Chapter 4 - The Task

Ex is laying on the floor of the hospital room with some papers on the floor with him. His hair is crazy and his shirt came loose.

“What the hell was that?” Ex questions.

As soon as Ex sits up, his head starts immediately hurting. He presses his right palm to his head to try and stop the pain.

When she’s hurt, you’ll be able to know.

“Is this what it meant? Agh!” Ex’s headache increases. He grits his teeth and shuts his eyes tight. “Why is it so fucking painful? Jesus christ!”

Kasumi shoots her eyes open and sits up so fast that she starts feeling pain everywhere in her body. She flinches and clutches her abdomen.

“Sato?” Kasumi reaches out.

A few seconds later, Sato gently opens the door to Kasumi’s room.

“What is it, little sis?” Sato asks gently.

“I’m not feeling very well.” Kasumi groans.

“Don’t worry. I’ll call the school and tell them that you’re sick.” Sato says.

“Thank y-”

“And I’ll take off work today as well. I’ll stay home with you and take care of you. Make sure dad doesn’t do anything. Sounds good?” Sato adds.

Kasumi nods to him and falls back on her bed. Sato begins to leave Kasumi’s room and she becomes alarmed. “Where are you going?”

“I’m just going to call my work and make you some soup.” Sato says quickly. Everything will be ok. I promise. Don’t worry about anything, ok?”

Kasumi remains silent as he leaves her room and shuts the door behind him. The scene follows Sato who walks down the stairs. Their father isn’t in sight which must mean he’s out on the front porch. Their mother is cleaning and doing the dishes.

“Isn’t Kasumi going to school?” Sando (their mother) asks.

“She’s not feeling well today so I thought she should take a day off.” Sato states coldly. “Is that ok with you?”

“Do whatever you think is best for her, dear.” Sando chimes.

Sato ignores his mother and dials his boss’s number on his phone.

“Hello and how may I help you?” Sato’s boss asks through the phone.

“Hey.” Sato greets. “I’m sorry but I can’t come in today. Something came up.”

“Again? Sato, you’ve already missed a day this week.” His boss says. “You know that you’re going to run this place one day, right? You’re going to have to step up eventually.”

“I understand. But my sister is sick and someone has to take care of her.” Sato almost pleads.

“Can’t your parents do it?”

“Uhm…” Sato glances at his mother that’s still working heavily and then glances at the front door thinking about his father and how he treats Kasumi. “They’re not home. They are on an important business trip.”

“Oh...I understand. I apologize.” She pauses. “That was insensitive of me to say. You can take up to two days off to care for your sister. I hope she gets better soon.”

“Thank you.”

“See you in a few days.”

“See ya.”

Sato hangs up the phone, puts it in his pocket and then walks over to the counter and begins making soup for Kasumi.

Ex is walking around the cafeteria. It’s lunchtime at school. He walks into the cafeteria to find that Kasumi isn’t there. He scans even deeper to try and find her, but he can’t see her anywhere.

“Dammit. She didn’t come to school today.” Ex mutters to himself.

Ex gives up searching and walks home, assuming that she didn’t go to school.

That headache this morning...it must’ve been a sign that she’s in pain. But how in the hell am I supposed to help her? Ex thinks to himself.

Ex shakes off the thought and continues walking home. The scene skips to him walking inside his home. He shuts the door then goes straight to the counter to fix himself a glass of scotch. After drinking a few glasses of scotch, he goes over to his couch and lays down on it. He runs his fingers through his hair in a frustrating manner.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” Ex questions. “I can’t just go to her house and try to help her. But at the same time...if I don’t...who knows what will happen.”

Kasumi is in a bubble bath covering everything up to her chin. She picks up some water and bubbles in the palms of her hands and holds it up to look at it. She blows the bubbles off to where there aren’t as many and looks at her reflection in the water. All of a sudden, she feels an energy burst through her and through her hands. The water in her palms begin to rise and form into this stream of floating water.

“W-What?” Her voice trembles.

She can’t take her eyes off of the now floating water. Someone knocks on the door, making the water fall straight back into the tub like nothing happened.

“Are you alright?” Sato asks through the door. “You’ve been in there for awhile.”

“Yeah. Finishing up now.” Kasumi says softly. Kasumi darts her eyes back at the water now covered in bubbles. “Weird…”

Kasumi gets dressed and walks to her room while drying her hair. She feels her muscles throb with every step, causing her to grit her teeth. Once she gets in her room, she closes her door and goes straight to her bed. She looks at her phone to see the time. She lays down in her bed, staring at her hand and observing it closely.

