𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘 | 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘮𝘢 𝘚𝘩𝘶𝘫𝘪 (18+)

VII

Y/n gave him a weird look. "No, like who are you?"

Takemichi scratched his head while chuckled nervously. She sounded intimidating for someone whom just got beaten up and he felt timid in her presence.

"I work here." He stated.

Her eyes wondered in her surrounding. There were bunch of racks filled with DVDs. The place smelled like an old man, considering  the DVDs were long here without anyone buying it. The guy in front of her seemed like he could pass out any moment, his skin was flushed red like he had been working outside in the snow instead of inside. 

Then she turned her attention back to him, eyeing him up suspiciously. "You work alone?" She asked.

"Uh.." He trailed. "Yeah?" 

"What does that supposed to mean?" She pushed his hand that was covering her from the lights away to sit up. 

Takemichi sniffled gently, stuffing up his nose with the now dried blood. He didn't want it to be dripping in front of her, she looked scary enough. With her hair all over the place, a few bits of snowflakes in her hair, her wrinkled shirt and her tired eyes, she had the appearance of a homeless person in a designer clothes. He saved that thought for him alone.

He scratched his head. "My friend came to help today but he's out to get some aid for us."

"Us?" She arched her brows in question. "I'm fine."

"But your head is bleeding." He pointed out with the hand holding a bloodied towel.

So that's why her head felt heavy. She touched the side of her head, feeling the clump in her hair and began to ponder on one thing. Just how hard he slammed her on the dashboard?

"Where is he?" Y/n asked, noticing there was nobody else in the store.

"You mean.. my friend?" 

She stared at him blankly. "No, my husband."

He blinked excessively, trying to process the information before widening his eyes in a full circle. "T-That  was your husband?" His voice was cracking and tight.

A chuckled left her mouth, she can't help but laugh at his reaction. "Who would have thought, am I right?" 

His whole body frozen in shock because he was not sure whether to laugh it off or to be worry that she just made her horrible situation as a joke.

"No." He mumbled under his breath while looking down on his lap. 

"Sorry?" Y/n asked as she couldn't hear him properly.

It didn't quite get him why any husband would hit his own wife, despite whatever the reason behind it. "You're wrong." He stated firmly finally raising his head to look at her properly.

Her eyes squinted at his question. "What do you mean?"

"A husband should not lay his hands on his wife, no matter how angry he is or how bad she did wrong. I don't know how you can hit the woman you love. It's just wrong." Suddenly, a great sob escaped him and he covered his face with shaky hands, not realising he accidently cried in a towel drenched in her blood but he couldn't care less about that.

All he could think about was the smile of his woman. A smile that can ease his worries, many burdens that he carried alone. All gone just by seeing her happy and alive. That was all he needed, nothing else. He would die for her, no. He did die to the image of her dying. 

He didn't know what hurt him the most. The punch that he received earlier or the thought of flying a punch to her. If it was possible, he will die just for her to keep on living. That was good enough. The tears were wiped violently yet it didn't stop pouring. 

It was the first time she witnessed a grown man cried, nevertheless to a stranger's story. She should be weirded out by this guy but she couldn't help the grief inside of her when she saw how fragile this man was.