Book 3: Chapter 22 (1/2)

“You Mother Fucker!” A man shouted and then a table was overturned.

The identity of that man was none other than Gio. It looked like he had finally lost his patience, and was now taking it out on one of the people at the table he was at. His timing was accidental, but also completely perfect for me. I used the distraction and shoved the stripper off of me. She made a little cry of surprise as she was pushed against the stage.

“Hey, Buddy, no touching!” She snapped, clearly misinterpreting things as I shoved her over the edge of the stage.

Most of the crowd was ignoring her though, and I did the same, instead, grabbing my hood and holding it up while I jetted to the stairway. As for the vice-principal and his group, they too were stopped, looking at the escalating scene as Gio leaped forward and struck a guy in the face. Three robed men tried to mob him, but these weren’t gang members, just regular men, so he was able to hold his own and knock one into another. More tables fell over and there was a scream, but I ignored it, racing up the stairway.

With luck, no one saw me, but I didn’t really care very much if I was seen anyway. At the top of the stairs, I ended up in another long hallway with doors on either side. When I pushed them open, I more often than not saw a man in a robe getting a blowjob from a stripper or something of the like. A few shouted ‘occupied’ when the door opened, but some didn’t even bother saying anything, just continuing like animals.

It was the fifth door down that when I shoved it open, I saw a familiar woman on the bed who wasn’t engaged in sex. When I saw her, my expression immediately froze. It wasn’t Kira like I had been expecting.

There was an older woman on the bed. She was wearing skimpy lingerie. Her hair had been done up, and she had makeup on. She looked quite pretty lying there. She looked droopy, almost sleepy. I bit my lip irritated. All of that work and Kira wasn’t even here. I didn’t even have to check the other rooms. Just remembering the look in the Vice-Principal’s eyes told me all I needed to know. As soon as Sasori couldn’t get what she wanted from me, she was just ripe for the plucking by the Vice-Principal.

I felt a little bitter, a little sad, and a little disgusted. I shook my head. Maybe it was better just to cancel my plans. It looked like this entire night would just be a giant bust. I went to close the door, turning away from the scene. Sasori ‘s fate was her own.

“Mmm… Hakaru…” The words came out in a murmur, but something about the tone caused me to stop.

I stood there in the hallway for a moment, and then I could hear a sniffling, crying noise. I opened up the door and walked in, letting it shut behind me. Walking up to the bed, I could see chains binding her to the headboard and the footboard. She didn’t just look out of it she was genuinely unconscious. More than that, she appeared to be crying in her sleep. Even like this, she was incredibly beautiful. I reached out and touched her cheek, catching a tear.

“Hakaru… I’m sorry…” She said… her voice filled with despair. “I’m so sorry… please…”

Her eyes twitched, deep in sleep. These were not things she was saying to me. She appeared to be having an upsetting nightmare. I slapped her cheek lightly.

“Oi… sensei… wake up.”

She jerked, her eyes opening, but then slowly closing again. A smile formed on her face and then she pushed her cheek against my hand. Her smile looked so happy.

“Hakaru… you came…” her voice sounded pleased, but a moment later her breathing steadied and it was clear she was asleep again.

“You’re drugged,” I said in realization.

She wasn’t there by choice. It wasn’t some offer given at a time of weakness. Her husband had slipped her some knockout drugs. She’d probably slowly wake up in the living nightmare of being used as someone’s meat toilet. Suddenly, I felt a wave of anger. I knew I didn’t have the right to be angry. I had thrown her away. Yet this… this was absolutely reprehensible. I couldn’t allow it to continue.

Looking down at her, I reflected over my actions recently. I had focused on Kira and pushed Sasori aside. At first, I just wanted to use her to earn points, but after finding out about Mr. Fukumi’s perversions, I had grown disgusted by the idea. I had pushed her away and held her personally accountable for everything Kira experienced. However, she was no less vulnerable than her daughter. She had been no less victimized by her husband. I’d been so desperate to put the title Mother on her, and blame her for failing to do it well, that I forgot she was just a woman too, with the same fears, and desires.

I stroked her cheek. “Mrs. Fukumi, what do you want?”

When Inner Desires was given to me, so too was the knowledge of how to use it. That’s how all of the skills worked. Inner Desires had one other set back that made it radically different from Dirt Scribe. That was, the question and answers were always given out loud. I couldn’t sneak around and apply hidden knowledge. When all else failed, I could only ask, and hear my answer. Of course, she was barely conscious, so I wasn’t sure how well it would work.

“I…. want to be loved…” I looked down, shaking my head. “by Hakaru…”

I looked back up with a shocked expression at those last words. “Why? Why me? Why do you want it to be me?’