What the hell was that? If what happened in my dream last night is true, then I- Just then, someone knocks on her door.

“Come in.” Kasumi says softly.

Sato peers through the door with a piece of bread.

“I read that break soaks up all the bad stomach acids that make you have reflux.” Sato explains kindly. “And bread just tastes good so I brought you some.”

Kasumi chuckles at his statement and kindly takes the piece of bread.

“Thank you.”

“Are you feeling any better?” He asks.

“Yeah.” Kasumi says. “Slowly but surely.”

“Hang in there, kiddo.” Sato tells her. “If you don’t get to feeling better, we’re going to have to go to the hospital. You know that right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

“And I know you hate the hospital, but you have to suck it up and do things you don’t necessarily want to do sometimes.”

“I know.”

“I’m going to leave you to rest. I’ll check on you here in a bit.”

“Ok.”

Sato leaves her room and shuts the door behind him. After he does that, Kasumi closes her eyes to rest.

Ex walks through the police station to his office. Once he gets there, he places his satchel on his desk and sits in his chair criss-cross. Ex takes out the file on Kanai and begins scouring through it, looking for any details he may have missed about Kasumi. Once he’s had enough, he gets up and goes to the chief’s office. He knocks on the frame of his door.

“What is it, Takahashi?” Shusuke asks.

“Do we have any files on Kasumi Yamazaki?” Ex replies. “Or on any of the Yamazaki family members?”

“There might be one on Kasumi and her father, Hirata Yamazaki.”

“Where are they?”

“Hirata’s file is hidden away in domestic violence and Kasumi’s is in mild assault.”

“Ok. Thanks.”

“Takahashi?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Be careful around the Yamazaki’s. I would recommend you don’t get involved with them.” Shusuke warns.

“Note taken.”

Ex goes to the police files. He searches for Hirata’s first and then Kasumi’s. Once he has both of them, he goes back to his office and begins looking through them. He pours himself a glass of scotch and drinks it.

“Hirata was charged for possible domestic violence but was released over lack of evidence.” Ex mutters to himself. “The file says that the violence was targeted towards Kasumi. That’s all for Hirata. Kasumi has been charged with multiple assault charges on the school grounds. It seems like she didn’t start getting violent until around 16 years old...when Kanai was found dead.” Ex makes himself another glass of scotch and stands from his desk. He takes the glass with him to the window and drinks the scotch. “I wonder if what that thing said was true. I wonder when this plan is actually supposed to happen.”

Your job is to protect her at all costs. If you fail, there will be consequences. A deep voice rings through his head.

Ex scoffs and walks back to his chair.

Kasumi wakes up in her bed. It’s now dark outside. Kasumi leans up and hears arguing downstairs. She checks the time on her phone and it reads 7:57 p.m.

“Shit. Did I sleep all day? I must’ve been really tired.” Kasumi mumbles to herself. Kasumi quiets down and focuses on the arguing coming from downstairs.

“Don’t you talk back to me, boy! Or else!” Hirata’s voice thunders through the house.

“Or else what? You gonna hit me, old man? Do it! I dare you!” Sato retaliates.

“I can’t let dad hurt him.” Kasumi says with determination.

Kasumi manages to shakily stand from her bed, but immediately grows light-headed and falls to the ground. She hears intense shuffling from downstairs and a punch.

“I have to get down there. Quick!”

Kasumi forces herself to stand and go to her door. She opens her door and tries walking down the stairs in a fast, yet steady way. Once she gets down there, her heart sinks as she sees Sato on the floor clearly unable to move, with a bloody nose and with his glasses half-way across the room. She glances upwards to see that her mother is just standing there, watching all of this happen with dead eyes.

“Is that all you got?! Huh?!” Sato yells.

“Dad?” Kasumi states weakly.

“Oh, I can do more than that!” Hirata threatens. Before Hirata coils his arm back, he sees Kasumi out of the corner of his eye. He pauses and looks up at her. She freezes in fear. “Oh look at that! Kasumi is here just in time to see her father beat the shit out of her brother for talking back!”

“I can’t let you do that.” Kasumi states weakly. Kasumi loses her train of thought and steps in front of Sato, dividing the space between them. “I’m not going to let you hurt him again. If you want to hurt him, you’ll have to get through me first.”

“What? Are you trying to stand up to me again? You know how well that worked out for you last time.” Hirata smirks.

“Kasumi don’t-”

Kasumi ignores Sato and her father’s remarks and readies herself in a somewhat fighting stance.

