Chapter Text
“Are you sure you don’t want to come? Are you really that busy?”
The phone laid on the top of the small table beside his bed. Kadota let it on the highest volume possible so both him and Erika could understand each other. She, on the other side of the line, and he, laying on his bed, a pillow over his eyes, hiding the heavy bags under them. His skin was pale and sighs were bigger than any normal breathe. Dry lips, headache, a bit of sweat and a half hard on were some of the symptoms he was dealing with.
“Yes. Besides, won’t you all just sew cosplays?”
He was right. Erika just wanted to cheer him up by inviting to go over a friend’s house, where she and more a few girls would meet to make cosplay plans. But still didn’t mean he couldn’t go. They were all friends, after all.
Honestly, he normally wouldn’t accept. This time especially, since he really wasn’t feeling good, nor in the mood to be surrounded by several girls.
But he knew that his friends were worried about him.
“Yes, but, Dotachin–!” her voice got higher, as if something happened on the other side of the line. It sounded like she was trying to make some food, from all the noises he could hear “having some help from a tall, handsome guy would be great for us!”
“And who is that?” he replied ironically, smiling a bit. If they didn’t go so far, and stayed just a bit, he could even consider it.
“Hmm? Am I hearing a snarky reply? Anyway, Yumacchi is busy this weekend so he can’t go with us, but I assure it will be fun!”
“What about Togusa?”
“Ruri-chan will be on a live program here on Ikebukuro, apparently.”
There was silence. He didn’t want to disappoint her. It was the second week he did it, and of course that refusing would make her even more preoccupied. Because that was the main reason she was calling him.
“Just two hours on Saitama and we can come back!”
…
It all started two weeks ago.
It was getting warmer and he didn’t need blankets anymore. He slept with his clothes on, but for a reason they were taken off on his sleep. A confusing, hot, painful night happened between reality and dreams, spinning his head around and giving the impression it didn’t happen at all. Yet he knew it did. There was proof, marks showing him that he no longer was the same, for quite a while.
He met a monster.
Not an under the bed one, nor one inside of his closet. It wasn’t something distasteful or dangerous, or even from some religion or belief. Maybe it was it all and none at all. In the end, it didn’t matter. It didn’t hurt or took something away from Kyohei, so he was glad by that– But little by little it tested his innocence, his patient… Him fully.
Knowing well it wasn’t just a nightmare, Kadota could affirm he met a succubus.
I thought those things killed you, though…
Unlike his knowledge, it didn’t. It barely left Kadota hurt, just a bit tired. That’s why for a good time he dismissed what happened that night, focusing on his daily activities, and yet with more time passing, the more tired he felt. And those images, the flashes on his head grew harder. It was all too strange.
The hands touching down his arms, sharp nails scratching slightly along the skin. She had a smile on her face, and he couldn’t take it off. He couldn’t do anything. Just stare at long, silky, brunette hair, the shape of her breasts, thin waist with the finest legs that pushed against him–
“Dotachin?” Erika’s voice suddenly took him out of his fantasies, leaving a deep color of red on his cheeks and neck.
“Ah, yes.” He was still recovering from all that environment, so he had to take a few breathes before continuing. “Saitama, huh? It’s not so close. But it will be fast, right?”
“So you’re going?” She didn’t wait for the answer to let out a happy, quick noise. “Five at the station, alright? That’ll give you some good minutes to get ready. Don’t make me wait too long~.”
Kadota sighed and nodded. She couldn’t see him, he knew she couldn’t, but even so it was like they were connected enough to understand each other by far. It was like that with the entire group. When one was in danger, the others simply knew. Although this time everyone seemed calm enough to not mind about Kadota’s sudden weakness. (And well, he was thankful for it).
He hung up the phone, getting up to check himself on the mirror. Not so bad. Not good either. Choosing a pair of clothing, he entered the bathroom for a quick shower. Taking his clothes off, he tried to look out for any scars or bruises left… But there were none. If he didn’t feel so tired, so hungry, so needy of someone, he could say that thing never happened. That the damn creature created another of it, turned Kadota into something he should never be.
