Chapter 10 - Hana's Final Call

The fireworks had long faded, but their echoes still lingered in the night sky.

Koji and Kenji stood alone on the quiet road, watching as Hana disappeared into the dark, swallowed by the shadows of the festival.

She didn’t look back.

Neither of them spoke.

Morning came too quickly.

Koji sat alone on the cliffside bench, overlooking the sea. The city stretched below him—blue and glowing, bathed in the ocean’s reflection as sunlight flooded the horizon. It looked peaceful. Clean.

He breathed in slowly, letting the salt air fill his lungs.

“Hey,” came a familiar voice.

Koji turned.

Kenji strolled up casually, hands in his pockets. “You look calm,” he said.

Koji blinked, surprised. “I thought you said you weren’t gonna see me again. After the festival.”

Kenji shrugged. “Yeah, well… your mom said she will give me free food at night. Can’t say no to that.”

A small smile crept onto Koji’s face. “You just here for dinner?”

Kenji grinned. “What else?”

They shared a quiet laugh—faint, but real.

Then—

Another set of footsteps approached.

Koji turned.

Hana stood there.

Her hair was slightly disheveled. Her face pale. A fresh bruise marked her cheek, and her right eye was swollen, purple and raw.

Koji stood immediately. “Hana… what happened?”

She tried to smile, voice light. “Oh, I just fell off my bike again. It's just hard to control. We’ll need to fix it—again—right, Koji?”

Koji’s eyes didn’t move from her face. He didn’t believe her. Not for a second.

Kenji stepped to the side and glanced behind her. “There’s no bike,” he said bluntly. “So how’d you fall off it?”

Hana hesitated, her smile twitching. “Did I say bike? I—I meant stairs. I tripped coming up. I don’t know, I’m still half asleep…”

Koji stepped closer, his voice soft but firm. “You said we wouldn’t hide anything anymore. So why are you lying?”

Hana’s smile faltered completely.

Tears welled in her eyes.

She didn’t answer.

She couldn’t.

The silence was louder than anything else.

And once again, beneath the bright blue sky, the truth tried to claw its way out.

Koji and Kenji gently guided Hana to the bench. She collapsed onto it, shoulders trembling, face buried in her hands. Her sobs came quietly, but each one felt like a punch to the gut.

Koji crouched beside her, trying to meet her eyes. But she couldn’t even speak.

Kenji sat cross-legged on the ground in front of her, gaze steady. “I knew something was off yesterday,” he said quietly. “The way you smiled. The way that man looked at you—it wasn’t right.”

Koji glanced at him, confused. “What are you getting at?”

Kenji didn’t look away. “I’ve seen that look before. I know what kind of person he is. Don’t lie to us, Hana. Just tell the truth.”

Hana slowly raised her head, her face streaked with tears. Her voice cracked. “What’s the point in telling? Even if you notice it… what can you do?”

She clenched her fists. “He says it himself every night. He... He tells me to.”Her voice broke. She couldn’t finish.

Koji didn’t ask her to. He pulled her into his arms without a word, holding her close.

“Shhh,” he whispered. “You did nothing wrong. It’s not your fault.”Kenji stood, fists clenched at his sides. “You’ve been with her all this time,” he snapped. “And you didn’t notice? Or were you just too much of a coward to say anything?”

Koji didn’t react. “This isn’t the time now.”

But Kenji’s anger boiled over. He shoved Koji backward. “You act strong—but you’re still weak! You couldn’t even protect her!”

“Stop!” Hana cried, standing up suddenly. “What’s your fighting going to change?! Who’s going to believe a fifteen-year-old girl? He’s got money.

 He’s got control. I can’t do anything. I just… do what he says…”

She sank back down, voice raw. “I’m tired.”

Koji looked down, shame twisting in his chest. He had failed her—again.But Kenji didn’t back down.

“You need to do something,” he said, voice shaking. “You can’t let this go on forever.”

Koji looked up slowly, thoughts spinning. “Maybe this will work”

He paused. Then began explaining his idea—how they might expose him.

 How there might still be a way.

As the minutes passed, the sun dipped lower, casting the sky in a warm orange hue. The ocean below glowed like molten glass. None of them spoke for a while after that.

Just before they left, Kenji turned to Koji. “Do you think it’ll work?”

Koji didn’t answer at first.

Then: “We won’t know unless we try.”

He looked at Hana, his voice quieter now. “I’m sorry. For dragging you into this.”

Kenji stepped forward, his tone softer. “We can’t understand everything you’ve been through. But we understand not being seen or being powerful. Don’t be like us. Don’t keep hiding.”

He smiled faintly. “So just trust us, okay? Trust what he said even though I am skeptical.”

The next day. The sun was out, casting warm gold across the sidewalk. The day looked calm—beautiful, even—but Hana's heart was far from it.

She walked beside her uncle in silence, hands clasped, eyes down.

“Today’s a nice day, isn’t it, Hana?” he said, smiling a wolf in sheep clothing.

She didn’t answer. Her mind was too loud, too tangled with thoughts.

“Hana,” he repeated, a little firmer.

