Transition And Restart

Soon she came up on the road winding between the small houses where she lived. Just as she pa.s.sed the playground two blocks from home she heard voices.

"Nice b.o.o.bs."

That was not what she wanted to hear right now. She increased her steps and redialled the last number she had used. Fiddling with the cord she managed to plug in her headset and waited for Kuri to pick up.

"Christina Agerman. Oh, Ko-chan, what"s up?"

"Kuri-chan, I just want to talk for a while."

It felt safer to hear the voice of her friend, and it was only a couple of minutes before she was home.

"Sorry, I have Ulf and Sato-sensei here. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

"Urufu"s with Kuri-chan? With Sato-sensei?" But she really wanted someone to talk with. "If it"s not too much trouble," Kyoko said.

"Ulf"s here, and something bad kinda happened. I"d really want to chat later, OK?"

"OK." But it wasn"t OK at all. Reluctantly Kyoko hung up and continued walking. "You could just have talked with me for a while longer you know."

Behind her steps were catching up and Kyoko decided pretending she hadn"t noticed was no longer a good idea. She ran.

The steps ran after her.

Around her houses loomed empty and unwelcoming. There were lights on, but they weren"t her home. Panic gave her some extra speed, but she wasn"t a match for whoever followed her. A few seconds later the running steps were very close and then someone grabbed her from behind.

"Talking with your boyfriend?"

Kyoko twisted and tried to push him away, but the one grabbing her was too strong. "Let me go!"

He groped her, hard. It hurt, and then a second a.s.sailant came up behind her and locked her body in his arms. She felt large hands grabbing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and screamed.

From further down the street another set of feet came running.

"Let her go you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!"

"Yukio?" Kyoko tried to free herself again. "Please let it be Yukio!"

She heard her phone clattering to the street and the hands that grabbed her arms let go. She was still held from behind, but the first man turned to meet whoever came to her rescue.

"Let her go I said!"

It was Yukio.

He came flying trying to tackle his way through to her, but the man who had turned simply sidestepped and tripped him.

"Boyfriend to the rescue. Pathetic!"

Kyoko saw how Yukio received two vicious kicks lying down and all sense of fear left her. She grabbed one of the hands squeezing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and pulled it up. She bit down on it hard and chewed with all her strength.

A pained yell later she was free.

Yukio got kicked again and then she was climbing the back of his a.s.sailant. She never had a chance, but at least he stopped kicking Yukio. Something slammed into the side of her head and she fell to the ground. Too groggy to see what happened she tried to get up on her feet, but a fist to her abdomen forced all air from her lungs and she rolled on the ground writhing in agony.

And then it was over as suddenly as it had started. In the distance someone was yelling for police and her attackers ran down the street.

Her entire body hurt when she crawled over to where Yukio lay on the street. She could see blood on his face.

"Yukio, please what did he do to you?"

"Hurts," he said. "Are you OK?"

"You came for me. You tried to save me." "I"m fine." She sat up and caressed his hair. "Thank you!"

A hand landed on her shoulder, and she twisted away as fast as she could.

"It"s me. Are you OK?"

"Dad!"

"It"s me. Let"s get you home," her father said and pulled her up by her hand.

Kyoko stared at him. "Yukio"s hurt. We need to help him!"

"Leave him. The police can handle that trash."

"No!" For the first time in her life she disobeyed her father openly and tore herself lose. "He"s not trash. He"s my boyfriend and I love him," she said and sat down beside Yukio again.

"Kyoko! Stop that nonsense at once. I saw him. He"s just a violent thug."

Kyoko looked up over her shoulder and glared at her father. "He tried to save me you idiot!"

The slap stung, but it didn"t hurt nearly as bad as watching Yukio p.r.o.ne on the street. Kyoko lifted her arm to protect herself from another slap and bent over Yukio"s body. She"d protect him even from her father if need be.

"Honey, he"s badly hurt. We can"t leave him like this." That was her mother"s voice. She must have arrived shortly after her father.

"Whatever. Call an ambulance and get him off the street."

"Boy, can you stand?" Her mother"s voice was filled with concern, and she showed a lot more of common sense than her father.

Beneath her Yukio"s face darkened in the lamplight. "More blood? No. Oh, he"s blushing!"

"I can stand. Matsumoto Yukio, pleased to meet you," he added and got up on his knees.

Kyoko could see how much it pained him doing so. "Here, let me help you," she said.

He staggered a little, but with her help he got on his feet. Kyoko"s stomach still hurt, but she tried to pretend it was nothing and together they took a few tentative steps toward her home.

"Honey, behave like a man and help the poor boy!"

"Whatever." But her dad did give Yukio an arm to rest on.

"Matsumoto Yukio? Yukio-kun then? Kyoko"s boyfriend you say?"

Kyoko sighed. He hadn"t said anything of the sorts. She had, but when her mother went into interrogation mode there was no stopping her. It was going to be a long night.

She looked at her father and waved her phone. When he nodded approval she punched Kuri-chan"s number again.