[Fanfiction] Love with Trouble Chapter 4
Here it is people. The fourth chapter of Love with Trouble. It stays a bit dark until the next chapter, but I hope you'll forgive me for that. I don't own Gokusen or Shin or Yankumi or any of the others, I'm just using them as playthings for my imagination 0_~
”Shin, I found her! I'm following them now!” Uchi's urgent voice on the other end of the phone made Shin stop in his tracks.
”Where are you?”
”On the road that leads to that old closed-down factory.”
”I'm on my way.” Shin hesitated before he asked the question he most dreaded the answer to. ”Uchi... How does she look?”
He could hear his friend gulp on the other end.
”Shin, it's bad, seriously bad. She's bruised and battered, and she's bleeding in the face. But that's not the worst. Her clothes are in shambles and she's not resisting at all, just goes along with them holding her up. I don't think she can walk on her own.”
At this Shin drew a sharp breath and ran even faster.
”Shin...” There was pain and fear in Uchi's voice that worried Shin.
”Shin, her eyes are completely empty. It's really scary. What have they done to her...”
Shin could feel every trace of blood leave his face. That couldn't be right. Yankumi was strong. Just what had they done to be able to break her? To stop himself from imagining it, he yelled into the phone.
”I'll be there soon. Call the others and tell them to come.”
Then he hung up and started to dial a number.
”Tetsu? It's me. I know where she is...”
Fifteen minutes later Shin spotted Uchi, Noda and Minami outside the old factory. He hurried over to them.
”Shin!” Uchi met his eyes and motioned for him to be quiet.
Shin quietly sneaked up to his friends and looked questionly at Uchi.
”They went in there. Shin, what should we do?”
Shin had never seen his friend so worried in the time they'd known each other. While he concidered what to do, the rest of the old 3D showed up, and when he saw the tears in Kuma's eyes he made his decision.
”Back-up is on it's way, but we don't have time to wait for them. We will do what she would do.”
The others nodded in understandment, fully aware that Shin just ordered a break-in. They all turned to the factory door as one body and charged at it. When they got in however, they froze to the spot. Shin was sure that his heart stopped beating for several seconds. In front of them were a sight that they couldn't really comprehend. There weren't many of them, maybe twenty thugs in all, and none of them had noticed the intrusion, but in this case that would be more than enough. Shin's eyes fixed on Yankumi who was standing between two of the men who held her up, and in front of her stood a man with a gun to her head. But what was the most frightening was that she didn't do anything, just stood there waiting for them to shoot her. When the man cocked the gun he couldn't hold his voice anymore.
”YANKUMI!” His yell echoed from the steelwalls and was soon joined by the other's voices. While the gang turned to see who was there, Shin watched how Yankumi slowly raised her head and met his eyes. For a few moments nothing happened, she didn't even seem to see him.. But just when Shin was about to turn his eyes away to have a go at the bastards who made her like this, something happened. A small spark of recognition flickered across her face and her eyes lit up. It only lasted a split second, then she slid down to the floor when her holders let go of her to deal with the sudden intruders.
”Sawada...” the whisper was only barely audiable, but it was all Shin needed. She had seen and recognized him. The next second he had to turn away, because the gang had gotten over their surprise and launched an attack on the boys.
Kumiko didn't have any recollection of how she got to the factory. In fact, she couldn't remember anything after they told her it was time to go. In that moment she died inside. The person who brought her back was the one person she didn't want involved. Sawada Shin. She noticed dimly that the rest of the 3D guys were there too and she cursed at herself for being too weak to help them. This was no fight they could win. She tried to get to her feet and painfully slow she almost managed before she lost her balance and fell backwards. To her surprise she didn't hit concrete, but a warm body.
”Don't be rash, stupid”, a gentle voice scolded her.
”Sawada. You shouldn't be here.” Kumiko's voice was weak but firm when she lifted her eyes to meet his. ”Tell the others to get out, you can't win this. You're not supposed to be here in the first place.”
She watched in horror how the boy shook his head and his eyes hardened for a second while looking at the fight that was going on around them. His former class-mates were desperately fighting to keep the thugs away from the two.
”They wouldn't stop even if I told them to.”
”But why? They're going to get themselves killed, Shin. You have to get them out of here.”
Kumiko almost bit her tounge when she realised that she had called him by his first name. She saw the surprise in his eyes for a split second before his lips crooked into an almost amused smile.
”Why, you ask. Yankumi, you've saved all out necks more times than we can count. If we didn't try to do the same for you, we would be the worst people ever.”
Kumiko couldn't hold back a slight smile.
”Sometimes I wish you had a little less sense of honour. It might keep you alive.”
