Chapter 165: Consequences (1)
Kohei made his way back from the train station with a smile on his face, catching weird looks from those around him as he walked past. The smile seemed like something a deranged villain would wear after they'd implemented their master plan.
He paid them no attention, too caught up in his own thoughts to care how others viewed him.
'Ai… You'll be mine soon. We'll finally get to be together.'
With his mind running wild, Kohei did not even notice the tattooed men who were hanging around in the street. He just wordlessly made his way back home from the train station, something he'd done hundreds of times before.
He opened the door casually and began to take off his shoes, only to notice there were a couple of extra pairs.
'That's odd, we never have guests.' He thought.
"Grandma, I'm home." He said warily, peaking his head around the corner.
It was then that he saw his father sitting across from two scary men. One was balding and had colorful tattoos which covered both of his arms, giving him an air of danger.
The other was a muscular man whose eyes were glaring at him with unadulterated hatred, causing him to shriek out like a frightened pig.
"A-Ah!"
Kohei called out in fear, almost soiling his underwear from the stimulation. He had seen movies like this which usually ended in death or grievous bodily harm for the victim.
His body instantly entered fight or flight mode, yet since he was a coward, it was essentially reduced to just flight mode.
Without uttering another word, he tried to flee through the open door but quickly fell onto his backside after running into something solid.
His eyes slowly crept up the gigantic figure in front of him until he finally met the fierce gaze of the behemoth. The long mustache and intimidating stature of the man in front of evoked a primal fear which seemed to be too much for him, resulting in a warm liquid pooling on the ground beneath Kohei.
Tsukasa pinched his nose as the smell of ammonia entered the room. He scrunched up his face as he complained loudly.
"Damn it Chibi, you've scared him so bad that he pissed himself."
The giant man stared at the sorry excuse for a human on the ground and turned his face up in displeasure.
"Sorry big bro. Did you want me to get rid of him?"
His deep voice bore into Kohei's psyche, the words scaring him even further.
"G-Gah!"
He let out a gurgled scream before fainting in a puddle of his own urine.
Tsukasa let out a deep sigh feeling a headache coming on.
"Go get your son and clean him up." Tetsu said, his voice shaking with barely repressed rage. If he was honest, he wanted to go kick the sorry excuse for a human being until he woke up.
"Y-Yes sir!" Manabu answered, swiftly acting to move Kohei to the bathroom.
Once the two left, it was only Tetsu and Tsukasa in the lounge room while Chibi stood silently at the door.
"Chibi, go ask grandma for some cleaning supplies and get rid of that mess. I can't even think with this smell."
"Yes big bro."
In the bathroom, Manabu splashed some water on his fainted son, hoping to rouse him. Only after dousing him with cold water a few times did the teen finally come to his senses.
"D-Dad? What happened? Was it only just a dream?" He asked groggily.
Yet the first thing he felt was wetness in his underwear and the pungent smell of urine, telling him that everything was true.
"Kohei listen to me carefully." Manabu said, his tone firm. This was the first time that he had talked to his son like this, catching him off guard.
Kohei nodded, his expression was as if he finally found a lifeline in his father.
"One of these men is the father of that girl you blackmailed." He said gravely.
Instantly, Kohei's face dropped. He suddenly felt as if the walls had come crumbling down all around him, bringing with it a feeling of suffocation and despair which threatened to drown him.
Manabu saw his son's expression change and suddenly felt a sadness overcome him. He couldn't blame anyone but himself for not guiding and teaching his son properly, leading to such a situation.
In that moment, he made up his mind to sacrifice himself in order to save his son from those men, even if it meant giving up his mediocre life. At least then he might be able to give Kohei a chance to change.
Perhaps this was what being a father was meant to feel like, but it was only in this moment that he finally realized such a thing.
Unaware of his father's thoughts, Kohei waited expectantly for his dad to tell him what to do.
"Let's get you cleaned up first. When we go back out I need you to answer everything they say truthfully."
Kohei nodded, before grabbing onto his father tightly. His hands were shaking, but he still clung onto the only thing that could possibly save him.
"I-I'm sorry dad." He said, cutting a pathetic sight as he took off his clothes and hopped into the shower.
Hearing these words seemed to cut deep, bringing forth old wounds for Manabu.
'No… I'm sorry that I failed you.'
After around 10 minutes, the father and son duo returned to the lounge room. Kohei had recovered from his earlier situation, yet he still seemed like anxiety personified. He was currently standing behind his father, tightly holding onto his shirt.
Manabu's expression had changed considerably, surprising Tsukasa.
'I've seen that expression many times before' He commented inwardly.
It was the face of someone who was willing to put their life on the line.
Tsukasa briefly glanced at Tetsu before turning back to the duo, gesturing for them to take a seat. He then waited until they were seated before beginning the discussion.
"Keiho Gomi, 17 years old. 2nd year student at Yokohama High School, part time stalker and extortionist. Should we also add deranged creep into the mix? You tell me."