All You Need Is Love (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 3

PRESENT
🌞🌻

There was a very drunk group of four at the table next to theirs. They were all in fair range of Kashima in terms of age, but there was a rougher atmoshpere surrounding their table. The girls with them had strained smiles and looked anxious.

The only other customers were two men in suit sitting at the bar talking with the staff behind it. It wasn't a big place, so this was probably a good number.

Gulf got an ominous feeling he couldn't identify, so he hurried to do his business and get back to the bar. When he reemerged, he heard the unmistakeable sound of glass shattering.

"Leave me the hell alone, buddy!"

After this sharp order, a very badly dressed man stood up. He was brazenly threatening Kashima, grabbing him by the collar.

"...too late."

Gulf's premonition had been right on target. Gulf hurried back to their table, but the man was already terrorizing Kashima relentlessly.

"How many times are you gonna punch me in the head?"

"I-I didn't! I was just...stretching and my hand went over to your side."

"That's what I said. You punched me. You stupid or something?"

It was probably because he was so drunk, but the man's aggressive language was working perfectly ro frighten Kashima. He was absolutely terrified, both his hands raised in defense or pleading.

"Calm down, please. What happened?"

"Who the hell are you?" The man turned to glare at Gulf. He was making a show of it all, but Gulf didn't get the impression that he was that dangerous. Gulf tried to find out what was going on without upsetting the man more than necessary.

"This guy is my boss. If there's been some kind of trouble---"

"He's your boss? You must be a real winner. He doesn't even apologize for punching people in the head."

"I didn't do it, Gulf! I-I didn't mean to hit him! I was just stretching and accidentally hit his head."

Gulf can imagine exactly what had happened, but right now, he had to keep things from getting out of control. If he just ran off to call the police, things could get bad.

"I apologize. As you can see, my boss is more than a little drunk tonight. He didn't do it deliberately, so might you be willing to overlook this incident?"

"Huh? He punched me. If I didn't hit him back, it'll start to bug me."

Gulf was a little impressed with himself for not being at all intimidated by the abusive voice yelling at him.

He wasn't exactly used to eing in situations like this. He had only one experience more tense than this, eight years ago. Some men affiliated with a gang had accosted him. And even though he knew they wouldn't hurt him, the threat posted by those men, whose only approach to life was risking their lives, wasn't even in the same ballpark as the man in front of him now.

His arm had been twisted behind him and he had been punched. The merciless blow had swollen his cheek and cut the inside of his mouth. It had been so bad that he'd been unable to eat for a few days.

A bitter smile came over Gulf's lips at the memory of the pain in his cheek and the pain in his heart. He felt pity and contempt for himself, since even eight  years later the memory was still as fresh as if it had happened yesterday.

"What the hell are you smiling about?"

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about something else."

"Excuse me? What the hell are you thinking about at a time like this?"

It looked like his smile had rubbed the man the wrong way.

"You said that you would be upset about my boss hurting you unless you could hit someone else. In that case, I'll offer to let you hit me."

"What the---? Do you get off on pain or something?"

"No, I don't. But my boss is drunk. He wouldn't feel a thing even if you did hit him and then you would both be worse off. So that's why I'm suggesting that you hit me, as his subordinate." Gulf surprised himself with his defiance and the strength of his nerves.

His speech succeeded in intimidating the other men.

"The hell? You-you've got balls."

But the man in front of him wasn't noble enough to back down apparently.

"I'll give you what you want then, and no holding back," the man shouted as he pulled his arm back to strike.

"You would be far better off restraining yourself at this point."

A polite but sharp voice iced over everything in its path, resounding frigidly in the bar.

TBC