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Chapter 53
Word's counted -- 1500
Enjoy.
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Akane sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She finally looked up at Aki, her face pale, her eyes swollen from crying.
Then her voice rose, filled with raw pain. "What do you care?!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "What do you know about what I've been through? Don't bring my parents into this! Don't talk to me like you know me, like you understand how much I've suffered!" She glared at him through the haze of her tears. "You're just like the others, criticizing me, judging me... but please..." Her voice broke, trembling as more sobs escaped. "Please... don't pity me. Don't act like you care... hic... hic..."
The rain continued to pour down, drenching them both. Aki stood frozen, staring at the broken girl in front of him. Her words stung, but he ignored the sting. He wasn't here to pity her, nor was he here to judge her. He just wanted to save her,
But now seeing her face up close words stuck on his throat?
He looked closer at her face, and something clicked in his mind. He repeated, almost to himself, "Akane?"
Akane froze for a moment, her panic evident. "Ah... I get it," she whispered, her voice hollow. "Everyone probably knows me by now..." She laughed bitterly. "Of course. Why wouldn't you? The whole world's probably seen everything by now. Just another reason to laugh at me, right?"
Aki frowned. This was worse than he thought. He didn't know what is going on in this story, but it was clear the girl in front of him was shattered. His mind raced, trying to piece together what had driven the timeline to change so much. But he couldn't dwell on it now. There were more important things to focus on — like getting her away from this bridge and out of the rain.
Without saying another word, Aki moved toward her. Before she could react, he grabbed her waist and hoisted her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?!" Akane screamed, struggling in his grip. "Let me go! Let me go! Ahhh! Help! Help!"
Aki sighed, ignoring her cries and the kicks she tried to land on him. "Why are you shouting for help?" he asked, his voice cold and calm. "Weren't you about to throw your life away? So why not have a bit of fun before you die?" His tone was harsh, but he was trying to get through to her in any way he could.
Akane's struggles intensified. "No! No, please! Let me go! I'm begging you!" she cried, her voice filled with desperation.
Aki carried her to the car parked nearby and shoved her into the backseat, not even bothering to let her argue. She tried to scramble out, but the driver turned around, his voice as cold as Aki's. "Miss, stop struggling, or you'll dirty the seat. And trust me, you don't want to make me mad."
Akane froze, terrified as she finally noticed the intimidating man in the driver's seat. She gulped, realizing with dread that they were in this together.
"Drive back to where we came from," Aki said, his tone commanding.
Akane's heart sank even further. They're accomplices, she thought. Am I... am I going to be violated before I die? Is this how it ends for me?
Tears streamed down her face as she curled up in the corner of the backseat, sobbing softly. She had no more strength to fight. "Mom... Dad... please save me... hic hic..."
Aki glanced at her through the rearview mirror, seeing her quiet sobbing. He sighed deeply, realizing how wrong she had taken the situation. He hadn't meant for this to escalate like this.
"Just great," Aki muttered to himself. "Now I'm heading back to the hospital again."
As they drove in silence, the sound of the rain pounding against the windows seemed to echo the turmoil in Akane's heart.
"Aghhahhg Uwaaaahhh ahhhhh!" Akane wailed in her mother's arms, her body trembling with sobs.
Her mother held her close, tears in her own eyes, stroking her daughter's hair gently. "My daughter told me not to watch her show... and I'm largely unfamiliar with the internet... I never imagined such things were happening." Her voice cracked, her heart breaking at the realization of how much pain Akane had been hiding.
"Why didn't you talk to me about this?" she asked softly, her voice filled with hurt.
Akane sobbed harder, clinging to her mother tighter. "Sob Because... I didn't want to worry you... sob I didn't want you to think less of me..." Her words were broken, barely able to get them out through her tears.
Her mother sighed, holding her daughter even tighter, trying to offer comfort despite her own overwhelming emotions. Meanwhile, the police were finishing up taking statements from those involved. Akane's mother looked over at the boy standing near the door, clearly curious about who he was.
The police officer caught her glance and offered an explanation. "Ah, I forgot to introduce him. This young man is Aki Shijo. He's the one who contacted us and brought your daughter to the hospital."
Hearing this, Akane's mother looked over at Aki with a mix of gratitude and surprise. Aki stepped forward, bowing slightly in respect before speaking. "I hope I'm not interrupting. I was just... worried she might do something reckless."
Her mother shook her head, her voice trembling. "No, no, it's not an interruption at all. I can't imagine what might've happened if... if she..." She couldn't finish, her hand covering her mouth as she fought back tears, her heart aching for the daughter she almost lost.
Aki sighed, glancing at Akane. She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt seeing her mother's distress. When her eyes met Aki's, he gave her a subtle signal as if to say, See? You almost died, and this is how your mother reacts. Imagine how she'd feel if you were really gone.
Akane lowered her head, her guilt intensifying as she realized the full impact of her actions. Her tears began to flow again, though this time in silence, as she absorbed the weight of the situation.
"I'll wait outside," Aki said softly, turning to the police. "Just let me know if you need my statement as well." With that, he stepped out of the room, giving them privacy. He sat down on a bench outside the hospital room, running a hand through his hair in exhaustion.
"Sigh I need to inform Seely that I'll be late. Or worse, I might end up staying here all night..."
As Aki was sending his message, a group of boys and girls around his age came rushing toward Akane's hospital room. They gathered around, peeking through the glass window of the door, all of them anxious to see if Akane was alright. Seeing her with her mother, a collective sigh of relief escaped them, and they began to sit down in exhaustion near Aki.
There were two boys and two girls among them, their faces etched with worry and fatigue.
One of the boys, who had dark hair and a serious expression, sat down next to Aki and asked, "Are you here for Akane too?"
Aki glanced at him briefly before replying, "Yeah, you could say that."
A girl with a yellow bob-cut hair stepped forward, her curiosity piqued. "Are you Akane's brother? Or maybe her cousin?"
Aki shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "No, no, we're not related. Matter of fact, I only met her not too long ago," he explained, his tone casual.
"Oh, then—" the girl started, but before she could finish her sentence, a sudden, sharp sound echoed down the hallway. It was unmistakable—the sound of a slap.
Everyone, including Aki, whipped their heads toward the door. Their eyes widened in shock as they saw Akane standing in the doorway, her cheek red and stinging from the impact. The girl with the long hair, standing in front of Akane, her hand trembling from the force of the slap.
The atmosphere turned heavy, the echo of the slap still lingering in the air. Akane's eyes were wide, tears already welling up again as she looked at her friend in confusion and hurt. Her mother stood behind her, looking equally stunned but saying nothing.
For a moment, no one said a word. The girl who slapped Akane, her voice tight with emotion, finally broke the silence. "What were you thinking, Akane?! How could you even consider... doing something like that? You didn't even think about us!"
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