She blinked, startled. “Hmm?”

“Are you listening?” her uncle asked him doubtful.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “Just… thinking about homework.”

He chuckled. “You shouldn’t work so hard. You need to relax more.

 Though I’ll admit, it was surprising—you asking to go out today.”

“I just felt like it,” Hana lied, forcing a smile.

He gave a stiff little nod. “Well, don’t worry. Because tonight, I—”

Pfft.

A cloud of powder exploded into his face from the alley.

He stumbled back, choking and clawing at his eyes. “Wha—?!”

Out of nowhere, Koji burst out, yanking Hana by the wrist and pulling her away from the man’s grasp.

“Now!” shouted Kenji, ripping off his mask. “Run!”

Hana looked at Koji and she felt there is hope. She gripped Koji’s hand tightly.

There was panic in her breath—but under it, a flicker of something else.“HANA!” the uncle screamed, voice raw with rage. “COME BACK HERE! I TOLD YOU NOT HANG OUT WITH THAT BOY.”

“Ignore him!” Koji yelled over his shoulder. “It will all be over!”

They sprinted through the narrow alleyway, shadows flickering past them.

 Boxes tumbled down behind them—Kenji had kicked them over, blocking the man’s path.

A loud thud and a guttural scream echoed behind them.“He’s not stopping!” Kenji shouted, rejoining them. “His head’s bleeding but still following us.”

“We’re close!” Koji called. “Just keep going!”

But then—

Police.

Two officers turned the corner just as the trio stumbled out of the alley.Kenji cursed under his breath. “Crap…”

Behind them, the uncle emerged, wild-eyed, blood running down his temple. He pointed furiously at the boys.

“They kidnapped her!” he shouted. “Stop them!”

The officers reacted instantly—pinning Koji and Kenji to the ground.“Hey! Get off!” Kenji barked. “You don’t understand!”

Koji struggled under the weight. “Let us go! He’s lying!”

The uncle approached, feigning calm. “They attacked me. Took her away.

 Hit me in the head.”

One of the cops turned to him. “Are you alright, sir?”

“Yeah. Just a little bleeding. I’ll get it checked. But take care of these two.
 Goddamn kids I will deal with them later.” he said with mock concern.

 Then he turned to Hana. “Let’s go.”

He reached for her hand.

She didn’t move.

He gripped her wrist.

She pulled it back.

The man’s expression froze. “Hana. What are you doing?”

She looked at Koji—still pinned, blood on his lip. He shook his head gently.

Don’t.

And something in her finally broke.“No,” she whispered. “I’m not coming.”

“What?” The uncle asked surprised at the sound that came from her.

“I said no,” she said louder, eyes filling with tears. “I hate you with every single part of my body you are a weak pathetic man no wonder she does not care about you”

His face twitched.

The mask slipped.

Snap.

He slapped her.

Hard.

The sound cracked through the air.

She stumbled back, clutching her cheek.

Silence fell.

The police froze at what they just saw.

And then—

“Get on the ground!” one officer roared, yanking the man away from Hana and throwing him to the pavement.

The other pulled Koji and Kenji up from the ground. “You two—are you alright?”

Kenji just pointed. “That is what we were saying.”

Koji rushed to Hana, who was shaking but still standing.“It’s over,” he whispered.

After some time.

The courtroom was quiet when Hana stepped forward.

Her voice trembled, but she spoke.

She showed the bruises. The photos. The evidence.

She didn’t cry.

She told the truth.

And when the verdict came—when the judge sentenced her uncle for assault and long-term abuse—Hana finally exhaled.

Her aunt still refused to believe it.

But Hana didn’t care anymore.

She was free.

Custody was granted to her grandparents.

And as she walked out of the courthouse, sunlight on her face, Koji and Kenji waiting on the steps—

For the first time in years—

She felt safe there is no need for mask anymore.

Kenji approached her first. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and spoke, firm but kind.

“You’re a brave person there is no need to live in fear anymore.”He turned to leave.

Hana’s voice caught him mid-step. “Kenji…”

He glanced back.“Thank you,” she said softly.

Kenji didn’t stop walking. He just raised a hand in the air and waved without turning around.

She smiled.

A long nightmare was finally over.

Koji stood nearby, watching her. A quiet smile played on his face—small, but real. In that moment, he felt like he’d done something right. Helped someone. Found someone.

Hana walked up to him. “Why are you smiling?”

Koji shrugged. “No reason.”

But her own smile faded. There was something heavy in her eyes now. She looked down at the pavement.

“Koji can we talk somewhere else.”

“Of course.”

They stood at the same bus stop where they’d shared their first kiss.

Koji leaned against the railing, hands in his pockets. “So… why here?”

Hana didn’t look at him. She stared out at the road.

“I’m leaving this town in three days.”

Koji blinked. “What?”

“I’ll be living with my grandparents,” she continued. “They want to take care of me until I graduate college.”

His smile dropped.“But… your grandparents can’t they stay here they got money.”

Hana forced a smile, but there was no joy behind it. “This town is where my mom died. Where everything happened to me. They said they couldn’t stay—not after all this.”

