Chapter 07 Violent

As Koji peered through the glass of his vending machine, his heart sank as he saw Ayumi's swollen cheekbone and bruised eye. It was clear to him that someone had hit her. With a sense of urgency, he asked, "What happened to you, Ayumi?"

Ayumi stood alone in the pouring rain, only in her dark red dress. Her body was soaked, and she trembled with cold. Her eyes were red from crying. She pressed both hands against the cold glass of the vending machine and rested her forehead against it. With a sigh, she spoke, "There you are, little fairy. I'm so relieved to see you again."

Koji's voice trembled as he repeated his question, yet there was no answer. His heart sank as he gathered the courage to ask again. This time, Ayumi's response was heavy with sadness and pain. "My boyfriend...he did this to me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Koji's heart raced with anger and fear as she continued, "I tried to break up with him, but he wouldn't let me go."

Koji, who had been confined to the vending machine for 30 long and lonely years, had amassed a collection of various odds and ends in his basement. With a sudden burst of urgency, he dashed down to his subterranean lair, searching frantically for the perfect item to offer Ayumi. Finally, he found what he was looking for: a beautifully crafted umbrella, just the thing to shield her from the pouring rain.

Without a moment's hesitation, Koji climbed up to the surface, barely pausing to catch his breath before he dropped the umbrella into the opening where the soda cans drop down.

 Ayumi gratefully accepted the umbrella and spoke with gratitude, "Thank you, little fairy." As she opened the umbrella and sat down on the ground, leaning against the vending machine's glass, she fixed her gaze intently on the Kobito no Otoko.

Koji's voice trembled as he spoke, "Please, confide in me. I am here, and I will lend you my ear to hear your troubles. You don't have to carry this burden alone."

Ayumi spoke with a heavy heart, her voice slow and defeated. "I was late last night... We've been fighting for a few months now... He gets these ideas in his head about me cheating on him. He wasn't always like this... He used to be a good man... Kind and caring... But now... He's changed. He's become violent."