Chapter 38: The 'Bloody Twilight' Roars

I see red.

Not Fuji's blood.

My own rage.

This is it.

This is the line.

"You," I hiss.

My voice is low.

Daiki flinches.

Hiroto stops grinning.

"Angel...?" Hiroto asks, cautiously. "It was just a little tap! It was for the 'plot'!"

"He's bleeding," I state.

"It's just a nosebleed!" Hiroto says. "It looks dramatic, but he'll be fine!"

I walk past them.

Daiki tries to grab my arm.

"Twilight... wait... I didn't mean to..."

I don't stop.

I shrug him off.

I stomp out of the gym.

I know where Fuji went.

The Infirmary.

I slam open the door.

The school nurse jumps.

"Isuzu-san! Knock!"

"Where is he?"

"Fuji-kun? He just left. He said he was 'fine'. He took some tissues."

Of course he did.

He is Fuji.

I run.

I know his route.

I catch him at the school gate.

"Fuji!"

He stops.

He doesn't turn around.

He's holding a tissue to his nose.

"Aoi," he says. His voice is stuffy. "Please... just go home."

"Let me see," I demand.

I walk in front of him.

It's not broken.

But it's bleeding. A lot.

He looks awful.

His perfect white shirt has a drop of blood on it.

This is wrong.

All wrong.

"This... this is what I hate," I mutter.

"What?" he asks.

"This! Bullying! Stupid fights! People getting hurt for NO REASON!"

My past. The bullies. The strangers.

It all comes rushing back.

I hate it.

I hate feeling weak. I hate seeing other people be weak.

And I hate that I am the 'reason' for this.

"Aoi..." Fuji starts. "It wasn't your fault. It was theirs."

"It was ALL of their fault!" I snap. "And mine! For letting it happen!"

I grab his wrist.

"What are you doing?" he yells, startled.

"We're going to my house," I declare.

"Your... your HOUSE?"

"My parents are working late. I have a first-aid kit. You are a mess. You can't go home like that."

"I can," he protests. "I live alone, remember? Nobody will see."

That hits me.

Hard.

He's right.

He would just go home.

And clean up his own blood.

Alone.

No.

Not today.

"You're not going home alone," I say. It's not a request.

I drag him.

He's stronger than me. He could stop.

He doesn't.

...

My house.

"Sit," I order.

He sits on my couch.

He looks so out of place.

This perfect prince. In my messy living room (which is covered in Toujo's gaming magazines).

I come back with the first-aid kit.

"Tilt your head back," I mutter.

"You're supposed to tilt it forward," he corrects me.

"Just shut up and let me help you," I snap.

I grab a cold compress from the freezer.

I press it gently against his nose.

He winces.

"Sorry," I mutter.

"It's fine," he says.

We sit in silence.

It's awkward.

"He didn't mean to hit me," Fuji says, quietly.

"Daiki?"

"He's an idiot," Fuji says. "But he's not malicious. He was aiming for Suzume."

"I know," I say. "And Hiroto is a cunning devil."

Fuji chuckles.

It hurts his nose.

"Ow."

"Don't laugh," I say.

"Sorry."

More silence.

"Thank you, Aoi," he says.

He used my name.

My real name.

It sounds ... nice.

"Don't mention it," I mutter. "Just... don't let them do that again. It's stupid."

"I agree," he says.

BZZZT.

My phone.

I look.

Fifty-seven missed calls.

From Daiki. And Hiroto.

I turn my phone off.

Completely off.

"Good idea," Fuji says.

He pulls out his phone.

He turns it off, too.

We sit there.

In the silence.

With a cold compress.

This...

This is almost ... peaceful.

What a joke.