't lie about it, but he could do his best to dodge the topic, which was a lot easier when it wasn't splattered all over the floor of the room they were in. After all, accidentally murdering Niida-san had been one thing, but putting the moves on Yahagi-san? That was really bad news, and no way Shimizu-san could forgive him for that!
As soon as Yoshimi's name comes out of Takaguchi's mouth, there's an immediate shift in her demeanor. Her expression that had been cautiously calm up to a moment ago was now surprised with a look of concern. She didn't care all that much about the situation with Niida anymore. She had something more important to think about now.
Yoshimi was still alive, or at least she had been earlier. She already knew that because Yoshimi's name hadn't been announced a few minutes ago, but to find someone who had actually found her and talked to her was a totally different story. Yoshimi wasn't as hard as herself or Mitsuko, so Hirono was more worried about her than any of the others. Yeah, she knew their situation, but knowing that one of her friends was okay gave her a small bit of comfort.
The fact that she was looking for Kuramoto didn't do much for her, because to be honest, she thought that Kuramoto was kind of a loser. Yeah, Hirono was glad that she was happy with the guy and all, but that didn't mean that she had to have a super-high opinion of him. Besides, if Yoshimi found him, then she'd probably be able to keep herself safe for a little while.
"Okay, listen Takaguchi." She focused her gaze on the smaller boy, her eyes as serious as her voice. "Did Yoshimi say anything else? Any hint on where she was going? Was she hurt? I gotta know this stuff, man."
Yoshimi was still alive, or at least she had been earlier. She already knew that because Yoshimi's name hadn't been announced a few minutes ago, but to find someone who had actually found her and talked to her was a totally different story. Yoshimi wasn't as hard as herself or Mitsuko, so Hirono was more worried about her than any of the others. Yeah, she knew their situation, but knowing that one of her friends was okay gave her a small bit of comfort.
The fact that she was looking for Kuramoto didn't do much for her, because to be honest, she thought that Kuramoto was kind of a loser. Yeah, Hirono was glad that she was happy with the guy and all, but that didn't mean that she had to have a super-high opinion of him. Besides, if Yoshimi found him, then she'd probably be able to keep herself safe for a little while.
"Okay, listen Takaguchi." She focused her gaze on the smaller boy, her eyes as serious as her voice. "Did Yoshimi say anything else? Any hint on where she was going? Was she hurt? I gotta know this stuff, man."
Beads of sweat formed on Yuichiro’s brow, as he stared intently at the floor. Shimizu-san’s tone pierced him like a knife, bombarding him with question after question.
It was too much to bear.
“I’m sorry, Shimizu-san!” he cracked, tiny hands curling into fists. “I drove her off! I thought that she wanted to ‘go down’ on me, and I pushed her into a corner! If I hadn’t been such a horn dog, she might have stuck around!”
He scrunched his eyes shut in humiliation. He could still see Yahagi-san's disturbed expression, right before she had run out the lighthouse. Another person he had hurt, two in one night! Who knew what he would do to Shimizu-san if she stuck around too long?
“I didn’t mean to upset her, but she left before I could apologise. I’m such an idiot…”
It was too much to bear.
“I’m sorry, Shimizu-san!” he cracked, tiny hands curling into fists. “I drove her off! I thought that she wanted to ‘go down’ on me, and I pushed her into a corner! If I hadn’t been such a horn dog, she might have stuck around!”
He scrunched his eyes shut in humiliation. He could still see Yahagi-san's disturbed expression, right before she had run out the lighthouse. Another person he had hurt, two in one night! Who knew what he would do to Shimizu-san if she stuck around too long?
“I didn’t mean to upset her, but she left before I could apologise. I’m such an idiot…”
Hirono was listening closely as Takaguchi opened his mouth and began to explain what happened when he met Yoshimi. His immediate, visceral reaction made her worry. Had she been hurt? Was she in danger?
