Aishiteiru, Goshujinsama - Ch. 16/?
Hey everyone. I had a few minutes so I've decided to post. NEW JOB!! ulgh, it can be tiring. Doing things a little backwards--i'll respond to comments later. For now i just wanted to get out the next chapter.
Oh, anyone who can guess my favorite line in this ch. gets special mentioning in the next!! ;Db
Here ya go! Enjoy~
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16. Red Crosses and Brass Badges
“Hey-hey, he’s coming to. Nino-hey-can you hear me?”
“Matsujun…?”
Nino cracked open an eye and was greeted by none other than the man whose grand idea had landed them in all this trouble. Still, upon waking Nino found he couldn’t bring himself to resent that fact. He hurt all over, and if hell was anything like the real world, well, he’d best start saying his prayers now. But pain meant he was alive, and for that he was eternally grateful.
He took in his surroundings-white walls, white bed sheets, and the smell of antiseptic. Sho and Aiba stood by the end of the bed, and Jun sat beside him. But where was…
“Satoshi…where is he? Is he alright? Satoshi…”
It was an effort to speak, like someone had stuffed a load of cotton balls in his mouth. He figured it must be the morphine, only it wasn’t working very well…
“He’s here,” Sho announced. Jun moved from the bedside as Ohno rushed from the back of the room, taking his place.
“Nino!”
All the cobwebs instantly cleared from his mind, and Nino bolted upright. He regretted it immediately, cringing as his stomach seemed to tear apart from the inside. Gasping, he hugged his gut, squeezing his eyes shut against the searing pain.
“Nino!”
“I’m fine. I’m-fine.” Clenching his teeth against the pain, Nino raised a wan smile to the man beside him. “I’m…I’m glad you’re alright.”
He brushed his knuckles against the soft skin of Ohno’s cheek, then pulled the man down to meet his lips.
“I love you,” he whispered, resting his forehead against that of the man before him. The words came so easily with morphine oiling his tongue and death still seeming so close. He sighed, and the relief he felt was so immense it seemed to wash away most of the pain. “I’m so glad you’re safe…”
There was a static silence to the room and as Nino pulled back, he realized why. He felt his ears grow hot and his cheeks flush as he surveyed those seated around the room: Matsujun, Aiba, Sho…
He had completely forgotten they were there.
Ohno also seemed a bit uncomfortable, holding a hand over his lips in what looked like embarrassment, if his downcast eyes and red cheeks were any indication.
Nino scratched the back of his head, damning morphine to hell and back and swearing never to take it again, all the while needing desperately to change the subject of attention.
“So, uh…can someone tell me what happened?”
As far as he could remember, he’d gone from bleeding to death on a rooftop to being safely tucked into a hospital bed. Someone had to have called for help, but Ohno-Aiba stepped forward, and Nino found he knew the answer to his question before the man even opened his mouth.
“I got a call from Ohno-kun, saying you were hurt and needed help, so Sho called an ambulance and we both raced over there, and, well, when we got there…” Aiba trailed off, eyes dropping to his hands, clenched tightly together in front of him. Sho placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, continuing where he’d left off.
“We found you two, naturally, and also…the man who shot you.”
“Is he-!?”
“He is. Killed instantly by the fall.”
Nino let out the breath he’d been holding and fell back into the pillows, sweet relief lifting a great weight from his shoulders. He had almost expected him to have survived the fall, to continue to haunt them. But if the Master was dead, then…then they really were safe…
“Nino,” Sho’s voice hinted that things were still left unresolved. “The police are demanding answers. They asked Ohno for a statement, but he wouldn’t say anything…I asked them to wait until you woke up.”
Nino sighed, suddenly feeling very tired.
“I’ll give it to them. Send them in-I want to get this over with.”
The sooner they resolved this, the sooner the police would leave them be, and the sooner they could find some peace in this whole ordeal. Nino found himself incredibly anxious to reach that end.
It took a few minutes for the Police Chief to be located, but before he knew it, Nino was staring into the hard-set eyes of an older man who undoubtedly had seen all the terrors this world had to offer. A heavy weight sat in Nino’s stomach, having nothing to do with his injury. It was the weight of responsibility, after all.
“I did it.” Nino’s eyes burned with conviction, staring back at those of authority. “I’m the one who pushed that man from the roof.” He lowered his eyes. “He had a gun, and he was threatening me with it.”
Then Nino told them all about the Devil’s Nest, how he had found Ohno and the other slaves there, and then how Ohno had been a present for his birthday.