“Fine then! If you won’t move, I guess I’ll just have to make you!” Hirata coils his right arm back all the way, ready to punch.

Kasumi suddenly feels like a different person. She feels a powerful energy surging through her veins. She narrows her eyes and clenches her fists. Hirata swings but it all looks like slow motion to Kasumi. She blocks his punch with the strength of 10 men, surprising Hirata.

“What the hell?” Hirata says, heavily strained.

“Kill him. Kill him. You know you want to.” She hears Sato’s voice, distorted and very faint.

“What?”

Once Kasumi’s fist collides with Hirata’s, a powerful burst of energy flows through the house. Hirata’s entire bone in his arm shatters, making him shout in pain.

“What the hell was that?” Hirata’s tone shifts from a powerful tone to a fearful and pained tone.

“Kill him! You’ve already made him weak! Now is the time to STRIKE!” Satos’ evil and distorted voice plays again.

Kasumi snaps back to her normal self and widens her eyes.

“You broke my fucking hand you BITCH!” Hirata shouts.

“I...I didn’t mean to-” Kasumi mumbles.

“Do it Kasumi!” Sato’s voice says with a tint of another voice behind his voice (almost like a puppet).

“You MONSTER!” Hirata shouts.

“Wh-What?” Kasumi’s heart shatters into a million pieces.

“Kill him!” The synced voices order.

Kasumi turns and looks down at Sato who looks scared. She looks back at her hands and feels tears brimming her eyes.

“Kasumi? Are you ok? Just calm down.” Sato’s voice returns to normal.

“Godammit, just do it Kasumi! Kill him!” The voice switches back to the voice that’s been talking to Kasumi all this time.

“No!” She covers her mouth with both her hands and glances at all of the faces of her family members who all look equally scared of her. She feels her legs become weak beneath her. She runs to the front door and opens it.

“KASUMI, WAIT!” Sato yells after her.

Sato forces himself to stand. He grabs his broken glasses and puts them on the best he can. He gives his father and mother one final death glare before grabbing the car keys and leaving. The scene cuts to show Ex walking in the rain to the hospital and then back to Kasumi who is now running sloppily in the rain. She’s crying and fumbling around with her clothes trying desperately to run in a straight line. Kasumi focuses so hard on the ground in front of her, she barely notices anything else around her. She shoulders someone so hard, it spins her body around and knocks her straight on the ground.

“What the hell? Watch where you’re go-” Ex starts. He looks down as Kasumi sits there on the ground, soaked and helpless.

“Kasumi?” Ex asks.

Kasumi looks up at him and forces a smile.

“Aiko? What are you doing out in the rain?” She asks.

“I could ask the same to you. Are you lost? I could help you get home-”

“No! Please...I don’t wanna go home.” Kasumi grows alarmed.

What the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t just leave her here! Ex grits his teeth and looks around to make sure that no one’s going after her.

“Come with me then. It’s not good for you to be out in this rain.” Ex offers.

“No offense, but how can I know to trust you? I only just met you.” Kasumi questions.

Ex growls quietly to himself. Well this plan went to shit real fuckin fast. Ex reluctantly takes out his police badge from his pocket and shows Kasumi.

“I’m an investigator. I’ll explain later, but you can trust me. My house is just right around the block.” Ex puts away his badge and holds out his hand. She glances up at him before grabbing his hand. They show up at Ex’s house. Once they get inside, Ex closes the door and turns on the light. “Don’t sit on the couch. You’ll only make it wet. Sit on a stool in the kitchen and I’ll get you a towel.” Ex says bluntly.

Kasumi silently nods and listens to what he says. She looks around and makes sure not to move too much. Pretty soon after she’s sat down, Ex comes back with two towels. He hands her one and keeps one to himself. They both begin drying off.

“Who the hell are you and why did you lie to me?” Kasumi says, pissed off.

“Right.” Ex starts stoically. “My real name is Ex Takahashi. I’m re-investigating the death of your friend Kanai Tokugawa.”

“Why did you have to lie to me about your identity?”

“Don’t interrupt me Yamazaki, I’m not done talking.” Ex says sternly. “I was going to lie and try to get close enough to get you to tell me what actually happened that night. But as you can see, that plan is now down the fucking drain. Why were you running in the rain? Better yet, what were you running from?”

“Home.”

“No. Fuck that.” Ex denies. “Give me more of an answer.”

“Fine. Something happened. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Ex looks down at the ground, thinking about the demigod and all the crazy stuff that he’s been through already.

“Try me.” Ex states stoically.

