Chapter 19: Four Years Ago 2

"Ta-ta-takumi...?" I stammered, my voice trembling as I stared at them from afar. Confusion clouded my mind as I witnessed the scene unfolding before me.

Without a second thought, I let go of the things I had bought for my aunt and rushed towards them. Fear and concern consumed me as I swung my fist at the guy, shouting, "Let go of her!"

I didn't fully understand what was happening, but one thing was clear: Takumi was in danger. The impact of my punch on the guy's face caused pain to shoot through my fist, but it succeeded in forcing him away from Takumi's grasp.

"Takumi, are you alright?" I held her hands tightly, my worry evident as I checked on her well-being.

"I am... M-matsu.." Takumi eye's widened in fear, "He... the back,", she yelled, and in that moment I felt a heavy feeling settled on the back of my head. My vision blurred for a moment, and a searing pain radiated from it.

that guy he.. He's basically a bastard, using a dirty trick like that.. The big branch of a tree couldn't be more painful...

I turned my attention back to him,

"Takumi, could you step back a bit."

"Y-yes.."

as I scratched my head to suppress the pain. fueled by a mix of annoyance and anger, I swung my fist at him, hoping to retaliate, but he evaded my attack and struck me again. The pain intensified, coursing through my body.

"Hahaha... what are you trying to do, huh?" he taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"I was finally in the best part with her, and you ruined it! Who the fuck are you to meddle in someone else's business?" He shouted as he swung the branch against me and continued to beat me mercilessly.

I crouched, clutching my stomach as the searing pain threatened to consume me. The weight of the agony overwhelmed my senses, but I refused to surrender. "Matsuki!" Takumi's voice called out, filled with concern and worry. I couldn't bear to see her like that, her face etched with fear.

"Don't look at me like that." I managed to utter through gritted teeth, determination fueling my resolve. "I'll take care of this and keep you safe." With every ounce of strength I could muster, I scanned the scene, searching for an opening amidst the chaos.

And then, amidst the turmoil, I spotted it - a glimmer of opportunity. It was a fleeting moment, a chance to turn the tide in our favor. Ignoring the pain that coursed through my body, I pushed myself forward, propelled by a fierce determination to pulled his feet, causing him to stumble and lose his weapon. It flew from my side, and I seized the opportunity.

Gripping the branch tightly with both hands, I swung it towards him with all my might. The crackling sound of his elbow breaking echoed through the air as he yelled in anguish.

"You bastard!" I shouted, my anger driving me to strike him repeatedly. His body convulsed in pain as he lay on the ground, defenseless.

"Stop it! Stop!" Takumi's voice pierced through the chaos, her terrified face pleading for an end to the violence. I looked at her, a mix of emotions swirling within me. Of course, Takumi was a kind person, and violence was not something she would condone. I realized I had to go easy on him and put an end to the fight.

"Takumi, don't worry. Everything is fine now," I reassured her, but her terrified expression remained unchanged. The fear in her eyes tugged at my heart, reminding me of the impact this incident had on her.

"Why? Is this guy your acquaintance?" the guy asked, attempting to get up but unable to do so as I held the tree branch aimed at his neck.

"Hey," I looked into his eyes with a disdainful expression and said, "You bastard, get the hell out of here, and don't come back. If you dare mess with Takumi again, you know what will happen to you. Got it?"

"You..." He tried to stand up, but I swiftly kicked his hands, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground.

"J-just stop it. That's enough," Takumi's voice echoed through the alley, accompanied by the sounds of crows scattering from the deserted darkness.

Reluctantly, I halted my actions at Takumi's outcry. Realizing that it was getting late, I decided to put an end to it and approached Takumi.

"Takumi, I was just trying to make sure he knows his place so he wouldn't do anything to y-"

SLAP!

"Huh?" Takumi slapped me with great force, catching me completely off guard. I couldn't react, not because I physically couldn't, but because I never expected her to do such a thing.

My body ached from the beating I had endured, but the pain from that single slap from Takumi felt more intense than anything else. I knew that Takumi disliked fighting, but I couldn't comprehend why she would go to such lengths as to slap me just to stop me. It was something I couldn't understand in those few seconds, until Takumi started walking towards the guy. After slapping me, Takumi extended a helping hand to the guy, assisting him in standing up.

"Takumi, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice filled with confusion and concern.

"Sigh... Could it be that you've misunderstood everything from the start?" the guy mumbled as he attempted to stand with Takumi's help. "I'm not harassing her or whatever you're thinking... Isn't it normal for a couple to do something like this?"

My mind couldn't process his words as he placed his hands on Takumi's shoulders and hugged her. I unintentionally mumbled, "Wh-what do you mean, a... a couple? Takumi and I are..." The realization of his nonsensical statement left me speechless.

