2 Yuuto Sakurai, Part 2

It was nighttime. Riko had been told by Male1 and Male2, that their friend Miku was waiting for them inside the mixer room. Without hesitation, she entered with them.

Yet, they were not alone.

Outside the building, someone lurked, shadowing their every move. He remained there for over an hour, rooted to the spot, besieged by a tormenting thought.

"Why won't my legs move...? Riko...! Why are you with them!?" The boyfriend murmured, his voice barely a whisper as he wobbled on his feet.

"I... I love you!! Has the year we spent together meant nothing to you?" His voice cracked under the weight of his emotion.

From his vantage point, he could almost see it—the image of her laughing, her joy mingling freely with theirs. Tormented by thoughts of what might be occurring inside, his imagination veered into dark territories.

__________BOYFRIEND PRODUCTIONS______

Inside, the atmosphere teetered on the edge of propriety.

Male2 teased, "Come on, just a kiss wouldn't hurt..."

Riko hesitated, then relented, "O-okay… Just because this is a game..."

Her boyfriend imagined her kissing them with a passion she had never shown him, her tongue intertwined with theirs, surrendering to their desires as much as they did to hers.

Male1 chuckled, "Wait, I think you have a boyfriend… He he."

Riko stammered, "I-I'm sure he wouldn't mind…"

__________

Outside, the boyfriend's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, weeping. In the solitude of the dark, the memory of her smile—once a source of comfort—now haunted him, slipping further away with each passing moment.

Just then, the building door slammed open, striking him in the face. His nose erupted in pain as blood trickled down, his heart racing with shock. He tumbled backward, landing hard on the ground, as the world around him spun wildly out of control.

??? : "Gaahhh, who's been out here yakking up a storm!? Can't a hard-worker have a smoke in peace?" A rough voice with a thick, nearly unrecognizable accent broke through as the door to the building swung open.

??? : "The hell are you doing out here looking all suspicious?" The man demanded as he turned to face the boyfriend.

He could see the bags under the boyfriend's eyes from weeping.

The boyfriend quickly got to his feet and apologized.

"S-sorry… I'll be on my way now…"

Just as the boyfriend turned to leave, the man firmly gripped his shoulder.

??? : "Now hold on, you bastard. Being the responsible adult here, I can't let a young man wander off alone in the dark crying like that."

"I… With all due respect, it's none of your business—" He began to protest but was almost immediately cut off.

??? : "Let me guess now - Your girlfriend is inside with another man, isn't she? Or in her case, two more."

The boyfriend stopped resisting and turned around, thunderstruck.

Before him stood a man clad in the uniform typically worn by mixer attendants. His head was shaved, and he wore sunglasses, which added to his intimidating demeanor. The uniform clung tightly to his muscular frame, clearly several sizes too small.

He seemed vaguely familiar, yet the boyfriend couldn't place where he'd seen him before. As far as he could remember, a different mixer attendant had always been working here. Perhaps this person was his replacement...?

"Name's NotYuuto."

The boyfriend hesitated, his eyes widening slightly. "F-..Foreigner?"

"Yis. I'm from Africa. Moved here a few years ago because I heard the weather's nice," NotYuuto replied, his accent thick.

"B… But you.. Aren't…?" the boyfriend stammered, confusion evident in his tone.

"Hu'? Yu' tryin' to say somethin' racist, you stupid short man?" NotYuuto snapped, his gaze sharp.

"Uh.. N.. no.. Anyway, how did you know…" The boyfriend trailed off, bowing his head.

"... About my… Girlfriend? If you can even still call her that…"

"I've seen that look before—on countless young men back in my village. The look of a man who is afraid to lose the woman he loves," NotYuuto said, his voice softening slightly.

Yuuto also had spied on them while posing as a fake mixer attendant, but that was beside the point he was trying to make.

"I am not scared to be with her!! SHE IS THE ONE WHO… WHO WOULD GO FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD TELL HER SOME PRETTY WORDS OVER HER OWN BOYFRIEND!!! SHE IS AT FAULT!!! SHE CHOSE TO BE WITH THEM… And not with me..!!! Even though we've been through so much together this year..." The boyfriend's voice broke as he spoke, tears streaming down his face.

NotYuuto tossed his fake candy cigarette aside.