“I begged them,” she whispered. “But they wouldn’t listen.”

Koji stood up straight, swallowing hard forcing out a smile. “I’m… happy for you. You’ll be safe. You'll have a happy time. That’s what matters.”

He tried to walk away.

But she grabbed him from behind—wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face to his back, sobbing.

“Please promise me,” she whispered. “Promise me you’ll meet me again at least once before I go. Just once. I… I want to tell you something.”

Koji nodded slowly. “I promise.”

She let go.

Days passed.

One.

Two.

Three.

And Hana waited.

Each morning, she stood outside her house, hoping. Watching.

But Koji never came.

On the final night, hours before she was set to leave, Hana sat at her desk under the pale glow of a lamp. She wrote a letter slowly—her hand trembling with every word.

Then, in the dead of night, she walked to Koji’s house.

His mother opened the door in surprise. “Hana, dear? It’s late… what are you doing.”

Hana smiled—a soft, hollow thing. “I just… wanted to give this to Koji.”She handed her the envelope.

“Why don’t you give it to him yourself?” his mother asked. “I’m sure he’d want to see you.”

But Hana shook her head.“No. It’s better this way.”

Her smile lingered a moment longer, then faded as she turned and walked away.

Upstairs, Koji’s mother entered his room. He was lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, eyes glassy and distant.“Sweetheart…” she said gently. “Hana was here. She gave you this.”

He didn’t move.

“She didn’t want to talk. She just asked me to give it to you. She looked worried you did not leave home for three days is something wrong between you two.”

Koji didn’t look at her. His voice was quiet. Empty.“Just… leave it there, Mom. I’ll read it when I have time.”

She placed the letter on his desk. But Koji never looked at it.

THE NEXT DAY.

The bus stand was nearly empty. Hana stood alone, suitcase by her side, watching the road as if staring long enough would summon Koji. He never came she walked for some time before coming near a bridge.

Behind her, the rain fell heavier. Above, the sky stretched gray and unforgiving. In the puddle beneath her feet, a ripple formed—faint, circular—like a signal from a distant sea. A whale still swimming alone calling out for someone.

Somewhere else, Koji hadn’t moved. He lay curled in his bed, unmoving, eyes hollow. He hadn’t eaten. He hadn’t spoken. The world outside meant nothing anymore.

Meanwhile, Kenji pulled on his hoodie, grabbed his cycle. His stepmother called out, “Where are you going?”“To send off a friend,” he muttered.

“Oh good, then I can go out tonight too,” she said, already turning back inside.

Kenji scoffed, ignoring her. The rain slapped against him as he pedaled through the storm, water biting into his skin, his legs burning. He didn’t care. Hana was leaving today. He had to be there.

Hana, now beneath a small concrete bridge, waited for the downpour to pass. She shook the water from her arms. Her eyes caught a figure nearby—the man in the frog mask. The same one who had sold her the whale ring.

He stood in the distance, silently watching.

She nodded, waved slightly. A soft smile crept to her lips. That ring… Koji wore it.

She turned back toward the wall, arms folded, rain dripping from her hair.

Then—

A hand wrapped around her mouth. A blade pressed to her neck.

Her body froze.

She tried to turn. She struggled.

She knew that grip. That smell. That silence.

The frog-masked man.

As she writhed in his grasp, panic set in.

Up above, Kenji crossed the bridge. The tires of his cycle slicing through the rainwater.

Hana heard it—the faint hum of spokes, the familiar squeak of his brakes.Her eyes widened. Her body surged.

She bit the man’s hand. Hard.

Her scream cut through the storm. “Help! I’m under the—”

The blade drove deep into her throat.

Blood sprayed across the wall. Her voice was gone.

Kenji slammed his brakes. He heard it. The sound.

Something wasn’t right.

He turned, eyes darting beneath the bridge as he walked to see what is under the bridge.

Then he saw her.

Hana.

On the ground. Bleeding. Gasping.

Her fingers twitched, reaching toward him.

At a distance, the frog-masked man vanished into the shadows.

Kenji dropped his cycle and ran to her, hands trembling, heart exploding in his chest. He dropped to his knees, pressing into her wound, his voice cracking.“Hana! Hana stay with me—please—just—fuck—just stay awake!”

Tears fell fast. His hands were soaked. In rain. In blood.

Far away, Koji finally stirred. Something pulled him up. A sound in the hallway.

He turned—and saw his mother, soaked from the rain, trembling, crying.“It’s Hana… she’s—”

She couldn’t finish.

Koji bolted out the door. The rain blinded him. He slipped. Fell. Got back up.

“Please,” he whispered between breaths. “Please no. Please be okay. Please.”

His tears were lost in the storm.

At the hospital, fluorescent lights cast a sickly glow. Outside the emergency doors, Kenji sat motionless. Soaked. Hands red. Eyes dead.

Koji rushed toward him.

Kenji looked up slowly.“I’m sorry,” he choked. “Koji, I—I tried—Hana, she—she… died”

Koji’s knees gave out.

He hit the ground.

Staring at nothing. He let out a blood curdling scream.

The only sound was the rain.