Crimson Storms // A Hiroto Amamiya Fiction

Chapter Four: Unexpected Allies

"Oi! You'll get sick!" Takeru exclaimed as I darted into the rain. Glancing back, I smirked at him.

Raising my hands to the sky, I proclaimed, "I'm sick and tired of this world all the time anyway."

   "Ah, you jerk," I chuckled, letting the rain shower over me. "Things would've been different if only you were here."

Suddenly, the rain stopped. I looked up and saw Hiroto standing over me with an umbrella. "Idiot."

"What are you doing here?" I asked Hiroto, standing up and shaking off the mud from my clothes. I hadn't changed since earlier.

"What are you doing here?" he retorted, his hand tucked inside his leather jacket as he gazed down at Takeru's grave.

"Okay. Copying one's question will not be our thing. We won't have a thing. I'm leaving," I said, trying to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm.

I yanked my arm back and attempted to knee him in the groin, but he blocked it. "Are you crazy?!"

"Don't touch me," I warned, getting close to his face.

He sighed and released me. "Take this." Hiroto handed me his umbrella and then proceeded to take off his leather jacket, offering it to me as well.

"I don't want your jacket," I said, shoving the umbrella back at him. I walked away, dragging my suitcase on the now wet ground.

Outside the cemetery, I found a bus stop and sat down, waiting for the rain to stop. But before long, a car approached, blasting loud music that could be heard from miles away. One of the men inside made eye contact with me as they passed by.

I thought they would continue on their way, but they turned back and stopped in front of me. Here we go again.

"Wow!" one of them whistled obnoxiously, eyeing me like I was a piece of meat they craved. "Need a ride, miss?"

The driver chimed in, "Come on, hop in the backseat!"

"Oi! I saw her first!" the guy in the front seat protested.

The three of them argued like a bunch of morons, each vying for me to choose where to sit as if I had no say in the matter. Their faces looked more beaten up than the car they wanted me to get into.

"Uncles," I called out, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, come on. The rain won't stop anytime soon, and it's getting dark," one of them said.

"It's more dangerous for a girl like you to be out here alone," another added.

"And getting into a stranger's car isn't?" I scoffed.

Two of them got out of the car and walked towards the bus shed and just as they were about to approach, I swiftly kneed one of them in the stomach, causing him to groan and fall to the ground. His friend raised his hand to slap me, but I dodged it and punched him in the jaw. Cursing at the pain in my knuckles, I realized I had punched incorrectly.

Undeterred, I followed up with a high kick to his other jaw, knocking him down next to his friend. The driver, now furious, stepped out of the car. "Oi! What do you think you're doing?!"

Before he could get closer, I landed a high-spinning kick to his neck, causing him to collapse on the ground, unconscious.

Feeling a sense of relief, I noticed that the rain had stopped. Hiroto drove his motorcycle toward me.

"Ah, as much as I want to relieve more stress, my ride is here," I waved my hand, and he slowed down.

Wearing glasses, he furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the three men on the ground. "What happened here?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, examining my hand that was throbbing with pain. "Fuck, I think I broke my knuckles."

"What?" he asked, concerned.

"Forget it. Take me to the nearest motel," I said casually, grabbing my suitcase. Asking Hiroto for help was the last thing I wanted, but I couldn't keep fighting those guys until I found a place to stay.

"Do you think I'm a taxi? I thought you didn't need my help," he replied smugly. It hurt my pride, but I had no choice.

"Correction, idiot. I didn't need your jacket. So, are you going to help me or not?" I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you too arrogant for someone asking for help?" Hiroto teased, and I lost my patience.

"Asshole," I muttered, turning around to walk miles ahead. I regretted taking a taxi here since cars rarely passed on this road.

"Hop on," Hiroto said, driving toward me slowly. I turned to see if he was joking, but he was serious. "But you need to put this on."

Rolling my eyes, I put on his leather jacket. "Ugh, this is too heavy!"

"Well, I'm not comfortable having a half-naked girl riding behind me," he commented, and I realized my dress was inappropriate.

"Grandpa," I playfully remarked before placing my heavy suitcase behind me and hopping on the motorcycle. I didn't expect a scary gangster like Hiroto to be so conservative.

The ride was uncomfortable. I balanced the suitcase behind me while holding onto Hiroto's shoulder with my free hand. Our bodies were too close, and I questioned why I hadn't put the suitcase in front of me.

We stopped in front of a small building, and I saw a few people whispering and then walking away in the opposite direction, giving me a glimpse of Hiroto's reputation.

"This isn't a motel," I commented, crossing my arms.

"I can't be seen bringing a girl into a motel," Hiroto explained.

"So you brought me here?!" I exclaimed in shock. "Hiroto, I can't afford anything more than a motel. Where are we?"

He pointed to a small building. "That's my place."

"Excuse me?" I chuckled, looking him up and down. Hiroto was attractive, perhaps the most attractive among the three of them. I'm sorry, Takeru, but this is ridiculous. We were enemies just moments ago.

"Oi, oi, oi! Don't get the wrong idea. You're not my type," he said, eyeing me in a judgmental manner.

I rolled my eyes. "As if! You're not my type either. I don't like little boys; I like men," I smirked before pushing past him and entering the building.

We took the elevator, maintaining a distance between us, and walked down the small hallway to his studio apartment.

He opened the door, revealing a neat and tidy space. It was small but didn't feel cramped. There was a bed, a sofa, a TV, and a small kitchen. The only separate room was the bathroom, but overall, it was a nice place.

"I thought you lived with Masaki?" I asked, stepping inside as he closed the door.

"This is my place whenever I visit the Sannoh Region," he explained. "But I rarely stay here."

"So, what's the deal? Why are you helping me?" I asked, crossing my arms and looking into his eyes. Takeru had always told me that eyes never lie, so I needed to look directly at someone to understand their feelings.

"I just need someone to look after this place," he replied simply.

"Hmm, okay," I eyed him suspiciously. "But I have to pay."

"Pay for what?"

"Rent," I answered firmly. "I can't stay here for free."

"It's really not—"

"I don't want to stay here for free," I interrupted. I couldn't afford to pay him right now, but I didn't want to feel indebted.

"Fine," he sighed. "But I'll let you find a job first before I start charging you rent."

It seemed fair to me. I didn't have any money at the moment, so I agreed.

"Do you have any alcohol lying around here?" I asked, taking off the jacket and tossing it on the bed.

"No, but there's a diner down the street that serves drinks and food," he said.

"Wanna come with me?" I asked casually.

"No, that would be trouble," he replied.