”I don't think you need to worry.”
She looked at him in surprise.
”What do you mean?”
”Look for yourself.”
And Kumiko looked around her. The boys of 3D were badly beaten up, but nowhere near broken. The thugs on the other hand were steadily decrasing in numbers of concious members. Then suddenly a small movement caught her eye. The gang leader had turned desperate and now he stood, pointing his gun at the two of them. Kumiko felt a shiver down her spine, but couldn't definiate if it was fear of anticipation. But when the man spoke she felt her entire body go cold.
”Nobody move! Unless you want a bullet in your leader. I promise, at this distance I won't miss.”
It was as if the entire factory had frozen to ice. Everybody was looking between the gun and Sawada Shin. Kumiko hesitated for a second, then she whispered to him where they were sitting on the floor.
”Tell everyone I'm sorry I caused them trouble.”
She could feel his gaze, but didn't meet it and didn't offer an explanation. After a few seconds she continued.
”And also...” she suddenly leaned towards him, ignoring the leader's yell not to move and kissed Sawada Shin softly on the cheek. She met his surprised eyes for a split second before she placed her hands firmly on his chest.
”Thank you...”
He felt the push in the same moment that he heard the gunshot, and as he was still sitting hunched he had no way to stop the fall. Before he had time to react he was sitting on the floor looking at Yankumi's lifeless body in front of him. She had taken the bullet for him! He didn't notice the others throwing themselves over the leader, taking the gun from him, nor did he notice when the group from Ooeda showed up. He crawled on all four towards the limp form of the woman he loved, tears obstructing his sight. When he reached her he grasped her hand. The words she had whispered as she pushed him away echoed in his head together with the image of her eyes. She hadn't been scared. On the contrary, the look in her eyes had been completely content. She hadn't hesitated to die. He sensed rather than saw how the old Ooeda-boss kneeled beside him.
”What happened boy?” The voice was filled with grief, but still held a trace of hope as he searched for any trace of life in his granddaughter.
”He was aiming at me... saying he'd shoot if anyone moved... She...” his hand involuntarily flew up to the cheek she had kissed, unable to continue.
He didn't have to. Suddenly the old yakuza-boss raised to his feet.
”Call an ambulance, quick! She's still breathing!”
~To be continued~
There it is. Did I have you scared for a moment there? But don't worry, it's supposed to turn out as a ShinKumi story, so I'll have to keep them both alive right..
Hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to finish the next one as soon as possible.
”Shin, I found her! I'm following them now!” Uchi's urgent voice on the other end of the phone made Shin stop in his tracks.
”Where are you?”
”On the road that leads to that old closed-down factory.”
”I'm on my way.” Shin hesitated before he asked the question he most dreaded the answer to. ”Uchi... How does she look?”
He could hear his friend gulp on the other end.
”Shin, it's bad, seriously bad. She's bruised and battered, and she's bleeding in the face. But that's not the worst. Her clothes are in shambles and she's not resisting at all, just goes along with them holding her up. I don't think she can walk on her own.”
At this Shin drew a sharp breath and ran even faster.
”Shin...” There was pain and fear in Uchi's voice that worried Shin.
”Shin, her eyes are completely empty. It's really scary. What have they done to her...”
Shin could feel every trace of blood leave his face. That couldn't be right. Yankumi was strong. Just what had they done to be able to break her? To stop himself from imagining it, he yelled into the phone.
”I'll be there soon. Call the others and tell them to come.”
Then he hung up and started to dial a number.
”Tetsu? It's me. I know where she is...”
Fifteen minutes later Shin spotted Uchi, Noda and Minami outside the old factory. He hurried over to them.
”Shin!” Uchi met his eyes and motioned for him to be quiet.
Shin quietly sneaked up to his friends and looked questionly at Uchi.
”They went in there. Shin, what should we do?”
Shin had never seen his friend so worried in the time they'd known each other. While he concidered what to do, the rest of the old 3D showed up, and when he saw the tears in Kuma's eyes he made his decision.
”Back-up is on it's way, but we don't have time to wait for them. We will do what she would do.”
The others nodded in understandment, fully aware that Shin just ordered a break-in. They all turned to the factory door as one body and charged at it. When they got in however, they froze to the spot. Shin was sure that his heart stopped beating for several seconds. In front of them were a sight that they couldn't really comprehend. There weren't many of them, maybe twenty thugs in all, and none of them had noticed the intrusion, but in this case that would be more than enough. Shin's eyes fixed on Yankumi who was standing between two of the men who held her up, and in front of her stood a man with a gun to her head. But what was the most frightening was that she didn't do anything, just stood there waiting for them to shoot her. When the man cocked the gun he couldn't hold his voice anymore.