Once more words came from Takaguchi's mouth, that worry quickly turned to anger, and her expression changed fittingly. Her eyes narrowed into a piercing gaze, and her unsure face now wore a vicious scowl. This shrimpy fucker tried to make a move on Yoshimi. Did he think that them being on death island gave him leverage or some shit? She'd expect this kinda shit from Niida, but Takaguchi wasn't even on her radar for that. At least, he hadn't been until that moment.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Her voice was absolutely acidic as she spat her accusations at Takaguchi. She reached out and grabbed him roughly by his collar, intending to force him to look at her while she was talking. "What, you thought that she'd suck your nerdy-ass dick just because she used to hook up with guys downtown, is that it?"
It wasn't hard for Hirono to imagine why Yoshimi hadn't stuck around now, even without adding in the fact that Niida had ended up popping in as well. Takaguchi's sputtered apologies barely fazed her. Unless he reversed course very fast, he was about to be eating some knuckles for breakfast.
Once more words came from Takaguchi's mouth, that worry quickly turned to anger, and her expression changed fittingly. Her eyes narrowed into a piercing gaze, and her unsure face now wore a vicious scowl. This shrimpy fucker tried to make a move on Yoshimi. Did he think that them being on death island gave him leverage or some shit? She'd expect this kinda shit from Niida, but Takaguchi wasn't even on her radar for that. At least, he hadn't been until that moment.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Her voice was absolutely acidic as she spat her accusations at Takaguchi. She reached out and grabbed him roughly by his collar, intending to force him to look at her while she was talking. "What, you thought that she'd suck your nerdy-ass dick just because she used to hook up with guys downtown, is that it?"
It wasn't hard for Hirono to imagine why Yoshimi hadn't stuck around now, even without adding in the fact that Niida had ended up popping in as well. Takaguchi's sputtered apologies barely fazed her. Unless he reversed course very fast, he was about to be eating some knuckles for breakfast.
“What? I didn’t know about that!” Yuichiro replied, waving his hands feebly in front of his face. It was mostly true. Yeah, he’d heard rumours, but Yuichiro didn’t believe rumours. People made up gross stuff about girls all the time; guy humour, he had written it off as. So when people talked about Yahagi-san doing stuff like that, he thought it was just a bad joke between boys being boys.
But now Shimizu-san was saying it, and Shimizu-san wouldn’t lie about her best friend, so did that mean it was true?
Oh geez, poor Yahagi-san! And here he was, acting like some pervy…hooker-upper guy!
“Please Shimizu-san, honest! If I had known about any of that, I wouldn’t have said anything! …N-N-not that it makes it OK that I did anyway! I don’t know why I did it, Shimizu-san! I feel awful about it!”
The collar bit into the back of his neck as Hirono held it tight. If he wasn't being supported, his legs would no doubt have buckled under him and sent him sprawling to the floor.
But now Shimizu-san was saying it, and Shimizu-san wouldn’t lie about her best friend, so did that mean it was true?
Oh geez, poor Yahagi-san! And here he was, acting like some pervy…hooker-upper guy!
“Please Shimizu-san, honest! If I had known about any of that, I wouldn’t have said anything! …N-N-not that it makes it OK that I did anyway! I don’t know why I did it, Shimizu-san! I feel awful about it!”
The collar bit into the back of his neck as Hirono held it tight. If he wasn't being supported, his legs would no doubt have buckled under him and sent him sprawling to the floor.
Hirono kept her ice-cold stare on Takaguchi as he claimed that he never knew about Yoshimi and Hirono's side hustle. Was he telling the truth? Hirono wasn't too quick to believe him. She knew all too well how wide the rumors spread across the school. She'd had to deal with guys asking how much she charged between classes, and earned some behavioral infractions for handing out some bloody noses when she didn't feel like turning the other cheek. And now Takaguchi wanted to say that he never heard a thing about it.
