How to be Happy Segment #1

Chapter 23: Rage

I woke up on Yuki's couch, as I sat up. I looked around, as Tanoshi and Yuki's mother made breakfast. As they walked up to me, I sat there, blankly at what happened last night. 

"You okay, mister?" Tanoshi asked, as he placed down my food and sat next to me. Heh, you and Yuki really are siblings.
"Kid, stay out of my way." I said, as I stood up and walked outside, to go to the hospital he was staying in.

Damn.. I thought I changed for the better. I can't help but go back to how I was before I had met Yuki. All I can do is forget about Rhed for the moment. But what happened at the tower while I was gone? Going up there.. what did I see?

I saw Rhed and Akira sitting next to each other, but Rhed was beaten up badly. Then that bastard Kokoru standing over them.. wait. Wait, could he have..?

"Hey! Okawa!" I heard behind me, as I turned around and saw that white haired kid. 
Aw hell, why doesn't anybody in this town know how to take a hint? 

"I'm walking over to visit Rhed, wanna tag along?"

"No, I can hea-"
"What was that? You'd love to tag along? Great!" Kamaye said, as he dragged me along. 

"So Okawa, how long have you known Rhed for?" Kamaye asks, as I looked over at him.
"I've known him since 2015, don't know what day or month." I said.

"So what's your story?"
"Eh?" 

"Your story? The reason you are why you are how you are right now?" He said, as he took out a drink from his pocket and took a sip.
"Doesn't ring a bell."

"Fine, I'll start. My story's an energetic kid with PTSD. My white hair was caused by stress, because my mom was taken from this world unfairly. Then I met Shizuka because of a pen she lent me. That pen was the reason I got me and everyone else into a yakuza fistfight." Kamaye said, as I scoffed.

"You're kidding. You want my story? Fine. I ran from my super strict parents, their expectations were too much on me. I ran and never returned home, then I met Rhed. Nothing more, nothing less." I said, as Kamaye looked at me with concerned eyes.

"I'm gonna pick up Shizuka, you go ahead and meet me at the hospital." Kamaye said, as I walked to the hotel.
I didn't go inside. I was too worried about what they'd say about me. So I waited for Kamaye and Shizuka. Left me alone with my thoughts.

I know Kokoru and Fruity sent the note. I know I need to fight Kokoru, but I need to know if he did this to Rhed. But then again.. Rhed was holding someone before he fell. Although it is incredibly odd why, Kokoru was the bastard child of a military general. It's not too out of the question if he had bought a gun for hire, especially because those are infamously easy to get on this side of japan. 

"Heh. You too scared to head inside? C'mon, let's go." Fruity said, as he dragged me inside. I saw Yuki and Akira seated next to Rhed, who was tangled in his own wires. I couldn't feel myself come up with words to explain how pissed off I was. I couldn't say anything. 

"Okawa, you got any words to say?" Fruity asked, as words climbed my throat. I looked at his body, his heartbeat monitor beeping, and all I could say was:

"How could he.."

"Okawa?" Yuki said, as I sprinted out of the room. I ran down the hallway and down the stairs, through the crowds of doctors and nurses and out the back. I looked around at the back, as it was empty with two exits on both sides. It was a driveway, with a parked ambulance next to it. I looked at the other side, but it was too long to see the end of.

That was a mess. I understand now, though. This is all Kokoru's fault, HE called the hitman to take out Rhed, maybe because Rhed got into a fight with his boyfriend, Fruity. 

I've decided. I'm going to fight Kokoru at the Yamagashi Castle, tonight. I can't think about Rhed or Akira, or even Yuki right now. I'm going to avenge you, you lucky bastard. I'll beat his face in just so you'll-

"Okawa! The hell happened in there? Who were you talking about?" Fruity asked, as I turned to face his ugly mug. I lit my cigarette and looked around him.

"Shut up, Fruity. You didn't know Rhed as well I did. Nobody in there did. You shouldn't even be here, you're not his friend." 
"I know you don't mean that. I get it, you're mad. I am too, because I was his friend like you we-"

"NO YOU'RE NOT! Did you even hear what I said?! You don't know him like I do!" I said, as Fruity stared at me like I was a madman.

"So what about it? I can't be here because I didn't know him as well as you did? You're going back in there and you're apologizing to Yuki, or I'll make you. You're not the only one here that's sad about it, get over yourself." Fruity said, as Kamaye came out behind him. 

"What's happening out here?" Kamaye asked, as Fruity explained:
"This douchewad made his own girlfriend cry, and he's trying to outcast me cuz we didn't know Rhed as well as he did."

"I'm going to the Yamagashi, and you can't stop me."
"Hey Hey Hey, Okawa, relax. We don't need that to hap-"

I lunged forward and punched Fruity in the cheek, as Kamaye jumped back. Fruity landed on his hands, as Kamaye entered a fighting stance. 

"Rrgh.. I guess we're diving into violence." As Fruity stands up and puts his hands up. 

I quickly stepped toward Fruity, as Kamaye snuck behind me and hit me in the neck. I stood up as Fruity punched my gut, and Kamaye slammed my back. As I staggered, Kamaye and Fruity kicked my legs down, as I fell to the ground. 

"Give it up." Fruity said, as Kamaye picked me up by the hair.
"Stand up and put up your fists, it's disrespectful to fight an enemy on the fl- WHOA!" Kamaye said, as I stood up and threw him into the box behind me.

Fruity backed up and then charged at me with his fist behind his head, as Kamaye stood up and lunged at me.

Fruity's fist and Kamaye's fist hit my face, Kamaye's hit myright brain and Fruity hit my left jaw, as my head twisted left. We stayed in that position for 2 seconds before they realized I wasn't going to move.

I grabbed Kamaye and burnt my cigarette into his hand, as I slammed his head back into the box, now in front of me. I threw a roundhouse kick to Fruity's face, as he caught my leg. Kamaye threw a right hook, but I grabbed it just as his fist was about to hit my face. Fruity steps toward me, ready to hit me. I pushed Kamaye away from me and tackled Fruity to the ground. I slammed my fist into his face 5 times, before I turned to face Kamaye.

I looked behind him and saw a barrel filled with burning wood, as Kamaye backed away from me. I walked toward him and began to look around. I don't want to hurt him that badly, so I'm prepared to grab the fire extinguisher to the left of me. 

I ran up to Kamaye and kicked the barrel of burning wood into him, as he didn't say a word. He pushed all the wood off of him and pat himself down, before sitting up.

"I'm sorry, but I have somewhere to be."

"Why are you doing this? You think Rhed would've wanted this? For you to kill someone who wasn't responsible for what happened to him?" Fruity said, as he leaned against the ambulance.

"You don't know that."
"Yes I do. Have you asked Akira, the first one to the top alongside Kokoru?" Fruity said, as I scoffed.

"You're wasting my time. I have a fight to win, stay down."

"You're not protecting anyone. Kokoru won't hurt anyone else. He doesn't have to. You're not avenging anyone else either, Rhed wasn't hurt by him. So why ARE you doing this? Just for the hell of it? Just to make yourself look like a villain by beating up someone trying to make amends?"
"If that's what it takes."
"What are you trying to achieve?"

"Yuki was driven to suicide by him in the past. If he stays, he's a lingering memory of the past. If it makes Yuki happy, I'll beat him to a pulp."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try and stop me and I'll kill your little boyfriend."