"Then why have you come here? Because you wanted to stare? If she is truly the type of woman to leave her man just because some other short man complimented her - why have you come? Surely, this woman isn't worth your time one bit to begin with—" NotYuuto's words cut through the night air, blunt and unforgiving.

"Shut up, JUST SHUT UP!!! You don't know her and you don't know me!!!" the boyfriend exploded. "She isn't just some girl I can meet anywhere! She's my precious childhood friend, and I care about her, I love her, and I KNOW she loves me too! There's no logical reason why she'd go with these PIECES OF HUMAN SHIT…! I know! I KNOW! She must be forced to—"

"I know good enough to say that she wasn't forced," NotYuuto interjected coolly. "When I saw her walk in this place with those two (after I knocked out the original attendant, stole his outfit, and locked him in his locker) she had the face of someone who came here willingly, to have fun."

Also, in his surveillance, he found no evidence of them using force or any other form of manipulation on Riko. But again, that was beside the point here.

"How in the hell would you know!?" the boyfriend demanded, his voice raw with emotion.

NotYuuto leaned back against the door and gazed at the stars for a few moments.

"Back in my homeland, in Zimbabwe, I've witnessed countless crimes against humanity: drug use, manipulation, lying, stealing, blackmailing, rape, and even kidnapping right before my eyes… I've experienced some myself. In all of those, the woman looked like she did something unwillingly."

He didn't mention his extensive consumption of countless fanfictions and movies on these topics. BUT THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT, RIGHT?

"The girl tonight… looked excited, not horrified. She dressed nicely and smelled good, clearly caring about what those two think of her, especially the shorter man," NotYuuto continued, his voice calm yet cutting. "Which is why I ask… Why are you here, if there's no threat to save her from? If she is already safe? If no one is forcing her… If she is the type of girl to go with two men instead of staying with her boyfriend?"

The boyfriend leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down until he was sitting on the dirty ground. "I just… don't know. But I don't want to just leave right now..." he murmured, his voice heavy with uncertainty.

"What funny things you say. With half-assed resolve, you can't get anything done," NotYuuto commented sharply.

Yuuto observed the scene with growing impatience. 'Wasn't he about to leave when I arrived? What's with this guy? His resolve weakens with every word he utters.'

"I know, I know! What are you, my dad!? I DO want to do something… But I don't know what," the boyfriend exclaimed, frustration lacing his tone.

"You do know what to do. It's your fear that's blinding you," NotYuuto said, his words catching the boyfriend's attention.

"It's alright to be scared. Fear shows you where you're vulnerable, and it's mostly there to keep you from dying," he added, trying to instill some courage.

"D-dying!? W-wait, this just—" the boyfriend stammered, taken aback.

"Yes. On the battlefield, you must fight. You must destroy your enemies to live. If you can't, at least rip off their balls before you die," NotYuuto said bluntly,

"Uh… Uhhuh…" the boyfriend muttered, clearly overwhelmed.

NotYuuto sighed deeply and mumbled to himself, "What am I even trying to do here? This was a complete waste of my talents…"

Yuuto watched the boyfriend with a mix of contempt and frustration. 'So weak. So pathetic. After all this, she's still inside waiting for him, and he can't even see it. Despite his display of wimpiness, she still cares. I really, REALLY want to knock some sense into him. People like this...should die virgins.' he thought angrily.

Yuuto clenched his fists, his heartbeat rising and his eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, burning with primal rage as he watched the boyfriend.

Yes...

Yuuto was angry.

'But... These are also the kind of people I swore to help,' he reminded himself, taking a slow, calming breath.

NotYuuto addressed the boyfriend abruptly: "Hey short man. I think you should shut the fuck up and walk away."

"H-huh… I wasn't talking?" the boyfriend responded, clearly dumbfounded.

"Are you fucking serious? Do you seriously think she is obliged to do anything for a wimp like you?" NotYuuto challenged, his tone sharp.

The boyfriend looked at the man, a mix of confusion and anxiety in his expression.

"So you've been together for a year. So what? You were in a relationship," NotYuuto stated matter-of-factly.

"How did you..-W...We ar-" the boyfriend started.

"Stop being delusional!!" NotYuuto yelled, cutting him off with a punch to the face.

"Do you think just because you spent time together, her feelings are predetermined? Just because you officially became a couple, she can't decide she's had enough of you?" NotYuuto asked, his laughter growing almost hysterical.

