Asphyxia Nation

Chapter 3

Hitting someone flat against the jaw can take anyone down quickly if done right.

And damn, was it done right.

Except that wasn't what knocked him down, it was the two palms that slammed into his chest. Shuichi was shoved to the ground as the angered fueled boy walked past him. Not even sparing him a glance, or aftermath look of pity or at least a 'You deserved that' stare.

Dishearteningly, some form of guilt and suppressed emotion hung in the air. A nasty sour-tasting aroma always stuck to the roof of his mouth when a bottled-up surge came forth. He grimaced at the taste and the throb in his jaw. "W-Wait! Kokichi!"

Facts were sinking in, the reality was gravitating towards him at the sight of the boy who gave him the bond. Kokichi didn't stop, he kept going, up the stone steps to the enormous school building. "Kokichi!"

Shuichi stumbled back onto his feet. Kokichi wasn't allowed to do that after five years. After all this time, a cruel look and a harsh hand are not what he deserves. He ran up the stairs after him. Kokichi already had hurried in through the large doors, it wouldn't be too hard to catch up. If it weren't for the strong hand that latched around his arm.

"Don't go after him."

He would of mentally panicked, or reacted in a soon-to-be-physical display of skitterish jumping back if the hand didn't belong to Kaito. Shuichi turned to look up at his oddly silent friend. His facial expression sat at a weird confused look of mild betrayal. Since Kaito knew Kokichi when they were younger and free.

When he wasn't with Kokichi, he was having sleepovers with Kaito. He was at the swingset side by side talking about the newest video game about to come out. Of course, his friendships would eventually collide. When he was nine, Kokichi and Kaito met, and a new era of fights and good times came out of it.

They didn't necessarily get along, but they had some sort of bond. Not a strong one like Shuichi's. Since that can only happen with one person. "W-Why not? Kaito, I haven't seen him in- in years!"

He figured he'd see him in school at least once, maybe pass him in the hall and have a class with him. But it seemed after that day, Kokichi Ouma disappeared off the face of the earth. The only thing keeping Shuichi from thinking he was gone-gone, was the air being polluted off Kokichi's emotion.

"Did you not see him? I mean, really looked at him?" Kaito argued, tugging him back in the direction of their homeroom class. "Shuichi, he was decked out in Trackers."

Once that chuck of reality hit him, he was silenced. He hardly noticed. He was so focused on the identity of the boy, he missed all the trackers on his arm or the heavyset one around his neck. Kokichi was a spirit that was born free. Shuichi could sense that from even before all this. Any rule within reach was broken by that boy who laughed in the face of any authority.

Of course, Kokichi tried to spread his wings and get out there. And of course, they were going to cut his wings off and tie him down in a cell somewhere. Kokichi was caught. Spelling out the crippling end for that boy who used to laugh.

As if the fact had not been made painfully clear, Kaito sighed in mock pity. "He's a delinquent."

Shuichi bit his lip to keep from asking Kaito what was wrong with that. Instead, he let Kaito tow him off to their Homeroom, where they'd sit in a classroom full of fearful's that cower at their desks, and watchful's that only look out for themselves and themselves alone. The teacher would drone on about rules and punishments. After, they all would flock to their dorms.