Veiled Pain | Riki Nishimura

22. No secrets between us

Now it was Asami's turn to lay on her desk like Riki always did, who still isn't at school. It's just morning but even in morning he is usually early. She is already feeling really anxious. She doesn't know where Riki is, how he's doing and what is happening there. Just if she could see him as soon as possible.

"Riki!" Naomi exclaimed from her desk and ran to the door frame. Asami straightened up on her desk and turned around to look at there after hearing his name. Naomi was tightly hugging Riki, who apparently just came and soon all her friends did the same, now they all clinging onto him.

He seemed like he knew that they know, but he doesn't know why they know. They apparently needed no words as a greeting. Soon all the boys of the class had their turn in hugging him too. It's like they do it every day, but still they don't do it every day.

Asami watched from her seat. Now that she really saw Riki, she didn't know what to do anymore.

The classmates went back to their seats after sharing few words with Riki. He was left standing there looking at Asami who still hasn't stood up from her desk. Maybe out of all his classmates he wanted her to hug him the most. But why didn't she?

He himself approached her and tapped her shoulder. "Asa-" He started but got cut off when she then quickly stood up from her seat and wrapped her hands around his waist.

"I was so worried." She muttered to his chest as he also wrapped his arms behind her back. "Why didn't you read my messages?" She then asked and looked up to him.

"Oh, um, about that. My phone broke. It just didn't turn on anymore." Riki answered. She believed it immediately, since she do remembers how his phone already looked like. "I'll tell you on the break more. I've got lot." He said, and she felt glad about it. She wanted to know.

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During the first break Asami and Riki were again at the cleaning closet. It's a place where they can have their own pace and peace. Riki told her a lot of things that happened these few days. He told her that he moved out, at least temporary.

"A refuge? What's that?" Asami inquired in confusion.

Riki shrugged like he didn't really even know himself. "It's like a shelter for kids like me, like a children's home." He explained somehow.

Now Asami understood it more. "Is it far away?" She asked.

"Not really. It's out of this town, but still not too far away."

"Okay, well.. You can still always visit my place if you want. Shugo and Jun will miss you for sure, so, you're always welcome." She said with a smile.

"Thanks. I will." He replied.

"Right. What happened to your dad by the way?" She then asked.

"Uh, I don't really know. He's in jail now, but I think he will be transferred into prison soon."

"Really? How long is his sentence going to be?" She inquired in curiousity, but he just shrugged. She nodded a little and then they fell in silence for a moment.

"You could've told me. I know it is a big affair, but still, I wouldn't have told anyone." She said, now referring to the whole case.

Riki just looked at her softly, "I know." He said.

She rose up to her knees from the floor and got a little closer to Riki. "Am I really your best friend?" She inquired, to where he answered agreeingly. "Then you're mine too, which means we can't hide anything from each other anymore."

"Okay." He replied, but he didn't seem sincere enough, so Asami held her pinky in front of him. "Promise me."

Riki didn't hesitate much before he wrapped his pinky around hers. She smiled a little to it. He anyway seemed happier today and it was great to see, that he's doing alright now.

When they pulled their hands back he started rolling up his left hand's sleeve. "I can't hide anything, so." He said and soon Asami saw his bare arm that was filled with those cuts she happened too see accidentally the other day.

Asami looked at those a while. Even if it was the second time she saw those, she still felt that horrible feeling. And now she saw the whole arm anyway. She touched his arm lightly but pulled her hand quickly when it just felt so wrong.

"I know you had those." She revelaed.

"You knew?" Riki inquired in a little confusion. He hasn't used t-shirts or anything in few years, except in his own room.

"Yeah. I saw them one day accidentally." She said. He didn't even seem surprised he just nodded a little.

"Well I'm sure you haven't seen these." He said and stood up from the floor. Asami didn't even have much time to think what he was going to show before he lifted the jacket of his school uniform and its undershirt at the same time, revealing his stomach covered in shades of purple and red punch marks. There were so many of them that his abs were barely identifiable in the dim light.

"Riki.." She muttered and stood up from the floor too. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, it looked so painful yet so horrible. She took a step closer and lightly touched those marks, only now she could make out his muscles beneath the bruises. "Does it hurt?" She asked, almost whispered.

He shook his head. "Not really."

When he dropped his shirts back down Asami hugged him by wrapping her arms around his neck. Now she just didn't want to press herself onto him, to not press the bruises. Riki gave the hug back by holding her waist and stroked her hair.

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