"If the world worked like that, there wouldn't be breakups, divorces, or infidelities. A beaten wife wouldn't report her abusive husband, ever."

NotYuuto's voice was sharp, cutting through the air. "Time and time again, you KEEP showing her you don't care about her by not standing up for her. You basically yell, every time you get too scared to say you want to be with her, that she isn't worth your courage. And yet… You expect her to still stick up for you? Even after failing her faith, time and time again!!? DON'T FUCK WITH ME!"

The boyfriend's eyes widened, as he felt the weight of NotYuuto's words hitting harder than the physical punch he had received. It was as if a hammer was shattering the glass-made illusions around him, breaking down the barriers that prevented him from understanding why, no matter how hard he reached, he couldn't seem to grasp Riko's reality. Behind the shattered glass, he envisioned her walking away, leaving him stranded in the shadows.

'... She must have felt so lonely. Having to stay with a blind guy like me for so long. She endured so much because she truly believed that someday I'll see her and grab hold of her hand in this dark place. But this is a scary place, how could I protect you, Riko, when I couldn't even see how hurt you've been getting? Honestly, it was a miracle she lasted as long as she did… Someone who cares about me… I'm such a loser…' he thought to himself as the image of her slowly faded.

'Yet… I want to hold you again…!! I want to make you feel safe being with me, at least once before you leave!' His thoughts gathered a new resolve as he sensed a speck of light emerging from within himself.

"I want… To fix it. I want to make it right with her… I want to, once again… Be with her," he murmured, a newfound determination in his voice as he reached out towards the flickering hope before him.

NotYuuto's tone was icy as he delivered a hard truth. "Don't be naive… It's too late to amend your romantic relationship. Let her go."

"...That so…" the boyfriend murmured, feeling the strength drain from the hand that was reaching out for her.

"But… If you want to MAKE IT RIGHT with her, then..." NotYuuto paused, watching closely.

At that moment, the boyfriend felt a firm grip on his weakening hand, pulling it from the darkness.

"...Perhaps I can help," NotYuuto offered, his voice hinting at a solution.

The boyfriend looked up at Yuuto, his eyes lighting up with a spark of hope and a wave of relief washing over him.

"For the price of…" NotYuuto began.

Yuuto internally scoffed, 'Hm… I stand by this being a waste of my time. This is hardly worthy of a glorious 10,000 yen case…'

"2,500 yen, I'll separate the male from the girl right now and give you a chance… A chance to be the man you believe she deserves," NotYuuto proposed.

The boyfriend was taken aback.

"So this entire time, you just wanted my...!!!" he began, incredulous.

"-If I wanted to rob you, I would've done it without talking to you or asked for a higher price," NotYuuto cut in sharply.

"Bullshit… How can I trust someone who asks for money for something like this?" the boyfriend retorted, his trust fraying at the edges.

NYuuto delivered his ultimatum with disdain. "Worst case scenario, you lose 2,500 yen. You're lucky I'm even offering my services for something as insignificant and pathetic as this case. You don't want my help? Fine, either get lost or try to handle it yourself."

The boyfriend stood up hastily and walked past him to the door, resting his palm on the doorknob but hesitating to turn it.

'Why… Why am I not opening the door? I'm scared… What if she really doesn't like me, what if I look like an idiot and those two attack me later... Wow… I really am pathetic. They scare me… Those two being with Riko right now scare me. What if they laugh at me in front of her? What if they bully me for this or threaten me later? What if Riko thinks I'm weak…'

Memories of Riko's smile directed at those guys flashed through his mind, along with the realization that at first, she was uncomfortable with them. He vividly remembered the times she looked at him with eyes seeking help and warmth, yet all he did was fake a smile and endure it. Both of them knew the reason those guys came over wasn't to be friends; it was because they wanted to get closer to Riko. Unlike him, they weren't afraid to show their intentions. Because he did nothing, she had to adapt, finding joy and the good things in them, as she piqued their interest.

Leaning his forehead against the door, he muttered to himself, "I got it all wrong… Riko already thinks I'm weak, which is why she goes with them, people who aren't afraid to show their feelings… And she's not wrong… Riko…!!! I'm not strong enough to stand up for us or you. I… Don't deserve to be your boyfriend."

NYuuto interjected sharply, his voice cutting through the silence. "Wrong again, dumbass. Do I really have to spell it out for you? She doesn't think you're weak. She thinks she isn't worth your courage, because you keep being a coward when you don't stand up for her to those two. So she opts for people who are openly confident about her."