Maybe he was just a dumbass otaku who let everything fly over his head. Hirono didn't know. She and Takaguchi sure as hell weren't friends. Hell, she barely knew the guy outside of class. She thought he had seemed nice enough, though. That didn't mean she was gonna let him off the hook, though. Not by a long shot. He should be off fantasizing about his anime girls or whatever, not Hirono's friends.
"Yoshimi's suffering enough out here. She doesn't need you making it worse." She states firmly, making sure that Takaguchi clearly hears every word. "Stay away from her, you understand?" Hirono's tone was intimidating, but she didn't raise her knife or even a fist to emphasize her words. Instead, she used a fierce glare to make sure that Takaguchi got the message.
Maybe he was just a dumbass otaku who let everything fly over his head. Hirono didn't know. She and Takaguchi sure as hell weren't friends. Hell, she barely knew the guy outside of class. She thought he had seemed nice enough, though. That didn't mean she was gonna let him off the hook, though. Not by a long shot. He should be off fantasizing about his anime girls or whatever, not Hirono's friends.
"Yoshimi's suffering enough out here. She doesn't need you making it worse." She states firmly, making sure that Takaguchi clearly hears every word. "Stay away from her, you understand?" Hirono's tone was intimidating, but she didn't raise her knife or even a fist to emphasize her words. Instead, she used a fierce glare to make sure that Takaguchi got the message.
“O-0h, well…”
Yuichiro looked aside to avoid the penetrating eye contact of Shimizu-san. If they were still at school, he probably would’ve respected the request and kept his distance. Ideally he’d have a chance to apologise first, but the last thing he ever ever ever wanted was to make people even a little bit uncomfortable or upset.
But this was different. They were in a really dangerous situation, and he was trying to put together a safehouse. What if Yahagi-san did come back, and she wanted shelter? He couldn’t stay away from her then, not without leaving the place. And he needed to stay there, because he had to try to help out everyone he could. And that was best accomplished by being around to wait hand and foot on them.
It was an ethical pickle.
“The thing is, Shimizu-san…. Well, I’m trying to make people feel safe here. And if she comes back, I still want her to feel that way too, if she wants to stay. But I understand what you mean, and I’m not going to go looking for her.”
He did feel bad, leaving her out in the cold where anything could happen. But he had to pay penance for his sins, and not try to force his well wishing on her just to make himself feel better. Maybe she’d found Kuramoto-san by now? He could only hope.
“But you can stay here too, if you want! Maybe we can wait for her to come back together?”
He looked back at her, offering a very awkward but sincere smile. He hoped she wasn’t about to spit his offer back in his face. Or break his nose. Neither would be ideal.
Yuichiro looked aside to avoid the penetrating eye contact of Shimizu-san. If they were still at school, he probably would’ve respected the request and kept his distance. Ideally he’d have a chance to apologise first, but the last thing he ever ever ever wanted was to make people even a little bit uncomfortable or upset.
But this was different. They were in a really dangerous situation, and he was trying to put together a safehouse. What if Yahagi-san did come back, and she wanted shelter? He couldn’t stay away from her then, not without leaving the place. And he needed to stay there, because he had to try to help out everyone he could. And that was best accomplished by being around to wait hand and foot on them.
It was an ethical pickle.
“The thing is, Shimizu-san…. Well, I’m trying to make people feel safe here. And if she comes back, I still want her to feel that way too, if she wants to stay. But I understand what you mean, and I’m not going to go looking for her.”
He did feel bad, leaving her out in the cold where anything could happen. But he had to pay penance for his sins, and not try to force his well wishing on her just to make himself feel better. Maybe she’d found Kuramoto-san by now? He could only hope.
“But you can stay here too, if you want! Maybe we can wait for her to come back together?”
He looked back at her, offering a very awkward but sincere smile. He hoped she wasn’t about to spit his offer back in his face. Or break his nose. Neither would be ideal.