Is It Okay To Have Dinner With The Spider

【二十九】PRENSOEHIANP

His face was hidden by the shadow of his hood and his shaggy hair covered his face. When he approached the figure, he stopped. They were so broken, surrounded by a pool of blood and their clothes drenched. Their eyes were closed and the blood seemed to come from the mouth. The legs were placed in a weird angle, making it look like they had fallen not of will.

Taking out his phone, he quickly sent a location message and left a note before placing it next to the disfigured person. The note: Give the phone back to me when you see me next.

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Sometime in the middle of the night, Tetsuki stopped wallowing in self pity and found the will to stand up. He was so weak and his trousers and hands were bleeding, coated in dried blood. His eyes were barely open. Suddenly, something in his back pocket vibrated. As he pulled out his phone with his filthy hands, reminding himself to wash them later, he noticed a message had been sent to him. Tetsuki tapped it open, revealing his private chat with Chika. He had sent him a location.

Tetsuki sighed. He'd no idea why Chika would send him this but it usually meant: come. Taking a deep breath, he started walking, following the map. If Chika had gotten into another fight, which he doubted, he would have to go and help him. Despite his horrible state.

Walking seemed like a chore; his aching legs had been in an uncomfortable for far too long. Possibly hours. He'd not kept track of time. But still, Tetsuki put his foot forward, and continued. His determination to help Chika overwhelmed his tiredness and pain. Chika had helped him get to Spider. Though that had failed considerably, he still had to repay him somehow.

The streetlights were dim in the midnight and the moon was barely there, covered by the fog and clouds. Even with little light, Tetsuki knew where he was going. Back in his middle school days, he'd always had to get to Chika quickly, navigating the alleys quickly. So it was only naturally he knew the area well.

Only a few meters left... He rounded the corner, his eyes left the phone's illuminated screen and scanned the area. There was no Chika. There was nothing. Then his dim eyes caught something in the dark. There was a figure laying on the floor, in blood. Next to the person, a phone. When he neared the figure and recognised the face, his feet stopped and he dropped his phone.

There seemed to be a sudden surge of energy in his body as he rushed to lift the figure. He carried the girl up into the dim streetlight and brushed her bedraggled dark hair away from her face. Her usual plaits were frizzy and the beads clicked together limply, unlike their usual enthusiasm. Her eyes were closed and there was nothing alive in her. Immediately, he put his ear to her heart and searched for a heartbeat, hoping with all his strength that she was alive.

"Please Reina, please!" he whispered urgently to himself.

There was nothing. He looked at her in panic.

Her body was so close to him, leaning towards him for comfort. Tetsuki could feel her icy skin against his warmer body. Her expression, though sleeping, was still distressed, troubled, as if she were fighting with herself to stay alive. The deep dark eyes he'd long for so badly, were still closed and her soft, full lips opened slightly, letting a trail of blood flow out. Her skin was darker than most, having been exposed to the sun a whole lot more. But it was gentle and soft, despite her usual scowling face.

Though she lay so beautifully, her body was so broken. It looked so frail and pale in his arms, glowing like a ghost under the shining moonlight. The blood drenched clothes were tattered and ripped, as if she had thrown herself to the ground and the ground had beat her up with the stones. Her arms and legs were so thin that he could see the bone and her face so hollow and deathly.

Tetsuki bit his lip. He loved her. He loved every bit of her small self. he couldn't imagine life without her. "Reina, don't die," he whispered desperately. Maybe there was a chance.

He stood up, Reina's weak frame collapsing into his body, as if leaning towards him for support even more. Slowly, Tetsuki started running home. Maybe there was a chance for a miracle.

Just as he turned the corner, a broad chested, lean man grinned in the feeble light. But Tetsuki stopped, afraid. He knew that smile very well. It had been the only one in his life, that had sent shivers down his spine in trepidation.

"Yes, you can stop there now. I will take her from here, if you don't mind. I would very much like to finish her off before she wakes up," the figure said and stepped forward, holding his arms out.

There was a gun bulging in his pocket, Tetsuki noticed. He could not run for it, just like that. If he wanted to keep them both alive. Tetsuki knew that both he and Reina was balancing on the faint line between life and death, he himself could feel himself weakening at every step. To run, would send bullets at their heels, ensuring the tip in the balance between the two states; they would die. But to fight, he would have to put Reina down - Tetsuki didn't want to do that, not when he just had her in his arms. And anyway, there was barely any chance of him winning this fight. Both choices confirmed their deaths.

Well, at least I get to die with her, he thought soberly, But... I want to tell her. I want her to know. I want to tell her that I love her. Tetsuki tightened his jaw.

"You can go, Te-chan," a voice suddenly spoke from the darkness of the roof. The figure jumped down and revealed his determined face. "I will take care of Hikado for you. Get Reina to safety." Chika rolled up his sleeves and glared at the criminal mastermind. "I have something settle with you, bastard."

Hikado scowled, but before he could say anything, Tetsuki had already disappeared. "Ah," he answered resentfully, "I guess dealing with you first is the better option than having both of you on me." Even the genius knew that running from this situation wouldn't do him, or anyone, any good.

Tetsuki disappeared into the darkness. After a while, he could no longer hear the battle between his friend and Hikado. But his trust in Chika was higher than anything. He knew that the evil man would be defeated by Chika in no time. Well, he hoped and trusted. Tetsuki knew that his responsibilities were with Reina.

Speaking of her... Tetsuki looked down at her, concerned. She was even worse now. Her eyebrows were knotted together and sweat dripped from both sides of her face. Her hair was damp with sweat, and limply swaying with every step he took. Reina's cheekbones stretched her, almost dead face, and her expression had never looked so suffering. Reina had curled up to Tetsuki's chest even more; he could feel her skin get colder and colder, as if the life was slowly getting sucked out of her. I have to be quick.

He finally pushed the back door of his house open, rushing into his bedroom where he gently laid Reina on the bed. Tetsuki ran to the back door, closing it shut, as he hadn't done that before, and raced back to where Reina slept. Tetsuki put his ear near her heart, and searched for a sound - anything. He was afraid. That she'd left.

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APPREHENSION