Hated by You ☆ | Riki Nishimura

第22章

Darkened Alley

"It's late. Gotta go for a smoke. You wanna join?" Jiro said while stretching his arms and yawning.

"Sure." Hitomi answered.

They got up from their seats and headed outside. Besides the cafe there was an alley and they walked there. There were a group of young boys, about their age, smoking at a short distance away. It's the place where everyone comes to do drugs and cigarettes obviously. They stood next to the brick wall and faced each other. Jiro took a cigarette pack and a lighter from his pockets.  "You want one?" 

"Oh, I don't smoke." Hitomi waved her hands in deny. 

"Alright. Can you hold this?" Jiro stretched out his other hand holding the pack. She took it without hesitation. Actually, she doesn't really like when people smoke. But he is a different thing for being her friend after all. Though, she couldn't have guessed he'd smoke. He lightened up his cigarette and placed it between his lips. 

~

"Niki, don't you want any?" Niki's friend asked while holding a ciggy pack towards him.

"No, I quit." 

"What a shame." His other friend stated. 

All of his three friends were lighting up their cigarettes and in a blink of an eye, the smell of cigarettes filled the space. The reason he quit was his mother. He wants to be healthy, so in future he can take care of his mother. In a boredness, he observed the place and saw a couple doing the same thing as his friends. He didn't pay much attention to them, until when he realized that the other one seemed so familiar even through the dark. He stared at the couple for a brief moment.

What the hell?

"Wait a minute." Niki informed to his friends before leaving and approaching the two people. His certainty grew bigger, when he could see more clearly while getting closer. In front of the people he tossed a cigarette pack from the girl's hand. She desperately tried to grap it before it'd hit the ground, but failed. 

"What the hell?!" Hitomi screamed and looked up to the obtrusive person. Her angry facial expression faded, when she saw who it was. Niki. He had a black quilted jacket with the zipper fully opened and under it was a dark grey hoodie. She realized he was one of the gyus she earlier saw and didn't pay attention to. His dark clothing made her not to identify him at first.

"I should say that to you! What do you think you're doing?!" Niki disapprovingly asked.

"Wait. Do you know this nutcase, Hitomi?" Jiro asked her calmly. Hitomi couldn't answer him when Niki spoke first, "And who are you? Why are you being with her?"

"I don't think it's none of your business." Jiro responed coldly.

Niki and Jiro just stared at each other. Hitomi saw the invisible flames that fired around Niki. The angry expression on his face didn't mean anything good. Like he was about to beat someone up. She didn't want that to happen, so before anyone could speak, she grapped Niki's wrist and pulled him further. 

"I need to go Jiro, let's meet again someday, bye." She abruptly said goodbyes before dragging Niki deeper to the alley and leaving Jiro. Jiro waved a little to her and left the alley. 

Hitomi's grasp was light, but Niki followed her patiently. She let go of his cold arm and turned to face him in disbelief. "What are you doing? Can't you just leave me alone?" She complained and nudged him in annoyance. 

"No, when you're doing drugs at night with some random gyu. You don't want your mom to find out that you're sneaking out with suspicious gyus." Niki threathened.

"I wasn't even gonna use anything!" 

"Yeah right. Who was he anyway?" He asked irritably.

"None of your business."  Hitomi stated and rolled her eyes. "None of your business" , Niki hated those words the most. Hitomi knew he doesn't like when someone talks rudely and dryly to him. She knows as well that he has mild anger issues. Or like Sana said before, 'his anger management', but Hitomi has gotten to know him more. Like, what would he do?

Niki grapped Hitomi by her collar and pushed her to the cold brick wall. This time the thrust wasn't too strong. He clearly controlled his strenght. Hitomi has gotten used to it, tho. It's his habit, to make people listen to him. Althought it shouldn't be. His hands pressed her against the wall firmly, but at the same time delicately. 

"You don't talk to me like that." Niki warned menacingly. Hitomi didn't know what to say, so she stayed quiet.  "You shouldn't hang out with gyus, especially someone like him." He urged.

"Like him?" Hitomi inquired irritably.

"Mm, he probably just wants to use you." He noted and loosened his grip from her collar.

"What?! How could you say that?! You don't even know him!"

"I don't need to know him to predict his intentions." Niki said and furrowed his eyebrows.

"You can't say that when last night you hooked up with a lunatic." Hitomi shouted, but regretted it right after. She shouldn't have told that. But it was true, she was right. Niki's expression didn't get angrier after what she said. More likely it went to a nervous and distressed one.

"What?" He asked quietly. "How do you know?"

"It doesn't matter. But if you say I shouldn't hang out with gyus, do you mean I shouldn't hang out with Yuma either?"

"No. I trust Yuma. He's my friend as well." He replied, keeping the calm tone.

"Whatever. I'm tired. I want to go home." She took few steps and was about to leave when he spoke again, "It's late. I'll walk you home." Niki offered determinedly.

"Don't. I don't need it." She refused.

"It wasn't a question." He walked besides her and put his hand in his pockets. At this point she had no reason to debate anymore. Hitomi knew he does what he says.

The whole walk was quiet. They had nothing to say to each other anymore. Multiple times they get angry at each other for stupid reasons, but they forget those in no time. Her house's gate was in front of them. She opened it and was about to head inside.

"Good night, Hitomi." Niki said gently and in a tired tone. Her heart pounded some extra beats when she heard him. Hitomi didn't think he'd still say it. Actually, he has never said it before. She didn't want to be too rude, so she had to say goodbye to him aswell.

"You too, Niki."

☆