I walked out of the ramen shop with quick steps, my eyes searching for the man who had just beaten my pride in public. He was walking steadily, his body looking tense, as if trying to escape the situation that had just happened.
"Hey!" I called out to him, my voice louder this time.
The man didn't turn his head, even quickening his pace. I couldn't just let him go. There was something about him-the way he looked at me with such deep hatred-that made me certain he knew something about this body, about Shinichiro Ito.
"Stop!" I called out again, but there was still no reaction.
I quickened my pace, almost running behind him. My breath was ragged, this weak body felt like it was going to collapse, but I didn't care. Finally, I managed to reach out to the man and pulled his arm forcefully.
He stopped, turning around with a rough movement. His face was instantly filled with anger, his eyes burning like embers.
"What do you want?!" he snapped, his voice sharp as a knife.
I swallowed, trying to calm myself despite my racing heart. "I just want to talk," I said, my voice shaking slightly.
"Talk?!" he leaned closer, making me take a step back. "What can you say?!"
I stayed where I was, not backing down. "I don't know what happened. I don't even know who you are. I just want answers."
He laughed coldly, his head shaking as if I was a joke to him. "Answers? You SAY? After all you've done, you think I'd waste time explaining to you?"
I frowned, confused by his accusation. "I don't know what you mean!" I exclaimed.
The man twisted his arm to break free from my grip. But I didn't give up so easily. "Please, listen to me, I beg you!"
He looked at me sharply, his breathing sounding heavy. "If you don't let go of me, I swear you'll regret it!"
I knew I had to be careful, but I had no choice. If I don't get an answer from him, I don't know how else I can find out the truth about this body.
Even so I stood my ground, not taking my eyes off him. I felt like someone standing on the brink, but I couldn't stop now.
"I said let go of me!" he shouted.
PLAK
But before I could react, he threw his fist at my face. I didn't have time to dodge. The punch was hard, it hit my cheek, and I immediately fell to the cold sidewalk.
The pain traveled from my cheek to my jaw, making my vision spin slightly. I held my face with shaking hands, trying to cope with the pain. But more than the physical pain, his anger pierced me deeper.
"Don't ever touch me again!" he said in a hateful tone. He stepped back, looking like he wanted to leave.
But I couldn't just let him go. With all the courage I had left, I forced my body to rise to a kneeling position. I looked down deeply, until my forehead touched the ground.
"Dogeza," I muttered to myself. I couldn't believe I had to do this.
"Please listen to me!" my voice broke, filled with desperation. "I don't know what's going on! I don't know who you are, or what's going on with this body! I'm not who you think I am!"
He paused for a moment. I could hear his halting steps, and the silence felt like a judgment.
"What do you mean?" he asked finally, his voice quieter but still full of suspicion.
I raised my head slightly, just enough to look at him with pleading eyes. "I... I'm not Shinichiro Ito. I mean, this body may be his, but I'm not him. I don't know what he did, or why everyone hates him. I don't even know why I'm in this body!"
He gave me a confused look, then laughed coldly. "Are you serious? You want to tell me you're someone else? You think I'd believe that nonsense?"
"I don't care if you believe me or not," I said in a trembling voice. "But I really don't know anything. I just want to know what really happened."
He looked at me for a long time, as if trying to read whether I was lying or not. His face that was originally full of anger slowly turned into confusion.
"You really don't know?" he asked finally, in a softer tone.
I shook my head. "I swear."
He let out a long breath, then looked at me with an expression that was hard to interpret. "Then you have a big problem," he said quietly.
After speaking like that I was still kneeling, looking at him with a pleading face. He looked doubtful, his eyes scanning my face as if looking for signs of a lie. After a while, he let out a long breath, tempering him anger.
"Get up," he said finally, his voice calmer but still firm.
I raised my head, looking at him in confusion. "You... You're going to listen to me?" I asked, barely believing it.
He nodded slowly, then held out his hand. I stared at the hand for a moment before taking it. He helped me up, though I still felt pain in my cheek from his earlier punch.
"My name is Ryota Nakamura," he said, his voice cold yet firm. "I'm a private detective."
I stared at him with widened eyes. "Detective?"
"Right," he said as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "And I know a lot about Shinichiro Ito, including things you might not want to know."
I paused, his words making me even more curious and worried.
"But, if you really aren't him," he continued while looking at me doubtfully, "you should know that you're in the middle of a big mess."
"I... I want to know everything," I said in a low voice.
He sighed again, this time with a softer expression. "We can't talk here. Follow me."
I followed his lead, feeling that this was the only way to get answers. Even though I didn't know where we were going, or what I was going to hear, I knew that Ryota was probably the only person who could help me understand what was going on.
As we walked away from the dark streets, I couldn't help the fear that began to run through my body. What did Ryota really know? And how deep will this mess take me?