Chapter 2 : At The Turn Of Night

To say he was starstruck would be a gross understatement.

No. He was utterly mesmerised by her very being.

She wore silver-white sleek armour, highlights of pale blue and streaks of gold coursing through it. On her waist was a sword's scabbard, and wrapped around her shoulder was a cloak, the insignia of a winged wolf etched upon its back.

While Ozu continued his ramble, Haru watched her enter the station calmly, as if unaware of how much she stuck out in modern day Japan. Am I the only one who's seeing this!? Maybe I've just gone mad… maybe all the rejections really are messing up my head…

But he could hear her heavy footsteps, as she disappeared from his line of sight. Nah, definitely real.

“Bro, did you see that girl!?”

“Yeah she’s a ten ten stunner, if it wasn’t for my beloved Kasiba-san I would have fallen head over heels.” Ozu replied proudly, confident in his loyalty to his made-up relationship.

“No—I mean yes but couldn’t you see that she’s an elf?”

“Haru, have you lost your mind from too much anime or something? She’s just a normal hottie.”

“But her ears!?”

“What about them…?” Ozu pondered for a moment longer. “Oh, so you’re into earlobes, you naughty boy!”

“No! They were just pointy and she was literally wearing armour!”

“Are you messing with me, I mean her ears did seem a bit unique but she was just wearing normal school clothes. Don’t tell me you're already imagining her being kinky? You really are a pervert!”

Haru slapped his face hard. Maybe he was just seeing things. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen + they were talking about fantasy stuff only a few minutes ago, and he was only rejected recently.

“Nevermind then, maybe I'm just going crazy after all.” He grumbled.

“Yeah probably.” Ozu agreed, as they continued up the stairs, reaching the ticket gates which were for some reason…

Faulty?

The flaps were broken, swinging back and forth as if someone had violently rushed through them. “Huh must be faulty maintenance, welp, free tickets for us!” Ozu, uncaring about the law, walked through the barrier with joy.

“Uh bro, isn't that just stealing.” The Christian in Haru did not feel comfortable with this.

“Nah, it's just being opportunistic." Ozu replied, not feeling any sense of guilt.

“Eh, whatever… I’ll repent later.” The peer pressure had won this exchange.

“So what you got planned later? Wanna hop on a lobby?” Haru said, curious.

“Hmm, sorry man, I got a lot on.”

“Such as…?”

“You really want to know?”

Haru nodded. They arrived at their intended platform. Ozu sighed, his face now serious as he looked at the passing trains. “Sorting out moms funeral arrangements.”

Silence. A train swished past.

“Oh.” He didn’t know what more to say to his grieving friend, all the words he had to say had already been said. “You know you can talk to me whenever, right?”

“I know.”

Swish. Another train swished past.

“You don't have to worry Haru. Kasiba-san has been helping me out.”

“I know, but—”

“You've always carried the emotional burden for me in the past, Haru. This time don’t worry about it, leave it to me to sort out, okay. Got that?”

The next train came to a stop at their platform.

“This one’s mine bro, chat later?”

Ozu smirked, before putting out his hand for a fist bump, a gesture of affection he had learnt from his time abroad. Haru stood conflicted, Ozu’s words from earlier repeating in his mind.

Easier said than done, idiot…

Haru put on a wiry smile. “Yeah. Sounds good.”

He bumped him back — watching as his friend disappeared into the carriage — the train picking up speed as he vanished from sight.

Haru waited a little longer for his train, onboarding and arriving at his destination by the time night fell upon the seaside city.

Takeba street was illuminated by fluorescent lights, and the river, black as the night sky, reflected the moon above. Creating a subtle, unexplainable ambience.

The wind passed over Haru’s skin, making him shiver from the autumn cold, he turned past a dark alleyway and into a hidden street.

Billboard lights lit the top of the dojo, saying: Tatsukikata MMA Club

“The owner did a good job sprucing up the place…”

Haru walked into the warmth of the dojo, students training their judo throws and front kicks.

It was a rather big dojo, roughly the size of three to four properties and filled with multiple rooms to train different styles and techniques.

It was rented out by a company named Tatsukikata, a Japanese organisation that wanted to build up mixed martial artists nationally.

“Hey Haru!” The manager waved at him, motioning him over as Haru waved back at the familiar face.

“Yo Akaji, how’s business doing?”

The two of them had been close for years; long-time business partners with shared history and despite Akaji’s older age, he didn’t mind Haru speaking to him casually, he was the type of man to prefer authenticity over social conventions.

“Been going great, trying to get my students more into strength training.”

“What. You gonna build a gym in here?” Haru replied warily.

Akaji flexed his muscles. “Pssh. Maybe, gotta get my students into the big leagues.”

Haru rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you do that and I’m upping the rent.”

“Mercy, Haru, mercy.”

“No way. My greed is ever expanding, my pockets never full!”

“What would your poor father say if he heard those words, huh?” Akaji responded sarcastically.

He was the only one who could bring up his father and cause nothing less than a laugh out of the young man’s mouth. Haru held his laughter down and straightened himself, a cheesy grin still lingering.

“He would probably tell me to stop messing around and get the rent.”

“Yeah, yeah, here you go… 450,000 yen right? What a scam!” Akaiji rolled the money out and put it in Haru’s greedy hands.

“You're the boss Akaji!” He winked at the older man and shot a finger gun, beginning to leave.

“Yo kid, c’mon have a session with us, show these youngsters the Tadashima experience!’

Haru paused midstep. The air stilled. He didn’t look back.

“You know I don’t do that type of stuff anymore…”

Akaji gave an exasperated sigh, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. “Don’t mind me, a bit of nostalgia took over for a second. Get home safe yeah!”

Eyes forward. Haru nodded back, his feet resuming his departure from his father's — no — his dojo.

“Damn, it's really getting close to winter, huh…?”

He could feel the chill air of the coming winter, as he turned down another alleyway.

His mind was still lost in thought, unable to free himself from the platinum haired girl that had stolen his heart and soul. I… no, she must have been an elf. What human has ears like that!? I mean—

His body went still. He knew on instinct. Something was watching him.

Turning on his heel, he looked out towards the ends of the alleyway. Nothing. Not even a trace, but he knew that something was out there. The inexplicable feeling of being watched he couldn’t ignore.

A flutter of wings caused him to look upwards. A crow, eyes crimson red, stared down at him from a rooftop.

It peered into his very soul, before squawking eerily.

Something feels off…?

His nerves tightened from pure dread.

I’ve got to get back to the dojo.

He made his internal prayers, and took off running. Feeling the presence grow closer, yet completely out of his line of sight.

The squawking of the crow could still be heard — it turned course and flew above him — circling over Haru’s head like a foreboding ominous presence.

Left. Right. Forward. Backward.

Haru navigated the maze-like alleys like a headless chicken, just trying to avoid the bird's view. His stomach turning sick with terror and panic. His head becoming disorientated by the crows incessant squawking.

And in his paranoia he turned once more. Into a closed alleyway.

His feet came to an unexpected stop. His breathing was ragged, sweat raining from his brow. Why did I turn so many times, I can't think straight. Why can't I think straight? What the hell is going on!?

He was paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid and paranoid and afraid—

“There you are! You sure can run for a long time, huh?”

The voice was not Haru’s, nor the pleasant sound of someone he knew — no — it was gravelly, shrilled and unmistakably…

Evil.