"Uhhm... Matsuki-kun, this is..." Takumi let go of the guy and created some distance between them, but he persisted and put his hands on her shoulders. "I am dating Takumi, and our relationship, you know... Can't you see it with your own eyes?"

"Wait up," he looked at Takumi and then at me, a mocking tone in his voice, "Could it be that this guy has a crush on you and got jealous, thinking you're about to be stolen? Hahahaha..."

His laughter filled the air, but I couldn't bring myself to care. My attention was solely focused on Takumi, allowing him to hold her without a care. Confusion overwhelmed me as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

"T-akumi... W-what's the meaning of this?" I stuttered, trying to make sense of the situation.

"This must be a joke, right?" I pleaded, hoping that it was all just a prank.

"Can you please stop this and get away from that guy so I can finally beat him," I implored, my frustration and anger building up.

Takumi remained silent, avoiding eye contact with me. I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder, but she swiftly pushed it away.

"..." She didn't respond to me, her actions speaking louder than words.

"M-matsuki..." Her gaze averted, Takumi began to speak, her voice trembling.

"I... I don't like you. Liking you never crossed my mind. I was just playing with you when you confess to me. But now that you know... please don't get near me or get involved with me anymore."

"Huh?" I was taken aback, unable to comprehend what she was saying. The weight of her words crashed down on me, leaving me overwhelmed by a mix of confusion and surprise. My hand, which had been reaching out for her, fell limply at my side as I stood frozen, trying to make sense of what was happening.

Takumi approached me, and I felt lost, my heart heavy and throbbing with intensity. "Ma...ts," she began, her gaze meeting mine. In her eyes, I saw my own reflection, a reflection of my own pathetic state. She tried to explain something to me, but I couldn't absorb any of the information she was conveying. Suddenly, she paused and shook her head. It felt as if water droplets were falling on my face, and her aura underwent a sudden transformation. Her once warm and caring eyes now held a chilling purple gaze.

"Tsk..." Takumi gritted her teeth and rubbed her head in frustration. "You're such a pain. There's no way I'll explain it to you. But I guess you need to know that I've just been playing with you... all this time."

"P-playing?" I stammered, my grip tightening on my clothes. "What does this mean? Did he force you into this? If that's the case, I'll protect you. You don't have to worry!" Hope swelled within me, believing that she hadn't willingly engaged in this deception. I stood up and held her hands tightly, seeking to offer my support.

"Sigh... You really don't get it, do you?" Takumi sighed, her voice filled with exasperation. "I said I was just playing with you! Who would want to go out with someone like you? You're no fun, and you're not even fun to play with. You're just a pathetic, gullible fool who falls for anything. I can't believe I wasted my time pretending to like you. You're not worth anyone's attention or affection!"

"Huh?" I felt perplexed, as if my body had been struck by a blow. A wave of chills ran down my spine, and my throat felt constricted.

My heart ached, as if a cold hand had reached into my chest and tightly squeezed my heart. Her words pierced through me, leaving me feeling hollow and shattered inside.

"I just dated you because I thought you were fun to play with. It turns out you're boring. So please don't get involved with me ever again!"

"Huh?... Then what about all the things we've done and talked about? Was all of that... just a lie?" I asked, desperately hoping for a different answer.

She briefly averted her gaze, her fingers tightening around each other. There was a fleeting moment of hesitation, as if she wrestled with her words before finding her resolve.

"I..." she replied, her voice faltering for a moment before steadying. Her eyes met mine, and she let out a heavy sigh, as if grappling with a difficult decision.

"Hey, let's go," she said in a frustrated tone. "I need to leave now. Talking some sense into this guy is useless. After all, he's an idiot."

Without receiving any response from her, Takumi swiftly retrieved her bag, her gaze briefly meeting mine before she turned away. She walked away, leaving me alone, while that guy named Korosaku stood now properly.

The silence that followed her departure echoed louder than any words could have conveyed. My mind was filled with confusion and disbelief, unable to fully process the events that had just unfolded.

"I don't know what's going on between you two, but..." the guy started, looking at me with pity.

"But..." Without hesitation, he swung his fist and landed a punch squarely on my face. To my surprise, I felt nothing but a numbing sensation. It was as if the blow had no effect on me.

Perhaps it was the endurance I had developed from enduring my aunt's abuse, or maybe it was the overwhelming shock of what I had just heard from Takumi that dulled my senses.

I didn't shield myself from it, hoping that it would wake me up from this dream, but it didn't happen. I remained in the same dark alley, on my knees as I tried to reached out for Takumi's figure as it slowly disappeared and leave me.