”YANKUMI!” His yell echoed from the steelwalls and was soon joined by the other's voices. While the gang turned to see who was there, Shin watched how Yankumi slowly raised her head and met his eyes. For a few moments nothing happened, she didn't even seem to see him.. But just when Shin was about to turn his eyes away to have a go at the bastards who made her like this, something happened. A small spark of recognition flickered across her face and her eyes lit up. It only lasted a split second, then she slid down to the floor when her holders let go of her to deal with the sudden intruders.
”Sawada...” the whisper was only barely audiable, but it was all Shin needed. She had seen and recognized him. The next second he had to turn away, because the gang had gotten over their surprise and launched an attack on the boys.
Kumiko didn't have any recollection of how she got to the factory. In fact, she couldn't remember anything after they told her it was time to go. In that moment she died inside. The person who brought her back was the one person she didn't want involved. Sawada Shin. She noticed dimly that the rest of the 3D guys were there too and she cursed at herself for being too weak to help them. This was no fight they could win. She tried to get to her feet and painfully slow she almost managed before she lost her balance and fell backwards. To her surprise she didn't hit concrete, but a warm body.
”Don't be rash, stupid”, a gentle voice scolded her.
”Sawada. You shouldn't be here.” Kumiko's voice was weak but firm when she lifted her eyes to meet his. ”Tell the others to get out, you can't win this. You're not supposed to be here in the first place.”
She watched in horror how the boy shook his head and his eyes hardened for a second while looking at the fight that was going on around them. His former class-mates were desperately fighting to keep the thugs away from the two.
”They wouldn't stop even if I told them to.”
”But why? They're going to get themselves killed, Shin. You have to get them out of here.”
Kumiko almost bit her tounge when she realised that she had called him by his first name. She saw the surprise in his eyes for a split second before his lips crooked into an almost amused smile.
”Why, you ask. Yankumi, you've saved all out necks more times than we can count. If we didn't try to do the same for you, we would be the worst people ever.”
Kumiko couldn't hold back a slight smile.
”Sometimes I wish you had a little less sense of honour. It might keep you alive.”
”I don't think you need to worry.”
She looked at him in surprise.
”What do you mean?”
”Look for yourself.”
And Kumiko looked around her. The boys of 3D were badly beaten up, but nowhere near broken. The thugs on the other hand were steadily decrasing in numbers of concious members. Then suddenly a small movement caught her eye. The gang leader had turned desperate and now he stood, pointing his gun at the two of them. Kumiko felt a shiver down her spine, but couldn't definiate if it was fear of anticipation. But when the man spoke she felt her entire body go cold.
”Nobody move! Unless you want a bullet in your leader. I promise, at this distance I won't miss.”
It was as if the entire factory had frozen to ice. Everybody was looking between the gun and Sawada Shin. Kumiko hesitated for a second, then she whispered to him where they were sitting on the floor.
”Tell everyone I'm sorry I caused them trouble.”
She could feel his gaze, but didn't meet it and didn't offer an explanation. After a few seconds she continued.
”And also...” she suddenly leaned towards him, ignoring the leader's yell not to move and kissed Sawada Shin softly on the cheek. She met his surprised eyes for a split second before she placed her hands firmly on his chest.
”Thank you...”
He felt the push in the same moment that he heard the gunshot, and as he was still sitting hunched he had no way to stop the fall. Before he had time to react he was sitting on the floor looking at Yankumi's lifeless body in front of him. She had taken the bullet for him! He didn't notice the others throwing themselves over the leader, taking the gun from him, nor did he notice when the group from Ooeda showed up. He crawled on all four towards the limp form of the woman he loved, tears obstructing his sight. When he reached her he grasped her hand. The words she had whispered as she pushed him away echoed in his head together with the image of her eyes. She hadn't been scared. On the contrary, the look in her eyes had been completely content. She hadn't hesitated to die. He sensed rather than saw how the old Ooeda-boss kneeled beside him.
”What happened boy?” The voice was filled with grief, but still held a trace of hope as he searched for any trace of life in his granddaughter.
”He was aiming at me... saying he'd shoot if anyone moved... She...” his hand involuntarily flew up to the cheek she had kissed, unable to continue.
He didn't have to. Suddenly the old yakuza-boss raised to his feet.
”Call an ambulance, quick! She's still breathing!”
~To be continued~
There it is. Did I have you scared for a moment there? But don't worry, it's supposed to turn out as a ShinKumi story, so I'll have to keep them both alive right..
Hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to finish the next one as soon as possible.