“No. Fuck this. Why am I telling you this? Why am I even here?” Kasumi asks, her voice rising in anger.

“You look like you need some treatment.”

“Excuse me?”

Kasumi stands from the stool and Ex points to his nose to signify that something was going on with her nose. She touches underneath her nose and pulls her finger away to reveal blood.

“What the hell? I didn’t even hit my nose.” Kasumi mutters to herself.

“ust wipe it off.”

Ex walks into the kitchen and pulls down two glasses and his bottle of scotch. Just then, Kasumi feels really weak. She stumbles to her hands and knees, shutting her eyes tight and gritting her teeth.

“Kasumi? What the hell is wrong with you?” Ex asked, slightly concerned.

Ex helps Kasumi off the ground and reluctantly helps her over to his couch.

“Just sit down.” Ex says coldly.

Kasumi is too weak to reply so she sits on the couch. Ex walks back to the kitchen and pours two glasses of scotch. He brings Kasumi a glass and sits on the other end of the couch.

“What is this?” Kasumi asks.

“It’s scotch.”

“But I’m underaged.”

Ex stares blankly ahead and drinks all of his in one drink.

“Oh please. I had my first drink when I was eight. It won’t kill you. Just don’t tell on me or I will kill you.” Ex says with a monotone voice.

Kasumi looks down at the drink and then shrugs her shoulders. She drinks a sip of it and then immediately starts coughing. Ex chuckles quietly to himself.

“What the fuck *cough* are you laughing at?!” Kasumi coughs.

“First drink?”

“Obviously.”

“Are you going to be alright?” Ex asks partially sincere.

“What do you mean by that? I’ll be fine.”

“Well with the nose-bleed and then the nearly passing out thing, I think you need to go to the hospital. But that’s just my opinion.”

“I feel better now. Why did you help me?”

Protect her at all costs.

“I may be a dickhead, but I’m not a heartless bastard.” Ex says. “I wasn’t going to just leave you in the rain. Shouldn’t you be going back home?”

“I will be leaving. But I don’t think I’ll be going home.” Kasumi replies.

Just then, Ex’s phone starts ringing. He stands up, walks to the kitchen and then answers it.

“Hello?” Ex answers.

“Takahashi? Are you home?” Ex’s boss, Shusuke, asks through the phone.

“Yeah. Why?”

“I just got a call from Kasumi’s older brother, Sato.” Shusuke states. “He says that she ran away from home just a little bit ago. Did you happen to see her?”

“Yeah. Could you give me his phone number? I’d like to talk to him.”

“Sure thing. Ex, remember what I said.”

“Sure.”

Shusuke gives Ex the number and then hangs up. Ex glances back at Kasumi who’s observing the glass of scotch and then tries to drink it again, automatically resulting in another coughing fit. Ex dials Sato’s number.

“Hello? Who is this?” Sato asks through the phone.

“I’m a police investigator and found your sister wondering about.”

“Is she ok?” Sato asks, very concerned.

“She’s fine. Come and pick her up.” Ex tells Sato his address.

“Right. Thank you so much for taking care of her.”

“No problem.”

“I’m almost there.”

Sato hangs up. Ex puts his phone on the table and glances at Kasumi again who now holds her nose and drinks the scotch, resulting in yet another coughing fit. Ex smiles at her attempt and then quickly looks away.

“Your brother will be here any minute.” Ex says to Kasumi.

“Hey, Ex?”

“What?”

“Thanks for helping me out. You really didn’t have to.”

“Like I said, I’m not a heartless bastard.”

“Will I see you around again?”

“Let’s put it this way, I won’t leave you alone until you tell me what happened the night of Kanai’s death.”

Kasumi looks down at the ground. “Got it.”

A few moments later, there’s a knock at the door. Kasumi stands up and waits behind Ex as he opens the door to reveal a soaking wet and worried Sato with half-shattered glasses. Ex stands aside. As soon as Sato sees Kasumi, he begins crying. He rushes to her and gives her a very tight hug.

“What the hell were you thinking? You could’ve gotten seriously hurt!” Sato cries.

“Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry.” Sato begins to calm down. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Let’s get going.”

Sato begins walking out of the house with Kasumi following close behind. Sato turns his head to face Ex. He gives Ex a sincere smile with tears still streaming down his face.

“Thanks again, investigator, for looking after her.” Sato says to Ex.

“Yeah.”

Kasumi and Ex lock eyes for a moment before Ex closes his door.

How the hell am I going to tell her what I’m supposed to do? Ex thinks to himself.