Obsession (Ayano x Budo)

Chapter 21

The pain.

Oh God, the pain.

Taro let out a shaky breath as he tried again to get up from the floor. A grimace flashed over his face as he attempted to push himself up into sitting position with his one good arm. But the arm started trembling uncontrollably under his weight, and a sharp pain zapped up through his back to his neck. "Agh!"

Taro collapsed again for the fifth time and his chin hit the hard gravel. He lay still, eyes squeezed shut tightly, feeling his body burn like fire, with every inch of movement sending fresh flashes of pain through him.

Damn. Should have taken Budo up on extra martial arts lessons. An unwilling smile crept up on Taro's lips, but it was immediately followed by an electric twang across his left cheek and he quickly stiffened his face into a blank expression. Moving isn't an option. I'll just have to wait for Budo.

He forced himself to lie quietly in the middle of the road, suffering in silence as his entire body throbbed with pain. The worst was definitely from punch to his face. From brow to jawbone, the blood throbbed like the punch of a drum, and deeper, below the surface of the skin, it stung unbearably, as if millions of fire-ants were inside him there, biting into his flesh.

It was a prolonged torture, and Taro felt he could go insane while he waited. While his body blazed, he concentrated solely on the clean, cold feeling of the object in his right hand. It was his bouy in this ocean of agony, a promise for rescue. His phone.

A faint crunch-crunch sound began echoing in the air. It was from behind Taro, and he strained his ears to focus. Someone was running towards him. Budo? Taro kept waiting, unable to turn his neck to confirm or deny his worries, and the feeling anticipation made his stomach turn. Why won't the idiot just call out so I know?

The sound of shoes crunching on gravel was louder now, and Taro's nervousness rocketed as he heard the steps come to a stop right behind him. He decided to speak out.

"Budo?" he whispered. It was faint, and at least audible, but saying the words made it feel as if sandpaper were scratching the inside of his throat.

"Yeah, it's me."

Relief flooded Taro. "You came," he whispered again quietly, closing his eyes for a second in gratitude . "Thank... God."

"What happened to you?"

Taro still couldn't turn around, but he could hear the clipped tone in Budo's voice, and he felt confused for a brief second before breathing out his single-worded answer. "Delinquents."

"Why?"

Taro's stalled as he recalled the words spoken by the skull-faced leader. He could still hear them, right now, being murmured into his ear, and a brush of coldness washed over him. Ayano Aishi sends her regards. "I don't know."

He heard Budo come closer, crouching down beside him. Taro tried to turn his head to look, but a searing twinge bunched in his neck. He cringed. Immediately, a hand slipped under his head and supported him by the right side of his face. The touch sent waves of pain screaming through his skin. He felt like he might throw up. He fought through the sudden nausea and finally set his eyes onto Budo beside him.

Budo looked back through uncompassionate eyes, which took in the pain etched on Taro's face. Taro was confused once more. Why the sudden coldness? He couldn't find the strength to dwell on it as another bought of nausea surged through him. Budo put his other arm under Taro's shoulder. "Get ready. Up you go."

He lifted Taro up into sitting position in a single, quick movement, and, combined with explosion of pain across his tender back and the sudden change in direction, Taro felt all his insides rise up in his throat. "Gn-".

Taro threw up. Budo noted with some interest that there was blood mixed in with the bile. A subtle, brief feeling slipped inside of him. Internal bleeding?

I regard you as my friend, Taro had said just an hour ago. Budo remembered feeling happy while he had walked with him. Now he wanted to scoff.

Friend? He isn't my friend. He is my rival, Budo thought critically to himself. Taro was Osana's friend. Not mine. I was blind. I don't need "friends" anymore. They'll never be enough for me. I only need Ayano.

When Taro was finished, and was left coughing and gasping, Budo said emotionlessly, "It's going to be difficult to get you to the hospital."

It took a few moments before Taro could muster a weak whisper. "Ambulance."

"Sure, I'll call them right now." Lying was so easy by now that the words just rolled of his tongue.

Budo watched quietly as Taro held himself up by all fours and struggled to regain his breath. Was Ayano's rival really this pathetic? Just looking at Taro filled him with sudden arrogance and a cold sort of hatred for him. Budo wanted to lean in close to him, to say in that I-told-you-so voice, Thought you were so smart, so witty, didn't you? Well, those books don't do sh*t when you're going to die. Say hello to our friend Osana, will ya?

Budo's eyes noticed how the back of Taro's neck was ringed by a deep blue-purple, as if he'd been strangled. Budo smiled slightly as the image formed in his mind. So that was why his voice was so weak. Thank you, delinquents. It was then that Budo realized something.

Taro was looking away, oblivious. He was incapable of walking. He couldn't scream. Hell, he was even on his hands and knees, as if being presented to Budo. It was the his most vulnerable state possible.

A single, hard blow to the back of the neck, just below the skull. Budo's felt his heart rate pick up in anticipation. His vision was suddenly acutely clear and was focused just on that perfect spot that Taro made so easily accessible.Was he scared? Frightened of himself? No, in fact, he was reveling in the feeling of power and complete control he was experiencing.

I'm about to ruin your life, Budo thought, and that thought made him giddy with excitement too. This is my chance. Ayano will be mine.

Budo striked.