Rebellion

Poison

Ayase smiled as Teruo fell on the floor. She was on her knees, looking at the man with a gun. She kept crying, but nothing seemed to be taking the smile off of her face. She was overjoyed and thrilled. She even wanted to hurry him up. Just to end everything. The end of suffering was so close, if he could just pull the trigger...

"Not gonna fight?" He asked her.

She kept quiet, looking at him with pleading eyes. He only sighed.

"If only your brother wasn't naive..." He mumbled under his breath, but got serious soon.

It was time to actually shoot the poor girl. But he didn't manage to do it. He got shot. He fell to the floor, dropping his gun. His knee was bleeding and it hurt like hell. 

Ayase let out a scream of agony that lasted far too long. She was so close to death, yet it didn't come. Why? She just wanted it to be over, Naoki said it would be over, yet it got ten times worse.

The man who was on the floor was wincing in pain. The person who did this must have been a skilled shooter. He wasn't surprised when he saw the infamous Seto Benjiro behind the gun that shot him. He ran and took the gun, rendering the man useless. He shot another knee, making him wince again. He quickly felt up if he had anything else with him. 

"Why are you sparing me?" He questioned Benjiro.

He ignored him momentarily and went to Ayase who was having a mental break down. Blood was pouring from her scalp as she pulled it out. Trying to stop was hard, the unknown strength she had was let out through the adrenaline in her body. 

"I WANT TO DIE! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LET ME DIE!?" She screamed, her voice cracking and shaking.

"Ayase, please, you can't do this to yourself!" Benjiro tried calmly.

"I deserve death! I just want this to end! Let it end! KILL ME! KILL ME!" She screamed, her energy not fading one bit. 

The members of The White Walls came and looked at Benjiro. 

"Drive them to the hospital." Benjiro demanded.

All of them listened. There wasn't anyone else to listen to currently. The only remaining Setsuko was a crying mess. They took Ayase, Teruo and the man who shot their brother to the hospital. Benjiro took a shaky breath. 

He turned around and went back to the place where it happened. 

He saw the black haired girl still looking at the dead body of her dear friend. Her 'brother'. All the other men behind were looking sad, trying to hold their tears in. Some for Hiroji, some for Naoki, some for the dead that were burned because of the shield and some for the whole situation itself. They lost their leader and their next leader. Most of them felt hopeless... How could that broken girl ever lead a gang? 

Satoko was the closest to Naoki, kneeling next to him. Shiro was hugging her, obviously trying his best to comfort her. He looked deeply disturbed at the entire situation. Her sobs were loud, but her screams faded away a while ago. Benjiro sat down next to her and hugged her. 

He couldn't believe the entire situation. It was almost as if it was unreal. It felt like it. He liked Naoki as a person and as a leader. He was the one who always protected him and he was truly one of the only people he could trust in his life. His true friend. He always jut felt sad Naoki never opened up to him. He felt a pain in his heart. The poor guy... He couldn't help but feel so awfully sorry for him. All of his pain and feelings went to the grave with him. Nobody will ever know how he truly felt. He did so many things and yet... He died so early. He was so close to being twenty seven, yet he didn't manage to live so far. 

The only good thing that was done in this whole tragedy was the death of that horrible man. Naoki made that sacrifice. Benjiro let out a tear. He had a feeling like Naoki knew there was a possibility that he would die, but he let it happen. Maybe he was in denial, he was in denial that there was something in the way of his happiness... But in full honesty, living with that man was worse than dying. 

He tried to understand what he was thinking, but it only made him more sad. He wished it could be different, but he had this feeling that there was no other way to do this. Like he was destined for a horrible death, just like every other Setsuko. 

What a curse to be born with. That surname was such a poison to have. It may not kill you immediately, but it will eventually. 

"If only I could've helped him..." Satoko whispered out.

"I don't think there is much help for this family..." Benjiro said, his voice full of desperation. 

How will he ever save Ayase from this? She's been through enough. How is he going to help her? Save her? Make her feel better? Make her forget she ever had this family? Make her start a new life?

Could he ever do any of that?

He couldn't. He simply couldn't. It felt so hopeless. 

Naoki was the only hope he ever felt for this gang, for this entire family. He always said it would be better. He was such an optimist. He always tried his best. 

Why didn't he appreciate him more when he was alive?

How is Ayase supposed to continue her life without that hope? Without someone strong near her? Benjiro couldn't do that. He was no Naoki. He wasn't nearly as strong, determined and hard working. He was such a good man...

But it was obvious good didn't mean shit in this family. There was no better proof in that than now.

But there was one other good... One good that he'll still try to save, no matter how much hopeless and useless it seemed.