Somehow, that early morning, she was able to tell him of her lost identity. That she had been in an accident. All she remembers was being brought to Him, her body used like a toy for His entertainment, and getting imprisoned in His apartment's bedroom. She told Taka of her experience as a sex slave and how she knew she's eighteen years old.
Her story was rather quick to be told, and the last part that had been said was about an unknown man barging into the bedroom and helping her escape. She told him she doesn't know the man and she may never know who saved her from that hell hole.
She told in frightening detail, how the dogs that kept her from escaping the bedroom, tore the unknown man's throat and yipped happily when He called them.
Taka listened silently, his face warping from sadness, to pity, to anger, and back to sadness. He thinks she's gone through a horrifying ordeal, and is lucky to have been saved. He wonders if the unknown man knew her if he risked his life saving her. He concludes that they will never truly know, because she said she felt sick leaving him there for dead when she could have asked for help.
Taka looks at his watch when she finished telling him what happened to her. She's nodding off onto her knees, and Taka notes that an hour and a half has already passed since he bizarrely met this girl he's named Ami.
Yamato told them that they'll reach the next live show venue in six hours and that's two hours away from the four hours that they've been travelling. He'll take the remaining two hours of sleep, and figure out later how he's going to tell the guys--and crew, well shit--of their new tour member.
He nudges Ami, who's dozing off, with his foot and she jumps, reacting wildly. Taka holds up his hands in mock surrender and she calms down at the sight of him.
Poor thing. Taka thinks and stands up slowly. He offers his hand and she stares at it in apprehension.
"I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise." Taka says earnestly and it's with amazement that he sees her nod and take his hand, because he thought she wouldn't trust anyone with what she's been through. He thinks he's either a genuinely nice person or, she just haven't had anyone be remotely kind to her since she's been abused really bad, and is soaking up all the kindness she's receiving out of survival.
Taka thinks it's highly likely that it's the latter, since he feels like he's a naughty little shit with an occasional nice guy personality to those in need.
It's a good thing she stumbled upon their bus or else she would have frozen to death outside. Or worse, raped because a pretty face in a lingerie wasn't at all inviting perverts.
He pulls her to her feet and they shuffle out of the bathroom. Ami looks to him for instruction and it dawns on him that she's expecting him to order her around. He shakes his head and opens the fridge, rooting around for anymore leftovers.
"Do you want to eat before resting?" He asks and she nods mutely, slightly cautious but also tired.
"I think we still have some shitake soup here." Taka says and procures a bowl, heating it in the microwave and taking a clean spoon.
"Taka..." Ami says, softly at first, and then all at once with slight confidence. "Takahiro-kun."
"Yes?"
"Why are you doing this?" She asks quietly and Taka turns around. She's right behind him, backing away when he peered down curiously at her. She's so small and frail, and barely reaching his chin that she has to tip her head back just to look up at him. He's the smallest in their band but she's smaller than him, and it kinda boosts his ego that finally he's taller than someone for once.
"You need help." Taka says in an apparent manner and she's struck with the horrible idea that he needs something in return. Old habits of doing what is required of her returns and she nods dumbly.
The familiar disgust curls in the pit of her stomach making her shiver. Nonetheless, she steels herself for what she's about to do because this must be the payment to his kindness. She thinks this new Goshujin-sama is nicer than the last so she has to do her best if she wants him to keep her.
"H-Hai, Goshujin-sama." Ami replies emptily and fidgets with the hem of the sleeveless shirt he made her wear. She begins to discard the shirt, hiking it up her torso to reveal the white baby doll over a pale, too flat stomach, and Taka's eyes widens before he grabs her wrists and stops her from going any further.
She jumps at his sudden action but he ignores her. Determined to educate her on what she doesn't have to do.
"No, no, no. You don't have to offer me anything. I don't need anything in exchange. I'm helping you because you need it, because I want to. This doesn't have a price." He explains firmly, looking straight at her wide brown eyes to emphasize his honesty in helping her.
"You're practicarry a blank slate and I seriously believe that every person is colorful and unique." He pauses for a second before continuing. "Yeah, uhm, okay. That sounded metaphorical."
He coughs into his balled fist and stuffs both his hands in his jeans pocket. Suddenly feeling awkward of his explanation because he knows it's unusual. Hell, this situation is unusual.
"Let's just say I'm interested on adopting you, only because I get this weird feering that you're a piece of art, a work in progress. And I'm going to invest on you by helping you get on your own feet."
Ami only looks at him with a curious expression and it makes him sigh in frustration.
"I speak Engrish but I'm not that good in expressing my ideas in Engrish yet so..." Taka trails off, lost on what he's supposed to say next.
There is a lapse of silence between them; neither speaks because of their thoughts. After a long almost comfortable silence she speaks up in reply to him.
"I understand, Takahiro-kun." She says with a nod. "You're... right. I need help and if--if you're okay with helping me then..."
Taka waits like a child for her answer, standing there wide eyed with anticipation as she processed her thoughts. It may be an abrupt decision but somehow Taka doesn't want to drive her away yet. Like he said, she is need of help and he knows he can lend a hand (or both hands and his feet), but in his thoughts she's someone so fragile that he wants to turn her into a woman too strong that nobody can touch her.
It's strange, really, but that's what he feels he could and should do for her. He doesn't think when he composes songs, he feels, and that is what she is in his whimsical mind. A beautiful song, a melody so lovely that everyone would listen. She will be his charge, and he will devote to her growth and development.
But before anything else, he has to teach her confidence and self-worth. He can't have her thinking and feeling like she's dirty money in human form. No matter how appealing the idea of a woman offering herself to him is, Taka doesn't see her as an object that he can use for his own entertainment. She is a person of her own and he will teach her that she has her own mind and say.
"I need your help, Takahiro-kun."
And that was music to his ears.
---
A/N: Shortest chapter yet. I'm not finished with the next chapter but it's almost there. Maybe 70% so it could be posted on the weekends. I hope you enjoyed these three chapters so far! Thank you for reading! :)
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hiatus「 one ante meridiem 」 • TAKA
FanficON HIATUS She doesn't know him like the world knows of him. She knows him as Takahiro-kun, the man who's helping her get back on her feet. She doesn't know about Taka the ONE OK ROCK vocalist, and Taka is determined to keep it that way. He's content...
