Underneath the Red Trees

CHAPTER 46: TOUMA'S EX

He was bigger than Touma. They were the same height, but his shoulders were broader. He had an oval face. He had a long nose. His bottom lip was pierced. And that crooked smile that never reached his eyes was all too familiar.

Katashi Saga was Touma's ex-boyfriend. And he stood only a metre away from him on the pavement.

Touma could not move. He wanted to. He wanted to run. Far, far away from this man. But his feet were bolted to the concrete.

Katashi giggled. "You surprise me, Tou—ma."

Touma swallowed his spit. "Katashi." He struggled to control his breaths. "I thought you left Tokyo."

"I'm back." Katashi took a step forward. "I've missed you, Tou—ma." He hated the way Katashi said his name.

Katashi's fingers slowly wrapped around his wrist. "You must have missed me," he said softly, in that honeyed voice of his, "because you aren't running away."

Touma shuddered.

Katashi wrenched him behind the corner.

Touma groaned when his back hit the wall. He bit the inside of his.

"Sh-sh-shhh," Katashi pressed a finger to his lips. There was barely any space between them. The hand that was not in Touma's face, was pressed against the wall behind him. An arm blocked his escape.

"Katashi, please," he pleaded.

"You're so cute when you beg, doll." That horrid nickname. Touma didn't think he would miss the way Katashi called his name. But he did. He didn't want to hear that damned pet name.

He could not keep eye contact with Katashi anymore. His pitch-black eyes brought back too many memories. "Katashi, please leave me alone," he tried again, his voice tremulous.

Katashi snickered. "Oh, fuck no. You're too much fun." Touma's eyes glistened with tears. Katashi's hand shifted down to stroke his throat. "I'll play with you next time, doll, I promise."

He bit down on Touma's bottom lip, only releasing when he tasted the blood.

He winked at Touma, crooked smile playing on his lips, before he vanished around the corner.

Touma's legs buckled beneath him.

Ragged breaths came without rhythm. "Call someone," he mumbled as he searched for his phone. His voice was brittle, "You have to call someone, Touma."

He stopped himself before he pressed the dial button.

Why was he trying to call Hayate?

Hayate did not want to talk to him.

The tears came then. Touma leaned back against the wall, eyes raised to the dark underbelly of the storm clouds.

He missed Hayate. He wanted to see him. He wanted to hear his voice. He wanted to inhale his scent. But he couldn't. not anymore. What did he do to make Hayate hate him? What was wrong with him?

Touma was dripping wet when he got home.

Worry washed over Satoru's expression. "Where have you been?"

Touma had sat on the street corner for at least an hour. It was already dark out. His lip had stopped bleeding, any traces of the violence incurred to it washed away by the rain.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I got caught up in the rain. I was just waiting for it to let up."

Satoru glanced out the window. The downpour was harder now than it had been all day. His brows furrowed. "Touma, what happened?"