Stunned, the guy could only muster, "What…?"

"In other words, she believes you don't care enough about her to be a man and stand up to them."

Struggling to process the harsh truth, he stammered, "I… I…!!"

"Is she wrong to think so?"

He paused, the reality settling in. "… I guess not. Wait, how do you know so mu—"

"ZIMBABWE MAGIC, THAT'S HOW! Anyway, like I said - your romantic connection is doomed no matter what you do. What you're about to do will determine whether or not you make it RIGHT with her."

As he glanced at NYuuto, the young boy couldn't help but feel a shift. Perhaps it was the powerful slap that jolted him back to reality, or maybe it was the commanding presence and the way NYuuto spoke—it was as if he instinctively knew, despite having met him for only a short while.

He realized something about himself; he still saw himself as weak despite the foreigner's words.

I'm weak… But this guy…

...Is strong.

He sniffled and wiped away his tears with his arm as he turned back to NYuuto.

"Remind me again… What's the worst-case scenario…?"

NYuuto's response came with a wide, almost sinister smile.

"...2,500 yen go to the trash..."

"I've already lost one of the most important people in my life… What's 2,500 yen more!?" He declared with a slight, manic laugh, pulling out his wallet.

"Hmm… I'll make it worth your while…"

'YATAAAAAAAAAA A CLIENT!!!!!!!' NYuuto thought triumphantly, unable to hide his delight, even though he recognized the modesty of the stakes. A worthless client, but oh well - beggars can't be choosers.

"Now then… Let's get to it, shall we?"

"What happened to your accent?"

"Money happened." Yuuto replied casually.

Yuuto and the skeptical boyfriend approached the building and stopped right in front of the door to Riko's mixer room.

Yuuto mulled over his thoughts, 'If my hunch is correct, Riko isn't the type to get intimate with two guys, at least not right now. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she still hopes that her boyfriend will burst through the door. As if everything she's done with those two so far was just to provoke that limp bastard of a boyfriend into action. Now, likely, only one of the two guys is the main interest while the other plays wingman. And if I had to guess who, it would be…'

--------flashback--------------------------------------------------------

Male2: "Although sometimes, it's kinda hard to tell the difference from something like that to real life… I guess."

---------------------------

Yuuto thought, 'And because of that, only one of them is in there with her, while the other has gone to check on their female friend who's unusually late. The music is loud enough; they shouldn't notice me peeking inside…'

He gently and quietly nudged the mixer room door open. As he suspected, only Male2 was inside with Riko, sitting rather close to each other—closer than what would be typical for a girl in an "official relationship."

"Now then, before we begin… Let me get this straight," Yuuto announced as he set down a black briefcase he was carrying, opening it to reveal a police uniform and a fake badge.

"Those guys didn't resort to scummy tactics. They haven't used dirty tricks, force, or lies to disrupt your relationship. They're as clean as one can be… And most, if not all, of this could have been avoided if you had stood up to them when they first interfered. Being excessively scared is your undoing, and it's something you should be ashamed of, as it makes you no more than a coward in my eyes."

The guy hung his head in defeat.

Yuuto's voice rose with conviction, "...But anyone who would dare step between a man and a woman as they're just learning what love is, trying to tear them apart for their own selfish desires… is humanity's greatest scum, nonetheless, and deserves to have their asses baseball'd!"

The boyfriend looked up at him, a mix of admiration and awe in his gaze, and for a moment, it seemed as though a great light surrounded Yuuto as he donned a police uniform.

...At least, that's how Yuuto imagined he was seen.

The guy couldn't help but think, 'This buff foreigner just stripped and put on police clothes right in front of me… And I'm pretty sure he isn't really a mixer attendant… Am I going to end up in juvenile detention because this lunatic wanted to play hero?'

Yuuto chuckled internally, 'Whoops, forgot to turn off the tactical flashlight… Might look too much like a beacon of hope to this young guy.'

"Well… Are we going in?" the guy asked hesitantly.

"Technically."

"What does that mea—"

Before he could finish, Yuuto swiftly opened the door and nudged the guy into the room with a firm push.

'It's not my fight yet… This move is yours,' Yuuto thought, stepping back to let the guy confront his own battle.

TO BE CONTINUED...