Yurugi

«What a crybaby,» Rain thought to himself as he watched the boy throw a tantrum.Rain had figured out long ago that Sakichi wasn't really strong at all.He just pretended to be, so he could fit in with the other kids and look«cool.» Rain knew the truth about him now: he was just a pathetic kid hiding behind his father's status, putting on an act of being cold and untouchable so people would think he was tougher than he was.What a joke.Rain had wanted to hit him for all his antics for a long time.But… after the whole scandal that supposedly happened«because of Mikuta,» he knew he couldn't.Aunt and Stepdad had paid up because Mikuta had done it.If he did something like that, no one would cover for him.Besides, he didn't want to rely on those two adults anyway.He didn't see the point.He didn't feel dependent on them, which was why he wanted to handle all his problems on his own — unlike Sakichi.A few days later.It was February 17.A cool breeze was blowing, and it was snowing.Kanazawa was covered in snowdrifts of pure white.Just an ordinary day — the same at school as everywhere else.Arrive, lesson, break, lesson… and so on.Rain Yurugi studied calmly all day long.After school, he had extra classes in twenty minutes — unlike Sakichi.Mikuta also decided to take extra classes that day.And Saione, as you can probably guess, didn't go to school… She was twenty years old and was looking for a job, currently staying at home.But after the regular lessons, when Rain went out to the schoolyard to get some fresh air, he felt someone pulling him by the wrist, dragging him somewhere.He tried to break free, but couldn't.They carried him to an alley not far from the school — about fifty metres away.And, strangely enough, it was completely deserted there.Lovely, isn't it?

Peering at the figures in front of him, he saw Saichi and two of his friends: Haruka and Shisu.And they clearly hadn't come with good intentions.Rain remembered how, the previous week, he had «set Sakichi up» when the latter asked him to copy answers for a test.Rain had verbally given him the answers to the questions Sakichi had asked — but deliberately gave all the wrong ones, so Saichi ended up with a low score.Meanwhile, Rain, as always, had one of the best papers in the class.

«So he remembered, huh? Wow, he's really holding a grudge,» Rain thought.

«Did you think I was so stupid I wouldn't realise you'd tricked me?» Sakichi said quietly — threateningly.

— «Well, yeah, looks like you were stupid enough to trust me and never even consider that I might be lying to you».

And… gosh.You're still holding onto this? How spiteful. «-, Rain replied, as always, calmly — without fear».

For which he received a punch to the jaw from Sakichi a couple of seconds later, making his nose bleed.But he didn't cry.Didn't beg for mercy.He just… smiled faintly.A fake smile, like some kind of masochist.Even though he didn't like pain.

— «I'm flattered you're paying me so much attention.A personal meeting, no less… Wow.And it's so pleasant, as always».

After those words, he got a couple more blows — this time to the chest.

— «You… emotionless jerk.I didn't like you back in elementary school».

And now? I like you even less.Sarcasm, fakeness, logic, coldness.Is that all you know how to feel?

— «At least I'm honest with myself and with others.At least I don't pretend to be cool just to get more attention.I already get plenty of it — especially from you and your little gang».

At least I don't hide behind someone else's status, unlike some people.I deal with my problems on my own.Sakichi decided not to talk anymore.He just kept hitting Rain.His friends joined in too.Haruka found a glass bottle somewhere in the alley and smashed it over Rain's head.Sakichi kept kicking him while he lay on his side in the snow in the alley.Then Shisu pulled a knife out of his pocket.And started stabbing Rain with it.Blood flowed, staining Rain's clothes.The snow beneath him turned crimson.But he didn't resist.He couldn't.When they finally stopped, he managed, with great difficulty, to sit up and lean against the alley wall, staring straight ahead.He could feel his vision growing hazy, blurring.But he still held on.

— «You know… Sakichi, why I think you're pathetic?».

You're always hiding behind your father.His status… his job.You're, what, sixteen? But you act like you're six.At your age, you're supposed to be going through adolescence — trying to grow up and be independent.But you can't do anything on your own.What would you do if your father wasn't there? If he, say, died?

Although, no — don't answer.I know you won't.Truth is, no one's really afraid of you.Maybe someone with the same kind of logical thinking as me sees you as pathetic.If anyone's feared at all, it's just your father's status — and the fact that people might have to pay money because of it.Which, basically, is for nothing.For moral and physical damage? Are you really that fragile?

Mentally, yes, I know.But physically?