Stories From Tokyo-To

Chapter 14: Yellow Bream!

"TRAIIIIIIIIIIN!" shouted one of the Poison Jam crooks. It was muffled, but at least it took over the ringing in my ears from the beating those freaks gave me. I thought I was safe taking the secluded route to our race, but I guess it was a bad call on my part. I looked back to see Tab giving it his all to push us to safety. The Jam scrambled and scattered off the rails. I looked up to see a blinking light quickly approaching. Its blaring horn roared in my ears.

"BENISU! JUMP!" Tab grunted as he shoved the both of us onto the platform mere moments before the train was to trample us. We both laid on the platform, catching whatever breath we had left. As the train breezed by us, Tab took this opportunity to grab me and make a run for it. People were in awe as we got up and left, and even more were staring as we ducked and weaved through an onslaught of crowded sidewalks. 

The lights, people, places, they were all a blur.

 The moment I knew we were safe was when we stopped for once. He laid me down against some sort of wall. I couldn't see much, but I could tell we were out of sight. It turns out he led us into an empty alley. I sat there holding onto my aching wounds, waiting to see if our attackers trailed us or if someone would notice.

Tab stood with his back towards me. His shoulders were arched, and his breathing was heavy. In seconds, the alley was somewhat kept to utterly unrecognizable after he snapped. He went berserk on anything he could get his hands on. Kicking trash cans, shattering glass bottles, and smashing signs with his bare hands were all fair game. He was feral for the entire ordeal until it came to a halt. He walked back to me, visibly upset, and let it all out.

"We could've died because of you!" He screamed inches away from my tattered face. "Do you know how much I risked goin' there to save your ass?! I mean, what were you thinkin'?! I told you day one of 'self-defense' that you always have an 'out' wherever you go!" He stormed off and started to circle in frustration. "I knew it. I knew I shouldn't have taken you in. God, what was I thinking?!"

"Tab..." I mustered the strength to catch his attention. He looked at me, the dim lighting making his face obscure. "I'm sorry for being careless... and forgive me for causing you so much stress. But at the end of the day, you were looking out for me, and I couldn't thank you enough." I slowly started to get up, wincing at every step. "If it weren't for you, I'd be on the streets either homeless or..." I paused. I didn't want to think about what could've happened to me. "It was because of you that my drive to become a Rudie grew even more. If I'm going to be a Rudie who can stand on his two feet, then I'd want to be one just like you!".

Tab's face was one of lament. I could tell the more I spoke, the more it got to him. I was close enough to see tears streaming down his face. I extended my hand and smiled. "C'mon, let's head home and forget about this night." He just looked at me with so much anguish and anger in his eyes. My smile dropped as he slowly backed away.

"Nah. There is no 'home' for you to go back to. You can forget it!" 

His breathing became heavier. His hands grabbed onto his hoodie, pulling it down in distress. "I ain't gonna be another magnet for people to get close to, only for them to be beaten and bloody. NO ONE ELSE IS DYING BECAUSE OF ME!" 

With his words ringing in my ears and the alley, he dashed off, leaving me to my own devices.

I just stood there and thought about what he said. Maybe he was right. Maybe I shouldn't have wrapped a stranger into my problems and instead faced them on my own. Did I abuse his kindness? Was I that much of a nuisance? That's probably why Kurihara hated me so much. I was just a headache, a tumor that needed to leave at some point. I bet he was elated to see my empty room the day after I left. 

My stamina slowly ran out, and I fell back on that wall I was resting on moments ago. Sitting against the wall, red and blue with bruises, had me thinking. My mind went to how my mom was doing. Was she able to sleep at night knowing I was missing? Did she leave Kurihara after seeing what a broken home does to a kid? Did she think back to my father?

My father. 

Y'know, throughout these past years, she hasn't mentioned much about him. Maybe she couldn't bring herself to say what happened. I know it probably hurts to do so. He was a good man and the one person in our lives who would give everything to make sure we were alright. Maybe I was too young at the time to realize how much we both needed him.

I slouched further against the wall. My body slowly gave into fatigue. I found myself not being able to move much. In the distance, police sirens wailed closer and closer. I figured that the commotion we caused at the subway station would have the Keisatsu jonesing to slap cuffs on any Rudies in the area. 

The approaching red lights gradually illuminated the alley. I mustered the strength to crawl deeper into the alley so as to not be caught. The more I inched, the more everything in my body ached. I looked back to see the lights and sirens getting closer.

Then I started to think that if I were to get caught, I'd at least get help and, at worse, be put in a holding cell but tended to. I wouldn't need to risk my life finding another place to sleep. Maybe this was my out? 

Could it be that the life of a Rudie was just a pipe dream I'd never be a part of? 

I stopped dead in my tracks and lay there on my back. My vision became blurry as the flashing lights engulfed the alley. Right as I was about to close my eyes, a figure came into my field of view. "Oh shit. C'mon, kid!" Their voice was like sugar. They came closer, and I found myself face to face with an angel, a beautiful savior. She lifted me up with such grace and dragged me away. I quickly gave in to exhaustion as my senses dissolved.