“I didn’t know!” Matsujun blurted out, “I found the place online and contracted him from there. But I thought it was just some fantasy role-play, like how you can get French maids to do your cleaning-I had no idea it was for real!”
“Of course not,” the Police Chief, Ogura-san supplied. “These businesses extend the front of reality with the assumption that everything is make-believe, and they train their members to keep that façade. What happened here is a rare case indeed…especially the fact that this ‘Master’ as you call him showed his face at all.”
“Real life…” Ohno mumbled, lifting his eyes as everyone in the room turned to stare at him, shocked that he was speaking. “It’s to…make it seem…more real. But…that day…he was angry.”
Nino drew his thoughts back to the day when the Master had shoved Ohno through his front door, and the venom that had been in his voice.
Ohno’s hands balled into fists, his knuckles turning white with the strain as he continued.
“And I…I-I am broken. I am a…a Ghost. That’s why…”
What exactly did he mean, a ghost? Nino stared at him, thoroughly puzzled, and slightly amazed. Ohno…he was aware…he knew there was something wrong with him. Or-not wrong, per say, but something in need of repair.
The Police Chief tried to get Ohno to explain himself and provide more details about the organization, but the man seemed to have reached his limit. Fists still clenched in his lap, Ohno met each question with a shake of the head, refusing to speak another word. Nino could tell by the pained look on his face and the almost imperceptible shaking of his hands that he was quickly reaching his breaking point.
“Officer, can we finish this another time? I’m not feeling well all of a sudden.”
It was an open lie, but Ogura-san, sensing the futility in continuing his interrogation, nodded reluctantly.
“Another time then,” he agreed, and exited the room.
Nino reached over and squeezed Ohno’s hand, which was still curled into a tight fist.
“It’s okay,” he said, “You don’t have to say anything you’re not ready to. No one’s going to force you to do anything. Not anymore.”
Ohno shut his eyes briefly and gave a short nod, blinking back the panic in those deep pools.
“That’s right!” Aiba exclaimed, moving forward and bringing his hands down on the smaller man’s shoulders, “There’s no need to worry-we’re all here for you, okay? We’ll protect you.”
The violence of the younger man’s action startled Nino-he had always been so gentle with Ohno-but something in Aiba’s touch must have spoken of friendship, because this time Ohno nodded with more spirit.
“Okay,” he agreed, with just the hint of a smile on his face.
Nino stared, bewildered, at the two of them. Clearly they got along much better than he’d originally thought, but just how Aiba had managed to pierce that dark shell of fear that kept Ohno ever imprisoned behind its locked doors was a mystery he’d probably never solve. Still, he was glad the man had found someone to easily confide in, just as Nino had Sho to do the same. And maybe-someday, when he was ready-he would trust Nino enough to tell him everything.
“Oh!” Nino started as he suddenly remembered-he had all the answers. “The file! Sho, where is it!?”
Now that he’d remembered, he wanted to read it before the police returned to continue their investigation. Not that he wanted to mess with the evidence…he just wanted to protect Ohno. And if he could provide the answers, then that meant Ohno wouldn’t have to say it.
“It’s here.” The older man smiled. “I figured you’d want to read it.”
Nino took the thick manila folder from him slowly, staring at it as if it were an ancient document of some sort. There was no telling what kind of information it held, and he found he was both excited and terrified to find out.
He glanced up at the people around the room-his friends-knowing they felt just as he did.
“Sorry, but…can we…do you mind giving us some privacy?”
Disappointment made its way around the room-Jun clicked his tongue, Sho merely shrugged, and Aiba’s face fell. Still, reluctantly, they exited, and the unsaid fact remained-if the looks on their faces were any indication-they expected to be told everything later.
When finally they were alone, Nino turned to Ohno, the thick stack of paper gripped between his fingers eerily cold.
“This is your file,” he told the other man, “I won’t look at it unless you want me to.”
Of course if he said no, the lingering curiosity would drive him mad, but eventually he would get over it.
“But…there may be…there’s a chance we could find out who you really are.”
Ohno’s eyes grew wide, and it was clear the thought had never occurred to him. But Nino knew he had to have come from somewhere. It was highly unlikely he’d been born in that place-the small evidences pointing to that fact were many-like the fact Ohno knew how to read, or his artistic abilities, or that he knew how to work a cellphone. Nino found it hard to believe that he’d been allowed to draw-let alone schooled-in that hellhole. It was unfeasible. Which meant…he had to have come from somewhere. He had to have a past beyond captivity. And hopefully-hopefully-he held those answers and more in his hands now.