Kyohei brushed his hair back with the tip of his fingers and started washing his skin. The soap smelled good, slippery between his hands, sliding down his thighs…
“I really need help, don’t I…?”
Kadota almost wanted to knock himself over all the feelings. It was just plain stupid. He should just… Seduce someone and be done with it, right? But seduce who? Erika? No, she was his friend. His precious friend who didn’t deserve that. He knew Erika would take him seriously if he explained his situation… After half hour. And three explanations. But still. She would understand and even offer people– Or herself to help him out. But he couldn’t. It was impossible. Friends were meant to help on hard times, but not to deceive and use just like that.
So for their own good, he decided to not do that to her.
The question remained though. He would have to feed off someone soon. Who would be the victim? Someone he knew, from Ikebukuro, a Dollars member, a stranger? Should he go for the type of girl he liked, or the type of girl who could give to him what he most needed? Older, younger?
Shaking his head, Kadota finished washing himself and decided taking a full bath wouldn’t help - ten minutes on the bathtub would take him to places he didn’t want to go. Besides, it was too hot, and he felt too much on the edge of fainting to do that. So he just got up, dried himself, got ready to go out. A snack and some milk to help him stay well for a while.
“If I at least looked less pale. That’d be cool.”
Kadota shrugged and brushed his teeth, got his money, bag, put his shoes on and left the house. Despite being a small apartment with no objects of value inside, he locked it, just in case. If he passed through a hit-and-run experience, he should expect anything from those thugs, after all.
Thankfully, he didn’t need to walk much. Passing through a few corners, crossing the main street, trying his best to not look at people much, Kadota arrived on the station, seeing a woman dressed in black wave for him from afar. She had a big smile on her face and her hair was hidden by the hat. Her purse had a few anime buttons on it, and today she wore a thin coat over her dress. While Kadota struggled with the warmth.
“Dotachiiin!” he approached her, getting his card ready to go to the train “it’s so awkward when you are late! But anyway, I got distracted by this big guy on my way here so-“.
There was someone behind her.
The man looked over, and just then noticed Anri was with them. She also wore a black dress, a thin coat and a purse—Hers was round and completely black, with some grey details. It was almost like the two of them were going to sing together somewhere. And maybe that was why Anri was hidden herself from the world – her blush and shyness were noticeable everywhere. Erika stopped talking and reminded them that they were lucky to have Anri’s presence there, and it cause the other to low her head and greet him. He did the same. And he was lucky indeed. Having Anri there meant Erika didn’t need to go alone, which meant he didn’t need to go with her, and the two would have fun together. And he would come back home. Exhausted.
“Are you alright, Kadota-san?”
Anri’s voice startled him. Her eyes looked directly into him, and she was more relaxed than before. Shorter than the adults, Anri looked even smaller by Erika’s embrace, one hand on her shoulder, the other at her arm. It slid a bit down, on the curve where her breasts ended. Anri really did have a good body. Her curves should leave anyone envious, and her face wasn’t any less pretty – big eyes and plump lips, soothing voice garnishing it–.
“Uh, yes, I’m just a bit tired. Is okay for you to be out until late?”
He almost worried them more than needed. Anri was not a choice. In any way. She was too young and too— not an option. That would be unfair to everyone around him, not mention he didn’t believe he could charm the girl at all.
Or no one at all. He thought.
“I’m going to be with her so it’s alright. I wasn’t expecting Anri-chan to go because of the day, but since she’s with us, I think we are going to sleep on Eri’s house, so do you still want to go, Dota?”
Being called Dotachin wasn’t good, but Erika still found a worse way to transform his name. If only he felt good enough to retort to that at the moment…
“I’m going, but I won’t stay with you.”
He smiled and started walking. Despite his tiredness, his weakness, all the confusion inside his head, he was strong enough to maintain his pose in front of the girls. If they hurried, he would stay like that for time enough to not give up on everything already.
“Where are you going then?”
An idea passed through his mind when he was on his way there, looking at an accident involving a really big guy, a little old woman, and a bike. And ideas like that shouldn’t be thrown out at difficult times.
“Since we didn’t have the chance to last time, I’m going to see Chikage.”