Cops and Robbers

It’s dark outside by the time they leave the karaoke box. Most of the families who had been there earlier in the day are now gone. The stores were also winding down, but there were still a few stragglers still in the market place. Asuka feels lost and empty realizing she’s probably lost her chance to meet up with Misaki today. She doubts the possibility of being able to afford a round-trip to come here another day with the money she has running out soon.

“Hanako, what’s the ‘big idea’?” Junko asks. Everyone had gotten up to follow Hanako out of the booth after she left without saying anything more. Anxious, but curious, Asuka waits for her to speak up.

Lighting up a fresh cigarette, Hanako takes her time blowing smoke into the air before turning to the other four. “It’s been so long since all of us were together. How about we ‘play cops and robbers’, for old times’ sake.” Mio, Aya, and Junko looked shocked, but their expressions quickly turned to excitement.

Asuka, however, did not sign up for this. “What?” she cuts in, “what if we get caught?” Hanako shifts her eyes to look at her. “What does it matter? The world’s about to end, remember?”

Asuka can’t keep up with Hanako’s logic. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life behind bars?” she doesn’t actually even care anymore; all knows is she was not trying to go down with her. Not again.

“Come on, it’s just one swipe. This’ll be a good chance to make it up to us for paying for you at karaoke.” Asuka feels anger at Hanako like she’s never felt before. She let her get away with so many things, but now she sees isn’t blinded by any sense of admiration for her.

“Fine,” Asuka meets her eyes defiantly. “I’ll be the one to take it, myself.”

One of the few shops that were still open was a pharmacy type drug store. Various items such as vitamin supplements, face masks, hair products, and makeup could all be found there.

Hanako takes one last drag of her cigarette before stomping it out. “You guys still remember how to do this?”

“Please, it’s only been like a year since we dropped out,” Aya says confidently.

“How about you?” She singles Asuka out, testing her with her tone. But Asuka doesn’t give in. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s just go.”

They enter the store one by one, moving around different sections of the store until they crowd around one area at the same time. The makeup section. Mio casually locates the camera nearest to them and blocks Asuka from its view while pretending to inspect the price of a disinfectant spray.

Junko takes it as her sign to go on the other side of Asuka and stretches spontaneously to hide any movement. When Asuka turns to leave, Aya makes her move. Going up to the cashier, she distracts him by asking about the health benefits of a bottle of iron supplements.

Asuka walks by the counter and begins her real plan.

Purposely making eye contact with Hanako, who was browsing magazines by the entrance, she gets far enough for it to be suspicious and drops the small tub of moisturizer she had hidden in her sleeve onto the floor.

The guy running the counter notices and yells at her stop. Everyone scatters like birds to avoid getting caught. Asuka tries her best to ditch the others, ducking into an alleyway behind a building. When she thinks she’s lost them, her arm is yanked back by Mio.

Her grip is like an iron shackle around Asuka’s wrist. “What the hell, Pochi! What was that?!” Asuka futilely attempted to free herself as the other girls gathered around them.

“You had one job, and you ruined it!” Junko’s scream echoes through the empty space.

“Keep it down.” Hanako’s voice was icy cold. “Explain yourself.”

Asuka just scoffs at her, making Hanako’s eyebrow twitch. “Hold her up.” Mio changes her hold so that both of Asuka’s arms are locked inside of hers. Asuka was prepared for something like this. She’d seen them do it to countless others before. Her arms Dingle uselessly as Hanako comes closer to her, but she keeps her eyes trained elsewhere.

“Look at me.” Asuka doesn’t move and Hanako’s eyes furrow, “Pochi—"

Her emotions come bubbling up all at once. “Stop calling me Pochi!!” Asuka shakes, surprised by even herself, “I’m not your fucking dog!!”

Her eyes were wild with anger, but Hanako narrows her eyes, unfazed. Asuka sees stars as she’s struck in the face with an open palm. She tries to bring a hand up to her cheek instinctively, but Mio still has a tight grip on both of her arms.

Aya and Junko look at each other with their eyes wide. “Uh, Hana-chan—” Aya tries to deter Hanako, but she whips around, smacking Aya’s hand off her shoulder. Aya holds up her hands as Hanako’s piercing gaze bares into her.

She turns her attention back to Asuka, speaking calmly, “why did you disappear back then?” Asuka furrows her eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate.

“Isn’t it obvious? I got expelled. I wasted my time hanging out with all of you. It’s one of the biggest regrets in my life.” She decides not to bring up the effect her actions had had in Kyo. Bringing him up would just prompt her to use him as fuel to get on her nerves even more.

Hanako growls, “you’re all the same. You, Risa, and Yuzu. Filthy traitors.

“Oh my God, get over it!” Asuka says with her chest. “She had the sense to not involve her with our bullshit and got out just in time. It could have been any of us if we’d been less stupid or even picked a better spot to smoke than the gym storage room!”

Hanako’s face twisted in rage, her eyes seemed to glow in the dark. “Do you think you’re better than us or something?!” Hanako takes another swing, this time with her fist. The punch lands on her face. Asuka grits her teeth. She tastes iron as a bruise begins to form on her lower lip.

Asuka shakes her head. Risa was another girl that used to be a part of their posse. She had been with the other five during their early years of their delinquency, but moved on in the third year after deciding there was something they wanted to do with her life. She threw herself into studying to become a veterinarian, which meant she wasn’t there when the others got caught smoking off campus.

Asuka spits at Hanako’s feet, nearly missing her sneakers. “I wish I’d met her before I’d come in contact with someone like you.”

It feels like she’s been here this for hours. Mio doesn’t budge, still as a stone wall. Holding her head up by her hair, Hanako forces Asuka to look at her.

Another swing hits Asuka a spot directly under her rib cage and she hangs her head as much as she can from the pain. Her legs fully give out, now supported only by Mio. “You were better when you used to follow me around like a little puppy,” she spits.

It takes Asuka a while to recover from the hit. As soon as she is finished gasping she forces the words from her shaking mouth.

“Yeah, well, people change. Unlike you.” She thinks about it a bit and changes her mind. “Actually, I guess you did change. I used to think you were so cool, but then you started doing those things when we got older.”

Hanako throws her head back dramatically in a vicious laugh, “don’t act like you weren’t right there with me, Pochi. There’s as much dirt on your hands as there is on mine, so get off your high horse.”

That is a fact Asuka cannot deny. Thinking back on it, she’s always been a follower. Following Hanako around. Following her brother around, hell, she’s even following him right now by trying to finish his bucket list.

Time seems to slow down as Hanako raises her fist once more. Something catches her attention, and she looks up above Hanako’s head. A small creature dances in the air, fluttering bright orange wings that gleam in the moonlight. Her eyes widen in recognition as another fist collides with her cheek.

“HEY!”