Ohno nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the documents in his hands. Nino opened it carefully, setting the folder down on the bed in front of him and picking up the first page.
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Next Chapter
Oh, anyone who can guess my favorite line in this ch. gets special mentioning in the next!! ;Db
Here ya go! Enjoy~
---
16. Red Crosses and Brass Badges
“Hey-hey, he’s coming to. Nino-hey-can you hear me?”
“Matsujun…?”
Nino cracked open an eye and was greeted by none other than the man whose grand idea had landed them in all this trouble. Still, upon waking Nino found he couldn’t bring himself to resent that fact. He hurt all over, and if hell was anything like the real world, well, he’d best start saying his prayers now. But pain meant he was alive, and for that he was eternally grateful.
He took in his surroundings-white walls, white bed sheets, and the smell of antiseptic. Sho and Aiba stood by the end of the bed, and Jun sat beside him. But where was…
“Satoshi…where is he? Is he alright? Satoshi…”
It was an effort to speak, like someone had stuffed a load of cotton balls in his mouth. He figured it must be the morphine, only it wasn’t working very well…
“He’s here,” Sho announced. Jun moved from the bedside as Ohno rushed from the back of the room, taking his place.
“Nino!”
All the cobwebs instantly cleared from his mind, and Nino bolted upright. He regretted it immediately, cringing as his stomach seemed to tear apart from the inside. Gasping, he hugged his gut, squeezing his eyes shut against the searing pain.
“Nino!”
“I’m fine. I’m-fine.” Clenching his teeth against the pain, Nino raised a wan smile to the man beside him. “I’m…I’m glad you’re alright.”
He brushed his knuckles against the soft skin of Ohno’s cheek, then pulled the man down to meet his lips.
“I love you,” he whispered, resting his forehead against that of the man before him. The words came so easily with morphine oiling his tongue and death still seeming so close. He sighed, and the relief he felt was so immense it seemed to wash away most of the pain. “I’m so glad you’re safe…”
There was a static silence to the room and as Nino pulled back, he realized why. He felt his ears grow hot and his cheeks flush as he surveyed those seated around the room: Matsujun, Aiba, Sho…
He had completely forgotten they were there.
Ohno also seemed a bit uncomfortable, holding a hand over his lips in what looked like embarrassment, if his downcast eyes and red cheeks were any indication.
Nino scratched the back of his head, damning morphine to hell and back and swearing never to take it again, all the while needing desperately to change the subject of attention.
“So, uh…can someone tell me what happened?”
As far as he could remember, he’d gone from bleeding to death on a rooftop to being safely tucked into a hospital bed. Someone had to have called for help, but Ohno-Aiba stepped forward, and Nino found he knew the answer to his question before the man even opened his mouth.
“I got a call from Ohno-kun, saying you were hurt and needed help, so Sho called an ambulance and we both raced over there, and, well, when we got there…” Aiba trailed off, eyes dropping to his hands, clenched tightly together in front of him. Sho placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, continuing where he’d left off.
“We found you two, naturally, and also…the man who shot you.”
“Is he-!?”
“He is. Killed instantly by the fall.”
Nino let out the breath he’d been holding and fell back into the pillows, sweet relief lifting a great weight from his shoulders. He had almost expected him to have survived the fall, to continue to haunt them. But if the Master was dead, then…then they really were safe…
“Nino,” Sho’s voice hinted that things were still left unresolved. “The police are demanding answers. They asked Ohno for a statement, but he wouldn’t say anything…I asked them to wait until you woke up.”
Nino sighed, suddenly feeling very tired.
“I’ll give it to them. Send them in-I want to get this over with.”
The sooner they resolved this, the sooner the police would leave them be, and the sooner they could find some peace in this whole ordeal. Nino found himself incredibly anxious to reach that end.
It took a few minutes for the Police Chief to be located, but before he knew it, Nino was staring into the hard-set eyes of an older man who undoubtedly had seen all the terrors this world had to offer. A heavy weight sat in Nino’s stomach, having nothing to do with his injury. It was the weight of responsibility, after all.
“I did it.” Nino’s eyes burned with conviction, staring back at those of authority. “I’m the one who pushed that man from the roof.” He lowered his eyes. “He had a gun, and he was threatening me with it.”
Then Nino told them all about the Devil’s Nest, how he had found Ohno and the other slaves there, and then how Ohno had been a present for his birthday.
“I didn’t know!” Matsujun blurted out, “I found the place online and contracted him from there. But I thought it was just some fantasy role-play, like how you can get French maids to do your cleaning-I had no idea it was for real!”
