Chapter 13: Unexpected Yandere (1)
The snow crunched under Haruto’s boots as he made his way through the narrow alley toward Jun’s house. White flakes drifted down from the gray sky above, coating everything in a pristine blanket that muffled the sounds of the city. He pulled his black jacket tighter against the cold, his breath forming small clouds in the frigid air. This shortcut would save him at least ten minutes, and Jun was probably already waiting with that stupid grin of his, ready to tease him about being late again.
But as Haruto rounded the corner deeper into the alley, something made him stop dead in his tracks. His dark eyes narrowed as he took in the scene ahead - a group of men had cornered someone against the brick wall at the far end. Even from this distance, he could see the flash of red and gold fabric. A kimono. And the person wearing it was clearly struggling.
"Come on, don’t make this harder than it needs to be," one of the thugs was saying, his voice carrying through the cold air. There were at least four of them that Haruto could see, maybe more. Big guys too, the kind who probably spent their time hanging around pachinko parlors and picking fights with anyone who looked at them wrong.
The woman - because now Haruto could see it was definitely a woman - let out a muffled cry as one of the men grabbed at the sleeve of her kimono. Her long black hair spilled over her shoulders as she tried to pull away, but another thug had his hand clamped over her mouth. The silk fabric of her kimono was already torn at the shoulder, and Haruto could see the fear in her wide eyes even from where he stood.
"Beautiful thing like you shouldn’t be walking alone in a place like this," another one of them sneered, his fingers working at the obi around her waist.
Haruto felt that familiar tingle in his fingertips, the one that always came when his powers wanted to surface. Three swords of moonlight, each one capable of cutting through steel like paper. He could end this in seconds. Just summon them and cut these bastards down before they even knew what hit them.
But something held him back. Using his abilities always came with risks. Questions. Attention he didn’t need. And there were people who’d been looking for someone with his particular talents. The kind of people who didn’t ask nicely when they wanted something.
The woman’s struggles were getting weaker. One of the thugs had managed to loosen her obi completely now, and the kimono was starting to slip from her shoulders. Her muffled sobs cut through the air like knives.
Haruto sighed.
He stepped forward, his footsteps silent on the snow-covered ground.