“Of course not,” the Police Chief, Ogura-san supplied. “These businesses extend the front of reality with the assumption that everything is make-believe, and they train their members to keep that façade. What happened here is a rare case indeed…especially the fact that this ‘Master’ as you call him showed his face at all.”
“Real life…” Ohno mumbled, lifting his eyes as everyone in the room turned to stare at him, shocked that he was speaking. “It’s to…make it seem…more real. But…that day…he was angry.”
Nino drew his thoughts back to the day when the Master had shoved Ohno through his front door, and the venom that had been in his voice.
Ohno’s hands balled into fists, his knuckles turning white with the strain as he continued.
“And I…I-I am broken. I am a…a Ghost. That’s why…”
What exactly did he mean, a ghost? Nino stared at him, thoroughly puzzled, and slightly amazed. Ohno…he was aware…he knew there was something wrong with him. Or-not wrong, per say, but something in need of repair.
The Police Chief tried to get Ohno to explain himself and provide more details about the organization, but the man seemed to have reached his limit. Fists still clenched in his lap, Ohno met each question with a shake of the head, refusing to speak another word. Nino could tell by the pained look on his face and the almost imperceptible shaking of his hands that he was quickly reaching his breaking point.
“Officer, can we finish this another time? I’m not feeling well all of a sudden.”
It was an open lie, but Ogura-san, sensing the futility in continuing his interrogation, nodded reluctantly.
“Another time then,” he agreed, and exited the room.
Nino reached over and squeezed Ohno’s hand, which was still curled into a tight fist.
“It’s okay,” he said, “You don’t have to say anything you’re not ready to. No one’s going to force you to do anything. Not anymore.”
Ohno shut his eyes briefly and gave a short nod, blinking back the panic in those deep pools.
“That’s right!” Aiba exclaimed, moving forward and bringing his hands down on the smaller man’s shoulders, “There’s no need to worry-we’re all here for you, okay? We’ll protect you.”
The violence of the younger man’s action startled Nino-he had always been so gentle with Ohno-but something in Aiba’s touch must have spoken of friendship, because this time Ohno nodded with more spirit.
“Okay,” he agreed, with just the hint of a smile on his face.
Nino stared, bewildered, at the two of them. Clearly they got along much better than he’d originally thought, but just how Aiba had managed to pierce that dark shell of fear that kept Ohno ever imprisoned behind its locked doors was a mystery he’d probably never solve. Still, he was glad the man had found someone to easily confide in, just as Nino had Sho to do the same. And maybe-someday, when he was ready-he would trust Nino enough to tell him everything.
“Oh!” Nino started as he suddenly remembered-he had all the answers. “The file! Sho, where is it!?”
Now that he’d remembered, he wanted to read it before the police returned to continue their investigation. Not that he wanted to mess with the evidence…he just wanted to protect Ohno. And if he could provide the answers, then that meant Ohno wouldn’t have to say it.
“It’s here.” The older man smiled. “I figured you’d want to read it.”
Nino took the thick manila folder from him slowly, staring at it as if it were an ancient document of some sort. There was no telling what kind of information it held, and he found he was both excited and terrified to find out.
He glanced up at the people around the room-his friends-knowing they felt just as he did.
“Sorry, but…can we…do you mind giving us some privacy?”
Disappointment made its way around the room-Jun clicked his tongue, Sho merely shrugged, and Aiba’s face fell. Still, reluctantly, they exited, and the unsaid fact remained-if the looks on their faces were any indication-they expected to be told everything later.
When finally they were alone, Nino turned to Ohno, the thick stack of paper gripped between his fingers eerily cold.
“This is your file,” he told the other man, “I won’t look at it unless you want me to.”
Of course if he said no, the lingering curiosity would drive him mad, but eventually he would get over it.
“But…there may be…there’s a chance we could find out who you really are.”
Ohno’s eyes grew wide, and it was clear the thought had never occurred to him. But Nino knew he had to have come from somewhere. It was highly unlikely he’d been born in that place-the small evidences pointing to that fact were many-like the fact Ohno knew how to read, or his artistic abilities, or that he knew how to work a cellphone. Nino found it hard to believe that he’d been allowed to draw-let alone schooled-in that hellhole. It was unfeasible. Which meant…he had to have come from somewhere. He had to have a past beyond captivity. And hopefully-hopefully-he held those answers and more in his hands now.
Ohno nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the documents in his hands. Nino opened it carefully, setting the folder down on the bed in front of him and picking up the first page.
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Next Chapter